PC control & logging [of GRE radios, of course]
I have some experience with PC control and unattended logging, but with a Uniden Bearcat 796 and 996. One of my goals back when was to attempt to confirm as many conventional frequency PL/DPL combinations as possible within my listening range.
When I used a Uniden Bearcat 796 under Butel ARC250 control I would do one routine where I would use almost all 1,000 conventional channels. With the software I could program seven conventional frequencies with all possible PL/DPL combinations that the 796 offered. I then would scan under PC control while I was at work. When I returned home I would check the history log to see what channels (RF frequency & PL/DPL co9mbinations) had been active. Then I would add then to a master list I was keeping. It was interesting to try and determine who the users were. Sometimes it was simple because I would enter the frequency into the FCC database listen while I was working at the computer and then when I heard activity I would try to determine if the activity matched any of the traffic I was hearing. Sometimes it was easy to determine quite quickly and others I never did determine the identity of the users. Usually the scanner would have channels locked out when I determined who the user was and then I would concentrate on the unknowns. I seemed to get several local college/university security and maintenance channels that way as well as other disparate business users.
If I recall correctly the BC796 also gave the option of searching up to 10 different search ranges under a single PL/DPL. That, too, was a good way to determine various users that had been previously unknown to me. The BC996 will not operate in this manner.
The BC996 does have a lot of memory, however, and offers a few more PL/DPL choices. I actually prefer "searching" in this manner than conventional searching in some cases. One of the reasons for that in my case is reducing the effects of "falsing". The best way for me to explain that is by example. Say I am doing plain searching under PC control and I see a hit on the history log of 155.610 with a PL of 131.8 hZ. I will scrutinize that and think that is an unlikely combination in my area. Then if I hear it live I realize it is actually mixing, intermodulation, front end overload, or even adcajent channel interference.
The other thing that can be kind of interesting when doing snooping of this sort is to also have the ability to listen on another receiver. In my case I have a Yaesu FT-8800 and it can be interesting to listen to certain things on that at the same time I am listening on a scanner. Needless to say, good feedline and good antennas are a must. I have even gone so far as to tune two frequencies simultaneously on the two FT-8800 displays with different PL/DPLs on each. It can to interesting to hear what happens when one channel becomes active and then the second one simultaneously to hear the FM capture effect happening. In fact, sometimes you will even hear the end users commenting about hearing other users on the radio.
When the GREs come out, I suspect the Gommert will have Butel software available within a matter of time. I look forward to logging federal frequencies along with their PL/DPLs, if in the analog modulation mode, and the correct NAC code(s) if they are P-25 modulation. I rather doubt that there will be a whole lot of carrier squelch channels on public safety and business FM frequencies. There will be some, of course, but I much prefer to know the PL/DPL of a channel if I can. And with the forthcoming GREs, I look forward to logging the NAC codes as well.
