PSR 500 Digital And "Auto" Mode Setting ?

[BOBRR]

Hello:

Guess this will be my first question re actually using the unit for digital monitoring.
Uncertain re the terminology of APCO, P25 etc.

Anyway, came up with this, which is apparently a coast guard frequency that is now P25:

....announced channel is/was 165.3250 R mostly DVP/DES but with the USCG now implementing P-25 [Sector Boston converted this week]

CG refers to this as Bos-Rpt [Bos Repeat] and was used during the Drill at the CambridgeSide Galleria last year.

Question: If I set the mode to AUTO, is this all that is required ?

Is the unit smart enough to know what is MOT II Conventional Digital (I guess only part of the comms, like voice, are digital ?) and P25 ?

If someone could clarify this for me, would be most appreciative.

e.g.,

- when would I Not want "Auto" mode ?

- "Auto" mode correct if the freq in RR says P25 or APCO ?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[RoninJoliet]

You just program in the freqy, the radio does the rest, i have a couple of non-trunked VHF and ham freqys set to "FM" and the digital is perfect....

 

[BOBRR]

From OP: Previous Mode For Auto Question

Hi,

Thanks for help.

Sure does sound easy, then.

I have a Uniden 996, which I like a lot, but you have to tell it re the mode.

Questions:

If "Auto" does everything, why the other options, like FM, etc. ?

When is Auto not a good idea ?

Regards, and thanks,
Bob

 

[mtindor]

With 'Auto' it will try to search to discover what type of signal it is. If, for instance, you program in an aircraft frequencies on 128.000, you already know that this is an AM signal. Thus you set it to AM so that the scanner doesn't have to 'determine' the type of signal and adjust. It'll automatically be in the right mode.

You could set it to FM, for your part-time P25 freq. It's FM modulated regardless. So setting it to FM would stop it from trying to determine if it is AM.

Obviously in Auto mode the scanner determines fairly quickly what mode a signal is and then adjusts accordingly. But any time you know the absolute value and set that, it could potentially speed up the 'capture' rate of the signal - i.e. This especially would hold true for a data signal, I would think, since the faster you 'lock on' to the signal as a P25, the faster and more fully the decoding of that transmission can take place.

P25 setting on on the 996 is great though if you know a frequency that you listen to is full-time P25 and you also happen to have some non-P25 from another agency on that freq. If you were to set it to P25, it wouldn't stop on a regular FM tranmission and force you to hear it.

Mike

Hi,

Thanks for help.

Sure does sound easy, then.

I have a Uniden 996, which I like a lot, but you have to tell it re the mode.

Questions:

If "Auto" does everything, why the other options, like FM, etc. ?

When is Auto not a good idea ?

Regards, and thanks,
Bob

 

[BOBRR]

From OP: Thanks

Hi,

Thanks guys, for the help and answers.

Sure helps a lot.

Bob