Question for a friends 396xt

[Subliminal87]

So a friend of mine is programming his 396xt.

I don't know the answer but I assume someone on here will.

He wants an Alert light when a certain Radio ID keys up like it's done on the 436/536.


He is also curious if he can assign a name to the Unit id like you can with the 436/536

Possible?

 

[ofd8001]

Yes.

What I've done for my 396XT is create a group within the system called "Unit IDs". For the talkgroup ID you must preface the Radio ID Number with "i". As an example a radio with an ID number of 700121 would be i700121. The name would go in the Alpha Tag spot. You can then set the alert light and pattern as desired. You also have the ability to set an alert tone, if desired.

 

[Subliminal87]

Yes.

What I've done for my 396XT is create a group within the system called "Unit IDs". For the talkgroup ID you must preface the Radio ID Number with "i". As an example a radio with an ID number of 700121 would be i700121. The name would go in the Alpha Tag spot. You can then set the alert light and pattern as desired. You also have the ability to set an alert tone, if desired.

I knew someone would know!! How easy is this to do in freescan? I believe that's what he's using. I assume you have to know the ID's ahead of time?

 

[frazpo]

So a friend of mine is programming his 396xt.

I don't know the answer but I assume someone on here will.

He wants an Alert light when a certain Radio ID keys up like it's done on the 436/536.


He is also curious if he can assign a name to the Unit id like you can with the 436/536

Possible?

Delete,,I was late.

 

[Subliminal87]

Both are possible. Both are very easy to do in the programming software. Does he use Freescan?

I believe he does.

 

[ofd8001]

I use ARC XT for mine and it is easily done. So I'm presuming it is just as easy in Freescan.

It is better to know the IDs up front. But if they are found and stored through searching, I imagine you could do a read of the scanner using Freescan, then add the tags and alert stuff and the write that back to the scanner.

With me the Unit IDs are for the same system I use a 396 to monitor as I do the 536. So all I have to do is copy from one and paste to an intermediate spread sheet. Then copy from that intermediate spreadsheet and paste into the other programming software.

 

[frazpo]

I believe he does.

If he uses Freescan and downloads from Radio Reference database then there will already be labels for the UID's

Set the alert color in the TG list under the systems files. Its listed in one of the columns.

 

[Subliminal87]

I use ARC XT for mine and it is easily done. So I'm presuming it is just as easy in Freescan.

It is better to know the IDs up front. But if they are found and stored through searching, I imagine you could do a read of the scanner using Freescan, then add the tags and alert stuff and the write that back to the scanner.

With me the Unit IDs are for the same system I use a 396 to monitor as I do the 536. So all I have to do is copy from one and paste to an intermediate spread sheet. Then copy from that intermediate spreadsheet and paste into the other programming software.

If he searches a new system, like our new county which is starting to load up users on a P25, how can he search and store the IDs to download them to freescan?

Ive pointed him to this thread.

If he uses Freescan and downloads from Radio Reference database then there will already be labels for the UID's

Set the alert color in the TG list under the systems files. Its listed in one of the columns.

Thanks I will tell him this. I've currently downloaded the counties for him for freescan.

 

[W8RMH]

If he uses Freescan and downloads from Radio Reference database then there will already be labels for the UID's

Set the alert color in the TG list under the systems files. Its listed in one of the columns.

UIDs are not stored in the database. They are added to the Wiki and not downloadable.

 

[W8RMH]

I knew someone would know!! How easy is this to do in freescan? I believe that's what he's using. I assume you have to know the ID's ahead of time?

See if his system has a "Radio ID Structure" like the one below. I used this to create a UID list of all the fire units. It could work for the PD units too, vehicle wise, however the officer UIDs would be difficult unless a list was available.

Franklin County Public Safety Radio IDs - The RadioReference Wiki

There are also some UID lists in the Wiki.

Pennsylvania RID/UIDs

 

[ofd8001]

If he searches a new system, like our new county which is starting to load up users on a P25, how can he search and store the IDs to download them to freescan?

I may have mis-spoke and apologize for doing so. I tried, but cannot get my 396 to store Radio IDs through a searching process.

So it looks like your friend will have to note the Radio IDs as they appear on the scanner, then make entries in Freescan. Following that, upload to scanner.

Fortunately the radio IDs I programmed in my scanner were known to me (I had a hand in devising the radio ID number scheme from back in my "fire chiefing" days.)

With the system I'm familiar with, there was a methodology to the radio ID numbers for fire radios. Once the "formula" was developed, everything followed a pattern (sort of like the post mentioned previously). Thus one could figure out a callsign for a radio number and vice versa.

With law enforcement, that will be a little more daunting. Often police officers will change districts, shifts/platoons or beats. Their call numbers are associated with district/shift/beat. However, the officer keeps his or her radio. So one day radio 27790 may be for Officer Smith who is 715-B, but next month Officer Smith with radio 27790 could be assigned to 721-A.

For EMS it is even more random. The EMS crews report for duty and grab the first two portables they get their hands on. So on Monday Ambulance 1 has radios 333333 and 444444, but on Tuesday Ambulance 1 has 111111 and 222222.

Keeping an up to date list of Radio IDs and who they correspond to is a major task.

 

[Subliminal87]

Thanks everyone.

I was wrong, he uses proscan. Which logs UID's as well. So that should be easy enough!

Thanks again!

 

[frazpo]

UIDs are not stored in the database. They are added to the Wiki and not downloadable.

Ya, I was referring to TG's. Forgot what he had asked. Thanks.

 

[ofd8001]

he uses proscan. Which logs UID's as well. So that should be easy enough!

Presuming ProScan can export log files to CSV files, as ARC-XT does, that will be beneficial. Just be sure that a lower case "i" precedes the Radio ID Number.

 

[Subliminal87]

Yes.

What I've done for my 396XT is create a group within the system called "Unit IDs". For the talkgroup ID you must preface the Radio ID Number with "i". As an example a radio with an ID number of 700121 would be i700121. The name would go in the Alpha Tag spot. You can then set the alert light and pattern as desired. You also have the ability to set an alert tone, if desired.

So I'll ask, since I use free scan.

So add a group to the system, name it ID's and enter it. It just scans it? or what exactly does it do during this process?

 

[ofd8001]

I created a separate group just so they are in one place for maintenance/upkeep/clean organization purposes. But, I don't know if it is necessary to add a specific group for Radio IDs - you probably could add them in any of the groups you have.

I'm taking an educated guess here: Radio ID information is part of the data stream whenever there is a channel grant, just like talkgroup ID and specific voice frequency. The scanner's logic process will "grab" that Radio ID data, look to see if it is in the programming and if so, display the alpha tag associated with the Radio ID (including alert light and tone).

It's sort of like when ID Searching. If the scanner "hears" a talkgroup, it looks to see if is programmed and if so, does it have an alpha tag. If there is an alpha tag, then the alpha tag is displayed - if not, just the talkgroup ID number is displayed.

On Radio IDs, on our system Radio ID number 180300 is assigned to the mobile radio for Engine Company 8030. I have i180300 programmed as a radio ID (in the talkgroup column) and "Engine 8030-M" as the alpha tag. When that radio keys up, I'll see Engine 8030-M on the scanner display. If I did not have that programmed, then all I would see is "UID:i180300".

Hopefully I won't confuse you with the following. When "doing it's thing" scanners are only "scanning" the control channel for a trunked system. They are not "scanning" the groups which have talkgroup IDs or radio IDs, in the sense of looking for one, then another, then another, etc.

These groups are lists of TGIDs or Radio IDs are lists of "stuff" you might wish to hear.

When that channel grant happens, the scanner "notes" the talkgroup ID and Radio ID contained in the data stream. The scanner then looks into your lists of things. If it finds the Talkgroup ID and Radio ID and they haven't been locked out, the scanner sets itself to the voice channel, turns on the audio, and displays the alpha tags (along with alerting stuff).

Suffice it to say monitoring a trunked radio system is a whole 'nother ballgame when compared to rolling through a group of conventional radio frequencies.

 

[Subliminal87]

I created a separate group just so they are in one place for maintenance/upkeep/clean organization purposes. But, I don't know if it is necessary to add a specific group for Radio IDs - you probably could add them in any of the groups you have.

I'm taking an educated guess here: Radio ID information is part of the data stream whenever there is a channel grant, just like talkgroup ID and specific voice frequency. The scanner's logic process will "grab" that Radio ID data, look to see if it is in the programming and if so, display the alpha tag associated with the Radio ID (including alert light and tone).

It's sort of like when ID Searching. If the scanner "hears" a talkgroup, it looks to see if is programmed and if so, does it have an alpha tag. If there is an alpha tag, then the alpha tag is displayed - if not, just the talkgroup ID number is displayed.

On Radio IDs, on our system Radio ID number 180300 is assigned to the mobile radio for Engine Company 8030. I have i180300 programmed as a radio ID (in the talkgroup column) and "Engine 8030-M" as the alpha tag. When that radio keys up, I'll see Engine 8030-M on the scanner display. If I did not have that programmed, then all I would see is "UID:i180300".

Hopefully I won't confuse you with the following. When "doing it's thing" scanners are only "scanning" the control channel for a trunked system. They are not "scanning" the groups which have talkgroup IDs or radio IDs, in the sense of looking for one, then another, then another, etc.

These groups are lists of TGIDs or Radio IDs are lists of "stuff" you might wish to hear.

When that channel grant happens, the scanner "notes" the talkgroup ID and Radio ID contained in the data stream. The scanner then looks into your lists of things. If it finds the Talkgroup ID and Radio ID and they haven't been locked out, the scanner sets itself to the voice channel, turns on the audio, and displays the alpha tags (along with alerting stuff).

Suffice it to say monitoring a trunked radio system is a whole 'nother ballgame when compared to rolling through a group of conventional radio frequencies.

Thanks a lot. Would you mind posting a screen shot of how you have it laid out? Just so I have an idea what I should be looking for if its correct.

 

[ofd8001]

Yes (I use ARC XT, but I'm sure Freescan is similar):

 

[W8RMH]

The scanner does not scan frequencies, talk groups, or IDs. It gets instructions from the control channel data. It tells the scanner which frequency to tune to and which talk group number and/or ID number is transmitting.

The scanner checks the stored groups and if the information is stored and alpha tagged it will display that, otherwise it just displays the numbers.

 

[Subliminal87]

Yes (I use ARC XT, but I'm sure Freescan is similar):

Thanks for this now I get it.

The scanner does not scan frequencies, talk groups, or IDs. It gets instructions from the control channel data. It tells the scanner which frequency to tune to and which talk group number and/or ID number is transmitting.

The scanner checks the stored groups and if the information is stored and alpha tagged it will display that, otherwise it just displays the numbers.

Ahh ok thanks! I am still newish to scanning digital.

Is ARC good? I was thinking of using Proscan just for the control over IP.