Requesting FreeScan Programming Review

[DougWare]

I've decided that while my old layout worked decently, I was constantly running into issues with TG limits.

I've split a lot of stuff up now, and duplicated a lot of others so that I can exceed the TG limits per system and still manage what I need to listen to quickly.

Now my only complaint in the scan "cycle" time to completely go through an entire quick key (by default 1 and 0, Durham and Statewide). It's taking about 5 seconds to scan just those systems if it doesn't hit anything. I can only assume this is because it has to grab the control channel and listen for the active TGs instead of just if squelch is broken.

The other option that I'm experimenting with is CC only scanning. There doesn't seem to be any benefit to disabling it, other than you have to program more channels. If I'm pasting into FreeScan from RR, then it doesn't matter if I'm pasting 2 or 45 channels. Since control channels can change, isn't it best to program all the channels in?

Anyway, I would appreciate any feedback from anyone on my layout or setup before I spent 4 hours entering the rest of the systems I listen to.

I'm looking for ways to optimize anything, including general layout (I'm going to add group quick keys later) and decrease the time it takes to cycle through the active systems.

I've had my BCD396XT for nearly a year. I never thought I would put this much time into tweaking the "ultimate" layout. When I had a BC560XLT and BC100XLT, it seems all we did was program it and listen...now there are always things I can do to improve my programming.


Thanks for the help!
Doug

 

[ka3jjz]

Re the control channels; it depends if the system is well understood, and all the primary/alternates are in the database. If that's the case, then I feel that programming all the voice channels is a waste of memory space. If it's a new system, or one that isn't well documented yet, you really have little choice - you have to program everything in. Of course, this only applies to Moto systems - EDACS and LTR systems you must program everything in the right LCN order.

Best Regards...Mike

 

[jeffmulter]

... The other option that I'm experimenting with is CC only scanning. There doesn't seem to be any benefit to disabling it, other than you have to program more channels. If I'm pasting into FreeScan from RR, then it doesn't matter if I'm pasting 2 or 45 channels. Since control channels can change, isn't it best to program all the channels in?

Anyway, I would appreciate any feedback from anyone on my layout or setup before I spent 4 hours entering the rest of the systems I listen to.

Doug

If you are going to include all the site frequencies (both control and voice), I would move the control frequencies for a site to the top of the list (so they will be checked first).

The concern I would have with including all frequencies is that, if you are in a fringe area for the system you wish to monitor, the scanner may detect control data on one of the voice frequencies which might be in use as a control channel on another system.

Frequency coordination does not always provide sufficient spacing between same-frequency users. Tropo conditions can also cause you to receive another licensee's control channel.

Regarding the programming layout, it appeared that you had most of the individual county DPRR talkgroups entered for Viper. I don't know the answer - hopefully someone on the forum can comment - but I'm not sure they are statewide talkgroups.

If they are not statewide talkgroups, including the DPRR talkgroups for the eastern and western counties may not be very productive, in terms of the limitations for programming talkgroups in a system.