Scan Speed with TRX-1 or any other digital scanner

[Davey1]

I think my question is rather simple, but I've never seen it discussed here or anywhere else.

When scanning a P25 trunked system I put the control channel and the alternate control channel(s) in the radio. And then I add the talk groups that I want to hear. If I put in 100 talk groups to scan does the radio scan quicker than if I put in 1,000 talk groups to scan? I always thought that if I was only scanning two frequencies for activity (the control and the alternate) that a scan pass would be very quick no matter how many talk groups were in the list. Is that true?

 

[lebrunmn]

Most new scanners don't scan the talkgroups--they scan the control channel stream for the talkgroups you've selected, so the number of talkgroups you specify has no bearing on speed. The slowdowns come mostly from mixing trunked systems and conventional freqs, which is why most people use several scanners rather than mash it all together on one.

 

[baker50021]

Well said lebrumn, and I might add trying to scan multiple sites in a trunked system will slow it down also.

 

[Wackyracer]

Less is faster!!!

 

[djeplett]

The only time modern scanners check the talkgroups is when they detect an active talkgroup in the control channel data. Then they compare the active talkgroup with what you have programmed. If the active talkgroup matches one you have programmed in the radio, it begins following the conversation. If no talkgroup is active the radio will continue to monitor the control channel for whatever "dwell" time you have programmed and then move on to other conventional channels or trunked systems you have programmed. That's why it makes no difference if you have one talkgroup programmed or 10,000. As @lebrunmn and @baker50021 pointed out, there are many many other factors that dictate scanning speed.