Scanner Coming, Terminology Question

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calpalmer

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I know there was mention of a glossary here, but I couldn't find it.

I have a digital scanner coming, and hope to listen to local emergency comm's. I've been reading the wiki and various threads for a few days, and am starting to get things in view a little. I downloaded freeScan, and set up some systems for my common west-coast travels.

For digital trunked systems, I'm clear on the relationship of Groups within the system, and TG IDs within each Group. But I'm not clear how Sites relate to Groups. The diagram on the Uniden web page makes Groups appear in parallel to Sites.... I was thinking each Site was comprise of 2-20 Groups, and each Group comprised of 2-500 TGIDs. Is that right?

Sorry for the noob post, I'm sure I'll get to this as I continue reading.

Cal
 

FLRAILMAN

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Scanner coming, Terminology question

Welcome to Radioreference Cal, just click on "WIKI" on the page heading, when the drop down menu appears, click on "glossary" & you are good to go, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year & happy scanning.

FLRAILMAN
 

hiegtx

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I know there was mention of a glossary here, but I couldn't find it.

I have a digital scanner coming, and hope to listen to local emergency comm's. I've been reading the wiki and various threads for a few days, and am starting to get things in view a little. I downloaded freeScan, and set up some systems for my common west-coast travels.

For digital trunked systems, I'm clear on the relationship of Groups within the system, and TG IDs within each Group. But I'm not clear how Sites relate to Groups. The diagram on the Uniden web page makes Groups appear in parallel to Sites.... I was thinking each Site was comprise of 2-20 Groups, and each Group comprised of 2-500 TGIDs. Is that right?

Sorry for the noob post, I'm sure I'll get to this as I continue reading.

Cal
Cal,
From your question, it sounds as if you may have a Uniden digital scanner coming. The term "site" relates to the tower, or transmitter, 'site' or location. Take a look at this system. Based on your location, as you have indicated in your profile, it appears to be in your area:
Tacoma/Puyallup Public Safety Trunking System, Tacoma, Washington - Scanner Frequencies
Now, under the heading "System Frequencies", there are three "sites" listed. These are the locations of the transmitters for this trunked system. The site could be a stand-alone tower, a tower shared with other users (say a broadcast tower), a water tower, or a tall building. But at each of those locations is a transmitter/receiver, along with the necessary other equipment, for the trunked radio system to function.

The groups (as programmed into the scanner) are collections, if you will, of the various talkgroup id's in use. Depending on the system and your preference, you may split these up by use (police, fire, ems, city services), or by cities and/or counties (if it was a large regional system).

As far as the scanner goes, the relationship of the groups to the sites is not really relevant. Program the talkgroups you want to hear in your area, organizing however you want, in groups labeled to your preferences. If the scanner you have coming is a 396XT or 996XT, then you do have a limit of 500 talkgroups in each system. For the sites, program the sites that you expect to be able to receive. You probably won't hear one a couple hundred miles away (on a large statewide system) unless you travel that way. But you would enter those sites that are either in range for you, or that you expect to be in range during the course of your travels.
 

calpalmer

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Location
Pierce County, Washington
Not too hard to guess I have a Uniden scanner coming! You're right. Thanks for the explanations, this helps; exactly what I was looking for. I have messed with some of the programming to become more familiar with structure and options, and so had loaded the trunking system you cite, as well as a selection of the closer conventional systems here. I'll keep reading the various wiki chapters and these forums, not too much I can do until the scanner arrives Thursday.
Thanks again, Cal
 

rvictor

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With respect to conventional frequencies, there are SYSTEMS which contain one or more GROUPS. A GROUP contains one or more channels. For each channel you enter the frequency, alpha tag, and various other parameters that relate to that channel. There are no sites for conventional channels.

SYSTEM 1
.....GROUP 1
..........CHANNEL A
..........CHANNEL B
.....GROUP 2
..........CHANNEL C
..........CHANNEL D
SYSTEM 2
.....GROUP 1
..........CHANNEL E
..........CHANNEL F
SYSTEM 3
.....GROUP 1
..........CHANNEL G

With respect to trunked systems, there are SYSTEMS which contain one or more SITES and one or more GROUPS. In each SITE, you enter the frequencies for that SITE. For each GROUP you enter one or more TALKGROUP IDS. For each TALKGROUP ID you enter an alpha tag and various other parameters that relate to that talkgroup.

SYSTEM 4
.....SITE 1
..........FREQUENCY 1
..........FREQUENCY 2
..........FREQUENCY 3
.....SITE 2
..........FREQUENCY 4
..........FREQUENCY 5
..........FREQUENCY 6
.....GROUP 1
..........TALKGROUP ID 1
..........TALKGROUP ID 2
..........TALKGROUP ID 3
.....GROUP 2
..........TALKGROUP ID 4
..........TALKGROUP ID 5
SYSTEM 5, etc.

System/Site Quick Keys (SQKs) allow you activate and deactivate systems or trunked sites for scanning. For conventional systems, the SQKs are set at the system level. For trunked systems, the SQKs are set at the site level. There can be more than one system or site assigned to a SQK.

The single digit SQKs are toggled between active and inactive by pressing the corresponding key on the keyboard. The two digit SQKs are toggled between active and inactive by pressing the ./NO key followed by the two digits on the keyboard.

The display

S0:1234--7**0 indicates that SQKs 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 0 are active; SQKs 8 and 9 are inactive; and SQKs 5 and 6 are unassigned.

S1:12---678** indicates that SQKs 11, 12, 16, 17, and 18 are active; SQKs 19 and 10 are inactive; and SQKs13, 14, and 15 are unassigned.

Etc. to S9:12345678790

Each system can have up to 10 Group Quick Keys (GQKs). The indicator for the GQKs is the line below the SQK line and works the same way except that it only has ten possible values and therefore is only single digits. There can also be more than one group assigned to a GQK.

GQKs can be toggled active and inactive by pressing FUNC and the keyboard number while the scanner is scanning the particular system which contains the groups that you are controlling.

If you use software to program your scanner, you can assign the SQKs and GQKs as you set up your programming and can also set the initial state of the SQKs and GQKs.

Hope this is helpful.

Dick
 

calpalmer

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Dec 19, 2009
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Location
Pierce County, Washington
Wow, Dick, this helps a great deal. Thanks! I hadn't tumbled to the conventional versus trunked difference in this respect. I'm going to print your reply out - this will be very helpful when the scanner arrives tomorrow. Regards,
Cal
 
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