Slot 1 or Slot 2

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cableguy103-

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Dec 23, 2010
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Watseka IL 60970
I am A Show Bus Driver and I would like to listen to them on my SDS200... I can hear them part of the time when I am in the right slot not sure now which one it is so I would like to shut off the scanning between slot 1 and 2 does any one know how to do that???? They are digital only and I think 1 slot is analog and the other is digital?? so I miss a lot when it is scanning the analog slot. I have taken the SDS 200 with me and when it is scanning the other slot I miss the conservations.... Please Help Thx Tim
 

n1chu

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Oct 18, 2002
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If you’ve got a SDS200, I would expect you know about RadioReference.com. It’s where you can research agencies, frequencies, modes of operation, Download and program your scanner automatically and much much more. For example, you mentioned a bus service. I am guessing it’s a DMR system or a Motorola equivalent because you refer to slots 1 & 2. As for one slot being analogue and the other being digital, no, that’s not how TDMA works. Both are digital. But you don’t need to take a course in this stuff to program your scanner properly. You just need a little guidance. I suspect what you are really after is help getting your SDS200 programmed so you can listen to the bus line because you haven’t been able to locate where in RadioReference.com is the bus line. No worries, if it’s in there, we will root it out for you... but first, here’s what you need to do;

Going forward, get specific. Repost here and list the name of the bus line, the city/town, state and county where that bus line has its base of operation or headquarters. There’s plenty of help here if you give us the specifics. We’ve helped many and will help you.

In the mean time, anything you’d like more info on pertaining to scanners can usually be answered with a google search to TadioReference.com. As an example, search for “DMR RadioReference“.You should see a bunch of suggested sites pop up, some for RadioReference forumsand WiKi’s.
 

cableguy103-

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Dec 23, 2010
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Location
Watseka IL 60970
I need to know how to shut off slot 1. I took the scanner with me in the bus where the radio is and i could hear it on slot 2 only. While driving around when other people were talking I could hear them on slot 2 but never while I was scanning slot 1...
 

dazza0768

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Location
Timaru, New Zealand
Each frequency has 2 slots. It's basically 2 channels on the same frequency which is what makes digital so efficient.

It sounds like it might just be a 1 freq trunk channel?
Perhaps just program the known channels that the stuff you want to listen to is on, save the TGID and set the scanner to ID SCAN. It will only play what groups you have saved.
 

hiegtx

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I need to know how to shut off slot 1. I took the scanner with me in the bus where the radio is and i could hear it on slot 2 only. While driving around when other people were talking I could hear them on slot 2 but never while I was scanning slot 1...
The only way that you can turn a slot 'on' or 'off', on a conventional DMR channel is to program it, instead, as a One Frequency Trunked system. When programmed that way, you can enter the talkgroup that you want to monitor, and also specify that you only want to use Slot 2. You can also set that system type so that the only talkgroup that is monitored is the one you specified.
 

cableguy103-

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Dec 23, 2010
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Watseka IL 60970
The only way that you can turn a slot 'on' or 'off', on a conventional DMR channel is to program it, instead, as a One Frequency Trunked system. When programmed that way, you can enter the talkgroup that you want to monitor, and also specify that you only want to use Slot 2. You can also set that system type so that the only talkgroup that is monitored is the one you specified.
Thx for the help not to familiar with the DMR and how to program them. It is C.lear Talk (DMR491). The TGID:307. Transportation Color Code : 3 Net ID : 1EBh. The frequency is 854.0875 and that does not change. The B could be an 8 not sure The site ID is 18 Im only 2 miles from it. The noise is constantly changing and the RSSI signal level varies from - 100 to -117. At the very topit says con+ then next to that the slot is binking and changes from slot 1 and eventually slot 2. Again Thx for the help hope this answers you questions IM not to fimiliar with the DMR Thanks Tim
 

hiegtx

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The system you are referencing is an existing trunked system:
That is different than a single, conventional, frequency being used in DMR mode. The single. conventional, frequency can be programmed as a One Frequency Trunked system, and the slot and TGID can be specified. From your description of what you've tried so far, it appears that you took the two frequencies listed for the Clear Talk site in your county, and tried to program them as conventional frequencies, That would result in you sometimes hearing what you wanted, and sometimes missing conversations.

To monitor what you want to hear on Clear Talk DMR 491, you could either program the system, or simply append it from the main database in Sentinel. For a normal trunked system, you would not be able to specify the slot. The Net ID is not used by a scanner, so there is no need to try and program it somehow.

In Sentinel, go to the main database in the left side window.
Click on the plus sign, '+', located next to USA to expand the list of states.
Scroll down to Illinois, and click the plus sign by the state's name. That will expand the list of counties in your state.
Scroll down to Iroquois County, and click the plus sign by the county's name.
Now, click to expand the category County Systems under Iroquois.
There, you'll find the Clear Talk DMR491 system that you want to hear.
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Expand Clear Talk by, again, clicking the plus sign by the name.
Now, click the line labeled All under the system name, which shows a number of the identified talkgroups on the system. These will be visible in the right-side window of Sentinel. The TGID 307, that you want, is shown along with others,
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<Right><Click> on your talkgroup
That gets you a pop-up menu. Choose Append to Favorites List
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You can either direct the append to a list that you already use, or create a new one. For illustration purposes, I chose New Favorites List by clicking the button on the window that comes up, rather than one of my existing lists. I named the new list cableguy.

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The append process brings over only the talkgroup chosen, 307. However, when appending a trunked system in Sentinel, even though you select a single TGID, it also appends all of the sites in the system.But, you can easily remove them.
Select the Favorites List Editor either from the drop-down Edit menu, or by clicking the icon that resembles a star with a pencil on it, just under the w for the View drop-down menu.
Then, select the cableguy list as the one you want to edit.
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In the Favorites editor screen, sect the system, then click on the Sites tab.
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The right-side window will list all of the sites that were appended.
Hold down the Shift key, and click the first site, then, still pressing the Shift key, click on the site just ablove Watseka (the site in Iroquis County That will highlight all but Watseka.
Clicking on the red X will eliminate all sites except the one in your county. (Sentinel will ask you to confirm that you want to delete all of these, which you do.)
Now, you have a list with only the TGID you want, and the site it is carried on. You can edit the TGID in the Favorites editor, if you want to assign an alert color that will display when your talkgroup is active, and, if you want, you can select a brief sound to signify that will alert you to radio traffic.

I've attached a compressed (zipped) copy of the list just created. Extraact the file fom the compressed folder, and you can import it into Seninel on your PC. If there are other talkgroups on this system, you can easily add them. If that talkgroup (and the bus) is also used in other nearby counties, just don't delete those other sites.
 

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dazza0768

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Joined
Feb 18, 2019
Messages
199
Location
Timaru, New Zealand
Just have only the one tgid you want and have it on scan mode....once you figure out what DMR TRBO is and how to program it.

It's like trying to take the end of year exams without studying for them. Lol study study study.
 

cableguy103-

Newbie
Joined
Dec 23, 2010
Messages
4
Location
Watseka IL 60970
Thanks all, I have did this already. I have called the Uniden support and he went through all of this with me. I am not scanning anything else other than the show bus on this scanner. I am locked on to the Watseka Tower and I am not scanning anything else on this scanner. I need to learn how to stay on slot 2. I am also locked on to TGID 307 that number is not changing. Thanks HIEGTX it looks like u may be a ham....I am also my call is W9TRF. Thanks again for all Ur time...
 

dazza0768

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Feb 18, 2019
Messages
199
Location
Timaru, New Zealand
You can't lock onto slot 2. There is no point anyway. Some sites change CC slots and CC frequencies. As long as you're holding on the tgid you want and the system is programmed properly then you'll be away laughing. It will automatically switch to the bus transmissions automatically on any time slots or frequencies.
Best thing to do is google how to when you need anything, google has all the answers. And use radio ref forum, you can do searches on topics etc.

Sounds like you have alot of learning to do.
 

Forts

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Ontario, Canada
You need to understand how trunking and DMR work. The system you are trying to monitor is a Connect Plus trunking system, and the site you are monitoring has 2 frequencies, one for the control channel, one is a dedicated voice channel. Each of those frequencies has 2 time slots with slot 1 of 856.4125 being used for the control channel, and Slot 2 of that frequency and both slots on 854.0875 are available for voice. Both frequencies need to be programmed in or it won't track properly. The slot in use is irrelevant... Slot 1 might get used on one transmission, Slot 2 on the next. It's dynamic and can change per call. Follow the instructions that hiegtx listed above and you should be good. Also make sure that you have the Transportation service type enabled in your scan settings.
 

dazza0768

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2019
Messages
199
Location
Timaru, New Zealand
You need to understand how trunking and DMR work. The system you are trying to monitor is a Connect Plus trunking system, and the site you are monitoring has 2 frequencies, one for the control channel, one is a dedicated voice channel. Each of those frequencies has 2 time slots with slot 1 of 856.4125 being used for the control channel, and Slot 2 of that frequency and both slots on 854.0875 are available for voice. Both frequencies need to be programmed in or it won't track properly. The slot in use is irrelevant... Slot 1 might get used on one transmission, Slot 2 on the next. It's dynamic and can change per call. Follow the instructions that hiegtx listed above and you should be good. Also make sure that you have the Transportation service type enabled in your scan settings.
I'm curious now, what difference will the service type make?
 

zl1dfa

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Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Messages
8
Location
Christchurch, New Zealand
I'm curious now, what difference will the service type make?

With every channel or TGID you configure a service type - Transportation, Fire-Dispatch, etc. You can then turn on/off each service type using the "Select Service Types" menu on the main menu. Its another way of controlling what you hear, and a common cause of the "Nothing to Scan" problem. Generally, you should make sure all your service types are On unless you deliberately want to make some of them disappear from the scan list.

D.
 

dazza0768

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2019
Messages
199
Location
Timaru, New Zealand
With every channel or TGID you configure a service type - Transportation, Fire-Dispatch, etc. You can then turn on/off each service type using the "Select Service Types" menu on the main menu. Its another way of controlling what you hear, and a common cause of the "Nothing to Scan" problem. Generally, you should make sure all your service types are On unless you deliberately want to make some of them disappear from the scan list.

D.
Ah I don't even have mine setup to be honest
 
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