Raptor05121
Member
Does anyone have the details to get the 2170 to act as a pager? I have the input, output, PL decode and proper tones set, but I'm still picking up traffic not set to my station. Is there a squelch function that should be enabled?
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TK-2170 into a pager
- Thread starter Raptor05121
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Is it responding to a quick call (beeps) and just not going silent?
Go to the zone where the paging channel resides and click on zone edit. Change audio control to
"QT/DQT and Optional Signaling" This will work if the quick call call tones are transmitted with the proper QT or DQT (some systems do not).
Also go to your 2-tone menu and look at the auto reset timer under "Decode 2-Tone X" tab. This is the amount of time the receiver will stay open after a quick call until it goes silent again.
Go to the zone where the paging channel resides and click on zone edit. Change audio control to
"QT/DQT and Optional Signaling" This will work if the quick call call tones are transmitted with the proper QT or DQT (some systems do not).
Also go to your 2-tone menu and look at the auto reset timer under "Decode 2-Tone X" tab. This is the amount of time the receiver will stay open after a quick call until it goes silent again.
Raptor05121
Member
Thanks for the replies.
My fire radio is set up as follows: 154.1600MHz RX, 153.7700MHz TX, 178.3 PL.
What should I do about the PL? For pager mode, we just set the RX and left out TX. With PL set to NONE or the 178.3, I pick up regular fire chatter (truck to truck) without any tones being sent out from dispatch. With PL set to something random, it doesnt pick up anything but the green light on the top blinks. I haven't had the chance to get a pager test done yet.
I just need help getting this CTCSS set up so I have a pager instead of carrying around a pager and a radio.
My fire radio is set up as follows: 154.1600MHz RX, 153.7700MHz TX, 178.3 PL.
What should I do about the PL? For pager mode, we just set the RX and left out TX. With PL set to NONE or the 178.3, I pick up regular fire chatter (truck to truck) without any tones being sent out from dispatch. With PL set to something random, it doesnt pick up anything but the green light on the top blinks. I haven't had the chance to get a pager test done yet.
I just need help getting this CTCSS set up so I have a pager instead of carrying around a pager and a radio.
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Well on my portable, I have the PL set on both TX and RX(you always want to TX PL, to connect to the repeater). And if I turn the radio on, it will be silent until the correct tones are recieved. I can bypass the silent mode by pressing the monitor button, which allows me to hear all traffic from FC 911.
Basically its like this
Monitor off: Selective call
Monitor on: Monitor Mode
I'm sure this is confusing, because i get confused reading it myself.
But there has to be an AND/OR setting somewhere, but it probably isnt called that because its a Kenwood, I will look this up.
Basically its like this
Monitor off: Selective call
Monitor on: Monitor Mode
I'm sure this is confusing, because i get confused reading it myself.
But there has to be an AND/OR setting somewhere, but it probably isnt called that because its a Kenwood, I will look this up.
Raptor05121
Member
I figured it out. I had the setting set to "QT/DQT or tones" so when I had the correct PL and tones set, just the correct PL was opening it up. I set it to "QT/DQT AND tones" and a pager test (which another TK-2170 happily did for me instead of calling dispatch 100 times lol) confirmed that we had it. Thanks a lot guys. This radio is awesome, no more carrying a Minitor IV and HT750 for me, this does both!
WillB
Member
I know this is someone elses thread but I have a similar question regarding my 2170. Right now mine is setup to have a pager channel that acts like a Min V and will only alert when my dept gets paged out. I would like to have it programmed so where I can keep my radio on the county fire channel and hear all the depts getting paged out but alert when my dept gets toned out and still be able to transmit as well on the county fire channel. Is this possible?
Yes it is possible. Reread the above. You can press monitor and listen to the channel and it will still alert to your tones. A better way is to duplicate the channel, then make one "and", the other make "or". This will give you two channels for paging, one silent and one that will listen to the channel.
Raptor05121
Member
Yes ironically I just did this. I know I am a month late but why not. Since you can only set Zone settings and not channel settings, you're Pager ONLY channel has to be one zone and the pager + radio has to be another zone. For example:
Z1, C1- (Fire Radio TX/RX + Pager) = 154.000 TX, 155.500 RX, 173.8PL w/ Opt Signal as 2-tone 1
For Zone 1, click edit Zone Settings and make sure you select "QT/DQT or Optional Signaling" then have another zone set as:
Z2, C1- (Pager Only) = no TX, 155.500 RX, 173.8 PL w/ Opt Signal as 2-tone-1
With its Zone Settings as "QT/DQT and Optional Signaling"
Can this be done on the mobile? (7180)
WillB
Member
I agree with this yes and no. Where I work I wouldn't want to carry my radio with me. I'd bump into things or risk damaging it or accidentally keying the mic. Plus I can see where having the longer antenna could possibly get annoying. That's why I carry my Min V when I'm at work. Outside of work then I carry my 2170. I have the shorter antenna on mine and it really doesn't bother me.
My dept has talked about going to radios at times and getting away from the pagers for just the reasons you listed. We are all Motorola though and I'm not sure if they make a small radio like that is comparable to the 2170. I'm sure they do.
Raptor05121
Member
agreed. I have a 3180 right now with page in it and while I love it to death, there are times i would prefer a MinV on my belt and leave the radio in the truck. Plus pagers are made to be on 24/7. While its a 1700mAh Li-Ion battery, i don't like having my radio on page 24/7. i cant remember the last time i turned my radio off
WillB
Member
Maybe someone can help me out here. I've still been getting hit or miss on the radio alerting when my dept gets toned out. So far for what ever reason it will work fine when I have the factory longer antenna on it. I bought a stuby antenna and it doesn't always seem to alert with it on. This is the antenna that I bought.
Kenwood VHF Low-profile Helical Antenna 148-162 Mhz (KRA-22M)
I am pretty sure that this is the correct one. My dept freq is 154.400 so that should fall in the range. The place I bought my radio from even switched me radios and it worked with the longer antenna but last night with the short antenna on it didn't. Why would this make a difference? I'm a mile from the dispatch center so it's not like range is an issue.
Kenwood VHF Low-profile Helical Antenna 148-162 Mhz (KRA-22M)
I am pretty sure that this is the correct one. My dept freq is 154.400 so that should fall in the range. The place I bought my radio from even switched me radios and it worked with the longer antenna but last night with the short antenna on it didn't. Why would this make a difference? I'm a mile from the dispatch center so it's not like range is an issue.
Raptor05121
Member
Wow, that is weird. I'm not too sure to be honest.
WillB
Member
So just out of curiosity, how hard are these radios to program? I bought the software and programming cable and am just waiting for them to show up.
Raptor05121
Member
Not at all. When it opens up, it gives you an "Excel-like" spreadsheet for all the basics (freq, PL, name, etc) and after playing around a little bit you get the hang of it. Kenwood incorporated a "HELP" file on everything so if you see something and you don't know what it is, there is usually a little HELP button next to it that will give you a description and the options it does. These are definitely my favorite radios to program.
WillB
Member
Ok well I got the software going and everything I've needed to change so far I have been able to other then 2 things. When I am manually changing through the channels is there a way to get it to beep when I get back to channel 1? Also is there a way to make it so the back light will light when there is traffic on the channel?
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