Understanding gps/location scanning

Melv7956

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I have my system favourites/sites departments set to the range I want to monitor them but can anyone clarify? To get the range I want I set my scanner to zero? And If I change that say to one mile it will start scanning the system (or at least look for) a mile before I reach the range at what my site/dept is set at?
 

dave3825

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I have my system favourites/sites departments set to the range I want to monitor them but can anyone clarify?

System/department/site ranges should be what they are meant to cover, not a user defined range.

I want I set my scanner to zero? And If I change that say to one mile it will start scanning the system (or at least look for) a mile before I reach the range at what my site/dept is set at?

When I use mine its generally 0.0 or 0.5


 

ve1sef

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Yes. I have my 536 set up for stationary and mobile use. My departments are set up as either a rectangles
or circles with set co-ordinates while the scanner's range is set at 2.5 miles for smooth cross over between
department(or sectors). For example I've created Favorites called Local, Nova Scotia and Rail.
Local for when at home or sitting at the airport(YHZ), Nova Scotia when travelling around the province
and Rail is an interprovincial list. I'm attaching a map showing one of my Favorites List.
The coloured rectangles show the larger coverage areas while the smaller points of interest are circles .
On Youtube there are some videos by K4DPS that explain how to set up Location Based Scanning both with
and without a GPS.
 

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buddrousa

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Ok there are more than 1 part to this way of scanning.
#1 The Radio Frequency
#2 The Range in miles for the said frequency
#3 The GPS Latitude and Longitude
#4 Location Control turned on in the Scanner
#5 Range in the scanner (This is #2 plus the number in #5) so if #2 is 30 miles and #5 is set to 5 miles you will receive a total of 35 miles from the radio site.
 

kirk5056

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"Range" is poorly defined. The most used definition of "range" is how far a radio signal can be received. Setting the "range" settings in your Uniden scanner does NOT change the distance a signal can be heard, it only changes what is and is not SCANNED.

I think of the "range" of the radio (set in the menu) as the "scan radius". Then I think of the "range" or rectangle in the Dept/Site as the "footprint". Then just think any "footprint" that is within my "scan radius" will be scanned.

Any channel can be received by your scanner in "channel hold" mode even if its footprint is not in your scan radius (based on the traditional definition of "range").
 
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ofd8001

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My take and its a little different. . .

For Site Ranges, this is a number a site is presumed to cover as in its radio wave propagation footprint. Owing to many things, the actual reception Range depends on atmospherics, terrain and so on. So one could "hear" a transmitter farther away or may not "hear" a transmitter closer.

For Department Ranges, the database sets this as the area of the jurisdiction. In my scanning, there is a county some 40 miles away. I can receive their transmissions quite reliably. However, strictly going by the database range, this county would be turned off as the range is 20 miles.

As noted above Global Range on the scanner plus the Department Range taken together will result in when the scanner attempts to receive the given signals.

What folks want to do is strictly user preference and depends on one's tastes.
 
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