Unication G4/G5 on the KSICS

[Scanner-ron]

I’m currently using a BCD436, and have been thinking about getting the SDS-100 or a Unication G4/G5.

During the day I travel a lot in Reno, Rice, and Stafford counties. I mainly listen to KHP and the SE9 Channels.

Currently, I’ve got Hutch, Lyons, Partridge, and Preston towers programmed in.

So would it be worth the change?

What are the pros and cons?

 

[cubn]

Cons (if you plan to do these)

• Can't monitor conventional and trunked at the same time
• Can't monitor multiple sites on the same system at the same time
• Can't monitor multiple systems at the same time

Pluses

• G4 is great for statewide monitoring. I put all the sites for Illinois and Indiana statewide systems in two separate knobs (separate knobs per state). You have 64 talkgroups you can scan at a time which is generally enough for all the state police and mutual aid TGs per state.
• G4 receives so much better/farther than my 396T

 

[dillon15]

G5 is what I use and works perfectly fine on ksics in northeast kansas\topeka area, of you can spare a few extra bucks get a g5 dual band with vhf just incase you need to monitor something on vhf side.

 

[cubn]

I thought of another con...

You can't field-program the G4 so if you forgot to program in a talkgroup and you're out traveling, your basically out of luck.

I was up in northern Indiana and found the highway was closed, probably due to a fatal accident. But I only had state police and mutual aid channels in my G4 and not the local county talkgroups so I missed the radio traffic to understand the reason for the detour.

 

[Scanner-ron]

I thought of another con...

You can't field-program the G4 so if you forgot to program in a talkgroup and you're out traveling, your basically out of luck.

I was up in northern Indiana and found the highway was closed, probably due to a fatal accident. But I only had state police and mutual aid channels in my G4 and not the local county talkgroups so I missed the radio traffic to understand the reason for the detour.

Thank you for the information, I don't think I will do programming on the fly.

 

[RaleighGuy]

I thought of another con...

You can't field-program the G4 so if you forgot to program in a talkgroup and you're out traveling, your basically out of luck.

I was up in northern Indiana and found the highway was closed, probably due to a fatal accident. But I only had state police and mutual aid channels in my G4 and not the local county talkgroups so I missed the radio traffic to understand the reason for the detour.

Great reason to have one knob with all call or set as Trunking Monitor.

 

[Scanner-ron]

As I understand it the G4/5 will locks on to the strong tower signal, correct?

 

[RaleighGuy]

As I understand it the G4/5 will locks on to the strong tower signal, correct?

Yes if multiple sites are programmed, it will also not allow you to switch sites, until the signal strength is too low

 

[Scanner-ron]

Yes if multiple sites are programmed, it will also not allow you to switch sites, until the signal strength is too low

Oh, that's good to know, I travel throughout the coverage of 3 towers.

 

[RaleighGuy]

Oh, that's good to know, I travel throughout the coverage of 3 towers.

You would have to program each site as a separate system with the individual site and manually switch between knob positions.

 

[Scanner-ron]

I do realize it will only do one site at a time, however, I was under the understanding you could put multiple sites in each zone, and it would lock to the strongest signal (aka one site at a time), and as you moved around, it switches to strongest site.

Was this understanding wrong?

 

[cubn]

I do realize it will only do one site at a time, however, I was under the understanding you could put multiple sites in each zone, and it would lock to the strongest signal (aka one site at a time), and as you moved around, it switches to strongest site.

Was this understanding wrong?

Yes, that is correct.

 

[Scanner-ron]

Bummer, then the G4 is probably not the best option for me.

 

[cubn]

I meant yes that is how it works, not just that your assumption was incorrect.

My local PD is carried on two nearby sites. So I put both sites in one knob and as I drive around it just automatically switches to whichever is the strongest so I never miss hearing them.

 

[KevinC]

I do realize it will only do one site at a time, however, I was under the understanding you could put multiple sites in each zone, and it would lock to the strongest signal (aka one site at a time), and as you moved around, it switches to strongest site.

Was this understanding wrong?

It will lock into the first site it sees as “good”. This may not necessarily be the strongest and it will stay on that site until it can no longer decode it. It’s receiver is so good that I can actually stay on a site so long I can drive through coverage of another site. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[Scanner-ron]

It will lock into the first site it sees as “good”. This may not necessarily be the strongest and it will stay on that site until it can no longer decode it. It’s receiver is so good that I can actually stay on a site so long I can drive through coverage of another site. Just something to keep in mind.

My understanding was that the G4/G% would pick the signal, so I'm confused now.

What I'm looking to do is, in Zone 1, put 3 or 4 sites (KSICS site Hutchinson, Lyons, Partridge, Preston) and have 6 talk groups( F-KHP-1, F KHP-2, F-Event 1, F-Event-2, F-Event-3).

Zone 2 and so on other things?

Currently, this is how I have my BCD436HP, looking to upgrade, and I'm trying to figure out which would be better getting, the G4/G5 or an SDS-100 be better to use.

Sorry if I did not make clear.

 

[pvnh]

I use a G5 to listen to KSICS when traveling for work. My understanding is that it chooses the strongest site. For simplicity, I programmed it with full spectrum scan enabled for 700 and 800, and FF/FF/FF as a site to find everything, and trunking monitor. What it boils down to is I hear everything affiliated with the strongest(presumably) closest site. If something comes through that I'm not interested in, ie the county jail, I just block it. If you do purchase one, I'm more than happy to send you the profile that I use.