Unication Receive Mode: looking for explanations / breakdown

[junkycosmos]

Unication Receive Mode: looking for explanations / breakdown

There are several receive modes. Can someone do a little breakdown on each one please, purpose / use case:

1. Selective Call =?

2. Monitor = receive of single conventional frequency

3. Radio Compatible Mode = ?

4. Normal Scan = scan of conventional frequencies programmed on existing zone/knob positions

5. Priority Scan = adds priority channel to Normal Scan mode

6. Silent Scan =?

7. Trunking TG Scan = scan of programmed P25 Talk Group IDs

8. Trunking TG Monitor = ?

9. Free Scan = search across frequency range

thank you!

 

[amys17]

Selective call is for conventional channel paging.

Trunking tg monitor monitors the tower openly. So will you will recieva all talkgroups active on the tower, whether they are programned in your pager or not.

As I understand, radio compatible mode is for conventuonal and shows the screen the way a radio would but maybe someone else can chime in here.

silent scan I believe is for knob positions that are using selective call for tones. But again, maybe someone can elaborate better /more here since I don't use them.

 

[MonitoringDelCo]

From the Parameter Description of PPS:

• Selective Call

In this mode, only the specified talk group(s) will be received. Once the pager receives the specified talk group(s) ID, the pager will notify the user by Alert, Voice Storage, or Background Color which depends on the setting for each specified talk group ID., and then play the voice from the specified talk group.
Note: Only available in Conventional Protocol

• Monitor Mode

In this mode, Once the pager receives a specified signal, the pager will play the signal. Also, once the pager receives the specified talk group(s) ID, the pager will notify the user by Alert, Voice Storage, or Background Color which depends on the setting for each specified talk group ID., and then play the voice from the specified talk group.
Note: Only available in Conventional Protocol

• Radio Compatible Mode

In this mode, only the specified talk group(s) will be received. Once the pager receives the specified talk group(s) ID, the pager won’t notify the user by any Alert, Voice Storage, or Background Color, and directly play the voice from the specified talk group.
Note: Only available in Conventional Protocol

• Normal Scan

In this mode, you can select the channels from the channel list which already set up. The pager will scan the selected channels one by one. When the selected channel is scanned and has a signal during the time, the pager will stay at the channel and play the signal if the signal matches the specified signal. If the talk group ID matches the specified talk group ID, the behavior of the pager will be the same as the mode, Selective Call.
Note: Only available in Conventional Protocol

• Priority Scan

This mode is almost similar to Normal Scan mode, but having a prioritized channel scan feature. In Normal Scan mode, the selected channels have the same scanning time. To contrast with Normal Scan mode, Priority Scan mode offers a selected channel as the high priority channel which will be most scanned than other selected channels.
Note: Only available in Conventional Protocol

• Silent Scan

In this mode, you can select the channels from the channel list which already set up. The pager will scan the selected channels one by one. When the selected channel is scanned and has a signal during the time, the pager will stay at the channel and play the signal, if the talk group ID matches the specified talk group ID. The behavior of the receiving signal is the same as the mode, Selective Call.
Note: Only available in Conventional Protocol

• Trunking TG-Scan

In this mode, only the specified talk group(s) will be received. Once the pager receives the specified talk group(s) ID, the pager will notify the user by Alert, Voice Storage, or Background Color which depends on the setting for each specified talk group ID., and then play the voice from the specified talk group.
Note: Only available in P25 Trunking

• Trunking Free Scan

This mode operates similar to the scanner. The user can set the frequency range to be scanned.
The pager will scan the frequency range set by the user and check if any trunking control channel exists.
When a control channel is scanned, the pager will stop scanning and start to receive on the control channel.
In Trunking Free Scan mode, any TGID will be received.
Note: Only available in P25 Trunking

• Free Scan

In this mode, not only the specified talk group(s) will be received, but also any talk group(s) can be received. Once the pager receives the specified talk group(s) ID, the pager will notify the user by Alert, Voice Storage, or Background Color which depend on the setting for each specified talk group ID, and then play the voice from the specified talk group or any talk group(s).
Note: Only available in P25 Trunking

 

[junkycosmos]

Missed that those were in PPS.

few followup questions on use case

Trunking Free Scan mode, is that a v1.4 beta option, not seeing on v1.3

Trunking TG-Monitor =?

When would someone us Trunking TG-Monitor vs Trunking TG Scan

Thanks!

 

[amys17]

I use trunking tg monitor for example when I travel. I have certain things programmed in statewide, but if I don't want to put in the entire system of talkgroups, it let's me monitor. So for example I live in Cleveland. When I traveled to Cincinnati I wanted to listen, but didn't want to program everything in there from Cinci. So I used trunking tg monitor to listen to whatever tower my pager was on in that area.

 

[MonitoringDelCo]

Trunking Free Scan is a feature of firmware version 1.4.

 

[WX4JCW]

my big question is the Multi-Select check box for Motorola P25 systems, anyone know exactly how and when to use it?

 

[nyscan]

So what is the difference between Free Scan and TG-Monitor?

 

[kikito]

So what is the difference between Free Scan and TG-Monitor?

The plain Free Scan is to search and monitor a conventional frequency range of your choosing. TG-Monitor is for monitoring a trunked P25 system control channel in the "open" or "wildcard" mode, which let's you hear any and all active TGs in the system.

 

[junkycosmos]

Amys17,
Great use case! When you use TG-Monitor seems it requires at least one TGID. In your example , do you use 65535 (wildcard) or some other TGID?

Wondering how TG-Monitor differs from doing TG-Scan with only the TG ID of 65535 (wildcard) ?

 

[kikito]

Amys17,
Great use case! When you use TG-Monitor seems it requires at least one TGID. In your example , do you use 65535 (wildcard) or some other TGID?

Wondering how TG-Monitor differs from doing TG-Scan with only the TG ID of 65535 (wildcard) ?

If you're using TG-Monitor then you don't need to use the TG 65535 Wildcard, is redundant. The way I use those two modes is TG-Scan to listen only to the TGs I program, sometimes called ID Scan in some scanners. TG-Monitor to listen to everything on the system in what sometimes was also called "open" mode or ID Search in some scanners.

 

[nyscan]

Delete (Dup)

 

[nyscan]

The plain Free Scan is to search and monitor a conventional frequency range of your choosing. TG-Monitor is for monitoring a trunked P25 system control channel in the "open" or "wildcard" mode, which let's you hear any and all active TGs in the system.

Is this wrong from above where it says: Note: Only available in P25 Trunking

• Free Scan

In this mode, not only the specified talk group(s) will be received, but also any talk group(s) can be received. Once the pager receives the specified talk group(s) ID, the pager will notify the user by Alert, Voice Storage, or Background Color which depend on the setting for each specified talk group ID, and then play the voice from the specified talk group or any talk group(s).
Note: Only available in P25 Trunking

 

[kikito]

Is this wrong from above where it says: Note: Only available in P25 Trunking

• Free Scan

In this mode, not only the specified talk group(s) will be received, but also any talk group(s) can be received. Once the pager receives the specified talk group(s) ID, the pager will notify the user by Alert, Voice Storage, or Background Color which depend on the setting for each specified talk group ID, and then play the voice from the specified talk group or any talk group(s).
Note: Only available in P25 Trunking

I think is wrong because if I remember correctly, it doesn't trunk a system when it finds an active control channel within the frequency range you set. It'll decode P25, DMR, and analog voice conventionally along with MDC/UDC signaling.

 

[radio3353]

If you're using TG-Monitor then you don't need to use the TG 65535 Wildcard, is redundant. The way I use those two modes is TG-Scan to listen only to the TGs I program, sometimes called ID Scan in some scanners. TG-Monitor to listen to everything on the system in what sometimes was also called "open" mode or ID Search in some scanners.

If my pager is currently in TG-Scan, can I change to TG-Monitor in a pager menu? I looked through the Function Status and Function Settings menus and can't find a way to do it. Thanks.

 

[kikito]

If my pager is currently in TG-Scan, can I change to TG-Monitor in a pager menu? I looked through the Function Status and Function Settings menus and can't find a way to do it. Thanks.

I don't think there's a way through the pager menus, only through PPS.

 

[radio3353]

I don't think there's a way through the pager menus, only through PPS.

OK, thanks. That was my impression, too. That makes setting up a knob position with a wildcard more convenient.

 

[wa8pyr]

my big question is the Multi-Select check box for Motorola P25 systems, anyone know exactly how and when to use it?

Multi-Select is where the dispatcher selects multiple talkgroups to broadcast over simultaneously. When using direct-connected Motorola consoles a data bit on the control channel tells all radios on those talkgroups to go to the same voice channel, thus saving system resources. Scanners use this and receive a transmission normally, but apparently the Unication pagers might miss transmissions made using that mode.

Multi-Select evidently allows the pager to monitor the selected talkgroup for the Multi-Select bit and monitor those communications.

Knowing what Multi-Select does, and going from the description in V00.03.17 beta 07 PPS, that's my best guess. We don't use direct connected consoles around here so I haven't tried the Multi-Select feature.

 

[WX4JCW]

Multi-Select is where the dispatcher selects multiple talkgroups to broadcast over simultaneously. When using direct-connected Motorola consoles a data bit on the control channel tells all radios on those talkgroups to go to the same voice channel, thus saving system resources. Scanners use this and receive a transmission normally, but apparently the Unication pagers might miss transmissions made using that mode.

Multi-Select evidently allows the pager to monitor the selected talkgroup for the Multi-Select bit and monitor those communications.

Knowing what Multi-Select does, and going from the description in V00.03.17 beta 07 PPS, that's my best guess. We don't use direct connected consoles around here so I haven't tried the Multi-Select feature.

Thanks Tom, yeah clear as mud

 

[wa8pyr]

Thanks Tom, yeah clear as mud

What puzzles me is why the Unication doesn't just monitor for the Multi-Select bit all the time (like scanners and real radios) so you won't miss transmissions at all; any talkgroup could conceivably be part of a Multi-Select at any time, so monitoring for it should be an always-on feature.