Spectra scanning ?

[dvoice]

I have a question concerning a Spectra VHF rig. I would like to use it on the 2 meter ham band. I can get individual modes programmed and the radio works. What I'm having problems with is getting the rig to scan the modes. From my search it looks like the maximum scan modes is 16. I would like to have the selected mode to be priority scan with the others to be non-priority scan with the operator selection from the control head. I'm missing something in the programming menus. The software shows it capable of zone programming. Where can I find on line, a better program command description then the simple help menu in the rss. Or which line has to be changed to get the radio to scan.

[Tom in D.C.]

You will find a lot of helpful Spectra information at www.batlabs.com under Model Specific Information in the second section which covers mobile radios. The first, top, section is for portables. IIRC there is mention there of the scanning functions of the Spectra, or lack of them if your radio is not equipped to scan.

[Jim202]

Part of the answer your looking for will depend on which style control head you have. Be it the
hand held control head or one of the w type series heads. If you have the w series or the 9000
style heads you can do much more with it.

On the units I have, I tend to set up a scan list for each channel (mode) in the radio. This allows
me to set that channel as the priority channel and select which other channels I want to the radio
to scan while on that selected channel. It's not that hard to do, but you really need to write
down on paper what your trying to do. I set my radios up with zones. This way as I drive
around, I can select the zone for that location and have 16 channels available.

In all the years I have been using these radios, I don't think I have ever seen a good programming
user guide. You sort of have to learn it as you go. Each radio is a little different. The scan edit
list is not where you would expect it to be. I have to go hunting around each time I go back
to these radios. I end up using so many different radios and programming them over the course
of a day, that even I loose track of what part of the different radio software sections do what.
Now try to keep straight using a number of different radio brands. The Kenwood software is
different between different models, just like Motorola can't get their software even close to the
same between different models. Keeps a radio tech bald trying to program radios these days.

Jim

I have a question concerning a Spectra VHF rig. I would like to use it on the 2 meter ham band. I can get individual modes programmed and the radio works. What I'm having problems with is getting the rig to scan the modes. From my search it looks like the maximum scan modes is 16. I would like to have the selected mode to be priority scan with the others to be non-priority scan with the operator selection from the control head. I'm missing something in the programming menus. The software shows it capable of zone programming. Where can I find on line, a better program command description then the simple help menu in the rss. Or which line has to be changed to get the radio to scan.

[dvoice]

Thanks for the response. I have the radio scanning via the zone & talkgroup scan list. How do you configure to have the mode selected via the control head to be the priority channel, just like the older syntor scan works?

[wx4cbh]

If you're using the ZONE OPERATION option and you want to be able to edit both Non-Priority and Priority channels from the Scan Program menu accessible from the control head try this:

From the MAIN MENU page, > F4 CHANGE/CREATE/VIEW > F2 RADIO WIDE > F7 ZONE LIST > F8 SCAN OPTIONS > SCAN TYPES = Pri Tlkgr, then make your Non-Priority List = Op Select, and Priority List selections = Op Select.

Once you have programmed this into the radio via the RSS, you'll have the option to use F7 SCAN LIST IN the RSS to make up your scan lists per zone, or you can do so from the control head in the Scan List Programming menu (Long press SCAN button). Once in the Scan Programming menu, you'll have access to the entire channel list in the radio via the MODE button. I would also recommend that for any channel you feel you might want to place in the scan list in a given zone, place that channel in the ZONE MODE LIST, too. Otherwise, you won't be able to access that scan channel from the particular ZONE MODE LIST you're in.

With this done, the first choice in Scan Program menu from the control head will be Selected Chan or Selected Mode. Press the SEL button to move from Non-Priority to Second Priority (steady priority indicator) to First Priority (flashing priority indicator). That makes the selected mode the Priority. If you don't select First Priority (flashing priority indicator), then the Second Priority will just be Priority. Then use the MODE button to move to the next channel to be entered or removed with the SEL button.

Once you have a scan list entered and are in the Scan Program menu, the RCL button will scroll you through the zone scan list members. Use the SEL button to change the scan status of the channel or remove it. To exit the Scan List program menu, press HOME.

This scan list setup and editing applies to each individual zone, so it may be worthwhile to start the list while you're in the RSS and fine tune it from the control head as needed. At least that's the way it usually works best for me.

While you're on the F8 SCAN OPTIONS page, you might want to make your other scan control selections, too. Me, I always disable Talkback Scan (Enabled = guaranteed to get you in trouble sooner or later), choose Active for Scan Button Control, and enable Coded Squelch Scan.

Hope that helps.

[dvoice]

Thanks for the tips, I have adjusted the software with your recommendations. Can you program the radio to make the mode you select from the control head to always be the priority channel as you change? Learning alot of the motorola programming commands. Thanks for the help.

[wx4cbh]

That's why SEL MODE (Selected Mode) is the first choice in the Scan List Program menu.

Single Priority
When you've set SEL MODE to Priority (steady indicator), once you press HOME to exit Scan List Program, whatever channel/mode you select with the MODE switch (A 5, A7, A9 control heads) or rotary knob (A4 control heads) will be the Priority Channel.

First and Second Priority
If you made SEL MODE your First Priority (flashing indicator), then when you press HOME to exit Scan List Program, whatever channel/mode you select with the MODE switch/knob is First Priority. Second Priority does not change with the channel/mode switch/knob and remains whatever you had set it to.

If you scroll past SEL MODE and set any of the particular modes to either of the Priority selections, then the channel(s)/mode(s) you set remain the priorities no matter what channel/mode you select with the channel/mode switch/knob.

[linkinpark9812]

From my search it looks like the maximum scan modes is 16.

Looks like you got your original problem figured out so I figured you may want to scan more than 16 channels.

Check My Signature for scanning more than 16 modes.

Have fun with your Spectra!