Can a smart net system have priority scan? also, can teh xts 1500 ( with display ) do priority scann, ie.. user set scan.... so we can add or delete our scan list?
DFC2
priority scan?
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Re: priority scan?
1) Priority scan is available if the system is using the SmartNet II feature set.
2) Subscriber equipment can be programmed to permit user selection of non-priority scan list members, via the front panel.
3) Fixed priority scan list members cannot be user selected via the front panel. However, it is almost always an error to make Priority 1 anything other than the selected channel, and if Priority 1 is the selected channel, the user can effectively change it by changing the selected channel.
2) Subscriber equipment can be programmed to permit user selection of non-priority scan list members, via the front panel.
3) Fixed priority scan list members cannot be user selected via the front panel. However, it is almost always an error to make Priority 1 anything other than the selected channel, and if Priority 1 is the selected channel, the user can effectively change it by changing the selected channel.
Re: priority scan?
im trying to clarify what can be done and not done.. without going to our local shop... we have a habit of getting a "It can't be done" answer.... we are as we speek, getting new radios.... trading in out mtx8000 b5"s for XST1500's ( with display) they have it set to turn on the scann feature with a side button ( as the 1500 has no fornt mounted buttons). now all the talk groups in the scan list are ones we might want to listen to, there are too many to get much out of it... if it's the little bit busy. now I don't want the scann removed, so I hope to get a few answers here and then take it to the chief for approval of changing any settings.
so... how do I know if the system is set up for priority scan? and can the 1500 be programmed to allow the scan list be changed with the side buttons. i have no problem with the priority being the selected channel... we often work a detail with 2 - 8 people and work off the departments secondary talkgroup, but want to listen to dispatch as well.....
or on patrol we are on our primary talkgroup and want to listen to the neighboring city, but still pick up the sheriff.... without priority, you never know what your getting unless you recognize a voice.
so can you tell me more about what you mean by smartnet "SET" and do you know anything about the xts1500 setup? ALSO, we have it setup now so that the radio ID comes up on the display as somone transmits on thier "NEW" portable... this is nice... cuts down on the crap... but can the displayed ID be programmed to display the user? ie.. car 2 programmed to show dept abrivation and number? or Officers name on the display? I know dispatch has the ID's in thier system, the have already had to call somone at home when he hit the orange button....
thanks for the response
DFC2
so... how do I know if the system is set up for priority scan? and can the 1500 be programmed to allow the scan list be changed with the side buttons. i have no problem with the priority being the selected channel... we often work a detail with 2 - 8 people and work off the departments secondary talkgroup, but want to listen to dispatch as well.....
or on patrol we are on our primary talkgroup and want to listen to the neighboring city, but still pick up the sheriff.... without priority, you never know what your getting unless you recognize a voice.
so can you tell me more about what you mean by smartnet "SET" and do you know anything about the xts1500 setup? ALSO, we have it setup now so that the radio ID comes up on the display as somone transmits on thier "NEW" portable... this is nice... cuts down on the crap... but can the displayed ID be programmed to display the user? ie.. car 2 programmed to show dept abrivation and number? or Officers name on the display? I know dispatch has the ID's in thier system, the have already had to call somone at home when he hit the orange button....
thanks for the response
DFC2
Re: priority scan?
1) I have no experience with 1500s.
2) I'd have to read the radio and play with the codeplug to determine whether the things that can be done from the front can also be done via side buttons. In essence, you need to be able to use the "Menu" feature.
3) Feature sets refer to functions provided by various trunking controllers. In the beginning, there was Privacy Plus and SmartNet. Neither would do priority scan. Then there was an enhancement to SmartNet, known as SmartNet II, which added the priority scan feature (while reducing the number of talkgroup IDs available). I'd be real surprised if your system was not at least SmartNet II, so I wouldn't worry about it.
4) As you've figured out, in a working radio, there is a sound reason for keeping scan lists short. However, you can have different scan lists for different "channels," so there is flexibility in designing the channel plan. There is also a feature known as "nuisance delete," which, if programmed, allows you to press a button while the radio is stopped on a non-priority member that you don't want to listen to right now and temporarily delete it from the scan list in question. The deletion will be recovered by a power down/power up or a scan off/scan on cycle.
5) Designing a channel plan for an application requires that you consult with someone who knows your system and learns enough about your operational needs to work out something that works for you. Hard to do via an Internet forum exchange.
2) I'd have to read the radio and play with the codeplug to determine whether the things that can be done from the front can also be done via side buttons. In essence, you need to be able to use the "Menu" feature.
3) Feature sets refer to functions provided by various trunking controllers. In the beginning, there was Privacy Plus and SmartNet. Neither would do priority scan. Then there was an enhancement to SmartNet, known as SmartNet II, which added the priority scan feature (while reducing the number of talkgroup IDs available). I'd be real surprised if your system was not at least SmartNet II, so I wouldn't worry about it.
4) As you've figured out, in a working radio, there is a sound reason for keeping scan lists short. However, you can have different scan lists for different "channels," so there is flexibility in designing the channel plan. There is also a feature known as "nuisance delete," which, if programmed, allows you to press a button while the radio is stopped on a non-priority member that you don't want to listen to right now and temporarily delete it from the scan list in question. The deletion will be recovered by a power down/power up or a scan off/scan on cycle.
5) Designing a channel plan for an application requires that you consult with someone who knows your system and learns enough about your operational needs to work out something that works for you. Hard to do via an Internet forum exchange.
Re: priority scan?
I can tell you how our XTS1500 & XTS2500 Model 1.5's are set up. We are on a Smartzone system acting like a Type IIi.
Priority 1 is fixed to selected channel.
Priority 2 is fixed to Zone 1, channel 1 - our main dispatch channel
Everything else is user selectable.
The first button below the PTT controls the scan. A short press toggels between scan on & scan off. A long press puts the radio into user scan list program.
To program the user list, press & hold the scan button until the radio beeps and a blinking square is displayed on the top of the display. Dial to the channel you want to add or delete from the list. Press the purple button to select it or delete it from the list. While in program mode, if the current selected channel is in the list, a "Z" will be on the screen above the channel name, if it isn't, then there won't be a "Z".
If your shop is not familiar with the Astro25 CPS, they are going to tell you it can't be done because it's a little complicated. I'm working from memory because my programming computer is not with me; creating a scan list in the CPS is done someting like this:
On the main tree select scan and create a scan list with the features you want (type of scan, type priority, user selection vs. fixed, hang time, talkback(useless, dangerous feature in my book), etc.). Once you have created a scan list then go to the personality section and assign the scan list to the personality that you want to have the scan features you just created - the personality will have to meet all the other settings required by the system. After you have done that then go into the zone channel assignment and assign the personality (with the new scan features) to a channel (or talkroup). Once you have done this, then go back and add channels to the original scan list. I like to do this because when users first turn the radio on and try to scan the radio will bonk if the scan list is empty. It's kind of convoluted because you can't assign any channels to any of the scan lists until they have been created in the zone channel assignment, and you can't assign a scan list to a personality until it's been created. Of course if you are not on a type II, Smartzone, or APCO25 system then priority scan won't work at all.
If that's not exactly how it's done, it's pretty close. I can't stress the importance of having Priority 1 as the selected channel. If it is anything else, you're going to miss something important on your operational channel if you are scanning and the radio is busy on another channel you have selected as Priority 1. Talkback scan is another problem because invariably users will be transmitting on the wrong channel at the wrong time because the radio just heard something on a different talkgroup.
As far as the question about the ID - you can alias a trunking ID to a user name by setting up a call list with the CPS. Since the model 1.5's don't have enough buttons you can't actually access the call list (and have scan too), but it will alias the ID's. This is all good until someone decides to break their radio & they get a spare or a new radio. Once the user has a different trunking ID, you'll have to edit the call list with the CPS. Again, another limitation of the model 1.5 radios, you can't edit the call list.
Hope this helps. Suggest to your shop to veiw the help videos that come with the CPS package, they are actually helpful.
Robert
Priority 1 is fixed to selected channel.
Priority 2 is fixed to Zone 1, channel 1 - our main dispatch channel
Everything else is user selectable.
The first button below the PTT controls the scan. A short press toggels between scan on & scan off. A long press puts the radio into user scan list program.
To program the user list, press & hold the scan button until the radio beeps and a blinking square is displayed on the top of the display. Dial to the channel you want to add or delete from the list. Press the purple button to select it or delete it from the list. While in program mode, if the current selected channel is in the list, a "Z" will be on the screen above the channel name, if it isn't, then there won't be a "Z".
If your shop is not familiar with the Astro25 CPS, they are going to tell you it can't be done because it's a little complicated. I'm working from memory because my programming computer is not with me; creating a scan list in the CPS is done someting like this:
On the main tree select scan and create a scan list with the features you want (type of scan, type priority, user selection vs. fixed, hang time, talkback(useless, dangerous feature in my book), etc.). Once you have created a scan list then go to the personality section and assign the scan list to the personality that you want to have the scan features you just created - the personality will have to meet all the other settings required by the system. After you have done that then go into the zone channel assignment and assign the personality (with the new scan features) to a channel (or talkroup). Once you have done this, then go back and add channels to the original scan list. I like to do this because when users first turn the radio on and try to scan the radio will bonk if the scan list is empty. It's kind of convoluted because you can't assign any channels to any of the scan lists until they have been created in the zone channel assignment, and you can't assign a scan list to a personality until it's been created. Of course if you are not on a type II, Smartzone, or APCO25 system then priority scan won't work at all.
If that's not exactly how it's done, it's pretty close. I can't stress the importance of having Priority 1 as the selected channel. If it is anything else, you're going to miss something important on your operational channel if you are scanning and the radio is busy on another channel you have selected as Priority 1. Talkback scan is another problem because invariably users will be transmitting on the wrong channel at the wrong time because the radio just heard something on a different talkgroup.
As far as the question about the ID - you can alias a trunking ID to a user name by setting up a call list with the CPS. Since the model 1.5's don't have enough buttons you can't actually access the call list (and have scan too), but it will alias the ID's. This is all good until someone decides to break their radio & they get a spare or a new radio. Once the user has a different trunking ID, you'll have to edit the call list with the CPS. Again, another limitation of the model 1.5 radios, you can't edit the call list.
Hope this helps. Suggest to your shop to veiw the help videos that come with the CPS package, they are actually helpful.
Robert
Wyrd bið ful ãræd, Fate is inexorable...
Re: priority scan?
OK.. I had a conversation with the "Tech" from the local Moto shop today......... I asked about the priority scan on our system.... he says in our system.. ( a Smartnet 2 system) has too long a lag time while scanning that we won't hear anything....... I asked aobut the other larger systems around the state, and he tells me that the other systems that have the priority scan are on a SmartZone system, so it works for them, but our SmartNet system has too long a lag time to be usefull.......... he even said it was tried when the new system was installed a few years ago ( 2 or 3 years ago, when the old type 2 system was discontinued...... no.. the old system is still there... just not used.... all the equipment, towers, controlers, everyting except the radios were changed out with new stuff from a federal grant... so I know it's not a matter of using older equipment.....even the mobiles and portables are getting changed out now with new stuff... xts1500's for us... some 3000's for some... etc...).
I have never heard about the lag time being an issue.. am I just un informed? or am I being given a bunch of crap by somone? Our system is not so large that we are maxed out on talkgroups or ID's....... we have something like 50 talkgroups ( system wide) .... give or take a few, and if we have more than 500 users.... all the PD, FD, EMS, and the few odd county agencies that use radios.... I would be suprised....
I have never heard about the lag time being an issue.. am I just un informed? or am I being given a bunch of crap by somone? Our system is not so large that we are maxed out on talkgroups or ID's....... we have something like 50 talkgroups ( system wide) .... give or take a few, and if we have more than 500 users.... all the PD, FD, EMS, and the few odd county agencies that use radios.... I would be suprised....