Maratrac channel scan question

jistabout · Post by **jistabout** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 9:23 am

Hi everyone, I did a search and couldn't find info on this particular question so here goes.

Can a Maratrac with an A7 head be set up to stay on the channel on which scanning stops by pushing a button on the control head? Sort of like talkback, but more like a conventional scanner? For example, say I'm scanning my 16 favorite frequencies, I hear activity on one and decide quickly to remain on that channel until I decide otherwise. Only way I can find to do this is to first push the scan button to stop scanning, and then toggle to the desired channel with the mode up/down. Anyway, if there is a better way I'd like to know. Also, what exactly is the H/L button for? Thanks in advance........

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 9:31 am

No way to do that, not that i know of anyway. If someone knows how to do that on a Maratrac, or a Syntor X9000, i would love to hear a comment on it!

As for your second question, the H/L button means Horn/Lights. You can connect the vehicle horn or lights through a relay and then that button is used to turn on the alert feature. When a call is received the horn or lights will go on.

jistabout · Post by **jistabout** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 12:23 pm

Cool mon, thanks. I'm thinking that it might not be too hard to implement a stay-on-last-channel function, perhaps by reading the state of the 87K36 shift register chip inside the control head, and having it hold that state when scan is disabled, or something along those lines........
Anyway, just thinking out loud.....

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 2:29 pm

If you figure anything out let me know!

I have been wanting that on my X9000's since i got them. That's about the only thing that annoys me.

It would be nice if while its scanning and stops on a channel i can hit the scan button to turn off the scan and have it stay on that channel.

Bat2way · Post by **Bat2way** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 6:20 pm

Program the Hang-up Box Operation to "stop scan". Install a wire with a N.C. momentary or snap-type contact switch from the mic clip to ground in easy reach. When you hear something you want to stay with, just push the button, opening the hang-up ground, and the radio will stop scanning. Push the switch again to ground the mic clip and resume normal scanning. Make sure the mic clip is above ground.

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 6:24 pm

I tried that on the Maratrac that i had, it would stop the scan but when i transmitted it would still transmit on the channel i started the scan from. No, it wasn't setup for priority either.

Who knows, maybe i still didn't have something right.

Anyway, back to the X9000 then, is there a way to do that on that radio?

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 6:54 pm

You'll need to enable Talkback scan so the radio will transmit on the channel of interest, not on the scan origination channel.

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 6:58 pm

That's it, i bet i didn't have talkback turned on with the Maratrac.

Is there a way to do it with the X9000? I turned on talkback, but it only stays on that channel if you transmit within so many seconds, and then it goes back to scanning anyway. It would be nice to be able to turn off or stop the scan and have it stay on the active channel.

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 7:37 pm

You should be able to turn on the HUB switch and install a switch as Bat2way described.

For talkback scan, you need to set one of the buttons on the front to TBScn. You punch scan to enter revert scan, then activate TBScn to engage talkback.

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 7:40 pm

I will look into the HUB settings on the X9000, but i haven't found anything in the RSS yet.

Max-trac · Post by **Max-trac** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:39 am

There is no "scan talkback" per se that I have seen on the Maratrac.
You can set rx and tx scan hangtime though, which is pseudo scantalkback...
****BUT you need to have newer eprom firmware (I have 5.05) and I think at least ver 4.03 of the RSS (and you can just plug in the new eprom without blanking etc)

So how it works;
It is scanning and stops on a random channel, it will stay on that ch until the carrier drops plus rx hangtime, if you pull the mic and click the PTT, it will now stay there for your TX hantime.
So, I set TX hangtime for 10 seconds or so. That way I can have a conversation without it going off scanning. (unless I let 10 secs of no rx activity pass....)

jistabout · Post by **jistabout** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 1:32 pm

Bat2way, you are right on the money. I programmed the HUB to stop scan and it does stop on the active channel. In my Maratrac it transmits on that channel also. Thanks again!

jistabout · Post by **jistabout** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 1:36 pm

FYI, in my version of RSS (5.00.00g) I can't find anything anywhere regarding talkback but it does seem to work with the HUB....

kf4sqb · Post by **kf4sqb** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 2:45 pm

Scott, sorry, but what you want to do is not possible on an X9000. I wish it were, too, but it's not. The closest you can get is scan talkback, but it doesn't work very well, in my opinion. This was one of the 'upgrades' made when they designed the Spectra. The Spectra can be set up like the Maratrac, so that scanning stops on the currently displayed channel when the mic is picked up. If anyone figures out a way to do this on an X9000, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!! post it to the board so the rest of us can share in the wonderous news!