XTS3000 scan list selection

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W4KRR
Posts: 254
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2002 5:18 am
What radios do you own?: XTS3000's; XTS2500's; many sca

XTS3000 scan list selection

Post by W4KRR »

On the XTS3000, how do you choose a particular scan list to scan? When you use the channel selector knob, you are changing channels, not scan lists. This question pertains to conventional only, no trunking.

Example: I have set up Zone Channel Assignment 1, which I call "A", with five ham frequencies. I set up Zone Channel assignment "B" with five railroad channels. Now I set up "Scan List 1" with the five ham channels from Zone A. Then I create "Scan List 2" with the five railroad frequencies from Zone B. Then I create "Scan List 3" for the five ham frequencies and the five railroad frequencies combined. How to I select between the three different scan lists? Like I said, the channel select allows you to change Channels (personalities), not scan lists. The different scan lists do not seem to be identified in the radio.

Each "Personality" has a "Scan" tab which allows you to tell it which scan list that you want that channel assigned to, which would seem to indicate that you cannot put a personality (i.e., channel) into more than one scan list, unless you duplicate the same personality more than once.

Are my observations accurate, or am I missing something? I'm sure I'm probably missing something somewhere.
Ken, W4KRR
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nmfire10
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Re: XTS3000 scan list selection

Post by nmfire10 »

You have it backwards.

You pick what channels go in the scan list in the scan list configuration.

You tell each personality what scan list to use when turn on scan with the scan tab in the conventional personality.
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W4KRR
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What radios do you own?: XTS3000's; XTS2500's; many sca

Re: XTS3000 scan list selection

Post by W4KRR »

nmfire10 wrote:You have it backwards.

You pick what channels go in the scan list in the scan list configuration.

You tell each personality what scan list to use when turn on scan with the scan tab in the conventional personality.
Yes, on the "scan" tab you select what scan list to use. But doesn't this mean that a personality (channel) can only be assigned to one scan list? And how do you select a particular scan list?

The way I have been doing it, I make a "zone channel assignment", then I make a scan list that contains the same personalities as that zone, and when I switch to that zone and select scan, whatever channels are in that zone get scanned. But I am selecting the zone, not the scan list, because as far as I can tell, you can't select a scan list, you can only select a zone. On the radio, I mean, not in the software.
Ken, W4KRR
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Re: XTS3000 scan list selection

Post by RKG »

The designation of a scan list in the personality tab is the scan list that will be employed if scan is entered with that channel "selected." The channel you have selected need not be a member of the scan list, but if you include "<SelCh>" as a member of the scan list, then the selected channel will be included so long as it is selected.

You populate scan lists after making up your zones. On conventional (non-trunked) radios, a given channel (i.e., zone/slot) can be a member of as many scan lists as you like.

Example:

Say the radio has the following channels:

Police
Fire
Personal
Police Mutual Aid
Fire Mutual Aid
Neighbor A PD
Neighbor B PD
Neighbor A FD
Neighbor B FD.

Scan list #1:

<SelCh> (Priority 1)
Police
Fire
Personal
PD MA
FD MA

Scan list #2
<SelCh> (Priority 1)
Police
PD MA

Scan list #3
<SelCh> (Priority 1)
Fire
FD MA

Now, tag Scan List 1 to Police, Fire and Personal, Scan List 2 to the neighboring PD channels and Scan List 3 to the neighboring FD channels.

When on a home channel (PD, FD or Personal) you'll hear the channels in Scan List 1, and whichever channel the selector is on will be the priority.

When on a neighboring PD channel, you'll hear that channel as priority, plus the PD MA channel and your home PD (non-priority).

When on a neighboring FD channel, you'll hear that channel as priority, plus the FD MA channel and your home FD (non-priority).

Note that these radios are designed to be working public safety radios, not hobby scanners. The scan list max is 15+1 channels, and as a practical matter, in a public safety environment you don't want a big scan list or you'll miss potentially important traffic. By thinking through scan list population and proper use of the <SelCh> function, you'll find that a given scan list will be useful for a large number of channels.

So distinguish in your mind the separate concepts of (a) designating a scan list tagged to a given channel and (b) populating a scan list.

Hope this helps. If you come from a hobby-type scanner world, it may seem strange, but in reality it works well.
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W4KRR
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What radios do you own?: XTS3000's; XTS2500's; many sca

Re: XTS3000 scan list selection

Post by W4KRR »

Thanks for the reply. I <think> I've got it, sort of. :o

The first sentence in your response helped the most.

I can select a personality's scan option to "none" and it will not be a member of any scan list, and will not be scanned, unless that channel is currently selected by the channel selector while scanning. Is this correct? If that channel is assigned scan list 2, then that channel, and all other channels assigned to scan list 2, (up to a max of 15) will be scanned when it is selected by the channel selector.

So if I want to scan everything in scan list 2, I must select a channel that has been assigned scan list number 2, in the "scan" tab of the personality, correct?

The scan selection tab in the personality setup just tells the radio to use that numbered scan list whenever that channel is selected by the channel selector, correct? The radio will simply pick that channel to scan, and will scan all others that are assigned the same scan list number.

Yes, I come from the scanning world, and now as a ham, we have some local P-25 digital repeaters on the air, and I want to play.

If you answer "correct" to all my inquiries, then I've got it.
Ken, W4KRR
RKG
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Re: XTS3000 scan list selection

Post by RKG »

I can select a personality's scan option to "none" and it will not be a member of any scan list, and will not be scanned, unless that channel is currently selected by the channel selector while scanning. Is this correct?

Not correct. If you set scan list in personality to "none," then the radio will not enter scan mode when that personality is selected. Remember, the personality assignment of a scan list is the scan list (if any) that will be scanned when scan is invoked with that personality "selected."

If that channel is assigned scan list 2, then that channel, and all other channels assigned to scan list 2, (up to a max of 15) will be scanned when it is selected by the channel selector.

If Personality X is tagged to Scan List 2, then the members of Scan List 2 will be scanned whenever scan is invoked with Personality X "selected." If "<SelChan>" is a member of Scan List 2, then the selected channel will be temporarily included in the scan list.

So if I want to scan everything in scan list 2, I must select a channel that has been assigned scan list number 2, in the "scan" tab of the personality, correct?

Correct.

The scan selection tab in the personality setup just tells the radio to use that numbered scan list whenever that channel is selected by the channel selector, correct?

Correct.

The radio will simply pick that channel to scan, and will scan all others that are assigned the same scan list number.

Not correct. If Personality X is tagged to Scan List 2, and if scan is invoked while Personality X is selected, the radio will scan the members of Scan List 2 on the Scan List definition screen. If "<SelCh>" is included as a member of Scan List 2, then the selected channel is included temporarily in the scan list. Whether or not any other personalities are also tagged to Scan List 2 is irrelevant to what constitutes the members of Scan List 2.

If you answer "correct" to all my inquiries, then I've got it.

Part way. I have a sense that you have overlooked the Scan List definition page. This is what defines the members of a scan list, and it is entirely unrelated to what personalities invoke that scan list.

Remember: two entirely separate concepts:

What scan list is used when scan is invoked? The scan list assigned to the "selected" personality, on the personality screen, when scan is invoked.

What channels are scanned by a scan list? The channels (zone/slot) assigned to the scan list from the Scan List definition screen.
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W4KRR
Posts: 254
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2002 5:18 am
What radios do you own?: XTS3000's; XTS2500's; many sca

Re: XTS3000 scan list selection

Post by W4KRR »

Thanks for the help. I think I've got it. Some more experimentation will confirm it.
Ken, W4KRR
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