Scanning with APX7000XE

[Andy2712]

A few months ago we switch to a phase 2 P25 trunk system and bought a whole bunch of new radios to go along with it. We are all now carrying APX7000XE radios, and during the set-up of code plugs I wanted the ability to scan between the trunk system and a few of the VHF channels that are in the radio. The radio guy (our expert) refused to allow it because he is worried that a transmission could be missed on the trunk system because how long it would take for the radio to re-affiliate with the site during scanning. Does anyone have any experience with this ? Done any experimenting? Does his argument even hold water? Unfortunately I'm locked out of the radios so I can't even do my own experimenting like I used to be able to. Any thoughts, ideas, or help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Andy

[Bill_G]

Carry a scanner, and then you aren't stepping on anyones toes.

[Andy2712]

It's really less about wanting to listen, and more about how my fire department functions and getting the most out of the radios we paid lots and lots of money for.

[Mfire39]

What it really comes down to is this.. When you set up a scanlist as talkgroup scan, or multi-system scan in CPS for the sole reason of scanning trunked & conv channels, you lose the ability to have a priority channel.. So it's not that the radio will take too long to re-affiliate, it's a matter of missing traffic due to not being able to assign a priority channel.. The APX will affiliate very fast when scanning/monitoring 2 different systems in multi-system scan, or trunked channels & VHF conv channels at the same time..

Let me guess, Starcom21 with Ducomm or Northwest Central by chance?

-Marc

[Andy2712]

Yes NW Central. Thank you, the lack of a priority channel makes much more sense then just no we can't do it because it won't work.

[Mfire39]

I've found that most of the time, inexperienced programmers will produce answers like you originally got, or the old classic "No, that won't work" because blah, blah, blah..

When we took delivery of all of our APX equipment last year (XE portables & 7500 mobiles) which were programmed by mother Motorola, needless to say there were a handful of programming issues that had to be corrected after taking delivery.. No priority scan was one of the issues, as they were set to Talkgroup scan instead of Priority monitor for SC21.


-Marc

[Andy2712]

I'm slowly making in roads and finding answers to questions. The more they realize I understand how it works the more information I get.

[Mfire39]

That's a good thing.. Just keep on them with issues, and keep up to date with things.. Programming bugs will eventually get worked out.. I'm still waiting on our "2nd Touch" programming which will add all of the new NW Central talkgroups.. I was hoping it would be done by the end of the year, but now it's looking like sometime well into 2014..

-Marc

[CalebFireD]

Is it true that priority scan only works if the system allows that talkgroup to be set as a priority on the backend? We recently had an issue with some talkgroups not working with priority and our M rep said that the talkgroup was not set up properly for priority on the system side.

[KB2ZTX]

One of the things we did with our APX radios was set up conventional talk group scan on our VHF channels. This allows us to hear dispatch if they call when we are on the VHF channel. We still can't hear the VHF while in Priority scan on the trunked system but until we are on scene we don't use the VHF all that much. As was stated there is a chance of missing stuff while in "talk group" scan as there is no priority. We do the same on our uhf conventional channels.

[resqguy911]

Is it true that priority scan only works if the system allows that talkgroup to be set as a priority on the backend? We recently had an issue with some talkgroups not working with priority and our M rep said that the talkgroup was not set up properly for priority on the system side.

This is correct. It is a 5 second fix on the talkgroup attribute.