Uniden Scanners Systems, Sites and Groups

Uniden Scanners Systems, Sites and Groups / Departments

Systems are the Highest level in the File layer structure in Uniden DMA based scanner architecture. Both Conventional and Trunked Radio Systems (TRS) utilize the SYSTEM nomenclature. Under the SYSTEMS are a subset called GROUPS which contain all channels (we use these terms instead of banks because we would have to call them banks inside of banks (or banks and sub-banks) and we would be all banked up). The SITE level is for TRSs only, and is at the same level as the SYSTEM, this is where you put the TRS's frequencies and parameters. A CHANNEL for Conventional is a Frequency and is inside/under the Group Quick Key and contains all the analog channels/conventional frequencies; Trunked Radio Systems are digital and uses Groups to place all the digital channels/Talkgroup ID's (TGIDs); after either kinds of CHANNEL(s)are entered, you can then: change their names, and adjust parameters, whether its for conventional channels like CTCSS or for digital channels DIGITAL ONLY AUDIO or some newer models include VOLUME CHANNEL OFFSET.

Conventional Systems

With respect to conventional frequencies, there are SYSTEMS which contain one or more GROUPS. A GROUP contains one or more CHANNELS. For each CHANNEL you will enter the FREQUENCY and ALPHA TAG/NAME and/or various other parameters that relate to that channel. For Conventional Systems, the SQKs are set at the System level. *There are no sites for conventional channels.

SQK (Conventional)

GQK (ANALOG FREQs)

Frequencies

SYSTEM 1

GROUP 1

FREQUENCY\CHANNEL A

FREQUENCY\CHANNEL B

GROUP 2

FREQUENCY\CHANNEL C

FREQUENCY\CHANNEL D

SYSTEM 2

GROUP 1

FREQUENCY\CHANNEL E

FREQUENCY\CHANNEL F

SYSTEM 3

GROUP 1

FREQUENCY\CHANNEL G

Trunked Radio Systems

With respect to trunked Systems, there are SYSTEMS: which contain one or more SITES, and one or more GROUPS. In each SITE, you enter the frequencies for a SITE. For each GROUP you enter one or more TALKGROUP IDs (TGID's). For each Channel/TGID that's on a Trunked Radio System you will have a DEC/Hex TGID ie 1624 you enter, then enter/change ALPHA TAG/NAME, and various other parameters that relate to that specific channel..

For the BCD396T and Earlier DMA scanners

SQK (SYSTEMS) Frequencies

GQK (Groups)

TGIDs (Channels)

SYSTEM 4

FREQUENCY 1

FREQUENCY 2

FREQUENCY 3

GROUP 1

TALKGROUP ID 1

TALKGROUP ID 2

TALKGROUP ID 3

GROUP 2

TALKGROUP ID 4

TALKGROUP ID 5

SYSTEM 5, etc.

For All XT and P2 scanners, along with the BCD996T and BCT15

SQK (SYSTEMS/SITES) Frequencies

GQK (Groups)

TGIDs (Channels)

SYSTEM 4

SITE 4(1)

FREQUENCY 1

FREQUENCY 2

FREQUENCY 3

SITE 4(2)

FREQUENCY 4

FREQUENCY 5

FREQUENCY 6

GROUP 1

TALKGROUP ID 1

TALKGROUP ID 2

TALKGROUP ID 3

GROUP 2

TALKGROUP ID 4

TALKGROUP ID 5

SYSTEM 5, etc.

• System/Site Quick Keys (SQKs) allow you to activate/deactivate Systems or trunked Sites for scanning. For Trunked Systems, the SQKs are set at the Site level or vice versa. There can be more than one System or Site assigned to a SQK. Uniden Multi-Site Trunking ¹

• The single digit SQKs are toggled between active and inactive by pressing the corresponding key on the keyboard (0-9). The two digit SQKs are toggled between active and inactive by pressing the ".no" key followed by the two digits on the keyboard.

The display

S0 1234- - 7**0

G0 1234567890

• SQKs 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 0 are active marked with a numeric "3",
• SQKs 8 and 9 are inactive, marked by an asterisk "*" ,
• and SQKs 5 and 6 are unassigned, marked with a dash "-".

• There's 10 GROUP Quick Keys(GQKs) per SQK. The indicator for the GQKs is the line below the SQK line and works the same way except that it only has ten possible values and therefore is only single digits 0-9. There can also be more than one group assigned to a GQK in some models. GQKs can be toggled between active/inactive by pressing FUNC then the keypad number(s), but only while the scanner is on that particular SYSTEM (where Group is contained).

• Do not use Lockouts (L/O) for Systems, Sites, or Groups unless you assured you may never want to listen to that and are willing to go deep in the Menu to change it to un-locked.

• If you use software to program your scanner, you can assign the SQKs and GQKs as you set up your programming and can also set the initial state of the SQKs and GQKs. With capable scanners your Start-up Key can also affect the initial state of your System and Group Keys (to included Favorite Quick Key for BCDx36HP Series)

• For newer scanners programming multiple sites as different multiple systems altogether will slow scan rate in half for 2 systems being scanned, 66% for 3 systems, 75% slower for 4 systems so an so forth.

HPx Scanner Trunk Systems

For the Home Patrol1 and later scanners, there is simply a file layer above SYSTEMS, called FAVORITES LISTS which allows you 100 FAVORITES LIST. The GROUPS in this series are called DEPARTMENTS, there are 100, instead of the 10 referred to in early series. SITES now fall under the umbrella of DEPARTMENT.

FLQK (Favorite Lists)

SQK (Systems)

DQK (Sites & Departments)

FAVORITE LIST 1

SYSTEM 6

DEPARTMENT 1

TALKGROUP ID 1

TALKGROUP ID 2

DEPARTMENT 2

TALKGROUP ID 3

TALKGROUP ID 4

SITE N 90

SITE E 92

SITE W 94

SITE S 96

SYSTEM 7

SITE 0

DEPARTMENT 1

TALKGROUP ID 1

TALKGROUP ID 2

SYSTEM 8

SITE 2

SITE 3

SITE 4

DEPARTMENT 1

TALKGROUP 1

DEPARTMENT 5

FREQUENCY 1

• For single Site Systems programming them as DQK 0 is simplest see System 7 above.
  
• For multi Sites you can make all sites DQK 0, or use any other DQK available, try not to make them the same as a regularly activated/inactivated DQK or Nothing to Scan Error will show.
  
  • In the example above System 6 has 4 Sites Divided into North East West and South, making it easy to break sites into 4 DQK's 90 92 94 96.
    
  • In the example above System 8 has 3 sites for a Digital Trunked Radio System DQKs(Sites) 2, 3, and 4 with one TGID Department DQK 1 and the Second Department DQK 5, is/has a single Conventional Frequency/Channel programmed (like an Analog Fire Dispatch Channel)
• To activate Favorites List 1, press 1 or 01 and e
  
• To activate System 6 with only Favorite List 1 enabled, press .6e or .06e; when more than 1 Favorites List is enabled you'll need the first FLQK: 01.06e or 1.6e or 1.06e
  
• To activate Department 1 w/ Favorite List 1 & System 6 already enabled: ..1e or ..01e; if you have another System enabled: .6.1e or .6.01e or .06.1e or .06.01e; for more than one Favorites & System already enabled: 1.06.01e or 01.06.01e or 1.6.1e
  
• To deactivate Site 2 in System 8 with only that Favorite List and System enabled ..2e; with more than a single system in and only a Favorite list .8.2e or .8.02e or or .08.2e or .08.02e; or with more than one Favorite List in and more than one signal System in and 1.8.2e or 01.8.2 or 01.08.2e or 01.8.02 or 1.08.2, or 01.08.02e
  
• By pressing 0 before the single digit numbers, the scanners screen will show you which Favorite List, Systems and/or Departments/Sites are active w/ a number (#), or inactive w/ a (*); or are not assigned w/ a (-)
  
• The more Favorites Lists used, the longer the initial start-up and load time, most user will not fill up 1 entire Favorite List.
• Favorite Lists have to be "Downloaded" and "Monitored" in Sentinel or the Scanner, to be able to scan them, or else quick keys won't have anything to enable/disable.
• In the scanner, there is a very easy feature within the display Menu, first on the "MENU" List >> "SET SCAN SELECTION" e >>"MANAGE QUICK STATUS e>> "FAVORITE QUICK KEY" & also "SYSTEM QUICK KEY", they are in a scrollable-list fashion and and has "ON" & "OFF" for the First & Second Quick keys sets, in a nifty viewable list. Could be used for remembering where you put that 'new' System or Favorite, or make using the FLQKs and SQK key pad number pressing for those sets, no longer needed. It's perfect for the user to turn on all the Systems in a FL when they get a new GPS, or to quickly root out what's not on.
• System Types also have to be enabled to listen to all programmed TGIDs, Manually added OR Tranfers in with Butel's software from earlier series Uniden DMA scanners, requires Service Type to be manually adjusted per Channel or Manually added will Automatically be Custom1 and Butel transfers may not be labeled.

Thanks to rvictor for this explanation

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