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Freescan and Quick Key Processing

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Revision as of 04:57, 2 September 2010 by Ka3jjz (talk | contribs) (→‎RR Import)

In order to take full advantage of how DMA technology works, one must understand the relationship between systems, site and groups, and how to properly allocate and enable quick keys in FreeScan. If you are having difficulty understanding the difference between these 3 entities, please read the Systems, Sites and Groups and Uniden Multi-Site Trunking articles before proceeding.


Utilizing the System Quick Key Manager

As a system is the highest logical level in the DMA world, the System Quick Key (SQK) Manager is an important tool that shows which system quick keys are actually allocated in this file. All quick keys that are allocated to a system are in bold. To access this panel, go to Tools/System Quick Key Manager in the blue toolbar (Figure 1).


By default, all System Quick Keys are marked as active. However, if you wish to only show those quick keys that are actually in use, click the Auto Select button at the bottom of the form (Figure 2).

Trunking Systems

If you are using a scanner earlier than the BCD996T, the concept of systems and sites have no meaning. In this case, you would use the pulldown on the right hand side of the Trunked System Setup form, next to the group quick key checkboxes, to allocate what System Quick Key is to be used. Make sure this key is also checked off in the SQK Manager. In this case, it's logical to make the system and site quick keys identical.

However, with the BCD996T, BCT15 and XT scanners, the concept of a site was introduced. For these scanners, you can have up to 256 sites per system.

To allocate a site, click on the site name, and go to the Site Setup tab. Either use the pulldown to choose the Quick key manually, or using the Find button, allocate the desired Site Quick Key. The SQK Manager takes on a slightly different role here; instead of showing systems, it shows active sites instead. If you float your mouse to the right of the number of the Site Quick Key in the manager, all the site names that use that key are shown in the white box on the right.

Conventional Systems

Conventional System Form

In a conventional system, we are concerned with a system plus one or more groups. Sites do not apply here. At the system level, you would allocate a System Quick Key(SQK) on the Conventional System form (see the figure at right). You can either use the pulldown or the Find Free button to allocate a SQK. Make sure that same SQK is also checked off in the SQK Manager to insure it is enabled.

Group Quick Keys

Group keys are utilized to define sets of frequencies in a conventional system, or sets of talkgroups in a trunked system. In either case, a Group Quick Key (GQK) must be first allocated on the appropriate screen, then enabled.

  • In a conventional system, the GQK is allocated on the Edit Conventional Group form. You can assign one yourself, or use the Find Free button. Whatever key is allocated here, be sure that key is also checked off on the Conventional System form.
  • In a trunked system, the GQK is allocated on the Group & Channel Options - Trunked System form. Like the conventional system, you can either use the pulldown to manually assign a GQK or press the Find Free button. Be sure to check off whatever key is selected on the Trunked System Setup screen.

Other Applications

RR Import

  • When importing a conventional group, it's the user's responsibility to allocate/enable all group and system quick keys
Trunk importing-Options
  • When importing a trunked system, go to the Options tab. At the right, you have the choice of not allocating a Site Quick Key (in which case the user must do so), doing one yourself (via the pulldown or the Find Free button) or having FreeScan choose one automatically. It's the user's responsibility to allocate/enable Group and System (if applicable) Quick Keys.

File Importing

  • When importing UASD or .Mem (BuTel) files, all quick key assignments are migrated over; however it's up to the user to decide if that's the way the quick keys are to be addressed.
  • If you are importing a file from an older version of FreeScan (after .7E), all quick keys should be moved over along with the data. As before, it's up to the user to determine if this is the way these keys should remain.

Notes and Caveats

  • It's important to note that if you are using multi site programming, it's vital to keep each site name as unique as possible; otherwise if you have a large number of systems, it could become very confusing to associate each site with its parent system.


  • If you are defining a large file with many multi site trunks, conventional, single site trunks (or some combination), be sure to be careful about how you define your quick keys. You could end up, for example, with a quick key 2 that is really a site quick key, then have a conventional system utilizing that same quick key. While it's permitted, it can quickly become confusing.


  • You can gather multiple systems (and mix trunked/conventional types) under a single system key to make a 'superkey'. Keep in mind that if you lock out that quick key, it effectively locks out all the systems-regardless of type- beneath it.


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