PRO-2050 VHF/UHF TrunkTracker Scanner
(200-0430) Trunk Tracking Faxback Doc. # 46011
Your scanner is designed to track transmissions on Motorola Type I, Type
II and hybrid analog trunking systems, which are extensively used in 800
MHz communications. Remember these important points when tracking
transmissions:
Your scanner monitors Type II systems by default. However, you can
change this if the system in your area is different (see "Types of
Trunking Systems" on this page and "Scanning Type I and Hybrid Trunked
Systems" below for more information).
Your scanner cannot track transmissions on non-Motorola trunking systems.
Your scanner tracks an 800 MHz trunked system or scans frequencies in
conventional mode, but it cannot do both at the same time.
The frequencies for many of the 800 MHz public safety systems are listed
in the separate "National Public Safety Trunked System Frequency Guide"
included with your PRO-2050.
Types of Trunking Systems
Your trunk tracking scanner can monitor two basic types of systems - Type I
and Type II. Instead of selecting a specific frequency to transmit on, a
trunked system chooses one of several frequencies in a 2-way radio user's
talk group when that user presses PTT (push to talk). Thus trunking systems
allocate a few frequencies among many different users, but the way Type I
and Type II systems do this is slightly different. One important distinction
between these system is the amount of data transmitted by each radio when
its PTT button is pressed. In a Type I system, the radio's ID and its
current affiliation (the trunk system it belongs to) are both transmitted.
In a Type II system, only the radio's ID is transmitted.
Why the difference? In Type I systems, each radio in the trunk group
individually transmits its own affiliation, while the trunk system maintains
a database that determines each radio's affiliation(s) in Type II systems.
Another difference between the system is that Type I systems are arranged
in a fleet-subfleet hierarchy. For example, it is possible for a city
using a Type I system to designate 4 fleets, each with B subfleets.
The fleets might be the police department, the fire department, utilities,
and city administration. The police might decide to further divide its
fleet into subfleets such as dispatch, tactical operations, detectives,
north, south, east and west side patrols and supervisors. All the available
police radios would then be assigned to one of the police subfleets letting
the police centralize their communications and control the type of users on
a single system. Determining the exact fleet-sub-fleet hierarchy for a
particular area is referred to as fleet map programming.
The disadvantage of a Type I system is that the brief burst of data sent
when a user transmits must contain the radio's ID and its fleet and
subfleet. This is three times the amount of data a Type II system radio
sends. Since the data capacity of Type I systems is limited and the amount
of data increases with each user, Type I systems usually accommodate fewer
users than Type II systems. Nevertheless, Type I systems are still in use.
There are also hybrid systems which are a combination of both Type I and
Type II. Your scanner defaults to monitor Type II systems, but you can
change to Type I or a hybrid of Type I and Type II systems by selecting a
preprogrammed fleet map or creating a custom fleet map for your area (see
"Scanning Type I and Hybrid Trunked Systems" below).
You do not need to determine the fleet-subfleet hierarchy for Type II
systems unless you are tracking hybrid systems that contain both Type I and
Type II systems.
Setting The Scanner To The Trunk Tracking Mode
Press TRUNK to switch between the scanner's conventional and trunk tracking
modes.
Setting Squelch For The Trunk Tracking Mode
Your scanner's squelch setting is automatically adjusted in the trunking
mode, which means you do not need to manually adjust squelch while tracking
trunked transmissions. However, the squelch setting can affect how fast
your scanner acquires the data channel and in some instances, can prevent
your scanner from acquiring the data channel at all.
We recommend you set SQUELCH to this position before selecting a Trunked
bank.
Note: You can change this setting, if necessary, to provide better
performance in your area.
Programming Trunked Frequencies
Before you program your scanner to track a trunk system, consider the
following:
Valid Trunked system frequencies range from 851.0000-868.9875 in 12.5
kHz steps.
You can use any of your scanner's banks as either a trunk tracking bank
or conventional scanning bank, but you cannot mix the two.
The scanner only scans one trunked system at a time. Although you can
store frequencies for more than one trunked system on one of your
scanner's banks, the scanner only scans the frequencies associated with
the first data channel it finds.
Before scanning a trunked system's transmissions, you must store the
trunked system's frequencies in one of the banks in your scanner by
following these steps.
1. Hold down TRUNK until the scanner beeps twice. BANK, TRUNK, and the
bank numbers flash.
2. Select the bank you want to store the trunked system's frequencies in
by pressing a number key. The scanner automatically selects the first
channel in the bank.
3. Use the number keys to enter the trunked system's frequencies, then
press E.
Note: If you entered an invalid frequency in Step 3, the scanner beeps,
the channel number flashes and Error appears. If this happens,
press CLEAR to clear the frequency, then repeat Step 3.
4. Press either MANUAL or /\ to select the next channel in the bank.
5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until all frequencies have been entered.
Scanning A Trunked Bank
You can scan one trunked bank at a time. Once you have stored frequencies
for a trunked system in one or more of the 10 available banks and you are
scanning non-trunked frequencies follow these steps to begin trunk scanning.
1. Press TRUNK. The indicators for all banks flash.
2. Use the number keys to enter the number for the trunked bank you want
to scan, then press SEARCH to begin searching for the trunk's data
channel (the channel that controls the trunk). SEARCH flashes as the
scanner searches for a data channel. When the scanner finds it, it
begins trunk tracking.
If you entered all of the trunk's frequencies, you should be able to
follow conversations between broadcasters even when they change
frequencies. IDs, which represent different service groups, appear.
Note: To see the bank currently in use for about 5 seconds, press DATA
while in the trunk tracking mode.
3. To return to conventional scanning, press TRUNK again.
HINTS: While scanning, you will not know exactly whom the IDs are assigned
to until you locate ID lists in frequency guides or on internet
sites such as www.trunkscanner.com. Within a few minutes, you can
usually figure out if what you are listening to is a police, fire,
or emergency medical 2-way radio user. Other IDs might take some
time, but determining whom each ID represents is half the fun of
trunk tracking!
Monitoring an Active ID
When the scanner stops on a transmission, you can hold the scanner on that
transmission.
1. Press HOLD. HOLD appears and the scanner stays on the current ID.
2. If you want to listen to a different ID, use the number keys to enter
the ID you want to hold. LIST 1 appears.
3. Press HOLD again. HOLD flashes and the scanner monitors that ID.
4. When you want to stop the hold and resume searching for a data channel
so you can continue trunk tracking, press SEARCH.
Note: You can also follow these steps to hold on an ID while scanning
a scan list. See "Scan Lists" below.
Locking Out IDs
As with conventional scanning, it is possible to lock out unwanted traffic.
This is particularly important in trunked systems because signals you can
not listen to (such as water meters, door alarms, traffic signals, and
encrypted signals) are assigned IDs just like other users. You can have up
to 100 IDs locked out at one time.
Note: If you lock out an ID while searching, it is also locked out of the
scan list(s). See "Scan Lists" below.
To lock out an ID, press L/O when the ID appears.
The ID is locked out, and the next active ID appears.
Unlocking a Single ID
1. Hold down L/O until you hear two short beeps.
2. Repeatedly press \/ or /\ to select the ID you want to unlock.
3. Press L/O. The ID is unlocked and the next locked ID appears.
4. Press SEARCH to continue the scanner's previous function.
Unlocking All IDs
Hold down L/O until you hear two short beeps. Then press E to unlock all
the IDs at once. The scanner beeps twice.
Note: When you unlock all the IDs, the scan list mode appears. Press SCAN
to scan the IDs stored in your scan lists or press SEARCH to continue
the scanner's previous function. For more information about scan
lists, see "Scan Lists" below.
Using Trunk Tracking Scan Delay
Many trunked systems have a period of 2 or more seconds between a query and
a reply. You can program a 5-second delay so the scanner holds on an ID for
5 seconds to wait for a reply. The scanner continues to monitor the
frequency for 5 seconds after the transmission stops before resuming
scanning.
Press DELAY to turn trunk tracking scan delay on or off. DELAY appears
when tracking scan delay is set.
Note: If you consistently miss responses even with trunk tracking scan
delay set, you might need to change the default system type or the
fleet map you are using. See "Scanning Type I and Hybrid Trunked
Systems" below.
Monitoring IDs
You can use your scanner's display to monitor the frequencies in a Trunked
system for activity. You cannot hear conversations in this mode, but this
is an excellent way to determine which talk groups are the most active. To
set the scanner to monitor IDs, hold down SEARCH until the scanner beeps
twice. SEARCH flashes, and all active talk group IDs appear in succession.
To stop monitoring IDs press SEARCH again.
Note: When you monitor IDs, locked-out IDs also appear.
Channel Activity Indicators
Your scanner has 30 channel activity indicators (bars) which show the
activity taking place on a Trunked system. You can see how many frequencies
are being used and generally monitor how much communication traffic is
occurring.
Each frequency you store in a trunking bank has a corresponding activity
indicator.
The indicator that remains on steadily even when there are no current
transmissions represents the frequency being used as the data channel.
The indicator that flashes when an ID appears represents the frequency
being used by the radio you are currently hearing.
If an indicator turns on but you do not hear a conversation, the channel
is probably being used for a telephone interconnect call or a private
call or the indicator might be a locked-out ID. Your scanner does not
monitor these types of calls.
If the scanner is holding on an ID which is not active, the other activity
indicators turn on and off as other groups use the system.
Scan Lists
When you program Trunked frequencies into a bank (see "Programming Trunked
Frequencies" above), your scanner sets up 5 scan lists into which you can
store your favorite IDs. Each list can contain up to 10 IDs, so you can
store a total of 50 IDs for each trunk tracking bank (500 IDs if you use
all banks as trunking banks!).
Scan lists help you organize trunking system users into categories. For
example, you might use List 1 for police IDs, List 2 for fire department
IDs. List 3 for emergency medical service IDs and so on. Once IDs are stored
in lists, you can scan them like you scan conventional channels. You can
program IDs into scan lists manually, during a search, or automatically.
Manually Storing IDs into Scan Lists
1. Select the trunking bank you want (see "Scanning a Trunked Bank" above).
2. After the scanner begins trunk tracking, press MANUAL. A scan list
number appears at the top of the display, and a bar shows the current
channel activity.
3. Repeatedly press /\ or \/ to select the scan list location (shown at
the top of the display) you want to program.
4. Enter the Type II ID you want to store, then press E.
Or, to enter a Type II ID:
a. Use the number keys to enter the block number and the fleet number,
then press decimal.
b. Enter the subfleet number, then press E.
Note: To clear a mistake while entering an ID, press CLEAR then press E.
5. Repeatedly press MANUAL or /\ to select the next scan list location you
want to program. Then repeat Step 4 to enter another ID.
Storing IDs Into Scan Lists While Searching
Follow these steps to select a scan list location and store an ID during a
search.
1. When your scanner stops on an ID you want to store, press PRIORITY.
The currently selected scan list memory location flashes.
2. Press E to store the ID in the selected scan list memory location. Or,
repeatedly press /\ or \/ to select the scan list memory location you
want, then press E.
3. Press SEARCH to resume searching.
Automatically Storing an ID in a Scan List Location
To display a scan list location and store an ID in that location during a
search, press PRIORITY to display the current scan list location then press
E when your scanner stops on an ID you want to store.
To store an ID in the first available scan list location during a search,
press E at any time.
Deleting a Stored ID
1. Press MANUAL.
2. Repeatedly press /\ or \/ to select the scan list location (shown at
the top of the display) you want to delete.
3. Press O then E.
Scanning The Scan Lists
Press SCAN to begin scanning the lists you have programmed. SCAN scrolls
on the display.
Note: If you haven't programmed any IDs, SCAN scrolls on the display but
your scanner does not stop on an active conversation.
To remove a scan list from active scanning, use the number keys to enter the
scan list's number. The scan list indicator turns off, and the IDs in that
list are not scanned.
Note: You cannot remove all the scan lists. One scan list must always be
active.
To restore a scan list to active scanning, use the number keys to enter its
number again.
Press SEARCH to return to the scanner's previous function.
Scanning Type I Hybrid Trunked Systems
Your PRO-2050 is set to scan Type II user IDs by default. When you scan
trunked frequencies, each Type II user ID you see appears as an even number
without a dash (such as 2160). Your PRO-2050 can also scan Type I trunked
systems. Each Type I ID appears as a three-or four-digit number, followed
by a one- or two-digit number (such as 200-14).
If you notice a mix of odd- and even- user IDs (such as 6477, 2160, 6481,
6144 and 1167), then you are probably monitoring either a Type I or hybrid
(a combination of Type I and Type 2 user IDs) system. (See "Types of
Trunking Systems" above.)
You might also notice that you are missing responses when you hold on an
active ID. Unlike Type II systems, Type I and hybrid systems require a
fleet map that sets specific fleet-subfleet parameters. It is easy to select
a fleet map to scan; what is not always easy is selecting or programming a
map that is being used in your particular area.
When a Type I system is designed, the address information for all its user
IDs is divided into 8 equal-size blocks, numbered 0-7, and each block is
assigned a size code. When you set up your scanner to track a Type I system,
you must choose a size code for each block. When you have chosen a size
code for all 8 blocks, you will have duplicated the fleet map for the system
you are tracking. If you have chosen correctly, you will be able to track
transmissions in that system.
Each size code defines the number of fleets, subfleets, and IDs each block
has. For example, you can see in the following table that a size code of S4
has one fleet, which is divided into 16 separate subfleets, and it has a
total of 512 individual IDs.
Size Fleets Sub- ID Block
fleets Used
SO ------------ Reserved block for Type II IDs -----------
S1 128 4 16 1
S2 16 8 64 1
S3 8 8 128 1
S4 1 16 512 1
S5 64 4 32 1
S6 32 8 32 1
S7 32 4 64 1
S8 16 4 128 1
S9 8 4 256 1
S10 4 8 256 1
S11 2 16 256 1
S12 1 16 1024 2
S13 1 16 2048 4
S14 1 16 4096 8
Each ID in the block is unique. The left-most digit is the block number in
the ID. The next two digits identify which fleet is active, and the last
digit(s) (after the hyphen) identifies the subfleet.
The size codes selected by a Type I system designer depend on the specific
needs of the system's users. Some organizations might want many subfleets
with only a few radios each, while another organization might want only a
few subfleets, with many radios each. To scan Type I systems, you must
select or program a fleet map with the same size code assignments as the
trunked system. If you do this accurately, you will track all the fleet
and subfleet combinations used by the system. In other words, you will
hear complete communications while monitoring a trunked system.
Note: www.trunkscanner.com plans to make preset fleet maps available as
they become known.
If you do not already know the size codes used, you will have to guess them.
But since you do not have to figure out all the blocks at once, this is not
as hard as it seems. Select a size code for a block, then press SEARCH. Now
listen to the communications. If you decide you are receiving most of the
replies to the conversations with IDs assigned to the block you just
programmed, then you have probably selected the right size code and can work
on the next block of the map.
There are 16 preset fleet maps to choose from and it is best to start with
these when setting up a Type I or hybrid trunk tracking bank. If none of
the following preset fleet maps allow you to follow complete conversations,
then you probably need to program your own fleet map (see "Programming a
Fleet Map" below)
E1P1 E1P2
Block Size Block Size
Code Code
0 S11 0 S4
1 S11 1 S4
2 S11 2 S4
3 S11 3 S4
4 S11 4 S4
5 S11 5 S4
6 S11 6 S4
7 S11 7 S4
E1P3 E1P4
Block Size Block Size
Code Code
0 S4 0 S12
1 S4 1 --
2 S4 2 S4
3 S4 3 S4
4 S4 4 S4
5 S4 5 S4
6 S12 6 S4
7 -- 7 S4
E1P5 E1P6
Block Size Block Size
Code Code
0 S4 0 S3
1 S4 1 S10
2 S12 2 S4
3 -- 3 S4
4 S4 4 S12
5 S4 5 --
6 S4 6 S12
7 S4 7 --
E1P7 E1P8
Block Size Block Size
Code Code
0 S10 0 S1
1 S10 1 S1
2 S11 2 S2
3 S4 3 S2
4 S4 4 S3
5 S4 5 S3
6 S4 6 S4
7 S4 7 S4
E1P9 E1P10
Block Size Block Size
Code Code
0 S4 0 S0
1 S4 1 S0
2 S0 2 S0
3 S0 3 S0
4 S0 4 S0
5 S0 5 S0
6 S0 6 S0
7 S0 7 S0
E1P11 E1P12
Block Size Block Size
Code Code
0 S4 0 S0
1 S0 1 S0
2 S0 2 S0
3 S0 3 S0
4 S0 4 S0
5 S0 5 S0
6 S0 6 S0
7 S0 7 S4
E1P13 E1P14
Block Size Block Size
Code Code
0 S3 0 S4
1 S3 1 S3
2 S11 2 S10
3 S4 3 S4
4 S4 4 S4
5 S0 5 S4
6 S0 6 S12
7 S0 7 --
E1P15 E1P16
Block Size Block Size
Code Code
0 S4 0 S3
1 S4 1 S10
2 S4 2 S10
3 S11 3 S11
4 S11 4 S0
5 S0 5 S0
6 S12 6 S12
7 -- 7 --
Selecting a Preset Fleet Map
1. Press SCAN, then hold down TRUNK until the scanner beeps twice. BANK,
TRUNK and the bank numbers flash.
2. Select the bank where you want to store the preset fleet map by pressing
a number key.
3. Press DATA.
4. Repeatedly press /\ or \/ to select E1 (Type I and hybrid), then press
DATA again.
Note: To select Type II, press E when E2 appears.
5. Repeatedly press /\ or \/ to select the name of the map you want (such
as E1P7), then press E.
The scanner then searches for transmissions using the preset map you chose.
Note: When the scanner searches for transmissions, you see Type I fleet and
subfleet IDs such as 100-12, 100-9, 000-12, or 400-8.
How do you know if the preset map you selected is correct? Listen to see
if you are following complete conversations. If not, try another preset map.
Programming a Fleet Map
1. Hold down TRUNK until the scanner beeps twice, BANK, TRUNK and the bank
number flash.
2. Select the bank where you want to program the fleet map by pressing a
number key.
3. Press DATA.
4. Repeatedly press /\ or \/ until E1 appears, then press DATA.
5. Repeatedly press /\ or \/ until USr appears.
6. Press DATA.
7. Repeatedly press /\ or \/ to select the size code for the first block,
then press E. The next available block appears.
8. Repeat Step 7 until you have selected a size code for each block you
want to work with.
9. Press SEARCH. The scanner exits the trunking programming mode, tunes
the data channel, then begins to search using the map you programmed.
Notes: If you select size code S12, S13, or S14, these restrictions
apply:
S12 can only be assigned to Blocks 0, 2, 4, or 6.
S13 can only be assigned to Blocks 0 and 4.
S14 can only be assigned to Block 0.
Since these size codes require multiple blocks, you will be prompted for
the next available block when programming a fleet map. For example, if you
assign Block 0 as an S12, the scanner prompts you for b2, the next block
available, instead of b1. And if you assign Block 0 as an S14, you would
not see another prompt because it uses all available blocks.
Programming a Hybrid System
A hybrid system is simply a Type I system with some of its blocks designated
as Type II blocks. To program a hybrid system, follow the steps listed in
"Programming a Fleet Map." However, if you want a block to be Type II,
select size code S0 in Steps 7.
(br/EB 12/30/97)
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