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Scanning Menu

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nicsure edited this page Feb 26, 2026 · 15 revisions

Scanning Menu Overview

For a general overview of scanning behaviour and modes, see:
Radio → Scanning

This menu defines the parameters used for Frequency (VFO) Scanning, as well as global scan behaviour.

VFO Start

Sets the start frequency, in MHz, used when a Frequency Mode scan is initiated.

VFO Range

Defines the width of the scan range, in MHz.

The scan end frequency is calculated as: End Frequency = Start + Range
The End Frequency is displayed in the 'Extra Info' field of the menu.

VFO Step

Sets the step size, in kHz, between each scanned frequency.

Scan Return

Defines which frequency the VFO will be set to when a scan is stopped.

Available options:

  • Last Signal
    Sets the VFO to the last detected active signal.

  • Last Scanned
    Sets the VFO to the last frequency checked by the scanner.

  • Start
    Returns the VFO to the scan start frequency.

VFO Modulation

Sets the modulation mode used during a Frequency Mode scan.

Available options:

  • FM
  • AM
  • DSB
  • Automatic

When set to Automatic, the modulation is selected based on the band plan default for the start frequency.

See:

VFO Bandwidth

Sets the receiver bandwidth used during a Frequency Mode scan.

Available options:

  • Wide
  • Narrow
  • Automatic

When set to Automatic, the bandwidth is selected based on the band plan default for the start frequency.

See:

Save Ignores

Controls whether the scan exclusion list persists.

  • On
    Excluded frequencies are saved between scans and power cycles.

  • Off
    The exclusion list is cleared at the start of each new scan.

See:

Clear Ignores

Immediately clears the current scan exclusion list.

See:
Radio → Scanning → Exclusions

Ultra Scan Level

Controls how aggressively the Ultra Scan acceleration system operates.

  • The default value of 12 is suitable for most environments.
  • In noisy RF environments, this value may require adjustment.

Tuning Guidance

Perform a frequency scan and observe the green LED on top of the radio:

  • Mostly slow flashes → Value is too low
  • Constant fast flashes → Value is too high
  • Mostly fast flashes with occasional slow flashes → Optimal

See:
Radio → Scanning → Ultra Scan

Ultra Scan Time

Sets the analysis time, in microseconds, that Ultra Scan spends evaluating each frequency.

  • Default: 1500
  • This is an advanced setting and should only be adjusted by experienced users.

Notes:

  • If set too low, Ultra Scan may never detect active signals.
  • If set too high, Ultra Scan performance will degrade significantly.
  • This setting directly affects how Ultra Scan Level behaves.

Smart Scan

Applies to Frequency Mode scans only.

When enabled:

  • Active frequencies are remembered
  • The scanner revisits these frequencies more frequently

This can significantly increase scan hits over large frequency ranges, but as the list grows, overall scan speed will decrease.

See:

Smart Select

Allows the user to browse the Smart Scan frequency memory list.

Each slot contains a remembered frequency along with its Heat value (activity score).

When browsing:
The selected slot’s frequency and heat value are shown in the Extra Info field.
If a slot is empty, the display will show "NOT SET".

  • Values: 0–49
  • Default: N/A

Smart 2 Chan

Creates a new channel using the frequency stored in the Smart Scan slot selected in Smart Select above.

After selecting this option:

  1. Browse to the desired channel number (1–999).
  2. Press GREEN to confirm and write the channel.
  3. Press RED to cancel.

While selecting a channel number, the Extra Info field will indicate whether the chosen channel slot is already in use. If a used channel slot is selected, the existing channel will be overwritten.

  • Values: 0 (Cancel), 1–999
  • Default: Cancel

Monitor Time

Defines how long, in seconds, the scanner will monitor a detected signal.

  • A value of 0 monitors indefinitely
  • Monitoring ends when:
    • This time expires (if non zero)
    • The signal drops
    • The user manually resumes scanning with UP or DOWN
    • The user adds the detected frequency to the exclusions by pressing #

Hold Time

Defines how long, in seconds, the scan will pause after a signal is lost before continuing.

This allows the scanner to briefly “hang around” to catch replies or follow-up transmissions.

Scan TX Too?

Applies to Channel Mode scans.

  • Off (default):
    Only the receive frequency of a channel is scanned.

  • On:
    If a channel has a split or offset TX frequency, that frequency will also be scanned.

Save Preset

Saves the current VFO scan settings as a scan preset.

  • Up to 99 preset slots are available
  • Select a slot and press GREEN to save
  • The menu’s Extra Info field indicates whether a slot is Free or In Use

See:
RMS → Scanning → Presets

Load Preset

Loads a saved scan preset into the current VFO scanning settings.

  • Select the desired preset slot
  • Press GREEN to load

Erase Preset

Deletes a scan preset.

  • Select the preset slot to erase
  • Press GREEN to confirm deletion

Stop Any Key

Enables additional keys to stop a scan in progress.
When On, any key not assigned to a function while scanning will act like RED and stop the scan.

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