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FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about G-Series P25 Voice Pagers!
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What systems do the G2/G4 and G3/G5 support?The G2/G4 supports multiple P25 systems, including Conventional, P25 Trunking, and P25 Conventional. The G3/G5 supports everything the G2/G4 supports in addition to 2 Tone, 5 Tone and MDC 1200 on either of its two bands. They support: Multiple IDs 2 Tone, 5 Tone and MDC 1200 (G5 Only) Site Trunking Full Spectrum Scan Linear Simulcast Modulation for Simulcast Applications Priority TGIDs Multi-select 800 MHz, 20 kHz channel spacing, and 4 kHz deviation for Direct mode communications
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Can the G-Series P25 Voice Pagers "scan" a defined trunking frequency (Example: 855.9875, 856.2625, 857.2625, 858.2625)? If so, can you scan defined TALKGROUPS on those frequencies?Yes, TGIDs are assigned along with the Control Channels and Site Information (site information is used to further validate that the pager is assigned to that site(s) in situations where Control Channels are reused in the network). The G2/G3/G4/G5 can be pre-programmed with Control Channels and, when first turned on, will scan for the active Control Channel. Once it is on an active Control Channel it stays there until the Bit Error Rate exceeds a predetermined value.
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Can the G3/G5, in 2 Tone mode, replace my Minitor?Absolutely. The G3/G5 does everything the Minitor does and much, much more. The G3/G5 supports many more RF Channels, with and without PL/DPL, and 2 Tone IDs than the Minitor. With an eight position Selector Knob switch one can configure the G3/G5 for more configurations. The Unication pagers are also rated IP67 (water and dust proof) and designed for rugged Public Safety environments. The G3/G5 Voice Pagers ensures reliable operation.
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Will the G-Series P25 Voice Pagers work on VHF or UHF Trunked Systems?Yes, the receiver covers a fairly broad band that should cover the Control and Traffic Channel frequency range.
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Do the G-Series Voice Pagers support P25 Phase I and Phase II?Yes! All P25 devices are Phase I and Phase II compatible.
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What type of encryption is supported?The G2-G5 P25 Voice Pager supports the AES 256-bit P25 encryption standard, DES (Data Encryption Standard), and URC4 encryption (compatible with ARC4/ADP). The unit supports up to 1024 keys and there is a software utility used to program encryption keys into the pager so you can perform testing. Please contact your Authorized Dealer for the utility and user guide.
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How does the dispatch center send out the P25 page?With the G2/G4, sending the page is as simple as sending a 2-tone page. The Dispatcher will select the appropriate icon and when they send the page the system will send out the pre-programmed TGID. The Dispatcher can choose to send an Alerting tone like they do for portable radios or not. Once the TGID is sent the Dispatcher can begin sending the voice message. With the G3/G5, no dispatching changes are required. Agencies can continue receiving their 2-tone calls exactly as before but gain the ability to also monitor incoming P25 transmissions.
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How does the dispatch center activate pagers in the field?The Administrator will “map” the TGIDs to select Sites or Simulcast Zones. The system then “Forces” the TGID(s) to “Critical Sites”.
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Using TGIDs is problematic for my application, are there other methods?There are three methods supported for P25 paging; TGID, Call Alert and QCII over P25. Click here to review more information about P25 alerting methods. Please contact an Authorized Dealer to determine which method is best for your application.
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Does the dispatcher have to send an alert call the same way they would ping a portable radio?They could, or just let the G-Series P25 Voice Pager generate its internal Alerting tone (or wav file).
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Does this unit require any changes to the communications center equipment?If the Dispatch Center does not currently dispatch on the P25 system, a P25 Control Station will be needed. The Control Station must utilize the AMBE+2 Vocoder for 2 Tone over P25 to function correctly.
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Does this unit require any changes to how they would dispatch incidents?If transitioning to the G2/G4 with plans to migrate to P25 paging only, there may or may not be changes. If one already dispatches to P25 Group IDs (directed to Portables and Mobiles), then there probably will be no change required. The G3/G5 Dual Band P25 no dispatching changes are necessary. Agencies can continue receiving their 2-tone calls exactly as before, but gain the ability to also monitor incoming P25 transmissions.
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On an analog radio system we use an encoder to send tones over the radio frequency. In a digital system you have to send data to the pager. How are we sending data to the Pager?The Dispatching Console, 2-way portable or Mobile sends the appropriate TGID to the G-Series P25 Voice Pager. The G2/G3/G5/G5 is monitoring the Control Channel and upon detection of a programmed TGID, it will go to the assigned Traffic Channel for the voice message.
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Do I need a Portable Radio that affiliates the assigned TGID in order to make the G-Series P25 Voice Pager work?Although this is a good way to initially test the G2/G3/G4/G5, in the final configuration the System will be programmed to “Force TGIDs to Critical Sites” or create a “Virtual User” on those sites thereby allowing the Dispatcher or a back-up Portable to send messages.
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When should I consider purchasing a G-Series P25 Voice Pager?If you know P25 Service will be available within the next 18 months If I want to continue to use the existing analog 2 tone network, but want to listen to select TGIDs on the P25 System If your Mutual Aid relationships have migrated from analog to digital or they have stayed analog while you migrated to digital If you travel frequently and want to listen of local/regional systems If you migrated to digital, but want to monitor analog transmissions (NOAA, etc.)
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How does the G-Series P25 Voice Pager provide an alert tone?The pager will decode the TGID and emit an alert tone (user programmable) while it stores the associated message on the assigned Traffic Channel. At the end of the alert tone duration (user programmable) the pager will play the stored voice message from the beginning.
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Does the G-Series P25 Voice Pager store all messages?The User determines which TGIDs’ messages are to be stored. All stored messages are time and date stamped and stored in non- volatile memory. They can easily be retrieved by pressing the playback key button which plays stored messages on a last in/first out basis or by using the pager’s menu to selectively find the time and day the message was received. Message memory is very large and if it nears getting full it will automatically purge the oldest read/unread messages to make room for new incoming messages.
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Can stored messages be stored on a computer?Yes, we have a Message Backup/Manager Utility that allows one to download all stored messages to one’s computer and sort them on several parameters.
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Can we program our own pagers?The G2-G5 Voice Pagers come with a dual charging/programming cable that can plug into your PC. Pager Programming Software (PPS) can be downloaded, at no charge, from the downloads page. In addition, we offer webinars on programming and the features of the G-Series P25 Voice Pagers on our YouTube channel for free.
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What kind of battery is used?The G-Series Voice Pagers come with a heavy-duty Lithium Ion 2800mAH battery. The pager includes a micro-USB charging cable with 2-amp power supply.
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What kind of battery life can I expect?Battery life greatly depends on the amount of traffic one is monitoring. We have Users getting more than 24 hours and heavy Users getting around 14-16 hours. Unication recommends replacing the battery every 12 months for optimal performance.
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Do you offer a product that provides an audio output and relay closure for Fire Station use?We have a Charger Amplifier option that, in addition to having an internal speaker for high noise environments and antenna for RF challenged area, offers a variety of outputs that can be used for external speaker and/or siren/lighting controls. Click here to review the manual for more information.
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Do you have a drop-in charger? Connecting the micro-USB charging cable can be difficult in low light conditions.In addition to the Charger Amplifier, Unication released a standard Desktop Charger option. Click here to see what accessories are available for the G2-G5 Voice Pagers.
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Do the pagers have an earphone/speaker jack?We have something better. Our pagers support Bluetooth connectivity allowing one to wirelessly connect to a Bluetooth earphone, speaker or one’s vehicle’s speakers. The Bluetooth capability also ensures we maintain our IP67 (water/dustproof) rating.
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Many scanners do not work well in a simulcast environment, how do the G-Series P25 Voice Pagers work?Unication has considerable experience in designing products used in simulcast environments. The G2/G3/G4/G5 pagers have not only passed our rigorous lab testing, but are also working on a number of P25 systems with simulcast zones.
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Does the G3/G5 allow for scanning between channels and frequencies?The dual band models DO scan different bands simultaneously, however G-Series pagers of any model cannot simultaneously scan between a trunked P25 system and another system or between two trunked systems. The limitation is related to a system’s protocol, not the frequency band. For example, you CAN program both VHF & UHF or VHF & 700-800MHz onto the same knob position and scan them simultaneously if they are both on Analog systems, both Conventional P25 systems, or one is Analog 2-tone and one is Conventional P25. But you CANNOT do this on P25 trunked systems (P25 Phase I or Phase II). If either band is on a trunked P25 system, you must put them onto separate knob positions. Most commonly, users that get alerted over VHF analog but also need to monitor radio traffic on a UHF or 700-800 MHz P25 trunked system, would use a dual banded model and program VHF onto knob 1 and the P25 trunked system onto knob 2, then after they receive an alert they would switch over to knob 2 to monitor radio traffic on the P25 trunked system.
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When I migrate to 2 Tone over P25 do I have to change my 2 Tone pair? / My tones are patched to the P25 system can the G5 decode those tones?You may need to change the tone pair if your tone is too close to the edge of the tone range or if two different tones fall into the same range.
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Why does the G Series pagers use a tone range instead of a specific frequency?P25 2 Tone uses a specific tone set developed to work on P25 systems. It utilizes tone ranges for the receivers while the center frequency is encoded through the transmitter.
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How do I update my pager?The G-Series P25 Voice Pagers are software defined. We offer software updates that are complimentary and available for download on our website by clicking here.
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My Unication pager is not functioning correctly/missing button/has an issue. Where do I send it to be fixed?If your pager needs servicing, please contact your Authorized Dealer for instructions. If you are not sure who your Authorized Dealer is, please fill out our Serial Number Search Form to receive their contact information.
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Can I buy parts to repair my pager myself?We do not sell replacement parts for our G-Series Voice Pagers due to the IP67 rating. Please contact your Authorized Dealer (the one you purchased from) who can submit RMA tickets for you. If you are not sure who your Authorized Dealer is, please fill out our Serial Number Search Form to receive their contact information. We do sell Knob Replacement Kits for G1 and G2-G5 Voice Pagers: https://www.unicationusa.com/knob-replacement-kits
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I received a charging error on my pager. What does it mean?Please review the following document and contact your Authorized Dealer if you need an RMA submitted.
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Does the PPS (Pager Programming Software) work on Mac computers?At this time, the PPS only works on Windows computers.
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What is the warranty on the Unication pagers?The standard warranty for G2-G5 Voice Pagers is 2 years. The 3-year extended warranty option (total of 5-years) may be added to a device within 90 days of the date purchased from Unication USA. Check warranty dates on your G-Series Voice Pager by clicking here.
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What Frequencies are available?
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What is the price?The MSRP of the G2/G4 Single Band Model is $645.00 and the G3/G5 Dual Band Model is $745.00. Most Dealers offer more competitive price points than MSRP retail rates. Contact an Authorized Dealer for a quote.
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