Rangecast FAQ
[FAQ-1122] When programming a hub, how to find a channel missing from the channel list


Page Type: SOLUTION


OVERVIEW

When programming a hub, it sometimes happens that a channel known to exist is missing from the list of available channels fetched from the master channel database. This provides guidance for how to adjust the selection parameters to fetch the channel (if present in the full database), or add it as a custom channel (if not present there.)


METHOD

1. In the programmer,

a) go to the list of all channels (Channels tab in upper-left, then All Channels)

b) ensure that the drop-downs under Target/Scope give i) the hub name (and not a collection within the hub), ii) 'In Database', and iii) "All Sites"

c) ensure the two boxes to the right of Target/Scope say "All Regions" and "All Functions"

d) sort by frequency (click the column label Freq/TG)

e) scan the frequency-sorted list to see if the channel exists (but may have been overlooked due to some filter applied in the programmer) [img-programmer_freqsort]

If the channel is found, you may then select it for reception.


2. If step 1 was not successful, try to locate the channel in the master Rangecast channel database


[FAQ-1111] Use of the RCDB (Rangecast Channel Database) query utility

The RCDB query utility is a website available for looking up channel information from the master channel database used in the HTML5 Rangecast system.




If you find the channel via a search, compare certain parameters with the selection filter applied on the programmer entry screen [img-programmer_entry]

a) See if the agency type (e.g. "I" for interoperations) is excluded from the selection filter used for the hub's programming interface. If the agency type was excluded, you may select the agency type checkbox, so that type of channel is made available in the programmer.

b) If the selection filters do not select by map/coverage circle, only by county - see if the county of the channel (in the database) is not included in the programmer's selection filter. If the county is not included, you may add that county, so channels in that jurisdiction are made available in the programmer.

c) If the selection filters do not specify including all channels from the county, check the "map circle" and "coverage circle" parameters for each nearby feed site.

Without explicitly importing the entire county, a broadcast channel will only be imported from the national database into the programmer if either (a) the channel's reference location is within "map circle" miles of a feed site, or (b) a feed site falls within the known coverage area of the channel. (The coverage area is defined as the area within a channel-specific number of miles of the reference location.) Both the reference location (latitude and longitude) and the coverage area ("circle") are shown in the Rangecast channel database query results.

Note that if the "coverage circle" parameter for a feed site is specified with an extension (e.g. +10 miles), then the system will import a channel if the channel's coverage area comes *within that specified distance* of the feed site (it does not need to actually extend all the way to the feed site.)

If the channel is screened out because the specified "map circle" or "coverage circle" for the feed site is too restrictive, you may expand these parameters. (These distance parameters *do not affect* whether the channel will be assigned to the specific feed site if selected for reception, they only specify a region to import from the national channel database into the programmer.)

d) Alternatively, you may add the channel, or the group or system including the channel, to the programmer in this way:

i) decide if you want to add the channel, group, or system (note this does not select the channel(s) for reception, only makes them available in the programmer)

ii) note the applicable database code from the query results (CID for channel, GID for group, or SID for system)

iii) add that code to the programmer's selection filter, in the RCDB Fetch Keys field


3. If step 2 was not successful, you may add the channel as a custom channel for that hub

[FAQ-1116] How to add a custom channel (not from RCDB) to a hub

Channels not in the master nationwide channel database (RCDB) can be added to a hub's scanner reception. Such extra "custom" channels may be tied into the system/group/channel hierarchy.



CITATIONS

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