Scanner breaks up while driving?

[xpawel15x]

It's almost impossible to listen to my scanner while driving because my scanner breaks up every transmition. The faster I go, the more signal gets broken up into pieces and is almost unmonitorable when driving at high speeds. The faster I go, the worse the signal gets broken up. This happens on every frequency, even the NOAA weather channel. I'm talking about the Pro-97 with a ducky. Could it be the fact that the car is moving and the objects around it are constantly changing therefore the signal cant bounce off the and get received by the scanner in the moving vehicle?

 

[KE5BCP]

It's almost impossible to listen to my scanner while driving because my scanner breaks up every transmition. The faster I go, the more signal gets broken up into pieces and is almost unmonitorable when driving at high speeds. The faster I go, the worse the signal gets broken up. This happens on every frequency, even the NOAA weather channel. I'm talking about the Pro-97 with a ducky. Could it be the fact that the car is moving and the objects around it are constantly changing therefore the signal cant bounce off the and get received by the scanner in the moving vehicle?

Add an external antenna and you'll see a world of difference.

 

[iMONITOR]

It's commonly called Picket Fencing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picket_fencing

 

[gmclam]

Do you expect those RF signals to just all magically penetrate your metal vehicle? As mentioned an external antenna will improve things greatly. You have to be very close to some signals - especially on low band VHF - to receive them inside a vehicle.

 

[Bill_White]

If you are doing better than 186,000
miles per second when this occurs..

Try slowing down..

 

[xpawel15x]

Do you expect those RF signals to just all magically penetrate your metal vehicle? As mentioned an external antenna will improve things greatly. You have to be very close to some signals - especially on low band VHF - to receive them inside a vehicle.

I saw some ppl on here that had handheld scanners with duckies in their vehicles and they can receive fine....why can't I?

 

[MaxMan1986]

I saw some ppl on here that had handheld scanners with duckies in their vehicles and they can receive fine....why can't I?

Because you may have a different scanner, a different vehicle, and you may be listening to different things. There's a number of variables that might affect it.

 

[LEH]

On occasion, I will use a scanner in the car with just a ducky and have few problems.

There are a couple of places in my car, especially with the PSR500 where it will not receive. Near the blower motor to the heater/AC fan. Near my XM radio, which transmits FM to the car radio.

Back in the 70's when CB was the big thing, I had a car that I couldn't put my first CB in. The engine noise just interferred something fierce. So it could be you have some vehicle interference. Saying the faster you go, the worse it gets sounds like that.

Try just sitting in a parking lot with the car off and listen. Then turn the engine on and see if things change.

Lastly, do you have priority or a close call feature turned on? Car speed should have nothing to do with the increased interference while going faster, but it will cause your radio to break up as it checks. I forgot the close call on my 396 and couldn't figure out why it was breaking up.

 

[xpawel15x]

No SS, No Priority turned on. When I stop the vehicle like at a traffic light, the scanner will receive everything normally. Once I press the gas and start driving..it starts to break up, and the faster I go, the more it breaks up. So the car when stopped, even with the engine running, the scanner receives fine. Only happens when driving.

 

[LEH]

I'm now shooting at a moving target here (very tounge in cheek), but my old aircraft maintenance coming out. Just some things to try if you haven't already and a reason for my suggestion.

Have you tried moving the scanner around in the car to see if that helps? (My 500 sitting on the console with a ducky just won't work, too much interference, move it to the passenger seat or my lap and things work fine.)

Have you tried another antenna or scanner (with the same antenna)? (Could be some weird combination of antenna, radio, propgation of RF, and vehicle. Using my 500 again, if I hook it to an external antenna while on the console, it works fine too. My 396 has no problems with a ducky in the same location.)

Does the scanner act up in other vehicles too or just one? (If in any car, then you have a radio problem, in only one car, then it seems to be the car causing the problem. If the ignition has a problem, it could be the problem though ignition would seem to cause problems at idle or when reving the engine while stopped.)

Do you have a static generator attached to any of your wheels (okay now I'm being dumb)? But if the problem is only while moving, then it would seem to be something that is only working while moving. Wheels or transmission (sensor lead open?).

 

[hoser147]

There are alot of electric fields inside of a car, It could be any one of them. In one of my cars I have to have the scanner up on the visor to be in the clear. Its the only place it will work. In another it doesnt seem to matter works fine where ever it is. You can try the exterior antenna and that should solve your problem. Do you notice any background noise while accelerating? Alternators are also a good source of interference. Good Luck and Good Scannin........Hoser

 

[SLWilson]

Out in left field here....

I'm probably way out in left field here, but, one of our local volunteer fireman had a similar issue with a low-band two-way mobile.

They checked EVERYTHING they could think of....

In the end, it was RF out of the anti-lock breaking system causing his issue....(On an S10 Chevy pickup truck) He sold the truck.

Steve/KB8FAR

 

[xpawel15x]

I'm now shooting at a moving target here (very tounge in cheek), but my old aircraft maintenance coming out. Just some things to try if you haven't already and a reason for my suggestion.

Have you tried moving the scanner around in the car to see if that helps? (My 500 sitting on the console with a ducky just won't work, too much interference, move it to the passenger seat or my lap and things work fine.)

Have you tried another antenna or scanner (with the same antenna)? (Could be some weird combination of antenna, radio, propgation of RF, and vehicle. Using my 500 again, if I hook it to an external antenna while on the console, it works fine too. My 396 has no problems with a ducky in the same location.)

Does the scanner act up in other vehicles too or just one? (If in any car, then you have a radio problem, in only one car, then it seems to be the car causing the problem. If the ignition has a problem, it could be the problem though ignition would seem to cause problems at idle or when reving the engine while stopped.)

Do you have a static generator attached to any of your wheels (okay now I'm being dumb)? But if the problem is only while moving, then it would seem to be something that is only working while moving. Wheels or transmission (sensor lead open?).

Yes I tried it with my pro-83 and 97 each with their own duckies and the signal broke up on both of them when driving. What's really weird is that when stopping at a red light, the scanner is normal, lol. Gets me really thinking... So when it only happens when it moves, maybe it's the car's alternator?

I also tried moving the scanner around, it seemed that it received better at some places, but still broke up the singals pretty badly

 

[SLWilson]

Kind of car?

Yes I tried it with my pro-83 and 97 each with their own duckies and the signal broke up on both of them when driving. What's really weird is that when stopping at a red light, the scanner is normal, lol. Gets me really thinking... So when it only happens when it moves, maybe it's the car's alternator?

I also tried moving the scanner around, it seemed that it received better at some places, but still broke up the singals pretty badly

I was out in left field earlier, but, what kind of car are you driving?

Does it have the automatic tire pressure sensors in the wheels? They're transmitting an RF signal to the cars on-board computer.....Just another thoght...

My Tahoe was that feature.

Steve/KB8FAR

 

[xpawel15x]

I drive a Plymouth Voyager van, with tinted windows in the back, maybe that's what is causing this? But once stopped, it receives, so it can't be the windows...
I don't have the tire pressure sensors.

 

[ka3jjz]

I tend to agree with the many posters who have suggested getting an antenna out of the vehicle - put it on the roof, away from the engine, and I suspect at least some of these problems would be gone. Make yourself familiar with out scanner antennas wiki and jump to that forum - I would bet you will get lots of suggestions...

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Scanner_Antennas

73s Mike

 

[pappy1]

I had a similar problem with a general motors product. I had it into the repair shop for sensor, electronic switches replacement and the cost was lost as it had no effect. I finely contacted General motors’ complaint department at the zone office for my district and they recommended I take it to a tech that only worked on noise complaints. And I did….
The Noise was found and the tech added a shield that was missing on assembly [it is a computer]. The bad boy was what is called a “Black Box”, [something like the aircraft has] to record information that some states use when involved in a fatality accident. The tech said there are two places the boxes are located depending on the model [GM Models]. The places are in a hole in the floor board under the driver seat or mounted in the dash board behind the heater controls.
If you have a friend with an electric utility they have some very good equipment for locating noise.

 

[trace1]

The faster I go, the more signal gets broken up into pieces and is almost unmonitorable when driving at high speeds. The faster I go, the worse the signal gets broken up.

I drive a Plymouth Voyager van,

Just how fast are you driving your Mom's mini-van and why the need for speed?

 

[kc9neq]

i have a rs pro 95 and have the same problem with the duck antenna and a window clip antenna when driving my dodge dakota. when i use the same setup in a ford crown vic i dont have the problem. i think its a dodge problem.

 

[LEH]

... and why the need for speed?

To borrow from the White Rabbit in "Alice in Wonderland"

I'm late, I'm late for a very important date.