I have two separate Uniden scanners programmed to Wayne Township TRS. I have not changed anything to them whatsoever but, recently I am receiving only partial transmissions and "clipping". Almost like the scanners can't hold onto the control channel. Can anyone tell me why this is happening/ a possible fix? Thank you. N2KKZ.
Wayne TRS help
- Thread starter n2kkz
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I'm in Wayne and have been using a BCD396XT since shortly after the switch to P25. I'm having the same problem as you. It was working during one of the last snowstorms because I remember listening to the plows. On Saturday I turned on my scanner and heard nothing. I just figured it was a slow day. Then I noticed that the LCD backlight was periodically going on and heard a noise like someone keyed up. Looking at the screen, it looks like the display flashes rapidly between ID scan (or search) and PD 1, PD 2 INFO, etc. I have a feeling that they made the switch to Phase II. My friend works for the town and generally said that they were doing something to the radio system.
Anyway, I bought a PRO-668 today. After getting it up and running (which was no small feat), I started periodically hearing the Wayne talkgroups again. They are suffering from horrible simulcast distortion, though. I can't seem to do anything in the settings to fix it (auto-fill vs standard trunking tables, fm vs nfm, changing the DSPleveladapt). In fact, I'm missing more than 90% of the transmissions. For instance, I missed the entire 0100 and 0200 time checks this morning and haven't heard anything in the last two hours.
I'm inclined to look into the 436, but I'm afraid to drop 5 bills for similar performance as the 668. The 396 was incredible for me. I never had a simulcast problem in the past, and the programming is much more intuitive than this Radio Shack unit.
Same Trouble Monitoring Wayne Twp.
I am experiencing the same trouble monitoring the Wayne Twp. Harris P25 system. Obviously something has changed recently. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
I am experiencing the same trouble monitoring the Wayne Twp. Harris P25 system. Obviously something has changed recently. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
What are you using to receive? My BCD396XT is not Phase II capable, while the PRO-668 is as I understand it. I receive nothing with the 396, and I receive something (albeit barely something) with the 668. That suggests to me that they made the switch to Phase II or some other system that my 396 can't handle.
I wish I was more familiar with the 668 (or any of the GRE models before it) because I have no idea what I'm looking at on the screen. I can tell you that when it does receive Wayne, I don't see anything on the screen that indicates Phase II or X2 TDMA. It shows S (open squelch), signal strength bars (indicating full strength, though they do periodically blink and disappear), T (trunking control channel signal) and DG or Dg (cant remember but that's AGC on or off, respectively). Apparently a D2 would indicate AGC is on and a Phase II talkgroup is active. It doesn't look like there's an indication on the 668 of AGC being off on a Phase II talkgroup. Of course, I don't really have a great understanding of this technology yet, so I might be missing something totally obvious.
I don't mean for this to be a Uniden vs GRE/RS post. It's more of a "now I'm super lost because not only has the system changed, I'm totally unfamiliar with the hardware too."
Using a directional antenna is not an option in my mind for a handheld, though I might try one out to confirm it is a simulcast distortion issue and decide how to proceed.
They are still phase 1 . I get them in west Essex on my xts 2500 so they must have changed something else
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sacharoffm
Member
I too have noticed that the system has been acting very weird the last few days. I work in Wayne so I receive the system very well when it is working well. I use a 996xt to monitor the system from my desk using stock antenna.
railtrailbiker
Member
Did they change from single site to simulcast or change sites if they were already simulcast?
Good to know. Thanks for the input. I was beginning to suspect that because all of the Phase II stuff I've been receiving had said D
Good to know. Thanks for the input. I was beginning to suspect that because all of the Phase II stuff I've been receiving has said D2 on the screen. Have you experienced a recent change in reception or audio quality? I'm assuming it's still top notch with the XTS.
As far as I know, it's been a multiple site simulcast since June 2011. According to the RR database, it's a four site system. I could have sworn it was three, but I guess it's four.
I asked my buddy who works for the DPW he said about a week ago the whole system went down after it came back up all the radios were beeping and had to be reprogrammed. He didn't know the specifics of the problem. Prior to this the SID on the system was 04eh-1010 and it is now 004eh-1515. Even when i was in Wayne the system isn't really listenable.
Getting Wayne loud and clear in Fairfield on a 436.
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Interesting. I'm probably going to return or sell the 668 and see if I can find any leftover 436 in any of the nearby closing Radio Shacks.
Would you mind sharing how you have it programmed in the 436 so I can try it in my 396XT? When I was having trouble last week, I deleted the system and reprogrammed it with the control channel first, then all (seven) frequencies and ran ID search with no luck.
After reading about simulcast distortion I came across a thread by UPMan that requested feedback about switching the frequencies from NFM to FM. I can't remember what my setting was, but I'll have to try that.
Would you mind sharing how you have it programmed in the 436 so I can try it in my 396XT? When I was having trouble last week, I deleted the system and reprogrammed it with the control channel first, then all (seven) frequencies and ran ID search with no luck.
After reading about simulcast distortion I came across a thread by UPMan that requested feedback about switching the frequencies from NFM to FM. I can't remember what my setting was, but I'll have to try that.
A P25 system on a newer Uniden will not allow any setting other than NFM on the system frequencies. This only works on Moto Type-II systems with ASTRO voice.
I used Sentinel software with no changes.
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Gent's, part of this thread makes me think they changed to phase II but some are saying they are still phase I. Can anyone try to confirm? All I can offer now is that it's definitely not a signal strength issue & FM/NFM is no different after testing both.
I took my BCD396XT out for a drive last night, and I was occasionally picking up communications on the dispatch channel... so that confirms Markscan's post.
I'm getting error rates between 40 and 60, and the auto decode threshold setting sits at 7 and bounces up to 11. Occasionally, I'll get low error rates and clear transmissions, which seem to be more common from the patrol cars.That might just be a coincidence, though.
BTW, just to give a frame of reference, I'm running the 1.10.00 firmware, and my P25 Adjust Mode and Adjust Level are and always were 11 and 50, respectively. I believe that Uniden advises to leave the latter at 50, but I suppose I could mess with the P25 Adjust Mode and see if that does anything.
Obviously something changed, but what? Is it possible that there is an underlying reason for the SID change that is causing this problem for us?
I'm getting error rates between 40 and 60, and the auto decode threshold setting sits at 7 and bounces up to 11. Occasionally, I'll get low error rates and clear transmissions, which seem to be more common from the patrol cars.That might just be a coincidence, though.
BTW, just to give a frame of reference, I'm running the 1.10.00 firmware, and my P25 Adjust Mode and Adjust Level are and always were 11 and 50, respectively. I believe that Uniden advises to leave the latter at 50, but I suppose I could mess with the P25 Adjust Mode and see if that does anything.
Obviously something changed, but what? Is it possible that there is an underlying reason for the SID change that is causing this problem for us?
Since Markscan said that he received Wayne on his 436, I'm inclined to believe that they changed to Phase 2 TDMA. I just purchased the new Uniden Phase 2 TDMA handheld scanner and I will keep everyone posted on the outcome when it arrives in April.
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