Pro-651: Bizarre Signal Strength Issue 651 vs 106

I have a strange issue with a brand new Pro-651 vs. used Pro-106 my prior experience was a GRE PSR-500 which I sold and bought these two models recently within about a week of one another.

The firmware on each unit is as follows:
Pro-651
uP App Ver: RF2.8
DSP AppVer RF1.4
DSP VocVer RF1.0

Pro-106
uP App Ver RU 2.1
DSP App Ver RF1.4
DSP VocVer RF1.0

Listening to most of the PD dispatch and talk around frequencies in the 506-507 Mhz range, for example, I get no reading (or very low - 1 flickering bar) on the signal strength meter on the 651 whereas on the 106, on the same simultaneous broadcast, I will read max or nearly max signal strength. Both scanners are programmed with the identical scan list from Arc 500 off or RR Internet downloads, both scanners have the stock rubber duck antennas they were delivered with.

I receive the broadcasts loud and clear on both scanners with no discernible audio differences. However, there is either no signal strength showing on the 651 or it will flicker with maybe 1 bar rarely/occasionally. Most of the same broadcasts on the 106 show 5 solid bars on the 106.

Any ideas? I am glad I have the 106 here to compare with but even with the 106 I am unable to figure this one out. Someone surely must have seen this before?

Thanks,
Robin

the signal strength issue can be fixed,bypressing program-func-glob. scroll down to rssi press select,white keys with arrows.when you press select you will see bar 1 blinking change the numbers to the right. first number should be 1=190- 2=230- 3=260- 4=290- 5=320. each time you put in anumber press f-2 = done. do that for each group .then at the end push save=f-2 until it doesnt show up on screen.usually 2presses of f-2. that should take care of that problem.some of 651s come with 2.6 update or 2.8 update. idont recall which one you have to make this change with but yours need the signal strength numbers above.in case you dont know which key is glob its f-3. don t know your experience trying to make it as clear as i can. as others on here have done for me.

Ron,
You did an excellent job of explaining the calibration for the Signal Strength Indicator! I put it right in there in just a couple of minutes. So we will need to calibrate like this every time we load a new list correct?

Thanks very much for your quick and great reply!

Robin

Pro-106 rssi settings

I checked the RSSI settings on the PRO-106 and they match the numbers you provided for the PRO-651. I have to wonder how the settings got goofed up on the 651, Maybe when they updated the firmware?

Nonetheless, it is a relief to have the radio working as it should now. .

rob21 in regards to having to change any thing on lists, after entering cal numbers for signal strength.the answer is no.you should be set to go.

ronw said:

rob21 in regards to having to change any thing on lists, after entering cal numbers for signal strength.the answer is no.you should be set to go.

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Excellent thanks again Ron! Now is a good time to ask, are there any other available "fixes" like this, or maybe not like this, for this radio. I want to be sure I have this great scanner working at its optimum.

The Plot Thickens

Okay now this is very strange Ron - please let me know what think. I bought 2 new Pro-651's from the same source. They were allegedly New-In-Box. One of them was for my next door neighbor, one for me. We checked his RSSI settings today for signal strength and his numbers were perfect, just as you laid out above, for me to change.

He had no idea of how to access that menu using PGM/FCN/GLOBAL - in fact, he was so excited about finding that menu he almost forgot to look at the RSSI settings. He is hoping he can adjust his priority setup on this menu, he thought he knew everything there was to know about this radio. Anyway, he had never had any problem with his signal strength from the beginning as I did. Neither of us had ever been into that menu.

Any idea why his radio would be set up with the correct settings and mine was not set up correctly? Both came from the same source at the same time.

It can be set in win 500 also....

robo21 i just got a pro651 isn t there a list shown how to program the unit, i thought it listed 651 and some other units, easy way to program the unit ? tnx bobf9f5

bobf9f5 said:

robo21 i just got a pro651 isn t there a list shown how to program the unit, i thought it listed 651 and some other units, easy way to program the unit ? tnx bobf9f5

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Congratulations on your new scanner! You have made a wonderful and wise purchase. The 651 has excellent audio quality. Your programming question should be addressed in a different thread however. Going off-topic is generally considered bad forum etiquette.

I would be glad to assist if I can, I will send you a private message.

robo 21 here in southeast michigan ikeep attenuater global and other turned off .seems to be louder and clearer. however this cant always be the case. if you live in an area with lots of tower sights and thereby recieve a lot of noise or interference,you may have to use the att. feature. also i have found that the radio shack 800 mhz atenna works noticeabley better on the 800 frequencies. roughly 6 db gain on signal, clearer audio. i must also say that conventional freqs. lower freqs up to 512 mhz. suffer a little. thereby the diamond rh77ca ant. would be a better choice for conv. freqs. as far as prioity setting i only use that on the weather settings in the summer to intrupt normal scanning with severe weather info. i have been messing around with the gre scanners for along time. still learning. great hobby.good luck enjoy.