I'm noticing that there is a wide variety of volume levels on different talk groups as well as within a specific talkgroup. Is there an AGC setting to compensate for this? For example a dispatcher may be low volume but a unit responding will blow me out of the room!
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Automatic Gain Control (AGC)
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N6ML
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No change since: AGC capabilities
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Unfortunately, no.
We have to live with it for now.
We have to live with it for now.
Ubbe
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They compensate. It could be a delay of 1/2 or 1 second so that when you monitor a weak audio and someone responds with a high audio level it could give a high audio burst but after that it controls the audio to a nominal level. In a system with big audio variations you will often hear mobile units asking the dispatcher to repeat, as the first word where distorted due to audio overload or it was too weak as the AGC had compensated to another mobiles prior transmission.
At the dispatch side you never experiance any of the audio issues that scanner users have. So big audio level variations never gets reported to the systems technical staff to be corrected. Only if the staff themselves have scanners at home or for monitoring will they see the issue and do system maintanance.
/Ubbe
Nice simple explanation even for a dummy like me. Anyone have any insight on how Harris handles it?
(sorry to get off topic)
n1das
Member
I liked the P25 AGC in my RadioShack (GRE) Pro-96 scanner I had years ago. The current Whistler models are similar. The AGC knocked down loud audio quick enough that you don't notice it being too loud to start with. The attack time was fast like it should be. The recovery time to bring up soft audio after knocking down loud audio was around 0.5 to 1 second. Overall it worked real nice. I would expect P25 audio out of a Motorola to be similar.
My Uniden BC396xt has AGC on both P25 and analog audio. The AGC function works as advertised but it is SLOW. The AGC gain and target volume to level to are adjustable for P25 and analog modes. The attack and recovery times are not adjustable and are too slow in my opinion. I like how GRE did it and it should be more like the Motorolas.
AGC on P25 audio from the G-series pagers, me want.
My Uniden BC396xt has AGC on both P25 and analog audio. The AGC function works as advertised but it is SLOW. The AGC gain and target volume to level to are adjustable for P25 and analog modes. The attack and recovery times are not adjustable and are too slow in my opinion. I like how GRE did it and it should be more like the Motorolas.
AGC on P25 audio from the G-series pagers, me want.
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Except it is not always the fault of the receiver. Some systems are just not set up properly. Or, different users speak at different volumes or distances from the mic. Motorola publishes a video on how to properly hold and speak into a mic to mitigate wide variances in volume. You know, you have the loud mouths and the quiet ones.
N6ML
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^^^ this!
It's not a Unication defect - it would be a feature that Unication could potentially implement to compensate for issues that are really arising elsewhere, such as inferior transmitters, untrained users, etc. The medic units in my area are notoriously "low volume". I asked one of the Fire guys about it. He said that they like to leave their hand-mic clipped on the dashboard of the ambulance, and just reach out and push the PTT button and talk at it from a distance.
I monitor a Harris system with an EMS dispatch channel. The dispatch console is way hot and all the users mobiles / portables are lower and level.
Been over a year and still no fix. That is a prime example of AGC probably making that issue not as bad on subscriber units but scanner / unication devices will show a big difference in volume.
Been over a year and still no fix. That is a prime example of AGC probably making that issue not as bad on subscriber units but scanner / unication devices will show a big difference in volume.
1000%. They also like to keep their shoulder mics inside their jackets and key the radio from the hip, stellar idea.
We toyed with bumping up mic gain on mics, and then letting the subscriber units AGC manage with 'close talkers' and driving with the siren on / windows down crowd. It was a delicate balance, but the decision to have mildly hot mics and people complain about how loud it was was better than a bunch of mumblers and endless "...last unit?" transmissions.
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