TRX-2: Khz step wierdness

[AlphaFive]

This is in reference to odd behavior being displayed while completing a Limit Search.
For three days or more I have been completing a Limit Search marked from 460.0000 through 470.0000.
In order to do this properly, and record overnight, it takes some time during the day to 'SKIP' active frequencies during the search, in order not to have acquired 5000 hits overnight.
As of 5:00 p.m. yesterday (Saturday), I set the band 460.0000 through 470.0000 to record on a Limit Search. At 5:00 a.m. this morning (Sunday) I had 87 hits recorded, fairly normal.
As I went through the recordings, (87), I found three hits that were abeenormal. These are clearly not in the 6.25 automatic, non adjustable, this is how it is going to be, KHz step range.
1) 461.590625, it displayed as DMR on the recording, no voice modulation.
2) 463.571875, it displayed as FM on the recording, no voice modulation.
3) 465.984375, it displayed as FM on the recording, an extremely strong CW data tone was present. Not data as in a trunking system would present.
Now, lets start on the basis that these are most certainly not valid frequencies, and they are not represented by any license (I did check). These three frequencies are some kind of I.F. issue. I have no problem with the fact the TRX 2 stopped on these frequencies, my issue lies with the fact that this is not supposed to occur, and my limited knowledge base cannot figure out why this occurred. My TRX 2 is doing circus tricks.....
Is this just my TRX 2, or has someone else observed the same misbehavior on their radio? I have had this radio for probably two years and never observed this behavior. There have been no new firmware updates in months, and I am completely up to date. I have not updated anything on the TRX 2 since the last were released. Thank you for your help.

 

[RaleighGuy]

Me too!

Is this just my TRX 2, or has someone else observed the same misbehavior on their radio? I have had this radio for probably two years and never observed this behavior. There have been no new firmware updates in months, and I am completely up to date. I have not updated anything on the TRX 2 since the last were released. Thank you for your help.

I often try to do similar type searches and get the same results with my TRX-1 and Whistler modified PRO 668, have never figured out why. Thought it might be interference with other electronics nearby (laptop sits on desk next to scanners) but moving them around made no difference.

 

[AlphaFive]

Khz step weirdness

Roger that, (laptop sits next to scanners), and I would also guess, coffee cup same distance from laptop on the other side, haaaa. Maybe coffee is the source of the problem, hmmmm

 

[nd5y]

I don't know if the TRX and later model Whistler scanners still have this but the older Whistler/RS/GRE models had a feature called Zeromatic (don't remember exactly how it was spelled) that attempted to center the received signal in the passband when searching. If you had that turned off it caused the scanner to stop when the signal first broke the squelch instead of at the actual channel center.

You might check by searching around known good frequencies with Zeromatic turned on and off and using different search step sizes and see what happens. I would think it's more likely that is the problem than images.

 

[AlphaFive]

zeromatic

Ahhhh, I think you are on to something, that option is available under the Global Settings, and the search menu.. Dad Gummit, I did not think about that. I am going to test that setting. Thank You

 

[RaleighGuy]

Looking at the Zeromatic settings in the EZ Scan for the WS1080/PRO668 mod and can not see where to turn it on and off. Only thing I'm seeing is the settings/values for it. Am I missing something or is it an always on feature?

Any suggestions on the optimal settings for the Zeromatic feature?

 

[AlphaFive]

zeromatic

I can only speak to the TRX 2, it's all I have. On mine, I have a zeromatic selection under the Limit Search Menu list, I can toggle it on and off with a check mark. I don't know about your radios...sorry man

 

[RaleighGuy]

I can only speak to the TRX 2, it's all I have. On mine, I have a zeromatic selection under the Limit Search Menu list, I can toggle it on and off with a check mark. I don't know about your radios...sorry man

Yes I found it and mine was set to on. I was looking in the EZ Scan software and didn't see it there. Appreciate the help.

Sent from my LG-Q710AL using Tapatalk

 

[AlphaFive]

flexstep

I also just recalled there is a flexstep option. It has probably been two years since I saw a thread explaining what that was, I am going to take some time and find some information on that. I want to say that it does not actually allow a step choice, maybe it was something similar to zeromatic. I can't remember. I am going to do some reading. That could be a reason also.

 

[AlphaFive]

flexstep

It would appear flexstep applies to manually entering frequencies during programming, allowing entry of frequencies that do not apply to the automatic step plan. Nothing so far on effect of flexstep 'on' or 'off' while conducting searches. This will be interesting to find out for this reason, if flexstep is activated, and for some reason I choose to create a search limit that does not fall into the automatic setting of say, 6.25 KHz, will flexstep allow this? I think not based on past experience, but I just don't know. This is worth digging into.

 

[nd5y]

All I know is how the PRO-95 worked. It had zeromatic that you could only turn on and off (no settings) and only had one fixed step size for each band.

 

[AlphaFive]

zeromatic

I believe you are correct on the zeromatic being a cause of the behavior, I will do some searching here shortly to confirm that, but sometimes you just know, "yep, that's it".
Regarding the flexstep, it does only apply to programming. Just as an experiment, under a Limit Search frequency entry, I attempted to enter 460.00833. The TRX 2, with flexstep activated, changed the frequency to 460.008125, which would be the correct 6.25 KHz entry.. Oh well, live and learn

Now that I am looking at that,, it doesn't make sense either

 

[AlphaFive]

follow up

The TRX 2, with flexstep activated, changed my erroneous entry of 460.00833 to 460.08125. Okay, I completed the Limit Search entry information for the upper limit as 469.00833. When the Limit Search is activated, here is what I found;
If the search is paused at 460.08125, and during pause, the search is manually forwarded by clicking the right button, the next stop on the search is 460.084375, and then 460.08750, and so on. These steps are .003125 steps that the search is conducted in, very cool. I did not know this. It is a good day

 

[AlphaFive]

more experiments

With flexstep activated
entered 460.0050 bottom limit, 469.0050 top limit; result was that the TRX 2 set the bottom frequency at 460.003125, top frequency at 469.003125. It ran the search in steps of 3.125 KHz.

entered 460.00750 bottom limit, 469.00750 top limit, result was that the TRX 2 set the bottom frequency at 460.00625, top frequency at 469.00625. It ran the search in steps of 3.125 KHz.

entered 119.0050 bottom limit, 134.0050 top limit, result was the TRX 2 set the bottom frequency at 119.00833, top frequency at 134.00833. It ran the search in steps of 8.33 KHz.

entered 769.0050 bottom limit, 774.0050 top limit. While entering the frequency in the limit search entry box, the TRX 2 will accept 769.0050 and 774.0050. When the limit search begins, the frequency set becomes 769.00625, and 774.00625. The TRX 2 runs the search in steps of 3.125.
There could be more to be done on this, but it appears the results will vary depending on what particular band is being examined. I just find this interesting..
I also did the 769 band at 8.33 KHz, (769.00833) the TRX 2 set the step rate at 3.125 KHz, which is the auto setting.

 

[Ubbe]

Without flexstep it is following the step size that are set for the country and the frequency band. No point in searching or allowing entering frequencies that are not used in that country/frequency band that would also slow down the search.

With flexstep you are supposed to be able to enter any frequency that follows one of the possible step sizes, 3.125KHz being the smallest. As it is one single global entry for flex step it should be used in both search and sweep as the function are supposed to be a last resort to be able to search/scan frequencies that do not match the bandplan. But I'm not sure that Whistler managed to do that.

/Ubbe

 

[AlphaFive]

flexstep

Thank you for the reply. I still have many areas to check, v.h.f. low for example. I am going to spend time examining many other bands such as v.h.f. low, etc..Even though I do certainly realize that any valid, licensed, transmitters would be using the proper alotted Khz step range, I still really enjoy looking in other places where they are not supposed to be operating, haaa. It is a definite quirk of personality, but I really enjoy exploring.
I am going to refrain from lamenting that Whistler does not offer step choices, I am happy with what I have. Uniden does not offer 3.125 Khz as a step choice. I know know that if I choose, I can set the Whistler to run 460 to 470 in a 3.125 step, then run my 536HP in 5.00 step, and 7.50 step in a 460 to 470 Mhz custom search at the same time. What's that?? "Why don't I just get a DV1"?? Because, as far as I know, I can't run an open band search overnight without spinning the wheel. Good for Whistler for having this little quirk built in the unit. Thank you for replying.

 

[Ubbe]

You don't need 3.125KHz step, it was some users complaining that they didn't had that choise and Whistler added it. You only have two different filters in a scanner, besides an eventual FM broadcast one, and they are so wide that +/- 3.125KHz from the correct frequency are hardly noticable. In fact, there's even a 2,5KHz step size in the TRX to satisfy those users who believe that they don't receive anything if they are not on the exact KHz that they have been told to use.

I tested and confirmed that flexstep does not matter during search, it only follows the bandplan when searching, which is 3.125KHz step in US for 460Mhz and 6.25KHz for the UK bandplan.

There's a bug, or a missed feature, that the audio level are exactly the same in both FM and NFM mode. In NFM the lower modulation level generates a lower audio level, as both modes uses the exact same demodulator in the scanner, that needs to be compensated for but Whistler does not do that. But the audio boost feature seems to have the exact right amount of audio gain to correct that. So remember to add audio boost on NFM channels, and leave it out for FM channels.

/Ubbe

 

[AlphaFive]

flexstep

Thank you for that information. As has been said before it is appreciated that you pass this on in a manner even I can understand. When I review what you said, it does make sense, and clears things up. Take care over there across the pond, and over the hill.