Will my old PRO96 pick up broadcasts on this ARMER system?
PRO96 and ARMER trunked system
- Thread starter JimTDI
- Start date
The short answer is: Maybe.
Looking at the db, the ARMER system a P25 Motorola, 800 MHz, phase 1, trunked system.
Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) Trunking System, Various, Multi-State
Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) Trunking System Profile
www.radioreference.com
The PRO96 is able to receive P25, 800Mhz, phase 1 systems.
Now, there are some caveats:
- Several of the sites are simulcast. Simulcast distortion can pose an issue for the PRO96.
- Some of the older PRO96s have experienced frequency drift. An internal adjustment to VR4 may need to be made to adjust the frequency.
It sounds like you have the Pro96. I'd suggest programming the control channel(s) for the closest site and see what happens.
DVINTHEHOUSEMAN
Up North
On paper, yes, it should pick it up. In reality, it's a toss up. A better description of location (city or county) would be beneficial to getting a good answer.
When I was in the cities last, the PRO-96 that I had was unable to decode the control channel with any rate higher than 5% due to simulcasting and likely alignment issues. I have a second PRO-96 that performs much better on all bands compared to that one but I haven't been in the cities since I got it.
You will likely have to do your own testing if you're in a simulcast area since simulcast distortion is very location dependent and something in one spot may start working if it's moved even a little bit.
When I was in the cities last, the PRO-96 that I had was unable to decode the control channel with any rate higher than 5% due to simulcasting and likely alignment issues. I have a second PRO-96 that performs much better on all bands compared to that one but I haven't been in the cities since I got it.
You will likely have to do your own testing if you're in a simulcast area since simulcast distortion is very location dependent and something in one spot may start working if it's moved even a little bit.
Thank you both for your reply! I'm in St. Paul, MN. When I first got my scanner new it picked up St. Paul police/fire with no problem. Fast forward to current, it no longer picks up anything from the ARMER system. I have tried & tried. My PRO96 does pick up things like NOAA Weather Radio so the scanner does work. I think ARMER upgraded a few times, and now may be beyond the capabilities of the PRO96 to receive it. I do know ARMER is not encrypted so that's not the problem. Thank you for any help you can give!
I have not... I was not aware of this issue with the PRO96. Off to read the Wiki. Thanks for your help!
I took a look in the Wiki at this, if this is the process you recommend, it sounds like I need some specialized equipment to do this? The text "
These VR's should only be adjusted using a calibrated Signal Generator and Frequency Counter." scares me a little bit. ;-)
I would start by determining whether you are able to receive a control channel for the system. Try manually tuning to the controi channel for the nearest site so it displayed the % decode rate for recieved signal. You may have to try each of the possible control channels until you find the active control channel. Once you determine whether you are able to receive a control channel, next steps can be determined.
You can look at the following post to get an idea of how to adjust VR4 without specialized equipment (YMMV).
https://forums.radioreference.com/threads/modifying-a-rs-pro96 - Post 25
Another possibility, as described earlier, is simulcast distortion. The St Paul site is simulcast (multiple towers transmitting on the same frequency simultaneously). You may want to drive toward the outside of the coverage region to see if you start getting reception. Simulcast distortion is location dependent.
You can look at the following post to get an idea of how to adjust VR4 without specialized equipment (YMMV).
https://forums.radioreference.com/threads/modifying-a-rs-pro96 - Post 25
Another possibility, as described earlier, is simulcast distortion. The St Paul site is simulcast (multiple towers transmitting on the same frequency simultaneously). You may want to drive toward the outside of the coverage region to see if you start getting reception. Simulcast distortion is location dependent.
Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) Site: Ramsey County Simulcast
Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) Site: Ramsey County Simulcast Details
www.radioreference.com
I simply used a small flathead screwdriver and made small turns. I kept the scanner powered on with an antenna and locked onto the control channel. As I slowly turned the screw on the tuning pot, I watched the decode rate increase.
As mentioned earlier, before doing this, check the current decode rate. If it’s low (as in 10-20%) then tuning it could be the answer. It’s worth a shot. Although great in its time, the Pro96 is a cheap, outdated model anyway (especially if it doesn’t work).
Good luck!
DVINTHEHOUSEMAN
Up North
Tuning would also be more reliable if you went to one of the area state prisons where they have standalone ARMER sites instead of simulcast sites to get an alignment.
OK, that makes sense. Thank you for your suggestion!
Thank you for this information and suggestion you provided!I would start by determining whether you are able to receive a control channel for the system. Try manually tuning to the controi channel for the nearest site so it displayed the % decode rate for recieved signal. You may have to try each of the possible control channels until you find the active control channel. Once you determine whether you are able to receive a control channel, next steps can be determined.
You can look at the following post to get an idea of how to adjust VR4 without specialized equipment (YMMV).
https://forums.radioreference.com/threads/modifying-a-rs-pro96 - Post 25
Another possibility, as described earlier, is simulcast distortion. The St Paul site is simulcast (multiple towers transmitting on the same frequency simultaneously). You may want to drive toward the outside of the coverage region to see if you start getting reception. Simulcast distortion is location dependent.
Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) Site: Ramsey County Simulcast
Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) Site: Ramsey County Simulcast Detailswww.radioreference.com
View attachment 157028
tvengr
Well Known Member
I went through the entire tuning procedure using professional equipment. The PRO-96 I tuned would still not receive the Baltimore County MD P25 system until I detuned VR4 by about 1 KHz. You need to compensate for frequency drift in the scanner. Frequency accuracy is critical for P25 decoding. Crystals are not rock solid. They usually tend to decrease in frequency as they age. I would limit your adjustment to VR4. It is marked on the circuit board.
OK, thank you!
