Problem with ID-Hold

[flydream777]

I have noticed this problem several times on all 3 of my scanners (Pro-97, 2055, and 94)and now I have CONFIRMED it!:

I have a talk group ID in a MOT trunk system in hold mode...and it works for about an hour or so undisturbed, and then before I notice it, there is no radio traffic whatsoever. Knowing that the radio should not be that quiet I look at the display and see that the ID is still being held. I click the scan button to no longer hold the ID and hear that people are in the middle of conversation on the very ID that I was holding, but I was not hearing anything while it was in hold mode, and I do now!!!

I KNOW that it is NOT POSSIBLE for radio traffic to just start up again at the very minute I pressed the scan button because they were in the middle of a fluid conversation... which I was not hearing while holding the talk group ID....

Has anyone had this problem, and did I explain it clear enough?

 

[KE5BCP]

Is it possible the control channel changed during this period?

 

[gmclam]

I've experienced the same problem, BUT .... I use another scanner to find out of the channel is really quiet (so I do not disturb the quiet scanner). Then I've got one scanner that is talking and one that is not on the same ID! I've done this with any combination of 2 PRO-95s or PRO-97s.

Just a note however, if the control channel changes; I know the scanner fails to follow in hold mode. Also, here in Sacramento we have two sites which usually transmit the same data. But I've often found (by using multiple scanners) that NOT all talkgroup data is always on both sites. I had a scanning scanner be able to follow a conversation where one on hold did not. What I did in this case was lock out all IDs except the one I want held, and then put the scanner in SCAN (it accomplishes the same thing but is a LOT more of a hassle).

I'd certainly be interested to hear others' experiences on this issue.

 

[Skud]

I will test this on my Pro96 tonight and scan on my 396

 

[Stick0413]

Is it possible the control channel changed during this period?

Very good question. If it did then that would definantly cause it to do that. Never noticed the problem here on my 96/2096 or my 97.

Edit: I have actually left my 2096 on ID hold mode for a good week and it picked up everything as far as i know. I know it picked up everything my my 96 did when I had the 96 on also.

 

[DaveNF2G]

The radio probably went to sleep. ID Hold is basically the same as sitting on a conventional channel in Manual mode as far as the scanner's power saving circuitry is concerned.

 

[W4KRR]

I am trying this currently on my PRO-2055. It's been holding on one Motorola talkgroup for over three hours now with no problems.

I suggest this: Either the control channel has changed without your knowledge, or the signal level on the control channel has dropped to such a level that it is forcing the scanner to try to reacquire it. In this case the control channel would be the same, but at some point the scanner had been forced to reacquire it for some reason.

 

[RoninJoliet]

I have never seen this happen on my PRO96 or 2096 BUT, on my PRO92 Classic (early edition) ID Hold mode as its sitting there hearing nothing with no data channel change i hear the same ID active on my Uniden scanner....I have even seen the ID hold curser move from holding on bank 5 over to bank 6 for no reason on the PRO92???

 

[gmclam]

The radio probably went to sleep. ID Hold is basically the same as sitting on a conventional channel in Manual mode as far as the scanner's power saving circuitry is concerned.

Absolutely NOT! When a scanner sits on a conventional channel, the CPU can be fully stopped. If/when a signal comes in, it interrupts the CPU and wakes it up. However, when in ID HOLD mode, the scanner must be receiving and decoding the data stream from the control channel, looking for the held channel. It can not be sleeping.

 

[bonus1331]

I use a 97 to decode for Unitrunker. If I monitor a TRS where the control channel changes; I can come back hours later and the scanner is in Power Save mode. I would assume this is because the 97 is now monitoring what it "thinks" is a conventional freq.

 

[Thayne]

Maybe the group you were holding is not on the tower you are listening to anymore, because any radios with that group have unafilliated while you were trying to hold it--

 

[gmclam]

PRO-97 Power Save

I use a 97 to decode for Unitrunker. If I monitor a TRS where the control channel changes; I can come back hours later and the scanner is in Power Save mode. I would assume this is because the 97 is now monitoring what it "thinks" is a conventional freq.

To use UniTrunker, you park the PRO-97 on a control channel in MANUAL mode. As long as a signal is present, it will not go into Power Save. Once the signal stops, there is a brief delay, then it goes into Power Save. Since you are stopped in MAN mode, it does not matter if the channel is trunked or conventional. Trunk tracking can only take place in SCAN mode. Sure, if you are stopped on a channel in MO (ED or LT) mode, it will decode the TG info; but in that case you are not tracking.