Problems setting up OakPD on Pro-651 (with screen shots!)

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little-hoot

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Dec 6, 2016
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Hello BayArea scanners!

I am setting up my new to me Pro-651 and am running into the classic "nothing heard" when setting up Oakland PD. I went big when I first started programing with a bunch of agencies in the EBRCS system, but have scaled it back to just Oakland PD for my learning curve.

May I ask for some suggestions on getting my scanner up and running?

  • I have read the most of the EBRCS Question Thread and ECRCS Update (the first and last 10 pages of each)
  • I have factory reset my scanner.
  • I am using Win500, Win7, USB cable, can read and write to scanner fine.
  • Only programed Oakland PD with the ALCO NW site.
  • Squelch at zero (full left)
  • Currently located in downtown Oakland, 6th floor inside a building with rubber ducky, on my desk.

Scanner looks like it is scanning, but no audio, no "hits", . . .

My Import from RR 1
uW3HrVc.png


My Import from RR 2
RPNF7wc.png


My Import from RR 3
UxOuEAN.png


Scanning?
xCwtyMX.jpg
 

Attachments

  • OakTest2.zip
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Eng74

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Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
2,035
Location
Kern County, CA
First thing I would do is turn off the Global Att, press fun ATT. That could be killing all your signal. Try loading all the ALCO sites and set site to roam.
 

little-hoot

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Dec 6, 2016
Messages
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I turned off the Global ATT, no change.
I reprogrammed with all ALCO sites, set to roam, no change.
Went out side, downtown Oakland, 13th St and Broadway at lunch time, no change.

Any other ideas I can try?

Edit: I am keeping the scanner running on my desk, so time scanning is measured in hours
 
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little-hoot

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Dec 6, 2016
Messages
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Are you getting any bars for signal?

Nothing! Tonight I am going to program some basic conventional channels, 2 meter & 70 cm repeaters, and make sure we are receiving. Walnut Creek area, so plenty of traffic.

Let me report back tomorrow and thanks for the advice!
 

little-hoot

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Dec 6, 2016
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Well I think the scanner is dead.

I programed all the local CHP frequencies, hooked it up to my 2m/70cm external antenna on the roof; nothing.
I searched between 140 and 150Mhz, still hooked up to the antenna; nothing.
Listened to a repeater conservation on my baofeng with rubber ducky, with scanner scanning, still hooked up to the external antenna; nothing.
Keyed up with a baofeng on 146.520 with scanner scanning 140 to 150Mhz, right next to scanner with rubber ducky, noting.

How do these scanners die?
What do people recomend for a portable scanner for EBRCS?

Thanks for the troubleshooting help Eng74!
 

Eng74

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Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
2,035
Location
Kern County, CA
Can you receive the weather on your scanner? I have the GRE 500 and 600 and they work on the EBRCS. Sounds like you might have a bad radio.
 

little-hoot

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Dec 6, 2016
Messages
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Nope, no weather receive. :(
I ordered a 436 on Amazon.
  • I am working on this 651 for my boss and have reached my breaking point.
  • Boss says "Hey, Little-Hoot, you know how to internet, can you program this for me?"
  • Little-Hoot says "Sure Boss Man"
  • I spend 1 month with 651 trying to get it programmed for him manually,
  • sent it off to get programmed by a guy on ebay for $40,
  • got scammed and lost the scanner,
  • bought a replacement 651 on on ebay (this one),
  • bought the programming cable,
  • bought the easy to read manual from scanner masters,
  • spent a day learning about object oriented programming,
  • tried Win500 and the other one
  • bough a premium subscription to use the RR database
  • learn how to use Win500
  • spent a day troubleshooting it,
  • waste your time troubleshooting it,
  • find out it is dead,
  • whine to my wife,
  • say f*ck it,
  • order new 436 off Amazon,
  • will type in his zip code and add OPD via my now deep knowledge of EBRCS,
  • hand it to him by Monday (12/19/2016),
  • get bonus,
  • pay off credit card
  • weep to myself over a cheap beer,
  • repeat the mantra "eagles may soar, but weasles do not get sucked into jet engines"
 

little-hoot

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
21
She is Alive!

So tonight I took the scanner apart to see if I could see anything wrong. Daughter is at the kitchen table working on her homework and I am tearing into the scanner. So I am looking over the board, trying to find anything blown, smoked, scorched, melted, shorted; nothing.

Fine I say, I get out the solder sucker and start taking off the shields. The BNC runs right into a shielded can on the circuit board. Tight fit to get the soldering iron in and impossible to get the solder sucker in. But since I cannot break it any more, I go for it. Pull the cans off the front and back of the board where the BNC comes in. Study the signal flow, looking for anything wrong with a strong flashlight. See nothing. BNC pin to board looks good. Did not even reflow it. There is a bit of white fuzz on some of the SMT devices and on the board. Kind of like when solder smoke condenses on the board.

So, again since I cannot break it anymore, I take it to the skink and give the board a good scrub down with isopropyl alcohol and an old tooth brush. Get all the gunk off, and careful to not mess up the coils. Dry board on heat register, fill house with the smell of rosin and isopropyl alcohol.

Put it all together, solder all the cans back on, smack battery in, turn on, hit WX and BOOM! The forecast for the night comes in. Add the antenna and it is coming in crystal clear!

Program the conventional CHP frequencies, hit upload, scanner starts picking up CHP. Enter the multi site, P25 East Bay Regional Communications System, upload, and I am picking up the local departments.

So to be clear, I did NOT fix anything, I did NOT find anything wrong, but taking it apart, cleaning it, putting it back together and she is alive and chooching!

Thanks for the technical and moral support, Eng74 !
 
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