I have a radio shack pro 197 scanning city of Fayetteville North Carolina fire and police. Signal is strong but some transmissions are badly broken up. The WFNC tower is about 4 miles away from me. Any ideas to improve reception would be appreciated.
Radio shack pro 197 what can I do to improve reception?
- Thread starter sunnydog1
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4-miles should not be a problem.
- Are you using an outdoor antenna or a back-of-the-set antenna?
- Are you certain of the agency's transmission point?
- Is your squelch setting too tight?
- Are you using an outdoor antenna or a back-of-the-set antenna?
- Are you certain of the agency's transmission point?
- Is your squelch setting too tight?
TECHNOTE No. 6
Joe Carr's Radio Tech-Notes
Dealing With AM Broadcast Band Interference to
Your Receiver
Joseph J. Carr
Flamingo AM - Broadcast AM Bandstop Filter (AM Notch Filter)
Joe Carr's Radio Tech-Notes
Dealing With AM Broadcast Band Interference to
Your Receiver
Joseph J. Carr
Flamingo AM - Broadcast AM Bandstop Filter (AM Notch Filter)
It sounds like you're trying to monitor this system. We need to know a little more about your setup. Don't confuse signal strength with signal quality. If you're using an indoor antenna, it's easy to get interference from things like computers and other electrical devices. If you're using an outdoor antenna, there's likely strong signals coming in from cell towers and AM/FM/TV broadcast.
Also, sometimes the problem is too much signal. Let's say you only want traffic from this one tower/site. Park your scanner on the control channel and look at the decode rate? It is like 98%? What happens when you activate the ATTenuator? If you're still getting a great decode rate this could help.
Also, sometimes the problem is too much signal. Let's say you only want traffic from this one tower/site. Park your scanner on the control channel and look at the decode rate? It is like 98%? What happens when you activate the ATTenuator? If you're still getting a great decode rate this could help.
Sunny,
When you mention the WFNC tower, are you referring to the AM radio station with those call letters, or to the WFNC site on the Durham/Fayetteville trunked system? (Or. are the two at, more or less, the same physical location?)
If its the system shown in message 4, your in a simulcast-multi tower system, from here looks like a four tower system, I see the towers that carry the exact same frequencies on the Durham Prime Site. I'm sure is as mentioned and it shows the most frequencies would be the primary. When I read your message, it speaks loudly of it being simulcast.
The other tower while its not simulcast, the tower wouldnt carry much.
I really dont think the AM station is your issue at all. Its simulcast and if by chance there is a call tower say less than a mile away.
In those systems, you dont want more antenna! Less is more! All you need is good signal from one tower is all.
The older pro 197's did better in those then definitely the current whistlers.
Look at this video,
Current Unidens do better in these situations, with the SDS100/200 designed for it and work flawlessly in these situations, all be it expensive.
Uniden model’s 996P2, 325P2, 436HP, Home Patrol2, 536HP, SDS 100, SDS 200
Disregard message 7 there as they didn’t pursue that product.
WS1040/WS1065 vs Simulcast 800
The other tower while its not simulcast, the tower wouldnt carry much.
I really dont think the AM station is your issue at all. Its simulcast and if by chance there is a call tower say less than a mile away.
In those systems, you dont want more antenna! Less is more! All you need is good signal from one tower is all.
The older pro 197's did better in those then definitely the current whistlers.
Look at this video,
Current Unidens do better in these situations, with the SDS100/200 designed for it and work flawlessly in these situations, all be it expensive.
Uniden model’s 996P2, 325P2, 436HP, Home Patrol2, 536HP, SDS 100, SDS 200
Disregard message 7 there as they didn’t pursue that product.
WS1040/WS1065 vs Simulcast 800
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Let me ask a dumb question. Are you saying I need to use the frequencies for the prime site even though I'm not in Durham? And yes that is the correct site. Thanks
I'm assuming the site is basically at the same location.
tvengr
Well Known Member
There would need to be a separate tower for communications equipment at the site. An AM radio tower is insulated at the base and the tower itself is the antenna.
Park your radio on the active control channel of each site. Which gives you the better decode rate?
It's between 98 and 99%. By the way I'm using the stock antenna. What I don't understand is why I can go from having clear reception to choppy mess.
Thats simulcast for ya, clear then choppy. Far as the Prime site one... from here the fact it has the # of frequencies it would have everything for your county. The other one having just a few frequencies isn't as capable and since I'm not from there might be used as backup or tower in a more remote area? Best answered by those from the area or in the NC forum.
Try the cookie sheet method as mentioned in that video, paperclip? Event try the attenuator? Push if you already have a G on the display the ATT button then it will show GA. That will attenuate the whole scanner though, buts it quick way to try out if it helps any. In software or the scanner itself you turn that attenuation option on for JUST the Prime site.
Everything your mentioning just says simulcast issues.
Try the cookie sheet method as mentioned in that video, paperclip? Event try the attenuator? Push if you already have a G on the display the ATT button then it will show GA. That will attenuate the whole scanner though, buts it quick way to try out if it helps any. In software or the scanner itself you turn that attenuation option on for JUST the Prime site.
Everything your mentioning just says simulcast issues.
I tried the frequencies for the prime site and got no signal at all and att made the problem worse. So now I've resorted to moving the scanner around the house and I seem to have found a sweet spot it's not perfect but it's a lot better. The only problem is I like having the scanner in the living room so what type of indoor antennas would you recommend. I know outdoor antennas are probably better but that will have to be in the future. Thanks
I mentioned you need less antenna on simulcast, the cookie sheet, the paperclip, etc. I hope you watched that video in message 6.
You also can lower the antenna included, rotate it around.
As you have found you can can get it to work one time then it wont another time.
You also can lower the antenna included, rotate it around.
As you have found you can can get it to work one time then it wont another time.
I'm trying the paper clip now it seems to be working pretty good. I had to use some electrical tape to get a good connection but it seems pretty good right now.
It seems like the system you're trying to receive is simulcast. While the PRO-197 can receive it, you're experiencing how well. I see several possible directions:
1) The only scanners available today that can handle simulcast are the SDS-100 & SDS-200. I can't speak as to how good your reception will be from that distant site though.
2) You can band-aid your present situation. It's unlikely you'll reach 100% satisfaction. I'm not familiar with the system you're monitoring and if everything you want to hear is on the local site. Otherwise you're most likely missing transmissions.
3) Add an outdoor antenna. If this is the ONLY thing you want, it could be directional pointed to the desired site. It could make reception on the PRO-197 worse, but would be best if you went to the SDS models.
I'm running many models including the SDS and the PRO-197 but all are connected to my antenna system. It's a discone omni-directional antenna fed through filters and a multi-coupler (to connect so many scanners). Channels/systems are enabled on scanners that can best receive each type of system. Simulcast have to go to the SDS. The PRO-197 does great on the other P25 stuff.
1) The only scanners available today that can handle simulcast are the SDS-100 & SDS-200. I can't speak as to how good your reception will be from that distant site though.
2) You can band-aid your present situation. It's unlikely you'll reach 100% satisfaction. I'm not familiar with the system you're monitoring and if everything you want to hear is on the local site. Otherwise you're most likely missing transmissions.
3) Add an outdoor antenna. If this is the ONLY thing you want, it could be directional pointed to the desired site. It could make reception on the PRO-197 worse, but would be best if you went to the SDS models.
I'm running many models including the SDS and the PRO-197 but all are connected to my antenna system. It's a discone omni-directional antenna fed through filters and a multi-coupler (to connect so many scanners). Channels/systems are enabled on scanners that can best receive each type of system. Simulcast have to go to the SDS. The PRO-197 does great on the other P25 stuff.
The bandaid has made it big difference not perfect but much better. I'm going to check out the North Carolina forum and hopefully find someone that monitors the same system. Thanks for all the help.
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