BCD996XT APCO25 error rate

[NE7X]

I noticed when listening to Phoenix Arizona Police/Fire APCO25 using my new BCD966XT, at times the audio is chopped, distorted, or missing. Using FreeScan software I found a bar graph which show APCO25 Err Rate. When the audio is distorted or missing, this bar graph fills the box, the more distorted or chopped the audio. the fuller the box is.

What is causing the ACPO25 Err Rate to happen and what perimeters in FreeScan, or in the scanner menus, can I adjust to reduce or eliminate the errors?

Thanks, Tom NE7X...
http://ne7x.com

[werinshades]

Originally Posted by NE7X

I noticed when listening to Phoenix Arizona Police/Fire APCO25 using my new BCD966XT, at times the audio is chopped, distorted, or missing. Using FreeScan software I found a bar graph which show APCO25 Err Rate. When the audio is distorted or missing, this bar graph fills the box, the more distorted or chopped the audio. the fuller the box is.

What is causing the ACPO25 Err Rate to happen and what perimeters in FreeScan, or in the scanner menus, can I adjust to reduce or eliminate the errors?

Thanks, Tom NE7X...
http://ne7x.com

We've had a few of these threads about the same or similar issue. At this time, no solution for Simulcast/multi-path systems.

Upgrades coming?

[kb8rvp]

Some things to try:
You may want to try changing the P25 adjust level to see if it helps by doing the following:
Turn off the scanner - then hold the "hold button" while powering on the scanner. You should see the different colors flashing on the display. When it is done changing colors let go of the "hold" button.
Then press the menu button - then turn the dial to get to settings - then press down on the dial to select settings.
Then turn the dial until you get to P25 Adjust Level and press down on the dial again to see the setting of 50.
Change this setting by pressing 200 then enter and you are done and you can press scan.
See how this works and if it makes any difference. You can watch the adjust level while scanning by pressing the "func" button then the dial then the "func" and dial again. You will now see the ERR: on the screen. During an 800MHz digital transmission. Your goal is to keep the error rate as close to zero as possible. If you notice no change you can follow the steps above to change it back to 50 by pressing 050.
Another thing I noticed is you are scanning in NFM (narrow FM) but most of the stuff in Michigan is still in FM mode. This won't fix the reception issue but it will sound better in FM once you start picking stuff up again. You can change this and you have to do it manually every time you resend your file from freescan or any other software by doing the following:
Press menu then go to settings then go to Band Defaults and select band defaults.
Select each band one at a time and change the ones you want to FM and press down on the dial to save it and press menu to back out of each one. Try changing at least the 806 and 849MHz but I change most all of them.
Note: this is what I did on my BCD396XT but the menu options are pretty close to being the same on the 996XT.

[MPSCS]

Is the system you're monitoring a simulcast system?