TYT TH-9800: Can hit and trigger repeater, but others cannot hear me talking?

[ki7ryg]

I apologize in advance if this is in the wrong place (moderators are free to move it if it is). I just got my technician license last month and attempted to install a mobile unit into my 2004 Jeep Wrangler X.

I'll try and upload photos here in a bit so as to visually aid anyone in helping me, the radio turns on just fine and I can listen to my local repeater without issue. The problems come when trying to transmit.

(1) After holding down the PTT button, the radio begins to let out a repetitive chirping sound. Nothing in the manual gives an explanation as to why it's doing this (*will insert YT link of sound with photos*)

(2) When I press the PTT button, I've been told by other listeners to "speak into the microphone", though I am already talking.. Which leads me to believe that while I am connecting to the repeater just fine, I'm not actually transmitting anything for some reason.

I've checked and verified (3 times) that all settings needed to connect to the repeater are accurate.

Simplex results in the same problem: I had a friend on the same frequency and attempt to transmit, he said his radio behaved as though it was receiving a signal, though he could not hear me talking.

Setup:
TYT TH-9800 quad band transceiver
HH-9000 Quad band antenna

Radio recommends 12v of power and on startup will readout the power input from the battery. When the Jeep is off it gets roughly 12.1v and when running it was getting 14v, in both cases it's on a 15amp fuse (though the radio originally came with 5amp in-line fuses - I cut the in-line portion so I could route the cable through the firewall to a Blue Sea Systems fuse block).

Originally I thought the issue was the TH-9800 unit itself, so I ordered another one off Amazon and tried plugging it in, but I got the same results. So the only conclusion I have thus far come to is either I received 2 bad radios in a row, or I've gone and set something up incorrectly (being new, it wouldn't surprise me).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jeepsandradios]

Does the manual for the radio list any error codes. On an old ham radio i had it would beep when it had low voltage or a bad antenna match. If you have a power setting I would drop to the lowest possible and test first. How is the antenna mounted ? On low power with an HT in the vehicle you should hear the audio. I assume you are "in band" and not trying to transmitt out of the spec of the radio ?

 

[jonwienke]

The repetitive chirping sound means you have a problem. Since you've said nothing about your antenna or its SWR, the most likely answer is that the radio is shutting off TX because you have a major problem with your antenna.

 

[ladn]

The repetitive chirping sound means you have a problem. Since you've said nothing about your antenna or its SWR, the most likely answer is that the radio is shutting off TX because you have a major problem with your antenna.

I second this. I have a 9800 and (fortunately) haven't experienced this, but it does sound like an antenna related issue. Try another antenna and feedline (a simple 1/4 wave antenna for 2 meters on a magnetic mount placed the hood is quite adequate for testing). Try a simplex frequency at different power levels, AND turn the volume down on the side of the radio you aren't using.

Also, to be on the safe side, check your power connectors. For testing purposes, you may just want to power directly from the battery.

 

[jonwienke]

Before you do ANYTHING else, get a decent SWR meter so you can check your antenna and coax for problems.

 

[K5MPH]

Before you do ANYTHING else, get a decent SWR meter so you can check your antenna and coax for problems.

I second this please check you SWR before you do anything else......

 

[Rred]

When a radio sounds like an excited squirrel, that usually is an error warning. Since the manual forgets to discuss that, I'd suggest contacting the sender or maker. If it is an SWR warning that's a nice feature and they are foolish not to mention it.

Could also be something oddball like the transmit time out (TTO) function has been set to "zero" so the radio is telling you that you've been talking [sic] for too long, to release the PTT key. Kinda futile to take shots in the dark when so many little things can be hiding under computer control inside.

Since the radio is spec'd for 8.5A transmit current draw, if it shipped with 5A fuses then it shipped wrong. Personally, I use the most conservative fusing that I can, and I'd use 10A for that radio because that's all the RADIO needs. Before anyone protests, yes, I know the fuse is there to prevent wiring fires not to protect the device, but if the wiring will take more current (which it probably will) that's OK, there's still never going to be a real NEED for more current, only if there is an electrical problem will those wires see more than 8.5A. And if there's an electrical problem, you want the fuses to go fast, so nothing else does.

Was the radio bought used? A factory reset could clear the problem up. Still leaves the question of what the problem is, but it could clear that out.

And has the radio ever been used "just plain simplex" with another person, no tone code settings, nothing besides one simplex frequency put into it? (And if not, I'd still strongly agree with the "check SWR first" suggestion. Inexpensive low-power SWR meters for 2 meters are worth starting with.

 

[k9medic]

I'm having the same issue. From a HT I can hear myself key up simplex but when I speak into the microphone on the 9800 there is no voice.

I can hit repeaters as well.

The one thing I have not checked is the SWR. I'm trying to track down a meter for it.

 

[jonwienke]

The one thing I have not checked is the SWR. I'm trying to track down a meter for it.

That should be the first thing you check if people are having issues hearing you.

 

[k9medic]

I am getting the carrier but no voice modulation in Symplex.

When I kea up the radio you can tell that it is transmitting but there is a clicking sound that comes across to the HT.

Even with an extremely high SWR I would expect to hear some type of voice modulation.

 

[spongella]

The previous posters are giving good advice. Check your antenna's SWR. One you've determined that the SWR is suitable, make sure you have the correct PL tones for the repeater you are trying to access. Note that some repeaters use digital tones versus the older PL tones.

As a new ham, an SWR/Power meter is a good piece of equipment to have, get one that measures the frequency range for your radio.

Hope you get your problem fixed.

 

[jonwienke]

When I kea up the radio you can tell that it is transmitting but there is a clicking sound that comes across to the HT.

Even with an extremely high SWR I would expect to hear some type of voice modulation.

Not if your transmitter is shutting down due to excessive SWR.

 

[k9medic]

I’m not sure about the original poster but I found my issue at very least.

As I was removing everything in order to return the radio for a replacement I decided to swap out the remote cable between the radio face and the main radio. When I swapped the cable everything started working again.

It would appear, at least for me, that the remote cable was my culprit.

 

[Rred]

See now, that's why simple testing of just the radio, just in simplex mode, against another radio, would have told all.
It would have confirmed the radio itself was working.

Maybe I missed it, I didn't see any mention of a "remote cable" or other equipment in the mix before this.

 

[KK4JUG]

You may not be getting enough voltage to the radio when you transmit. Is the radio connected directly to the battery (and not through the fuse panel or a cigarette lighter outlet)? The beeping may be because it's not getting enough voltage to transmit. Many radios will simply turn off in those circumstances. Particularly on higher transmit powers, the engine should be running. Also, try lowering your transmit wattage. It will use less power.

 

[k9medic]

See now, that's why simple testing of just the radio, just in simplex mode, against another radio, would have told all.
It would have confirmed the radio itself was working.

Maybe I missed it, I didn't see any mention of a "remote cable" or other equipment in the mix before this.

I wrote it - "I am getting the carrier but no voice modulation in Symplex.

When I key up the radio you can tell that it is transmitting but there is a clicking sound that comes across to the HT. "


I did not mention the remote cable since I honestly never thought it could be the issue.

 

[Rred]

And here I thought you didn't mention it because Mr. Evil told you to hold back information.(VBG)

Now you've learned the most important part of Troubleshooting 101: Never ignore or accept the most obvious and simple of things. As most of us have said to ourselves "Its got to be really something simple, stupid!" and it so often is.

Or as Sherlock Holmes put it, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." DOA new plugs, connectors, trivial stuff like that, always has to be suspected.

 

[KG5WRS]

I had much the same issue with my TH9800 where as my transmit audio was very low in most cases could not be heard at all. I discovered after check the mic out the mic itself inside the mic was covered with a very small peace of type over the hole of the mic. However, in my case the mic element was bad as well. What I discovered is the Yeasu mic that can be fiund on ebay for about $ 10.00 has the same element in it. What I did was removed the mic element from tye Yasue mic and removed the mic element from the TYT mic and swaped them. It will require you to have a soldering iron and small phillips screw driver to open the tyt mic and a metric allen set to open the Yeasu mic. You can easly remove the element from the Yeasu mic and install it in the TYT mic. This was the fix for my TH9800 and it now works great. I have since found that TYT had a run of bad mics from the factory thus causing this issue with the mics.

 

[cfmcmillan]

Similar problems with TH-9800 Plus

I just received a TH-9800 Plus. It displays the following symptoms with all repeaters that are properly set up (frequency, offset and tone) I am able to key the repeater and hear the courtesy tone from the repeater. However, when I transmit audio, only a small subset of the repeaters respond with my audio.

I have checked that there is audio on the TH-9800 output using an HT tuned to the repeater input frequency. The audio is there and sounds fine. I've checked the audio in the simplex part of the 2M band and it sounds fine. I've adjusted the deviation using the wide/medium/narrow "bandwidth" (suspecting that maybe the deviation was too high). The repeaters are not putting out my audio at any of those settings (as tested by using the HT to simultaneously listen on the output frequency of the repeaters).

Note that these repeaters work just fine using my Yaesu VX-8DR/DE. I get excellent reports on my audio using this HT. Thus, I'm confident that the repeaters are working correctly.

Given that the audio sounds fine on simplex I doubt the I'm experiencing the mike problems others have had. I continue to be suspicious that there may be overdeviation problems, but I have no way to check. Does anyone have a better idea before I give up and send the radio back?

 

[cfmcmillan]

Problem with TH-9800 solved

I found the problem with my Th-9800 (obvious in hindsight). There was no problem. I was getting enough power into the repeaters to break their squelch, but not enough for a reliable contact. Once I upped the power on the TH-9800, problems went away.

As to settings for the TH-9800 plus. They have now set the busy-lock off by default (this is a good thing). Working with other hams, it appears that the “wide” setting on the bandwitdth (really deviation) seems to be right for driving the repeaters. Furthermore, based on the reports on audio quality, the problems others have had with the mic seem to have been fixed fine on the radio I got.

Overall, I’m now happy with the radio - not sending it back.