Static/Hissing noise on Marcs Lorain county

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KD8CES

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Is anybody else experiencing a static/hissing noise on various TG's during the day on MARCS in lorain County, seems to be heard the past week or so.I'm using a pro-106 scanner. Sounds like it is hanging on a carrier for several seconds and then releases, no motorboating noise. Scannerdweeb
 

mtindor

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Is anybody else experiencing a static/hissing noise on various TG's during the day on MARCS in lorain County, seems to be heard the past week or so.I'm using a pro-106 scanner. Sounds like it is hanging on a carrier for several seconds and then releases, no motorboating noise. Scannerdweeb

What it could be is that one of the voice channels on the site(s) you are listening to has static (when there are no MARCS transmissions) - and you press Scan and it scans fine. Then it stops on traffic and switches to a voice channel that has static - the MARCS signal may or may not be strong enough to override the static. If it is strong enough, the traffic plays - If it isn't strong enough, it motorboats because of the interface. At any rate, once the MARCS transmission si done and it attempts to return back tot he control channel for scanning, it doesn't and instead sits on the VC (which still remains open to hear the underlying interference/static).

It shouldn't do that, but it does do that - I've noticed it happen on all of my GREs. Basically, if it stops on a trunked system voice channel and can't get a good decode, it apparently doesn't know when to switch back to the control channel - and so it sits there and makes you hear the underlyign interference/static/hiss.

It happens to me because on one particular voice frequency for one site there is interference. So if I scan that site, I know that as soon as traffic hits that voice channel and combines with the interference, I won't get a good decode on the MARCS audio - and then when the MARCS traffic is done, all that is left is the noisy interference. The scanner should switch back to the control channel but it doesn't. I end up having to hit SCAN.

That's the only "static/hiss" I can imagine you would hear. Otherwise, it should all either be (a) recogizable decoded voice traffic, (b) motorboating because of poor decode, or (c) the decoded encrypted audio (which has an interesting quality of its own that I can't describe other than to call it annoying).

If I were you, for the site in question I would program the offending frequency in conventionaly and listen to it unsquelched to see if you hear more than just the normal noise/hiss of an unocccopied when it is unsquelched.

If you don't know what the voice frequency is, watch closely the next time the transmission occurs - your scanner display will toggle between the data channel frequency and hte voice channel frequency.

Mike
 

freqhunter

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I listen to the Lorain county sites 24/7 from the eastern side of the county. I have not had this issue with my 500. I wonder if it is localized to the north western area?
 

KD8CES

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Hello, I heard it today and yesterday between Vermilion and sandusky on various virtual scanlist folders that I have marcs programmed in, each setup a little differently.I have heard it as far east as elyria at some point in time. I did try to catch the VC and program it conventionaly and seemed to pick up a similar static noise. Kind of random, looked around the truck to see if something might be affecting it, found nothing to speak of. May be atmospheric or a tower issue. Digital TV signals????? Possibly adjacent systems with similar freqs, scannerdweeb.
 

KD8CES

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Still hearing the strange noise during the day on Marcs between vermilion and sandusky,all week long, haven't gotten any closer to the cause, anyone in the area hearing the same? Hanging on tg's and squealling/ hissing, sounds like trying to catch a control channel, ATT dosen't seem to improve it. Comments. scannerdweeb
 

dth1958

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ive been having trouble with marcs locking up on a control channel alot it may have something to do with the enhanced conditions we have been having at 800 mhz
 

KD8CES

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Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one,I was concerned with my radio, I have been having trouble with the Lorain tower of marcs in the sandusky area. 867.2000 seems to be the freq that hangs up, regardless to the TG on frequency. I cannot figure out what system may be interfering, but only hear it during the day. Early morning and late evening it works fine. scannerdweeb
 

dth1958

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yes its been mostly the grafton tower that hangs for me somtimes strongsville it starts out like hiss then sounds like a cc off freq then it comes in strong as a control channel
not sure how the towers work maybe its a distant tower changing to a alternate freq ( not sure if they do that automaticaly) that happens to be close to the voice freq ?
 

dth1958

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i got so disgusted with the 197 hanging on control channels and with the recent purchase of a pro 163 decided to free up its memory with it being 95 percent full i decided to dedicate the 197 to a 800mhz only i gutted it errased all the memory and started all over i presently have dedicated it to 4 marcs towers and 2 public safety trunked systems in the area boy what a difference ! i only use 1 control frequency and no alternates and set them not to roam or be stationary and on the grafton site have locked out all corrections talk groups and uncheck set wildcards ignores talkgroups no more hanging
 
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KD8CES

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Have not heard too much static lately on the elyria tower, will be listening next week when I have more time. sd
 
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