BCD325P2/BCD996P2: 996P2 Won't Decode Conventional P25 - Tried Everything - HELP

[fulkg1]

Simulcast? Which systems are we talking about here?

Hey. No, not simulcast. A single channel, single sit conventional P25 on 172.450 (Blue Ridge Parkway in VA).

 

[fulkg1]

Might need sent in under warranty or replaced by the dealer.

I agree!!!! Giving up.

 

[KevinC]

Check your broadcast screens and be sure you don't have a custom range set accidentally to exclude frequencies above the one that works.

146 and 172 are the same "band" so I don't see it being a hardware issue...but I could be wrong.

ETA...I see @Ubbe basically posted the same thing. Sorry about that, but still worth looking into.

 

[fulkg1]

Check your broadcast screens and be sure you don't have a custom range set accidentally to exclude frequencies above the one that works.

146 and 172 are the same "band" so I don't see it being a hardware issue...but I could be wrong.

ETA...I see @Ubbe basically posted the same thing. Sorry about that, but still worth looking into.

Great idea to make sure. I set it to ALL BANDS OFF to be sure. No change. It does receive signal on 172.450, full scale meter, and in ALL audio mode the digital rumble can be heard fine, just no P2 audio decode. Interesting on another post, observation on this. Even if firmware bug, since this one has the latest from October, still seems VERY odd. Pulling my hair out, what little I have left. Thanks.

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

Did you try Single frequency trunk and Make the talk group 1 then Search all talk groups !
Have t do this for the Marthas Vinyard police to work on there 155Mhz system.

Pete N1EXA

 

[Bob1955]

Maybe it didn't. Things can happen during shipping (from the factory to the warehouse, from the warehouse to the distributor, from the distributor to the dealer, or from the dealer to you). That is why there is a warranty.

Now, all that said, I'm not sure there is a light around the scroll knob on the 996P2. Or do you mean the SCAN/SEARCH backlight?

Yes Joe, SCAN/SEARCH backlight(S/N 1800912) One of them was DOA upon arrival. Not very good!
I appreciate your concern and all you have done so far for everyone here in this group. I'm fully aware that nobody can completely fill Paul Opitz's shoes.
Stay safe.

 

[fulkg1]

Did you try Single frequency trunk and Make the talk group 1 then Search all talk groups !
Have t do this for the Marthas Vinyard police to work on there 155Mhz system.

Pete N1EXA

Pete, great idea. I tried that early on, no go. BUT, just tried again. It does NOT work with 172.450 as the single trunk frequency, even though I see the signal meter pop up when I TX on the Motorola portable. BUT, it DOES work just fine in single trunk with the trunk freq at 146.420. Same test as conventional otherwise, but great to confirm even in single-channel trunk mode the same frequency-based issue exists. VERY strange.

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

Whats funny is Here in Massachusetts my City uses P25 and it only works in Conventional when I go to Single frequency trunk It does not stop and run ..But if i manually stop it it decodes - Just the opposite for Marthas Vinyard It has to be in single frequency trunk so Ill assume there is something in the Coding of the radios.
The New Bedford Police use Kenwoods dont know what the vinyard uses but there brand new put in this year.
Do you get the ENC code on the screen because thats the big E...But you other radio are decoding so Im at a loss.

Pete N1EXA

 

[fulkg1]

Whats funny is Here in Massachusetts my City uses P25 and it only works in Conventional when I go to Single frequency trunk It does not stop and run ..But if i manually stop it it decodes - Just the opposite for Marthas Vinyard It has to be in single frequency trunk so Ill assume there is something in the Coding of the radios.
The New Bedford Police use Kenwoods dont know what the vinyard uses but there brand new put in this year.
Do you get the ENC code on the screen because thats the big E...But you other radio are decoding so Im at a loss.

Pete N1EXA

Yeah, the strangest thing I've ever seen lately. It seems purely frequency based, that somewhere above 162 MHz (or at least 172 MHz) P25 decode just stops working. It gets the VA STARS P25 trunked fine at freqs up to around 162 MHz.

 

[fulkg1]

Yeah, the strangest thing I've ever seen lately. It seems purely frequency based, that somewhere above 162 MHz (or at least 172 MHz) P25 decode just stops working. It gets the VA STARS P25 trunked fine at freqs up to around 162 MHz.

I'd love to get my hands on an older firmware P2. I read on Uniden firmware site of a hardware change such that firmware prior to the one before the current will prevent the scanner from working if loaded. SO, something has changed in the hardware earlier this year, and I can't help but wonder if this is a bug, or a purely firmware bug.

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

I'd love to get my hands on an older firmware P2. I read on Uniden firmware site of a hardware change such that firmware prior to the one before the current will prevent the scanner from working if loaded. SO, something has changed in the hardware earlier this year, and I can't help but wonder if this is a bug, or a purely firmware bug.

I updated mine when I bought the DMR License for the New England ICE Net 900 Mhz.. Seemed after that I got added features I didnt want ~

Just like the 996Xt after the upgrade the band scope function was gone.

Pete N1EXA

 

[wtp]

it might be time to call the big guy...Joe Bearcat.

https://forums.radioreference.com/members/joebearcat.1413017/

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

Yeah, the strangest thing I've ever seen lately. It seems purely frequency based, that somewhere above 162 MHz (or at least 172 MHz) P25 decode just stops working. It gets the VA STARS P25 trunked fine at freqs up to around 162 MHz.

In my case New Bedford MA is T band (482.5875) the Vinyard is in the (155.00-156.00) area for thier P25 services.

 

[RoninJoliet]

There is "NO" bulb on top of the VFO knob on any of my 996P2 scanners......

 

[lu81fitter]

fulkg1. Do you have any other electronics in the house that could cause a "birdie". Sometimes even something like an LED light can cause a problem. Different radios, different problems. Don't know if you have checked anything like that.

 

[firemun]

I use a 996p2 to monitor the same system you are having issues with. Not sure if it would help but I can email you my BRP system file and let you try it.

 

[fulkg1]

I use a 996p2 to monitor the same system you are having issues with. Not sure if it would help but I can email you my BRP system file and let you try it.

I would like to try, but one big question I have is if you could check your firmware revision in your P2. I've exhausted all programming tries, re-tries, tests after tests, and it points to maybe a bizarre firmware or hardware-rev problem maybe. I think I saw where a hardware rev earlier this year created a hard stop on going backward on firmware, which I don't think can be done. In summary, the same exact programming works on a lower frequency, but not up at 172 it seems, which is very, very strange. Thanks.

 

[fulkg1]

fulkg1. Do you have any other electronics in the house that could cause a "birdie". Sometimes even something like an LED light can cause a problem. Different radios, different problems. Don't know if you have checked anything like that.

Good point. I did check, and it's dead quiet all around the 172 MHz frequency, using my Icom R8600 receiver, but also listening on the 996P2 as well. Thanks.

 

[ChrisABQ]

I purposely am not updating from 1.08.01 because I don't want any issues, works great right now. Seems other radios (a few) have access to at least 2 different firmware versions, would be nice if 1.08.01 and 1.10.01 were available for the 996. Mr. Bearcat, can you make this happen?

 

[firemun]

I would like to try, but one big question I have is if you could check your firmware revision in your P2. I've exhausted all programming tries, re-tries, tests after tests, and it points to maybe a bizarre firmware or hardware-rev problem maybe. I think I saw where a hardware rev earlier this year created a hard stop on going backward on firmware, which I don't think can be done. In summary, the same exact programming works on a lower frequency, but not up at 172 it seems, which is very, very strange. Thanks.

My firmware is updated Ver 1.10 and i am having no issues.