A Few Pro 97 Questions

[Septa3371CSX1]

I got a Radio Shack Pro 97 Scanner for Christmas. It has worked pretty good for me. I was a little bummed to find out it wasn't digital capable but that's okay I can live with that. I have a few issues.

1) Sometimes I get a high pitched squeaking / squeling noise on all frequencies. This causes the scanner to stop on the next channel because it thinks this noise is something I want to hear. Adjusting the squelch and turning off and then back on doesn't seem to work. It will do this for a time then I manage to get it to work. I read through here on the forums about other people having antenna issues with the Pro 97. I noticed my antenna is kinda wobbly. Sometimes if I press on it or adjust it the high pitch noise stops. How can I cure this problem without ruining the scanner?

2) When scanning some Motorola Analog or mixed Analog - Digital trunked channels (most common one for me is SEPTA Trunked System), the scanner only scans the control frequency (for SEPTA it is 502.4875). When I had these frequences set in FM mode they would scan normally. I later changed them to Motorola (MO) mode. Since then the only way to hear conversations on these channels is to manually tune to them. Is there any fix for this? I had the same issue with the Sunshine Philadelphia VHF trunkers which are LTR when I changed the mode from FM to LTR. I have since deleted those channels and will only reprogram them if I know they will work properly. There seems to be no control channel for that group, however. EDACS trunk frequencies scan as they should.

3) When I try to program 160.400 in the scanner, it enters as 160.395 and comes up duplicate frequency. SEPTA Regional Rail Yard is 160.395. NJT Hoboken is 160.400. No matter where I try to program this frequency whether it is in the same bank or a different bank, it doesn't enter correctly. Any idea how to get past this? I tried to delete 160.395 and program 160.400 but the same thing happenned.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Joe Butler
Septa3371CSX1@aol.com
Victory5318@gmail.com

 

[BaLa]

For the 500mhz Motorola System you will likely need to setup a custon table or two.

The scanner being off frequency .005 should not matter much.

There is a UHF P25 Trunking system here.
My Pro 96 wont tune to the CC, but it still decodes, it tunes to .380.44 (actual frequency is 380.3875)

 

[gmclam]

Pro-97 ....

I got a Radio Shack Pro 97 Scanner for Christmas.

1) Sometimes I get a high pitched squeaking / squeling noise on all frequencies. This causes the scanner to stop on the next channel because it thinks this noise is something I want to hear. Adjusting the squelch and turning off and then back on doesn't seem to work. It will do this for a time then I manage to get it to work

Some channels come in like that for me because of interference from nearby electronic devices like computers, routers and appliances. In some cases I've been able to program a CT/DC tone so that it takes more than just a carrier to stop on the frequency. Otherwise I have to lock the channel out when I am at home.

I read through here on the forums about other people having antenna issues with the Pro 97. I noticed my antenna is kinda wobbly. Sometimes if I press on it or adjust it the high pitch noise stops. How can I cure this problem without ruining the scanner?

A new scanner shouldn't do that. If it is used, that is something that goes bad early on. My PRO-97 that I pretty much have with me all the time is in the same situation. I plan to resolder in a new connector, but I've done this type of work my entire life. It is not something you want to do if this would be your first time.

After I solder in the new conenctor, I plan to but a BNC to BNC adapter on the scanner. That way I'll put all the wear and tear on the adapter and not the scanner. You might be able to do this w/o chaning the connector.

2) When scanning some Motorola Analog or mixed Analog - Digital trunked channels (most common one for me is SEPTA Trunked System), the scanner only scans the control frequency (for SEPTA it is 502.4875). When I had these frequences set in FM mode they would scan normally. I later changed them to Motorola (MO) mode. Since then the only way to hear conversations on these channels is to manually tune to them.

When the freq is set to FM, it pretty much tells the scanner to open the squelch when a carrier is detected. When set to CT or DC it requires a carrier and programmed tone (unless tone search mode). When set to MO and in SCAN mode it tells the scanner to only stop on the CONTROL CHANNEL, and it will not open the squelch. I'm pretty sure the '97 will trunk your system, at least analog channels, but you'll have to program the trunk table (since it is not in the 800 MHz band). Otherwise you can set the channels to FM, but you'll only hear pieces of conversations; it must be in MO & SCAN to trunk track.

Is there any fix for this? I had the same issue with the Sunshine Philadelphia VHF trunkers which are LTR when I changed the mode from FM to LTR. I have since deleted those channels and will only reprogram them if I know they will work properly. There seems to be no control channel for that group, however. EDACS trunk frequencies scan as they should.

When MO mode, the only systems that trunk w/o further programming is the 800 MHz stuff. And some of them need options selected. When trunking VHF hi or UHF in MO mode you'll have to program a table.

As you know, with EDACS you are required to enter all of the TRS frequencies. This is all the scanner needs to know, regardless of band (and all the modes set correctly) for the '97 to trunk track correctly.

 

[Septa3371CSX1]

Thanks for the help guys! I managed to get the trunkers working correctly by simpling reading the manual. I still get the squeeling though. Sometimes it scans without the antenna on just going to the next frequency and making the high pitched noise. I'm still trying to figure that one out.