Any other TRX-1 or TRX-2 Users in GTA?

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VE3SCP

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Hi,

I am looking for other users of the Whistler TRX-1 or TRX-2 scanner in the GTA. I would like to compare notes on monitoring the OnQue system with you. I am using the TRX-1 with the latest firmware.

Thanks.
 

VE3SCP

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Hi ratpatrol. I am located in Dufferin County and I usually monitor the OnQue system off the CN Tower. There are 20 frequencies in the mix. I have made some reports to Whistler about intermittent drop outs during NXDN transmissions. I will be listening to someone talking and and it just stops abruptly mid-stream. If the transmission is long enough, it will re-scan the 20 frequencies and pick it back up again. Most times it os over before this happens.

None of the latest firmware modifications seemed to have helped. I was downtown Toronto yesterday at Metro Convention Centre and it still did it so its not related to signal strength. I usually monitor only the Wildcard rather then a specific talkgroups. I have been chasing this problem down ever since the NXDN firmware was released.

This morning I just programmed in 5 talkgroups and locked out the Wildcard. I am am now going to see if it might be a Wildcard issue. I am grasping at straws now as this has become very frustrating.

I do monitor the Aurora site occasionally but I am a bit far and the signal is not strong.

I am curious if you have noticed these drop outs on your end at all. It only seems to affect the NXDN systems. The DMR stuff works great.
 

slicerwizard

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I suspect that the scanner is just briefly mis-decoding the call's link control data and seeing a different talkgroup number. That would cause it to start scanning the 20 channels. If it was doing proper trunk tracking, it would return to the control channel and then quickly get redirected back to the voice channel.

If Whistler isn't going to decode the control channel, then they should at least implement more robust logic, i.e.don't leave a voice channel unless a couple of sequential link control messages indicate that a different talkgroup is using the channel.
 

ratpatrol

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Yes i noticed the same thing and was at first thinking the antenna needed a boost. I need a longer transmission to pay attention to see if its a signal drop out or not. Dmr doesnt seem to have the issue. The whistler forum indicates its better but not perfect. Let me listen arpund a bit more and see what i find
 

VE3SCP

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Slicerwizard - yes that could very well be. I monitor the exact same system at the same time with an Airspy mini and DSD with no drop outs. I wish Whistler monitored the CC too..

ratpatrol - I don't think it's your signal. I have monitored near and far from the CN tower site with the same results. I even went to more remote area's to eliminate intermod interference. I think there is more tweaking that needs to be done for NXDN but I don't think Whistler has taken my bug reports seriously. I just don't know how you and I can be suffering from this and no one else???

Or maybe it is a OnQue system issue that the scanner has an issue with but the actual NXDN radio users do not have.

I appreciate both your input and feedback.
 

VE3SCP

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ratpatrol - thank you for confirming this. I submitted a bug report to Whistler yesterday. Then today I e-mailed 3 audio samples showing the audio drop outs. Hopefully they can get to the bottom of this with a fix.

One other question. If you program in 422.4000 and also 422.40625 in the TUNE mode do hear a popping and crackling sound? I hear this and see 2-3 bars lite up on the S meter. Seems like an internal noise problem. It does this with no antenna connected and even with a 50 ohm dummy on the antenna port. I have to turn the squelch up over half way just to eliminate it.

Scott
 

VE3SCP

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Good news.. It appears Whistler is looking into my issue. I have submitted several audio and log files to the engineering team for them to review. I will let you know what happens..

Scott
 

gbriden

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Just picked mine up today programmed 3 sites CN Tower, Mississauga, and Aurora not sure best for me yet but ONQUE conversations for me at least do not seem to be being clipped at all.

Like this radio much more than my PSR800 it replaces.
 

VE3SCP

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gbriden - Did you also do the latest FW update? If you did they fixed the drop out issue in the release on Friday. I reported the bug a week ago and I had some correspondence with Whistler over it. Part of the fixes in the last release was fixing the issue of the drop outs I reported. Mine is working now as well.

The Whistler Engineering team was awesome..
 

gbriden

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Good to hear now maybe you can help me I can not get Fleetnet to work used to do with PSR-800 fine and my BCD-436 works fine I see the " T " symbol and everything just no Audio.

Other stuff is fine Toronto fire and EMS it just seems to be Fleetnet tried Toronto and King City towers same thing.

Any Ideas ??? Very frustrating.

G
 

VE3SCP

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That is strange as mine works great. All I did was use the Library Import in the TRX1 programming software to import the frequency and talkgroup data into a scanlist.

If you manually programmed the Fleetnet into the scanner than make sure that Trunking Table Type is set to CUSTOM and Type I/IIi Fleetmap is set to Type II under the Site Options.
 

gbriden

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Strange copied database to scanner second time and it now works fine guess something got messed up first time Ah well New scanner maybe just a glitch.

Great reception DMR and NXDN here at home location.

Radio is Great.

G
 

VE3SCP

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If you program 422.4000 in TUNE mode (Fn+0) and remove the antenna from the scanner do you hear static? It's like a birdie on the frequency but only static. I also see 2-3 bars on the RSSI meter. I also see this on 422.40625 but it is not quite as strong.

When the scanner is trunking the OnQue system it always slows down or stops on this frequency because it thinks there is something there.

You can eliminate the static by increasing the squelch to about 70%.

Anyone else see this?
 
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