Astro Spectra scan problem

[dmicucci]

Hi all, sorry to introduce myself with a problem, but I've been searching for information on this problem all day to no avail.

I have a Motorola Astro Spectra VHF, 110w remote mount w5 head installed in my truck for use with the fire department in which I am a lieutenant. This was recently professionally programmed by the communications company that the department uses, and to the exact programming specifications as in all other radios in our dept. (apparatus, chiefs truck, etc.).

Problem is this: I can not get this radio to scan. I would like to be able to monitor police and fire frequencies from the surrounding towns (we are mutual aid to all of them, a little advance warning is nice sometimes) while having the radio set to my own frequency for my dept. repeater. I know to hold the scan button, then use the select button to add or delete a channel from the scan list, and this functions properly. However after setting my desired list, pushing the scan or home button to exit programming, the PRI indicator flashes rapidly at the top of the screen and the scan does not function. I have confirmed this using my portable radio. Also the same with the palm mic docked to chassis ground or not.

It should be noted that all frequencies (conventional for our service, and trunked for police frequencies) both receive and transmit as they should when the radio is on that channel.

Sorry for the long winded post, but any information or advice would be much appreciated. I just hope I don't have to take this back to the comm company as they're 70 miles away and it took them two weeks just to program this thing.

 

[cmdrwill]

On the Astro you have to enable Scan on the personality you want to scan from, IE home channel. Then set User select in radio wide options. Yes you will need the programming software.

 

[mmckenna]

Barring a programming issue, I'd make sure the mic is good. Try a known good microphone with your radio. Could be yours has an issue where the button on the back isn't making contact.
Also, check your ground connection from the hang up clip with a multimeter to make sure.

I don't recall if that model radio just needs the hang up clip grounded or if it uses the metal hang up clip to short across the button. I seem to remember having a radio that didn't need the mic clip grounded, just that it went across some contact on the button that did the same thing. Foggy brain, I can't remember what brand/model radio it was....

 

[SteveC0625]

I don't recall if that model radio just needs the hang up clip grounded or if it uses the metal hang up clip to short across the button. I seem to remember having a radio that didn't need the mic clip grounded, just that it went across some contact on the button that did the same thing. Foggy brain, I can't remember what brand/model radio it was....

Motorola Professional Series (CDM's) and Commercial Series (CM's & PM400) for sure. There were others, but my brain's a bit fuzzy at the moment.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Barring a programming issue, I'd make sure the mic is good. Try a known good microphone with your radio. Could be yours has an issue where the button on the back isn't making contact.
Also, check your ground connection from the hang up clip with a multimeter to make sure.

I don't recall if that model radio just needs the hang up clip grounded or if it uses the metal hang up clip to short across the button. I seem to remember having a radio that didn't need the mic clip grounded, just that it went across some contact on the button that did the same thing. Foggy brain, I can't remember what brand/model radio it was....

Depends on the control head. There was a self grounding mic option for the regular control heads or the older spectra/maratrac mic which required chassis ground at the hanger. The W3 needs ground at the hanger.

If the scan groups aren't in the programming, it won't do you any good to manually program.

 

[dmicucci]

Thank you all for the tips.

I was told by the comm company that the Mic clip had to be grounded when I picked up the radio. It shouldn't be a programming issue because this radio got dept template programming, so is exactly the same as all the others in that respect, and they work fine.

Tonight I will grab a second Mic from the station and plug it in, that was a good suggestion. Other than that I will have to grab my multimeter and go to town I suppose.

Thanks again to all.

 

[dmicucci]

Ok so to anyone that is interested, I have figured out the problem. Turns out it was as simple as a bad ground on the Mic clip. I tried a different ground at one point, so turns out that I actually had two bad grounds. Everything works fine now though, do thanks to all for the help.

 

[N4KVE]

When I had that problem I simply opened the mike, & grounded it internally, since the car dash was all plastic.

 

[P25HamRadio]

knowledge is power/knowledge is key in ham radio...knowledge is awesome

When I had that problem I simply opened the mike, & grounded it internally, since the car dash was all plastic.

how did you ground the mic? i want to do it too

 

[FFPM571]

the mic grounding can be changed in the CPS