Pro-164: cutting out on transmissions

[FallenAnjel]

I posted about this in my other thread but maybe I should start a new thread.

I had this problem another time and it got worse and worse until there were no more transmissions at all on the SCPD. (Everything else worked tho). RS repair only said on the papework, "Repaired to working order" or something generic like that.

Well, it's doing this again. Right now it seems to only be on the 7th and it happened on the command band too tonight. That would lead me to believe it was just the 7th's transmission but after I got it back from RS it worked fine.

Ok, nevermind, I just put on all precincts and it happened on the 3rd and 5th.

anyway, IDK why it does this. For avid scanners it's really annoying to miss a letter of a license plate or the color shirt of a perp.

Here's a video I took (that I was able to put 3 videos together with a new app called YouTube Capture!)

YouTube

I hope someone has some insight on this. thanks.

 

[KevinC]

Your video is "Private", so we can't view it.

 

[FallenAnjel]

Darn it! I always confuse "unlisted" with "private" !

I've changed the privacy to "unlisted" so you should be able to view it now. I've also added another short video. It was REALLY bad tonight. I may be buying another scanner before long. Anyone got a used Pro-164 they'll sell me for $100? LOL.


Edit: Seems i cannot edit my first post. here's the other video.

http://youtu.be/A8BAfBXHNJI

 

[shadcall]

Is the priority on? It's the button marked "pri" just below the scan key.

 

[dxradio2003]

Pro-164

Hi,

I don't know if you are using a scanner software program, but you may want to check to see if each of the sites programmed have a delay checked. On my radio, each site has a delay for each frequency.

You may want to reset the radio again (to factory default settings) erasing any current programming. Start from scratch as far as the programming and then see if that helps. You may even try other systems to scan to see if it is somehow only related to the system you are trying to receive.

---dxradio

 

[1wayne4u]

Hi FallenAnjel I have had the same problem. I believe your problem is that your pro-164 is out of tune.
Try this it's easy, you will need a small non metallic slot screwdriver and a external power supple.
Remove the four screws on the back cover to expose the the pc. There will be a small square metal box,
prey off this lid and you will see a variable trimmer cap (VC). Use a fine marker to mark it's position so you can put it back where it was if this is not the problem. Plug in your wall adapter in and turn on your scanner and manually go to your control channel for your system and then open up your squelch, At this point
lay your scanner down on a table and move the scanner in a direction so you can hear the control channel as loudest and clearest as it will get, keep it there! Then adjust the variable trimmer cap as you listen to the audio for a loudest and clearest sound and leave it there! Now check if it is trunking wright?, if so your done.

Hope this will fix your problem Wayne.

 

[KevinC]

I'm not going to condone making adjustments to your radio, but in the video it does sound off-frequency.

 

[FallenAnjel]

Hi FallenAnjel I have had the same problem. I believe your problem is that your pro-164 is out of tune.
Try this it's easy, you will need a small non metallic slot screwdriver and a external power supple.
Remove the four screws on the back cover to expose the the pc. There will be a small square metal box,
prey off this lid and you will see a variable trimmer cap (VC). Use a fine marker to mark it's position so you can put it back where it was if this is not the problem. Plug in your wall adapter in and turn on your scanner and manually go to your control channel for your system and then open up your squelch, At this point
lay your scanner down on a table and move the scanner in a direction so you can hear the control channel as loudest and clearest as it will get, keep it there! Then adjust the variable trimmer cap as you listen to the audio for a loudest and clearest sound and leave it there! Now check if it is trunking wright?, if so your done. Hope this will fix your problem Wayne.

Thanks Wayne I will take a look inside and see how it goes.

I'm not going to condone making adjustments to your radio, but in the video it does sound off-frequency.

So doing what Wayne suggested may fix it?


I had sent it back to Radio Shack 2 years ago and they fixed it but I have no idea what they did. The packing slip/receipt just said, ""Aligned unit to maximum performance levels. Tested all functions." So maybe that's what they did? Of course I have no way of knowing because calling them would be futile at best.

For the other posters: Priority is not on. I was asked that a million times the last time I had this problem. I do, however have Delay on. It's never off. However the skipping happens no matter if I have any other banks on or not.

Wayne's explanation makes sense. I'll post back when I do that.

 

[KevinC]

I'm not going to condone making adjustments to your radio, but in the video it does sound off-frequency.

So doing what Wayne suggested may fix it?

I've ben married long enough to know not to answer that.

It does sound like it's off-frequency, if Wayne's suggestion will correct this it will may solve your issue...but you are doing so at your own risk and I take no responsibility for what may or may not happen.

 

[1wayne4u]

For the many years I have played around with electronics, I know this is not the right procedure without test equipment. But it seems to me that too many people who own theses radios have this problem and
end up paying radio shack about 1/3 of the price of theses radios to get it fixed.
Mine did this and I knew what the problem was. It was out of tune. Now if it does this again I know what to do to fix this radio.

Try this. What can it hurt?

Wayne

 

[FallenAnjel]

For the many years I have played around with electronics, I know this is not the right procedure without test equipment. But it seems to me that too many people who own theses radios have this problem and
end up paying radio shack about 1/3 of the price of theses radios to get it fixed.
Mine did this and I knew what the problem was. It was out of tune. Now if it does this again I know what to do to fix this radio.

Try this. What can it hurt?

Wayne

Ok so I opened it up and there was a little square with a philips screw in it, (it was not covered). I turned it back and forth while on the control channel and I heard the volume got quiet either way I turned it. I put it back to the loudest position and closed it all back up. There's not much going on for me to test it as it happens the most on the 7th, but so far for the few seconds I heard transmissions I didn't hear any skipping. Hopefully that fixed it but I seemed to put the adjustment back in the same position so IDk how that could fix it. We'll see! Thanks Wayne for the help adn I'll post back with an update.

ps--I know I open up my scanner at my own risk, but I have enough common sense to not undo anything I"m not sure of.


Here's a pic of the inside of my scanner. I turned the red philips screw. that was the only adjustment that I could see that resembled what you described.

 

[1wayne4u]

Ok FallenAnjel that is the right trim cap if this didn't doe the trick there might be more to the story.
Like rebanding and trunk tables and digital.
Hear in San Bernardino CA we have not rebanded yet. But I think lease
of my concern is there going to the 700Mhz band and digital, hopefully not full digitally encrypted!!
Sad but true the pro-164 can't listen to digital only the analog part of the trunk systems if mix.
Have you enter your trunk tables in right?

Wayne

 

[FallenAnjel]

Ok FallenAnjel that is the right trim cap if this didn't doe the trick there might be more to the story.
Like rebanding and trunk tables and digital.
Hear in San Bernardino CA we have not rebanded yet. But I think lease
of my concern is there going to the 700Mhz band and digital, hopefully not full digitally encrypted!!
Sad but true the pro-164 can't listen to digital only the analog part of the trunk systems if mix.
Have you enter your trunk tables in right?

Wayne

Sorry I haven't gotten back here in a while.

I adjusted the tuning and the police works GREAT now. Except now the FD doesn't. We are not digital and we have been rebanded. Someone from here gave me a file with all the settings and frequencies a couple years ago and it's been working great ever since. I have all the Correct FD frequencies in and they're in the 400's. I get the tones and what the alarm description from County. I get the tones and alarm description from the base (same frequency) but that's it. I get nothing else. I have another scanner at work (the one like the 164 that cannot be rebanded) that I used only for FD and I pick up everything which leads me to believe it's my scanner.

This thing is 4 years Old I believe has it bit the dust? I don't have money to buy another one, nor get this one fixed and I'm sure I'm wasting money getting a refurbed one. I'll prob end up with the same problem.

Now I have to go read thru my threads because I don't remember if not hearing the FD happened before the police freq's started acting up or around the same time LOL.

 

[mg5555]

Going to give it a try

Wow glad I stumble across this post. I too have a PRO-164 that is out of tune as well.I have nothing to lose.

 

[FallenAnjel]

Well guess what? The scanner lost trunking again. This time I knew the tuning needed to be adjusted so I opened it up again and went to tune it and that "screw" was just a piece of plastic and it crumbled when I turned it. (and I barely turned it at that). So, no more PD for me until I get a new (used) scanner. Fire still comes in but the last few days it goes in and out like I'm really far away and have bad reception. I also haven't been able to hear any transmissions after the original alarm. Hopefully I inadvertently locked out a channel.

I wish just the 7th precinct transmitted online. I really hate listening to all 7 precincts. I have no need to listen to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.

 

[gtaman]

Well guess what? The scanner lost trunking again. This time I knew the tuning needed to be adjusted so I opened it up again and went to tune it and that "screw" was just a piece of plastic and it crumbled when I turned it. (and I barely turned it at that). So, no more PD for me until I get a new (used) scanner. Fire still comes in but the last few days it goes in and out like I'm really far away and have bad reception. I also haven't been able to hear any transmissions after the original alarm. Hopefully I inadvertently locked out a channel.

I wish just the 7th precinct transmitted online. I really hate listening to all 7 precincts. I have no need to listen to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.

Look on Amazon or eBay. Pro 164s can be acquired for about 50 dollars. Also if you want to go to a base scanner get Uniden BCT 15 or 15x if you are low on funds.