Excellent reception manually but iffy in scan...

[tdave365]

I am trying to reliably monitor the Buffalo police frequencies which use APCO-25 but NOT with trunking. On my PRO-652 I just need to enter them as conventional frequencies and as long as I'm sitting on it manually, hear everything fine. All the frequencies are a part of Scan List # 1 which contains these and a mix of trunked and analog conventional frequencies.

The problem comes in when I switch to scan mode. I notice every other object comes in reliably and scanning is normal. But for these APCO-25 frequencies, I only seem to get a handful of the actual traffic occurring. I noticed this after a few weeks when my particularly busy police district infrequently opened up with any voice traffic and I became suspicious. I went to the object for this district manually and was surprised to hear a regular stream of communication. As a test, I would press 'scan' just as a conversation was starting between dispatch and a patrol unit and sure enough, while in 'scan' mode, it doesn't pick it up!

Reception and signal strength are not an issue, the signal bars are all lit up while sitting on the object manually, and the audio loud and clear.

Why would APCO-25 traffic struggle to open up while scanning, but be "fine" while manual? I've poured over the documentation but find nothing that would hint at a solution.

...and before anyone suggests, I am not locking the channel out permanently or temporary. The lowercase l appears, solid.

Any ideas?...it's maddening.

Here is a link to my target frequencies (those for Buffalo PD).

 

[Wackyracer]

I am trying to reliably monitor the Buffalo police frequencies which use APCO-25 but NOT with trunking. On my PRO-652 I just need to enter them as conventional frequencies and as long as I'm sitting on it manually, hear everything fine. All the frequencies are a part of Scan List # 1 which contains these and a mix of trunked and analog conventional frequencies.

The problem comes in when I switch to scan mode. I notice every other object comes in reliably and scanning is normal. But for these APCO-25 frequencies, I only seem to get a handful of the actual traffic occurring. I noticed this after a few weeks when my particularly busy police district infrequently opened up with any voice traffic and I became suspicious. I went to the object for this district manually and was surprised to hear a regular stream of communication. As a test, I would press 'scan' just as a conversation was starting between dispatch and a patrol unit and sure enough, while in 'scan' mode, it doesn't pick it up!

Reception and signal strength are not an issue, the signal bars are all lit up while sitting on the object manually, and the audio loud and clear.

Why would APCO-25 traffic struggle to open up while scanning, but be "fine" while manual? I've poured over the documentation but find nothing that would hint at a solution.

...and before anyone suggests, I am not locking the channel out permanently or temporary. The lowercase l appears, solid.

Any ideas?...it's maddening.

Here is a link to my target frequencies (those for Buffalo PD).

Put all the trunking freq in there own scan list, play with DSP setting, You may need to attenuate the signal. Too strong of a signal acts like a weak signal except you have full signal strength.....You are aware that most of Buffalo NY PD is now digital. Very little is broadcast on non-digital channels. Your scanner is not capable of receiving digital transmissions.

 

[ecps92]

The Pro-652 absolutely is a P25 Scanner. :roll:
Pro-652 - The RadioReference Wiki

As the user pointed out, he can hear them fine (APCO-25 aka P25) in manual, but seems to be missing traffic when in Scan.

You may need to attenuate the signal.....You are aware that most of Buffalo NY PD is now digital. Very little is broadcast on non-digital channels. You scanner is not capable of receiving digital transmissions.

 

[yooper927]

I had a similar experience on my Pro-652, I found that I have to leave the squelch as low as possible or I start missing traffic, very sensitive on my 652. I also found that playing with the SQ Wait time settings helped me. I had set mine to the suggested settings from the on-line easier to read scanner manual and had to go back to defaults. If their set at defaults already, try setting the time a little higher..



SQ Wait 1 The amount of time to wait for a signal on a frequency while scanning (scan speed) in the same band. The lower the value the faster the scan speed, the higher the value, the slower the scan speed. There is probably a possibility of setting the value too low and the scanner would not stop on active frequencies.

SQ Wait 2 The amount of time to wait for a signal on a frequency while scanning (scan speed) in a different band. The lower the value the faster the scan speed, the higher the value, the slower the scan speed. There is probably a possibility of setting the value too low and the scanner would not stop on active frequencies.


Hope this helps you out...

 

[tdave365]

As ecps92 notes I do in fact have a digital scanner and am able to hear APCO-25 fine in general, save for this issue.

However, I think your advice did the trick! I moved the APCO-25 conventional frequencies into their own scan list and turned on the attenuate feature (which for me is fine-tuning it because my practice otherwise is to keep it off).

I'm now getting traffic from all the channels and they're congruent (meaning, I'm getting complete conversations now). Go figure, but thanks so much for the advice!

 

[tdave365]

SQ Wait 1 The amount of time to wait for a signal on a frequency while scanning (scan speed) in the same band. The lower the value the faster the scan speed, the higher the value, the slower the scan speed. There is probably a possibility of setting the value too low and the scanner would not stop on active frequencies.

SQ Wait 2 The amount of time to wait for a signal on a frequency while scanning (scan speed) in a different band. The lower the value the faster the scan speed, the higher the value, the slower the scan speed. There is probably a possibility of setting the value too low and the scanner would not stop on active frequencies.

I'd like to check these out too, thanks for the tip. I'm reading up on how to implement these changes at "Easier to Read" website.

 

[Wackyracer]

As ecps92 notes I do in fact have a digital scanner and am able to hear APCO-25 fine in general, save for this issue.

However, I think your advice did the trick! I moved the APCO-25 conventional frequencies into their own scan list and turned on the attenuate feature (which for me is fine-tuning it because my practice otherwise is to keep it off).

I'm now getting traffic from all the channels and they're congruent (meaning, I'm getting complete conversations now). Go figure, but thanks so much for the advice!

Glad to help!

I don't see where the pro 652 can receive digital broadcast. What Buffalo PD frequencies are you listening to?

 

[tdave365]

Glad to help!

I don't see where the pro 652 can receive digital broadcast. What Buffalo PD frequencies are you listening to?

These guys in particular:

60.32500 KSO552 RM 293 NAC BPD Ch1 Car Police Ch. 1 - Car to Car P25 Law Talk
460.35000 KSO552 RM 59 NAC BPD Ch.2 D/W Police Ch. 2 - Downtown/West Side B,D P25 Law Dispatch
460.42500 KSO552 RM 144 NAC BPD Ch.3 E/N Police Ch. 3 - East/North Side C,E P25 Law Dispatch
460.47500 KSO552 RM 350 NAC BPD Ch4 S Police Ch. 4 - South Buffalo P25 Law Dispatch
460.02500 KSO552 RM 511 NAC BPD Ch5 Wrnt Police Ch. 5 - Information and Warrant Checks P25 Law Talk

...but, also, here is a link to the scanner itself:

https://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-pro-652-desktop-radio-scanner

It boggles my mind that one can enter a frequency/object into a bank and it "might" or "might not" work, the latter maybe requiring tweaking like the old shortwave radio days. If hadn't been for my own suspicion I'd never have realized how much I was missing. Relatively new to Buffalo, I just thought things were boring around here.

 

[Wackyracer]

These guys in particular:

60.32500 KSO552 RM 293 NAC BPD Ch1 Car Police Ch. 1 - Car to Car P25 Law Talk
460.35000 KSO552 RM 59 NAC BPD Ch.2 D/W Police Ch. 2 - Downtown/West Side B,D P25 Law Dispatch
460.42500 KSO552 RM 144 NAC BPD Ch.3 E/N Police Ch. 3 - East/North Side C,E P25 Law Dispatch
460.47500 KSO552 RM 350 NAC BPD Ch4 S Police Ch. 4 - South Buffalo P25 Law Dispatch
460.02500 KSO552 RM 511 NAC BPD Ch5 Wrnt Police Ch. 5 - Information and Warrant Checks P25 Law Talk

...but, also, here is a link to the scanner itself:

https://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-pro-652-desktop-radio-scanner

It boggles my mind that one can enter a frequency/object into a bank and it "might" or "might not" work, the latter maybe requiring tweaking like the old shortwave radio days. If hadn't been for my own suspicion I'd never have realized how much I was missing. Relatively new to Buffalo, I just thought things were boring around here.

I have these in my Pro-668. I find this interesting...because RR list some of those as digital, the 652 doesn't list digital in its capabilities...I wonder if they aren't being simulcasted?

 

[tdave365]

Glad to help!

I don't see where the pro 652 can receive digital broadcast. What Buffalo PD frequencies are you listening to?

I have these in my Pro-668. I find this interesting...because RR list some of those as digital, the 652 doesn't list digital in its capabilities...I wonder if they aren't being simulcasted?

I don't know -- here is the description copy/pasted from the link I cited above:

RadioShack's PRO-652 is a digital triple-trunking desktop scanner that employs an intuitive object-oriented user interface. It stores up to 1800 objects in main memory and has 21 V-scanner memory for a total capacity to store over 39,000 objects.

 

[Wackyracer]

DOH!!!...it was right there in the description, I will blame it on my new glasses!!

Did you put those frequencies in the trunking section of the software or conventional? (assuming your using ezscan or similar) I have mine under conventional.

 

[tdave365]

DOH!!!...it was right there in the description, I will blame it on my new glasses!!

Did you put those frequencies in the trunking section of the software or conventional? (assuming your using ezscan or similar) I have mine under conventional.

After your suggestion I allocated them to a separate scan list and also activated the ATT feature in general. When it worked, I got suspicious that maybe it was just the ATT setting so I moved them back to my general scan list with all the others (as I prefer it if possible for now) to see for sure. Sure enough it still worked so it looks like the "active ingredient" here was just the ATT setting.

Believe it or not I'm doing all this manually, using my fingers punching in everything. It's exhausting but I hope to have the programming cable later this month.

 

[ecps92]

Pro-652 - The RadioReference Wiki
Radio Shack branded, version of the Whistler WS1065. Replaces the former GRE manufactured, Radio Shack Pro-197.

Pro-197 - The RadioReference Wiki
WS1065 - The RadioReference Wiki

The Radio Shack PRO-197 is a Digital Trunk Tracking scanner which boasts the ability to track APCO 25 digital trunking systems, in addition to following Motorola type I/II systems, LTR and EDACS trunking systems. It is very similar to the GRE PSR-600.

Glad to help!

I don't see where the pro 652 can receive digital broadcast. What Buffalo PD frequencies are you listening to?