Figure this odd problem out.

[ElroyJetson]

Here's a very interesting type of behavior I've noted with one of my radios.

The radio is a P7100IP, I/Q mod type, 800 MHz, with an extremely well loaded feature package including
ProVoice and TextLink. 16 options enabled.

J2R11B01 radio code, G6R06C04 DSP code.


In trunking mode, the busy LED operates normally.

In conventional mode while monitoring channels on an EDACS system individually, the busy LED operates normally.

In conventional mode while monitoring conventional radio traffic NOT on an EDACS system, the busy LED operates normally.

But, when monitoring a Motorola SmartNet or SmartZone trunked system's channels in conventional mode,
the busy LED flashes briefly, goes out, and then never shows again regardless of activity on those channels,
unless I switch back to channels that are not part of a Motorola trunking system. Doing that resets the
function of the busy light to normal. But if I go back to scanning that Motorola trunked system, the
exact same thing happens all over again.

Can you figure out why the busy LED decides to stop working when the radio is listening to the individual
channels of a Motorola trunked system?


Elroy

 

[DonS]

Maybe it's seeing the low-speed data on the Mot VC and is trying to chastise you for monitoring that mfr's system

 

[ElroyJetson]

That is a distinct possibility. But so far as I know, the busy LED should be driven by a simple circuit,
going active whenever a signal is present on frequency. It's not all that easy for me to see why the
presence of LSD [] would cause it to get loopy.


Elroy

 

[DonS]

Presuming the "conventional radio traffic NOT on an EDACS system" is analog, the only difference I can see between that traffic and an analog Mot VC is: the "conventional" traffic might have a CTCSS or DCS tone/code present, while the Mot VC has Mot's low-speed data.

Is your radio, maybe, looking for CTCSS/DCS and illuminating/extinguishing the LED based on that?

 

[ElroyJetson]

No, every channel is set to carrier squelch. I wouldn't THINK there'd be any LSD interaction.


Elroy

 

[DonS]

Given that (according to the Tyco manual, my only source of information on the device) the LED can illuminate in different colors based on what the radio is receiving (i.e. GRN=receiving, RED=unencrypted, ORN=encrypted), it seems that the LED must be controlled by software, not just a simple "RF squelch" detector. If that's accurate, then it seems there's something about the Mot VC that the radio doesn't like - the only thing that comes to mind is the LSD.

 

[rmiles]

Somewhat related, but a little different. Just for grins and giggles, one day I wondered what would happen if I scanned our EDACS ProVoice system conventionally. I know people did that with P25 radios before digital trunktrackers, but I never thought to try it for PV. So, I programmed the system in conventionally for PV with a Rx address of 172. The P7100 scans through the channels, but only receives the channel as analog. The LED does not lit and most of the time, the active channel will not show on the display, even though you can hear the analog PV transmission through the speaker. An example, I'll have the radio on LCN 1. LCN 3 is the CC. I'll turn on scan, you'll hear the CC but the display will still show LCN 1. One time in 20 , the actual voice LCN channel will display, the LED will illuminate and the receive icon will show on the display, the digital D icon will change to A, and the voice will still come thought in Analog.

I have the channels programmed properly for PV. All my other conventional and trunked scan lists work fine. I can even scan and receive P25 conventional (with and without NACs) just fine. But when I try to scan the PV TRS, It never works right. What am I missing? Rx address 172 is suppose to be the CSQ equivalent for PV. Should it be set to something else?

 

[ElroyJetson]

I don't know.

But, on the radio I was referring to, the busy light is BLUE. So is the TX light. I guess the encryption light would be double blue.

I changed out that red/green double LED for two blues. It was a nice little skill test for handling 0603 size SMT LEDs. And I like it.

I think I'd do blue busy and red TX if I had the red LEDs on hand. But I don't...not yet.

I also replace the keypad backlights with other LED colors.

Elroy

 

[EnidPuceflange]

In P25 conventional operation the carrier squelch you've got set is overridden by the (per channel) setting of P25 squelch. It can be MONITOR, SELECT or NORMAL....the help file says this:

Select between "NORM" and "SEL" through "MON".

NORM – When this option is selected, Normal Squelch enables the receiver to unmute on any voice signal which has the correct Network Access Code (NAC). Voice messages from co-channel users which are using different access codes will be muted.

SEL – When this option is selected, Selective Squelch mutes all voice traffic except the voice traffic that is explicitly addressed to the unit. Messages which contain the talkgroup or Unit ID of the receiver and the correct Network Access Code (NAC) will be received.

MON – When this option is selected, Monitor enables the receiver to unmute on any recognizable voice signal. Selective muting based on Network Access Code (NAC), Talkgroup ID (TGID) or Unit ID is not performed.

Hope this helps,
Enid

 

[rmiles]

Yes, I had read that. However, I can monitor P25 conventional just fine, no matter whether it's trunked or not. What is puzzling me is the fact that I can't monitor a ProVoice trunked channel when I program in a LCN channel as conventional, with ProVoice modulation, and a receive address of 172. With the radio parked on a busy LCN channel, I should be able to receive the ProVoice coded voice traffic with my P7100 ProVoice EDACS system radio.

 

[ElroyJetson]

When I visited Nashville, I attempted to monitor the Nashville Motorola digital trunked system with one of my "all otions" P7100IPs by programming the system channels into a conventional (P25) scan list with all
channels set to MON and with the NAC set to the CSQ value.

I'd get ONE syllable of any given transmission and then the radio would mute.

Bizarre.

It was decoding correctly, judging by the first syllable. (Sometimes I'd get two syllables.) But
it wasn't staying unmuted.

I don't know why that didn't work.


Elroy

 

[rmiles]

I can receive P25 with no problem at all. I talk between the P7100 and my XTS with no data loss. I can hear ProVoice talkgroup transmission on the EDACS TRS with no problem. I can Rx and Tx ProVoice conventional just fine as well. But when I try to monitor the EDACS PV conventionally, no dice.

 

[ElroyJetson]

The Nashville system I was attempting to monitor is a SmartZone Omnilink with CAI and analog talkgroups.

Elroy