We have a customer with a G5 pager in an amplified charger that is having a very strange issue. With the pager in my hand, it will lock on to the nearest site in the next county....they work mutual aid with them. The county is using 800 MHz P25 paging. . So the pager will be locked on the site's control channel, and then I can put it in the charger using the supplied whip antenna and it will remain locked on the CC, but will occasionally go out of range, which is a problem as they want to use it for station alerting. So we installed an antenna on top of the FD, using an automotive 800 antenna on an NMOKUD cable running into the building and to the pager with a short extension added as the 17' isn't quite long enough. Here is the problem. If I connect the outdoor antenna directly to the charger, give the pager a few seconds to scan for towers and it will go out of range and stay out of range. If I disconnect the antenna from the charger and plug it directly into the top of the pager using an SMA to BNC adapter, the pager comes in range and never leaves. Put it back in the charger and put the antenna on the back, Out of range. Put the pager's antenna back on and remove it from the charger, in range....though RSSI is higher. I've checked the cables, I've taken the pager and charger on the roof of the building with a new antenna, cable, etc. and it still goes out of range but only when it's in the charger. We've scanned for any interference and found nothing close. I'm working with Unication, getting logs, updating firmware, etc. and I wanted to see if anyone here could help me out with any suggestions. The site is only 8 miles away, and just for kicks, I put it in my truck and in the charger with a mag mount outside, it was picking up the CC from another site 22 miles away. The site I'm trying to hit, at last PM, produces more power out of the combiners than the one I tested at 22 miles. So I'm at a loss. I was thinking interference, but it only happens in the charger. Out of the charger, the pager stays in range. We've tried 3 pagers, 3 chargers, two antennas, two cables, replaced the connectors. Has anyone ever seen such a thing before?
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G5 Going out of range in amplified charger
- Thread starter JonYarriw
- Start date
How did you power it in your truck?
There are multiple posts about this happening. I've tried everything suggested in most the posts and still occasionally I'll have one go out of range on the charger but the same pager if slightly pulled up on its own antenna is fine and won't have that happen.
I've got 2 G5's and a G4 snd 3 amplified chargers and regardless when they take a mood to they just go out of range with no rhyme or reason to it.
Good luck getting it sorted out.
I've got 2 G5's and a G4 snd 3 amplified chargers and regardless when they take a mood to they just go out of range with no rhyme or reason to it.
Good luck getting it sorted out.
blackbelter
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I have replaced the amp charger supplied antenna with an RS 800 antenna and have never experienced an OAR. My monitoring P25P2 systems transmitting antenna is 5 miles from my QTH.
My bet is that there is something going wrong between the antenna connection on the charger and the contacts for the Unication causing just enough RF loss.
If worst comes to worst, you could attach the antenna cable where the Unication antenna connection is. With this going to be a fixed set-up and there being no reason to remove the Unication from the charger, it should not be a problem.
The only issue you might have is people tinkering with the volume levels. We had that challenge when we had scanners at the fire stations.
If worst comes to worst, you could attach the antenna cable where the Unication antenna connection is. With this going to be a fixed set-up and there being no reason to remove the Unication from the charger, it should not be a problem.
The only issue you might have is people tinkering with the volume levels. We had that challenge when we had scanners at the fire stations.
On my charger I used the long wire antenna that came with my G5....but noticed "out of range" on occasions. Replaced with a Remtronix 800 mhz duck and no more "out of range" for some reason. Here is the Unication with charger and the Remtronix duck on the back.
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RSSI levels with the different antennas are needed. For example what is the RSSI level with the provided antenna that occasionally goes out of range? Is it barely receiveing? Extending a mag mount or external antenna might cause issues with signal strength? Do you have a RF analyzer that can test signal strength at the end of a cable?
blackbelter
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What does the Digital Error(s) indicate ?
I don't know how to check RSSI on the Unication. I don't have RF analyzer either! From what I have experienced, driving along route 14 west thru Johnston, Scituate and Foster, the Remtronix duck is better. With stock duck antenna, reception is still OK when we are not in dead spots but signals are low, like between 1 and 3 bars. I hit less dead spots with the Remtronix. Also I see on the system page for RISCON, one tower is north of route 14 on route 101 so maybe there are low spots where I travel. Once we get back into Scituate the dead spots go away. The Unication, as far as I know doesnt show RSSI or Digital error on the screen.
I had an intermittent with signal with the G4/5 in the amplified charger when I hadn’t used them in quite a while. With regular use recently, there’s been no issue. I’m suspecting dust on the charger pins.
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