Take it off the external antenna. I too have a Scantenna I use in the attic and both the PSR500 and it's desk top cousin 600 can't take it on the Scantenna. As the folks mentioned it cant handle the overload. So if you want it to work well and you want to hear your local stuff then buy a Diamond RH77CA or equivelannt antenna and I should work fine. However it will NOT work on an external Scantenna. Too much overload/interference.
GRE PSR 500 skips over some freqs while scanning
- Thread starter blueangel-eric
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N1BHH
Member
Aluminum siding is an attenuator, it does reflect but not re-radiate. Static is in the air all the time. It will latch onto any conductive object, wire, mast and has to bleed off somewhere, preferably into the ground, so that's what you are experiencing. Any mast or tower needs to be well grounded to drain off any static.
i read online somewhere that large metal objects can re radiate am signals under the right circumstances. also using the same mast and setup at other houses over the last 10 yrs i've never got those RF shocks or what have you until setting the mast up at this location. all in the same town btw.
I have a little FM interference but the FM trap eliminated it. what else would be overloading the radio then? if the radio was overloading/desensing then i would not be hearing signals further away. the closer ones should still come in. it seems the opposite is happening. my antenna is only 10 feet off the ground btw.
none of the tweaks i tried via the software helped.
Nope, you've got it backwards. The scanner overloads because of strong local signals. Distant signals don't pose a problem because they're not strong enough to overload the scanner's front end.
By the way, this is not at all unusual for GRE scanners. They are notorious for having a weak front end that is prone to overloading. The only solution is to attenuate the signal in some fashion, either through the scanner's ATT feature (which doesn't always work, especially if the signal is close enough and strong enough to continue to overload the scanner's front end circuitry), or by physically decreasing the amount of signal that makes its way to the scanner. The latter is usually accomplished by using an antenna with less gain, or by using a directional/semi-directional antenna that can be setup in such a fashion that it creates a null in the direction of the offending signal.
The fact that the scanner performs exactly as expected when using the rubber ducky antenna is the key to this being an overloading issue.
I am well aware of what overloading issues are. i've been into radio since the early 90's and coming from a Pro95 and Pro97 i know what desense is. this is not desense. when there's desense only the strongest signals make it through. so i don't have it backwards. 
in my case some of the strongest signals don't receive on scan mode but will receive full strength on manual. also the Railroads work just fine. usually the overload effect the railroads majorly on most scanners like the Pro97/95. that's assuming the FM broadcast or some TV is the problem. i live in the middle of town where the nearest towers are far enough away to not pose a problem at the moment. if i was getting desense the far away VHF railroad or police wouldn't even be coming in.
however there must be somekind of something interfering with the filtering of the radio to cause is to pass over strong signals i'm trying to hear. though the S meter shows full strength on the desired freqs.
in my case some of the strongest signals don't receive on scan mode but will receive full strength on manual. also the Railroads work just fine. usually the overload effect the railroads majorly on most scanners like the Pro97/95. that's assuming the FM broadcast or some TV is the problem. i live in the middle of town where the nearest towers are far enough away to not pose a problem at the moment. if i was getting desense the far away VHF railroad or police wouldn't even be coming in.however there must be somekind of something interfering with the filtering of the radio to cause is to pass over strong signals i'm trying to hear. though the S meter shows full strength on the desired freqs.
I am well aware of what overloading issues are. i've been into radio since the early 90's and coming from a Pro95 and Pro97 i know what desense is. this is not desense. when there's desense only the strongest signals make it through. so i don't have it backwards.
however there must be somekind of something interfering with the filtering of the radio to cause is to pass over strong signals i'm trying to hear. though the S meter shows full strength on the desired freqs.
well i turned the tone squelch off on the sheriff channel and it picks up on scan now. so is there a tone problem with the PSR500?
then i did a tone search and picked up the tone and stored it and now it won't stop on it again when scanning.
furthermore i did a search and found this thread with people with the same problem. reading it now. http://forums.radioreference.com/gre-scanners/113753-strange-problem-scanning-conv-channel.html
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update: i installed the newest firmware update and so far i'm picking up at least two of the problem freqs good now. nowhere in the description for the update did it mention a fix for this problem. apparently there is a fix for it.
ScannerSK
Member
If the signal(s) causing the overload are within the range covered by the scanner you may be able to locate them using Spectrum Sweeper.
Shawn
Shawn
Update. I'm still having problems. it's intermittent. one minute i receive the Sheriff fine but not ESU police the next min ESU works but not the Sheriff. i tried the tweaks i read would work. i think the tone decoder is faulty. unfortunately i can't find a number to get through to tech support with GRE. the main number says the mailbox is full. does anyone know how to contact tech support over the phone?
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Highpockets
Member
I read in another thread that a user put in a ticket with GRE and left his cell number and they called him back within an hour, you can try that. Or try this number maybe they can direct you to the right depertment:
650-591-1400
i finally got through with the number. the guy didn't identify who he was so i was shocked how he answered the phone. he's calling me back in 30 mins for instructions on sending it in. he didn't say much so i don't know if he recognized the problem as a known problem or not. some foreign guy with strong accent.
Highpockets
Member
update: it will cost me $60 for labor not counting parts. hope it doesn't get too expensive. don't know what it will cost me for the part. anyone have any ideas? i always get the lemons i swear, on everything i ever bought.
Highpockets
Member
Well you should rest a little easier now that the process has started on getting it fixed. I have no clue on the price, I hope everthing works out for you!
usswood
Member
did you ever switch the objects to sq/search or CTCSS/search to see if that helped
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Damn. In my 30 years as a very active ham I've NEVER had that happen to me. Check your Christmas light strings and ensure the insulation is in good shape! Maybe the porch light fixtures need to be checked.
I have seen the same problem ... it is because you are on a "base antenna" and you are overloading the scanner. I found I had the same problem when I was at a 2 meter (146 MHz) repeater site. I turned on my ATT and the problem was solved.
A better solution .. is just not use the base antenna as the radio just really doesn't need it, you actually do more harm than good.
yes but as soon as i save the tone it quits landing on the freq.
i already explained this. like i said the ATT does no good. if it was desense i wouldn't be picking up stations 50 miles away. desense effects the further weaker signals not the closest ones as much. if it was desense it would effect the radio reguardless if it was scanning or on one channel.
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