HP-2: HP-2 Not Recieving

[LBC907]

HP-2 with Extreme Upgrade
Firmware: 1.05
Sub Firmware: 1.02
Database: 07/09/2017
Sentinel: 2.03
Location: Carbondale, CO

When scanning anything, aircraft, DTRS, CB/FRS I get nothing. In a location where the State Patrol doesn't shut up, I'm surrounded by 4 airports, with major airline routes over the top of my house, and a strong HAM community, I am hearing nothing. This is a relatively new problem. I could listen for days up until about a week ago. Now when I have the scanner running, it picks up nothing. I confirmed this by locking into an FRS frequency, and then keying up on a handheld VHF radio on that frequency, the scanner won't pick up the signal from 10 feet or a block away.

Squelch is set to two bars, attenuation is off, volume is up.

Any suggestions would be awesome! Thanks.

 

[jonwienke]

FRS is UHF, not VHF. What exact frequency were you using to test???

 

[phask]

Well I'll go out on a limb and say you don't have the correct service types on.

Also - a lot of air (at least smaller airport) are not in the DB. Same for HAM.

Did you check the DB?

Give us your state, COUNTY and I'll look in the DB.

 

[LBC907]

FRS is UHF, not VHF. What exact frequency were you using to test???

You are correct, I miss-typed. 467.5875

Well I'll go out on a limb and say you don't have the correct service types on.

Also - a lot of air (at least smaller airport) are not in the DB. Same for HAM.

Did you check the DB?

Give us your state, COUNTY and I'll look in the DB.

And yes, I have the correct service types on. I even have three favorite lists, one with all FRS/GMRS/CB frequencies for when I am driving down the road, and one with all local airport frequencies, including CTAF, ASOS/AWOS, Flight Service, etc, as well as one with all local repeaters for HAM. With a flight school training over my town daily, I hear them calling position reports every so often.

State is Colorado, County is a combination of Garfield, Eagle, and Pitkin.

This isn't a "I made a change to something and now it's not working" kind of thing. This is a "I turned my scanner off on Friday, and back on Monday and now I don't hear a thing." I have the SDR running on the computer and can scan and pick up the normal frequencies. (Simplex, not trunked, I'm not there yet.) I also have a fully programmable VHF/UHF radio that I can set to a specific frequency, then punch that frequency into the HP, and still not hear myself talking.

I have also tried the original ducky antenna, as well as a much larger off center dipole antenna on the roof.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[jonwienke]

If your scanner can't hear a transmitter in the same room, then something is seriously wrong with it. You should get reception in the same building even with no antenna connected to the scanner at all.

Is it possible the headphone jack has an issue and is blocking signal to the speaker? Have you tried using headphones or earbuds? Does the scanner ever pause scanning like it is hearing a signal?

 

[LBC907]

If your scanner can't hear a transmitter in the same room, then something is seriously wrong with it. You should get reception in the same building even with no antenna connected to the scanner at all.

Is it possible the headphone jack has an issue and is blocking signal to the speaker? Have you tried using headphones or earbuds? Does the scanner ever pause scanning like it is hearing a signal?

I don't think it's in the headphone jack since I hear button presses and whatnot. I have tried using headphones just to be sure. And no, the scanner does not stop on any frequencies. It continues to scan, even while transmitting in the same room.

The reason I tried from a distance is because in the days of my Pro94 I would get bleed over when transmitting within a close proximity. Even something small wattage I would sometimes get the bleed over if my transmitter was too close to the scanner. My current UHF/VHF transmits at 5ish watts, so I was being cautious.

 

[BMYKEL]

when in doubt i always use NOAA weather band to check

 

[LBC907]

when in doubt i always use NOAA weather band to check

No good, I set it to 162.4500, which is my local channel out of Glenwood Springs, and I hear nothing. If I open squelch all the way I hear static, but when I close the gate two clicks I hear nothing.

 

[jonwienke]

I suspect you may have had your outdoor antenna connected, and had static discharge fry something in the scanner. Was there any thunderstorm activity near you over the weekend? How is your outdoor antenna grounded?

 

[LBC907]

I suspect you may have had your outdoor antenna connected, and had static discharge fry something in the scanner. Was there any thunderstorm activity near you over the weekend? How is your outdoor antenna grounded?

This started before connecting the outdoor antenna, the antenna is usually connected to another scanner, a base unit in the house. It's grounded through a thick (8GA ish?) copper wire attached to the house grounding rod. And no thunderstorms until today, it's been hot and dry the last month or so.

I am beginning to think it's something with the radio, too. I have done a full factory reset on it with no luck.

 

[jonwienke]

Sounds like it is time to send it in. I can't think of anything else to try, especially if you're not getting a close call hit or any reception from a transmitter in the same room.

 

[hiegtx]

Any possibility that a transmitter was keyed up too close to your HP-2? Even if it was turned off, there is some possibility of damage to the scanner's front end.

In any event, I suspect sending it in for repair is the best, maybe only, option.

 

[LBC907]

Well I appreciate the help guys. It was worth a shot to see if I was forgetting anything.

Time to get a hold of Uniden!

 

[hiegtx]

Well I appreciate the help guys. It was worth a shot to see if I was forgetting anything.

Time to get a hold of Uniden!

Start here

Repair

 

[Blackswan73]

Probably already checked this, but I wondered if you might have accidentally muted the speaker. It is easy to do with that radio

 

[LBC907]

Probably already checked this, but I wondered if you might have accidentally muted the speaker. It is easy to do with that radio

I've done that before, and I have checked it a few times. It wasn't muted.

So after some trying many things, I pulled the SD card, formatted it all by it's self with a card reader, then did a Sentinel All Clear with it still in the card reader, installed it into the radio, and whatya know, i'm getting audio again. Cannot for the life of me figure out why the all clear didn't work while the card was in the scanner, but there ya go.

For anyone with problems like mine, try that. I'll post back if I have problems again.

Thanks everyone for the help!

 

[hiegtx]

I've done that before, and I have checked it a few times. It wasn't muted.

So after some trying many things, I pulled the SD card, formatted it all by it's self with a card reader, then did a Sentinel All Clear with it still in the card reader, installed it into the radio, and whatya know, i'm getting audio again. Cannot for the life of me figure out why the all clear didn't work while the card was in the scanner, but there ya go.

For anyone with problems like mine, try that. I'll post back if I have problems again.

Thanks everyone for the help!

Glad you got it going. I've seen a number of comments for units that quit working, for various reasons. Even though they did not appear to be directly related to the memory card (such as your 'no reception', and apparently no error messages either), replacing the cards in fact cured the issue.

 

[mrg1std]

I had the same issue with my HP-2 and it turns out I over tightened the antenna and broke the inside connection. I sent it back to Uniden for repair.