Minitor II question

[KoledoVision]

Alrighty folks, I've been experiencing a bit of problems with my Minitor II, and I'm not likely to get a new pager anytime soon.

Lately, whenever my tone goes off, the pager activates as it should with the rapid set of beeps after the alert tone is received. But, the problem is that after it alerts, it goes silent and I can't hear any message from dispatch.

Now, I've also noticed that now that I have my new GSM cell, it's been acting up. I can't imagine why a GSM cellphone would interfere with a VHF pager. I dunno if this is just a coincidence or what, but it's kind of annoying to not know what's going on. I've been caught a few times now going to the station just for test tones...

Anyone have any ideas?

PS: Not sure if this is in the right place or not, I tried looking through the other categories.

 

[loumaag]

How about this test. I assume your test pages come at a regular time. Try shutting your new phone off (means power it down or remove the battery or what ever it takes to really turn it off) before the scheduled test time and see if the pager still works.

You may be experiencing what a lot of scanner users have noticed over the years. Several of the digital cell phones and Nextel units do indeed cause interference to the scanners. And yes it can happen in any band because they are interfering with one or more of the IF frequencies in the radios.

 

[KoledoVision]

I've tried having my cell phone away from the pager, or turned off. I've had my phone in the car, and it's still done it while I'm inside my home.

It seems to only do this after I get the "alert beeps" when dispatch puts out my tone. I don't know if that matters or not.

 

[loumaag]

Based on that additional info, it sounds more like the receiver is on the fritz. If the pager doesn't work, why can't you get another one?

 

[Voyager]

Lately, whenever my tone goes off, the pager activates as it should with the rapid set of beeps after the alert tone is received. But, the problem is that after it alerts, it goes silent and I can't hear any message from dispatch.

When on channel 1 (monitor) do you hear ANY audio? If not, I would say that is the problem (no RX audio). Could just need an alignment - could be a problem in the audio circuitry. I've seen the same problem before - the tones are there but no audio at all. You can test it at a base station. Just see if you can hear any signals at all.

When you hit the reset button, do you hear squelch noise?
(if the button hasn't turned all to tar yet)

Joe M.

 

[KoledoVision]

In monitor, I can hear everything. I have no problems hearing other departments when they get toned out, it just seems like that after my tone goes off, and the rapid beeps happen, my audio shuts off.

In alert mode, it will activate the pager, but then no audio again.

Edit: Yes, I can hear the squelch when you press the button.

 

[1268]

Have to agree with voyager, had this same problem with a minitor 2, you need to take it to a moto dealer for repair , not cheap but less then a new pager, I don't think there is much else you can do at this point.
Mark

 

[nexus]

Alrighty folks, I've been experiencing a bit of problems with my Minitor II, and I'm not likely to get a new pager anytime soon.

Lately, whenever my tone goes off, the pager activates as it should with the rapid set of beeps after the alert tone is received. But, the problem is that after it alerts, it goes silent and I can't hear any message from dispatch.

Now, I've also noticed that now that I have my new GSM cell, it's been acting up. I can't imagine why a GSM cellphone would interfere with a VHF pager. I dunno if this is just a coincidence or what, but it's kind of annoying to not know what's going on. I've been caught a few times now going to the station just for test tones...

Anyone have any ideas?

PS: Not sure if this is in the right place or not, I tried looking through the other categories.

Verify with whom ever maintains the radio system that the PL tones didn't get changed. Is your pager a one or two channel model? If 2 channels are you still using the correct channel? Might want to play with the dial to make sure it's in the correct position all the way.

But to me it really sounds like it's a PL tone issue. The minitor II is listening for the two tone sequence, once it gets that the alert goes off, then audio comes through but if the PL doesn't match the audio being transmitted it won't come through. It will if you press the monitor button because that defeats the PL making it an open receiver.

I have a friend who is the manager in a motorola radio shop, he's their senior tech and I'll tell him the problem you're having to see if he has any ideas.

My first guess would be to check with who ever you're being dispatched by didn't decide to change their PL tone. If they did, you need to get your minitor ii to match it. If they didn't you'll most likely still need to take it to a shop to get checked.

info on the minitor/director series:
http://www.batlabs.com/minitor.html
http://www.pwservice.com/pagers.htm

 

[JMR3865]

Minitors don't use PL tones!!!!!!

 

[nexus]

technically they do make one with PL. His might not be though.

I sent my friend with motorola an email i'll post what I find out

 

[N_Jay]

technically they do make one with PL. His might not be though.

I sent my friend with motorola an email i'll post what I find out

Not that decodes tones.

There was a version that was a receiver, but not a pager.

 

[KoledoVision]

In reply to Nexus, theres no possible way dispatch could have changed their equipment without telling us (the departments), as we would have had to change ours too. Also, that would negate me being able to hear everything else.

Edit: Err, I meant that they couldn't change the PL tones of their equipment without telling us.

 

[nexus]

okay... good luck with your problem.

 

[pro92b]

Found this on the web if it helps.

Minitor II - No Page

If you have a Minitor II Pager and it will not page, but you can hear the
tones through the speaker check the following.

During the transmission of the ""A"" tone check the output of the active
filter on pin 6 of J301 it should be a sine wave 100mV P-P. This wave is
coupled through C303 to pin 19 of the dec. chip. This wave enters the logic
gate ""A"" inside the dec. chip and causes capacitor C306 to discharge (goes
low). This low level signal is detected by the dec. chip logic control and
the pager knows it has received the ""A"" tone. The same thing happens to
the ""B"" tone, only it goes to the logic gate ""B"".

So, if the pager does not alert the dec. chip did not detect the low on pin
17 and 20. Some common reasons why are:

- Bad active filter (use test filter)
- Bad pin on connector J301 (usually pin 6)
- Bad buffer caps C303 or C304
- Cold solder on dec. chip (usually pin 21)
- Bad logic (discharge) caps C306 or C307
- The dec. chip usually never goes bad (do not replace it)

Saved from http://www.refreq.com/techtips/001.htm

 

[tglendye]

O.K., I'm just jumping in here and don't really have any good advice- just something you may want to try to see if it helps.

I think someone asked if you had a 1 or 2 channel pager, but I didn't see a reply. If you have a single channel pager with one "two-tone" set up try this: Open the case to the Minitor II. The II's have 3 slot spaces for the tone reeds (a,b & c). If the reeds are in a & b, the pager will beep multiple times when your two-tone hits. If you move the second tone to the "C" position it will activate with one long beep, instead of the rapid beeps.

This probably won't help at all... but just thinking if the problem is in the "B" position, moving it to "C" may clear it up. It just doesn't make a lot of sense that you have audio when your pager is in the opened position and the audio leaves when tones activate the pager.

Todd

 

[JMR3865]

Based on that additional info, it sounds more like the receiver is on the fritz. If the pager doesn't work, why can't you get another one?

I 2nd that!

 

[RDCat]

on my minitor II
i have 2 ch 1-584.8 hz in back slot then middle slot/855.5hz 3rd slot next to the speaker is empty
my tone is long-no beeps

which one should i move to get beeps?or do i need to know the proper hz reed we use ?

ron

 

[Voyager]

Found this on the web if it helps.

Minitor II - No Page

If you have a Minitor II Pager and it will not page, but you can hear the
tones through the speaker check the following.

Good info, but it's not the problem he is having. He said the tones go off fine (alert beeps and all).

The only things left I can think of are: (I would check in this order)

a) The squelch is too tight (it usually doesn't change, but the pot could have developed a bad spot). That's the pot on the bottom center of the main (large) board.

b) It needs a tune-up. (lost sensitivity)

c) It's off frequency and you are only hearing stronger stations.

As others have said, there was never a QCII pager that had PL. It was one or the other.

Joe M.

 

[nexus]

my friend who is a motorola tech, said this:
Not sure on that one. We dont deal with too many of those any more. Those
pagers have reeds in them for the tones. If it receives the tones than it
should unsquelch afterwards. I vaguely remember a problem with the squelch
circuit on one. All I can suggest is to go through the PCB connections with
a fine tip soldering iron to make sure they are good. It may actually have a
broken chip if it took a dive. In that case your screwed because parts are
not available for those pagers any more.

 

[KoledoVision]

Okay, the problem cleared up.

This is weird. My pger is acting normal again. Time to push to get a newer one that functions when one becomes available.