Minitor IV frequency problems

[mike6208]

Hey minitor guys, I have a 4 that won't pickup anything on the local FD 154.2350 frequency. Have it programmed to that freq and set to monitor. But will not get any traffic at all. But my bearcat 355c picks up every transmission, anyone have any ideas to why?


Thanks all

 

[902]

Hey minitor guys, I have a 4 that won't pickup anything on the local FD 154.2350 frequency. Have it programmed to that freq and set to monitor. But will not get any traffic at all. But my bearcat 355c picks up every transmission, anyone have any ideas to why?


Thanks all

Obvious question - after you programmed it on frequency was it working for a while and then stopped, or did it get programmed and you never heard anything after that?

I have a Minitor IV at home that I am about ready to reprogram down into the 2 meter ham band as soon as I craft up a cable to do it with, so whatever you've done might relate to me at some point soon.

 

[mike6208]

I had it on our local freq that was 151.215 and it was working fine, FD switched to a new dispatch with a new freq and I can't pickup anything on the pager after the freq change. Never received any traffic on the new freq. I searched around Google and it says the 4 is narrowband ready or it will pick it up. But could this be a problem or should I be looking at other issues.

 

[SteveC0625]

Hey minitor guys, I have a 4 that won't pickup anything on the local FD 154.2350 frequency. Have it programmed to that freq and set to monitor. But will not get any traffic at all. But my bearcat 355c picks up every transmission, anyone have any ideas to why?

I had it on our local freq that was 151.215 and it was working fine, FD switched to a new dispatch with a new freq and I can't pickup anything on the pager after the freq change. Never received any traffic on the new freq. I searched around Google and it says the 4 is narrowband ready or it will pick it up. But could this be a problem or should I be looking at other issues.

Mike, I sent you a PM with my email address. Please send me a copy of your most current codeplug. Also need your agency name, county dispatch name, and state, please, so I can verify programming info.

 

[com501]

You moved the receiver 3 megs and you expect it to work? Did you adjust the VCO? RARELY will a M4 go that far without re-alignment. Did it take the frequencies without having to use engineering mode?

BTW, moving into the 2 meter band is going to have the same issues, only worse.

Craft up a cable?? The Minitor series use a programming cradle with a RIB.

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

Craft up a cable?? The Minitor series use a programming cradle with a RIB.

FWIW, if you have ~$10, a paperclip and don't mind waiting a week for shipping, you can make your own programming cable. After the equipment arrived, it took me all of 5 minutes with the paperclip and a pair of trauma shears to make my cable. For about another $10, you can get a project box and make a nice mount for it, but I actually find that the naked cable travels better.

 

[CommJunkie]

You moved the receiver 3 megs and you expect it to work? Did you adjust the VCO? RARELY will a M4 go that far without re-alignment. Did it take the frequencies without having to use engineering mode?
.

If the band split on the pager is 151-158, why would he need to do any of that????

 

[902]

You moved the receiver 3 megs and you expect it to work? Did you adjust the VCO? RARELY will a M4 go that far without re-alignment. Did it take the frequencies without having to use engineering mode?

BTW, moving into the 2 meter band is going to have the same issues, only worse.

Craft up a cable?? The Minitor series use a programming cradle with a RIB.

Here's a post that shows how to make an improvised programming cable that doesn't require all kinds of specialty items.

 

[com501]

Anything as old as an M4 will rarely go the entire rated bandsplit without some kind of alignment anymore. I am sitting here with a batch of M4s that the customer wants moved from 157 down to 151 and they are all exhibiting VCO issues, some barely in lock, whining, microphonic, some not in lock, and one or two that actually seem to be working. I'd say that off the bat, after programming 4 in 20 of these are working without issues.

 

[com501]

Here's a post that shows how to make an improvised programming cable that doesn't require all kinds of specialty items.

How nice. I prefer to actually do it right. But hey, whatever floats your boat. At least on a minitor its extremely hard to brick one.