I have just purchased a new Radio Shack Pro-688 and I can't get it to receive anything but the National Weather Service. I live in Clay County, North Carolina. I have tried programming in my zip code 28909 and it comes up with a several playlist but nothing works, nada, zip. I know the Sheriff and the FD have switched over to Digital. I am pretty sure they are on Viper and I have gone in and selected the Chunky Gal Site for Clay County. I even installed an outside mobile 2 meter/70cm antenna outside on my deck. This is my first time using a Digital Trunked Scanner and I am frustrated that I can't get anything to work with the exception of the local NOAA radio. I am using PC Software 2.2 Build 310, CPU Firmware 2.3, DSP Firmware 1.3, Library Database 408, and Location Database 10. The software shows this all to be the latest version. I have been a HAM for over 28 years and can't believe I am having so many problems programming a scanner. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions.
Pro-668: New Radio - Help Getting it to Work
- Thread starter Bneumann
- Start date
- Status
troymail
Silent Key
Just throwing some thoughts out....
Note that the other than "Standard" programming (city, county, zip code, etc.) load by service types. The default service types do not include everything so if you haven't already done so, you may want to turn all of them on for now.
Zip code programming is an option but you might be better off with more specific programming for the County/area.
Did you try loading by County vs. zip code?
Also note that you can add additional programming of additional zips and counties in the same scanlists.
Looking at the map, I'm also guessing your area is probably pretty quiet (particularly on Sunday)... but I'm totally guessing on that....
You may also want to load up a few other close sites of Viper but we aware, if you program them all as 1 system (multiple sites), the radio will hold on the best site it is receiving and won't scan the others (without some slightly advanced programming).
Last edited:
Thanks, yes I tried by county and by system. I know this is a small county but you would think their would be some traffic. I will keep plugging away.
troymail
Silent Key
Interestingly, I just used the Radio Shack iScan software and did "default" service imports for 28909 and Clay County.... each time I got about 169 conventional frequencies loaded -- no trunked systems.
Try a "Standard" import and load VIPER Chunky Gap directly.
Try a "Standard" import and load VIPER Chunky Gap directly.
Yes I got the same. I had to use system to get the trunked system.
troymail
Silent Key
Given the nature of the sites in a trunked system, you're only going to hear activity that is present in a given site.
You may want to try adding a few additional nearby sites but keep in mind that the radio tends to lock onto the single best site.
Using iScan to "duplicate" the system and treating each site in a different system (in a different scanlist) will allow you enable each site separately and scan multiple sites.
You may want to try adding a few additional nearby sites but keep in mind that the radio tends to lock onto the single best site.
Using iScan to "duplicate" the system and treating each site in a different system (in a different scanlist) will allow you enable each site separately and scan multiple sites.
scosgt
Member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2004
- Messages
- 1,295
- Reaction score
- 29
The software is a little buggy and sometimes you have to fight with it to import trunked systems. That's most likely the problem.
Try the imports doing all different methods until you find what you need.
And remember, you CAN program manually in the software, so if the systems you need are in the RR database, you can add them by hand.
Try the imports doing all different methods until you find what you need.
And remember, you CAN program manually in the software, so if the systems you need are in the RR database, you can add them by hand.
The easiest way in iScan to break a multiple site system into separate systems for scanning (as mentioned above) is to add the system using iScan either by standard or county methods.
Then go to the trunked systems tab (one of those you have go to the advanced tab and turn on to see... its the most used tab in the software by me and they hide it)
Then highlight the system and click on the duplicate button on right. It will add it to the bottom of the list of systems.
Highlight the new system, click on sites, and then delete all but the one you want.
Repeat as needed for other sites on that systems.
Mark
536HP/HP1e/HP2e/996P2/996XT
996T/396XT(2)/PSR800/PRO668
Then go to the trunked systems tab (one of those you have go to the advanced tab and turn on to see... its the most used tab in the software by me and they hide it)
Then highlight the system and click on the duplicate button on right. It will add it to the bottom of the list of systems.
Highlight the new system, click on sites, and then delete all but the one you want.
Repeat as needed for other sites on that systems.
Mark
536HP/HP1e/HP2e/996P2/996XT
996T/396XT(2)/PSR800/PRO668
Thanks, that cleaned up my list but I am still not hearing anything. I guess I need to find someone with a digital scanner in my county and state to see what I am doing wrong. Thanks for taking the time to respond.
- Status
Similar threads
