This is my first post here. I've been reading through the forum and trying to find information that might help apparent reception problems I'm having with my brand new BCD396XT scanner.
First off, I'm trying to listen to a P25 system in Linn County, Iowa. I have used FreeScan to program the radio, and although I'm not done with setting up quick keys for groups, I have set color alerts for many of the agencies that I'm monitoring. I also have replaced the rubber ducky with a Diamond RH77CA antenna. The squelch is zeroed.
Google maps tells me that I'm 13.9 miles from the tower north of Marion, and we live on top of a hill.
What's happening....
The reception I'm getting is frequently choppy. Sometimes the signal level meter is showing 4 bars or more but I'm not getting any audio. Sometimes the alert light will come on and I'm getting no audio.
I have run the auto performance (threshold?) setting routine as described in the easier-to-read manual. I tried setting the 800 MHz band modulation from NFM to FM, then changed it back because it seemed like that killed everything. I have tried programming this as a mixed system but read somewhere that our new system is a straight P25 system so changed it to that.
I have played around with the delay times (not knowing what I'm doing) but those haven't made any difference that I can tell.
So. If anyone has any suggestions for me to try, I'm all ears. Things have truly changed since I studied communication electronics back in the vacuum tube days. It's frustrating to have this expensive new piece of high tech gear that many here say they love that doesn't perform as well as my old RS analog 800 MHz scanner did pre-trunking.
Thanks in advance.......
Bill
First off, I'm trying to listen to a P25 system in Linn County, Iowa. I have used FreeScan to program the radio, and although I'm not done with setting up quick keys for groups, I have set color alerts for many of the agencies that I'm monitoring. I also have replaced the rubber ducky with a Diamond RH77CA antenna. The squelch is zeroed.
Google maps tells me that I'm 13.9 miles from the tower north of Marion, and we live on top of a hill.
What's happening....
The reception I'm getting is frequently choppy. Sometimes the signal level meter is showing 4 bars or more but I'm not getting any audio. Sometimes the alert light will come on and I'm getting no audio.
I have run the auto performance (threshold?) setting routine as described in the easier-to-read manual. I tried setting the 800 MHz band modulation from NFM to FM, then changed it back because it seemed like that killed everything. I have tried programming this as a mixed system but read somewhere that our new system is a straight P25 system so changed it to that.
I have played around with the delay times (not knowing what I'm doing) but those haven't made any difference that I can tell.
So. If anyone has any suggestions for me to try, I'm all ears. Things have truly changed since I studied communication electronics back in the vacuum tube days. It's frustrating to have this expensive new piece of high tech gear that many here say they love that doesn't perform as well as my old RS analog 800 MHz scanner did pre-trunking.
Thanks in advance.......
Bill