NOVA scanning problems

[tx]

Anyone in the loudoun county area having issues with interference on digital and analog channels? I bought a new bcd996t and a ground base antenna but reception is noticeably worse on the 996 than it is on my 10+ years old Pro-29 scanner for analog channels. Anything I receive on the 996 breaks up so I can never hear the full transmission.

I've tested this scanner on two different systems, Loudoun and Fairfax, and at two different locations, Ashburn and Reston, to isolate any interference I may have been getting at home. But nothing seems to be helping and I'm starting to wonder if there's just something wrong with this scanner.

Thanks

 

[mike_s104]

Anyone in the loudoun county area having issues with interference on digital and analog channels? I bought a new bcd996t and a ground base antenna but reception is noticeably worse on the 996 than it is on my 10+ years old Pro-29 scanner for analog channels. Anything I receive on the 996 breaks up so I can never hear the full transmission.

I've tested this scanner on two different systems, Loudoun and Fairfax, and at two different locations, Ashburn and Reston, to isolate any interference I may have been getting at home. But nothing seems to be helping and I'm starting to wonder if there's just something wrong with this scanner.

Thanks

Can't speak for the Fairfax system, but I know I get some interference on the Loudoun CC from my work computer...fixed by moving it about 2 feet away.

Do you think it's something in your area or home causing it?

I would suggest only programming in the CCs and not all the freqs.

 

[tx]

I tried moving the scanner around, and even took it to work today to try that area but I didn't get any better results. Just to test the computer theory i shut down a few moments ago, no luck there either. I can tell that if the antenna is extremely close there is interference with both scanners but I don't have them sitting that close either.

I'm having a hard time telling if its bad signal or interference. Most of the signals look and sound like they're strong enough to come through but I only hear portions of the transmission. Same thing with dulles air traffic on the 996. What confuses me is the pro29 picks up those transmissions fine with just its rubber ducky antenna.

ka3jjz sent me this link describing simulcast distortion which sounds a lot like what I'm hearing. I think the only thing left I haven't tried though is a yagi or other directional antenna.

Simulcast digital distortion - The RadioReference Wiki

I hoped this would work but I tried programming just the CC sites and not the extra ones from the DB and it stop receiving all transmissions so I put the others back in. Back to sub-normal

Is there a way to locate towers so I can check for a line of sight?

Edit:

I just noticed the simulcast distortion is for p25 systems only, and the LC one is just a moto type 2. So I guess it doesn't apply but the description still sounds similar. I'll try and record some output and post a sample.

 

[tx]

at the link below is a 30 second mp3 sample of the breaks in audio i'm hearing.

drop.io lcems42

 

[SkyPager]

Is there any chance you have enabled the PRIORITY function? My GRE-500 sounds like that when it switches between the priority channel and what ever channel is live.

 

[tx]

Checked that, but priority mode was already turned off. The scanner doesn't appear to switch channels when I the audio skips.

 

[searingxheretic]

If you have the weather priority or close call proximity enabled it sounds like that as well on the 996t. Make sure all of those options are shut off.

 

[tx]

Thank you a million! I turned off Wx Pri and CC Pri and the problem went away. I must have misunderstood the purpose of those settings, I thought the priority setting in the main menu would turn all of that off.

 

[srd84]

The weather priority thing sucks. I thought it was a cool option when I read about it for my PSR-500 but it rags out all the other transmissions. Hopefully they'll mention the tornado coming on one of the public safety channels I'm scanning...