Pro-106 Help-Video included

[skatertj]

Hey, Im having an issue with my pro-106. It appears to be a interference issue of some sort but I dont know if it is truly interference or not. I have included a video of my issue to help everyone understand what my scanner is doing. Video---Radio issue - YouTube

My description of the issue would have to be a high pitch oscillating sound when receiving transmissions on Tulsa Site Details (Oklahoma Wireless Interoperability Network (OKWIN) Motorola). In the video, you will hear a high pitch noise. That is my scanner but im not sure why its doing it.
To help understand my problem here is a list of helpful information
-Scanner has been dropped in past on carpet only. Issue never occured directly after. No issues after drop.
-Site says its 2-Site Simulcast. I have programmed the TSYS Multi-Site to Roam and Stat- NO help.
-Using custom reband plan-did help after changing T Tables to custom.
-Issue occurs anywhere(In house or car) and with or without batteries. Happens with car and ac adapter.
-Not related to cell phone distance.
-Did appear to happen after programming with Win500 but am not positive.
-Occurs with or without backlight or led on or off
-Appears to only happen on Tulsa's site, not Coweta( BOTH on Okwin system)
-Does happen randomly and does happen with external OR internal speaker
-DSP and CPU are both up to date

If you can help me figure out this issue, that would be great! Any tips, please let me know. This is my second pro-106 that has done this. This scanner was a replacement for my first, which I had to return for this exact reason. My current scanner(one in video and new issue) just started this randomly and was fine since I first got it.

Also, Im not sure if this is normal either. The signal bar seems to flash slightly when scanning. I never noticed it before but have now. It doesnt flash when receiving only scanning and does for both tulsa and coweta sites.

If my scanner needs to be sent in for repairs, i will. It is still under warranty and needs a new screen anyway. It has a defect in the screen when viewing through polaroid sunglasses or when I'm in a dark room and the TV light hits it. Attachment shows defect!

Thanks for any help!!!

 

[Ronaldski]

Might be the radio system itself since you state other I assume P25 systems don't have it.
I take it you don't have another digital radio to compare?

Might be a good idea to have someone that also monitors that system to chime in on what they hear.
Listen into the feed and when you hear it on yours, see if the same transmission noise occurs as normally there is several seconds of delay through the net -
City of Tulsa and Rural Police and Fire and Tulsa County Sheriff Live Audio Feed

 

[skatertj]

I dont believe it is the system as i have an analog pro-2055 radio that this does not occur on. Analog listens just fine on the tulsa site, the 106 listens to the exact site and talkgroups but gets the issue...

 

[Ronaldski]

Per your video though it is showing Tulsa trunked system and the database says Tulsa uses the OKWIN digital system. The 2055 is not a digital radio.

 

[skatertj]

Tulsa is not full digital. Okwin is a analog/digital system. Tulsa was using digital talkgroups but hasnt in about 3 weeks, they are back to analog and my 2055 picks up everything the 106 does besides Coweta's site as it is a full reband, which the 2055 cant monitor

 

[Avery93]

It sounds like the sub-audible signalling of the voice channel beating against another, weaker carrier on the frequency. I would almost say it is simulcast distortion, but that is usually received as more of a crackling noise; and I noticed in your video that one voice channel (857.9875) had the noise but the other (858.4625) did not. Usually it would effect all simulcasted frequencies to some degree. How many voice channels does this occur on?

Another thing that leads me to believe it is simulcast distortion is you said it happens on the Tulsa subsystem (2-site simulcast), but not the Coweta subsystem (single site).

What happens when you manually tune to one of the effected voice channels? Can you hear any other signals when the channel is not active?

 

[skatertj]

Im not sure how many this happens on since it never occured to me to look at the voice channel frequency till you brought it up. I know it does happen randomly and at no set interval or time. I currently have it tuned to 857.9875 and I do not hear any other signals but I am noticing that when one talkgroup is talking, its bouncing around a bunch of different talk groups. The TGID, in manual mode on that frequency, does not stay steady. It bounces between a bunch of different ones, causing the one talking to have static when talking, If that makes sense.

As you stated and I did previously, I have not heard this on Coweta single sub system.

 

[Avery93]

Im not sure how many this happens on since it never occured to me to look at the voice channel frequency till you brought it up. I know it does happen randomly and at no set interval or time. I currently have it tuned to 857.9875 and I do not hear any other signals but I am noticing that when one talkgroup is talking, its bouncing around a bunch of different talk groups. The TGID, in manual mode on that frequency, does not stay steady. It bounces between a bunch of different ones, causing the one talking to have static when talking, If that makes sense.

Its starting to sound like it is not simulcast distortion, but rather some kind of intermittent interference on some of the voice channels. The next time you hear it, try to tune to the voice channel in use as soon as you can and see if you can hear anything on the frequency after the repeater drops out. I believe you can do this quickly by pressing FUNC + TUNE while the VC is still active.

I can't say I've ever experienced the exact issue you are having when manually tuned to a voice channel. If I'm reading that right, it is constantly decoding different (and incorrect) TGIDs while the channel is active, and breaking up the audio or causing static?

 

[skatertj]

Your correct but its doing both! Its static and breaking up. Im honestly wondering if it isnt from Win500... It was the last program i used to program it since this all started. I havent bought any software yet so i have been trying them all. Psredit 500 was the program i used before WIN and it wasnt doing this at that time. I then programmed with WIN and went to Kansas, got back and all this occured... Kansas i was listening to P25 KSICS and had no problems. Unfortunately psredit is expired so i cant see if it was the software unless i buy it...

 

[skatertj]

Update: Reprogrammed with PSREDIT500 and still getting the noise. Sooo, it wasnt related to programming of Win500. It either is signal or scanner messed up somehow because it happened randomly. Was fine about a month ago now its getting this sound...

If i sent it in for repair, what would i even say? I know the outer screen needs replaced but what about this noise? Nothing im doing seems to work...

 

[nanZor]

To me it does sound like a bit of interference / overload / mixing product. Your 2055 seems be handling it a bit better apparently.

Looks like you have a full-smash signal according to the S-meter on those systems, so can you reproduce the problem if you activate the attenuator? Instead of global attenuation, you can set the 106 for individual attenuation if you like. This might provide a temporary solution if it puts the offending signal junk below the noise level of the scanner, yet leaves the system strong enough to actually monitor.

I'd be interested to see if changing the SuperTrack option would help, although I doubt it.

 

[Avery93]

Update: Reprogrammed with PSREDIT500 and still getting the noise. Sooo, it wasnt related to programming of Win500. It either is signal or scanner messed up somehow because it happened randomly. Was fine about a month ago now its getting this sound...

If i sent it in for repair, what would i even say? I know the outer screen needs replaced but what about this noise? Nothing im doing seems to work...

There really isn't any way programming software could cause something like this, so that's not surprising. I'm fairly sure this is something external to your scanner causing RF interference to certain voice channels. If you can narrow down exactly which VCs have the issue, and then try to monitor the offending signal; that would be helpful. I forgot to mention that the actual signal could be on an adjacent frequency, and still cause the noise.

As for the other problem with false TGID decoding and static, make sure that CCDump and DSPDump is set to "No" in the expert settings menu (PGM, FUNC + F3). Beyond those settings I don't know of anything else that might cause that problem.

 

[skatertj]

Well after listening this morning, im noticing that the frequency i posted about earlier, i think 857.9375? Is the only VC i seem to hear it on and i only hear the noise when someone transmittes. If i tune to it manually, i can hear users talk and some the noise occurs. TGIDs do change fast in manual mode on that frequency. They do not stay steady but im wondering if its normal now. I tried using a paper clip as my antenna this morning, still got noise. Global attenuation does not really effect sound so ill try regular attenuation later this evening.

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[KevinC]

To me it sounds like interference. Is anything on the next frequency up or down from 857.9375? Especially something very close to you?

 

[nanZor]

A paper clip can still be an effective antenna at 800mhz.

When you attenuate, or use just the paper clip, does the S-meter go down at all? You may still be getting hammered.

I'd also use the Signal Stalker to see if anything blasts it's way through contributing to the mix.

 

[skatertj]

Well guys, here is more info!!! I decided to take my 2055 out of mycar and inside my house. And guess what??? It has the exact noise as my 106 on the same frequency. Soooo, its not the 106 which is good but the system. Now to fix the interference lol! Also i do believe the papwr clip lessened my signal bars. I will have to test some more this evening.

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[Ronaldski]

Start pulling the plug one by one on anything electronic till you don't hear it.

 

[skatertj]

Idk if its my house though... my 106 has done this sound while in my car. Exact same sound but not sure if it was the same frequency or not. I can take my 106 outside later and try it.

Also my 2055 was on an external quarterwave whip, now its back on the stock antenna. 106 uses the 800 ducky while its in my car. The 2055 never gets the noise while in my car and i have only once heard this sound on the 106 in my car.

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[skatertj]

Woooooo! Found the dang culprit!!!! Directv dvr box in my living room. Unplugged it, noise goes away. Plug it in, and you can hear the noise start up while the box turns on. Idk what caused this noise in my car but im glad i foumd the issue for my home! May need to order a new box if they will allow it.

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[skatertj]

Alright guys, since i know the noise is my directv box, is there anything i can do to prevent the noise? External antenna is not really an option as my desktop/mobile stays in car and handheld goes back and forth from home to car. Is there something i can cover the box with to stop interference? It almost sounds like the hard drive. I say this because of how it oscillates and sounds with or without box on. It has to br unplugged for the noise to stop.

Any advice?

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