Pro-106 reception on conventional channels....weak?

[country2]

I know that radio's reception comes from the antenna's but I've notice that I'm missing calls on my police frequency (mainly 151.1300) on the 106 but before I sold my BTC15 to buy the 106 I was mirroring with my county online feed but now I'm not....Might have to get me another BTC15 or equivalent.

 

[skydmark1]

I haven't had my 106 all that long, but I seem to get everything that my Uniden Sportcat gets.

 

[country2]

I'm using a ScanAntenna up about 35ft maybe cable has a issue somewhere and it just started about same time as I got the 106. But I'm receiving surrounding counties with no problem, it's defiantly quieter I don't think Banks County has changed anything and I had the guy that does our scanner feeds send me the frequencies he uses and I already had them ...Wish I had another one to hook up and compare.

 

[SCPD]

check the attenuator option

 

[thewenk]

As was suggested try the attenuator. Also try it with the supplied duck antenna and take it off the outside antenna. That radio can be be very susceptible to overload on a strong vhf hi signal especially with an outside antenna. Other strong local signals such as FM transmitters can desense the vhf hi band. Sometimes it is necessary to use an FM trap filter or notch filter to eliminate the problem. I wouldn't rush out and buy a BTC15 just yet. There has been much discussion about this on the GRE PSR500 forum threads.

Dave

 

[PHOENIX_SCANNER]

As was said already, you will probably need the attenuator with an outdoor antenna, especially on these GRE (GRE inside) radios, that have hot front ends.

Now, with that said, while you may be happy with att on, and it may suit you (which is all that really matters I suppose), the 106 will not match the BCT15 for analog reception most likely. So you might want to still pick one up for that outdoor antenna.

Look, straight out, I have owned most of the cool scanners made in the last 18 or so years, and have been playing with them for about 30 years, and I have found that the BCT15 is the best analog scanner ever made, at least in my testing, in my unique set of conditions. Mileage may well vary, but just a heads up on this.

I have done EXTENSIVE comparison testing and found the following:

Best base scanner for 800 mhz P25 (most big agencies around me): PSR-600 / Pro-197 (best for simulcast / best digital voice decoding)
Best digtal & analog portable scanner: PSR-500 / Pro-106 (best digital / good on analog)
Best analog base: BCT15 (not even close - it rules - no attenuation needed - great filtering - sensitive)
Best analog only portable: unknown - testing not done - I have to have digital on my portables

Now, if anyone has done testing on the 164 vs the 162, I would say that would give you a pretty good idea on the analog portable comparison, but I can't say for sure. I have this sneaking suspicion though, that the uniden made 162 will do better on analog stuff (especially vhf high), than the GRE made 164, based only upon the superior performance of the BCT15 in analog testing (with an emphasis on VHF High).

Oddly enough, unidens that combine digital and analog do not have the same high level of analog (especially VHF High) performance.

All of this is based purely upon testing that I did, with my antennas, in my unique situation, with my methods. This isn't scientific of course, and I will be first to say so. I will also be the first to say that in your unique situation, results might be different. Just sharing my experiences. I think they do have some value since I put quite a great deal of effort in to them, and tried hard to be objective. Perhaps they would be of the most value to those also living in a high RF environment like myself.

 

[crippledchicken]

I have had both, the pro 162 and the 164 and the 162 brings in my usual distant channels 154-160mhz the best with good audio, and just a light hiss in the back ground. The pro 164 on the other hand pulls in nothing but static, crackling, and popping on the same frequencies. I've tried the ATT. and just totally lost the signal. with an old RS Archer 20db. amplifier the channels came in usable but, still not as loud or as quiet of a back ground noise also, I'm using the RS Discone. I was glad I took the 164 back the next day and swapped it for the 162 which were both, $99.00 at the time. now I don't have much 800mhz at all in my area so, I couldn't compare the two in that range but, so far the 800mhz. I've received on the 162, seems to come in good also. but for $99.00 I don't think a person could go wroung with either one! Also, I have a BCT15 coming next week.

 

[country2]

Thanks for all the suggestions, going to turn att on and listen for a while then try the rubber ducky antenna. STill might look for another good used BCT15..Thanks for all the advices!!!

 

[AKJohnny]

Thanks for all the suggestions, going to turn att on and listen for a while then try the rubber ducky antenna. STill might look for another good used BCT15..Thanks for all the advices!!!

I know this is a long shot, but I had a similar issue on my 106. I was using software to upload frequencies, and something must have happened to one of them (156.07500) during upload. The channel seemed very quite...only a call once in a great while. I then ran my bcd396t side by side and was picking up much more calls on that channel than the 106. It drove me nuts for awhile. I finally went ahead and removed the conv object and re-entered it into the 106 and Now I am getting all the calls. I have no idea what could have happened, but that fixed it for me. Try it, you never know. Good luck!

 

[country2]

I tried the rubber duck intenna instead of the outside one and it kept stopping on frequencies with static could not get it to start scanning without turning squelch up 3/4 of the way so that idea did not work.

Now I went and read many posts on the GRE forum and notice many had issues like this and setting the CTCSS to search or off instead for the tone solved many of these problems along with turning the Att on. So far I have turned the CTSCC to off on my police frequency that I was getting most of the misses on and it seemed to have fixed it...so far. Guess I'll have to spend a few more hours monitoring it with the online feed to be sure..Thanks everyone for there suggestions.

 

[crippledchicken]

I assume, your problem frequencies are local?

 

[country2]

I assume, your problem frequencies are local?

yes all local.

 

[PHOENIX_SCANNER]

I have had both, the pro 162 and the 164 and the 162 brings in my usual distant channels 154-160mhz the best with good audio, and just a light hiss in the back ground. The pro 164 on the other hand pulls in nothing but static, crackling, and popping on the same frequencies. I've tried the ATT. and just totally lost the signal. with an old RS Archer 20db. amplifier the channels came in usable but, still not as loud or as quiet of a back ground noise also, I'm using the RS Discone. I was glad I took the 164 back the next day and swapped it for the 162 which were both, $99.00 at the time. now I don't have much 800mhz at all in my area so, I couldn't compare the two in that range but, so far the 800mhz. I've received on the 162, seems to come in good also. but for $99.00 I don't think a person could go wroung with either one! Also, I have a BCT15 coming next week.

Very interesting, and it just confirms my feelings about these analog-only uniden scanners, they are just great equipment.