Pro-163 low band noise

[bs953]

Hi all,
I bought this scanner the other day from rat shack, I also picked up the clone cable, installed ARC300, became a premium member of this site and bought the rat shack glass mount ant.
I installed the ant correctly carefully cut the tint from around the mount etc etc. I mainly bought this scanner to listen to freqs from Mariposa County (California)( I live in Fresno) and also CHP, since I drive two hours each day. My working theroy is that if I can hear the little buggers on their mobile freq I got a cop within 5 miles of me rather than having a radar detecter tell me "they already see me". Anyways, from day one I had major issues with this scanner getting lots of noise on everything under 45 Mhz and not picking up my distant transmissions, my Pro-2044 and my OLD ten band does not have this issue, in fact the ten band literally has a coat hanger for an ant and it picks everything up including distance stations. I thought maybe the glass mount was junk, so I got the magnet mount ant and popped that on the trunk of my honda, BINGO now I am getting CHP and my distance stations. While sitting still, engine off. When I start driving though the 45 Mhz and under goes to hell, to the point that I have to shut that bank off, all of my distance works great. So now I know that the glass mount is junk, but doesn't explain the noise under 45Mhz even with the att on (which negates the mobile CHP freqs), and it is straight static full bar, stays there for a minute sometimes, then just simply stops and moves along or I LO that channel. It does pick up CHP when they talk IF I have that channel on. I have set those freqs to FM, since there not AM (learned that one the hard way), my pro-2044 doesn't have these issues in the car. Any ideas?

1991 Honda direct wire to the battery with good wire.

Other question: since I have two ant's now any reason I can't use a BNC T and utilize both of them? The glass mount worked real good for the higher freqs (dont know why) I understand ant size is inversly proportional to freq. so this doesn't work out for me on the numbers. I don't want to have nice squre hole in my tint, if I remove the ant. I can return it still and I have talked to the rat shack nerds about it. I am out about $400.00 and only frustrated. Thanx folks.

 

[SOFA_KING]

Low band (which I love) is all about noise these days. Professional radios have a noise blanker that deals with impulse noise that is common on low band. Scanners do not, but what do you expect for the price difference? Thee types of noise degrade low band. 1) Power line noise! Here in FL there is so much leakage from power lines that low band is almost impossible. FPL knows this but will not spend the money to clean it up (B@STARDS! ). They are betting the FCC will not enforce the law, and they are right. 2) Ignition noise. Your car and others around you will generate pulse noise. Kits are sold to help reduce this. 3) Fuel pump noise. This is a problem on many vehicles. This sounds like your problem based on what you are saying. Sometimes a manufacturer will try to suppress this if you complain, but more often than not they will say it is not something they can do.

So why is one scanner working and one not working under driving conditions? That makes no sense at all. Maybe the new scanner is more sensitive and shows the noise on the S meter. Does the old scanner have an S meter? Doesn't matter...nothing should change when you drive. If your squelch is popping open during this condition you may have a scanner design issue. Some cheaper squelch designs will do this.(like this junk Icom IC 706 Mk II G I once owned...what a bad design! Even on VHF HI the squelch popped open with power line noise! Traded it for a Yaesu FT-100, which worked perfect.) There is no fix for it. BUT you have a vehicle issue with noise by the sound of it, and no matter what scanner you have it will always degrade reception. The older scanner masks it better.

As for antenna type and mixing, you will get the best results with an antenna that is tuned for the frequency you are trying to hear. The optimal mobile 42 MHz antenna is 70" long! No way a short glass mount will get good results on low band. And yes, you can combine them, but NOT with a BNC T connector. You would need the correct diplexer that passes the frequencies of each antenna to do it right. T connectors de-tune both antennas which results in bad reception. (BTW - police do not broadcast their location, so this is not going to prevent speeding tickets.)

On a final note...low band works great when you have the right conditions like good radios with good noise blankers. I have several Motorola LB radios, and some are better at impulse noise reduction than others. The Mitrek is one of my best and I use it on 52 MHz mobile with good results. Low band offers greater range than higher freqs, but noise has become a bigger problem these days than in the past. The FCC has failed to enforce the existing laws and now computer garbage is even a problem. The spectrum is turning into one big wasteland!

Phil

 

[bs953]

Thanks for the reply. OK diplexer, I kinda thought I wasn't gonna get away that easy. What suprises me though is that the Pro-163 is supposed to be a 'good' scanner, damn expensive too. Yes I am aware that a long antenna would do the trick for the low bands in my case 32.00Mhz to 34.00 and again at 47.10. Thats why they drop coils etc in these short suckers LOL while not perfect does do the trick.
Oh yes your right the police don't broadcast their locations as a general rule but for example chp here uses 42.660 and 42.0800 as there mobile freq to yack at base (transmit) base yaks back at 42.880 (in the case of the 42.660) "if" I hear activity on 42.660, I got a chp close enough to me that I need to pay attention period and thats all I need to know. That means there within 2 miles of me, and most times even if there not talking 42.660 will 'birdie' for me and sure as hell a few minutes later bingo sitting on the side of the road......much better warning than a radar detector.!

I agree with engine noise, what sucks though is that my am radio is quiet, I have no noise coming through that. Any specific suggestions on a filter then?

Thanx