Pro 164 Motorola Programing

[NateTheGreat9er]

Hi everybody, I'm kinda new at this, so forgive me. I have tried everything under the sun to get this scanner working! I've read the manual again and again, even an online one that someone was kind enough to rewrite, and videos, and this blasted thing will NOT trunk scan.

I live in Missouri City, Fort Bend County, Texas. Even on open scan I cannot hear anybody.

Thank you for your time to read this!

 

[hiegtx]

Hi everybody, I'm kinda new at this, so forgive me. I have tried everything under the sun to get this scanner working! I've read the manual again and again, even an online one that someone was kind enough to rewrite, and videos, and this blasted thing will NOT trunk scan.

I live in Missouri City, Fort Bend County, Texas. Even on open scan I cannot hear anybody.

Thank you for your time to read this!

Hi Nate
You'd probably get more local help either down in the Texas Forum, or over on the HoustonScan Yahoo group. (If you want to ask in the Texas Forum, do not start a new thread for the same topic. Instead, use the "report thread" link (the triangle with an exclamation mark) to make a 'move thread' request. One of the moderators would have to approve and make the move for you.)

Which system are you trying to program? The analog version of TxWARN?
Texas Wide Area Radio Network (TxWARN) Motorola Trunking System, Metro Houston area, Texas - Scanner Frequencies

If that is the system (it does show Missouri City talkgroups), then are you using software to program? If so, which program? See this page for supported software packages. The three main choices are Win97, ARC300, and PSREdit300.

If you are trying to program without software, you will not be successful. The Fort Bend County sites, including the site in Missouri City, have been rebanded. This requires that you enter a Custom Band Table, in addition to the control channel frequencies, in order for the system to work. For your model scanner, that cannot be done via the keyboard; you must use software.

 

[NateTheGreat9er]

I am using the Win97 software, and I'm pretty sure I have it rebanded. I read the article on RR about how to reband using the multi-table option. I entered the control frequencies and I can hear traffic when I listen to them on manual mode, but when I switch to scan (even with the channel unlocked) I can't hear ANYTHING! I'll head over to those groups. Thanks!!

 

[Tweekerbob]

When you listen to the transmissions in manual mode, do they sound a little bit distorted and/or weak?

If so, your scanner may be one of the (now) many 164s that are a bit off frequency. While you may still be able to determine what is being said on the voice frequencies, the signal is too distorted for the scanner to be able to decode the data from the control channel.

There is a pretty easy work around you can use in post # 5 of this thread and a more permanent fix in post # 16.

The workaround is simple and just takes a second to configure in your programming software. Make the change to the custom band plans, upload to the scanner, and see if your problem is fixed. If it doesn't work, that may not have been your problem. No harm, no foul, simply change the custom band plans back as they were initially.