Pro-164 skipping transmissions??

[AK4FD]

I am hoping that somebody can help me with this issue I am having... I'm trunking a Motorola Type 2 SmartZone system and for some reason in the middle of transmissions the audio cuts out for a second or 2 and comes back on, causing me to miss an entire address or half a Driver License #, just an example. It's rather annoying especially since I dispatch calls for IPN and it requires listening to calls live and I can't hear an address or get a partial arrival report because the scanner cuts in and out. I have programmed it correctly, I don't have PRI or WX activated, I've turned ATT on and off as well as Global ATT on and off, I've tried erasing the memory and re-programming it all over, I just can't get this issue fixed and it's driving me bonkers. And it's not the area I'm in because I'm in the middle of a metropolitan area with no shortage of radio towers. If you listen to my live scanner feed link here long enough you will see (hear) what I am talking about in regards to listening to something and the audio cutting off for a second while someone is talking. If anyone has any suggestions (besides buying a new, better scanner LOL) please let me know... Thanks!

 

[buddrousa]

You have the scanner in the dispatch center?
It is possible that it is seeing another radio key up and desense (receiver overload) this can happen from any radio keying up near the scanner not just the same band you are listening to. Are you using an inside antenna outside antenna? What type of trouble shooting have you done. Scanners are a wideband receiver a near transmission in any band can cause the receiver to drop the signal.

 

[puzzleriddle]

Check the priorities you may have set.. that will cause it.

 

[AK4FD]

Re: Pro-164 audio skipping

You have the scanner in the dispatch center?
It is possible that it is seeing another radio key up and desense (receiver overload) this can happen from any radio keying up near the scanner not just the same band you are listening to. Are you using an inside antenna outside antenna? What type of trouble shooting have you done. Scanners are a wideband receiver a near transmission in any band can cause the receiver to drop the signal.

Nope it's in my small 1-bedroom house, in fact it's in my living room 6 inches from a window, I even have the 800mhz RadioShack rubber antenna pointing towards the window LOL

 

[AK4FD]

Re: Pro-164 audio skipping

Check the priorities you may have set.. that will cause it.

I don't have any priorities as previously stated, I don't have any PRI or WX on or off, almost full signal strength, it's next to my window, there's no electrical items even close to it to cause interference, maybe it's just a crappy scanner, I dunno LOL I can't figure out the problem and I'm more tech-savvy than most... I have wiped the scanner memory to 0 channels and re-programmed the trunking channels and talkgroups in from scratch...

 

[buddrousa]

Ok do you live near a high RF area? A high power ham, paging tower, other commerical 2way user?
I can make my scanner jump or skip audio on 150 meg vhf signal by keying my 800 trunking walkie 5 feet away. How far are you from the transmitter site you are monitoring?

 

[AK4FD]

Re: Pro-164 audio skipping

Ok do you live near a high RF area? A high power ham, paging tower, other commerical 2way user?
I can make my scanner jump or skip audio on 150 meg vhf signal by keying my 800 trunking walkie 5 feet away. How far are you from the transmitter site you are monitoring?

Oh geez I'm miles away from it, the system is a Motorola Type 2 analog trunking system that has 21 channels and it's a county system with 6 tower sites strategically placed throughout the county, I'd say I'm a good 5-10 miles from a transmitting tower... And no I'm not in a high RF area, I live in a single family home in the middle of a neighborhood and no towers in site. Like I said I am completely puzzled by this and don't understand how this happens... I've been scanning for 16 years and have never had this problem before until I bought this scanner...

 

[buddrousa]

Short of you have a bad unit I am just as puzzled as you are. How old is the scanner? Do you know the Radioshack Dealer see if he will trade with you for another scanner to try.

 

[AK4FD]

Re: Pro-164 audio skipping

Short of you have a bad unit I am just as puzzled as you are. How old is the scanner? Do you know the Radioshack Dealer see if he will trade with you for another scanner to try.

The scanner is 6 months old and has done this since day 1 out of the box. And I've tried with Radio Shack they won't take returns after 30 days and the guy that works there, who I'm surprised if he even graduated High School let alone giving me electronics advice on a subject I probably know 200 times more than he does, says it might be a programming issue. I can assure you I know how to program a scanner, by hand and using the software... LOL I guess I'll just try to sell it and buy a Uniden or something, serves me right for not buying Uniden in the first place they seem to make a far superior scanner than Radio Shack...

 

[KC5EIB]

Does it skip about every 2 seconds?
Do, or can you monitor another trunked system?
if so, does it do the same thing?
Can you monitor a non trunked frequency?
if so, does it do the same thing?

 

[AK4FD]

Re: Pro-164 audio skipping

Does it skip about every 2 seconds?
Do, or can you monitor another trunked system?
if so, does it do the same thing?
Can you monitor a non trunked frequency?
if so, does it do the same thing?

No it skips randomly, as far as another system it depends what you mean, I monitor the Sheriff and Fire-Rescue but they are on the same frequency system just different talkgroups, however I tried to put in a totally different system near me and I noticed that when it scans the letter T is highlighted and sporadically blinks on and off, so now I'm thinking that when the T blinks off it means it has lost frequency reception because it didn't blink on when I tried to monitor that different system which didn't come across received at all. I can monitor regular conventional frequency just fine. I even checked the FCC database and all of my system's frequencies are correct so one of the 20 frequencies in this system must be weak where I am at and when it trunks to that freq is too weak for me to receive so it cuts off til it trunks to another freq that's stronger.... But it shouldn't be happening period because everyone else near me doesn't have this problem with their non-Radio Shack scanners.... I think I just need to buy a Uniden LOL

 

[KC5EIB]

Is this the system you are monitoring?

Broward County Public Services Trunking System, Broward County, Florida - Scanner Frequencies

Are you loading the info into the radio with a software program or by hand?

If with a program, did you set the banks to "Multitable" and set the "EXTENDED" table to "800 rebanded"

Did you put in sited 1, 3, 4, and 5 in different banks or are you using only one site?

 

[KC5EIB]

however I tried to put in a totally different system near me and I noticed that when it scans the letter T is highlighted and sporadically blinks on and off, so now I'm thinking that when the T blinks off it means it has lost frequency reception because it didn't blink on when I tried to monitor that different system which didn't come across received at all. /FONT]

When monitoring your primary system, The "T" will stay on solid unless there are come conventional frequencies also being scanned, The "T" indicates the "CONTROL" channel has been captured and is being decoded. The T"T will also go out when the scanner stops on a talk group.

 

[AK4FD]

Re: Pro-164 audio skipping

Is this the system you are monitoring?

Broward County Public Services Trunking System, Broward County, Florida - Scanner Frequencies

Are you loading the info into the radio with a software program or by hand?

If with a program, did you set the banks to "Multitable" and set the "EXTENDED" table to "800 rebanded"

Did you put in sited 1, 3, 4, and 5 in different banks or are you using only one site?

Yes that is the system, I have tried loading by hand AND using software after resetting the scanner, as far as the software I'm using the ARC300 software that is recommended for my scanner, as far as setting banks I left it at Normal (default), I did not select rebanded because I don't believe they are rebanded, but regardless it still works and scans correctly 95% of the time, I can hold on a talkgroup and follow it with no problems, it just seems that for some reason it hits a frequency that doesn't activate the audio and cuts the transmission off but then comes back once it trunks to a different channel. I don't have an Multitable or Extended table option in the software it just says Normal, Splinter, or Rebanded. And no I'm only using the Primary Site (site 1), I didn't program Site 2, 3, 4, or 5.

 

[KC5EIB]

Yes that is the system, I have tried loading by hand AND using software after resetting the scanner, as far as the software I'm using the ARC300 software that is recommended for my scanner, as far as setting banks I left it at Normal (default), I did not select rebanded because I don't believe they are rebanded, but regardless it still works and scans correctly 95% of the time, I can hold on a talkgroup and follow it with no problems, it just seems that for some reason it hits a frequency that doesn't activate the audio and cuts the transmission off but then comes back once it trunks to a different channel. I don't have an Multitable or Extended table option in the software it just says Normal, Splinter, or Rebanded. And no I'm only using the Primary Site (site 1), I didn't program Site 2, 3, 4, or 5.

Turn on "REBANDED" reload the scanner and retest

 

[AK4FD]

Re: Pro-164 audio skipping

Turn on "REBANDED" reload the scanner and retest

Do I need to mess with any rebanding table or does my software automatically figure it out? Any idea?

 

[KC5EIB]

Do I need to mess with any rebanding table or does my software automatically figure it out? Any idea?

I am not a user of ARC 300 and will have to check unless a ARC300 user can chime in

 

[AK4FD]

Re: Pro-164 audio skipping

Turn on "REBANDED" reload the scanner and retest

Ok I've rebanded the programming and uploaded it to the scanner, I'll give it a bit to test out and I'll post with an update. thanks all for your help! Also I'm still wanting to buy a Uniden scanner if anyone knows anyone selling one or if there's a Forum for selling stuff on here...

 

[KC5EIB]

Its interesting that the frequencies are licensed to SCHOOL BOARD OF BROWARD COUNTY

 

[DickH]

Ok I've rebanded the programming and uploaded it to the scanner, I'll give it a bit to test out and I'll post with an update. thanks all for your help! Also I'm still wanting to buy a Uniden scanner if anyone knows anyone selling one or if there's a Forum for selling stuff on here...

I looked at Broward county in the database. There are 7 freqs. that would be affected by rebanding, The 866, 867 and 868 MHz freqs. should change to 851, 852 and 853 freqs. The numbers after the decimal point should not have changed. If that's the case, they are all still capable of being scanned by non re-banded scanners. The criteria is if a freq. has a zero in the 4th decimal place (like 851.0250), it can not be tracked unless the scanner has been re-banded. If it has a 5 in that 4th place (like 851.0125) it can be tracked OK.