Pro-668: Pro 668 tips and modifications advice.

[firechaser97]

I bought the pro 668 my first handheld radio when it was first released. the cpu n everything is updated to the max. I just want any ideas or tweaks that could top its performance. much like a real radio that police and fire use.

Everyone in my county are P25 Phase 1 and 2. It receives very well. I just wish it could decode it a little better. one issue I'm having is I don't hear all the transmissions for example "Engine 1 stand by for assignment" then it goes back to scanning the talkgroups and I don't hear the rest of it unless I exit scan and click on the individual tgrp just in time to listen to the call being dispatched.

I've got it set up like how some have suggested. the city site and its control channels. data decode threshold at low 15 to high 95. I've went through the settings I don't know what half that stuff is, DAC Gain or ADC. DSP level Adapt. Flex Step. Etc. Its all left to default. reception is not a factor I live right in the heart of the city. I just want some advice on it that's all. I be missing transmissions. the scanner acts like it has a huge list to go thru. I only listen the fire departments in the area. they are all on the same tower also. no ones encrypted. some times the radio is so bad that it will go hours with nothing coming through. there's something wrong with that cause I will hear the fire trucks responding to a call and think why the hell didn't my radio catch the initial dispatch. I'll click on the talkgroup and then the scanner decides to let me hear what's going on. instead of picking it up when it was in the scan mode. I just need some help on making scanning more reliable. where it locks on to any talkgroup right as they key up. and not in the middle of a sentence haha

 

[troymail]

Other issues aside and with perfect reception - the only way to not miss a transmission on a given channel or talkgroup would be to select and remain on that talkgroup/channel (i.e. don't scan).

The default 'delay' following a transmission is 2 seconds. In your "Stand by for an assignment..." example, the only method to not miss the rest would be to set the delay to be longer than whatever the gap was between the end of that part of the message and the next, or HOLD on that talkgroup, or don't scan).

Most (but not all) real users are switched to a specific talkgroup/channel on their radio and do not scan.

 

[SteveSimpkin]

Have you considered sending it to Whistler to be functionally upgraded to a Whistler WS1080?
There have been a number of improvements and features added over the PRO-688 including the ability to receive DMR/Mototrbo.
http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Whistler_Official_Upgrade_(WOU)

 

[Wackyracer]

Get the legacy upgrade done, Also make sure you only have the control channel and alternate channels frequencies programmed in for trunking. delete the rest. put p25 stuff in its own scanlist. one system per scanlist.

 

[Ghstwolf62]

I've said this for years. Do NOT put in only the CC and acc. That is a headache waiting to happen.

Put all the frequencies for a system in the thing. If they change control channels you are then SOL if you don't have them in.

I can't tell you the number of posts on here I've seen about someone's radio doesn't pick up a system anymore when in fact they've followed the control channel only advice and that control channel has changed.

For example I've got a new system out here and they are routinely changing the control channels on it. A friend said this is normal for Harris systems to do. If I had only the CC in I'd be screwed real fast.

Put em all in and save the headache.

 

[troymail]

If you're getting excellent reception, agree -- put 'em all in.

However, if you're fighting simulcast (particularly on a P25 system), you'll want to put in as few frequencies as possible - perhaps only the active control channel. This improves the process of loss and recovery of the control channel for simulcast systems. You don't want the radio wasting alot of time checking every system/site frequency every time it loses the current one because of simulcast issues.

Having said that - there are systems with a VERY stable (almost never changing) CC frequency while other systems (Harris, etc.) seem to rotate control channels more often and treat every system/site frequency as a potential control channel.

Of course, there is a downside - if the CC frequency changes and the new one isn't programmed, you'll stop receiving everything.

 

[firechaser97]

Thank all of you guys. what about the settings. adc gain or dac gain level adapt etc? threshold anything that could help me further would be good.

 

[Ghstwolf62]

If you have the Greftool upgraded scanner then the factory settings seem to be fine. I know before I did the upgrade I had to have a setting of 110 to pick up my various systems. Once I did the upgrade the factory setting worked fine and the 110 didn't.

With that said the setting depends on what works for your system. Before the upgrade one setting worked on one system but not another out here. I picked 110 as a compromise as it worked on all systems.

You may have to play around to see what works in your area.

 

[Ghstwolf62]

If you're getting excellent reception, agree -- put 'em all in.

However, if you're fighting simulcast (particularly on a P25 system), you'll want to put in as few frequencies as possible - perhaps only the active control channel. This improves the process of loss and recovery of the control channel for simulcast systems. You don't want the radio wasting alot of time checking every system/site frequency every time it loses the current one because of simulcast issues.

Having said that - there are systems with a VERY stable (almost never changing) CC frequency while other systems (Harris, etc.) seem to rotate control channels more often and treat every system/site frequency as a potential control channel.

Of course, there is a downside - if the CC frequency changes and the new one isn't programmed, you'll stop receiving everything.

I've never encountered that problem. Dating back years to traveling around the country with a GRE 600 having all the frequencies made life much easier. That included Phoenix's system and Indianapolis's system among others. STARS out here switches occasionally between CC and ACC but not others. Rockbridge's new system switches between all frequencies frequently.

Its better to have than have not in this case. Less headaches waking up and wondering why you're not picking up anything anymore. IMO

 

[DJ11DLN]

Have you considered sending it to Whistler to be functionally upgraded to a Whistler WS1080?
There have been a number of improvements and features added over the PRO-688 including the ability to receive DMR/Mototrbo.
http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Whistler_Official_Upgrade_(WOU)

+1 on this. My 668 was semi-deaf from the time I got it until I tried Eric's mod. I bought it during the "no returns" period so I figured I was just stuck with a "bargain" that turned out not to be. With the mod it came to life. With the official upgrade it seems to work even better, it's $60 well spent.