Pro 668

[flippz]

Just got my 668 and seems to miss whole transmissions compared to my other scanner. Programmed by zip code but that's all I have done. Just kinda weird that I can hear a whole conversation between dispatch and car and the 668 don't pick up any of it. Any advise?
I have read through about 8 pages and can't find anything on those. Also have yet to hear fire dispatch/tac.
I am in zip code 30263 newnan ga.
Scott Ross

 

[Ghstwolf62]

Did you update everything including DB/Lib and write all to the scanner?
That would be first thing I'd think of.

Then narrowing services might improve things too.

I got mine and set up my own favorite lists and love it. Also check if priority is on or weather that can affect things and cause you to miss out.

I'd recommend setting up your own favorite lists which will mean a lot less to scan than just zip code entry can accomplish.

Heading to the big city tomorrow and will really give it a try down in that environment but as I said pretty happy so far and may even buy another one or 996p2 just not decided yet.

 

[flippz]

No I have not updated yet as my family destroyed the only home computer we have. And as we have three iPads in the house I have not been in a huge rush to to get a new one but planning on updating soon. Not sure what db/lib is? Still playing with it so maybe I will get it figured, but on a bonus I now have GSP (state police in GA).
Thanks

 

[JD21960]

Pro668

I have the WS1080. The Zip Code method is a nightmare. You'll be scanning off into oblivion and won't hear hardly anything near you except once and a while. In addition, every time you click your menu settings on the scanner to check something OR change a setting on the scanner? ALL that huge amount of stuff you downloaded by Zip code will have to be read back by the scanner again before you can start scanning. It may take 5 minutes to reload depending on how big your zip code is. Like the other's said. You have to pare things down, make your own Scan-lists and download only what you want to hear and import it into the Scan-lists. You don't mention what conversations you're missing but I'm guessing it's a Trunked system. Simulcast is a problem on all these new scanners from Uniden to Whistler/RShack. I beat it by attenuating my SITE closet to me in the Starcom21 State-wide system I monitor. Too much signal and simulcast makes you miss transmissions, especially with Phase II TDMA signals. Also a Yagi antenna fixed everything completely for me on 700/800Mhz at home. Data base library* = Db

 

[prplehz]

Make sure the attenuation isn't on unless it's a strong signal. Love that button on the trunked systems. My 668 tracks a trunked system as fast and as well, if not better than trunker running on my pc. I put the two running side by side to confirm this..

 

[shew]

Try a 800mhz antenna...it worked for me..the stock antenna is crap

 

[ratboy]

If I set my 668 to use my zip code, it loads up a huge amount of stuff that I don't want half of. I did it only to make sure it worked ok, and then went into iScan added just the systems and stuff I wanted and even then deleted duplicate after duplicate freq (With different PL tones on each one, for every med channel in the area. I just want to hear it all, and scanning like 20 154.430 entries is crazy). For some reason, there were duplicate after duplicate of many rail frequencies loaded too, there were at least a half dozen of some of the main NS and CSX freqs added. Getting rid of all those copies sped up scanning a lot. Probably the best thing I changed on the 668 is the antenna, the RS/GRE 800 seems to be my all around best with the Diamond RH-519 a close second, with an unknown 10" duck I found a couple of days ago in my junk box being the best on VHF and UHF, but 700/800 is down quite a bit. At work, the 10" duck causes the 668 to become almost useless, with all the RFI, it is nearly silent, but outside, the trains and stuff come in very nicely. My telescoping whip appears to desensitize the 668 at home, let alone work. Works great on my Pro-106 at home though. I would like one of the more "adventurous" users here see if possibly painting the inside of the 668/1080/800 with copper paint would help with the overload as my 668 seems to pick up signals through the case, as my discone in the attic at home is ok, unless I have my printer turned on, then it just gets totally trashed with an odd hash noise on many many frequencies, my PSR500/106 are almost totally immune to the hash on the same antenna, which is right above my PC in the attic. I wonder if a slight sensitivity drop, a couple DB would help too. The sensitivity to RFI any RFI is my main complaint on the 668, I like it a lot, the rest of it's issues are minor, like the display light needing to be on to see it in anything but a fairly brightly lit room..

 

[flippz]

Thanks for all the great replies. Like I said this is less than 24 hrs new to me so I am learning. I did the browse objects and found about 80 things in the list that I will never listen to. Things like DNr and statewide 154.000 stuff that is obselete and or not used. Skipped/deleted a lot of that stuff and seems to be better. The other thing I have noticed is both scanners miss whole transmissions now, kinda funny as I never knew this.
I am listening to wars regional for fire/pd dispatch. I own a towing company in the area and we are on the rotation list. So listening to the scanner helps when we get a wreck and know the east bound lanes are closed or what equipment is on scene. When we get the call from dispatch it's usually "respond to smith st for local pd" and not to much other info. We may get there and it's a car with no ins or could be a 50 car wreck with five helos air lifting patients, so the scanner helps
I'll try to get on a desk top this weekend and make me a play list. I am sure there will be many more questions to follow, but thanks for the help and responses.
Scott Ross

 

[Ghstwolf62]

One other thing is that the library/database is updated weekly from RR so when you get the scanner the system/frequency information in the scanner is old to very very old.

That may mean lots of stuff wrong or not even there. Updating it downloads the latest frequency/system info to your computer so you can copy it to the scanner.

That may be a bunch of your problem right there plus the massive amount of other stuff in there besides what you might actually want to hear.

 

[flippz]

messed up

well, I finally got the Iscan software loaded on to my laptop. I tried to l/o and skip a lot of the stuff I don't want, but now I don't pick anything up except gsp which I did not toggle any of those. this stuff is really difficult, more difficult than it should be. So I have gone from missing transmissions o now not even picking up?
scott ross

 

[flippz]

one other thing, if its hooked to the scanner buy usb cord and the radioshack software up it will get some transmissions. like newnan police?

 

[flippz]

is there away to reset the radio back to before I started trying to program it. the HELP manual is not much help and I think with every key stroke I am making it worse.

 

[RDGDigital]

is there away to reset the radio back to before I started trying to program it. the HELP manual is not much help and I think with every key stroke I am making it worse.

You could re-format the SD card and re-install the Library files. Here are the steps to do this in EZ Scan, I'm pretty sure the steps are the same in the iScan software...

From the menu select "Scanner/SD Card"
Then select "Prepare Scanner Memory/SD Card for use
When the "Prepare SD Card for use" Window opens be sure to select the option "Copy Library files to SD Card after format."
Then select "Format"

This will erase all your programming and settings. If you have any saved configurations you could reload them now.

Hope this helps.

 

[flippz]

thanks for the help. I completed the above steps and doesn't seem to help. it seems to not be picking up anything at all. every once in a while it will pick up the first transmission, then it stays on the channel but no sounds come through. I have another scan on and its missing 95% of the transmissions. it was not this bad until I started trying to program it. I have messed something up but with the horrible help menu and the total assenine programming methods this has became the worse scanner experience I have ever had. three days and it is getting worse?! I wish there was a way to go back to day one and I will live with what I got until I can get it sold.
I did attempt to change the led to light up when a channel comes on, its not working but can I have messed something up there? I also went through and skipped and locked out all the conviental channels for the zip code 30263, Coweta county warrs p25 system. I am not sure totally lost

 

[flippz]

seems GSP comes through fine, conventional I think. the scanner is sill stopping on warrs channels but no sound from the radio except about 5% of time. found the library had been erased from the sd card, reloaded to sd card in scanner but does not seem to change anything.
sorry mod for the multiple post. trying to get this fixed and relay all the info I see and hear (or not hear).

 

[flippz]

missing inf file

I removed the driver and the pro 668 file program. restarted from new. noticed the inf file was missing from the 668 folder when opened. reinstalled the inf file to the folder and reloaded the program. works a ton load better now, still missing some transmissions though. I believe that is due to all the freq. that is scanning.
I have tried to build my own play list with only warrs and gsp post 1 and 36 (that is what I hear the most traffic on) but have not had any success yet. any info on that will be helpful.
just wanted to post so if any was following the chain they could look at that.
scott ross

 

[wbswetnam]

Setting up favorites lists, so that the unit scans only what you tell it to, is the only way to go. I don't use zip code scan on either my PR0-668 or my HP-1. It can be tedious to go through all of the services, and even worse if you're like me and you want to customize the ID tags to something more comprehensible than the factory set name tags. But the extra effort is worth it because then the unit will be doing precisely what YOU want it to do and not scanning through tons of frequencies you don't care about.

 

[flippz]

Setting up favorites lists, so that the unit scans only what you tell it to, is the only way to go. I don't use zip code scan on either my PR0-668 or my HP-1. It can be tedious to go through all of the services, and even worse if you're like me and you want to customize the ID tags to something more comprehensible than the factory set name tags. But the extra effort is worth it because then the unit will be doing precisely what YOU want it to do and not scanning through tons of frequencies you don't care about.

thanks for the reply. that is what is what I am trying to do. I just want one play list with Coweta wars and the gsp dispatch. I have tried to set one up but to no avail. the online manual is no help, they leave out about 5 steps in each process. hardest scanner I have ever programmed.

 

[Boatanchor]

Apparent squelch/Scan problem

One thing to be aware of on the Pro668 and others of the same design (apparently).

There is a problem with the squelch on weaker signals during scanning.

Say you have a weak signal, that is noisy but still readable and you want to monitor it.

If you manually tune/browse/hold on that channel/signal the Pro668 squelch will work reasonably well. It will open and close normally, providing you don't have it set too high of course.

Now, hit the scan button and the scanner will skip right over the same weak signal!

I miss heaps of weak signal traffic on my Pro668 that comes through quite well if I hold on the channel/s in question or if I scan them on another brand of scanner.

YMMV, but this is my experience with the 668.

 

[wbswetnam]

thanks for the reply. that is what is what I am trying to do. I just want one play list with Coweta wars and the gsp dispatch. I have tried to set one up but to no avail. the online manual is no help, they leave out about 5 steps in each process. hardest scanner I have ever programmed.

Digital scanners are notoriously complex to program / set up; they always have been. They've only gotten more complicated over time.

Are you trying to set up favorites with the EZ Scan software that came with the unit, or are you trying to do it through the front interface of the unit? Trying to set it up directly on the unit is theoretically possible but very VERY complicated. You're more likely to wind up throwing it through the wall in frustration than you are in setting it up the way you want through the unit's interface.

The unit came with a short USB cable. Use that cable to interface with the computer (not just any USB cable; the one that came with the unit). Load the EZ Scan software, do the necessary updates, then you can go to town setting up your favorites as you like them. The software gets a bit of getting used to but once you get the hang of it, there's virtually no end to the possibilities of setting up the Pro-668.