PRO-93 the "old fashioned" way

[pomopojo]

Hey All, and thanks in advance for the help,

I've reprogrammed my PRO-93 this morning with Davis County frequencies each 15 lower than the old frequencies, and it's not working. When in trunking mode, the scanner seizes on the control channel 852.83750, flashes familiar talk group IDs for Layton Police and Davis County Sheriff's, for examples, but never jumps to other frequencies nor actually 'plays' anything I can hear.

I know that the PRO-93 is listed as one that is not reband-ready: http://www.radioshack.com/uc/index....Library/BuyersGuides/research/Scanners12.html

BUT-

My question is this: is there a way I can keep using the PRO-93 without trunking and still listen to UCAN? If so, how would I do that? Can i just remove the control channel(s) and then scan? How much talk-back-and-forth will I miss if I do this?

I know low-price reband-ready scanners are in the $200-250 range, which isn't terrible, but I may not be able to purchase one of those immediately. Thanks again!

 

[qlajlu]

Hey All, and thanks in advance for the help,

I've reprogrammed my PRO-93 this morning with Davis County frequencies each 15 lower than the old frequencies, and it's not working. When in trunking mode, the scanner seizes on the control channel 852.83750, flashes familiar talk group IDs for Layton Police and Davis County Sheriff's, for examples, but never jumps to other frequencies nor actually 'plays' anything I can hear.

I know that the PRO-93 is listed as one that is not reband-ready: http://www.radioshack.com/uc/index....Library/BuyersGuides/research/Scanners12.html

BUT-

My question is this: is there a way I can keep using the PRO-93 without trunking and still listen to UCAN? If so, how would I do that? Can i just remove the control channel(s) and then scan? How much talk-back-and-forth will I miss if I do this?

I know low-price reband-ready scanners are in the $200-250 range, which isn't terrible, but I may not be able to purchase one of those immediately. Thanks again!

To answer your question, where the Davis County TRS is concerned, you are not going to hear anything. Read the statement concerning "legacy scanners" near the bottom of this thread. All of the frequencies now being used by the Davis County TRS have a "0" in the fourth decimal place of the frequency and they start with 851, 852, or 853 which puts those frequencies outside the range your scanner is capable of receiving. Actually, the CC and one alternate CC are the only ones you could possible hear and they will only carry the data stream which is just noise to the human ear.

If you monitor the Salt Lake TRS, you will have some limited success at monitoring the system, but there will be some conversations you will not be able to follow. Your scanner will still follow all of Weber County's system at this time because it has not yet gone through the change.

pomopojo, you have only made a few posts, but we still would appreciate you returning to your User CP (left side of second blue bar from the top on any page) and update your profile to show your location (city & state). We have so many members now that we cannot remember where all of them are located. By updating your profile, your location will automatically show in each of your posts. Besides, it is just a small courtesy to the rest of us.

Sorry about the bad news. Hope you can get something that will allow you to keep enjoying this hobby.

 

[kf7yn]

FYI the Pro-164 is on sale at Radio Shack for $149.99 again until Christmas.

 

[qlajlu]

Oops. Apology necessary!

pomopojo, I owe you an apology. Your scanner will be able to continue receiving the Salt Lake City TRS (AC33 system) because it has not changed. You will have limited usage in listening to the Salt Lake County TRS (UCAN 7202 system). I had blinders on and was not thinking of the other systems. However, Davis County under the UCAN 7202 system will continue to stay out of range for your scanner. Sorry.

 

[wbloss]

Before trunking scanners were developed, I used my BC-780XLT to scan trunked systems by putting the Voice channels in, and listening to what they said! Often I'd have to lock out the CC every other day and unlock a former CC that was now a VC.

There is no TG following, no real 100% knowledge of what you were listening to other than the content and vocal cues, and often a conversation did not "stay" as a new user grabbed the old frequency just used before the scanner looked for a new frequency where the conversation went to.

You should still be able to do this. The issue of .0005MHz should not be a real issue as most older scanners will hear anything within at least .0005 MHz. It can't "calculate" how to get there, but programming all the VC's and listening .5 khz high or low will work usually. Not ideal, but you can hear "all" that way.
Wally

 

[N7YUO]

I just reprogrammed my old Pro93 with the rebanded Davis freqs.
Right now, the display reads 852.17500, so it can accept freqs to that decimal.
I am receiving Davis County from my basement in Kearns, so I say go for it.

Usually, you can tell who's talking just by the conversation,
just like in the old days.

Trunked Systems activate freqs in two ways.
By precedence or sequential.
By Precedence: (Davis Simul) 852.175 is the primary. It is always activated first.
Other freqs are secondary, tertiary, etc.
Sequential: Each freq is activated in a sequence, (rotation)
The scanner will default program to MO MOtorola.
In order to get FM, use this sequence:
Prog>852.175>Enter>Mode>Mode>Mode>Prog>852...

 

[qlajlu]

I just reprogrammed my old Pro93 with the rebanded Davis freqs.
Right now, the display reads 852.17500, so it can accept freqs to that decimal.
I am receiving Davis County from my basement in Kearns, so I say go for it.

Usually, you can tell who's talking just by the conversation,
just like in the old days.

Well, that makes sense. As long as the scanner is not depending on a trunking table to tell it what channel to go to for a frequency assignment, it should hear anything on the frequency manually punched in. What you lose is the ability to trunk.

Never thought about that, N7YUO. Thanks.

 

[mtindor]

My question is this: is there a way I can keep using the PRO-93 without trunking and still listen to UCAN? If so, how would I do that? Can i just remove the control channel(s) and then scan? How much talk-back-and-forth will I miss if I do this?
!

I dont' live in Utah, and most people here will likely tell me to go fly a kite and a moderator may even chastise me for posting here. However, I think the information you have been given by some is not totally correct.

1. You can receive 849 Mhz to 868.9875 Mhz. This means you can program in any of the rebanded or nonrebanded frequencies

2. You can still listen to the system by scanning conventionally. Add the frequencies as conventional channels (as somebody else instructed above) and just scan them in conventional mode instead of trunked.

Some things to keep in mind when scanning conventionally:
a. you'll have to lock out the active control channel
b. if the active control channel changes (and you will know it), you'll then have to unlock the previously locked out channel and lock out the new active control channel
c. you will see no indication of who is talking because you will not be presented with any talkgroup ID information (remember - you're scanning conventionally).

I was fortunate in that my local TRS was still scannable, even after rebanding. Some people will be able to still scan particular rebanded systems with old scanners depending on the configuration of those systems. And some people will not. From what you say, it appears you will not... however, if you are like me, you may still try to get it working in trunked mode.

The first sign that it isn't going to work is that it would sit on the CC or would scan until the CC indicated activity and then it would switch to an incorrect frequency and you'd never hear the audio.

But - in a pinch, you certainly can still listen to it as long as nothing on the system has gone digital. You'll be somewhat crippled, but you'll still be able to monitor.

I have a PRO-90 and I like to scan our local TRS and scan a few conventional frequencies. With a PRO-90 you can't scan conventional and trunked at the same time. So, on my PRO-90 I always scan the trunked system conventionally along with my other conventional frequencies I want to listen to, and I simply lock out the active control channel at the time.

I hope what I've told you has been somewhat encouraging.

Mike

 

[fmon]

Not from Utah either, I also apologise to this forum Mike.

Database for UCAN was updated 2 days ago and site 002 is not rebanded as of yet, program in the 2 red frequencies via PGM TRUNK with MODE to MOT. Then program Davis talkgroups into the sub-banks.

 

[qlajlu]

Not from Utah either, I also apologise to this forum Mike.

Database for UCAN was updated 2 days ago and site 002 is not rebanded as of yet, program in the 2 red frequencies via PGM TRUNK with MODE to MOT. Then program Davis talkgroups into the sub-banks.

The Db for UCAN Site 002 is NOT correct. These are the updates posted two days ago. Site 002 Davis County underwent rebanding yesterday and we are currently trying to ascertain the new working voice frequencies by monitoring the Site with UniTrunker. Those frequencies will be posted to the Db as soon as we can identify them.

At the present time, trunk-tracking scanners that cannot be upgraded cannot follow the trunking on Site 002 Davis County. Individual frequencies can be entered into the scanners to be scanned as a conventional frequency, but "following" will not occur.

 

[kf7yn]

While it is possible to scan small trunked systems conventionally, our UCAN system has close to 1,000 active talkgroups and dozens of sites. Scanning the small IR sites may work okay but conventional scanning useless on the simulcast and large IR sites. It is not uncommon for most of the 20 freqs on Salt Lake Simo to be active.

 

[Highpockets]

While it is possible to scan small trunked systems conventionally, our UCAN system has close to 1,000 active talkgroups and dozens of sites. Scanning the small IR sites may work okay but conventional scanning useless on the simulcast and large IR sites. It is not uncommon for most of the 20 freqs on Salt Lake Simo to be active.

Very good point, a few years back I tried to monitor a trunked system with 14 frequencies and a couple hundred talk groups conventionally, after two days I wanted to throw the scanner out the window.

 

[mtindor]

While it is possible to scan small trunked systems conventionally, our UCAN system has close to 1,000 active talkgroups and dozens of sites. Scanning the small IR sites may work okay but conventional scanning useless on the simulcast and large IR sites. It is not uncommon for most of the 20 freqs on Salt Lake Simo to be active.

Touche. I never gave that a thought, but certainly something to think about it if you aren't a fan of torture Again, sorry for the intrusion. I just know how the OP must feel not having a scanner to monitor with.

Mike

 

[bchris]

I dont' live in Utah, and most people here will likely tell me to go fly a kite and a moderator may even chastise me for posting here. ....

Not from Utah either, I also apologise to this forum ....

What are you guys talking about? There was nothing rude, crude, or otherwise offensive in what you said or how you said it. How could we not welcome comments such as yours?

Is there some forum rule that says you should not post here? If not, don't be silly. You know you are welcome here. And the same goes for Highpockets as well, just in case he was wondering.

-All the Utah Members

 

[Highpockets]

What are you guys talking about? There was nothing rude, crude, or otherwise offensive in what you said or how you said it. How could we not welcome comments such as yours?

Is there some forum rule that says you should not post here? If not, don't be silly. You know you are welcome here. And the same goes for Highpockets as well, just in case he was wondering.

-All the Utah Members

Thank you Sir!

 

[Utah_Viper]

What are you guys talking about? There was nothing rude, crude, or otherwise offensive in what you said or how you said it. How could we not welcome comments such as yours?

Is there some forum rule that says you should not post here? If not, don't be silly. You know you are welcome here. And the same goes for Highpockets as well, just in case he was wondering.

-All the Utah Members

Agreed, Utah Welcomes all! We have the luck of being on the front lines of rebanding, and with one of the most complex systems in the nation. We are learning, but the rest of the nation can learn from us. We welcome thoughts, questions, and comments from those who will be facing the same rebanding in the future.

 

[mtindor]

What are you guys talking about? There was nothing rude, crude, or otherwise offensive in what you said or how you said it. How could we not welcome comments such as yours?

Is there some forum rule that says you should not post here? If not, don't be silly. You know you are welcome here. And the same goes for Highpockets as well, just in case he was wondering.

-All the Utah Members

I've been in some other state forums and I got the feeling that they wanted to keep discussions amongst themselves and not have "outsiders" join in. i just assumed you guys might be the same way... you know what they say about the word assume - I'll flog myself and save you the trouble rofl. Thanks for the warm welcome

Mike

 

[Michael-SATX]

I say watch for another round of "Family and Friends Coupons" and then STRONGLY consider putting aside your old Pro-93 and upgrade to the rebanding capable Pro-164 on sale for $149 then after the
F & F coupon ... a mere $104.99 ~ Even Santa would say Ho Ho Ho - what a bargain )
Or a Pro-106 for $280 with F & F coupon ~ another bargain !!!

 

[qlajlu]

I've been in some other state forums and I got the feeling that they wanted to keep discussions amongst themselves and not have "outsiders" join in. i just assumed you guys might be the same way... you know what they say about the word assume - I'll flog myself and save you the trouble rofl. Thanks for the warm welcome

Mike

Oh, yeah, we are most familiar with the word a$$ u me. It gets tossed around here all the time. Like bchris and Utah Viper both said, "outsiders" are welcome here. We may not always agree with outsiders comments, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Contrary to popular belief, we do not bite...hard, and since we are in the midst of rebanding, other areas can learn from what we have learned. I do know what you mean about sometimes being unwelcome. It has happened to several of us.

Actually, aside from the fact that it has made some very good scanners almost obsolete in some cases, the rebanding has been fairly painless.

I say watch for another round of "Family and Friends Coupons" and then STRONGLY consider putting aside your old Pro-93 and upgrade to the rebanding capable Pro-164 on sale for $149 then after the
F & F coupon ... a mere $104.99 ~ Even Santa would say Ho Ho Ho - what a bargain )
Or a Pro-106 for $280 with F & F coupon ~ another bargain !!!

Hopefully there will be more such "bargains" in the next little while so that many folks can get back into this exciting hobby.

 

[gldavis]

Actually, aside from the fact that it has made some very good scanners almost obsolete in some cases, the rebanding has been fairly painless.
QUOTE]

May I add my Welcome to those "not of Utah". This forum is an open area, and most are welcome.

AS for the obsoletness of non-rebanded scanners, that is so wrong. There are close to two dozen asst trunk systems and hundreds of interesting conventional freqs in the Salt Lake area alone that are receivable on these scanners. Yes Virginia, there is a lot more than UCAN.