Pro-95 Problems

Status
Not open for further replies.

MXER

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
64
Location
Elmore, Alabama
I've had my Pro-95 a few years and it never has seemed to work as well as it did when I first booted it up. One of the main problems I have is nothing picks up in FM mode. If I tune in FM mode everything comes in static, with slight in and outs of talk. Even weather frequencies do not pick up in FM mode. If I switch it to AM and type the frequency of weather channel it comes in fine.

If something comes in on FM while I'm tuning sometimes I can switch it to AM and it will become clearer. But mostly if I want to hear anything at all or pick up anything I have to use AM. I can't even pick up CBs and I live right beside a Cotton trucking business. Do my frequencies need to be updated?

Last night I had the joy of listening to my first Ham radio conversation, and I was quite pleased to hear something come through the thing. Once again it was in AM mode.

Can you please give me some steps to try? I am purchasing a USB Scanner programing Cable tomorrow. I really need some need advice while setting it up. I'm just hoping nothing is wrong with the thing. BTW I will be using Win95 to program.
 
Last edited:

gmclam

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 15, 2006
Messages
6,335
Location
Fair Oaks, CA
I love my PRO-95s. WIN95 is definitely the way to go to program them. When it comes to AM/FM, there seems to be a problem with your scanner. I might ask though, what do you hear when you are in MAN mode and the channel is set to MO or ED?

I suspect that you only hear (decent) audio in AM mode and that tells me there is something wrong with the discriminator circuit in your scanner. But if that is the only problem, CB should sound just fine (as far as CB goes).

Over the past few months I have sold a few of these scanners and they still seem to sell well. But rather than have that one repaired, or replacing it with another '95, you might consider getting a PRO-97 or PSR-300.
 

MXER

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
64
Location
Elmore, Alabama
Thanks for the response, AM mode actually comes in quite clear. That's normally what I use when I Tune because it picks things up way better than FM. If I tune on FM and it stops on something I switch to AM and normally it will come in.

As for MO or ED is basically the same, nothing really comes in. I may not have the proper frequencies though, I'm just wondering if I'm not doing something correctly when I'm programming the banks and channels.

Could you please explain what Freqs should be on either MO or ED? Mo and ED is for 4 or 5 digit talk group codes right? I'm sorry it's been so long since I've tinkered with the thing..

BTW is it normal that a frequency be either one step up or one step down for it to come in? Example : Say if a freq is 155.80500 it comes in slightly and if I go up to 155.80750 it comes in better.

Thanks for your help.
 
Last edited:

hoser147

Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2005
Messages
4,449
Location
Grand Lake St. Marys Ohio
With out knowing where you are, we cant do much to help you get the freqs. You can go up to the top blue bar above and click on Database and then your state and county and see a listing of the freqs.
 

gmclam

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 15, 2006
Messages
6,335
Location
Fair Oaks, CA
Modulation mode

When it comes down to it, there are two voice modulation modes used by the PRO-95, AM and FM. MO and ED are also "FM" modes. They are used to tell the scanner when a frequency programmed is part of a Trunked Radio System (TRS).

Now that you've clarified that AM works good; which would essentially include CB and aviation frequencies, that confirms my hunch that the FM discriminator circuit in the scanner is not working correctly.

By any chance, did someone modify this scanner and add a "discriminator tap"????? If that's the case, the connection from the tap to the jack on the outside of the scanner (the jack would be added as part of the modification) is shorted. Removing such a short may or may not resolve your problem as a component in the circuit could be damaged. OTOH, such a short would need to be removed, and could be THE problem.
 

MXER

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
64
Location
Elmore, Alabama
Ok, now I'm quite understanding the modes, I just needed a little refresher. As for the modifications no one other than Radio shack has touched the scanner. And all they have done is cloned another Pro-95 to mine.

Which has since been cleared because a lot of the programming from the clone was changed to Digital. The clip on the back of the scanner was taken off and I've always wondered if it needed that to keep it grounded or something. Could that cause a problem?

I'm in Elmore County, Alabama BTW.
 
Last edited:

MXER

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
64
Location
Elmore, Alabama
How should I enter these frequencies on the first page? I have entered them before and I normally don't get any productivity from them. I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong. If they are not trunked frequencies, shouldn't they just be entered into a standard bank and work properly?
 
Last edited:

MXER

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
64
Location
Elmore, Alabama
Now, I hate to ask this. But if those frequencies don't work up to par for my county does that mean something is wrong with my scanner? I very rarely can receive anything from these frequencies. The County sheriff I can sometimes get, and the Millbrook police.. I hate to ask these types of questions.
 
Last edited:

hoser147

Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2005
Messages
4,449
Location
Grand Lake St. Marys Ohio
That's a tough one to answer. It could be something in your house that is causing interference to the scanner, you may want to try it in several different locations. Are you using the antenna that came with it? You may want to do a search and see what else it picks up.
 

MXER

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
64
Location
Elmore, Alabama
Well I've went outside and walked around to try and get some of the frequencies to pick up. Nothing really came through other than the sheriff and it was an in and out connection. I am using the standard antenna. I will add, I went to Montgomery yesterday which it being a bigger city and should have a lot of activity. And it didn't pick up anything in FM mode but bits an pieces of things. I picked up a Taxi service in AM mode and a Amateur Radio conversation which I was happy to hear! It was so clear..
 

hoser147

Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2005
Messages
4,449
Location
Grand Lake St. Marys Ohio
How do you have your squelch adjusted? Seems odd that your not getting FM signals. It may be time to consider whether to send it in to the repair center or check out a new model, which you can find on sale for a little more than the cost of the repairs. I have the 95 works great runs 24/7 for quite a few years.
 

MXER

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
64
Location
Elmore, Alabama
Right now I'm entering it manually. I'm getting the USB programming cable tomorrow. As for the squelch it's almost half way. I to think its quite odd I can't get anything clear on FM, like I said even the weather channels are fuzzy on FM. But they come in clear as a whistle on AM.
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
Well I've went outside and walked around to try and get some of the frequencies to pick up. Nothing really came through other than the sheriff and it was an in and out connection. I am using the standard antenna. I will add, I went to Montgomery yesterday which it being a bigger city and should have a lot of activity. And it didn't pick up anything in FM mode but bits an pieces of things. I picked up a Taxi service in AM mode and a Amateur Radio conversation which I was happy to hear! It was so clear..
come to the Alabama forum.. we can help
Paul
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
also check the antenna connection INside the radio, sounds like loose wire, that can be resoldered
 

MXER

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
64
Location
Elmore, Alabama
I've checked the inside connection on the antenna and it's soldered.

Here's a story:
I'm right down the road from the police station. A car got pulled over in front of my house and my scanner stopped on my local Police station channel and it was coming through FANTASTIC! On FM mode also! I could hear him calling back to base on identification and the license plate of the person. But after he drove off his voice slowly went into static the further away he went down the road.

Does that sound like an Antenna problem or something else?


Also, I have gotten my Scanner programming cable. And I added a lot of frequencies as listed for my area and town http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=26
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top