Pro-96 is King !

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minasha

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I have owned and tested most of the older and newer crop of Digital scanners such as:
pro-96, pro-106, BCD 396t, BCD 396xt, bc250d, bc296d and this is what I have found:
When monitoring P-25 phase 1 transmissions whether conventional or trunked, The pro-96 with the last update (I think it was firmware 1.4) has the clearest most intelligible audio of all.
I find it also doesn't have the garble problems on simulcast near as bad as the newer scanners.
Of course this scanner doesn't have all the new technology like object oriented and DMA capabilities
but as far as I am concerned it has far and away the best audio on p-25 phase 1 period.
Any comments would be appreciated.
 

N8IAA

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Dec 19, 2002
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Fortunately, GA
I have owned and tested most of the older and newer crop of Digital scanners such as:
pro-96, pro-106, BCD 396t, BCD 396xt, bc250d, bc296d and this is what I have found:
When monitoring P-25 phase 1 transmissions whether conventional or trunked, The pro-96 with the last update (I think it was firmware 1.4) has the clearest most intelligible audio of all.
I find it also doesn't have the garble problems on simulcast near as bad as the newer scanners.
Of course this scanner doesn't have all the new technology like object oriented and DMA capabilities
but as far as I am concerned it has far and away the best audio on p-25 phase 1 period.
Any comments would be appreciated.

Pro-96 is the reason I went to the Pro-106. The 96 couldn't even decode the simulcast systems that I monitor. My HP-1 decodes better than the 106. The last thing the 96 was used for was with Pro96com to find new TG's. Sold it almost five years ago. Didn't need it around any more.
Larry
 

Nasby

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Great scanner for its time. Revolutionary.

But won't track 700mhz systems.

Deal killer.
 

RoninJoliet

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The base model the RS2096 decodes with original firmware the 800mgz towers of the ILL-Starcom Digital Trunk System....It also decodes the ILL Chicago Area IDOT UHF digital non trunked freqys.....I think it could be about 8-10 years old!!....
 

cherubim

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Dec 30, 2011
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Sydney, Australia
I have owned and tested most of the older and newer crop of Digital scanners such as:
pro-96, pro-106, BCD 396t, BCD 396xt, bc250d, bc296d and this is what I have found:
When monitoring P-25 phase 1 transmissions whether conventional or trunked, The pro-96 with the last update (I think it was firmware 1.4) has the clearest most intelligible audio of all.
I find it also doesn't have the garble problems on simulcast near as bad as the newer scanners.
Of course this scanner doesn't have all the new technology like object oriented and DMA capabilities
but as far as I am concerned it has far and away the best audio on p-25 phase 1 period.
Any comments would be appreciated.

There is definitely a difference in audio quality between DSP 1.2 and DSP 1.4 - more fuller sounding with the latter. Unfortunately, I had to revert back to DSP 1.2 for monitoring a multicast system here since DSP 1.4 gave too many instances of motorboating and signal distortion.
 

k9bud

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I can clone my pro-96 from my 2096, (which works fine on Safe-T), but the 96 doesn't detect DG transmissions. Any Ideas? Both have DSP v. 1.4 Jay
 

minasha

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NYC
Hi,
Does your pro-96 receive any digital channels at all, or only not on your State T?
 

k9bud

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As near as I can tell it does not receive any DG information. It doesn't get the Indy system, but I am not very close to it. But my 2096 works just fine after I got the 3600/800 mhz rebanded set enabled. But, I clone it to the pro-96 and it sees everything as MO. I haven't paid attention to the analog talkgroups, but I will check them to see if it does them ok or not. tnx for response. Jay
 

k9bud

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I have confirmed that it does receive the analog trunking on a Mot 3600 CC system. Jay
 

k9bud

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I am in Indiana, so that is my concern. I have discovered something that leads me to believe I may have an alignment problem. One of the 3600 control channels is about 4 miles from me, my 2096 receives it at 853.475, however, my pro-96 receives it at 853.4875, 12.5 kHz off. Therefore, it can not decode digital but can still get analog with some distortion. I have been studing the schematic trying to deternmine some frequencies that I could check for accuracy. later.............Jay
 

k9bud

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The distortion on the analog signals leads me to believe that I have a off-frequency problem. But, I am not sure which adjustment is for the 800 mHz band. If someoe has figured out the frequency relationship between the local oscillator frequeny and the 800 mHz programmed frequency, let me know. I have the schematics but I haven't figured everything out yet. The alignment setup only uses frequencies in the 150-175 mHz range. Apparently there is a multiplier envolved, but that is part of what I have not figured out at this time. Some time back, year or so, I would drive to where I was near one of the Indy city towers, but I could not decode them either. So, with that remembered, it seems more and more an alignment problem. I don't have any high frequency equipment to do the alignment according to the instructions that I have on a cd that I bought. later.......73, Jay
 

puzzleriddle

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The distortion on the analog signals leads me to believe that I have a off-frequency problem. But, I am not sure which adjustment is for the 800 mHz band. If someoe has figured out the frequency relationship between the local oscillator frequeny and the 800 mHz programmed frequency, let me know. I have the schematics but I haven't figured everything out yet. The alignment setup only uses frequencies in the 150-175 mHz range. Apparently there is a multiplier envolved, but that is part of what I have not figured out at this time. Some time back, year or so, I would drive to where I was near one of the Indy city towers, but I could not decode them either. So, with that remembered, it seems more and more an alignment problem. I don't have any high frequency equipment to do the alignment according to the instructions that I have on a cd that I bought. later.......73, Jay
you will need to apply the rebanding tables using software , such as win96 Win96 - The RadioReference Wiki
 

kirk23

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Feb 25, 2004
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I have a question...
I had the original PRO-96 rom Radio Shack when I bought it my local P25 Digital Motorola system here in Montreal Quebec was a 3600baud system and it worked fairly well.. I can say on EDACS it was great as well as it was on the Ontario Canada Fleetnet system which is a Motorola Type II SmartZone system. But when the Montreal Motorola system changed it to 9600baud (still using the same towers..frequencies & talkgroups) it was barely decodable. I sold it and bought a BC396XT... can anybody tell me why? did the PRO96 not work on a 9600baud? and are the newer GRE's any better or my 9600baud system?
I was the only person using the Radio Shack/GRE radios up here and still haven't seen anybody else using them.. so I have no feedback..up here it is all Unidens..
Thanks for any imput. ..
 

k9bud

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Yes, I have already did the rebanding with the Win96 software to 800 mHz Rebanded. Like I said my 2096 works great on both 9600 and 3600 systems since I did the rebanding. However, the Pro-96 with the very SAME file does not work. I think it is an alignment problem, (frequency wise) because I discovered it hears the 3600 CC, but 12.5 kHz higher in frequency. later...73, Jay
 

k9bud

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Update: I have found that if I program the SR06 to scan 800 mHz, it will receive and decode DG transmissions. Also, it seems that the control channel is detected as 12.5 kHz high, while the assigned voice channel is detected as 12.5 kHz low. Jay
 

k9bud

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Upon checking, I find that in the SR6 scanner, when it recieves a DG signal and compare it to my 2096, the frequency is 1 channel lower than assigned by the control channel. Still sounds like an alignment problem more and more. Jay
 
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