PRO-96, sometimes not receiving anything, works after on/off

[alpharaysmax]

Sorry if this has already been covered - I didn't find anything when searching.

Every so often, I'll turn on my PRO-96 and the display will look normal, like it's scanning as it always would. But I don't hear ANY traffic on the bank I've got active. Nor does it ever show the alpha tag for a talkgroup. It's as if there's no traffic whatsoever on the system, even when there is. (I turned on an old scanner to listen to the VHF simulcast of the dispatch freq and sure enough there was traffic... but nothing on my PRO-96!)

The TRS I listen to most often is pretty active so I can be reasonably sure something's wrong if if I don't hear anything after 5 minutes.

Turn the scanner off, turn it back on. Nothing else changed or touched and, hey, magically everything works as it should!

Has anyone else had a similar problem or is anyone able to offer a solution?

Thanks!

 

[n4voxgill]

time for trip to RS and have it repaired.

 

[LarrySC]

Did you allow one of the "4400" to hold it?

 

[alpharaysmax]

time for trip to RS and have it repaired.

Yeah, that's what I was fearing. I wonder how much this is gonna cost me. :roll: Hmmm maybe a good excuse to pick up the 2096. Nahh.

 

[gg750]

I just got my Pro-96 the other day and I have been having some weird issues. When I first programmed the Project 25 freqs and ID's for my area, I was getting some traffic. Then after a day or so, it just stopped. No traffic at all. One of the IDs is also broadcast on an analog freq, which I was listening to with my other scanner, so I know there was traffic. Later on, I went for a drive (I live in a brick stucture with lots of trees around) and noticed that I was starting to pick up some more digital traffic. So, I bought the 800 MHz antenna from RS. Hooked it up and immediatly started picking up tons of digital traffic. Later tonight, I was using Win96 to add some more ID's. Got done and turned the scanner off and back on, and now I am back to NO digital traffic at all...not a single thing. I'm not sure what is going on, but it's very irritating, and I'm not sure what to do. I was thinking about initializing it and reprogramming it again to see if that would help. Anyway, just turining it off and back on doesn't seem to work in my case, but I am having problems with intermittent digital reception.

G

 

[Voyager]

I just got my Pro-96 the other day and I have been having some weird issues. When I first programmed the Project 25 freqs and ID's for my area, I was getting some traffic. Then after a day or so, it just stopped. No traffic at all. One of the IDs is also broadcast on an analog freq, which I was listening to with my other scanner, so I know there was traffic. Later on, I went for a drive (I live in a brick stucture with lots of trees around) and noticed that I was starting to pick up some more digital traffic. So, I bought the 800 MHz antenna from RS. Hooked it up and immediatly started picking up tons of digital traffic. Later tonight, I was using Win96 to add some more ID's. Got done and turned the scanner off and back on, and now I am back to NO digital traffic at all...not a single thing. I'm not sure what is going on, but it's very irritating, and I'm not sure what to do. I was thinking about initializing it and reprogramming it again to see if that would help. Anyway, just turining it off and back on doesn't seem to work in my case, but I am having problems with intermittent digital reception.

G

Sounds like you are missing a control channel. When the system switches to that CC, you lose the tracking ability. If it's a Motorola system, make sure you have all four (there can be up to four) control channels programmed AND unlocked.

Joe M.

 

[gg750]

There are only two CCs. One main, and one alternate.

 

[n4yek]

There are only two CCs. One main, and one alternate.

Where are you located? (state and county)
Danny
n4yek

 

[gg750]

Traverse City, Grand Traverse County, MI

The Traverse City tower only has one CC. There are several other towers in my local area (Leland, Interlochen, Empire are all within 20 miles or so) and I have programmed the CCs for those towers as well. I seem to be getting more digital traffic today, but I am still missing some, such as the VHF patch for GT County central dispatch and Leelanau County dispatch. Getting some MSP (MI State Police) and DNR traffic though.

G

 

[n4yek]

Traverse City, Grand Traverse County, MI

The Traverse City tower only has one CC. There are several other towers in my local area (Leland, Interlochen, Empire are all within 20 miles or so) and I have programmed the CCs for those towers as well. I seem to be getting more digital traffic today, but I am still missing some, such as the VHF patch for GT County central dispatch and Leelanau County dispatch. Getting some MSP (MI State Police) and DNR traffic though.

G

I would try putting ALL freqs listed in the county in the bank your using:
866.3750 866.8750 867.3750 867.8750
The freq 867.875 is listed as a 'confirmed' tower number, but the FCC has
another freq listed that RR database doesn't: 866.0125
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&cs=WPQD483&action=fcc
I would put ALL freqs in and try that....
Just a suggestion.
Danny
N4YEK

 

[gg750]

Well, Just before I sat down to enter the that other freq, I started picking up the GT Central patch, and then as soon as I entered the new freq, I'm back to not getting any digital traffic at all. It seems like every time I make any kind of change to the bank I've selected for digital, I loose everything for at least several hours before it starts to pick it up again. What the hell is wrong with this thing?

G

 

[loumaag]

You must understand that there must be an active unit affiliated on the site you are listening to for you to hear anything on the site. I mean, if there are no units in the area that are tuned to the TG you are trying to listen to, it will never appear on the site you are listening to. Your scanner is a passive device, only acitve devices (a real radio) can cause a signal to appear on a certain site. What you describe sounds just like you are trying to listen to something that nobody in the area has tuned in. When someone is in the area and has it tuned in, you hear it, if they change TG's or move off of that tower, you go deaf.

Since I don't know Mich. very well, the best example I can give you is this, if you were from Shreveport, LA and were visiting New Orleans, you could listen all day long in NOLA, but you will never hear Troop F or Troop G (both from North LA) because nobody "active" is listening to them down there.

 

[gg750]

So, If I want to listen to the GT dispatch patch, there would have to be an MSP or DNR unit in the area also listening to that ID in order for it to be picked up by the 96? It seems to me that the patch should always be transmitted, just as it is on the analog side.

G

 

[JoeyC]

So, If I want to listen to the GT dispatch patch, there would have to be an MSP or DNR unit in the area also listening to that ID in order for it to be picked up by the 96? It seems to me that the patch should always be transmitted, just as it is on the analog side.

G

In order for it to be picked up by any scanner. It is a waste of trunking resources (a potential frequency) to broadcast through a site where there is not an affiliated radio. The patches and simulcasts are not provided for scanner enthusiasts, but for the folks using the radio system.

 

[loumaag]

So, If I want to listen to the GT dispatch patch, there would have to be an MSP or DNR unit in the area also listening to that ID in order for it to be picked up by the 96? It seems to me that the patch should always be transmitted, just as it is on the analog side.

Well I still don't know much about Mich, but I did just go to the system here on the DB, and I assume you are talking about the TG 5033 Countywide COM (Mutual Aid all agencies) (Patched from 156.210) and if so, then I am guessing that your county has not really joined the MPSCS and that patch only exists for the state people to get hold of your county people. And if that is the case, then the only time it is acitve is if a real radio turns to that TG. Why would a TRS tie up a channel broadcasting information that nobody was listening to? The whole purpose of trunking is to cut down such waste of resources.

 

[gg750]

Got it. That makes sense. I guess I was thinking of this system the same way I think of any analog system. Thanks for the input

 

[LGLHOOK]

I don't know much about your systems, but here in Utah the dispatcher has the ability for the patch from analog to digital. If the dispatcher does not patch, I have noticed I will still pick it up on the analog system but not on the digital.

 

[mikey60]

I would try putting ALL freqs listed in the county in the bank your using:
866.3750 866.8750 867.3750 867.8750
The freq 867.875 is listed as a 'confirmed' tower number, but the FCC has
another freq listed that RR database doesn't: 866.0125

866.0125 is the nationwide I-CALL frequency, not part of the trunk. That's why it's not listed and doesn't need to be entered in trunked mode (Conventional, not trunked).

Most of the MPSCS towers in the state have an analog repeater on I-CALL.

Mike