Problem with my Pro-106

[ST-Bob]

OK, on the conventional frequencies from scanlist 1 did you set the CTCSS tones or DPL codes for those frequencies which have them?

On scanlist 2 you're listening to a VHF P25 digital system. You need a really good signal to get digital clearly - much stronger than you did with analog from the same location. Multipath reception (signals reflecting off buildings, mountains etc.) will kill digital reception which is usually either "perfect", "broken up" or "gone entirely". It sounds like you're getting weak or reflection-damaged digital P25 reception. A better antenna or removing nearby "problem frequencies" like the paging systems you're getting so strong will vastly improve that problem.

I don't use PSREdit (I use Arc software) so I cannot tell if you imported the stuff correctly from the RR database. Do you have the PL tones in your computer before writing to the scanner?

You mentioned the paging stuff. If you ever hear it coming in along with the analog frequencies, sort of "on top of" the police/fire stuff then you have intermodulation distortion and have to get rid of it before you have much chance of improving either analog or digital reception. Get a filter.

 

[voxiso]

OK, on the conventional frequencies from scanlist 1 did you set the CTCSS tones or DPL codes for those frequencies which have them?

On scanlist 2 you're listening to a VHF P25 digital system. You need a really good signal to get digital clearly - much stronger than you did with analog from the same location. Multipath reception (signals reflecting off buildings, mountains etc.) will kill digital reception which is usually either "perfect", "broken up" or "gone entirely". It sounds like you're getting weak or reflection-damaged digital P25 reception. A better antenna or removing nearby "problem frequencies" like the paging systems you're getting so strong will vastly improve that problem.

I don't use PSREdit (I use Arc software) so I cannot tell if you imported the stuff correctly from the RR database. Do you have the PL tones in your computer before writing to the scanner?

You mentioned the paging stuff. If you ever hear it coming in along with the analog frequencies, sort of "on top of" the police/fire stuff then you have intermodulation distortion and have to get rid of it before you have much chance of improving either analog or digital reception. Get a filter.

I am planing on it also I will order me a ST2 antenna tomorrow and have it about 30 foot up.. Think that should help out alot? I'll be using the cheap coax that comes with it... Does that really make a huge difference over expensive coax

 

[gretsch]

Dont give up.....

....it's a fantastic scanner. I would suggest you read Easier to Read Pro-106/197/PSR500/600 Digital Scanner Manual
especially the part about "DG Int Prime". It's in the extended settings, and basically controls how much time your scanner will spend trying to determine if a scannable item is digital, or analog. The default setting is 60, but I found that changing it to 30 fixed my problem of not hearing the beginning of certain transmissions.
Your mileage may vary....you may have a completely different problem....either way, it's a good read and full of info.

 

[voxiso]

....it's a fantastic scanner. I would suggest you read Easier to Read Pro-106/197/PSR500/600 Digital Scanner Manual
especially the part about "DG Int Prime". It's in the extended settings, and basically controls how much time your scanner will spend trying to determine if a scannable item is digital, or analog. The default setting is 60, but I found that changing it to 30 fixed my problem of not hearing the beginning of certain transmissions.
Your mileage may vary....you may have a completely different problem....either way, it's a good read and full of info.

changed it to 30 and it fixed my problem thanks alot.. Now just need to work on better P25 quality.. most likely nothing i can do but get a outdoor antenna

 

[voxiso]

Ok So i got my first problem fixed so i got one more question and i'll shut up... at least for tonight

when a P25 channel comes in and they get done talking it will just sit there on that freq for around 10-15 seconds be for it even starts to scan again.. How can i have it so when they get done talking it goes back to scanning.. I do not have this problem with my analog channels

 

[ST-Bob]

I suspect the end of message tone or code isn't being picked up reliably by the scanner. With digital comms, you need the WHOLE thing, not just parts of it. Although you might be hearing most of the audio, if you hear garbled stuff or bits and pieces you're missing some of the data. With those close and powerful pagers coming in on every VHF-Hi frequency you're bound to have partial or fragmented packets. All it takes is to miss the end of transmission code and the scanner will sit there waiting till the signal actually drops out.

You are probably hearing the repeater anyway and it is probably programmed to pause between users a bit to help prevent fragmented conversations. Also, you may simply have the delay set too long on those channels. I use a delay of 20 (2 seconds) but you may want to try shorter or longer values.

 

[voxiso]

I suspect the end of message tone or code isn't being picked up reliably by the scanner. With digital comms, you need the WHOLE thing, not just parts of it. Although you might be hearing most of the audio, if you hear garbled stuff or bits and pieces you're missing some of the data. With those close and powerful pagers coming in on every VHF-Hi frequency you're bound to have partial or fragmented packets. All it takes is to miss the end of transmission code and the scanner will sit there waiting till the signal actually drops out.

You are probably hearing the repeater anyway and it is probably programmed to pause between users a bit to help prevent fragmented conversations. Also, you may simply have the delay set too long on those channels. I use a delay of 20 (2 seconds) but you may want to try shorter or longer values.

Do you know what that delay option is called I know u said u dont use PSREdit but im sure it is the same

 

[ST-Bob]

Should be called Delay I would imagine. What's the easier to read manual say about it?
http://marksscanners.com/106_197/106_197.shtml

 

[RIG]

I am planing on it also I will order me a ST2 antenna tomorrow and have it about 30 foot up.. Think that should help out alot? I'll be using the cheap coax that comes with it... Does that really make a huge difference over expensive coax

I give you a fast coax story. I had Verizon Fios TV installed in my house and three rooms got all the tv stations and another room was missing several stations. It turned out to be that room had the cheap coax that came with the vcr couldn't handle the signal so I changed the wire and all of a sudden the missing channels appeared. I should also say that using the poor grade wire I still had a great picture on the channels I did get and I was thinking it was the cable box was bad. Bottom line is the quality of your coax is just as important as the antenna itself and possibly more.

Rob