XTL/XTS5000 Problems with DPL Squelch on XTS 5000

[ferryside]

As per recommendation, I just got my hands on a tuned, aligned XTS5000 and programmed it with my company's channels. 90% of the time it works fine, but the other 10% the DPL squelch tends to go in and out on rx. I've included a recording of the radio doing this below. When I remove DPL squelch using monitor, I hear the audio loud and clear which leads me to believe it's not the carrier squelch. Additionally, other channels (NOAA WX) not using any squelch at all come through fine. I haven't tried PL channels yet. This is simple analog VHF, no encryption or digital.

I'm happy to provide a full codeplug, but the relevant settings are: Rx Unmute Delay is set to 1 - 0 ms. Unmute/mute is sent to And/Or. Squelch (Fine Tune) is set to 4. Rx emphasis is on. MDC is on but DOS is not. Is there something I'm missing in the programming?

Sequence 01.mp4

drive.google.com

 

[ferryside]

The repeater is also a solid 6 miles from where I'm monitoring with lots of hills and terrain in between, but I noticed this problem when I was practically on top of the repeater as well...

 

[MTS2000des]

Alignment may be in order. When was the last time this radio saw an auto tune on a service monitor?

 

[ferryside]

Alignment may be in order. When was the last time this radio saw an auto tune on a service monitor?

The seller sent me a picture of a truncated spec sheet which indicated the radio passed the 173.9750 frequency test just before I bought it. That would have been about four days ago. I went ahead and asked him for a full sheet, which he'll get me tomorrow morning.

Edit: He did say that the radio has been fully aligned and tested

 

[ElroyJetson]

It's very possible that other radios on the system are not in good alignment. Watch to see if the dropouts are always associated with specific radios.

 

[GTR8000]

It's very possible that other radios on the system are not in good alignment. Watch to see if the dropouts are always associated with specific radios.

It's not very likely at all, actually. If the "other radios" were out of alignment, they'd have trouble keeping the repeater keyed up. Alas, the OP clearly stated: "When I remove DPL squelch using monitor, I hear the audio loud and clear" Perhaps you missed that key bit of info.

 

[ferryside]

Adding to the dilemma here. When I tune into another conventional system using DPL which has a repeater even farther away, I hear them without the dropouts. Same personality for both channels. The one with the dropouts is 159.3450 DPL 263, the farther one without the dropouts is 152.9900 DPL 116.

 

[KevinC]

Adding to the dilemma here. When I tune into another conventional system using DPL which has a repeater even farther away, I hear them without the dropouts. Same personality for both channels. The one with the dropouts is 159.3450 DPL 263, the farther one without the dropouts is 152.9900 DPL 116.

DPL deviation low on that repeater?

 

[ferryside]

DPL deviation low on that repeater?

Possibly, but I haven't had any problems using the company-programmed mobile radios built in to our trucks. It's also worth mentioning that the cutting in and out never starts or stops in the middle of a transmission...

 

[prcguy]

Radio programmed for wide band on a narrow band system? System DPL levels too low for a wide band radio?

 

[ferryside]

Radio programmed for wide band on a narrow band system?

Long story short, I have access to the fx, squelch tones, tx dev and channel spacing programmed directly by the company fleet manager, all of which I double checked are correctly input in CPS. For all channels, rx dev is 2.5 kHz, channel spacing is 12.5 kHz.

 

[prcguy]

Send me the code plug and I'll take a look.

 

[prcguy]

Send me the code plug and I'll take a look.

Are DPLs normal or reversed in the system? How bout your radio?

 

[ferryside]

Are DPLs normal or reversed in the system? How bout your radio?

DPLs are all normal, both in the codeplug programmed by the fleet manager and in my current codeplug--which is on the way.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Possibly, but I haven't had any problems using the company-programmed mobile radios built in to our trucks. It's also worth mentioning that the cutting in and out never starts or stops in the middle of a transmission...

What does that mean exactly, isn't that what cutting out is about?

 

[ElroyJetson]

I have encountered the exact scenario where radios that were slightly out of DPL alignment (transmitter) were able to bring up a repeater but could not consistently be heard on specific radios that were in alignment. That's why I mentioned it.

It's not supposed to happen. The repeater is supposed to low pass filter and strip out the incoming PL/DPL information and generate its own for the outgoing transmission, for the other radios on the system to hear.

Nevertheless, I've seen that happen. I suspected it was actually a repeater issue but could never prove it as I never got access to the repeater to put it through a complete alignment myself. That was in the hands of another radio shop.

 

[ferryside]

I have encountered the exact scenario where radios that were slightly out of DPL alignment (transmitter) were able to bring up a repeater but could not consistently be heard on specific radios that were in alignment. That's why I mentioned it.

It's not supposed to happen. The repeater is supposed to low pass filter and strip out the incoming PL/DPL information and generate its own for the outgoing transmission, for the other radios on the system to hear.

Nevertheless, I've seen that happen. I suspected it was actually a repeater issue but could never prove it as I never got access to the repeater to put it through a complete alignment myself. That was in the hands of another radio shop.

I just got back the full alignment report, and the radio's fully in alignment. It's just trippy because the other radios work fine

What does that mean exactly, isn't that what cutting out is about?

Choppy thing.m4a

drive.google.com

It means that this happens randomly every 20th or so transmission, but it never stops or starts happening within a transmission.

 

[prcguy]

I just got back the full alignment report, and the radio's fully in alignment. It's just trippy because the other radios work fine

Choppy thing.m4a

drive.google.com

It means that this happens randomly every 20th or so transmission, but it never stops or starts happening within a transmission.

I listened to the recording and it almost sounds like multipath distortion with some varying fading. I've been listening to the same channel on a remote Icom 7100 set for DPL decode and every transmission I hear decodes just fine. I'm watching my S meter and channel busy light and every time their is a carrier the DPL decoder here instantly decodes and audio comes through for the full duration of the transmission with no interruptions. Signal strength here is about S9 and solid, no fading.

Could it be your in a very reflective area picking up multipath and the multipath is confusing the decoder? Do all the transmissions have a little flutter or are they all full quieting and stable?

 

[ferryside]

I listened to the recording and it almost sounds like multipath distortion with some varying fading. I've been listening to the same channel on a remote Icom 7100 set for DPL decode and every transmission I hear decodes just fine. I'm watching my S meter and channel busy light and every time their is a carrier the DPL decoder here instantly decodes and audio comes through for the full duration of the transmission with no interruptions. Signal strength here is about S9 and solid, no fading.

Could it be your in a very reflective area picking up multipath and the multipath is confusing the decoder? Do all the transmissions have a little flutter or are they all full quieting and stable?

This could quite possibly be the case, as I'm recording from indoors and surrounded by very heavy terrain. The varying fading goes away when I drive closer to the the repeater, which suggests that some multipath might be going on, but the chopping persists. Additionally:

alignment.csv

drive.google.com

This is the align sheet they sent me. When I loaded the radio onto tuner, I noticed that both the old and new softpot values are different from the radio's current ones even though the serial and model numbers match. I'll try bringing the radio into work next time I go in...

 

[prcguy]

This could quite possibly be the case, as I'm recording from indoors and surrounded by very heavy terrain. The varying fading goes away when I drive closer to the the repeater, which suggests that some multipath might be going on, but the chopping persists. Additionally:

alignment.csv

drive.google.com

This is the align sheet they sent me. When I loaded the radio onto tuner, I noticed that both the old and new softpot values are different from the radio's current ones even though the serial and model numbers match. I'll try bringing the radio into work next time I go in...

If the radio is significantly off frequency, especially in narrow band, that could cause decode problems but not affect overall receive audio that much. Receive audio will get fuzzy at some point and will be different between different radios. I have not mapped out a radio programmed for narrow band but something 1KHz off frequency should start having some kind of problems.