PSR-500 Failure to Track P-25 Systems Thread

[DaveIN]

Being new at this, can "CPUNUT" or someone tell me how to change the "SUPERTRACK" to "OFF" per TSYS, i changed it in the "GLOB" to off but that does not pertain to the TSYS individualy.....Thank You...It does not show up in TSYS analize, or the TSYS Menu??...

I believe if you turned it off in global then it should be off for all TSYS.

 

[PC_Medic]

Being new at this, can "CPUNUT" or someone tell me how to change the "SUPERTRACK" to "OFF" per TSYS, i changed it in the "GLOB" to off but that does not pertain to the TSYS individualy.....Thank You...It does not show up in TSYS analize, or the TSYS Menu??...

May I suggest PSREdit software. Sure does make changing these settings easier (especially while doing this trouble-shooting

 

[RoninJoliet]

Nevermind, found the menu, works the same with drop-outs with SUPER TRACK on or off....As mentioned here on this board the % of the data is 5% in the same exact spot upstairs by a window with RS800 rubber duck as my PRO96=90% and 396=5 bars...

 

[kikito]

May I suggest PSREdit software. Sure does make changing these settings easier (especially while doing this trouble-shooting

Something just as easy is: I've been saving different setups under the V-folders for even quicker loading during the troubleshooting. It's absolutely amazing how quick this thing is storing or loading the v-folders now, compared to the older generation of radios.

 

[bonus1331]

Something just as easy is: I've been saving different setups under the V-folders for even quicker loading during the troubleshooting. It's absolutely amazing how quick this thing is storing or loading the v-folders now, compared to the older generation of radios.

Also amazed at upload speeds. No more slow blinking update bar.
Now I just need it to decode P25;-)

 

[Russell]

I'm seeing the same problem on Austin P25 9600 system. The control channel is not changing. I don't think the control channel has changed in a year. The scanner stops on the TG, if the LED is set for that TG it blinks, but no audio is heard. My first thought was the bad decoding CQPSK prob we saw on the Pro96, but this thread points more to a tracking problem. I am seeing all the behavior described above.

Russell

 

[trido]

Statement from Gre America

GRE is aware that a few users have reported problems with their PSR-500 scanners. They tested this radio extensively all over the United States and are as concerned about these problems as you are. They are actively investigating these issues, and take these reports very seriously. They ask for your patience while they continue their investigation, and when they have results, they will let you know what they find. Thank you for trusting GRE with your scanning receiver needs.



Thanks to all
Gre is listening and acting please give them some time

 

[Tom_G]

Thanks

Jeff,
Thanks for the info.
I have posted some extensive data on my issue which seems to be in sync with many others here.
Here is thread with the details....
http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84887

I am more then happy to assist and/or test any way I can.

Thanks, Tom/G

 

[skipgoulet]

I thought we might start a thread to deal specifically with this issue.

Maybe this will get GRE's attention and someone will help us out here.

I first thought that the radio was not decoding unless it got in on the first of a transmission. That no longer seems to be the case. It just now started working in the middle of one but then cut out again.

My test setup:

PSR-500
Pro-2096
Both on the same electroline 4 port coupler with 50 feet of Andrew heliax to a small in line preamp below a 7 element beam at 30 feet.
Both are set to monitor only the KSCICS Kansas P-25 system.
Both radios are programmed with the same tower information.

I have two RS PRO-2051 Triple Trunk Trackers that I have been told were built by GRE. I posted a couple of weeks ago on the RS board. One scanner stays in the house and I rarely have problems with it; but the mobile scanner will not lock on either of the two trunks that I have in the radio when the weather is cold, like it's starting to get now. One of the trunks is history, anyway, as they've gone digital on PD and FD, but the other trunk is still active. Just wonder if anyone else is having the same problem. One of the guys at the local RS store says he's gotten several of the 2051s back with the same problem, but RS's techs keep telling him there's nothing wrong with the radios. Go figure!

 

[DaveIN]

I have two RS PRO-2051 Triple Trunk Trackers that I have been told were built by GRE. I posted a couple of weeks ago on the RS board. One scanner stays in the house and I rarely have problems with it; but the mobile scanner will not lock on either of the two trunks that I have in the radio when the weather is cold, like it's starting to get now. One of the trunks is history, anyway, as they've gone digital on PD and FD, but the other trunk is still active. Just wonder if anyone else is having the same problem. One of the guys at the local RS store says he's gotten several of the 2051s back with the same problem, but RS's techs keep telling him there's nothing wrong with the radios. Go figure!

O.T. Sorry, the PRO-2051 is a Uniden OEM radio (similar to the BCT-8 and PRO-433) and has nothing to do with this thread.

Thanks for the update Jeff!

 

[kikito]

The scanner is set to manual and the control channel number is alternating, though only one ever shows a percent of decode.

You're using STAT right?

I mentioned this in another thread, according to the manual (Page 98), it only shows a percentage decode on that screen when Multi-Site = Off.

I've noticed that only initially when you press MAN, you'll see a decode rate briefly when using STAT.

To add some more to that, I noticed when I increase the Dwell time to 2 secs, it actually does show a decode % for most of the sites and most of the time, even using STAT.

 

[kikito]

So it sounds like there is some problems with the STAT mode actually recognizing all the sites or something.......

To recap and add to the above:

Like I said earlier, I'm also seeing the same thing. STAT seems to be skipping some sites. What's weird is that often it'll lock on to more distant sites with weaker signals than those that it usually skips which are stronger. When I set it to ROAM, it locks on right away to that main strong site (our Zone controller) and stays there tracking perfectly. If I program each site individually (the old scanner way), it'll track that site and all the other sites just fine.

The latest find and most interesting one is: using Mike V.'s latest Pro96Com software that supports the PSR-500, I've logged info for at least 6 or 7 sites. But when I try to track one of those very sites that gets skipped by the radio in STAT mode, the program runs for a few seconds and quits with no apparent reason or error message. It does it over and over again with that particular site(s). Then I go back and track a different site and it works just fine with Pro96Com.

So I don't know if that's a clue or just coincidence. And if it's possible some sites out there are putting out some sort of OSW that the radio and software doesn't like or gets them confused. I remember Uniden having a similar problem in the past when some of our sites got upgraded to the latest Motorola software (7.x) that supported Multi-Packets. One day the BCD396T was working and the next day after the update, it couldn't reliably lock on to TGs on any of those sites. It couldn't decode the SysID either (it did before the upgrade) just like the Pro-96 and now PSR-500 still can't today. I'm also wondering if this is also somehow related to the other decoding/tracking problems that started this thread.

Sorry for the rambling. Just trying to brainstorm my observations (and crazy ideas)....

 

[SCPD]

I believe if you turned it off in global then it should be off for all TSYS.

The Glob menu SuperTrack only applies to the Tune and search modes. To change on a TSYS, you have to scroll down within the TSYS System object menu for "SuperTrack".

To get to the TSYS menu (there are multiple ways, here is an easy one). Press MAN when on a TGRP on the system of interest, Press PGM EDIT CURR, scroll down one to the TSYS line and press SEL.

 

[SCPD]

To recap and add to the above:

Like I said earlier, I'm also seeing the same thing. STAT seems to be skipping some sites. What's weird is that often it'll lock on to more distant sites with weaker signals than those that it usually skips which are stronger. When I set it to ROAM, it locks on right away to that main strong site (our Zone controller) and stays there tracking perfectly. If I program each site individually (the old scanner way), it'll track that site and all the other sites just fine.

The latest find and most interesting one is: using Mike V.'s latest Pro96Com software that supports the PSR-500, I've logged info for at least 6 or 7 sites. But when I try to track one of those very sites that gets skipped by the radio in STAT mode, the program runs for a few seconds and quits with no apparent reason or error message. It does it over and over again with that particular site(s). Then I go back and track a different site and it works just fine with Pro96Com.

So I don't know if that's a clue or just coincidence. And if it's possible some sites out there are putting out some sort of OSW that the radio and software doesn't like or gets them confused. I remember Uniden having a similar problem in the past when some of our sites got upgraded to the latest Motorola software (7.x) that supported Multi-Packets. One day the BCD396T was working and the next day after the update, it couldn't reliably lock on to TGs on any of those sites. It couldn't decode the SysID either (it did before the upgrade) just like the Pro-96 and now PSR-500 still can't today. I'm also wondering if this is also somehow related to the other decoding/tracking problems that started this thread.

Sorry for the rambling. Just trying to brainstorm my observations (and crazy ideas)....

From what I hear, GRE has reproduced, and is working on a CPU update to solve this.

 

[kikito]

From what I hear, GRE has reproduced, and is working on a CPU update to solve this.

Good to hear, thanks.

 

[SCPD]

Another Idea to Try...

Here is one to try (more good info for GRE) for those of you-all that are having P25 system problems...

Try changing the "Noise Thresh" in the F-Glob menu to its maximum value of 128 (make sure to press F1:Save), and then re-test with supertrack on/off on the TSYS.

 

[KC1UA]

I scanned this entire thread, but didn't see any mention of a problem on purely analog systems. If I missed it, my apologies.

I am scanning the MA State Police statewide system, which is a smartzone 800 MHz system. I programmed the CC's in for Eastern Massachusetts and set the multisite setting to both OFF and STAT. Either intermittently and occasionally all of the time I would see talkgroup info, LED lighting, but no audio. I finally wound up removing all CC's except for the one closest to me (Zone 04). Once that was done it worked just fine. I believe Kikito mentioned something similar to this earlier in the thread, but FWIW it is happening with analog/mixed mode systems also (or MA State Police anyway), apparently when multiple CC's are entered in the TSYS.

 

[SCPD]

Yet another idea to try...

Try scanning with only one scan-list enabled, the scan-list containing only one WildCard on the TSYS of interest. See if that does better than a scan-list with multiple entered TalkGroups.

 

[SCPD]

I scanned this entire thread, but didn't see any mention of a problem on purely analog systems. If I missed it, my apologies.

I am scanning the MA State Police statewide system, which is a smartzone 800 MHz system. I programmed the CC's in for Eastern Massachusetts and set the multisite setting to both OFF and STAT. Either intermittently and occasionally all of the time I would see talkgroup info, LED lighting, but no audio. I finally wound up removing all CC's except for the one closest to me (Zone 04). Once that was done it worked just fine. I believe Kikito mentioned something similar to this earlier in the thread, but FWIW it is happening with analog/mixed mode systems also (or MA State Police anyway), apparently when multiple CC's are entered in the TSYS.

Yes this is being discussed on the "Release" thread, and I think GRE will have an upgrade to address this soon.

 

[kikito]

I scanned this entire thread, but didn't see any mention of a problem on purely analog systems.

Maybe because the thread is called: "Failure to track P-25 systems"
Just a thought.....