I’m looking forward to it, I haven’t owned a dedicated receiver since the R75. I started as a short wave listener in 1977 with a FRG-7. The listening hobby has really changed over the years. The broadcasters are gone for the most part, but there’s plenty to monitor with the right equipment.
R30 performance with simulcast?
- Thread starter kc5igh
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I’m looking forward to it, I haven’t owned a dedicated receiver since the R75. I started as a short wave listener in 1977 with a FRG-7. The listening hobby has really changed over the years. The broadcasters are gone for the most part, but there’s plenty to monitor with the right equipment.
Got the R30, the battery life is unreal compared to the 436. The build quality is excellent. The software was a nightmare getting up and running but I finally figured out it needed updating in order to work through some of the posts here. After that it’s easy but time consuming to program (after being spoiled by the RR installed database of the 436).I find the R30 much easier to navigate via the menu than the 436 and the record function is very nice. I got some good SSTV images via the ISS last night.
I have a few groups programmed but I think there must be a frequency or two not listed in one of the simulcast systems I’m monitoring. Or it may be just the nature of the non trunking. The air band came alive on the R30 in comparison to the 436, I am in a fairly high traffic flight path. Not thrilled with the stock antenna so I put a Diamond SMA to BNC adapter and am using a RH77CA and an RH519 currently. Very pleased so far.
I have a few groups programmed but I think there must be a frequency or two not listed in one of the simulcast systems I’m monitoring. Or it may be just the nature of the non trunking. The air band came alive on the R30 in comparison to the 436, I am in a fairly high traffic flight path. Not thrilled with the stock antenna so I put a Diamond SMA to BNC adapter and am using a RH77CA and an RH519 currently. Very pleased so far.
Yeah, love that battery life for sure. Easier to get a handle on programming once the software begins to work for you. The R30 is more than adequate for the one small site I monitor. If I need to monitor a larger area I have to revert to the SDS100.
An update, the R30 is doing better following the system. I believe it was not holding the frequency long enough to decode a reply. I set the pause on hold and the resume on 4 seconds. I feel like I’m just scratching the surface of its capability.
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Hit_Factor
Member
That's good news.
I don't think you should expect replies to be on the same freq.
I don't think you should expect replies to be on the same freq.
I didn’t either, but it’s happening fairly often. Same frequency, same TG ID. I don’t hear all the traffic on the trunked system of course. My only theory is that I’m hearing units that are close to the tower that is near me.
Hit_Factor
Member
Don't let me get in the way of what works for you.
Here I go again, I don't think you are hearing the mobile units directly, I think you are hearing the repeated signal from the tower (site).
Maybe you figured out the transmit freqs for the mobiles.
Here I go again, I don't think you are hearing the mobile units directly, I think you are hearing the repeated signal from the tower (site).
Maybe you figured out the transmit freqs for the mobiles.
Clarification to my statement, yes I’m hearing the repeated transmissions of the units that are close to one tower that is closest to me (about a mile). I only have the 8 simulcast frequencies programmed.
palmerjrusa
Member
The IC-R30 is a great radio, a great performer and for what it does and what you get (high mAh battery, charging cradle etc.) very reasonably priced.
I also love Icom gear, they really push the technology forward.
(My Icom collection: R2 (had more fun with this little radio than you can imagine!), R3, R5, R6, R20, R30, R75, R8600)
Well, so far, I've been disappointed with my R30's performance on a local P25 simulcast trunked system. (Yes, I know it's not designed to track trunked systems. It's ability to handle everything else is terrific, so it's definitely a keeper!)
My problem only seems to occur when I scan the simulcast system's 14 output frequencies that I programmed as memory channels. When I stop scanning those channels and monitor a single channel, it will receive traffic on that one channel just fine. I've played around at attenuating the signals and lowering the RF gain, but neither of those adjustments seem to make a difference when I revert to memory scan mode. It acts as though it scans memory channels too quickly to properly decode simulcast signals.
A new, non-simulcast 700 Mhz trunked system in the area comes in beautifully!
Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions?
Thanks.
My problem only seems to occur when I scan the simulcast system's 14 output frequencies that I programmed as memory channels. When I stop scanning those channels and monitor a single channel, it will receive traffic on that one channel just fine. I've played around at attenuating the signals and lowering the RF gain, but neither of those adjustments seem to make a difference when I revert to memory scan mode. It acts as though it scans memory channels too quickly to properly decode simulcast signals.
A new, non-simulcast 700 Mhz trunked system in the area comes in beautifully!
Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions?
Thanks.
@kc5igh
I’m not astute enough to offer any help. I can sympathize. It does seem that it scans so fast it’s not decoding, but that’s just a theory.
I set the pause on hold and the resume on 4 seconds. I don’t catch every transmission, didn’t expect to, but I hear far more conversations since I changed it. I don’t program any control frequencies, on the three systems I monitor none have more than ten frequencies.
I’m not astute enough to offer any help. I can sympathize. It does seem that it scans so fast it’s not decoding, but that’s just a theory.
I set the pause on hold and the resume on 4 seconds. I don’t catch every transmission, didn’t expect to, but I hear far more conversations since I changed it. I don’t program any control frequencies, on the three systems I monitor none have more than ten frequencies.
Thanks for your response, Jerry.
I read your earlier post about adjusting the pause and resume settings and tried them out, but it made no difference on my system. The R30 receives nothing at all when it's scanning those output channels. It will show signal bars at full strength for the current control channel when I scroll through the system and stop on it, and it won't play the usual control-channel audio noise, which is nice.
This isn't a major problem because I have the aforementioned SDS100 and G5 for reliable reception ofthat simulcast system, but I did hear some glowing reports about how well other R30 owners were able to monitor simulcast systems in other parts of the country. There may still be some adjustments out there that I'm not aware of.
The R30 nonetheless outshines my other scanners when it comes to reception of just about everything else. I'm pretty sure Icom sells commercial trunked simulcast systems, but I suspect Icom simply didn't design those radios to do everything the R30 is doing at its very rapid scan rate (if, indeed, the fast scan rate is the problem).. Like everyone else, I'm still dreaming about a single, portable receiver that will do everything perfectly!
Thanks again.
-Johnnie
I read your earlier post about adjusting the pause and resume settings and tried them out, but it made no difference on my system. The R30 receives nothing at all when it's scanning those output channels. It will show signal bars at full strength for the current control channel when I scroll through the system and stop on it, and it won't play the usual control-channel audio noise, which is nice.
This isn't a major problem because I have the aforementioned SDS100 and G5 for reliable reception ofthat simulcast system, but I did hear some glowing reports about how well other R30 owners were able to monitor simulcast systems in other parts of the country. There may still be some adjustments out there that I'm not aware of.
The R30 nonetheless outshines my other scanners when it comes to reception of just about everything else. I'm pretty sure Icom sells commercial trunked simulcast systems, but I suspect Icom simply didn't design those radios to do everything the R30 is doing at its very rapid scan rate (if, indeed, the fast scan rate is the problem).. Like everyone else, I'm still dreaming about a single, portable receiver that will do everything perfectly!
Thanks again.
-Johnnie
Check your squelch settings. If it's set to AUTO try changing to Level 1 or 2 and see if that helps.
I put mine on squelch to 1 which helps a bit. Have found some hit but no audio is actually data being sent when I press the squelch button. I put my delay at 20 seconds and hold on the other settings. Seems I get both conversations before it moves on. Just wondering if the R30 scans so fast it actually passes by active channels.
Hi, tumegpc.
I tried adjusting the squelch settings early on (and again more recently after reading your post), and none of the different levels seemed to make any discernible difference.
I can't think of anything else to adjust, so it looks like I may just have to live with this relatively minor issue . . . especially since the R30 does everything else so well.
Thanks!
I'm coming to the same conclusion about the R30's scanning speed, bearcatrp.
Thanks.
My D.SQL setting is already OFF (is that the default mode?), and it hasn't made a difference.
This afternoon, if I have a little more time, I may try doing the opposite and program the NAC to match the NAC I that I think I may be seeing on a signal coming through on one of my stopped channels.
Certainly worth a try . . . thanks.
It’s a mystery to me as to why it’s not stopping on any simulcast frequencies . Mine works pretty well on our local simulcast systems.
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