Snap, Crackle & Pop

[CbusRog]

I've been listening to a MOT II system for close to 10 years with various scanners. No matter which scanner/antenna combination I use, the MOT II system is always scratchy. The voice is good, but there's always this background "static". Is this normal for an analog MOT II system?

Using a Pro-90, Pro-92, and PSR-500. Antennas are Centurion 806, Radio Shack 20-283, Radio Shack 20-006, Diamond RH77CA.

 

[zz0468]

This could be an artifact of a simulcast system. The system could either be poorly aligned, or you may be in an area where it's just not possible to phase the multiple transmitters perfectly.

 

[DickH]

This could be an artifact of a simulcast system. The system could either be poorly aligned, or you may be in an area where it's just not possible to phase the multiple transmitters perfectly.

Or, you could live near a Nextel/cell phone antenna site.

 

[Zaratsu]

have you tried the attenuator?

 

[n1das]

This could be an artifact of a simulcast system. The system could either be poorly aligned, or you may be in an area where it's just not possible to phase the multiple transmitters perfectly.

Does the snap/crackle/pop effect(s) also appear to "flutter" as you hear it?

 

[CbusRog]

Does the snap/crackle/pop effect(s) also appear to "flutter" as you hear it?

No, although that does happen on occasion when I'm mobile, and always in the same locations. Attenuation usually takes care of that.

What I'm experiencing is best described as hissing along with pops and crackles. Not all talk groups do it, and it's worse on some days, better on others. I may move this to the Regional Forums (Columbus, Ohio).

 

[16b]

If you're listening to one of the Columbus area systems, what you describe is normal. As mentioned before, it is an artifact of the simulcasting. Try tuning in either the OSU or Grove City system. Those are both single site systems, and shouldn't have the "snap crackle and pop" that simulcast systems have.

That noise is normal for simulcasting on any kind of system. The only way you will eliminate it is by either 1) being in very close proximity to a tower, or 2) getting a good 800MHz yagi antenna and pointing it at the nearest tower. I do the latter, and it works very well.

 

[delta_p]

What I'm experiencing is best described as hissing along with pops and crackles. Not all talk groups do it, and it's worse on some days, better on others. I may move this to the Regional Forums (Columbus, Ohio).

Does it sound like this? For me that was home appliance interference. only happened on some of the frequencies of the system and wasn't always consistent. My solution; go mobile or when at home I installed antenna in the attic and run off those. I don't get those pops and crackles anymore.

PP

 

[xpawel15x]

Hmm.. I get something similar on a Mot II and it does get better on some days and worse on others but I think it' my location. The RS 800mhz ducky helped some, but still get broken up signals from time to time...

 

[CbusRog]

If you're listening to one of the Columbus area systems, what you describe is normal. As mentioned before, it is an artifact of the simulcasting. Try tuning in either the OSU or Grove City system. Those are both single site systems, and shouldn't have the "snap crackle and pop" that simulcast systems have.

That noise is normal for simulcasting on any kind of system. The only way you will eliminate it is by either 1) being in very close proximity to a tower, or 2) getting a good 800MHz yagi antenna and pointing it at the nearest tower. I do the latter, and it works very well.

It's the Franklin County Public Safety system. OSU is indeed much better. As long as what I'm experiencing is considered "normal" for a simulcast system, I can live with that. It's just annoying sometimes. Thanks all.

 

[zz0468]

It's the Franklin County Public Safety system. OSU is indeed much better. As long as what I'm experiencing is considered "normal" for a simulcast system, I can live with that. It's just annoying sometimes. Thanks all.

Simulcast CAN be annoying at times. Some of us in the business call it simul-compromise. Some systems can be extraordinarily difficult to optimize, given terrain, available sites, and budget. And some just sound crappy for whatever reason. Keeping them sounding good is a LOT of work.

 

[16b]

It's the Franklin County Public Safety system. OSU is indeed much better. As long as what I'm experiencing is considered "normal" for a simulcast system, I can live with that. It's just annoying sometimes. Thanks all.

As long as you don't hear those same snap crackle and pop noises on the single site systems you can rule out anything in your house or nearby causing interference, so it's good that the OSU system sounds better. After listening to the Columbus system for a while, I find it quite refreshing to listen to OSU.

You will also likely hear the snap crackle and pop noises on the county public service system and Dublin's system; they both use simulcasting.