What am I doing wrong? An HP-1 question.

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

This is my second go-round with the HP-1. Had one last summer, and although I did like it, I decided to sell it to fund my PSR-800 purchase. About a month ago, I had the opportunity to acquire an HP-1 at a "can't resist" price, so I jumped at the chance. Didn't use it much the first few weeks I had it, but that has changed in the last couple of days. It's been "on" almost constantly while I'm home. However, I noticed something yesterday evening, and I'm not sure what to make of it.

So far, I've pretty much been using favorites lists for my listening, but yesterday I decided to use the entire database. So, I set range, selected what services I wanted to monitor and downloaded over 7,000 channels. Yeah, that's a lot, but I wanted to see what it would pick up, so I let it do it's thing. Wow, did I ever get an ear full of stuff. Very interesting listening, to say the least. When I came across something I wanted, I would hold on the system, department or channel for a while.

After listening for well over an hour, I noticed I wasn't hearing anything from the Illinois State Police. I waited until the Illinois P25 Starcom 21 system rolled around, then held on that system to see if I would hear anything. After about 30 minutes of silence, I grabbed my PSR-800 just to make sure that system was working. Picked up plenty of transmissions, so I knew that the system wasn't at fault.

Thinking maybe I didn't have the right services set, I enabled everything and waited for the system to come around again. Still nothing. Held on the system for about another 30 minutes or so and didn't hear anything. Expanded the range, thinking that might have an impact, It didn't. By that time it was getting late and I was tired and decided to call it a night and try again another day.

Same results today. I know I must be doing something wrong, or have some setting wrong, since I can hear the ISP on my 800. Also, it's not a problem of the radio not being able to pick up any digital signals because I can receive the Chicago Fire Department's digital conventional transmissions. Also, it picks up other, albeit non-digital, trunking systems. Needless to say, I'm stumped.

So, does anyone have any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong? What setting I'm missing? Database and firmware are all up to date, so I don't think that would be an issue.

Any suggestions / tips / comments will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jake68111]

Do you have Extreme?

If you do, have you tried to analyze the system?

Thats all I got. Sorry.

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

No, no extreme.

 

[scosgt]

Try formatting your SD card using either SD Formatter or the Sentinel program (I don't remember if it does that). It IS possible for the card to become corrupted.
Also, when using the full database the distance that is programmed into the database is used, meaning that you could fall outside the built in range of that system.
Try loading the same system from favorites and see if that works.
Ascertain the control channel using the PSR 800 and enter that into the HP using the screen or by putting it into a favorite. Sit on the channel and listen for any trunking data. It is possible you are simply not receiving the cc, the PSR 800 is simply way more sensitive.

 

[tonya]

Interesting, I had that happen to me last weekend. Here in Cleveland a new county wide IP-25 system is coming on line. Every month or so a couple new depts come on line. Last weekend the city of Lakewood a large suburban city in the Cleveland area came on line. Fri-Sat worked great, not sure about Sunday but Monday nothing. Had 2 HP's locked on it no traffic. I thought for sure they encrypted. For whatever reason at 2:30 Tuesday morning it came back to life. On our local forums the people with the GRE-800 did not have a problem. It been working fine since. Don't know what happened. But thanks for posting this in case it happens again.

 

[LZ56]

If Sentinel's database has Illinois P25 Starcom defined with a SYSTEM TYPE of P25 X2-TDMA, then that is your problem. HP-1 does not recognize a SYSTEM TYPE of P25 X2-TDMA and defaults to a Motorola 800/900 standard system instead. If it's defined as P25 X2-TDMA, then you must create a favorite list for Illinois P25 Starcom and make sure the SYSTEM TYPE is P25 STANDARD. Then scan the favorite list.

Oh wait, I just thought of something else. Is your HP-1's firmware at version 2.04.01? If so, that could be the culprit. See the 2.04.01 firmware thread in this Uniden forum for more info.

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

If Sentinel's database has Illinois P25 Starcom defined with a SYSTEM TYPE of P25 X2-TDMA, then that is your problem. HP-1 does not recognize a SYSTEM TYPE of P25 X2-TDMA and defaults to a Motorola 800/900 standard system instead. If it's defined as P25 X2-TDMA, then you must create a favorite list for Illinois P25 Starcom and make sure the SYSTEM TYPE is P25 STANDARD. Then scan the favorite list.

Nope, it's phase 1.... "Project 25 Phase I"

Oh wait, I just thought of something else. Is your HP-1's firmware at version 2.04.01? If so, that could be the culprit. See the 2.04.01 firmware thread in this Uniden forum for more info.

Well, after reading thru the entire thread, I rolled back to 2.03 with no better luck.

I don't know what to make of this. I'm going to keep working at it and see if I can't figure something out. As scosgt suggested, perhaps I'll try making a favorite list and see if that works.

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

Nope, it's phase 1.... "Project 25 Phase I"



Well, after reading thru the entire thread, I rolled back to 2.03 with no better luck.

I don't know what to make of this. I'm going to keep working at it and see if I can't figure something out. As scosgt suggested, perhaps I'll try making a favorite list and see if that works.

Nope, making a favorite list didn't help either. Got my PSR-800 sitting right next to the HP-1 and it's squawking like a drunken parrot and the HP-1 is more quiet than a mime.

However, a question comes to mind as I look again at the favorite list on Sentinel. When I appended the departments I wanted to monitor, it looks like it pulled every frequency, statewide, for the system. Is it scanning every frequency, or just those that would be considered "in range?" Should I delete all of them except for Cook North and Cook South?

I am trying really hard to like the HP-1 this time around, but this "issue" is driving me nuts. This radio isn't going to do a whole lot of good on the road if I can't get it to monitor certain systems.

 

[scosgt]

Are we sure this is not simply a reception issue? What antenna are you using? Can you lock onto the CC and turn off the squelch and ascertain if you are even able to "hear" it?
I am quite familiar with the phenomenon of listening to the PSR 800 while the HP (and other radios) are dead silent, but that is on somewhat distant (20+ mles) systems.

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

Are we sure this is not simply a reception issue?

At this point in time, yes.

What antenna are you using?

I'm trying everything I have. The duckie that came with the radio, my Radio Shack 800MHz antenna and my external antenna.

Can you lock onto the CC and turn off the squelch and ascertain if you are even able to "hear" it?

I am definitely picking up the control channel. While I was doing that, I was watching my 800 do its thing, and when it locked on to a transmission, I would direct enter the voice channel into the HP-1 and I could hear the transmission. Not sure what that means, if anything, but that's got to be a good sign, right?

I am quite familiar with the phenomenon of listening to the PSR 800 while the HP (and other radios) are dead silent, but that is on somewhat distant (20+ miles) systems.

Wish distance was the case here, but unfortunately it isn't.

Thanks for your suggestions. I do appreciate them. Maybe we'll get this figured out yet.

 

[scosgt]

Wondering if it is accidently set to avoid. Ot Attenuate.

 

[phask]

THIS !!!!
However, a question comes to mind as I look again at the favorite list on Sentinel. When I appended the departments I wanted to monitor, it looks like it pulled every frequency, statewide, for the system. Is it scanning every frequency, or just those that would be considered "in range?" Should I delete all of them except for Cook North and Cook South?

Yes - I get the same issue in Ohio. If you are NOT using location based scanning in that favorite it will scan all those Control Channels / Locations.


An aside - I created several for my area - county related - so did this multiple , multiple times. I actually had to go back and forth to RR to even determine where some were located.

Delete all but the closest one or ones if you are using this favorite as a base.

I have different ones for mobile with location enabled.

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

Well, I finally got the favorite list to work. Deleted all sites except for the three local ones that I could receive the control channel. It's receiving transmissions, but I'm not hearing the entire transmission like I am on the 800, so I may try applying the 2.04 update and see how it sounds.

Now, if I could just solve the "why isn't it receiving when scanning from the database" problem, I'd be a very happy camper.

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

Well, it's not just a problem with the Illinois Star com 21 system, this POS radio wouldn't pick up any transmissions on the Hoosier Safe-T system either when scanning from the full database.

Was over in Indiana yesterday and had my HP-1 with me so I decided to test it on the Safe-T system. Loaded up the database and let it rip. Listened for over 45 minutes and not a peep out of the system. Borrowed my brothers computer to temporarily download Sentinel to set up Safe-T as a favorite list and as soon as I pressed listen, it began picking up transmissions.

So, I don't know what the problem is, but it's got to be something with the radio if it's exhibiting the same behavior on two different systems now. I'm about ready to chuck this piece of junk and go with a 996XT or a PRO-197.

 

[wesley22]

hp1

Did you try to get help from the Carma scanner group?

 

[EL]

Same Problem here with HP-1

Can not get Marcs IP Cuyahoga 18 law channel. Yet Tonya and others get it..

What type of radio is your other one that does work ??Maybe I need a change real soon.

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

Did you try to get help from the Carma scanner group?

Not yet. Perhaps when I finally tire of banging my head on my desktop, I'll throw out the question over there.

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

Can not get Marcs IP Cuyahoga 18 law channel. Yet Tonya and others get it..

What type of radio is your other one that does work ??Maybe I need a change real soon.

PSR-800.

 

[EL]

Thanks for the ....

info on radio ...... appreciate it. I would trade this Home Patrol 1 in a minute towards something else. I'm really getting frustrated with it "BIG TIME"

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

info on radio ...... appreciate it. I would trade this Home Patrol 1 in a minute towards something else. I'm really getting frustrated with it "BIG TIME"

As Bill Clinton once said, "I feel your pain."

It's a decent radio, but all the reasons why I sold my first one last summer are starting to come flooding back into my memory.