XTS 5000 using Astro 25 CPS: Unique problem?

[DW_Adams]

I've spent 3 days of GoogleFu trying to find this particular problem, without success.

I have an XTS 5000 that I've programmed to monitor 3 local, conventional P25 frequencies, NOAA Wx, 146.520 simplex and, so far, 3 local ham repeaters.

My issue is the repeaters.

I can ID on all three repeaters, verified by using a second radio. But, nothing at all can be heard from the repeaters. Open or PL squelch. I don't even hear the repeaters with Monitor on, 0 squelch.

I'm new to Astro 25 CPS, but the fact that the P25 frequencies, the Simplex frequency and the NOAA Wx frequency all work as programmed leads me to believe there must be a setting I'm unaware of or missing. I've posted this problem to Reddit without success as well. Users at /hamradio and /motorolasolutions don't seem to know either.

I'll happily share the codeplug I've setup for this, if anyone cares to look and see if it is something I've done or not done.

 

[wgbecks]

Go ahead and post your codeplug file.

 

[DW_Adams]

Go ahead and post your codeplug file.

 

[wgbecks]

Oops! You posted the "Session Log". Please post the associated .cpg file.

 

[DW_Adams]

Oops! You posted the "Session Log". Please post the associated .cpg file.

Geez, this has got me loopy.
This should be it

 

[wgbecks]

Geez, this has got me loopy.
This should be it

I see a few minor issues. I believe you have a conflict with the use of the two-position concentric switch between trying to enable/disable scan and switch the radio into talk around mode. When the switch is not in the scan position, it will force the transmitter into talk around mode whereby you'll be transmitting on the repeater output frequency and will not therefore key the repeater.

In Zone-1, Channel-5 (W4BEJ) you have the incorrect TX PL (100.0 Hz) but according to the website I found that states it should be 146.2 Hz.

It appears that you've set Zone-3 to work as a Talk Around or Simplex zone where you did not set any TX PL tones. This is fine so long as
the repeaters are not encoding PL and the users are set to carrier squelch. However, if these repeaters do encode PL, then you'll need to
set your TX PL tones according. In all actuality, Zone-3 is redundant in that you can simply set a switch or a menu item to place the raidio
into Talk Around mode.

The two-position concentric switch is typically used to enable/disable encryption, but can be used in this case to either turn on/off scan
or to place the radio into Talk Around, but not both. I would suggest setting one or the other of these function to a menu item as a means
to clear the conflict.

When operating on the repeater channels, you should not see the Talk Around symbol on the display unless you intend to transmit
on the repeater output.

 

[DW_Adams]

I see a few minor issues. I believe you have a conflict with the use of the two-position concentric switch between trying to enable/disable scan and switch the radio into talk around mode. When the switch is not in the scan position, it will force the transmitter into talk around mode whereby you'll be transmitting on the repeater output frequency and will not therefore key the repeater.

In Zone-1, Channel-5 (W4BEJ) you have the incorrect TX PL (100.0 Hz) but according to the website I found that states it should be 146.2 Hz.

It appears that you've set Zone-3 to work as a Talk Around or Simplex zone where you did not set any TX PL tones. This is fine so long as
the repeaters are not encoding PL and the users are set to carrier squelch. However, if these repeaters do encode PL, then you'll need to
set your TX PL tones according. In all actuality, Zone-3 is redundant in that you can simply set a switch or a menu item to place the raidio
into Talk Around mode.

The two-position concentric switch is typically used to enable/disable encryption, but can be used in this case to either turn on/off scan
or to place the radio into Talk Around, but not both. I would suggest setting one or the other of these function to a menu item as a means
to clear the conflict.

When operating on the repeater channels, you should not see the Talk Around symbol on the display unless you intend to transmit
on the repeater output.

Ok, I'll work on those and see what happens. Thanks.

 

[DW_Adams]

Ok, I'll work on those and see what happens. Thanks.

Set the concentric ring for unprogrammed/unprogrammed for now.
Zone 3 was made as a test at the suggestion of someone to see if I could hear the repeaters. I couldn't. And I deleted it.
W4BEJ keys up at PL 100.0

This really makes no sense. Recv is excellent on everything but repeater output frequencies.
Thanks for taking the time to look it over, though. I appreciate it.

 

[FFPM571]

Zone 2 is P25? do all the departments use the default NAC of 239?

 

[wgbecks]

Zone 2 is P25? do all the departments use the default NAC of 239?

Not likely. Check the Radio Reference listings for those departments. If you find that data is not published, then you could
use an SDR with an application such as DSDPlus or SDRTrunk for example to collect the NAC codes.

 

[DW_Adams]

Zone 2 is P25? do all the departments use the default NAC of 239?

Zone 2 is all default settings. Just had to turn on the Squelch setting in the Astro tab:
Rx unmute rule - Digital CSQ

Didn't have to change anything for NAC

 

[wgbecks]

Zone 2 is all default settings. Just had to turn on the Squelch setting in the Astro tab:
Rx unmute rule - Digital CSQ

Didn't have to change anything for NAC

That is because you don't have the correct NAC values set for those channels in Zone 2. In you case this works but would not
be necessary if you had populated the actual NAC's codes in use.

Rx Unmute Rule (Conventional Personality, ASTRO)
Digital CSQ: The radio unmutes to all Digital CAI Operation compliant voice signals.

 

[DW_Adams]

That is because you don't have the correct NAC values set for those channels in Zone 2. In you case this works but would not
be necessary if you had populated the actual NAC's codes in use.

Rx Unmute Rule (Conventional Personality, ASTRO)
Digital CSQ: The radio unmutes to all Digital CAI Operation compliant voice signals.

I guess I got lucky. But it's the ham repeaters that are giving me trouble. The P25 channels are fine.

 

[ff026]

Do you have wideband entitlement?

 

[FFPM571]

Do you have wideband entitlement?

Astro25 CPS is already set for wideband and has to be change by channel to narrowband. No entitlement needed. Even so that is not the issue

 

[KJ4DHF]

When I looked at the OP posted CP. He had 3 Zone channel Assignments all linked to Conv. Personality 4.

 

[DW_Adams]

When I looked at the OP posted CP. He had 3 Zone channel Assignments all linked to Conv. Personality 4.

That was a simplex test with a fresh, default personality, suggested by another user, to see if I could hear the repeaters. I've since deleted it.

I guess my only other option is to find a Motorola tech and have it tested. I'm still convinced it has to be something other than bad Recv, since everything but the repeaters comes in strong and clear.

No, first I'll get a coax adapter and put it on my base 2m antenna. If that doesn't change anything, I'll find someone to test it.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[ff026]

Astro25 CPS is already set for wideband and has to be change by channel to narrowband. No entitlement needed. Even so that is not the issue

Actually if the bandwidth is set incorrectly it will not receive on a frequency. It’s happened to myself a few times.

 

[FFPM571]

Actually if the bandwidth is set incorrectly it will not receive on a frequency. It’s happened to myself a few times.

He is using Ham freqs and those are still wideband

 

[DW_Adams]

That was a simplex test with a fresh, default personality, suggested by another user, to see if I could hear the repeaters. I've since deleted it.

I guess my only other option is to find a Motorola tech and have it tested. I'm still convinced it has to be something other than bad Recv, since everything but the repeaters comes in strong and clear.

No, first I'll get a coax adapter and put it on my base 2m antenna. If that doesn't change anything, I'll find someone to test it.

Thanks for all the help.

UPDATE:

Sorry it took so long, but I'd like to share the results.

After putting the radio on a 2m base antenna, everything was fine. I find it odd that the rubber duckie was good enough to hit and ID the repeaters, but not receive. With the external antenna all repeaters were readable.

It's a nice radio, guess I'll buy a microphone for it and keep it in the car.

Thanks for all the input/troubleshooting. It was very much appreciated.