Batboard

I recently acquired an HT1250LS+, mostly because I desired a radio with a display and didn't need more than 32 conventional channels for pretty much everything I could need on UHF in my area.

For giggles I figured out a couple of local LTR systems using LTR Analyzer, and programmed the repeater outputs into my radio, as well as some talkgroups etc.

I've found that pretty much everything is on the other side of Detroit, therefore with a portable reception is pretty bad, but it's not too bad for experimenting.

I've found that the radio requires a strong signal in order to properly trunk the system. If the talkgroup I'm listening to is on the home repeater, where the radio is monitoring anyway, the radio can decode the data stream and open the receiver easier than if the home repeater is keyed up with other traffic and the talkgroup I'm on is on another repeater. I can see what's going on using LTR Analyzer,- a program that decodes the data using a scanner with discriminator tap lined into a computer sound card, but unless I move the radio to a spot where the RSSI gauge goes up to 5 bars, from an otherwise 'scratchy', but intelligible location, the radio will NOT switch channels.

The firmware I have is 5.13.09.

It would seem to me that either Moto radios SUCK on LTR systems, which could very well be the case... I'm sure DPL could be decoded with far worse signal that what I'm able to get, which isn't all that bad actually. Using the computer program with a deaf-scanner connected to a roof antenna, I am able to decode the data streams from distant repeaters far more broken up sounding to my ear than this HT1250LS+

While LTR trunking is pretty worthless to me, except for casual monitoring- which would be mostly towing companies around here... so again pretty worthless unless a ham LTR system on 440 were installed, I would at least like to know why and perhaps troubleshoot the issues here.

Again, I know my LCN table is set up and correct. The radio does fine when the signal is very strong, aka connected to the external antenna. I think the radio should be able to work just as well with a weaker signal from its 6" whip though, granted it would never make it into the system if it were transmitting.

Also adding, I have the unmuting rules set to "std std", and everything else set to defaults, except for channel bandwidth (follows the FCC license as 12.5khz) and I also disabled "low level expansion" in the audio settings.

Have you tried enabling the full expansion to see if it makes a difference? If the repeaters are using some form of companding (very possible, if it's a narrowband frequency) then you may need to use it.

wavetar wrote:Have you tried enabling the full expansion to see if it makes a difference? If the repeaters are using some form of companding (very possible, if it's a narrowband frequency) then you may need to use it.

Would this really affect how the radio decodes the OSW's sent by the repeater for channel assignment? Yes, the repeaters run narrow band, at least that's what the licenses show, and the modulation is pretty low when I had it set to 25khz.

-Josh

how well does the radio work outside? it doesn't seem reasonable to compare receive capability on a scanner with an external roof-mounted to a portable inside a house. if the radio is properly aligned there's no doubt the portable is more sensitive

escomm wrote:how well does the radio work outside? it doesn't seem reasonable to compare receive capability on a scanner with an external roof-mounted to a portable inside a house. if the radio is properly aligned there's no doubt the portable is more sensitive

I forgot to reply, I read your message over the weekend and, well... here's Tuesday.

Anyhow, my point was that the radio in LTR mode isn't sensitive to the data like the radio normally would be, even for straight DPL on a conventional channel.

Yes, I understand there is no comparison between something connected to an external antenna and a radio with the 6" whip, however it still seems odd that it coupled to a computer decoding the packets can find and display LTR data bits/streams with a signal that it audibly weaker than what the HT1250LS+ can decypher.

I am mostly curious as to if anyone else has experienced this issue in more or less "fringe" areas, or semi-fringe areas (UHF is sooo line of sight). Is this something that LTR is setup to be- where if the RX signal is too weak that the radio *thinks* it won't be able to make it into the system, it won't decode the signal or trunk to other channels than the home?