Help with HT1000 scan configuration

This forum is for discussions regarding all aspects of Motorola radio programming, including hardware, computers, installation and use of RSS/CPS, firmware upgrades, and troubleshooting. There are subforums for discussions of codeplugs, and also for software/firmware release notes and issues.

Moderator: Queue Moderator

Post Reply
Norman
New User
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2008 9:44 pm

Help with HT1000 scan configuration

Post by Norman »

Hi everyone. I'm having a tough time understanding how to program the scan feature in my HT1000. I am very comfortable programming GP300s and thought an HT1000 would be a nice addition to my collection. However, I am pulling my hair out with this HT1000. And not having any visual indications of the scan status makes things that much more frustrating.

I realize there are interactions between the toggle switch, side buttons, and channel-specific settings, so for now, to try to isolate the problem, I've devoted mode 16 to scanning and kept the settings for the toggle and side-button switches as simple as possible as follows:

CURRENT SETTINGS
Toggle: A=High B=Low C=Low
Side buttons: 1=monitor, 2=blank, 3=select
Modes 1-15 are enables in the scan list.
(about half of the modes have an RX tone squelch.)


PROBLEM / SYMPTOM:
When the radio is on mode 16 (set to non-priority slaved auto-scan), radio unsquelches then resumes as expected on active modes.

However, it behaves strangely when not scanning. If I try to dial into a specific mode (like 10), the audio breaks up (sounds choppy), cutting in and out at roughly 150 ms intervals.

If I resume scanning (my mode 16), the radio will eventually find the active channel and audio will sound okay (no choppiness).

The only thing I can think of which might be a clue is that I don't seem to have this problem with an RX mode which is programmed as CSQ. I must not be understanding one of the mode-specific settings and am puzzled as to what might be the cause of this behavior. I'd appreciate your suggestions.

Thanks,

Norman
User avatar
Tom in D.C.
Posts: 3859
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2001 4:00 pm
What radios do you own?: Progreso soup can with CRT

Re: Help with HT1000 scan configuration

Post by Tom in D.C. »

When audio cuts in and out on a regular basis it can mean that you've got one channel set as a priority channel and your radio is set to another, non-priority, channel. Look at your RSS's setup and see if this is the case.
Tom in D.C.
In 1920, the U.S. Post Office Department ruled
that children may not be sent by parcel post.
User avatar
linkinpark9812
Posts: 120
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:53 pm
What radios do you own?: Spectra, HT1000, Icom F30

Re: Help with HT1000 scan configuration

Post by linkinpark9812 »

Since you have the autoscan set to specific channels since you do not have any buttons to control scanning, are you 100% sure that when on mode 10 that it is not set to scanning? That choppiness almost always means, like Tom said, that your scanning has stopped on a non priority channel, but you have another set to priority that the radio keeps checking for activity.
Radios I own: Spectra VHF 110W with A7 head, HT1000 VHF, ICOM IC-F30 VHF, and a Puxing PX-888 VHF.
Scanner I own: Radioshack Pro-164

If you want to get around the 16 mode scan limit on the Motorola Spectra, then read this guide and go to the original thread Here! 8)
Norman
New User
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2008 9:44 pm

Re: Help with HT1000 scan configuration

Post by Norman »

Thanks for your replies. Still no luck. Please don't give up on me yet!

Here's what I've tried since:

1. Verified that no channels are set to priority.
2. Disabled slaved "auto-scan" in mode-16

Now without any ability to scan, I get the choppy audio when dialed into any active TPL RX channel.

I understand that the radio will constantly "break away" from a non-priority channel to check for traffic on a priority channel. Ordinarily, the audio on the non-priority channel will mostly be there (intelligible). With GP300s, I usually set priority checking for every 2,000ms (2 seconds).

In my case, the audio is mostly not there (completely unintelligible). Right now, the only way to hear clear speech on an active channel is to hold down the monitor button.

It's behaving as if the TPL were set to the wrong frequency, though one would think there would be no audio at all if this were the case.

Unless I can figure this out, I'll either have to remove TPL from all my receive frequencies or give up the ability to scan.
Norman
New User
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2008 9:44 pm

Re: Help with HT1000 scan configuration

Post by Norman »

Okay -- verified this:

By setting my RX frequencies to CSQ (no TPL), I can "park" on any of my modes (no audio distortion/chopping).

I know the eight repeaters I have programmed (including my simplex test frequency) send PL. Either this radio isn't properly decoding PL or it's ignoring my TPL settings when scanning.

Very strange.
User avatar
linkinpark9812
Posts: 120
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:53 pm
What radios do you own?: Spectra, HT1000, Icom F30

Re: Help with HT1000 scan configuration

Post by linkinpark9812 »

Norman wrote:Okay -- verified this:

By setting my RX frequencies to CSQ (no TPL), I can "park" on any of my modes (no audio distortion/chopping).

I know the eight repeaters I have programmed (including my simplex test frequency) send PL. Either this radio isn't properly decoding PL or it's ignoring my TPL settings when scanning.

Very strange.
hmmm, im sure this is a used radio then? Maybe it is a hack job, such as someone going into the service menu and messing around with PL and DPL deviation settings or the like. They probably did it blindly without a service monitor..... or someone try to hack it to 16 channel and messed up the alignment options during the process?

Now if the radio has been in your possession since it was brand new, who knows?
Radios I own: Spectra VHF 110W with A7 head, HT1000 VHF, ICOM IC-F30 VHF, and a Puxing PX-888 VHF.
Scanner I own: Radioshack Pro-164

If you want to get around the 16 mode scan limit on the Motorola Spectra, then read this guide and go to the original thread Here! 8)
akardam
Posts: 2251
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2004 10:53 am

Re: Help with HT1000 scan configuration

Post by akardam »

What setting(s) are you using for your Unmute/Mute rule?
Norman
New User
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2008 9:44 pm

Re: Help with HT1000 scan configuration

Post by Norman »

I had all CSQ RX channels set to STD/STD. When I had TSQ tones assigned to RX channels, I set those to AND/OR. But as I mentioned, assigning any PL to them causes that choppy, unintelligible audio (no scan or priority functions programmed in RSS, toggle, or side buttons).

I now have all RX channels set to CSQ so that I can at least dial into whatever channel I want to monitor. My preference would be to get this working with TSQ and would be willing to reprogramming appropriate TSQ tones to the RX channels if you have any suggestions.

Thanks,
Norman / WB6YSL
Norman
New User
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2008 9:44 pm

Re: Help with HT1000 scan configuration

Post by Norman »

I've discovered that my MT1000 does not have a scanning problem.

The problem is that it is not decoding PL (TX PL works just fine).

Is there any way to fine-tune the HT1000's RX PL filter frequency? Seems like it's off just a enough to cause the choppiness (barely breaks squelch).

Sorry for the misleading topic. I was hoping to create a new topic "Help with HT1000 receive PL" which would be more appropriate in light of my discoveries but that was denied.


Thanks and 73,
Norman WB6YSL
User avatar
linkinpark9812
Posts: 120
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:53 pm
What radios do you own?: Spectra, HT1000, Icom F30

Re: Help with HT1000 scan configuration

Post by linkinpark9812 »

Norman wrote:I've discovered that my MT1000 does not have a scanning problem.

The problem is that it is not decoding PL (TX PL works just fine).

Is there any way to fine-tune the HT1000's RX PL filter frequency? Seems like it's off just a enough to cause the choppiness (barely breaks squelch).

Sorry for the misleading topic. I was hoping to create a new topic "Help with HT1000 receive PL" which would be more appropriate in light of my discoveries but that was denied.


Thanks and 73,
Norman WB6YSL
You will probably have to go into the SERVICE (F2) section of the RSS Software. It has a bunch of tuning options, but you will probably need a service monitor since making blind adjustments can make the performance of a radio very low, and even non working.

I see that there is a "Front End Bandpass Filter Align", "VCO Crossover Align", "Sql. Align 12.5khz", "Sql. Align 20khz", "Sql. Align 25/30khz", and "Rated Audio Align". Most of them have multiple values for different areas across the whole band split of the radio.

If you don't have a service monitor, you can still look at the values just to see if they look completely erroneous.
Radios I own: Spectra VHF 110W with A7 head, HT1000 VHF, ICOM IC-F30 VHF, and a Puxing PX-888 VHF.
Scanner I own: Radioshack Pro-164

If you want to get around the 16 mode scan limit on the Motorola Spectra, then read this guide and go to the original thread Here! 8)
Norman
New User
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2008 9:44 pm

RESOLVED: Help with HT1000 PL not decoding

Post by Norman »

Norman wrote:I've discovered that my MT1000 does not have a scanning problem.

The problem is that it is not decoding PL (TX PL works just fine).

Is there any way to fine-tune the HT1000's RX PL filter frequency? Seems like it's off just a enough to cause the choppiness (barely breaks squelch).

Sorry for the misleading topic. I was hoping to create a new topic "Help with HT1000 receive PL" which would be more appropriate in light of my discoveries but that was denied.


Thanks and 73,
Norman WB6YSL
02-20-2011 UPDATE:
Turns out that my codeplug was corrupted. Replacing it with a clean one fixed the problem. I didn't suspect this since the radio was otherwise behaving just fine. Thanks to all for your suggestions. I hope this helps someone else with a similar problem (PL not decoding).
Post Reply

Return to “Radio Programming”