Batboard

1. I recently purchased a rebuilt Astro Saber III (eBay) and the latest Motorola Astro Saber/Spectra software and updates (from Motorola). I am a law enforcement officer whose agency currently uses analog equipment but I purchased the Astro so I can monitor (receive only) neighboring departments who use digital systems.

I was told that Network ID 293 (or 273??) is the equivelent of "CSQ" in an analog environment and that by programing the Network ID as such, I would be able to monitor that agency (non-encrypted). Whenever I do, however, all I get is a flashing red incoming carrier signal until I depress the "monitor/open squelch" key.

Is there any way I can get this audio to come thru without watching for a flashing indicator and manually depressing the monitor key?

2. The radio I purchased had several test frequencies programmed in the upper T-band (500 megs). The receive frequencies I programmed range from 453 to 477. The audio on the analog 453 freqs is choppy and clearly inferior to my analog Bendix King. Isn't the Astro Saber 450-512 truly broadband? Is it possible that the radio was "tuned" for the upper T-Band?

As for the digital operation, I believe the DEFAULT is 293. If you setup the radio for Digial CSQ, it shouldn't matter what the network ID is, as it should decode any IMBE digital signal. It may be possible that the other PD is running encyption full time (which in the digital mode would have no impact on voice quaility) and in that case you would'nt hear anything, but the radio would show channel activity.

Read the "Astro/digital sq question" thread. My attempts to monitor a local agency seems to mirror yours.

Where in the Ny area are you located, and what agencies are you looking to monitor? All you need to do is put is the radio in digital carrier squelch mode and it will work. Just wondering if we are listening to the same systems. BTW, the new digital scanners from uniden works really well. I got mine the other day.

Just remember, some of the radio are not flashed with certain option am not sure what, but a friend of mine on his astro, did not have digital CSQ, but was flashed for APCO though.

If the radio was properly upgraded for IMBE CAI, it will show Digital CSQ as a vaild option under the Astro menu. If is has the orginal "Astro" VSLEP based digital mode, Digital CSQ will NOT show up.

Both have Astro Digtial Operation, but they are not the same. The IMBE is the APCO standard now.

I have two AS3's, one is IMBE and the other is VSELP and both will show up as digital operation.

Where in NY? I am going to be traveling down that way soon and would be intrested in monitoring....I don't get to play with the digital stuff too much.