Scanner Problem

Hello,

I have a Radio Shack 200 channel scanner (forgot the model #) and I was able to hear the communications between LIRR trains and Valley & Lead Towers in NY. Then one day I turned the scanner on and now I hear nothing. The squelch had to be turned up high so I can hear. The radio was fixed by RS and they adjusted the squelch, but the problem still exist. I work on the railroad and took it to work one day. While I listened to the radio at work, my scanner picked up nothing.

Any ideas what could be the problem and how I can solve it?

Could be any number of things.......

First, the most basic question. Do you have the owners manual? If you don't you should be able to get it from RS on-line. Read the manual cover-to-cover, especially the troubleshooting section. If nothing there helps, try the following tips:

I don't mean to insult your intelligence, but sometimes the obvious things go right by us. When you turn your radio on do you turn the volume up to a normal listening level? Next, does your scanner have a Mute button? If it does that might be your solution.

Now that we've got the basics out of the way:

Since it is a programmable scanner check to see that the radio is still programmed with the frequencies you entered. Programmable scanners have a memory that will retain the programmed frequencies if the radio is unplugged for any length of time. If that circuit is not working you will lose your programming if you unplug the radio. You might even lose the programming just by turning the radio off. Depending on the model you may also have to reprogram the various operating modes for the radio to receive properly. Again, refer back to your owners manual if necessary.

If the frequencies are still in the radio as you entered them, then check the squelch. Again, I hope I'm not insulting your intelligence with this step: A properly set squelch is when you turn the squelch back to the point that you hear white noise/static. You then turn the squelch back up to just past the point where the noise stops. If you have the frequencies in right and the squelch set right, next check your antenna. If your antenna is properly attached you should be receiving signals. An easy way to test your radio is to tune in the National Weather Service. NWS transmissions are on a continuous loop. If your radio has the WX button, simply push that button. If it doesn't have the weather frequencies pre-programmed you can enter 162.550 MHz. This is the frequency that is broadcast from Riverhead, Long Island, NY. I assume you're from Long Island based on your posting name and listening interests. If the radio receives NWS it should receive while in the scan mode.

If these basics don't restore your radio's ability to receive, and nothing else you might read here improves things, I would take your radio to an electronic repair specialist.

If it's only the specfic frequency that is not heard, it may be that the RR has changed frequencies to some other one.

Thanks to all who have responded.

First I don't think my intelligence was insulted because all the things that were suggested was done. The frequencies are still programmed and I have changed the antenna. Additionally I bought a signal amplifier and still no luck. The railroad didn't change its frequency so I don't know whats going on. When I go railfanning the scanner picks up some of the transmissions.

As for ther squelch, when I turned the scanner on, the squelch was set around the 9:00 position, now its up to 1 or 2:00 position.

I'll see what happens again when I fo out, but for now I can't pick up any LIRR transmissions.

assumiing you did not use the radio to chock the wheels of a freight car, and that the radio is not busticated, it could be a lot of things, but my best GUESS is adjacent frequency "capture capture" [desense] and you will never know it... and the amplifier you added would only make that problem worse. A strong xmtr within a block or so on the 155 motorcycle police freq could do it, or any number of similar things, like the garbage coming out of a computer [but you would hafta have the radio sitting on top of it].......... That is why broadband scanners suck, and RR radios or amateur two meter radios that listen up that high are much much better.... The reason is technical and beyond this medium and has to do with the maximum power any amplifier can put out and gain and all kinds of black majic... Tune the radio to the freq of Valley, head for S Franklin Avenue, and see how close you hafta get to hear 'em EdM K2LCK...

I would do one of the things that jmp883 suggests doing first. Program in 162.550 which is the National Weather Service and then set the squelch as low as possible to listen.

you said turn the sq up high but you musta meant low, the sq is a threashold..... Since you had to turn it down from where it was, it is an indication of a decrease in sensitivity, such as would happen if your antenna fell off, a stage in your radio died, or the capture desense from and adjacent off frequency signal source... Take the radio to someone who knows sumpin about radios... listening fer the wx should be a winner also, but Riverhead to Valley Stream may be a long walk fer 161 mHz to a rubber ducky antenna.. The odds are high that the radio died though and I doubt whether RS would test fer sensitivity unless that was your complaint..put your antenna on another radio at the same site. Ed K2LCK...

you said turn the sq up high but you musta meant low, the sq is a threashold..... Since you had to turn it down from where it was, it is an indication of a decrease in sensitivity, such as would happen if your antenna fell off, a stage in your radio died, or the capture desense from and adjacent off frequency signal source... Take the radio to someone who knows sumpin about radios... listening fer the wx should be a winner also, but Riverhead to Valley Stream may be a long walk fer 161 mHz to a rubber ducky antenna.. The odds are high that the radio died though and I doubt whether RS would test fer sensitivity unless that was your complaint..put your antenna on another radio at the same site. Ed K2LCK...

ED,

Before I had any problems with the radio, the squelch was set at the 9:00 position. Since the problem, I would turn the squelch to the 1:00 position or maybe 3:00 (at times) then turn it back to 12:00. I sometimes play with the squelch and then the white noise would just disapear. The squelch is set higher than when I first purchased it. The amplifier that I bought has a bypass switch.

The LIRR uses AAR channel 18 and when I'm at work I can't hear a thing and I know the Yd. Master at Hillside is talking to inboud trains along with Jay & Hall towers.

I have even given thought of purchasing another radio from Railcom (advertised in Trains Magazine). I sometimes have the same problem when I go out in other locations. I was around Sunnyside Yd. and heard nothing even on AAR Channel 54 (Amtraks NEC).