Are there any UHF Experts on Channel...

Submitted: Wednesday, Jul 04, 2012 at 23:19
ThreadID: 96676 Views:3024 Replies:9 FollowUps:13
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As posted... Our UHF also curled its toes up...
Had a chance to recce this arvo after we got back from retrieving the Patrol...
Here's what I find:
NO reception (either voice or white-noise) on any channel in 'normal' mode...
Data screen shows Ch number, Freq, and "RSQ" (what's that..??)
I press buttons:
Menu - all is "Of" or "On" - as I would have expected to see... No DUP, DUAL, etc
Okay: So now I press MON...
Aha... I can hear VOICES... with B/G White noise... But Definitely receiving Tx when MON is on...
Turn MON "Of" - no reception
Turn MON "On" - Reception..
What's going on..??
Nothing on "Scan" mode...
Nothing on individual Ch mode...
But Receives when "MON" is on...
HELP..????

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Reply By: Ross M - Wednesday, Jul 04, 2012 at 23:27

Wednesday, Jul 04, 2012 at 23:27
Has the vehicle just been to a dealer where you picked it up from?

Sounds like someone has been "looking" at your radio.

What brand model is it? Sounds like an Icom radio with some of those features you mentioned.
If it is an Icom I would suspect the programming has been altered to some degree.
AnswerID: 490143

Follow Up By: Jedo_03 - Wednesday, Jul 04, 2012 at 23:42

Wednesday, Jul 04, 2012 at 23:42
Nah Ross...
I'm talking UHF here... Not HF...
"Road Radio" - "Truckie Comms"
Unit is a Uniden Tx500 with remote head...
40 Ch unit
But 2 yrs old or so...
Can't fathom the problem here..

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FollowupID: 765385

Follow Up By: Ross M - Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 00:34

Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 00:34
I respect the fact you know what type of radio you have and so I took you at your word and though it was UHF not HF and Icom IC400 pro UHF are user programmable. Also most radios have functions which become active after multiple presses of the same button or a sustained/long press of a particular button.
Now I know what brand it is and as others have said/indicated there seems to be things altered and programmable things switched to another mode to what you are used to.
So, if this suddenly happened when you weren't there who altered it for you??
Radios don't usually alter themselves. None of my radios have ever changed themselves and selected functions I didn't ask for.
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FollowupID: 765390

Follow Up By: Jedo_03 - Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 20:55

Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 20:55
Hey Ross,
Sorry if I came over as disrespectful... Not intended...
It's quite likely that some button or other has been inadvertently pressed, and probably by me..!!!
I have tried (unsuccessfully) to find if there was something 'on' which should be 'off' and vice-versa... everything seems fine when I go through the Menu...
Another poster suggested that Auto-Squelch may be the culprit - so I've just had a play with that: seecting sql 1, 2, doesn't alter anything... selecting 'off' gives the same response as "MON" = voice reception with lots of white noise (b/g)... So I'm still helpless...
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FollowupID: 765458

Reply By: donk - Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 00:04

Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 00:04
RSQ means that auto squelch has been turned on

If you press the SQL/MON button on the microphone until the display flashes and than the UP or DOWN arrows until it displays OFF (the choices should be 1,2,3 or off) and then press the MENU button does this make any difference

Regards Don
AnswerID: 490147

Follow Up By: donk - Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 00:07

Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 00:07
Should be MENU/ENTER button not MENU

Regards Don
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FollowupID: 765387

Follow Up By: Jedo_03 - Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 20:57

Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 20:57
Thanks Donk,
Thanks for your suggestion: I've just had a play with that: sellecting sql 1, 2, doesn't alter anything... selecting 'off' gives the same response as "MON" = voice reception with lots of white noise (b/g)... So I'm still helpless...
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FollowupID: 765459

Reply By: The Explorer - Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 00:07

Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 00:07
Hi

No expert but all the "Mon" (or "Moni") button does is turn off your "squelch" setting. Squelch cuts out signals progressively depending on signal strength so if you have squelch set too high you’ll hear nothing unless someone is very close. So my guess is you have squelch set to max or there abouts,..well that explains why “Mon” works.

Try turning your "squelch" down and see what happens.
If that doesn’t work then I'm on the wrong track…which wouldn’t be the first time.

Cheers
Greg
I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874

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AnswerID: 490148

Follow Up By: donk - Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 00:17

Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 00:17
I wonder if the OP is still on as i would like to go to bed but i am interested to know if he has sorted it

Regards Don
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 00:24

Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 00:24
Ha yes ..crikey its late....always tomorrow (well up to a point:)

Cheers
Greg
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Follow Up By: PJR (NSW) - Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 09:08

Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 09:08
Greg

Your as bad as I am. Many a night when writing code etc I saw the wee small hours. It is almost addictable isn't it.
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FollowupID: 765403

Follow Up By: Jedo_03 - Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 21:00

Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 21:00
Thanks for your suggestion Greg...
I've just had a play with that:
Turning the squelch button al the way clockwise or anticlockwise doesnt do anything... No reception...
On Auto squelch - selecting sql 1, 2, doesn't alter anything... selecting 'off' gives the same response as "MON" = voice reception with lots of white noise (b/g)... So I'm still helpless...
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FollowupID: 765460

Reply By: Robin Miller - Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 09:15

Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 09:15
I don't know your radio but most have a process for doing a factory reset, in mine its turn radio on with the call button held.

Check manual or uniden support.

The effect you have described can occur if the CTCSS has been set to on but this would usually only affect a given channel so try a different channel also.

Robin Miller

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AnswerID: 490164

Follow Up By: Jedo_03 - Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 21:04

Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 21:04
Hello Robin,
I looked the manual up on the www... doesn't help re fixing the problem and doesn't mention Factory Reset...
I tried turning the radio on with the Tx button pressed, and tried again using menu and other buttons, but didn't change anything - just a loud sustained bleep when i turned the radio on with the Tx button pressed...
Still the same...
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FollowupID: 765461

Reply By: Member - Scott M (NSW) - Friday, Jul 06, 2012 at 11:26

Friday, Jul 06, 2012 at 11:26
Stupid question but.....

Have you check the aerial connections are OK. Backgorund noise and poor reception......

AnswerID: 490238

Follow Up By: Jedo_03 - Sunday, Jul 08, 2012 at 20:15

Sunday, Jul 08, 2012 at 20:15
Thanks for that input, Scott...
I have a handheld and we checked that the vehicle UHF is transmitting Okay... The handheld was picking up the Tx from the vehicle almost a Km away (on a straight road, line of sight)... I'm presuming that the antenna is therefore functioning..??
The background noise is only there when I use MON (squelch is off) - and when the MON is On, the reception isn't that bad...
We are thinking now that the unit is sick...
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FollowupID: 765765

Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Saturday, Jul 07, 2012 at 10:35

Saturday, Jul 07, 2012 at 10:35
Had a similar thing happen with the Icom I have. Download the handbook in pdf mode (if youve got an iPad take ALL your handbooks for things in pdf on the iPad) anyways, the handbook will tell you what the story is.Mine was doing the same, I could receive with Mon on and not with it off.

I found mine had the "Silent stand by" set on by fervent button twitchers. The handbook was the only way I worked it out.

See if that helps mate
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AnswerID: 490312

Reply By: PJR (NSW) - Monday, Jul 09, 2012 at 08:45

Monday, Jul 09, 2012 at 08:45
A while back I recommended to a new 4wder to get the simplest radio for just this reason. Bumped or "nob twiddled" into an unknown state. Bundles or the regulars, not recognised here, said that I was wrong. Ha! I feel vindicated.

Jokes and "digs" aside people, this is why, for 4wd and touring, that I still say KISS. Just saying - thats all.

Looks like the OP is in good hands here.
AnswerID: 490451

Reply By: PJR (NSW) - Monday, Jul 09, 2012 at 08:54

Monday, Jul 09, 2012 at 08:54
Would rhis help. But watch the warning. I do not do any paging and thus cannot judge the warning and also memory erasing issue. But it may be a start. I found it with Google and "Uniden Tx500 reset"

How do I reset my TX500 to factory settings

AnswerID: 490452

Follow Up By: PJR (NSW) - Monday, Jul 09, 2012 at 09:10

Monday, Jul 09, 2012 at 09:10
The more I think of it the less chance that I as an ex tech would do this. You would have to know what they mean by "pairing". It could even be frequency to channel number for all I know. Note that I typed "paging" in the initial post.

Be careful.

I would take it to a Uniden repairer myself. He may fix it in two seconds and not charge a cent.
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FollowupID: 765788

Reply By: Jedo_03 - Monday, Jul 09, 2012 at 19:54

Monday, Jul 09, 2012 at 19:54
PROBLEM SOLVED...
Found a great Comms outfit in Townsville - UHFCOMMS in Garbutt...
I just turned up on their doorstep in the rain...
Took them 5 minutes to diagnose a dodgy Remote Handset...
And another 2 minutes to plug in a regular mic...
There ya go...
All fixed... $35...
Top Service... Top People...
Thanks to everyone here for your help and support...
PS - still raining in T'ville and forecast rain untile NEXT Monday...
Grateful thanks to UHFComms in Garbutt, Townsville QLD
AnswerID: 490510

Follow Up By: Member - Boo Boo (NSW) - Tuesday, Jul 10, 2012 at 07:16

Tuesday, Jul 10, 2012 at 07:16
Ahhhhh,,,

I love happy endings on this site.

And I love it even more when we are told how it ends.

Good onya Jedo.
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FollowupID: 765882

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