Audio Anomaly...seeking assistance

[WROA675]

Radioddity DB20-G, about a month old. This is my first issue with this radio. It was working fine up until earlier this evening and it's probably something I did to cause it.

First I leave my house, turn on the radio, no chatter, I used the mic for scan mode (a two button process- FUN then 4) it starts to scan and then it stops on the RPT channel, I can barely make out the chatter because of the continuous buzzing (sounds like a old VW bug car engine idling in the distance, but coming out of the speakers).

I found a spot to pull over and have no idea why it's making that noise (continuous buzzing tone), I check and it's making the noise on all channels. I turn it off and back on, same noise. Turn my rig off, still makes the sound. I look in the manual, no help. I figure I'll try to reset it to factory default, as I start the series of buttons to push, the noise stops. I drive to an area and was able to hit the repeater, spoke to another member, as seemed well.

Then I go to dinner, after dinner I'm driving away, turn on the radio, and the noise is back again. It was too dark to mess around with, so I just drove home and logged in here to see if I could get some help. Has this happened to anyone else and/or anyone have some advice for me as how to fix this issue?

Like I said, it all started when I initially tried setting it to scan with my mic and suspect I my have inadvertently hit some buttons I didn't mean to and through it out of whack, considering it went back to normal after I messed with the settings a little. I did have my HT with me and it was not having any issues at all. Hopefully there is a easy solution and I can learn from this experience.

Edited October 6, 2021 by Papatree
grammar errors

[mbrun]

Admittedly I am not familiar with your radio, but it surely sounds like you picking up interference from either a local electronic noise source or perhaps digital audio transmissions on or off frequency.

You may also have a defective radio. I recently tested a radio from another manufacture that exhibited unexplained and unacceptable noises on quite a number of channels fresh out of the box. Although the radio was in-fact using the settings loaded into it from the factory, performing a factory reset resolved all of the noise issues.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[pcradio]

Sounds like a defective receiver.

[BoxCar]

If the noise was present only when driving, it may be from your car also.

[MichaelLAX]

12 hours ago, Papatree said:

Radioddity DB20-G, about a month old. This is my first issue with this radio. It was working fine up until earlier this evening and it's probably something I did to cause it...

I tried duplicating it using my microphone to hit different sequences other than A-FUN -->4-SCAN, but I so far have not been able to recreate your symptoms

So far I think you were hearing Radar, but that would not be occurring on all channels.

[WROA675]

Okay I'm back with an update. Checked all wires, connections, everything seemed normal. Started off with the noise, as was the initial issue. However, after about 10 minutes it completely went away. I got to a good rx/tx spot and was able to convo with others with no problem. Some said they have had similar issues with their units (no only DB20) and attributed it to radar and digital systems in the area. The noise to return again but only lasted about 5 minute, that time, and return to normal. Very weird, and I'm not quite sure what or why it's happening. I choose not to reset to factory mode, at this time, considering others are experiencing this same anomaly, however I did put my squelch level at five(5) and that seemed to help. I want to get away from my area and see if that has any effect, either way. Thank you all for your input, it did help me and I got to explore different functions and get better acquainted with my unit, as a bonus.

[WROA675]

5 hours ago, pcradio said:

Sounds like a defective receiver

Say it not so...

[WROA675]

51 minutes ago, MichaelLAX said:

So far I think you were hearing Radar, but that would not be occurring on all channels.

Yeah, I got that feedback to from some of the folks on the FB forum, too. They added that it may be some kind of digital system interferences as well. Going call Bob soon and see what he thinks.

[WROA675]

4 hours ago, BoxCar said:

If the noise was present only when driving, it may be from your car also.

No, it happened while I was stopped and the motor off, as well.

 

[WROA675]

6 hours ago, mbrun said:

Although the radio was in-fact using the settings loaded into it from the factory, performing a factory reset resolved all of the noise issues.

Thanks, I'm gonna wait awhile and do more research before resetting it. I agree it might be a quick fix and was my first thought to do initially, but that may not address the core issue, and I'm not sure I want to reset it, if it's not absolutely necessary (last option).

[WROA675]

Follow up post:

Solar flares, radars, digital system interferences, lighter ports, bad cat converter, government tracking satellites, whatever was happening earlier this week has seemed to vanish as mysteriously as it appeared. I will say this though, I was advise not to turn on my radio until after I started my rig (mainly because the lighter plug and current surges during ignition) and to turn off the radio before shutting down my rig, and since I started doing that, the DB20-G has been performing great. Hopefully I'm not back here in two days, two weeks, etc., saying anything otherwise.