TRX-1 Troubleshooting & SD Card Error Codes

Summary: Fixes for common TRX-1 problems, and what the numbered error codes mean.

Poor or No Reception

• Weak, distant signals – reposition for the best reception. Two-way radio is line of sight; consider an outdoor antenna (the first 30 feet of elevation make the most difference).
• Attenuator on weak signals, or overload from a nearby transmitter – compare with and without the attenuator.
• Loose or defective antenna – check the antenna and connectors.
• Wrong modulation – make sure the right mode is selected for the system; the PC application can change it.
• Birdies – see below.

Other Problems

• Scanner is on but doesn’t scan – turn the squelch control clockwise.
• “Scanning not available” – batteries are low; recharge or replace them.
• Doesn’t recognise the Micro SD card – the card may not be formatted correctly (use the PC application to reformat; if you use Windows it must be FAT or FAT32 with 32 kB clusters), may not be fully inserted (press it in until it clicks) or may be defective.
• “Init SD Card” at power-on – reformat with the PC application or reseat the card.
• Scanner doesn’t function – fit fresh batteries; if on external power, check the USB plug is fully in.
• Low battery warning – recharge or replace the batteries, and check the battery type switch is on the right setting.
• Nothing to Scan! – see the scan set note in TRX-1 Objects, Scanlists & the Library.

Birdies

Birdies are frequencies created inside the receiver that cause interference on every scanner. If you programme a birdie frequency you’ll hear only noise. To tell a birdie from outside interference, remove the antenna: if the noise doesn’t change it’s almost certainly a birdie; if it goes away, the source is external, and moving the scanner may help.

Error Codes

• 01-00, 01-01 – heap/allocation errors. Contact Support with the code.
• 02-00 – unknown object type in data. 02-01 – unknown TSYS type. Use the PC application to delete corrupted objects or make a new configuration.
• 03-00 – no Micro SD card. Fit a properly formatted card fully.
• 03-01, 03-03, 03-04, 03-06, 03-08 – file system, read, write, write-protect or unknown read/write errors. Reseat the card; if needed reformat with Prepare SD Card for use; replace the card if it persists.
• 03-02 – bad cluster size. Same steps (reformat with 32k clusters).
• 03-05 – card is full. Reduce the configuration, remove recordings or use a bigger card.
• 03-07 – mass storage mode is active. Shouldn’t normally appear (mass storage is disabled when the scanner is connected to a computer and scanning); disconnect, wait a few seconds and reconnect, and contact Support if it persists.
• 04-00, 04-01, 04-02 – initialisation or firmware load errors. Contact Support with the code.
• 05-00 to 05-03 – CONFIG_.BIN could not be loaded or has an error. Reformat the card with the PC application; replace the card if it persists.

For more, see Whistler’s FAQ at whistlergroup.com. See also TRX-1 Micro SD Card, EZ Scan Software & Updates.