Here is my simple SDS report..... So far

Jake68111 said:

My local public service agencies recently migrated to a P25 system (form a Motorola Type II Smartnet system) with one of their TG's being Phase II which I haven't previously had to deal with much. The timing of the release of the SDS100 was impeccable so I dove in head first. While not in a particularly "challenging RF environment", here is a preliminary (few hours monitoring) and simple report, so far. I've been holding on this particular TG because, since migration, has given me headaches just trying to follow it, pre SDS100.

System: STARCOM21 Statewide Illinois Trunking System, Statewide, Multi-State - Scanner Frequencies

Site: Will/Grundy County Simulcast (P2) Site Details (STARCOM21 Statewide Illinois)

TG: 2430 Grundy Police 2 (Phase II)

Distance from Cell Tower: Approx. 24 miles as the crow flies

The SDS100 so far has not exhibited any "garbling" / simulcast distortion. Any distortion that I have received is also apparent on the users radios as they ask for a repeat of the TX leading me to believe that I am actually hearing what they are hearing. There has been nothing that I couldn't understand that the users, themselves, could understand.

My 536 does "ok" for the most part but there are times where "garbling" is present, some intelligible, some not.

My PSR-800 is terrible, most times. Not only is most TXs unintelligible but some entire TXs are missed altogether.

This is preliminary report and will add more, if there is more to add in the future.

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rbrtklamp2 said:

Can't wait I have 2 on the to test out all over the Chicagoland area
Hopefully I get them on Saturday and can start making some comprehensive reports on its performance in northern IL. I was somewhat disappointed in the 436 that I still have to send in for clock issue but I think I will be very happy SDS100 when they arr from what I have been hearing over the last six months. As long as this thread stays open I will report my findings. I also plan on doing the DMR and NXDN updates as soon as they arrive as well.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

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buddrousa said:

I have said before and I will say it again THE AUDIO IS CLEARER THAN ANY OTHER DIGITAL SCANNER.

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Jake68111 said:

You're going to love it. The more I listen to it, next to my other scanners, the more of a difference I see.

I did post a small video on YouTube and was going to question the little TG flickers you'll see but I believe those are encrypted TG's. It would be nice not to see that flickering but it is what it is. Have a look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuvVVBkuYnY&t

My review, numbers on the Official Spreadsheet and the review above remain unchanged.

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Viper43 said:

Some of that flickering is also quick mic key and release. One guy was playing with his radio the other night and it was doing that. One of those times you wish you could reach through the radio and slap him up side the head!

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Jake68111 said:

.....I did post a small video on YouTube.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuvVVBkuYnY&t

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Ubbe said:

The audio sounds terrible in that clip. It sounds as if the signal is over modulated or it's bottoming out in either the amplifier or the speaker.

Do you have the same conversations, or the same setup of scanning but the audio files from the SD card to be able to compare the audio quality?
Maybe you had the volume too high and the SDS100 cannot deliver that high audio levels from it's speaker?

/Ubbe

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Jake68111 said:

I did a little work for you this morning.

The video was recorded while I has holding my cellphone and its entirely possible my fingers were inhibiting the mic on the phone.

Please let me know your thoughts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnNpOWNkv4A

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radio3353 said:

Is that one continuous recording or did you edit it? Half of transmissions seem chopped. The quality is much better than the first video you posted.

I figured the tinny quality of the first video was caused by the cell phone. That is a problem with 99% of the videos posted. Never gives a true representation of the audio quality. Thanks for sharing.

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Many thanks Jake! The audio files seems fine, like others we have heard. There seems to be some distorsion from the speaker then and I personally couldn't stand listening to that sound quality for any longer periods.

Is it custom to set the scanner to continue scan before a patrol have the time to respond and another TG conversation are monitored? You are never able to follow a call to the end.

What about conventional channels with CTCSS tones? Are those recordings still with unfiltered CTCSS frequencies so that we must listen to that rumble when they are played on a computer? Or is there a sharp 260Hz high pass filter in the SDS100?

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Jake68111 said:

It is not one "continuous" recording. I watched the old video and saw that I was recording and went back to that time in my recordings. I didn't realize I recorded it. What you are hearing are the 15 or 20 individual TX recordings, put back to back without the "downtime" between TX's. The audio files were NOT edited in any way before adding them to the "movie".



I, personally, don't feel that the scanner, because of the speaker, is hard to listen to at all. Can you tell its a digital system? Sure. Sounds nothing like analog but if that's what you a referring to, we all should at least be used to how a "digital" system sounds, for as long as we've been trying to follow them. I suppose I could set the delay a little longer but I don't normally change that. I have followed many convos to the end on this scanner. I'm not a highly technical individual so I'm not entirely sure what you mean when you speak of the "CTCSS rumble" and have no idea what a 260Hz high pass filter is. LOL

For me, it is truly hard to find anything I don't like about this scanner. For me, it falls into a "just what I needed at the time I needed it" type category. I have been unable to find anything advertised that is false and tops every scanner I currently own and have owned to date.

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werinshades said:

It's a pleasure to be able to listen to Starcom without the digital garble.

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Jake68111 said:

I have to +1 this.

Even though Grundy County, within the past 4-6 months, just migrated to the system, I can't imagine trying to follow any of it for any length of time. Before this radio, it was a complete disaster trying to put two and two together.

I'll say it again, the timing of the release of this radio may have saved my future in scanning. I was starting to think that I was forever doomed to listen to what almost was impossible to make out.

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