Global Filter Settings for the SDS 200

[DSC45]

Good Afternoon, I'm monitoring Comms from Central Jersey. I use Sentinel Software for programming. I figured out how to use the Global Filters directly programming into the SDS299.

Can the Global Filters be set thru Sentinel??? I've hunted high and low can't find it. Please help!

 

[trentbob]

You really want to set filters on the radio itself using the keyboard so as to hear and see real time results of reception indicators like noise level and error rate.

Global filters affect every object on the radio and are set to normal by default for every object. If you improve a system using another filter from global that will be applied to every object on the radio and you might be compromising the reception of other things you listen to.

While sitting on an object on the system that you want to improve go to settings and sample wide normal, wide invert and invert to see if there's any Improvement with the noise level and error rate. Avoid autofilters as they will slow scanning down as they sample each filter.

If you see an improvement with one of those three filters, you already know what normal does, then remember the filter and return Global filters to normal so as not to compromise reception on anything else that works best on normal.

Then using the menu on the radio drill down to site options for that system and apply the new filter to each site, hopefully you only have one or two that you're using. Now the filter will be applied to just that system.

Go to Sentinel and first thing transfer information from the radio to Sentinel so as to make the changes permanent on your profile.

 

[bobruzzo]

I seem to get the best results using WIDE NORMAL on both CONVENTIONAL and TRUNKED (P25 simulcast) systems. So I set the WIDE NORMAL filter on all my FL's. But I also changed the GLOBAL setting to WIDE NORMAL too. Should I set global back to normal??

 

[trentbob]

Not sure what you mean about applying filters to your favorites list? If you went into the p25 systems and applied wide normal to the site or sites in site options of each system and since you cannot apply a filter to a single Channel you have to apply it to the department options that those channels are in, so if you applied wide normal to Department options of the conventional frequencies that you want to improve, then you should go back and set Global filters to normal because your p25 systems and your conventional objects that are helped by wide normal already have the filter applied to just them.

For example if you decided to do a database search of all service types and you left Global on wide normal that would be on everything that you're searching and you would have compromised reception on some objects. If that makes any sense.

 

[bobruzzo]

Not sure what you mean about applying filters to your favorites list? If you went into the p25 systems and applied wide normal to the site or sites in site options of each system and since you cannot apply a filter to a single Channel you have to apply it to the department options that those channels are in, so if you applied wide normal to Department options of the conventional frequencies that you want to improve, then you should go back and set Global filters to normal because your p25 systems and your conventional objects that are helped by wide normal already have the filter applied to just them.

For example if you decided to do a database search of all service types and you left Global on wide normal that would be on everything that you're searching and you would have compromised reception on some objects. If that makes any sense.

OK what I mean is with the P25 simulcast system I listen to, there are 4 sites, north, south, east and metro. I pick the east site since it is not a strong as the others. So while monitoring that site I tried the different filters. Wide normal seemed to give the best signal and audio. Tried same thing with Metro......same thing there too, wide normal. So I just applied the filter "wide normal" to each of the 4 sites. So that P25 simulcast system is all set and seems to sound good. And I also have 4 separate conventional systems. I experimented with them and since the signal/audio is different than the P25 system, it was hard to say which filter worked best so I set them also to wide normal. BTW I DID set my GLOBAL back to NORMAL. I guess this concept is a little hard to wrap my head around cause a P25 site has many towers/antennas so its hard to get too detailed with filters since you cant choose which tower to listen to. Sometimes radio will stop on a full quiet strong one, and other times a weaker one. So to average it out ,I applied wide normal to each separate site.

 

[trentbob]

OK what I mean is with the P25 simulcast system I listen to, there are 4 sites, north, south, east and metro. I pick the east site since it is not a strong as the others. So while monitoring that site I tried the different filters. Wide normal seemed to give the best signal and audio. Tried same thing with Metro......same thing there too, wide normal. So I just applied the filter "wide normal" to each of the 4 sites. So that P25 simulcast system is all set and seems to sound good. And I also have 4 separate conventional systems. I experimented with them and since the signal/audio is different than the P25 system, it was hard to say which filter worked best so I set them also to wide normal. BTW I DID set my GLOBAL back to NORMAL.

You're right on the money and you obviously understand how this works, another interesting point I have a simulcast system that has two sites and I actually found that one site worked on wide invert and the other site worked better on invert so each site has a different filter setting.

As far as the conventional frequencies go, It's too bad you can't apply a filter to a single Channel but I found that it works out okay. For example if you're listening to five VHF High 154 MHz fire frequencies and they're all in the same Department they are all going to benefit from the same filter choice.

Yes, since you have properly applied filters directly to the systems and departments, you certainly should return Global back to its default which is normal and normal is the default for a reason, it works for most situations.

If you program new objects or systems they will start off being on normal filter by default and then you can go from there.

 

[trentbob]

By the way if you haven't applied the filter indicator to your display yet, it really comes in handy.

 

[bobruzzo]

You're right on the money and you obviously understand how this works, another interesting point I have a simulcast system that has two sites and I actually found that one site worked on wide invert and the other site worked better on invert so each site has a different filter setting.

As far as the conventional frequencies go, It's too bad you can't apply a filter to a single Channel but I found that it works out okay. For example if you're listening to five VHF High 154 MHz fire frequencies and they're all in the same Department they are all going to benefit from the same filter choice.

Yes, since you have properly applied filters directly to the systems and departments, you certainly should return Global back to its default which is normal and normal is the default for a reason, it works for most situations.

If you program new objects or systems they will start off being on normal filter by default and then you can go from there.

Well as far as the conventional freqs, most of everything I programmed are strong very good signals with a few less strong ones so filters are really hard to play with since most stuff comes in strong where I live, plus I have my antenna, and OMNI X up pretty high. I live kind of in middle of state on hill so I get reasonable reception. It seems after extensive experimentation with filters on the P25 system, wide normal, when tested on the weaker EAST and METRO sites always gave me the strongest signal. So I figured that filter seems to be a little "boost", I would apply it to the conventional ones too. I usually dont like very weak noisy channels cause the noise bugs me. So mostly everything I listen to is coming in strong. And its a mix of all vhf/uhf freqs. Nothing lowband here. Also I am using a Stridsberg multi coupler to run my omni X antenna to multiple scanners. I read somewhere that there is a type of preamp in that unit too. So I will switch antenna according to what I am listening to....I normally use an 8 element 800 mhz yagi for the P25 system. I have 2 of those antennas, one pointed northwest and the other due east. Depending on season, I will use the northwest one in summer and the east one in winter. I guess all the leaves have an effect on 800 mhz. Since I am close to towers I have to fuss with antenna/attenuator. But I found happy medium. The omni X antenna is really not that great on 800 mhz but does work. But it kicks ass on conventional.

 

[bobruzzo]

By the way if you haven't applied the filter indicator to your display yet, it really comes in handy.

Yep I re arranged everything that displays so screen isnt so cluttered looking. I basically only left the items I need to keep eye on and got rid of everything I didnt need. There are some P25 conventional channels in there mixed in. Some towns use both P25 and conventional with police depts.

 

[Aarons1]

By the way if you haven't applied the filter indicator to your display yet, it really comes in handy.

Just asking how do you do that

 

[trentbob]

I am the same exact way, I cleared all that crap off that I don't need so that I can actually see what I'm listening to LOL.

As far as to use filters or not I look at them as a troubleshooting tool, you only pull them out of the hat if you have issues with reception or clipped or missed transmissions... if you're close to being out of range with something thay can be helpful. Other than that, most of my stuff is on normal except all of my phase ll systems require filters.

It's interesting that where I sit I have to apply IFX to all of my Aviation frequencies, which I have many, otherwise they are deaf LOL. I must say it is the best Aviation reception I have seen. I use a Sputnik ground plane.

It really sounds like you have a great system.

 

[bobruzzo]

View attachment 124127

I am the same exact way, I cleared all that crap off that I don't need so that I can actually see what I'm listening to LOL.

As far as to use filters or not I look at them as a troubleshooting tool, you only pull them out of the hat if you have issues with reception or clipped or missed transmissions... if you're close to being out of range with something thay can be helpful. Other than that, most of my stuff is on normal except all of my phase ll systems require filters.

It's interesting that where I sit I have to apply IFX to all of my Aviation frequencies, which I have many, otherwise they are deaf LOL. I must say it is the best Aviation reception I have seen. I use a Sputnik ground plane.

It really sounds like you have a great system.

 

[bobruzzo]

Just asking how do you do that

Wow your screen is pretty minimal!!!! But I find the screen on the SDS200 way too cluttered. It would be nice if you could change the font too! To get the filter to display, go into menu/display options/customize/ then pick your screen (simple conv, detailed conv, detailed trunk, simple trunk) and click the screen choice you are using.....look for an empty field or a field with something in it you dont need to have displayed. Then use big knob to turn to the field you want to change. press E yes, and choose "select option item" scroll down/up and look for "Filter" highlight it, click on it and pick color for text. Then menu out.

 

[trentbob]

Thanks for giving that display mod instruction Bob, clear and concise.. I'm getting ready to sit down for dinner, I also didn't want to drift off topic into display settings. You explained it great. It's been good talking with you and you certainly know your radio LOL.

 

[trentbob]

One added thing Aaron.. because you're making the change on the radio itself which is fairly quick and easy, the next time you hook up to Sentinel, transfer your data card to your profile first thing so as to save the display changes you made on the radio.

 

[Ubbe]

The different filter settings block other frequencies than the ones you listen to, as they could interfere. So which filter to use will be frequency depend. If several sites are in the same frequency range, like 850-860MHz then the same filter will probably work for all sites.

One method to evaluate filters for a site are if you have Site1 then make copies Site1a, Site1b and so on and set a different filter to each site. Then if one site seems to work bad then turn the dial to go to next site and compare if it works better. That way you can quickly test a filter without spending time to go into the menu system and change it there. Create new sites in the system and then copy everything from the original site and paste into a new site in one go. You can do the same with conventional departments.

/Ubbe

 

[KC4ASF]

I updated my SDS 200 and the audio on my problem P25 is clearer!!! I am shocked!

 

[trentbob]

I updated my SDS 200 and the audio on my problem P25 is clearer!!! I am shocked!

Are you talking about the new firmware update? If so there is a thread on Uniden tech support going on right now where someone else has reported better audio after the firmware update but it is not in the release notes. I assume that you updated Sentinel first, it's off topic here but I think they would like to hear from you on that thread, also the European version update also has reports of improved audio.

 

[DSC45]

I updated my SDS 200 and the audio on my problem P25 is clearer!!! I am shocked!

I updated my Firmware on Friday for my SDS200. Definitely an improvement. Placed all filters in the OFF Position. The Best it has performed!

 

[KC4ASF]

Are you talking about the new firmware update? If so there is a thread on Uniden tech support going on right now where someone else has reported better audio after the firmware update but it is not in the release notes. I assume that you updated Sentinel first, it's off topic here but I think they would like to hear from you on that thread, also the European version update also has reports of improved audio.

Yes, I am Bob. Even my wife noticed how much clearer the audio was. She said it was smoother. LOL.