SDS100/SDS200: Programming SDS100 for WEC

[starview00]

Hi Gents, I'm a total newbie but I thought this might be a neat hobby. I ordered a SDS100 because it seems that my area is all digital but not encrypted.
What i'm looking to do it take this thing to the WEC race at COTA next weekend. I've found a list of teams.
World Endurance Championship (WEC) - The RadioReference Wiki
I understand I need to get the NXDN upgrade and that should be done soon.

What I'm totally lost on is the Sentinel software. Any help would be really appreciated.

 

[engine183]

Welcome to the hobby! Part of the fun is the programming and hunting new things to monitor. I suggest you spend some time reading and watching YouTube videos on the programming. Here's two to start with, but don't stop at one. (lol)

 

[rhodester]

Hi Gents, I'm a total newbie but I thought this might be a neat hobby. I ordered a SDS100 because it seems that my area is all digital but not encrypted.
What i'm looking to do it take this thing to the WEC race at COTA next weekend. I've found a list of teams.
World Endurance Championship (WEC) - The RadioReference Wiki
I understand I need to get the NXDN upgrade and that should be done soon.

What I'm totally lost on is the Sentinel software. Any help would be really appreciated.

Sentinal manual SDS Sentinel Software Manual

 

[EAFrizzle]

Don't forget to check out the SDS100 wiki page as well as the Easier to read SDS manual.

 

[tvengr]

Hi Gents, I'm a total newbie but I thought this might be a neat hobby. I ordered a SDS100 because it seems that my area is all digital but not encrypted.

What is your location (city or town, county, and state) so we can get our eyes on the database?

 

[starview00]

Thanks for the replies so far! I have done a bit of reading and watched a few videos at this point. I think a have a pretty good handle on adding sites in Sentinel from the database. What I'm having issues with is the manual add that I will need to do to enter all the team radios for next weekend in Austin at the COTA WEC race. I think I've wrapped my head around using the Site | Department | Channel system, but I'm just not sure how to enter the channels and set this favorite list up for successful scans once I'm trackside. I obviously can't test it beforehand

I'll attach a screenshot of what I have so far.

What is your location (city or town, county, and state) so we can get our eyes on the database?

I'm in Tyler, TX - Smith County.

 

[starview00]

So a bit of research and I think I'm making progress.

The list doesn't have any TGID listed. So I assume this is a "NXDN conventional" rather than trunked system?
When adding a conventional system I do get the option to add the frequencies.

Does this seem correct to you experts?

 

[dmfalk]

By the looks of it, this is a mobile/repeater system, much like ham radio, so I'd say conventional NXDN, not trunked.

 

[tvengr]

I understand I need to get the NXDN upgrade and that should be done soon.

What I'm totally lost on is the Sentinel software. Any help would be really appreciated.

I'm in Tyler, TX - Smith County.

You may want to get the DMR upgrade also. There are several DMR conventional frequencies used in Smith County. The Univ of TX has a DMR trunked system. I have completed doing a favorites list for Smith County with the trunked system. I am currently working on conventional frequencies. When the favorites list is completed, I will attach it here and give you the instructions how to import it into Sentinel. That will get you into business scanning.

 

[Ensnared]

You may want to get the DMR upgrade also. There are several DMR conventional frequencies used in Smith County. The Univ of TX has a DMR trunked system. I have completed doing a favorites list for Smith County with the trunked system. I am currently working on conventional frequencies. When the favorites list is completed, I will attach it here and give you the instructions how to import it into Sentinel. That will get you into business scanning.

When I see someone helping a new boot out, I am thankful there are still those with us. The learning curve on the 436HP & SDS 100 are rather steep in my book. So, when someone want to send you a file, bravo.

When others ask for help, I try to program it for them.

However, I don't know how to download the aforementioned page in Sentinel. I suppose this might be from the national frequencies, I don't know. I saw that some of the frequencies were TETRA. I don't know anything about this system other than it is used in the UK.

 

[starview00]

@tvengr appreciate the assistance! I'll take a look at whatever you can share.

@Ensnared I couldn't find any way to import the WEC page, so I've added it manually. I'm aware that I won't be able to pick up the TETRA teams at the race, I'm hopeful I can still get the others on NXDN. I'm still not sure if I have the favorites setup properly tho. As @dmfalk mentions I think I need to set the system up as conventional (anyone else confirm?).

I've set up each car as a "department" and added the car repeater and pit frequency plus the RAN number. I read somewhere I don't need the "car mobile" frequency, but if one of ya'll could confirm that would be great.

Screenshot attached of how I added the teams; would be grateful if someone could check my work. (they are all setup the same as this)



I've done a lot of reading over the past few days, so much to learn!

 

[tvengr]

When I see someone helping a new boot out, I am thankful there are still those with us. The learning curve on the 436HP & SDS 100 are rather steep in my book. So, when someone want to send you a file, bravo.

When someone is struggling with programming, I find that it increases understanding if they can see how it is done. I have had many members tell me that they won't learn unless they do it themselves. Those whom I have helped are now programming scanners and told me that they had no idea where to start until they saw how it is done. I enjoy being able to help the new guy. I remember how difficult it was for me when I first started programming ages ago. By the way, New Jersey Transit uses TETRA. Unfortunately, scanners cannot decode it.

@tvengr appreciate the assistance! I'll take a look at whatever you can share.

I have completed the favorites list for both the TxWARN trunked system and the conventional frequencies for Smith County. I just need to double check everything I have done. Please let me know if you get the DMR upgrade. If you do, I can do additional programming for those conventional frequencies and the trunked system.

 

[dmfalk]

FWIW, TETRA (Greek for "four", BTW) is something like a four-slot DMR. It's not trunk-trackable, but some have reported being able to monitor it. I'm not sure that's true. It's used in the UK and Australia, mostly. A few systems in the US (SFO airport uses it). Used to be widespread in Mexico, but most of those have gone to P25. Main reason it isn't widely used is because it's more expensive than other systems.

 

[tvengr]

I've set up each car as a "department" and added the car repeater and pit frequency plus the RAN number. I read somewhere I don't need the "car mobile" frequency, but if one of ya'll could confirm that would be great.

If they are using a repeater, you just need the repeater output frequency. You don't need the mobile frequency (Repeater input frequency). You will hear everything on the output.

 

[Ubbe]

FWIW, TETRA (Greek for "four", BTW) is something like a four-slot DMR. It's not trunk-trackable, but some have reported being able to monitor it.

It's a thread with the tetra_trunk_tracker program that works perfect to follow Tetra conversations. Most of Europes public safety uses Tetra but are then encrypted. But there's plenty of other Tetra systems in Europe especially at major airports. They now produce cheaper Tetra systems with all control logic in the basestation for single site systems that doesn't cost much at all. The audio quality in Tetra are excellent and superior to P25 and DMR if setup correctly.

/Ubbe

 

[enCrypt]

Uniden's Sentinel is weird compared to other programming software. It still catches me out sometimes with the way it works and I've been using it for years.
There is a (paid for) alternative if you find you're not getting along with it called Proscan.
I have no affiliations with this, just a happy user. You pay once and get lifetime upgrades on 2 machines and I find it much easier than Sentinel to use.
The author is a regular poster on here too which is cool...

Well done for "jumping in at the deep end" with an SDS100 though!
Its an awesome bit of kit but takes some getting your head around when you first start...
What really helped me when I first got my UBCD3600XLT (UK / Europe version of the BCD436HP) which is kind of the predecessor of the SDS100 was realizing the hierarchy of the file system. Channels (or talkgroups) live inside Departments, which live inside Systems, which live inside Favorite Lists.

 

[Ensnared]

I am bit different because I absolutely hate analog, anything. I will tolerate when the area does not use it, but the SDS 100 does not do well on conventional. However, digital conventional frequencies work very well on this little beast.

When you get the radio like you like, there is something that is required to run your radio. You need to define the behavior of the scanner by setting the parameters in the Profile.

I don't know how you will do this, but things need to be adjusted to make the radio run faster & sometimes more efficiently depending on what is done to the radio.

When I program things, I will construct Favorites. Then, I assign the radio system in question a start-up configuration key. So, when I am in Waco, I listen to the local HOTRRS trunked system with a "0" start-up configuration key. However, if I go south, I listen press the configuration start-up key "01" specific to Bell County. Then, when you download into the radio, you can see the Favorite number after downloading. It is easier for me.

When I program Favorites, I put a bracketed number corresponding to the Favorite, [01] Bell County P25. Then, I have another favorite, [04] Bell County F/EMS. I don't like to mix these two Favorites. For the most part, I hate listening to boring EMS & fire talk groups. "Mrs. Doubtfire needs lift assist."

There are ways to speed up conventional frequencies in this radio. This radio will park on conventional frequencies unless you have it set-up right.

I don't know how race enthusiasts hear anything on the scanner next to racing cars.

Good luck. I am going to sit back & let them help you out, but I put my 2 cents in the mix.

Cheers.

 

[tvengr]

I understand I need to get the NXDN upgrade and that should be done soon.

You should consider purchasing the DMR upgrade also. There are a number of DMR conventional frequencies in Smith County. There is also a DMR trunked system for the Univ of TX. The DMR conventional frequencies need to be programmed as DMR One Freq Trunk (OFT) to gain access to TGID's and slot numbers. In the meantime, I will be checking the favorites list I have completed. Please let me know if you are getting the DMR upgrade so I can add DMR to the favorites list.

 

[starview00]

You should consider purchasing the DMR upgrade also. There are a number of DMR conventional frequencies in Smith County. There is also a DMR trunked system for the Univ of TX. The DMR conventional frequencies need to be programmed as DMR One Freq Trunk (OFT) to gain access to TGID's and slot numbers. In the meantime, I will be checking the favorites list I have completed. Please let me know if you are getting the DMR upgrade so I can add DMR to the favorites list.

Makes sense, I'll add the DMR upgrade also.

Still working on manually setting up the cars/teams for my trip this weekend. Getting excited!

 

[tvengr]

I just checked my existing favorites list and everything is OK. Now, I am going to start adding the DMR conventional frequencies and trunked system to it. Please let me know if you need any help programming for the trip.