Radio recommendations for SDPD and RCS

[W6KRU]

I am happy with the SDS100 so far(knocking on wood). Today on Fiesta Island I was listening to the SD 800 system and Miramar through the Mt Woodson site of the DOD P2 system. Both sounded really good. I wish I would have had my 436 to compare with but Uniden is fixing the RTC issue on it. So far the SDS100 seems superior on RCS, City of SD, and especially the DOD P2 systems. I will be able to do some A/B comparisons once I get my 436 back.

 

[Anderegg]

Figured out the issue with my SDS200 and the North RCS Site. I put the north control channel into the scanner as a conventional frequency, so I could work on repositioning the antenna using the dBm indicator, since it kept having trouble even locking on it. When I did this, I barely even was able to hear the control channel, which comes in at -55dBm or so, because of bleedover. I was getting weird quaking, strange off channel talking, and even heard an SDFD dispatch on "7E 7F! This is why I can't receive the north site...not due to range, but because the SDS200 has horrible bleedover from God knows what. Here is a link to a video I made of this. I am throwing different filters at it, and will report back when i find a filter that clears the control channel frequency, if that is possible. Very dissapointed...I feel like I am listening to my old Uniden MR8100, which used to do the same on LAFD back in 1991.

Paul

 

[Anderegg]

UPDATE: Tried all of the filters, normal, invert, wide normal, wide invert, even the autos...I am still leastening to SDFD bleedover, think I just heard 3799 being dispatched. ATT simply pushes the CC too such a low RSSI that it cannot be received at all. Very dissapointed in Uniden...my WS1098's DO NOT suffer this condition.

Paul

 

[ScanFanEd]

Just had a bad experience. At least reception-wise. My SDS200 is deaf on the south side CC's however my 996XT received no prob. Like WTF. No luck changing filter settings either.

Ah oh... That is concerning. Any idea why the SDS200 does so poorly on the south side? Is it anything that could be corrected?

 

[Anderegg]

It's the north site control channel. If the scanner cannot hear the control channel data, it cannot lock onto the system, scan the system, or follow any talkgroups. This explains why I would get perfect 0ERR decode of north site voice traffic, but the ability to actually get a talkgroup to receive was super sporadic. This scanner is just receiving off frequency interference. i should not be hearing SDFD dispatch voice audio on the north RCS control channel frequency. #receiverselectivityfail

 

[ScanFanEd]

It's the north site control channel. If the scanner cannot hear the control channel data, it cannot lock onto the system, scan the system, or follow any talkgroups. This explains why I would get perfect 0ERR decode of north site voice traffic, but the ability to actually get a talkgroup to receive was super sporadic. This scanner is just receiving off frequency interference. i should not be hearing SDFD dispatch voice audio on the north RCS control channel frequency. #receiverselectivityfail

Very sad that such a high-end receiver (price wise) has selectivity/sensitivity issues. Are there any reports of the SDS200 working well on the RCS?

 

[Anderegg]

I just installed a Motorola EQ000103A01 VHF/UHF/7/800 multplexer unit, and the results were amazeballs. Simply passing the same 800 antenna through the multiplex, eliminated 90% of the interference problems. I can now hear the control channel loud and clear at -60dBm, with only infrequent loud squaking every now and then. Plugging the antenna directly into the scanner results in that static his that covers the control channel, and voice traffic from SD City 800. I was not expecting this.

The multiplexer is also allowing me to have optimal 800 long range reception, while still being able to add a VHF low band whip to get CHP at the same time...try that without a multiplexer!

Paul

 

[Robertolson]

I Run a SDS 200 in my Big rig with a outside mag mount Larson low profile Antenna and receive RCS .....San Diego City ......Camp pen Fire P25...... all loud & clear.

L.A County has a P25 Phase 2 system i monitor..... all Loud and clear.
At home I have a 536 with a outside antenna, No issue's with the L.A p25 P2 system.

The 536 with the Uniden BC 20 speaker on the L.A p25 p2 system sounds Totally amazing....... like there sitting next to you...... It's mind blowing audio

I have a 996p2 in my car with the same outside mag mount Larson low profile Antenna ......on the L.A p25 p2 system..... it is clipping the beginning of the transmissions .....kinda annoying. but i do receive it.

I have a SDS 100 ..... like all portables the stock antenna sucks, even my local conventional channels had deaf issues ? ...... The Remix 800 antenna worked good picking up o.c fire ......But my 436 did also . I Live in Long beach. Adding my home's outside antenna to the SDS 100 made all the deaf issue's go away.

Unless San Diego has more distortion issue's from being next to Mexico, I dont see any reason a 536 / 436 wont work for phase 2