SDS-100 not picking up anything digital

[Atlanta97]

I have posted on here roughly a month ago regarding my SDS-100 that was getting poor reception. It was ordered from Amazon. I have returned it and repurchased through Uniden directly. It unfortunately came with all the same problems the Amazon one had. Poor reception and boot text was different.

Contacted support and the gave no comment as to why the boot up text had changed or if this was a newer updated model.

they stated I should send it to be repaired. Just before I packed it I was noticing it stopped picking up all together. My older sds100 was chattering away on my local FD channel and this newer one was silent. I updated support and they passed along everything to the repair department.

I have just gotten it back today and unfortunately it’s still not picking up anything other than just standard analog. Signal on my local repeater was better though it’s just not picking up anything. I listen to Portland anyway 98% of the time. Signal is showing -80 to -90dBm which comes in crystal clear on my old one. The only other thing I can mention is that even though the signal can be pretty decent is that is cycling through all the frequencies on the site. Something I’ve never noticed the older one do except for when the signal goes complexly dead. I’ll update this later if I can think of anything else

So to summarize it’s seems only analog is picking up, nothing digital is coming thru at the moment regardless of signal strength. Portland, which is roughly 20 miles away is getting a fair amount of reception but it’s just cycling thru the frequencies on the site. All in all reception is a little better than it was before repair.

I have the standard Uniden antenna

REM-820

REM-920

Repair slip stated following parts were fixed or replaced:

Q2

Q3

Q4

No idea what any of those are

 

[MStep]

Best advice I have is for you to go to the appropriate state group on this site and find someone who is local to you and familiar with the radio to meet with and help you get set up correctly. Are you near Portland Georgia or Portland Oregon, or some other Portland ???

Since your screen name here is Altanta, I guess you are in Georgia. If so, start looking here:

Georgia Radio Discussion Forum

Forum for discussing Radio Information in the State of Georgia.

forums.radioreference.com

 

[Enforcer52]

Odd that two scanners in a row would have the same issue. So help us out with a little more info:
1. Where are located.
2. What are you trying to listen too?
3. How was the scanner programmed? Manually, Sentinel, Proscan, etc.
4. Is it programmed with the exact programming of your other SDS100, and using same type antenna?
5. Are service types turned on?

 

[kc2asb]

It does not sound like a configuration issue. The OP has two SDS-100's, and the other is set up and working properly.

Best advice I have is for you to go to the appropriate state group on this site and find someone who is local to you and familiar with the radio to meet with and help you get set up correctly. Are you near Portland Georgia or Portland Oregon, or some other Portland ???

Since your screen name here is Altanta, I guess you are in Georgia. If so, start looking here:

Georgia Radio Discussion Forum

Forum for discussing Radio Information in the State of Georgia.

forums.radioreference.com

 

[rhodester]

I have posted on here roughly a month ago regarding my SDS-100 that was getting poor reception. It was ordered from Amazon. I have returned it and repurchased through Uniden directly. It unfortunately came with all the same problems the Amazon one had. Poor reception and boot text was different.

Contacted support and the gave no comment as to why the boot up text had changed or if this was a newer updated model.

they stated I should send it to be repaired. Just before I packed it I was noticing it stopped picking up all together. My older sds100 was chattering away on my local FD channel and this newer one was silent. I updated support and they passed along everything to the repair department.

I have just gotten it back today and unfortunately it’s still not picking up anything other than just standard analog. Signal on my local repeater was better though it’s just not picking up anything. I listen to Portland anyway 98% of the time. Signal is showing -80 to -90dBm which comes in crystal clear on my old one. The only other thing I can mention is that even though the signal can be pretty decent is that is cycling through all the frequencies on the site. Something I’ve never noticed the older one do except for when the signal goes complexly dead. I’ll update this later if I can think of anything else

So to summarize it’s seems only analog is picking up, nothing digital is coming thru at the moment regardless of signal strength. Portland, which is roughly 20 miles away is getting a fair amount of reception but it’s just cycling thru the frequencies on the site. All in all reception is a little better than it was before repair.

I have the standard Uniden antenna

REM-820

REM-920

Repair slip stated following parts were fixed or replaced:

Q2

Q3

Q4

No idea what any of those are

Did you try swapping sd cards between the sds100's?

 

[Atlanta97]

Odd that two scanners in a row would have the same issue. So help us out with a little more info:
1. Where are located.
2. What are you trying to listen too?
3. How was the scanner programmed? Manually, Sentinel, Proscan, etc.
4. Is it programmed with the exact programming of your other SDS100, and using same type antenna?
5. Are service types turned on?

Maine. I used Sentinel software. Both radios programmed exactly the Same. Same settings and all. What I listen to is all mostly P25 phase 1 and 2 800mHz trunking sites. Yes service types are on. I do not own 2 of the same antenna types so I’m taking them on and off to switch and mostly comparing 820 and 920.

 

[Atlanta97]

Did you try swapping sd cards between the sds100's?

No I havnt dared remove anything

 

[gary123]

You can sway the SD card with no issues. if your worried Pull the good SD card and copy its contents to your computer. Then you can insert it into the 'bad' SDS and see if the problem is fixed. If it is then you can use the saved SD card file to make a duplicate for the original SDS. SD card adapters can be found at wally world and even some dollar trees.

 

[Atlanta97]

You can sway the SD card with no issues. if your worried Pull the good SD card and copy its contents to your computer. Then you can insert it into the 'bad' SDS and see if the problem is fixed. If it is then you can use the saved SD card file to make a duplicate for the original SDS. SD card adapters can be found at wally world and even some dollar trees.

Oh, ok - thanks, I shall try that.

 

[tvengr]

Are you using the same profile to program both scanners?

 

[Atlanta97]

I have posted on here roughly a month ago regarding my SDS-100 that was getting poor reception. It was ordered from Amazon. I have returned it and repurchased through Uniden directly. It unfortunately came with all the same problems the Amazon one had. Poor reception and boot text was different.

Contacted support and the gave no comment as to why the boot up text had changed or if this was a newer updated model.

they stated I should send it to be repaired. Just before I packed it I was noticing it stopped picking up all together. My older sds100 was chattering away on my local FD channel and this newer one was silent. I updated support and they passed along everything to the repair department.

I have just gotten it back today and unfortunately it’s still not picking up anything other than just standard analog. Signal on my local repeater was better though it’s just not picking up anything. I listen to Portland anyway 98% of the time. Signal is showing -80 to -90dBm which comes in crystal clear on my old one. The only other thing I can mention is that even though the signal can be pretty decent is that is cycling through all the frequencies on the site. Something I’ve never noticed the older one do except for when the signal goes complexly dead. I’ll update this later if I can think of anything else

So to summarize it’s seems only analog is picking up, nothing digital is coming thru at the moment regardless of signal strength. Portland, which is roughly 20 miles away is getting a fair amount of reception but it’s just cycling thru the frequencies on the site. All in all reception is a little better than it was before repair.

I have the standard Uniden antenna

REM-820

REM-920

Repair slip stated following parts were fixed or replaced:

Q2

Q3

Q4

No idea what any of those are

UPDATE: IT SEEMS TO MOSTLY WORK IN WIDE OPEN RANGES. THE SIGNAL STRENGTH DROPS WHEN THERE IS A TRANSMIT

EXAMPLE: THE RECEPTION JUST SITTING AND WAITNG ON THE REPEATER? I GUESS? Will BE -80 OR SO DBM. WHEN THERE IS A TRANSMIT, THE SIGNAL THEN COMPLETELY DIPS TO NEAR NOTHING.

INSIDE OF A HOUSE/BUILDING OR IN CITY IT CANT PICK UP ANYTHING DIGITAL BUT ANOLOG IS PERFECTLY FINE… IF IM IN A COUNTRYSIDE WITH WIDE OPEN AREAS IT PICKS UP THOSE DIGITAL CHANNELS A LOT BETTER.

 

[buddrousa]

When you say drops to near nothing -80 is more signal than -90 and my SDS Scanners receive P25 at -115 but that is the worst signal mine will decode.

 

[Atlanta97]

When you say drops to near nothing -80 is more signal than -90 and my SDS Scanners receive P25 at -115 but that is the worst signal mine will decode.

On a trunking site there is a constant signal being recieved whether a mic has been keyed or not. That constant signal is between -78 -95 or so on both my units (25mi away trunking system). but when someone keys up, it drops to nothing on the newer unit.

I’m thinking in a way this is a squelch issue. It’s at 0 Right now. But in a way it mirroring a higher set value.

i.e why it’s getting -80 stand alone but on transmit it tanks. I hope that makes sense

Maybe a simulcast issue

a decoding error. I don’t know.

But I think it’s one of these three things.

 

[buddrousa]

What number do you call TANKED?
OK all Frequencies do act the same. The Control Channel is sending 100 Watts to the antenna and combiner when a user keys a radio the Control Channel is still transmitting 100 Watts PLUS the 100 Watts of the VOICE Channel building heat in the antenna system if a second user keys now you have 300 Watts plus the mixing of the frequencies. Its not Simulcast the SDS does not care.
How far from the Trunking Site are you?

 

[hazrat8990]

I’m thinking in a way this is a squelch issue. It’s at 0 Right now. But in a way it mirroring a higher set value.

It most likely is. The BCD and SDS series scanners do weird things when the squelch is set to anything lower than 2.

 

[Atlanta97]

What number do you call TANKED?
OK all Frequencies do act the same. The Control Channel is sending 100 Watts to the antenna and combiner when a user keys a radio the Control Channel is still transmitting 100 Watts PLUS the 100 Watts of the VOICE Channel building heat in the antenna system if a second user keys now you have 300 Watts plus the mixing of the frequencies. Its not Simulcast the SDS does not care.
How far from the Trunking Site are you?

ZERO signal or next to nothing. I thought I was 25mi away but it appears I am 12mi from Portland which is the primary channel I listen to.

I was told a year ago when I was having problems with my other sds100 that geographically I should NOT be able to pick that system up. 800mHz can’t penetrate terrain or buildings at that distance. Another person said that was bs and Portlands site does a very good job at making itself known. It’s a very strong site.


I’m now picking stuff up but the signal is still very low.

 

[dmfalk]

Just to be clear, the signal level, shown as RSSI, is measured in negative decibel/meters (dBm)-- The "lower" the number, the stronger the signal! On my SDS100, if it's -119dBm, the signal's too weak to break the squelch, but if it's -40dBm or better, it's as close to being full strength. If it gets to 0dBm, you better hope the signal won't fry your scanner!

We only want to know what you mean by the signal strength "dropping" or "tanking".... Is the number dropping to 0? If it is, it's bang-on full strength.... But if that number is going "higher" (-120 to say, -122 or -125), it's actually going weaker.

 

[Ubbe]

If the squelch closes it won't show any signal level, so try with squelch at 0 so it always shows signal strength.
If it is a trunked system and the signal drops to nothing when they are supposed to have a conversation then it probably isn't going to the correct voice channel frequency, the bandplan chosen for the system isn't working correctly or the LCN values are wrong for a DMR system.

Set squelch at 0 and take the antenna off and you should see three dashes that indicates no signal received.
When connecting the antenna it could show a value from an unused frequency due to interference. Something like -122dBm are probably the lowest it can show before it goes to three dashes. To decode digital data it would need a stronger signal something like -110dBm.

If experimenting with filters they are blocking interference and any interference received will indicate a stronger receive level, so chose a filter setting that gives you the lowest signal strength, I.E. you only receive the sites signal and no other interferences. For digital signals you always use the data bit error value to select the filter that gives you the lowest amount of errors.

/Ubbe