SDS100/SDS200: SDS100 Not Receiving Law Channels?

[WAZZUGREG]

Hi all -

I recently bought a new SDS100 and am having some programming issues. I own a Home Patrol 1 and have owned scanners for over 50 years. So while not a rookie, this one is puzzling me. I have used Sentinel (which I’m also familiar with…) to program the SDS100, but it only seems to want to receive fire/EMS channels in my region. I have separated my FL’s into different groups a few times, tried assigning quick keys (necessary?), ID tags, ensuring my FL’s are consistent in entry parameters (a little QC), and tried everything I can identify to get them to scan. I have not tinkered much with location or filter settings (maybe THE issue), but figure if I can recieve Fire, etc. well, why won’t the regional LEF Chanel’s come through? Doesn’t make sense! Also, I have checked ALL the ‘Service Types’ in Sentinel, but it appears the SDS100 checks its own when you write to it from Sentinel as some of the Service Types remain unselected in the scanner and won’t let me select them.

I am really puzzled and frustrated at this point—simply can’t imagine what I am doing wrong. (I’m hoping it’d some little thing I’m overlooking or just unfamiliar with.

PLEASE HELP before I throw this thing in a snow bank!!!

—Greg. (Tri-Cities, WA, USA)

 

[Reconrider]

PLEASE HELP before I throw this thing in a snow bank!!!

Lemme know the location when you do that so I can put it in rice as quick as possible so I can keep it


On topic though, make sure you have the services turned on. You can do this in the settings on the scanner, or on sentinel inside I think the profile editor.

---

Just noticed you said "all services on"

Did you make sure all your quick keys are turned on? Sometimes when programmed they don't always turn on. Also, sentinel is odd and not everything is "downloaded" on the scanner. That should also be in the profile

 

[doctordialtone]

Lemme know the location when you do that so I can put it in rice as quick as possible so I can keep it


On topic though, make sure you have the services turned on. You can do this in the settings on the scanner, or on sentinel inside I think the profile editor.

---

Just noticed you said "all services on"

Did you make sure all your quick keys are turned on? Sometimes when programmed they don't always turn on. Also, sentinel is odd and not everything is "downloaded" on the scanner. That should also be in the profile

He said he has them on.

So yes I'd double check that.

Both Download AND Monitor.

 

[nessnet]

It is almost certainly your service types set wrong. Or, an FL not set to download and monitor...

Just changing them in your Sentinel profile does not change them in the radio. You have to write the changes to the radio.

In the radio:
Easier to Read SDS100/200 Digital Scanner Manual

Select Service Types

​

Press Func then Zip/Services. Scroll to each Service Type and press E/yes to enable or disable. IMPORTANT: If no channels in your favorites include a particular service type, that service type will have a ---- displayed instead of on or off

 

[tvengr]

Which agency are you trying to monitor? Law enforcement may be encrypted and not able to be received by any scanner. Are you able to receive the same channels and talkgroups on the HP1?

 

[WAZZUGREG]

Couple things guys--I CANNOT change the Service Types on the scanner. I t won't let me. As said before, I checked them all on Sentinel, but only about ½-⅔ of them transferred to the scanner. So I'm thinking NESSNET has it right '----'. (Although I do believe my FL's are set to monitor properly as the upper left info area shows it going through them all.) TVENGR-The LEF in my region is not encrypted and come through fine on my HP1. So--Sign me 'Still Stuck.'

 

[buddrousa]

How about service types turned on

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

How about service types turned on

OP's claim is yes. If it's LE only and encryption isn't a factor, main focus should be on "Law Dispatch", "Law Talk" and "Law Tac"

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Assuming RIchland, WA by OP's signature: LE looks to be here & in the clear, though only car to car (law talk) talkgroups are identified...

 

[MStep]

Couple things guys--I CANNOT change the Service Types on the scanner. I t won't let me. As said before, I checked them all on Sentinel, but only about ½-⅔ of them transferred to the scanner. So I'm thinking NESSNET has it right '----'. (Although I do believe my FL's are set to monitor properly as the upper left info area shows it going through them all.) TVENGR-The LEF in my region is not encrypted and come through fine on my HP1. So--Sign me 'Still Stuck.'

This may or may not be related, but a lot depends on how your local law enforcement is categorized in the Radio Reference database. If it is categorized incorrectly, then the radio nor Sentinel will recognize a particular service type properly.

Perhaps you can find someone in your area who also has an SDS100 (or 200) who can help you setting your radio up.

 

[Icanhearit]

> Couple things guys--I CANNOT change the Service Types on the scanner. I t won't let me

Any specifics on it won't let you ON SCANNER. they show as --?

If show as OFF, you should be able to using the knob.

As last resort, format the SD card, and clear user data with Sentinel that you are familiar with. Making sure the sentinel target model is set to SDS100

 

[hiegtx]

Couple things guys--I CANNOT change the Service Types on the scanner. I t won't let me. As said before, I checked them all on Sentinel, but only about ½-⅔ of them transferred to the scanner. So I'm thinking NESSNET has it right '----'. (Although I do believe my FL's are set to monitor properly as the upper left info area shows it going through them all.) TVENGR-The LEF in my region is not encrypted and come through fine on my HP1. So--Sign me 'Still Stuck.'

If a Service type, that you know is present in one of your Favorites lists, shows the "---" that nessnet mentioned above, then that particular channel did not get loaded onto the scanner. One reason could be because the list was not set to be downloaded and monitored. The other could be because your location & range settings show it to be out of range. That could be because they are not set correctly. Or, because you manually created the channel's department, but did not add location details. Blank locations in Sentinel & the scanner are treated as zero degrees for both latitude & longitude, which would be in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Africa. Appending systems from the main database in Sentinel carries the location details along with the rest of the system's details. But if you've manually added departments & sorted conventional channels or talkgroups, but did not also add location data, then using Location control on that list will prevent the scanner from "seeing" them, or downloading to the scanner.

You can, if so desired, export your working HP-1 Favorites list into an *.hpe file, then import that file into the Sentinel program used by the SDS100.

 

[WAZZUGREG]

Should a 'hold time' be something more than zero?

 

[tvengr]

It is almost certainly your service types set wrong. Or, an FL not set to download and monitor.

I believe nessnet has the answer to your problem. I have all of the service types enabled in my profile. I do all custom programming without entering a service type. If you do not enter a service type, the service type defaults to Custom 1. When I write to the scanner, the only service type enabled is Custom 1 and I cannot enable any other service type. If you compare the service types in the HP1 and the SDS100, I believe you may find a difference. If law enforcement is in a separate favorites list, Download and Monitor must both be On for the favorites list.

 

[hiegtx]

Should a 'hold time' be something more than zero?

In general, I do not enter a Hold time, with one exception:
The Texas Department of Public Safety (state police) uses a duplex channel plan in some areas. The base station transmits on a specific frequency, but units in the field answer on a different frequency. So, I use a short (one second) delay, and a Hold time (2 seconds) so that the channels are scanned for a response on different frequencies.

 

[phask]

Make sure you have a site loaded for your fav. list. That is a common issue.

- to reiterate. If you can not turn on a service type, that service type is not in your fav list or not loaded.-

You can go into the menu and set scan selection to see what IS there,

 

[Ubbe]

Couple things guys--I CANNOT change the Service Types on the scanner. I t won't let me.

That's normal. You can only turn on service types in the scanner if a TG exists that use that service type. In Sentinel you can turn on all service types and transfer to the scanner, as Sentinel do not know what TG's you already have in the scanner. But non existing service types will automatically be turned off when the scanner powers on.

So either the TG's you want use another service type than what you expect, or the TG's are not loaded. Perhaps they belong to a system and favorite list that isn't loaded.

/Ubbe

 

[WAZZUGREG]

Wow-so much good info here gang. I’m going to run through these ideas and see what happens I’ll let all of you know in the next day or two. Thanks again, And if you have any further thoughts, just throw them out there.

 

[nessnet]

Convert this file from benton.txt to benton.hpe
Then, you can load it into your radio to see if it helps.

 

[JoeBearcat]

Couple things guys--I CANNOT change the Service Types on the scanner. I t won't let me.

If the scanner will not let you enable them, that means there are no channels of that type enabled to scan.

Make sure you have set the FL to MONITOR (SET SCAN LIST), and make sure you have enabled any FLs/Systems/Depts/Sites Quick Keys.