SDS100/SDS200: A different database problem

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manlius

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I travel with my SDS100 around Michigan daily. As a rule, I almost always have my Allegan and Ottawa FL’s enabled. My Uniden GPS is the source of power while mobile, and consequently feeding location info to the radio. As a side note, my range is usually at 20 miles (However, as I understand it, the GPS coordinates and range are only used by the scanner if the full database is enabled. Someone correct me if I’m wrong). My service types are always limited to the 3 Law types and Custom 1. When I leave my local area I will enable the full DB and may or may not bother to turn off the FL’s. This has worked spectacularly for a long time, until recently.

Here’s the problem. Lately when I activate the full DB it initially works as expected. But after say 5 minutes or maybe an hour (quite random) the full DB will drop out and the radio will only be scanning the FL’s or the dreaded “Scan Mode, Nothing to Scan” message appears if I’ve turned them off. This condition might last a few minutes or indefinitely until I intervene by deselecting and reselecting the full DB or power cycling the radio.

I’m not one to constantly update my firmware unless I’m experiencing a problem that an update has been stated to address. I also don’t update the DB unless I know there’s been changes to the MPSCS. Been running the same FW and DB for several months. This issue just started recently. SD card is class 10 and relatively new. Has anyone else had this issue?


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UPMan

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First, FLs can be controlled by GPS. The setting is "Location Control" for the FL.

I would suspect a reception or technical problem with the GPS. If it sends an incorrect location, the scanner would perform as you describe.
 

manlius

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First, FLs can be controlled by GPS. The setting is "Location Control" for the FL.

I would suspect a reception or technical problem with the GPS. If it sends an incorrect location, the scanner would perform as you describe.

Thanks for the reply, Paul. I forgot to mention that I do not use the Location Control setting for my FL’s.

So to be clear, if the GPS sends an erroneous location to the radio, then the radio drops the “full DB” from the scan list? I guess I would think that the scanner would try to reload a scan list based on the erroneous location instead of the real location. For example, if I’m in Elkhart, IN and the scanner has already loaded and is scanning the stations/TG’s for the area, and then the GPS sends an incorrect location (let’s say Houston), I would expect to see the radio try to load in the applicable list for the Houston area, but instead it just disregards the fact that it’s supposed to be scanning anything from the full DB. Where is my logic going off the rails?


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UPMan

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It doesn't drop the full dB, but the most common erroneous location is lat 0, lon 0, which is off the west coast of the African continent (near Chad, IIRC) and there are no systems in RRDB near that location.
 

manlius

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It doesn't drop the full dB, but the most common erroneous location is lat 0, lon 0, which is off the west coast of the African continent (near Chad, IIRC) and there are no systems in RRDB near that location.

Is there a way to test my GPS or observe what location it’s sending to the radio so I know if I need to get a new one?


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phask

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Is there a way to test my GPS or observe what location it’s sending to the radio so I know if I need to get a new one?


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Place the field for lat/lon on screen - constant location info.
 

ofd8001

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Thinking about another possibility and this could be in "left field", I wonder if you might have literally hit that bump in the road, which causes some kind of weird voltage drop, or other quick disconnection/re-connection? This could put the scanner at its original power up state (DB not on at start up.)

Just for the heck of it, you might try getting the scanner running, turn the full DB on, then cycling power off/on. Following that, begin your travel. If you don't see the DB vanish, that strengthens the "bump" theory.
 
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