We are getting there 
great team work....
great team work....
Anyone in the Dothan or Enterprise Alabama using SDS100 to listen to NXDN?
- Thread starter zeekwave
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OK.. and I did'nt catch it in time, thought i saw 2400, but it was probably 2401, was dispatch and PD talking about someone pulling 9mm on someone over a pizza, them they came back saying he was running and had a big knife..podunk eprise! So 2401 is good for PD.
Dudley, thank you so much for your perseverance and kindness. Your patience has been appreciated more than you know. I was ready to send unit back after SM took $80 and said they did all they could do. So.. After lisening for a day or two in the Search ID mode and writing down what ever appears to be PD traffic, how do I make sure these TGID's are added to my Favorites?
Great.. Watching
Ok, when you say change tfrom 1 to 2401, where n how?
If you learn of anything else please let me know, ok?
My opinion only with some background ....
I have 8 portable scanners thus I have several different antennas.
3 of them are ICOM receivers which come with outstanding antenna but occasionally I use a different one.
3 of them are Uniden scanners and I don't use the stock antenna on any of them.
2 of them are AOR receivers and I don't use the stock antenna on any of them.
The 3 antennas worth considering for your BCD436 are...
1.) Watson WSMA-801 Super Gainer - it is 9 inches long but slimmer than the stock antenna so it is about the same size. It is very good on air band 118 to 136, very good on 150 thru 160 band, pretty good on 220 to 240, ok on 460, ok on 800. Works well for things up to 15 to 20 miles away.
2.) Watson WSMA-881 Super Gainer - it is 16 inches long but slim like the W-801. It performs maybe 25% better on the same frequencies than the W-801, in other words you can pickup signals from 20 to 25 miles better.
3.) Diamond SRH77CA - it is also 16 inches long but is slim like the Watson antenna. It has the same performance as the Watson W-881.
Your scanner uses a SMA type mount, all three come in both SMA or BNC. Obviously get the SMA version.
The bulk of your frequencies are in the 150 to 160 range, I haven't seen any in the 800 range and don't remember any in the 460 range.
The Watson W-801 is about $35, the Watson W-881 is about $45 - both are available from ScanMaster.
The Diamond SRH77CA (this is the SMA version) is about $23 but ScanMaster doesn't sell it. I bought mine and a bunch of other stuff (Included the ICOM receivers) from DX Engineering in Ohio. They are a very reputable dealer.
ScanMaster usually ships via UPS, DX Engineering usually ships via FedEx, both tend to ship the same day as ordered. Neither seem to use the USPS which has horrible delays for packaging shipping.
The difference between the two 16 inch antenna on the same scanner is hard to tell, the Diamond one I think is slightly better on my BCD325P2; the Watson 881 is slightly better on my BCD396XT and my SDS100.
Your scanner is large in size compared to the 325P2. With the 16 antenna on it, it is at best awkward. The 16 inch antennas on the SDS100 which is slightly smaller than the BCD436 in height but the SDS100 is much fatter, they are not too bad.
If you are out in public, the W-801 doesn't attract near as much attention. At home, I tend to use the 16 inch antennas on all of them especially if I just have it sitting on a table. Obviously going outside into the yard improves the reception versus inside the house.
Which one should you choose, not sure. Which 16 inch, I would probably say go with the Diamond version. Half the price, about the same performance. You could post that question on this forum and get 50 opinions, 10 serious arguments, and still not get consensus of which one.
My general guess is -- your stock antenna is only good for 10 to 15 miles, so any of them should be a noticeable improvement.
I have 8 portable scanners thus I have several different antennas.
3 of them are ICOM receivers which come with outstanding antenna but occasionally I use a different one.
3 of them are Uniden scanners and I don't use the stock antenna on any of them.
2 of them are AOR receivers and I don't use the stock antenna on any of them.
The 3 antennas worth considering for your BCD436 are...
1.) Watson WSMA-801 Super Gainer - it is 9 inches long but slimmer than the stock antenna so it is about the same size. It is very good on air band 118 to 136, very good on 150 thru 160 band, pretty good on 220 to 240, ok on 460, ok on 800. Works well for things up to 15 to 20 miles away.
2.) Watson WSMA-881 Super Gainer - it is 16 inches long but slim like the W-801. It performs maybe 25% better on the same frequencies than the W-801, in other words you can pickup signals from 20 to 25 miles better.
3.) Diamond SRH77CA - it is also 16 inches long but is slim like the Watson antenna. It has the same performance as the Watson W-881.
Your scanner uses a SMA type mount, all three come in both SMA or BNC. Obviously get the SMA version.
The bulk of your frequencies are in the 150 to 160 range, I haven't seen any in the 800 range and don't remember any in the 460 range.
The Watson W-801 is about $35, the Watson W-881 is about $45 - both are available from ScanMaster.
The Diamond SRH77CA (this is the SMA version) is about $23 but ScanMaster doesn't sell it. I bought mine and a bunch of other stuff (Included the ICOM receivers) from DX Engineering in Ohio. They are a very reputable dealer.
ScanMaster usually ships via UPS, DX Engineering usually ships via FedEx, both tend to ship the same day as ordered. Neither seem to use the USPS which has horrible delays for packaging shipping.
The difference between the two 16 inch antenna on the same scanner is hard to tell, the Diamond one I think is slightly better on my BCD325P2; the Watson 881 is slightly better on my BCD396XT and my SDS100.
Your scanner is large in size compared to the 325P2. With the 16 antenna on it, it is at best awkward. The 16 inch antennas on the SDS100 which is slightly smaller than the BCD436 in height but the SDS100 is much fatter, they are not too bad.
If you are out in public, the W-801 doesn't attract near as much attention. At home, I tend to use the 16 inch antennas on all of them especially if I just have it sitting on a table. Obviously going outside into the yard improves the reception versus inside the house.
Which one should you choose, not sure. Which 16 inch, I would probably say go with the Diamond version. Half the price, about the same performance. You could post that question on this forum and get 50 opinions, 10 serious arguments, and still not get consensus of which one.
My general guess is -- your stock antenna is only good for 10 to 15 miles, so any of them should be a noticeable improvement.
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I updated these 2 entries.. look ok?We are getting there
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yeah!!We are getting there
Yes, they look good, that is exactly what I was going to suggest.
UPDATE: You have Enterprise PD in both, some people will tell you that is not good, only put it one system. Probably doesn't hurt anything in both, if you have to pick just one, I would keep it in the City of Enterprise one.
UPDATE: You have Enterprise PD in both, some people will tell you that is not good, only put it one system. Probably doesn't hurt anything in both, if you have to pick just one, I would keep it in the City of Enterprise one.
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Since you are hearing Enterprise PD on the City of Enterprise Trunk system, you probably should go ahead and delete the entry for STREETS. Obviously it doesn't work now with the intentional wrong frequency, but it is not the correct way to hear the Enterprise PD.
Thank You! And you made me laugh out loud, Better than LOL..and I thank you for that! My 70 year old heart can use a kind smile now and then. Gave me some more to consider.. I like it better than the mobile on a pan. Got the idea from Rich's podcast a week or 2 on RR about the Spectrum force wide band magnetic. He said he used inside till his wife took her baking pans back , and really liked it.. But.. But I am lucky my wife even lets me play in the living room, so a ducky antenna is probably my best choice. So if you think the Diamond is just as good as the 881, i'll order it. Best choice for me, you think? ALSO I have the 25" telescoping metal antenna on the BCT15x.. your opinion on keeping it or a better choice..same criteria as 436..
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ok Fixed What is difference in Law Dispatch, Law Talk and Law Tac? Iset 2401 to Law Dispatch even though it is back n forth to the field i guess.
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hmm if you are sure..since I have been using TGID search id, streets has not popped up too much..
The Diamond one is only available from DX Engineering , SM doesn’t stock Diamond products.
By the way, I just hit 71 last month, so good laughs are always great 😊
By the way, I just hit 71 last month, so good laughs are always great 😊
I didn’t think STREETS was getting scanned since it has a bad frequency stored in it. Are you seeing the frequency for STREETS or actually see the name STREETS showing on the screen?
For what it is worth, currently you are only in SEARCH-MODE for the City of Entr Trunk, you are in SCAN-ID mode for everything else including S&P trunk system.
mond
Congrats! I am working on it! It's a process, right? I ordered the Diamond from Amazon for $21+tax. ALSO I have the 25" telescoping metal antenna on the BCT15x.. your opinion on keeping it or a better choice..same criteria as 436.
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Streets shows up once n a while, but like i said, not since I am currently in TGID search mode. Do i need to go out of Search ID or can it just stay there?
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You can go ahead and get out of Search ID mode since you have added the Enterprise PD to both trunk systems. I also would recommend deleting the Streets entry. It is not the correct way to hear Enterprise PD. That frequency is 1 of 5 frequencies in the trunk, so there is only a 20% chance the talk is on that frequency, 80% of the time it will be on the other 4.
To get out of Search ID, just go back to the place you turned on and turn if off. Save everything and then write to the scanner.
On your question about the 25 inch antenna, since it is a telescoping antenna, the length determines how good it is. There is a quick formula to calculate that. Basically it is 234/frequency computes to the length in feet for best reception. In your case, 234/156 (which is the common frequency you are using) is 1.5 feet or 18 inches. At 25 inches, it best for airplanes on 118 to 136 frequencies. The problem with telescoping antennas is that they are very good on a small range and bad on others depending on the length it is set at. That concept is called tuning the antenna for the frequency you want to hear. I would wait to see how well the Diamond works before changing anything on the BCT15x. You might want to try setting the antenna at around 18 inches to see if that improves things.
The tuning concept is ONLY for telescoping antennas, the rubber duck and discones are tuned a different way.
To get out of Search ID, just go back to the place you turned on and turn if off. Save everything and then write to the scanner.
On your question about the 25 inch antenna, since it is a telescoping antenna, the length determines how good it is. There is a quick formula to calculate that. Basically it is 234/frequency computes to the length in feet for best reception. In your case, 234/156 (which is the common frequency you are using) is 1.5 feet or 18 inches. At 25 inches, it best for airplanes on 118 to 136 frequencies. The problem with telescoping antennas is that they are very good on a small range and bad on others depending on the length it is set at. That concept is called tuning the antenna for the frequency you want to hear. I would wait to see how well the Diamond works before changing anything on the BCT15x. You might want to try setting the antenna at around 18 inches to see if that improves things.
The tuning concept is ONLY for telescoping antennas, the rubber duck and discones are tuned a different way.
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To answer question about Law Dispatch vs Law Talk vs Law Tac
Lexington, Ky where I live has a population of approximately 400,000 and Police Department with approximately 600 officers. With a force that big and that many possible things happening, there are Law Talk, Law Dispatch, and Law Tac TGIDs for their use.
Law Tac is used when there is a major incident going on such as a barricade situation, suspicious package, big sporting event - you would hear the commanding officer tell folks to go to TAC, means they all switch to the TGID so they don't interfere with "normal" traffic.
Law Talk is used if one officer needs to tell another something like just followed up on xxxx, what have you heard about xxxx, again they don't interfere with normal traffic.
Law Dispatch is what is normally used where the dispatcher sends out to the units and units respond to the dispatch and/or unit calls in on traffic stop and dispatcher acknowledges.
In your situation, your city might not be big enough to need all of that. The RR database doesn't mention an Law Tac or Law Talk for your area.
The bad news here in Lexington -- they are on a P25 simulcast trunk system but approximately 2 years ago, everything went fully encrypted in both fire and police as well as EMS and the airport police, so now we hear NOTHING.
Lexington, Ky where I live has a population of approximately 400,000 and Police Department with approximately 600 officers. With a force that big and that many possible things happening, there are Law Talk, Law Dispatch, and Law Tac TGIDs for their use.
Law Tac is used when there is a major incident going on such as a barricade situation, suspicious package, big sporting event - you would hear the commanding officer tell folks to go to TAC, means they all switch to the TGID so they don't interfere with "normal" traffic.
Law Talk is used if one officer needs to tell another something like just followed up on xxxx, what have you heard about xxxx, again they don't interfere with normal traffic.
Law Dispatch is what is normally used where the dispatcher sends out to the units and units respond to the dispatch and/or unit calls in on traffic stop and dispatcher acknowledges.
In your situation, your city might not be big enough to need all of that. The RR database doesn't mention an Law Tac or Law Talk for your area.
The bad news here in Lexington -- they are on a P25 simulcast trunk system but approximately 2 years ago, everything went fully encrypted in both fire and police as well as EMS and the airport police, so now we hear NOTHING.
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