SDS100/SDS200: BCD436 vs SDS100 Close Call differences?

[Computrguy]

Just when you think you understand something it throws you a curve ball.
I am in a campground and they were using HTs. I could not pick it up on the scanner so I figured I'd try something new to me - Close Call. I have an SDS100 and a BCD436. My go to scanner is the 100 so I tried that first. Also, the 2 are basically mirror images of each via Sentinel (less the target model).
I check and both have the same FL, Service Types,Settings, Close Call settings etc.
Fire up the 100 and enable Close Call only. I see a spike on band 3 but no audio, no display frequency. Doesn't sit well with me so I fire up the 436 and viola it gets a hit and displays the frequency and audio is blaring.
Any ideas how to figure out why the 100 is not displaying a frequency and/or audio? Also the Freq was MURS 151.925 mHZ

 

[kevino]

FWIW, 151.925 is not a MURS channel. See this link Multi-Use Radio Service - The RadioReference Wiki

 

[Computrguy]

Yeah, my bad. Shame on me for not researching it more. When I got the hit on the 436 I did a quick search on Google and it found the below. I should know better than to believe what Google feeds me without doing a little more research. Thanks for clarifying

 

[doctordialtone]

Doesn't sit well with me so I fire up the 436 and viola

Now you can fire up the 436 and your Viola and have a relaxing weekend!

 

[Computrguy]

Now you can fire up the 436 and your Viola and have a relaxing weekend!

Yeah, well, ummm, errr, uh, no. LOL
Why the SDS100, which is newer and more expensive, didn't pick it up is my question. I am one of them thar people who don't like the unexplained. Why one picked it up and the other does not (and still does not) is an issue for me. They were right next to each other. Maybe a setting somewhere is different? Although they shouldn't be as they both came from the same Sentinel just toggled the Target Model. I know someone out there on RR knows what the issue is but getting the question in front of the right eyes is always a challenge.

 

[SteveSimpkin]

Just when you think you understand something it throws you a curve ball.
I am in a campground and they were using HTs. I could not pick it up on the scanner so I figured I'd try something new to me - Close Call. I have an SDS100 and a BCD436. My go to scanner is the 100 so I tried that first. Also, the 2 are basically mirror images of each via Sentinel (less the target model).
I check and both have the same FL, Service Types,Settings, Close Call settings etc.
Fire up the 100 and enable Close Call only. I see a spike on band 3 but no audio, no display frequency. Doesn't sit well with me so I fire up the 436 and viola it gets a hit and displays the frequency and audio is blaring.
Any ideas how to figure out why the 100 is not displaying a frequency and/or audio? Also the Freq was MURS 151.925 mHZ

The SDS100/200 has a *completely* different receiver design than any other scanner and has its own set of reception characteristics. In some cases it is much more susceptible to interfering signals than other model scanners. That is why the "filter" options were added in firmware. Have you tried different filter settings in the global filter option? It has made a big difference for many people.

 

[iMONITOR]

The stock antenna included with the SDS100 is less than ideal for VHF, in fact it extreamly poor. That being said what antenna were you using on the 436HP, because it's stock antenna is lousy for VHF as well.

 

[Computrguy]

The stock antenna included with the SDS100 is less than ideal for VHF, in fact it extreamly poor. That being said what antenna were you using on the 436HP, because it's stock antenna is lousy for VHF as well.

Both had stock antennas. And the Close Call signal indicated on the SDS100 was maxed out to the top. So, it should not have been a poor signal issue IMO.

 

[Computrguy]

The SDS100/200 has a *completely* different receiver design than any other scanner and has its own set of reception characteristics. In some cases it is much more susceptible to interfering signals than other model scanners. That is why the "filter" options were added in firmware. Have you tried different filter settings in the global filter option? It has made a big difference for many people.

Hmm, the filters are something I have not "played" with. I travel the country in a motorhome. Unlike many of what I read on here I don't know what frequencies I should hear as I am only in a place for a few weeks. Where many of the folks on here know EXACTLY what they should be hearing and if they don't they start looking for it. So in this situation I knew there was something I was not hearing and went looking for it.
Getting back to the SDS100 filters, it was set on Global. I know it can be set for a specific frequency to a different value but what about Close Call? Just the main Filter setting controls it on CC?

 

[iMONITOR]

Both had stock antennas. And the Close Call signal indicated on the SDS100 was maxed out to the top. So, it should not have been a poor signal issue IMO.

Was the 436HP also turned on and in close proximity to the SDS100? Could be interference emitting from the 436HP. Or thet other way around.

 

[Computrguy]

Was the 436HP also turned on and in close proximity to the SDS100? Could be interference emitting from the 436HP. Or thet other way around.

Oh, I wasn't clear in the initial post. I tried with the SDS100 and saw it was getting hits but I did not hear anything. Also, as this was the first time I was using CC I did not know what to expect. The SDS would show the Band 3 bar hit the top but did not show a frequency (That is what I mean by it showing hits.) After a while I kind of thought it wasn't working correctly and turned the 436 on and it immediately showed the frequency and I heard the audio.

 

[iMONITOR]

Oh, I wasn't clear in the initial post. I tried with the SDS100 and saw it was getting hits but I did not hear anything. Also, as this was the first time I was using CC I did not know what to expect. The SDS would show the Band 3 bar hit the top but did not show a frequency (That is what I mean by it showing hits.) After a while I kind of thought it wasn't working correctly and turned the 436 on and it immediately showed the frequency and I heard the audio.

On the SDS100 have you enabled/disabled any Service preferences?

 

[Computrguy]

On the SDS100 have you enabled/disabled any Service preferences?

Service Types are exactly the same on both.

 

[Forts]

I've also experienced the same behaviour with my SDS100, to the point where I've gone back to using my 396XT for close call. I've no idea why the SDS will show signal on the bar graph but nothing further... like you I'm thinking there has to be a setting or something somewhere that isn't right.

 

[N9JIG]

CloseCall performance varies greatly among radio types as well as within the model itself. I have 2 436's and one works so much better on CloseCall overall than the other all else being equal. This presents a conundrum to me since it does not have the DMR upgrade so I may have to add that to it...

I also have a pair of 325's, again one is better on UHF CloseCall and the other is better on VHF CloseCall.

As for the SDS100 I have found my SDS100 to be better on CloseCall on 700/800 than any other radio I have used. I get hits on control channels and the odd input with the supplied rubber duck that the 536 and 996P2 in the truck doesn't hear at all with outside antennas. The other radios work better on VHF and UHF, the 996P2 seems better on UHF and the 536 better on VHF and both have the same Comtelco antennas. The 436 and 325 both outperform the SDS100 on VHF/UHF CloseCall but the SDS100 does better than both on 700/800.

I had one oddball back in Chicago; one of my 996XT's in the truck would get CloseCall hits on UHF T-Band at random from great distances, the other only when expected (driving by the site etc.) I once had a CC hit on the Evanston repeater on 470.5625 all the way out in Roselle, probably 40 miles away.

 

[phask]

On the SDS100 have you enabled/disabled any Service preferences?

Service Types have no bearing on Close Call.