Can not get the NXDN 4800
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doctordialtone
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Do you have the NXDN upgrade?
It's optional.
Uniden Bearcat NXDN Upgrade (BCD436HP/536HP/325P2/996P2/SDS100/200)| Scanner Master
Can you provide a link to the system in the database?
If it's in the database, did you append it to a Favorites list in Sentinel, or did you create it manually (either because it is not in the database, or manually because you prefer to add systems that way.
I have a local public safety NXDN 4800 system in my area, and have no reception problems with my SDS200 or SDS100. No issues with other scanners with the NXDN upgrade.
Lancaster Public Safety Trunking System, Lancaster, Texas
Lancaster Public Safety Trunking System Profile
www.radioreference.com
There's also a NXDN 9600 3 site system near me, and no problems with it either.
Southwest Regional Communications Center Trunking System, Cedar Hill, Desoto, Dunca, Texas
Southwest Regional Communications Center Trunking System Profile
www.radioreference.com
But did you append the system from the main database? Or did you do it manually, either in Sentinel, or through the keypad.
And, again, which system are you trying to hear?
I was asking which system you were having problems with, and used Lancaster & SWRRC as examples of NXDN in my area. Your profile does not show a location, and until this response, I had no way of knowing which system you were trying to hear.
So Lancaster is the one you have issues with? What is your location? If you are trying to hear the system from the 'mid-cities' (Grand Prairie & Arlington, for example), you might not get a good enough signal. I can hear Lancaster clearly, as well as SWRCC with all of my scanners at home. But when visiting one of my friends who lives in Grapevine, I can still monitor SWRCC, but not Lancaster. Besides the distance (being slightly farther than to the SWRCC sites), from her location, Lancaster is below my horizon.
Make sure that you have the correct Channel IDs entered. (If you appended from the main database, then it should be accurate. The database is correct.) The TRX series do not use the channel IDs, and only receive transmissions, not accurately track the system. So if your SDS200 is programmed correctly, but you don't hear the system, either you're are not getting a strong enough signal, or interference is giving you problems.
Park the SDS200 on the Lancaster system, scanning only it. Set your TRX-2 to also hold just on the Lancaster system. When you hear something on the TRX-2, are you seeing any indication of the signal strength on the SDS200? If no, then you have a reception problem (if everything is programmed accurately). If you are seeing a signal, but hear nothing, then either you may have the squelch set too high, or interference is giving you a problem. Try changing the filter setting on the system. If you are using "Normal", then try one of the inverted settings, or even "off" if you currently do have a filter set.
Ubbe
Member
The squelch has to open before the scanner will start to indicate a signal strenght and also to start decoding a signal, it doesn't constantly decode from the discriminator, it is under squelch control. The max squelch setting on a SDS100, 15, still open up squelch to a -105dBm signal and probably the same with SDS200, so the squelch are pretty much impossible to set too high on SDS scanners. Maybe Uniden deliberately set the squelch range so low to not have the scanner stop working from a simple user error.
/Ubbe
If you are in the central part of Cedar Hill, like off Belt Line Rd. and Joe Wilson, you're not 'down in a hole'.
But I suspect that the real problem may be interference. As we both know, Cedar Hill has a dense "antenna farm" southwest of Hwy 67 & Belt Line. Almost all the local TV, and FM radio stations for this area are on one of those towers. There are a couple more tall towers on the east side of Hwy 67: Ch 11 (KTVT) is on the one just south of the high school, I think Ch. 21, KTXA is on the same one; there's another tall structure, handling a number of TV & FM stations farther south, off of Tar Rd.
And each of towers has repeater sites for SMR companies on platforms spaced out on the tower at various levels. All the RFI from those multiple sources was so dense that when I used to shop at the Minyard's (used to be in that center southeast of Hwy 67 & Belt Line) I could not use the remote on my car alarm. (That store was close to a mile to the ENE of the clump of towers you see above.)
The SDS scanners are great at handling P25 Simulcast systems. But they are more susceptible to interference from other nearby transmitters than were previous models such as the 396XT. I'd suggest that you experiment with the filter settings. There's really no guidance to suggest a specific one to use. The filter that helps the most could be different for listening to the same system, but at different locations.
I haven't spent enough time out there lately to see if my SDS100 has the same issue that your SDS200 does on Lancaster. If I get a chance, I'll try to run out there & give it a whirl. (I'm farther north of you, near Kiest Park in Dallas.)
Yeah, that close to all the transmitters on the towers may well be a large part of the issue.
Out of curiosity, I know you said you can hear SWRCC. But are you hearing all three sites? Cedar Hill, Desoto, & Duncanville? I know that much of the time, each of the sites carry the same conversation, But occasionally, when there is some sort of working incident, whether a fire, a serious accident, or whatever else might require a large response, you will hear traffic related to the incident on one of the sites, and maybe a different incident response on one of the other sites. For example, you should hear Cedar Hill, after all the site is practically in your back yard. Desoto's site is on Belt Line between Polk & Hampton. But Duncanville is somewhat farther away, at their Fire Station 1, on Camp Wisdom a few blocks west of Duncanville's Main St.
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