SDS100/SDS200: Chicago specific Sentinel question.

[Deafconn]

Hi all. Thanks for the help in the forums, helped me in setting up my recently acquired a SDS200.


I work in the department and like the background noise. When I initially set a favorites list from sentinel I followed the parent/child pathway from Database-->IL-->Cook-->County systems-->Chicago - Fire/EMS. I loaded all of those various channels onto a favorites list and loaded the list into my SDS scanner. When I scanned that list, nothing popped up.

Now, when I scanned the entire database on my SDS200, the normal 800MHz P25 Fire Suppression-North (Main) popped up and I held on that. My question is that when I search the sentinel database for this channel "Chicago OEMC PUBLIC SAFETY" Nothing seems to pop up. What am I doing wrong so I can set this as a favorites list and not have to scan each time? Are these old channels?

I'm sorry if my verbiage isn't too clear-- I've been trying to pick up the lingo this week.

D

 

[N9JIG]

The first thing I would check is the SERVICE TYPES. Go into the "Select Service Types" menu to turn them on and off, any that are visible as "Off" select and turn "On".

 

[werinshades]

Hi all. Thanks for the help in the forums, helped me in setting up my recently acquired a SDS200.


I work in the department and like the background noise. When I initially set a favorites list from sentinel I followed the parent/child pathway from Database-->IL-->Cook-->County systems-->Chicago - Fire/EMS. I loaded all of those various channels onto a favorites list and loaded the list into my SDS scanner. When I scanned that list, nothing popped up.

Now, when I scanned the entire database on my SDS200, the normal 800MHz P25 Fire Suppression-North (Main) popped up and I held on that. My question is that when I search the sentinel database for this channel "Chicago OEMC PUBLIC SAFETY" Nothing seems to pop up. What am I doing wrong so I can set this as a favorites list and not have to scan each time? Are these old channels?

I'm sorry if my verbiage isn't too clear-- I've been trying to pick up the lingo this week.

D

The site that is showing Midway Airport. CFD is heard on Site-1 OEMC Simulcast.

 

[RMason]

when I search the sentinel database for this channel "Chicago OEMC PUBLIC SAFETY" Nothing seems to pop up. What am I doing wrong so I can set this as a favorites list and not have to scan each time?

Chicago OEMC PUBLIC SAFETY is a P25 system. it can be found in sentinel:

Database -> IL -> Cook -> County systems -> Chicago OEMC Public Safety - 800 Mhz

 

[Deafconn]

The site that is showing Midway Airport. CFD is heard on Site-1 OEMC Simulcast.

How do I go about adjusting the site?

 

[Deafconn]

Chicago OEMC PUBLIC SAFETY is a P25 system. it can be found in sentinel:

Database -> IL -> Cook -> County systems -> Chicago OEMC Public Safety - 800 Mhz

I see. I went over it, so the one I saw in the photo attached-- what is that?

 

[werinshades]

How do I go about adjusting the site?

I set up favorite lists and only program the one site. I’ve programmed some of the firehouses with the SDS200.

 

[Deafconn]

I set up favorite lists and only program the one site. I’ve programmed some of the firehouses with the SDS200.

Understood, so I'd have to program my favorite's list (englewood, main, ems) with the Site-1 OEMC Simulcast. Thank you. Still very new to this thanks for your patience.

I see you live in Chicago. Any chance you could share some of your favorite's lists or where to find some? I'm scrolling through the sds manual and playing with sentinel but all I could find today were the fire channels, marine weather, some passing by car radios in the waterfall setting? As well what sounded like police TV shows in the waterfall setting.

The only experience I have is, funny enough, fiddling with the ones in the firehouse. Trying to find very beginner friendly ways to explore.

 

[werinshades]

Understood, so I'd have to program my favorite's list (englewood, main, ems) with the Site-1 OEMC Simulcast. Thank you. Still very new to this thanks for your patience.

I see you live in Chicago. Any chance you could share some of your favorite's lists or where to find some? I'm scrolling through the sds manual and playing with sentinel but all I could find today were the fire channels, marine weather, some passing by car radios in the waterfall setting? As well what sounded like police TV shows in the waterfall setting.

The only experience I have is, funny enough, fiddling with the ones in the firehouse. Trying to find very beginner friendly ways to explore.

No, I don't send my files here. You can append through Sentinel, all the info is in the database. I self-program everything and don't use "appending" method.

We have a couple threads on this and other systems locally:

2026 Chicago OEMC Public Safety - 800 MHz P25 Official Thread

Please continue the OEMC system discussion here for 2026. Prior thread: New Chicago OEMC Public Safety - 800 MHz P25

forums.radioreference.com

 

[dmfalk]

Sometimes, when you try to reinvent the wheel, you forget a few spokes!

In other words, learn to use copy & paste of the system in the main database. It's already there.

 

[Deafconn]

The first thing I would check is the SERVICE TYPES. Go into the "Select Service Types" menu to turn them on and off, any that are visible as "Off" select and turn "On".

This confuses me and is primarily what the problem was. What would be the purpose for having service types on or off? For gigantic favorite lists or by-hand programming?

 

[N9JIG]

This confuses me and is primarily what the problem was. What would be the purpose for having service types on or off? For gigantic favorite lists or by-hand programming?

On database scanners like the 536 Service Types are used to help you tailor your listening to a specific type of channel, such as Police Dispatch, Fire Tac etc. Each channel in the database here at Radio Reference (which is the source of the Main Database in the scanner) has a Service Type appended to it. You can view it in the screen shot you attached to your original post.

On the scanner you need to go into Set Service Types and be sure each one there is listed as "On" if it is available in the Main Database, Favorites Lists or both. If there are channels for that Service Type they will be listed as either "On" or "Off", otherwise they will be listed as "--", meaning there are no channels with that Service Type present on the databases you currently have enabled.

Favorites Lists are what you created from the front keyboard of the scanner, they can also be created with the various software packages (ProScan, Sentinel, ARC-536). When you create them you can assign Service Types to the Channels, otherwise they default to "Custom 1". Regardless of the Service Type name assigned to a channel it has to be turned ON in order for you to scan it when scanning that Favorites List.

 

[Deafconn]

On database scanners like the 536 Service Types are used to help you tailor your listening to a specific type of channel, such as Police Dispatch, Fire Tac etc. Each channel in the database here at Radio Reference (which is the source of the Main Database in the scanner) has a Service Type appended to it. You can view it in the screen shot you attached to your original post.

On the scanner you need to go into Set Service Types and be sure each one there is listed as "On" if it is available in the Main Database, Favorites Lists or both. If there are channels for that Service Type they will be listed as either "On" or "Off", otherwise they will be listed as "--", meaning there are no channels with that Service Type present on the databases you currently have enabled.

Favorites Lists are what you created from the front keyboard of the scanner, they can also be created with the various software packages (ProScan, Sentinel, ARC-536). When you create them you can assign Service Types to the Channels, otherwise they default to "Custom 1". Regardless of the Service Type name assigned to a channel it has to be turned ON in order for you to scan it when scanning that Favorites List.

Ah. Extremely helpful, thank you for answering the basics it helps me understand it. I think I've figured out how to make functional lists that are in range of my house. My next question is, if you don't mind-

How do I go about just scanning for fun/discovery? Out of curiosity I purchased the waterfall option on the SDS200 because it intrigued me. Would I make a favorites list of every available IL/CHI channel and just let it scan? How does one utilize the scanner beyond the favorites lists and really search for the "unknown" channels or people communicating. I think so far on my WX option I've heard passing by cars(?) and a recording of a police show. Don't really know how much of that works.

Thanks

 

[N9JIG]

You can do things like Custom Searches, where it will search between sets of frequencies.. You can also enable Nationwide Systems and see if any of that stuff is active there.

You can also enable the "Full Database" with whatever Service Types you want. Be sure to then set a small range, perhaps 0 to 1 mile as well as your ZIP Code and see what you can find there.

 

[Deafconn]

It's all starting to make more sense thank you. At what point would you upgrade the antenna?

 

[dmfalk]

WX = weather.

 

[Deafconn]

WX = weather.

Thanks my mistake switched it up

 

[55engine]

Hi all. Thanks for the help in the forums, helped me in setting up my recently acquired a SDS200.


I work in the department and like the background noise. When I initially set a favorites list from sentinel I followed the parent/child pathway from Database-->IL-->Cook-->County systems-->Chicago - Fire/EMS. I loaded all of those various channels onto a favorites list and loaded the list into my SDS scanner. When I scanned that list, nothing popped up.

Now, when I scanned the entire database on my SDS200, the normal 800MHz P25 Fire Suppression-North (Main) popped up and I held on that. My question is that when I search the sentinel database for this channel "Chicago OEMC PUBLIC SAFETY" Nothing seems to pop up. What am I doing wrong so I can set this as a favorites list and not have to scan each time? Are these old channels?

I'm sorry if my verbiage isn't too clear-- I've been trying to pick up the lingo this week.

D

turn down your squelch to number 2