Help me help you

[WX4JCW]

As was predicted by one of our most 20 notable members #2, for those who don't know about that refer to the top 20 notable members regarding reaction score and see who they are. I'm not a player here as I'm only #7... I'm following and understanding every bit of this but I have been keeping my mouth shut. #2 said the honeymoon will soon be over. Well it's over a little sooner than I thought it would be and that didn't have to happen.

UPM... take care of the business at hand first... Modify the production line to solve and eliminate the cold solder joint problem. Modify the production line to eliminate the annoying hum. Advertise it widely and offer free repair no matter how old the radio is, then you will start to sell more radios. That's what it's all about right?...mmm... uh... RIGHT?

Once you have widely advertised those issues are solved and you are everybody's hero then you can start to work on the bugs. Because of Wendy Whistlers dishonest disclosure of a impending simulcast capable scanner after a vendor released information about the SDS 100 before it was ready for release, it hurt sales and caused the radio to come out way before it was ready. Paul worked hard with firmware updates to bring the radio up-to-date and functioning well as long as he could. We know that whistlers radio was vaporware and would never fit into a carcass of a psr-800 or psr-900 and come to fruition, they hurt Uniden sales as hapless Whistler fans sat on the edge of their chairs with fistfuls of money waiting for a radio that did not not exist. Paul delivered, he hit the home run. He made regular firmware updates that fixed the major problems with the radio, it was a work in progress and came out great.

Pace yourself UPM, you are up against a lot of very very smart people here... but... You're the man, fix the major flaws that are keeping people from buying the radios, if you need to offer a repair campaign then just do it and get it in the past. Then start to work on the bugs and the minor flaws.

You know it better than anybody, these ARE your flagship radios of the future and can be improved so much, there's so much left inside of them and you know it.

As always, no need to respond as you haven't in the past, just one man's opinion, as I'm entitled to... It's well intended... LOL. Hang in there. As I said you have three things to deal with, your superiors, your customers and yourself... I think you'll do well with the last two, as far as the first...???

Trent Hits a Home Run

 

[timhir25]

I have been wanting to buy the SDS200, but this is exactly why I haven't. I am not going to spend that kind of
money until those problems are fixed. Fix the issues with the scanner and I will buy one. Until then I will
listen to my WS1098.

 

[StaticDischarge]

NEW AVOID OPTION REQUESTED

Sounds like a lot of programming work for something so simple as turning a knob to keep scanning in those situations. This radio is already $700.00+...
Me's think an automated arm to wipe me when I'm finished would be a better, more useful option.... Just sayin'....

 

[MStep]

Sounds like a lot of programming work for something so simple as turning a knob to keep scanning in those situations. This radio is already $700.00+...
Me's think an automated arm to wipe me when I'm finished would be a better, more useful option.... Just sayin'....

I don't believe that it is a lot of work as I have envisioned it. I would eliminate repetitive resetting during scanner cycles and add another degree of flexibility to the radio. Would love to hear Joe Bearcat's take on the suggestion.

 

[StaticDischarge]

I don't believe that it is a lot of work as I have envisioned it. I would eliminate repetitive resetting during scanner cycles and add another degree of flexibility to the radio. Would love to hear Joe Bearcat's take on the suggestion.

Pretty sure that I would move out of the area because if they can't control the radios, how then are they handling their guns??? That my friend, would cause more concern than having a "timed avoid" or not...

 

[gmclam]

NEW AVOID OPTION REQUESTED

We currently have "Temporary Avoid" and "Permanent Avoid". What the SDS series could really use is a new avoid mode, "TIMED AVOID". This would be used when you want to avoid a frequency, TGID, System, etc, for a 'timed period", for example 1 minute, 5 minutes, or perhaps something in that range. Maybe something that is also a user programmable time period.

This would be very useful in situations for stuck carriers, superfluous transmissions, and other kinds of events that you want the radio to avoid for a few minutes and then come back into the scan cycle for re-evaluation without having to power down and power up the radio, which eliminates all temporary avoids. (I don't recall seeing this requested previously, if so, my bad.)

The sequence for activation could be one press avoid for "timed", two press avoid for "temporary" and three press avoid for "Permanent".

I wondered if someone would ever suggest such a feature, or how popular it might be. Those who read my tagline probably wonder what the heck this guy is doing using such dinosaur models of scanners like PRO-77 & PRO-10. Well, back in the last century I added this very feature to my crystal controlled scanners.

I gutted the scanning logic and replaced with a microcontroller. Then I could add several features. It's interesting that NONE of the features I added way back then have surfaced all these decades later. The way I implemented this feature, called a soft-lock-out, was to check the frequency each time I scanned past. If there was a carrier, keep it locked out. Once the carrier is gone, re-enable the channel.

The biggest place I use this is those "morning reports" by fire agencies. They can go on for minutes and keep me from hearing other stuff. Another place is just a dead carrier for no none reason. The so-called soft lock-outs we have now are nice. But they require a power-cycle and I rarely turn the scanners off.

 

[Ubbe]

The way I implemented this feature, called a soft-lock-out, was to check the frequency each time I scanned past. If there was a carrier, keep it locked out. Once the carrier is gone, re-enable the channel.

That's the way it was done in swedish made police scanners 30 years ago when they had a system that used a repeater keyed up as long as an incident where still active, which could be hours.

Timed avoid

Timed avoids

Timed avoids

/Ubbe

 

[JoeBearcat]

NEW AVOID OPTION REQUESTED

We currently have "Temporary Avoid" and "Permanent Avoid". What the SDS series could really use is a new avoid mode, "TIMED AVOID". This would be used when you want to avoid a frequency, TGID, System, etc, for a 'timed period", for example 1 minute, 5 minutes, or perhaps something in that range. Maybe something that is also a user programmable time period.

The sequence for activation could be one press avoid for "timed", two press avoid for "temporary" and three press avoid for "Permanent".

Added to the feature request list. (plus the soft avoid option)

 

[JoeBearcat]

I don't believe that it is a lot of work as I have envisioned it. I would eliminate repetitive resetting during scanner cycles and add another degree of flexibility to the radio. Would love to hear Joe Bearcat's take on the suggestion.

I don't think it would be a lot of work, but when the time comes I will have to come up with a prioritization of requests based on things like the significance of problems it solves, how many would use the feature, and how many resources it would take (man-hours development, etc.) , then see how much time and effort management wants to put into these requests. As was mentioned for this case, a scroll knob turn largely does this feature, but not completely. I like this and the soft-avoid ideas. If they can't make an SDS update, perhaps they can be added to a future model.

One of my plans is to outline a logic flow chart for these to reduce time for the code writers. If they would want, I might even me able to help with the code, but I have not brought that up yet. But trust me - I will try to get as much as I can in.

 

[MStep]

(Snipped for brevity....)

I like this and the soft-avoid ideas. If they can't make an SDS update, perhaps they can be added to a future model.

All we can do is to keep throwing ideas out there and hope some of them stick. Thanks Joe.

 

[JoeBearcat]

All we can do is to keep throwing ideas out there and hope some of them stick. Thanks Joe.

And they are appreciated. Look at the hum issue. There are at least three solutions that exist. Some work better than others. I proposed a solution that was based on the varnish removal. Specifically, to mask the screw thru-holes so varnish is not applied there. That should effectively eliminate all future issues (with the hum, and maybe with others). I believe management has already endorsed that change. Production changes are the tip top priority currently since those are the most difficult to make in the field.

There is also at least one solution I have for the pop. It has yet to be tested, but that too is being addressed. I would still like to hear of any other proven solutions. A good solution can come from anywhere (or anyone).

 

[Ubbe]

One of my plans is to outline a logic flow chart for these to reduce time for the code writers.

That's the best way to do it. My experiance are that the code writers are not so familiar with the device they are writing for, or perhaps haven't even used it. If the flow chart includes all possible scenarios it will help the coders to not miss any vital operational stages where a new function will have to be fully working. It's also a logical test that the flow chart actually works as expected before it is suggested to the coders.

To know a little coding also helps when looking at the actual final code they have done, to spot the mistakes.

/Ubbe

 

[radio3353]

And they are appreciated. Look at the hum issue. There are at least three solutions that exist. Some work better than others. I proposed a solution that was based on the varnish removal. Specifically, to mask the screw thru-holes so varnish is not applied there. That should effectively eliminate all future issues (with the hum, and maybe with others). I believe management has already endorsed that change. Production changes are the tip top priority currently since those are the most difficult to make in the field.

There is also at least one solution I have for the pop. It has yet to be tested, but that too is being addressed. I would still like to hear of any other proven solutions. A good solution can come from anywhere (or anyone).

So seriously...when will it be safe to buy an SDS200? I got burned once...I will not be burned again

 

[lu81fitter]

OK. Throwing this out there for a request. Memory format such as the 996 or 15X scanners (No SD card), same user interface as those models (buttons, keys, etc.), only use the SDR of the SDS100/200 models. I have 2 15X's, a 996P2, and a 325P2. They are great radios. The 15X and 996 line are rock solid and are good performers for their intended purpose. Adding the SDR to these would be... well, Wonderful!

 

[CanesFan95]

The BCD996P2 has a few shortcomings that I’ve always wished could be fixed:

• Digital audio quality sounds quiet and muffled like someone’s talking into a towel.
• The scanner gets stuck on DMR frequencies only transmitting data with no voice call. The scanner doesn’t know to realize there’s no voice call and to resume scanning / searching.
• For conventional DMR, there’s no way to tell it what slot # or TGID you want.
• The scanner does not properly track Capacity Plus. It misses voice calls and doesn’t properly stay on the rest channel.
• There’s a search setting where you have to choose between CTCSS/DCS or NAC/CC/RAN/Area. So if you want to see the CTCSS or DCS, then you can’t see/hear digital modes or vice-versa. So you have to keep changing the setting. Let’s get rid of that setting and just make scanner do either one automatically.
• Why not use all the pixels to show us more information, like the slot and TGID, as well as the color code. Or maybe show both the RF frequency and the EDACS TGID. There’s physically room to display all of it.

 

[sonm10]

Since we're throwing ideas out there,

Coming from the 996 platform over to the SDS, the site QKs have bothered me. With the site QK at the department level, it is hard to duplicate the programming from one platform to the other. I would suggest reverting back to the may the 996 does QKs. Conventional systems should have the System QK at the system level. Trunked systems should have no System QK with the Site QK at the system level.

Also, we all love the customization of the screen (THANK YOU for that BTW!), but there are some options which are locked in certain areas. It would be nice to be able to move, for example the rssi to the top of the screen, and the system, department, channel, info areas dont necessarily be locked in. Also the volume and squelch info areas could use a delay off.

Thanks for listening JoeBearcat

 

[lu81fitter]

I have noticed the sound quality on the P2 at times. It appears that it is related to the system users. Some systems, I hear phase 2 traffic crystal clear, others, it sounds muffled, just as Homeboy says. I think that is an equipment related issue on the system user end. As far as the DMR holding, I have shortened that by changing the hold time. If you set it to zero, it doesn't hold near as long. I agree on the conventional DMR. Not much info there, but if it works.... As far as as the "tone" settings (CTCSS, DCS, CC, etc) I use Proscan for programing. You can set up your audio type to "ALL" so it will decode whatever format it is receiving, along with the search mode in the "tone" column to let you know what that specific figure is. I don't listen to any CAP + systems, so I cannot comment on that. Utilizing the entire display may be able to be done with a firmware update. More knowledgeable people will have to comment there.

 

[ur20v]

Still waiting for my Home Patrol 3/HP-SDS... all the goodness of an SDS scanner in a car-friendly Home Patrol package (but with a slightly larger speaker and more audio power)...

 

[jonwienke]

Trunked systems should have no System QK with the Site QK at the system level.

I vehemently disagree with this. There's no good reason to carry over a poorly thought-out design flaw from a previous generation to the next generation 7 years after the fact. It is very useful to be able to toggle an entire system with a single quick key, rather than having to toggle dozens of sites. Some statewide systems have close to 100 sites, and assigning a quick key to each would be an incredible PITA.

Make the x96 models behave like the SDS and x36 models instead.

 

[sonm10]

I vehemently disagree with this. There's no good reason to carry over a poorly thought-out design flaw from a previous generation to the next generation 7 years after the fact. It is very useful to be able to toggle an entire system with a single quick key, rather than having to toggle dozens of sites. Some statewide systems have close to 100 sites, and assigning a quick key to each would be an incredible PITA.

Make the x96 models behave like the SDS and x36 models instead.

Come on Jon, you should know better than anybody that's easy - GPS, HELLO

If you're mobile use GPS
If you're at home, office, etc., you should only be scanning one or two sites at most