Help me help you

[JoeBearcat]

I don't know if this falls under the 1. I don't understand what I'm doing 2. I'm not doing it correctly or 3. New feature request, but here goes.

For example, your state has a new system in the implementation phase. Every few weeks or so, new talkgroups and/or sites are added to the system. I want to be able to have Sentinel compare the newest database for the system to what I have programmed in my SDS100 and then append the changes to what is programmed in my radio.

This topic has come up before with a lot of great proposed solutions to the many logistical issues with updating FLs. I was going to list some of these, but perhaps it is best not to do that publicly. I believe I know the best answer, but that would be a major update to Sentinel. It should be possible, but complex. I will have to see how much management is willing to invest in the cost vs benefit of this change. I am with you in the desire to see it.

 

[JoeBearcat]

Thank you so much for coming to the forum. Biggest issue for me with SDS200 is to continue improvements in high RF environment (intermod, desense, etc) and to make filters more easily accessible. Thank You! WA2QBJ

You're very welcome.

Being SDR-based, all that may be possible. SDR puts so much legacy RF design into firmware which is a very good thing. Changes that would have been impossible in previous models are now possible.

 

[baayers]

I don’t know if it got lost in the conversation but I did not see a reply to it. Is there any chance that we can get the charge time extended for when you are charging the internal battery while the scanner is on? Because the scanner charges slower in this mode the timer causes the scanner to display a flashing red light because it ran out of time. The only way to get it to continue charging is to unplug and replug it. UPMan had previously mentioned getting them to extend the time for the next firmware but unfortunately shortly afterward he took a turn for the worst.

also add me to the list of those who would appreciate being able to dim the status LED.

 

[Ubbe]

also add me to the list of those who would appreciate being able to dim the status LED.

For the next scanner model, make it more like a mobile phone with a light sensor that controls all lights, even a network ports indicator LEDs. Make the sensor having selectable settings 0ff-Low-Med-High to match to a users preference.

/Ubbe

 

[buddrousa]

This may seem trivial. I would like to be able to turn off the ethernet port lights on the SDS200. They are surprisingly bright in a dark room.
I use ProScan for logging and local streaming, the radio is in my bedroom.
Thank you @JoeBearcat for connecting with all of us.

Black tape works great.

 

[W1KNE]

OK. Can you cite any specific systems involved? (you or anyone else who sees this issue)

Springfield Technical Community College Trunking System, Springfield, Massachusetts - Scanner Frequencies

www.radioreference.com

I think @cg can name another one too.

 

[buddrousa]

For a long time I thought I had the LCN for the Carroll County System correct also but I did not them I got it right and my p2's x36's SDS's all work great now tested against a HYTERA WALKIE.

 

[werinshades]

Please help me understand the benefit of saving a tag that is sent over the air. It seems to me (and I can be convinced otherwise) that if the tag is sent over the air, there is no need to save it.

Also, if the tags are auto-saved (or manually saved - or previously programmed) and the 'sent tag' is different, should the unit use the saved tag or the sent tag?

I suppose this issue deserves its own thread. Maybe an admin could do that?

I'm probably not the only one who does this, but when an Alias ID is transmitted, it first appears as a generic UID, followed up with the Alias ID around 3-5 seconds later. What I (and others do I think), is press the Enter button, it prompts you to save the Alias ID, press Enter again and it's saved. After a period of time and numerous ID's saved, I read from the scanner into Sentinel which now saves the Alias ID's. The next time the unit keys the radio, the Alias ID appears immediately instead of having to go through the steps I mentioned.

With an Auto-Save option, this would eliminate these steps and save it to the SD card. I can then do a read from scanner and avoid all the steps. If a user doesn't want to enable this feature, then they wouldn't have to.

The "sent tag" would only be different if a UID was different. So in that scenario, let's say Engine 1 is auto saved as UID 1234, then the next day, they get a spare rig with UID 4567 and that Alias ID comes up as Engine 1 (Spare). The scanner would auto save that for next time the radio is used.

 

[Ronaldski]

Oddball thing, what's the proper pronunciation of the the name?
I think most here as I do its ... You na den or You no den
I've had people here say You nie den.

 

[Ronaldski]

*You nih den (scratch the second one above)

 

[mitbr]

@JoeBearcat One of the things that has stopped me from buying the sds200 has been the hum problem. The mitigation part doesn't seem to help and the only thing that has helped is the staticdischarge fix and mod. Is there a way that this can be fixed more effectively? Sorry if this has already been discussed.
Tim

 

[dougjgray]

I think it would be great if they would work on uses for the usb port in the back to access to the SDR I guess that is for. I know a British guy did a hack. but hopefully there is more capability there. I also would like to know what the USB host port on the front is for

 

[ems170]

@JoeBearcat, Let me thank you for hopefully breathing new life into what was expected to be a dead product. I am hopeful that you are allowed to exercise creative freedom over the product line to make it everything that it could be. At the very least, thank you for listening. One massive feature that has been missing since the 396/996 line has been the CC output. With the new SDR platform, it would be amazing to not only be able to tap into this data stream to power software such as unitrunker and pro96com, but to also bake a true system analytics platform into the radio itself. The rudimentary analytics is ok, but I feel that it was a half baked idea to satisfy the threats of false advertising that came out when the 536 advertised advanced analysis tools and didn't come with them. The larger screens could be great for a true system monitoring application.

 

[iMONITOR]

Black tape works great.

My uncle used to do that over the Check-Engine light on his car!

 

[lu81fitter]

While we are on the "wish list" kick, maybe it's possible to make a scanner like the 996P2 that uses the SDR tech, with roughly the same interface, for those of us that don't need all the "bells and whistles" of the SDS 100/200. The 996P2 is easy to adjust on fly (locking/unlocking systems). Maybe I'm just too old school, but I like things simple.

 

[JoeBearcat]

I don’t know if it got lost in the conversation but I did not see a reply to it. Is there any chance that we can get the charge time extended for when you are charging the internal battery while the scanner is on? Because the scanner charges slower in this mode the timer causes the scanner to display a flashing red light because it ran out of time. The only way to get it to continue charging is to unplug and replug it. UPMan had previously mentioned getting them to extend the time for the next firmware but unfortunately shortly afterward he took a turn for the worst.

also add me to the list of those who would appreciate being able to dim the status LED.

I will add this to the list to research.

We had to DECREASE the charge time on the BC125AT due to CEC regulations, so the matter is not entirely in our control.

Still, it will be looked into.

 

[JoeBearcat]

For the next scanner model, make it more like a mobile phone with a light sensor that controls all lights, even a network ports indicator LEDs. Make the sensor having selectable settings 0ff-Low-Med-High to match to a users preference.

/Ubbe

Great idea. On the list.

 

[JoeBearcat]

I'm probably not the only one who does this, but when an Alias ID is transmitted, it first appears as a generic UID, followed up with the Alias ID around 3-5 seconds later. What I (and others do I think), is press the Enter button, it prompts you to save the Alias ID, press Enter again and it's saved. After a period of time and numerous ID's saved, I read from the scanner into Sentinel which now saves the Alias ID's. The next time the unit keys the radio, the Alias ID appears immediately instead of having to go through the steps I mentioned.

With an Auto-Save option, this would eliminate these steps and save it to the SD card. I can then do a read from scanner and avoid all the steps. If a user doesn't want to enable this feature, then they wouldn't have to.

The "sent tag" would only be different if a UID was different. So in that scenario, let's say Engine 1 is auto saved as UID 1234, then the next day, they get a spare rig with UID 4567 and that Alias ID comes up as Engine 1 (Spare). The scanner would auto save that for next time the radio is used.

Thanks. Exactly the type of info I was looking for.

On the change of tag, I was thinking this scenario:

Unit 1234 IDs as Engine 1. At some later point, that radio is swapped out to Squad 1 and the tag changed accordingly in the radio programming. Does the scanner than display the saved tag (Engine 1) or the decoded tag (Squad 1)?

 

[JoeBearcat]

Oddball thing, what's the proper pronunciation of the the name?
I think most here as I do its ... You na den or You no den
I've had people here say You nie den.

I've always called it You nih den, but frankly I don't know the correct answer.

 

[JoeBearcat]

@JoeBearcat One of the things that has stopped me from buying the sds200 has been the hum problem. The mitigation part doesn't seem to help and the only thing that has helped is the staticdischarge fix and mod. Is there a way that this can be fixed more effectively? Sorry if this has already been discussed.
Tim

It has been discussed, but not by me. There is a mod that was developed by a forum member that reportedly fixes it completely. This is probably the one you referenced. We are researching this and I hope that change, once proven, is incorporated into production.

This is one of the top issues I would like to see resolved because the SDS series is too good to let that continue. I consider the SDS series UPMan's crowning achievement.