SDS100/SDS200: Lost on SDS200

[Stroked96]

Bought SDS200 and programmed with UCA P25 Salt Lake Simulcast. It is scanning thru various selected sites but never stops. ID Scanning is all it does.
I've set 20 Mi range,I'm in Taylorsville,Utah.
I know SLCPD is encrypted, but I used to get WVC and Tville on my 436.
What am I doing wrong?
Thanks

 

[hiegtx]

Bought SDS200 and programmed with UCA P25 Salt Lake Simulcast. It is scanning thru various selected sites but never stops. ID Scanning is all it does.
I've set 20 Mi range,I'm in Taylorsville,Utah.
I know SLCPD is encrypted, but I used to get WVC and Tville on my 436.
What am I doing wrong?
Thanks

Did you program manually? Or use software to create a Favorites list. (If software, did you append via Sentinel? Or create your Favorites list using ProScan or ARC536.

Your list used on your 436 would work on the SDS200. The basics are the same. Have you verified that you have the appropriate Service Types enabled on the SDS200?

You could also export your Favorites list to an *.HPE file, and attach it to a post. (You'd need to "zip" it to attach. See this wiki page for basics on attaching a post.)

 

[ofd8001]

I'd check your profile to confirm the appropriate Service Types are enabled/turned on. Next I'd do some tinkering with Range values. (I don't know your local area, so I'm not sure how close you are to things.)

Another thing I'd do just for the heck of it, is turn ID:Search ON for the applicable Favorites List.

While you may be replicating your 436 scanner, there are some Profile Settings that may not be "carried over" to a different scanner.

Other things to check, just to give you some ideas, are found in the user manual in the "Nothing to Scan" section. While you are not getting this message, there are some common issues that may be plaguing you.

Lastly, if all else fails, you can try scanning the Full Database, after confirming you have your location properly set. That will give you confirmation that the scanner "works" and the issue is programming of the Favorites List. (We all mess these up from time to time.)

 

[hiegtx]

Other things to check, just to give you some ideas, are found in the user manual in the "Nothing to Scan" section. While you are not getting this message, there are some common issues that may be plaguing you.

The Wiki also has a good "Nothing to Scan" write-up.

 

[dmfalk]

In addition to @hiegtx excellent posts above, you might want these two online manuals for your 200:

Easier to Read SDS100/200 Digital Scanner Manual

SDS Sentinel Software Manual

Plus the wiki page:

SDS100 and SDS200 FAQ Page - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

 

[Stroked96]

Thank you all, will get back to it shortly,many suggestions to try, but the wife is needing help for this party thing this weekend. Will let you know of progress soon.
Thank you all
Mike

 

[tvengr]

I believe you should have good coverage using the Salt Lake County Simulcast site:

00A	10 (A)	010 (A)	Salt Lake County Simulcast	Salt Lake, UT	769.26875	769.30625	769.34375	769.56875	769.71875	771.34375	771.71875
					771.81875	771.94375	771.98125	772.09375	772.24375	772.30625	772.45625
					772.69375	772.75625	772.90625	772.98125	773.15625	773.40625	773.48125
					774.24375	774.63125	774.83125

I suggest you try using the Wide Invert filter on the site in case you are having interference problems. I often have good results using that filter on sites with 700 MHz frequencies.

 

[Stroked96]

Did you program manually? Or use software to create a Favorites list. (If software, did you append via Sentinel? Or create your Favorites list using ProScan or ARC536.

Your list used on your 436 would work on the SDS200. The basics are the same. Have you verified that you have the appropriate Service Types enabled on the SDS200?

You could also export your Favorites list to an *.HPE file, and attach it to a post. (You'd need to "zip" it to attach. See this wiki page for basics on attaching a post.)

Have tried manual,Sentinel,Proscan,service types.

 

[Stroked96]

I've reset,loaded new favorites from RR, old FL from 436, ID search on Salt Lake Simulcast for hours, got a fire dipatch faint hit, a 2 second Murray hit, but it shows alot of agencys/channels while searching and scanning.
Tried 3 antennas, seems like it's not getting signal.
I'm beginning to think it may be faulty. Brand new from Amazon.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Zip up and post your Sentinel .hpe export so we can have a look at your programming

Importing and Exporting Sentinel .hpe Files - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

Tried 3 antennas, seems like it's not getting signal.

Do you have a reliable NOAA weather station near you? How is its signal?

 

[hiegtx]

I'm beginning to think it may be faulty. Brand new from Amazon.

Sounds like you've tried just about everything I would have tried, with no success.

If poor reception on your local NOAA station, posting your file so that someone else can take a look is still a good idea. But, so far, it seems to be leading to the possibility of a defective unit from Amazon. Was it "sold by and shipped by Amazon" Or was it shipped via Amazon, from a third party seller?

 

[RobDLG]

Be sure to try ALL of the filter settings. Complete enumeration.

https://wiki.radioreference.com/images/3/31/SDS100_SDS200_Filter_Settings.pdf

I experienced something similar with my own SDS200, recently purchased from Amazon. In fact, I was minutes away from making and posting a video showing my BCD325P2 next to the SDS200, with the '325P2 receiving all sorts of calls, while the SDS200 remained silent. I decided to review all the settings, though, and changing the filter enabled what appeared to be normal operation.

 

[Stroked96]

Sounds like you've tried just about everything I would have tried, with no success.

If poor reception on your local NOAA station, posting your file so that someone else can take a look is still a good idea. But, so far, it seems to be leading to the possibility of a defective unit from Amazon. Was it "sold by and shipped by Amazon" Or was it shipped via Amazon, from a third party seller?

Says "Sold by Amazon" and I've heard horror stories about 3rd party sellers, so I tried to cover my 6 in that regard.

 

[Stroked96]

Be sure to try ALL of the filter settings. Complete enumeration.

https://wiki.radioreference.com/images/3/31/SDS100_SDS200_Filter_Settings.pdf

I experienced something similar with my own SDS200, recently purchased from Amazon. In fact, I was minutes away from making and posting a video showing my BCD325P2 next to the SDS200, with the '325P2 receiving all sorts of calls, while the SDS200 remained silent. I decided to review all the settings, though, and changing the filter enabled what appeared to be normal operation.

Do you know what filters to change and how to find them? I too am ready to send it back, paid $806.00 plus 4yr protection plan $105.00 and feel like I was better off with my 436. Been YouTubin' to death trying to get it working!
I mean, for "The Best" money can buy, and I did a lot of research, you'd think that it would work like all the reviews say it does. I've had nothing but Unidens and 1 GRE in all my 60 yrs. Plug it in and put in zipcode and start listening. Not for me.
Mike

 

[Stroked96]

Rob, I checked with Autozone and O'Reilly's and they don't have any filters for this unit.
Ok, it's driving me nuts!

 

[Stroked96]

I believe you should have good coverage using the Salt Lake County Simulcast site:

00A	10 (A)	010 (A)	Salt Lake County Simulcast	Salt Lake, UT	769.26875	769.30625	769.34375	769.56875	769.71875	771.34375	771.71875
					771.81875	771.94375	771.98125	772.09375	772.24375	772.30625	772.45625
					772.69375	772.75625	772.90625	772.98125	773.15625	773.40625	773.48125
					774.24375	774.63125	774.83125

I suggest you try using the Wide Invert filter on the site in case you are having interference problems. I often have good results using that filter on sites with 700 MHz frequencies.

My GRE did before they went digital, so I know I should hear something. I got the 436 but had that unfixable chop chop audio that was worthless. That Simulcast is a b@#ch I was told. Get the 200 they said. You know the rest. But thanks to all suggestions, I hope to get it going before the return window closes, I'd love to keep it.

 

[hiegtx]

Says "Sold by Amazon" and I've heard horror stories about 3rd party sellers, so I tried to cover my 6 in that regard.

That's good. If it only had specified "shipped by" Amazon, that could have been one provided by a third party vendor. Bearcat Warehouse (using the name "Police Scanner Outlet") and Zip Scanners also sell on Amazon, with amazon providing the shipping.

Rob, I checked with Autozone and O'Reilly's and they don't have any filters for this unit.
Ok, it's driving me nuts!

The filter being referred to is not a physical filter that you install. Look at the Wiki page link RobDLG provided above. That explains filters and their settings for the SDS100 & SDS200.

The filter is a setting made in your Favorites list, For a trunked system, it's under the Site Options tab in Sentinel and on the scanner.



In your Profile in Sentinel, you can set a filter to be used on all your systems, That's why the screenshot shows as "Global", because for that site, I'm using a default filter setting. However, instead of choosing Global, I can set a different filter for one or more specific sites.

The "Global" setting, if used, is set in the Profile.


I'd still suggest, as Whiskey3 posted above, that you post your file & let one of us take a look, just in case something got overlooked. That can happen to any of us (at least the ones that aren't too shy to admit it), and sometimes a second, or third, set of eyes spot something that is out of place.

It's certainly not impossible that you got a defective unit. There haven't been a lot of "bad units" out of the box, but that's not impossible with anything electronic or mechanical.

 

[tvengr]

Do you have both Download and Monitor turned on for the favorites list in the profile editor? Please export and attach your .hpe favorites list file so we can take a look at it. You will need to zip the file to be able to attach it.

 

[RobDLG]

Do you know what filters to change and how to find them? I too am ready to send it back, paid $806.00 plus 4yr protection plan $105.00 and feel like I was better off with my 436. Been YouTubin' to death trying to get it working!

The following YouTube video shows how to find the "Global Auto Filter" in "Settings" (around 17:23). I started stepping though all of them until the SDS200 started keeping up with the BCD325P2 right next to it. I could write a long rant about getting the SDS200 working! I'd read a lot of the posts here, and it seemed straightforward: Enter ZIP code, set radius to ten miles, and enable Service Types. That didn't work! I had to change the filter settings. Also, the database on the microSD card was from 2018, and the systems I wanted to monitor either didn't exist then, or have changed radically since.

 

[dmfalk]

Yep, you need Sentinel on your Windows PC. It'll update your master database, as well as firmware. (Be sure to search in Windows for "Windows Features", and select .NET Framework 3.5 (includes 2.0 & 3.0, or it won't work.)