METRO Indy and the 4 systems on SDS100

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Viper43

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I have the SDS100 and all I can say is WOW! That thing does great on all 4 systems. Took a drive to E Washington St and I was hearing both Metro and Hamilton county down there on the SDS100. Up north on Michigan Rd where other scanners only hear SAFET and I could hear both Metro and Hamilton County. And in many areas I could also hear Madison County. Now at home I hear all 4 systems where before I couldn't hear Hamilton or Madison counties. It's definitely worth the $$$.
 

racin06

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I received my SDS100 today and it performs PERFECTLY on System 1 and at a full 5 bars of signal strength from my home in Westfield. My BCD346T exhibits garbled and broken transmissions, with signal strength at 2 bars. The SDS100 is a HUGE upgrade over the BCD436T!
 
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INDY72

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I'm going to post a video comparing the SDS100 and BCD346T monitoring System1.

Want to impress me? SYSTEM 2! LOL Cause S2 is a nightmare for most, and has caused me headaches until today! I think I finally got the setting on both the BCD396XT and the BCD436HP right on S2 and can get actual convos and all on both now, not just the HP.
 
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Viper43

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Want to impress me? SYSTEM 2! LOL Cause S2 is a nightmare for most, and has caused me headaches until today! I think I finally got the setting on both the BCD396XT and the BCD436HP right on S2 and can get actual convos and all on both now, not just the HP.

lol, never had too many issues with system 2 myself. However the SDS100 picks it up great too. I usually only have the TAC channels on for system 2 because I get bored with all the garbage on system 2 and occasionally the PD's use the TAC channels 😂
 

AK9R

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Folks, this thread is for experiences monitoring the IDPSC (fka MECA) system with the SDS100. Any other posts are off topic and will be treated as such.
 

Viper43

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Sitting in my driveway with the SDS 100 and 436 I am pulling in all 4 systems on the SDS and just system 1 on the 436. The interesting thing is the 436 shows full signal on all 4 systems but only passes audio on system 1. That shows how different the SDS is internally compared to the older scanners. A huge difference!
 

INDY72

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I still can’t get S3 with an SDS100.


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Its dependent on location. If your down in say Southport, you are NOT going to get S3 unless you have an antenna at least 30 feet in the air and its an high gain 800 MHz Yagi aimed due north. Seriously,at ground level, good luck getting S3 past 30th in Western, and past the Central Library on Meridian and on the East side, good luck getting it past around 16th if your lucky. It has a strangely deep dip in signal to cover into downtown, though scanners usually lose it past the Library. Motorola Radios still get it at least to the CCB, and APC areas... After that even a brand new APX loses it. Now rooftop antennas and ones like at least second floor level do have better chances... Though Viper is saying he locked it in on Washington St.... East Washington at that.
 
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racin06

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I work at 16th and Main Street in Speedway and my SDS100 and BCD346 both can't pick up System 3 from my office. No signal.
 

INDY72

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Speedway would be pushing it for sure. You running an 800 GRE/RS/Remtronix duckie? I barely get S3 on my 436 and I am on second story of home in Near NW right off MLK at 27th/Rader . Its very rare the 396 picks it up at all here. But if I go over to the Central Library which is further South, and East, I get S3 on both just fine on ground level. The signal fades very fast further West you go. Now if you were near the Marion/Hamilton/Boone corner, you could pick it up fairly easily. But it does not dip South very far West of that mid line of Meridian, and past MLK it fades out quickly. I would love to see if anyone with a SDS100 can make the say 16TH Street run and see where it fades Westward... And then make the runs out Lafayette, MLK/Michigan, etc., and see how far South you can still get it. After all, its only pumped South on the 2 shared sties at Carmel, and Fishers unless they made some changes, and I do not think that has happened.

They set up S1 and to a lesser extent S2 to have much wider coverage in the beginning as we had a big chunk of Hendricks County, INDOC, on the old analog system back in the MECA days. The Hamilton County Simulcast was set up to be pretty tightly on Hamilton County, with only the areas down into central downtown Indy, and some Lawrence areas given coverage. Madison County mainly local but with some coverage into Hamilton, and Hancock... And a corridor to Indy, though they have S1 in the radios and can use it for interop if they ever have to make an mutual aid run over here.
 
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GTO_04

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I'm going to post a video comparing the SDS100 and BCD346T monitoring System1.

How is it working on system 3 when you're in Hamilton County? I picked up a Unication G5 and by comparison my 396XT sometimes sounds like total garbage on System 3. I would like the ability to monitor multiple systems while I'm driving and if the SDS100 comes close to the G5, I am interested. I'll resist the temptation to be an early adopter and get one after most of the bugs are worked out.

Oddly enough, my 396XT sounds just fine on System 1, it just doesn't like System 3. I understand the location issue with simulcast, but reception and decoding varies so much even from the same location.

GTO_04
 

racin06

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How is it working on system 3 when you're in Hamilton County? I picked up a Unication G5 and by comparison my 396XT sometimes sounds like total garbage on System 3. I would like the ability to monitor multiple systems while I'm driving and if the SDS100 comes close to the G5, I am interested. I'll resist the temptation to be an early adopter and get one after most of the bugs are worked out.

Oddly enough, my 396XT sounds just fine on System 1, it just doesn't like System 3. I understand the location issue with simulcast, but reception and decoding varies so much even from the same location.

GTO_04

I live in Westfield near 156th and Springmill Road and both my SDS100 and BCD346 monitor System 3 in Hamilton County very well.
 

del1964

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New SDS owner in Southport, IN......soon

Its dependent on location. If your down in say Southport, you are NOT going to get S3 unless you have an antenna at least 30 feet in the air and its an high gain 800 MHz Yagi aimed due north.

I recently moved to Southport, IN and just ordered the SDS100 and I'll have the DMR and NXDN upgrade installed. (Currently have the Whistler TRX-1, HPII and 396XT)

So, I'm anxious to get the SDS100 and see how it performs in the Marion and Johnson county environments.

I'll keep ya'll posted.
 

WX4JCW

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I Pass through twice a week, System 1 i am guessing is the most important one?
 
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