Need Help W/ Conventional Programming SDS200

[ScanDad1974]

Hello! I need help programming this radio. I thought I finally had it all figured out and then I went and added to my Favorites List and now conventional scanning does not work for the new channels I added. I get the message SCAN MODE, NOTHING TO SCAN even though I have them turned on.

My favorites list is/was a mix of conventional and trunking and I had it all working fine. I would activate them as I wanted to hear them, not as quick keys or anything fancy, just by pushing the function button and activating the ones I wanted to hear through the "set scan selection / select lists to monitor.

For the record: They do not work whether I have full database on or off or whether I have those types of services activated or not. I prefer the full database off as I don't care to monitor all that nonsense and same goes for most service types.

The channels I have added are all the CB, FRS, GMRS and a local airport to be exact. I have two other conventional lists of frequencies programmed that work just fine if I activate them as usual and my trunking lists work just fine as well.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. If I need to attach my saved file for viewing, I will gladly do so. Thank you

P.S. Why doesn't this scanner have simple SCAN and HOLD buttons like every other scanner ever made?

Uniden SDS200 w/ latest firmware and RR database installed.

 

[W4EMS]

Probably reasonable to go ahead and send your files for this group to review. They are quite good at sorting such out once they have the files.

 

[RandyKuff]

"P.S. Why doesn't this scanner have simple SCAN and HOLD buttons like every other scanner ever made? "

It does...
Tapping the "Channel" button when hearing something of interest will hold on that channel... Tap the "Channel" button again to resume scanning everything...
Tapping the "Department" button will hold on the channel it stopped on then resume scanning everything in that department only... Tap the "Department" button again to resume scanning everything...
The same goes for the "System" button...

 

[n1chu]

As for HOLD and SCAN buttons, there are 3... SYSTEM, DEPT., and CHANNEL. Toggle them on or off. You can use only the CHANNEL button to satisfy your remembrances of earlier scanners or one of the other two. An example of the functionality would be the following; a small town has 3 depts that use two-way radios, police, fire, and highway dept. all together they comprise a SYSTEM. You can limit the scanning to only that system. Or, you can choose any single DEPT. Or, any CHANNEL within a DEPT.

 

[doctordialtone]

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Review this "Nothing to Scan" Checklist

Easier to Read SDS100/200 Digital Scanner Manual

new.marksscanners.com

 

[n1chu]

As for NOTHING TO SCAN, in the manual there is a list of things that cause this message to appear... check your scanner’s programming against this list. It’s easy to overlook an item on the list as it is not a short list.

 

[ScanDad1974]

I guess I should have stated I've read the manual and just about anything I could read here on the RR as well as every YT video available. I know about SYSTEM,DEPT,CHANNEL way of holding onto a channel or dept. I only have one system set up where I need to hold a dept, as that's part of a county simulcast system.

Scanning conventional frequencies should not be harder to scan than a trunked simulcast system. If anyone has any other suggestions before I send back this expensive toy, I'd appreciate it. It's not that these frequencies are even that important to monitor, but if I can't monitor EVERYTHING I want, then I don't need a $700 radio. I'll sooner send it back and put the money towards a new laptop and use the two SDRs I already own plus my trusty Radio Shack scanner for all my conventional and non digital trunked systems.

Thanks again!

I got it to work. I had to activate every service type imaginable but it is scanning conventional as I want it to.

Scanning should not be this frustrating (and expensive!)

Whats weird is I had to do this through Sentinel. I had tried this on the scanner directly in the menus and that didn't work. Good thing this is for my home enjoyment. I'd hate to run into problems like this when I am away from a computer .

Thanks again!

 

[hiegtx]

Hello! I need help programming this radio. I thought I finally had it all figured out and then I went and added to my Favorites List and now conventional scanning does not work for the new channels I added. I get the message SCAN MODE, NOTHING TO SCAN even though I have them turned on.

My favorites list is/was a mix of conventional and trunking and I had it all working fine. I would activate them as I wanted to hear them, not as quick keys or anything fancy, just by pushing the function button and activating the ones I wanted to hear through the "set scan selection / select lists to monitor.

For the record: They do not work whether I have full database on or off or whether I have those types of services activated or not. I prefer the full database off as I don't care to monitor all that nonsense and same goes for most service types.

The channels I have added are all the CB, FRS, GMRS and a local airport to be exact. I have two other conventional lists of frequencies programmed that work just fine if I activate them as usual and my trunking lists work just fine as well.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. If I need to attach my saved file for viewing, I will gladly do so. Thank you

P.S. Why doesn't this scanner have simple SCAN and HOLD buttons like every other scanner ever made?

Uniden SDS200 w/ latest firmware and RR database installed.

Double check which Service Types you have enabled. When shipped, only the Dispatch types for public safety (Law, Fire, EMS, & Multi-Dispatch) are enabled. Custom 1 is also on. You need to enable Tac & Talk service types for public safety- Law Talk, Fore Tac, etc.

For CB, FRS, & GMRS channels, make sure that Other has been enabled, and also Aircraft. Neither of those are enabled by default.

 

[ScanDad1974]

Double check which Service Types you have enabled. When shipped, only the Dispatch types for public safety (Law, Fire, EMS, & Multi-Dispatch) are enabled. Custom 1 is also on. You need to enable Tac & Talk service types for public safety- Law Talk, Fore Tac, etc.

For CB, FRS, & GMRS channels, make sure that Other has been enabled, and also Aircraft. Neither of those are enabled by default.

Thank you!! I couldn't grasp it. I figured air band needed to be on, but not all the other stuff. I'm sure this all makes sense to some, but its definitely a learning curve to say the least!

 

[hiegtx]

Thank you!! I couldn't grasp it. I figured air band needed to be on, but not all the other stuff. I'm sure this all makes sense to some, but its definitely a learning curve to say the least!

You're welcome.

Service types have tripped up many of us in the past. When we had a tornado barrel through North Dallas in 2019, I was perplexed when I did not hear the storm spotters an the Skywarn nets. Then it finally dawned on me. I had neglected to activate the 'Ham' service type.

 

[ofd8001]

A new user who is scanning Favorites Lists may want to Enable all the Service Types he can. Some can't be turned on because they are not included in any Favorites Lists, which is okay. While you can do this via the scanner menu, it is better to do that in Sentinel in the Profile editor.

The reason is that you have selected the desired Service Types when you created the Favorites Lists. Turning On/Off Service Types is probably more applicable when you are scanning the full database, where they are all there, but you may not be interested in certain ones.

 

[n1chu]

“Some can't be turned on because they are not included in any Favorites Lists,”
There are also “Custom” and “Other” listed in the Service Types. But you must assign the Service Type for the channel or TG and make sure it’s on.

 

[werinshades]

A new user who is scanning Favorites Lists may want to Enable all the Service Types he can. Some can't be turned on because they are not included in any Favorites Lists, which is okay. While you can do this via the scanner menu, it is better to do that in Sentinel in the Profile editor.

The reason is that you have selected the desired Service Types when you created the Favorites Lists. Turning On/Off Service Types is probably more applicable when you are scanning the full database, where they are all there, but you may not be interested in certain ones.

I would suggest unless you're using the GPS feature and traveling, turn all the service types on. A quick little trick is in Sentinel, while the cursor arrow is over the service type box, right click and you'll be prompted to turn all on or off.

 

[ScanDad1974]

I would suggest unless you're using the GPS feature and traveling, turn all the service types on. A quick little trick is in Sentinel, while the cursor arrow is over the service type box, right click and you'll be prompted to turn all on or off.

Yes! I'll be leaving them all active from now on. Having them all active I see now is not the same as scanning the full database, which is not what I would ever want to do!

 

[sjonesy99]

I guess I should have stated I've read the manual and just about anything I could read here on the RR as well as every YT video available. I know about SYSTEM,DEPT,CHANNEL way of holding onto a channel or dept. I only have one system set up where I need to hold a dept, as that's part of a county simulcast system.

Scanning conventional frequencies should not be harder to scan than a trunked simulcast system. If anyone has any other suggestions before I send back this expensive toy, I'd appreciate it. It's not that these frequencies are even that important to monitor, but if I can't monitor EVERYTHING I want, then I don't need a $700 radio. I'll sooner send it back and put the money towards a new laptop and use the two SDRs I already own plus my trusty Radio Shack scanner for all my conventional and non digital trunked systems.

Thanks again!

I got it to work. I had to activate every service type imaginable but it is scanning conventional as I want it to.

Scanning should not be this frustrating (and expensive!)

Whats weird is I had to do this through Sentinel. I had tried this on the scanner directly in the menus and that didn't work. Good thing this is for my home enjoyment. I'd hate to run into problems like this when I am away from a computer .

Thanks again!

got the same problem, i can manually add stuff, but then its just a freq or system and frankly its a pain in the arse to manually edit every channel

 

[sjonesy99]

turning on all types does help, that avoid is getting used a lot