SDS100/SDS200: New Firmware with Moto Type II Smartnet ... Does it Work?

[Dewey]

I already posted to the long running new firmware thread how the new firmware destroyed my reception of a Moto Type II Smartnet system (Charles County Trunking System, Various, Maryland) . I noticed at least one person mentioning something similar with the same symptoms. So now, I would just like to ask if anyone is getting successful reception of a Moto Type II Smartnet system with the new firmware? I'm just trying to help in identifying what is at least for me a very repeatable and predictable problem that hopefully Uniden would be able to use if it is in fact a Type II Smartnet issue. My articulation of "destroyed my reception" is that transmissions will come in loud and clear for 2 - 4 seconds, then either fade out or go completely robotic/digital to the point where they are unintelligible. If it were a computer program that were doing this, I would suspect something like a memory leak as each transmission is decoded. Again, just trying to nail the problem down... that is unless it's not all Type II Smartnet systems.

 

[mikewazowski]

I monitor a VHF Type II Smartzone system with the new firmware without any issues.

 

[Dewey]

I monitor a VHF Type II Smartzone system with the new firmware without any issues.

Thanks Mike! I was hoping to have had something usable, but I guess not. Oh well, thanks again.

 

[maus92]

I monitor the Delaware 800 SmartZone system without any issues with the new firmware, but I am located outside its service area. That means I'm likely only receiving one tower site. I'm planning to bring the radio to test reception within Sussex County, hopefully today. I'll report back.

 

[dave3825]

I monitor an 800mhz smartzone and have held off on the FW update because of your post and some of the other negative posts involving the FW . Waiting to see how it plays out.

 

[Dewey]

Dave, you've been around here as long as I have, so my thinking is that you may already be aware of how to roll back the firmware from the days we did firmware testing for Paul/UPMan. I rolled back my 200 right away, but my hurdle was finding the SUB file for the 100. As I put in a different thread, when I discovered that an earlier SUB file was exactly the same for the 100 and 200, I just renamed my 200 SUB file with the 100 name and took the chance (not my recommendation, but just my shot at returning to normalcy which did work in my case). I am now back to pre-update normal and happy.

 

[maus92]

I can confirm that there is a problem with reception of the Sussex simulcast site of the DE SmartZone system when within its intended service area using a SDS100 with the new firmware and using a Remtronics antenna inside a moving vehicle. I am receiving transmissions that are being cut off with breakups of the voice decode at the break point. I used Unitrunker 2 with an Airspy and a glass-mount antenna as a reference receiver which was not experiencing the breakups. The test drive started in Berlin and continued through Williamsvile, Roxanna, Dagsboro, Ocean View, Bethany Beach, and North Ocean City, including drive-bys of three subsites. I tried a few filter settings with little if any improvement, but I'll try a few more later this week. Reception is markedly more stable in my office in Berlin (outside the system's service area) with both an SDS100 and 200, about 6 - 7 miles from the closest subsite in Williamsville / Roxanna, also referencing a Unitrunker receiver and all are attached to the same antenna system.

 

[tvengr]

I already posted to the long running new firmware thread how the new firmware destroyed my reception of a Moto Type II Smartnet system (Charles County Trunking System, Various, Maryland)

I monitor a VHF Type II Smartzone system with the new firmware without any issues.

I monitor the Delaware 800 SmartZone system without any issues with the new firmware, but I am located outside its service area.

I can confirm that there is a problem with reception of the Sussex simulcast site of the DE SmartZone system when within its intended service area using a SDS100 with the new firmware and using a Remtronics antenna inside a moving vehicle.

Since Maus can monitor the system outside of the service area, it does not appear to be a problem with rebanded frequencies. Dewey and Mike, are you inside the service area? Have you noticed a change in the RSSI value? It could be something to do with the new RF Gain function. Smartzone systems could be overloading. The improvement in simulcast decoding could also be detrimental to Smartzone decoding.

 

[maus92]

Since Maus can monitor the system outside of the service area, it does not appear to be a problem with rebanded frequencies. Dewey and Mike, are you inside the service area? Have you noticed a change in the RSSI value? It could be something to do with the new RF Gain function. Smartzone systems could be overloading. The improvement in simulcast decoding could also be detrimental to Smartzone decoding.

I was thinking it might be overloading - the DE system pumps out a mighty rf signal.

 

[mikewazowski]

Since Maus can monitor the system outside of the service area, it does not appear to be a problem with rebanded frequencies. Dewey and Mike, are you inside the service area? Have you noticed a change in the RSSI value? It could be something to do with the new RF Gain function. Smartzone systems could be overloading. The improvement in simulcast decoding could also be detrimental to Smartzone decoding.

I'm in the service area and frankly, I've never paid any attention to what the RSSI value is. System has multiple sites in range of me and they all come in decently.

 

[maus92]

Yea but that's probably a weird Canadian system, eh? The DE SmartZone simulcast site in Sussex has 300'+ subsites that pump out 500W ERP vs. P25 subsites that are 150' tall at 100W. Something in the new firmware is messing with how the radio decodes a P25 voice channel and detects when it ends. Prior firmware did not have this issue. I hope @JoeBearcat is taking notes and formulating a recovery plan.

 

[maus92]

Since Maus can monitor the system outside of the service area, it does not appear to be a problem with rebanded frequencies. Dewey and Mike, are you inside the service area? Have you noticed a change in the RSSI value? It could be something to do with the new RF Gain function. Smartzone systems could be overloading. The improvement in simulcast decoding could also be detrimental to Smartzone decoding.

Do you have any info about the RF Gain function? I can change it in the Waterfall display, but not in normal operation of the radio.

 

[tvengr]

Do you have any info about the RF Gain function? I can change it in the Waterfall display, but not in normal operation of the radio.

I updated the firmware but haven't looked at the waterfall display yet. I don't have any info on the RF gain function. I believe that I do have a slight improvement on P25 decoding after the update.

 

[Dewey]

Since Maus can monitor the system outside of the service area, it does not appear to be a problem with rebanded frequencies. Dewey and Mike, are you inside the service area? Have you noticed a change in the RSSI value? It could be something to do with the new RF Gain function. Smartzone systems could be overloading. The improvement in simulcast decoding could also be detrimental to Smartzone decoding.

I am a stones throw outside of the county border, but well within the service area. Because of the way the county line runs, I am about an equal distance in the middle of two of the towers. I've never watched the RSSI, so I unfortunately cannot say what, if any changes occurred. As to setting the RF gain, I read that supposedly it only applies to the waterfall option, but maybe something in that change is the culprit. Pre-firmware upgrade, this system gave me the best reception of everything else in my SDS (and x36), even my own county, but as mentioned, I really don't think it is a reception problem, but a decoding problem. All transmissions start off loud and clear just as pre-firmware upgrade, it's just somewhere between 2 and 4 seconds into the transmission that they either fade out or go completely "robotic".

 

[tvengr]

All transmissions start off loud and clear just as pre-firmware upgrade, it's just somewhere between 2 and 4 seconds into the transmission that they either fade out or go completely "robotic".

Program the Digital Error Count on the display and see if it increases over time.

 

[Dewey]

That is a good suggestion, but I rolled back to the previous firmware before Christmas and don't plan on returning to this one.

 

[maus92]

I'll enable the Digital Error Count and see what that shows. Since the issue doesn't really affect me that much, I don't intend on rolling back unless Uniden recommends that action - I would prefer that they fix the issue. That said, P25 standard simulcast systems seem to be unaffected; it's the SmartZone / Type II simulcast systems that use digital (P25) voice encoding that are the issue. I'm curious if SmartZone analog voice have an issue, like the FD in Anne Arundel County - or if their PD digital is affected. In Anne Arundel's case it's probably moot as they will be transitioning to the P25 standard system in January, apparently. And Delaware is allegedly transistioning to P25 standard by the end of 2024.

Two data points that I will mention are: there seems to be more frequent switching off the control channel when holding on the system (priority and CC are not enabled, so likely "housekeeping"); and when voice traffic is being received, the RSSI bars are less than the control channel, and fluctuate noticibly. I'm inferring that this indicates signalling being received from different subsites and iterferring with each other.

 

[crippledchicken]

When you figure out where to enable it let me know would you I haven't figured it out yet,

 

[maus92]

Looking at D-Error shows zero when receiving in my office in Berlin. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do another drive through lower DE later today.

Edit: There have been a few transmissions that have had higher values, almost to 100 and they have artifacts. But mostly zero.

RSSI is -50 to -60 dBm.

 

[tvengr]

I have been monitoring the Motorola Anne Arundel Co MD system. I am able to receive the analog fire talkgroups but have no audio from the digital police talkgroups. RSSI is -100 max and jumps all over the place. Sometimes, the value disappears entirely. Digital error count usually shows blank and sometimes zero. Every once in a while it will jump to as high as 128. The system appears to be scanning normally, stopping on both the analog and digital talkgroups. I never had a problem receiving the system until the installation of the new firmware. I am not showing encryption on the P16 AAPD talkgroups. Can anyone verify that they are still in the clear?