SDS100/SDS200: New reception issues

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VA3ADP

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Hello, the last few nights, I have been getting very reception on a few distant 700mhz systems . I can usually get around 4-5 bars on them sitting on my desk with an 800 mhz antenna. Just recently, I've been getting 1-2. I If i hold the radio off the desk, and in my hand near a window, my reception improves as expected. I am just worried this a cold solder joint issue like a had with a previous SDS100. My local 800mhz system comes in crystal clear. This is a replacement scanner directly from Uniden.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Michael
 

hiegtx

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I would think that, if this were a cold solder joint issue, the position and distance from a window would not have a noticeable effect. A solder joint issue would reflect all systems, not just a 700MHz one while an 800MHz system is unaffected.
 

jonwienke

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If i hold the radio off the desk, and in my hand near a window, my reception improves as expected. I am just worried this a cold solder joint issue like a had with a previous SDS100. My local 800mhz system comes in crystal clear. This is a replacement scanner directly from Uniden.
A bad solder joint would affect reception of all systems. If only one system is having issues, the culprit is probably RFI.
 

jonwienke

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If it's a distant system, cell towers or a variety of other electronic equipment could be the culprit.
 

bemyax

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I'm going to catch some flak for saying this. My digital tv antenna is indoors. When it's very cloudy, I have to adjust it to avoid digital break up. Like when tropical depression Cristobal went through. It seems though night/day make a difference at different times of year.

I'm not a radio guy. All I'm saying is, there can be a number of variables one might not ever consider in quality and strength of radio signals.
 

trentbob

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There's always a possibility it could be directional and affected by atmosphere or even trees filling up with leaves with the warmer weather. Wouldn't affect every system but depending on the direction it's coming from it may have something to do with it.

I use rooftops but still experience that phenomena with different types of atmospheric conditions. Try listening to your radio at 4 in the morning when it's cooler or maybe crisper see if it adds a few bars.

Just thinking out loud here, there may be a whole other reason. :)
 

VA3ADP

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There's always a possibility it could be directional and affected by atmosphere or even trees filling up with leaves with the warmer weather. Wouldn't affect every system but depending on the direction it's coming from it may have something to do with it.

I use rooftops but still experience that phenomena with different types of atmospheric conditions. Try listening to your radio at 4 in the morning when it's cooler or maybe crisper see if it adds a few bars.

Just thinking out loud here, there may be a whole other reason. :)

Reception is a little better tonight. I do maybe feel is a weather thing. Still getting one bar on two very distant systems. My 436 seems also seems to be having issues on UHF NXDN system, so it must be interference of some sort.
 

trentbob

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Is there anything else can do to rule out an cold solder joint issue?
I am pretty familiar with CSJ issues and as has been explained here, I don't think you have it for the same reasons you see in post #2 and post #4. These are people who know.

I concur with them and I am also very experienced with the radio and CSJ.
 

VA3ADP

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I am pretty familiar with CSJ issues and as has been explained here, I don't think you have it for the same reasons you see in post #2 and post #4. These are people who know.

I concur with them and I am also very experienced with the radio and CSJ.

Thanks for your input. I've turned the global filter to off. Which helped on one of the three systems I'm having trouble on. The other two are still being a pain
 

trentbob

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Personally I wouldn't do that. Global should always be left on normal and that's the filter that will be applied to every object in the radio unless you go in to a system and change the filter on each site or in the case of conventional channels going into the department options and changing the filters for conventional objects.

So by turning Global filters off you've affected everything you're going to listen to on your radio, you may notice some differences. Without getting into all of the systems and all of the sites that your radio is programmed with and looking at them and doing a tutorial on filters here you may want to Google or search SDS filters.

Avoid the auto filters as they will slow your scanning way way down, they sample each filter and you never know which one does the trick. Sometimes turning filters off on a particular system helps. It's different for every radio in every location, what works for me won't work for you as it depends on your area interferences.

Once you start fussing with filters on particular sites of particular systems it's a good idea to add the filter indicator to your display so you will be able to tell what filter is on a particular system just by looking.

Didn't really want to get into filters before but of course that is one way you can improve reception on simulcast sites. There is an endless amount of information on the filters, unfortunately a lot of it isn't really totally correct but you might find a number of posts that I've written regarding filters.

You're going to find that filters are more of a troubleshooting tool rather than something that has to be applied to every object. Global filter is on normal for a reason, it's a good starting point, read up on your filters and go into the systems themselves and change or play with filters right on the sites of the systems.

Global is a quick and easy way to play around and now you've discovered that one system works better with all the filters off on the sites so I would simply put your Global back on normal and go into that system that was helped and turn off filters on any sites you have enabled. You will get the same effect that helped that system without removing normal filter from everything else on your radio.

There is so much information on the SDS radios just by Googling or searching the RR site.

It's late, if I had more time we would look at your systems, check out how many sites you have enabled, maybe try to isolate it to a smaller number of close sites. I would do a short tutorial on filters Etc... It's late and I'm going to bed.

Read up on the filters and enjoy!
 
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VA3ADP

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Personally I wouldn't do that. Global should always be left on normal and that's the filter that will be applied to every object in the radio unless you go in to a system and change the filter on each site or in the case of conventional channels going into the department options and changing the filters for conventional objects.

So by turning Global filters off you've affected everything you're going to listen to on your radio, you may notice some differences. Without getting into all of the systems and all of the sites that your radio is programmed with and looking at them and doing a tutorial on filters here you may want to Google or search SDS filters.

Avoid the auto filters as they will slow your scanning way way down, they sample each filter and you never know which one does the trick. Sometimes turning filters off on a particular system helps. It's different for every radio in every location, what works for me won't work for you as it depends on your area interferences.

Once you start fussing with filters on particular sites of particular systems it's a good idea to add the filter indicator to your display so you will be able to tell what filter is on a particular system just by looking.

Didn't really want to get into filters before but of course that is one way you can improve reception on simulcast sites. There is an endless amount of information on the filters, unfortunately a lot of it isn't really totally correct but you might find a number of posts that I've written regarding filters.

You're going to find that filters are more of a troubleshooting tool rather than something that has to be applied to every object. Global filter is on normal for a reason, it's a good starting point, read up on your filters and go into the systems themselves and change or play with filters right on the sites of the systems.

Global is a quick and easy way to play around and now you've discovered that one system works better with all the filters off on the sites so I would simply put your Global back on normal and go into that system that was helped and turn off filters on any sites you have enabled. You will get the same effect that helped that system without removing normal filter from everything else on your radio.

There is so much information on the SDS radios just by Googling or searching the RR site.

It's late, if I had more time we would look at your systems, check out how many sites you have enabled, maybe try to isolate it to a smaller number of close sites. I would do a short tutorial on filters Etc... It's late and I'm going to bed.

Read up on the filters and enjoy!

Thanks the great info! Where can I find a link to the info on filters. Since Uniden doesn't have in there manual?
 

Ubbe

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Try to read all messages in the threads.


/Ubbe
 

trentbob

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Thanks the great info! Where can I find a link to the info on filters. Since Uniden doesn't have in there manual?
Use to search on RR and put in all kinds of combinations, you can Google it with all different kinds of combinations and it'll take you right to threads on RR, check out Wiki also.

The reason it's not in the manual is because filters were added after release of the radio through firmware updates.
 

VA3ADP

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Thanks, I will take a read. I was receiving a neighbouring system no problem even with the included stock antenna back in March (it was winter like conditions and a lot colder) not sure if that played a role in better reception. However now even with my remtronix 800 mhz antenna I can barely pull in the other two distant ones like before.
 

tvengr

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(it was winter like conditions and a lot colder)
The foliage on the trees can make a big difference. In winter, when the trees are bare, you will have less attenuation of the signal. There were locations that I could do live shots with our microwave trucks during winter, but could not during summer. Wet leaves offer even more attenuation. Moisture in the atmosphere attenuates signals also. During periods of heavy rain or snow, we have completely lost out network satellite feeds. Sunspot activity affects RF transmission also. There are a lot of variables to be considered.
 
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