new SDS 200 user question

[skybug]

Well I finally broke down and bought one. So far no issues that I have read about. Sure is different loading it up with the Sentinel software thou. So use to using freescan for my 996p2 unit. Did find one answer searching here, I couldn't get the Mass state PD on the 200 but fine on the 996. It was a bit confusing with 2 MSP listings shown. Then I read about setting the range to zero now they are coming in ok on the 200. I like the 996 manual, as it explains the status lines and the system and group channels and how to turn them on and off. How the heck do you do it on the SDS 200? There are 3 lines, F,S and D. I know I set one of my inputs to 2 but when I look at thse 3 lines displayed in the detailed mode, on the S0 line, I have a * in the number 2 spot, how do I turn that on? the 1 and 3 are flashing on and off in activity and the rest are ---. In the manual, it kinda explains it but not fully, at least to me. I know the 996 pretty well, Systems and Groups and was easy to select which when i used Freescan to load it up. On the 996, its easy to change them, function and the number key to the one you want on or off. SDS 200, guess its a different way. Can any SDS 200 users enlighten me and explain it easy enough? There is a lot of great help here and tried to search just for this. Thank you! Frank

 

[tvengr]

There are a couple of differences between your 996P2 and the SDS200. On your 996, you had just systems and groups. On the SDS200, you have favorites lists, systems, and departments (same as groups). While scanning, press the decimal point then 2 then E (.2E) to turn on system 2. If you enter the wrong thing, you can press the AVOID or SYSTEM button to exit.

 

[skybug]

That was the confusing part trying to figure out what the press and trying to understand in it the manual. Yes, that is true, its a bit different but kind of the same, just have to get use to doing it a but. Difinetly a learning curve with this new one for sure, but is a joy to finally get one and use it. I will try this and do some more reading. I wish the marks scanner page, which I learned alot on my 996 unit fro but there isn't one yet for the sds 200 but its still kind of new. Thanks for the reply and if there is anything else you can think of, please, by all means share

 

[tvengr]

Your favorites lists can be assigned quick keys also. To toggle a favorites list on and off, press the quick key number and E. While scanning a single favorites list, press the decimal point, the system quick key number, and E to toggle a system on and off. Departments and sites share the same group of quick keys. While scanning a single system, press the decimal point twice, the department or site quick key number, and E to toggle a department or site on and off. If you look at the quick key display, the number immediately after the F, S, and D is the tens. For example, the numbers after F0 are quick keys 0 thru 9. The numbers after F1 are quick keys 10 thru 19.

 

[skybug]

Got it, getting the hang of it now on this scanner. After you have already loaded up the frequencies, and during the process, either assigned or not, can you change already programmed freq's to and of the quick keys, even one already assigned? Thanks

 

[tvengr]

You can change frequencies and quick keys anytime you want to.

 

[jonwienke]

You can do any settings changes from the scanner menu that you can do in Sentinel. But in many cases, it's easier to do in Sentinel.

 

[werinshades]

While scanning, press the decimal point then 2 then E (.2E) to turn on system 2.

The decimal point (.) isn't necessary. 2E(enter) will turn on systems while in scan mode. 11E/21E/31E...etc. (enter) for any two numbered systems.

 

[tvengr]

If you press 2 and E without the decimal point, you will toggle the favorites list on and off assigned to quick key 2. If a favorites list is scanning, you MUST use the decimal point first to toggle the systems within that favorites list on and off.

 

[werinshades]

If you press 2 and E without the decimal point, you will toggle the favorites list on and off assigned to quick key 2. If a favorites list is scanning, you MUST use the decimal point first to toggle the systems within that favorites list on and off.

Sorry about that. Correct about decimal for Systems/Departments within a Favorite List.

 

[XPS720]

Well I finally broke down and bought one. So far no issues that I have read about. Sure is different loading it up with the Sentinel software thou. So use to using freescan for my 996p2 unit. Did find one answer searching here, I couldn't get the Mass state PD on the 200 but fine on the 996. It was a bit confusing with 2 MSP listings shown. Then I read about setting the range to zero now they are coming in ok on the 200. I like the 996 manual, as it explains the status lines and the system and group channels and how to turn them on and off. How the heck do you do it on the SDS 200? There are 3 lines, F,S and D. I know I set one of my inputs to 2 but when I look at thse 3 lines displayed in the detailed mode, on the S0 line, I have a * in the number 2 spot, how do I turn that on? the 1 and 3 are flashing on and off in activity and the rest are ---. In the manual, it kinda explains it but not fully, at least to me. I know the 996 pretty well, Systems and Groups and was easy to select which when i used Freescan to load it up. On the 996, its easy to change them, function and the number key to the one you want on or off. SDS 200, guess its a different way. Can any SDS 200 users enlighten me and explain it easy enough? There is a lot of great help here and tried to search just for this. Thank you! Frank

I also live close to Mass State Police in CT and would like improvement. You said you set the range to "0" on Mass St Police, Where? What program did you use? I use Sentinel and ProScan. I am willing to try anything on this SDS200.

Thank you.

 

[budevans]

I also live close to Mass State Police in CT and would like improvement. You said you set the range to "0" on Mass St Police, Where? What program did you use? I use Sentinel and ProScan. I am willing to try anything on this SDS200.

Thank you.

Range settings only come into play if you program your scanner to monitor using GPS with the Database for specific Service types. A setting of "0" would be for very close. If you change the range setting to "20", you would be monitoring a much larger area.

So if you just wanted to monitor the local Mass St Police, you would be better off programming a Favorites List.

FYI, just because you set a range to 20, that doesn't mean your scanner will receive that far. The range setting doesn't change the scanners sensitivity.

 

[skybug]

I though I read on a post that someone was having issues receiving and had changed it to zero and now they were getting reception. It didn't make sense but I tried it and now I was getting stations I wasn't before, at least I thought. No, I didn't think it change the sensitivity, just what was allowed to be captured within that range circled area. Undetstanding much more about the toggling of the groups thru thanks to everyones help here. Oh, here's a question for those that really know this unit now, on the 996, there is a function where you can adjust the P25 level, ex: 8, manual for threshold, does that exist on the sds200? or does this scanner do a better job at it since the 996 came out? Thanks everyone!

 

[jonwienke]

The SDS receiver uses digital I/Q sampling, and doesn't use the analog decoding level adjustments found in previous models. They're obsolete.

 

[skybug]

Ah ok, that makes sense. I knew this scanner was built differently, just didn't know the details about it. Been doing a test the last few days. My 992P2 seems to pick up the Mass SP troops, all of them better than the SDS200 does. I've been switching antenna back and forth between the 2 scanners . Thanks

 

[jonwienke]

How it Works: Location, Location, Location

Uniden's HomePatrol-1 is the first digital TrunkTracker IV Communications Receiver that requires no user programming. Simply turn it on, enter your location, and you will immediately begin hearing communications in your area. This functionality is made possible by combining the rich radio system...

www.homepatrol.com

This article explains what the Range setting in the scanner menu does, and how Location Control works in general.

 

[Ubbe]

My 992P2 seems to pick up the Mass SP troops, all of them better than the SDS200 does.

The SDS200 uses a different kind of receiver than the 996 and are more prone to be interfered and loose sensitivity. Uniden added filters to help reduce the problem. You have the filter selection of Normal and Invert and also Wide together with those in the global setting. Try each of the four settings and compare to 996 and see if reception can be improved.

If you have other systems that do not receive as well as you want you could try different filter settings with them as well, but then you probably could end up with different settings for different systems and need to move them to a favorite list to be able to make individual settings for each system, which are at the site level for trunked systems and at department level of conventional frequencies.

/Ubbe

 

[skybug]

Hum, unless I missed it, is there any info in the manual about these filter settings, what they do or help with? anyone else worked with these and had better luck?

 

[werinshades]

Hum, unless I missed it, is there any info in the manual about these filter settings, what they do or help with? anyone else worked with these and had better luck?

The filer settings were added after the manual was printed. It's trial and error...what works for one may not work the other. Here's a link to UPMan's Wiki which explains the settings:

SDS200FirmwareUpdate < UnidenMan4 < TWiki

info.uniden.com

This is all we have and probably will know. So...try them out, see what works.

 

[Ubbe]

The filter is 10MHz wide and in non-SDS scanners it is used to get rid of the mirror frequencies of the 2:nd IF, usually 21MHz or 45Mhz, and works fine for that. But the SDS receiver are of a different technology and the IF section are much more prone to overload and ghost frequencies due to it's low dynamic capability, it can't handle both weak and strong signals at the same time, and Uniden added a pre-amp to boost sensitivity that makes it even more prone to overload.

Uniden choosed to use the exact same wide filter in SDS as they have in their other scanners as a narrower more suitable one for the SDR type of receiver are much more expensive. To try and fix the interference problems Uniden allows the frequency thru the filter to be off center, it's normally in the middle of the filter when the setting are at Off but it can be set to the upper edge in Normal, to reduce signals higher in frequency, and to the lower edge in Invert to cut off lower frequencies than the monitored one. The Wide settings only goes half way out to the edges.

The best setting to be used depends of what other frequencies you have that could overload and desense the receiver. If you monitor airband at 120Mhz you could have problem with FM broadcast at 108MHz and lower, and when using the Invert setting it reduces the signals from FM broadcast. At other frequency bands it depends of what strong signals you have at your specific listening location. Using other settings than Off will also reduce the signal strenght of the actual frequency you are monitoring but less so with the Wide setting. If there where no nearby frequencies that could interfere then Off would be the best setting for the filter.

/Ubbe