SDS100/SDS200: New Uniden SDS100 Programming

[etuck]

I pulled the trigger on purchasing a new Uniden SDS100, now having trouble programming it. A few comments on the forum while previously receiving recommendations on which scanner to buy, mentioned do not pay for programming. I have loaded the Sentinel software on my pc and uploaded (guess it's called) to the radio. This point I have no clue of what I'm doing from here. All I'm wanting to track is a few of the Counties in NC and Florida. Any help on getting it programmed at this point will be Very Much Appreciated. TIA

 

[dave3825]

new Uniden SDS100, now having trouble programming it.

I have loaded the Sentinel software on my pc and uploaded (guess it's called) to the radio.

Did you create a favorites list or update the firmware and full database?

This point I have no clue of what I'm doing from here. All I'm wanting to track is a few of the Counties in NC and Florida.

It would help us to help you is you state the name of the systems you wish to monitor and the county/state they are located in.

 

[trentbob]

Plenty of help here from those on radio reference. Go in the menu and make sure all your service types are turned on for now, you can customize them later, scan the weather frequencies too, see if you pick one up that's local. Make sure your ZIP code has been entered.

As Dave said above, what is your hometown, County and State. Members can look at the database and show you how to use it for your particular area, remember with the antenna that comes with the radio you are going to be limited in distance of what you hear. Florida and North Carolina are not that close to each other.

Don't get overwhelmed, again, plenty of knowledgeable people will help you. Congratulations on your purchase.

 

[jbix1958]

Which part of NC? I live in the Charlotte area...

 

[ka3jjz]

There are numerous videos on SDS100 programming linked here...

SDS100 and SDS200 FAQ Page 2 - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

Mike

 

[n1chu]

All good advice. If you look at the Sentinel program there’s a tab that allows you to access Radio Reference (RR). RR is a database set up by state, county, and then lists all the towns in that county. You choose what you want and it will download it into Sentinel. From there it’s just a matter of downloading it into the scanner.

 

[etuck]

Did you create a favorites list or update the firmware and full database?



It would help us to help you is you state the name of the systems you wish to monitor and the county/state they are located in.

No Favorite List made, I did enter one local sheriff frequency in of local a area I'm currently residing in, Cherokee County NC. I cannot get back to it though.
I believe the radio now has hundreds or more or stuff that I don't need, now that the Sentinel was installed which, is part of my confusion I believe. My interest are just two States with a few County's. I really just want to hear emergency stuff and weather advisories.
**Cherokee County NC 28906
EMS
Fire
Sheriff all
Tactical
**Indian River County, Florida 32966
EMS
Fire
Sheriff all
Tactical
Airport

 

[etuck]

Which part of NC? I live in the Charlotte area...

Murphy for summer. Born and raised in Charlotte though.

 

[N1GTL]

I pulled the trigger on purchasing a new Uniden SDS100, now having trouble programming it. A few comments on the forum while previously receiving recommendations on which scanner to buy, mentioned do not pay for programming. I have loaded the Sentinel software on my pc and uploaded (guess it's called) to the radio. This point I have no clue of what I'm doing from here. All I'm wanting to track is a few of the Counties in NC and Florida. Any help on getting it programmed at this point will be Very Much Appreciated. TIA

First, update the firmware and DB on the scanner. Open Sentinel and choose UPDATE from the top menu. Run each of them.

The easiest thing I found was to start with no favorite lists. In the tree view on the left, open USA and drill down to the system you want to monitor. Once you find it, right click and choose APPEND TO FAVORITES. You then create a new favorites list, name it and it's there. Upload it to the scanner and listen.

This is the simplest and most basic starting point. You can get into all kinds of granular controls but start simple.

 

[dave3825]

No Favorite List made, I did enter one local sheriff frequency in of local a area I'm currently residing in,

I believe the radio now has hundreds or more or stuff that I don't need, now that the Sentinel was installed which, is part of my confusion I believe.

Sentinel won’t add anything it’s not told to add. You can hook the scanner up to sentinel and read it in. Then you can see exactly what’s there. Sentinel and the scanner have the full database installed. If you just got the scanner chances are the database is out of date. After you connect the scanner, tell sentinel to update the full database and then next time you write to the scanner it will have an up to date database.

E

 

[jbix1958]

eTuck - check your messages.

 

[etuck]

Sentinel won’t add anything it’s not told to add. You can hook the scanner up to sentinel and read it in. Then you can see exactly what’s there. Sentinel and the scanner have the full database installed. If you just got the scanner chances are the database is out of date. After you connect the scanner, tell sentinel to update the full database and then next time you write to the scanner it will have an up to date database.

E

Yes, it went through the update already before I loaded the data to the radio.

 

[fxdscon]

All good advice. If you look at the Sentinel program there’s a tab that allows you to access Radio Reference (RR). RR is a database set up by state, county, and then lists all the towns in that county. You choose what you want and it will download it into Sentinel. From there it’s just a matter of downloading it into the scanner.

There is no tab in Sentinel to access the Radio Reference database. The data loaded into Sentinel from the ""Update Master Database" function is downloaded from Uniden servers into Sentinel.... you can't access the RR database directly.

 

[etuck]

eTuck - check your messages.

Sent you back an email

 

[etuck]

Plenty of help here from those on radio reference. Go in the menu and make sure all your service types are turned on for now, you can customize them later, scan the weather frequencies too, see if you pick one up that's local. Make sure your ZIP code has been entered.

As Dave said above, what is your hometown, County and State. Members can look at the database and show you how to use it for your particular area, remember with the antenna that comes with the radio you are going to be limited in distance of what you hear. Florida and North Carolina are not that close to each other.

Don't get overwhelmed, again, plenty of knowledgeable people will help you. Congratulations on your purchase.

Yes, I understand. I reside at both states throughout the year, am in NC now. I established a Favorite list for Cherokee County NC, uploaded to the radio. It still loads and scans the entire DB though. Gonna keep working on it, we'll see.
Is the ProScan program that much better and user friendly than the Sentinel, I've been pondering it?

 

[trentbob]

Turn the database off. Press menu, scan selection. Every time you go to Sentinel, transfer your card to your profile first thing, any changes you made on the fly on the keyboard will be saved.

ProScan is great, Sentinel is good too.

 

[jtwalker]

ProScan is great, Sentinel is good too.

Since you are still learning the basic operations of the radio, you might as well stick with Sentinel. After you get more comfortable with the radio, you will be able to embrace the features of ProScan to their fullest.

 

[trentbob]

Since you are still learning the basic operations of the radio, you might as well stick with Sentinel. After you get more comfortable with the radio, you will be able to embrace the features of ProScan to their fullest.

I definitely concur.