SDS100/SDS200: Newbie question : what to do with a USED scanner?

Status
Not open for further replies.

wagonm

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2019
Messages
14
Location
WA
I have a used SDS100 coming in this weekend, seller is from a different State, and has previously setup Favorite Lists and Quick Keys, and whatever else ..

should i first reset it to factory setting (if there is such a thing) and start from fresh? Would are the recommended rituals to prep a used scanner ?

please educate! Thanks.
 

trap5858

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 22, 2003
Messages
895
Location
Doylestown PA & Milton DE
Through software you can reset it to original specs. It would be the right thing to do for the new owner- let him or her set it up to their liking. Or just replace the sd card.
 

n1chu

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 18, 2002
Messages
2,542
Location
Farmington, Connecticut
Your choice. There is a factory reset that defaults all to factory settings which I’m sure someone will post here. But at very least I’d go into Menu>Settings>Restore Options.

Programming can be very labor intensive if done manually so I suggest loading Sentinel (offered free from Uniden) which is needed regardless of other third party software because it’s the only program that allows you to update firmware and the latest database of systems in the US and Canada. (The scanner has the capacity to load the entire Radio Reference (Radioreference.com) database and store it in memory!)
Become familiar with Sentinel and use the auto download feature, at least to start, you can explore other available software afterwards. There are two versions of Sentinel, one for the Uniden Home Patrol scanners, which you don’t want and the other, which is for the BCD436HP, BCD536HP, SDS100 and SDS200. You can then build your Favorites Lists (FL’s).
A couple of pitfalls common to new users are the need to enter the menu and choose the FL’s you care to monitor, toggle them on or off. And the dreaded “Nothing to Scan” notation that may show up in your display. The manual lists all the possible reasons for this notation, one of the more common reasons is failure to assign a Service type. In the menu choose “Select Service Types” for each agency. (If you use the auto download feature these assignments are already included. Wether you manually program or auto download, the Sentinel programming will show you a listing of your FL’s you have created. In it will be a column entitled Service Type... make sure it populated as “Fire Dispatch, “Law Dispatch” or one of the other offerings.
The programming learning curve can be quite steep. It won’t be the first time someone has sold their scanner for that reason and I’m sure it won’t be the last. But Uniden and Radio Reference have made it very manageable.
Radio Reference is a database that is supported by the users, you and me. Anyone can go to their site and freely peruse the data collected. And while it is most comprehensive, there are times when the database may lag behind. But that’s another topic for another day. You may also want to look at their Forums pages. They list regionally, by state, local boards where you can ask others in your own area specific questions relating to your local agencies.
Hope this helps. This board has loads of knowledgeable people as you will see...
 

wagonm

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2019
Messages
14
Location
WA
N1chu - thanks for spending the time in replying in detail, extremely helpful to this newb.

so first thing first i’ll figure out the steps to reset to de

I’ll download the s/w ahead of time and see what i can make out if it. I will report back.

thanks everyone!
 

wagonm

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2019
Messages
14
Location
WA
You are a very considerate seller! I will watch out for your ad ! 👍

I wish every seller is as good as you.

thank you!


Good advice all !
Guess I'm just silly......When I've sold a used scanner on eBay I've wiped it and sent it off with the buyer's local frequencies to give them a good start. They can fine tune it later. (When its made apparent to me that the buyer may be in need of such assistance.)
 

6079smithw

Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2004
Messages
437
Location
Near the Biggest Little City
As been mentioned, all excellent advice! You might wish to make a copy of the existing codeplug on the scanner before you
erase the card ; there may be some hidden gems you can use later on... no such thing as TMI in scanning! ;)
 

WB9YBM

Active Member
Joined
May 6, 2019
Messages
1,390
should i first reset it to factory setting (if there is such a thing) and start from fresh? Would are the recommended rituals to prep a used scanner ?

Yeah, good idea because that way you'll be starting with a known quantity & avoid unexpected surprises.
 

AvidHiker

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2018
Messages
190
Location
Northern NJ
If you're lazy and don't care for manuals, like a buddy of mine, I wrote this little procedure to get him started with a fresh SD card in addition to a factory reset (this was actually intended for a 436, but should be pretty much identical):

1. Remove the batteries. To remove the SD card, with your fingertip, slide the metal bracket in the direction of the UNLOCK arrow while pushing down slightly. When unlocked, the card and bracket will pop up. Gently slide it out of the bracket.
2. Flip the bracket up. Carefully slide the new card into the bracket, contacts facing out, making sure the card is secured by the little tabs on each side of the bracket. Swing the bracket back down and lock the card in place by reversing the removal process. Put the batteries back into the scanner and power it up.
3. An SD card error message will display, connect the scanner to your computer via USB (mass storage mode should auto-select)
4. Load Sentinel, select Update > Update Master Database, then go to Tools > Select Target Model. Make sure SDS100 is checked.
5. Next, go to Scanner > Clear User Data, check the “display all drives” box and hit OK
6. Hit OK two additional times and Sentinel should say “writing to scanner”
7. When the message displays “finished clearing…”, hit OK
8. The scanner is now completely wiped and in the default (out-of-the-box) state. Unmount the scanner (right-click USB icon in tray, then click Eject Device – if it can’t unmount, wait 30 seconds and try again). Once unmounted (“can now be safely removed” message), you can disconnect the USB cable.

If you want to use it in this state, when powered up it will say “Nothing to Scan”. At this time you may want to go through basic settings by going to MENU > Settings (here you can make the key beep quieter, set clock, etc.). The backlight defaults to OFF (good to save battery). To enable it, go to MENU > Display Options > Set Backlight > Set Mode > Squelch and select the amount of time to hold the light when a transmission is received, then hit the ENTER (either push down on the rotary control or hit the “E” key) then move to Keypress and do the same, then Timeout and select a maximum time for the backlight. Exit with the SYSTEM button or back out by hitting the MENU button repeatedly until it resumes scanning.

9. Hit the MENU button > Set Your Location > Enter ZIP Code > US, complete the ZIP field then hit ENTER
10. The scanner will now auto-load anything it’s able to receive within the set range (default is 20 miles, change it by going to MENU > Set Your Location > Set Range, complete the field then hit ENTER
11. An alternative to zip code scanning is to attach the GPS antenna accessory (useful for road trips). The range setting also applies in this case (usually best left to a small value).
12. Once all your settings are complete, it will be scanning just default service types (EMS Dispatch, Fire Dispatch, Law Dispatch and Multi-Dispatch). To add/remove Service Types, hit MENU > Select Service Types. You can now toggle all available types ON or OFF. Exit with the SYSTEM button or back out by hitting the MENU button repeatedly until it resumes scanning.
13. To load a custom scanner setup (aka “Profile”, this includes all settings and favorites lists), after STEP 6 (finished clearing message), in Sentinel, go to File > Open, select the desired profile and hit OK. Next, go to Scanner > Write to Scanner, a box will pop up showing the scanner drive letter and name (SDS100 and ESN) highlighted in blue. Check the “erase favorites lists” box, then hit OK twice.
14. Or, to back up all your current settings, click Scanner > Read from Scanner
15. A popup should display showing drive letter, scanner model and ESN. Hit OK.
16. When finished, hit OK again. Unmount the scanner.
17. Go to File > Save to save the profile (might have to click “Create New Profile”). The name you saved for the profile should now be displayed in the top left corner of the window. The scanner is now backed up to your computer and can be restored simply by selecting 'write to scanner' (handy to correct accidental changes or in situations where the scanner is acting strange).
 

wagonm

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2019
Messages
14
Location
WA
Thanks, AvidHiker. Thanks for the detail info and suggestions. I may just get a 32GB MicroSD.

I assume any main stream such as Sandisk, Samsung, Transcend, etc... would work, correct?

This forum is just fantastic, i really appreciate everyone’s help.
 

AvidHiker

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2018
Messages
190
Location
Northern NJ
...I assume any main stream such as Sandisk, Samsung, Transcend, etc... would work, correct?

Nothing fancy or super fast is required, but a "high endurance" card is probably the best choice, particularly if you plan to record a lot of traffic (but even the replay buffer will help to wear out the card). This is the same type of card you'd use in a dash camera. I'm partial to SanDisk (lots of pro photographers prefer them), just be sure to buy from an authorized retailer. There are counterfeit cards all over eBay, for example.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top