Newbie trying to program an SDS200

[thatoneiowan]

Good morning! I'm a newbie to scanning and am looking for some help programming a SDS200 I just purchased. I live in Huxley and am wanting to monitor Iowa DOT operations, specifically the District 1 maintenance garages and the Des Moines Highway Helper.

I've successfully been able to scan ISICS in general just by adding the entire ISICS group/profile in Sentinel to a Favorites list, and then setting an avoid on towers my scanner won't pick up anything on. I've identified the towers it DOES pick things up on (as far as Donnellson, interestingly) by letting it scan ISICS and seeing when transmissions come thru. I have also just deleted the same items I am avoiding with the same, unsuccessful result.

However, when setting avoids on the channels I don't want to scan as well as the towers I don't receive anything on, the SDS just reads "Scan Mode, Nothing to Scan". What are the next steps in troubleshooting or getting it to work? Thanks!

 

[jonwienke]

If you avoid all of the sites, that disables the system. Don't.

Turn Location Control on in your favorite list settings and that will stop the scanner from scanning every site in the state. You don't need to manually avoid every site.

 

[tvengr]

The database says that DOT is migrating to the ISICS system. I don't see a site for Story Co on that system. DOT may still be using the conventional frequencies. Here is the link: Iowa - Department of Transportation Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

 

[thatoneiowan]

If you avoid all of the sites, that disables the system. Don't.

Turn Location Control on in your favorite list settings and that will stop the scanner from scanning every site in the state. You don't need to manually avoid every site.

I've cleared the avoid on the towers, left the avoid on the talk groups I don't want to listen to, and enabled location control via Sentinel. Results are the same, "Nothing to scan". That favorite group is selected on in the lists to monitor on the scanner and the entire ISICS group I have turned off. I put in my ZIP code in the settings which turned on the full database, so I turned it off. Same result. Put in GPS coordinates manually, same result. Thoughts?

The database says that DOT is migrating to the ISICS system. I don't see a site for Story Co on that system. DOT may still be using the conventional frequencies. Here is the link: Iowa - Department of Transportation Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

I did the steps I listed above, and also added the entire "Department of Transportation" group in Sentinel but that did not result in any difference.

https://imgur.com/lyNL1bv

 

[thatoneiowan]

Okay, I figured out my problem. I did not change the "Service Types" to allow public works/transportation channels. I clicked them all on and now it appears to be working just fine.

https://imgur.com/egBTSew

I guess the only other question I have right now is, when I am ready, how to get it to broadcast on Broadcastify. I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask but I'll give it a go and someone can tell me otherwise if need be. I also have a 996P2 scanning the Story County Highway Department and successfully broadcasted that to the Internet (verified on my cell phone using 4G LTE) using RadioFeed. The scanner is plugged into a laptop using a standard AUX cable (like headphones, portable speaker, car audio cable) and the USB cable that came from Uniden, and then it is broadcasted using RadioFeed. Will the same setup apply when I am ready to get a feed to Broadcastify?

THANK YOU for your help and patience, and thanks to the previous two people for the suggestions - learned from both of your posts!

 

[mws72]

The database says that DOT is migrating to the ISICS system. I don't see a site for Story Co on that system. DOT may still be using the conventional frequencies. Here is the link: Iowa - Department of Transportation Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Here in the Quad-Cities. Davenport Garage is listed on ISICS but I still hear the trucks on VHF.

 

[thatoneiowan]

Here in the Quad-Cities. Davenport Garage is listed on ISICS but I still hear the trucks on VHF.

Sorry I didn't reply sooner but I do believe I was getting traffic for a handful of District 1 shops on ISICS, specifically Ames, Marshalltown, and Grimes. I also caught bits and pieces of the Des Moines Highway Helper but not very much of it. I think there was one or two more shops I was listening to last week as well but am not confident on that.

I also have a 996P2 that I would like to use to monitor DOT on ISICS, but given my location in Huxley, I don't think it will work for me since the closest towers are labeled Simulcast. Is that correct? I realize I can program it and see what happens which I will give it a go, but figured I would also ask. I am hoping that would work because I'd like to use that scanner to provide a Broadcastify feed with.

 

[jonwienke]

The 996 may work fine, or not work at all, or anywhere in-between, depending on your location. You can improve your odds with a yagi (to isolate the signal from a single transmitter), but it's still not guaranteed. If you already have the 996, it won't hurt anything to try. But be prepared for the possibility of disappointment.