SDS100/SDS200: Programming Systems/Channels: How do YOU do it?

[Mikek]

I know this is a subjective topic but... I've had an SDS100 for years now, and have never really felt like the way I lay out the systems and channels and lists is efficient nor intuitive. I come from the dark ages of "Banks and Channels" equipment, and am used to having that level of basic operation, but also being able to quickly navigate the device when enabling/disabling channels. I have not embraced tags, types, zip codes, or anything like that

An example of my current programming: Favorite List 1 is "Home". System 1 is a multi-site trunked system, with 10 sites and 30 departments. System 2 is conventional channels with multiple departments. This layout is repeated in List 2, but with systems and channels near "Work". I find it difficult to a) remember and b) enable/disable specific departments or sites. For example, if I want to listen to the local PD, I need to remember "1.2.13" or something. Not just "PD is Bank 1". If I want to turn a site off on the trunked system, it's 1.1.94... now, multiple this complexity by several favorite lists containing multiple systems and channels,

So - I am curious how y'all have your SDS100's programmed. There are no wrong answers here, as I'm looking for inspiration and illumination on ways I haven't considered... Thanks!

 

[sonm10]

I would maybe suggest using GPS and turn on location control. This would eliminate any confusion when you're at one location to the next. You would have to buy an external m GPS dongle from Uniden or invest in the new SDS150 which is built-in.


I'll explain how I have my SDS200 programmed...
All public safety is on a single trunked system. I monitor 3 counties + state patrol + DOT from 2 sites. I have a single favorites list, with a single system with quick keys assigned.

The rest of the programming is on the site/group level. The 2 sites I monitor are assigned QK 1,2
Site 1 QK 1
Site 2 QK 2

Talkgroups are assigned by county, agency, and state agencies in the 10's, 20's, 30's, and 40's.
County 1 LE QK 11
County 1 Fire/EMS QK 12
County 1 TACs QK 13
County 2 LE QK 21
County 2 Fire/EMS QK 22
County 2 TACs QK 23
County 3 LE QK 31
County 3 Fire/EMS QK 32
County 3 TACs QK 33
State Patrol QK 41
Regional TACs QK 42
Statewide TACs QK 43
EMS/Hospital QK 44
DOT QK 45
DOT QK 46

Any talkgroups NOT interested in receiving put in a group assigned QK 91-99 and permanently deactivated.


I also have separate favorites lists for business band, amateur radio, and Searching.

 

[hiegtx]

I know this is a subjective topic but... I've had an SDS100 for years now, and have never really felt like the way I lay out the systems and channels and lists is efficient nor intuitive. I come from the dark ages of "Banks and Channels" equipment, and am used to having that level of basic operation, but also being able to quickly navigate the device when enabling/disabling channels. I have not embraced tags, types, zip codes, or anything like that

While the SDS series scanners do not have "banks", you can create basically the same effect by using the Quick Keys. Assign a key to your Home system, and you can toggle it on or off quickly and easily. Unlike the old style banks, you can have any number of systems and channels assigned to the same Quick Key. You're not limited to a specific number of channels. Unlike the banks, which are usually a specific size such as 50 or 100 channels, you can have as few channels, or systems, using the same key, or a large number. Your choice. Number tags give you a shortcut to quickly leap to a specific channel or system, without having to scroll to find it. This Wiki page gives you examples of how to set up and use them. (The page is titled as being for the x36HP scanners. However, setting up and using keys and tags is exactly the same progress for the SDS scanners.) Besides a quick key assigned to a Favorites list, you can also assign keys to specific agencies, sites, and departments, so that, for example, you can turn, say, your Police department on or off as desired,

Zip codes are one way of entering a location if you are scanning the main database & using Location Control. You can also use location control on a Favorites list that you created. You mention that you scan a multi-site system (ten sites). Odds are, not all of them are in range at the same type. Using location, you could set it up so that, as you change the location used by the scanner either by entering a different zip code, or (if you wanted to do that "automatically") using a GPS to provide location details to your scanner. This page gives you an expanded explanation of how location can be used,

So - I am curious how y'all have your SDS100's programmed. There are no wrong answers here, as I'm looking for inspiration and illumination on ways I haven't considered..

The Wiki FAQ page for the SDS100 & SDS200 scanners has a lot of information about the various capabilities of these scanners, and how to use them. On the second page of the FAQ, there are links to a number of "How To" videos for these scanners. You'll find additional videos on YouTube if you enter the model number to use as a Search key.

 

[far342]

I don't have an SDS of any sort yet but I have been using a 436 for a while and it has the same character length for naming as the SDS's 'Simple Display' mode. With the amount of text it gives (two lines for one name) I decided to try and use the first line for the actual name and the second line for additional info such as quick key number and a note of system type or if a site is simulcast. For channels themselves I always name them as "[Agency Abbreviation]-[Channel Number] [Channel Type]", IE "APD-1 Dispatch".

When it comes to assigning quick key numbers I have a few general rules I follow. If it's a Conventional System for just a singular county then I set 0 to always be the State Police group of channels used in said county. I always set QK-1 to be the Sheriff's Office/County Police, and then the rest kinda depend on county. If there's a regional law dispatch that holds multiple agencies then that will come 2nd to the sheriff's office quick key (that is if the sheriff's office isnt a part of that regional law dispatch themselves), and after that the agencies just follow population/level of importance or just whatever makes sense for that county.

If It's a system that holds multiple counties the rules mostly stay the same but with a few changes. I will typically give each county a group of ten quick keys. If there are two counties that commonly associate with each other and can fit together I will have them share the same group of ten. Example being Linn & Benton counties here in Oregon on the SW7 system. QK-01 is Linn County Sheriff, QK-02 Albany Police, QK-03 Sweet Home Police, QK-05 Benton County Law, QK-06 Corvallis Police, QK-07 OSU Public Safety.

For QKs of trunked system sites I usually just put them in the 80-90 range and in order of importance or site number.

 

[wa8pyr]

I set up Favorite Lists based on the Ohio Highway Patrol districts. Favorite List 1 is District 1, FL2 is District 2, and so on. I also have a few custom Favorite Lists for major cities.

QK 0 through 9 are for Fire/EMS in each county, 10-19 for law, 20-29 for public works, 30-39 for common/interop. 40-49 are for the statewide interop channels.

I also use the Service Tags to control what’s scanned.

I haven’t used gps control on the SDS100, but my SDS150 is due this week; going to fool around with gps then.

 

[rcool101]

I put 1 system per Favorite List.... QK1. Nothing else. I have Depts but no QKs for them. Another Favorite gets 1 system QK2. Another Favorite gets 1 system QK3 . I hit Enter 1, Enter 2, Enter 3 etc. It's my KISS system

F 0 : * * * * * * * * * *
S 0 : _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
D 0 : _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _