56FB666
Bear Caretaker
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2019
- Messages
- 79
In my case. I don't own that radio yet and I'm not going to buy it before I know it has all the features I need. The nearest store with radio is for sale is 70km walk.
Read your manual, before asking here please
- Thread starter jjbond
- Start date
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In my case. I don't own that radio yet and I'm not going to buy it before I know it has all the features I need. The nearest store with radio is for sale is 70km walk.
I love this community, it helps so much as a new owner of the SDS100 and SDS200 to have people sharing their experience, and this community has a LOT of smart people in it, we're very fortunate. It was key to my purchase decision, and I'm happy to help where I can. That being said, 3 times in the last 2 days, I've answered a question asked by someone where I was able to answer their question simply be looking in the manual, like they should have, not going on Google to find the answer for them, which is bad enough. I'm talking about looking in the manual they should have read. I just noticed yet another STUPID question (I know, no question is stupid, yea there are stupid questions, those asked when the answer is in the manual) that was immedietly answered by someone saying "like it says in your manual on page *".
I'm not sure if it's laziness or what but please people, if you have a question, check your manual, then check the search function here, then check Google, then come back and ask if you still haven't figured it out. You'll probably find you answer there, and not be wasting anyone else's time and making yourself look lazy by posting it here.Do yourself a favor, download the PDF version of you manual and when you have an item that you can't figure out, search in the PDF for the name of the item, like maximum SD card size, or power cable orange wire
In defense of those who ask for help, I submit that there are cases out there--and I've actually come across this myself--where manuals are translated from a foreign language, with varying success. For example in the case of a smoke detector imported from Germany the manual said "if the battery indicator shows low, replace the technician". What they really meant to say is that a professional technician needs to replace the battery. Since I work in the electronics industry (AND have done translation work) I was able to figure out what that clumsy translation was trying to say. But, not everyone has my background (although not all translations are that bad).
All I am going to say is sometimes the manuals leave alot to be desired. I think that is the reason this forum is a great resource sure stupid questions are asked or the same time and time again so what you can do is answer if you want or move on. It is just that simple folks.
Then in your case you would not say my scanner says nothing to scan.
TailGator911
Silent Key/KF4ANC
Absolutely, these manuals don't tell you everything. Technical writers make mistakes, too. I agree with whoever stated that the SDS 'manuals' are insufficient and sometimes vague. A good example would be the SDS filter instructions. Nada. The best place to find information on those would be here, by those of us who have experimented and posted their findings. But I guess, as scanner and radio enthusiasts, we should know that stuff, huh. There's a lot to be said for someone who takes the initiative and does some research before asking what others may call a stupid question. There are stupid questions, then there are stoop-id questions, then there are NO stupid questions. A brand new person to the scanner hobby stumbles in here now and then and reads the forums and figures he found a gold mine, so he asks a question that someone here is going to answer and help him out, even if the answer is in the manual. At the very least, they will send him a link to his answer. I hope that never stops, as that's what this place is all about. Cynicism and sarcasm need not apply. Either answer his question or move along.
JD
kf4anc
JD
kf4anc
yeah, and in addition to that radios have gotten so complicated it's not always possible (like it used to be) to take a new radio straight out of the box and use it right away...
I've come across it too where the manual didn't tell the user everything. I think that's gotten worse over the years, for two primary reasons: 1.) budget cuts (everyone's being rushed to get product out the door) 2.) lack of double-checking. I've been able to get around both by either having a second set of eyes scan what I've written, or I'll set it aside for a day or two, concentrate on something else for a while and then look at what I wrote "cold". Even after a few years of practice I'm still catching things I need to fix before letting it out the door!
W5JCK
Member
I love this community, it helps so much as a new owner of the SDS100 and SDS200 to have people sharing their experience, and this community has a LOT of smart people in it, we're very fortunate. It was key to my purchase decision, and I'm happy to help where I can. That being said, 3 times in the last 2 days, I've answered a question asked by someone where I was able to answer their question simply be looking in the manual, like they should have, not going on Google to find the answer for them, which is bad enough. I'm talking about looking in the manual they should have read. I just noticed yet another STUPID question (I know, no question is stupid, yea there are stupid questions, those asked when the answer is in the manual) that was immedietly answered by someone saying "like it says in your manual on page *".
I'm not sure if it's laziness or what but please people, if you have a question, check your manual, then check the search function here, then check Google, then come back and ask if you still haven't figured it out. You'll probably find you answer there, and not be wasting anyone else's time and making yourself look lazy by posting it here.
Good suggestion to search the manual first. But let us be honest, most people won't do that. Not sure why, but they don't. And the truth is that many scanner people are not that familiar with scanning trunking systems and what not. Even amateur radio Extra Class people might not understand trunking systems since we didn't use them until recent years, and only a few use them now. I think a lot of scanner people are used to entering a bunch of frequencies into an analog scanner to monitor conventional systems, and trunking is a whole different system, as is dynamic memory compared to the old school banks with X number of channels. And even if they read the manual, they might still be confused. Most manuals, even Uniden's manuals, or not written very well. If you look at some of the manuals for amateur radios, well you better understand Japanglish and/or Chinenglish, otherwise they won't make much sense at all! Plus some have visual problems or just read right over stuff without realizing it was the answer. That happens to all of us from time to time. But yes, they should try to make an attempt to discover the answers on their own first, otherwise it is just laziness. A site like this can be a crutch for those who are too lazy to attempt to find the answers on their own.
I was able to drive 40 miles to the UPS Hub open the box install the battery plug up my GPS units I ordered before the SDS100 was released plug into my USB power adapter hook up to my STRIDSBERG and drove home listing to everything the scanner would receive out of the box less than 5 minutes after I signed for the package (early adapter first shipment) I was on my way home with the scanner working. After I got home UPGRADED DMR and NXDN when Uniden preped the my.uniden site. Same thing for my first day release SDS200.
Good for you but alot of people do not have that luxury. Bottom line before this thread goes off the rails if you want to help someone out do just that if you don't move on. I can't count how many times I replied to a post telling people just to check they have service types enabled it was my choice to do it so I did.
doctordialtone
Member
I think it's WAY too late for that...
Mule1075 as I have stated that was all X36 skills and by reading and trial and error I have learned the 5% of the SDS's that are not like the X36's or in the Manual.
There is not one single skill for the SDS that has not been listed here already if you look for it.
There is not one single skill for the SDS that has not been listed here already if you look for it.
And as I said some people do not have that luxury.
When we joined the MODS always posted search before asking.
Some of these respondents are "straining at a gnat," as they say. If you think the question is stupid or useless, move on. Nothing requires you to answer any question. It's all contained on someone else's computer so what does it matter?
There are people who would complain even if you brought a new rope to their hanging.
There are people who would complain even if you brought a new rope to their hanging.
56FB666
Bear Caretaker
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2019
- Messages
- 79
W8RMH
Feed Provider Since 2012
Many times features are added or modified via firmware updates, so this new information will not be in the manual.
Then ask away, but check the manual first for obvious items... everyone is focusing on what I did NOT say... I agree with you, there's lots missing from the manual from firmware updates and just from being too much for one manual.... but what color the of power cord goes to positive and what size is the max SD card or does it even come with an SD card.... what's the point of having the awesome Wiki pages we have here if people are too lazy to spend 1 minute and look themselves.
As someone fairly new to the hobby, last scanner was about 30 years ago, I see much of the terminology has changed. I dove in and got the SDS100 and reading the manual was like reading a foreign language and can be overwhelming to someone new to the hobby in general. Fortunately youtube was a big help but still it was mostly trail and error. There are still some things I would like to know more about but I have it so I can listen to everything I want for now. I get that some people might use this as their first source but the manual at first looks intimidating to those that are new. Just saying it might not be laziness.
I’m popping a bunch of popcorn
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