Reciever question

[hfflunki]

hey I'm mostly an airband and adsb guy, but want a portable receiver that does p25 for local and state frequencies across mighagan along with repeaters and occasionally swl .but like I said mainly aircraft im thinking of getting a r30 I use a 706 mk2 in my shack any thoughts

 

[K4EET]

@hfflunki, sorry that you haven't got any replies yet. That may be because you did not say what specific P25 systems that you want to monitor. Without details, it is hard to make a recommendation. Are they Phase I only or are they both Phase I and Phase II? Are the systems simulcast? Will you be in a vehicle with an exterior antenna or just the portable inside the vehicle? Questions need to be answered before suggestions can be made. So help us out so we can help you. Thanks!

 

[trentbob]

So an R30 would be a nice receiver however you said you wanted to pick up p25 systems through your state? You need a scanner. You'll get the aircraft, p25 systems but not the swl.

An R30 does not trunk track so... So much for picking up p25 systems, P1 or P2.

 

[iMONITOR]

In Michigan there's really one choice that will work satisfactorily from a vehicle is the Uniden SDS100. This is due to Michigan's MPSCS P25 Phase 1 used for public safety and much more. There are numerous scanners that will receive it but most will have disappointing result due to simulcast distortion resulting in "Donald Duck or underwater" sounding speech as well as total signal dropouts. The SDS100 does not receive shortwave.

Finding them is a challenge right now due to high demand and supply chain issues due to COVID. Don't wast time looking for a discount. Uniden's SDS series scanners are price-fixed and dealers are not allowed to discount them. Even used ones command close to full-new price and in some instances private sellers seem to think sometimes they're even worth much more!

 

[trentbob]

In Michigan there's really one choice that will work satisfactorily from a vehicle is the Uniden SDS100. This is due to Michigan's MPSCS P25 Phase 1 used for public safety and much more. There are numerous scanners that will receive it but most will have disappointing result due to simulcast distortion resulting in "Donald Duck or underwater" sounding speech as well as total signal dropouts. The SDS100 does not receive shortwave.

Finding them is a challenge right now due to high demand and supply chain issues due to COVID. Don't wast time looking for a discount. Uniden's SDS series scanners are price-fixed and dealers are not allowed to discount them. Even used ones command close to full-new price and in some instances private sellers seem to think sometimes they're even worth much more!

I concur, I use my sds100 + 200 for aircraft and it is superior to other scanners. In my particular location due to RF in my area my Aviation was deaf, I tried different filters but then ended up applying IFX to every Aviation frequency I listen to and I listen to a lot like Helo Unicom, news Chopper coordination, local airports Etc. The SDS picks up Aviation very well.

Just like a commercial subscriber radio or a professional pager like unication the SDS series picks up simulcast systems that are susceptible to distortion from LSM very well.

Really the way to go if you can get a hold of one.

 

[N9JCQ]

hfflunki, Where in Western Michigan are approximately? We can look at the tower site locations and give you a better recommendation. When I visit Western MI, GR, Grand Haven, South Haven and Saugatuck, I bring my Uniden 325P2 ad it does quite a nice job on the Michigan State
MPSCS system. Berrien County and the counties around GR I think are Simulcast.

 

[eorange]

hey I'm mostly an airband and adsb guy, but want a portable receiver that does p25 for local and state frequencies across mighagan along with repeaters and occasionally swl .but like I said mainly aircraft im thinking of getting a r30 I use a 706 mk2 in my shack any thoughts

For aircraft...you cannot beat the R30. I just picked one up and it has fantastic airband sensitivity, and I'm comparing that to my Icom R6 which is also a fantastic airband receiver. I also do a lot of airband listening, and it's especially great for that because of the dual simultaneous receivers. I've been scanning mil freqs with one receiver, and then a wider range of airports and ARTCCs with the other receiver. You get audio from both receivers simultaneously, and it scans FAST. You can also do temporary or permanent lockout of memory channels, and the lockout type is adjustable (temporary for 5 or 10 minutes, or until you stop scanning, or until you power off).

SWL: The radio has 10 RF Gain settings, a NB, and 3 ATT levels, which is fantastic for a handheld. They really do help clean up the signals.

Regarding P25: It decodes P25 with NO LSM distortion, which is a pleasant surprise. It also displays TG IDs and RIDs. It does not know how to decode and follow control channel, i.e. it doesn't trunk track. But - I've programmed all the voice frequencies and just scan those conventionally. Because of the statistical nature of calls, and depending on how busy the system is...you can actually follow some conversations, but don't count on it. It is a nice way, however, to hear bits of everything. This doesn't concern me too much because I have a Unication G4.

My 1 and only complaint - the display contrast is not the best in any kind of shadows. Plan on using the backlight. The battery does last a long time, though.

If you like airband and SWL - then seriously consider the R30.

Edit: The quality and build feels really solid. Not professional like my G4, but it definitety does not feel cheap or flimsy. It's also waterproof. The instructions actually say to clean it in a bowl of fresh water if you drop it in unclean or salty water.

 

[hfflunki]

Thanks now I have decided r30 originally I wanted an aor mk3 but there to big

 

[hfflunki]

oh im close to Muskegon and I pick up alot of traffic from Wisconsin and grand rapids I mostly listen to atc towers not individual airports i use the zau towers mostly

 

[eorange]

Thanks now I have decided r30 originally I wanted an aor mk3 but there to big

The R30 and the AOR mk3 are just about the same size. But the R30 has cleaner receive and many more features because it's a much newer radio.

 

[Ubbe]

The SDS100, and probably also SDS200, doesn't have enough dynamic range in AM mode. The gain is set fairly hight so weak signal AM monitoring are excellent but at higher levels around -80dBm is starts to get distorsion in the audio due to bottoming out as the gain cannot be reduced enough. If an aircraft are so close that I can hear its engine, then the modulation are all distorsion and are impossible to hear what are being said. The receiver chip are probably not intended for AM use, it's all done in the subprocessors DSP, but the AM signal have already bottomed out when it reaches the DSP and the trashed signal cannot be restored.

/Ubbe

 

[trentbob]

The SDS100, and probably also SDS200, doesn't have enough dynamic range in AM mode. The gain is set fairly hight so weak signal AM monitoring are excellent but at higher levels around -80dBm is starts to get distorsion in the audio due to bottoming out as the gain cannot be reduced enough. If an aircraft are so close that I can hear its engine, then the modulation are all distorsion and are impossible to hear what are being said. The receiver chip are probably not intended for AM use, it's all done in the subprocessors DSP, but the AM signal have already bottomed out when it reaches the DSP and the trashed signal cannot be restored.

/Ubbe

Interesting, I monitor a lot of Aviation with the 100 + 200. As I said before the radios were deaf to AM Aviation frequencies, but I apply IFX to every Aviation frequency, it has remarkable reception, I've been listening to Aviation since I was a kid. Best receiver yet.

I have a hospital that's about three blocks away from me with a pretty busy heliport. The approach for landing brings the helicopters right over the top of my house. When they're going over my house is usually when they're transmitting their Final Approach and Landing. Loud and clear with no distortion. Of course I was following them all the way from Philadelphia Center City which is about 25 miles away, also clear as a bell. This is with a very high rooftop VHF High, UHF, 800 ground plane.

Op, the fact that it doesn't trunk track and just putting in all the frequencies and counting on listening conventionally to possibly catch some random police, fire and EMS conversations is not listening to p25 dependably so you know what you're listening to, you're just kidding yourself.

Obviously that doesn't matter as that's not what you're interested in or a priority. Just understand that's not going to happen. Hey, who knows, maybe you have an nxdn encrypted system near you and you might get lucky with the right information to randomly monitor them conventionally LOL.

The R30 is a great receiver, I think you had already made up your mind, with the proper outdoor antenna you will love it, just don't count on following Emergency Services very dependably on a simulcast p25 trunked system.