Sarasota P25 Signals - No Audio - Can hear weather ham etc.

[k4srq]

Hello,
Just took the SDS200 out of the box and have spent 3 hours trying to get it working. Very suprised as the Home Patrol 1 I had was up and running in no time. The problem is that the digital p25 in Sarasota shows a signal but no audio makes it through. Any ideas? Firmware and db are current as of today. Using included antenna. My location is in Sarasota just east of the city line in a residential neighborhood.

Any assistance would be apprciated.
Burt

 

[jtwalker]

Looks like the county is mostly still on FL ProVoice system with a lot of encryption.
You might want to request this post be moved to FL sub-forum by using “report” link in bottom left of your post to get input from someone in the area.

edit: Looked again and I think my comment is only partially correct. Good bit of traffic is not on statewide PV trunked system.

 

[hiegtx]

Comments on the county's database page are indicating a system other than the statewide:

Hello,
Just took the SDS200 out of the box and have spent 3 hours trying to get it working. Very suprised as the Home Patrol 1 I had was up and running in no time. The problem is that the digital p25 in Sarasota shows a signal but no audio makes it through. Any ideas? Firmware and db are current as of today. Using included antenna. My location is in Sarasota just east of the city line in a residential neighborhood.

Any assistance would be apprciated.
Burt

If you still have the Favorites list that worked for your HP-1, you can export it (from the HP-1's version of Sentinel) into an *.hpe file that will import into Sentinel for the SDS series scanner.

While the system listed on the page does not indicate encryption in use, that might not still be the case.

Do you have site 002 (the Sarasota Simulcast) site programmed, or only Site 003.

Also make sure that squelch is not bumped up too high, and that the attenuator is not selected.

Make sure that you have all the service types for Public Safety enabled. When shipped, as well as when Sentinel is first installed, only Dispatch service types are enabled (Law Dispatch, Fire Dispatch, EMS Dispatch, & Multi-DIspatch). Also enable the Tac & Talk types for public safety.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Looks like the county is mostly still on FL ProVoice system with a lot of encryption.

You sure about that? I'm seeing a P25 Phase-II system here with talkgroups mostly in the clear.
To the OP: Welcome to the forums. The first thing I'd check is to ensure all applicable service types are turned on pertaining to the talkgroups you want to hear (reference "tag" column in database). All mode "D" and "T" talkgroups are monitorable. "DE" indicates full encryption = unmonitorable (not too many in your county)

 

[Brales60]

What are you actually trying to listen to? That system is huge, and that said I have N Port PD, EMS and Fire programmed in my SDS200 and no issues. I'm in Charlotte County Port Charlotte area.

 

[k4srq]

Thank you all for the information. This is quite the instrument! I downloaded the database to the computer. I connected the USB cable to the computer. When I checked in Sentinal, it said the database was up to date. Yet the database in the scanner was 7/15/18. Which is troubling as the guy that sold it to me at a Florida vendor told me they just got them in. I failed to write to the scanner. Upon doing so, I had audio and scanning of the county services. So the database was out of date. Getting the activity now. Thanks all for your help.

 

[Brales60]

Thank you all for the information. This is quite the instrument! I downloaded the database to the computer. I connected the USB cable to the computer. When I checked in Sentinal, it said the database was up to date. Yet the database in the scanner was 7/15/18. Which is troubling as the guy that sold it to me at a Florida vendor told me they just got them in. I failed to write to the scanner. Upon doing so, I had audio and scanning of the county services. So the database was out of date. Getting the activity now. Thanks all for your help.

Glad you got it. You were able to buy one here locally?

 

[k4srq]

Glad you got it. You were able to buy one here locally?

I bought it at the Orlando Hamcation hamfest yesterday. Got it from Ham Radio Outlet.

 

[jtwalker]

You sure about that? I'm seeing a P25 Phase-II system here with talkgroups mostly in the clear.

No I’m not sure, results of responding on a phone. Very limited view of things.

 

[Brales60]

I bought it at the Orlando Hamcation hamfest yesterday. Got it from Ham Radio Outlet.

Thanks. I wasn't sure if there was a local place here that dealt with scanners.