SDS100/SDS200: SDS-100 GPS scan range setting not accurate

[Sonicmixmaster]

Hello everyone. This is my first post as all my other questions I was able to research and read solutions on this forum. I have one question which I was not able to find any info about. I have recently made myself a GPS/power cable similar to how @Hit_Factor did in this thread: SDS100: - How to make a GPS for the SDS-100 $42 . The cable works as it shows my correct location after I test it by inputting a different far away zip code in the settings. The problem I have noticed is that the scanner still scans past the range that I set. I live 18 miles from New York City so I set up the GPS range to 10 miles and I still see New York systems being scanned. Is this normal or the range setting is acting weirdly. My SDS-100 has the latest database and firmware. Thanks to anyone who can help me.

 

[KevinC]

If the “range” of those systems falls within your 10 mile setting it will scan them.

 

[Sonicmixmaster]

Thanks for a quick reply. So you mean that if the signal is strong enough it will still scan them?

 

[fxdscon]

Is this normal or the range setting is acting weirdly. My SDS-100 has the latest database and firmware. Thanks to anyone who can help me.

.
For an explanation of how location based scanning is designed to function, check this article (applies to all Uniden location based scanning):

How it Works: Location, Location, Location

and also check page 19 in the SDS100 owner's manual:

https://www.uniden.info/download/ompdf/SDS100om.pdf

 

[nessnet]

Someone here referred to it as a "Ven diagram".
I'd bet if you search that term, you'll be able to read it.

Think of it this way. You have a site that has a range of 30 miles in the database.
Then, you have your global range (in your profile) set to 10 miles.
30 + 10 = 40.

Set your range lower.
Some, who have build rectangles (instead of the default circles) for their departments, set the range at 0.

 

[KevinC]

Thanks for a quick reply. So you mean that if the signal is strong enough it will still scan them?

For example...


The range on the NYPD Citywide category is 19 miles. If you live in Hicksville and set your range to 10 miles the two will cross over each other. So your scanner will scan them. As noted, reduce your range.

 

[jtwalker]

Thanks for a quick reply. So you mean that if the signal is strong enough it will still scan them?

It had nothing to do with signal strength.

 

[Sonicmixmaster]

Thanks @fxdscon , @nessnet and @KevinC . I now understand this mystery. Maybe one day Uniden will allow a way to filter locations more accurately based on GPS location of the listener and not by the coverage area of a particular system when precise GPS location is used. I kind of understand now why it works the way it is if you enter a zip but there should be better filtering options if the exact location is known from GPS connected. In my situation New York City overwhelms the scanner as there is lots more "action" there than other systems closer to me. I made this cable because next Saturday I will start my trip to the North West of the USA and Canada. I think I will set the range for 5 miles to start and see how that goes.

 

[dave3825]

I now understand this mystery.

Maybe one day Uniden will allow a way to filter locations more accurately based on GPS location of the listener and not by the coverage area of a particular system when precise GPS location is used.

How are you scanning? Full database or favorite lists? As for travel, I live in Suffolk county and have to go thru NYC every time I go somewhere. I made fav lists for anything of interest in nyc and nys and set all the same items to avoid in the full database. I normally set the range to 0 or at most, 0.5 and get plenty of action. For scanning at home, I only scan fav lists.

If you really want to fine tune, @ProScan software let’s you create rectangles instead of circles. I made a very tight fav list for all Suffolk police and fire using info from my counties gis viewer.

For travel with gps, best tips are reduce range to close to zero, use only service types of interest and set all the nationwide stuff to avoid.

When I am going to travel somewhere I always create a fav list for the area I will be staying so when I get there I don’t have to mess with anything. Last trip was Hershey PA. I used sentinels add channels on range because it’s the fastest way to make a fav list. Then went in and got rid of all non interest items.

 

[Sonicmixmaster]

How are you scanning? Full database or favorite lists? As for travel, I live in Suffolk county and have to go thru NYC every time I go somewhere. I made fav lists for anything of interest in nyc and nys and set all the same items to avoid in the full database. I normally set the range to 0 or at most, 0.5 and get plenty of action. For scanning at home, I only scan fav lists.

If you really want to fine tune, @ProScan software let’s you create rectangles instead of circles. I made a very tight fav list for all Suffolk police and fire using info from my counties gis viewer.

For travel with gps, best tips are reduce range to close to zero, use only service types of interest and set all the nationwide stuff to avoid.

When I am going to travel somewhere I always create a fav list for the area I will be staying so when I get there I don’t have to mess with anything. Last trip was Hershey PA. I used sentinels add channels on range because it’s the fastest way to make a fav list. Then went in and got rid of all non interest items.

Thank you for the info about the ProScan software. I will look into it later. During my trip I will be traveling by car and won't know exactly where I will be staying each time I need to rest so I think I will take your advice and lower my range to 0 and filter out some systems I don't want scanned. I bought this radio 2 weeks ago for this trip as I will be on the road a lot and it's just one more gadget I can use to not be bored. At home I do have favorites added so It will not scan others especially when I found out that many frequencies are scrambled. Now that I know how the range setting works I think it's best set at 0.

 

[kirk5056]

I look at the range issue like this. Every Department/Site has a "range" programed in to it, either in the data base or by you in any favorite list you create.

Then think of the "range" you set in YOUR radio as a bubble that follows you based on where the radio thinks your are. It can get THAT location by GPS, zipcode, auto-locate OR when you manually enter the coordinates either in the Sentinel software or on the radio face.

Then, as the "bubble" bumps into the ranges programed into a Dept/Site in activates that Dept/site and when the "bubble" loses contact with the range of the dept/site in deactivates that dept/site.

 

[Randyk4661]

As a user of the GPS, I have had to fine tune most all the range settings for the sites. I've gone and changed the center point to better cover where I need to listen and where not to listen.
As mentioned above use Proscan to modify coordinates and ranges. Setting to rectangles vs circles helps for better coverage as you can add multiple rectangles to cover oddly shaped towns & cities.
I would guess that the five boroughs of NYC all have the same center point and cover the same areas as the other four. Changing the settings do help for things like this so you don't have to listen to Staten Island when you're in Brooklyn
I also use Google Earth Pro to get starting coordinates and ranges then fine tune in Proscan.
Once you figure out GPS, it's a great addition for traveling.

 

[Ubbe]

Maybe one day Uniden will allow a way to filter locations more accurately based on GPS location of the listener and not by the coverage area of a particular system when precise GPS location is used.

Uniden only allows additional range to be added and not subtracted, so I suppose that if you use the scanners own antenna inside a vehicle then you set the scanners range setting to 0 and if you use a gain antenna or a roof antenna then you can add some range in the setting as you can receive sites further away, if you really want to monitor calls that are not local and perhaps in another county.

There are one range in the database for a department of talk groups, that perhaps the circle for coverage reach over the whole county, and there's another range setting in the database for the sites, that the circle are supposed to reach what the predicted radio coverage might be, but that are dependent of the terrain, buildings and what antenna you use and if you are inside a vehicle or out in an open area, and both ranges are changed from the scanners single range settings, so it might not be as exact as you want, as the database also only use circles and not rectangles for the coverage ranges.

/Ubbe

 

[rdlinn]

Set your range to 0 and it will only scan the predetermined ranges for the systems in your scanner.

 

[ofd8001]

And when this happens, the scanner is attempting to scan something. There are no guarantees that you will actually receive a transmission - that depends on the "horsepower" of the transmitter and topography of the land between you and the transmitter.

I think Uniden has take Location Based Scanning as far as they can. Any further fine-tuning would require artificial intelligence and the ability the read the mind of the end user.

 

[nessnet]

....... "that depends on the "horsepower" of the transmitter and topography of the land between you and the transmitter."

And..... the gain and positioning/shielding (car/building) of the antenna being used.

 

[Sonicmixmaster]

Thanks to all that replied. I think I have a good understanding of how the range setting works Now. I just need to test it out and today I will put it in a car and drive 20+ miles away from NYC. This coming Saturday I will start my trip to the western US and will see how that will work. I think that starting out setting the range to 0 will be fine as I do have a new tri-band antenna on my car so it should be better than the one that came with the scanner. Maybe I will increase it when I’m away from my home area as it’s very busy here with many sites broadcasting because I live in a very populated area.

 

[donc13]

I use my SDS200 in my RV when traveling and do have a gps for it. I typically keep the range at 5 or 10 depending on whether I am in rural or urban areas. Obviously use just a few service types, law, fire and em's because I am mainly interested in what traffic conditions will be up ahead.

It has worked very well for me.

Your "mileage" may vary

 

[dave3825]

@Sonicmixmaster this is just NYPD analog. The large circles are basically all entities that cover the whole city. The smaller circles are the boroughs.





Anything that lists 19 in this pic is one of the large circles. If when scanning from home, if your using the full database, you can go into sentinel and avaoid anything you have no interest in and write back to the scanner. Or you could make a fav list with anything you are interested in, and then set those in the full db to avoid.