SDS100/SDS200: SDS-100 updated firmware control channel issues

[lkas]

I have 2 counties using 424 mhz and 800 mhz p25 systems. I have a omni x antenna on roof. Ever since the sds100 firmware update the control channel on these 2 depts is jumping rapidly. When the control channel jumps to voice it is fine. I have tried the different filters with no luck. Any suggestions? I attached a video

 

[Ubbe]

I can see that you have the squelch set to 1 to try and receive better, what if you set it to 0? Try set NAC to ignore and modulation to FM and filter to Off but also try Normal. The new firmware might have changed what settings that works best now compared to previously.

/Ubbe

 

[lkas]

I can see that you have the squelch set to 1 to try and receive better, what if you set it to 0? Try set NAC to ignore and modulation to FM and filter to Off but also try Normal. The new firmware might have changed what settings that works best now compared to previously.

/Ubbe

no luck, i tried removing nac and adjusting the modulation with no change. This is happening on 2 different depts in 2 different directions control channels. One is 424 mhz and the other to the east is 800 mhz. This just started as soon as i upgraded the firmware. I have a feeling i am stuck with this issue

 

[IAmSixNine]

What happens when you try different filters?

 

[Ubbe]

I have a feeling i am stuck with this issue

Can you program the channel and set to analog only and SQ to 0 and listen if you hear a periodic interference? Do Channel+freq+Enter and then edit the channel to be FM and analog only. If the signal disappears completely and its just noise then it can be a priority or housekeeping thing that have accidentally been activated by Uniden on a control channels idle state. If location control are activated then disable that while testing.

/Ubbe

 

[lkas]

What happens when you try different filters?

Most of the other filters block out the control channel completely. It no longer picks it up. The normal one is the best option but that is the one i have always used that is always having this issue

 

[lkas]

Can you program the channel and set to analog only and SQ to 0 and listen if you hear a periodic interference? Do Channel+freq+Enter and then edit the channel to be FM and analog only. If the signal disappears completely and its just noise then it can be a priority or housekeeping thing that have accidentally been activated by Uniden on a control channels idle state. If location control are activated then disable that while testing.

/Ubbe

i did as per your request. There is nothing showing on the signal meter .With the squelch at 2 it is picking up noise.

 

[lkas]

well i flashed the older firmware back and the problem is fixed. It is back to how it was and is supposed to be. There is definetly a issue with the newer firmware. I did like the waterfall feature but since i have to choose i would rather have the scanner work like it should. Hopefully uniden pushes a fix for some of the issues that have been brought up.

 

[phask]

well i flashed the older firmware back and the problem is fixed. It is back to how it was and is supposed to be. There is definetly a issue with the newer firmware. I did like the waterfall feature but since i have to choose i would rather have the scanner work like it should. Hopefully uniden pushes a fix for some of the issues that have been brought up.

Actually, with the new FW that IS how it is supposed to work. It has no actual effect on the radio but should function better.

Look for a better explanation and some new FW soon.

 

[lkas]

Actually, with the new FW that IS how it is supposed to work. It has no actual effect on the radio but should function better.

Look for a better explanation and some new FW soon.

if that is how it is supposed to work then why does it only do it on 2 of my p25 systems. I have 2 other p25 vhf systems to my south that do not do this?

 

[phask]

if that is how it is supposed to work then why does it only do it on 2 of my p25 systems. I have 2 other p25 vhf systems to my south that do not do this?

The firmware update that implements the Waterfall Feature did not affect the sensitivity of the radio. However, it did improve the accuracy of the readings for RSSI and the number of signal bars. The current readings are more accurate than they previously were across all bands.



In some cases, the new RSSI and signal bar readings may be very different than they used to be, creating the erroneous impression that the scanner is not performing as well as it did previously. The scanner’s performance remains the same, but users will have to become accustomed to the new signal strength readings provided by RSSI and signal bars.

 

[werinshades]

The firmware update that implements the Waterfall Feature did not affect the sensitivity of the radio. However, it did improve the accuracy of the readings for RSSI and the number of signal bars. The current readings are more accurate than they previously were across all bands.



In some cases, the new RSSI and signal bar readings may be very different than they used to be, creating the erroneous impression that the scanner is not performing as well as it did previously. The scanner’s performance remains the same, but users will have to become accustomed to the new signal strength readings provided by RSSI and signal bars.

I did not see anything about this in the release notes, and have read where some believe the "house cleaning" issue has returned that was corrected in firmware updates prior. Were you a beta tester and noted this or read it somewhere?

 

[Ubbe]

The firmware update that implements the Waterfall Feature did not affect the sensitivity of the radio. However, it did improve the accuracy of the readings for RSSI and the number of signal bars. The current readings are more accurate than they previously were across all bands.

The RSSI value comes from the receiver chip so if that has changed, not as affected by adjacent channels, the receiver parameters must have been changed to make that happen. Just test driving the digital decode, having a SDS100E and no firmware to support the DSP firm file, it seems to me that Uniden have made the demodulator filter settings more narrow when compared to the old firm file, and thus also changed what noise level the squelch has to work with.

/Ubbe

 

[a727469]

I am having almost the same issue. Both on sds200 AND sds100 P25 1 vhf system. Worked perfectly both before and after firmware update. Now all of a sudden blinks like in video in this thread with a constant -80 rssi but also DATA is mostly off but blinks on occasionally and rarely receives audio. Also no nac comes up which I have set for search. Out of 3 receivable sites, it happens on 2 sites but is ok on one site with -95 rssi! Have done all the normal items mentioned above. Filters, attenuators off etc…again everything worked right after update but not now.

 

[a727469]

Forgot to mention I DO NOT have waterfall..just basic firmware

 

[a727469]

I lied..I did try all filters but I just tried all filters OFF and rssi went to -98 BUT all is now working with the supposed much weaker signal….very strange..in the past had to use wide invert to even get a decent signal…any ideas?

 

[KevinC]

That seems to contradict this statement on the change log…

• Improved digital reception performance. The improvement effect varies depending on the receiving area.

The scanner’s performance remains the same, but users will have to become accustomed to the new signal strength readings provided by RSSI and signal bars.

 

[phask]

That seems to contradict this statement on the change log…

• Improved digital reception performance. The improvement effect varies depending on the receiving area.

More coming soon.

I think this is just for you

>Fixed an issue where the Unit ID of P25 Phase2 was not displayed.

 

[lkas]

the newest software released today fixed my issues with the signal meter jumping on control channel. Back to normal

 

[KevinC]

More coming soon.

I think this is just for you

>Fixed an issue where the Unit ID of P25 Phase2 was not displayed.

Looking at my logs since the update and I'm seeing radio ID's around 99% of the time now, so a huge improvement.