SDS 200 - Favorite List Systems enabled at startup

[bobruzzo]

I think you're confused a little.
Favorites holds everything you want to listen to. Systems will let you have different categories (trunk / conv) and depts is what holds the info to scan for.

Here's a picture of what mine looks like that's mixed - Screenshot

The dept consists of talkgroups, unit IDs and conventional frequencys/tones

Yeah I've been confused with this since day one. So I just keep my conventional frequency lists separate from my digital ones. I think it is confusing because of the naming terminology. So I use my SDS200 for listening only to a P25 simulcast system and a Motorola trunked system. Thats it. Nothing else to put in that radio. I use my BCD996P2 & BCT15X for all the conventional vhf/uhf and SOME conventional non simulcast P25 freqs that many towns in Southeastern Massachusetts use in addition to their regular conventional freqs. Those individual NON simulcast P25 freqs sure travel far. I can hear New Bedford PD which is about 30+ miles from me with a few big hills in the way. Anyway I never mix conventional with digital systems in the same radio since I have 3 radios.

 

[Reconrider]

Yeah I've been confused with this since day one. So I just keep my conventional frequency lists separate from my digital ones. I think it is confusing because of the naming terminology. So I use my SDS200 for listening only to a P25 simulcast system and a Motorola trunked system. Thats it. Nothing else to put in that radio. I use my BCD996P2 & BCT15X for all the conventional vhf/uhf and SOME conventional non simulcast P25 freqs that many towns in Southeastern Massachusetts use in addition to their regular conventional freqs. Those individual NON simulcast P25 freqs sure travel far. I can hear New Bedford PD which is about 30+ miles from me with a few big hills in the way. Anyway I never mix conventional with digital systems in the same radio since I have 3 radios.

I try not to mix unless the systems are small. If they don't have to much, then I'll throw a few inside.
Not sure if you use discord or not, but if you do DM me your add and I can help you that way. Or DM me - I'm still learning myself on this program and scanner, but I've gotten the hang of it for the most part

 

[bobruzzo]

I try not to mix unless the systems are small. If they don't have to much, then I'll throw a few inside.
Not sure if you use discord or not, but if you do DM me your add and I can help you that way. Or DM me - I'm still learning myself on this program and scanner, but I've gotten the hang of it for the most part

Well since the storage capabilities of these radios is pretty big I like to assign QK's (I still call 'em BANKS) to individual systems. For example in my BCT15X I have a big list of about 40 business freqs that are pretty interesting. That list is in QK 1. Then I have 2 separate QK's for all the conventional police/fire/dpw freqs in the state. I am in Rhode Island. Since I am close to Southeastern Mass, I also have another QK for many conventional PD/FD/DPW freqs. Then there is a casino a few miles from here....the State Jail is up the hill from me, Railroad freqs, National Grid, Boston Fire Dept.....these are all on their own QK's in my BCT15X. And I also have a BCD996P2 with mostly Milcom stuff, our town PD dept. which is on a conventional P25 system....just 4 freqs on 482Mhz. A lot of P25 Coast Guard net freqs, Marine freqs, the state airport......theres a TON of conventional stuff to listen to. So to minimize confusion I bought an SDS200, mainly because of bad simulcast distortion when I was using the BCD996P2. So I use the SDS radio for that now. I dont know what "discord" is. Once I program the SDS200, I should be all set unless something goes wrong like a malfunction and I gotta re program. So far its been working very well, although I have been struggling for months with antennas trying to get better reception of the P25 simulcast system here. I still get a little distortion but not too bad. I found that a 6 element yagi up about 20' pointing east southeast gives the best results. I ordered a new 8 element yagi and 40' of LMR400 today. Going to try a different mounting location in case I need to use my BCD996P2 as backup if there is a problem with the sds radio.

 

[ProScan]

bobruzzo,
If you want to use the BCD996P2 file on the SDS200 scanner then you want to import it. Open or create a new Favorites file on the ProScan SDS200 instance first.

 

[ProScan]

Have an issue I can not solve from the documentation.

I have a favorite list with about 10 systems - assigned System Quick Key keys 1-9 (a couple of systems share a key)

Whenever I have done a Scanner write using Proscan (Send MSM command, write, return to scan) - only systems 1-4 are enabled. I have to manually enable the remaining systems.

How do you set which systems should be enabled after a write operation ?

Interestingly, all lists are enabled if I shutdown/start the scanner

Regarding the System Quick Keys Status checkboxes: There is a bug with Sentinel and the scanner in this area. Unfortunately ProScan copied the same characteristics which have since been fixed and will be in the next version.

Here is the bug:
When a new Favorites Lists is created in Sentinel, all 100 System Quick Keys Status checkboxes are checked by default regardless if any SQK's has been assigned or not. When writing the favorites to the scanner, then power cycling the scanner, then reading from the scanner. All 100 checkboxes are still checked. Using the scanner in normal operation, go into the menu and edit a system then back out. Take it in Mass Storage mode. When reading from the scanner. All 100 checkboxes are now unchecked even if SQK's are assigned.

ProScan solution is when a new Favorites List is created, all 100 checkboxes are unchecked by default. A button was modified in the SQK Status tab that before checked all checkboxes and now will just check the boxes assigned with SQK's. An additional check has been added to the scanner write operation to uncheck any checkboxes not assigned with SQK's.

How do you set which systems should be enabled after a write operation ?

The bottom line is the SQK's should be enabled before the write operation so the scanner will know. To do that (in the next ProScan version) go to the System Quick Keys Status tab and click on the button "Check All Assigned System Quick Keys".

Everything above also applies to the Dept./Site Quick Keys Status tab.

 

[ofd8001]

Yeah I've been confused with this since day one. So I just keep my conventional frequency lists separate from my digital ones. I think it is confusing because of the naming terminology. So I use my SDS200 for listening only to a P25 simulcast system and a Motorola trunked system.

Conventional frequencies can be digital or they can be analog. Several people have mistakenly believed that digital and/or P25 is trunking only.

(P25 is a standard on how digital frequencies are encoded, also known as "Open Architecture". Back in the early days of digital, Manufacturer A would have its own unique coding for digital and Manufacturer B had a different coding. Problem was that locked everyone into one brand of radio. Along the lines of MotoTrbo and NXDN. P25 is often specified by larger governments so they can buy different brands of radios.)

It is perfectly "legal" and fine to intermix conventional analog frequencies in the same System as conventional digital frequencies. You cannot intermix conventional or digital frequencies in the same System as a trunked system.

There is nothing wrong with how you go about that, rather I'm trying to avoid a new user seeing this post and assuming it "has" to be that way.

 

[bobruzzo]

Conventional frequencies can be digital or they can be analog. Several people have mistakenly believed that digital and/or P25 is trunking only.

(P25 is a standard on how digital frequencies are encoded, also known as "Open Architecture". Back in the early days of digital, Manufacturer A would have its own unique coding for digital and Manufacturer B had a different coding. Problem was that locked everyone into one brand of radio. Along the lines of MotoTrbo and NXDN. P25 is often specified by larger governments so they can buy different brands of radios.)

It is perfectly "legal" and fine to intermix conventional analog frequencies in the same System as conventional digital frequencies. You cannot intermix conventional or digital frequencies in the same System as a trunked system.

There is nothing wrong with how you go about that, rather I'm trying to avoid a new user seeing this post and assuming it "has" to be that way.

I totally understand. Our own town PD uses a stand alone non trunked P25 system. 4 freqs on UHF. The only reason I separate them was because when I first got my sds radio I had to keep reprogramming the P25 trunked system here till I got it right and I didnt like how Sentinel dealt with certain things. I actually do have a mixture of P25 trunked/conventional/AM Milcom programmed in my 996p2. It was the sds radio and using Sentinel where I kept missing things or making mistakes because I was having trouble understanding the relationship of P25 trunked freqs and the TG's/Towns assigned to them. I still don't understand it fully. But I was still able to program the radio ok.

 

[bobruzzo]

Regarding the System Quick Keys Status checkboxes: There is a bug with Sentinel and the scanner in this area. Unfortunately ProScan copied the same characteristics which have since been fixed and will be in the next version.

Here is the bug:
When a new Favorites Lists is created in Sentinel, all 100 System Quick Keys Status checkboxes are checked by default regardless if any SQK's has been assigned or not. When writing the favorites to the scanner, then power cycling the scanner, then reading from the scanner. All 100 checkboxes are still checked. Using the scanner in normal operation, go into the menu and edit a system then back out. Take it in Mass Storage mode. When reading from the scanner. All 100 checkboxes are now unchecked even if SQK's are assigned.

ProScan solution is when a new Favorites List is created, all 100 checkboxes are unchecked by default. A button was modified in the SQK Status tab that before checked all checkboxes and now will just check the boxes assigned with SQK's. An additional check has been added to the scanner write operation to uncheck any checkboxes not assigned with SQK's.


The bottom line is the SQK's should be enabled before the write operation so the scanner will know. To do that (in the next ProScan version) go to the System Quick Keys Status tab and click on the button "Check All Assigned System Quick Keys".

Everything above also applies to the Dept./Site Quick Keys Status tab.

I see the check/uncheck boxes in my version of Proscan.

 

[ofd8001]

because I was having trouble understanding the relationship of P25 trunked freqs and the TG's/Towns assigned to them. I still don't understand it fully. But I was still able to program the radio ok.

The easiest thing to do is program all of the sites for a system. Then program all of the talkgroups you might be interested in monitoring. Lastly, set the Favorites List to Location Control On. Let the scanner sort out which sites and departments should be on/off based on where the scanner is.

Trying to understand relationships between sites and talkgroups may be tedious and impractical. Each large system has its own nuances of what TGs can use which sites under which conditions. The System Administrator has spent a lot of time figuring out all that stuff.

 

[buddrousa]

If the scanner is going to be stationary and not move then it would be a waste of scan time to add a tower site that the scanner will never hear the same goes for talkgroups. The scanner will never hear a tower site over 100 miles from the scanner. Here in W Tn the TACN system has over 125 tower sites from my base location I can hear 5 so the other 120 sites x control channels would be 240 frequencies per scan cycle would add seconds to the scan cycle wasted.

 

[bobruzzo]

The easiest thing to do is program all of the sites for a system. Then program all of the talkgroups you might be interested in monitoring. Lastly, set the Favorites List to Location Control On. Let the scanner sort out which sites and departments should be on/off based on where the scanner is.

Trying to understand relationships between sites and talkgroups may be tedious and impractical. Each large system has its own nuances of what TGs can use which sites under which conditions. The System Administrator has spent a lot of time figuring out all that stuff.

What confuses me is, for example they call the 4 zones "north, south, east & Prov" but when I first got my 996p2 when using Freescan, its totally confusing to program cause you cant program say one site by itself and automatically have all the TGs associated with it. What I mean is if I want to start by programming the NORTH zone, there is nothing telling you exactly what towns to put with that zone. So what I do is just put all the towns in the northern part of state into zone "north".....then for south, put all the towns in the southern half of state. Same for east. Some towns overlap into the other zones. But the system is set up so if you want to hear the whole state you have to program all zones. I assumed at the time RI was such a small state and I'd be able to hear all the zones. I keep calling TG's "towns" cause thats how freescan is set up. It shows you the 4 zones in RI and on right side of screen it lists all the towns in the state, and some other agencies. So its confusing picking what to go where. So the way I have been doing it is programming the whole state, all 4 zones into one quick key. I am interested in listening to most of whats going on. The state is small so its not an overwhelming amount of data. I will try what you suggested, I have not done that yet and it might be helpful.

 

[bobruzzo]

If the scanner is going to be stationary and not move then it would be a waste of scan time to add a tower site that the scanner will never hear the same goes for talkgroups. The scanner will never hear a tower site over 100 miles from the scanner. Here in W Tn the TACN system has over 125 tower sites from my base location I can hear 5 so the other 120 sites x control channels would be 240 frequencies per scan cycle would add seconds to the scan cycle wasted.

I think part of my problem is believing that since RI is such a tiny state, I'd be able to hear all zones perfectly in the state system. And from experimenting with antennas, and positioning antennas, I do notice some improvements. So that makes me want to keep experimenting till I get it just right. Receiving analog is completely problem free. I can hear Boston Fire from here on UHF sometimes full scale. and thats over 60 miles away WITH HILLS along the way. Also the geology here is not the best compared to Kansas. I remember an old HAM guy telling me the ground has lame conductivity in this area of new england. Out in the midwest the ground has less rock/sand and more fertile earth. I dont know how much of that is true but I used to believe it. For the most part I can hear all 4 zones in the state. Its just a few talk groups on 2 of those zones that give me a problem. The only thing I did which improved things greatly was using a yagi. So that made me think I should keep experimenting. So OK the yagi made a definite improvement....RSSI is usually -45 at the lowest and hovers around -50 to -60. D-ERROR usually zero. Its a little higher on those problem TG's. So I keep thinking maybe a BIGGER yagi will improve things more. I guess I am OCD with this!

 

[buddrousa]

Morning Bob looking at the site list below if you program just the RED FREQUENCIES do you hear the control channel data?
Where are you on the map in the state?

System Frequencies
Red (c) are primary control channels | Blue (a) are alternate control channels | Site Map(s): FCC Callsigns RR Locations

RFSS	Site	Name	County	Freqs
1 (1)	003 (3)	Providence City Simulcast	Providence	851.0625	851.0875	851.6125	852.425	852.6375	852.700	853.0375
				853.150a	853.275a	853.375	853.550	853.7125c
1 (1)	014 (E)	North Simulcast	Providence	851.150	851.4875	851.850	852.400a	852.675a	852.950	853.2375
				853.5125c	853.6875
1 (1)	015 (F)	South Simulcast	Statewide	851.2375	851.4625	851.6625	852.0875	852.2375	852.450	852.925a
				853.175a	853.4125a	853.875c
1 (1)	018 (12)	East Simulcast	Statewide	851.650	851.925	852.2125	853.7375	854.2875	858.3125	859.3125
				860.3125c

 

[bobruzzo]

Morning Bob looking at the site list below if you program just the RED FREQUENCIES do you hear the control channel data?
Where are you on the map in the state?

System Frequencies
Red (c) are primary control channels | Blue (a) are alternate control channels | Site Map(s): FCC Callsigns RR Locations

RFSS	Site	Name	County	Freqs
1 (1)	003 (3)	Providence City Simulcast	Providence	851.0625	851.0875	851.6125	852.425	852.6375	852.700	853.0375
				853.150a	853.275a	853.375	853.550	853.7125c
1 (1)	014 (E)	North Simulcast	Providence	851.150	851.4875	851.850	852.400a	852.675a	852.950	853.2375
				853.5125c	853.6875
1 (1)	015 (F)	South Simulcast	Statewide	851.2375	851.4625	851.6625	852.0875	852.2375	852.450	852.925a
				853.175a	853.4125a	853.875c
1 (1)	018 (12)	East Simulcast	Statewide	851.650	851.925	852.2125	853.7375	854.2875	858.3125	859.3125
				860.3125c

Hello there, yes I can hear ALL those CC full scale. Attached is map of RI....I am located in Cranston which is underlined in RED, roughly in that spot. I guess in the old days with analog, it was much easier to EXPECT what you could hear. But with P25 simulcast there are so many hidden unseen variables. You almost need the designer of the system to explain the situation.

 

[buddrousa]

Most of the city county traffic will only be carried by one site the RI State police my get carried by all sites or it could be carried by a site only if a State Police radio is attached to the site (this is used some time to help conserve site frequencies).

 

[bobruzzo]

Most of the city county traffic will only be carried by one site the RI State police my get carried by all sites or it could be carried by a site only if a State Police radio is attached to the site (this is used some time to help conserve site frequencies).

I have heard the state PD on ALL zones. The DEM too. I have been observing the overlap of TG's into other sites and it really is minimal with exception of state PD and DEM. The RIPTA bus sevice too, I hear them all over.

 

[buddrousa]

That is the best way to get the most use of limited frequencies at a site. I use several scanners and PROSCAN in the same way.
You might make the system quick keys for each site divide the cities and counties up into those 4 system quick keys to make it easier to turn off and on areas as the need fits.

 

[bobruzzo]

That is the best way to get the most use of limited frequencies at a site. I use several scanners and PROSCAN in the same way.
You might make the system quick keys for each site divide the cities and counties up into those 4 system quick keys to make it easier to turn off and on areas as the need fits.

It's pretty amazing how I can learn some jazz music theory and actually use it in recordings, yet I find this new radio technology so baffling!

 

[buddrousa]

You are making harder than it is. The radios tell the controller where they are by site and the controller tells them where to go to hear their traffic.

 

[jonwienke]

If the scanner is going to be stationary and not move then it would be a waste of scan time to add a tower site that the scanner will never hear the same goes for talkgroups.

That's not correct for talkgroups, as talkgroups are not scanned. You can program thousands of talkgroups for a trunked system with a negligible impact on scan speed.