SDS100/SDS200: SDS 200 receives frequency while on search mode but not while scanning favorites list

[galligan122]

hey guys,

I was using the “search” feature this morning to see if I could find any new towers in my area and taking note of NAC’s. While doing so, I noticed that I was picking up traffic from a site I can pick up at times, but other times I don’t have good enough signal.

I have the site programmed into a favorites list, so I went direct to it and couldn’t pick up anything. Went back to search mode and sure enough I’m able to hear it pop through perfectly. I do have this frequency programmed into the favorites list site. Makes me wonder what else I am not hearing, and how to remedy the situation? I have tried adjusting filters to no avail.

 

[dave3825]

If your hearing freqs, and noting nacs, while in search mode, and not in a fav list, do you have the freq programmed in the fav list properly? Are the freqs you hear in search part of a a trunked system?

 

[galligan122]

Yes, they are part of the Hoosier-T system in Indiana which is trunked. I uploaded all my sites from sentinel, and believe they are correctly programmed. Usually in the evenings/ at night I pick up this particular tower, but not during the day. However I am able to hear it while in search mode today and not in the favorites list. The scanner isn’t able to lock in on the control channel so im not receiving anything is my assumption, but it’s just interesting that in search mode i am hearing that site.

 

[mule1075]

hey guys,

I was using the “search” feature this morning to see if I could find any new towers in my area and taking note of NAC’s. While doing so, I noticed that I was picking up traffic from a site I can pick up at times, but other times I don’t have good enough signal.

I have the site programmed into a favorites list, so I went direct to it and couldn’t pick up anything. Went back to search mode and sure enough I’m able to hear it pop through perfectly. I do have this frequency programmed into the favorites list site. Makes me wonder what else I am not hearing, and how to remedy the situation? I have tried adjusting filters to no avail.

Do you have the service type for what you want to listen to selected? In your favorites list.

 

[Ubbe]

I don't have any P25 trunked system but see this behavior with DMR trunked systems.
It seems to happen to Unidens trunktrack scanners and as they copy the same firmware code between scanners they then show the same type of issues.

If you have another brand of scanner, like a Whistler, running in parallel you will notice this issue almost instantly. My take on this are that it seems to be a bad decode quality of the data stream and if you have a NAC set it can false decode the NAC to another value and skip the frequency. I would suggest to not set any fixed values for NAC but set to ignore and color codes for DMR to search and so on to have any false decode issues to have a lesser impact.

If you scan in conventional mode or the voice channels in OFT you will probably see an improvement in the number of monitored calls compared to control channel monitoring. JoeBearcat once mentioned, maybe 2 years ago, that Uniden where in the process of improving its data decode quality but that firmware have not yet been released.

If you on your display make a field to show D-errors it will show the number of data errors it decodes. If you in conventional mode listen to a frequency that you perhaps have noticed have issues in trunked mode, the control channel or a voice channel, then make a hold on that frequency and study the bit error value. If it suddenly goes up in value and stays there for a while you are probably still suffering from interference issues and besides filters you can also try to set IFX to that frequency and try all filter settings again. Sometimes it doesn't matter what you do with the scanner, it is what it is with these SDS scanners when it comes to interference from other frequencies and maybe external bandpass or notch filters can help.

/Ubbe

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

The scanner isn’t able to lock in on the control channel so im not receiving anything

Usually in the evenings/ at night I pick up this particular tower, but not during the day

Are you scanning the closest site geographically to you which carries the traffic you want to hear? You're certain there are no closer sites to you? If you're not getting a control channel or voice channels in your FL but you do hear/observe them via quick search then something may be off with your programming. I'd suggest posting your Sentinel .hpe export so someone can have a look at your programming. I've seen cases where folks appended talkgroups to their list but omitted the applicable site(s). You'll need to convert it to a zip file before posting it as an attachment. See directions linked here

 

[galligan122]

Do you have the service type for what you want to listen to selected? In your favorites list.

I do, it’s a somewhat distant site that I don’t always pick up well, but the fact that I was able to hear it in search mode with no problem has me left scratching my head.

I don't have any P25 trunked system but see this behavior with DMR trunked systems.
It seems to happen to Unidens trunktrack scanners and as they copy the same firmware code between scanners they then show the same type of issues.

If you have another brand of scanner, like a Whistler, running in parallel you will notice this issue almost instantly. My take on this are that it seems to be a bad decode quality of the data stream and if you have a NAC set it can false decode the NAC to another value and skip the frequency. I would suggest to not set any fixed values for NAC but set to ignore and color codes for DMR to search and so on to have any false decode issues to have a lesser impact.

If you scan in conventional mode or the voice channels in OFT you will probably see an improvement in the number of monitored calls compared to control channel monitoring. JoeBearcat once mentioned, maybe 2 years ago, that Uniden where in the process of improving its data decode quality but that firmware have not yet been released.

If you on your display make a field to show D-errors it will show the number of data errors it decodes. If you in conventional mode listen to a frequency that you perhaps have noticed have issues in trunked mode, the control channel or a voice channel, then make a hold on that frequency and study the bit error value. If it suddenly goes up in value and stays there for a while you are probably still suffering from interference issues and besides filters you can also try to set IFX to that frequency and try all filter settings again. Sometimes it doesn't matter what you do with the scanner, it is what it is with these SDS scanners when it comes to interference from other frequencies and maybe external bandpass or notch filters can help.

/Ubbe

thank you for all this information Ubbe. I think this is 100% what I am experiencing!

 

[galligan122]

Are you scanning the closest site geographically to you which carries the traffic you want to hear? You're certain there are no closer sites to you? If you're not getting a control channel or voice channels in your FL but you do hear/observe them via quick search then something may be off with your programming. I'd suggest posting your Sentinel .hpe export so someone can have a look at your programming. I've seen cases where folks appended talkgroups to their list but omitted the applicable site(s). You'll need to convert it to a zip file before posting it as an attachment. See directions linked here

Thank you for the reply. sometimes I just like to listen to a site and see what agencies I actually pick up on a particular site. Other times I scan individual counties, or areas depending on how I have my favorites lists setup. In this case it is the Muncie site on the Indiana SAFE-T system that I like to monitor at times, just to see what all I hear on it. I uploaded all the SAFE-T data from sentinel, then manually hold on the Muncie site. It’s possible sentinel had an error, but after reading UBBE’s reply I believe he hit the nail on the head. Thanks!

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

I uploaded all the SAFE-T data from sentinel, then manually hold on the Muncie site.

You're in Wabash? Highly unlikely you'll have a reliable (if any) pick up on an 800mhz site 60 miles away. 800 doesn't propagate as far out as UHF, VHF or lower

 

[galligan122]

You're in Wabash? Highly unlikely you'll have a reliable (if any) pick up on an 800mhz site 60 miles away. 800 doesn't propagate as far out as UHF, VHF or lower

I am in southern Wabash County, about 37 miles away so I’m right on the edge of expected range I’d say. Now that it is evening time it is getting slightly better reception and decoding decently on the Muncie tower in my favorites list.

 

[buddrousa]

What Filter setting for said Frequency in Favorite List compared to Filter setting in Search Mode?