SDS 200

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twotoejoe

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Just received my SDS 200 and I mostly love it. I ordered it from Bearcat Warehouse on Wednesday and it was delivered yesterday! I plugged it up and it was scanning my area right out of the box. I didn't pay extra for programming but I did get the DMR upgrade.

I've got only one complaint--Everything I read about these were that they were excellent with Simulcast. However, mine is worse on Simulcast in my area than my 536 is. Am I doing something wrong? And tonight I've been sitting here for almost 2 hours and the only broadcast I've heard is what is Simulcast. It's hard to believe that on a Saturday night no agencies have a need for using their radios. I reprogrammed the SDS200 thru Sentinel using the same favorites lists that I'm using for my 536. It just seems like I should be receiving more.
 

hiegtx

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Just received my SDS 200 and I mostly love it. I ordered it from Bearcat Warehouse on Wednesday and it was delivered yesterday! I plugged it up and it was scanning my area right out of the box. I didn't pay extra for programming but I did get the DMR upgrade.

I've got only one complaint--Everything I read about these were that they were excellent with Simulcast. However, mine is worse on Simulcast in my area than my 536 is. Am I doing something wrong? And tonight I've been sitting here for almost 2 hours and the only broadcast I've heard is what is Simulcast. It's hard to believe that on a Saturday night no agencies have a need for using their radios. I reprogrammed the SDS200 thru Sentinel using the same favorites lists that I'm using for my 536. It just seems like I should be receiving more.
Try tweaking the filters on the site that is giving you problems. There's not a "one size fits all" setting, so try various combinations & see if that does, or does not, improve things. Your settings, at your specific location, may work for you, but someone else, listening to the same system, but, say, on the other side of town for you, might well have better results with a setting other than what works for you.

Remember that you can modify the display to include whatever filter setting is in use for the system being monitored at that time. I leave the Global setting as "Normal", but for a couple of systems, I select something else.
 

nessnet

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Just getting an SDS scanner is sometimes overwhelming at first. I had a devil of a time myself, wondering why my expensive radio was silent. I learned about service types, favorite lists, quick keys and in my case, it was re-banding. (RR info was wrong).

First place to start, if you are using that stock telescoping antenna, it to immediately replace it. With what depends on what you listen to the most. 800? or?? Lots of options here. At the very least, until you get a good antenna, tune your telescoping antenna to the freq. you want to hear most.

Filters were mentioned. The question to ask, is where you are monitoring from -and what? If you are out in the boonies, than filters may or may not do anything, (an antenna will). But, if you are somewhere that has a high noise floor, filters can work wonders - in a specific location. Move the scanner, and it may change.
 

hiegtx

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Just getting an SDS scanner is sometimes overwhelming at first. I had a devil of a time myself, wondering why my expensive radio was silent. I learned about service types, favorite lists, quick keys and in my case, it was re-banding. (RR info was wrong).
Good point. I forgot to mention Service types.

When the scanner is first shipped, and/or when you first install Sentinel, the only Public Safety Service Types that are enabled are those for
Dispatch (Law Dispatch, Fire Dispatch, EMS Dispatch, and Multi-Dispatch). Also enable the Tac and Talk types for those (Law Talk, Fire Tac, etc).

If you are using your location & the main database, as opposed to a Favorites list, be sure that you have the correct location entered, and the range set to suit your interests. See this for a longer explanation of using location:
How it Works: Location, Location, Location
 

Ubbe

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However, mine is worse on Simulcast in my area than my 536 is...I reprogrammed the SDS200 thru Sentinel using the same favorites lists that I'm using for my 536...
If you used your 536 settings and only changed the target model to SDS200 then all should be the same, service types and all. Just to be sure, read your 536 with target set to 536 and then change to a SDS200 target (in Tools setting) and program your scanner once again.

If it works worse than your 536 then you have to experiment with different filter settings and could also try the IFX setting if a frequency isn't received properly. Keep in mind that the SDS200 doesn't have as good receiver as the 536, it's a huge difference that might make it impossible to use a SDS200 in a difficult RF enviroment. The difference in cost are for the color display and that it can receive simulcast and then a lot of overhead to finance the scanners current and future firmware development. The difference in cost doesn't really reflect the quality of the scanner.

/Ubbe
 

kg4icg

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So basically you just fired it up out of the box not selecting any services to listen, which you need to, to hear more. Make sure you punch in your zip code too to be precise to hear stuff in your area.
 

twotoejoe

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Clarkesville, Georgia
Thanks guys but some of you didn't read my post. I own a 536 and have all my Favorites Lists, etc. set up in Sentinel. I simply programmed the 200 with the same settings. The only thing that I hadn't changed (until just now) was change the target model to SDS 200 under the tools tab.

This is the first time I've heard that the receiver in the 200 wasn't as good as the 536. I figured it should be better, or at least as good. But now seems I've figured that out. Sitting in the exact same location it takes an outside antenna with the 200 to pick up as good as the indoor telescopic with the 536. Does make sense to me.

So where can I find these 'filter' settings? I can't seem to find anything in Sentinel. And of course I'm a dummy with this radio so if it's something I have to do with the radio itself please explain in detail.

Thanks.
 

TailGator911

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Yeah, I would not even mess with the filters just yet. Sounds to me like something overlooked or omitted in the programming input. Being deaf is usually programming error or operator error. Go back over your programming with a fine tooth comb.
 

twotoejoe

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Yeah, I would not even mess with the filters just yet. Sounds to me like something overlooked or omitted in the programming input. Being deaf is usually programming error or operator error. Go back over your programming with a fine tooth comb.

I have. And as I stated it's a copy of what's programmed in my 536 which is working great.
 

TailGator911

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Everything? Location/distance? Service Types? Did all the correct QKs transfer to the appropriate Fav Lists? Sometimes flash programming (copying profiles) from one scanner to the other thru Sentinel is not always 100% (assuming you use Sentinel). I have had QKs screw up on me before when flashing over from 536 to SDS100. Other things, too, that were 'ON' before the transfer, then 'OFF'. Downloads? I would almost bet money that this is some small thing you're not thinking of. Deep breath. Pot of coffee. Do it again.
 

mr10pt

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Everything? Location/distance? Service Types? Did all the correct QKs transfer to the appropriate Fav Lists? Sometimes flash programming (copying profiles) from one scanner to the other thru Sentinel is not always 100% (assuming you use Sentinel). I have had QKs screw up on me before when flashing over from 536 to SDS100. Other things, too, that were 'ON' before the transfer, then 'OFF'. Downloads? I would almost bet money that this is some small thing you're not thinking of. Deep breath. Pot of coffee. Do it again.
Agree. Happened to me today and I have the 536 and 200 with sentinel. Check scanner location indoors for electronic noise, or, move the stock antenna around.
 

fxdscon

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So where can I find these 'filter' settings? I can't seem to find anything in Sentinel. And of course I'm a dummy with this radio so if it's something I have to do with the radio itself please explain in detail.

Thanks.

First...... be absolutely certain you are using the latest version of Sentinel, and the latest version of firmware for the SDS200


Filter settings are available in both Sentinel (in the favorites list editor),

and in the scanner's menu system:

MENU --> SETTINGS --> GLOBAL AUTO FILTER
⦁ Normal (always use HPF)
⦁ Invert (always use inverted HPF)
⦁ Auto (try HPF then if no signal detected to open squelch, try inverted HPF)
Note: If Auto is selected, conventional scan and search speed will be greatly slowed, as every frequency on which a signal is not detected on first pass will be rescanned using the inverted HPF setting.

MENU --> MANAGE FAVORITES --> REVIEW/EDIT SYSTEM --> EDIT SITE --> SET FILTER (Setting menu for trunked systems)
⦁ Global (use the setting from GLOBAL AUTO FILTER)
⦁ Normal
⦁ Invert
⦁ Auto

MENU --> MANAGE FAVORITES --> REVIEW/EDIT SYSTEM --> EDIT DEPARTMENT --> SET FILTER (Setting menu for conventional systems)
⦁ Global (use the setting from GLOBAL AUTO FILTER)
⦁ Normal
⦁ Invert
⦁ Auto

MENU --> SRCH/CLOCALL OPT --> SET FILTER (Setting menu for Close Call and Search)
⦁ Global (use the setting from GLOBAL AUTO FILTER)
⦁ Normal
⦁ Invert
⦁ Auto

.
 

ofd8001

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Within the past couple of weeks, I too upgraded to an SDS 200 and sent my 536 "stuff" to it. I found that for some unknown reason, Sentinel changed some Download and Monitor settings to Off. So you may want to double check.

However, I noticed a daylight/darkness improvement in the local simulcast system. The 536 was kind of so-so (I tweaked some of the P25 settings to get the best I could), but the SDS 200 was just about perfect (as compared to an XTS 3000 on the system).
 

iMONITOR

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Everything is showing up on the display; all the stations in my Favorites list, etc. Just not getting the reception I got with the 536

Contact Bearcat Warehouse and see what they suggest. It definitely should be working better not worse. You have possibly received a defective unit that needs to be replaced, but get their OK prior to sending it in.
 

Ubbe

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⦁ Auto (try HPF then if no signal detected to open squelch, try inverted HPF)
Note: If Auto is selected, conventional scan and search speed will be greatly slowed, as every frequency on which a signal is not detected on first pass will be rescanned using the inverted HPF setting.
It's only using the SQ opening as a detector for using the proper filter? Then the auto setting is useless.

/Ubbe
 

tvengr

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Feb 10, 2019
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Baltimore County, MD
There is the possibility of an incorrect site NAC. The BCD536HP does not use site NAC and ignores it. The site would be blocked on a SDS200 unless the scanner is set to ignore site NAC. Are you seeing the same talkgroups on the display of both scanners? That is the only way I can think of that there would be differences on 2 scanners programmed by the same file.
 
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