SDS100/SDS200: SDS as a "base" station

[hernando44]

Our counties new p25 phase 2 system is now fully operational. All 6 sites use the same frequencies. Due to my medical problems, I now use my SDS100 as my primary listening device as I seldom leave the house. My problem is 75% of the time reception is clear as can be. 25% of the time i get distortion which I believe is probably caused by the radio receiving a second site at the same time. Is there any way to set only one site as the only site it receives? Thank you for any help you can give me. Phil

 

[Saint]

Our counties new p25 phase 2 system is now fully operational. All 6 sites use the same frequencies. Due to my medical problems, I now use my SDS100 as my primary listening device as I seldom leave the house. My problem is 75% of the time reception is clear as can be. 25% of the time i get distortion which I believe is probably caused by the radio receiving a second site at the same time. Is there any way to set only one site as the only site it receives? Thank you for any help you can give me. Phil

If all you using is a rubber ducky antenna that came with the scanner then you will have issues from time to time. If you have an antenna that you can get outside, then you will get a better signal. Digital signals need a strong signal coming into the scanner to get clear audio.
Saint

 

[nessnet]

Our counties new p25 phase 2 system is now fully operational. All 6 sites use the same frequencies. Due to my medical problems, I now use my SDS100 as my primary listening device as I seldom leave the house. My problem is 75% of the time reception is clear as can be. 25% of the time i get distortion which I believe is probably caused by the radio receiving a second site at the same time. Is there any way to set only one site as the only site it receives? Thank you for any help you can give me. Phil

The multiple 'towers' all using the same freq (control channels and voice channels) is called "simulcast".
The SDS100 and SDS200 radios were designed with this in mind and handle it fairly well.
It is doubtful simulcast is causing you problems.

In the analog days, weak signal = static.
With digital, weak signal = garbled audio.
As previously noted, you may have a weak signal, or some type of RFI is causing intermittent interference.

 

[donc13]

An easy way to check out what @nessnet was suggesting is to use location control (zip code or GPS if you have one) and try lowering the range about 10 miles and seeing if it helps. If you have the some success with that, lower the range another 10 miles.

When I travel with my SDS200, I keep the range set at 10 miles & GPS to "move" me along and use the full database. The idea being to eliminate receiving low signal sites automatically.

 

[n1chu]

Since you have a 75% acceptable rate you’ve either got to keep the scanner in the acceptable area or at least the antenna. That would incorporate the need for a length of coax as you would be increasing the distance between the antenna and the antenna port on the radio …which will allow you to venture out of the good areas into the bad 25% areas. Or, you could leave the SDS100 with antenna in a good area and use a Bluetooth connection for a wireless speaker. Theres also something I refer to as “passive” antennas. Passive meaning not powered. But I’m not well versed on these. From what I remember, you place two identical antennas cut to the frequency you choose, one outside and one inside that are connected by coax. And somehow, the (supposedly) better outside signal is now inside which might allow your scanner better reception?

 

[tvengr]

My problem is 75% of the time reception is clear as can be. 25% of the time i get distortion

I suggest getting a Remtronix REM-820S antenna for the SDS100. It will significantly increase the signal strength of the 700 MHz frequencies used for the new P25 system. Do you have the Uniden Sentinel programming software installed? You will need that to update the firmware and database.

 

[ofd8001]

An easy way to check out what @nessnet was suggesting is to use location control (zip code or GPS if you have one) and try lowering the range about 10 miles and seeing if it helps. If you have the some success with that, lower the range another 10 miles.

When I travel with my SDS200, I keep the range set at 10 miles & GPS to "move" me along and use the full database. The idea being to eliminate receiving low signal sites automatically.

That ain't a solution for simulcast systems, unfortunately. Using any kind of Location Control will turn on ALL sites for a simulcast system. (I wish it was a way around simulcast distortion because I've got some x36 scanners that give me fits on our local simulcast system.)

There just isn't any way to "pick and choose" any one site to receive with a simulcast system. The scanner is "listening" to control channel frequencies that may be coming from several places (sites).

You might try turning on the Attenuator for the site. Edit the Favorites List and look in the Options tab for the site.

Also you may try the different Filters to see if any one is better than the other.

 

[tvengr]

Also you may try the different Filters to see if any one is better than the other.

I have often had good results with the Wide Invert filter for 700 MHz frequencies.

 

[tvengr]

Have you downloaded and installed the free Uniden Sentinel programming software? http://info.uniden.com/UnidenMan4/BCDx36HPSentinel Here is a favorites list for the new P25 trunked system. Save the attached zipped file to your computer and extract. Go to the File tab in Sentinel and click on Import from hpe file (Favorites List). Click on New Favorites List and name it: Hernando Co FL Click on OK. In the Downloads folder, open the extracted hpe file. It will appear as a favorites list in Sentinel. The blank department is there to prevent getting the dreaded "Nothing to Scan" message in the event you turn off all of the department quick keys. Let me know when you have the favorites list, and I will walk you through how to write it to the scanner. Department quick keys as follows:

DEPT QUICK KEYS:
0. HernCo Emerg Ops
1. HernCo Fire/Rescue
2. HernCo Fire Alert
3. HernCo Fire Training
4. HernCo Med/Hospital
*. HernCo Blank
(Note: * = None)

 

[Ubbe]

My problem is 75% of the time reception is clear as can be. 25% of the time i get distortion

If you have a good signal strength, 3 bars or more or if you have RSSI values -90dBm or less negative, then it can be a transmitter on another frequency that interfere. If you have set a detailed display you will see what your monitored frequency are when you get the distorsion.

Push the CHANNEL button and enter that frequency followed by the same channel button again although it isn't displayed. Now do Function+7 to toggle IFX to on for that frequency. Select "to Scan". If several voice frequencies have that same distorsion then repeat the process with that next voice frequency and set IFX to on.

If that manages to fix it then enter those IFX frequencies in Sentinel in the Profiles Miscellaneous tab so they don't get reset with your next programming of your scanner.

As suggested you can also try and change the filter setting for that site, Manage Favorites / Edit System / Edit Site / Set Filter.

/Ubbe

 

[donc13]

That ain't a solution for simulcast systems, unfortunately. Using any kind of Location Control will turn on ALL sites for a simulcast system. (I wish it was a way around simulcast distortion because I've got some x36 scanners that give me fits on our local simulcast system.)

There just isn't any way to "pick and choose" any one site to receive with a simulcast system. The scanner is "listening" to control channel frequencies that may be coming from several places (sites).

You might try turning on the Attenuator for the site. Edit the Favorites List and look in the Options tab for the site.

Also you may try the different Filters to see if any one is better than the other.

Actually, that"s not true at all. I live in Colorado and monitor Colorado"s DTRS system. There are over 100 sites throughout the state. Only 6 of those sites are scanned because I use location control on my SDS200. Before I turned location control on, the SDS200 would scan all 100+ sites.

 

[nessnet]

Actually, that"s not true at all. I live in Colorado and monitor Colorado"s DTRS system. There are over 100 sites throughout the state. Only 6 of those sites are scanned because I use location control on my SDS200. Before I turned location control on, the SDS200 would scan all 100+ sites.

Sorry, you are not correct.
As the OP stated in his first post: "All 6 sites use the same frequencies", which indicates he is trying to monitor a single simulcast site.
The location control lat/long of a simulcast site is the approx. geographic center of those 6 sites.

As was previously stated: "There just isn't any way to "pick and choose" any one site transmitter to receive with a simulcast system. The scanner is "listening" to control channel frequencies that may be coming from several places (sites)" transmitters.

 

[donc13]

Let's agree to disagree.

 

[nessnet]

Let's agree to disagree.

The OP needs facts - not opinions.

When you turn on location control, the radio will only monitor "sites" that are within the range(s) programmed in the individual "sites" data, and the global range you have set.

So with "100 sites", sure, using location control, you will only monitor those "sites"within the parameters I state above.

The OP was asking about a single "site", which he states, is simulcast - the "site" consisting of 6 individual transmitter locations. Location control will not turn on or off these individual transmitter locations. It just knows the geographic center of all 6 sites and will act accordingly, given the parameters previously stated above. With simulcast "sites", ALL transmitter locations will be turned on or off when controlled via location control, because they are only one "site".

 

[hernando44]

Thank you all for your info and ideas! I had gone to the 5submenu and there was no difference. Went back to latest software
and the reception has greatly improved. What happened I do not know, but happy with better reception, Again thank you all for replying to my post. Really appreciated.

 

[tvengr]

Are you scanning from the national database or a favorites list?

 

[hernando44]

Favorite list

 

[tvengr]

Favorite list

Are you using the favorites list in post #9 or did you create your own? If you are using your own, give the other one a try to see which one you like better.

 

[IAmSixNine]

One thing that has not been addressed is possible interference in the home. On detailed or simple display you can enable D-ERROR this will show you the error rate on your Rx signal. I keep my scanner on on simple with D-ERROR bottom right and bottom left is the RSSI graph. With these two options enabled this lets me look at my scanner at a glance and determine if i have strong or weak signal and what the error rate is. Strong signal with high error rate usually indicates interference. There have been some good recommendations. For me the top 3 things to help improve reception on my SDS100 was replace stock antenna, test out different filters, and adjust location (even a few inches can make a big difference).