SDS100/SDS200: SDS Firmware 12/21/23 Digital Reception Improvements

[bobhud]

Months? You must have many ham radios or those updates are very time consuming.

Long Story and it would be off topic for this thread, so we'll leave it at that.

 

[VA3ADP]

I've noticed my SDS100 Reception D-Error rate had dramatically improved. Use to be at 30 and now it's down to 10 or less. However, I'm noticing reduced reception on Toronto's P25 phase II system. Use to have about -85 now it's about -95 to -111 so not so much an improvement there. Sounds like I'm not the only reporting issues also.

 

[Dewey]

I am glad that I did not buy the waterfall option, as you can add me to those who want to go backwards. The new firmware has absolutely destroyed my reception of the Charles Co, MD Moto Type II Smartnet system (Charles County Trunking System, Various, Maryland).

 

[dave3825]

ast night my SDS200 was experiencing way more digital errors than I have ever seen on my local P25P2 system. Audio was choppy and garbled 20% of the time for most of the evening. Today it's back to normal.

How was the weather by you? I mean other things can contribute to decode errors so anything out of the norm?

The new firmware has absolutely destroyed my reception of the Charles Co, MD Moto Type II Smartnet system (Charles County Trunking System, Various, Maryland).

In what way and on the analog, digital or both?

 

[Dewey]

How was the weather by you? I mean other things can contribute to decode errors so anything out of the norm?



In what way and on the analog, digital or both?

I don't know about the analog yet, but the digital sounds just like that... digital. Not the old fashioned motorboating, but the unintelligible squeaking voice (like when dispatchers not familiar with digital signals tell field units that they "went digital" because the dispatcher could not understand them). I've tried different filters, but nothing helps. I've got all my old firmware files EXCEPT the previous "SUB" firmware file.

EDIT: I have found a consistent and repeatable problem. The reception comes in normal (loud and clear) for the first 2, 3, or 4 seconds, then it either just fades out or digitizes (squeaks) out. This is across all of the digital channels every time, regardless of filter setting to include "Off" on both the 100 and 200.

 

[IcomIcR20]

I don't know about the analog yet, but the digital sounds just like that... digital. Not the old fashioned motorboating, but the unintelligible squeaking voice (like when dispatchers not familiar with digital signals tell field units that they "went digital" because the dispatcher could not understand them). I've tried different filters, but nothing helps. I've got all my old firmware files EXCEPT the previous "SUB" firmware file.

EDIT: I have found a consistent and repeatable problem. The reception comes in normal (loud and clear) for the first 2, 3, or 4 seconds, then it either just fades out or digitizes (squeaks) out. This is across all of the digital channels every time, regardless of filter setting to include "Off" on both the 100 and 200.

It sounds like your are experiencing the exact same issue that I am noting on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Motorola system. Very frustrating indeed. Does this only happen on Motorola systems for you? As I mentioned earlier, I do not seem to have this issue with P25 systems (such as VIPER P25).

At least Motorola Type II systems are less common these days as they are upgraded to P25.

 

[Dewey]

It sounds like your are experiencing the exact same issue that I am noting on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Motorola system. Very frustrating indeed. Does this only happen on Motorola systems for you? As I mentioned earlier, I do not seem to have this issue with P25 systems (such as VIPER P25).

At least Motorola Type II systems are less common these days as they are upgraded to P25.

For now, it's just the Moto Type II Smartnet system that is near me. My home county, P25P2 is fine and did not seem to affected either way, good or bad by the update.

 

[devicelab]

I've noticed my SDS100 Reception D-Error rate had dramatically improved. Use to be at 30 and now it's down to 10 or less.

I noticed this on our Phase 2 system as well.

 

[APX8000]

Same

 

[freqseeker]

How was the weather by you? I mean other things can contribute to decode errors so anything out of the norm?

Nothing unusual. I have always experienced changes to 800 reception going back to our old type2 analog. I blame the weather conditions. No big deal. I'm just saying it's not always the firmware update.

 

[ssinglet]

yep same here for the Charles county system had to go back to the 436 just to hear them

Did notice that the rssi is like -60db when idle but under load it is -110db and that’s with clear view of the tower on radio station road

 

[blackbelter]

Just curious... if the WF feature has created these reported reception issues? Per my previous post and after the new FW update , I have experienced no increase or downgrade in my SDS 200 performance monitoring my City and or County P25P2 systems. I have not nor planning on purchasing the WF feature.

 

[ratboy]

I'm going to wait a while to update my SDS200's, I've had severe issues with cellphone updates. One of my phones was great, until the first update. It started having major issues and eventually even calling 911 took several minutes to actually attempt to make the call. Hit the dial button and wait and wait and wait. Finally, after the 911 call problem, I just replaced the phone. That old phone had the best speakerphone function of any I've ever had.

 

[adsbgreenock]

Hi Guys

If i change to the US version (SDS200) of this firmware from the EU/UK (SDS200E) version.

Can i apply this waterfall malarky then change my bandplan back to EU/UK or is this not advised .

Thanks in advance

 

[palmerjrusa]

Did notice that the rssi is like -60db when idle but under load it is -110db and that’s with clear view of the tower on radio station road

Same here for my local P25 system, the post-update rssi values are markedly different.

 

[JvdK]

Hi Guys

If i change to the US version (SDS200) of this firmware from the EU/UK (SDS200E) version.

Can i apply this waterfall malarky then change my bandplan back to EU/UK or is this not advised .

Thanks in advance

Probably not, but give it a try and let us know…..😉

I‘ve read in a previous post that you can’t buy a WF activation code with a foreign (non-US) creditcard. Secondly I doubt if you can register your SDS200e as a SDS200 on my.uniden. I guess it will not approve your SDS200e’s serialnumber.

 

[IcomIcR20]

Just curious... if the WF feature has created these reported reception issues? Per my previous post and after the new FW update , I have experienced no increase or downgrade in my SDS 200 performance monitoring my City and or County P25P2 systems. I have not nor planning on purchasing the WF feature.

I have not purchased the waterfall feature but still experience certain new reception issues nonetheless.

 

[Ronaldski]

Uniden broke a couple cardinal rules for updates... I havent updated.

Appears its was Friday, so then most of the tech people would be gone till Monday.
I recall that at Dow Chemical here the rule was no updates on Fridays, unless there was supervisor approval as the salaried personnel worked a 9/80 shift so 1/2 the people would be gone.

Releasing an update just prior to Christmas when most tech support will be gone, let alone many will be gone till after new years.

 

[phask]

Uniden broke a couple cardinal rules for updates... I havent updated.

Appears its was Friday, so then most of the tech people would be gone till Monday.
I recall that at Dow Chemical here the rule was no updates on Fridays, unless there was supervisor approval as the salaried personnel worked a 9/80 shift so 1/2 the people would be gone.

Releasing an update just prior to Christmas when most tech support will be gone, let alone many will be gone till after new years.

Guess you forgot about Firmware Friday. Used to happen a lot when Paul was still around.

 

[GTR8000]

Appears its was Friday, so then most of the tech people would be gone till Monday.

"Tech people" that's amusing. 😂

The only tech people at Uniden are the engineers in Japan. Any real technical knowledge stateside died with Paul, sadly. Besides, you'd be waiting until Wednesday evening for Joe to grace us with his once-a-week appearance, followed by waiting at least another week (if you're lucky) for him to respond here with whatever the engineers responded to him with regarding any bugs/concerns.

The guy has made one post since the firmware was released, and that was to announce that it had been released, and he hasn't even been logged in since that post on Thursday afternoon. That's how much Uniden cares about the money you've spent or providing any real "customer service" these days.