SDS100/SDS200: SDS100 advice needed

[SFBandman]

Although I have lurked here for many years I never pulled the trigger and bought a scanner. Lately, I have been reading a great deal on this forum and elsewhere on the internet. I've concluded that the SDS100 is probably my best choice but would appreciate advice and answers to a couple of questions. So...

I am in Kansas City, MO in Platte County, near the airport. My scanning desires are to listen to local law enforcement and airport communications.

I travel some, both by car and motorcycle, and would like to be able to listen to local law enforcement in other areas as I travel. Also to communications in other airports when traveling. If traveling by train I would like to be able to listen to train crews and other railroad communication. Most of which I understand to be in the 160-162Mhz range. And I understand that while not widely used some of the railroads are are dipping a toe in the NXDN world.

Kansas City is home to some NASCAR events and it might be fun to listen there as well.

Last but not least, I really only want to buy one scanner.

Because of the traveling requirement, there is no way of really knowing what frequencies I will encounter and whether they will be analog, trunked or simulcast so my conclusion was that the SDS100 was my best bet as being one radio that would accommodate all of my needs. Opinions?

However, I read on one of the railroad sites a post that claimed that the SDS100 was virtually "deaf" in the 160-162 Mhz analog range and that it was NOT suitable for monitoring railroad communications. Comments or opinions on that statement?

With regard to antennas, I have not gone very far but wonder whether to stay with the factory antenna or replace it with something else. In general, I would assume Uniden did the best they could for a general purpose antenna. However, is it possible that multiple antennas might help, e.g using the standard antenna but replace it with something else when riding on the train? If either a general or specific replacement is advisable, what is it?

Thanks in advance for your comments and help.

 

[trentbob]

So if you study the forums you will find a dozen post just like yours.

If you have the money the sds100 would be a good scanner for you. I have no problem on VHF or UHF however I do use filters on those bands.

I monitor Railroad and a Aviation and it is better than my 536 or 436 but again I do use filters and ifx. Before the introduction of the filters that came after the radio was released my radio was not deaf on VHF and UHF but it didn't work great. Once the filters came out and I was able to master them I am very impressed with VHF and UHF performance.

You are going to hear all kinds of opinions that it's not good, maybe from someone who doesn't own the radio or someone who has never used the filters or didn't use them properly.

These repetitive threads are like deja vu so if you just check and search you'll find all kinds of opinions.

The ultimate decision is up to you.

If you want take a look at the Whistler forum and look for a thread trx-1 vs sds100. I posted a lengthy description of how to use the filters to improve VHF and UHF performance. You can cut and paste it so if you do buy the radio you can set the filters.... Bob.

 

[Robertolson]

The main strength of the SDS 100 / 200 series...... is doing great on P25 trunking systems.......if you do not monitor any P25 systems...... then the SDS is over kill .......unless you want the eye candy display, which is very nice.

 

[hiegtx]

The main strength of the SDS 100 / 200 series...... is doing great on P25 trunking systems.......if you do not monitor any P25 systems...... then the SDS is over kill .......unless you want the eye candy display, which is very nice.

The OP is in the Kansas City metro area. The MARRS P25 system in that metro area has several Simulcast sites, including one in the OP's home county, Platte.
Here's the map of simulcast locations fot the Platte site.

RR Database Home

The most complete database of radio communications data

www.radioreference.com

Although I have lurked here for many years I never pulled the trigger and bought a scanner. Lately, I have been reading a great deal on this forum and elsewhere on the internet. I've concluded that the SDS100 is probably my best choice but would appreciate advice and answers to a couple of questions. So...

I am in Kansas City, MO in Platte County, near the airport. My scanning desires are to listen to local law enforcement and airport communications.

I travel some, both by car and motorcycle, and would like to be able to listen to local law enforcement in other areas as I travel. Also to communications in other airports when traveling. If traveling by train I would like to be able to listen to train crews and other railroad communication. Most of which I understand to be in the 160-162Mhz range. And I understand that while not widely used some of the railroads are are dipping a toe in the NXDN world.

Kansas City is home to some NASCAR events and it might be fun to listen there as well.

Last but not least, I really only want to buy one scanner.

Because of the traveling requirement, there is no way of really knowing what frequencies I will encounter and whether they will be analog, trunked or simulcast so my conclusion was that the SDS100 was my best bet as being one radio that would accommodate all of my needs. Opinions?

If you are buying only one scanner, the SDS100 is probably your best choice. Your county is part of the MARRS system, as is Kansas City, Jackson County, and other areas around you. The sites listed for the system are primarily simulcast. Scanners other than the SDS series can have difficulties monitoring this type of sites due to simulcast distortion. See the linked Wiki page for a more complete description of this topic.

If you plan to travel, and take the SDS100 with you, you have access to the entire RadioReference database within the scanner's memory card. Using a GPS, you can go wherever you want in the U.S. or Canada. Using the main database and location control via a GPS, the scanner will enable systems within a specified range, and disable them as you pass out of range.

However, I read on one of the railroad sites a post that claimed that the SDS100 was virtually "deaf" in the 160-162 Mhz analog range and that it was NOT suitable for monitoring railroad communications. Comments or opinions on that statement?

As trentbob noted above, I also find no discernible difference in reception between my SDS100, and my other scanners. Reception on problem systems can be enhanced by using the filters available for the SDS series. That is especially the case on 700/800MHz trunked systems, such as MARRS. But you may also see improvements in other frequency ranges. In my area, Dallas/Fort Worth metro, there are a number of different systems in use. Many of the cities have migrated to P25 trunked systems. Dallas (city) is primarily Uhf conventional, and Dallas County is Vhf-high conventional. (Both city and county will be switching to a new P25 Phase II system, currently under construction. Tentative switchover is around the end of this year, if they stay on schedule.)
Many of the smaller suburban cities in southern Dallas County, as well as Ellis County, to my south, are using Vhf-high. I'm not "missing" traffic on those with my SDS100, that I can hear on the 436HP or 325P2 scanners. No noticeable difference.

With regard to antennas, I have not gone very far but wonder whether to stay with the factory antenna or replace it with something else. In general, I would assume Uniden did the best they could for a general purpose antenna. However, is it possible that multiple antennas might help, e.g using the standard antenna but replace it with something else when riding on the train? If either a general or specific replacement is advisable, what is it?

For the MARRS, and other P25 700/800MHz systems, I prefer to use one of the Remtronix 800MHz antenna. The REM-820S is an SMA mount designed specifically for use with the SDS100. It will fully seat on the scanner, and has an o-ring to maintain the weather resistance of the scanner. The REM-800B is the same antenna, but with a BNC mount. You would use the SMA-BNC adapter that comes with the scanner. These antennas are optimized for the 700 and 800MHz bands used by many of the P25 trunked systems. It also does well on Uhf (Dallas (city) is Uhf). While not as good on Vhf-high, I'm not missing much of what I can hear if using an antenna better suited to Vhf.

For traveling, especially by rail, I would suggest the RH789. It is a telescoping antenna, and has markings on the antenna with suggested lengths for various frequency ranges. I find it works well on the variety of systems I encounter in my area. Get the BNC version and use with the adapter that comes with the scanner. The SMA version will not seat properly on the SDS100, which is a slightly recessed SMA connection.

You are correct, that rail is very slowly converting to NXDN. The primary instances in my state are mostly in rail yard areas. For Missouri, the only listed user is a small short line railroad. Eventually, that will change. Note that, at least in my area, there are a number of users of NXDN, especially among school districts. I do have the NXDN upgrade, as there are two NXDN public safety systems here in the Dallas area.

There are no DMR users listed on your county's database page. However, using the Digital Frequency Search site, I see quite a few listings, including several at the airport. Note that just because a given company or agency is listed on that site, it only shows who is licensed to use DMR (or NXDN), not who is actively using that format. That being said, there are quite a few users in my area that are on DMR, but not listed in the database, as no one as yet has confirmed the system details and submitted them to the database. I also have the DMR upgrade. However, the upgrades are not something that you have to immediately purchase, You can do it later, if you find that one or more users of interest to you are DMR or NXDN.

 

[djeplett]

Excellent advice from trentbob and hiegtx.

Only thing I would add is if you plan on running the SDS100 while you are on your motorcycle I would definitely recommend jonweinke's internal GPS mod. That way you don't have cords all over the damn bike and yet you'll have the safety of not having to turn favorite lists on and off.

Like trentbob said, you're going to have a million opinions and they're like butts... everybody has one and everybody else's stinks.

Go with the SDS100. It fits all your listening wants the best.

 

[hiegtx]

Excellent advice from trentbob and hiegtx.

Only thing I would add is if you plan on running the SDS100 while you are on your motorcycle I would definitely recommend jonweinke's internal GPS mod. That way you don't have cords all over the damn bike and yet you'll have the safety of not having to turn favorite lists on and off.

Like trentbob said, you're going to have a million opinions and they're like butts... everybody has one and everybody else's stinks.

Go with the SDS100. It fits all your listening wants the best.

Good point about using a GPS while on a motorcycle. However, for those squeamish about having their scanner modified, Jon also has an external GPS. This is a small, self contained, GPS with rechargeable batteries inside. The batteries can be charged via a micro-USB cable, with a runtime of about 24 hours. I have one of these and it does work. See this closed thread, and contact jon directly if you want more information.

 

[jonwienke]

If you're concerned about weather sealing, the internal install is a better bet. You can keep all of the scanner port covers closed. The external unit is not waterproof.

 

[SFBandman]

Thank you very much to all of those who responded. Collectively, the responses offer a wealth of information and a big boost up the learning curve. I'll be moving ahead with getting the SDS100. Once it's here, I'll definitely be in touch with jonwienke about the gps options. Thank you again to all.

Deane

 

[greggk]

Although I have lurked here for many years I never pulled the trigger and bought a scanner.

Although I've been around for years, I wanted to pull the trigger after some bad luck with scanners. The TRX especially. The SDS100 is a sure bet. I Would love to have the 200 as well, but not all is possible. Go for the 100!

 

[Computrguy]

I travel full time in my motorhome. Using filters is not an option because I scan from the full database with GPS. So take that into consideration when you get that SDS100. Also, because I travel, I am not so familiar with all the systems where I may be for a week or two or three (and not doing that research and testing to get the filters to work optimally). In that respect I don't know what I am not hearing.

 

[W4EMS]

Here is a great primer on using the 100/200.
Easier to Read SDS100/200

 

[HMD]

I seriously doubt a scanner could be heard on a motorcycle. Wind noise, engine noise...

 

[greggk]

I seriously doubt a scanner could be heard on a motorcycle. Wind noise, engine noise...

External Speaker(s), ear buds, etc.

 

[SFBandman]

HMD - Honda GoldWings, which is my ride, are pretty quiet. My 2008 model has a built in sound system, intercom, voice direction GPS, two way radio, and an auxiliary input for other functions such as my iPod, or at one time a bluetooth connection for my phone. All of that can be heard nicely through the six speakers (4 front and 2 rear) or at the push of a button is piped directly into my helmet. Current model GoldWings have all that built in and more, e.g. Apple Carplay and Android Auto. My buddy, with a 2012 model which has everything my bike has plus XM Radio, likes his audio over his speakers and I prefer mine on the earphones in the helmet. Neither of us need to run the volume over 50% and we're both hard of hearing. I will admit that when passing a semi, their tire noise makes it hard to hear well, but that's about the only problem.

 

[2006walt]

Is there a guide on how to apply SDS100 filters for VHF/UHF? Thanks

 

[fxdscon]

Is there a guide on how to apply SDS100 filters for VHF/UHF? Thanks

There is a great deal of discussion in the forums, but what it boils down to is which filter works best for you, at your specific location, depending on what you are monitoring, and what kind of local RF noise and/or interference at your location. In other words, experimentation along with trial and error is the approach. Someone else's settings may not work at all for your needs, and could even make your reception worse.

.

 

[trentbob]

Is there a guide on how to apply SDS100 filters for VHF/UHF? Thanks

Look at filters as a troubleshooting function. They don't have to be applied to every object. They work differently for everybody depending on your environment.

Global filters affect every object on your radio unless you specifically go in and alter a filter on a site of a system or on a specific conventional Channel.

Global should stay on normal for a reason, it's a general filter that's a good starting point. When fooling around with filters do it on the radio not the computer because you want to hear results right away so you can play with the global filter and if you find it helps a conventional Channel which is what you are asking about then remember what that filter is, put Global back to normal then...

... go to that department that the conventional channel is in and go to Department options and choose the filter that you found to work the best when playing with the global filter. Unfortunately that filter now will apply to all the channels in that department so you might want to group conventional channels in departments by all having the same filter. ie railroad frequencies or Aviation frequencies.

When you start playing with filters it's a good idea to put the filter indicator on your display so it will show what filter is applied to every object you're looking at.

Also avoid Auto filters as they sample all filters slowing your scanning way down and you never know what filter does the trick.

When you hook up to Sentinel the next time make sure to download the card into Sentinel first thing so as to save any changes you made directly on the radio. Hope that helps.

 

[HMD]

External Speaker(s), ear buds, etc.

And just where do you propose to put an external speaker?

 

[SFBandman]

Here are the external speakers on GoldWings

A 2010. a 2012, the current model, and a highly modified dash by someone who just needed some extras on their bike such as a FLIR camera system

 

[bobruzzo]

When you start playing with filters it's a good idea to put the filter indicator on your display so it will show what filter is applied to every object you're looking at.

Look at filters as a troubleshooting function. They don't have to be applied to every object. They work differently for everybody depending on your environment.

Global filters affect every object on your radio unless you specifically go in and alter a filter on a site of a system or on a specific conventional Channel.

Global should stay on normal for a reason, it's a general filter that's a good starting point. When fooling around with filters do it on the radio not the computer because you want to hear results right away so you can play with the global filter and if you find it helps a conventional Channel which is what you are asking about then remember what that filter is, put Global back to normal then...

... go to that department that the conventional channel is in and go to Department options and choose the filter that you found to work the best when playing with the global filter. Unfortunately that filter now will apply to all the channels in that department so you might want to group conventional channels in departments by all having the same filter. ie railroad frequencies or Aviation frequencies.

When you start playing with filters it's a good idea to put the filter indicator on your display so it will show what filter is applied to every object you're looking at.

Also avoid Auto filters as they sample all filters slowing your scanning way down and you never know what filter does the trick.

When you hook up to Sentinel the next time make sure to download the card into Sentinel first thing so as to save any changes you made directly on the radio. Hope that helps.

How do you put the filter indicator on in display? I didnt know you could do that. I looked in settings and couldnt find anything giving that option.