Yeah, I like all those ideas for sure.
SDS100 - Backlight Issues
- Thread starter W2SJW
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Yeah, I like all those ideas for sure.
I have (using Sentinel prompts):
Dimmer: 100%
Squelch Light: 15sec
Keypress Light: 15sec
Key Backlight: Enable
Flash w/Backlight Off: On
External Power: Backlight On
The documentation isn't clear, so I'm guessing, but I interpreted this as:
Dimmer: obvious enough
Squelch Light: time after a transmission ends that the B/L will stay on; I guess "Open Squelch" is equivalent to no delay? [which it appears to be using no matter what; see below]
Keypress Light: time after a keypress that the B/L will stay on
Key Backlight: enable the keypad backlighting
Flash w/Backlight Off: flash the RGB LED white every 5 secs while the B/L is off, so you'll know the radio is on
External Power: obvious
Keypress Light delay seems to work as "documented".
Squelch Light is the problem. The B/L lights up while there is a transmission, but immediately goes dark after the transmission ends [i.e., it acts like how I think "Open Squelch" is supposed to work].
I haven't seen the "lighting flashes" that others have seen [from the videos, their's is flashing quickly even though you can hear a transmission continuing in the background], although I might have seen it when the radio stops for a microsecond before realizing that the TG is encrypted and carrying on.
Dimmer: 100%
Squelch Light: 15sec
Keypress Light: 15sec
Key Backlight: Enable
Flash w/Backlight Off: On
External Power: Backlight On
The documentation isn't clear, so I'm guessing, but I interpreted this as:
Dimmer: obvious enough
Squelch Light: time after a transmission ends that the B/L will stay on; I guess "Open Squelch" is equivalent to no delay? [which it appears to be using no matter what; see below]
Keypress Light: time after a keypress that the B/L will stay on
Key Backlight: enable the keypad backlighting
Flash w/Backlight Off: flash the RGB LED white every 5 secs while the B/L is off, so you'll know the radio is on
External Power: obvious
Keypress Light delay seems to work as "documented".
Squelch Light is the problem. The B/L lights up while there is a transmission, but immediately goes dark after the transmission ends [i.e., it acts like how I think "Open Squelch" is supposed to work].
I haven't seen the "lighting flashes" that others have seen [from the videos, their's is flashing quickly even though you can hear a transmission continuing in the background], although I might have seen it when the radio stops for a microsecond before realizing that the TG is encrypted and carrying on.
1. Does this also happen in Trunking Discovery mode for that P25 site?
2. Does this happen during DMR and NXDN trunking?
3. Does this happen during DMR and NXDN conventional scanning?
2. Does this happen during DMR and NXDN trunking?
3. Does this happen during DMR and NXDN conventional scanning?
JamesO
Member
Seeing similar problems with the back light/display flashing on for a very short period, no delay, dropping out between conversations and so forth with regular scanning primarily of P25 Trunked systems. Have not been able to determine what is going on,but does not work like the 436HP at all.
Not sure the back light/display is triggering on squelch, mute or what is triggering it but there does not appear to be the proper delay after the back light/display is triggered.
I say firmware bug.
Not sure the back light/display is triggering on squelch, mute or what is triggering it but there does not appear to be the proper delay after the back light/display is triggered.
I say firmware bug.
This doesn't make much sense. Which part of my post is wrong? "Squelch stays on". What does that mean? Squelch is always on.
Are you trying to say (1) that the time specified under "Squelch Light" is the maximum amount of time that the backlight stays on after the beginning of open squelch, even if the squelch stays open longer, and (2) that by design the backlight goes off no later than immediately after the squelch closes, w/o any delay? I.e., that the pop-on/pop-off squelch-activity backlight is the intended behavior? If so, then yeh, what a terribly implemented feature.
jonwienke
More Info Coming Soon!
Yes. That is exactly the same as the backlight behavior on the 436. Let's suppose you set the squelch backlight for 5 seconds. If the scanner receives a 1 second transmission, the backlight comes on at the beginning of the transmission, and shuts off at the end of the transmission 1 second later. If the scanner receives a >5-second transmission, the backlight turns on at the beginning of the transmission, and shuts off 5 seconds later, regardless of how much longer the transmission continues.
AFAIK, Uniden has never offered a backlight option to turn the backlight off some time period after the end of a transmission.
If you're receiving encrypted traffic that the scanner is skipping as as soon as encryption is detected, that could cause the backlight to flicker on momentarily, if the backlight is turned on before the scanner checks to see if the transmission is encrypted. That would explain why people are seeing flickering on digital trunked systems (which can use encryption) but not on analog traffic (where encryption is not supported). It would also explain why other people are not seeing flickering (if encryption is not used on their systems).
If a squelch + time backlight option (turning backlight off n seconds after squelch closes) is added, it needs to ignore skipped encrypted transmissions. Otherwise the user will see the backlight randomly turning on with no indication as to why.
Cue the arguments that such behavior would be a good thing, so you are alerted to encrypted traffic, and should be regarded as a feature, not a bug.
Great explanation...I think you need to write the addendum in the owners manual...lol! We might want to wait until the higher capacity batteries are in our hands too before we start extending backlight timers too.
I've experienced a "backlight issue" where the light turns off before the 15 seconds while voice is still coming through, here and there, but to be honest it's so incredibly minor compared to the issue of not switching from the control channel to the voice channel when that should happen, that it's hardly on my radar at the moment. But, it's a minor issue for me still.
Is there yet another thread for this? Maybe I purchased the perfect scanner, but I'm not seeing that either. I understand the back light limitations too.
I saw something in a thread recently about this, but I would have to dig a bit. As I said I consider it pretty minor in my situation, but I have observed some odd behavior with the light a few times (turning off when it should not turn off - during a constant transmission - less than the 15 seconds that squelch is supposed to be keeping it on). I will try to replicate this later and post the video.
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My SDS100 as well
Mine does the same thing whether it's a conventional or digital channel.
Mine does the same thing whether it's a conventional or digital channel.
When my SDS is receiving a signal, I have it set to Squelch and the light is on. If I set it to 5,10,15 seconds the scanner will stay lit for the allotted time once a transmission starts no matter what system I'm monitoring. It will shut off despite a transmission is in progress or not...I got that.
But you mentioned it's not going to a voice channel. Before we tie up another thread, I was asking if their was another thread for this? That sounds like a programming issue...I'm trunking without issues on numerous systems.
jonwienke
More Info Coming Soon!
Yes, several. Upman is active in at least one of them.
See this thread, please also see my last post put up less than an hour ago for the results of my joint testing today with a Uniden beta tester. Sorry to stray off topic but there you go.
https://forums.radioreference.com/u...s/371579-sds100-initial-review-phoenix-6.html
Let me go through the 50 threads on this scanner...I'll find it..thanks.
This is also happening to me. It will flash on and off so fast I don't have time to read it. I don't use Discovery mode, and there are no DMR or NXDN trunking in my area.
spotsyrick
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I have that issue on the Spotsylvania County Harris system. I'm picking up the control channel but it's not picking up the voice channel. I'm still experimenting trying to get the reception better. I switched to the RS800 antenna and I live 5.5 miles from the nearest tower, with another tower 5.7 miles away. I was getting -85 to -107 at my house with the stock antenna so I switched to the RS800 and that improved to -80 to -90. What doesn't make since to me is that even if I drive to where the tower is my RSSI doesn't get any better than -70 to -80. I have tried using just the database and a favorites list. I did inquire for anyone that is receiving that system to send me the file so I can import it and see if it is a database issue. Before anyone ask, yes I did download the newest firmware and database through Sentinel. Thanks
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