SDS100 - Backlight Issues
- Thread starter W2SJW
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OK, so you also seem to have the "stuck on control channel frequency / won't switch to voice frequency" issue...very interesting. Please post updates in the thread I referenced if you have any.
spotsyrick
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- Jul 23, 2014
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Will do, thanks
Ubbe
Member
According to UPMan the receiver module alone draws 700mA so I guess the backlight wont do much difference to the battery life.
/Ubbe
werinshades said:
I run mine with the display on full time at 20% dimmer and I still get on average 5 hours, give or take 30 minutes depending on how much activity there is.
Ubbe
Member
Set Timer1 to user defined keypress timer (20s)
Set Timer2 to user defined SQ/TG delayed timer (5s)
Define Timer=Display backlight timer
.
. (standard code to activate display backlight from keypress and SQ/TG)
.
IF TG=ENC AND user_set_enc_monitor=NO
THEN IF Timer<Timer2 set Timer=0
GOTO scan routine
ELSE
DO Monitor routine
IF SQ/TG active=0 THEN IF Timer<Timer2 then Timer=Timer2
If the backlight timer have more than 5 seconds left to run it means that the keypress timer is active and it shouldn't be touched when the squelch close or talk group gets inactive.
If the TG is encrypted it sets the backlight to off if the backlight timer is less than 5s and goes to scan routine, but if the user have selected to monitor encrypted TGs it continuos as if it where a non encrypted call.
(code are simplified to show structure of backlight operation and cannot be used as written)
/Ubbe
JamesO
Member
Display back light program is screwed up most likely in firmware.
I increase the back light time from 5 to 10 seconds. When comparing to my 436HP on the same P25 scan lists, the SDS100 is erratic in its behavior. All comments are based on the scanner running on batteries. Often the back light will come on when the squelch breaks and turn off on a short conversation of 2-5 seconds and the back light will immediately go off. Basically behaving like a squelch controlled back light for the transmissions under 5 seconds which there are quite a few of. Almost seems like the transmission needs to exceed the typical 2 second delay time for the back light to stay on for the 10 seconds I currently have configured??
No hang time like the 436HP. But if there is a 2nd transmission within the 10 second period the back light appears to stay on but probably turns off from the last 10 second trigger.
Not 100% sure I can actually determine what is actually going on, but the behavior is not correct.
Would also be nice if the behavior could mimic the HP1/HP2 to some extent that the back light could go to dim for a period before turning totally off. Again, often there are short transmissions that by the time I look over the back light is off and I cannot even see what System, much less the talk group that was active.
Whether or not the behavior is different for DMR or NXDN, not sure as I have not set up a much monitoring of these formats in my area yet. Assume the issue is global??
I increase the back light time from 5 to 10 seconds. When comparing to my 436HP on the same P25 scan lists, the SDS100 is erratic in its behavior. All comments are based on the scanner running on batteries. Often the back light will come on when the squelch breaks and turn off on a short conversation of 2-5 seconds and the back light will immediately go off. Basically behaving like a squelch controlled back light for the transmissions under 5 seconds which there are quite a few of. Almost seems like the transmission needs to exceed the typical 2 second delay time for the back light to stay on for the 10 seconds I currently have configured??
No hang time like the 436HP. But if there is a 2nd transmission within the 10 second period the back light appears to stay on but probably turns off from the last 10 second trigger.
Not 100% sure I can actually determine what is actually going on, but the behavior is not correct.
Would also be nice if the behavior could mimic the HP1/HP2 to some extent that the back light could go to dim for a period before turning totally off. Again, often there are short transmissions that by the time I look over the back light is off and I cannot even see what System, much less the talk group that was active.
Whether or not the behavior is different for DMR or NXDN, not sure as I have not set up a much monitoring of these formats in my area yet. Assume the issue is global??
jfr454
Member
This happens on my unit also while scanning several FL both analog & digital.
I have not tried discovery mode.
No DMR or NXDN yet.
I have not tried discovery mode.
No DMR or NXDN yet.
To the people saying it's just the settings; it's not. It's definitely an issue.
I just noticed mine is not doing the same thing while holding on an analog frequency (screen comes on when squelch opens and goes off when it closes, no delay after traffic stops even though the delay is set at 15 seconds).
While scanning a p25 site the screen will flash on for maybe half a second and go off while still receiving traffic.
Scanner not plugged in.
Timer: squelch 15 sec
Keypress 30sec
Dimmer 60%
Set key backlight: enable
Flash with backlight off: on
External power: backlight on.
I just noticed mine is not doing the same thing while holding on an analog frequency (screen comes on when squelch opens and goes off when it closes, no delay after traffic stops even though the delay is set at 15 seconds).
While scanning a p25 site the screen will flash on for maybe half a second and go off while still receiving traffic.
Scanner not plugged in.
Timer: squelch 15 sec
Keypress 30sec
Dimmer 60%
Set key backlight: enable
Flash with backlight off: on
External power: backlight on.
KI4ACI
Member
No matter what settings I have for the backlght (except having it set to "off") it behaves as though it is set to "open squelch." It doesn't matter if I choose a time out length for the light, it still goes out as soon as the transmission stops. I'm also getting the periodic flickering and periodic times when it doesn't come on at all. I hope this is a firmware issue that can be resolved and not a hardware issue.
KI4ACI
Member
Mine acts the same as yours (as noted in my previous post) no matter the setting it acts as though it is in the open squelch setting. I would like the light to remain on for the set timer period after the transmission as ended. This is the way the 436 operates.
KI4ACI
Member
I've had the issue on P25 and conventional, I don't scan the others or use discovery.
But this surely has to be user error because some aren't having this problem...(high pitched voice)... Not my first rodeo (radio)....My settings do not matter..My light does what it wants to do...its possessed..lol
jonwienke
More Info Coming Soon!
The 436 has never worked that way, I have one in hand right now. Set squelch backlight to 5 seconds, and the light goes off 5 seconds into the transmission, or when the transmission ends whichever comes first. There never has been a setting to make the backlight go off x seconds after the end of a transmission.
Jon beat me to it (blame it on vacation). The squelch time settings define the maximum time the light will be on. i.e. squelch 5 the light will stay on for 5 seconds or the end of the transmission, whichever occurs first.
The bug we are trying to isolate is where the scanner flichers the display backlight then fails to illuminate at all on the next transmission(s).
Also, if the backlight keeps coming on and staying on when you have it set to a timed keypress or timed squelch, you also likely have backlight on w/power turned on and you are powering the scanner from external power. That setting overrides the others, so as soon as the b/l comes on one time, it will stay on until manually turned off (but then will turn on again on the next trigger).
The bug we are trying to isolate is where the scanner flichers the display backlight then fails to illuminate at all on the next transmission(s).
Also, if the backlight keeps coming on and staying on when you have it set to a timed keypress or timed squelch, you also likely have backlight on w/power turned on and you are powering the scanner from external power. That setting overrides the others, so as soon as the b/l comes on one time, it will stay on until manually turned off (but then will turn on again on the next trigger).
I'm glad to read that Uniden is working on the problem my SDS100 has, where the back light stays on only when there is an actual transmission then the backlight wont come back on for the "reply" transmission.
Like previous models, their are always little nuisances that come up after a release. They are still tweaking the 436/536xp series of scanners with firmware updates which is good for us...the consumer. Give them time.
To be clear, Uniden has no plans to allow us to have the backlight stay on after a transmission ends so that we can actually see what we're hearing, correct?
KI4ACI
Member
I've my 436 b/l timeout set to 15 seconds. With that setting it remains on even after the transmission ends and the go out after the time limit has been reached.
KI4ACI
Member
I've my 436 b/l timeout set to 15 seconds. With that setting it remains on even after the transmission ends and the go out after the time limit has been reached.
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