SDS100/SDS200: SDS100 beginning of transmissions cut off

[tvengr]

By any chance, are you using an external amplified speaker? Some of the so called "green" speakers turn off the amplifier after a period of time. When a transmission begins, the start of the audio is clipped while the speaker amp turns on. I used some of the old Radio Shack speakers. I couldn't hear the key beeps when I pressed the buttons. The Uniden BC23A speaker has the same problem. I did a mod so that the amp stays on all of the time.

 

[dom6vrr]

By any chance, are you using an external amplified speaker? Some of the so called "green" speakers turn off the amplifier after a period of time. When a transmission begins, the start of the audio is clipped while the speaker amp turns on. I used some of the old Radio Shack speakers. I couldn't hear the key beeps when I pressed the buttons. The Uniden BC23A speaker has the same problem. I did a mod so that the amp stays on all of the time.

I'm just using the built in speaker of the SDS100.

 

[tvengr]

That's me naming my favorites list that I manually programmed

Please attach your favorites list file so that we can take a look at it. Go to the File tab in Sentinel and click on Export to hpe file (Favorites List). You will need to zip the exported file to be able to attach it. Click on Attach files and open the zipped file.

 

[nessnet]

Audio type is dashed out for me (see image), not sure how to change that or if it's even applicable for P25 Phase II. No option to edit it in Sentinel favorites editor or inside the scanners favorites list menu.View attachment 148757

Audio type is N/A for P25

 

[dom6vrr]

Please attach your favorites list file so that we can take a look at it. Go to the File tab in Sentinel and click on Export to hpe file (Favorites List). You will need to zip the exported file to be able to attach it. Click on Attach files and open the zipped file.

Not home right now, I’ll get you it ASAP.

 

[dom6vrr]

Please attach your favorites list file so that we can take a look at it. Go to the File tab in Sentinel and click on Export to hpe file (Favorites List). You will need to zip the exported file to be able to attach it. Click on Attach files and open the zipped file.

Let me know if you guys need anything else.

 

[Ubbe]

I only hear a small snippet of sound that sounds like possibly just 8? It's so short you can't even hear anything she says.

That video show that you loose the signal from the site prior to the response from the dispatcher and when the signal are back you just hear that last "ih". It means that the scanner are doing something else than monitoring the site. The signal bars and RSSI signal level both disappears prior to the dispatch response. The display shows the same frequency all the time but that can be just that it can't update that info field quick enough.

It is acting exactly as if you have DND prio activated that check conventional channels. It's exactly 2 sec from the time the unit stops transmitting and the drop out. Are you sure you are using 4 sec TG delay during the recording of the video?

/Ubbe

 

[dom6vrr]

It means that the scanner are doing something else than monitoring the site.

Then what is it doing?

It is acting exactly as if you have DND prio activated that check conventional channels. It's exactly 2 sec from the time the unit stops transmitting and the drop out.

All favorites lists are turned off except for the one that withholds the Albany system. What do I have DND priority activated to? WX priority is off, P25 priorities are all off.

Are you sure you are using 4 sec TG delay during the recording of the video?

Correct.

 

[Ubbe]

Then what is it doing?

That's the question that needs to be answered. If you look at the display and when you miss the beginning of an answer, is it always a 2 sec time from last transmission to the signal drop out?

Then, if you have a 4 sec TG delay, it is the voice channel in the system that are dropped as it is the radio systems own 2 sec hang time, and the scanner should then immediately go to the control channel and still show full signal strength. But something happens and scanner probably goes to a frequency that are not the current control channel and then scans primary and secondary CC and finds the active one and sees that the dispatcher are in a call on that same TG that are still active in the scanners TG delay period.

That unwanted behavior are what I mean could be a firmware bug, possible only for that type of system and release version that other system do not use, if not anyone else have the same issue with their SDS100.

/Ubbe

 

[tvengr]

I don't see any programming errors to cause clipping of audio. Try changing your site filters to off, normal, invert, or wide invert to see if there is any improvement. Auto setting slows down scanning speed.

 

[dom6vrr]

That's the question that needs to be answered. If you look at the display and when you miss the beginning of an answer, is it always a 2 sec time from last transmission to the signal drop out?

Then, if you have a 4 sec TG delay, it is the voice channel in the system that are dropped as it is the radio systems own 2 sec hang time, and the scanner should then immediately go to the control channel and still show full signal strength. But something happens and scanner probably goes to a frequency that are not the current control channel and then scans primary and secondary CC and finds the active one and sees that the dispatcher are in a call on that same TG that are still active in the scanners TG delay period.

That unwanted behavior are what I mean could be a firmware bug, possible only for that type of system and release version that other system do not use, if not anyone else have the same issue with their SDS100.

/Ubbe

I'm 100% sure there are no priorities on and that it happens the same on 4 second delay.

 

[werinshades]

Do you have any other Favorite Lists programmed? It's possible it's scanning one unintentionally since it appears you're not using Favorite List Quick Keys. The scanner will scan everything since no Quick Keys assigned

 

[Ubbe]

You have the sites filter set to Auto. Try using Off or Normal instead as twengr suggests.
In the sites frequency list, try switching places between 851.7375 and 852.1875 and see what happens.

Is it some specific reason for that bandplan configuration you have done?
The database use no bandplan and just have the frequencies for the site.

/Ubbe

 

[dom6vrr]

I don't see any programming errors to cause clipping of audio. Try changing your site filters to off, normal, invert, or wide invert to see if there is any improvement. Auto setting slows down scanning speed.

Changing filters did not do anything.

Do you have any other Favorite Lists programmed? It's possible it's scanning one unintentionally since it appears you're not using Favorite List Quick Keys. The scanner will scan everything since no Quick Keys assigned

I do have other favorites lists programmed, but they’re all switched to off in the monitoring tab.

You have the sites filter set to Auto. Try using Off or Normal instead as twengr suggests.
In the sites frequency list, try switching places between 851.7375 and 852.1875 and see what happens.

Is it some specific reason for that bandplan configuration you have done?
The database use no bandplan and just have the frequencies for the site.

/Ubbe

What do you mean by “switching places” with those 2 frequencies? Swapping them out? Reordering?

I have never touched bandplan, the scanner just automatically did that.

 

[tvengr]

Is it some specific reason for that bandplan configuration you have done?

i didn't notice that you loaded a band plan. You can remove the entries and leave it blank. The band plan for a P25 system is carried on the control channel and is automatically loaded. You only need the 4 control channel capable frequencies for each site. All of the frequency info is carried on the control channel. You can try loading the site NAC for both sites and set the scanner to use site NAC. The only other thing I can think of is to use IFX on the site frequencies.

Albany Metro	Albany County
856.1125	852.95
859.2625	853.7375
859.7125	854.0375
860.2625	854.5375
Site NAC 690	Site NAC 692

 

[dom6vrr]

i didn't notice that you loaded a band plan. You can remove the entries and leave it blank. The band plan for a P25 system is carried on the control channel and is automatically loaded. You only need the 4 control channel capable frequencies for each site. All of the frequency info is carried on the control channel. You can try loading the site NAC for both sites and set the scanner to use site NAC. The only other thing I can think of is to use IFX on the site frequencies.

Albany Metro	Albany County
856.1125	852.95
859.2625	853.7375
859.7125	854.0375
860.2625	854.5375
Site NAC 690	Site NAC 692

I have removed all other frequencies other than the ones you listed in the table you posted. I set the site NAC to 692 and set it to use site NAC. I'm not sure how to use IFX, I read in the manual you hold on a channel then function then 7(IFX) but I did that step and it gives me the unable tone. I'll listen and advise.

 

[tvengr]

You can make a list of frequencies to use IFX under the Miscellaneous tab of the profile editor in Sentinel.

 

[Ubbe]

I think there was an issue with site NAC, a bug of some sort, that if search where selected it had problems but I don't recall exact what happened, could had been a brief loss of signal, but when setting NAC to ignore or enter the correct NAC solved that issue.

/Ubbe

 

[dom6vrr]

i didn't notice that you loaded a band plan. You can remove the entries and leave it blank. The band plan for a P25 system is carried on the control channel and is automatically loaded. You only need the 4 control channel capable frequencies for each site. All of the frequency info is carried on the control channel. You can try loading the site NAC for both sites and set the scanner to use site NAC. The only other thing I can think of is to use IFX on the site frequencies.

Albany Metro	Albany County
856.1125	852.95
859.2625	853.7375
859.7125	854.0375
860.2625	854.5375
Site NAC 690	Site NAC 692

After doing all of these things the problem has been RESOLVED!!! I am able to hear everything perfectly, thank you tvengr and everyone else!

 

[tvengr]

After doing all of these things the problem has been RESOLVED!!! I am able to hear everything perfectly, thank you tvengr and everyone else!

My pleasure!