roadman1977
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SDS100 - Could Uniden Update Firmware for Increased Sensitivity on Conventional Frequencies?
SDS100/SDS200: SDS100 - Could Uniden Update Firmware for Increased Sensitivity on Conventional Frequencies
- Thread starter roadman1977
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Try upgrading your antenna to one that covers the band(s) you're having trouble bringing in? Stations & bands propagate differently & not all RF environments are created equal. Not really something that is solvable with firmware
Last edited:
This option was added to the Waterfall upgrade for the SDS100 & SDS200.
RF Gain The scanner’s RF Gain defaults to the recommended value of Automatic. This setting is preferred and adequate in most cases. The user can adjust the RF gain by selecting one of 16 available gain levels, numbered 0 through 15, or can choose Auto.
In an area with nothing but weak signals, the user may increase the RF gain in order to receive more signals. In an area with very strong signals, the user may decrease the RF gain to compensate. Be aware that changing the gain simultaneously affects the strength of the background noise as well as signals.
NOTE: If you increase the gain too much in a strong signal or noisy environment, the display will saturate and distort, making it impossible to obtain correct information. To change the RF Gain setting, press the Function key and press the zero (“0”) key on the keypad, which is marked 0 LVL. The setting is changed by turning the knob.
Chris0516
Active Member
Since you mention the Waterfall. I got the upgrade, but. When I had the upgrade active, I couldn't see any systems' names.
Neither this: Marks Scanners SDS/100_200 Manual
Nor this: Sentinel Manual
Describe, How to see the programmed systems, with the Waterfall active.
Ubbe
Member
The more narrow filters you can use the more of interfering signals can be blocked and then allows the gain to be increased.
It seems that Uniden have replaced the very wide IF filters, there wasn't any need for more narrow ones in conventional scanners, that made the SDS100/200 overload too easily to instead be much more narrow in SDS150 and then the gain could be changed. The original gain setting in SDS100/200 where changed a couple of times by Uniden after evaluating reports from users but it is a fixed setting in firmware. It could easily be changed to allow a user setting, much like profesional 2-way radios or radar detectors may have a City/Highway Suburban setting for different sensitivity levels.
But a company that release a new product are not willing to make any new features be available in old products, even if it was easy to do, as that would make sales of the new product suffer.
/Ubbe
It seems that Uniden have replaced the very wide IF filters, there wasn't any need for more narrow ones in conventional scanners, that made the SDS100/200 overload too easily to instead be much more narrow in SDS150 and then the gain could be changed. The original gain setting in SDS100/200 where changed a couple of times by Uniden after evaluating reports from users but it is a fixed setting in firmware. It could easily be changed to allow a user setting, much like profesional 2-way radios or radar detectors may have a City/Highway Suburban setting for different sensitivity levels.
But a company that release a new product are not willing to make any new features be available in old products, even if it was easy to do, as that would make sales of the new product suffer.
/Ubbe
Chris0516
Active Member
I should have thought of that, because. In a way, it has the same kind of waves, as. An oscilliscope(measures heart rate) in a hospital.
The waterfall feature behaves more like a classic SDR, and you can use the top knob as a tuning knob.
You should take a look at Uniden's PDF on the waterfall feature:
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