SDS100/SDS200: SDS100: Full Database Update Issues After Firmware and Database Update

[gabrielddc]

Hi everyone,

After a few years with my BCD396XT, I finally got an SDS100 today. I entered my ZIP code and it started scanning,everything was working.

Then I decided to update the firmware via Sentinel to the latest version 1.23.07 Main, and it went well.
After that, I updated the Full Database (db version 08/18/2024), choosing: Scanner/ Write to Scanner/ and selecting the option: Force Write Full Database.
After that, the scanner restarted and shows the message: Nothing to Scan, even if I select in Select List to Monitor/ Full Database ON, nothing happened anymore. Services Type selected: EMS Dispatch (ON) , Fire Dispatch (ON), Law Dispatch (ON), Multi Dispatch (ON).
Did I do something wrong when updating the Full Database?
I was able to create favorite lists through Sentinel and scan them, that worked fine, but I would like to have the option to scan the Full Database by ZIP code in case I travel to another city.
Could someone help me?
Thank you.

 

[RMason]

When trying to scan the full database, Nothing to Scan usually indicates one (or more) of the following:

• Location is not set incorrectly
• Full Database is not set in 'Set Scan Selection>Select Lists to Monitor'
• Service Types for the channels you want to monitor are not set to On.

Things I would double check fist:

1. Check the version of the database that is in the scanner:
   Menu -> Manage Full Database -> Information
2. Re set the location in the scanner
   Menu -> Set Your Location -> Enter Zip Code
3. Make sure Full Database is set to scan
   Menu -> Set Scan Selection -> Select Lists to Monitor -> Full Database : ON

If you are still unable to scan the full database by zip code, try rewriting the database to the scanner.

 

[gabrielddc]

When trying to scan the full database, Nothing to Scan usually indicates one (or more) of the following:

• Location is not set incorrectly
• Full Database is not set in 'Set Scan Selection>Select Lists to Monitor'
• Service Types for the channels you want to monitor are not set to On.

Things I would double check fist:

1. Check the version of the database that is in the scanner:
   Menu -> Manage Full Database -> Information
2. Re set the location in the scanner
   Menu -> Set Your Location -> Enter Zip Code
3. Make sure Full Database is set to scan
   Menu -> Set Scan Selection -> Select Lists to Monitor -> Full Database : ON

If you are still unable to scan the full database by zip code, try rewriting the database to the scanner.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my question and for trying to help me. I really appreciate it.

I've tried all of the steps you outlined, but unfortunately, it didn't work.
The database version is
I even tried using a ZIP code from a different location (New York), and while the database loads, I still get the message 'Scan Mode, Nothing to Scan', range 50 miles, services selected: All, Services Type: All on.

Is there any way to erase the data on the SD card and start from scratch?

Could the firmware update have corrupted something?
I'm really at a loss here and don't know what else to do.
Thank you again for your help.

 

[a727469]

All of the above suggestions are great. It sounds like you are doing everything correctly
Do you have any favorites, not the database, and can you scan them? If not, make a small list and activate and see if scan works.

Also, probably not an issue but do you have service types “custom 1” on?

I just turned off all my favorites list and turned on db with my zip and all works. I doubt if you have a firmware or db problem but stranger thins have happened!

Yes you can erase the card and start fresh. There are instructions in other posts that you can search since I do not remember and I generally do not use the database but just homemade favorites lists.

 

[jtwalker]

Almost guaranteed to be one of the points that @RMason listed above. Check these points again, on the scanner not just in Sentinel.

 

[RMason]

if you have verified the zip code is correct on the scanner, service types are correct on the scanner, and that the full database is set to ‘on’ in the scanner (see post #2), I suspect that the database might have gotten corrupted when written to the scanner. (were all of the above verified on the scanner - not in sentinel?)

Does the db look correct in sentinel? Have you tried to rewrite the db to the scanner?

The RR database will be updated on Monday. You can try again then.

Just to confirm

• You were able to scan using the full database and zip code
• You updated the firmware and database on the scanner
• Now, you can scan favorites list, but get Nothing to Scan when scanning only the full database

 

[a727469]

Sorry I missed the part about being able to scan favorites list!😵‍💫

 

[gabrielddc]

Hey everyone, I wanted to thank you all for coming here to offer support and try to help me. You were all great, thank you very much. I was able to solve it and I'm going to share how I managed to solve it, it might help in the future for anyone who also has this problem:

Trying some solution, I decided to look at the location data within the Database and noticed that the data was all strange, maybe the database itself was corrupted as someone commented here.
However, before I had already tried to create a new SD Card with a new database and it hadn't solved it. I had also tried the option: Reconstruct FullDatabase without result.

Today I thought that because my Windows, although it was in English, was with the region of another place not USA, it could be affecting the location data between "." instead of "," and vice versa. So what I did and it solved:

• I changed the Windows region to USA;
• Restarted Windows and opened Sentinel;
• I chose the option: Clear User Data in the Sentinel;
• When I turned the Scanner back on I re-entered the Zip Code and everything started working again. So it was as @RMason commented, the database should be corrupted.

Thank you all, now it's time to enjoy the addiction of listening on this wonderful SDS100.

 

[RMason]

Hey everyone, I wanted to thank you all for coming here to offer support and try to help me. You were all great, thank you very much. I was able to solve it and I'm going to share how I managed to solve it, it might help in the future for anyone who also has this problem:

Trying some solution, I decided to look at the location data within the Database and noticed that the data was all strange, maybe the database itself was corrupted as someone commented here.
However, before I had already tried to create a new SD Card with a new database and it hadn't solved it. I had also tried the option: Reconstruct FullDatabase without result.

Today I thought that because my Windows, although it was in English, was with the region of another place not USA, it could be affecting the location data between "." instead of "," and vice versa. So what I did and it solved:

• I changed the Windows region to USA;
• Restarted Windows and opened Sentinel;
• I chose the option: Clear User Data in the Sentinel;
• When I turned the Scanner back on I re-entered the Zip Code and everything started working again. So it was as @RMason commented, the database should be corrupted.

Thank you all, now it's time to enjoy the addiction of listening on this wonderful SDS100.

Good work.
Yes, Sentinel doesn’t seem to like any Windows language/region setting other than US English. You are not the first to experience this.

 

[Ubbe]

Not just Sentinel, any program made for the US/English locale setting will have problems if Windows are set to another country. It is the difference of using a comma or a dot as the decimal character and are usually solved by going into Windows setting and switch those characters in the regional settings. Butel's ARC programs made for US scanners usually has that issue, as well as other programs handling frequencies with decimals. I belive ProScan to be one of few programs that actually makes the extra effort to handle this correctly.

/Ubbe

 

[jjn555]

I'm glad you got your SDS100 working, Gabriel. After a while you will become very familiar with the things that seem cumbersome now.

I have a different but related question for you. I have an SDS100 myself so I am familiar with this one, but a friend says he want me to look for a handheld scanner for him. I have the opportunity to buy a used BCD396XT and I was wondering if it has the same 'rebanded' frequency coverage as the SDS100 has. I don't want him to buy something that won't work on the newer systems. In other words, does your BCD396XT receive the same signals as you're now getting with your SDS100 (I don't care about the upgrade options available for the SDS100) straight out of the box?

I had to buy my SDS100 a few years ago because my local PD moved to a new trunking system or frequencies that my formerly full featured Radio Shack scanner could no longer hear.

 

[hiegtx]

I'm glad you got your SDS100 working, Gabriel. After a while you will become very familiar with the things that seem cumbersome now.

I have a different but related question for you. I have an SDS100 myself so I am familiar with this one, but a friend says he want me to look for a handheld scanner for him. I have the opportunity to buy a used BCD396XT and I was wondering if it has the same 'rebanded' frequency coverage as the SDS100 has. I don't want him to buy something that won't work on the newer systems. In other words, does your BCD396XT receive the same signals as you're now getting with your SDS100 (I don't care about the upgrade options available for the SDS100) straight out of the box?

I had to buy my SDS100 a few years ago because my local PD moved to a new trunking system or frequencies that my formerly full featured Radio Shack scanner could no longer hear.

The 396XT can handle "rebanded" systems, but these are Motorola Type 2 trunked systems, which in most areas are being replaced by digital trunked systems, either P25 Phase1 or P25 Phase II While the 396XT can handle an analog EDACS system, it cannot handle systems using ProVoice.

As long as the system your friend wants to monitor is not P25 Phase 2, nor DMR or NXDN, it should work on the most common systems, Post what system the friend is looking for, for verification that his/her "system of interest" is not one of those already mentioned, and is not a trunking type MPT1327 nor LTR Passport. (There a couple others, little use, but still beyond the 396XT's capability.

 

[a727469]

I hope it is an excellent price on the 396xt…there is somewhat of a cult feeling about this radio and I loved it when I had one..never had the T version. However, it is still about a 15 year old scanner and probably not easily repairable. For a collector, great radio, for your friend if new to scanners, it might be better getting something newer based upon what he wants to monitor as mentioned by Steve above.