SDS100 Initial Review From Phoenix

[CanesFan95]

You are a smart man. The majority of the people that have been thru this frustration and stepped up the game and bought Moto Gear. The cost is higher of course but its another tool that you add to your toolbox. You have your scanner to do certain functions and surrender to its limitations and use your Moto Radio for other systems that require commerical grade equipment. Good Luck

But the problem is you need a system key file and setting up the radio to not auto-affiliate/login/register really limits how much you can get out of the radio.

 

[allend]

But the problem is you need a system key file and setting up the radio to not auto-affiliate/login/register really limits how much you can get out of the radio.

I completely agree. Yes you will be limited but its a give and take situation. You will be able track the system properly and will be limited to 16 channels on a zone and limited to 1 band but it will be perfection.

But it seems like in the AZ area you will need a commercial grade radio for the trunked radio system and the SDS-100 or any other Uniden radio for the rest of the VHF and UHF conventional stuff as well as Aviation too.

It all depends on how far you want to take your hobby and how much money you want to invest. We all strive for perfection with our radios and its just not the case sometimes to have everything work a 100 percent to our satisfaction. More tools to the tool shed make the job always easier.

 

[jasonhouk]

Syatem hold time is under system options. It's the amount of time the scanner will hold the CC without performing a house cleaning cycle.

As for antenna, I've had extended range of 5+ miles with my Tram Tri-Band mini mount in the 700-800MHz band and 10+ miles on VHF and Air AM bands.

Houk

Hold time as in delay which by default is 2 seconds or delay waiting time defaults at 400ms? Or something different and how to do so on Sentinel/Scanner itself and what might my expectations be if I do it. The Phoenix seems very knowledgeable, so I ask if another then Unidens antenna would yield better results?

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

[Jhernan488]

One other annoying issue is random noise anomalies that occur when monitoring conventional UHF frequencies. I've heard this sound repeatedly, but sitting side by side the 436 doesn't produce this sound, and has never done so. This is a system I've listed to for 35 years and I've never heard this sound on any scanner ever before while monitoring this system.

Take a listen: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g01kdqh8ie1wxxc/scanner audio.wav?dl=0

When I get my SDS100 I’ll have to test it out and see if I get the same noise. I live in the Phoenix/Gilbert area. Send me a private message if you want to know my results.

 

[N9JIG]

Yesterday I checked out a few trouble spots on my SDS-100 in the Valley. A friend had noted his PSR500 had serious issues, perhaps cell-tower related, at 3 specific areas, 91st & Olive, 43rd & Northern and on Grand from Bell to Thunderbird.



All three areas seemed fine for the SDS100 and when transiting between them the radio was constantly talking on several city and suburban PD's as well as the FD.

 

[KR7CQ]

Yesterday I checked out a few trouble spots on my SDS-100 in the Valley. A friend had noted his PSR500 had serious issues, perhaps cell-tower related, at 3 specific areas, 91st & Olive, 43rd & Northern and on Grand from Bell to Thunderbird.



All three areas seemed fine for the SDS100 and when transiting between them the radio was constantly talking on several city and suburban PD's as well as the FD.

It's good to hear that others are very happy with their results. I didn't check mine for "cell site immunity", but that's very encouraging to hear, because my other handheld devices get knocked out by cell sites easily.

I do love the overall design of the scanner as I mentioned, and to me there is no beating the Uniden menu system / memory structure. I just happen to both work and live in bad spots for it, and in the case of work it could just be interference. And of course the latest firmware may help some at least in my work location (and yes I probably should have been more patient and tried a few more firmware versions). I'm sure I'll eventually pick one up again whenever I can find a reasonable deal on a used one (I know that may be a while). I just didn't want to tie up the full cost of a new one at this time, given the initial results in my particular situation. I'm glad to see that my situation is in the minority.

 

[cellphone]

After spending about a month with the SDS100, I'm finding that it has a problem with noise on 700mhz. I'm finding my BCD436HP performs better on 700mhz as it does not seem to be affected by noise. I have uploaded a couple of new videos from a different location where my BCD436HP receives a 700mhz site, and the SDS100 does not. I included videos that shows monitoring the control channel as a conventional frequency. The BCD436HP receives the frequency, the SDS100 does not.

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AhlKfJY_Yw6WuJohX5eo2LWKWQsizg

Overall I'm disappointed as the SDS100 cannot replace my BCD436HP for day-to-day monitoring as I cannot receive what I want to monitor.

 

[KevinC]

After spending about a month with the SDS100, I'm finding that it has a problem with noise on 700mhz. I'm finding my BCD436HP performs better on 700mhz as it does not seem to be affected by noise. I have uploaded a couple of new videos from a different location where my BCD436HP receives a 700mhz site, and the SDS100 does not. I included videos that shows monitoring the control channel as a conventional frequency. The BCD436HP receives the frequency, the SDS100 does not.

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AhlKfJY_Yw6WuJohX5eo2LWKWQsizg

Overall I'm disappointed as the SDS100 cannot replace my BCD436HP for day-to-day monitoring as I cannot receive what I want to monitor.

I may have missed it and apologize if I did, but have you tried a 700 MHz site using an external antenna? Maybe the radio itself is emanating noise in that band.

 

[cellphone]

I may have missed it and apologize if I did, but have you tried a 700 MHz site using an external antenna? Maybe the radio itself is emanating noise in that band.

I did testing in the past on an external antenna, with same noise issues. I never commented specifically about my tests with an external antenna in the forums.

However, I did some more testing this morning on an external antenna, and I discover some interesting results. I discovered that the RF performance is good when first powered on (radio is cool), and then noise issues show up after it has been powered on for a few minutes. I opened a thread about the heating issues and RF performance that I am seeing:

https://forums.radioreference.com/u...better-rf-performance-when-first-powered.html

 

[WX4JCW]

I did testing in the past on an external antenna, with same noise issues. I never commented specifically about my tests with an external antenna in the forums.



However, I did some more testing this morning on an external antenna, and I discover some interesting results. I discovered that the RF performance is good when first powered on (radio is cool), and then noise issues show up after it has been powered on for a few minutes. I opened a thread about the heating issues and RF performance that I am seeing:



https://forums.radioreference.com/u...better-rf-performance-when-first-powered.html

Interesting


Sent from my iPhone 8 using Tapatalk Pro
Jason WX4JCW
XPR7550 - SDS100

 

[policefreak]

I thought it was just my imagination but I could have sworn that once the radio heats up (plugged into external power when powered on- antenna connector very hot and could burn fingers and end of the USB connector equally as hot) that P25 performance degrades. I'm going to have to do further testing.

 

[AvidHiker]

Wow, "burn fingers" hot? Mine hasn't gotten anywhere near that, even when outside in 90 degree summer weather.

 

[KR7CQ]

After spending about a month with the SDS100, I'm finding that it has a problem with noise on 700mhz. I'm finding my BCD436HP performs better on 700mhz as it does not seem to be affected by noise. I have uploaded a couple of new videos from a different location where my BCD436HP receives a 700mhz site, and the SDS100 does not. I included videos that shows monitoring the control channel as a conventional frequency. The BCD436HP receives the frequency, the SDS100 does not.

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AhlKfJY_Yw6WuJohX5eo2LWKWQsizg

Overall I'm disappointed as the SDS100 cannot replace my BCD436HP for day-to-day monitoring as I cannot receive what I want to monitor.

So just confirming, you have tried the various firmware releases since I sent mine back?

***If that is the case, it would seem that your observations match what I observed in my brief time with the SDS100 in Phoenix, even after you installed several firmware revisions. And of course as you, I, and others have noted, the SDS100 cannot even begin to receive as many simulcasts from any given position, as you, I, and others have seen the G4 receive (specifically referring to simulcasts other than the simulcasts which the radio is sitting within. I mention this because these simulcasts are all in the 700 MHz band.

I strongly agree that at least here in the valley, 700 MHz performance is lacking with this device, apparently in all of the various locations you and I have tried. There must be a lot of interference that causes problems with the SDS100, at random locations all over the valley...interference that doesn't bother the 436, other digital scanners, or the Unication devices.

At this point I find it highly doubtful that a firmware revision is going to solve such significant performance issues, at least for those of us here in Phoenix.

Regarding the heat issue, I also found the level of heat to be excessive, but tolerable. More annoying in terms of physical performance, was the long charging time and short battery life. I understand that a larger battery is coming, but that will only make for a longer charge time. This device would have benefited greatly from having a rapid charging capability like modern phones have, and I suspect that more could have been done to dissipate heat more efficiently although that in itself isn't a deal-breaker for me.

 

[WX4JCW]

So just confirming, you have tried the various firmware releases since I sent mine back?

***If that is the case, it would seem that your observations match what I observed in my brief time with the SDS100 in Phoenix, even after you installed several firmware revisions. And of course as you, I, and others have noted, the SDS100 cannot even begin to receive as many simulcasts from any given position, as you, I, and others have seen the G4 receive (specifically referring to simulcasts other than the simulcasts which the radio is sitting within. I mention this because these simulcasts are all in the 700 MHz band.

I strongly agree that at least here in the valley, 700 MHz performance is lacking with this device, apparently in all of the various locations you and I have tried. There must be a lot of interference that causes problems with the SDS100, at random locations all over the valley...interference that doesn't bother the 436, other digital scanners, or the Unication devices.

At this point I find it highly doubtful that a firmware revision is going to solve such significant performance issues, at least for those of us here in Phoenix.

Regarding the heat issue, I also found the level of heat to be excessive, but tolerable. More annoying in terms of physical performance, was the long charging time and short battery life. I understand that a larger battery is coming, but that will only make for a longer charge time. This device would have benefited greatly from having a rapid charging capability like modern phones have, and I suspect that more could have been done to dissipate heat more efficiently although that in itself isn't a deal-breaker for me.

You can get a higher amp charger


Sent from my iPhone 8 using Tapatalk Pro
Jason WX4JCW
XPR7550 - SDS100

 

[SteveSimpkin]

You can get a higher amp charger

Jason WX4JCW

True, but it won't charge the battery any faster than the 2 Amp charger/power supply that Uniden provided with the SDS100. I am hoping that the external charger that UPMan mentioned would be coming out this summer will be able to charge at a faster rate.

 

[cellphone]

So just confirming, you have tried the various firmware releases

I have been trying all of the beta firmware releases, but I continue to have issues with 700mhz.

 

[allandunn]

It has been my experience with SDR receivers in general that they are much more susceptible to out-of-band interference sources than well designed super hetrodyne receivers.
Also SDR receivers do not have local oscillators that would result in images as do the super hetrodyne receivers that we are used to since the days of Edward Armstrong.

 

[Ubbe]

Most SDR receivers have direct sampling up to something like 20MHz but above that they need to convert the input signal using an oscillator down to the frequency where it can do the sampling. If it would convert a 470MHz signal with an oscillator frequency of 450Mhz it would result in and IF of 20MHz and it would receive a 430MHz signal equally good if the front end filters where wide enough to pass both frequencies.

Usually you stop that from happening by using several IF frequencies and the first one could be something like 250MHz that would move the image 500Mhz away.

/Ubbe

 

[KevinC]

Disregard, wrong thread.

 

[hulka]

I just received my SDS on Friday and I have not had any issues monitoring the RWC for both PD and Fire. I live 51st Ave and Baseline road area, I can hear Maryvale district come in fine and also the Fire Simulcast.

This is a huge difference from my last scanner to which I bought in 04, a Pro-96 to which I could not hear anything. I have all of the Valley PD's programmed into one list and I have heard Surprise PD, Peoria, Glendale and Tempe talking so far.

Slowly learning on how to work this thing.