sds100 questions

[tdel1]

I have been reading threads and some of my questions have been answered, but I also want to make sure that I'm not overlooking something which would put me in a scenario where the scanner wouldn't work in the way that I'm expecting it to work.

I'm mainly interested in the area from downtown Chicago to/thru the Will County area. I have looked at the database and I am aware of the Encrypted links and based on what I've been reading, it seems that an SDS scanner is recommended, I'm lookin at the SDS100.

I'd like to listen while driving, but I don't want to add an external antenna, would the included radio be good enough to receive signal or is an external antenna required?

ISP District 5 (police) would be within range of where I drive, as well.

It seems that step 1 is updating the software/db on the scanner to get the latest data. How well does GPS and/or inputting the zip code work?

Thanks.

 

[werinshades]

I have been reading threads and some of my questions have been answered, but I also want to make sure that I'm not overlooking something which would put me in a scenario where the scanner wouldn't work in the way that I'm expecting it to work.

I'm mainly interested in the area from downtown Chicago to/thru the Will County area. I have looked at the database and I am aware of the Encrypted links and based on what I've been reading, it seems that an SDS scanner is recommended, I'm lookin at the SDS100.

I'd like to listen while driving, but I don't want to add an external antenna, would the included radio be good enough to receive signal or is an external antenna required?

ISP District 5 (police) would be within range of where I drive, as well.

It seems that step 1 is updating the software/db on the scanner to get the latest data. How well does GPS and/or inputting the zip code work?

Thanks.

Yes, Illinois State Police sites you'll want to monitor are simulcast so that's a good choice. If you're traveling the expressways, District-Chicago, District-2 (If you're on I 55 ), as well as District-5. CPD is migrating to encryption, but if you're in downtown area, Zone 4 is still monitorable. Chicago Fire is slowly migrating to an 800 Trunking System, and the site they use is simulcast as well, so another check mark for the SDS100. Will County is using two systems, and we have some contributors that can give you any updates necessary for Will County. I usually program myself via Sentinel, and can't comment on the GPS in this area. I'm a few blocks west of Midway Airport for reference.

 

[tdel1]

Yes, Illinois State Police sites you'll want to monitor are simulcast so that's a good choice. If you're traveling the expressways, District-Chicago, District-2 (If you're on I 55 ), as well as District-5. CPD is migrating to encryption, but if you're in downtown area, Zone 4 is still monitorable. Chicago Fire is slowly migrating to an 800 Trunking System, and the site they use is simulcast as well, so another check mark for the SDS100. Will County is using two systems, and we have some contributors that can give you any updates necessary for Will County. I usually program myself via Sentinel, and can't comment on the GPS in this area. I'm a few blocks west of Midway Airport for reference.

Thank you for the feedback. With encryption becoming more and more common, I don't want to buy a paperweight, but it seems that there are still a good amount of frequencies to listen to.

 

[werinshades]

Thank you for the feedback. With encryption becoming more and more common, I don't want to buy a paperweight, but it seems that there are still a good amount of frequencies to listen to.

If you're primarily interested in what you mentioned, you'll be ok.

 

[RTmed519]

Thank you for the feedback. With encryption becoming more and more common, I don't want to buy a paperweight, but it seems that there are still a good amount of frequencies to listen to.

No harm in adding other systems in and around your county, if you ever plan on traveling. To my knowledge, it's fairly easy to add and deactivate groups until you want to listen. I've done this in the past when Macon and McLean counties weren't encrypted. I have groups in my scanner for Sanagmon, Piatt, Douglas, Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, and Vermilion county. I just turn on the zone when I near the county.

If you're adding Starcom to the scanner, you could also add towers from surrounding counties and add the wildcard/scan all mode (I think the SDS100 has this?? correct me if I'm wrong). This will allow you to hear all traffic on the system within range, but it can get annoying so this is personal preference for sure.

 

[tdel1]

No harm in adding other systems in and around your county, if you ever plan on traveling. To my knowledge, it's fairly easy to add and deactivate groups until you want to listen. I've done this in the past when Macon and McLean counties weren't encrypted. I have groups in my scanner for Sanagmon, Piatt, Douglas, Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, and Vermilion county. I just turn on the zone when I near the county.

If you're adding Starcom to the scanner, you could also add towers from surrounding counties and add the wildcard/scan all mode (I think the SDS100 has this?? correct me if I'm wrong). This will allow you to hear all traffic on the system within range, but it can get annoying so this is personal preference for sure.

I don't have the sds100, yet.

 

[tdel1]

Yes, Illinois State Police sites you'll want to monitor are simulcast so that's a good choice. If you're traveling the expressways, District-Chicago, District-2 (If you're on I 55 ), as well as District-5. CPD is migrating to encryption, but if you're in downtown area, Zone 4 is still monitorable. Chicago Fire is slowly migrating to an 800 Trunking System, and the site they use is simulcast as well, so another check mark for the SDS100. Will County is using two systems, and we have some contributors that can give you any updates necessary for Will County. I usually program myself via Sentinel, and can't comment on the GPS in this area. I'm a few blocks west of Midway Airport for reference.

Now that I have the scanner and have done some minor and experimental programming, I want to make sure I'm not adding too many frequencies to scan.

When I'm mobile and within the area of will county and ISP frequencies, I'd like to be able to scan what is in the area.

It seems that if I add STARCOM21 and WESCOM there are a lot of frequencies in those two systems. Am I wrong?

Since Sentinel adds all the frequencies for the trunk system and I can't add individual frequencies, it seems that I need to use software that allows me to create specific favorites with specific/limited frequencies, but I want to make sure that's correct or maybe I'm missing something?

I am hearing chatter, which is a good sign, but I think I'm also missing a lot, as well.

Thanks.

 

[VASCAR2]

With trunking systems the actual frequency allocation is determined by the site controller for each area of the state. It is important to select the Talk Groups your interested in receiving and the sites in the trunking system. In a simulcast system you can freely roam within the area and hear the traffic on the selected Talk Groups. On simulcast system every site transmits on the same frequency at the same time.

You might find it helpful to set your favorites list according to the area your going to travel. As an example Rockford and Winnebago County (TG’s) are broadcast on the Rockford simulcast sites. Most of the same traffic will be simultaneously transmitted on South Beloit, Pecatonica and Boone County simulcast. Selecting these sites and agencies in that area in the same favorites list makes it a simple matter of turning on and off of quick keys as you enter or leave an area.

It is important in programming via Sentinel to select any Talk Group Tag affiliated with an Agency your interested in receiving. For example I would select these talk group types, Fire Dispatch, Fire Tac, Multi Dispatch, Interops, Multi Tac. If you want to listen to snow plows you will need to select the appropriate Public Works talk groups.

 

[tdel1]

With trunking systems the actual frequency allocation is determined by the site controller for each area of the state. It is important to select the Talk Groups your interested in receiving and the sites in the trunking system. In a simulcast system you can freely roam within the area and hear the traffic on the selected Talk Groups. On simulcast system every site transmits on the same frequency at the same time.

You might find it helpful to set your favorites list according to the area your going to travel. As an example Rockford and Winnebago County (TG’s) are broadcast on the Rockford simulcast sites. Most of the same traffic will be simultaneously transmitted on South Beloit, Pecatonica and Boone County simulcast. Selecting these sites and agencies in that area in the same favorites list makes it a simple matter of turning on and off of quick keys as you enter or leave an area.

It is important in programming via Sentinel to select any Talk Group Tag affiliated with an Agency your interested in receiving. For example I would select these talk group types, Fire Dispatch, Fire Tac, Multi Dispatch, Interops, Multi Tac. If you want to listen to snow plows you will need to select the appropriate Public Works talk groups.

I want to listen to the following:

1- ISP Dist 5 and Dist 2
2- Will County Police/Fire/EMS specifically shorewood, plainfield, channahon, minooka (Joliet is encrypted)
3- IDOT (Illinois plows)
4- Troy Township plows

Adding WESCOM and STARCOM21 seem to give me way more than I need, but when reading multiple posts, I'm getting confused on what to do. Some posts are saying Sentinel adds everything in a trunked system and I can't pick and choose and others are saying Sentinel is fine to use. Seems that there is a disconnect with what I am reading.

I believe the best thing to do is create a favorite list for everything I mentioned above (1-5) and simply turn them on when I want to listen to them. I can have them all on, of course, but then I may be back to scanning too much. It is easy to turn off a list vs having STARCOM21 attempting to scan way too many frequencies.

Then I also read that ProScan requires a premium subscription to RR to pull db feeds, but I'm still reading about that, I have some posts open in different tabs that I haven't gotten to, yet. I don't mind paying for premium, I just want to make sure I'm programming properly which is why I wanted to ask the question about only adding what I want.

Thanks.

 

[RoninJoliet]

You need to program in tower 113 to hear ISP D5 and D2, you need to program the new Will Co P25 Digital system and put in all 13 frequencys because they rotate daily as most of them are control channels ,....Wescom is also on tower 113,....

 

[RoninJoliet]

IDOT is on T113, the Troy TWSP is on Will Co P25 System talk group 711, T113 is Starcom , you need to go to the IL database on here and check on the Starcom and Will Co and Wescom andIDOT info and print it,.....

 

[tdel1]

You need to program in tower 113 to hear ISP D5 and D2, you need to program the new Will Co P25 Digital system and put in all 13 frequencys because they rotate daily as most of them are control channels ,....Wescom is also on tower 113,....

Thanks for confirming that. Specifically for WESCOM, I see the 13 frequencies you mentioned. I need to continue reading some threads I have opened to see the best way to do that. I'll be able to connect the scanner to Sentinel later today.

 

[RoninJoliet]

Correction: on Will Co there are 11 frequencys, don't include the "Braidwood" tower as you will confuse the scanner ,....

 

[tdel1]

Correction: on Will Co there are 11 frequencys, don't include the "Braidwood" tower as you will confuse the scanner ,....

Which two are you removing? None of the 13 I see list Braidwood.

Thanks.

 

[tdel1]

I have a problem, when I disable the main DB and enable the favorite that I created (the favorite list is WESCOM), the scanner scans, but I don't hear anything. I went to check the Nationwide Systems and I couldn't access that menu because the main DB wasn't set to on. I understand that, but my main DB includes everything found in my zip code so this puts me in a bad spot. It seems that I am missing a setting or my main DB needs to be as small as possible and I can switch on the favorite lists I want to scan.

Can someone tell me what the best practice is, in this scenario?

Thanks.

 

[RoninJoliet]

On the Will Co database on rr.com they list 2 towers, the first one is the basic one, it actually shows 11 frequency’s but i just figured out it’s missing one “866.0875” which i just told them to include as its in the control channel rotation, the second one is labeled “Braidwood” , thats not included unless you live there,….i do not use the SDS100, i have the more simplified 325P2 which is easier to program ,….I presume on the SDS you have to make additional FLists for to separate the department’s,…

 

[RoninJoliet]

Correction on the frequency missing, 856.0875 , typo error

 

[werinshades]

I have a problem, when I disable the main DB and enable the favorite that I created (the favorite list is WESCOM), the scanner scans, but I don't hear anything. I went to check the Nationwide Systems and I couldn't access that menu because the main DB wasn't set to on. I understand that, but my main DB includes everything found in my zip code so this puts me in a bad spot. It seems that I am missing a setting or my main DB needs to be as small as possible and I can switch on the favorite lists I want to scan.

Can someone tell me what the best practice is, in this scenario?

Thanks.

Where are you located?

 

[tdel1]

Where are you located?

Chicago suburbs

 

[werinshades]

Chicago suburbs

Which one? I'm not coming for a visit, but that will determine what you're in range to hear.