SDS100 Reception Issues on LASD 480 Analog Frequencies

[dmullen1373]

Hello, all -- thanks for hearing me out here! I have a BCD436HP and a new SDS100 and the quality of reception on the SDS is really bad. I get a lot of bleed-over and intermodulation noises.

I have tried playing with filters as well as the IFX setting on each frequency that's a problem but have not found things to be getting any better.

Can anybody offer any insight? It's appreciated! I have the latest FW installed, by the way...

Thank you!

 

[tsalmrsystemtech]

Did you just get this new SDS-100? You could have a bad unit. Maybe ship it back and get a replacement radio.

If the problem still occurs then there is not much you can do with having that radio. Looks like you have worked with the filters and no luck. I have an SDS-200 and I am able to hear LASD 480mhz with no issues. Maybe go with a commerical grade Motorola radio but you will pay more but you get what you pay for. XTS or an APX radio. APX you can either get a single - dual or quad band radio. As LASD eventually goes to LA-RICS fulltime you will need a radio that will do Phase II Trunking, so beware.

 

[Eng74]

Try adjusting the filters. It helps with UHF/VHF conventional channels. The SDS is not great on conventional scanning. There are better and cheaper option for that.

 

[Ubbe]

I get a lot of bleed-over and intermodulation noises....
Can anybody offer any insight?

It is the receiver chip that are of a too low quality to be used in a high end scanner, but was a low cost solution to be able to receive simulcast systems. It is as bad with digital systems and in all frequency bands, but the digital modulation masks the problem as you do not hear the bad reception, you only miss calls that you did not know even existed, if you do not scan in parallel with another scanner.

Try receiving using as low signal as possible, use the attenuator if the signal level allows it.

BCD436HP or SDS100...?

My first time on the forum probably with a question you've heard before. Is the SDS100 really worth the extra $$$?

forums.radioreference.com

/Ubbe

 

[jgorman21]

It’s sad really. It’s just not a very good radio receiver. I’m sorry you are having this experience - and at such a price point too.

There are many folks on here that have tried to help me as well with these reception issues. For that I am greatly appreciative. And some suggestions have helped slightly. But as they say I guess that “it is what it is!” As stated above, it’s not really great on simulcast either. I was doing a “side by side” last night and my Unication G5 is far superior. It receives more transmissions and is not garbled.

I will have had mine a year this coming December. It had been years since I had tried a Uniden…it’ll probably be a while again. From tunable radios, through crystal controlled, and various brands the SDS 100 for me has been a major disapointment.

 

[dmullen1373]

Did you just get this new SDS-100? You could have a bad unit. Maybe ship it back and get a replacement radio.

If the problem still occurs then there is not much you can do with having that radio. Looks like you have worked with the filters and no luck. I have an SDS-200 and I am able to hear LASD 480mhz with no issues. Maybe go with a commerical grade Motorola radio but you will pay more but you get what you pay for. XTS or an APX radio. APX you can either get a single - dual or quad band radio. As LASD eventually goes to LA-RICS fulltime you will need a radio that will do Phase II Trunking, so beware.

Thanks for the replies, all. Yeah I've got a few of my local 700MHz LA-RICS sites programmed hear activity on it clearly for the most part with about a -60 or -70dBm RSSI. Part of me can't wait for the switchover as at least I won't hear so much path noise or intermod on analog UHF. Even LACoFD Blues all come in so much better -- it's just the Sheriffs that I seem to have a problem with -- and as long as Villanueva keeps LASD dispatch in the clear, I'll be happy!

 

[tsalmrsystemtech]

Also, what might be your best bet too is send that scanner back and buy a Unicaton G-5 receiver. They are the best out there. I have two of them and swear by them a 100 percent. Make sure you get the UHF-2/700/800 mhz unit and you will be completely happy. Since LA-RICS will be a mixture of UHF-2 and 700mhz and you will still be-able to listen to LASD as of their current setup too. I have never had any issues with them nor any simulcast issues. These radios are not much talked about but they receive very well. I can receive from LA area to SBDCO which is at least 70 to 80 miles away with no issues. Actually I have the VHF model one too and I use the UHF-2 unit more than ever.

 

[dmullen1373]

Also, what might be your best bet too is send that scanner back and buy a Unicaton G-5 receiver. They are the best out there. I have two of them and swear by them a 100 percent. Make sure you get the UHF-2/700/800 mhz unit and you will be completely happy. Since LA-RICS will be a mixture of UHF-2 and 700mhz and you will still be-able to listen to LASD as of their current setup too. I have never had any issues with them nor any simulcast issues. These radios are not much talked about but they receive very well. I can receive from LA area to SBDCO which is at least 70 to 80 miles away with no issues. Actually I have the VHF model one too and I use the UHF-2 unit more than ever.

Big thanks on the suggestion. How difficult are the Unications to program? I watched a few YouTube videos but how is their software? I'm going to assume, too, that it doesn't do any integration with the RR database?

 

[buddrousa]

If you are trying to listen to ANALOG the G5 does not do ANALOG TRUNKING ONLY P25 TRUNKING.
But it is reported to do P25 TRUNKING VERY WELL.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Yeah I nary use my SDS100 for anything analog. Hell my Baofeng when I owned one outperformed it analog-wise. It's a swiss army knife on the digital voices though

 

[jgorman21]

Also, what might be your best bet too is send that scanner back and buy a Unicaton G-5 receiver. They are the best out there. I have two of them and swear by them a 100 percent. Make sure you get the UHF-2/700/800 mhz unit and you will be completely happy. Since LA-RICS will be a mixture of UHF-2 and 700mhz and you will still be-able to listen to LASD as of their current setup too. I have never had any issues with them nor any simulcast issues. These radios are not much talked about but they receive very well. I can receive from LA area to SBDCO which is at least 70 to 80 miles away with no issues. Actually I have the VHF model one too and I use the UHF-2 unit more than ever.

I agree 100%!

 

[jgorman21]

Big thanks on the suggestion. How difficult are the Unications to program? I watched a few YouTube videos but how is their software? I'm going to assume, too, that it doesn't do any integration with the RR database?

It does indeed integrate with RR Database. There’s a “learning curve” like with everything As far as the software. But once you get it down…And, since you would be buying it from a “pager dealer” they are very helpful too. There is also a FB group that is great! Either on FB or RR there are people that share “Codeplugs” that may even be close to what you want - then you tweak it from there.

But. It is a pager by design. So it cant do some of the things that standard scanners can do. With some more recent changes though, it’s pretty close.

Bottom line for me anyway, it is a far better “Receiver” than the Sds 100 for me anyway!

 

[buddrousa]

Not sure but I run a SDS100 436hp 325p2 and TRX1 in the car all sharing the same antenna through a 4 port Stridesberg and my SDS100 has a better range on ANALOG than the other 3 when comparing apples to apples.

 

[tsalmrsystemtech]

Trust me you will not be dis-appointed on the G5. Its a bit of learning curve like the rest of anything is but I learned the majority of programming from YouTube. Anything in P-25 digital is great. LAPD LASD LA-RICS Trunking Phase II TDMA and the rest of everything. No simulcast issues at all. Solid. Those Uniden radios are dirt. Waste of money. Ihave my G5 450-512 parked on LA-RICS Talkgroup 8 right now listening to P-25 Phase II TDMA with their Blue 8 Dispatch and no issues at all. Don't miss any calls and the digital is perfect

 

[tsalmrsystemtech]

A lot of people are moving away from Uniden scanners since they have not really kept up with times in the past few years now. Unication and owning a Motorola APX radio and programming NAS is the only way to go.

 

[jgorman21]

I agree with the comments about the G5 being a great receiver. I had moved away from Bearcat/Uniden for some time. One of my favorite radios during that time is the GRE PSR 500. Still use it and love it!

Of course, hindsight…I had the G5 for a long time and got used to it. I really didn’t need the SDS 100. I could have gotten a good digital receiver (not simulcast capable) and had the best of both worlds. Lesson learned.

As far as comments on putting the SDS 100 on a base antenna. Yes, there is some improvement on conventional receive But,isn’t it supposed to be portable/handheld? I’ll probably end up selling mine once I decide what to replace it with. I’m in no hurry.

 

[tsalmrsystemtech]

Also, I have the Unden SDS-200 and use it a lot too. Its just not great on VHF-High. It works pretty good with P-25 Trunking though. Good for home use on the desk. As for a portable the G5 and the Motorola APX is the only way to go.

One prime example for P25 for The Unication G5 is that when Downey Fire just switched from Analog to P25 digital on the UHF-2 band. I do not even have no antenna attached to it because the internal antenna is built in. The stubby antenna is only for 700/800 mhz. Plus I get a solid signal from 30 miles away and its perfect on P25 Digital Conventional

 

[dmullen1373]

Thanks again, everybody, for your thoughts. I was most concerned with the possibility of having a bunk unit, which it sounds like I don't have. My 435hp was going to go onto Ebay to supplement the cost of the SDS, but it looks like I'm going to have to keep it. Newer isn't always better is the lesson here! Or I should say it's better in a few areas and inarguably worse in others! Appreciate everybody taking the time to respond...

 

[PaulNDaOC]

I bought the SDS-100 and would have liked to toss it in the trash. I have much better quality reception on a BC75XLT from Walmart I paid under $80 for in order to listen to LASD.

 

[Engine104]

I bought the SDS-100 and would have liked to toss it in the trash. I have much better quality reception on a BC75XLT from Walmart I paid under $80 for in order to listen to LASD.

I hear ya.. My old RS Pro-162 still does great for analog. The trouble is, we'll need a P25, Phase 2 scanner once LASD and LACoFD go to LA-RICS.