SDS100 Reception Issues

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Steve1020

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Joined
Jun 12, 2003
Messages
4
Location
Collin Co, TX
Just picked up the SDS100 and programmed it for mostly Collin Co Area, PAWN channels are crystal clear but I can't figure out an issue with Collin County reception using the stock antenna. It receives as if I am on the fringe area and half is mostly static. Pulled all programming into Sentinel from RR and Collin Co is set as a Motorola Type II, all 6 Frequencies in RR are programmed along with the custom band plan for rebranded frequencies. Ordered a Diamond SMA antenna and although that improves the Dallas PD channels used for reception critiques, Collin County still remains about 40-50% readable. This is inside and outside as well.

I understand Collin Co is about to move to its new P25 system which I have it programmed as a layer 2 on the PAWN system but not much activity except testing as others have stated previously.

I am located in a 2 story in Allen and never had this issue with my previous Pro 96 listening to CC with its stock antenna.

Any ideas? IS RR info outdated or has something changed? does the SDS even need the custom table? I have even tried it with and without. I would think the CC tower on Lake Lavon is the closest one to my location that I am receiving from. I am probably 5 miles from my house to that tower.

Thanks!
 

FishScan

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Joined
Apr 20, 2020
Messages
83
Im in Plano and have the same issue with the SDS100. Better antenna doesnt seem to make a difference. Junk reception overall compared to other products.
 

mwjones

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Joined
Apr 9, 2003
Messages
594
Location
Van Alstyne, TX
Doesn't matter with Collin County's Moto system. Their system is having problems with a lot of static on their side, doesn't matter which scanner or antenna I use (My 3rd Floor apartment in Frisco is 2 1/2 miles Line of Sight from one of the nine simulcast towers, and about 4 miles from another).

I've also set at the QuikTrip at Wilmeth and 75 in McKinney, which is 1/2 mile from the "master" site for the simulcast, and it is just as bad (and at that distance, even with no antenna I can get a decent signal).

I've heard dispatchers and firefighters ask for information to be repeated because of static, and I've even heard the radio techs on the P25 Phase 2 system (PAWM Site 2) during testing comment that their radios are so much clearer, so even they know it.

The good news, I heard what sounded like some training of dispatchers last week (lots of tones, and the person showing the dispatcher explaining how traffic will appear on the consoles), so we're likely only a few more weeks away from live users starting to be put on the new system, and that old Motorola system and its static can go away. Then the fun of identifying all the talkgroups for submission to RRDB will begin.

And even when I monitored the City of Denton's Moto system prior to its shutdown on the same equipment it wasn't as bad as Collin County (and I'm 20 miles from Denton!)
 

jason51

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
144
Location
Dallas
The Analog Collin County system sounds bad on all of my scanners. Try setting your filter to wide normal. That helps me quite a bit.
 

Russell

Texas DB Admin
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Dec 18, 2002
Messages
1,784
Location
Dallas Texas
Same here. Tons of static here in Allen and everywhere I listen. You know they can't wait to get on the new system.
 
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