SDS100/SDS200: SDS100 - Scan by Range?

[N4SRN]

It's been a while since I used my SDS100. I'll be down in Virginia Beach, VA a lot over the next 2-3 years. If I want to set up my SDS100 to scan everything in range, what's the best way to do that? I figure I can turn on/of services as desired.

 

[dave3825]

Range is affected by many things. For best possible range, an outdoor antenna up high will usually yield the best results. Its also not best to try to scan "everything in range". The more you have programmed and try to scan can result in lots of missed traffic. Create fav lists with things of interest and use quick keys so you can easily turn things on and off.

 

[nessnet]

Best method is favorite list(s) with location control enabled - coupled with a GPS (BC-UTGC / BR-355N).
You also can use GPS with the internal database, paying attention to your service types.
GPS coordinates can also be input directly or via zip code (uses geo center of the zip).

 

[richardbritt]

Right now Chesapeake Police and Fire are open, so are Norfolk Police and Fire. Virginia Beach police is encrypted, and so is Portsmouth Police. Virginia State Police and everything on Virginia STARS is encrypted. Virginia Beach fire is using Orion and is open last time I went and took my 436 scanner (around 6 months ago). Oceana Naval Air Station is good to listen to, and there are a ton of railroad frequencies to listen to. The Navy has a trunk system with sites scattered in the area. All the Navy law enforcement are encrypted, not sure about what else. I am too far to hear it.

 

[N4SRN]

I'll most often be in extended stay hotels and apartment complexes, where an outdoor antenna will break the rules. The best I might do is the SDS100 in an open window, if I can open the window at all.

When I get there I'll have time to dig back into Sentinel and Proscan and remember how to set up favorites. In the Virginia Beach area, rather than by counties, there are several cities that are databased, so it more difficult to set Favorites Lists. But I'll figure it out.

I don't turn on TVs when I get home, turn on radios

 

[RandyKuff]

I'll most often be in extended stay hotels and apartment complexes, where an outdoor antenna will break the rules. The best I might do is the SDS100 in an open window, if I can open the window at all.

When I get there I'll have time to dig back into Sentinel and Proscan and remember how to set up favorites. In the Virginia Beach area, rather than by counties, there are several cities that are databased, so it more difficult to set Favorites Lists. But I'll figure it out.

I don't turn on TVs when I get home, turn on radios

 

[richardbritt]

A little information about the area, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Suffolk are not in counties. So don't bother trying to figure them out when you are looking for frequency information. Same with Hampton, Newport News etc on the Peninsula. They are all independent cities not in counties. Some of the few independent cities in the US. All of them were in counties (except City of Norfolk) until the early 1960s.

 

[ofd8001]

If I want to set up my SDS100 to scan everything in range, what's the best way to do that?

If it was me, I'd be sure the master database was updated, then just scan the full database. You'll want to enter the zip code for wherever you are. You'll probably want to keep the Avoid button accessible because you may receive garbled signals or things like DMR, NXDN and you do not have the add-on for them.

Setting up Favorites Lists might be feasible, but only if you have a laptop computer capable of programming your scanner. My luck has been I mess up building Favorites Lists for a "foreign" area and have no way of correcting them.

 

[N4SRN]

Well, the good news is that my 1st 1mo apartment is on the 6th floor in Chesapeake VA, so I get some elevation.
I did set up Favorites List for the VB area. As my home is in Southern NH, with the big PDs encrypted, it should be more active in Virginia Beach overall, even if their PD is encrypted too.

 

[Chris0516]

Well, the good news is that my 1st 1mo apartment is on the 6Virginia Beachth floor in Chesapeake VA, so I get some elevation.
I did set up Favorites List for the VB area. As my home is in Southern NH, with the big PDs encrypted, it should be more active in Virginia Beach overall, even if their PD is encrypted too.

This page: Virginia Beach

doesn't show any E/e

 

[RMason]

This page: Virginia Beach

doesn't show any E/e

This page shows that Virginia Beach Police is indeed encrypted:

Overlay Regional InterOperability Network (ORION) TG Category: Virginia Beach Police

Overlay Regional InterOperability Network (ORION) TG Category: Virginia Beach Police Details

www.radioreference.com

 

[Chris0516]

This page shows that Virginia Beach Police is indeed encrypted:

Overlay Regional InterOperability Network (ORION) TG Category: Virginia Beach Police

Overlay Regional InterOperability Network (ORION) TG Category: Virginia Beach Police Details

www.radioreference.com

Agreed. I had heard about the VBPD potentially being E, yet. The page I posted doesn't show any. I guess I was hoping it wasn't E.

 

[N4SRN]

My 6th floor balcony faces East, inland in Chesapeake, VA. I put out a small desktop disco, secured to the aluminum railing by a number of strong zipties and run inside with a Comet CTC-50M passthrough. It works pretty good from my KWD TH-D75a for APRS and SDS100 scanning. The building blocks a lot but it's all I've got to work with for my 30 day stay.

The paperwork I signed didn't indicate an antenna ban but I suspect they do in some other policies. As it's facing a back street and construction area, I doubt anyone will notice.