SDS100/SDS200: SDS100 very slow and no reception after update from Sentinel

[telxonmaster]

I went to add a new system to my SDS100, and after updating the Sentinel DB, I added what I wanted into it's own favorites list. I had the Sd card plugged into a USB card reader, as having it hooked to the scanner is much slower. After I put the SD back in the scanner and powered it up, it forced a firmware update, which I didn't select, and of course, it "failed" with some checksum error. I retried the firmware update with the scanner hooked to the PC, followed the instructions, and it still failed with the same bogus error, so I skipped it.

Everything else seemed to work, but I noticed, no matter how many favorites lists I have enabled, even one small one, it takes much longer to boot up, it also does not receive anything at all, does not show RSSI either. This was tested by holding on a simplex channel, and testing with my radio, no RSSI, no signal bars.

On a local trunk system, it takes 10-15 seconds to search between sites, when before, it was a second or two

I have tried a different SD card, formatted it, cleared it with Sentinel, reset user settings on the scanner, etc.

Since i was forced into a FW update I did not want, nor ask for, and since said update didn't really seem to even try to load, is my scanner bricked?

 

[telxonmaster]

Update, I had posted this question on a FB group, and someone had just messaged me with an older firmware file to try, V1.02.01, and after putting the file in the firmware folder of the SD, and rebooting the scanner, it updated (downgraded) and is now receiving again.

How do I avoid a forced FW update in the future? I'm in the "if it ain't broke..." camp, and only update if it fixes an issue I'm having, or adds a feature I want

 

[doctordialtone]

How do I avoid a forced FW update in the future

Don't allow it to access the Internet?

 

[Ensnared]

I own a SDS 100. I also downloaded the firmware, but I was using Window 10. Hence, I had to go to the previous version of Sentinel to get it working.

For both versions, it acts a bit weird. Now, I don't load the RR DB update & reload Favorites unless I make changes or the DB changes.

I never use anything conventional if I can help it. Most of the time I program conventional digital, not analog.

Using the profile setting, I select use NAC of site to speed thing up.

I also redesign the Favorites to where I load the necessary sites and stack LE talk groups beneath instead of loading multiple systems in a Favorite.

I don't know if Uniden repair can help you, but there are sizeable competent folks in RR, not all. I see that other listeners have posted while I am typing; therefore, other solutions may already be there. I will let a friend of mine possibly help you by dropping this thread in an email

I seriously doubt it is bricked.

Hope things work out for you.

 

[KevinC]

How do I avoid a forced FW update in the future?

It's really easy, don't click on "Update Firmware".

 

[telxonmaster]

I didn't, I updated the DB, added a new system, and uploaded it to the scanner. Rolled back to a previous sub version, and it's fixed

 

[KevinC]

I didn't, I updated the DB, added a new system, and uploaded it to the scanner. Rolled back to a previous sub version, and it's fixed

That's really odd as the only way my Unidens have ever updated FW versions is when I requested it.

 

[wtp]

stop touching stuff !

 

[jtwalker]

I didn't, I updated the DB, added a new system, and uploaded it to the scanner. Rolled back to a previous sub version, and it's fixed

Something you did (or someone else with access to your pc) put firmware files on SD card. This is usually done in Sentinel but it could be done through other means.

 

[dave3825]

Have you ever tried to do a firmware update at any time prior? Unless you clicked update firmware, only logical explanation would be if you had firmware sitting on your sd card.




With that said, and back to your original question,

How do I avoid a forced FW update in the future?

Either, in the future, don't click update firmware, or install @ProScan since Proscan does not do firmware updates.

So now, what main and sub are you using?

 

[Iknowradios]

How do I avoid a forced FW update in the future?

Don’t click on “Update Firmware”.

 

[RT48]

I couldn't count all the times I stood behind a user while they were showing me a problem and they clicked somewhere without realizing it and then said, "Why did the computer do that?"

 

[Ubbe]

I'm in the "if it ain't broke..." camp, and only update if it fixes an issue I'm having, or adds a feature I want

I recommend to always update to the latest firmware as Uniden did that update because the old firmware where broken in some way.

You might not notice that you miss conversations or have other issues that are difficult to spot in that old firmware but the more people that report an issue the quicker it will be fixed by Uniden. You will be doing other scanner users a favor by testing out new firmware and reporting issues with the specific systems you have at your location.

/Ubbe

 

[telxonmaster]

I recommend to always update to the latest firmware as Uniden did that update because the old firmware where broken in some way.

I will, when they have a current version that works. I tried updating it again, left scanner plugged in, followed instructions, restarted, and it just gives up with a "checksum error", updates the sub, and it's back to a non functioning unit, tested 2 SD cards. Had to load the sub v1.02.01 to fix it. I don't miss anything, if I have my Unication G5 and Uniden side by side, they both hear the same traffic, monitoring 1 system.

 

[ekim223]

I own a SDS 100. I also downloaded the firmware, but I was using Window 10. Hence, I had to go to the previous version of Sentinel to get it working.

For both versions, it acts a bit weird. Now, I don't load the RR DB update & reload Favorites unless I make changes or the DB changes.

I never use anything conventional if I can help it. Most of the time I program conventional digital, not analog.

Using the profile setting, I select use NAC of site to speed thing up.

I also redesign the Favorites to where I load the necessary sites and stack LE talk groups beneath instead of loading multiple systems in a Favorite.

I don't know if Uniden repair can help you, but there are sizeable competent folks in RR, not all. I see that other listeners have posted while I am typing; therefore, other solutions may already be there. I will let a friend of mine possibly help you by dropping this thread in an email

I seriously doubt it is bricked.

Hope things work out for you.

Where in the Profile settings is ",,,Using the profile setting, I select use NAC of site to speed thing up. "

 

[dave3825]

I recommend to always update to the latest firmware as Uniden did that update because the old firmware where broken in some way.

I will, when they have a current version that works.

They do work. Please describe in exact detail what you tried that failed.

Where in the Profile settings is ",,,Using the profile setting, I select use NAC of site to speed thing up. "

 

[ekim223]

They do work. Please describe in exact detail what you tried that failed.





View attachment 175492

Thank you.
I have now changed that.

 

[Ubbe]

Thank you.
I have now changed that.

If anything changes the scan speed, then ignore will skip the whole matching of NAC that it has to give time to decode and then look up if it is the correct one or if it should display what it has found. As Uniden scanners seems to have a high false decode rate compared to other scanners it can struggle to decode some data and it will take a longer time to decode info that finally are correct.

If you set ignore to as much as possible, or let it search for a value and accept any value it finds, it will theoretically scan faster and not skip over a frequency if it false decode a NAC value that doesn't match to what you have set it to. This seems to happen a lot with false decodes that the scanner thinks are encrypted and immediately skips it. If look in saved recordings using Universal Scanner Audio Player and sort the result I can see that it false decode the color code for DMR lots of times. If you then set a fixed value to the systems color code if will think it is receiving another system and skips it. It's probably the same issue when decoding LCN values in trunked systems as it does that less reliable than a Whistler scanner. We will need that promised firmware with improved decode quality.

/Ubbe

 

[telxonmaster]

They do work. Please describe in exact detail what you tried that failed.

I plugged the scanner into the PC with the USB cable, selected "update firmware", selected the scanner in the pop up, and followed the instructions. After unmounting the scanner from the PC and restarting, it "tries" to update (doesn't try very hard) and "fails" with a checksum error, no option to skip. Reformatted SD card in windows, put card back in scanner, used sentinel to clear user data and create the directories it needs, and tried again, same result. I also borrowed an SD card from another device, formatted it, set it up in sentinel, same stupid crap. I have some brand new 8GB sd cards coming, I might try one of them, just to see. I also put the cards in a USB card reader, and same result when selecting update firmware

I'm on Version 1.21 for main, 1.02.01 sub, after the half-a-- update, it puts the sub version higher, but refuses to update main, and scanner becomes unusable until I put sub 1.02.01 back in it.

I'm leaving it as it is, with 1.21 and 1.02.01, the scanner works fine, with the newest mess, nothing. This is just more proof to not update, unless it actually fixes an issue or adds features I want. Since this scanner is not hooked to the internet, there is no security risk of leaving it on an older stable version that works, and since I have compared it to my G5, in terms of not missing things, (a unit that works similar to having an actual radio on the system) I'm happy with it as it is.

 

[crippledchicken]

Are you using clear user data in Sentinel before, trying to update firmware? I did that 2 days ago with no problems on my SDS200. From what I've heard, that's the only way you are suppose to format the sd cards not Windows. Best of luck!