SDS100/SDS200: Sds100 will sit for hour before I here anything

Status
Not open for further replies.

Kris1359

Kris1359
Joined
May 18, 2021
Messages
51
Location
South Bend, IN
I know I’ve read something about this someplace on here but can’t find it now. What could cause my sds100 to not pick up anything for hours then all of a sudden it works?
 

ka3jjz

Wiki Admin Emeritus
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
25,361
Location
Bowie, Md.
From our SDS100 / 200 FAQ in the wiki...


Mike
 

ka3jjz

Wiki Admin Emeritus
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
25,361
Location
Bowie, Md.
Several possibilities here, including having the wrong (or not all of) the control channels programmed, services wrong, not hearing the best site for your location - really way too many to diagnose without knowing precisely what system you are trying to hear...is it Safe-T?

Mike
 
Last edited:

Ubbe

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Messages
8,944
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
I know I’ve read something about this someplace on here but can’t find it now. What could cause my sds100 to not pick up anything for hours then all of a sudden it works?
Check what the display indicates. It should stay at least 1,5sec on each site and will be easily spotted. If it just scans past the site without any delay it has lost reception. It could be a cold solder joint problem at J401 or at the antenna connector or it could be a too weak signal at your position that just barely breaks squelch.

/Ubbe
 

Kris1359

Kris1359
Joined
May 18, 2021
Messages
51
Location
South Bend, IN
I’d hate to send this in if it’s something I can fix. I’ve read some of the horror stories about uniden repair service taking months to fix it and get it back to you. I think it’s just something I don’t have set up right. It does pick up some things but not too much. Where I live it should be going nuts. I don’t think it‘s the squelch. It’s set at 2. I’ve tried both antennas on it and they both seem to do the same thing. I have the factory antenna and a Remtronx 802s.
 

tvengr

Well Known Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2019
Messages
9,178
Location
Baltimore County, MD
How many sites do you have programmed? If you have every site in the state, it can take forever to check every frequency in every site to finally find the control channels of the sites within range in your area. Try avoiding all of the sites except the St Joseph County Simulcast site.
 

tvengr

Well Known Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2019
Messages
9,178
Location
Baltimore County, MD
If you export and attach your favorites list file, I will check it for problems. In Sentinel, go to the File tab and Export to hpe file (Favorites List). You will need to right click on the exported file and Send to Compressed (zipped) folder to be able to attach it. Click on Attach files and Open the zipped folder.
 

Kris1359

Kris1359
Joined
May 18, 2021
Messages
51
Location
South Bend, IN
My channels around 150 are full of static. Could that be a sign of cold solder? I don’t know what else to do. I really don’t want to send it back in. I searched for 3 weeks before I found this one at HRO. The bad part about getting it from them is they have a ten day return policy Or I would return it and get one from some where else. They’re a few spots that have them now.
 

Ubbe

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Messages
8,944
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
My channels around 150 are full of static.... I don’t know what else to do.
When it seems dead, leave your house and take the scanner a couple of miles away and see how it performs. If your channels are mostly in the 150MHz band then it could be some pager transmitter or similar that interferes. Have you tried the two different auto settings for the filters and the IFX setting to the channels? The SDS100 receiver do worse the lower the frequency band and 150MHz band have issues with a lot of interferencies.

/Ubbe
 

jonwienke

More Info Coming Soon!
Joined
Jul 18, 2014
Messages
13,416
Location
VA
My channels around 150 are full of static. Could that be a sign of cold solder? I don’t know what else to do. I really don’t want to send it back in. I searched for 3 weeks before I found this one at HRO. The bad part about getting it from them is they have a ten day return policy Or I would return it and get one from some where else. They’re a few spots that have them now.
Solder joint issues affect all bands the same. If you're having reception issues in just one frequency range, the issue is likely RFI or bleedover from a nearby transmitter.
 

Kris1359

Kris1359
Joined
May 18, 2021
Messages
51
Location
South Bend, IN
I’m having trouble with all bands. The higher bands I only get some of the time. I had just wondered if that could have been a sign of a solder joint issue.
 

Kris1359

Kris1359
Joined
May 18, 2021
Messages
51
Location
South Bend, IN
Nope that’s not it. I just can’t receive anything. I can let it sit for hours and maybe just pick up a Signal off and on. Never the whole thing. I would say it’s where I’m at but a neighbor has the sds100 and can pick up everything. He even switched his sd card to see what it would do and nothing. I thought that was a bad idea for fear it would mess up his sd card.
 

Hit_Factor

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Messages
2,435
Location
Saint Joseph, MI
Nope that’s not it. I just can’t receive anything. I can let it sit for hours and maybe just pick up a Signal off and on. Never the whole thing. I would say it’s where I’m at but a neighbor has the sds100 and can pick up everything. He even switched his sd card to see what it would do and nothing. I thought that was a bad idea for fear it would mess up his sd card.
That was a very good idea. Your SDS100 definitely needs to be serviced.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top