SDS200 "filter" settings

[trentbob]

Thanks. I wasn't aware that there was a "filter" setting on the display. I have some empty spaces and will add that. I'll play with IFX, although it doesn't look like there is a way to set that permanently per frequency, which will be a PITA.

The filters also seem to be only settable per system, not frequency. Which someone speculated might be a limitation of the hardware.

Playing around with the filters is the apparent, but someone frustrating, answer.

Okay I wasn't aware of what level you were at with understanding of the filters so let me take a minute here to make this easier for you. Again people might disagree but I have a pretty good understanding of the filters since they were first introduced.

First of all as far as the IFX or the intermittent frequency Exchange which changes the IF and can reduce interference... while on hold on a frequency press function 7 and IFX will show on the display. This is a permanent adjustment of that frequency and it is a global setting for that frequency anywhere in the radio including if that frequency was part of a trunked system. If it makes no difference and doesn't help just hit function 7 again and it will toggle It Off.

As far as the filters go you should always leave Global on normal. It's normal for a reason. To adjust a system you go into each site of the system and adjust the filters.

You should only be listening to one or maybe two sites in a system any way to speed up your scanning. You should not be listening to multiple sites. Remember everything is already on normal filter because that's global, everything will have normal unless you change it on the sites.

As far as an individual frequency you go into the Department settings that that frequency is in and make your changes on the filters there and yes the filter you apply will affect all of the frequencies in that Department. Many would like it to be able to be adjusted just for one frequency but that's not how it is, all frequencies in that Department will be affected.

You can get around that problem by the way you group your frequencies in different... departments.

Hope this makes sense and helps you out... Bob.

 

[jonwienke]

I'll play with IFX, although it doesn't look like there is a way to set that permanently per frequency, which will be a PITA.

There is an IFX table in Sentinel that lets you permanently assign IFX to a frequency.

The filters also seem to be only settable per system, not frequency. Which someone speculated might be a limitation of the hardware.

That's a software thing, not hardware.

 

[werinshades]

I definitely agree with everybody that an addendum to the manual would be in order. At least we have RR to share our findings and to read the update release explaining the filters briefly.

Speaking of the filters themselves I have really mastered them on both the 100 and 200 since the first set came out and I've discovered something.

Normal filter is global for a reason and I find now I'm only using a filter on a system or single Channel when there is an issue like missed Transmissions or clipped transmissions on a system or crappy reception on an analog frequency other than that I'm just leaving it on normal.

I see it more like a troubleshooting tool rather than something that really needs to be done on everything you listen to.

Just an observation, Paul being out sick for so long there really is a lack of Uniden support in the threads on RR.

His frequent input has been missed. I look forward to his eventual return.

Exactly! Set the Global setting for a majority of the systems you have the best setting for, and tweak the rest.

 

[KK4JUG]

I can't help but think that Uniden would announce some guidelines if they really knew anything about the filters. They're like Post-It notes and microwave ovens. Someone stumbled on it and saw that it did something but they weren't sure why or how.

 

[xusmarine1979]

The guy on Facebook who made a sprectrum display program that use the data from the undocumented USB connector tried to sweep the whole frequency band while using different filters and they seem to do what their names implies.


/Ubbe

Hey Ubbe, do you happen to have a link or anything to this? I think it would be interesting to read.

 

[Ubbe]

Hey Ubbe, do you happen to have a link or anything to this? I think it would be interesting to read.

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

/Ubbe

 

[xusmarine1979]

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

/Ubbe

Much appreciated!!

 

[garys]

It make sense, and it helps. I've started playing with filters on several Departments in one of the more active systems.

jonwienke, thanks for the info on IFX in Sentinel. Also, the way it was explained to me about the filters is that there wasn't the capacity in the hardware to have the software capable of doing per frequency filtering. I don't know if that's true, so take it for what it's worth.

Okay I wasn't aware of what level you were at with understanding of the filters so let me take a minute here to make this easier for you. Again people might disagree but I have a pretty good understanding of the filters since they were first introduced.

First of all as far as the IFX or the intermittent frequency Exchange which changes the IF and can reduce interference... while on hold on a frequency press function 7 and IFX will show on the display. This is a permanent adjustment of that frequency and it is a global setting for that frequency anywhere in the radio including if that frequency was part of a trunked system. If it makes no difference and doesn't help just hit function 7 again and it will toggle It Off.

As far as the filters go you should always leave Global on normal. It's normal for a reason. To adjust a system you go into each site of the system and adjust the filters.

You should only be listening to one or maybe two sites in a system any way to speed up your scanning. You should not be listening to multiple sites. Remember everything is already on normal filter because that's global, everything will have normal unless you change it on the sites.

As far as an individual frequency you go into the Department settings that that frequency is in and make your changes on the filters there and yes the filter you apply will affect all of the frequencies in that Department. Many would like it to be able to be adjusted just for one frequency but that's not how it is, all frequencies in that Department will be affected.

You can get around that problem by the way you group your frequencies in different... departments.

Hope this makes sense and helps you out... Bob.

 

[werinshades]

Also, the way it was explained to me about the filters is that there wasn't the capacity in the hardware to have the software capable of doing per frequency filtering. I don't know if that's true, so take it for what it's worth.

My workaround is creating a new system per analog frequency. This gives the option of setting filters per frequency. Also..if you know the actual Channel assignment, you can assign the system/frequency number to correspond with that layout.

FL-1/System 1..(Channel 1) North
FL-1/System 2..(Channel 2) South

1.1/ 1.2 Enter to turn the system/channels on or off as an example.

 

[trentbob]

It make sense, and it helps. I've started playing with filters on several Departments in one of the more active systems.

jonwienke, thanks for the info on IFX in Sentinel. Also, the way it was explained to me about the filters is that there wasn't the capacity in the hardware to have the software capable of doing per frequency filtering. I don't know if that's true, so take it for what it's worth.

I just wanted to clarify for you that when I was giving you that advice I was talking about doing it directly on the radio and not through Sentinel.

When I make adjustments to my radios I often do it spontaneously right on the radio itself but it's important that as soon as you hook up to Sentinel that you read the card and transfer the information to Sentinel to update the changes you made right on the radio.

 

[thom]

There once was a guy withe a scanner,
Who thought he was a very good planner.
He changed the filters twice,
He changed the filters thrice,
They're still not in the right manner.

 

[TailGator911]

Given that the filter settings are unique and different for everyone depending on several variables such as location, range, antenna, etc, there seems to be no set of standards to go by, or a definitive base or legend to refer to when adjusting the filters. I have done extensive research with them in all variables only to conclude that OFF is my preferred setting lol. I have better results when setting on a distant vhf frequency and applying IFX. Although when I was recently in Alaska I had good results with WIDE when trying to receive a system on Sitka island. Cleared it up and brought it in 100%.

 

[xusmarine1979]

I just wonder if there is a possibility to have an option to have it in both directions full time. Or if that were implemented, what would the draw backs be?

 

[garys]

I was clear on that, so at least there is one thing i was clear on.

I found the "Filter" display item and turned it on. I think I have Global set to "Normal", but might turn it off and then play with it on a Department/Site basis to see if it does anything. Well, anything helpful.

I've made changes on my x36HP and SDS200 on the fly and forgotten to do a "read" or make the changes on Sentinal and ARC536. Then, I get pissed when I overwrite the changes.

I just wanted to clarify for you that when I was giving you that advice I was talking about doing it directly on the radio and not through Sentinel.

When I make adjustments to my radios I often do it spontaneously right on the radio itself but it's important that as soon as you hook up to Sentinel that you read the card and transfer the information to Sentinel to update the changes you made right on the radio.

 

[trentbob]

I would recommend leaving Global on normal and that will give you a good filter for everything.

When you change it on a site or in a department then it overrides the global setting.

The filter indicator on the display will indicate whatever filter is on that system or that individual object whether it's a result of you changing it or if it's default normal as per global setting.

I think you might find poor performance if you take Global off of normal and put it on off.

Remember, you should only use filters other than the global normal when you are having a problem with a system like missed or clipped Transmissions or poor performance on a particular analog Channel.

Think of using normal on everything per the global setting and only going into the radio and changing that setting when you need to troubleshoot.

You're going to get it. It'll just hit you LOL.

 

[trentbob]

Given that the filter settings are unique and different for everyone depending on several variables such as location, range, antenna, etc, there seems to be no set of standards to go by, or a definitive base or legend to refer to when adjusting the filters. I have done extensive research with them in all variables only to conclude that OFF is my preferred setting lol. I have better results when setting on a distant vhf frequency and applying IFX. Although when I was recently in Alaska I had good results with WIDE when trying to receive a system on Sitka island. Cleared it up and brought it in 100%.

That just goes to show you JD that every situation is different depending on your environment.

What doesn't work for one may be the best for another LOL

 

[TailGator911]

Yep, you are correct, Bob. I did more playing around with the filters when parked in different locales during my recent RV excursion than I did at home before I left. But then again not as much as I had planned to, but enough to assign them to systems for comparison. Back home, I am in a sweet spot and have concluded I don't need any filters on any frequencies other than a few IFX settings on distant vhf signals. I am in a good locale here, at the corner of 3 different counties and just a mile or so from the main gate of Wright-Patterson AFB. I pick up just about everything in a 3-country radius that I want to listen to. But, to be honest, what experimenting I did with filters in the wild frontier of the north country did not duly impress me. The only filters that actually changed anything for my reception was WIDE on a system up in Denali State Park. I can do without the filters, me thinks .

 

[trentbob]

So here's a good description

Yep, you are correct, Bob. I did more playing around with the filters when parked in different locales during my recent RV excursion than I did at home before I left. But then again not as much as I had planned to, but enough to assign them to systems for comparison. Back home, I am in a sweet spot and have concluded I don't need any filters on any frequencies other than a few IFX settings on distant vhf signals. I am in a good locale here, at the corner of 3 different counties and just a mile or so from the main gate of Wright-Patterson AFB. I pick up just about everything in a 3-country radius that I want to listen to. But, to be honest, what experimenting I did with filters in the wild frontier of the north country did not duly impress me. The only filters that actually changed anything for my reception was WIDE on a system up in Denali State Park. I can do without the filters, me thinks .

Nothing like a sweet spot ... I would think that would be the situation where you wouldn't need filters.

So before there were any filters my 100 probably worked as good as it ever did except for one thing, my local county P2 system. I was not a happy camper with obvious missed and clipped Transmissions side by side with my Moto gear, I was pissed. The radio actually went in a drawer and I considered selling it.

The first set of filters to come out... the invert filter corrected the problems. By the way aircraft worked best with no filter at all.

That was a good day.

When the wide filters came out my system worked better on wide invert .

Then... We had that tax day update. I don't know if you remember JD but I posted that it had trashed my radio but everybody else was fine with it except for a few people.

After two days work I finally got it close to where it was before but Aviation worked best on global normal and the intermittent frequency Exchange on.

Again it just shows to go ya. LOL no set way for anybody, it's all individual conditions.

 

[TailGator911]

Yep, lots of experimenting and tweaking and settings changes, etc, to find what works best for you in your particular situation. I remember that update and your reaction to it. I think your post was what steered me clear of that update lol. I don't automatically do every update that is released without referring to the update features first. If I don't need it, I will pass on it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Words to live by