SDS200 Issue

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cicolini

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Hello, So I just purchased an SDS200 (My first scanner). I live in Eastern Massachusetts, I have figured out how to listen to all of my local municipalities, however, I cannot seem to get the State police . I have all of my local State police barracks set in my favorites but I haven't been able to hear anything from it. When its scanning it just says "ID Scanning..." and "TGID: ---" in the channel section. I know im doing something wrong because Mass hasn't gone encrypted yet but I can't seem to get it to work. I have also purchased the 3 additional keys (ProVoice, DMR, NXDN) if that helps. I only have the "Law, Interop, and Multi" services enabled. Im sure this post sounds very dumb but im very new at this so any info will most likely help.
 

smithken

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The first thing I would try is switching the scanner to ID search mode, Function key then E (yes) key, and see if you start hearing the state police. I would also ask for help in the Massachusetts group in these forums.
 

hiegtx

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Hello, So I just purchased an SDS200 (My first scanner). I live in Eastern Massachusetts, I have figured out how to listen to all of my local municipalities, however, I cannot seem to get the State police . I have all of my local State police barracks set in my favorites but I haven't been able to hear anything from it. When its scanning it just says "ID Scanning..." and "TGID: ---" in the channel section. I know im doing something wrong because Mass hasn't gone encrypted yet but I can't seem to get it to work. I have also purchased the 3 additional keys (ProVoice, DMR, NXDN) if that helps. I only have the "Law, Interop, and Multi" services enabled. Im sure this post sounds very dumb but im very new at this so any info will most likely help.
For the Public Safety service types (Law, Fire, EMS, and Multi), only the Dispatch service types are enabled by default when the scanner is shipped and/or Sentinel is installed. Also enable the Tac and Talk service types (Law Talk, Fire Tac, etc).

If you created your Favorites list manually in Sentinel (instead of appending from the main database), you should not use "Location Control" enabled on that list unless you also manually entered the location details. If you appended from the main database, the location information would be there & location control would work. For an explanation on using Location Control, see this:
How it Works: Location, Location, Location

Also see this Wiki page as well as the links on the page:
 

cicolini

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The first thing I would try is switching the scanner to ID search mode, Function key then E (yes) key, and see if you start hearing the state police. I would also ask for help in the Massachusetts group in these forums.
Great, thank you very much I will try that
 

tvengr

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It looks like Essex County is still on the Motorola 800 MHz system. You have to use a Motorola 800 MHz custom rebanded bandplan,
 

cicolini

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For the Public Safety service types (Law, Fire, EMS, and Multi), only the Dispatch service types are enabled by default when the scanner is shipped and/or Sentinel is installed. Also enable the Tac and Talk service types (Law Talk, Fire Tac, etc).

If you created your Favorites list manually in Sentinel (instead of appending from the main database), you should not use "Location Control" enabled on that list unless you also manually entered the location details. If you appended from the main database, the location information would be there & location control would work. For an explanation on using Location Control, see this:
How it Works: Location, Location, Location

Also see this Wiki page as well as the links on the page:
I have enabled all of the "Law, Multi and Interop" services I also have set my zip-code, and technically my latitude and longitude as well.

It looks like Essex County is still on the Motorola 800 MHz system. You have to use a Motorola 800 MHz custom rebanded bandplan,
How would I go about setting this up? Is there a youtube video or forum post that you know about that has a tutorial?
 

tvengr

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Using Sentinel, you create a Motorola system. You click on the system and create a site. Click on the site and enter the frequencies. Click on Band Plan and select Custom as the Band Type. Enter this info into Band Plans 1 & 2.


851.025000854.00000025.000440
851.012500868.98750025.0000
0.0000000.00000025.0000
0.0000000.00000025.0000
0.0000000.00000025.0000
0.0000000.00000025.0000

When you click on the system, you can create your departments and click on the departments to add talkgroups.
 

cicolini

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Using Sentinel, you create a Motorola system. You click on the system and create a site. Click on the site and enter the frequencies. Click on Band Plan and select Custom as the Band Type. Enter this info into Band Plans 1 & 2.


851.025000854.00000025.000440
851.012500868.98750025.0000
0.0000000.00000025.0000
0.0000000.00000025.0000
0.0000000.00000025.0000
0.0000000.00000025.0000

When you click on the system, you can create your departments and click on the departments to add talkgroups.
I live in Danvers Ma. The only frequencies I can find for Essex county is in Haverhill? Is this correct? Is there anyway for me to get the ones by my house?
 

tkenny53

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Location
socal
Go to Edit Profile, turn on all of the services.
go to RR database and find the the stuff you want to listen to.
Program the scanner using Sentinel following what you checked out eariler
 

cicolini

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Using Sentinel, you create a Motorola system. You click on the system and create a site. Click on the site and enter the frequencies. Click on Band Plan and select Custom as the Band Type. Enter this info into Band Plans 1 & 2.


851.025000854.00000025.000440
851.012500868.98750025.0000
0.0000000.00000025.0000
0.0000000.00000025.0000
0.0000000.00000025.0000
0.0000000.00000025.0000

When you click on the system, you can create your departments and click on the departments to add talkgroups.
I have set all the frequencies I have found and now unfortunately I still cannot hear it. The system doesn't even show up in the scan. I tried turning on "ID Search" and that made them appear in the scan but I couldn't hear anything from it. Another thing I was wondering is Haverhill and Boston (the two closest frequencies I could find) are about 20 miles away from me would that be the cause of this issue now? I sent my range to 30 miles
 

skybug

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I'm in Middlesex County and I hear them all the time. It's been a while since I loaded my SDS200 so I will search out what I selected in the programming and try to help out. I am picking up 4 troops from my location.
 

cicolini

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I'm in Middlesex County and I hear them all the time. It's been a while since I loaded my SDS200 so I will search out what I selected in the programming and try to help out. I am picking up 4 troops from my location.
That would be great help. I have all services selected, zip entered in correctly and I set the range to 50 (I have tried 10, 15,20, and 30) and im hearing municipalities every once and a while I figured it would be more but im not sure, I hear something like every 5 minutes or so then it cuts out. I've watched like every setup video on youtube and im setting it up exactly how they say. Im sure im doing something wrong but I have no idea
 

iMONITOR

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Welcome to RR cicolini! :cool:

Try setting the range lower, much lower. Try 2 miles for starters. It will spend less time scanning systems that are likely too far to monitor anyway, and more time on those you can hear. Also 2 miles is really more like 20+ considering the range of the system.
 

cicolini

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Welcome to RR cicolini! :cool:

Try setting the range lower, much lower. Try 2 miles for starters. It will spend less time scanning systems that are likely too far to monitor anyway, and more time on those you can hear. Also 2 miles is really more like 20+ considering the range of the system.
I just tried that and I have actually received more transmissions than I was getting before, still not getting the state police though but definitely hear more chatter with my town's frequency now
 

iMONITOR

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I just tried that and I have actually received more transmissions than I was getting before, still not getting the state police though but definitely hear more chatter with my town's frequency now

You might hear more activity during the day. Michigan's State Police have been quiet this evening also.
 

skybug

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Location
Tyngsboro, Mass.
Great, thank you for your help
That would be great help. I have all services selected, zip entered in correctly and I set the range to 50 (I have tried 10, 15,20, and 30) and im hearing municipalities every once and a while I figured it would be more but im not sure, I hear something like every 5 minutes or so then it cuts out. I've watched like every setup video on youtube and im setting it up exactly how they say. Im sure im doing something wrong but I have no idea
Without getting into the programming part, here is my file for just the Mass area that I listen too. If you can pull this in with the program and save it, this is what I have in my radios and hear 4 different troops from my location. Within proscan, you should be able to import this file and save it. Darn, was trying to attach a file and RR won't let me, it was my Mass .hpe file. Not sure how to send it so you can import it into the scanner.

857.71250033776-11751457NFM600:00:0811/21/20 20:16:3511/21/20 20:53:29Massachusetts State Police - Metro Boston Simulcast - State Police Troop C - Central - C1-PatrolMotorola
856.96250033840-11750435NFM1400:01:0611/21/20 20:42:5911/21/20 20:59:32Massachusetts State Police - Metro Boston Simulcast - State Police Troop C - Central - C3-PatrolMotorola
856.96250033968-11850408NFM100:00:0311/21/20 20:49:2711/21/20 20:49:30Massachusetts State Police - Metro Boston Simulcast - State Police Troop D - Southeast - D1-PatrolMotorola
857.71250033264-112NFM100:00:0111/21/20 20:29:4711/21/20 20:29:48Massachusetts State Police - Metro Boston Simulcast - State Police Troop H - Boston South - H1-PatrolMotorola
856.71250033296-10831350NFM400:00:3311/21/20 20:30:3211/21/20 20:31:11Massachusetts State Police - Metro Boston Simulcast - State Police Troop H - Boston South - H2-PatrolMotorola
After having it running for several days, first time I logged over 200+ hits. The Mass SP was pretty active this week and with all the leaves down now, I'm picking up further out now. This is just a small time fame here, I usually have 12+ lines shown. Troop A is my area and since I just did a clear, these 5 are the only ones that have hit so far.
 
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