SDS200 squelch

Status
Not open for further replies.

n1chu

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 18, 2002
Messages
2,546
Location
Farmington, Connecticut
When scanning the radio locks up on a non PL’ed frequency. The only non PL’ed freqs I have programmed are in the AM aviation band. (I have not as yet tried reprogramming these freqs but thought I’d ask if others were seeing this same issue.) if I turn the channel selector knob scanning resumes for a bit and then locks up again. I have even maxed out the squelch setting to no avail. If I avoid the freq it starts scanning and then picks on another non PL’ed freq. so it’s not a birdie. Comments?
 

iMONITOR

Silent Key
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 20, 2006
Messages
11,156
Location
S.E. Michigan
A lot of MilAir frequencies will transmit a carrier or some other kind of noise with no voice activity intermittently for various lengths of time. This causes the squelch to break causing the scanner to pause and sit on that frequency until it goes away. I haven't found a good work around other than pressing the AVOID button that will temporarily skip that frequency. If the signal is really weak I might adjust the squelch a little tighter until the scan moves on. Of course this might cause the scanner to miss other activity on other weak frequencies at the same time.
 

hiegtx

Mentor
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 8, 2004
Messages
11,169
Location
Dallas, TX
When scanning the radio locks up on a non PL’ed frequency. The only non PL’ed freqs I have programmed are in the AM aviation band. (I have not as yet tried reprogramming these freqs but thought I’d ask if others were seeing this same issue.) if I turn the channel selector knob scanning resumes for a bit and then locks up again. I have even maxed out the squelch setting to no avail. If I avoid the freq it starts scanning and then picks on another non PL’ed freq. so it’s not a birdie. Comments?
If you're turning the squelch to Max, but still have the problem, that actually sounds like a birdie (internally generated in the scanner). Those normally are not affected by the squelch setting, Or, you might be getting strong interference from something very close to you. At home, that could be your PC, broadband modem, or printer, among other devices in close proximity. In your vehicle, that could be from the computer that controls engine functions (and other systems in some models). I'd try the IFX adjustment, to see if that helps.

You can always add attenuation on just your problem frequencies, leaving the squelch setting alone so that there is no effect on other channels of interest. If you're "problem channel" only does that occasionally, but otherwise is useful to listen to them, you might use negatively delay, which will bump the radio back to scanning after the amount of seconds you set. I use negatively delay on Dallas Fire Rescue's station dispatch channel. The automated voice 'Dispatch Debbie' occasionally gets stuck, and repeats the exact same Fire or EMS run repeatedly,
 

Ubbe

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Messages
8,944
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
Birdies that generates inside the scanner can often be cured by setting IFX to those frequencies. Also intermodulation could happen on any frequency and can sometimes be moved to another frequency where they doesn't inerfere when IFX are used.

/Ubbe
 

n1chu

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 18, 2002
Messages
2,546
Location
Farmington, Connecticut
I discounted in my original post, any possibilities of “birdies”. The frequencies in question are all non PL’ed commercial aviation AM frequencies. And since they all worked fine previously, it caused me to believe the AM mode has something to do with it. I haven’t investigated the possibility of other equipment causing interference as suggested and thank you for that possibility. I did purchase a new replacement laptop but never suspected it might be the cause as the old one never gave me a problem. I know, never take anything for granted. (It would better explain why I’m experiencing the issue over a range of frequencies also.)

Thanks for the input. Here’s hoping the new laptop is the culprit... and not the SDS200!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top