SDS100/SDS200: SDS200 Weird issue

[DurangoPursuit2019]

Hello all. I recently purchased a SDS200 to replace my old BCD996P2 and have came across a interesting issue.

Before we start for reference, I am trying to listen to Des Moines County Iowa, specifically the Sheriff's Dept, and the 2 Police Departments on the ISICS system.

The scanner was programmed via Sentinel, everything is updated and I do not have WX or CC on. I have the Beaverdale tower with its frequencies, then the 2 TGs that makeup Burlington Police and the Sheriff Dept and West Burlington Police.

As for antenna situation, it is car mounted, and the clip i have provided was taken with my car in an area that I know I can get good signal in. I have a hardmounted NMO adapter with a 700-900 MHZ Laird Phantom Antenna. I also have a triband EM-Wave antenna I mess with too and get the same results with.

Now here is the kicker. I got a separate SD card with a professional program on it. With that SD card I can pickup the tall groups for the 3 departments I want, but I pick them up off the neighboring countys site(Lee County Iowa).

And if that wasn't even the craziest part, ive got people in the County saying they are having the same issues, and some saying they arent, and some of the scanners having this issue were programmed months ago.

I have a discussion going in the ISICS Forum but I wanted to know if the SDS experts had any forgive into if this specific issue im facing is related to my scanner itself or the evident problems my county is having.

 

[DurangoPursuit2019]

 

[ofd8001]

My money is the "separate SD card with a professional program" is programmed differently than the one you experience the problem. It might be something however slight, such as a site/tower avoid, Location issue (if you use that).

Very unlikely a scanner hardware, antenna issue, etc. SD cards are nothing more than a programming storage container, which is read from the scanner at boot-up time.

I suggest you put the "professional" card in the scanner and let it load. Then connect the scanner (or SD card however you do it) to the computer and do a Read From Scanner. When asked about different programming, chose the "Copy with a New Name". Give is a name like "Good ISICS".

After reading, then add that New Name System to your profile and compare it with the system that isn't working the way you want it to.

 

[DurangoPursuit2019]

My money is the "separate SD card with a professional program" is programmed differently than the one you experience the problem. It might be something however slight, such as a site/tower avoid, Location issue (if you use that).

Very unlikely a scanner hardware, antenna issue, etc. SD cards are nothing more than a programming storage container, which is read from the scanner at boot-up time.

I suggest you put the "professional" card in the scanner and let it load. Then connect the scanner (or SD card however you do it) to the computer and do a Read From Scanner. When asked about different programming, chose the "Copy with a New Name". Give is a name like "Good ISICS".

After reading, then add that New Name System to your profile and compare it with the system that isn't working the way you want it to.

They are nearly the same in regards to the systems im trying to listen to. The only difference is the site. My program has Beaverdale only. Professional has Beaverdale, Lee County, and Louisa County, aka our neighbors.

On my home site(beaverdale)I have the issue seen in the video no matter the program, it happens to both.

The difference is that the Professional program has the extra sites, and I can pickup my County TGs on the Lee Co site.

I have other people from my county saying they can listen to the beaverdale site fine, so the issue is something else.

 

[ofd8001]

I looked up the system in the database. They only have control channels listed. I'm wondering if that may have something to do with it.

At any rate, I would probably go with whatever works.

 

[DurangoPursuit2019]

I looked up the system in the database. They only have control channels listed. I'm wondering if that may have something to do with it.

At any rate, I would probably go with whatever works.

If you watch the video again you'll notice a 785 frequency pop up. So far ive found 2 of them, not listed but I programmed them in and it did nothing to help. This whole situation is odd.

 

[wtp]

i can't find any listing for 785.xxxx

 

[DurangoPursuit2019]

i can't find any listing for 785

There isnt one. Ive got 2 separate frequencies ive found that aren't listed. And programming them in didnt help either so ive got no clue what's going on still.

 

[DurangoPursuit2019]

This is one

 

[wtp]

i would take them out.

 

[wtp]

if you put them in, take them out.
if the system has them as a voice frequency, there is something else wrong.

 

[DurangoPursuit2019]

Taking them out wont help. The issue happened before they were programmed in. And it showed those frequencies before I even programmed them in, that happened after I found out they existed.

 

[wtp]

one odd thought, bring the squelch up to 3.

 

[DurangoPursuit2019]

one odd thought, bring the squelch up to 3.

Tried that aswell, nothing

 

[wtp]

do you still have the 996 ?

 

[DurangoPursuit2019]

do you still have the 996 ?

Yes, it stopped receiving our county aswell, which is what led me to replacing it thinking it was dying.

It worked perfectly up until it stopped, and now the SDS doesnt wanna work on the proper channel.

It makes no sense that switching to the neighboring counties site somehow makes it work.

It also makes no sense that ive got people telling me their scanners work fine, and others telling me they are having the same issues as me.

I was talking with a guy on the ISICS forums woth a 996P2 that said his was still working perfect, he sent me photos of the programming...identical to my P2. Yet somehow my P2 can't receive anything.

 

[wtp]

if you could fire up the 996 and put the 785.68375 or 785.68125 in and see what happens with the squelch off.
one quick way is
when scanning hit the hold button, type in a freq, hit hold.

 

[wtp]

ok, the wife says it is time to quit.
it could be that the system is keying up on those freqs.
if you hear a burb on them it is their problem,
good night.

 

[tvengr]

Please export and attach your Sentinel favorites list file so I can take a look at it. Go to the File tab in Sentinel and click on Export to hpe file (Favorites List). You will need to zip the exported file to be able to attach it. Click on Attach files and open the zipped file.

 

[Ubbe]

Your scanner show the signal strength of the control channel 774.34375 to be -82dBm most of the time but varies and can be -92dBm but the signal can also totally disappear. Any voice channels it tries to go to have no signal strength and it goes immediately back to the control channel.

This is typical for an interference issue that another transmitters frequency blocks the reception on a SDS scanner. That's why Uniden implemented the filter selections to their SDS scanners.

If you make a Hold on the System or Site and then go to Menu/Manage Favorites/"your FV name"/Review Edit System/ "your system name"/Edit Site and change the sites Filter setting then do Avoid to go back to the system or site Hold and see what happens, if the control channel stays at a steady signal strength and it gets reception on the voice frequencies. Try first the Off setting and then Normal, Invert, Wide Normal and Wide Invert one at a time and see if any of those will help.

If none of the filter helped then push the third softkey that sometimes are labeled Channel and enter 774.34375 and Channel button again ,although its label will not be displayed, followed by Function+7 to toggle IFX on. When you then select To Scan your system and site hold will be gone so you will have to do that again. Push the System button, wait 3 seconds and push it again and you then, within 2 sec, can turn the selector wheel to go between systems. If you wait too long between selections it will time out, then push System again and start selecting system within 2 sec but if you wait 3 sec after the System button push it will go out of hold mode.

When IFX On have been set to that specific frequency you only check what happens to the control channel using different filter settings, if it stays at a steady signal level. If that IFX helped then try doing that also to the voice frequencies if they still cannot be received with a signal strength.

/Ubbe