SDS100/SDS200: SDS200 Weird issue

[werinshades]

I dont even know how to send it here if im being honest

Sentinel...File tab...Export hpe file. From there, it has to be zipped up to fit here. I use winZip, someone here might have other options.

 

[DurangoPursuit2019]

I think i did this right.

 

[werinshades]

Cleaned it up a bit.

To avoid potential conflicts, I would delete anything in the Favorite List so it only scans this one...then File Save. (I'm assuming this is the only Favorite List in Sentinel?) If you get the message Nothing to Scan, press 1 E(Enter) to turn it on because your profile isn't set up under the Quick Key status to turn have Quick Key1 on. If you are getting the double beeps, follow the next thing:

I have sent others my updated lists and at times the Favorite List Quick key doesn't carry over. If this happens, in Sentinel go to File...Edit Favorite List...in the right pane...System Option...FL Quick Key (drop down menu)...File Save...Write to Scanner (again).

 

[DurangoPursuit2019]

 

[DurangoPursuit2019]

Holding Lee co now, hoping it even works

 

[werinshades]

To turn off Beaverdale...1.1.91 E (Enter). Run a little longer video.

Is that the only Favorite List in Sentinel or on the scanner? Menu..Manage Favorites...?

 

[werinshades]

hoping it even works

Nothing really changed as far as sites, talk groups, ID Scan. Just added Quick Keys, and a couple other cosmetic things. If you don't like it, very easy to edit changes and go about your business.

 

[Ubbe]

The new frequencies for Site 11 uses CC774.34375 and as soon as it goes to the voice channel VC785.69375 it doesn't detect any signal and goes immediately back to CC774.34375 and then it gives up and goes to Site56.

Could you please do Function+Dept that then would have switched the label to be Site and make a site hold on Site 11.
Then monitor and check if any other voice channel frequency will work better.

You can also program 785.69375 to quick save memory and then configure it to do analog only and listen to the data signal, with squelch set to 0 and FM, if you can hear any interference or just a steady data signal when you could assume it is a conversation. If you hear interference, data errors will go up and /or you hear a signal between conversations, then go to the scanners menu and Edit Favorite/System/Department for the quick save system and change the filter types and see if any will give you a signal with less interference and a steady data signal throughout the conversation. Each conversation will end with a longer idle data signal that are easy recognizable.

You can actually change your two sites to use FM instead of NFM as SDS scanners suffer from modulation noise when getting close to its NFM bandwidth limit.

/Ubbe

 

[Ubbe]

I forgot to mention that it could also be successful to try the attenuator. It is a 20dB attenuation in the 800MHz band so if a signal are -80dBm or stronger it should work and will help a lot to make the receiver work properly, if any interfering signal then also are reduced by 20dB.

/Ubbe

 

[werinshades]

I forgot to mention that it could also be successful to try the attenuator. It is a 20dB attenuation in the 800MHz band so if a signal are -80dBm or stronger it should work and will help a lot to make the receiver work properly, if any interfering signal then also are reduced by 20dB.

/Ubbe

In the program file I sent, the attenuator was turned on to the Beaverdale site since it's using 700 Mhz. frequencies. On my SDS 200, I frequently use the attenuator and Wide Invert filter on the 700 Mhz. sites because it usually has better decode setting it up that way. It wasn't on and the filter was set to Global so not sure what the scanner's Global Filter was set at, and updated the site filter.

If the scanner had no other systems scanning, and those 785 Mhz frequencies keep popping up, something is amiss with the site for sure since it was mentioned in the Iowa forum, so it's not isolated to one scanner or user.

I gave it a shot, set up Quick Keys hoping I could isolate the issue. Unfortunately, it would appear they have a problem there. As long as the talk groups are affiliating with the Lee County simulcast site, then stick with that one and don't worry about the other one until it's repaired. The option of 1.1.91 Enter will turn the offending site off, and still allow it to scan if other systems want to be programmed. If Site Hold is chosen, the scanner won't scan anything else, it's up to the user.

 

[Ubbe]

One more thing, when scanning just two sites you can set squelch to 0. It will fool the scanner into thinking it receives a carrier and will stay longer on a channel to try and detect and decode data before it gives up.

So, Attenuator, FM, SQ at 0, IFX on and off and test filters for each IFX, Normal, Invert, Wide Normal, Wide Invert and Off. That's all that can be done with the scanner.

I would try another conventional scanner at 785.69375 with SQ at 0 and listen to the noise and try to hear if the channel are actually transmitting at any time, preferably when the SDS200 jumps to it. But I believe that all transmitters in US needs to periodically send out a morse code using an analog tone that identify its FCC license ID. Use a BNC T-splitter or quickly move the antenna coax to the other scanner when the SDS200 indicates a conversation.

If there where some sort of issue with the actual operation of the site then many users of that system must have big problems and the administrators would had turned off its control channel, that they can do very easily without visiting the site.

/Ubbe

 

[RMason]

It almost sounds like the Beaverdale site is not sending the band plan on the control channel. The band plan is required so the scanner can correctly determine the voice channel frequencies. If the band plan is missing (or incorrect), the scanner can tune to the wrong voice channel frequency. If no signal is found on the voice channel, it will immediately return to the control channel.

That being said, for those of you who are receiving traffic on the Beaverdale site, what voice channel frequencies are you seeing traffic on?

 

[DurangoPursuit2019]

It almost sounds like the Beaverdale site is not sending the band plan on the control channel. The band plan is required so the scanner can correctly determine the voice channel frequencies. If the band plan is missing (or incorrect), the scanner can tune to the wrong voice channel frequency. If no signal is found on the voice channel, it will immediately return to the control channel.

That being said, for those of you who are receiving traffic on the Beaverdale site, what voice channel frequencies are you seeing traffic on?

I saw someone mention RRDB might have the wrong band plan and sent the "proper" one. So im gonna try and see if i can fix it with that here soon.

 

[bw415]

That being said, for those of you who are receiving traffic on the Beaverdale site, what voice channel frequencies are you seeing traffic on?

I just checked my 996P2 right now and while scanning the freq 774.3437 is on the screen. When Burl PD talks either 773.8437 or 773.5937 shows on the display.

 

[DurangoPursuit2019]

Band plan has made no difference sadly

 

[RMason]

I just checked my 996P2 right now and while scanning the freq 774.3437 is on the screen. When Burl PD talks either 773.8437 or 773.5937 shows on the display.

774.74375 is the control frequency. Your 996P2 is tuning to voice frequencies of 773.84375 and 773.5937.

@DurangoPursuit2019 is also tuning to the same control frequency - 774.74375. However, the SDS200 is tuning to voice frequency of 785.69375. This does not look to be a valid voice frequency.

It looks like the band plan being broadcast on the control channel of the Beaverdale site is either absent or invalid. The scanner uses the band plan info from the control channel to determine the voice channel frequencies. You may - or may not - be successful in overriding the band plan.

I would confirm this by using a control channel monitoring program (e.g. DSDPlus, Unitrunker, SDRTrunk) to capture the band plan being broadcast by both the Beaverdale and Lee County sites.

 

[werinshades]

774.74375 is the control frequency. Your 996P2 is tuning to voice frequencies of 773.84375 and 773.5937.

@DurangoPursuit2019 is also tuning to the same control frequency - 774.74375. However, the SDS200 is tuning to voice frequency of 785.69375. This does not look to be a valid voice frequency.

It looks like the band plan being broadcast on the control channel of the Beaverdale site is either absent or invalid. The scanner uses the band plan info from the control channel to determine the voice channel frequencies. You may - or may not - be successful in overriding the band plan.

I would confirm this by using a control channel monitoring program (e.g. DSDPlus, Unitrunker, SDRTrunk) to capture the band plan being broadcast by both the Beaverdale and Lee County sites.

View attachment 192536

I copied and pasted a new Beaverdale Site Band Plan that is used on my 700Mhz sites. Upload this new file and see if it decodes the site properly.

 

[Ubbe]

I copied and pasted a new Beaverdale Site Band Plan that is used on my 700Mhz sites.

I took a look in it. Bandplan are used per site. Site 11 seems to only use 700MHz frequencies and bandplan 1 are set to that but bandplan 0 are set to a base frequency of 850MHz. I would assume that the scanner uses bandplan 0 if not otherwise told by the control channel data.

/Ubbe

 

[werinshades]

I took a look in it. Bandplan are used per site. Site 11 seems to only use 700MHz frequencies and bandplan 1 are set to that but bandplan 0 are set to a base frequency of 850MHz. I would assume that the scanner uses bandplan 0 if not otherwise told by the control channel data.

/Ubbe

I never thought about the Band Plan until @RMason brought it up, since I never adjust mine. The Band Plan I copied and pasted was from a site on Illinois Starcom (Site 1-002 Cook County), that uses one of the same control channel frequencies, so I thought I'd give it a shot?

@DurangoPursuit2019 ..prior to downloading this file, delete the old one I sent in both the computer and on Sentinel to avoid conflicts.

 

[Ubbe]

I thought I'd give it a shot?

I would suggest to put the same 700MHz base frequency in both bandplans, as site 11 only use (so far) that band for its voice frequencies.

/Ubbe