Setting the tone ? SDS100

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KO4IPV

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Fire departments alert signal, is there a adjustment for that , in menu ? Not sure if that can be adjusted, reading the manual it mentioned set tone and tone alert is that the correct setting.
 

hiegtx

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Fire departments alert signal, is there a adjustment for that , in menu ? Not sure if that can be adjusted, reading the manual it mentioned set tone and tone alert is that the correct setting.
You can set fire tone outs so that if a local fire company, or particular station, is toned out, the scanner can alert you.
The scanner can also be used to determine the correct tones to use. However, in some cases, someone has already documented the tones used for a specific area. That might be in a Wiki page linked to the county, or other agencies database page.

However, for the tone-outs to work, the scanner has to be parked on the dispatch frequency used. You can't be scanning Favorites lists, or the database (using location) and still have the Tone-outs work. The scanner has to remain on the frequency, so that it does not miss a dispatch.

While the SDS200 is capable of handling this, it's overkill for dedicating it only to tone-outs. A number of older (and much cheaper) Uniden scanners can also do tone-out. Save the SDS200 for those problematic trunked systems.
 

KO4IPV

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You can set fire tone outs so that if a local fire company, or particular station, is toned out, the scanner can alert you.
The scanner can also be used to determine the correct tones to use. However, in some cases, someone has already documented the tones used for a specific area. That might be in a Wiki page linked to the county, or other agencies database page.

However, for the tone-outs to work, the scanner has to be parked on the dispatch frequency used. You can't be scanning Favorites lists, or the database (using location) and still have the Tone-outs work. The scanner has to remain on the frequency, so that it does not miss a dispatch.

While the SDS200 is capable of handling this, it's overkill for dedicating it only to tone-outs. A number of older (and much cheaper) Uniden scanners can also do tone-out. Save the SDS200 for those problematic trunked systems.
So basically, adjusting the sound level of the fire tone cannot be lowered or raised, except when that channel is in the hold position . I could see in menu the 0-31 tone out selections , changing each number , I don’t seem to hear any difference in volume.
 

n1chu

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This is the way it was explained to me back in the day... Think of the public safety agency frequency as the street where you live. Everyone on the street has a fence around their house with a locked gate guarding the front door sidewalk. Any signal on the street gets to all who live on the street. But if their gate (PL, DPL) is closed the transmission won’t be allowed into the house (scanner receiver). The tone-outs (PL’s, DPL’s,) are the key to the gate. Those houses with the correct key will hear the frequency while those without the correct key won’t.

There is no “adjust” for PL’s, DPL’s. They are just tones we can hear (audible tones). They are pre-set and listed for the systems shown in RR. In some cases RR won’t list any tones. That is because in most cases they aren’t using them, or in the case of trunking systems the need for them is handled in a manner we don’t need access to... it’s automatically included, kinda.

Tone-outs (PL’s, DPL’s) were designed to allow agencies to not be bothered by other agencies using the same frequency. While the frequency coordination people keep these agencies distanced by at least 70 miles, there are those rare occasions where they are able to hear each other. (One reason for hearing others assigned the same frequency is atmospherics-commonly known as “skip” or
So basically, adjusting the sound level of the fire tone cannot be lowered or raised, except when that channel is in the hold position . I could see in menu the 0-31 tone out selections , changing each number , I don’t seem to hear any difference in volume.
Correct... almost. Tones are audible and adjusting the volume level will make them louder or quieter just like the voice. I know, you’d like to quiet just the tones which can be annoying, especially around 6 pm when everyone usually tests their toneouts. Sorry for any confusion I may have started with my explanation of PL’s. For some reason I confused what you were asking about toneouts with PL’s.
 
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