SDS100/SDS200: Squelch/Antenna

[wtp]

to find problem and close transmitters.
set up a custom search for 25 to 1300
take the antenna off, yes, off.
start the search, i think you can lockout or avoid the birdies (unmodulated internal signals)
you might have to go through it a couple of times to catch some signals.
and then see if it matches up with problem times.

 

[Dexter2]

to find problem and close transmitters.
set up a custom search for 25 to 1300
take the antenna off, yes, off.
start the search, i think you can lockout or avoid the birdies (unmodulated internal signals)
you might have to go through it a couple of times to catch some signals.
and then see if it matches up with problem times.

I'm sorry I am very unclear with that. You can consider me a "newb".

 

[Ubbe]

i don't know if this is related, but i do know I have no issues receiving transmissions between 8pm and 6am during the week. I don't know if there is something outside near me interfering or what.

No problem outside of office hours so then it has to be some kind of operation related to working hours that interfere.

You should have the filter settings for each site and department set to Global as default so you probably do not need to change that. So go to the scanners menu and select Settings and then Global Auto Filter. Choose the Auto setting and then push Avoid to get back to normal scan. Set squelch to 2 and scan to see if the problem clears up. If not then go into the filter setting again and choose the Wide Auto setting and try to scan again.

In either of the Auto setting the scanner will try different filters to see when the squelch opens and your interference are filtered out of your reception.

If the filters helped then you should find out what manual filter to use and set as to not hamper scan speed, that will be drastically slowed down in the Auto setting. But that are a bit more complicated and needs a new set of instructions.

/Ubbe

 

[jonwienke]

I would get a SDR stick and try to track down the source of your interference. It's definitely RFI of some kind if you only have reception issues during certain times of the day, unless transmitter power is being changed. But AFAIK that only happens in the broadcast AM and shortwave bands.

 

[Dexter2]

I would get a SDR stick and try to track down the source of your interference. It's definitely RFI of some kind if you only have reception issues during certain times of the day, unless transmitter power is being changed. But AFAIK that only happens in the broadcast AM and shortwave bands.

They should be on Amazon/ebay, right?

 

[Dexter2]

No problem outside of office hours so then it has to be some kind of operation related to working hours that interfere.

You should have the filter settings for each site and department set to Global as default so you probably do not need to change that. So go to the scanners menu and select Settings and then Global Auto Filter. Choose the Auto setting and then push Avoid to get back to normal scan. Set squelch to 2 and scan to see if the problem clears up. If not then go into the filter setting again and choose the Wide Auto setting and try to scan again.

In either of the Auto setting the scanner will try different filters to see when the squelch opens and your interference are filtered out of your reception.

If the filters helped then you should find out what manual filter to use and set as to not hamper scan speed, that will be drastically slowed down in the Auto setting. But that are a bit more complicated and needs a new set of instructions.

/Ubbe

I program each frequency, as an individual one-frequency p25? Or, just hold on a system, then type the frequency in?

 

[Ubbe]

I program each frequency, as an individual one-frequency p25? Or, just hold on a system, then type the frequency in?

Just hold on to the system that gave you a flickering display when you had the squelch set at 2 and needed it to be 1 to hear anything. Then change the Global Auto Filter to Auto and set squelch to 2 and see if the scanner manages to find a filter setting that works without any display flicker and that you do not need you to set squelch at 1. If it didn't help then try the Wide Auto setting.

If that doesn't help you'll have to look at the frequencies you have for that system. Enter one at a time by pushing the CHANNEL button then enter the frequency and then the channel button again. Now do Function + 7 on the keypad to engage IFX to that frequency and enter the next frequency and continue doing that for all the frequencies that you have in that system.

Now do the squelch 2 test again but set the Global Auto Filter to Off. If no success then try the using Auto and Wide Auto as filter settings.

You sure wish that Uniden could have used a better quality receiver, like the one in BCD436, to avoid fiddling with all these filter settings.

/Ubbe

 

[jonwienke]

They should be on Amazon/ebay, right?

Yes to both. The RTL-SDR v3 is probably your best bet, it's a little over $20. SDR# software is free. A USB extension cable is also a good idea.

 

[Dexter2]

Just hold on to the system that gave you a flickering display when you had the squelch set at 2 and needed it to be 1 to hear anything. Then change the Global Auto Filter to Auto and set squelch to 2 and see if the scanner manages to find a filter setting that works without any display flicker and that you do not need you to set squelch at 1. If it didn't help then try the Wide Auto setting.

If that doesn't help you'll have to look at the frequencies you have for that system. Enter one at a time by pushing the CHANNEL button then enter the frequency and then the channel button again. Now do Function + 7 on the keypad to engage IFX to that frequency and enter the next frequency and continue doing that for all the frequencies that you have in that system.

Now do the squelch 2 test again but set the Global Auto Filter to Off. If no success then try the using Auto and Wide Auto as filter settings.

You sure wish that Uniden could have used a better quality receiver, like the one in BCD436, to avoid fiddling with all these filter settings.

/Ubbe

So far,

Step 1 did not work, so I moved to Step 2 with Wide-Auto and I started picking up transmissions only like two though it still flickers mostly. Instead of moving to Step 3 with the frequencies, I turned Global Auto Filter straight to Off. The same thing happened but I receive more transmissions (two full conversations and three broken transmissions) then I did with Wide-Auto but the same thing happens just not as much. As of yet, no issues yet it is after 6pm here so that may also play role, I know I said 8pm in the other post but it appears as the day winds down there are no issues.

Also, the system never works in my living room for some reason and that's where I tried the Off filter, so I thought that was some improvement. I moved the radio back into my office and in the back of the building where I have no issues with the radio.

If it happens again, I am moving to step 3.

By the way. squelch is on 2 for all of this.

 

[Dexter2]

Yes to both. The RTL-SDR v3 is probably your best bet, it's a little over $20. SDR# software is free. A USB extension cable is also a good idea.

How does it work, seems like a new toy for me haha?

 

[jonwienke]

How does it work, seems like a new toy for me haha?

It's a USB radio receiver that can go from 0-25mhz in direct sample mode, and 25-1400mhz in i/q mode. SDR# gives you a waterfall display showing a few mhz of bandwidth simultaneously, so it's easier to find signals. You're looking at a much wider slice of spectrum.

 

[rcool101]

The REM-810S is for the SDS100. Even better, the REM-820S has a rubber O-ring to maintain water resistance.

REM-810s is not for the SDS100. It does not screw down into the base all the way (too fat). I use it for the 436
REM-820S is narrower and is made for the SDS100 with o-ring. Screws down all the way

SMA SDS100 800MHz REMTRONIX Portable Antenna | ScannerMaster.com

REMTRONIX 800 MHz Portable SMA Antenna | ScannerMaster.com

 

[Dexter2]

I have the 810S.

 

[Dexter2]

Morning update:

After applying IFX, setting Squelch to 2 and turning Global Auto Filter off, the radio worked fine no problems from 8pm to 7am this morning. After that, it starts flickering again and only three conversations came through say tops.

I did notice, when inputting the frequencies last night, the primary control was inputted (Red), then when I added the alternate (the first Blue one) it made a quick squelch/"pshh" sound, then I proceeded to the second alternate, then, voice frequencies. Now with this system it will say DATA then switch to P25 if people are talking. However, I noticed it switched from DATA to LINK after I hit Function+7 on the second voice frequency. There was no sound or nothing but I did watch it on the screen. Could it be a separate system taking over? I know my area police department says LINK on their system when talking.

Now this morning, 10am it stopped working and is back to flickering. I put it on Wide Auto because Off and Auto did not work. Receiving activity again but still flickers and I counted 6 conversations that I actually heard that was it.

I am using a SDS100 and 810S Remtronix antenna.

 

[Ubbe]

Also, the system never works in my living room for some reason and that's where I tried the Off filter, so I thought that was some improvement. I moved the radio back into my office and in the back of the building where I have no issues with the radio.

Could it just be that you do not have enough signal to receive and decode properly?

If you go to the scanners display setting and choose Detail Mode if you not already are using that and then go back one step to Customize and into Set Detail Conventional you can turn the selector knob to choose a field, I suggest System/Network ID and the RF Sub System(RFSS) ID, and push Enter on those and change the Option Item to Noise and Digital Error Count for the tow fields. You can also do that change using Sentinel and then program the scanner.

Now you have on your display a general signal strengh indicator, RSSI, and the NOISE field will show how much noise there is in the signal and the D-ERROR shows the amount of faulty data bits received in digital mode. Noise should probably be less than 1000 and D-Error less than 10 to be considered an acceptable signal.

If there are trunked system you have problem with you will have to also, or instead, edit and set the display for detailed trunked.

/Ubbe

 

[Dexter2]

Could it just be that you do not have enough signal to receive and decode properly?

If you go to the scanners display setting and choose Detail Mode if you not already are using that and then go back one step to Customize and into Set Detail Conventional you can turn the selector knob to choose a field, I suggest System/Network ID and the RF Sub System(RFSS) ID, and push Enter on those and change the Option Item to Noise and Digital Error Count for the tow fields. You can also do that change using Sentinel and then program the scanner.

Now you have on your display a general signal strengh indicator, RSSI, and the NOISE field will show how much noise there is in the signal and the D-ERROR shows the amount of faulty data bits received in digital mode. Noise should probably be less than 1000 and D-Error less than 10 to be considered an acceptable signal.

If there are trunked system you have problem with you will have to also, or instead, edit and set the display for detailed trunked.

/Ubbe

Correct and both appear acceptable. When it flickers they both go blank.

 

[Dexter2]

I believe it is a signal issue. The RSSI has gone as high as -116 and the bar graph is really low. Also, I thought taking the radio outside may help and it didn't.

 

[Ubbe]

I believe it is a signal issue. The RSSI has gone as high as -116 and the bar graph is really low. Also, I thought taking the radio outside may help and it didn't.

That's an extremly weak signal. Setting the filter to Off will give you the best sensitivity and the also trying the IFX on the channels are probably the only options, besides getting an antenna that have the best performance at your frequencies. When choosing antennas you will usually try to find one that gives you the best performance at the weakest systems you are trying to receive, as the stronger ones will still come through and decode properly with a weaker antenna for their frequency band.

/Ubbe

 

[Ubbe]

I forgot to mention one thing. The demodulator filter are extremly narrow in SDS scanners and will add noise at weak signal levels, that might explain that you have to set squelch to 1 to not clip the signal. If you not already has it set, change from NFM to FM on the channels to improve weak signal reception.

/Ubbe

 

[Dexter2]

I forgot to mention one thing. The demodulator filter are extremly narrow in SDS scanners and will add noise at weak signal levels, that might explain that you have to set squelch to 1 to not clip the signal. If you not already has it set, change from NFM to FM on the channels to improve weak signal reception.

/Ubbe

Interesting, I didn't know you could manually change them. Is there an antenna you recommend?