SDS100/SDS200: Unable to Receive Repeater Traffic

[Dust54]

I'm a bit new to all this so excuse me if my terminology is not up to par lol...
I have a new SDS100. I joined a GMRS club who has several nearby repeaters.
Upon joining the club, they provided me with the RX Freqs, RX PL Tones/TX Freqs and TX PL Tones.
I entered what I think is the necessary receive information in the Sentinel Software.

I entered the RX frequency. I set modulation to Auto (I have also tried FM, NFM and WFM). The printout shows Bandwidth as "N". I have been unable to hear anything. When I tried WFM, I could hear a lot of squelch breaking, but that's it.

The printout that I received from the club lists the RX PL as "DxxxN". xxx is a number that I'm not supposed to disclose according to club rules of course.
In Audio option, I scrolled down to that same xxx DCS number and selected it.
Attenuator is set to off.

I can see the frequencies of these club repeaters scrolling in the scanning mode but I have not heard anything in Auto, FM or NFM. Obviously, I have missed something somewhere...

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[rdlinn]

Check that the proper service type is enabled.

 

[Dust54]

Check that the proper service type is enabled.

Thanks for the reply.. I designated those repeater freqs as "Custom 3" service types and custom 3 is turned on. The proper freqs are scanning, I just can't receive any traffic for some reason.

 

[tvengr]

You need to enter the repeater output frequency which I suspect is the transmit frequency. The mobiles transmit to the repeater input frequency and receive the repeater output frequency. The repeater output frequencies are usually 5 MHz lower that the repeater input frequencies.

 

[mmckenna]

Be sure that what they are calling Transmit and Receive are from the point of view of the radio, not the repeater.

The repeater output will be on 462.###. That is what you should set your scanner to. The 467.### frequency is the repeater input, and you won't hear anything unless you are close to a radio that is transmitting.

Also, try running it in carrier squelch mode, without the DCS/DPL code.

 

[Dust54]

You need to enter the repeater output frequency which I suspect is the transmit frequency. The mobiles transmit to the repeater input frequency and receive the repeater output frequency. The repeater output frequencies are usually 5 MHz lower that the repeater input frequencies.

Thanks much...
Yes I tried that as well.
For instance, I created two channels with the input freq using the receive DCS code. Then I created two more channels with the output freq and using the XMIT DCS code.
I think I've covered all the bases but still nothing.

 

[Dust54]

Be sure that what they are calling Transmit and Receive are from the point of view of the radio, not the repeater.

The repeater output will be on 462.###. That is what you should set your scanner to. The 467.### frequency is the repeater input, and you won't hear anything unless you are close to a radio that is transmitting.

Also, try running it in carrier squelch mode, without the DCS/DPL code.

Thanks... That makes sense.
I did set the audio type to Analog > CTCSS/DCS Search (if that's what you mean by carrier squelch mode), and I listened when I knew there would be traffic (I gave it a good long while), and still nothing.

 

[mmckenna]

Thanks... That makes sense.
I did set the audio type to Analog > CTCSS/DCS Search (if that's what you mean by carrier squelch mode), and I listened when I knew there would be traffic (I gave it a good long while), and still nothing.

What kind of antenna are you using on the SDS100?
How far are you from the repeater?
What sort of terrain is in between you and said repeater?

 

[Dust54]

What kind of antenna are you using on the SDS100?
How far are you from the repeater?
What sort of terrain is in between you and said repeater?

Thanks...
I'm using the OEM antenna,
Repeater is about 10 miles. Line of sight. I can see the mountain top.

 

[mmckenna]

Thanks...
I'm using the OEM antenna,
Repeater is about 10 miles. Line of sight. I can see the mountain top.

If it's line of sight, it should be something you can receive. Have you tried the scanner outside away from any noise sources in the home?

Are you sure there are people using the repeater? Traffic may be spotty depending on time of day.

 

[Dust54]

If it's line of sight, it should be something you can receive. Have you tried the scanner outside away from any noise sources in the home?

Are you sure there are people using the repeater? Traffic may be spotty depending on time of day.

I have taken it outside quite a bit.
My understanding is that there is quite a bit of traffic there. Plus I've tried the other linked repeaters in the area as well.
My plan is to wait until the next scheduled NCS check-in and go outside and see if I can pick something up.
Thanks...

 

[mmckenna]

My plan is to wait until the next scheduled NCS check-in and go outside and see if I can pick something up.
Thanks...

Good plan.

Repeater traffic can really come and go. If you know there is going to be a net, that's a good time to test.

 

[n1chu]

Did I miss this? The info given to you by the GMRS… did you post it here? If not, please do so. Then one of us will tell you specifically what goes where. That will get you up and running and the reasons for the settings will become evident as you go on. Check with the GMRS group also… is someone also running a scanner with the system programmed?

If the GMRS group is listed on RadioReference.com you can download it using Sentinel into the Sentinel program… and then load it into the scanner. It’s the easiest method. Manually programming is subject to error. And since it only takes one miss-key sour the soup, you don’t hear a thing! Letting the software (Sentinel) do the work for you is the chosen method today.

Scanner msnufacturers were at an impasse when more sophisticated comms systems like Trunking came along. There were way too many parameters that needed to be entered manually. It would take a month of Sundays to get it done the old fashioned way (by hand). And that was a detriment to sales. No one is going to buy a scanner if it took forever to program. So a master database which had already been developed was put into play. That database is RadioReference.com (RR). And the scanner manufacturers (among other third party vendors) developed software programs that connected to RR using the internet, making it easier to program the scanner so they could sell to the general public (who were mainly interested in listening to First Responders (police, fire, ambulance, etc.), people who weren’t interested in HOW it worked, just that it DID work. There are also services available from sellers (or other independent people) that will program the radio for you so that it will work right out of the box, no programming necessary!

 

[dlwtrunked]

I'm a bit new to all this so excuse me if my terminology is not up to par lol...
I have a new SDS100. I joined a GMRS club who has several nearby repeaters.
Upon joining the club, they provided me with the RX Freqs, RX PL Tones/TX Freqs and TX PL Tones.
I entered what I think is the necessary receive information in the Sentinel Software.

I entered the RX frequency. I set modulation to Auto (I have also tried FM, NFM and WFM). The printout shows Bandwidth as "N". I have been unable to hear anything. When I tried WFM, I could hear a lot of squelch breaking, but that's it.

The printout that I received from the club lists the RX PL as "DxxxN". xxx is a number that I'm not supposed to disclose according to club rules of course.
In Audio option, I scrolled down to that same xxx DCS number and selected it.
Attenuator is set to off.

I can see the frequencies of these club repeaters scrolling in the scanning mode but I have not heard anything in Auto, FM or NFM. Obviously, I have missed something somewhere...

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

You do not need PL/DC tone to listen and setting it could be your problem. Aslo, as others have said traffic is often light on these. I hear one repeater with one transmission here about every other day.

 

[Ubbe]

Go to Sentinel and the USA database and then any state and county and to Nationwide and then select the General Mobile Radio Service to be appended to a favorite list. If you scan that it will pick up all transmission and if that are successful you can check on the display what DCS or CTCSS they are using and change to that if you like.

/Ubbe

 

[n1chu]

Regarding the caution you got from the group against letting out the receive PL… it’s not a secret. And most newer scanners have the capability to identify the PL anyway… so much for that missconception.

 

[Dust54]

First off, thanks very much to all who provided some great advice.

Looks like I had it right all along and @Ubbe was certainly correct. I didn't need the DCS code to listen. I understand now that those codes are only used to key up the repeater. Which leads me to a question. Why even have a DCS code for a receive frequency then? Told you I was a noob.

Anyway, after much troubleshooting there were 3 reasons why I couldn't hear anything on that channel. I'm a bit embarrassed to tell the specifics, so I'll just tell the 3 reasons. Antenna, Antenna and Antenna!!!!

Thanks again for everyone's help. This forum is a GREAT resource for noobs like me.

 

[nd5y]

Why even have a DCS code for a receive frequency then?

It limits what other stations you will hear. Business, government and public safety users don't like to hear weak distant stations or other users on the same frequency.

 

[Dust54]

It limits what other stations you will hear. Business, government and public safety users don't like to hear weak distant stations or other users on the same frequency.

@nd5y
Thanks much.
So, if I understand correctly, setting the correct PL, DCS code, etc in the receive frequency, blocks out all other traffic except the repeater traffic on that particular frequency?

 

[mmckenna]

I'm a bit embarrassed to tell the specifics, so I'll just tell the 3 reasons. Antenna, Antenna and Antenna!!!!

Don't be embarrassed, you learned something important that many hobbyists never do.
Your radio is only as good as your antenna system.