Hello- I'm a first time poster from Anderson county Tennessee. I hope to retire soon and get back into scanning the local public safety agencies in my area. I have been away from listening since most went digital and my old scanners didn't work. I am saving money to buy a SDS200. I'm not sure if there are a lot of simulcast in my county or not, is the SDS200 a good choice or overkill? Broadcastify works good here, I would like to know what equipment my local broadcaster has. Also, I am not reading about many ordering direct from Uniden, is there a downside to this? Thanks for your help, Doug.
Uniden website
- Thread starter ListenAville
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BinaryMode
Blondie Once Said To Call Her But Never Answerd
This is your county: Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN) Trunking System, Various, Multi-State
If you put your cursor over "MODE" you can see what TE or D, etc mean.
It's a P25 phase II system which usually means simulcast, though I don't know if phase II automatically makes it simulcast. But you do have what indicates as some sites that are simulcast. I'm sure you've read the SDS line of scanners works best with simulcast.
Whether you purchase direct from Uniden or another vendor is on you. For me, price dictates where I buy my stuff at. On the other hand, if you purchase a DMR or NXDN upgrade I'd do so direct from Uniden. Reason being is it's usually cheaper.
If you put your cursor over "MODE" you can see what TE or D, etc mean.
It's a P25 phase II system which usually means simulcast, though I don't know if phase II automatically makes it simulcast. But you do have what indicates as some sites that are simulcast. I'm sure you've read the SDS line of scanners works best with simulcast.
Whether you purchase direct from Uniden or another vendor is on you. For me, price dictates where I buy my stuff at. On the other hand, if you purchase a DMR or NXDN upgrade I'd do so direct from Uniden. Reason being is it's usually cheaper.
BinaryMode- thanks for your reply. Uniden did give me a 5% discount if I can get the money together by April 15th. Thanks again.
Welcome to the RR forums! There are two sites on the state system linked above covering Anderson County, Windrock Mountain & Oak Ridge. Neither are simulcast. Your county has mostly FDMA (mode "D") talkgroups so any scanner on this list would work OK to bring them in. You'll need a TDMA scanner to bring in any mode "T" talkgroups (not very many ID'ed for your county). If you can afford an SDS200 by all means get one, though the job can also be done with the others on the list for hundreds below the bottom line of an SDS200
@BinaryMode
P25 Phase 2 does not mean SIMULCAST most sites on TACN are MULTICAST a few are SIMULCAST.
Lesson 1 Multicast each site uses different frequencies and broadcast at the same time.
Lesson 2 SIMULCAST each site uses the SAME FREQUENCY and broadcast at the same time.
P25 Phase 2 does not mean SIMULCAST most sites on TACN are MULTICAST a few are SIMULCAST.
Lesson 1 Multicast each site uses different frequencies and broadcast at the same time.
Lesson 2 SIMULCAST each site uses the SAME FREQUENCY and broadcast at the same time.
Adding to this, Windrock Mountain is multicast. No stuttering, sputtering, locking up nor missing transmissions should be experienced here (only exceptions being fully encrypted "DE" or "TE" talkgroups). If the two subsites were simulcast then you'd likely face those symptoms due to simulcast distortion...
Thanks for more information, this opens up the shopping list and may not let as much air out of my wallet!
I am recently retired and got back into the hobby after 40+ years, upgrading from a 800XLT. If you have an Amazon account, buy the scanner from them (Uniden Store), open up a credit card from them, and they knock $100.00 off the $689.00 price
Unless you have issues with credit cards, this is a great deal. Find someplace that sells a new SDS200 for less than $600.00
Unless you have issues with credit cards, this is a great deal. Find someplace that sells a new SDS200 for less than $600.00
Thanks, this could be another good option. I also noticed the card gives 3% back on amazon purchases.
I am also new member here...
My work installed an SDS200 in the work vehicle. I was so impressed with quality, features and performance... I ordered an SDS100 portable for myself.
Uniden corporate website has a 10% discount for members of GovX, if you are military or first responder...
Uniden site price was $649.99.
Free shipping.
Less $65.00 (10% GovX) discount the total was $584.99.
Taxes for MA were $36.56
Grand total was $621.56 for the SDS100 portable.
Not cheap by any means, but this is probably the last scanner I'll need to buy... So I just went all in.
I also upgraded to a Remtronix 920B tri-band upgrade antenna to pull in signals better. Was $39 (plus tax and shipping - about $61 total) from our friends at Bearcat Warehouse. I liked the specs on this and I thought it was a good upgrade for the money.
Should be coming tomorrow.
I went overboard on things, but hey... I also went in on the premium RadioReference 2-year membership and a license to Proscan software. Did I really need that? I could have survived with just Sentinel software. But building Favorites Lists in Proscan is just that much easier because Proscan can live-connect to the RadioReference database (RR Premium account required) and you can browse and get channels in fewer steps. Love that!
I am using Sentinel to Sync firmware and main database updates and upload to the scanner.
I am using Proscan to build and manage all my favorites, and channel settings (List selections, services on/off, location settings, etc.)
Love the SDS200 mobile unit! Can't wait for the SDS100 portable to come...
My work installed an SDS200 in the work vehicle. I was so impressed with quality, features and performance... I ordered an SDS100 portable for myself.
Uniden corporate website has a 10% discount for members of GovX, if you are military or first responder...
Uniden site price was $649.99.
Free shipping.
Less $65.00 (10% GovX) discount the total was $584.99.
Taxes for MA were $36.56
Grand total was $621.56 for the SDS100 portable.
Not cheap by any means, but this is probably the last scanner I'll need to buy... So I just went all in.
I also upgraded to a Remtronix 920B tri-band upgrade antenna to pull in signals better. Was $39 (plus tax and shipping - about $61 total) from our friends at Bearcat Warehouse. I liked the specs on this and I thought it was a good upgrade for the money.
Should be coming tomorrow.
I went overboard on things, but hey... I also went in on the premium RadioReference 2-year membership and a license to Proscan software. Did I really need that? I could have survived with just Sentinel software. But building Favorites Lists in Proscan is just that much easier because Proscan can live-connect to the RadioReference database (RR Premium account required) and you can browse and get channels in fewer steps. Love that!
I am using Sentinel to Sync firmware and main database updates and upload to the scanner.
I am using Proscan to build and manage all my favorites, and channel settings (List selections, services on/off, location settings, etc.)
Love the SDS200 mobile unit! Can't wait for the SDS100 portable to come...
tzukows- I'm still shopping and saving. I may go all in too, I feel like the SDS scanners are more "future proof". I know you will enjoy your SDS100!
Are you going to do the DMR and NXDN upgrades, perhaps even the Waterfall option, too? (And possibly, as a "just in case", get the ProVoice upgrade for EDACS, you never know....)
Glad you're going for the '100, darn fine scanner! Enjoy!
In think work bought all upgrade keys for the mobile units. But when I asked our COMMS technician, he said there was really only one DMR town in my area of interest. I may get it someday, but not a high priority at all. Paying $50 for one town's worth of frequencies... Ugh! Probably get by without DMR.
NXDN and Provoice mostly corporate in my area, so not much use to me. No real need on these or waterfall.
Up to you, but you may be quite surprised of what's really out there! For example, and just an example, a lot of digital ham activity has gone to DMR mode. (Here in California, where I am, most of the digital voice activity, and most of the digital voice networks, have gone completely to DMR, although my county, Humboldt, is not on the statewide networks, for some reason.)
Thank you. I'll likely get DMR before summer, but public safety, transportation and government is my immediate need.
The other upgrades... I don't think I'll use those. I dont see myself getting NXDN, Pro Voice or Waterfall features.
Although those features may help retain some resale value if it was all loaded up for the next person... The SDS units seem good enough that I may have this one until it is no longer viable to use for anything but a paperweight. So another $100+ spent on the next potential owner...? Might not go for spending for the additional keys beyond DMR.
If you follow railroad, NDXN is a wise investment. Waterfall has its uses, and has been helpful for some, like myself, in finding stuff I'd probably miss from not necessarily being in the databases, as well as identifying sources of RFI. ProVoice is the iffy one, but I have it, "just in case".... Besides, as I bought my SDS100 second-hand, it already had the ProVoice upgrade (along with DMR and NXDN) installed. I don't regret any of it at all, as Humboldt County, California, is as active with DMR and NXDN as it is with P25, which is saying a lot about a rural county with no active railroad..... (The local city/county bus services use DMR, FWIW.)
Just a follow up, I just ordered a BCD996P2 from Amazon. With a new Amazon credit card, shipping , tax and all came to $366.00. I think this is a deal I can live with. Thanks for everyone's help. I will post a programing question in another part of these forums if anyone wants to follow me over there, lol.
If you're heading to Biloxi, MS with an SDS100 or 200, don't leave home without the ProVoice upgrade.
I do enjoy going to Dauphin island, AL and scanning the marine channels (mostly analog).
