Waterfall Feature Operation Manual
1. Introduction
The Waterfall Feature is available for the USDS100 scanner. It covers a user-selectable
span or band of the radio spectrum to show you graphically the radio transmissions that
are present. The Waterfall feature quickly shows you how active a span or band of the
spectrum is. When you see a transmission displayed, you can navigate to it to listen to
it.
Since all transmissions occurring in the selected span will display at the same time, you’ll
be able to see possible relationships between transmissions. For example, you might
see simultaneous repeater transmissions on multiple frequencies or find a repeater input
frequency associated with the repeater output frequency. The strength of signals will
provide clues about the nature of the transmissions or how far or near the transmitters
are. Alternatively, they will tell you the relative strengths of transmitters. These
observations will enable you to gain a quick understanding of unfamiliar radio systems or
of a new location.
2. Installation
Go to uniden.com.au and
•
•
Register your scanner (if you haven’t done so already).
Download the latest version of Sentinel.
Use Sentinel to download the most current firmware for your scanner model.
Purchase a License Key for the Waterfall Feature from uniden.com.au or from your
scanner store.
On the scanner press Menu->Settings->Upgrade and select Upgrade Waterfall.
Enter the entire License Key, including the dashes. This is done by rotating the
PUSH/FUNC knob to select characters and the arrow soft keys to advance the cursor.
Do not press E (Enter) until the last character is entered. If entered successfully, the
Waterfall Feature will be available for use.
1
3. Starting Waterfall
To start the Waterfall function, press Menu and use the knob to scroll backwards to select
Waterfall and press E. You will see a display headed by “Waterfall” that shows several
options for starting it as well as for adjusting various settings.
The starting options are as follows:
STARTING OPTION
Start Waterfall
Start Preset Waterfall
Start Custom Waterfall
STARTS WATERFALL USING:
Current Settings – a default band and settings that you can
define.
One of several named bands and settings that are predefined for you by Uniden.
One of several named bands and settings that you can
define.
4. Understanding the Display
The scanner’s display is divided into two panes. The upper pane is called the FFT Display
and the lower pane is called the Waterfall Display.
2
4.1 FFT Display
The FFT Display shows a real-time graph of the strength of radio signals and background
RF noise. Grid lines on the horizontal axis depict frequencies, and grid lines on the
vertical axis depict signal strength levels.
The signals or noise being received across the selected span are plotted in white.
4.2 The Marker
In the center of the graph, a vertical line (defaulting to green) is displayed. This line
represents the frequency that the scanner is currently tuned to and is called the Marker.
The current frequency can be changed either by entering a frequency from the keyboard
and pressing the Enter key or by turning the knob.
When using the knob, the frequency changes by the current value of the Step with each
knob click. This works well for small frequency changes but is probably too slow to move
to a more distant active frequency. If you press Function before turning the knob, the
frequency will change by a much larger amount, allowing you to quickly move to the area
of the more distant frequency. When you get closer to the desired frequency, press
Function again to revert to movement by Steps to fine tune to the exact desired frequency.
You can also quickly move the marker back to the center by pressing the Menu key twice.
To Quick Save a frequency, press E (Enter).
When the user changes the current frequency, depending on the setting of parameter Set
Marker->Marker Position, the Marker will either move (Position Adjustable) or will
remain centered in the display (Fixed in Center Screen). Position Adjustable is the
default.
In the Position Adjustable mode, the marker moves (and the receive frequency changes)
but the lower and upper limits of the span remain fixed.
In the Fixed in Center Screen mode, when you change the receive frequency, the marker
stays put in the center but span shifts accordingly, so the lower and upper span limits
change.
4.3 Other Information Displayed
The area above the FFT graph displays the following information:
Line 1:
• Data about a transmission being received, for example “P25”
• Current date (month and day)
• Current time (hours and minutes).
Line 2:
3
•
The name of Band being received. This is either one of the pre-programmed bands
that can be selected or a user-defined band name.
Line 3:
•
•
•
Current frequency being received in large numbers
Step size
Modulation Type
4.4 Waterfall Display
The Waterfall Display is a continuous display of transmissions and noise levels. It shows
you a rolling 10-second window of activity. The most current, most recent observation is
at the top and the oldest observation is at the bottom. Because the Waterfall Display
color-codes the strength of signals or noise received and because observations move
downward in time, the display resembles a waterfall, and hence this feature’s name.
Transmissions appear as lines whose lengths reflect the length of the transmissions.
Signal strengths are shown by the color of the lines. Each color represents a particular
range of signal strength and there are 5 signal ranges and 5 colors. The feature’s default
colors are adequate for most purposes, but the user can customize them.
4.5 Other Information Displayed
Line 1:
The Span size
The current setting for Gain
Line 2:
•
•
•
The Current Frequency that the scanner is tuned to
The current volume setting
The current squelch setting
4
4.6 Soft Keys
MODE
default
Function
key
pressed
SOFT KEY 1
To Scan
Scanner exits
the Waterfall
feature
and
resumes
scanning.
Step
Change
the
value
of
frequency step
size or select
Auto.
Each
time this key is
pressed, the
value of the
step changes.
SOFT KEY 2
Span
Changes the value of the frequency
Span of the band being observed.
IMPORTANT:
At span size settings above 2.88
MHz, the scanner cannot receive a
transmission unless the Hold soft
key is pressed first.
Max Hold
Signals displayed in the FFT
Display remain displayed after
transmission stops so you can
observe all peaks over a period of
time. Pressing the function key and
this key again returns display to
real-time mode.
SOFT KEY 3
Hold
Freezes the
display, allowing
user to tune to a
frequency before
displayed
transmission
disappears from the
display. User can
unfreeze display by
pressing this key
again (Sweep).
MF->CF
Moves the Marker
(and frequency
being received) to
the Center
Frequency of the
display.
5. Adjusting Display Screen Space Allocation
While the waterfall feature is running, you can conveniently change the amount of screen
space dedicated to each type of display (FFT and Waterfall) by pressing Function
followed by the nine (“9”) key on the keypad, which is labeled “9 DISP”. To return to the
waterfall, simply press “E” after making your selection.
Available choices are:
FFT: 25% / WF: 75%
FFT: 50% / WF: 50%
FFT: 75% / WF: 25%
FFT: 100%
5
6. Assignment to Search Key
For convenience, you can optionally assign the waterfall function to one of the three
search keys on digits 1-3 on the keypad. These are labeled SRCH1, SRCH2, and
SRCH3. This is done by pressing:
Menu->Search for->Set Search Key->Search Key n->Waterfall
Where “n” is a number 1 through 3.
Once this is done, when the scanner is held on a channel, you can start the waterfall
feature, using the Current Settings, by pressing Function and the SRCHn key that you
assigned to waterfall.
7. RF Gain
The scanner’s RF Gain defaults to the recommended value of Automatic. This setting is
preferred and adequate in most cases. The user can adjust the RF gain by selecting one
of 16 available gain levels, numbered 0 through 15, or can choose Auto.
In an area with nothing but weak signals, the user may increase the RF gain in order to
receive more signals. In an area with very strong signals, the user may decrease the RF
gain to compensate. Be aware that changing the gain simultaneously affects the strength
of the background noise as well as signals.
NOTE: If you increase the gain too much in a strong signal or noisy environment, the
display will saturate and distort, making it impossible to obtain correct information.
To change the RF Gain setting, press the Function key and press the zero (“0”) key on
the keypad, which is marked 0 LVL. The setting is changed by turning the knob.
6
8. Options
OPTION NAME
Start Waterfall
DESCRIPTION
Restarts the last waterfall
session used.
Start Preset Waterfall
Select and start a waterfall
session for a pre-defined
band.
Start Custom Waterfall
Select and start a waterfall
session for one of ten
user-defined (and named)
bands.
SELECTIONS / NOTES
Aircraft
CB Radio(AU)
CB Radio(NZ)
FM Broadcast
HamRadio 10m
HamRadio 6m
HamRadio 2m
HamRadio 70cm
HamRadio 33cm
Marine
Railroad(AU)
Railroad(NZ)
UHF CB Radio
Edit Name
Define a custom band. Up Set Center Frequency
Program WF Custom Band to 10 custom bands can be Set Modulation
defined.
Set Step
Set Span
Set Center Frequency
Edit certain parameters of
Set Modulation
Edit Current
the current FFT Display.
Set Step
Set Span
FFT: 25% / WF: 75%
Change the amount of
FFT: 50% / WF: 50% (the
screen space dedicated to
Set Signal (FFT) Display
default)
each type of display (FFT
FFT: 75% / WF: 25%
and Waterfall).
FFT: 100%
Line: Shows signal
strength levels as one
Choose the method used
continuous plot line (the
Set Signal (FFT) Type
to represent signals in the
default)
FFT Display.
Bar: Shows signal strength
levels as solidly filled bars.
On
Set Max Hold
Turn Max Hold on or off
Off (the default)
Set the amount of time that 3 sec
Set Max Hold Time
display is held when the
10 sec
user presses Hold.
Infinite (the default)
7
OPTION NAME
Set Marker
DESCRIPTION
Adjust Marker position and
width.
Customize the colors used
to depict signal strength
ranges in the Waterfall
Display.
Set Color
Customize the Marker
color.
SELECTIONS / NOTES
Marker Position: Position
Adjustable or Fixed in
Center Screen
Set Marker Width:
Narrow, Default, or Wide
NOTE:
There are 5 signal strength
ranges available,
numbered 1 through 5 in
increasing order of
strength.
See a demo of your
selected color settings.
Reset Waterfall Display to
factory settings.
© 2024 Uniden Australia
73 Alfred Road, Chipping Norton NSW 2170
www.uniden.com.au
Rev. 1.0 Dec.21 2023 First release
Rev.1.1 Jan.2 2024
8
">