SDS200 initial reviews

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UPMan

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Keep in mind, too, that the SDS200 has a big double-walled metal chassis that is going to help keep it from getting the direct interference you were getting from your PC's noisy power supply you had the SDS100 sitting on top of when it would not work.
 

KR7CQ

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Keep in mind, too, that the SDS200 has a big double-walled metal chassis that is going to help keep it from getting the direct interference you were getting from your PC's noisy power supply you had the SDS100 sitting on top of when it would not work.
A good point. Sitting at work in the same spot, the SDS200 had no issues whereas the SDS100 had serious issues with whatever was interfering. I'm now just wanting to do more playing around with a friend's SDS100 with regard to attenuation on certain sites.

**I also want to share a very interesting discovery that perhaps was touched on earlier without me seeing it. The filters most certainly DO make a difference, at least in some cases. After hours of testing and tweaking I had worked the bugs out of very system on the new SDS200 (over 50 systems of every type in every band), except for one stubborn system (Phoenix RWC White Tanks). This system isn't even simulcast, just Phase 1 P25, sitting on a very high mountain, literal line-of-site. I went back and forth on attenuation and did all that I could think of but no joy. It simply would not stop for the transmissions that my old-tech WS1065 seemed to track perfectly...quite frustrating, the last holdout. Finally, despite hearing many say that the filters apparently did nothing, I tried. That system was set to "global" and I switched to no filter instead, saved, resumed scanning, and BOOM! 10 dBm better signal and not only was I hearing everything that the 1065 heard, I was getting transmissions that the 1065 missed entirely, a true 180 degree performance reversal! I'm 100% sure that the solution here was changing that filter setting.

I will now be testing various filter settings on any systems that I feel could use improvement, though to be honest this scanner has already proven itself capable of meeting all of my primary needs and has assured itself a permanent place in my main scanner cabinet, even before the head-to-head testing that I will be doing vs. the G4 and analog scanners this weekend. Even if it gets its butt kicked in every one of those tests, this is the first device of any type ever made that I could bolt into a cabinet, and receive every type of system that I want to receive, with 95%+ reception on digital and any other type of signal of decent strength as well. Zero intermod so far by the way.
 

cxgy2

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The number of options for locking out favourites/systems/etc. is amazing - and somewhat overwhelming (and I've been using scanners since 1984). What I finally settled on was using the Services List to lock out categories depending on my listening mood. I've left all of my local stuff without any quick keys - but have added quick FL keys for neighbouring counties and another for cross-border (USA). That way I can quickly lock out the neighbouring stuff when there's something local going on. I've also added a "Storm Mode" startup key for big weather events, with snowplows, etc. added in. Like I said, the options are amazing, but figuring out which to use/not use can be quite a mental chore.
 

sparklehorse

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The number of options for locking out favourites/systems/etc. is amazing - and somewhat overwhelming (and I've been using scanners since 1984). What I finally settled on was using the Services List to lock out categories depending on my listening mood. I've left all of my local stuff without any quick keys - but have added quick FL keys for neighbouring counties and another for cross-border (USA). That way I can quickly lock out the neighbouring stuff when there's something local going on. I've also added a "Storm Mode" startup key for big weather events, with snowplows, etc. added in. Like I said, the options are amazing, but figuring out which to use/not use can be quite a mental chore.

Your programming approach will likely evolve over time as you become more familiar with it and come up with new ways to use it more effectively for your purposes. You could have a hundred people in the same square mile using Sentinel and they'd come up with a hundred different ways to program their radios.
 

TailGator911

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Your programming approach will likely evolve over time as you become more familiar with it and come up with new ways to use it more effectively. You could have a hundred people in the same square mile using Sentinel and they'd come up with a hundred different ways to program their radios.

Very true. A lot of people (like me) utilize a system wherein you make up FLs with what you want to listen to, label them numerically (their number b4 the name) and forget about all of the system/site/department numbers and just turn your FLs off and on like banks on an older scanner. Works great!

JD
kf4anc
 

mkt853

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What do you guys that create your own systems and favorite lists do to keep it in sync with the database? If a new talkgroup or frequency gets added, do you then have to go through and add it to all your custom systems and favorite lists? I typically just scan the "full database," so this isn't an issue for me, but I've seen some of your displays where you create your own system with your own naming conventions so I was wondering how you were managing system changes.
 

sparklehorse

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What do you guys that create your own systems and favorite lists do to keep it in sync with the database? If a new talkgroup or frequency gets added, do you then have to go through and add it to all your custom systems and favorite lists? I typically just scan the "full database," so this isn't an issue for me, but I've seen some of your displays where you create your own system with your own naming conventions so I was wondering how you were managing system changes.

In my experience, when things change it’s usually big changes that happen over a short period. You can’t miss those. Like your local public safety agencies migrate from an older analog system to a new digital one. In that scenario you just create a new Favorites List for it, or add it as a new system to an existing FL. Then you have to keep track of things for a while, watching the RR database, scanning the system in ID SEARCH mode looking for new talkgroups, etc, as the new system gets built out. OR, you can just update your database every week for a while and re-add the system to a Favorites List. Eventually things settle down and the changes that come along are minor and infrequent. Your major Dispatch talkgroups aren’t likely to change often if at all. I personally do not like database scanning because you tend to scan way more things than you’re actually interested in which slows your scan cycle causing you to miss things you are interested in. Also the alpha tags that are pulled from the database annoy me.

.
 

pinballwiz86

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Keep in mind, too, that the SDS200 has a big double-walled metal chassis that is going to help keep it from getting the direct interference you were getting from your PC's noisy power supply you had the SDS100 sitting on top of when it would not work.

Double walled metal chassis? That is awesome.
 

4436time

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Wasn't going to buy anymore scanners due to the spread of encryption in my area but I'm glad I did. It's beefy, easy to read, and receives so well that it picks up a simulcast system clearly that is unreachable with the 536's hooked up to the same antenna. It also does great on conventional analog. Mine has a slight hum but I'm impressed with it enough overall that I will eventually get another one.
 

jmsanders83

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The SDS200 can pull in weak signals very well, but it easily becomes overloaded by strong signals. I like the ability to pull in weak signals, but I hate that I have to deal with overloading constantly.

1. I frequently have the NOAA weather transmitter bleed into VHF public safety frequencies.
2. If I'm listening to the MKE ATIS frequency on 126.4 and a plane flies overhead on 126.5 App/Dep, I'll hear both simultaneously.
3. On VHF Airband, AM1290 (a local strong AM broadcast station) mixes in.
4. When USCG keys up on 157.1 (strong broadcast), the radio will stop and have noise on 156.8, 157.125, 157.15 also.
5. A strong local ham repeater, 146.910, causes the radio to stop on frequencies throughout 146-148 MHz.

My 536 and 436 do not have these issues on the same antenna with the same multicoupler. Attenuator and squelch do not solve.

The weak signal handling was fun at first, now it is becoming a major pain in the neck.

Please give me the ability to keep the receiver more sensitive when I want to hunt weak signals and more selective when I want to listen regularly.
 

cxgy2

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Intermediate ATT step needed?

I live in the congested Toronto-Buffalo corridor. For me, the SDS-200 does have some intermod (overload/mixing product) issues that are hard to deal with. On a few channels (marine 156.8 MHz for example), I get intermod with ATT off. Putting ATT on clears up the intermod, but then more distant signals are very noticeably hissier with it. I find the 20 dB attenuation needs an intermediate step - 10 dB. However despite this, overall I'm satisfied as I can live with it. It's not that bad. I've been scanning my local area for over a week now. The number of channels where intermod is hard to control is small in number. None of my scanners have ever approached my Icom R-8500 & R-8600 for reception quality/intermod-proofing - but those receivers cost thousands of dollars. My analog Uniden BC780XLT was a decent scanner with some intermod. I was really disappointed when replacing it with my 1st digital scanner - the BC796D. It was very intermod-prone. I'd say my worst scanner ever (I've only purchased Realistics or Unidens) because it really was unusable for daily scanning without making it partially-deaf by putting extra attenuation ahead of the antenna jack. I find the SDS-200 has issues when close in frequency to blowtorch stations, but seems to behave much better than my older Bearcat scanners on most of the rest of the bands farther away in frequency from the blowtorches. It seems like a decent compromise. But - things would be better if Uniden would include a 2-step attenuator 10/20 dB, instead of just the 20 dB choice. Perhaps this could be done with firmware. P.S. - I've tried IFX, but it doesn't seem to change anything. In the one case I did notice a change - it made the mixing product much stronger (I guess it's a 50/50 chance). P.S.#2 - I still haven't figured out the filters yet - and I'm a hard-core DXer. I need more info about what bands they affect. I've put the global setting back to "normal". It did seem that "invert" worked better on the 161-162 MHz band, but to be honest I really can't tell anymore. Uniden needs to provide us with clearer instructions on what the different filter settings actually do. P.S.#3 - I've never been able to listen to my intermod-prone police interop channel (142.77) on any of my scanners. I always end up locking it out. (The channel is fine on the Icoms). But lo and behold, on the SDS-200 the channel is ok with the ATT on. BTW, antenna here is a 100-1300 MHz LPDA, vertically polarized, rotatable on a 64' tower with tower-mounted preamp.
 
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Ubbe

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If you do not have a 20dB variable attenuator, everyone with an external antenna should have one, then get one and try that between multicoupler and SDS200 if that are the only scanner that have overload issues. Otherwise I would recommend to set it in front of the multicoupler and listen to a weak analog station, or digital if your ears can filter out the background noise, and adjust attenuation for best signal.

Most scanner can't handle additional amplifiers set at full 15-20dB gain and you'll need to lower the total gain to 3-10dB between antenna and receiver.
https://www.amazon.com/Konig-Satellite-Attenuator-45-2300MHz-SAT-ATT20-KN/dp/B002KD7OPE

/Ubbe
 

cxgy2

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Otherwise I would recommend to set it in front of the multicoupler and listen to a weak analog station, or digital if your ears can filter out the background noise, and adjust attenuation for best signal.

In my case, I already have signal levels entering the scanner optimized for DXing. The problem is different channels need different amounts of attenuation (or none at all). Having a variable attenuator may help someone to optimize their overall signal levels, but they may still end up with the problem of too little or too much attenuation on a per-channel basis when faced with the 0/20 dB options provided by the ATT setting. Thus my suggestion to have 3 options built-in to the scanner instead of just 2.
 
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4436time

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1. I frequently have the NOAA weather transmitter bleed into VHF public safety frequencies.

My 536 and 436 do not have these issues on the same antenna with the same multicoupler. Attenuator and squelch do not solve.

Please give me the ability to keep the receiver more sensitive when I want to hunt weak signals and more selective when I want to listen regularly.

+1 but for railroad frequencies
 

KR7CQ

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100% agree, if possible a middle setting of 10dB would be a huge help...per channel or site. I've mentioned that I am seeing a fair amount of UHF intermod, but also, on the VHF air band I am seeing bleed-over from nearby frequencies that can be annoying. More attenuation and filter options would be welcomed by all.
 

Ubbe

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When you add too much signal to a scanner it at first doesn't start to get intermod or similar obvious signs of overload. It starts to slowly de-sense and gradually loose sensitivity when the signal are increased. You only notice that if you have a fully variable attenuator to tune back and forth and listen to the received signal.

The best option would be if Uniden could make their adjustable preamplifier in the SDS100/200, which probably are a 20dB amplifier connected to a 0-30dB step attenuator, available to each channel on an individual basis with a from -10dB to +20dB settings in 3dB steps, very much like the Digital Threshold value available per channel in the x36 scanners. Then everyone that feels for it can adjust their scanners gain on each frequency to suit his unique RF enviroment. Add two sets of quick selection groups of those settings for "Base" and "Mobile" use, or to be used with different antenna setups, and also include the display set up in those home/away groups.

Problem is that most users now seems confused, and use it wrong, by the simple high pass filter and the invert setting of it. But let users have the option if they know how to use it and let less techy users just run everything default and have a reset function to restore all settings if they mess them up.

/Ubbe
 

mule1075

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When you add too much signal to a scanner it at first doesn't start to get intermod or similar obvious signs of overload. It starts to slowly de-sense and gradually loose sensitivity when the signal are increased. You only notice that if you have a fully variable attenuator to tune back and forth and listen to the received signal.

The best option would be if Uniden could make their adjustable preamplifier in the SDS100/200, which probably are a 20dB amplifier connected to a 0-30dB step attenuator, available to each channel on an individual basis with a from -10dB to +20dB settings in 3dB steps, very much like the Digital Threshold value available per channel in the x36 scanners. Then everyone that feels for it can adjust their scanners gain on each frequency to suit his unique RF enviroment. Add two sets of quick selection groups of those settings for "Base" and "Mobile" use, or to be used with different antenna setups, and also include the display set up in those home/away groups.

Problem is that most users now seems confused, and use it wrong, by the simple high pass filter and the invert setting of it. But let users have the option if they know how to use it and let less techy users just run everything default and have a reset function to restore all settings if they mess them up.

/Ubbe

No most people are confused by the posts you make. I understand you are on the other side of the pond. Some things you are talking about are not going on here.
 

cxgy2

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available to each channel on an individual basis with a from -10dB to +20dB settings in 3dB steps, very much like the Digital Threshold value available per channel in the x36 scanners.
/Ubbe

I'd go for that. I'd prefer -20 dB to +10 dB, but same idea.
 

cxgy2

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At least maybe we can all agree that we need more details behind the filter settings "Normal" "Invert" "Auto" and "Off". These different settings may be really valuable for certain channels, but their utility is being wasted by us not having the specifics. Example: what's the difference between "Normal" and "Auto"? Is "Normal" actually different bandpass filters depending on the frequency tuned in or is it something else? It's just random guesswork to see which setting is best for each channel. I haven't a clue what the different settings do because no frequency information has been provided (and I'd consider myself an expert user - I've been a hard-core DXer for 43 years). And "Normal" doesn't seem to be a highpass filter as someone else has stated, as "Normal" seems to be the best overall setting whether your channel is at 27, 127, 427 or 827 MHz. Uniden, if you're watching, please provide us with more details so that we can take proper advantage of this setting!
 
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