DMR audio quality on SDS100 vs BCD325P2

[versusg]

I own both the sds100 and 325p2 and before I pay for the DMR upgrade, I wanted to get opinions on whether I should updgrade DMR to the 100 or 325.

We all know the analog rx/audio quality on the sds100 isn't good, so I'm leaning towards upgrading 325 to DMR. I don't have any experience with DMR,
so I'm looking for your thoughts/input on which radio I should upgrade, in terms of ease of DMR programming and audio/rx quality?

Thanks,

 

[n1chu]

First of all, DMR is Digital Mobile Radio. So your assumption about analogue radio on the SDS100 is a moot point. (Personally I find the analogue audio quality on the SDS100 to be acceptable, noticing little or no difference between both the BCD325P2 and the SDS100… if anything, the SDS100 sounds irritating on weak analogue signals with the high pitched white noise which I attribute to the small size of the internal speaker. But a larger external speaker solves that issue.) I own both radios.

I would recommend adding DMR to the SDS100, it being designed to help with simulcast problems, where the BCD325P2 may have simulcast problems with other systems you may listen to. The ease of programming is probably the same but the BCD325P2 isn’t supported by Sentinel. I use the Butel ARC programming. Your audio quality shouldn’t be a bother (on either radio as DMR is digital.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

I wanted to get opinions on whether I should updgrade DMR to the 100 or 325.

so I'm looking for your thoughts/input on which radio I should upgrade, in terms of ease of DMR programming and audio/rx quality?

If you have the $ upgrade them both, $60.00 per scanner direct from Uniden is the cheapest option. Don't go with a third party vendor or they'll mark up the price, as has been well documented here on the Uniden forums. They're two entirely different animals to program by hand but both can be programmed with ease using Proscan. Take advantage of your RR Premium Sub and utilize RR's web import service with Proscan to import data directly from the RRDB and into your scanners

 

[Ubbe]

We all know the analog rx/audio quality on the sds100 isn't good, so I'm leaning towards upgrading 325 to DMR.

What you hear in analog mode are what the digital decoder have to use to try and decode DMR data. It's the exact same receiver used in both analog as digital mode. If the audio are bad then it will be bit errors in the data. Listen to the DMR systems you have and try to determine how it sounds and choose the scanner with the best reception to add DMR to.

/Ubbe

 

[hiegtx]

I own both the sds100 and 325p2 and before I pay for the DMR upgrade, I wanted to get opinions on whether I should updgrade DMR to the 100 or 325.

We all know the analog rx/audio quality on the sds100 isn't good, so I'm leaning towards upgrading 325 to DMR. I don't have any experience with DMR,
so I'm looking for your thoughts/input on which radio I should upgrade, in terms of ease of DMR programming and audio/rx quality?

Thanks,

I have not had ‘reception issues’ on either my 325P2 nor my SDS100.(For that matter, no issues with my X36HP scanners.)

However, if one or more of your DMR licensees of interest, not already documented in the database, may be using a DMR trunked system, the SDS and X36HP scanners have an LCN Finder, which can determine the LCNs in use, which is information needed for the scanner to successfully follow the system.

On the other hand, if your system of interest is already documented in the database, or DMR channels are used as conventional channels (not trunked), then the 325P2, properly programmed, can handle the system.

 

[JoeBearcat]

Another consideration or two:

1. What unit would be more useful to you? Is there one you carry more?

2. Absent the above, is there something you listen to on one of those scanners that you would want to monitor? By that I mean for example if you listen to P25 Phase II on the SDS a lot, you may want to upgrade the 325 so you can listen to both at the same time.

 

[Bmacs]

I have both radios... If you plan on using DMR one-frequency-trunk (which you would use for any HAM activity), the SDS100 is the only way to go. The 325P2 misses half the transmissions in OFT (as does the 996P2).

If you are just listening to DMR trunked systems, they are similar (although I believe the new FW still makes the SDS the better choice)

Bill