It is totally normal for the case to get warm. As mentioned, RF Tuner chip by itself draws as much as the BCD436HP's max current draw. Add 2 CPUs. Not subtle warmth by any means, but totally normal.
SDS100 your likes / dislikes
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And the case is sealed to protect from water so the heat will build up and not escape very quickly. If it was a base version they could have a fan or heat sink but a handheld is a different animal.
You did earlier - not necessary to repeat it
...but since you did - are you really comparing a $20 dongle to a $700 radio?
It's a totally valid point. The economics are irrelevant to the physics. For a given material and watts of power being dissipated, the temperature difference is inversely proportional to surface area. The greater the surface area, the smaller the temperature difference required to transfer the heat.
The SDR dongle and the SDS100 consume similar amounts of power, but the dongle is much smaller. Therefore its case gets hotter than that of the SDS100.
TailGator911
Silent Key/KF4ANC
So is it normal then for the sds100 to be hot/warm to the touch? It's not a design flaw that could potentially be categorized as a safety hazard and possibly be recalled? My radios run all day and half the night right here on my desk - approx 18 hrs a day, and I will have the sds100 running on A/C during that time. Is it going to lock up on me and shut down due to high temperature threshold? I think out of all the reported bugs and gripes about this radio, this one concerns me the most.
No need for concern.
Mine has been running 24/7 since I got it, both in air-conditioned buildings and hot parked vehicles. It has paused charging while in the hot vehicle, but has never shut down, or shown any signs of impaired operation.
Please post a link to a report of the scanner locking up or shutting down due to high temperature. I somehow missed it.
TailGator911
Silent Key/KF4ANC
I think I remember a thread here where someone mentioned their radio got so hot that it shut down on them and turned off. I imagine there are a lot of us here who keep your radios on all day long and well into the evening without the thought that any of them were running too hot. Something I might give thought to if I was rag-chewing on my 746Pro, but not something I would think about simply having a scanner on during the day. If it's normal then why are people still beating that poor horse? It only concerns me because it keeps popping up in the gripe column. Is it a flaw or simply a chronic complaint without foundation by people who just dislike Uniden and want to nitpick? You have to admit, there is definitely a trend here...
I am totally objective here in my research. I own, or have owned, scanners made by every company you can think of and I like both Uniden and Whistler products the best, with AOR tied at 3rd place with Radio Shack. My SDS100 will be perched on a desk stand right next to my TRX-1. No bias here, that's for sure, whatever works for what I need. My finger is on the trigger. I am already buying accessories. I am already sold, so the complaints merely annoy when I know most of the wrinkles will iron out in time with firmware updates and implementation. I perk at hardware complaints tho, or anything that could possibly transition into a repair campaign. That, I watch for.
I usually like to take things for a test drive before I close the buy, if you know what I mean. When I sink 2-3k into a new bass guitar, I want to go to my local Guitar Center and take it for a spin and rattle the windows. Just sayin'...
Only slightly concerned, mule, not worried. I'm just making my list and checking it twice.
PSEdit: Ok, Paul, looking for it...
I am totally objective here in my research. I own, or have owned, scanners made by every company you can think of and I like both Uniden and Whistler products the best, with AOR tied at 3rd place with Radio Shack. My SDS100 will be perched on a desk stand right next to my TRX-1. No bias here, that's for sure, whatever works for what I need. My finger is on the trigger. I am already buying accessories. I am already sold, so the complaints merely annoy when I know most of the wrinkles will iron out in time with firmware updates and implementation. I perk at hardware complaints tho, or anything that could possibly transition into a repair campaign. That, I watch for.
I usually like to take things for a test drive before I close the buy, if you know what I mean. When I sink 2-3k into a new bass guitar, I want to go to my local Guitar Center and take it for a spin and rattle the windows. Just sayin'...
Only slightly concerned, mule, not worried. I'm just making my list and checking it twice.
PSEdit: Ok, Paul, looking for it...
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TailGator911
Silent Key/KF4ANC
https://forums.radioreference.com/uniden-tavern/371491-sds100-your-likes-dislikes-11.html
OP mentioned that it shuts off if too hot. While CHARGING. Warns about this in the owner's manual as well. While charging, sorry, I didn't catch that before. So if it's running all day and hot, put it on the desk in charge mode it will shut down if too hot and you can't listen to it?
OP mentioned that it shuts off if too hot. While CHARGING. Warns about this in the owner's manual as well. While charging, sorry, I didn't catch that before. So if it's running all day and hot, put it on the desk in charge mode it will shut down if too hot and you can't listen to it?
Only one poster that is beating that dead horse and that would be you sir. The official Uniden Representative has told you that you should have nothing to worry about and yet you still are still posting about it.
How about you tell us why you are nitpicking about something that (once again) the Official Uniden Rep is nothing to be worried about.
Marshall KE4ZNR
My observations with comparing my SDS100 between my BCD325P2.
- Reception on digital (especially P25 simulcast) is superb. Performs just as well as my Harris portables even. Very satisfied. I get a lower RSSI than my 325 but much better decode on the 100.
- Reception on analog also needs improvement however. The lower RSSI may not be an issue for digital but it results a lot more noise on analog. My 325 easily outperforms the 100 in analog.
- Audio quality on digital is superb. Very full.
- Audio quality on analog needs improvement. Sounds tinny, without bass, almost like it's a cheaper speaker? My 325 analog audio is much more pleasing to the ear.
- Belt clip was disappointingly cheap. This this has been my experience with most Uniden units. The plastic part that locks in with the bolt broke the first day. I'd like to see a metal belt clip or plastic that would last in real world outdoor use.
- Also brought this issue with previous models and was dismissed by UPMan... there is such thing as Provoice conventional! Support it!
Overall I am satisfied with my purchase but it's not a 10/10 for me. More like a 7/10. Speaker quality, decode, and reception are more important to me than the large screen.
I also can't wait for the new battery to come and kudos for the customer support in that regard. I'll also be purchasing extras, a charger, and a case.
- Reception on digital (especially P25 simulcast) is superb. Performs just as well as my Harris portables even. Very satisfied. I get a lower RSSI than my 325 but much better decode on the 100.
- Reception on analog also needs improvement however. The lower RSSI may not be an issue for digital but it results a lot more noise on analog. My 325 easily outperforms the 100 in analog.
- Audio quality on digital is superb. Very full.
- Audio quality on analog needs improvement. Sounds tinny, without bass, almost like it's a cheaper speaker? My 325 analog audio is much more pleasing to the ear.
- Belt clip was disappointingly cheap. This this has been my experience with most Uniden units. The plastic part that locks in with the bolt broke the first day. I'd like to see a metal belt clip or plastic that would last in real world outdoor use.
- Also brought this issue with previous models and was dismissed by UPMan... there is such thing as Provoice conventional! Support it!
Overall I am satisfied with my purchase but it's not a 10/10 for me. More like a 7/10. Speaker quality, decode, and reception are more important to me than the large screen.
I also can't wait for the new battery to come and kudos for the customer support in that regard. I'll also be purchasing extras, a charger, and a case.
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That link doesn't go to any post that seems relevant. Probably because you sent me to Page 11 of a thread instead of to a specific post. It takes me to post #401 (well not to the post iteself, but top of page 11, on which the first post for me is 401).
NO. Charging turns off temporarily if the scanner temp goes above a certain limit to protect the battery and limit how hot the scanner gets, but the scanner still runs off USB power and does NOT shut down.
As I mentioned more than once the thread you linked to, I've left my SDS100 running in a locked vehicle on a hot day on multiple occasions with no issues. You can't necessarily charge the battery in a hot car, but the scanner will run just fine.
TailGator911
Silent Key/KF4ANC
Thank you, Jon, for clearing that up for me.
Sorry UPMan, I guess I don't know how to cut and paste and narrow it down to a specific post.
Roger that. Not nitpicking, sorry to offend.
Sorry UPMan, I guess I don't know how to cut and paste and narrow it down to a specific post.
Roger that. Not nitpicking, sorry to offend.
In the corner of every post there is a link that looks like (permalink). Copying that link will make a link to a specific post.
TailGator911
Silent Key/KF4ANC
Gotcha - thanks, Paul.
Perhaps my experience will allay your fears. My SDS100 has been running 24/7 since I received about a month ago. It is *always* being charged, either via a computer USB port, a wall outlet with built-in USB charging ports, or my vehicle's USB port (both type A and type C.) Examining the radio right now, it is fully charged having been plugged into the wall outlet since Saturday evening, sitting in a 80˚ room, and the back of the radio only slightly warm to touch, both the upper (over the electronics) and lower (over the battery compartment) sections.
Using a hand held infrared thermometer, here are the exterior temps of the radio:
Front display (always on, full brightness): 102.1˚
Keypad: 94.8˚
Speaker: 88.7˚
Rear, battery compartment: 94.8˚
Rear, over type label: 100.1˚
Human body temp, normal: 98.6˚
TailGator911
Silent Key/KF4ANC
Thanks much for that, maus92! Always nice to get a reply from someone who takes the time to be courteous and informative. That's definitely way more detail than I expected. Mucho appreciated!
UPMan,
Does this sound like a symptom of the battery problem? That is what "Jessie" at Zip Scanners is telling me and I will just have to wait to use my scanner on the go until Uniden releases the new battery (which I have registered for).
https://forums.radioreference.com/u...3442-sds100-stopped-charging.html#post2963824
Thanks
Rob
Does this sound like a symptom of the battery problem? That is what "Jessie" at Zip Scanners is telling me and I will just have to wait to use my scanner on the go until Uniden releases the new battery (which I have registered for).
https://forums.radioreference.com/u...3442-sds100-stopped-charging.html#post2963824
Thanks
Rob
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