Hi All
I've had the SDS200 about a week and here are my thoughts for the forum:
The SDS 200 is a beautiful radio to look at. It is truly remarkable how far scanners have progressed. The screen is large, bright, and well viewed at most angles. The colors can be custom programmed and most menu items are largely intuitive. The keys have a good tactile feel and the knobs are similar, but not quite as tight as those on the 536. Overall it has the feel of a quality product.
The SDS200 is very easy to use. By inputting your zipcode you can be up and running in seconds.The Sentinel programming is terrific and was also easy to use. The ease of updating databases and firmware is a valuable aspect of the Uniden products. Much less "quirky" than some of the other radio products I use. If one is familiar with the X36 series the menus are largely consistent. The internal radio speaker sounds great for most base applications.
In terms of RF and digital performance I would offer the following:
Sensitivity..On analog the radio is at least as sensitive as my 536. In fact some marginal signals are indeed stronger on the SDS 200. The downside here is that the SDS200 (or at least my unit) is more susceptible to intermod. I am not an RF engineer nor do I understand all the idiosyncrasies associated with SDR radios..but the 536 is definitely the winner in the "selectivity" arena. This is not to say the SDS200 is anywhere near unusable..but on occasion, on some frequencies( noted on the UHF T Band), comms are annoyingly disrupted by the intermod The intermod is a non-event with the 536. (FWIW my monitoring location is a high RF location on the NJ Bayshore with NYC visible). Interestingly..Uniden offers filters in the menu but it is not really clear what they do. None of them eliminated the intermod. Hopefully this is something that can be addressed in future firmware updates.
Digital Systems.. Overall the SDS 200 is more intelligible and easier to listen to than the 536. I haven't done the technical analysis performed by others on this forum but the thing generally seems to work. As an EMT I am probably more comfortable with my dedicated radio to get calls..but that is not what I am using this scanner for. The SDS 200 is a very broad band radio doing a lot of processing and covering a multitude of systems. Interestingly I have picked up talk groups that I dont recall seeing on the 536 (could be programming but I doubt it)
Other items.. Humm...not really noticeable on the internal speaker for my unit. More noticeable on an external speaker..definitely there but for me it was tolerable although probably should be addressed. Keypad lights..yes they are dim and should be a little brighter. Fortunately the materials used on the keys pick up even the slightest light pretty effectively.
Impression Summary.. While not the perfect radio for reasons cited I am non the less happy I got it. Uniden has come up with a very innovative product with lots of features that I am enjoying a lot. Hopefully they can address some of the issues on the forum as they have with past product introductions as they appear to be valid concerns. 73.. Warren
I've had the SDS200 about a week and here are my thoughts for the forum:
The SDS 200 is a beautiful radio to look at. It is truly remarkable how far scanners have progressed. The screen is large, bright, and well viewed at most angles. The colors can be custom programmed and most menu items are largely intuitive. The keys have a good tactile feel and the knobs are similar, but not quite as tight as those on the 536. Overall it has the feel of a quality product.
The SDS200 is very easy to use. By inputting your zipcode you can be up and running in seconds.The Sentinel programming is terrific and was also easy to use. The ease of updating databases and firmware is a valuable aspect of the Uniden products. Much less "quirky" than some of the other radio products I use. If one is familiar with the X36 series the menus are largely consistent. The internal radio speaker sounds great for most base applications.
In terms of RF and digital performance I would offer the following:
Sensitivity..On analog the radio is at least as sensitive as my 536. In fact some marginal signals are indeed stronger on the SDS 200. The downside here is that the SDS200 (or at least my unit) is more susceptible to intermod. I am not an RF engineer nor do I understand all the idiosyncrasies associated with SDR radios..but the 536 is definitely the winner in the "selectivity" arena. This is not to say the SDS200 is anywhere near unusable..but on occasion, on some frequencies( noted on the UHF T Band), comms are annoyingly disrupted by the intermod The intermod is a non-event with the 536. (FWIW my monitoring location is a high RF location on the NJ Bayshore with NYC visible). Interestingly..Uniden offers filters in the menu but it is not really clear what they do. None of them eliminated the intermod. Hopefully this is something that can be addressed in future firmware updates.
Digital Systems.. Overall the SDS 200 is more intelligible and easier to listen to than the 536. I haven't done the technical analysis performed by others on this forum but the thing generally seems to work. As an EMT I am probably more comfortable with my dedicated radio to get calls..but that is not what I am using this scanner for. The SDS 200 is a very broad band radio doing a lot of processing and covering a multitude of systems. Interestingly I have picked up talk groups that I dont recall seeing on the 536 (could be programming but I doubt it)
Other items.. Humm...not really noticeable on the internal speaker for my unit. More noticeable on an external speaker..definitely there but for me it was tolerable although probably should be addressed. Keypad lights..yes they are dim and should be a little brighter. Fortunately the materials used on the keys pick up even the slightest light pretty effectively.
Impression Summary.. While not the perfect radio for reasons cited I am non the less happy I got it. Uniden has come up with a very innovative product with lots of features that I am enjoying a lot. Hopefully they can address some of the issues on the forum as they have with past product introductions as they appear to be valid concerns. 73.. Warren
