Should I buy an SDS100?

[Rlahey]

Hello everyone. I for the first time in 16 years have been considering buying a Uniden scanner. Where I live the old Radio Shack Pro-197 does just fine as we are smartnet/smartzone and transitioning to full P25, which all of my old scanners already do. I would like to decode Moto Trbo and type II P25, among other modalities while I am traveling. My knowledge of Uniden scanners and the SDS100 are lacking, can someone give the pro's and con's etc? In the last 10 years I got really heavy into commercial radios from P25 to Trbo, but I havent looked at scanners in ages.

 

[GlobalNorth]

It is the state of the art mobile scanner for the average consumer.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

I love my SDS100. Search this forum & you'll find countless other testimonials, questions, comments, known issues, etc. User tip on filtering your search...

 

[djeplett]

If you're going to be travelling anywhere there is a simulcast system, get the SDS100 and the GPS. (Most phase 2 systems seem like they are simulcast.)

 

[sparklehorse]

SDS100 is great for p25 digital stuff, especially where simulcast is used. It’s not as great as an analog scanner, but it is adequate. Hard to beat for travel because it carries the entire RR database on its SD card. Wherever you go you can enter a Zip code or attach a GPS and it will scan what’s there. Also it’s like a Swiss Army Knife of a radio, able to handle all the most common Public Safety modes (DMR, NXDN and ProVoice require upgrades).

 

[FIRE321FIGHTER1985]

I do not believe the sds 100/200 are worth $700.00 because of the negative posts i have seen. Yes it is a good scanner, but not worth the money and cost of upgrades.

 

[timhir25]

I do not believe the sds 100/200 are worth $700.00 because of the negative posts i have seen. Yes it is a good scanner, but not worth the money and cost of upgrades.

I agree, and still hearing about the cold solder joint and the humming noise.

 

[sparklehorse]

I do not believe the sds 100/200 are worth $700.00 because of the negative posts i have seen. Yes it is a good scanner, but not worth the money and cost of upgrades.

It’s the only game in town if you have issues with simulcast in your area. Not everyone does. The only other worthy competitor for p25 simulcast problems is the Unication G5, which lacks many of the useful features that scanners have. Let me re-phrase my first sentence: The SDS may not be the ONLY game in town for simulcast, but it’s FAR better than its predecessors like the 325p2/996p2/436/536 or anything GRE/Radio Shack/Whistler. There’s more expensive options, like Relm and Moto, and there’s the less versatile G5 (also not cheap). So when you boil it all down you conclude the SDS is the overall best game in town for simulcast.
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[Rlahey]

Thank you all for the replies. I traveled to Vegas with my Radio Shack scanner and felt like a dinosaur. I have owned Moto Trbo radios in the past, but I would rather have a scanner to just listen. I think when Grandpa Biden gives us our $1400 I might buy one

 

[EJB]

I freaking love my SDS10O. As mentioned its great on Simulcast systems,. The colour choises cheer me up and being able to control what data i want to display in its own scanners is amazing.

I have no complaints, I don't take it with me while riding my bike or walking much, the battery is a bit too big so my old 396T or the larger 436 goes mobile with me alot.

I have now for the better part in 2 decades loved Uniden scanners, the 396XT and 396T are perfect for mobile. My Home Patrol stays home and i do a lot of recordings with it.

But put a gun to my head, if i had to give up any of my radios I would keep the SDS100 and my motorola radio i use to monitor.

 

[tglendye]

Thank you all for the replies. I traveled to Vegas with my Radio Shack scanner and felt like a dinosaur. I have owned Moto Trbo radios in the past, but I would rather have a scanner to just listen. I think when Grandpa Biden gives us our $1400 I might buy one

I don't have a 100/200, but I do have a 436 and 536. The programming from what I understand is largely the same. There is a learning curve, but it works well once you get the hang of it. I would download the Uniden Sentinel program for the SDS100/200 and take a look while you are waiting to buy. That will kind of give you a heads up.

 

[jonwienke]

Thank you all for the replies. I traveled to Vegas with my Radio Shack scanner and felt like a dinosaur. I have owned Moto Trbo radios in the past, but I would rather have a scanner to just listen. I think when Grandpa Biden gives us our $1400 I might buy one

If you travel, you're more likely to encounter simulcast even if there isn't any in your immediate local area. A SDS + GPS is pretty much your best option for mobile scanning.

 

[FIRE321FIGHTER1985]

One of my biggest problems with the sds 100 is the battery problem including the battery door clip. I would prefer battery holders like the pro-106 or the pro-92b.

 

[rcool101]

Buy it..... I'm 66 yrs old. I got 8 stents in my chest. I got the 100 and 200. If you're waiting for the price to go down don't hold your breath. Life is short. It's only money. Can't take it with you....

 

[fredva]

I do not believe the sds 100/200 are worth $700.00 because of the negative posts i have seen. Yes it is a good scanner, but not worth the money and cost of upgrades.

But the SDS series is the only true scanner that is compatible with simulcast systems, which are popping up in many areas. A Unication pager will work for some people. But other than that, you're stuck with scanners that while less expensive, won't perform reliably on simulcast everywhere you take them.

 

[jonwienke]

I do not believe the sds 100/200 are worth $700.00 because of the negative posts i have seen. Yes it is a good scanner, but not worth the money and cost of upgrades.

Yes, they have some issues that need to be addressed by Uniden. But they are still the only scanners that properly handle simulcast. The Unications are great for monitoring a single system, but thay are not suited for general scanning.

 

[weaverra]

I do not believe the sds 100/200 are worth $700.00 because of the negative posts i have seen. Yes it is a good scanner, but not worth the money and cost of upgrades.

If you want to monitor simulcast there really is no other option. Value is going to be up to the buyer. The SDS200 with the ethernet and simulcast is worth the money because it's the only option.

 

[weaverra]

Yes, they have some issues that need to be addressed by Uniden. But they are still the only scanners that properly handle simulcast. The Unications are great for monitoring a single system, but thay are not suited for general scanning.

Let's not forget the Unication is just as much as the SDS series.

 

[sparklehorse]

One of my biggest problems with the sds 100 is the battery problem including the battery door clip. I would prefer battery holders like the pro-106 or the pro-92b.

Do you actually own an SDS100? I’ve owned one for a year and have had zero problems with it, including zero issues with the battery clip. I use this scanner every day. Unlike the older models where it made sense to charge your cells outside the radio, there is no reason to remove the SDS battery. Just charge it in the radio. If you do have to remove the battery, and I have several times, you need to squeeze in on it firmly with one hand while flipping the clip open. I think most folks that have broken a battery clip did not do this. But even if it breaks, Jon has replacements on offer at his web page. No great loss. The battery clip is really a non-issue. And sure we see complaints of SDS issues online, but we’ve seen those with virtually every scanner ever made. There’s always a percentage of problem units, especially early on, and folks who were unlucky enough to receive one are many times more likely to voice their issues online than happy customers are to express their satisfaction. It’s just human nature.
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