Introducing the SDS200

[Voyager]

Yes, especially if one doesn't need the full length of said cables and doesn't have the time and/or inclination to modify said cables.

That's the beauty of it. No cable mods. Just one wire in the scanner to supply power to the GPS then plug it directly in minus the power Y-cable. Of course I guess you might still need a tie wrap if the cable is too long. Back to "rats nest" category I suppose.

But there is always tie wraps for those who don't have the inclination to eliminate the power wire.

Or just buy the SDS200. I guess that is a time-saver, right? You will get many other benefits from that purchase, too. But, still might need that tie wrap.

 

[TailGator911]

I think sometimes people expect too much from a communications speaker intended for voice. To me, 'crappy' would be so tinny or bassy and over-driven that it rattled the enclosure and sounded distorted and vibrated. I think most of the scanners I own sound just fine to me, and the only reason I pair them all with aftermarket speakers is that there is not enough volume for this ol' goat to hear clearly after 40-odd years of playing bass guitar thru a pair of 4X12 Peavey/Hartke cabinets 5 feet away from me. I have tinnitus and I get vamped out on low E, so yeah I have some damage going on. I do need some additional volume, tho I have good days and bad days. I should probably get fitted with hearing aids, but I am in denial :/

JD
kf4anc

 

[trp2525]

I was recently talking with some scanner enthusiasts who were considering purchasing the new SDS200 scanner but there was some confusion among them about where to purchase the available DMR, NXDN and ProVoice upgrades. Some reported seeing various prices for the upgrades posted online from various vendors and wondered where they could get the upgrades for the lowest prices to keep their SDS200 purchase price as low as possible.

I did some research and compiled the following information which I thought may be useful to those reading this forum and considering purchasing the SDS200 and its available upgrades. Some of the following information has been posted previously but not entirely in one post so that you have all of the information right in front of you.

As many already know the lowest prices for the 3 Uniden upgrades are available by purchasing directly from Uniden at my.uniden.com. After logging in and registering your scanner at that website you will be able to purchase the DMR and NXDN upgrades for $60 each and the ProVoice upgrade for $50 (total of $170 for all 3). You are given a key after your purchase and you simply enter that key into your radio and it unlocks/activates the upgrade(s) that you purchased.

If you look around at the various scanner dealers' websites you will see that some of them are offering to purchase the upgrade key(s) for you and install them in your new radio prior to shipping it to you. Because this procedure involves some additional "labor" by the dealer a "markup" or "convenience fee" is added to the cost of the upgrades. Following is the cost of the 3 upgrades from the scanner dealers that are offering them as of 01-21-2019.

Bearcat Warehouse: $75 each for the DMR, NXDN and ProVoice upgrades (total of $225 for all 3) Uniden SDS200 Police Scanner | Bearcat Handheld Digital Police Radio

Scanner Master: $85 each for the DMR and NXDN upgrades and $75 for the ProVoice upgrade (total of $245 for all 3) Uniden Bearcat SDS200 Police Scanner | ScannerMaster.com

Zip Scanners: $89.99 each for the DMR, NXDN and ProVoice upgrades (total of $269.97 for all 3) SDS200 Police Scanner | Uniden Handheld Digital Police Scanner

As you can see there is a $100 price difference from the lowest to the highest price if you purchase all 3 upgrades. Buyer beware.

 

[4436time]

That's the problem with descriptions like "crappy". Audio sounds different to different people. What sounds tinny to person A sounds bassy to person B.

Next mix in some older folk who have lost the upper part of their range and everything sounds bassy unless it's really tinny. Then that sounds normal to them but tinny to someone with normal hearing.

Then mix in a communications system that is tinny to start with. It will sound even more tinny on some speakers, but normal on one that has more bass response. But that speaker will sound bassy on a properly set up system by comparison.

But, the correct response for communications is 50-3000 Hz. (all else being equal such as a properly set up communications system. On many analog systems you can get away with 300-3000 Hz since audio below 300 Hz is often (but not always) subdued. But for digital you need the full range of 50-3000 Hz.

What audio comes down to is that the speaker audio should sound pretty much exactly like what the user sounds like in person.

Bottom line is that if you don't like the audio of any given receiver, add an equalizer to make it how you like it. (of course, if your hearing favors the bass, a cheap tinny speaker may be just what you need to make things sound 'good'.

As for the Uniden scanners, I've found the mobiles to usually be pretty authentic. Yes, the portables are more tinny, but there is only so much bass you get get from a tiny speaker. Since the SDS is SDR-based, perhaps Uniden can add an equalizer (even basic bass/nominal/tinny) via firmware which likely wasn't possible in past models.

Yes, or at least some tone or bass/treble controls.


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[GTR8000]

After logging in and registering your scanner at that website you will be able to purchase the DMR and NXDN upgrades for $60 each and the ProVoice upgrade for $50 (total of $170 for all 3).

The cost of the NXDN key is $50, not $60.

 

[Peerlessk]

It’s highly recommended you purchase you’re keys/upgrades elsewhere

 

[03msc]

It’s highly recommended you purchase you’re keys/upgrades elsewhere

"Elsewhere"??

 

[GTR8000]

Bottom line is that unless you are a total neophyte or Luddite, purchase the keys from my.uniden.com and enter them into the scanner yourself. Any other option is a ripoff where you're paying a markup from $25 to a ridiculous $40 per key.

 

[trp2525]

The cost of the NXDN key is $50, not $60.

I believe my $60 price for the NXDN upgrade purchased directly from Uniden is in fact correct and current. If you recall, Uniden offered a $30 half-price introductory offer for the NXDN upgrade when it was first introduced/announced in March 2018. That half-price offer was only good until Sentinel was brought up-to-date to fully accommodate NXDN. The price then went to the regular price of $60 sometime in June 2018. AFAIK that price has remained at $60 ever since for all Uniden scanners that are capable of NXDN.

I personally purchased the NXDN upgrade directly from Uniden for $30 (half-price) for my SDS100 in very early June 2018 just prior to the price going up to the regular price of $60. A read through this 29-page RR thread has multiple references to the $30 introductory price and the $60 regular price for NXDN if purchased directly from Uniden: https://forums.radioreference.com/t...or-bcd436hp-and-bcd536hp-now-available.367900

 

[GTR8000]

I believe my $60 price for the NXDN upgrade purchased directly from Uniden is in fact correct and current. If you recall, Uniden offered a $30 half-price introductory offer for the NXDN upgrade when it was first introduced/announced in March 2018. That half-price offer was only good until Sentinel was brought up-to-date to fully accommodate NXDN. The price then went to the regular price of $60 sometime in June 2018. AFAIK that price has remained at $60 ever since for all Uniden scanners that are capable of NXDN.

I personally purchased the NXDN upgrade directly from Uniden for $30 (half-price) for my SDS100 in very early June 2018 just prior to the price going up to the regular price of $60. A read through this 29-page RR thread has multiple references to the $30 introductory price and the $60 regular price for NXDN if purchased directly from Uniden: https://forums.radioreference.com/t...or-bcd436hp-and-bcd536hp-now-available.367900

Nope. Directly from my.uniden.com 10 seconds ago...

 

[mule1075]

It’s highly recommended you purchase you’re keys/upgrades elsewhere

It is highly recommended you purchase from Uniden. Elsewhere would be the dealers who are charging a ridiculous amount to punch in the keys.

 

[GTR8000]

A read through this 29-page RR thread has multiple references to the $30 introductory price and the $60 regular price for NXDN if purchased directly from Uniden: https://forums.radioreference.com/t...or-bcd436hp-and-bcd536hp-now-available.367900

It literally says "The price for this upgrade is $50." on the Uniden page that UPMan linked to in the first post of the thread you referenced. Did you read that?

NXDN Support Comes to the BCD436HP and BCD536HP - Uniden

 

[Tramagod]

Oh my God , here we go. The “I know more than you do battle”. I think we could all agree the cheapest route is to buy your upgrades direct from Uniden. I recently purchased the NXDN upgrade and I paid $60. Can we just move on?


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[Peerlessk]

So staying on topic sds200 for those of you wanting upgrades after the purchase uniden would be the wise place for those upgrades . See uniden for those details .

 

[TailGator911]

The bottom line is buy it from the manufacturer - Uniden. If you can program the scanner yourself you can upgrade it yourself.

 

[gillham]

As you can see there is a $100 price difference from the lowest to the highest price if you purchase all 3 upgrades. Buyer beware.

All good info. But you also have to remember, these same shops charge for programming - something that may have been non-trivial on a BCT15X or the likes, but is rather idiot proof on the newer scanners.

 

[ShyFlyer]

Just one wire in the scanner to supply power to the GPS then plug it directly in minus the power Y-cable.

With the SDS100, that's certainly the case and why I just might go that route to replace my 436. It was also a great improvement over the GPS solution available for the x36HP and x96 (and previous) scanners (i.e. the "rats nest").

Or just buy the SDS200. I guess that is a time-saver, right?

Provided a true remote head becomes available for it, I want to do just that.

 

[seth21w]

Where are the pictures where the guy measured the case of this sds200 i remember seeing them somewhere, did they get deleted too?

 

[allend]

I believe its 1 1/2 the size of the BCD996P2 radio

 

[trp2525]

Nope. Directly from my.uniden.com 10 seconds ago...

View attachment 67809

Not wanting to post incorrect or outdated information on a public forum, I just called Uniden scanner customer service/support (1-800-297-1023) and was told the current pricing direct from Uniden is $49.99 for ProVoice, $50 for NXDN and $60 for DMR. That information is correct and current as it just came from the "horse's mouth."

Uniden also confirmed with me on the phone that the NXDN upgrade price was previously $60 but it had been lowered down to $50 at some point but they could not tell me exactly when that price reduction had taken place. As an example of the previous $60 price, this post on RR from 06-08-2018 by RR member "spuds_on" confirms that he was charged $60 for the NXDN upgrade direct from Uniden at that time: https://forums.radioreference.com/t...nd-bcd536hp-now-available.367900/post-2945221