SDS200 initial reviews

[DaveNF2G]

All of the base models have the speaker on the bottom.

I can't do much of a review on the SDS-200 because, as I posted in the Tech Support Forum, mine won't run for more than about a minute at a time.

 

[fxdscon]

All of the base models have the speaker on the bottom.

I can't do much of a review on the SDS-200 because, as I posted in the Tech Support Forum, mine won't run for more than about a minute at a time.

Are you sure the entire radio is shutting down after one minute, or is just the display time-out programed for one minute?

 

[Meskoman]

Had my SDS200 for 2 days now and been running it since. I like this radio a lot and been checking out previous comments about other users issues they been having. I do have the noise that users reported but have to put my ear to unit to hear it but does not effect my listening to the unit. My key pad lights are dim on the left (1,4,7,.,Avoid) than the rest of the keys but doesn't effect my programming. I'm running it along side my BCD536HP,HP2,BCD396XT and the SDS200 has the best audio. Can't wait to test a different state that has more radio traffic. I really like the unit!

 

[ColdnFrosty]

Curious what the database is that people have on their radio. MENU -> Manage Full Database -> Information

Mine says "dB Version:09/24/2013"

 

[eaf1956]

Curious what the database is that people have on their radio. MENU -> Manage Full Database -> Information

Mine says "dB Version:09/24/2013"

Update it

 

[Meskoman]

Curious what the database is that people have on their radio. MENU -> Manage Full Database -> Information

Mine says "dB Version:09/24/2013"

02/03/2019 updated mine using Sentinel software

 

[W5RGP]

Curious what the database is that people have on their radio. MENU -> Manage Full Database -> Information

Mine says "dB Version:09/24/2013"

Need to update it mine is 2-3-19



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[03msc]

Are you sure the entire radio is shutting down after one minute, or is just the display time-out programed for one minute?

this is what i said as it happened to me. when u 1st set it up and program you are anxious so can make mistakes like that, i was horrified at the thought of sending it back. then i remembered. lol

He posted a follow-up in the other thread he started where it was simply this...he should come back here and say it, too, as to not give the wrong impression about the scanner since it was simply user error and not anything wrong with the unit.

 

[KevinC]

He posted a follow-up in the other thread he started where it was simply this...he should come back here and say it, too, as to not give the wrong impression about the scanner since it was simply user error and not anything wrong with the unit.

And that is why cross-posting is frowned upon.

 

[TxScanner]

That is the way my sds100 keypad is but still bright enough to see with lights on or off


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[garys]

I took the scanner on a short road trip today. That involved several restarts with different Start Up keys as I moved from area to areas. All worked well in that regard. Sensitivity on 800 seems to be much better than with the x36HP scanners. I was in NH, which has heavy use of VHF, digital (police) and analog (fire). Reception on both was quite good, sensitivity seems fine, no interference at all.

I've settled on white on black for the display during the day, green on black on cloudy days and at night. No problems seeing the display. As others have noted, the keys on the left side of the keypad are a touch dimmer than on the other two columns. Not horrible, but noticeable. Keypad is fine in darker environments, at least for me.

Still no noise from the speaker.

 

[jzarick]

I am loving my sds200. No humming sounds here. Colorado DTRS and FRCC comes in great. I was going to make a youtube video with my 536 and my sds200 alongside my G5 radio but my sds200 and 536 never missed a conversation when my g5 was playing. I am really impressed with my 536 for not missing any conversations. My opinion the only real difference is the receive is better on the sds200. I can hear a county which is about 40 miles away on the sds but not on the 536. The latest firmware on 536 really helped.

 

[highwayman1224]

I am loving my sds200. No humming sounds here. Colorado DTRS and FRCC comes in great. I was going to make a youtube video with my 536 and my sds200 alongside my G5 radio but my sds200 and 536 never missed a conversation when my g5 was playing. I am really impressed with my 536 for not missing any conversations. My opinion the only real difference is the receive is better on the sds200. I can hear a county which is about 40 miles away on the sds but not on the 536. The latest firmware on 536 really helped.

Glad to hear that the 536 is doing well. I drive a semi for a living and and wanted to get the 200 to replace my 436 I use in it, but after seeing how big it was I decided to just get the 536 since the price dropped quite a bit. Sure do love the screen on the 200 though....

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[03msc]

Glad to hear that the 536 is doing well. I drive a semi for a living and and wanted to get the 200 to replace my 436 I use in it, but after seeing how big it was I decided to just get the 536 since the price dropped quite a bit. Sure do love the screen on the 200 though....

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

536 is a fine radio...just not great on simulcast so you'll miss things in those areas.

 

[tkowalik]

My first reaction after having it for only a day is that this is indeed a very good scanner. I have the 'noise' issue but have found a way to dramatically cut it back. Other than that, it tracks and decodes very good, the audio is crisp and clear, the weight doesn't feel like something that is 'cheap,' the screen is crisp.

I would recommend this as a buy -- although I hope the noise issue gets worked out. It's definitely not 'normal' because I was able to reduce it dramatically. However, I would not let that one issue alone prevent me from purchasing it. I am very pleased with it.

 

[AA6IO]

Received SDS200 last week from Ham Station but just got back from cruise and started to use yesterday. Updated firmware and added DMR and NXDN. No hum or noise to speak of on my unit. Like color display, audio is very good, sounds great on P25, DMR, and NXDN. However, even with different filter settings, get some intermod here in LA basin. Much better with global filter on, however. Using my PAR 152 Mhz filter to knock out pagers does help reduce the intermod on VHF. Overall a very nice scanner and a keeper. Will use for few days and add further comments.

 

[jzarick]

Glad to hear that the 536 is doing well. I drive a semi for a living and and wanted to get the 200 to replace my 436 I use in it, but after seeing how big it was I decided to just get the 536 since the price dropped quite a bit. Sure do love the screen on the 200 though....

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

I drive a semi too. I work for walmart. I like having 2 scanners in the truck(536 and now my sds200 replaces my crappy whistler). One I have bungie cord to my passenger seat the other bungie cord on my dash. I am in and out of trucks so nothing can be permanent or I wont have it the following week. One scanner I monitor state police the other DOT snowplows very helpful

 

[PCorradini]

I drive a semi too. I work for walmart. I like having 2 scanners in the truck(536 and now my sds200 replaces my crappy whistler). One I have bungie cord to my passenger seat the other bungie cord on my dash. I am in and out of trucks so nothing can be permanent or I wont have it the following week. One scanner I monitor state police the other DOT snowplows very helpful

Fellow Wally-World driver, out of 7026 Grantsville UT. Just got sds200 as replacement for 996p2. Drive same truck every week so I have mounted to top of dash on CB mount area of Frightliner. Use gps puck to set location and it works great as I run 10 western states. No issues, color display is sweet.

 

[jzarick]

536 is a fine radio...just not great on simulcast so you'll miss things in those areas.

I was missing things before with my 536 but when I put both radios (536 sds200)next to my Unification G5 radio and nothing beats that when it comes to simulcasting, the 536 caught every conversation that the G5 locked onto.I had to hold a particular site but that’s because the G5 can only hold one site when it locks onto a tower. Like I said before this latest firmware for the 536 must have really helped with the simulcasting problems I was having in the Denver area. My sds 200 also performed flawlessly.

 

[hardware1197]

My perspective as an owner of a 996D, 996XT, 436, 536 (19 of them at work), HP1, HP2, SDS100 and now the SDS200:

After two or so hours with my new unit SN....897 all I can say is that I'm very disappointed. I've cancelled and additional order I made using taxpayer money for the Command Van here since I don't think it's right. I have the computer sounds/hum issue, and the dim keypad. I'm not yet willing to shove tape in it until this shakes out as I unscrewed the DIN cover to discover that one screw was crossthreaded or they had some very strong children working in that factory because I slightly stripped the screw (mostly my fault but still). I noted the fit and finish has consistently deteriorated over the last three base models and this was the worst. As I write this when all is quiet in the room about 4 feet from the external speaker, it sounds like a dot matrix printer going crazy while scanning. When downloading a new HPDB the hum was comical.

I remain hopeful that Uniden will end up having to do yet another repair campaign for this issue, but I also wish they didn't have to and both myself and my agency have truly benefited from their products in the past.

-Dave