"A Tale of Two Radios" or, I put my money where my mouth is.....

[WILSON43]

As many on these forums know, since the release of the SDS100 I've been critical of this radio. My criticisms were based upon what I read,
and from seeing and using, albeit briefly, those owned by friends. It is true that this was not a fair assessment, and deep down, as a radio aficionado / addict I truly wanted this model to be "the one".

So, thanks to Amazon and their Xmas return policy, I decided to play fair and order one for myself. This one is a recent production run with the new, larger battery. Upon receipt it was updated to current firmware and programmed up with my extensive favorites list for the NYC / NJ metro area.

I will make my main point, and then give a bullet list of likes and dislikes:

This radio, in my humble and learned experience is a tale of two radios in one. One radio performs almost flawlessly on the digital trunked systems, P25 Phase 1 and 2 simulcast in my reception area. With a Remtronix antenaa next to my G5, it performs as good as the G5 in decoding those systems. The audio produced from these systems on the SDS100 is quite good.

The other radio is all the rest, and it is horrible. VHF analog comms are basically useless. Uhf comms are slightly better but still pretty bad. VHF and UHF stations utilizing a repeater fair somewhat better, but still very disappointing. There is a horrid, tinny white noise hissing sound that comes through with these transmissions, in addition to weird background data noise coming in as well that I've never heard before and cannot explain. This poor performance continued even when I connected to my topside discone antenna connected to a Stridsberg multicoupler. 20 and 30 year old GRE and Uniden scanners were blowing this thing away. I took the SDS100 in the field today and the results were slightly better in some areas, and not in others. I am at a loss as to why they bothered to include the air band at all. I parked directly across from Teterboro airport in NJ, the nation's busiest private commuter airport and could barely read comms between the tower and aircraft. They were hidden behind a mountain of white noise and hiss. Uniden needs to decide what kind of radios they are going to make moving forward. Solid UHF / 700 / 800 Mhz band digital system radios like the G5, or continue to cram every radio band into one unit. It's not working folks.

A few more quick thoughts.....

Build - solid in the hand. Not as bad as I thought it would be with the big battery. weird shape. Passable.
Display - More crisp but way too much going on. Small lettering not easy to read from a distance. Different colors and customization a nice gimmick but probably not necessary.
Battery life - Even with big battery I ran a few systems, medium traffic with the display going off when not receiving and barely got 7 hours.
This is a computer processor doing a bunch of stuff all at once. This is a work in progress for Uniden. They can do better.
Heat - Yes it gets hot. See above

I very much wanted this radio to be great. I said in the past and maintain my position that this was not ready for prime time. Not for $650.00. There is the potential for an excellent radio lurking inside that thing, but not yet.

If you can live with the problems above, and are happy with what is basically a trunked digital systems receiver that can scan multiple systems, then this is probably for you. As for me, my G5 works just fine and I'll have to say farewell to the SDS100. For now.

 

[belvdr]

I dont find it that bad. Mine gets warm but not hot. It could do better on the air bands but I think it's on par with my expectations. No radio does it all extremely well, which is why multiple radios are used.

 

[Hit_Factor]

What antenna were you using for air band when mobile (@airport)? Its hard to draw conclusions when details are missing.

You mentioned using antenna optimized for 800mhz but not one optimized for air band.

With my external discone I have no problem picking up SBN and it is 30 or more miles away. I use a stridsberg as well.

So you turned a brand new scanner into a used scanner and returned it. Just so you could write this review and validate your assesment? Seems you made your mind up long ago.

73, K8HIT
Icom: IC-7300 IC-PW1 ID-5100A ID-51A Plus 2 IC-R30 Hytera PD782G Uniden SDS100 DVMega SDRplay RSPduo

 

[trentbob]

I also have been very disappointed with the radio but I kept mine because it actually does work on nxnd that I listen to police and fire every day in the city that I work.

I live in one of those counties of which the number is growing where the performance is less than stellar on simulcast. I was hoping for a lighter more convenient alternative to the professional radio I use that works perfectly.

The number of dissatisfied customers who have returned their radios or just remain disappointed it's a lot larger then you would think.

I've noticed that the bullying and ridicule has slowed down when people identify issues and problems. I have never understood this brand loyalty to a corporation or its Representatives. I just want to be satisfied with a product and to have it work as advertised.

So Uniden rushed a radio to market clearly before it was ready. The public beta tested it and updates were issued in an attempt to fix some significant problems.

There hasn't been a public release in a long long time so I think we've hit the max here.

Uniden competitor has a radio in development and will not release till they think it's ready but it's been in development a long time and now a second delay in release has been announced unofficially. 2019 Q2 for release of photos and specs hopefully.

The bottom line is these are expensive items and it just seems like they could be made to be dependable and more durable. At least closer to the two professional alternatives that do work as advertised.

Good luck with your thread, I understand your frustration. Make sure you wear your hard hat at all times, you're going to need it.

 

[jeffdafoe]

Something I've noticed is that the handful of people whose SDS100 doesn't receive to their satisfaction seem to also mention that their radio gets very hot. I wonder if there's some relationship, as I've seen people for whom the radio works well mention that theirs only gets warm (as does mine). Could be nothing, just throwing it out there.

 

[trentbob]

There have been threads about hot and warm performance. Some say the need to warm up, some say it works good till it gets too hot, I read a post where a Uniden representative said you have to rest it and not run it for too long... kind of ridiculous that this would even be a topic of conversation huh?

 

[fxdscon]

The number of dissatisfied customers who have returned their radios or just remain disappointed it's a lot larger then you would think.

Can you provide some verified data on the numbers of those dissatisfied customers you are speaking of.... or are you just speculating here?

I read a post where a Uniden representative said you have to rest it and not run it for too long... kind of ridiculous that this would even be a topic of conversation huh?

Can you provide a link to that post? I would like to see where a Uniden representative actually said that .

.

 

[jeffdafoe]

I didn't mean to imply that a particular radio runs varying heat ranges. I meant that it seems like people whose SDS isn't working well also comment that it runs hot. Mine runs for 12+ hours at a time, every Friday, and always stays at the same lukewarm temp. It also receives the same whether it's been on for 30 seconds or 10 hours. So I'm wondering if the rare SDS100 that runs unusually hot and receives poorly may have a manufacturing defect. I don't know, just noticing the correlation between "runs hot" and the handful of "doesn't receive well".

 

[WILSON43]

I thought, based on the multitude of threads in these forums, it had been established that folks are getting differing reception results based on their location. I acknowledge that as well and reiterate that for digital simulcast systems the SDS100 works very well and on par with my G5.

When I made negative comments about this radio before owning one, I was lambasted for not actually owning one to use. When I buy one to use, I am lambasted that I approached this with pre-conceived bias against the radio. Nothing short of absolute praise and fawning over this radio will please the fanboys and girls here.

I used antennas appropriate to the bands I was testing, and I am sure I mentioned using a topside discone tied into a Stridsberg multicoupler. The white noise hiss on bands outside the digital stuff was a huge detriment to copying traffic on those stations. Sitting literally across from the airport tower with a Pro-43 and a paper clip as an antenna would produce better results than the SDS100.

The snarly remark regarding Amazon and it's return policy are simply an effort to deflect by a Uniden fanboy from the many issues at hand regarding this radio. And I'll leave that there....

If I did not already possess a Unication G5 I would have kept the SDS100 simply for the performance on the digital systems. However, having both is out of the question, and when you compare the size, quality, battery life, audio, etc., of the G5 against the SDS100, for me there was not choice but to send the SDS100 back.

 

[N9JCQ]

DConti, thank you for your review. I have been kicking around getting a SDS100 as my BCD396T is rapidly becomong obsolete here in the Chicago area to due to the rapid shift to P25 Phase II,. The one thing I liked about the 396T was its ability to receive both the trunked P25 systems and VHF/UHF and aircraft pretty well. Its been my "go to" scanner for travel for that very reason. It may not excell on all bands and modes, but with a decent antenna, it does pretty darn good. In fact, at Xmas, I took a road trip to Omaha and listened all across IL and IA using my Anli tri band ham mobile antenna. Once in Omaha though, it couldn't cope with the P25 Phase II ORION system though. The fact that your test of your SDS100 shows it to be a poor performer on aircraft has me a bit concerned as to future ownership. I appreciate the insight and it adds information to my decision.

 

[trentbob]

As far as the statement about giving the radio a rest or not running it too long... I will help you find that the best I can. I'm out in the field right now and don't have time to look it up. I have read other people making reference to it and I read it myself, It wasn't upman it was the other fellow who may be called Uniden representative if I remember correctly. It would have been in the Uniden tech support thread sometime in the fall.

I don't think I participated in that thread so it wouldn't help for me to look at my post. I don't remember the title of the post but it may have had something to do with temperature of the radio.

The best thing I can suggest is to look up member Uniden representative and look at his posts as they are available for the public to read.

I wouldn't mind seeing that exact quote myself again. I know I saw it and others have made reference to it in other threads.

Heat has never been an issue with me the radios performance is the same whether it's just turned on or running for hours but other people have differences in performance with accordance to temperature.

 

[trentbob]

As far as the verified data and proof of every person who has returned their radio I'll get right on that for you. You wait here I'll be back hahaha... you're too funny. 73s

 

[DJ11DLN]

Frankly I'm surprised that any of this latest generation of scanners works as well as they do over a broad range of frequencies and modes. They are really getting into the higher extremes of being a Swiss army knife or multi-tool -- does a lot of stuff, not always all of it well.

 

[fxdscon]

As far as the verified data and proof of every person who has returned their radio I'll get right on that for you. You wait here I'll be back hahaha... you're too funny. 73s

Well, thanks for confirming that it's just speculation on your part, and you're not basing your claim on any actual data.

.

 

[trentbob]

I was going by personal experience of reporters and photographers I know who don't even post on this site. Also Word of Mouth about other people returning radios for their money back who don't post here.

I gave my support to the original poster and told him to wear his hard hat. Thank you for not calling me a hater because I'm not.

This is like fighting the Borg. Resistance is futile. But what do I know, I'm not even human and I am probably as dumb as a box of rocks. Look at my picture. Do I look human to you. Have fun. LOL.

 

[Hit_Factor]

When I made negative comments about this radio before owning one, I was lambasted for not actually owning one to use. When I buy one to use, I am lambasted that I approached this with pre-conceived bias against the radio. Nothing short of absolute praise and fawning over this radio will please the fanboys and girls here.

You still don't own one. The title is a lie - you have no money in this. Credibility is falling.

I used antennas appropriate to the bands I was testing, and I am sure I mentioned using a topside discone tied into a Stridsberg multicoupler. The white noise hiss on bands outside the digital stuff was a huge detriment to copying traffic on those stations. Sitting literally across from the airport tower with a Pro-43 and a paper clip as an antenna would produce better results than the SDS100.

You reported good results with a remtronics on 800Mhz - that's probably a half wave antenna.

You say white noise hiss on "bands outside the digital stuff" using a discone with a stridsberg multicoupler. Nearly identical configuration to my shack. I'm using LMR400 and the shack has it's own grounding system. I don't have any noise problems.
As I mentioned, I hear the airport no problem, some 30 plus miles away from my house.

Move to airband where details are scarce, sounds like you are sitting in your vehicle (think faraday cage). State that a paperclip is a good antenna, but in reality you should try and report something useful - but you don't. A suitable comparison would be another 1/2 wave antenna, they are about 4 feet long for the airband.

This can hardly be characterized as testing. Testing involves ... nevermind you finished your testing already.

The snarly remark regarding Amazon and it's return policy are simply an effort to deflect by a Uniden fanboy from the many issues at hand regarding this radio. And I'll leave that there....

Disingenuous, I'll leave it at that.

If I did not already possess a Unication G5 I would have kept the SDS100 simply for the performance on the digital systems. However, having both is out of the question, and when you compare the size, quality, battery life, audio, etc., of the G5 against the SDS100, for me there was not choice but to send the SDS100 back.

Go troll someplace else.

 

[trentbob]

dconti... I told you to wear your hard hat, you're going to need it. Why are you putting yourself through this? Is it not obvious to you what's going on here? You are being lambasted because the only way to make lamb Juicy and Delicious is to baste it.

Unfortunately for some people or in this case victims the radio doesn't work for them in their area. Why would you bring that to light in a bee's nest in the Uniden Tavern forum? What did you think was going to happen? I feel for you brother. It is what it is. This is not the world of bipartisanship and compromise let alone understanding.

It's only one way or the highway here. Don't put yourself through this, there are plenty of people that know exactly how you feel. (names and addresses with sworn affidavits available on request)... come on man grab your hat and coat and get out of here. There are a lot of better places to go with a whole different crowd... peace out.

 

[WILSON43]

"Unfortunately for some people or in this case victims the radio doesn't work for them in their area. Why would you bring that to light in a bee's nest in the Uniden Tavern forum? What did you think was going to happen? I feel for you brother. It is what it is. This is not the world of bipartisanship and compromise let alone understanding.

It's only one way or the highway here. Don't put yourself through this, there are plenty of people that know exactly how you feel. (names and addresses with sworn affidavits available on request)... come on man grab your hat and coat and get out of here. There are a lot of better places to go with a whole different crowd... peace out."

Bob, it is unfortunate that these forums have devolved from happy, fun places to discuss equipment, to places of absolute venom and vitriol over an inanimate object. Folks like Hit_Factor and others cannot and will not allow others to state their opinions and observations without a nasty retort. This "Tavern" section was created for that reason, yet the guardians of the Uniden virtue seem intent on making this a dark place indeed for those who do not tow the line in lock step with praise for their beloved products. I will not dignify further the childish comments made in response to my observations. This is an open forum of OPINIONS, right or wrong. This was not intended as a technical review of a product, just MY OPINION and my experience. I could be 100% incorrect in my assessment and the SDS100 may in fact be the best radio ever produced. Everyone's experience will be different and of course, YMMV!

It's a hobby folks. Lighten up, ok? Encryption will most likely be in place across the country very soon rendering these threads truly a moot point, and your 650 dollar scanners excellent boat anchors.

 

[KevinC]

I don't have a SDS100 (yeah, I'm poor), so I can only judge it by the posts here.

It seems to me one of two things (or both?) is happening due to the varied reports (discounting user errors or just plain coverage issues)...

1. A design/component change was made somewhere along the line (based on users that received replacements reporting a dramatic improvement).
2. External influences affect this unit more than previous models (based on initial reports ranging from fabulous to it sucks). The varied VHF reports lead me to believe it is easily overloaded in at least this range like the GRE-based scanners are, but that's just a guess.

It really irks me when someone posts that theirs doesn't work well and immediately he/she is told they are wrong. How does someone else know how my radio is working???

And I guess I busted the myth of moderators getting free Uniden products (or discounted, or sample, or anything else you can think of).

 

[trentbob]

Even though you don't own one you read an awful lot of post of people who do.

You seem to hit it on the nail and it is a combination of so many things including quality control, systems, location, inconsistencies with production runs, user error however those cases usually get straightened out with help on the Forum

The problem of bullies and thugs of which there's not that many of but they are quick to pounce and are motivated by this strange corporate brand loyalty is becoming more and more of a problem. They are unyielding and intimidating to some and entertaining to others like myself.

That's something the mods might want to put their heads together and formulate some kind of consistent policy to step in and show some type of neutral moderation.

Actually that is what you do and I've seen it many times but too many hit and run attacks are happening.

I've been around a long time and had left RR during a rough patch but came back for the SDS 100 discussions so I could learn. Thanks for your ear... Bob