Base Scanner for Birthday?

[ArkTex]

Yes it does. BC436 GPS mod.

I may or may not have just ordered an SDS anyways…

 

[jgorman21]

Good luck! As they say YMMV! I’ve had my SDS 100 for just short of a year. In a word, disappointing for me as a receiver. A very expensive disappointment! Just my opinion. I’ve had radios since the 1960’s starting with tunable, then crystal controlled, then on to programmable. Your G4 will most likely outperform it on simulcast as my G5 does for me (side by side). It’s just not a very good radio receiver overall. All my other radios outperform it. I too was considering one of the “lesser” models that was “iffy” on simulcast. I figured “top of the line!” Why not?

There are lots of really nice and knowledgeable folks on here that are always willing to help. And many great posts to look up for questions.

Try it out. Maybe in your area and situation it will work out? I truly hope that it does!

 

[ArkTex]

Good luck! As they say YMMV! I’ve had my SDS 100 for just short of a year. In a word, disappointing for me as a receiver. A very expensive disappointment! Just my opinion. I’ve had radios since the 1960’s starting with tunable, then crystal controlled, then on to programmable. Your G4 will most likely outperform it on simulcast as my G5 does for me (side by side). It’s just not a very good radio receiver overall. All my other radios outperform it. I too was considering one of the “lesser” models that was “iffy” on simulcast. I figured “top of the line!” Why not?

There are lots of really nice and knowledgeable folks on here that are always willing to help. And many great posts to look up for questions.

Try it out. Maybe in your area and situation it will work out? I truly hope that it does!

thank you for the advice! I’m basically betting on it being good because it’s a flagship product, like you said. It’ll be nice having an actual scanner that can (potentially) come even close to my G4. As you can understand, sometimes the G4 can be finicky.

everything always has its drawbacks.

 

[jgorman21]

thank you for the advice! I’m basically betting on it being good because it’s a flagship product, like you said. It’ll be nice having an actual scanner that can (potentially) come even close to my G4. As you can understand, sometimes the G4 can be finicky.

everything always has its drawbacks.

Correct! Best of luck with all of it. Anyway you look at it, getting a new radio is always exciting!

 

[fredva]

Good luck! As they say YMMV! I’ve had my SDS 100 for just short of a year. In a word, disappointing for me as a receiver. A very expensive disappointment! Just my opinion. I’ve had radios since the 1960’s starting with tunable, then crystal controlled, then on to programmable. Your G4 will most likely outperform it on simulcast as my G5 does for me (side by side). It’s just not a very good radio receiver overall. All my other radios outperform it. I too was considering one of the “lesser” models that was “iffy” on simulcast. I figured “top of the line!” Why not?

There are lots of really nice and knowledgeable folks on here that are always willing to help. And many great posts to look up for questions.

Try it out. Maybe in your area and situation it will work out? I truly hope that it does!

If all your other radios outperform the SDS-100 on simulcast and those other radios were Unications, then that is understandable. However, if you had previous generations of scanners such as a 436, 996, a TRX, etc. that weren't designed for simulcast and they outperformed the SDS on simulcast, then something is wrong. It seems likely that you got a faulty unit. I replaced a 436 with an SDS-100 to use in a simulcast environment and haven't regretted that one bit because the SDS is superior on simulcast. It's also superior to a WS-1080 which I kept but don't use a lot.

 

[ArkTex]

Correct! Best of luck with all of it. Anyway you look at it, getting a new radio is always exciting!

I may or may not have had a few too many last night when me and a friend went to a bar. It was my first time and I might’ve drunk bought a couple more new radios. Haha.

 

[AA4BK]

Happy Birthday, @ArkTex !

My advice would be to take some time and figure those new radios out. Particularly on the SDS radios, it takes some time to figure out how to get those things set up the way you want them, and to really make them perform, but they are extremely nice radios and do (contrary to some opinions I've heard) actually have terrific performance once you figure out how to get them working right.

I wasn't very impressed right out of the box with mine but hung in there and took time to just figure it out, and make it work well. There are a lot of settings, with all the different filters and modulation settings and Favorites Lists and Quick Keys and everything else. I still have a lot to learn, but with setting appropriate IFX, filters, modulation types, site configurations, favorites lists, etc. I have managed to make my units perform extremely well and they can pick out a signal, strong or weak, with no problem.

So when I hear someone say the receiver on the SDS units isn't that great, I think they just haven't had enough time with the radio yet. I really am impressed with these things, and I'm so glad I took the time to figure them out. Best scanners I've ever owned.

 

[ArkTex]

Happy Birthday, @ArkTex !

My advice would be to take some time and figure those new radios out. Particularly on the SDS radios, it takes some time to figure out how to get those things set up the way you want them, and to really make them perform, but they are extremely nice radios and do (contrary to some opinions I've heard) actually have terrific performance once you figure out how to get them working right.

I wasn't very impressed right out of the box with mine but hung in there and took time to just figure it out, and make it work well. There are a lot of settings, with all the different filters and modulation settings and Favorites Lists and Quick Keys and everything else. I still have a lot to learn, but with setting appropriate IFX, filters, modulation types, site configurations, favorites lists, etc. I have managed to make my units perform extremely well and they can pick out a signal, strong or weak, with no problem.

So when I hear someone say the receiver on the SDS units isn't that great, I think they just haven't had enough time with the radio yet. I really am impressed with these things, and I'm so glad I took the time to figure them out. Best scanners I've ever owned.

I have to buy the software for the SDS right?

 

[belvdr]

I have to buy the software for the SDS right?

No, Sentinel is provided free, from Uniden's site. If you want remote control, there's software to do that, for a charge.

 

[AA4BK]

Yeah Sentinel is totally free so you can configure everything for free. Proscan isn't free but it's really nice to have too, but it's more about remote control, streaming, all kinds of great stuff actually but I still do my config in Sentinel.

 

[fredva]

I have to buy the software for the SDS right?

No. Sentinel is free. In fact you can download it and start programming before the scanner arrives.

 

[jgorman21]

If all your other radios outperform the SDS-100 on simulcast and those other radios were Unications, then that is understandable. However, if you had previous generations of scanners such as a 436, 996, a TRX, etc. that weren't designed for simulcast and they outperformed the SDS on simulcast, then something is wrong. It seems likely that you got a faulty unit. I replaced a 436 with an SDS-100 to use in a simulcast environment and haven't regretted that one bit because the SDS is superior on simulcast. It's also superior to a WS-1080 which I kept but don't use a lot.

I could have been clearer but I’ve posted my experiences with the SDS 100 before. I was referencing “receiving” as a “receiver” on both analog and digital non simulcast conventional VHF and UHF frequencies. Didn’t want to be ”that guy” that just didn’t care for this radio. It’ll be a year on 12/5/22.

I haven’t totally given up yet. And I may in fact “start over” again. But I do know what I’m used to and so far, this radio ain’t doing it!

 

[jgorman21]

Happy Birthday, @ArkTex !

My advice would be to take some time and figure those new radios out. Particularly on the SDS radios, it takes some time to figure out how to get those things set up the way you want them, and to really make them perform, but they are extremely nice radios and do (contrary to some opinions I've heard) actually have terrific performance once you figure out how to get them working right.

I wasn't very impressed right out of the box with mine but hung in there and took time to just figure it out, and make it work well. There are a lot of settings, with all the different filters and modulation settings and Favorites Lists and Quick Keys and everything else. I still have a lot to learn, but with setting appropriate IFX, filters, modulation types, site configurations, favorites lists, etc. I have managed to make my units perform extremely well and they can pick out a signal, strong or weak, with no problem.

So when I hear someone say the receiver on the SDS units isn't that great, I think they just haven't had enough time with the radio yet. I really am impressed with these things, and I'm so glad I took the time to figure them out. Best scanners I've ever owned.

Still not impressed but as I said above I may “start over!” At this point though I may consider charging an hourly rate to Uniden!😉

It’ll be a year on 12/5/22. I tire of “standing on my left foot on an odd numbered day” and then adjusting this filter and that…

I’ve spent hours and hours and hours…

 

[ProScan]

Yeah Sentinel is totally free so you can configure everything for free. Proscan isn't free but it's really nice to have too, but it's more about remote control, streaming, all kinds of great stuff actually but I still do my config in Sentinel.

I recommend starting with Sentinel. It's needed for profile editing and updating the scanner firmware. Just one point I like to make. ProScan isn't just about remote control and streaming. No other software comes close to what the ProScan Favorites Editor can do such as:

• Multiple Favorites on the same tree which makes it easy to Copy & Paste and Drag & Drop systems
• Find Duplicates utility
• Find & Replace utility
• Update Text Tags utility
• Import directly from RRDB. RadioReference subscription required
• Import from the Win Clipboard or from a RR web page. No RadioReference subscription required
• Versatile Sorting options
• Google Maps showing all the systems with circles or rectangles
• Export nicely formatted web page showing any or all (user selectable) FQK's, SQK's, Number Tags, and systems
• Copy & Paste and Drag & Drop nodes to other systems and other ProScan instances
• SDS200 FTP Read & Write using the Ethernet connection
• View the differences between ProScan and the Scanner favorites when writing and reading to and from the scanner
• Modify Uniden (HPDB) Database utility

 

[AA4BK]

Thank you for that @ProScan ! And although I have only barely begun to use the full capabilities of ProScan, I can say it's really incredible software, well designed and has a ton of features. If anyone is considering it, I highly recommend it.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

I bookmarked Post #34 for the next inquiry that comes in asking about the benefits of Proscan

 

[hiegtx]

Does the 436 work with the GPS puck?

Since, several posts after this one, you indicated that an SDS100 is on order' The connections on the SDS100 are different than on the 436HP, so the suggestion Richard gave above, would not work for the SDS100.

Uniden's 'universal GPS kit' has the various cables and adapters needed for any of the GPS capable scanners.

Uniden GPS Receiver for BCD996XT/BCD996P2/BCT15X/BCD396XT/BCD325P2/SDS100/SDS200 | Scanner Master

GPS Receiver for Uniden Bearcat BCT15/BCD996T/BCD396XT/BC346XT/HomePatrol police scanner radios. Allows you to operate location-based scanning.

www.scannermaster.com

However, if you only needed a GPS solution for an SDS100, look at my post in a different thread, where you can set up a GPS solution for considerably less.

 

[ToddWilkinson]

I do like the look of the SDS line, but I'm not really interested in it. If I need good simulcast performance, then I'd rather use my Unication since even that will beat out an SDS. I'm looking for a Uniden that does both P25 1 and 2, as well as really good analog reception. My main choices right now are the 996P2 and the 536HP. My budget is around 400ish.

Just got my 536hp today and i choose it over my sds200 and 996p2, pro-197 and my ws1065! and their goin for under 400 on ebay, got mine new for 350.00!

 

[darkness975]

I love my SDS200. Where I am I needed it.

 

[ToddWilkinson]

I may or may not have just ordered an SDS anyways…

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If you need help I've owned 2, I'd be willing to help ya out bud! Don't be afraid to message me!