SDS100/SDS200: Does the SDS100 have any manufacturing changes since launch?

[dimab]

Has Uniden made any manufacturing changes to the SDS100 since launch? For example they added the larger battery, but should I be aware of any other 'newer' production units vs. older ones?
If there are 'newer' units, how would I know?

Thanks

 

[trentbob]

It was first introduced with a smaller battery and the back of the radio was flat. That was replaced by a larger, longer-lasting big butt battery. There were many firmware changes in the beginning but I don't believe they have changed anything else with the hardware of the radio that I know of.

 

[Ubbe]

They have switched to another receiver chip as the old one got obsolete. It's now the same one in both SDS100 and SDS200. RF specifications are the same for both chips, it's just some added decoder modes for 8k picture resolution and advanced surround sound but you'll never know if they have done a slight RF improvement as specifications often says "minimum" or "better than" so that the specs doesn't need alterations.

/Ubbe

 

[iMONITOR]

They have switched to another receiver chip as the old one got obsolete. It's now the same one in both SDS100 and SDS200. RF specifications are the same for both chips, it's just some added decoder modes for 8k picture resolution and advanced surround sound(?) but you'll never know if they have done a slight RF improvement as specifications often says "minimum" or "better than" so that the specs doesn't need alterations.

/Ubbe

How does that work, what does it do exactly?

 

[Ubbe]

How does that work, what does it do exactly?

It's those Atmos and Aural3D mode and such that are used when the chip sits in a media box like a sat receiver. Those features are not used by Uniden.

/Ubbe

 

[N9JIG]

They have switched to another receiver chip as the old one got obsolete. It's now the same one in both SDS100 and SDS200. RF specifications are the same for both chips, it's just some added decoder modes for 8k picture resolution and advanced surround sound but you'll never know if they have done a slight RF improvement as specifications often says "minimum" or "better than" so that the specs doesn't need alterations.

/Ubbe

So are you saying that the newer version SDS100 and 200's now have 8K video and surround sound? While the screen and speaker might be a little too small to really take advantage of it, it might be fun to try it out.

 

[tojohnso]

The firmware hasn't been updated in years. No way there is anything different in the radio - they'd have to build a new firmware for it. Their scanner division was a one man show. When he got sick and passed away, so did the scanner business. Some guy "got hired" to be the public face but nothing continues but excuses, when you can get even that.

With that in mind, Uniden is OFF the recommendation list.

 

[WILSON43]

If Uniden is "OFF" the list, then what choices do we have outside of Whistler, which gave up on scanning well before Uniden,
or Unication?

IF, and that's a big IF Unication sees a potential market with decent margins they may venture into producing a
"scanner" version so to speak of their excellent pager / receivers.

We'll see.

 

[MStep]

Uniden is really the only "game" in town--- of course, there is Whistler, but they have not come up with some of the innovations that Uniden did under the guidance of Paul Opitz with the SDS series. That is if you want a "traditional" scanner. I have several of the 100's and 200's that are being used by clients for business purposes (news gathering), and nothing compares in terms of flexibility of operation.

I don't believe that any radical changes in the internal design of the SDS since their introduction, and while many folks here have made suggestions to improve some of the unit's functions, by this time most realize that it's unlikely that anything short of a new concept is unlikely.

Of course, surprises do happen, but based on past experience, those with hopes and wishes for the current series are just "whistling in the wind".

 

[tojohnso]

And that is the great question, isn't it? The TRX-1/2 and see what happens with the Unication possibility.

Biggest question though is who did this? Who's the wiseguy who hacked Whistler® Scanners and pasted the SDS100 on there? LOL - I'm dying here.

 

[sfb88]

Maybe Whistler solved its scanner development issues and Uniden solved its customer relations problems by selling the scanner division to Whistler? 😊

 

[scanbc780]

Biggest question though is who did this? Who's the wiseguy who hacked Whistler® Scanners and pasted the SDS100 on there? LOL - I'm dying here.

I have a feeling that website isn't owned by Whistler, it appears to be owned by some random Chinese company and only contains Amazon affiliate links.

 

[brumey]

Ubbe recently helped me find the processor version in my SDS-100. YOu use Putty or ProScan and issue a "." after connecting. You need to use the MicroUSB port not the usual port you use for programming. STD=R836 if it is the older SDR receiver and STD=R840 if it has the newer which is the same as used in SDS200. I do not know what that means in terms of performance. I had the R840.

See this thread - SDS200 - RSSI Discrepancy...

Hope this helps...