Easier programming 436 or 100?

[KK4JUG]

N9JIG makes some great points, One other thing, if you anticipate any simulcast systems, you'll probably have to go to the SDS100. The 436 is a great scanner EXCEPT for simulcast.

Once again, if you travel, GPS is available for the SDS100, too. I have it and it works great.

 

[UnidenSupport]

I would recommend the 436 assuming you are not in a heavy simulcast area, that is really where you will see the benefit from the SDS100 if the bells and whistles are not important.

The GPS puck is really cool and useful, as long as you are traveling enough to make use of it.

Whichever you choose, remember you can give us a call at 1-800-297-1023 and we can help with setup for those who may not be that tech savvy. We really appreciate people doing research before they purchase a scanner, so you are half of the way there.

Edit: immediately after posting I see KK4JUG's response which is near identical to mine. so... high five?

 

[hardsuit]

AzNorm - Whistler EZ scan is easier to program than Uniden. also, Phase II , NXDN and DMR are Always free on Whistler current scanners, you have to pay Uniden EXTRA to receive signals that the Radio is Already Capable of Receiving. no Paywalls with a Whistler scanner. 2019 Whistler will have a SDR based scanner(s) that can Receive Phase II Simulcast better. Whistler TRX100 will also have Bluetooth Audio.

 

[phask]

Yet the OP states in the first post " Phoenix PD broadcast simulcast".


No idea if he will need that or not - but Phoenix is notorious for Simulcast issues.


Looks like Chandler PD uses this
https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=2508 - numerous sites and Simulcast sites. (for PD_) and Fire is on another system.


A lot of PD is Enc., but again, no idea what those TG's entail.

 

[AzNorm]

Thanks for all the replies. I’m still holding off buying a scanner because I’m a little worried that I’ll have problems programming and operating it I’ve read a lot where people have these problems. I also didn’t want to spend the extra $200 for the sds100. It seemed that the 436 was plenty good enough. Exactly how well does the 436 handle simulcast? If a lot of the police broadcast simulcast in the Phoenix area and the 436 is unable to monitor it then that’s not the scanner I need.

 

[Tramagod]

Thanks for all the replies. I’m still holding off buying a scanner because I’m a little worried that I’ll have problems programming and operating it I’ve read a lot where people have these problems. I also didn’t want to spend the extra $200 for the sds100. It seemed that the 436 was plenty good enough. Exactly how well does the 436 handle simulcast? If a lot of the police broadcast simulcast in the Phoenix area and the 436 is unable to monitor it then that’s not the scanner I need.

My area uses simulcast and my 436 seems to handle it pretty well, but it may be different for you in your area. I had an SDS100 and used it side by side against my 436 and the difference was so minimal I sent the 100 back, it just wasn’t worth the additional cost to me.Others May have a different experience, but that was mine.


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[darkness975]

Whistler TRX100 will also have Bluetooth Audio.

I have been wanting Bluetooth capability on a scanner forever, especially since my car does not have an Aux port (new cars don't have CD players or Aux ports). I drive around with one of my scanners in my car a lot and I find it very frustrating that I cannot hear it most of the time. I want it to play through my car's speakers so I can actually HEAR it.

I have been dedicated to Uniden scanners from the beginning and I really do not want to jump ship, but Bluetooth is something I have been borderline foaming at the mouth for ...

Am I the only one ???

 

[KK4JUG]

AzNorm - Whistler EZ scan is easier to program than Uniden. also, Phase II , NXDN and DMR are Always free on Whistler current scanners, you have to pay Uniden EXTRA to receive signals that the Radio is Already Capable of Receiving. no Paywalls with a Whistler scanner. 2019 Whistler will have a SDR based scanner(s) that can Receive Phase II Simulcast better. Whistler TRX100 will also have Bluetooth Audio.

This is a Uniden thread!

 

[bdp278]

I had a 436 as well as HP2 both got killed on the simulcast system here, just could not handle them well at all. It’s hard not to find a simulcast site in a large city anymore.



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[KK4JUG]

It's hard to beat what bdp278 said.

 

[sparklehorse]

My 2¢ -
The only way to know whether the SDS100 works better than the 436 FOR YOU, is to try them both. It’s just not possible to devine the answer to this question in internet forums, there are too many variables that affect real-world performance. Sorry, that is not likely something you wanted to hear.

Also, earlier someone recommended Whistler products and touted their EZ-Scan program software as being easier than Uniden’s Sentinel. That is just someone’s opionion, like nearly everything else stated here on Radioreference. My opinion is that EZ-Scan is the single WORST piece of scanning software I’ve ever used, and I’ve used many. Which isn’t to say Sentinel is great. It’s not. But I think it is better than Whistler’s software, and Whistler has yet to release a scanner model that promises improved performance on simulcast systems. In other words, a radio that competes with the SDS100.

My final point is that in order to use ANY of these modern scanners to their full potential a person really needs to invest, not just money in the radio, but also the time required to learn how to use it and program it properly. A person telling “programming horror stories” is just a person who is still learning the software. All of the software programs out there, whether it’s Sentinel or EZ-Scan or Butel or Freescan or whatever, are fully capable of doing the job you want them to do. All it takes is an investment of time and effort to learn them, as none of them are very intuitive or easy. Without that effort your fancy new scanner will be little more than an expensive paper weight.

.

 

[AzNorm]

Thanks, I know every reply is just someone’s opinion or experience with whatever product they have. I’m taking them all with a grain of salt, but I do appreciate hearing those opinions, and thanks for your reply.

 

[CQ]

I have been wanting Bluetooth capability on a scanner forever, especially since my car does not have an Aux port (new cars don't have CD players or Aux ports).

Been in a new Land Rover lately?

A scanner is the last thing I'd want going through my car audio system.

 

[KK4JUG]

My Sorento has aux and USB inputs plus a CD (I guess I'll have to sell my 8-track tapes).

Anyway, on the road, I listen to satellite radio a lot but sometimes I want the scanner. For that, the aux port is great.

 

[ScannerMan1989]

I have been wanting Bluetooth capability on a scanner forever, especially since my car does not have an Aux port (new cars don't have CD players or Aux ports). I drive around with one of my scanners in my car a lot and I find it very frustrating that I cannot hear it most of the time. I want it to play through my car's speakers so I can actually HEAR it.

I have been dedicated to Uniden scanners from the beginning and I really do not want to jump ship, but Bluetooth is something I have been borderline foaming at the mouth for ...

Am I the only one ???

No. I want to be able to SCAN Bluetooth

 

[maus92]

Thanks for all the replies. I’m still holding off buying a scanner because I’m a little worried that I’ll have problems programming and operating it I’ve read a lot where people have these problems. I also didn’t want to spend the extra $200 for the sds100. It seemed that the 436 was plenty good enough. Exactly how well does the 436 handle simulcast? If a lot of the police broadcast simulcast in the Phoenix area and the 436 is unable to monitor it then that’s not the scanner I need.

First, please don't listen to the Whistler fanboys who troll the Uniden forums for some reason, spreading misinformation and promoting radios that don't exist yet. The EZScan program that Whistler uses to program its radios is not easier or harder than Sentinel, it's just different.

I currently own the SDS100, and it works great in the suburban / urban metropolitan area where I live. I used to own a 436, but I sold it after buying the SDS100 because just about everything I listen to are simulcast 700/800 systems, and the 436 was just not capable of decoding these systems reliably. The SDS100 is a better choice for simulcast.

Uniden uses a WIndows PC program called Sentinel to program both radios, but it can also be done manually. But save yourself the headache and use the computer program. It has a somewhat steep learning curve, but it's not really that difficult unless you are completely computer illiterate.

What I would do in your case is try the 436 first and see how it works for you. Buy it from a place that accepts returns and doesn't charge a restocking fee (like Amazon.) If you find it doesn't work satisfactorily, return it and buy the SDS100. Your Sentinel programming will work with either radio, and the radios themselves are very similar operationally.

Hope this helps.

 

[AzNorm]

First, please don't listen to the Whistler fanboys who troll the Uniden forums for some reason, spreading misinformation and promoting radios that don't exist yet. The EZScan program that Whistler uses to program its radios is not easier or harder than Sentinel, it's just different.

I currently own the SDS100, and it works great in the suburban / urban metropolitan area where I live. I used to own a 436, but I sold it after buying the SDS100 because just about everything I listen to are simulcast 700/800 systems, and the 436 was just not capable of decoding these systems reliably. The SDS100 is a better choice for simulcast.

Uniden uses a WIndows PC program called Sentinel to program both radios, but it can also be done manually. But save yourself the headache and use the computer program. It has a somewhat steep learning curve, but it's not really that difficult unless you are completely computer illiterate.

What I would do in your case is try the 436 first and see how it works for you. Buy it from a place that accepts returns and doesn't charge a restocking fee (like Amazon.) If you find it doesn't work satisfactorily, return it and buy the SDS100. Your Sentinel programming will work with either radio, and the radios themselves are very similar operationally.

Hope this helps.

It helped a lot. I ordered a 436 from Amazon today and I plan on doing exactly what you recommended. Thanks

 

[Trucker700]

Thanks for all the replies. I’m still holding off buying a scanner because I’m a little worried that I’ll have problems programming and operating it I’ve read a lot where people have these problems. I also didn’t want to spend the extra $200 for the sds100. It seemed that the 436 was plenty good enough. Exactly how well does the 436 handle simulcast? If a lot of the police broadcast simulcast in the Phoenix area and the 436 is unable to monitor it then that’s not the scanner I need.

I drive an 18 wheeler and go thru Phoenix almost every week. The simulcast system in the Phoenix are and down towards Eloy can be really bad.
I use a Uniden 885 Hybrid CB/Scanner in the truck and it literally stinks with the simulcast systems. I bought an SDS-100 and bring it with me and
the difference is night and day compared to the 885. No distortion at all. Even in the El Paso, TX area, there are issues with simulcast and the SDS-100 handles it with ease.
I also have a 436 handheld and it has the same issues with simulcast as the 885. Otherwise, it has great audio as does the 885 in non- simulcast areas. I have had zero issues with my SDS-100. It works fine on VHF and UHF. A lot depends on the antenna you use as well. In the big truck, I use a Larsen mobile antenna mounted on the passenger side mirror. Works great. I can hear airport traffic from Phoenix at the Petro in Eloy. Pretty good in my opinion. And the simulcast systems in the area of Eloy cause no problems either.
Expensive, yes. But, to me, it is worth the money.
Trucker

 

[highwayman1224]

This is a Uniden thread!

Who cares, he's suggesting alternate options for the guy, don't get your panties in a bunch...

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[Tramagod]

Who cares, he's suggesting alternate options for the guy, don't get your panties in a bunch...

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Couldn’t agree more, some folks seem to get a degree of self satisfaction by saying “I commented on that”.


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