External Speaker Suggestions

Status
Not open for further replies.

Salvatorejrc

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2020
Messages
156
I just bought the uniden bc15 for my sds100. It sounds nice but the scanner itself is louder than the speaker, which is a disappointment. What are some suggestions for external speakers that go louder? I would most likely use it for both desktop as well as mobile.
 

fxdscon

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
7,162
I just bought the uniden bc15 for my sds100. It sounds nice but the scanner itself is louder than the speaker, which is a disappointment. What are some suggestions for external speakers that go louder? I would most likely use it for both desktop as well as mobile.

Are you using the headphone jack or the external speaker jack? My BC15 works very well with my SDS200, but powered speakers like the BC23A would be much louder.
 

Salvatorejrc

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2020
Messages
156
Are you using the headphone jack or the external speaker jack? My BC15 works very well with my SDS200, but powered speakers like the BC23A would be much louder.
I'm pretty sure the sds100 only has a headphone jack
 

blackbelter

Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2004
Messages
795
I use a professional grade Klein Valor Shoulder Speaker which is powered and takes my 436 audio to another level. Do a quick site search on this pricey shoulder speaker . I normally keep my 436 audio level @ 2 and the sound from this speaker is amazingly clear and loud , however 436 has a much better speaker sound than SDS100.
 

Attachments

  • valor.jpg
    valor.jpg
    26.5 KB · Views: 39

W4EMS

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
781
Location
NoVA
Use the Bearcat BC23A as noted above. Works well in truck. There is a mod which will bypass the inactivity sleep mode if you search the forums
 

Salvatorejrc

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2020
Messages
156
Use the Bearcat BC23A as noted above. Works well in truck. There is a mod which will bypass the inactivity sleep mode if you search the forums
Could you possibly send a link to direct me to that bypass mod forum?
 

ofd8001

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 6, 2004
Messages
7,891
Location
Louisville, KY
For mobile use, I recommend the BC23A regardless of scanner model. Too much road noise to overcome so amplified speakers are great.

I also use the '23A in the garage where I have my workshop and associated tools.

For a quieter environment, I've never needed any kind of external antenna.
 

Ubbe

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Messages
8,944
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
I'm pretty sure the sds100 only has a headphone jack
It also works as a jack for external speaker as it has full output power to a low ohm speaker.

An important factor of speakers are its sensitivity, how much audio level it emits for a 1watt signal. Uniden doesn't give that number for the BC15, probably because it isn't very good. Low wattage speakers like the ones in portable scanners are usually rated 1watt or similar and have a high sensitivity. If you look at a 15watt speaker it usually do not have the same sensitivity and needs much more power to produce the same sound preassure. Lower power rating speakers like 5watt usually have better sensitivity. A speaker that has a 3dB lower sensitivity figure will need to be powered by double the output wattage to sound at the same audio level.

choosing-loudest-speaker-sensitivity-and-power-wattage/

/Ubbe
 

TailGator911

Silent Key/KF4ANC
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
2,687
Location
Fairborn, OH
The Valor shoulder speaker is hands down the best speaker you can get for a handheld scanner. They are pricey but well worth it and sounds great, not tinny, with the best audio I have ever heard on such a speaker.
 

Salvatorejrc

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2020
Messages
156
I use a professional grade Klein Valor Shoulder Speaker which is powered and takes my 436 audio to another level. Do a quick site search on this pricey shoulder speaker . I normally keep my 436 audio level @ 2 and the sound from this speaker is amazingly clear and loud , however 436 has a much better speaker sound than SDS100.
Any way you could send me a video of the audio of the speaker? I can't seem to find any on YouTube
 

blackbelter

Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2004
Messages
795
Unfortunately, I am away from my QTH for a while and have no access to my gear. I purchased mine through Scanner Master.
 

majoco

Stirrer
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
4,278
Location
New Zealand
I have four HF communications receivers, two scanners and a VHF/UHF receiver - I feed all the line/record outputs plus one "aux" from a laptop into a Behringer eight line input stereo mixer with line and headphone outputs - the line outputs got to a small 15W amplifier to pair of small but good quality speakers on the left and right ends of my desk - a 4inch woofer, a 1inch midrange and a tweeter. With the aid of the tone controls on the amplifier, the master gains and the stereo balance controls, I can set the individual volume, overall volume and position of any source via only two speakers - pushbuttons on the mixer enable/disable any input - the whole system works very well. Stereo hifi headphones sound amazing - you can 'fix' the position in space of any input.
 

WB9YBM

Active Member
Joined
May 6, 2019
Messages
1,390
I just bought the uniden bc15 for my sds100. It sounds nice but the scanner itself is louder than the speaker, which is a disappointment. What are some suggestions for external speakers that go louder? I would most likely use it for both desktop as well as mobile.

1. a larger or better quality speaker
2. adding an amp (either DIY or bought single or as speaker/amp combo
3. make sure impedances match between the scanner out/speaker in
 

iMONITOR

Silent Key
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 20, 2006
Messages
11,156
Location
S.E. Michigan
Uniden intentionally limits the level of audio available to the earphone jack so people don't damage their hearing. The earphone jack is a higher impedance than what you typically find in external speakers which are typically 4-8 ohms. As I recall the impedance of the internal speaker on the SDS100 is 32 ohms. A lot of earphone are as high a 600 ohms or more.

High quality communications gear, whether it's a receiver, speaker, or headphones does not necessarily mean better sound, but rather better intelligibility. Typically it is very limited in fidelity (audio frequency range) and will sound flat and sometimes even a little harsh. Audio frequencies are clipped above and below the response we're used to. This is make the voice as clear as possible, and not sounding like Barry White or Mariah Carey.

If you still want a fuller sound from a hand held scanner I think a Bluetooth transmitter plugged into the headphone jack, transmitting to a nice Bluetooth amplified speaker is the best approach. That way you don't have to worry about overloading/overheating the internal amplificer in the scanner.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top