G4 vs. SDS100

[jonwienke]

I asked what the physical differences were in a previous post that devolved into which is better. I don't understand why Uniden doesn't crack a G4 open and see what makes it tick. The SDS uses a digital TV decoder. Is that the problem? The resistors and transistors in my stereo, TV, car, airplane are all the same. I don't understand what makes "commercial" grade.

The specs of various IC chips, transistors, filter components, etc have a huge impact on receiver performance. But higher-spec components cost more. In some cases, a LOT more.

The Unications cover 2 bands--800MHz and either UHF or VHF. The Uniden covers everything legally monitorable between 25 and 1300MHz. The Unication is designed to do a very limited set of things, but do them very well. The Unidens cover a far wider range of frequencies, and do a lot more things, but that means going down a notch in component quality in some cases to keep costs palatable. The SDS100 is already at the upper end of what people are willing to pay; upgrading everything to match the Unications' performance would likely add several hundred dollars to the price tag.

The Unications outperform the Unidens within their window of capabilities. But the Unidens have a much wider range of capabilities. The Unications do better monitoring an 800MHz system, but the Unidens will do better monitoring airband, systems with large numbers of sites, and monitoring multiple systems while traveling. Choose your tool according to your need.

 

[bob550]

Choose your tool according to your need.

That's exactly the way most of us should evaluate scanners; based on our specific needs. Take the same approach that golfers do when selecting a club. They wouldn't select a putter when teeing off. What's encouraging is that there are many "what-is-the-best-scanner-for-monitoring ...." questions on this forum, and so hobbyists are already recognizing this.