Help me help you

[MStep]

Cya Joe. Add me to the list of those who have bought their last Uniden unless something tangible happens in the future. But, recent and past performance doesn't give me hope. Prove me wrong.

I sometimes wish I had that option, but I am "married" to Uniden, so to speak. There is no comparative product to the SDS series, and when they work right, they work well. In fact, they have ALWAYS been technology innovators and leaders in the field of scanner radios. Many other companies and technologies have come and gone. Anybody remember "Optiscan" (were those the one with the light that passed through holes in a program card to set up each frequency?)

Uniden is the best at innovation; their problem seems to be more with assembly and quality control. I don't think many are privy to their distribution figures around the world, but in the non-professional, hobbyist category, they have to be tops. And I'm certain that they are the choice of public-safety agencies for monitoring purposes, thus not counting commercial units like Motorola and the like.

Uniden just has to work a little harder at quality control, and perhaps boost consumer confidence by upping that warranty from one to three years. That's why so many folks look to Amazon and Walmart, not so much for pricing, but for the option of purchasing extended warranties.

I wonder how many more of the SDS series would be sold if they included that three year warranty. And how much more confidence that would build for Uniden products.

 

[JoeBearcat]

Oh I have noticed since I have contributed some suggestions myself, which I hope that you have noticed. And in no way was any sarcasm intended. I hope that was not interpreted that way.

But there is an important lesson to be learned. If you are the number one man, as Paul Opitz was, (and as you appear to be now) you've got to have a pretty good number two man. not only ready to jump in and grab the reins, but active and up-to-date, and already playing an important role in day to day decisions.

It is quite telling on Uniden's part, that you were "just brought in recently", even though Paul, very sadly, was in the hospital for most of that first year.

I'm not up on corporate decisions at Uniden, but it would appear that someone at Uniden missed that fact that they were missing a key person for a long time. We certainly did not miss that fact out here.

Of course I am wishing you a long, happy and healthy career with Uniden, but I hope that you've got a great number two person ready to jump in and grab those proverbial reins should unforeseen circumstrances arise.

I was merely explaining the long time between firmware releases.

Yes, there is someone else I have started down this path. Of course, we all were not expecting Paul to take a turn for the worst. I had been acting as the liaison for the beta team those times he was in the hospital, so I do know many of the key people in Uniden.

 

[JoeBearcat]

Joe for what it is worth Jon Fixed both of my SDS100's bad solder joints.
All I want is my SDS200 DISPLAY fixed.
UNIDENSUPPORT was one along with Uniden website that told me SOL.

That is one thing I have not researched yet - who exactly UnidenSupport is. I know they have not posted in over a year. I was not aware of that fact until a month ago. That was another reason I pressed for making my role more active sooner rather than later.

Can you PM me with the details of what has been done along with any docs (case numbers and dates)? Also the purchase dates of the units involved.

 

[JoeBearcat]

Cya Joe. Add me to the list of those who have bought their last Uniden unless something tangible happens in the future. But, recent and past performance doesn't give me hope. Prove me wrong.

I'm sorry to see that my two-week history on RR is so disappointing to you. I honestly do not believe that is enough time for a qualified opinion, but I respect your choice. I am working to fix the hardware and website issues now. Next will be software (don't expect many issues there), then on to firmware. This is not an overnight fix. I don't want to rush through the process and end up with sloppy results. This thread is a testiment to my determination in trying to identify ALL aspects that need addressed. You can't fix a problem unless you know about it. Hardware is the most difficult to fix in the field, and that is why it has priority. You can't fix hardware issues even in two weeks. But you can start the process as I have done.

 

[JoeBearcat]

If you forego Uniden for a warranty repair, and subsequently need a second repair for some other issue, your unit is likely no longer under Uniden's warranty. It's considered to have been tampered with, so not only will you end up paying a repair cost (plus shipping), but you risk having your Wienke modification ripped out by Uniden because they could believe it might be the partial cause of the problem.

That somewhat nonchalant (although I know well-intended) suggestion to send it to a third party could have a lot of unintended consequences attached.

With all due respect, I have stated at least twice so far any repairs will be addressed on a case by case basis, so the statement "your unit is likely no longer under Uniden's warranty" is not entirely accurate. That's why I have been emphasizing workmanship quality. True, if you (general sense of the word, not you specifically) work on your scanner and cut a trace while trying to remove the varnish, it will not be covered under warranty.

True, any GPS mods may not be returned intact. There are issues to be considered such as "Does this mod affect the FCC Type Acceptance"? If it violates it, what are the liabilities of returning the unit with the unapproved mod? Those are legal questions that are above my pay grade. But I know they exist.

I have, in my recent posts, tried to be as transparent on this as I can. Repair campaigns are not my call. So no matter how many times they are requested or implied due, I cannot commit to that even if I agree with the argument. I have input to management which I have supplied. It is now up to management and the engineers to address.

 

[JoeBearcat]

and perhaps boost consumer confidence by upping that warranty from one to three years.

Now that is an issue I have not addressed, and I will ask about that in light of recent events.

 

[begoli]

I wonder how many more of the SDS series would be sold if they included that three year warranty. And how much more confidence that would build for Uniden products.

Makes me glad in a way that our Australia Consumer Law here has teeth now. If one was to buy the USDS100 direct from Uniden Australia it would be $949.95AUD, and still only comes with a 12 month warranty. Whilst the 12 months is a statutory warranty, in a warranty dispute consumer affairs here can look at what one paid for the device. Paying $900 one could reasonably expect that the product would last longer than 12 months.

An example. A TV was purchased for $1350 less than three years later it stopped working and was not reparable, the manufacturer declined to refund and tried to say that the 12 month warranty was sufficient. Long story short, the tribunal found that the expected life span of the TV was to be 8 years and ordered that the consumer receive a full refund.

In this case it was decided that the product was not acceptable quality to have stopped working within the time span.

Obviously each case is decided on its own merits, but I feel a bit better now about what I paid for my USDS100 and the expected life span of the device.

Uniden Australia cant even put the spare parts online for the USDS100 but will happily give you prices if you email them, and no firmware updates since 2019... seriously.

 

[MStep]

(Snipped for brevity.)

With all due respect, I have stated at least twice so far any repairs will be addressed on a case by case basis, so the statement "your unit is likely no longer under Uniden's warranty" is not entirely accurate. That's why I have been emphasizing workmanship quality. True, if you (general sense of the word, not you specifically) work on your scanner and cut a trace while trying to remove the varnish, it will not be covered under warranty.

Which is why I used the phrase "likely no longer......". A read of the Warranty Information of the instruction manual page 55 under "Warranty Duration", subsection B specifically indicates that warranty is invalid for units "modified" or altered". It goes on to read that warranty is also not valid for units that are "serviced or repaired by someone other than a Uniden authorized service center for a defect or malfunction covered by this warranty.....". It continues by mentioning other issues and circumstances that would invalidate the warranty.

So, while I do take to heart your statement about "case by case basis", I also know that companies tend to be very strict in terms of enforcement of warranty standards.

I must also commend your honesty and total frankness in a prior comment you made earlier in this thread; "That is one thing I have not researched yet - who exactly UnidenSupport is."

It just indicated to me, that despite your best efforts, you may not be on the same page as others within the Uniden company who are making the decisions regarding warranty process and procedure.

In any event, I think you are going a great job here fielding everything that gets thrown at you.

 

[MStep]

Makes me glad in a way that our Australia Consumer Law here has teeth now. If one was to buy the USDS100 direct from Uniden Australia it would be $949.95AUD, and still only comes with a 12 month warranty. Whilst the 12 months is a statutory warranty, in a warranty dispute consumer affairs here can look at what one paid for the device. Paying $900 one could reasonably expect that the product would last longer than 12 months.

An example. A TV was purchased for $1350 less than three years later it stopped working and was not reparable, the manufacturer declined to refund and tried to say that the 12 month warranty was sufficient. Long story short, the tribunal found that the expected life span of the TV was to be 8 years and ordered that the consumer receive a full refund.

In this case it was decided that the product was not acceptable quality to have stopped working within the time span.

Obviously each case is decided on its own merits, but I feel a bit better now about what I paid for my USDS100 and the expected life span of the device.

Uniden Australia cant even put the spare parts online for the USDS100 but will happily give you prices if you email them, and no firmware updates since 2019... seriously.

Agreed, agreed, agreed. Companies are starting to realize the consumers who spend relatively vast amounts of money for electronic products are no longer settling for 12 month warranties. If I buy a 9.95 USD portable AM/FM radio, I could care less if the warranty is 6 months or 12 months. But for those getting involved with products going into the hundreds or thousands of dollars, folks are taking notice of warranty periods in making decisions about what companies to support and those to avoid.

Amazon and Walmart and other major retailers are reading the currents of consumerism, and giving you, on certain high-end purchases and for a few extra bucks, an additional length of time on your warranty coverage. The SDS series are the "flagships" of the Uniden scanner fleet. Uniden can do a better job with its warranty duration. And also note "how" you pay for your SDS--- some credit card companies do provide for additional warranty extensions at no extra cost.

 

[rgchristy]

I think to fully understand what we are talking about when programming DMR frequencies using slot, color code and talkgroup in one entry, you should look at the way the Whistler TRX-1 handles it in EZ-Scan.

 

[jonwienke]

I think to fully understand what we are talking about when programming DMR frequencies using slot, color code and talkgroup in one entry, you should look at the way the Whistler TRX-1 handles it in EZ-Scan.

No. It's not a matter of understanding (or not) how Whistler does it. It's some people not understanding or not caring that doing things that way is always the wrong approach when more than one talkgroup is used on a frequency, because it doubles scan time (at a minimum) compared to the same system programmed as 1-frequency trunked.

Let's say you have a 3-frequency system with 5 talkgroups. With 1-frequency, you program 3 frequency entries and 5 talkgroup/channel entries. Scanning the system takes 3/80 of a second on an x36 model.

Programming that same system as a collection of conventional channels is much more cumbersome. Instead of programming a total of 8 entries, you have to program 15 channels. Every talkgroup has to be entered 3 times, once for each frequency, and every frequency has to be entered 5 times, once for each talkgroup. So the conventional channels take 15/80 of a second to scan, 5 times longer than the 1-frequency system.

If F is the number of frequencies and T is the number of talkgroups, you have to create (F x T) entries when programming as conventional, versus (F + T) entries when programming as 1-frequency. And the conventional channels will take T times longer to scan than the equivalent 1-frequency system. Any time T is greater than 1, 1-frequency is both less work to program than the equivalent collection of conventional channels, and is guaranteed to scan faster. There's simply no benefit of any kind to programming as a batch of conventional channels instead.

 

[cg]

I hate to contribute to a thread that is steering way off topic but for those who have issues with your scanner and the warranty has just expired, check your credit card benefits. Some have a free extended warranty on all purchases. Extended Warranty Credit Cards
You don't need to post here about it, start a new thread, but some people may not know what is available.

chris

 

[JoeBearcat]

It just indicated to me, that despite your best efforts, you may not be on the same page as others within the Uniden company who are making the decisions regarding warranty process and procedure.

In any event, I think you are going a great job here fielding everything that gets thrown at you.

Thank you.

The case by case info came directly from the person in charge of the service department. My only issue with the word 'likely' is that if the work is done in a workman like manner, it will likely not void the warranty. Of course this only applies to the fixes we are discussing and not other types of mods that change the circuit. I don't think the manual anticipated that something like the varnish removal might be required.

 

[radio3353]

I'm sorry to see that my two-week history on RR is so disappointing to you. I honestly do not believe that is enough time for a qualified opinion, but I respect your choice. I am working to fix the hardware and website issues now. Next will be software (don't expect many issues there), then on to firmware. This is not an overnight fix. I don't want to rush through the process and end up with sloppy results. This thread is a testiment to my determination in trying to identify ALL aspects that need addressed. You can't fix a problem unless you know about it. Hardware is the most difficult to fix in the field, and that is why it has priority. You can't fix hardware issues even in two weeks. But you can start the process as I have done.

When I worked in electronics manufacturing, we had a quality assurance mandate - when a customer complaint is received a response indicating corrective and preventive action had to be generated within 5 working days (and the customer notified.) In case you don't understand that, that does not mean a fix is implemented in 5 days. It means that the customer is notified and reassured that the problem is acknowledged/identified and a fix is identified or in engineering's hands with an estimate to completion. The only thing we see from Uniden is lists being made or a suggestion to spend more of the customer's money to have somebody else fix it. Come on, these SDS products have been released and their problems have been ongoing for 2 1/2 years at this point with no relief (or even official acknowledgement) from Uniden.

Joe, I am sure you (and the fanboys) will be happy that this is my last post on this thread. It has reached the point of being repetitive and unproductive. Best wishes with your endeavor. I truly hope Uniden can restore their reputation with their next line of radios.

 

[KevinC]

When I worked in electronics manufacturing, we had a quality assurance mandate - when a customer complaint is received a response indicating corrective and preventive action had to be generated within 5 working days (and the customer notified.) In case you don't understand that, that does not mean a fix is implemented in 5 days. It means that the customer is notified and reassured that the problem is acknowledged/identified and a fix is identified or in engineering's hands with an estimate to completion. The only thing we see from Uniden is lists being made or a suggestion to spend more of the customer's money to have somebody else fix it. Come on, these SDS products have been released and their problems have been ongoing for 2 1/2 years at this point with no relief (or even official acknowledgement) from Uniden.

Joe, I am sure you (and the fanboys) will be happy that this is my last post on this thread. It has reached the point of being repetitive and unproductive. Best wishes with your endeavor. I truly hope Uniden can restore their reputation with their next line of radios.

Repetitive??? This thread?? Surely you jest.

 

[werinshades]

Joe, I am sure you (and the fanboys) will be happy that this is my last post on this thread.

Another empty promise...you've said that many times before.

 

[MStep]

FWIW, sometimes the stuff here on the forums is more exciting than what I am listening to on the radio !!!

 

[trentbob]

FWIW, sometimes the stuff here on the forums is more exciting than what I am listening to on the radio !!!

 

[fxdscon]

Joe, I am sure you (and the fanboys) will be happy that this is my last post on this thread. It has reached the point of being repetitive and unproductive.

And here I was thinking it was your posts that were repetitive and unproductive. Silly me! And as far as your calling out of others as fanboys....
the "juvenile name calling" ship sailed a long time ago... Apparently you were left at the dock.

 

[JoeBearcat]

When I worked in electronics manufacturing, we had a quality assurance mandate - when a customer complaint is received a response indicating corrective and preventive action had to be generated within 5 working days (and the customer notified.) In case you don't understand that, that does not mean a fix is implemented in 5 days. It means that the customer is notified and reassured that the problem is acknowledged/identified and a fix is identified or in engineering's hands with an estimate to completion. The only thing we see from Uniden is lists being made

I truly hope Uniden can restore their reputation with their next line of radios.

I will pass that on to the service department.

My lists have nothing to do with them (aside from the one issue that was a service issue).

I see no reason we cannot restore the reputation of the SDS line. Given the new tech aspect, it's still a very good product and does not have any major issues that can't be easily remedied.