SDS100/SDS200: Here We Go Again: Another SDS100 repair

[MississippiPI]

You would think Uniden would care and repair correctly the first time. That's what happens I suppose when you outsource

 

[fxdscon]

You would think Uniden would care and repair correctly the first time. That's what happens I suppose when you outsource

Are you saying again that Uniden repairs are done by someone other than Uniden?

 

[nd5y]

Are you saying again that Uniden repairs are done by someone other than Uniden?

Uniden had their own repair center when they were in Fort Worth. I got to visit it in about 1999 or 2000. Around that time was when the electronics manufacturer I worked for (also in the DFW area) shut down their repair center and farmed it out because it cost too much. There were several "farms" that sprung up that did repair and refurb work for telecom manufacturers because it's too expensive. The farm employees really worked for the sleazy temp staffing companies so they didn't have to pay them as much or be bothered with benefits and HR issues. A few years after that Uniden moved from Fort Worth to Irving. I don't know if they kept the repair center. I would not be surprised if they haven't done their own repairs in a long time.

 

[fxdscon]

Uniden had their own repair center when they were in Fort Worth. I got to visit it in about 1999 or 2000. Around that time was when the electronics manufacturer I worked for (also in the DFW area) shut down their repair center and farmed it out. There were several "farms" that did repair and refurb for telecom manufacturers because it's too expensive. They got people from the sleazy temp staffing companies so they didn't have to pay them as much or be bothered with benefits and HR issues. A few years after that Uniden moved from Fort Worth to Irving. I don't know if they kept the repair center. I would not be surprised if they haven't done their own repairs in a long time.

When that poster first said he was told that Uniden repairs were outsourced in another thread 4-5 years back, Upman replied directly to him several times correcting that information :

As to the comment that repair is outsourced, this is incorrect. Our repair techs are our employees. However, they are not at the same facility as our customer support team (not even in the same state), so it isn't possible for a call taker to just walk over and check the status physically.

I suspect he simply misunderstood "repairs are not done at this location" (or similar) to mean that they were outsourced.

We do not outsource repair.

 

[MississippiPI]

I can only advise what I was told, ot matters not what someone says. I know what I was told. Covid has changed alot of things as well. He'll, I called "customer service " trying to get some assistance on a matter and was advised they were just a call center, someone from Uniden emailed me about 9 days later, I'm just saying.

Be safe

 

[JoeBearcat]

Trying to make a point here, whether it's the hum or the csj or any other issues we have not been given serial numbers

That includes me, BTW. In fact, I was told they do not want that info out there.

But yes, I too have advocated for the customer base to confirm that what I was told was done... was done.

On this issue, I have passed along everything I know about it.

I too would like that confirmation, but all I have is anecdotal evidence that few if any recent production units have had those issues.

As for outsourcing, that is not true. I can't say it was never true, but every contact I've had with the repair department has been with a Uniden employee, and I know he does repairs so he is not just a manager of techs.

That said, yes if the CSJ issue is fixed I agree it should not return. But repairs, like production, is not 100% perfect and mistakes do happen.

I recall back when the CSJ issue was new there were some repairs that I did not believe were done well enough. I passed that on to management in no uncertain terms - telling them what I saw was unacceptable. I believe things have gotten better.

 

[trentbob]

That includes me, BTW. In fact, I was told they do not want that info out there.

But yes, I too have advocated for the customer base to confirm that what I was told was done... was done.

On this issue, I have passed along everything I know about it.

I too would like that confirmation, but all I have is anecdotal evidence that few if any recent production units have had those issues.

As for outsourcing, that is not true. I can't say it was never true, but every contact I've had with the repair department has been with a Uniden employee, and I know he does repairs so he is not just a manager of techs.

That said, yes if the CSJ issue is fixed I agree it should not return. But repairs, like production, is not 100% perfect and mistakes do happen.

I recall back when the CSJ issue was new there were some repairs that I did not believe were done well enough. I passed that on to management in no uncertain terms - telling them what I saw was unacceptable. I believe things have gotten better.

Yes for years now, we've figure it out that there's a lot of information you're not given or not privy to.

Uniden is not a professional communications company, it is a consumer based scanner company with well proven, well documented and undeniable low quality control issues and poor customer relations since Paul passed on. Nobody's kidding anybody here. But they still do keep trying.

Unlike a professional communications company who professionals lives depend on, Uniden is not obligated to give out serial numbers of when long time neglected deficits are repaired. It would ruin the business.

It would certainly ruin the second hand resale business and leave vendors hanging as no one would want the defective radios with the serial numbers previous to the numbers of units that were properly or not properly, who knows with Uniden, repaired.

They are not going to give out the serial numbers of the units that have been repaired. It's just not going to happen. I don't know what kind of business plan Uniden has or has for the future, if any, but the writing's kind of on the wall here and things have been pretty stagnant for years.

We used to have a saying in The Newsroom, don't piss in my ear and tell me it's raining.

Nobody believes anymore, except newbies who don't know any better.

Looks like they are just milking what they have, for what they can get. They are great radios and I know them well, probably as well as you do except for all of their defects that need constant repair.

Sorry Joe, we can't ignore reality. No real firmware updates, no bug fixes, no new options for features that are in the radio whether you know it or not. Much too much time has gone by for anyone to have any faith in Uniden or its representative.

Hey, you still got a job and who am I to keep you from preaching to the dreamers and shouting at the rain.

Sorry Joe, but somebody has to say it. Sorry.

 

[Bob1955]

Yes for years now, we've figure it out that there's a lot of information you're not given or not privy to.

Uniden is not a professional communications company, it is a consumer based scanner company with well proven, well documented and undeniable low quality control issues and poor customer relations since Paul passed on. Nobody's kidding anybody here. But they still do keep trying.

Unlike a professional communications company who professionals lives depend on, Uniden is not obligated to give out serial numbers of when long time neglected deficits are repaired. It would ruin the business.

It would certainly ruin the second hand resale business and leave vendors hanging as no one would want the defective radios with the serial numbers previous to the numbers of units that were properly or not properly, who knows with Uniden, repaired.

They are not going to give out the serial numbers of the units that have been repaired. It's just not going to happen. I don't know what kind of business plan Uniden has or has for the future, if any, but the writing's kind of on the wall here and things have been pretty stagnant for years.

We used to have a saying in The Newsroom, don't piss in my ear and tell me it's raining.

Nobody believes anymore, except newbies who don't know any better.

Looks like they are just milking what they have, for what they can get. They are great radios and I know them well, probably as well as you do except for all of their defects that need constant repair.

Sorry Joe, we can't ignore reality. No real firmware updates, no bug fixes, no new options for features that are in the radio whether you know it or not. Much too much time has gone by for anyone to have any faith in Uniden or its representative.

Hey, you still got a job and who am I to keep you from preaching to the dreamers and shouting at the rain.

Sorry Joe, but somebody has to say it. Sorry.

Joe- And I'm "TIRED" of the low-quality control ever since Paul Opitz passed away. I received a brand-new Uniden Bearcat BCD996P2 with literally POOR VHF high band sensitivity and "PISS" poor digital performance for $357(are you kidding me) and RETURNED to Amazon for a full refund and there's "ZERO" excuses "LEFT" for Uniden America Corporation. Now you just re-appear. Where have you been? Hiding behind the curtains. Do your job!
I whole-heartedly agree with tentbob 100%. Start getting Uniden's quality back to what it was.

 

[ToddWilkinson]

Sold the sds100 a long time ago, i got the 436 im purchasing from a buddy, and I'm more then smart when it comes to SDR, ordering 2 more Thursday, grand total = 5 Working sdr's, next 2 are for local VHF and DMR, oh and wildland fires.

 

[ToddWilkinson]

That includes me, BTW. In fact, I was told they do not want that info out there.

But yes, I too have advocated for the customer base to confirm that what I was told was done... was done.

On this issue, I have passed along everything I know about it.

I too would like that confirmation, but all I have is anecdotal evidence that few if any recent production units have had those issues.

As for outsourcing, that is not true. I can't say it was never true, but every contact I've had with the repair department has been with a Uniden employee, and I know he does repairs so he is not just a manager of techs.

That said, yes if the CSJ issue is fixed I agree it should not return. But repairs, like production, is not 100% perfect and mistakes do happen.

I recall back when the CSJ issue was new there were some repairs that I did not believe were done well enough. I passed that on to management in no uncertain terms - telling them what I saw was unacceptable. I believe things have gotten better.

One question, what happens when someone gets hurt and lawyers come here and see how far back these complaints go? Im assuming you'd probably lose in court.

 

[trentbob]

Joe- And I'm "TIRED" of the low-quality control ever since Paul Opitz passed away. I received a brand-new Uniden Bearcat BCD996P2 with literally POOR VHF high band sensitivity and "PISS" poor digital performance for $357(are you kidding me) and RETURNED to Amazon for a full refund and there's "ZERO" excuses "LEFT" for Uniden America Corporation. Now you just re-appear. Where have you been? Hiding behind the curtains. Do your job!
I whole-heartedly agree with tentbob 100%. Start getting Uniden's quality back to what it was.

Yep when I said lost faith in Uniden and its representative I should have made that plural and said representatives, I don't think Joe M. is in any position to improve unidens poor quality control any more than you and I are.

He makes suggestions and management decides if they want to ignore them or not. What their management is doing is really ignoring us.

The big disappointment is "the list" that was formulated over a year.. of requests, wish lists, improvements and the overall hope that led people to think, good things were coming our way.

Way way too much time has gone by to ever think that any of that's going to happen. Uniden's management has decided it's not.

To those who have had no issues with the SDS radios, having owned them from the beginning, it's just a roll the dice and you got lucky and I'm happy about that. To those who have had multiple issues, not so much.

 

[garys]

One question. How does someone get injured listening to a scanner?

One question, what happens when someone gets hurt and lawyers come here and see how far back these complaints go? Im assuming you'd probably lose in court.

 

[StoliRaz]

One question. How does someone get injured listening to a scanner?

Have it up too loud and blow their eardrums..then sue because it's somehow the manufacturer's fault. Sounds like one of today's frivolous lawsuits

 

[trentbob]

Have it up too loud and blow their eardrums..then sue because it's somehow the manufacturer's fault. Sounds like one of today's frivolous lawsuits

Actually that theoretically can't happen as the earphone jack on the 100 and 200 has very low volume output, for that very reason😉.

 

[palmerjrusa]

There were hints from a Uniden source around these parts a while back of a scanner follow-up to the SDS100/200.

Unless I've missed something, so far crickets...

 

[garys]

Of course someone can bypass that by grounding the ring of the speaker connector to the ground on the antenna connector! Which the manufacturer should have taken steps to prevent. Or at least put 25 warning notices in the owners manuals about.

Actually that theoretically can't happen as the earphone jack on the 100 and 200 has very low volume output, for that very reason😉.

 

[KevinC]

Of course someone can bypass that by grounding the ring of the speaker connector to the ground on the antenna connector! Which the manufacturer should have taken steps to prevent. Or at least put 25 warning notices in the owners manuals about.

Not sure that trick works on the SDS-series since they are BTL.

 

[garys]

I had more issues with the x36HP scanners than with the SDS. I had a very minor hum in the SDS200 speaker that was fixed with a combination of that little piece of copper and being able to turn off the audio amp almost immediately after audio ends.

My only real complaint with the SDS200 in my truck is that the maximum screen brightness isn't bright enough. OTOH, my eyes aren't what they used to be either AND the angle the scanner is installed at seems perfect for reflecting sunlight!

I think a large part of what is at work is the tendency of people to be a lot quicker to complain than compliment.

All of that being said, I think in general Uniden's response since Paul's death has been sub optimal. Joe Bearcat can only do so much, the but reasons he can only do so much tell me a lot about Uniden's lack of commitment to the most vociferous part of it's customer base.

IF they want to refute that belief "one post Kip" should come back here and lay out some specifics. Has the CSJ issue been successfully resolved? Will there be more firmware updates for the x36HP and SDS scanners? And everything else on the list that Joe Bearcat solicited well over a year ago.

Yep when I said lost faith in Uniden and its representative I should have made that plural and said representatives, I don't think Joe M. is in any position to improve unidens poor quality control any more than you and I are.

He makes suggestions and management decides if they want to ignore them or not. What their management is doing is really ignoring us.

The big disappointment is "the list" that was formulated over a year.. of requests, wish lists, improvements and the overall hope that led people to think, good things were coming our way.

Way way too much time has gone by to ever think that any of that's going to happen. Uniden's management has decided it's not.

To those who have had no issues with the SDS radios, having owned them from the beginning, it's just a roll the dice and you got lucky and I'm happy about that. To those who have had multiple issues, not so much.

 

[garys]

Stop confusing me with the facts!

Not sure that trick works on the SDS-series since they are BTL.

 

[ToddWilkinson]

I got sick of my sds issues, i got 2 dongles and took care of it, sold that pos a long time ago