Just Ordered A SDS200 : What Are My Odds?

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kudzu_kid

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My first post here (as best I can remember! Been a dormant member for years!). Please be kind!

Last week I ordered a SDS200 from a dealer that is a major advertiser here. However, after reading several articles here about hum and flickering display problems. I have questions & comments about this and another subject.

In no particular order:

If this is such a known issue, I wonder what the odds are that the dealer will "QC" the unit before they ship it off to me (esp. since they're programming it before shipping to me)? I wonder what the real percentage of hummers and flickerers is?

Earlier today I called the vendor to check on the order. They advised me it would be about a week and a half - or two weeks before they shipped it, due to a backlog of programming orders.

After thinking about this for a bit, I'm thinking I can probably figure out how to download a customized file from here and upload to scanner in less than 2 weeks. So I'm tempted to tell them to forget programming it, just ship it overnight or whatever and let's be done with it! Are they really THAT problematic to program? Hint: I work in IT and have a fair understanding of tech in general, but no specific knowledge of DMA type scanners, so there's that. The last scanner I had was a yellow Uniden something or another. Looked like a HT but didn't xmit... Simple operation - just so many channels, you put in the freqs and that was that. No textual displays, systems, groups, etc. Bottom line question here is: Should I bite the bullet and shut up and wait ~2 wks, or say "Fughedaboudit! Ship it today!"?
I intend to buy the options (NXDN, DMR, ProVoice) from Uniden.

I know enough about human nature to know that, in general, most people aren't going to speak up in a public forum and say "I got my scanner last week, works great, no problems!". No one ever writes Ford and tells them their 2020 Edge runs like a top. No one calls Microsoft and says their Windows works flawlessly.

Without doing enough research I bought ARC536 thinking that was the de facto software of choice, only to discover ProScan seems to be preferred by many. Shame on me! Is it any good to have both applications, or can I do everything I'll want with ProScan?

Is there a nice way to decode DTMF? I see the vendor I bought the scanner from also sells something called "Multi Tone Decoder Software " which looks as if it'll work. But if there's another way that simple, easy, I'd love to know. I'm not opposed to building it myself if need be. I have a little experience with scripting, Raspberry Pi, Audrino, breadboarding, etc; and I wouldn't think that a major build. And I still have decent soldering skills, I would just be a bit tweaked if I paid $700 for a scanner I have to fix "out of the box".

I've come to realize what a truly great resource this site is.

Any hints, tips, comments appreciated.


Thanks all!
 
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Any hints, tips, comments appreciated.
I bought my SDS 200 2 weeks ago from Scannermaster.

I've bought all my (Uniden) scanners there. They have a generous return policy.

I wanted a 996P2 but they didn't have it in stock yet, so I splurged for the 200.

Scannermaster had a few hundred in stock.

I haven't had a single problem with it and it worked right out of the box, without need to even program it.

Just entered my Zip Code.

I program all of my other scanners by hand, but I'm not missing anything with the Zip Code Programming.

Good luck! I think they have all of the initial issues ironed out.

I love my SDS 200!
 
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Whiskey3JMC

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After thinking about this for a bit, I'm thinking I can probably figure out how to download a customized file from here and upload to scanner in less than 2 weeks.
Might be able to do this in less than 2 minutes. Yes I'd highly recommend learning how to program it on your own. Plenty of resources and folks who can help on these here forums. Welcome aboard!
 

kudzu_kid

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Might be able to do this in less than 2 minutes. Yes I'd highly recommend learning how to program it on your own. Plenty of resources and folks who can help on these here forums. Welcome aboard!
Thanks & glad to be here! I agree.

My initial thinking on having them do the programming was that way I'd have a baseline file I could archive before I "screw everything up", but I'm now thinking it's not worth the wait and $ for something I probably can do myself (albeit after a trial by fire, perhaps!). Have them apply that $ to overnight shipping or something.

Anyhow, thanks for the welcome!
 

TailGator911

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I choose to be my own boss when it comes to making decisions, and not letting negative rhetoric and/or innuendo by others make up my mind. I was a first adopter of the SDS100 (which I don't normally do) altho at the very last minute, and I have no regrets whatsoever. Bought my SDS200 the day they came out and so glad I did. If I would have listened to the naysayers here I would have been scared off and never went with the SDS series with all the hums and the heat and the flicker bicker this and bicker that. My deuces don't hum and my hand held ain't hot. It's not the odds of getting a bad unit, it's the reality of getting a good unit. The odds are in your favor for a pleasant SDS experience.
 

kudzu_kid

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Id be willing to do a screen share with you dude, and walk you through it. Sentinel is pretty easy to pick up.

Thanks! I appreciate that offer and might take you up on it.

I need to do some study to learn the relationship of Sentinel to the other apps (ProScan & ARC536). I also need to learn the "file structure"/hierarchy/terminology of the scanner (systems, talk groups, favorites, etc.).

I appreciate everyone's input so far...

Thanks everyone!
 

belvdr

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Tell them to just ship it. With the free Sentinel software you can program it in a few minutes. Then tweak it as you learn.
Agreed. While waiting for the shipment to arrive, download Sentinel and start learning.
 

kudzu_kid

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I choose to be my own boss when it comes to making decisions, and not letting negative rhetoric and/or innuendo by others make up my mind. I was a first adopter of the SDS100 (which I don't normally do) altho at the very last minute, and I have no regrets whatsoever. Bought my SDS200 the day they came out and so glad I did. If I would have listened to the naysayers here I would have been scared off and never went with the SDS series with all the hums and the heat and the flicker bicker this and bicker that. My deuces don't hum and my hand held ain't hot. It's not the odds of getting a bad unit, it's the reality of getting a good unit. The odds are in your favor for a pleasant SDS experience.

Pretty much my thoughts. I've spent a lot of my life with "bleeding edge" tech - professionally and personally. Probably worked out in my favor about 75-80% of the time, but I can take a joke better than some. Just didn't want a $700 joke on me, lol

Thanks for sharing your positive experience.
 

RandyKuff

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I bought my SDS 200 2 weeks ago from Scannermaster.

I've bought all my (Uniden) scanners there. They have a generous return policy.

I wanted a 996P2 but they didn't have it in stock yet, so I splurged for the 200.

Scannermaster had a few hundred in stock.

I haven't had a single problem with it and it worked right out of the box, without need to even program it.

Just entered my Zip Code.

I program all of my other scanners by hand, but I'm not missing anything with the Zip Code Programming.

Good luck! I think they have all of the initial issues ironed out.

I love my SDS 200!

Hey Doc...
You do know scanner master has reward point's for buckage off your purchase...

I saved about $18... Plus paid with paypal and my Discover card gives me 5% cashback bonus...
Mine will be here Wed...

And to the OP... I have had an SDS100 for a year now... I have no issues with it...
Ready to play with the SDS200 and ProScan software...
 
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Ubbe

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Without doing enough research I bought ARC536 thinking that was the de facto software of choice, only to discover ProScan seems to be preferred by many. Shame on me! Is it any good to have both applications, or can I do everything I'll want with ProScan?
The ProScan guy are a competent programmer and software designer and have several other programs like streaming applications and the ProScan software handles several different scanner models.

The ARC guy makes some applications for monitor stations for government and such high level software solutions so he knows his stuff but his programs often only supports one scanner model but you get a discount when you start to buy several programs from him.

Both programs makes the job done but in different ways. It's like Mac and Windows that you choose what you are comfortable with. If you use Butels ARC you usually get positive surprised by the solutions he use and you think that it was a smart way of presenting it and that function helps you a lot and so on. If you have experiance of other ARC programs you probably continue to use them as they have a special feel to them and they function in a special way with editing and so on. It's pretty much the same with ProScan that have some additional special features that you might want to have. Some people use both programs.

I suggest to start with Sentinel as that could be more easy to understand and doesn't have any additional features that could make things more complex and makes it harder to understand the whole concept of how the scanner actually works.

/Ubbe
 

sadatoni

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Just recently received my SDS200 (from HRO). While I was waiting for it to be delivered, I downloaded Sentinel and created my favorites list, so it was all ready to be loaded once it arrived. Very easy program to learn (and a lot easier to use than, say, WIN500). Youtube videos also assist in learning Sentinel.
 

Reconrider

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Just recently received my SDS200 (from HRO). While I was waiting for it to be delivered, I downloaded Sentinel and created my favorites list, so it was all ready to be loaded once it arrived. Very easy program to learn (and a lot easier to use than, say, WIN500). Youtube videos also assist in learning Sentinel.
Take a look into proscan AFTER you get the scanner. You'll fall in love quickly and spend the 50$ on it.
 

darkness975

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I bought my SDS 200 2 weeks ago from Scannermaster.

I've bought all my (Uniden) scanners there. They have a generous return policy.

I wanted a 996P2 but they didn't have it in stock yet, so I splurged for the 200.

Scannermaster had a few hundred in stock.

I haven't had a single problem with it and it worked right out of the box, without need to even program it.

Just entered my Zip Code.

I program all of my other scanners by hand, but I'm not missing anything with the Zip Code Programming.

Good luck! I think they have all of the initial issues ironed out.

I love my SDS 200!

Lucky.

Mine has the hum. I don't usually hear it because I am doing other things but at night when it's quiet I can hear it.
 

RandyKuff

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Lucky you.

Mine has the hum. I don't usually hear it because I am doing other things but at night when it's quiet I can hear it.

Is there not somebody around you that could assist you in doing the front display board mod to fix that?
 
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