You could join the sds100 Facebook group but I suspect many of those users may be registered here also which would hamper results.
Let us find out once and for all (SDS100) battery issue per % of users.
- Thread starter Omega-TI
- Start date
4 large 1 small 2 radios. 4 lg get rotated in 1 radio, maybe once a week. The sm is on my feed radio and is on 24/7. No problemo.No issues here - only had radio about 5 months so far; will report any findings.
palmerjrusa
Member
Have the original small battery that came with my early production SDD100 and the free large battery provided by Uniden.
Shortly after purchasing my SDS100 bought the external charging cradle that came with one of the bigger cells.
To date, no issues (swelling etc.) detected.
I have the low voltage warning on my SDS100 set at 3.6V.
I won't mention the faulty rotary controller and broken battery clip that necessitated a return to Uniden for repair.
Shortly after purchasing my SDS100 bought the external charging cradle that came with one of the bigger cells.
To date, no issues (swelling etc.) detected.
I have the low voltage warning on my SDS100 set at 3.6V.
I won't mention the faulty rotary controller and broken battery clip that necessitated a return to Uniden for repair.
whooey
Member
3 batteries, all charged externally on the OEM charger, no issues. My mom had her battery swell, she charged hers in the radio hmm.
No, the cold solder joint issue. This and battery swelling is what’s stopping me from buying one. Went with the 325P2 for now.
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palmerjrusa
Member
The BCD325P2 is a great little scanner😁...
I've had 4 of the larger batteries from the very beginning (3 plus years of ownership of an SDS100) and I've never actually achieved 6.5 hours of runtime like so many have stated or claimed. HOWEVER, SDR's can't hide the reality that they're notorious battery hogs and I find it analogous to the fuel economy standard(s) of a Cadillac Eldorado with a 501 engine. Unless or until the next generation of somewhat compact batteries appear on the scene, there just aren't going to be many glowing reports of even reasonably long battery life to write home about. Regarding the rotary controller issue: structurally, the encoder on both the SDS 100 & 200 are total crap and considering just how much use they get, (as well as the price point of these two scanners) there's absolutely no excuse for not making this part or component as close to bombproof as is mechanically possible in this day and age. No, I don't expect commercial grade build quality in a consumer electronics device but again, why a bare minimum cannot be achieved on the part of Uniden defies any and all logic.
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I agree, I have one and love it. Was a little peculiar in learning the workings of how to program it, but once I did, it was easy.
palmerjrusa
Member
I evaluated battery life re the SDS100 (small and large cells) at the time of purchase and recently, will refer to my notes and get back to you.
Totally agree on the rotary encoder issue...
palmerjrusa
Member
It is a steep learning curve😁...
15 months of use, one large battery, no problems.
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2010
- Messages
- 38
Two-year-old SDS100, here. Purchased brand-new. Is literally being charged 24/7 through the radio via an Anker USB-A-to-mini-USB cable connected to an Intel NUC 11 desktop computer, not on an external charger. Option to charge while listening is enabled. Battery isn't swollen.
5 years and still the original battery. No issues at all.
It seems most do not have the battery swelling issues. Need to pin point what’s causing this issue. Once identified, may buy one.
Ubbe
Member
It's a quality issues at the manufacturing plant, or actually what Uniden have specified as adequate. And in later years Uniden have allowed lower quality hardware to be used in their scanners to cut costs. It's a balance between cost and the failure rate you can accept and the number of unhappy buyers you get. These are the cheapest cells Uniden use and have an expected life span of 2-3 years of normal use and up to 300-500 charge cycles that typically equals to 3 years for a normal user. My battery failed after 2 years and falls into that time frame.
/Ubbe
Thanks Ubbe.
No problems with original small battery, original replacement large battery, or with additional purchased large battery.
GadgetGeek
Member
My original large battery is from 2018. Always on charge, no swelling.
I have mine in my car always on charge. I get the "low usb bus voltage" often and it seems it takes a very long time for it to get to a full charge. There have been days I have had it charge for over an hour, site unused and charge again unused for over an hour and never get to full. When I first got it, it would charege to full ever time I had it on charge.