No warm fuzzy feeling

[rvacs]

I love my SDS-100 and SDS-200 but also love my Unication G4 and Unication G5.

All are great radios in their own way. I too guess I was lucky no issues with hum on the SDS-100 and no issues with SDS-200.
I still think the SDS line is way above that of whistler right now. Software / Features / Simulcast - should I go on.

And I will continue to support Uniden and Unication.
Just wish Unication would come out with a Base model with scanning capabilities.

 

[Citywide173]

If you're holding off on buying because of the hum, I strongly suggest you research ALL of the fixes, not just Uniden's. There is a much better and engineeringly sound method on this board, since you are comfortable inside radio chassis, it would be a very quick fix. The light flickering, I'm not so sure of, but I also haven't been online recreationally in a while due to other commitments, so I can't speak to that.

What I can speak to is that the BC536HP was a black eye to Uniden and I was one of the loudest complainers about the things they promised and never delivered on. I was able to purchase a new SDS200 in February for $479 due to a sale and a customer discount coupon. The radio has performed flawlessly since being powered on that day. It's performance on LSM is excellent, almost the same as my G5, and will probably be better after it is installed in a mobile environment. Is it worth $699? In my opinion, no, but it is worth what I paid for it. If you're looking for something particular it will be worth whatever you're looking to pay for it. If you want to hold Uniden accountable to a standard that doesn't exist anymore, so be it, but by today's standard, this is a good radio.

 

[mancow]

Right angle connectors on both RJ45 and USB.... no problem at all with squelch knob.

View attachment 84217

Whats up with the sd card ribbon cable?

 

[N4DJC]

i like the image of the old ELectra Bearcat iII I still have my old Bearcat 101 and after 46 years, it held it's programming and still works!! Good old american workmanship!

Yes, I had a IV and a 210. A far simpler world, in many aspects.

 

[fxdscon]

Whats up with the sd card ribbon cable?

Just for convenience/ wear prevention. I swap out cards frequently:

SD card slot extension cable.

Not sure if anyone else would find this useful..... I was doing a lot of SD card swapping in my desktop SDS200 and was concerened about longevity of the built in card slot. At this desk, I use external card readers and an assortment of different cards for different programming and/or...

forums.radioreference.com

.

 

[mancow]

Just for convenience/ wear prevention. I swap out cards frequently:

SD card slot extension cable.

Not sure if anyone else would find this useful..... I was doing a lot of SD card swapping in my desktop SDS200 and was concerened about longevity of the built in card slot. At this desk, I use external card readers and an assortment of different cards for different programming and/or...

forums.radioreference.com

.

Neat. Thanks.

 

[KSPILOT536]

The only way to know is by serial numbers. But that doesn't help since you don't know if the dealer's stock is old. The SDS200 is pretty but I need one that will decode p25 simulcast. I am borrowing a friends BCD536HP and it is doing a terrific job. one bad thing about the SDS200 is the Ethernet connector. It should have gone in the back since with an ethernet cable plugged in, it makes access to the squelch control difficult if you have big fingers. I will wait for the SDS200 REV 34!

Yeah..I sent an email to a distributor saying if I buy a scanner from them I want a 2020 model and I got a reply saying they cant do that because it in a sealed box..I was sort of leary about that answer.

 

[N4DJC]

Yeah..I sent an email to a distributor saying if I buy a scanner from them I want a 2020 model and I got a reply saying they cant do that because it in a sealed box..I was sort of leary about that answer.

Doesn’t sound like an unusual practice. The boxes aren’t sealed, but I fully understand their situation from a business standpoint. Roll the dice or wait until later this year.

 

[fxdscon]

Yeah..I sent an email to a distributor saying if I buy a scanner from them I want a 2020 model and I got a reply saying they cant do that because it in a sealed box..I was sort of leary about that answer.

Yes, I would be very suspicious about that answer, seeing as the serial number, at least the part that starts with the digit that determines the date of manufacture (the part after the model code of 384Z) is affixed to the outside of the box in plain view in the form of a bar code label.

One of my SDS200s has a serial number of 384Z98002xxx. The digit after the "Z" determines the date of manufacture, in this case the "9" signifies made in 2019.

and the S/N bar code label clearly visible on the outside of the box says: S/N - 98002xxx

.

 

[N4DJC]

@fxdscon

I didn’t even notice the SN on the outside until I just checked my box, mine is 2019.

Didn’t matter, I knew full well I would probably have to do the @StaticDischarge fix,

So, none of the 2020’s have the hum?

 

[fxdscon]

@fxdscon

I didn’t even notice the SN on the outside until I just checked my box, mine is 2019.

Didn’t matter, I knew full well I would probably have to do the @StaticDischarge fix,

So, none of the 2020’s have the hum?

I purchased and setup a total of 7 SDS200s (for me and others) all from 2019, never checked any for the Uniden mitigation part. I figured I would be doing the home hum fix, but not one of them have had any hum or any other problems to this day... all tested in a zero noise environment. I haven't yet purchased any from 2020. I will be getting a few more soon, and will post back if they are 2020 dates.

.

 

[bobruzzo]

i was planning on purchasing an SDR200 from Ham Radio Outlet on Monday (5/4/2020) but have changed my mind. I will live with my 996P2 until UNIDEN takes responsibility for marketing a product that clearly was not ready for prime time. The fix for the hum problem is ac heap patch to compensate for an engineering fubar. As a retired Motorola FTR, if I fixed a radio doing this, I would have been canned! To UNIDEN, take your lumps and fix the problem otherwise your reputation will not be much better that the cheap competition. And if I do decide to buy, it may be a BCD536HP. My friend let me borrow his BCD536 and so far, it is impressive!

I bought the BCD996P2 AND a BCT15X roughly about the same time....couple months ago. Then I realized I could have bought an SDS200! And I have also thought I could possibly still buy one down the road once they iron out the little problems. I also live in Cranston, in the Oaklawn section. And I also have simulcast trouble but after tweaking the radio and getting a dedicated 800 mhz antenna that solved the problem reasonably well. I guess a lot has to do with location and location of antenna. Thats kind of hard to do, at least in my situation. The only reasonable affordable compromise I had to make was getting that 800mhz mobile magnet mount, and stuck it on a small ground plane made of thick metal. I folded a section of the metal plate, screwed a small section of 2x3 wood to it for added weight, and it rests in the rain gutter on roof! It works pretty good. I am on second floor of house. It survived up there in those last few heavy wind storms!
I connected my Diamond discone to the 996p2 which is up much higher, on back of garage......not too good. Those antennas cant hear 800mhz well at all. The mag mount is 100% better. And I suppose within few years the sds200's will be much cheaper. I miss the old analog days when your only big expense was the antenna.

 

[bobruzzo]

I think for many folks the biggest problem with the SDS200 is the "my wife won't let me buy one" issue.

Hahahahahaha I don't even HAVE TO ASK her! I already know the answer!

 

[VK3RX]

I think for many folks the biggest problem with the SDS200 is the "my wife won't let me buy one" issue.

I read (possibly in QST) quite a while back what you do is this.

Quietly buy the radio you want, remove the top and bottom covers and put the chassis in your car.

After the next swap meet or club meeting, bring the chassis in and say something like "Hi honey, look at this parts radio I picked up ......".

After the next meet bring in the covers and say "I found a couple of covers that might just suit that parts radio I bought .....".

Let us know ho you go

 

[bobruzzo]

I read (possibly in QST) quite a while back what you do is this.

Quietly buy the radio you want, remove the top and bottom covers and put the chassis in your car.

After the next swap meet or club meeting, bring the chassis in and say something like "Hi honey, look at this parts radio I picked up ......".

After the next meet bring in the covers and say "I found a couple of covers that might just suit that parts radio I bought .....".

Let us know ho you go

Hahahahaha Well it's not so much the COST of the radio, to her it would be stupid to spend that much on something like a radio! A few years ago I wanted to buy a guitar synthesiser. It was $700. But I knew I could justify buying it, and I knew she would go along cause we are both musicians, so it was ok. But to buy a RADIO.........thats a whole different story! I think I might wait till the price comes down. If that even happens.

 

[W1KNE]

Uniden has a LONG history of selling inferior goods. GRE knew how to build solid gear that ran for decades. Meanwhile, Uniden focused on profit margins...

I respectfully disagree with this, when it comes to the newer scanners. The Uniden 996T/XT series blows the PSR series out of the water by a mile.
We had a PSR600 in a newsroom I used to work in. I could never get it to reliably receive RISCON or other services even within 15 miles of the studio. Overload and other issues plagued it. I swapped it out with the 996XT, and it was night and day. RISCON, crystal clear, great distance reception. You name it. I tried the PSR in other locations, and same results. Yeah I know, it's a "Chevy" vs "Ford" argument.

The thing that bugs me about the SDS200, and the "self repair" for the "hum" fix, is that, it's a $700 receiver. Do a home fix on a $50 receiver, ok I can see that, and even do it. For $700, I shouldn't have to disassemble it and modify the unit. However with that said, once I dealt with the hum, the SDS has been a fine scanner for me. I don't regret the purchase at all. It's nice to have a scanner that has such a sensitive digital decode.
(Overall, I still like the x36 series the best, but the SDS is rock solid to me).

 

[N4DJC]

I purchased and setup a total of 7 SDS200s (for me and others) all from 2019, never checked any for the Uniden mitigation part. I figured I would be doing the home hum fix, but not one of them have had any hum or any other problems to this day... all tested in a zero noise environment. I haven't yet purchased any from 2020. I will be getting a few more soon, and will post back if they are 2020 dates.

Mine wasn’t bad at all, I could only hear it in a dead quiet room very close to the speaker. I fixed mine more out of boredom to see if it worked as advertised. There is zero hum now, and I learned something about the layout of the boards, wiring, etc.

To be honest I hadn’t opened up a radio in at least 25 years, my eyes aren’t as good at almost 70 but that’s why they make Opti-Visors.

 

[belvdr]

I have really large hands! The Micro USB never gets in the way. From the center of the squelch knob to the top of the Micro USB connector is 1.125", plenty of room unless your adjusting the squelch control while wearing an oven mitt! With regards to the RJ45 port, a lot of scanners are rack mounted these days and full access to ports on the front could become a necessity in some cases.

I meant the cable you suggested would block the micro USB port.

Even more with a rack mount, rear cables are the best. Rack your switch in the back of the rack, not the front.

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

I think for many folks the biggest problem with the SDS200 is the "my wife won't let me buy one" issue.

That's why I've never remarried. LOL!!

 

[a29zuk]

That's why I've never remarried. LOL!!

Or your county, the neighboring counties east and south went encrypted.