Recommendation

[TexScan780D]

Is the SDS200 worth buying? With all the reports of the humming nose just wondering from current users.

 

[doctordialtone]

Is the SDS200 worth buying?

I was reluctant for a long time. I have a 996XT a 996P2 a 325P2 and a 396XT, among others..

It's worth it!

I've never heard the mysterious noise.

Enjoy!

 

[eaf1956]

What humming noise? I got 2 of them.

 

[djeplett]

Mine has the hum but it's only noticeable in a very quiet room. I didn't even notice it the first day I owned it. I bought mine in late 2019 so it's not a very early production run unit and judging by how others have described their hum I would guess mine probably has the mitigation part.

Just buy it from a vendor with a good return policy. If it drives you bonkers then return it.

Some day I will open mine up and fix it but for now it doesn't drive me insane like it has others. Much nicer having a scanner that handles simulcast, records, and handles all the popular digital voice modes even if it hums a little.

 

[TexScan780D]

With my bad hearing, I am thinking I would never hear the hum, but my hearing aids might pickup the hum.

 

[djeplett]

Just make sure you're covered with a satisfaction guarantee and go for it. You might get lucky and not even have the hum.

 

[ofd8001]

There was a problem with hum in early units that has since been resolved.

I would not hesitate to buy another SDS 200.

 

[blackbelter]

I agree as well. At home my SDS 200 is great capturing our local P25 phase 2 system with no hum and great sounding. When mobile however I carry my G5 .

 

[KG4KHQ]

I bought one about 2 months ago from one of the well-known dealers and it has been humming away since day one. I haven’t opened it up yet but I was surprised that it had the issue given the fact that I had waited awhile to buy one. I also thought that this particular dealer should have had newer stock.

 

[n1chu]

I would suggest talking to the dealer. If it’s a reliable dealer such as Scanner Master then Rich or Johnathon can answer your questions about when Uniden started shipping the SDS200 without the hum. It’s a problem that Uniden has acknowledged and addressed... just need to get one from the latest production runs.

 

[freqseeker]

I have one SDS200 manufactured in 2019 that doesn't have a hum. The second one I purchased manufactured 2020 had the hum that was pretty bad. I did the static discharge fix to the 2020 unit and now it's fine. It had the grounding pad.
I would say from my experience that the Uniden fix was the ground pad. It is not a proper fix and is hit or miss. Uniden has not fixed the problem at least up to this year of production.
My 2020 unit was purchased from Amazon and shipped by Bearcat Warehouse.
Having said that I am very happy with both radios.

 

[BruceMN]

The hum issue with the SDS200 was present with the initial radio's and continued until recently (I do not know what serial number it was resolved). There are many threads on this site discussing it, please use the search function to learn more.

 

[Louie1961]

There was a problem with hum in early units that has since been resolved.

I would not hesitate to buy another SDS 200.

Well I just bought brand new SDS200 from Amazon last week and it has the hum. At first I thought it was fan noise from my laptop. I can only hear it if I am within a foot or two of the scanner. Interestingly the noise seems to modulate while the scanner is scanning, but becomes constant when on the menu screen. I am not sure if I will bother to fix it or not. It kind of blends in with my tinnitus, so who knows, maybe just leave it.

 

[doctordialtone]

I am not sure if I will bother to fix it or not.

Too bad you didn't buy it from ScannerMaster. They would have exchanged it.

 

[RandyKuff]

Mine was from Scanner Master...
Didn't hear anything at first... Then a little over 2 months later... Pulsing and Hum... Getting worse every day...
I did the fix to it though... Been fine ever since...

 

[Louie1961]

Too bad you didn't buy it from ScannerMaster. They would have exchanged it.

Amazon would give me a full refund. That's not an issue.

 

[hiegtx]

Amazon would give me a full refund. That's not an issue.

Whether you return it to Amazon, for either a credit, or have them send you a new one, or get a refund from Amazon & purchase from a different source, there is no ironclad guarantee that your replacement will be "hum free". Hopefully so, of course, but no one can guarantee that in advance.

While my early production SDS200 never had the hum problem, it's somewhat of a disappointment that Uniden has not completely cleansed the issue from newer production scanners. It it were mine, I'd do the repair that Static Discharge posted some time back. But I also understand the reluctance of purchasers to open up & modify a brand new scanner, with potential implications that warranty coverage might be impacted.

 

[TailGator911]

I bought two SDS200s, neither had the hum, or if either one did it was so low I couldn't hear it. If that's the case, then I didn't have the hum. I sold one to make space and have regretted it. I plan to buy another after Christmas.

 

[Louie1961]

Whether you return it to Amazon, for either a credit, or have them send you a new one, or get a refund from Amazon & purchase from a different source, there is no ironclad guarantee that your replacement will be "hum free". Hopefully so, of course, but no one can guarantee that in advance.

While my early production SDS200 never had the hum problem, it's somewhat of a disappointment that Uniden has not completely cleansed the issue from newer production scanners. It it were mine, I'd do the repair that Static Discharge posted some time back. But I also understand the reluctance of purchasers to open up & modify a brand new scanner, with potential implications that warranty coverage might be impacted.

The nice thing about Amazon is how easy they make returns. I don't even have to pay for return shipping, andf they even send UPS here to pick up the package. If I needed to go through a half dozen units to find one without the hum, Amazon would do it with a smile on their faces. I am not sure if that is because I am a prime subscriber or what. But so long as you aren't dealing with a 3rd party seller and are dealing with Amazon as the seller, they make it incredibly easy.

As far as my particular unit. I am not sure the hum is loud enough that I would try to fix it or return the unit. Being a ham radio enthusiast, I am likely to open it up and solder the ground connection. That's not particularly daunting for me. But I thought it might be useful information for others to know the situation is not fully resolved with these units, even on a brand new scanner. Hum aside, I am coming from a PRO 652 (same as the whistler 1065), and I have to say I much prefer the SDS200. Not just because it will do P25 phase II and the old unit wouldn't. The DMA approach to programming takes a bit to wrap your head around coming from the whistler platform, but after a week or two, I much prefer it. Yes, there is a steep learning curve, and yes there are a lot of features to master, like the global auto filter, but honestly the learning curve feels about the same as when I bought by FTDX-3000 HF rig. And to me, that's part of the hobby. I am pretty pleased with the SDS200