RTL-SDR Vs. SDS200 $35.00 Vs. $700

[KB2GOM]

The "ease" with which multiple dongles can be configured for the purpose reminds me of the turboencabulator:

...The original machine had a base-plate of prefabulated aluminite, surmounted by a malleable logarithmic casing in such a way that the two main spurving bearings were in a direct line with the pentametric fan. The latter consisted simply of six hydrocoptic marzlevanes, so fitted to the ambifacient lunar waneshaft that side fumbling was effectively prevented. The main winding was of the normal lotus-o-delta type placed in panendermic semi-bovoid slots in the stator, every seventh conductor being connected by a non-reversible tremie pipe to the differential girdlespring on the "up" end of the grammeters...

Piece of cake.

 

[dave3825]

but setting up an SDR is a royal PITA and needs constant tweeking, software updating, etc

What constant tweaking?

 

[YalekW]

My experience with both the RTL-SDR and sds100...
The SDS100 with the rechargeable battery has AWFUL battery life compared to other scanners. 4.0 to 3.2 volts as maxiimum and minimum. And it takes 8 hours or more to charge. That is not a good scanner I would use. The scanner should have been powered with a 9v like the old old base scanners and it wouldve lasted more than 1-3 years under a single run. The SDS100 also does not have a good way of viewing spectrum with its spectrum settings turned on.
The RTL SDR lets you see actual wide-bandwidth spectrum, way more than the SDS100. And you can set custom settings, with maybe 4 times the features than the sds100. All the sds100 does is read a database, and downloads it onto its storage device. And the RTL SDR does not require a battery. The SDS100 also doesnt have a good speaker on it, making high quality audio useless.

Would go with the RTL SDR. Its cheaper, and the SDS100 at 700 dollars is honestly not even worth it, and top it all off? Why the hell is it a freemium device? Im not paying extra to enable NXDN, DMR, and the other modes' decoding. I would rather buy something and get the *full* features.

 

[fasteddy64]

I have tried several times over the past few years to use an RTL set-up. I have never had any success.
I just cant wrap my head around it.
Things that are second nature to some (config files for instance) I can never seem to figure out.
So I went the SDS route. I am pleased with them.

 

[buddrousa]

@YalekW
If you were here when the scanner 1st came out and UPMan was still with us you would have learned that the SDS100 CPU and Circuits including charging REQUIRES 1.5 AMPS. You are not going to get that out of OVER THE COUNTER BATTERIES.

 

[Pape]

Unless the quality of the signal is super bad, a standard rtl sdr will do the trick for digital signal. Running 6 and monitoring 4 systems. Ya I need more ears to follow all of them lol