Scanner Investment?

[hiegtx]

Awesome info. Thank you. I’m trying to compare radios and was also looking at the SDS100. We do a fair amount f traveling and thought the GPS feature would be nice, but didn’t know that could be done with the 486.

As already noted, a GPS will work on either the 436HP or SDS100. (The cables used are different, though if you purchased Uniden's current 'GPS kit', it includes the cables for all of the scanners that can use a GPS.

Basic programming for the 436HP as well as the SDS100 is exactly the same. A Favorites list created for the 436HP will also work in the SDS100. The reverse (an SDS100 file into a 436HP) is also true, You do have a couple of features on the SDS100 that do not exist on the 436HP, such as entering a "Site NAC" or using the filters, but that file will still work in a 436HP. While a 436HP file may not have the site NAC or filters, it will still load & run in an SDS100 without having to 'fill in the blanks' on those items.

At present, you don't have simulcast in your immediate area, and your county, for now, is not on a trunked system. Should that change in the future (switching to a trunked system which could utilize a Simulcast site), then the SDS100 would be a better choice than the 436HP. The SDS would also be the better choice if you are traveling to or through a large metro area, such as San Antonio or Austin, or here in the DFW area. Most any large metro area you can think of, not just in Texas, is likely to have at least some simulcast sites.

 

[riverradio68]

What battery options does the SDS100 have? The scanner that has battery options is clearly the BCD436HP, and you don't need to charge them or have charging resources nearby.

The second usb jack was for future upgrades. So, the radios are upgradable when and if Uniden decides to upgrade. As for batteries, I charge mine about once a month and it takes about 4 hours per battery, I have three. But how many people who have an SDS-100 run on battery alone? Mine is always plugged it.

I live in the second most poverty stricken county in Texas. Population is about 40 thousand. Deputy pay is a measly 20K and were lucky to have two deputies per shift to answer calls in the county. The highest paying job in the county is a toss up between Crime, TDCJ and John Deer Harvester. With all that said, the SDS-100 TRUMPS the two x36 scanners sitting beside it. It's all about the simulcast systems more and more cities and counties are deploying whether its single frequency VHF or multi frequency trunked, the SDS is the answer. I blew it off for a long time myself and finally found one on ePay and snatched it up and really wish I had done it sooner. Blast the radio all you want but its worth the added expense. Why tell someone to buy mediocre when the prime buffet is open for takers next door?