SDS-200 Manufacturing Run
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MStep
Member
Whatever "run" they are currently doing, I don't think they will ever catch every single bug. But there are none that I have seen which would be in any way a showstopper. That's good news. And better news is that they appear to be available again from reputable dealers in the $699.00 USD price range. Periodic shortages have caused them to disappear for weeks or months at a time--- if you have the cash, and a reputable dealer, this would be the time to buy.
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spikestabber
Member
I have a relatively recent one made in the last few months, no noise issues that I can tell, silent. Apart from the standstill firmware they work exactly like the SDS100.
production run 6, hope this helps…
just kidding, I have no idea and I doubt anyone outside of Uniden manufacturing could tell you.
just kidding, I have no idea and I doubt anyone outside of Uniden manufacturing could tell you.
tvengr
Well Known Member
What I would like to know is if they did a permanent hum fix. Joe Bearcat, are you listening?
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It was reportedly fixed, but I cannot get a serial number of the changeover.
wizardofid
Member
I deleted this post due to my posting a duplicate message0 
MStep
Member
He was listening, but he couldn't hear you over the hum !!!
Sorry, couldn't resist. On a serious note, I have four or five friends who bought the SDS200 over the past several months, and no one has reported anything inordinate in terms of "hum" issues. This is partially a subjective issue--- everyone's hearing is not quite the same, and those who may press their ear right against the radio might hear something they perceive as a hum.
Based on what I have read, there apparently was a time in earlier production runs when this issue was much more prevalent. If you search the threads here you will also find reports of persons who devised their own solutions. I don't believe that Uniden ever fessed up to an issue, and likely this was quietly handled in production runs without much fanfare. For obvious reasons, serial numbers of affected units and/or corrected units was never made public by Uniden.
I always suggest that folks purchasing the units deal with places like Amazon or Walmart, where return policies are likely to be more liberal than some dealers who may specialize in scanners. If you can, put your purchase on a major credit card.
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TJX400
Member
I purchased one from Bearcat Warehouse within the last few months and have been thrilled with it's performance. It tracks flawlessly. Only gripe I have is that it "cuts" audio off if it drops some of the signal instead of just lowering the bitrate of the audio. My APX will drop the bitrate of the audio down so it sounds more "robotic" instead of just cutting the audio off. That is literally my only complaint. It's a very well built radio... I would recommend it to everyone, because LSM trunking systems are coming to most jurisdictions at some point.
MStep
Member
I don't want to pull this thread too far afield, and I will also say that I am very happy with the SDS200s that I have, although I think in terms of build quality, the 536 unit feels a bit more robust. Perhaps it has to do more with the size or shape, but the 536 feels more like a tank. And definitely more "mobile friendly". I've never personally taken either radio apart to observe or examine their innards.
Ubbe
Member
That's because Uniden uses the normal squelch also in digital transmissions. If the signal goes weak the squelch cuts off the signal completely. It's a good thing for some as it then are a way to stop robotic and erratic audio. But some of us would like to see the squelch disabled or drop a notch as a user setting, or have a +/- setting for sites, the same way that the volume for TG's works. I think that @JoeBearcat have that on a wish list in some sort of version for the squelch handling.
/Ubbe
tvengr
Well Known Member
Thank you!!!!
For whatever it's worth, I got my SDS200 about 8 months ago, I had to wait for Bearcat Warehouse to get new stock. I have used it daily and used it on about 7,000 miles of road trip in my RV. Zero hum so far. I haven't opened it up to see what method they used to fix the hum, but whatever they used, is working.
I got my earlier this month and to my ears, there is no hum. Granted, my ears are not as sensitive as they once were either. Which in some cases is a good thing!
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Mine has a faint hum that I hope doesn't get worse over time.
MStep
Member
As many folks here realize, some electronics give off faint sounds as they operate, usually if they are starting to get into "trouble". The one I remember was a small transformer in my Hallicrafters S-120 receiver that used to hum, and my "Uncle Charley" would come over every month and put some type of laminate on the transformer. Lots of TV sets I had in the "old" days had cathode ray tubes that would occasionally whistle or chirp.
These days, electronics are much cleaner, but occasional sounds are not unusual. There is also a physiological aspect--- if you are looking for flying saucers, you will probably see them. If you're looking for ghosts in the graveyard, they will probably appear. If you are listening for a hum on your SDS200, you will probably hear it.
tvengr
Well Known Member
I have run scanners through sound systems for fire department events. The so called hum, actually electronic noise, was very annoying, I removed the lacquer from around the mounting holes on the circuit board so that the board got a good ground through the screws. That completely eliminated the noise. You can also solder a ground wire. The noise abatement part and software fix were just stopgap measures. You only lost the hum when there were no transmissions. Hopefully there was a production change to correct the problem, but nobody wants to commit to that positively. I would like to hear what change was made in production. It is a pain in the neck to have to fix it yourself.
I own 4:
2018 version (one of the originals...slight hum)
2019 version..[2500+ manufactured] (no hum)
2021 version (x 2...no hum).
I'm thinking somewhere in the later portion of 2019 a "fix" was implemented?
2018 version (one of the originals...slight hum)
2019 version..[2500+ manufactured] (no hum)
2021 version (x 2...no hum).
I'm thinking somewhere in the later portion of 2019 a "fix" was implemented?
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The only thing that would fix it is the remedy by StaticDischarge (who I can't tag for some reason).
Here's his post on the "fix"
SDS100/SDS200: - My SDS200 HUM fix
Here are my 2 cents on this hum issue.. I took the cover off and I do have a factory installed NMP200 so I removed it.. The hum did get much more noticeable! So I took it all apart to see what, if anything could be done and here are my findings: The NMP200 simply connects the "screen ground"...
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