SDS100/SDS200: SDS and Unication technology

[belvdr]

The Unication radios are very limited in functionality. I'll take my SDS100 which performs wonderfully and is a true trunking scanning radio. I guess if you don't mind half-assed functionality, then go with a Unication.

Based on it being sold as a pager, how is it lacking? I've never used one personally, but when I was deciding, I took my time. I decided on the SDS100, because I want to scan a broader range of frequencies. That doesn't mean the Unication is a bad device.

 

[bgav]

The Unication radios are very limited in functionality. I'll take my SDS100 which performs wonderfully and is a true trunking scanning radio. I guess if you don't mind half-assed functionality, then go with a Unication.

Do you have a Unication G4/G5 or are you just trying to rationalize and/or justify your SDS100 purchase without having any first-hand experience with the Unication?

 

[Citywide173]

The Unication radios are very limited in functionality. I'll take my SDS100 which performs wonderfully and is a true trunking scanning radio. I guess if you don't mind half-assed functionality, then go with a Unication.

If the needs are met, and the functionality meets the user's requirements, it's not half-assed. Not everyone needs all the bells and whistles. I have found that I'm grabbing the G5 more than any other radio I own, including 2-way radios.

I hardly ever use a scanner to search frequencies-when I do, it's my R-1500 from the house. I really don't have a need for ID search, I listen almost exclusively to fire, so DMR, NXDN, etc. isn't a concern for me (at least in my area) and SDR functionality is something I dabble with when I'm really bored-on a $10 dongle, not a $650 scanner. To characterize the functionality as half-assed, when it does exactly what it is designed to is nothing more than intolerant and ignorant of other's needs. Just because it doesn't meet your needs does not mean you have to demean someone who it does work for.

 

[eorange]

The Unication radios are very limited in functionality. I'll take my SDS100 which performs wonderfully and is a true trunking scanning radio. I guess if you don't mind half-assed functionality, then go with a Unication.

Other than no TG hold and scanning 1 site at a time...nothing half arsed about it, unless you consider 100% perfect P25 decode and commercial-grade audio to be half arsed.

 

[WX4JCW]

I have owned a G4 and he’s spot on
It’s a great pager don’t get me wrong, but it’s not one size fits all.

It’s good if you don’t have a lot of P25 systems to monitor, it works pretty much like a system radio


I sold mine because I travel and it is a PITA to keep sending a new code plug for every place I go

The audio of the SDS100 and Unication is pretty much identical


Sent from my iPhone 8 using Tapatalk Pro
Jason WX4JCW
XPR7550 - SDS100

 

[belvdr]

I have owned a G4 and he’s spot on
It’s a great pager don’t get me wrong, but it’s not one size fits all.

It’s good if you don’t have a lot of P25 systems to monitor, it works pretty much like a system radio


I sold mine because I travel and it is a PITA to keep sending a new code plug for every place I go

The audio of the SDS100 and Unication is pretty much identical


Sent from my iPhone 8 using Tapatalk Pro
Jason WX4JCW
XPR7550 - SDS100

I wouldn't say he is spot on, as it functions just as a pager should. In the same token, I wouldn't claim a 2m radio is limited because it doesn't cover the HF bands.

There's no product in this category that is one size fits all.

 

[WX4JCW]

I wouldn't say he is spot on, as it functions just as a pager should. In the same token, I wouldn't claim a 2m radio is limited because it doesn't cover the HF bands.



There's no product in this category that is one size fits all.

Correct no radio is a perfect fit


Sent from my iPhone 8 using Tapatalk Pro
Jason WX4JCW
XPR7550 - SDS100

 

[MTS2000des]

Both make a great setup. The SDS100 would be a great travel setup. The G5 is what you would want for an everyday monitor radio. It is not a scanner and not intended to be one. It's scanning functionality is limited, and the biggest lack is a delay, so if you load up a mode with talkgroup scanning enabled, there is no nuisance delete or hold feature.

That being said, it's performance on LSM is bar none. As good as a subscriber radios, I've had mine side by side with an APX8000, APX6000, Kenwood VP5430, and it matches the performance for clear accurate receive of P25 LSM.

 

[AKJohnny]

The audio of the SDS100 and Unication is pretty much identical

I respectfully disagree. I have both and have the latest firmware in both, and Unication sounds substantially better to me. I think their latest firmware upped the audio quality. I was just listening to both last night and comparing. Don’t get me wrong, the SDS is great on digital and has so many other benefits compared to the G4/G5, but audio isn’t identical in my ears. Just my 2 cents.

 

[WX4JCW]

Both make a great setup. The SDS100 would be a great travel setup. The G5 is what you would want for an everyday monitor radio. It is not a scanner and not intended to be one. It's scanning functionality is limited, and the biggest lack is a delay, so if you load up a mode with talkgroup scanning enabled, there is no nuisance delete or hold feature.

That being said, it's performance on LSM is bar none. As good as a subscriber radios, I've had mine side by side with an APX8000, APX6000, Kenwood VP5430, and it matches the performance for clear accurate receive of P25 LSM.

whats scary is i am starting to agree with you on more and more things

 

[WX4JCW]

I respectfully disagree. I have both and have the latest firmware in both, and Unication sounds substantially better to me. I think their latest firmware upped the audio quality. I was just listening to both last night and comparing. Don’t get me wrong, the SDS is great on digital and has so many other benefits compared to the G4/G5, but audio isn’t identical in my ears. Just my 2 cents.

I totally respect it, my biggest issue with the 536 was it had way too much bass for digital, no counter argument here

 

[strandbiker1]

That's amazing!

If the SDS100 uses a TV type tuner for the heart of their scanner, is this a good thing or bad thing? Does it affect performance in terms of sensitivity, bandwidth, adjacent channel rejection or densense from other nearby service sites?

Skip

 

[WX4JCW]

its pretty tight on 700/800 P25
VHF has been weak but the latest beta firmware has improved it,
it does have some image issues on VHF but i have solved most with IFX swap

 

[eorange]

I think their latest firmware upped the audio quality.

That's the first thing I noticed after upgrading my G4. The audio is smoother, natural, and more even. This is saying a lot because the audio was very very good to begin with.

I also notice there's less variation in volume across TGs; I can keep my volume parked now.

 

[maus92]

That's the first thing I noticed after upgrading my G4. The audio is smoother, natural, and more even. This is saying a lot because the audio was very very good to begin with.

I also notice there's less variation in volume across TGs; I can keep my volume parked now.

Although I have a G5 that was already updated to P2 at my expense, it does sound like they made some changes that affect audio quality / volumes / loudness / compression. I listen in a high noise environment, so whatever they did adversely affects my ability to understand messages.

 

[eorange]

I can see that. I thought the audio was very punchy before; now it just sounds nice in normal, ambient background noise.

 

[WILSON43]

Can't blame me for THIS thread....

 

[pfd461]

People could someone answer a question for me in regards to SDS100? I keep seeing this beta firmware updates, is this different than the firmware updates you receive through Sentinal?

 

[belvdr]

People could someone answer a question for me in regards to SDS100? I keep seeing this beta firmware updates, is this different than the firmware updates you receive through Sentinal?

Yes, beta firmware has to be applied manually, not through Sentinel. Any firmware received through Sentinel will be generally available (i.e. stable) releases.

 

[pfd461]

Oh, ok thank you