TailGator911
Silent Key/KF4ANC
The waiting is over! My SDS100 arrived today @ 1pm, and I put it thru it's first initial steps, updated Sentinel and the database library, wrote to scanner, updated firmware, then registered it @ myuniden.com and set it to charge (after setting my battery charging option) and then wrote my bcd536hp programming to it via Sentinel. All went well with no glitches whatsoever. Then I paired it with a copied version of ProScan. Again, no problems at all. Probably thee most hassle-free scanner I have ever set up!
The following observations were made using the Remtronix antenna with the sma/bnc adapter I acquired from jonwienke (which I affectionately call my 'Winky' adapter), This was my configuration at first glance as I set the scanner in motion, comparing to my bcd536hp and my ws1065 and also my TRX-1. In mid-evaluation I put it on my directional yagi and it rec'd better, then on my discone and back to the yagi when I determined it to be the best antenna.
LSM issues are now resolved! I can hear the Ohio MARCS-IP simulcast system without any audio dropouts, garbled transmissions, or dead air gaps. The SDS100 successfully follows the conversations, and I no longer have to depend on 3 digital scanners to piece together the communications I am monitoring. My bcd536hp did the best job, but the SDS100 blows it out of the water. Very satisfied with this aspect of the scanner's performance. Neighboring county TRS systems are decoding well. It feels good to finally have a reliable radio to hear what I want to hear.
The thermal heat issue. Been plugged in and listening for 7+ hours now and the scanner is warm to the touch. Is it too hot to handle? Absolutely not. Is the Winky adapter too hot on the fingers? Nope. Would it be after 8 hours in my truck on a hot July afternoon? Yeah, but so would my iPhone. As I was advised previously, the thermal heat issue is not an issue to be concerned about. Now that I have it in my hot little hands, I can see this for myself. My laptop gets warmer than this.
VHF/UHF defiency? I have run it thru the course and am satisfied that it is performing as it should. Rec'ing conventional frequencies as good or better than my bcd536. I am hearing conventional public safety and fire callouts in Darke county, 30-some miles from my location once I hooked up to the directional yagi. With the Remtronix I was hearing Best Buy employees on intermediate frequencies, approx 6.5 miles away from my house clear as a bell with minimal static. Same frequencies on the yagi were full quieting.
The custom display is fantastic. Clear and crisp and colorful and easy on the eyes. I spent some time in Sentinel customizing my screens before the scanner arrived, so I was pretty much plug n' play. Very impressed with this feature. I'm sure I will tweak it even more
I like the layout, and the detailed trunk display is awesome.
I have read complaints about the audio on this scanner as well and I have to say I have no complaints at all. Direct out of the scanner is nice and clear at mid-level volume, and my ears are not the best. I have tinnitis, and a low frequency distortion in my left ear when I hear a low E. I am a professional bassist and have been for over 40-some years and my ears are not what they used to be. At my radio desk I run all of my scanners to external speakers so that I can hear them clearly. I am running the SDS audio to a pair of Inland Pro Sound 2000 multimedia speakers and the sound is awesome and more than I need, running the volume @ 5-6 on the master side. I think the audio straight out of the SDS100 is great. I will test it in my truck patched thru my MP3/Satellite radio system, and also with my Rabbit earphone and lastly with my Bose QC35 headphones.
This radio is compact and solid with a good, hefty yet light feel to it. Fills your hand in a comfortable way. The keypad is ergonomic and flush and I like that as opposed to raised keys that toggle to one side or the other and collect dirt and dust in the creases. I found the keypad very comfortable to use. Precise and just the right amount of pressure needed to relay information. Just the right size and feel for a scanner. I like it!
So many negative reviews and bashes on Uniden when it comes to this scanner. I'm sure there are some lemons in the crate, as there are with any product. But, some reviews are just very confusing, the scanner doing this and doing that and glitching out and imaging on other frequencies and not scanning well and missing conversations and dropping out and buggy on vhf/uhf and concerns about heat and man oh man. I suspect it might actually be too much radio for some folks. Or, maybe it all just boils down to their unique location. Whatever it may be, if I listened to everybody's negative opinions I would have missed out on this great radio. It's something you have to see and hear for yourself to appreciate.
So far, upon first glance, I find the SDS100 to be an excellent scanner. Most, if not all, of the negative reviews I have read have me shaking my head. I suppose performance is based on an individuals's wants and needs, and for some it may fall short in some category, but I definitely kept my objective perspective when evaluating this radio, and I have no problem voicing my opinion, albeit positive or negative.
That being said, on a scale of 1-10 stars, I have to give the Uniden SDS100 a rating of 9.5 stars, reserving .5 of a star for room for doubt and any complaints I may have in the unforseen future.
Good job, Uniden!
JD
kf4anc
The following observations were made using the Remtronix antenna with the sma/bnc adapter I acquired from jonwienke (which I affectionately call my 'Winky' adapter), This was my configuration at first glance as I set the scanner in motion, comparing to my bcd536hp and my ws1065 and also my TRX-1. In mid-evaluation I put it on my directional yagi and it rec'd better, then on my discone and back to the yagi when I determined it to be the best antenna.
LSM issues are now resolved! I can hear the Ohio MARCS-IP simulcast system without any audio dropouts, garbled transmissions, or dead air gaps. The SDS100 successfully follows the conversations, and I no longer have to depend on 3 digital scanners to piece together the communications I am monitoring. My bcd536hp did the best job, but the SDS100 blows it out of the water. Very satisfied with this aspect of the scanner's performance. Neighboring county TRS systems are decoding well. It feels good to finally have a reliable radio to hear what I want to hear.
The thermal heat issue. Been plugged in and listening for 7+ hours now and the scanner is warm to the touch. Is it too hot to handle? Absolutely not. Is the Winky adapter too hot on the fingers? Nope. Would it be after 8 hours in my truck on a hot July afternoon? Yeah, but so would my iPhone. As I was advised previously, the thermal heat issue is not an issue to be concerned about. Now that I have it in my hot little hands, I can see this for myself. My laptop gets warmer than this.
VHF/UHF defiency? I have run it thru the course and am satisfied that it is performing as it should. Rec'ing conventional frequencies as good or better than my bcd536. I am hearing conventional public safety and fire callouts in Darke county, 30-some miles from my location once I hooked up to the directional yagi. With the Remtronix I was hearing Best Buy employees on intermediate frequencies, approx 6.5 miles away from my house clear as a bell with minimal static. Same frequencies on the yagi were full quieting.
The custom display is fantastic. Clear and crisp and colorful and easy on the eyes. I spent some time in Sentinel customizing my screens before the scanner arrived, so I was pretty much plug n' play. Very impressed with this feature. I'm sure I will tweak it even more
I like the layout, and the detailed trunk display is awesome.I have read complaints about the audio on this scanner as well and I have to say I have no complaints at all. Direct out of the scanner is nice and clear at mid-level volume, and my ears are not the best. I have tinnitis, and a low frequency distortion in my left ear when I hear a low E. I am a professional bassist and have been for over 40-some years and my ears are not what they used to be. At my radio desk I run all of my scanners to external speakers so that I can hear them clearly. I am running the SDS audio to a pair of Inland Pro Sound 2000 multimedia speakers and the sound is awesome and more than I need, running the volume @ 5-6 on the master side. I think the audio straight out of the SDS100 is great. I will test it in my truck patched thru my MP3/Satellite radio system, and also with my Rabbit earphone and lastly with my Bose QC35 headphones.
This radio is compact and solid with a good, hefty yet light feel to it. Fills your hand in a comfortable way. The keypad is ergonomic and flush and I like that as opposed to raised keys that toggle to one side or the other and collect dirt and dust in the creases. I found the keypad very comfortable to use. Precise and just the right amount of pressure needed to relay information. Just the right size and feel for a scanner. I like it!
So many negative reviews and bashes on Uniden when it comes to this scanner. I'm sure there are some lemons in the crate, as there are with any product. But, some reviews are just very confusing, the scanner doing this and doing that and glitching out and imaging on other frequencies and not scanning well and missing conversations and dropping out and buggy on vhf/uhf and concerns about heat and man oh man. I suspect it might actually be too much radio for some folks. Or, maybe it all just boils down to their unique location. Whatever it may be, if I listened to everybody's negative opinions I would have missed out on this great radio. It's something you have to see and hear for yourself to appreciate.
So far, upon first glance, I find the SDS100 to be an excellent scanner. Most, if not all, of the negative reviews I have read have me shaking my head. I suppose performance is based on an individuals's wants and needs, and for some it may fall short in some category, but I definitely kept my objective perspective when evaluating this radio, and I have no problem voicing my opinion, albeit positive or negative.
That being said, on a scale of 1-10 stars, I have to give the Uniden SDS100 a rating of 9.5 stars, reserving .5 of a star for room for doubt and any complaints I may have in the unforseen future.
Good job, Uniden!
JD
kf4anc
