SDS100/SDS200: SDS100 back from the Uniden Hospital!

[kc5igh]

Good afternoon.

My SDS100 just came back from the Uniden repair shop and seems to be running just fine, at least, for the time being (I'm keeping my fingers crossed, however).

The repair documentation says that the tech "cleaned connector contacts," which I'm guessing has something to do with the dreaded SDS100 cold-solder-joint issue. Nothing was mentioned on that slip of paper about the J401 part the customer service gentleman said was mentioned in the technician's notes when I called earlier this week.

I dug out my old BCD436HP as a temporary substitute for the SDS100 and made some updates and changes to the '436, which I've downloaded to the SDS100 (Sentinel is a great tool).

I'm going to take some extra precautions to hopefully prevent a recurrence of the problem that I suspect was the result of repetitive hot/cold temperature cycles. For example, I'm going to forsake the nylon carrying case I was using before and use a soft-leather case I bought from ScannerMaster that has some extra vent holes in it to help dissipate heat.

Thanks (especially to Jon Wienke and Ubbe) for all the helpful information you shared with me about what was probably causing my problem with the SDS100 . . . I'll keep you posted.

-Johnnie (KC5IGH)

 

[pro106import]

i found mine runs much cooler by only having the display turn on when the squelch opens. And I keep the brightness down to 30-40%. It is almost cool to the touch now. It was pretty hot when the display was on 100% of the time and at 50% brightness where I had it when I first bought it. And I have the external charger and extra battery. I never charge the battery inside the unit. That makes alot of heat also. Of course the battery clip will wear out sooner that way, but at least that is replaceable
Bob

 

[kc5igh]

i found mine runs much cooler by only having the display turn on when the squelch opens. And I keep the brightness down to 30-40%. It is almost cool to the touch now. It was pretty hot when the display was on 100% of the time and at 50% brightness where I had it when I first bought it. And I have the external charger and extra battery. I never charge the battery inside the unit. That makes alot of heat also. Of course the battery clip will wear out sooner that way, but at least that is replaceable
Bob

Thanks for the tips, Bob.

It's my understanding that the SDS100's display draws relatively little power.

I've been told that the radio's processors are the real culprits when it comes to drawing power and generating heat. Putting the SDS100 through repetitive hot/cold cycles (a byproduct of daily use, of course) are reportedly responsible for putting a strain on colder solder joints. Heat build-up inside the radio is probably enhanced by the fact that the SDS100 is housed in a waterproof or water-resistant body that Uniden originally used for a handheld marine radio.

I've always charged my SDS100's battery inside the radio, and I've noticed that operating the radio while simultaneously charging the battery can really heat it up, so much so that the temperature sensors inside the SDS100 have turned off the charging circuitry until the radio has had a chance to cool down a little. I usually let the radio charge overnight while it's turned off, and I've never found the radio to be hot, or even particularly warm, as a result of internal charging.

We'll see how well it holds up this time.

Happy monitoring!

-Johnnie (KC5IGH)

 

[djeplett]

Johnnie,

When did you send your radio in and when did you receive it back? Curious what the turn around time was. I believe mine has the dreaded J401 problem as well. I've been holding off because it's out of warranty anyway and I use it to receive just my local PD now.

 

[n1chu]

In another post a reader replied his scanner came back about a month later for a flickering display problem. While I’ve heard of quicker turnarounds before COVID-19, a months wait isn’t too bad when you consider the Uniden repair unit may be hampered by social distancing restrictions. At least they are back at it...

 

[kc5igh]

Johnnie,

When did you send your radio in and when did you receive it back? Curious what the turn around time was. I believe mine has the dreaded J401 problem as well. I've been holding off because it's out of warranty anyway and I use it to receive just my local PD now.

Hello, djeplett.

I sent my SDS100 to Uniden repair on June 8 and got it back yesterday on July 17.

When you subtract about eight days for shipping both directions (depending on where you're located) that's about a month, which is probably to be expected, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic underway.

Good luck with your radio!

-Johnnie

 

[hiegtx]

I suspect Uniden is running with a reduced staff at the repair station in Roanoke. We're having a surge of Covid cases here in the DFW area, which has affected a number of companies.