SDS200 Hum repaired, but returned

[werinshades]

How do you know what I am facing compared to others? This is not the Dr. Phil show here for you sense of wisdom

I have no idea, but look at this way, your scanner is working as advertised and Uniden will update us on any modifications when they have an answer.

This is the kind of 'tiptoe through the tulips' thinking that encourages companies to deliver crap and not care about making things right. You are the customer every company loves.

No, the answer is to keep the company's feet to the fire and make them responsible for what they deliver after taking our money. Especially when their customers have done the work to identify the problem and publish the fix.

I understand the effort put into this, and as I posted, Uniden will update us when they have an answer. But I question that we've had three modifications for a reported hum/processor noise etc., and two of three claim their issue is resolved. But what about those without a reported hum...do they have the lacquer around their screws? These both involve opening up the scanner which has potential to void any warranty if something goes wrong. Demanding/complaining on a forum two to three times a day will not get anywhere. Let engineering do the work and advise once their testing is completed. Patience grasshopper...

 

[trentbob]

I have no idea, but look at this way, your scanner is working as advertised and Uniden will update us on any modifications when they have an answer.



I understand the effort put into this, and as I posted, Uniden will update us when they have an answer. But I question that we've had three modifications for a reported hum/processor noise etc., and two of three claim their issue is resolved. But what about those without a reported hum...do they have the lacquer around their screws? These both involve opening up the scanner which has potential to void any warranty if something goes wrong. Demanding/complaining on a forum two to three times a day will not get anywhere. Let engineering do the work and advise once their testing is completed. Patience grasshopper...

HUH??????... Sorry Shades but I'm always up for mutual understanding, bipartisanship and getting along with everybody as you and I have demonstrated together in the past, but what the heck are you talking about?... I know you never had the issue and don't even know what the issue is as evidenced by your disconnected descriptions of the problem, so you definitely are out of the loop here but try to understand what has happened on this thread.

A real solution has been found for a problem that you have never acknowledged existed. The folks who were affected by this problem including myself were haters and complainers.

Who knows what direction Uniden is going to take here and let's hope it's not, not, the usual direction.

My sincere apologies to you for being so frank here but... Give us a break. Again, I apologize for being so blunt. I'd like to be able to get along with you and acknowledge your obvious contributions.

You're right, we have to wait and see what happens now.

The end result of this one thread that managed to not get closed despite the campaigning of some to do so has been a success.

Again, hats off to the talent here on RR.

 

[werinshades]

HUH??????... Sorry Shades but I'm always up for mutual understanding, bipartisanship and getting along with everybody as you and I have demonstrated together in the past, but what the heck are you talking about?... I know you never had the issue and don't even know what the issue is as evidenced by your disconnected descriptions of the problem, so you definitely are out of the loop here but try to understand what has happened on this thread.

A real solution has been found for a problem that you have never acknowledged existed. The folks who were affected by this problem including myself were haters and complainers.

Who knows what direction Uniden is going to take here and let's hope it's not, not, the usual direction.

My sincere apologies to you for being so frank here but... Give us a break. Again, I apologize for being so blunt. I'd like to be able to get along with you and acknowledge your obvious contributions.

You're right, we have to wait and see what happens now.

The end result of this one thread that managed to not get closed despite the campaigning of some to do so has been a success.

Again, hats off to the talent here on RR.

Oh no Bob I am fully aware of what the issue is, and Uniden is as well when they issued the mitigation part with You Tube video.

Their have been three solutions I have read that others have tried and claimed resolved the issue. The "add more foil" trick...the "re-soldering the wire" trick and now this. I've happy for those that now have a working SDS 200 and can enjoy the scanner once and for all.

I don't know the inner workings of Uniden, but Uniden Support mentioned he sent the prior suggestions to engineering for review. The engineering has resolved many issues over the years and I'm confident they will resolve this as well. I find many here to be very knowledgeable and have received some great tips over the years. I'm hoping Uniden Support or UPMan chime in here with a response from engineering before we recommend purchasing a needed part, opening up the scanner and scraping lacquer off screws or any soldering.

My question remains though...are all these problems present in those scanners without any hum/crackle/processor noises? It's not that I'm out of touch because I don't have an issue, I'm cautious by nature and and I'm not alone in my concerns. If I had an issue, the scanner would be at Uniden repair but that's just me.

If/when Uniden has an official response and recommendation, then it would be a good idea to post a sticky like other discovered problems. But in the meanwhile....relax.....breathe....be calm...go smell the roses etc.

 

[trentbob]

Yep, as a result of some serious medical issues lasting over 5 years but resulting positively, giving me a new lease on life, I am one of those smell the roses kind of people and look at life differently than others.

It rarely happens to me but I will admit your overall comments did trigger me and I apologize again for being so blunt.

It is hard to sort all of this out but previous efforts or procedures appear to only reduce the issues but this latest effort appears to eliminate the problem, that word has never been able to be used before.

For those who don't have the issue whatsoever this thread and discussion and fix is irrelevant unless the problem was to creep up.

As far as Uniden goes I don't know how they run their business either, I don't think many people do and that's probably by design.

I do think they know what they're doing and I'm sure this is all very familiar to them. Looking at it from a business viewpoint we have to look at the bottom line and costs of repair campaigns and warranty service cost, again I don't have a clue.

Let's wait and see what happens, we can get out the popcorn and see what develops. It should be interesting... Bob.

 

[werinshades]

No apologies necessary...we all can fall back on previous experiences that can trigger responses. I'm thrilled/ecstatic that those with issues have found a solution and while I would never attempt these modifications even if I had the issue, I know we have a group here that is more confident in their tinkering skills.

 

[Firekite]

My question remains though...are all these problems present in those scanners without any hum/crackle/processor noises? It's not that I'm out of touch because I don't have an issue, I'm cautious by nature and and I'm not alone in my concerns.

What concerns? If you use the scanner in an environment noisy enough (or have diminished hearing) such that the hum doesn’t bother you, you don’t need to worry about it. You’re good to go as-is.

It appears that some of the grounding solutions during the manufacturing process are not especially well executed on a consistent basis, but some appear to get lucky and have good enough contact from the factory to minimize the issue, so they don’t have to worry about it. It’s possible but unlikely that some boards may have been produced without all the extra lacquer preventing the screws from creating the proper ground connection, so that the issue never manifests with some units.

It’s really hard to say all the ways that a problem might not show up. But what we know for sure is there’s a grounding problem with a number of units, that Uniden is aware of the issue and has attempted a minimal and primitive mitigation for affected users, and that affected users who are looking for a permanent solution have several options to choose from, all focusing on improving the ground connections. Removing excess lacquer from the PCB around the mounting screws seems like the one surefire universal permanent fix.

Maybe Uniden will step up and offer to replace the defective boards with properly manufactured pieces without the excess lacquer (or replace the defective units altogether). That would be great for all affected users. But if people want and have the ability to fix the issue themselves, at least we have a reliable way to do so, now.

EDIT: As an aside, as a consumer it’s frustrating when manufacturers attempt to minimize a symptom as cheaply as possible rather than actually address the cause. In this case, for example, the piece of metal Uniden sends out is very much a clumsy stop-gap at best. I would love to see them improve their manufacturing processes/standards to eliminate the excess lacquer problem, and then to take in affected units for replacement of the defective part(s). They could send the defective parts somewhere, maybe back to their supplier for replacement or else even send them off to have the excess lacquer removed and then use the boards as spares for later repairs or for use in refurbished units (or remanufactured or “renewed” or whatever marketing euphemism they want to use).

 

[werinshades]

What concerns? If you use the scanner in an environment noisy enough (or have diminished hearing) such that the hum doesn’t bother you, you don’t need to worry about it. You’re good to go as-is.

It appears that some of the grounding solutions during the manufacturing process are not especially well executed on a consistent basis, but some appear to get lucky and have good enough contact from the factory to minimize the issue, so they don’t have to worry about it. It’s possible but unlikely that some boards may have been produced without all the extra lacquer preventing the screws from creating the proper ground connection, so that the issue never manifests with some units.

It’s really hard to say all the ways that a problem might not show up. But what we know for sure is there’s a grounding problem with a number of units, that Uniden is aware of the issue and has attempted a minimal and primitive mitigation for affected users, and that affected users who are looking for a permanent solution have several options to choose from, all focusing on improving the ground connections. Removing excess lacquer from the PCB around the mounting screws seems like the one surefire universal permanent fix.

Maybe Uniden will step up and offer to replace the defective boards with properly manufactured pieces without the excess lacquer (or replace the defective units altogether). That would be great for all affected users. But if people want and have the ability to fix the issue themselves, at least we have a reliable way to do so, now.

EDIT: As an aside, as a consumer it’s frustrating when manufacturers attempt to minimize a symptom as cheaply as possible rather than actually address the cause. In this case, for example, the piece of metal Uniden sends out is very much a clumsy stop-gap at best. I would love to see them improve their manufacturing processes/standards to eliminate the excess lacquer problem, and then to take in affected units for replacement of the defective part(s). They could send the defective parts somewhere, maybe back to their supplier for replacement or else even send them off to have the excess lacquer removed and then use the boards as spares for later repairs or for use in refurbished units (or remanufactured or “renewed” or whatever marketing euphemism they want to use).

I've asked if the lacquer under the screws serves a purpose? I know everyone has an opinion, but Uniden's response is the final word.

 

[Firekite]

I've asked if the lacquer under the screws serves a purpose? I know everyone has an opinion, but Uniden's response is the final word.

There’s nothing magical or novel about lacquer on a PCB.

 

[allend]

At least I can disable the Audio AMP feature now. I set it to Infinite now. No issues. Quiet as a cricket now.

 

[TailGator911]

What is the reason that those of you who have bought and paid for faulty scanners that make a humming noise have kept them and toiled to find the error and formulated a fix for them all on your own? If ANY of the three SDS200s I have bought were, in any way, malfunctioning or exhibiting any unusual sights or sounds they would have been re-boxed and sent back to the vendor where I had purchased them that very same day for a replacement or refund. That is just the way things are done - period. Did your retail outlet refuse the return? Did you buy from a fly-by-night vendor who ignored your complaint? Did you not realize there was a hum until after your return window expired? What transpired that led you to keep what you deemed to be a defective product? I just don't understand the circumstances as to why a consumer(s) would keep what they have determined to be defective merchandise and attempt to diagnose and repair it on their own and at their own time and expense. When I took the time to think about it, I cannot recall - ever - hearing about an electronic product being released for mass consumption that was deemed faulty by the consumer, kept by the consumer, then several 'fixes' for the product engineered by the consumer hoping that the manufacturer would take note and act upon it. If you bought an LG or Samsung or Visio television and it hummed, what would you do about that?? You would march that TV right back to where you bought it - right?

Please, someone, help me to understand why this is even happening? What am I missing here? ​

 

[frazpo]

What is the reason that those of you who have bought and paid for faulty scanners that make a humming noise have kept them and toiled to find the error and formulated a fix for them all on your own? If ANY of the three SDS200s I have bought were, in any way, malfunctioning or exhibiting any unusual sights or sounds they would have been re-boxed and sent back to the vendor where I had purchased them that very same day for a replacement or refund. That is just the way things are done - period. Did your retail outlet refuse the return? Did you buy from a fly-by-night vendor who ignored your complaint? Did you not realize there was a hum until after your return window expired? What transpired that led you to keep what you deemed to be a defective product? I just don't understand the circumstances as to why a consumer(s) would keep what they have determined to be defective merchandise and attempt to diagnose and repair it on their own and at their own time and expense. When I took the time to think about it, I cannot recall - ever - hearing about an electronic product being released for mass consumption that was deemed faulty by the consumer, kept by the consumer, then several 'fixes' for the product engineered by the consumer hoping that the manufacturer would take note and act upon it. If you bought an LG or Samsung or Visio television and it hummed, what would you do about that?? You would march that TV right back to where you bought it - right?

Please, someone, help me to understand why this is even happening? What am I missing here?

I did. I was sent another hummer. Ha. I kept it because the hum was actually tolerable. Any ambient noise in the room and I would not hear it. And no, I actually bought it from a very prominent dealer. No scammers.

 

[StaticDischarge]

What is the reason that those of you who have bought and paid for faulty scanners that make a humming noise have kept them and toiled to find the error and formulated a fix for them all on your own? If ANY of the three SDS200s I have bought were, in any way, malfunctioning or exhibiting any unusual sights or sounds they would have been re-boxed and sent back to the vendor where I had purchased them that very same day for a replacement or refund. That is just the way things are done - period. Did your retail outlet refuse the return? Did you buy from a fly-by-night vendor who ignored your complaint? Did you not realize there was a hum until after your return window expired? What transpired that led you to keep what you deemed to be a defective product? I just don't understand the circumstances as to why a consumer(s) would keep what they have determined to be defective merchandise and attempt to diagnose and repair it on their own and at their own time and expense. When I took the time to think about it, I cannot recall - ever - hearing about an electronic product being released for mass consumption that was deemed faulty by the consumer, kept by the consumer, then several 'fixes' for the product engineered by the consumer hoping that the manufacturer would take note and act upon it. If you bought an LG or Samsung or Visio television and it hummed, what would you do about that?? You would march that TV right back to where you bought it - right?

Please, someone, help me to understand why this is even happening? What am I missing here? ​

What car do yo drive and why? What toothpaste do you use and why? What color is it when you go?
Just boils down to the individual and their choices. If everybody chimed in this could go for days if not weeks and in the end it really makes no difference other than to justify your curiosity.
They did what they did because they did it... The end!

Normal scanning may now resume...

 

[allend]

I received my first radio when they were released from Uniden. The first radio had a HUM and I kept it. The second radio I bought off of EBAY it had a HUM and I returned it.

Then I returned the first radio back to the vendor and had a warranty replacement from Uniden and had it dropped shipped back to my house from TX from Uniden direct with the mitigation part already installed. This is the current radio with the mitigation part installed and still had the HUM. At this point I liked the radio and it works great except for the nasty HUM. Then as of a couple of days ago I did surgery on the radio and fixed it completely.

 

[TailGator911]

What car do yo drive and why? What toothpaste do you use and why? What color is it when you go?
Just boils down to the individual and their choices. If everybody chimed in this could go for days if not weeks and in the end it really makes no difference other than to justify your curiosity.
They did what they did because they did it... The end!

Normal scanning may now resume...

What do you think and why do you think it? Your reply is all the insight needed into you. There was no need for childish sarcasm here.

I think my curiosity is justifiable and, news flash here, the reason someone asks a question in a forum. Why do people choose to keep defective merchandise? Thanks to the others who answered honestly and maturely.

JD
kf4anc

 

[TailGator911]

I received my first radio when they were released from Uniden. The first radio had a HUM and I kept it. The second radio I bought off of EBAY it had a HUM and I returned it.

Then I returned the first radio back to the vendor and had a warranty replacement from Uniden and had it dropped shipped back to my house from TX from Uniden direct with the mitigation part already installed. This is the current radio with the mitigation part installed and still had the HUM. At this point I liked the radio and it works great except for the nasty HUM. Then as of a couple of days ago I did surgery on the radio and fixed it completely.

Sounds like you went the long and arduous route to finally get what you wanted. So glad you did, but I wish it would have been easier for you. Nice for you to finally enjoy the SDS200.

JD
kf4anc

 

[StaticDischarge]

What do you think and why do you think it? Your reply is all the insight needed into you. There was no need for childish sarcasm here.

I think my curiosity is justifiable and, news flash here, the reason someone asks a question in a forum. Why do people choose to keep defective merchandise? Thanks to the others who answered honestly and maturely.

JD
kf4anc

Your curiosity has absolutely nothing to do with the hum issue in this thread nor does it accomplish anything regarding the hum issue in any way whatsoever.. Guess that had to be spelled out for you.. and NEWS FLASH... IF you really want an honest answer to your question, why did you NOT start a NEW THREAD to ask your question the proper way rather than post this nonsense here?
But I have to assume because of how you handled my response to you, you believe this is just as good as anywhere is it not??

Now do you see my reasoning for my "childish sarcasm" as you so put it?? Or not?? Just tried to lower myself to your standards to get you to understand...

Which mildly interpreted means: "ME,ME,ME,I,I,I!! And to heck with you!!! Because I am all that matters in this world..."

Maybe just maybe, normal scanning may now resume... We will have to wait and see how this all mighty one with all the curiosity, questions and answers responds...

To all others, I humbly apologize that you had to bear witness to this unneeded nonsense...

 

[frazpo]

Let's get back on the same team guys.

 

[TailGator911]

Yeah, back to the hum issue. I hope the 'fix' does, indeed, fix the hum noise and it doesn't return after time and we don't have to hear about it anymore. Would be nice if SDS200 owners had something good to talk about. It really is a great radio.

JD
kf4anc

 

[KevinC]

You guys do know about the ignore button, don't you?

 

[Firekite]

Did you not realize there was a hum until after your return window expired?

Developing a hum over time seems to be the most common situation.

Please, someone, help me to understand why this is even happening? What am I missing here?

This is not a TV. These are radios. With radio geeks running them. And a halfhearted attempt at a cheap mitigation by the manufacturer. You can’t keep these guys from finding the actual problem and solving it. Remember the whole C1 issue? People here are the ones who finally figured that one out and solved it, too.