SDS200 Inquiry

[emtd99]

Am I reading correctly that the SDS200 is capable of ProVoice and other related scanning capabilities,but require additional monies to be paid for the scanner to programmed to perform those functions ? After all folks are paying on average $700 for the scanner , you think it would be set up for everything and all the end user would have to do is program it for their listening pleasures. Is the end user able to program any additional capabilities needed themselves?

 

[doctordialtone]

Am I reading correctly that the SDS200 is capable of ProVoice and other related scanning capabilities,but require additional monies to be paid for the scanner to programmed to perform those functions ?

Yes, that's what you're reading.

 

[iMONITOR]

After all folks are paying on average $700 for the scanner , you think it would be set up for everything and all the end user would have to do is program it for their listening pleasures.

Another way to look at it, if UNIDEN included ProVoice capabilities, they would have likely charged more for the scanner, even for those who have no use for ProVoice. And if they also included DMR and NXDN modes you would have to pay even more for those two modes that you may have no use for. I prefer the a la carte approach, pay for what you need.

 

[sallen07]

Am I reading correctly that the SDS200 is capable of ProVoice and other related scanning capabilities,but require additional monies to be paid for the scanner to programmed to perform those functions ?

Decoding ProVoice and trunk-tracking DMR and NXDN require Uniden to pay a license fee to the companies who 'own' those technologies. That cost is passed on to end-users who wish to take advantage of those features. As others have said, the alternative would be to charge everyone for them whether or not they wanted or needed them.

There are very few ProVoice systems left since that is a deprecated technology. DMR and NXDN are growing, but many people purchase a scanner to listen to a P25 system and have no need for either, or they may have several scanners and only use one or two for DMR or NXDN.

If you want it, you pay for the license. If you don't ... you don't.

 

[elias1988]

Am I reading correctly that the SDS200 is capable of ProVoice and other related scanning capabilities,but require additional monies to be paid for the scanner to programmed to perform those functions ? After all folks are paying on average $700 for the scanner , you think it would be set up for everything and all the end user would have to do is program it for their listening pleasures. Is the end user able to program any additional capabilities needed themselves?

You live in the same area as me,there’s no ProVoice systems around so you wouldn’t need that. I have DMR to monitor NJ Natural Gas and some other systems that businesses use. During strong band openings I got the Trenton NXDN system on my BCD536HP but I have to purchase that for my 200.

 

[trp2525]

...folks are paying on average $700 for the scanner...

If you want to save $100, Main Trading Company (located in Paris, TX) currently has one store demo SDS200 for sale for $600 with FREE shipping included. The store demo SDS200 scanner has the full Uniden 1-year warranty just like a brand-new unit.

 

[Xray]

$700 is not bad for a top of the line scanner, I paid twice that much for my first handheld back in the 90's.
They have never been cheap, what did the 2006 go for back in the day, $400+ I believe.

 

[Ubbe]

In Europe a SDS200e sells for $1000 and a SDS100e for $900 and comes with all modes installed as it is difficult/impossible to add them for a user. The database are disabled and reverse/repeater mode can't be used and the frequency limits for bandplans doesn't match, so you end up using 6,25KHs steps even when most part of the band uses 25KHz steps. There's no simulcast systems in EU that I know of.

In comparison a Whistler TRX-2e sells for $600 in EU, but it lacks proper functionality in the 60-87MHz band that are used a lot in EU.

/Ubbe