SDS200 Pop

[Twister_2]

This has been brought up a few times on this forum but an answer hasn't been clearly reached yet.

1. Does your unit pop when the speaker opens?
2. If yes, have you successful had it fixed by Uniden under warranty?
3. If yes for 1, have you ever fixed it yourself?
4. Can anybody prove that their unit doesn't pop?

Video:

 

[pb_lonny]

I don't have a SDS200 but I am sure that would be VERY annoying.

 

[kudzu_kid]

The only time it's really discernable on mine is if the volume is all the way down, and I'm laying down in bed (scanner on nightstand) I can hear a soft popping every time the scanner stops on something. Not really annoying, but I wish it didn't do it! That said, I'm grateful my unit doesn't hum, etc.

Cheers,

--Pete

 

[iMONITOR]

Mine doesn't do that at any volume level. Is it just on that one system or all? Sounds like windshield wipers.

 

[N4DJC]

The only time it's really discernable on mine is if the volume is all the way down, and I'm laying down in bed (scanner on nightstand) I can hear a soft popping every time the scanner stops on something. Not really annoying, but I wish it didn't do it! That said, I'm grateful my unit doesn't hum, etc.

Cheers,

--Pete

Same here, nowhere near as loud as the video posted.

 

[blackbelter]

I have an SDS 200 for over a year with no pop.

 

[citiot]

1. Does your unit pop when the speaker opens? Yes
2. If yes, have you successful had it fixed by Uniden under warranty? Did not attempt to file warranty
3. If yes for 1, have you ever fixed it yourself? Yes,by using a >headphone inline volume thingy< with an external speaker. Slight attenuation lowers the pop to inaudible, but you have to turn the volume up on the scanner.

 

[Twister_2]

1. Does your unit pop when the speaker opens? Yes
2. If yes, have you successful had it fixed by Uniden under warranty? Did not attempt to file warranty
3. If yes for 1, have you ever fixed it yourself? Yes,by using a >headphone inline volume thingy< with an external speaker. Slight attenuation lowers the pop to inaudible, but you have to turn the volume up on the scanner.

Can you show me what your setup looks like? How much does it attenuate the audio? Sometimes when you attenuate audio before an amplifier, you get flatter audio.

 

[N4DJC]

I didn’t answer the survey in my earlier post.

1. Yes
2. No, didn’t send it in.
3. No
4. N/A

 

[citiot]

Can you show me what your setup looks like? How much does it attenuate the audio? Sometimes when you attenuate audio before an amplifier, you get flatter audio.

Not much to show. I plugged in the variable line attenuation in the back speaker jack. Then an unpowered uniden speaker. i.e. the attenuation is AFTER the audio amplifier, not before.

I turned down the volume like you video so only the pops were heard. Then I slowly turned up the attenuation until the pops when away. I have to turn the SDS200 volume up to about 15 now, but it's clear and loud. Any higher than 15 and I get distortion.

I haven't noticed any audio frequency response change due to the higher resistance.

 

[sadatoni]

Mine sounds just like the audio when it does it. It's annoying and seems rather random. I think I'll give that inline volume thingy a try.

 

[Kaleier1]

The first SDS200 I bought popped like that. I sent it back for a refund and bought another from a different place and it didn't pop.

I made a thread about my new one that started popping when the squelch opened and closed in AM mode only like when listening to aviation. I discovered this was due to using an external antenna on my roof. Haven't figured out why yet but if I use the included telescoping antenna or an indoor antenna from a SDR USB dongle it doesn't pop. I updated that thread here.

If it is still within the return period send it back for a refund or replacement.

 

[AB5ID]

Wasn't part of a firmware upgrade to cut the audio amplifier off while scanning to make hum less noticeable?

 

[AB5ID]

See if your if these settings help(set the off time to infinite):

From Easier to Read SDS100/200 Digital Scanner Manual

Set Audio Off Time (SDS200 only) An "AMP OFF Timer" setting that determines how long the amplifier stays on after a transmission ends. If you hear hum between transmissions, change this from Infinite to one of the available settings.

Scroll to and press E/yes.

Set Audio Off Time

Infinite, 100, 500ms; 1-5, 10, or 30 sec.

 

[Twister_2]

See if your if these settings help(set the off time to infinite):

From Easier to Read SDS100/200 Digital Scanner Manual

Set Audio Off Time (SDS200 only) An "AMP OFF Timer" setting that determines how long the amplifier stays on after a transmission ends. If you hear hum between transmissions, change this from Infinite to one of the available settings.

Scroll to and press E/yes.

Set Audio Off Time

Infinite, 100, 500ms; 1-5, 10, or 30 sec.

I changed this setting from infinite to 500ms. It got rid of the hum 500ms after a transmission stops (until the next one starts) but the pop is still there.

 

[sadatoni]

That inline volume control has worked perfectly for getting rid of the pops, and other weird noises that I would get with the detail display. Now maybe I'll turn the amp back on full time.

 

[citiot]

That inline volume control has worked perfectly for getting rid of the pops, and other weird noises that I would get with the detail display. Now maybe I'll turn the amp back on full time.

Glad to hear. I’m thinking of putting in a low value resistor in the audio chain(s). That would be the same as the in line volume control.

 

[ApexMark]

1. Does your unit pop when the speaker opens?
Yes

2. If yes, have you successful had it fixed by Uniden under warranty?
No. I returned it to Bearcat Wearhouse. They said they can't hear it no matter how hard they try. They're sending me another. I'll report back soon. I instantly noticed it when I first got the radio and tried hard to cope with it but couldn't. Maybe some are more sensitive to it. I have the sds100, BCT15X and BC125AT, all of which sound superb, so I'm not used to hearing this and wasn't expecting it from this radio.

3. If yes for 1, have you ever fixed it yourself?
No

As I reported elsewhere, it's from the internal speaker. I also tried all possible values for Audio Off time to no avail. I've tried other speaker combinations but frankly I want to use it with the internal speaker so was unwilling to go to great lengths to avoid it.

 

[trentbob]

I had two 200 units and sold one and kept the other but I used to maintain four of them in The Newsroom before retiring. Never experienced that phenomena ever but I agree if I bought a radio and I had it I would have imediately returned it.

 

[N4DJC]

Mine arrived at Uniden yesterday, I'm interested see if they actually repair it or send it back as "in spec".