SDS200 Screen Flicker

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ArtU

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Hi folks, I have taken to other rooms, run on both DC and AC. It was on AC till this happened, then I put it on DC when this started to make sure no Ac humm etc. I have parked it on a fixed channel, and it still have screen issues. When someone speaks it seems to get worse , sometimes. The issue is now much worse then when it first started and lately I've been running at 25%. Been using Proscan trial to see the screen on the PC instead of the Scanner, the noise is not bothering me too much.

I bought it at Universal Radio, and they have promised to help me with an exchange, but at this time they do not have anymore in stock. The preorders sold out both their shipments. Might take a month to get a new shipment in form the manufacture.
 

ArtU

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There is a poster on the Tube channel that says its the ribbon cable and I can fix it, but I'm not going to open it up and ruin an exchange.
 

mkt853

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I've got the screen flicker issue as well now. I left my unit running for about a week straight before it started happening this afternoon. Turning it off and back on does not make it go away. I played with the display settings as well and that doesn't help. Tried using a different SD card and no change. It's definitely something inside the scanner.
 
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UnidenSupport

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Hi folks, I have taken to other rooms, run on both DC and AC. It was on AC till this happened, then I put it on DC when this started to make sure no Ac humm etc. I have parked it on a fixed channel, and it still have screen issues. When someone speaks it seems to get worse , sometimes. The issue is now much worse then when it first started and lately I've been running at 25%. Been using Proscan trial to see the screen on the PC instead of the Scanner, the noise is not bothering me too much.

I bought it at Universal Radio, and they have promised to help me with an exchange, but at this time they do not have anymore in stock. The preorders sold out both their shipments. Might take a month to get a new shipment in form the manufacture.
If it is going to take that long, you may as well send it to our repair department.
 

ipfd320

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For that Kind of Money Spent on a Unit You as a Buyer Shouldnt Have to do Squat--Thats Up to Quality Control at the Factory Not You

Like you Said why Risk the Warranty--Just Send the Unit Back to Uniden and Start Tickets--I See Uniden Rep on Here Looking at the Threads He Also Should be Pushing the Issue to the Top on what he is Witnessing to get a recall started
 

TailGator911

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A recall would be contemplated if they were getting identical complaints from EVERY customer who has purchased the radio. That's just not the case here. There are many of us that own the SDS200 that have no problems to report whatsoever. And, this Uniden section of the RR website is but a very small voice in the Uniden customer base, an even smaller voice in the overall industry. What's going on outside of the RadioReference world? That can only be calculated by crunching the numbers of identical return requests to retail outlets. The big picture is what Uniden has to look at when it comes to making recall decisions or announcing repair campaigns. Not just 15-20 dissatisfied customers in a Uniden forum on the internet. Granted, that's how it may begin, but if there is a problem and it persists and continues to grow, it will manifest itself soon enough and make itself known to the manufacturer. Then, Uniden will act on all of the information they receive.

Badgering, baiting, insulting and challenging company representatives who make themselves available to their customers here on the forums is reprehensible, immature and downright juvenile. Some of you should be ashamed of yourselves. You buy a scanner and it is defective or it doesn't work as advertised, send the damn radio back to the seller and either get a refund or an exchange. That's how it is done in the retail world, and it is no different with a scanner radio. If a trend develops, they will deal with it. Grow up or find a different toy to play with.

JD
kf4anc
 

Theo

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There is a poster on the Tube channel that says its the ribbon cable and I can fix it, but I'm not going to open it up and ruin an exchange.
Agreed, I sent mine back yesterday. Can you point to that YouTube channel about the ribbon cable. Thanks
 

Ubbe

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If you quietly send a product back to be fixed or get your money back, no one will know of any problems and think that it is a problem free and perfect product. That's not the right way to ignore internet and social media. In this enlightened world it should not be possible to sell an inferior product to innocent people. A lot of us are reading user reviews before buying anything and don't trust sales blurbs.
Everyone that feels a product do not live up to its promises should make his voice heard to be noted by everyone. It might be a valid complaint or not but it is what the user feels about the product that matters.

/Ubbe
 

ArtU

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Hi Theo, here is what a poster said about the issue on the first video I posted to youtube: ["This would appear to be a loose ribbon cable, you could attempt to repair it by taking the the outer shell off #2 phillips and the top shield but that is up to you (as Upman has mentioned before, repair don't look at every screw for prior removal unless severally buggered) and look for the ribbon cable and reseat or push in both places the ribbon cable has glue, wipe fingerprints, clean, test and you are good to put it back together. Or you can contact Uniden for repair and be without the scanner for 4 - 6 weeks. "]
 

mkt853

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Hi Theo, here is what a poster said about the issue on the first video I posted to youtube: ["This would appear to be a loose ribbon cable, you could attempt to repair it by taking the the outer shell off #2 phillips and the top shield but that is up to you (as Upman has mentioned before, repair don't look at every screw for prior removal unless severally buggered) and look for the ribbon cable and reseat or push in both places the ribbon cable has glue, wipe fingerprints, clean, test and you are good to put it back together. Or you can contact Uniden for repair and be without the scanner for 4 - 6 weeks. "]
How are these cables getting loose? Mine has sat on my desk for over a week perfectly still and working fine and then yesterday afternoon out of the blue started flickering. I have another SDS200 sitting next to it and it is still fine. I'm going to try reseating the cable and hopefully that solves it because otherwise my two SDS200s are great radios that don't seem to have any of the other reported issues (knocks on wood).
 

TailGator911

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If you quietly send a product back to be fixed or get your money back, no one will know of any problems and think that it is a problem free and perfect product. That's not the right way to ignore internet and social media. In this enlightened world it should not be possible to sell an inferior product to innocent people. A lot of us are reading user reviews before buying anything and don't trust sales blurbs.
Everyone that feels a product do not live up to its promises should make his voice heard to be noted by everyone. It might be a valid complaint or not but it is what the user feels about the product that matters.

/Ubbe

I agree, Ubbe, and you have to agree, I would think, that some people take it a little too far.
Just sayin

JD
kf4anc
 

mkt853

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What's weird about it is right now, it's hardly noticeable or not even doing it at all, while this afternoon it was terrible and the background color of the department I was holding on was more white than orange.
 

ArtU

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How are these cables getting loose? Mine has sat on my desk for over a week perfectly still and working fine and then yesterday afternoon out of the blue started flickering. I have another SDS200 sitting next to it and it is still fine. I'm going to try reseating the cable and hopefully that solves it because otherwise my two SDS200s are great radios that don't seem to have any of the other reported issues (knocks on wood).

I concur on how a cable could get loose, and I dont see any Physical Intermittents in my issues. Let us know if reseating the cable fixes it please.
 

Ubbe

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I agree, Ubbe, and you have to agree, I would think, that some people take it a little too far.
That's related to the price of the product. If you pay $700 (and +$850 with all the decoding options) for the most expensive scanner ever sold you expect to get quality and even little things will sting in your eye that probably haven't even been mentioned if it was sold for $499.

/Ubbe
 

Meskoman

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It will be two weeks this Friday since I had my SDS200 and I'm now getting the screen flicker at the bottom of screen horizontal. Been operating all dimmers at 10%
 

ArtU

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I am waiting from my dealer to get a new unit , here is how it is the last week. I keep the back-lite off at all times but it pops up during certain talk groups. I run Pro scan to even see what is on the screen of the scanner till I get a replacement from my dealer...

 
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ArtU

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Feb 12, 2010
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Next problem is I already got the DMR upgrade, and the next day this started.. So I have to find out how to transfer that when I get a new unit..
 
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