SDS250 potential?

[dmfalk]

And considering that the 150 exists and that most of the intellectual and actual capital goes into the software, it doesn't seem far-fetched at all.

With a few notable exceptions, the firmware in the 150 isn't much different from the 100, but with the revamped RF section and a new, more powerful processor, this makes an update on the 200 inevitable. Toss in the Bluetooth and GPS, it becomes a whole new beast. Right now, the 200 is operating on a decade-old design. While good, the 150's design improvements prove that an upgrade is necessary. When (not if!) the 250 comes out, those who give the new scanner a shot will notice the night-and-day difference, just as with the 150 over the 100.

(Will I get the 250? No. I prefer the 150's handheld form factor for my kind of portability in my life, and I do plan on getting a 150. Just that I can see the upgrade inevitability of the 250 from the 200..... Just as Uniden doesn't make crystal receivers anymore, they upgrade from older models to newer ones.)

 

[pyeman99]

The IF filters in SDS100/200 are 10MHz wide, the same as in Unidens conventional hardware receivers. But that doesn't work with a SDR receiver so Uniden added their filter settings that sets the filter offset to try and block interference from one edge of the filter, but that opens up too much at the other end, it's either pest or colera. In the 150 they have no filter settings so that means they have to use a more narrow IF filter.

There are IF filters available at those exact frequencies that SDS100/200 uses that's only 250KHz wide that would be much more suitable to be used.

For the Waterfall feature in SDS100/200 the DSP can sample a 2.88MHz wide frequency range, the same as the SDS150, so must still be the same DSP processor. Setting the waterfall span to higher values makes it instead to do a search of the frequency range. According to the SDS150 user manual it says it still samples at 2.88MHz and then they must bypass the IF filter or switch to the older 10MHz wide one. Those narrow IF filters are $0.50 each but you have to buy 100 of them,, so I'm looking at other sources or perhaps obtain a sample and try it in one of my SDS scanners.

The processor in SDS100/200 are the second quickest and feature rich that Renesas has, the RX600 at a 120MHz clock speed but they also have the RX700 that runs at 240MHz but requires more power but the battery in SDS150 also have a 50% higher capacity. The SDS150 operates quicker when reading from SD card and so on and probably needs to be more powerful if it also handles bluetooth and GPS at the same time.

If Avery Europe will be selling the SDS150 it would be a better option for EU than the SDS100 that struggles in complex RF environments but GPS would still be useless as there's no database for EU and Avery doesn't seem to be interested in trying to maintain one based on user reports. There wouldn't be any point in keeping SDS100E/200E in the product line when there's a better scanner to be had that's more suitable for EU use. The cost would be high but Icom and AOR also has consumer receivers that are above a $1000 selling price.

/Ubbe

Would love to try a narrow roofing filter as you say.

 

[rf_patriot200]

For strong interfering signals in the area, it is necessary to use band or channel suppressors, use a spectrum analyzer to find them, and also adjust the level with an adjustable attenuator, because this scanner incredibly suffers from being overwhelmed by strong secondary signals. It also has a poorly functioning squelch. I strongly doubt that Uniden will fix the most important thing in the receiver in the "planned" SDS 250.

I've seen No squelch issues or rf overload you describe, in the SDS 200, so I have to Disagree.

 

[DavidDownUnder]

"When (not if!) the 250 comes out, those who give the new scanner a shot will notice the night-and-day difference, just as with the 150 over the 100."

I've not paid too much attention to what people are saying about the 150 and I've never seen a 100 in person. Been mostly happy with the 200 but your comment has me already planning to buy a 250!

 

[RRR]

If they would acknowledge the lack of reasonable backlight, and brighten the screen up on the 200 / 250 to the same or even close to the same as the 100 / 150, then I will purchase some.
Sad that a knock off radio, or about any other backlit display scanner really, doesn't have the low brightness display as the current 200 does.

 

[RandyKuff]

I remember many many years ago I had an HP IPAQ 4700 that used what is called a "Transflective" display...
Outdoors in sunlight it would refect the light back through the display to illuminate it...
It worked really well too... It's a pretty wild display technology...

Transflective liquid-crystal display - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[werinshades]

If they would acknowledge the lack of reasonable backlight, and brighten the screen up on the 200 / 250 to the same or even close to the same as the 100 / 150, then I will purchase some.
Sad that a knock off radio, or about any other backlit display scanner really, doesn't have the low brightness display as the current 200 does.

I own 6...no 7...no 8 SDS200's and the display is very bright and my colors are very visible, so not sure what your settings are when uploading programming? The 150 is sharper than the 100's display, but don't have any issues seeing that one either.

I remember many many years ago I had an HP IPAQ 4700 that used what is called a "Transflective" display...
Outdoors in sunlight it would refect the light back through the display to illuminate it...
It worked really well too... It's a pretty wild display technology...

View attachment 197717

Transflective liquid-crystal display - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

No matter what Uniden or any company does with the display or speakers or buttons, someone will complain. Scanners becoming ADA compliant for those with hearing or vision issues will add to the production costs which will be passed on to a majority of us who don't have these issues.

 

[RRR]

Your opinion is duly noted.

When everything inside a vehicle console is able to be viewed in the daytime, except the SDS200, there is an issue.
You may have yours inside, or whatever. But I have 7 of them. (I actually know how many I have 😆) All at 100% brightness, both in sentinel, and via the scanner. My cellphone is able to be seen fine in the daytime, the SDS200 is not, regardless if you think so or not. They are absolutely not able to be bright enough as they are.
The SDS100 is, though. Great brightness with them. Sometimes even too bright at 10%. Far better than the SDS200.

 

[mc48]

The newer display on the 150 is much brighter and clearer than the 100 or 200. I would imagine if the 250 happens, it will also get this different technology display.

 

[Ret_Batt_Chief]

View attachment 194528
How about it, SDS550?!

For those current and ex-paramedics, that looks a lot like the new LifePak cardiac monitor. LOL

 

[rf_patriot200]

For those current and ex-paramedics, that looks a lot like the new LifePak cardiac monitor. LOL

Maybe mount paddles to the sides ... CLEAR !

 

[RRR]

Lifepak 5 was the last I used... That was in the 90's

 

[Ret_Batt_Chief]

Well "RRR" they just came out with the Lifepak 35.

 

[rf_patriot200]

Well "RRR" they just came out with the Lifepak 35.

Maybe the Lifepak 36 will resuscitate Old Radios ??

 

[redbeard]

I'm still holding the torch for something new instead of a refreshed 200. With everyone wanting remote heads and the project from Scanner Master getting cancelled, (coincidence?) I feel like we're more likely to see an SDR-based HP-3 or if we are lucky something similar but in a bigger/better form factor. 7in tablet on the front and rear firing speaker to bounce off the windshield would be a nice mobile, esp with integrated GPS and hopefully proper bluetooth that's not phone-based. I can see why BTLE would be preferred in a portable but lets stick to normal BT on mobiles, ok Uniden?

But who is to say we won't see a return to the long-lived DIN format with a refreshed 996/536 style. We don't need to keep the 200 size for it's big screen if we have bluetooth to put a tablet on it remotely. DIN was easier to install and if you still can't, remote it. After all, we don't have an SDR-based Dynamic Memory scanner yet.

BCD-996SD anyone?

 

[Ubbe]

After all, we don't have an SDR-based Dynamic Memory scanner yet.

All Uniden scanners that doesn't use channel numbers use DMA memory technology?

/Ubbe

 

[bearcatrp]

View attachment 194528
How about it, SDS550?!

This would cost 2 kidneys and a lung. Top screen used for waterfall display.

 

[redbeard]

All Uniden scanners that doesn't use channel numbers use DMA memory technology?

/Ubbe

I don't understand your question. Uniden makes DMA scanners like the BCT-15, 325, 436, & 996. Then opposite that they have the HomePatrol scanners like the HP-1/2, 536, and SDS scanners. Only the SDS is SDR. The HP based scanners are not DMA.

Channel/Bank is the very old style before DMA. I'm not actually sure if they still offer any like that. But those models without trunking wouldn't really benefit from SDR like the DMA and older HP scanners would.

 

[Ubbe]

The HP based scanners are not DMA.

A scanner like BC125 uses channel numbers so that ch1 gets memory location 1 and ch5 get memory location 5. If not using ch2-3-4 you will be wasting those memory locations.

Uniden then came up with DMA that doesn't use channel numbers but instead systems and departments. You can number tag frequencies to let them have channel numbers but if you enter a frequency for ch1 that gets location 1 and then enter a frequency as ch5 it will get memory location 2 so that no memory are wasted, hence Dynamic Memory Architecture. All HP and SDS scanners use DMA and don't reserve memory between programmed channels that will be unused.

/Ubbe

 

[trimmerj]

Oh, good- I was wondering about interdimensional trunking capabilities........

Interositor plugin...