Uniden SDS-200 Issues - RESOLVED

[FireLt111]

This will be worth reading especially if you're having reception issues with your scanner. We sent off our newsroom scanner, which was only 1 month old, to Uniden America for repair. Well, today we have notified the following repairs:

Q4 and Q5 as well a grounding wire issues. Now we understand the grounding wire issue...but what in the heck are Q4 & Q5 repairs?

Our scanner was monitoring a P25 system in Boyd County, KY when the scanner would only pick up on a few seconds of a call and we would hear NO MORE. So if the guru's reading this know what those codes mean...do you all care to share the information?

It was only a CSR who passed the info along and not the repair dept.

Thanks in advance to all who read this.

Pamela Lee
News & Weather Director
X Rock Radio

 

[doctordialtone]

Q4 & Q5

Q4 and Q5 are transistors.

Q is shorthand for that.

https://electronics.stackexchange.c...he-circuit-board-abreviation-for-transistor-q

 

[FireLt111]

Q4 and Q5 are transistors.

Q is shorthand for that.

https://electronics.stackexchange.c...he-circuit-board-abreviation-for-transistor-q

Thank you very much!

For a scanner that's less than a month or so old (in Use) bought brand new...is that a common issue?
Thank you for your input, sir.

Pamela Lee

 

[doctordialtone]

is that a common issue?

Absolutely NOT. This model has had its share of issues, however.

Good luck!

 

[FireLt111]

Absolutely NOT. This model has had its share of issues, however.

Good luck!

Thanks so much. Just out of curiosity, what are the issues it has been experiencing?

 

[doctordialtone]

Problems, problems...

OK I was scanning with one of my SDS 200 scanners. Actually, I was scanning Vanderburgh P25 and SAFE T P25 systems. Went into menu and manage favorites and I decided to delete a system (conventional) that I wasn't even scanning. When the scanner went back to the scan screen hmmmm,...NOTHING TO...

forums.radioreference.com

Pick your own search terms.

 

[RandyKuff]

That failure on yours is not common at all... First I heard of those transistors failing...
My 200 has been running 24/7 for well over a year now... No issues at all...

On the older ones from 2018 to whatever, there was an issue of a hum from the speaker... I fixed the hum myself...
And I've seen where a few displays have failed...
And the proverbial SD card failure or corruption...

 

[doctordialtone]

In fairness, I own a SDS200 and haven't had any issues... yet.

I bought it because I read so many posts about it.

I wouldn't buy the SDS100.

 

[RandyKuff]

In fairness, I own a SDS200 and haven't had any issues... yet.

I bought it because I read so many posts about it.

I wouldn't buy the SDS100.

My SDS100 has been running for over two years without a problem...

 

[garys]

My SDS200 is an early production unit and I've had no issues with it. My SDS100 was bought right after Thanksgiving 2019, and it too has worked very well.

I know that some people have had legitimate issues, but the problem is that internet forums like this can magnify those out of proportion to the number people who have units without problems.

 

[doctordialtone]

without a problem...

Lucky you!

SDS100: - SDS100 issues

 

[garys]

Proving my point.

Lucky you!

SDS100: - SDS100 issues

 

[RandyKuff]

Lucky you!

SDS100: - SDS100 issues

Don't you be putting that VOODOO on my 100 now...

 

[nessnet]

My SDS200 is an early production unit and I've had no issues with it. My SDS100 was bought right after Thanksgiving 2019, and it too has worked very well.

I know that some people have had legitimate issues, but the problem is that internet forums like this can magnify those out of proportion to the number people who have units without problems.

Since the beginning of the Internets, (Newsgroups, etc...) the complainers have outnumbered the fanboys by a wide margin.
(Unless it was sycophantic forum like an Apple group).

I have had a number of 100s and a few 200s.
Other than the 200 hum and me mudging up USB port pins, no issues.

 

[jtwalker]

Since the beginning of the Internets, (Newsgroups, etc...) the complainers have outnumbered the fanboys by a wide margin.
(Unless it was sycophantic forum like an Apple group).

I have had a number of 100s and a few 200s.
Other than the 200 hum and me mudging up USB port pins, no issues.

I think we should start requesting owners create a “I bought an SDSx00 and it works fine, no problems whatsoever” when it actually happens! 😛

 

[captainmax1]

My two SDS100's have been running 24/7since they first came out without issues. I am aware of all the problems with cold solder joints. Don't know if I've been lucky or got good ones but knock-on wood. They get carried and knocked around when I travel. My favorite scanners. Don't know how a company can put out solder joints like the ones I've seen from Jonwienke. The worst I've ever seen, and I was in the electronics business 20 years. It's still the best scanner on the market in my opinion.

 

[RandyKuff]

I think we should start requesting owners create a “I bought an SDSx00 and it works fine, no problems whatsoever” when it actually happens! 😛

I know several years ago you used to be able to setup a thread with a voting poll... Pose the questions with a check box or something like that...
And it would keep a running count and only let you check a box once... Don't know if that can still be done or not...

 

[SteveSimpkin]

Regarding transistors Q3 and Q4. While we don’t have access to a schematic diagram for the SDS200, it is *possible* that they are performing a similar function as Q1 and Q2 do on the handheld SDS100 model. If this is true, these can be damaged by exposing the scanner antenna to high RF fields such as a nearby transmitter.

Problem with a SDS100

No I know it wasn't directed at just me but I also know Uniden Support maybe watching this thread so I just wanted to make sure I stated I have not made any modifications to the my scanners I have to send my like new 436 in as well for the repair campaign because I never got around to that...

forums.radioreference.com

 

[dave3825]

Just out of curiosity, what are the issues it has been experiencing?

This is not my video but it proved I was not the only one . My scanner does this but I see it on a few uhf freqs. The op did not resolve it as of 3 months ago and another commenter suggested it might be a MOTOTRBO cap plus system's rest channel .

Either way its annoying.

 

[buddrousa]

That audio sounds like it was at the dispatch site. We have intermod at our dispatch site between 2 systems it is heard on the console at dispatch while the offending channel is keyed at the dispatch center.