Uniden SDS100 replacement
- Thread starter mrmann901
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Probably on the same day they make the announcement.
It's unlikely they will. They apparently don't have the qualified staff on board to do so. They can't even fix issues they're having with their SDS100 & 200. The 100 & 200 were suppose to be the scanners to end all. With the proliferation of encryption taking place in our country and our LE & Gov. wanting to eliminate transparency I'm not sure if future scanner development would be a wise marketing decision going forward.
You are going to have a long wait, I don't think it will be anytime soon.
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@JoeBearcat had made a number of recent references to development of new, future models, a few of those references are in posts linked here:
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In memory of UPMan...another Tax Day update coming? :unsure:
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I think it would be great if they would work on uses for the usb port in the back to access to the SDR I guess that is for. I know a British guy did a hack. but hopefully there is more capability there. I also would like to know what the USB host port on the front is for That is part of...
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@JoeBearcat On Sentinel One Freq Trunk the P-Ch is greyed out. Is this in the works to ungrey? I have made many OFT on certain area(s) & counties around me they use more than 1 TG on a same freq. Another question is Record option being tweaked were we only can record certain TG/Channels not...
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No "major" firmware updates in the near future for the SDS series? That depends how you define "near future". I am in the process of documenting things that need addressed currently. Those will need approved, fixed, tested, and then released.
Since we all have seen posts about tons of folks who listen to far more than public safety, I believe there is still a strong market for newer, better scanners.
Hi & welcome to the RR forums:
Get & enjoy the SDS100 if you so desire. If/when Uniden releases a new model, don't jump the gun and get in line on "launch day". Instead, wait a while, maybe a firmware release's time or two, maybe longer. Jump on the forums and read the user feedback in the tavern & tech support forums. When enough hobbyists have the scanner and have been using it for a while they'll be sure to comment and provide feedback on what they like, don't like, what the issues are, etc. This should give you adequate info to make an informed decision whether or not to upgrade to the latest and the greatest because trust me, there's nothing worse than shelling out $700 plus on a scanner plagued with issues. Do your homework!
Thank you for the information.
This kind of inside information is why you are a “Super Moderator”!
Exactly, well said!
Also be sure to buy from a reputable dealer like Scanner Master that offers a full money back guarantee return policy!
FIRE321FIGHTER1985
Member
I strongly agree with your comment. Both of the sds,s have/had many problems that puts up a RED FLAG IN my opinion.
All "hobby grade" scanners since the 'age of trunking' have had issues when they first come out and as far as I know, the manufactures have all issued software/firmware updates for free to correct those issues.
Plain and simply, no manufacturer can beta test a scanner, even with 100's of beta users, and hit every conceivable situation.
At the police department I retired from, our first set of handheld for the new trunking system (manufacturer was GE) all had to be updated due to issues. In addition, the FCC had to rebrand the frequencies nationwide to try to eliminate unexpected interference between unrelated systems.
The more complicated something is, the higher the chance it's not perfect first time.
Plain and simply, no manufacturer can beta test a scanner, even with 100's of beta users, and hit every conceivable situation.
At the police department I retired from, our first set of handheld for the new trunking system (manufacturer was GE) all had to be updated due to issues. In addition, the FCC had to rebrand the frequencies nationwide to try to eliminate unexpected interference between unrelated systems.
The more complicated something is, the higher the chance it's not perfect first time.
I agree with what you say, except the SDS100 and 200 are well beyond the 'when they first come out' stage.
The SDS100 is 3 years old (released Q2 of 2018) and the SDS200 is over 2 years old (released Q1 of 2019.) Yet, here we are with people still reporting QA issues - cold solder joints, loose ribbon cable connectors, malfunctioning displays, hum, etc. I was the victim of a malfunctioning display on my SDS200 two weeks after I received it (thank you Amazon for your no questions asked 100% refund policy.)
So, I don't begrudge anybody for being somewhat hesitant to buy one of these questionable products. In fact, I applaud them for doing their homework and spending (or not spending) their money wisely. I will gladly wait for the next generation if there ever is one. But, I am with others in not buying an SDS series scanner at this point. My Unication G5 and Blue Tail P25RX are doing the job for me right now.
Oh yes, and when was the last SDS software/firmware update?
I agree with what you say, except the SDS100 and 200 are well beyond the 'when they first come out' stage.
The SDS100 is 3 years old (released Q2 of 2018) and the SDS200 is over 2 years old (released Q1 of 2019.) Yet, here we are with people still reporting QA issues - cold solder joints, loose ribbon cable connectors, malfunctioning displays, hum, etc. I was the victim of a malfunctioning display on my SDS200 two weeks after I received it (thank you Amazon for your no questions asked 100% refund policy.)
So, I don't begrudge anybody for being somewhat hesitant to buy one of these questionable products. In fact, I applaud them for doing their homework and spending (or not spending) their money wisely. I will gladly wait for the next generation if there ever is one. But, I am with others in not buying an SDS series scanner at this point. My Unication G5 and Blue Tail P25RX are doing the job for me right now.
Oh yes, and when was the last SDS software/firmware update?
You've been an unhappy Uniden critic for a long time and I understand why. But..what you don't hear too much about is the "silent majority" of us who haven't had any of the issues you mentioned and are quite happy with the SDS scanners and are listening regularly in our simulcast jungles. I just purchased 2 more SDS 200's (Total of 4 now), purchased one of the early releases of the SDS 100 (June 2018), and haven't experienced any major issues. My original SDS 200 has a minor hum but only when the room is completely silent (which isn't very often). But then again, when my house is quiet, I hear my refrigerator and furnace humming right along too, and haven't returned them yet. My 3 other SDS 200's are silent, so if I ever need to send in my original SDS 200 (Jan. 2019..early release also), I'll ask them to do whatever they're doing to the later models.
Now...as far as Unication goes I've been lurking there too. I think it's a good product, but for the price ($750+) which doesn't include MotoTRBO trunk tracking or NXDN capabilities, it's not the one for me. In addition, I listen to UHF/VHF/Aircraft/Railroad...well, alot in addition to P25. I've also been reading how "Unication abandoned their subscribers" complaints since the release of the new firmware. On that also I couldn't "scan" different sites the way I do on my SDS scanners. As I understand it, it "locks on" to the control channel, and doesn't let go until the signal is lost. Also...I haven't seen where you can't text tag Radio ID's..which is important to me, and considering the price, isn't worth it. G5's, G4's have their shortcomings too, and if all you want to listen to is a single P25 systems, it might be for you. I've also read of a Unication scanner coming out soon, so that will be interesting to watch. They have alot of work to do to catch up. Oh...and about that firmware update question, yes it's been awhile, but Unication has left the G5/G4 owners hanging out too. When they produce the $1,000 scanner, you'll forget all about it..
Plenty of differences between them, and a majority of the SDS line of scanners are performing as advertised. The "disgruntled/angry" customers aren't a represenative of all of us here, and I know you're one of them which gives you a jaded perspective.
Yes, I know, due to the Uniden corporate "structure" and the pandemic, there have been no firmware updates for the SDS series since 2019 and there are still some bugs that haven't yet been fixed.
Cold solder joints, loose connectors and so forth are manufacting issues that reportedly are being addressed.
And yes, it is always 'buyer's choice" based on their particular needs.
I just bought my SDS200 4 months ago. Prior to that, I was still using my BCD396T for listening. Colorado hasn't (yet) gone to Phase 2 and for "fixed" use was great. I moved to the SDS200 not because the 396T quit but because of the location based nature, the flexibility of design and that Dementia Joe gave me an extra $1,400 freebie.
Simple as that
Cold solder joints, loose connectors and so forth are manufacting issues that reportedly are being addressed.
And yes, it is always 'buyer's choice" based on their particular needs.
I just bought my SDS200 4 months ago. Prior to that, I was still using my BCD396T for listening. Colorado hasn't (yet) gone to Phase 2 and for "fixed" use was great. I moved to the SDS200 not because the 396T quit but because of the location based nature, the flexibility of design and that Dementia Joe gave me an extra $1,400 freebie.
Simple as that
I would expect it will be a long wait. You should keep in mind there is currently NO COMPETITOR to the SDS scanners. None, zero, zilch. Specifically, there is no scanner besides the SDS that supports simulcast.
Also, there is no other scanner manufacturer who has built anything supporting NXDN/DMR trunked protocols - there are few besides the SDS but they are all made by Uniden in the last 5 years or so. Whistler *was* supposedly going to release such a product several years ago, but in March 2019 they cancelled it unexpectedly.
I have learned a while ago there is no ONE product that will be awesome at everything. I have several Motorola XPR and XTS radios for particular purposes (ham and monitoring various bands), they are awesome in terms of selectivity, sensitivity, ruggedness, volume, battery life with the highest-capacity Impress batteries, auto site roaming on a multi-site trunked system etc. However they are awful in terms of scan list capacity, and simply don't have many basic features that scanners from 25 years had (i.e. custom search mode, close call, TGID search etc). Several others on this thread have mentioned Unication, they are also great radios.
Also, there is no other scanner manufacturer who has built anything supporting NXDN/DMR trunked protocols - there are few besides the SDS but they are all made by Uniden in the last 5 years or so. Whistler *was* supposedly going to release such a product several years ago, but in March 2019 they cancelled it unexpectedly.
I have learned a while ago there is no ONE product that will be awesome at everything. I have several Motorola XPR and XTS radios for particular purposes (ham and monitoring various bands), they are awesome in terms of selectivity, sensitivity, ruggedness, volume, battery life with the highest-capacity Impress batteries, auto site roaming on a multi-site trunked system etc. However they are awful in terms of scan list capacity, and simply don't have many basic features that scanners from 25 years had (i.e. custom search mode, close call, TGID search etc). Several others on this thread have mentioned Unication, they are also great radios.
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The SDS100 was only released about three years ago, so it still has a lot of life left.
walter900
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I was thinking just like you... Then i decided to jump in and order a sds100 fully loaded with all three digital keys unlocked.. This is such an amazing scanner.. It really picks up everything (non-encrypted).. Its fully customizable.. The display is fantastic.. It scans so much you really need to setup your priority channels right away as to keep hitting on your local department channels. . I chose the DND priority option plus Close Call.. In the short time i have had this scanner it has not skipped a beat.. The audio has been loud and clear on the systems i scan.. Although it would have been nice to have a customizable five band eq to taylor the sound to everyone's taste. . Plus... You can have it modded with an internal gps chip.. Which is really cool.. No regrets here.. I recommend you jump in and start enjoying it.. I ordered mine with the eight county programming option and it was worth every penny just to pull it out of the box and start scanning everything within seconds.. 😊👍
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mitbr
Active Member
As many of you know I don't own the sds series however I do own many other Uniden scanners and am very fond of the Unication pagers. I have stated it before that with all the things we can listen too, one radio simply will not cut it. Buy the tool that suits the task. A jack of all trades radio simply is mediocre at any specific task
That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Oh and to the OP welcome to the forums there are some great people here.
Tim
That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Oh and to the OP welcome to the forums there are some great people here.
Tim
this right here, as far as firmware updates, what firmware issue needs to be fixed? my SDS200 has been running solid for a good whileAs many of you know I don't own the sds series however I do own many other Uniden scanners and am very fond of the Unication pagers. I have stated it before that with all the things we can listen too, one radio simply will not cut it. Buy the tool that suits the task. A jack of all trades radio simply is mediocre at any specific task
That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Oh and to the OP welcome to the forums there are some great people here.
Tim
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