It's a continuous mystery to me that some sds100 owners are totally satisfied with all aspects of this radio and others are not. Did Uniden change something in its interior circuitry between production runs? I bought mine the last week before they started selling them with the big battery, so I was able to get in on the free battery. Mine performs flawlessly, on both digital simulcast systems and vhf/uhf, air band, itinerants, etc. I hear airport towers 25mi away clear as a bell. Mall cops 20 mi away on dot frequencies. Vhf public safety out in Preble county 30 mi away with some static but hearable. Mine has never run 'hot'. Charges normal while running. I have zero problems. This cannot just be some fluke as to some sds100s working like mine and others 'deaf' on vhf/uhf. Has to be an explanation for it.
Just off the top of my head, I have estimated possibly 25-30 (out of hundreds) unhappy customers with receive, repair, charging, issues with the SDS100 just in this forum. I wonder what the actual numbers are aside of this forum, the percentage out of thousands of owners. It doesn't seem to be an issue elsewhere in consumer reports. I would be curious as to how the serial numbers read, if the 'problem' radios are of a certain group produced in Vietnam.
Of course, when I heard the radios were being manufactured in 'Nam I almost did not buy one for that simple reason. Some of us remember Charlie and wonder at the quality of workmanship and the probability of belated revenge.
(a feeble joke from a Vietnam combat veteran) All feeble jokes aside, I am and always will be curious at to why some of the SDS100s are peak performers and others are plagued with problems.
JD
kf4anc