Uniden · Premium
A rugged, water-resistant True I/Q handheld scanner that decodes P25 and trunked systems and also receives conventional analog channels.
Recommended by the radio community · RadioReference forums, Jun 2018
Check price on Amazon (affiliate link, opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. How we pick our gear
We have not tested it ourselves: strengths and weaknesses below come from the tests cited.
Where a railroad or a regional system has gone digital, or where a railfan also wants to follow local public safety, the SDS100 receives APCO P25 Phase 1 and 2, X2-TDMA, Motorola, EDACS and LTR trunked systems as well as conventional analog channels, across 25–512 MHz and higher bands. A reviewer found conventional UHF and VHF reception noticeably better than on the older Uniden x36 handhelds. On rail channels, forum comparisons are less one-sided: a member who compared it with the BC125AT on identical scan lists reported that the BC125AT locked sooner, and a member comparing it with the newer SDS150 near a rail line reported static in spots on a defect detector where the SDS150 was steady.
The SDS100 is rated JIS4/IPX4 for water resistance and charges through its USB mini port; a battery menu option lets it run while charging. In a first-weeks review the scan speed was about 100–120 channels per second against about 80 for the older x36 series, current draw was roughly 800 mA while scanning with the screen on, and the unit ran warmer than the BCD436HP. The display is dim in direct sunlight, and a black-and-white mode reads better outdoors. One reviewer used a Diamond RH77CA or a base antenna and did not test the stock antenna; another early owner used the stock antenna indoors. Decoding of DMR, NXDN and ProVoice requires a paid upgrade.
Recommended by the radio community · RadioReference forums: First-weeks forum reports describe fast scanning and better conventional sensitivity than the older x36 handhelds, with more heat and heavier battery drain; the first reviewer judged it worth the price despite the shorter battery life. Read the review
Strengths
Weaknesses
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Charging | USB mini port |
| Database | HomePatrol database of U.S. and Canadian systems |
| Receiver | True I/Q |
| Close Call | Close Call RF Capture |
| Conventional | Analog and P25 digital channels |
| Water resistance | JIS4/IPX4 |
| Frequency coverage | 25–512, 758–824, 849–869, 894–960, 1240–1300 MHz |
| Digital and trunking | APCO P25 Phase 1 and 2, X2-TDMA, Motorola, EDACS, LTR |
Suits a railfan who also follows local public safety or a digital system and wants a rugged handheld with a database and strong digital reception. Someone who only listens to analog railroad channels can spend less on an analog scanner and, according to one forum comparison, lose nothing on those channels.
The Uniden SDS200 uses the same receiver design in a base or mobile case with a larger display. The Uniden BC125AT covers conventional analog railroad channels in a lighter and much cheaper unit. The Uniden SDS150 is a newer handheld on the same True I/Q design, with built-in GPS and USB-C charging, in a higher price tier.
Photo: Anthonyramos1 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Uniden · Mid-range
A digital handheld scanner with a built-in database of U.S. and Canadian systems that also receives conventional analog channels, including the VHF bands.
Recommended by the radio community · RadioReference forums, May 2014
Uniden · Premium
A True I/Q base and mobile scanner with a 3.5-inch color display that decodes P25 and trunked systems and receives conventional analog channels.
Recommended by the radio community · RadioReference forums, Feb 2019
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. How we pick our gear
Compare all radio scanners.
