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
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We have not tested it ourselves: strengths and weaknesses below come from the tests cited.
The SDS200 suits a fixed listening post at home, in a vehicle or in a layout room, where a railfan wants P25 and trunked systems as well as conventional analog railroad channels. It receives APCO P25 Phase 1 and 2, X2-TDMA, Motorola, EDACS and LTR trunked systems and conventional analog and P25 channels across 25–512 MHz and higher bands. A forum tester compared it with a BC780XLT on VHF and found it respectable, though behind the older analog scanner, and, in a brief test that the poster said needed confirmation, it also received military air traffic well.
The case measures 7.08 x 6.29 x 2.83 in without antenna and weighs 49.38 oz (1,400 g), so it is a desk or vehicle unit rather than a pocket one. The box includes AC and DC power cords, a mounting bracket and a micro SD card. The tester reported more white noise than the BC780XLT on the AM air band, some UHF intermodulation, dim keypad lighting and a front network jack that is awkward without a 90-degree cable, and noted that a rooftop antenna is needed for some distant simulcast systems. The railroad band around 160 MHz was not tested in that thread.
Recommended by the radio community · RadioReference forums: A side-by-side forum test found its VHF reception respectable but behind a classic analog scanner, with more noise on the AM air band, and judged it the best all-around scanner for the reviewer's needs thanks to its coverage and simulcast reception. Read the review
Strengths
Weaknesses
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Size | 7.08 x 6.29 x 2.83 in (W x D x H) without antenna |
| Power | AC and DC power cords included |
| Weight | 49.38 oz (1,400 g) without antenna |
| Display | 3.5-inch customizable color display |
| Receiver | True I/Q |
| Conventional | Analog and P25 digital channels |
| 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 wants a base or mobile unit with strong digital reception and a large screen. Someone who walks to the lineside with a handheld, or who only needs analog railroad channels, should look at a handheld model.
The Uniden SDS100 is the handheld counterpart with the same receiver design. The Uniden BCD436HP is an earlier digital handheld in a lower 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 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
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. How we pick our gear
Compare all radio scanners.
