Hello and Welcome Back... I thought i would do a review on the remaining available radio scanners that do Phase 2 (P25) PSN (Public Safety Network) / GRN (Government Radio Network) This is where you will find NSW Ambulance, Rural Fire, Fire & Rescue, SES, State Rail and heaps more (See Full List Here)
So, today, I Take a look (and listen) to the main drivers of Handheld Radio Scanning in 2023 before you pay out your hard earned cash
Who will be our winner??
Sadly, The Uniden UBCD396XT will not feature in this showdown as this radio is Phase 1 only.. :(
CONTESTANTS
UNIDEN 396XT (N/A) (Phase 1 only)
UNIDEN 325P2
UNIDEN BCD160DN (N/A) (No P25)
UNIDEN 436PT
UNIDEN SDS100
WHISTLER WS1040 (N/A) (Yet To Test)
*** UNIDEN 325P2 ***
GOOD
* Robust Construction
* Phase 1 & 2
* DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) Compatible
* Easy To Program (Proscan/Freescan)
BAD
* Battery Life is Woeful
* No Backlight Keypad
* Limited to 255 sites on P25
The Uniden 325P2 is a remake of the UBC93XLT which is why these scanners still has the 2 battery configuration which is this radio's downfall. When you add power hungry P25 & DMR decoding, you need power to back it up... Most radios that do this decoding have 3 battery's, not this scanner. Battery problems aside, this scanner has the same inside architecture (Radio Menu) as the UBCD396XT so its fairly easy to program.
Reception on analog like Airband / Military Airband is excellent and is the last of the full analog type scanners as the SDS100 & 436PT use SDR (Software Defined Radio) as part of there reception..Prices for these radios have gone up substantially
*** UNDEN 463PT ***
GOOD
* Robust Construction
* Backlit Keypad
* Phase 1 & 2
* DMR / NXDN Compatible (Digital Mobile Radio / Next Generation Digital Narrowband)
* Micro SD Card (up to 32gb)
BAD
* Screen Is Hard To See In Sunlight
* Programming Is A Nightmare (Use Australian Version of Sentinal Software)
* Reception Can Be Hit And Miss (does well with an External Outdoor Antenna)
* No Actual 'Scan / Hold' Button
* Speaker Is Prone To Burn Out If Up Too Loud (Don't turn up over 8, the speaker will burn out)
These radios are a hybrid of Analog and SDR (Software Defined Radio) have an extremely well build to them, it feels solid in your hand. Sometimes a bit deaf using an handheld antenna, hooking up to an outdoor antenna will give you the best results. The 436PT uses 3 battery configuration and can charge rechargeable battery's in the scanner.
The 436PT uses a Mirco SD card (up to 32gb) for it memory and is a very strong learning curb to program. Took me several months to nut out the various menu systems so if you like database type programming, you will do well with this radio.
One thing i noticed going from a cold environment to a warm environment (inside the house to outside in the sun) the screen tends to fog up..
Over all, an excellent scanning experience..
*** SDS100 ***
GOOD
* Waterproof Construction
* Large Colour Screen
* Phase 1 & 2
* DMR / NXDN Compatible (Digital Mobile Radio / Next Generation Digital Narrowband)
* Micro SD Card (up to 32gb)
* Excellent For PSN/GRN Decoding
BAD
* Antenna Socket Limited (only a few antennas will fit due to plastic rim protruding due to waterproofing)
* Battery Clip Prone To Snapping
* Side Recharging Port Prone To Breaking (USB Charging Port)
* Cold Solder Joint Problem
* Heats Up Like An Oven
* Screen Is Hard To See In Sunlight
* Battery is Limited (Brick Style Battery, No AA Battery Option)
* Programming Is A Nightmare (Use U.S Version of Sentinal Software)
* Reception Can Be Hit And Miss (External Outdoor Antenna is recomended)
* No Actual 'Scan / Hold' Button
* Speaker is half hidden and sounds muffled (Don't turn up over 8, the speaker will burn out)
The Uniden SDS100 is a full SDR (Software Defined Radio) radio scanner built into a waterproof housing. Sounds good on paper but sadly, has a heap of problems. To start, the antenna socked is protruded with a plastic type rim so only a select few antennas fit this radio without the use of a adapter and considering its a $1000 radio, its just a joke. Not only does it look stupid with a SMA to BNC adapter but is prone to easily snap if any pressure is put on it.. Out of 12 antenna's in my collection, only 2 fit and one sits on 2 threads hanging on for dear life
Then there is the 'Cold Solder Joint' problem that plagues these radios. I know of 5 people who have had this happen to them. The Cold Solder Joint problem is where there are 2 main circuit boards joined together in the middle by a connector that can break very easy. What happens is, when in use, these radios heat up massively and the solder that holds the connector in place can snap if bumped or dropped and will have to be sent back to Uniden to get re-soldered (or if your handy with a soldering iron (and out of warranty))
Heat is also a issue as just running it for 30mins to 1 hour can see the screen and antenna socket get almost too hot to touch, one wonders what this does to the internal components of this radio as heat is the number one killer in computers
The side recharging port (USB) is also prone to breaking if too much pressure is applied as is the battery clip that holds the battery cover to the main unit. Numerous pages online of people who have gone with the 'pregnant' extended battery option only to have the clip break in half and is forced to use a rubber band to hold together their sub $1000 radio together. Thankfully you can get a clip made on a 3D printer that seems to work. One wonders why a metal type clip was not used?
On a good note, It does decode P25 PSN/GRN fairly well, I have set the hold for 4 seconds and that seems to work..
*** CONCLUSION ***
Other contenders for this showdown could include 'Whistler' WS1040' but i'm yet to play with one of these scanners so i can't add it..
At the end of the day, everyone is different.. Some people like a challenge and love spending hours and hours learning to program a new scanner and some people just want to turn it on and listen..
For me, i have been using radio scanners since i was 16 with my first being a 10ch Tandy (Realistic) scanner and i still had problems programming various new radios, seriously, they don't need to be this complicated.
My SDS100, I just want to throw out a window, I have owned i for a few weeks and its frustratingly deaf especially on Airband (analog) and don't even try using the handheld antenna, it hardly picks anything up while my 436pt sitting next to it with exact same antenna and using the same set-up programming is going nuts picking up heaps... I'm thinking of selling my SDS100 or doing some modifications, drilling / dremel the antenna socket out so its larger and cut the foam in half for the battery lid so less pressure on the battery clip or replace the clip with stronger built plastic ??
I would have to recommend the Uniden 436PT as my go-to scanner of choice.
The 436PT, once programmed properly, is well build (i have dropped it a few times) radio scanner with heaps of features and with the right combination of programming / battery & antenna setup, its a win win..
I recommend using Panasonic Enloop Pro (2450ma) AA batterys (4 pack coast $30 on Ebay) for extra goodness..
Hand Held Antenna's i recommend is the Nagoya NA-771 or the Diamond SRH771.. I have used both these antennas with excellent results
A FULL Scanner Program is Available Here = https://scanradionsw.blogspot.com/2021/11/radio-programming-services-available.html
** WINNER ***
UNIDEN UBCD436PT
#uniden
#ubcd436
#sds100
#325p2
#396xt
#radioscanners
