SDS200E Installing, Powering & Turning On

Summary: How to set up the SDS200E on a desk or in a vehicle, connect antennas and speakers, and turn it on for the first time.

General Guidance

The SDS200E can sit on a desk as a base station from a 100-240V AC outlet (50/60 Hz), or go in a vehicle. Use the supplied antenna or a properly and safely mounted outdoor antenna.

• If you get interference or electrical noise, move the scanner or its antenna away from the source.
• Don’t use it in high-moisture places, and keep it out of direct sunlight and away from heaters and vents.

Power Notes

• Never unplug the AC adapter while the memory is being accessed for programming or auto store; you could corrupt the memory.
• If the volume/power control is already ON when you connect the AC adapter, the scanner may not power up. Turn it off and on again.
• When you switch off with the power control, the scanner remembers its last settings and mode and resumes them.
• In a vehicle, switch the scanner off before switching the ignition off. If the scanner loses power with its switch on, the microSD card can be corrupted.

Connecting an Antenna

The BNC connector accepts an external mobile or outdoor base antenna. Use 50-ohm RG-58 or RG-8, BNC-terminated coax; for more than 50 feet use low-loss RG-8. Cable loss increases with frequency.

Extension Speaker

Plug an amplified extension speaker’s 1/8-inch (3.5 mm) mini-plug into the back-panel Ext. SP jack.

Warnings: never connect the audio output line of an external speaker or headphone jack to a power supply and ground. All audio output is Class-D amplified (PWM): never connect the Ext. SP or headphone jack to an external Class-D amplifier.

Base Station Set-Up

1. Choose a spot near a wall outlet with desk space and a way to extend the antenna or reach a window.
2. Fit the four protective feet to the bracket for use on a flat surface. For a permanent mount, remove the feet and use wood screws through the bracket.
3. Use the bracket as a template to mark the two screw positions and drill holes slightly smaller than the screws.
4. Fit the bracket under the radio using the two threaded knobs. Don’t overtighten.
5. Connect the supplied AC adapter to the DC jack at the rear, upper right.
6. Push the telescoping antenna’s connector onto the BNC jack.

Vehicle Installation

Avoid airbag deployment zones – ignoring this can cause injury and stop the airbag working. Be certain what’s behind a surface before drilling. If in doubt, ask a dealer or professional installer. The manual mentions mounting with the bracket or a DIN-E sleeve; it gives step-by-step instructions for the bracket and the ISO technique.

Using the bracket: mark and secure the bracket, fit the scanner and lock it with the knobs, connect the cigarette-lighter power cord to a dash-mounted 12V DC socket, and connect a mounted mobile antenna.

ISO mounting: remove the outer metal sleeve by unthreading the four rear screws and sliding the cover off. The metric threaded holes on each side of the chassis are used with an installer-supplied bracket (Uniden doesn’t supply the screws). Connect all power, audio and antenna cables before securing the scanner. Use a professional installer if you’re unsure.

Orange wire: connect the orange wire of the DC cable to a vehicle circuit that’s powered when the headlights are on, and the scanner’s display dims with them.

First Steps

1. Connect the scanner to a power source and plug the supplied cable into the scanner’s micro USB port and a PC.
2. Turn the scanner on by rotating VOLUME clockwise.
3. When prompted, choose Mass Storage.
4. Run Sentinel.
5. Update the firmware and radio database (see SDS200E Understanding the Memory, Sentinel & Database Updates).

Initial Volume and Squelch

Rotate VOLUME clockwise to turn on and set the level. Set SQUELCH to the level you want; a setting of about 2-5 usually works best.

The microSD Card

Everything is stored on the microSD card: Favorites Lists, settings, Discovery sessions, recordings and the database (1-32 GB cards supported). To remove it, turn the scanner off and push the card in with a thumbnail or pencil eraser so it springs out; refit it the same way. Format cards only with the SD Association’s SD Card Formatter, then use Sentinel’s Clear User Data to restore the files; you may need to untick Hide empty drives in Windows Folder Options first.