Pro 106 or BCD396XT

[fd2849]

I am looking to replace my Pro 96 with a new scanner. I've had the Pro 96 for a long time and it has seen better days. I monitor mostly Motorola Type II SmartZone trunks. My Pro 96 worked okay for those, but I had a lot of "motorboating" and dropped/lost signal locks. I am considering either a Pro 106 or a BCD396XT. Any thoughts as to which one is better (at least for the trunks that I scan)? I am also open to suggestions for other scanners as well. Thanks in advance!

-Tim

[pepsima1]

Well if I had to choose I would choose the GRE Radio Shack PRO 106 because of the quality of the decode of all of the digital talkgroups. I monitor a Motorola II SmartZone system and I love the quality of the digital talkgroups.

I use to own a Uniden BCD 396XT which was a good scanner but I did not like the speaker output on the radio and the decode quality of the digital talkgroups.

If you could hold out for at least 6 months both Uniden and GRE or Radio Shack will probably be coming out with some new models hopefully since both of these units have been out for several years. My best opinion for you would be to wait. Also dont buy the GRE PSR 800 because it is a battery hog and I bought one of those too and I spent over a 100 bucks on a professional charger and batteries and that unit kept hogging up the batteries and I sold it on Ebay about 6 weeks later after I bought it

[Bubba1661]

I have both radios and I prefer the Pro-106 over my BCD396XT. It seems to scan faster and the decode is a lot better. My opinion, just saying.....

[gonzalu]

I used to have a Pro-106 and hated the display layout. Again, opinion but I prefer the Uniden screen layout and logic while scanning. So, make sure you are OK with the screen layout because you have to live with it. I couldn't stand the Pro-106 screens. SOLD!

The BCD396XT was sold recently as I may be buying a PSR-800 to replace it SIMPLY BECAUSE I WANT X2 TDMA and will forgive the horrendous ergonomics (my taste) for it. I will likely upgrade to the new Uniden when they release it with X2 decode ability, otherwise will likely stick to the PSR-800.

As for batteries, if it is a portable operation for you, definitely worth investigating the issue. For me, I will likely always be plugged in somehow (car or home) so it doesn't mater much to me.

If you don;t want or need X2, almost any of the modern units will suit you well :-) pick the best voice for your taste. My BCD996XT sucks arse on Digital decode :P

[cherubim]

The Pro-106 has excellent digital decoding capability and a very flexible programming model which isn't as cumbersome to set up as a 396XT (in my opinion). If you are monitoring a large statewide trunking system with more than 500 talkgroups then the Pro-106 is a better choice since the 396XT has a hard limit of 500 talkgroups per system. In addition, the V-Scanner storage system is a better way to manage multiple scanner profiles as one doesn't have to resort to large numbers of quick keys which can be hard to enable or disable.

Of course, the audio is much cleaner with the Pro-106 and the display is very readable from all angles.

[jaspence]

I also have both. If you are used to the Pro 96, the menue setup of the Uniden will drive you nuts for a while. I also prefer the Pro 106 display and use of the LED to identify what service I am hearing when I cannot read the actual screen. I use flashing blue for digital law, steady blue for conventional law, etc. The Decoding is about equal, the 106 tends to go farther on a set of batteries, but the size of the Uniden is great for "stealth" situations and lighter carry.

[fd2849]

Thanks for all of the advice, it is much appreciated!

[gr8rcall]

pro-106 definitely!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DogBone384]

I currently own a PRO-106 & used to own a 396XT. I agree that both are good scanners, and Butel's software made them easy to program. I like'd the Uniden's display better, but didn't like the audio drop out when it went back to check priority frequencies.

I compared the 106 & 396 side by side and kept the 106 because it was a much faster scanner & seemed to have much better sensitivity. I like others in this forum like the selectable LED color that lets me know what service is up.

[AirScan1]

You get what you paid for, I bet you paid $499.99 for it at least $512.

[hamstang]

Here's my opinion having owned both a PSR 500 and a BCD396XLT. If they were priced exactly the same, the Uniden would be a clear winner. To me the PSR/Pro radios are cheaper, plastic toy type construction with a small screen also being a detriment. At my location, monitoring a large 800mhz P25 simulcast system, I could tell no difference in decode ability between Uniden and GRE. They both had decode issues. I am not new to this type scanner having previously owned a BCD996T for several years. Also I much prefer Freescan for the Uniden to the 2 payware programs I tried for the GRE radio. As they say, your mileage may vary.