BCD 436HP vs BCD 325P2

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jimg

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I was thinking about purchasing the BCD 436 HP when I saw the new BCD 325P2, which also does Phase 2.
Can anyone advise the pros and cons of purchasing the 436 over the 325, and vice-versa?
 

Voyager

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The 436 has a lot more features. If you look at the bold features in the list on the Wiki, that is what was added over the BCD396XT except for the Phase II which the XT didn't have but the P2 does. Also, the P2 does not have a color backlight, is not compatible with the RH-96, only uses 2 cells rather than 3 (results in about 2/3 the battery life), and the P2 has a USB connector rather than the proprietary connector.

Of course, the 436 has a few issues which may arise. It uses SD cards which may have issues, and there is a 5% chance you could have clock issues (lost time). But, the recording, memory capacity, and text tags would be more than enough for me to choose the 436 over the 325 - even with the potential issues. You would likely want to change the card to a larger capacity if you do much recording, and I've never seen anyone complain about issues with replacement cards which leads me to think it's a bad batch of them from the card manufacturer. The stock cards are 4 GB, and I'm currently using a 32 GB card.

Also, for larger trunk systems, such as multi-county and larger, the 436 handles multi-site much better than the XT/P2 models. It gives you 100 Department/Site Quick Keys while in the XT/P2 you have to program each Site to a different System Quick Key to enable/disable them easily which requires data duplication.

Frankly, for the price difference, the 436 is a much better deal. It is a larger (taller) unit, however.
 

bc780l

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Site Quick Keys

Duplication? NO, there's no duplication of data if you program trunking systems correctly using Uniden XT/HP/P2 scanners! A trunking system can have one quick key assigned to the entire system, including all sites, or each site of a multi-site system can have it's very own (or shared) quick key (now site quick key vs. system quick key). All system talk groups are entered only once and shared among all the sites within that trunking system.
 

Voyager

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A trunking system can have one quick key assigned to the entire system, including all sites, or each site of a multi-site system can have it's very own (or shared) quick key (now site quick key vs. system quick key).

OK. If you do that, how do you disable one Site using Quick Keys in an XT/P2? They don't have Site Quick Keys. I think maybe you misread my comments. :)
 

bc780l

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You can define a trunking system to have a system quick key, on the system definition page, which will force that quick key upon all sites, or specify a quick key for each site, which is treated as a system quick key.
Ja3QoqmaWApANgOWAoAtgOWAoDtgKUAYDtgKQDYDlgKALYDlgKA7YClAGA7YCkA2A5YCgC2A5YCgO2ApQBgO2ApANgOWAoAtvMfNeNvSBqm9h0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=

In the example shown here from FreeScan, I've not filled in an overall System Quick Key and let the Quick Key field be left to "By Site" allowing each site to have their own Site Quick Keys:

Example System.jpg

So, on each site, you can define the Site Quick Key, for example the following two Sites:

Example Simulast A.jpg

and:

wenpJb7A5kARAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==
Example Simulcast B.jpg


Each site will have it's own quick key, frequencies and other properties.

If you had specified the Quick Key on the System definition, it would have been forced on all the Sites (which, of course, you could modify if you wish). The Site Quick Key is, in reality, a System Quick Key. This is documented in the user manuals.

Talk groups are shared, and selected using their Group Quick Keys when a particular site is active in the scan.
No duplication.
 

Voyager

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OK. Maybe I was thinking of the T series that you had to duplicate systems. It's quite obvious that with each new generation of scanners larger systems are better supported.

On a local system, I have about 70 Department Quick Keys and 7 Site Quick Keys (91-97). That much certainly wasn't possible on either the T or XT.

Sorry for getting the T and XT mixed up. (if it was the T series I was thinking of)
 

rs16

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I was thinking about purchasing the BCD 436 HP when I saw the new BCD 325P2, which also does Phase 2.
Can anyone advise the pros and cons of purchasing the 436 over the 325, and vice-versa?

I am having the exact same dilemma. My local police went to the Phase 1 so I was going to go for the 436, but now I don't know what to do as they're close in price.

If I am not going to record anything and I don't travel, is the only advantage to the 436 that you can enter your zip code to program quickly (this is a great feature)?

Might the sensitivity any better on the 325 since it is a newer model?

Does the 325 receive anything that the 436 doesn't?

Can anyone advise based on those questions?
 

AA6IO

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First, bc7801 is correct. We have many large multi-site trunking systems here in Los Angeles/Orange County. I program my 396XT, 996XT, and now the 996P2 and 325P2 just as bc7801, entering the all TGs for that system only once.
I have considered the 436HP and 536HP to be the best scanners I have ever used, mainly because they have done P25 simulcast better than the x96XTs. The GRE/RS scanners handle that so-so in my area. I was not even going to buy the 996P2 and 325P2, but I am a sucker for new scanners, so I figured, why not.
Have had the 996P2 for 10 days and 9 325P2 for 5 or 6 days. I was expecting P25 decode quality more like the x96XTs, good most of the time, but still not as great on some difficult sites as the x36HPs.
To my surprise, I find the P25 decoding to be as good, and in some cases, better on the 996P2 and 325P2. I don't know if Uniden did much different things with the vocoder, but the P25 decode/audio quality on these new units is really good, at least in my situation.
I have raved about the 436HP being a great scanner for the last year based on its decoding ability, service search on/off, record features, unlimited memory, and hopefully upcoming analyze features.
The 436HP is sensitive, but in some cases, not as much as my 396XT. Interestingly, I find the sensitivity to be about as good on the 325P2 as on the 396XT. Add to that the really great compact size and good P25 decode, and I can see where some people may prefer the 325P2.
The 436HP will always travel with me because of its database features and record. The database is great when travel, and I don't always have time to listen to scanners all day long, so the record, and ability to replay a lot of activity when I have some free time is really important. Also, I love all the information on the display.
But I know also love the 325P2, and for portability, it really is hard to beat. So I think they are both good scanners, it just depends what your priorities are. If I could only buy two scanners out of the list below, however, they would still be the 436HP and 536HP.
 

Voyager

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If I am not going to record anything and I don't travel, is the only advantage to the 436 that you can enter your zip code to program quickly (this is a great feature)?

Might the sensitivity any better on the 325 since it is a newer model?

Does the 325 receive anything that the 436 doesn't?

Can anyone advise based on those questions?

In addition to the recording and zip code features, you also have:
* Display of much longer text tags
* System/Department/Site/Channel hold keys to quickly hold.
* Much improved alert light
* Much improved DMA memory - allows nearly unlimited data
* Selectable range entry
* Holds the entire USA RR database
* 100 Department/Site Quick Keys (up from 10 Group Quick Keys)
* 100 Favorite List Quick Keys for quick changing of multiple Systems
* P25 Phase II which was already mentioned.

In fact, the only thing I find that the 325 has going for it is the size factor.

Many have said the sensitivity of the 325 is about the same as the 396XT it is based on, but the decoding is better on the 325 compared to the 396. This makes sense, as the 325 has a newer VOCODER, but the 436 has the same newer VOCODER, so they are on the same playing field in that respect.
 

AA6IO

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I really cannot argue much with Voyager's last post. The real thing the 325P2 has going for it is the size.
rs16, you asked does the 325P2 receive anything the 436HP does not. I have had two 436HPs and one 325P2. The 436HPs for about 14 months, and the 325P2 for only 6 days. But I can tell you that my 436HP/536HP hear things that my other scanners do not. On comparing in the last week, my 436HP locks on to some control channels that the 325P2 can't find due to adjacent interference. The x36HPs have true narrow FM filters.
I live in Los Angeles, a true radio-congested area, perhaps, the radio-dense capital of the world. I am able to pull weak trunking control channels out with the x36HPs that I cannot do with any other scanner, including the new 996P2 or 325P2. I have posted extensively on this in other threads.
If you want a decent scanner, the 325P2, based on my short experience, will fit the bill. But if you use the 436HP for a while, you will find so many more features as Voyager describes. I believe someone asked UPMan from Uniden what the advantages of a 996P2 were compared to a 536HP, and the response was "nothing." The x36HPs are designed to be the flagship scanners from Uniden. Other than smaller size, which may be important to you, the 325P2 has no real advantages over the 436HP. However, the 436HP certainly does over the 325P2.
 

Soundman

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Also it will program it for you .I love mine except the clock .I have had scanners for over 20 years this is the best one I have ever had .
 

RogerH11

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Battery life is better? Apples to oranges. 3 is an odd number and I assume 4 batteries will last longer than 3? With one 4 pack, I could use them twice while with 3 I'd have to recharge at least 2 b4 re-use. I'd also prefer to carry 2 AA batteries around rather than 3 for spares. One 4 pack will cover that while I would have to buy 8 (2 4packs) where I'd have two I don't need, but with 8 I could re-use the radio 4 times w/o re-charging so 8 is better than 6. I consider this an advantage, not a disadvantage.
 

safetyobc

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Battery life is better? Apples to oranges. 3 is an odd number and I assume 4 batteries will last longer than 3? With one 4 pack, I could use them twice while with 3 I'd have to recharge at least 2 b4 re-use. I'd also prefer to carry 2 AA batteries around rather than 3 for spares. One 4 pack will cover that while I would have to buy 8 (2 4packs) where I'd have two I don't need, but with 8 I could re-use the radio 4 times w/o re-charging so 8 is better than 6. I consider this an advantage, not a disadvantage.

Good point. To each his own I guess. With the 436 I get about 8-9 hours consistently. But the 325 I'm maxing out at 5 hours.
 

emtbucky1

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I still get the 436 has a price Tag of 399.99 and the p2 has a price tag of 338.99... was the p2 higher in price when you wrote this?


also, to answer the question as far as frequencies, the 436 goes up to 1300.00 and the 325p2 only goes up to 960.


BCD436HP 31 bands
25-512
758-824
850-868
895-959
1240-1300.00
Missing: 512-758, 824-849, 869-894, 960-1240

BCD325P2 30 bands
25.0000 - 512.0000 MHz
758.0000 - 823.9875 MHz
849.0125 - 868.9875 MHz
894.0125 - 960.0000 MHz
Missing: 512-758, 824-849, 869-894, 1240-1300.00
 
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seth21w

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I've had both, the 436 can be found new with warranty for 370-390 range you just have to shop around, I have had both, the 325 first, and I will tell you the 436 is worth the extra 30-40 bucks it is leaps and bounds better than the 325p2!
 

AA6IO

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My two 436HPs are in the RTC/display repair process and hopefully will be back in the next few days. I have been using my 325P2 quite a bit the last week in place of the 436HP. But I am going through "BCD436HP withdrawal."
The 325P2 is a nice compact scanner, actually better than my 396XT, which was a workhorse, so that is saying something.
However, for the extra 50 or so bucks, the 436HP, to quote seth21w above, is indeed leaps and bounds better. The reasons have been mentioned in all the threads above. If you're going to spend that kind of money, you mind as well go with the best.
The next time you miss something someone said, or didn't get a chance to look at what channel or TG was on, you will be glad the replay/record feature is there. All of my scanners are good for certain things, but the 436HP consistently picks up stuff that the other handhelds will not under similar circumstances.
 

cherubim

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Good point. To each his own I guess. With the 436 I get about 8-9 hours consistently. But the 325 I'm maxing out at 5 hours.

5 hours is just plain terrible for a digital trunking scanner in this day and age. A total deal breaker.

Uniden really shot themselves in the foot with this poor battery life design.
 

Fireboat03

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I would stay away from an portable scanner that only uses 2 batteries. Makes absolutely no sense.
 
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