I need help with buying a new scanner?

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Danny6569

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Hey all i have not been on here for a while and im trying to decide which uniden scanner to buy for burlington county n.j. and the n j. State police? And a few other systems in jersey and also philadelphia,i either wanna get the uniden 436 hp or the 325 p2? Im thinking these are the best 2 portables now? And i only want uniden nothing else! And i want the best scanner i can get and im thinking more the 436 hp? Easy to program with the zip code upload and all...but does anyone have these scanners and which ones better? And for jersey? I see burlington county is starting a 700 system now? Any info on when thats gonna be done and what kinda system? All encrypted or no? Along with the state police here? I see about 3 channels are encrypted but as far as anymore changes coming can anyone tell me to these 2 systems? And your opinion on the 2 scanners? Im thinking i like the 436 better? Ty all Danny
 

DJ11DLN

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If I was stuck on Uniden I'd definitely get the 436. I have one, it's a pretty good scanner, and I've played with a couple of 325's, they're OK too but the Home Patrol is a better radio.

My converted Pro-18 gives it a heck of a run for its money, though.:D
 

GM

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I've owned both a 436 and a 325. Since I'm more simple minded and don't need all of the other fancy features like zip code programming, etc. (I program the scanner my own way), I have had a much better experience with the 325P2. For me, the 325P2 is the upgraded version of the 296D as far as layout and operation platform and that's what I prefer. Plus, I don't care for SD Cards whatsoever, and the 325P2 doesn't use them.
 

lou9155

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im in burlington county and this is just my opinion.. the county system is still p25 phase 1...NJSP is analog trunking..alot of air to listen to around the joint base. not much p25 phase 2 here...personally i love my pro 651/652 . eccellent reception ..excellent audio/listening quality..i use my 651 mobile with no need for a speaker...i bought a trx2...returned it...now have bcd436. i wanted to listen to camden ..ocean...atlantic.all going to phase 2. i was very disappointed in it..horrible simulcast distortion ..overall horrible audio even on analog...i dont use my bcd436 much,kinda gave up on phase2 p25...im shopping for a scanner for my woodshop and will prob get a analog trunking just to get NJSP and mil air ..good luck on your decision
 

jonwienke

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I would get the 436. It's better than any other handheld scanner for simulcast (though not perfect), and unless it has a broken speaker it doesn't have "horrible" audio. With a good external speaker, audio quality is excellent. The nationwide database in the 436 means you can take it anywhere in North America and scan local traffic. With GPS, you don't have to do anything while traveling to hear local traffic; the scanner will automatically switch things on and off to monitor local stuff.

One other note: P25 phase II and simulcast are two separate things; simulcast is what can cause reception issues, and any system, digital or analog, can be simulcast.
 

scannersnstuff

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While being respectful of the other opinion's, I absolutely love my bcd325p2. To me, it's as simple as it get's.
 

jonwienke

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The 325 is simpler. But its programming limitations mean you can program it to cover a local area, but not multiple states if you want to take it on a road trip. The 436 also has a better receiver.
 

ka3jjz

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The 325 is simpler. But its programming limitations mean you can program it to cover a local area, but not multiple states if you want to take it on a road trip. The 436 also has a better receiver.

Re programming it for multiple states - that statement is incorrect. You most certainly can program the 325 for multiple states by judicious use of the quick keys. I had a 396, and traveled through 4 states with it without any programming issues.

Mike
 

KK4JUG

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I would get the 436. It's better than any other handheld scanner for simulcast (though not perfect), and unless it has a broken speaker it doesn't have "horrible" audio. With a good external speaker, audio quality is excellent.

I frequently hook my 436 up to the car audio system with a mini plug. It goes from the speaker to the "AUX" input on the radio. Audio quality is outstanding.
 

AvidHiker

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The 436 seems to manage simulcast fairly well, but if you're in a tricky area (like me), you may find you'll need to set it up as a base station for reliable reception of some NJICS talkgroups. What sold me on the 436 is the recording capability - I love being able to just leave it monitoring local traffic so I can catch up later.

One other note: P25 phase II and simulcast are two separate things; simulcast is what can cause reception issues, and any system, digital or analog, can be simulcast.
I seem to recall reading that the TDMA format on Phase II-capable systems can further complicate reception for the 436, is that correct? So far, when monitoring NJICS, my 436 does seem to have an easier time following regular Phase I traffic (P25 on the display) versus Phase II (PT0/PT1), although I haven't spent much time comparing.
 

Skypilot007

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im in burlington county and this is just my opinion.. the county system is still p25 phase 1...NJSP is analog trunking..alot of air to listen to around the joint base. not much p25 phase 2 here...personally i love my pro 651/652 . eccellent reception ..excellent audio/listening quality..i use my 651 mobile with no need for a speaker...i bought a trx2...returned it...now have bcd436. i wanted to listen to camden ..ocean...atlantic.all going to phase 2. i was very disappointed in it..horrible simulcast distortion ..overall horrible audio even on analog...i dont use my bcd436 much,kinda gave up on phase2 p25...im shopping for a scanner for my woodshop and will prob get a analog trunking just to get NJSP and mil air ..good luck on your decision

Just to clarify, Burlington county is not P25 phase I. It is smart a zone system with APCO-25 CAI voice modulation type.

I like the 325P2 with the exception of short battery life due to only having two batteries. Another brain fart from Uniden's engineering. I've also recently been experimenting with a TRX-2. It needed a lot of help with the audio to make it useful in a mobile environment but once that was over come it works pretty good. No avoiding linear simulcast distortion with scanners of any type until Uniden and Whistler redesign their scanners to proper demodulate linear simulcast systems.
 

Analogrules

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Expensive digital scanner wont get you much in that area

In my opinion, I feel it is a real waste of money to throw close to $400 towards a scanner that still won't allow you to receive any Police departments (Burlington and Camden County - all PD is encrypted). As for receiving FD dispatch and EMS, you can still hear that on any Uniden analog scanner in those counties at a more reasonable price. Just my 2 cents/common sense.
 

AvidHiker

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If you're eBay savvy, with a little determination and patience, you can find a 436 (in decent shape) in the $200-300 range. Better to have the digital capability, IMO, it would be silly to buy an analog scanner in this day and age. Also, I thought Burlington was still clear, but expected (i.e., speculated ;)) to go encrypted when the new radio system is finished (2019?).
 

PM08203

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I prefer handhelds and have (and had) numerous models. I shopped around when I wanted to upgrade and looked at most of the models available last year. Then Amazon had a FLASH deal and I pressed the button on the 325. I agree with many of the above observations: souped up version of 396 but it lacks the multi color display and does have a short battery life. Reception is fine for my needs ( I did recently install a vehicle ant). As for programming multiple states, mine are all programmed in advance and I turn the systems on and off as I travel. Traveling to Buffalo NY next week and it is all in there already. The 325 does not have every feature available but it works for my purposes. Its a matter of personal choice.
 

Danny6569

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Sd card?

So what is the difference in one using an sd card? And not the other one? Can the 436 hp also be programmed manually and through a computer too? Or just by uploading through the zip codes on it? Because i definetly need a scanner i can program myself a few things?
 
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