BCD325P2/BCD996P2: A BCD996P2 in my future... What do I need to buy?

[anybody]

A BCD996P2 is in my future... What do I need to buy?

Passive scanner owner... more of a plug & play guy. Plus, I am coming over from Whistler, so Uniden is a whole new ball game for me.

Since I am going to need to get a scanner that is both NXDN and Moswin compatible, the BCD996P2 seems to be my best bet. For at least my first one, I am going to buy it from ScanMaster so I can get the programming and all the misc stuff I need from one place, even if it costs a bit more. The link to the one I want to get is:

Uniden Bearcat BCD996P2 Police Scanner | Scanner Master

The Uniden Bearcat BCD99P2 is the ultimate trunking APCO-25 digital Phase I & II base/mobile police scanner.

www.scannermaster.com

I have no problem stepping up and go big on my first one so I don't have to go back and add stuff later. Anyways, there is lots of options available that I have no idea about, so that is why I am here. What do I need to get? The questions I have is

A) Software. There is 4 different options... I have no idea what I need there.

B) GPS Kit. Do I need it?

C) Should I add DMR and ProVoice? As far as I know none of our locals use these now, but no one used NXDN 3 months ago either... lol

Thanks in advance!

 

[BC_Scan]

welcome its a great scanner you will enjoy as good as whistler unit (i think better)
I use the freescan its all u need , others will say a paid version
gps no
all others dmr, nxdn yes PV NO
other thing I will suggest is leave antenna in box , get a discone and get it up as high as you can
not sure about MOSWIN but if it has simulcast towers you can/might have issues , others will chime in here
good luck , great scanner

 

[jtwalker]

welcome its a great scanner you will enjoy as good as whistler unit (i think better)
I use the freescan its all u need , others will say a paid version
gps no
all others dmr, nxdn yes PV NO
other thing I will suggest is leave antenna in box , get a discone and get it up as high as you can
not sure about MOSWIN but if it has simulcast towers you can/might have issues , others will chime in here
good luck , great scanner

FreeScan doesn't support programming NXDN, nor DMR.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

A) Software. There is 4 different options... I have no idea what I need there.

None. Go with Proscan over ARC-XT. Also consider an RR premium subscription so you can import info directly from the RRDB to your scanner. Proscan supports many more Uniden models than does ARCXT for a cheaper price

B) GPS Kit. Do I need it?

You can best answer that. Will you be using the scanner while driving? How often do you travel?

C) Should I add DMR and ProVoice?

Don't bother with Provoice if you have no intentions on ever monitoring these systems (none are in Missouri, several are slated for replacement). Not seeing any identified DMR for your county. Doesn't mean it isn't out there if you tune around. Businesses, schools, hospitals, ham radio, other non-public safety users mostly use it.

FYI The NXDN upgrade is $50.00 if you buy it direct from Uniden versus the $75.00 SCAMMERmaster charges you

 

[maplebear]

MOSWIN has simulcast towers .

Pulaski County, Missouri (MO) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference for Pulaski County, Missouri (MO)

www.radioreference.com

It looks like Saint Robert police are going to use a new P25 Simulcast Repeater system.
SDS 200 OR SDS 100 made to handle the simulcast repeater systems and the DCD996P2 is not.

 

[fxdscon]

C) Should I add DMR and ProVoice? As far as I know none of our locals use these now, but no one used NXDN 3 months ago either... lol

Whatever you decide on for upgrades, do not pay the dealer for those options at the time of purchase. You can purchase the digital upgrade keys anytime direct from Uniden for a much cheaper price. You can install the upgrades very easily at home, just takes a minute or two to enter the digital key(s) into the scanner's on-screen menu system.

Check the dealer's cost for those upgrades, and compare them to the prices below directly from Uniden:

DMR = $60
NXDN = $50
ProVoice = $50

 

[anybody]

MOSWIN has simulcast towers .

Pulaski County, Missouri (MO) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference for Pulaski County, Missouri (MO)

www.radioreference.com

It looks like Saint Robert police are going to use a new P25 Simulcast Repeater system.
SDS 200 OR SDS 100 made to handle the simulcast repeater systems and the DCD996P2 is not.

Is that the same as NXDN? The St Robert Police changed to something new 2-3 months ago and I haven't heard them since. (on my WS1065's) The fire department is supposed to go the same way in a month or 2. My local scanner guy says they went to NXDN.

 

[anybody]

Whatever you decide on for upgrades, do not pay the dealer for those options at the time of purchase. You can purchase the digital upgrade keys anytime direct from Uniden for a much cheaper price. You can install the upgrades very easily at home, just takes a minute or two to enter the digital key(s) into the scanner's on-screen menu system.

Check the dealer's cost for those upgrades, and compare them to the prices below directly from Uniden:

DMR = $60
NXDN = $50
ProVoice = $50

Nice to know! Thanks!

 

[Enforcer52]

Definitely get a SDS200 or SDS100 or deal later with simulcast problems.

Don't have scanner master program the scanner. The will just put any and everything in your area in the scanner and you will be receiving a bunch of stuff you don't want. In the last two weeks I have helped 3 people who had their scanner programmed where they bought it, reprogram the scanner so it was usable with only what they wanted to listen to, with the quick keys in an understandable order.

Buy a copy of ProScan, it is the best programming software and you will need it in the future guaranteed.

Only need the GPS if you plan on taking the scanner on trips in my opinion. But I just program the area I will be visiting in the scanner before hand.

Unless you want to listen to LaClede Electric Coop, I don't see where you need DMR. It can always be added later.

As others have stated, it cheaper to buy the upgrades directly from Uniden.

As far as a discone is concerned, they are terrible on the 700-800mhz range, just go with a good omni directional multi band antenna. I use OmniX from DPD Productions and it runs circles around a discone.

Once you get the scanner, jump back on here and there will be folks willing to help you get going.

 

[maplebear]

Is that the same as NXDN? The St Robert Police changed to something new 2-3 months ago and I haven't heard them since. (on my WS1065's) The fire department is supposed to go the same way in a month or 2. My local scanner guy says they went to NXDN.

Simulcast - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

NXDN - The RadioReference Wiki
NXDN is a digital format.

 

[hiegtx]

A BCD996P2 is in my future... What do I need to buy?

Passive scanner owner... more of a plug & play guy. Plus, I am coming over from Whistler, so Uniden is a whole new ball game for me.

As you already know, there is quite a difference in the programming steps for a Uniden scanner versus one of the Whistler models.

Since I am going to need to get a scanner that is both NXDN and Moswin compatible, the BCD996P2 seems to be my best bet. For at least my first one, I am going to buy it from ScanMaster so I can get the programming and all the misc stuff I need from one place, even if it costs a bit more. The link to the one I want to get is:

Uniden Bearcat BCD996P2 Police Scanner | Scanner Master

The Uniden Bearcat BCD99P2 is the ultimate trunking APCO-25 digital Phase I & II base/mobile police scanner.

www.scannermaster.com

Taking a quick look at the MOSWIN sites for your county, and your 'next door neighbors', it does not appear that any of the MOSWIN sites in those areas are flagged as Simulcast. Simulcast can be a extreme;y problematic issue for scanners other than Uniden's SDS series, but that does not look to be an issue for your immediate area. For some of the other MOSWIN sites, in large metro areas, simulcast sites are in use, but not near you at present.

I see one of the school districts in your county appears to be using NXDN, but no others in your county are currently licensed for NXDN (according to the Digital Frequency Search site). Railroads, eventually, will migrate to NXDN, but except for a few scattered locations, that transition is not in progress.

As fxdscon has noted, don't purchase upgrades from the dealer, whether ScannerMaster or any of the others. Get direct from Uniden, at a lower cost. I would also advise holding off on purchasing any of the upgrades, until you have had the scanner long enough to verify that (1) there are no problems with it (it's working correctly) and (2) you will keep that model, not changing to a different one. The unlock keys, for DMR & NXDN, as well as ProVoice, are specific to that individual scanner & it's serial number. If you purchase a key right away, and something fails where you need to exchange it, you might have to pay, again, for the upgrade on whatever scanner you replace it with. No paid upgrade is needed for P25 digital,

A) Software. There is 4 different options... I have no idea what I need there.

As Whiskey3 has noted, your best software choice is ProScan. ProScan can be licensed for $50. That covers programing capability, as well as logging, recording, and virtual control, for not only the P2 series scanners, but many other Uniden scanners. FreeSCAN, while a usable (and no cost) program for some systems, cannot program NXDN at all, and does not handle DMR systems correctly. The ARC software series ARCXT) can do programming using the "basic" version, as well as logging, for about $40, if you want to also do virtual control then you'd have to go to the "Pro" version for about $70. And, that software only handles Uniden's XT & P2 series scanners.

B) GPS Kit. Do I need it?

Unless you plan to travel, and take your scanner with you, you have no need for the GPS kit. Note that, if you travel, in order to use a GPS effectively, you have to program all of the systems you are likely to encounter, along with their location details. If traveling is likely, a better choice would be one of Uniden's database scanners, such as the 536HP or SDS200. At Amazon, the 996P2 is $398.00 (ScannerMaster $499.99). The 536HP is $649 @ ScannerMaster, currently about $630 at Amazon. Main Trading often has "deals" on Uniden scanners, so watch for one on a model you may want to buy.

I am going to buy it from ScanMaster so I can get the programming

As noted by others as well, do not pay any dealer for programming. You need to, at some point, be able to do it yourself, so that you can add other systems, as well as edit and correct any changes to systems you have already in the scanner. There are a number of members here on the forums that can, and will, create a programming file to get you started quickly. If you post, in your state forum (Missouri), you may find that one or more members in your county or very near will share a copy of their working file with you. Additionally, there are multiple "how to" videos on YouTube that demonstrate how to program your scanner.

 

[xxbubziexx]

I picked mine from amazon refurbished for a low price of 365! It came brand new with everything working.

 

[tvengr]

When you get the 996P2, make sure you have the latest firmware. It was found that the scanner could not decode digital frequences above 171.2 MHz in the VHF high band due to a hardware change. A firmware update was issued to fix the problem. Two of the frequencies in the St Robert, Pulaski County site of MOSWIN fall within that range.

 

[hundeesport412]

Look in your area on what is being used DMR, NXDEN If their is something you like to listen to then do the upgrade to them. Keep in mind a large percentage of Police are Encrypted and some EMS and Fire (they may still be in the clear). "E" = fully Encrypted and "e" has some Encryption. Study whats in your area also you might want to save up for a SDS-100 or SDS-200. The 996P2 is a older scanner now.

 

[anybody]

Look in your area on what is being used DMR, NXDEN If their is something you like to listen to then do the upgrade to them. Keep in mind a large percentage of Police are Encrypted and some EMS and Fire (they may still be in the clear). "E" = fully Encrypted and "e" has some Encryption. Study whats in your area also you might want to save up for a SDS-100 or SDS-200. The 996P2 is a older scanner now.

The City of St Robert has went NXDN... at least the police department has for now. The fire department might be, but that is for a later day. They have talked about taken the PD encrypted, but unsure yet. I would love to go to the SDS-200's, but I have several scanners to replace and right nows the 996P2's are cheaper way to go since all my WS1065's are dying and new ones are not available. I would just have the WS1065's repaired, but I can't find anyone to do that...

 

[hiegtx]

The City of St Robert has went NXDN... at least the police department has for now. The fire department might be, but that is for a later day. They have talked about taken the PD encrypted, but unsure yet. I would love to go to the SDS-200's, but I have several scanners to replace and right nows the 996P2's are cheaper way to go since all my WS1065's are dying and new ones are not available. I would just have the WS1065's repaired, but I can't find anyone to do that...

The FCC licensing for St Robert does not have the NXDN emission code, though this is far from the first time an agency used a frequency, or emission type, that they are not licensed to use. The only entity in your county (Pulaski) actually licensed for NXDN is the BNSF railroad.
I stand corrected. They are licensed for emission code 8K30F1W, license WQGV317


Once the new owner for Whistler, 'Goliad', gets fully up and running, new WS1065s should be available, but they still would not be able to handle NXDN, DMR, nor P25 Phase II. The only scanners in the Whistler lineup that can deal with NXDN are the TRX-1 and TRX-2.