If the radio is mounted under the dash near the floor, reception with any ducky antenna is going to be something between crap and zero.
And if you are getting statewide traffic, it is because the local sites are configured to broadcast non-local talkgroups. Deliberately crippling reception by using a poor antenna won't solve the problem.
Did anyone at Uniden actually try this thing before shipping them out?
My local Radio Shack store doesn't have them in stock yet.
My local Radio Shack store doesn't have them in stock yet.
We monitor the input side conventionally. When in its intended use environment (out on the open highway), 90% or more of the hits you'll get by monitoring input are going to be due to PD/FD/EMS radio traffic (more on some systems). For BWS, TGID is not checked.
It cannot monitor OpenSky.
I would read through this thread and make sure you understand the limitations before buying though. I was hoping for a lot more from this unit.
Is there a way to update the firmware in the 885?
If there were a firmware update, it would be loaded onto the SD card and applied upon boot.
No. Database updates are free (just as they are for all of our other database-enabled scanners, HomePatrol-1, HomePatrol-2, BCD436HP, BCD536HP).