Help me with decision on purchase

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eg153wftx

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Jun 19, 2011
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Mesa AZ
Which would be best for Phoenix metro area and Mesa BCD32P2 BCD996P2 or HP2 ? I am capable of doing my own programming using available software downloads and have owned a HP1 and used sentinel.
If I can save a hundred bucks and get a more user programming oriented model I would prefer to do so...
 

thomasbillman1

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Apr 9, 2012
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Mesa
scanner

The scann your going to need , needs to have the apco p25 Phase 1 and Phase 2 digital receiver. Not a lot of scanners have both, These are expensive scanners. I am using a pro197 to stream mesa, but 2 years from now my scanner will not connect to the next phase.
 

b1100mac

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Feb 23, 2013
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Corvallis, Montana
Living in this area, the above mentioned scanners will work, but in my experience they won’t work exceptionally well like the unification G4 or G5 does. It is a professional quality radio, but you will pay for what you get.(about $700 with tax) but you’ll never have any issues going forward listening to any of the systems in the greater valley area, I live in Fountain Hills and listen to All systems loud and clear in my garage or in the car on the supplied 1” stubby antenna.
 

caphab1

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Feb 22, 2013
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Mesa, AZ
I have a 996P2 as well as the 536HP. both perform decently nothing's 100% like commercial grade transceivers. The unication is a high end option. Also if you have ability and someone with the know how, you may look into getting a motorola xtl mobile make it non affiliated scan only.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
 

KB7MIB

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Aug 17, 2003
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4,194
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Peoria, AZ.
If you choose to go with a Unication G4 or G5, be aware that it is a pager, not a scanner, and it has limitations. You can only scan one system at a time. You can only scan so many talkgroups at a time (16? 20?). You cannot hold on a talkgroup, it is constantly scanning. And you cannot lockout or avoid a talkgroup that you don't want to hear at the moment.

If you decide to choose to have a commercial grade radio programmed for non-affiliate scanning, there may be options other than Big M that are easier to get programmed for non-affiliate scanning, which reduces the chances of the radio being detected on the system and "bricked" remotely by a system administrator. There are also limitations with commercial radios compared to scanners. You may be limited to scanning one system at a time, and you may be limited to scanning only a limited number of talkgroups at a time. (The radios used by RWC agency's have 16 channels per deck. If you have it programmed to scan, you're limited to 15 channels, with the scan mode in the channel 16 slot.)

I believe it was you who asked the same question on the Yahoo group. If you haven't yet, look at my response over there.

John
Peoria
 
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