Help with new scanner choice needed

[MourningRain]

I had (have) a Realistic Pro-37 handheld scanner.

It hasn't worked for a long while. The buttons stopped working and to get it apart to clean the guts, I would have to desolder the antenna connector which I never got around to doing.

Last year, for Christmas, I got a Bearcat BC346XT (I think that was the model #)..
It was so different from my Pro-37, I couldn't figure out how to even use the dang thing lol.
I purchased the ability to update the thing with the database from here and still couldn't figure it out.

I ended up sending it back and planned to get the newer Whistler (forget the model#) that would auto setup with a simple entering of my zip code. But I ended up with unexpected expenses and never bought the other scanner.

This year, for Christmas, I want to rectify this

Looking in the area of $500
I'm thinking of the Whistler TRX-1 or the Uniden BCD436HP

I obviously don't change/upgrade often, so i'm looking for the most I can get for my $$.

My old Pro-37 was pre-trunking tech, but it sure was nice to , with ease, just pick it up, and start scanning up or down the frequencies searching for any new active signals in my area.
This was something I hope to be able to do again as well.

Also.. Where I work, the maintenance team has handhelds for communications around the facility and it would be nice, for instance, to be able to seek through the frequencies and maybe find the freq the handhelds are on and be able to listen in when important machines are down or what-not.
Things like that, to simple silly things like listening in to the McDonald's drive through are things I want, as well as digital transmissions etc from various state officials.

Soooooooo...

I want it all...
Ease of use and programming and being able to pull in digital or not digital , trunked or not trunked, and hopefully being able to link to a pc or tablet to decode stuff like morse code, rtty, fax, packet etc...

 

[bailly2]

to find that industrial frequency, goto fcc dot gov. click licenses & databases then genmen. if not there then get a scanner with spectrum sweeper or close call. can receive mcdonalds with an analog radio that picks up 902 to 928, if they switched from that forget it, probably using a 2.4 ghz freqency hopping radio like taco bell uses after people with ham radios messed with them. what radio to get depends on your area and what you want to receive. see if what you want to receive is encrypted first before spending alot.

 

[Nasby]

I had (have) a Realistic Pro-37 handheld scanner.

It hasn't worked for a long while. The buttons stopped working and to get it apart to clean the guts, I would have to desolder the antenna connector which I never got around to doing.

Last year, for Christmas, I got a Bearcat BC346XT (I think that was the model #)..
It was so different from my Pro-37, I couldn't figure out how to even use the dang thing lol.
I purchased the ability to update the thing with the database from here and still couldn't figure it out.

I ended up sending it back and planned to get the newer Whistler (forget the model#) that would auto setup with a simple entering of my zip code. But I ended up with unexpected expenses and never bought the other scanner.

This year, for Christmas, I want to rectify this

Looking in the area of $500
I'm thinking of the Whistler TRX-1 or the Uniden BCD436HP

I obviously don't change/upgrade often, so i'm looking for the most I can get for my $$.

My old Pro-37 was pre-trunking tech, but it sure was nice to , with ease, just pick it up, and start scanning up or down the frequencies searching for any new active signals in my area.
This was something I hope to be able to do again as well.

Also.. Where I work, the maintenance team has handhelds for communications around the facility and it would be nice, for instance, to be able to seek through the frequencies and maybe find the freq the handhelds are on and be able to listen in when important machines are down or what-not.
Things like that, to simple silly things like listening in to the McDonald's drive through are things I want, as well as digital transmissions etc from various state officials.

Soooooooo...

I want it all...
Ease of use and programming and being able to pull in digital or not digital , trunked or not trunked, and hopefully being able to link to a pc or tablet to decode stuff like morse code, rtty, fax, packet etc...

The search feature in the upper right corner will really help you out.

There are threads after threads on the pros and cons of these two great scanners.

You will find pros and cons with each.

Good luck with your purchase!