I think I am done with the Home Patrol 1

[lindsay34654]

I love coming on here and listening to every one whine about the HP1, I use the Sentinel soft ware and never had an issue to an including the re-banding which they do in my area all the time. Nothing is perfect and if you want something to work what you think is 100% listen on the web, I have been into scanning since 1963 and this is the easiest radio I have found. Like everything else it is line of site. and also if you think the little rubber ducky that came with the radio is going to give you 100% YOU are sadly mistaken. Have you ever tried moving the radio around a little for better reception. OR use an OUTSIDE ANNETTENA for better reception. I have mine that runs 24/7 and I bought the radio when they first came out, and never had a issue and it is in my car. I know a lot of people near me that own them and NO ONE is having any issues, and we live in a wooded area. Stop your whining like a child I will buy the thing off of you then you can buy something else and whine about that.

 

[wesct]

I have an unusual question: Is the attenuator turned off?

I find that issue all the time when someone complains about reception.

 

[scruggsy]

my biggest problem with this scanner is the fact that i paid so much for it , then had to pay for an upgrade ( that should have been included) or at least no more than $25.00 bucks. also the antenna that came stock is less than adequate for the scanner, also the software could have been a bit more robust instead of having to pay for 3rd party software to be able to manipulate the setup.

the only good thing about this scanner is it's ease of use with he UI, it appears as if this scanner was targeted more towards the novice scanner listener than someone who wants get their hands dirty trying to self program for their own liking.
having said that I am looking forward to the new scanners uniden has coming out, only wish the handheld had the WIFI feature!

 

[phask]

>>then had to pay for an upgrade

You never HAD to pay for an upgrade. You purchased the extreme package. No one forced you to.

I'd hazard a guess that less than10% have the extreme running.

 

[scruggsy]

>>then had to pay for an upgrade

You never HAD to pay for an upgrade. You purchased the extreme package. No one forced you to.

I'd hazard a guess that less than10% have the extreme running.

I was only making the point that this should have been on the scanner to begin with, this appears to be unidens "MO", (you can use this product as is, but if you want to be able to do this, buy this).
after all, thats what keeps these forums going, questions like how can I get better reception, how can I do this, how can i do that, and 9 out 10 answers are hey if you want to do that go get yourself one of these.
I realize that every Hobby has it's price, I bought a brand new car and immediately bought a new exhaust, intake, handheld tuner, along with some other items tro make it like I wanted it!

so yes! if you want to be able to take full advantage of this product, you have to purchase the extreme update/upgrade/add-on/package whatever you want to call it!

 

[KE4ZNR]

I was only making the point that this should have been on the scanner to begin with, this appears to be unidens "MO", (you can use this product as is, but if you want to be able to do this, buy this).

if you want to be able to take full advantage of this product, you have to purchase the extreme update/upgrade/add-on/package whatever you want to call it!

Totally untrue.
The HP-1 was designed to be used by 2 types of customers:
1) The basic user that only wants to plug in their zip code and get started listening to communications in their home area. The HP-1 is still a fully operational scanner even without the Extreme Upgrade Package.
The basic user has no need of the advanced feature set included with the Extreme Upgrade. No need to charge them for features they will never use. If after getting into the hobby they decide they want more advanced features they can move to the Advanced user below.

2) The Advanced user. This user is familiar with Programs like Trunk88, Unitrunker and the like and wants these advanced system monitoring/decoding features in a small form package so they don't have to carry around a laptop. The advanced features in the Extreme Upgrade package (which were never before offered in any other scanner) did have to be developed and tested. This costs money. Asking for a additional one time fee to recoup the R&D costs is not unreasonable.

Again, the scanner works fully without the Extreme Upgrade. The upgrade just gives the advanced user features never before offered in any other scanner.

Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[lep]

Totally untrue.
The HP-1 was designed to be used by 2 types of customers:
.....

Again, the scanner works fully without the Extreme Upgrade. The upgrade just gives the advanced user features never before offered in any other scanner.

Marshall KE4ZNR

Excellent points Marshall. But, as you no doubt already know, the OP doesn't want any facts nor dissenting opinions. He has the clarity of being Right.

When I bought my first HP-1 I had no inkling there was going to be EE edition but I was lucky enough to order to Key at the start at a discount and have never regretted it because, as you state, it gives the HP-1 features not (or since) available in a single package without expensive add-ons, cables, and a lot of other stuff to carry around.

Happy new year to all.

LEP

 

[bfpdb]

I got rid of my HP-1, traded it for a BCD996T and it works great.

 

[w4amp]

To the OP, I saw where you mentioned that you are only 5 miles from the P25 site you want to monitor. Program that trunk system into the HP1 scanner by itself. If the site is simulcast, try listening with your attenuator ON. Sometimes being close to a simulcast system will make the multiple signals tough to decode.With the attenuator on it will not hear the weak towers and will lock on to the nearest towers. If you have an outdoor antenna with directivity such as a yagi, play with that as well. every system decodes different. One simulcast system near me I need a long Yagi right on the closest tower and it decodes fine. Massive S-meter reading on the HP1, but decodes great. Another simulcast P25 system about the same distance overloads on a strong signal and will not decode. Have to run it with the attenuator AND turn the antenna away! Only decodes with a tiny signal. When I look at this system with the trunk analyzer the bar graph shows practically no signal and 95% quality. Craziest thing I have ever seen. A preamp can also be in the mix in combo with the attenuator to get the best decode. Once you are comfortable with the decode you can program a favorite with that and other systems.

I will give an example of the craziness. One P25 simulcast system works great with the 900 yagi, my pre amp, and a cheap bnc to bnc jumper to a uhf to sma adapter on the HP1. Decodes every call clear as a bell. Now I changed that cheap jumper out with a short piece of LMR400 with UHF connectors on both ends and a BNC adapter going to the preamp. The other end into the UHF/sma adapter on the HP1. The system disappeared. I experimented with the attenuator, made sure the LMR400 jumper was ok, could not get it to work. Put the cheap low grade BNC-BNC jumper on and it worked again! So with the loss on the cheap cable the signal would decode. But with the good LMR400 there was less loss and the signal would not decode. Hope that helps you out some. I have an HP1, 996XT, and a 396XT. They all have the latest firmware. The HP1 is the most finicky on decoding digital, but in my opinion it sounds the best with hardly any chop or errors.