Looking for a Uniden analog only base scanner

[Ncfirewire]

99 percent all off my analog frequencies in my area are between 420 and 465 with maybe 1 vhf frequency. Is the majority opinion to go with the pro-2006 over the bc780xlt? those were my last 2 choices need to cut it down to the final 1

 

[sparklehorse]

99 percent all off my analog frequencies in my area are between 420 and 465 with maybe 1 vhf frequency. Is the majority opinion to go with the pro-2006 over the bc780xlt? those were my last 2 choices need to cut it down to the final 1

I own both of those receivers. Both are excellent analog scanners. Of the two I would hands down choose the 780 over the 2006. The 780 is a newer model with more features, can be programmed by computer, can employ CTCSS and DCS tones, can trunk track some analog Moto systems (though not if a system has been re-banded), has narrowband FM and displays Alpha Tags. Probably some things I'm forgetting too. The Pro-2006 was an excellent radio in its time but it is like a dinosaur now. The 780 is like a Wooly Mammoth. Both are extinct, but the Mammoth only became extinct relatively recently. It's very good at UHF too. I'm not sure I could say the 2006 is better at UHF. I think the narrowband FM gives the 780 an edge there actually.
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[Bob1955]

99 percent all off my analog frequencies in my area are between 420 and 465 with maybe 1 vhf frequency. Is the majority opinion to go with the pro-2006 over the bc780xlt? those were my last 2 choices need to cut it down to the final 1

Bearcat BC-780XLT is MUCH better then any GRE Scanner out there. If I were you, I would buy(even a used one) a Bearcat BCT-15X. I myself have a Bearcat BC-890XLT that was made in 1996. This scanner is amazing and has GREAT loud audio from a TOP mounted speaker. However, it has the optional CTCSS tone board installed but NOT narrow band compliant. I'll get into more detail on analog scanners if you want.
I'm going to run into town and pick up Chinese food.
Hope you had a good Monday.

 

[TailGator911]

I really liked the 780, but I still believe the 2006 is the better scanner. If you can do without the fancy alpha-tags and all the info on the screen, then the 2006 would be the best vhf/uhf scanner, hands down.

JD
kf4anc

 

[Bob1955]

I really liked the 780, but I still believe the 2006 is the better scanner. If you can do without the fancy alpha-tags and all the info on the screen, then the 2006 would be the best vhf/uhf scanner, hands down.

JD
kf4anc

He can probably find a used Radio Shack PRO-2006 on eBay/Craigslist.

 

[Ubbe]

I agree that a second hand BCT15 or 15X that are in the same price range as pro2006 and 780 but are so much more scanner for your money. The Pro2006 can be used if you live in an interference infected area where no other scanner works and the 780 are working good in VHF where it has special filter techniques that makes it unique among scanners but the BCT15(X) are an all around solid performer.

/Ubbe

 

[cbehr91]

How old do you feel like going, and how many channels do you need? The Bearcat 220/250 family do excellent on VHF. And unlike the slightly older 210, the 220 uses regular AA batteries for its channel memory.

 

[scosgt]

I have some 796D's I am going to put on ebay soon.

 

[TxScanner]

I running a BCD996P2 and BCT15X pretty great combo for both

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[wbswetnam]

I also have a 996P2 and a BCT15X on my work desk. I use the BCT15X for ham radio and AM aircraft (military and civilian) and the 996P2 for public service. Also, my Whistler WS-1095 across the room fills in the gaps for when the 996P2 is "stalled" on DMR conventional channels. However, I changed my screen color on the 996P2 to red so that it matches the BCT15X. I like uniformity, I guess.

 

[jjbond]

BC780XLT was a great analog Uniden. You can probably find one on ebay for less than $100. Also, the BC785D while it was digital, is now useless for digital trunking due to rebanding. For this reason, they sell fairly cheap.

2nd vote for the 780, great front end on these... the Pro-2004/2005/2006 were pretty good as well, make sure you check out the backlight on it before purchasing, they dim with age.

 

[n1chu]

Hi am looking for everyone's choice for a great working analog only Uniden base scanner to go along side my sds200.
My sds 200 is great for the digital stuff but it isnt very good with the analog. Wondering what some of the older favorite models are that work great on for mainly uhf and vhf bands

Thanks

“Analog Only” Uniden scanners are not marketed anymore... at least for the most part. Which means you are In the market for a used scanner. Why not take advantage of the used DMA scanners that receive both analogue and digital... the prices are not bad.

It’s apparent you subscribe to the feeling the BCDx36HP’s and the SDS’s don’t hear the analogue as well as the older DMA scanners and I’m not here to dispute this. But falling back to where the scanner is strictly analogue might not get you the technical improvements offered in the newer used analogue/digital DMA scanners. You don’t have to load any digital programming... just sayin.

 

[n1chu]

2nd vote for the 780, great front end on these... the Pro-2004/2005/2006 were pretty good as well, make sure you check out the backlight on it before purchasing, they dim with age.

I’ve replaced the backlight board on my 2006 without difficulty when I owned one. But no PL ability (and not wanting to do the mod for both PL and S meter), caused me to move on.

 

[n1chu]

I’ve replaced the backlight board on my 2006 without difficulty when I owned one. But no PL ability (and not wanting to do the mod for both PL and S meter), caused me to move on.

I will add the PRO-2006 (GRE) was one HOT receiver! It put to shame anything available from Regency (was Regency still around) and Uniden at the time.

 

[n1chu]

“Analog Only” Uniden scanners are not marketed anymore... at least for the most part. Which means you are In the market for a used scanner. Why not take advantage of the used DMA scanners that receive both analogue and digital... the prices are not bad.

It’s apparent you subscribe to the feeling the BCDx36HP’s and the SDS’s don’t hear the analogue as well as the older DMA scanners and I’m not here to dispute this. But falling back to where the scanner is strictly analogue might not get you the technical improvements offered in the newer used analogue/digital DMA scanners. You don’t have to load any digital programming... just sayin.

I might add, if it’s just an analogue scanner you seek, check out the ham radio offerings by the cheap Chinese imports. You don’t have to be a licensed ham to buy one (just don’t transmit) and since the dual band VHF/UHF radio’s sport general coverage receivers, they receive police and fire on the respective bands with improved performance when compared to a multi and scanner. I have a BaoFeng handheld that puts my scanners to shame using just the stock antenna! And at a price that is ridiculously low-around $30-40! It’s my belief these radios are not having to compromise, receiving only two bands as opposed to multi-band scanner’s. There’s a trade-off that’s understood.

 

[mule1075]

“Analog Only” Uniden scanners are not marketed anymore. at least for the most part.

Complete nonsense if that was the case the 125at ,15x, 355n, and the 365crs would be discontinued.

 

[n1chu]

Complete nonsense if that was the case the 125at ,15x, 355n, and the 365crs would be discontinued.

Considering the fact Uniden makes/made more scanners without first consciously determining if it should be strictly analogue or both analogue & digital, not to mention they make more scanners that are both analogue & digital, than strictly analogue, and finally my including “for the most part”, I believe I’ll stand by what I wrote... not that it’s germain to the point but I can tolerate a certain level of analogue retentiveness...

 

[mule1075]

Considering the fact Uniden makes/made more scanners without first consciously determining if it should be strictly analogue or both analogue & digital, not to mention they make more scanners that are both analogue & digital, than strictly analogue, and finally my including “for the most part”, I believe I’ll stand by what I wrote... not that it’s germain to the point but I can tolerate a certain level of analogue retentiveness...

PSR 500-600 Pro 2096-96 Pro 197-106 Pro 651-652 are ones that do both plus others that were strictly analog no trunking at all. So my point still stands.

 

[KR7CQ]

My PRO-2006 smokes the BC780XLT on at 460 MHz, but as Ubbe said, it's because I live in a very high RF world. I used to have a house way out in the desert, and in that case the BC780XLT was the better UHF receiver, more sensitive overall. It all depends on your situation....tools in the toolbox, picking the right tool for a specific job. Hearing the morse identifiers gets old though in 2019...how I wish I had a PRO-2006 with the PL mod. In the grand scheme, the BCT15X is a solid choice for analog. New analog Uniden scanners are both advertised and sold daily.

 

[Ubbe]

I might add, if it’s just an analogue scanner you seek, check out the ham radio offerings by the cheap Chinese imports.

The dual band models and some single band ones that uses direct conversion receiver, the same type as in Unidens SDS scanners, doesn't handle strong signals that well. My direct conversation BFDX580 looses reception in mid sentence on both analog and digital while the less expensive MD380 using a heterodyn receiver can receive the whole conversation connected to the same antenna splitter. If you have a non demanding RF enviroment you can go with any chinese radio but use only heterodyn types if interference and overload are an issue. The MD380 are just as good, or bad, as any other receiver I have, well maybe not Pro2006, to handle strong signals but has improved sensitivity. At least that's how my receivers perform.

/Ubbe