Uniden BC20 External Speaker for HomePatrol 2 Mobile Use ?

[Greg43545]

I have recently purchased the HomePatrol2 scanner and the speaker works adequately for inside my home, but I would like to purchase an external speaker for use in my vehicle.

I have researched online and found the Uniden Bearcat BC20 External Speaker that is a 20 watt external speaker which should produce the volume and clarity of transmission that I'm looking for.

But I would like to hear from those who have used this external speaker with an HP2, or any other scanner for that matter, and if so ...

A) Did you use it with an HP2 scanner?

B) Does it produce adequate volume and clarity for mobile use?

C) Would you recommend purchasing this speaker to others?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[RetiredVolunteer]

Maybe also look into the Uniden Bearcat BC23A amplified external speaker

 

[UPMan]

BC20 would not be suitable. It provides only headphone-level output, which is not adequate to drive a full-size speaker. The 20W means that it can handle 20W of input power, not that it puts out 20W of amplified sound.

For the HP (or any scanner that has only headphone-level output) an amplified speaker such as the BC23A (or just about any powered PC or communications speaker) is a necessary choice. You would not be happy with the BC20, does not produce adequate volume from headphone-level input, and I would not recommend purchasing it for your application (but if you ever get a base/mobile scanner that has an External Speaker jack, it makes an excellent choice).

 

[sibbley]

Yes, for use while mobile, you will need the BC23A amplified speaker.

 

[Greg43545]

Thank you all for your input, it was greatly appreciated. It looks like I should purchase the BC23A instead of the BC20.

With that being said, is there any other amplified speaker that you would recommend besides the BC23A?

 

[dlhess]

I’ve used the BC23A with my HP2 and am currently using it with my SDS100. This is a voice activated speaker, so it turns itself on when it receives an audio signal form the scanner. You will miss the first second or two of the transmission while it turns itself on. It then remains on for several seconds before it powers down. Keep in mind the speaker requires a 12 volt power source.
Other than that, it’s a great speaker, and would highly recommend it.

 

[sibbley]

I've never had a problem with audio "clipping" with my BC23A. In fact, if you hadn't mentioned "auto off" feature, I had completely forgotten about it.

 

[Greg43545]

Keep in mind the speaker requires a 12 volt power source.

Can the hot and ground wires be wired into a cigarette lighter plug, and plugged into a power source to operate, so I don't need to wire into a ground or into the fuse box?