Uniden BCD396P2 ?

[hotdjdave]

Will there be a BCD396P2? It has been suggested that the BCD325P2 is the same thing. Is this true?

What is the major difference between a BCD325P2 and a BCD396T/XT? Of course, except the look (shell) and P25 Phase II capability.

I am hoping there will be a BCD396P2. I don't care for the look (shell) of the BCD325P2, and it appears others don't, either.

 

[W8RMH]

I would assume that since they released the 325P2 right after the 996P2 that it would be their P2 handheld.

I would also have preferred a 396P2. I don't care for the 325P2's 2 battery setup.

I will continue to use my 396XT and 996XT as long as possible. I have a HomePatrol 2 which I love. That model may be my choice to replace my XTs when the time comes. It is all about which way the prices and reviews go. Kinda like the stock market

 

[AA6IO]

I would also have preferred a 396XT with phase 2, but I bought the 325P2 about 3 weeks ago. Its actually a very good radio. Has many of the same features as the 396XT, but the display, battery situation, is obviously different. That said, the P25 decode IMHO is better on the 325P2. I also like the compact size.
The Uniden flagship (whatever that really means) handheld is the 436HP. I have two of them, and they are very good scanners, better, now that the recent new firmware is out. But for compact size, I find myself using the 325P2 quite a bit now. Its a good scanner for the multiple conventional and trunking systems, including analog and P25 digital, that we have here in LA.
One thing, I have not used it for any P2 P25 here in LA yet. That activity tends to still be sparse, and I use my 436HP/536HP to record those stations from time to time.

 

[seth21w]

The difference is the 325p2 can only hold 2 batteries vs 3 less run time. Charging is dependent on the use of a computer or other USB charger like a phone charger but one is not included. No multi color display.

 

[N9JIG]

The 325P2 is the successor radio to the 396XT. For the most part the radios operate the same. While the display and power/charging are different the radios program and operate much the same.

The 325 can also use most programming software that work on the 396XT, such as ARC-XT. You may need to update whatever software package you use however.

 

[DaveIN]

FreeScan also works well from what I understand, for both the BCD325P2 and BCD996P2.

I find it interesting also that there is not a PDF version of the owners manual for the P2's on the Uniden site. There is a Easier to read manual online that you can also purchase a copy of if you really needed it. Then again, you can just download the XT version for nearly the same radio features and function from the Uniden site.

 

[RoninJoliet]

Im disappointed that the 325P2 does not have the type of decode firmware that the old 996xt was given where you can still use "Auto" but adjust the scanner to stay at 7-8 to decode....Seems that the 325P2 adjustment does not stay at "8' , according to some users it does not do much....

 

[jpm]

Ron Ron Ron

Ron the 325p2 does have a option to set at manual after holding down the hold button and starting the scanner up. I thought you said you didn't say anything about this manual option, I have seen two posts where you complain about this manual option always clearing when the scanner is turned on again. I myself find the this scanner, the 325p2 decodes very well with the auto setting. This is a very good scanner and glad that clock set up isn't on the 325p2 scanner.

 

[jpm]

Tonights activity

After chillin with numerous beers tonight, in the back yard ( the skitters were very bad), I was monitoring both sites 108 Lake county and the infamous tower 149 NWCD the auto threshold was displayed at level 7 (seven) and no issues with this scanner. This is the setting currently on both my 996t and 996xt scanners. Currently using a Laird 800 mhz bnc portable antenna. For my other scanner needs I have the diamond all band type. The base scanners each have a directional antenna positioned to the Lake county tower and NWCD tower. These base antennas were discontinued hd antenna from Walmart for thirty bucks clearance.

 

[jpm]

Also distance to NWCD tower approximately three miles and tower 108 6-7 miles.

 

[jpm]

The robotic dispatcher is terrible rates jump around 10-30s.

 

[whisper16]

Manual setting

JPM

So if I follow you correctly your saying there is a manual adjust setting that locks the setting in so you don't need to reset each time you turn on the scanner? I've seen a couple different people complaining about that.

 

[jpm]

JPM

So if I follow you correctly your saying there is a manual adjust setting that locks the setting in so you don't need to reset each time you turn on the scanner? I've seen a couple different people complaining about that.

When you first turn on the scanner press and hold the hold button while turning on the scanner and you then go into the settings and open the threshold menu. scroll to the desired manual setting and hit enter. this feature one has to go through the steps when they turn off the scanner and back on. I myself have good decoding on the auto which goes between six and seven on auto. You have to reset each time you power the scanner off and on again and this is what Ron is complaining about.

 

[RoninJoliet]

"JPM is correct, for Starcom the scanner left in "AUTO" will decode between 6-7 and its almost 100% for me just using the RS800 rubber duck...*I have not used the "hidden menu " yet....I just had to jack up some of the audio on a few people and its a winner...My 396XT seems a little louder...My RS106 is very loud using a lapel speaker from the old RS with a piece of wire grounding out the audio circuitry which cannot be done on the Uniden scanners....

 

[kc5igh]

JPM

So if I follow you correctly your saying there is a manual adjust setting that locks the setting in so you don't need to reset each time you turn on the scanner? I've seen a couple different people complaining about that.

Good afternoon!

I'm one of the people who've complained (not too loudly, I hope) about the BCD325P2's inability to maintain a "manual" setting after the radio's been turned off. One of the P25 systems I monitor tends to come in a little better when I've manually set the 325's threshold level to 7 or 8. In its default "auto" threshold mode, the radio hovers between levels 9 and 10. This gets the error rates down to (mostly) zero, but it also lets the radio occasionally skip or receive transmissions incompletely on that system.

When I'm closer to that system and signal strength improves, the auto threshold setting is just fine on the 325. Since I spend most of my time further away in a weaker-signal environment, I'd like to have the option of letting it stay on manual level 7 or 8. It's possible to do this with the BCD436HP, but don't get me started on that piece of equipment (love the features, but hate its vhf sensitivity)!

The good news? It's a little laborious, but at least I can invoke the "hidden" menu (Why hidden?) and set the 325's threshold manually when I want/need to.

The bad news? There's probably no receiver in the world that will perform equally well in the wide variety of listening environments, radio systems, and user expectations we're living with.

Thanks for listening.

-Johnnie