Considering a G5, can it pickup the same things as a HP2?

[VistaListener]

I have a 536 and a HP2 and they do a good job, but I'd like to expand my array of scanners and I'm looking at the G5 now. I'd like to know if the G5 can receive all that the 536 and HP2 can receive? I tried to look up the specs on all the radios, but I'm confused on how each manufacturer identifies their product's features.

For example: The Uniden HP2 supports APCO 25 Trunked/Conventional

The G5 supports P25 Trunked/Conventional.

Are these the same?

I primarily monitoring my local police, fire and ambulance services in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Also, I'm considering a Uniden SDS100, after a little more time passes, to see if there are any extreme revisions.

 

[IAmSixNine]

The G5 has a limited secondary band. Aka VHF or UHF. In fact it comes in a couple different UHF Versions as it breaks down what part of UHF a unit can RX.
So if your looking for a VHF UHF 700/800 the HP2 or other scanners are the way to go.
If your focused on 700/800 and its a P25 Phase 1/and or Phase 2 system then the G4/5is great.
Me personally, i opted for G4 for primary 700/800 trunking and let other scanners or radios monitor VHF and UHF.
I dont live in SF Bay area so cant help you decide further as i dont know what systems are out there.
Also the G4/5 will not properly trunk track legacy analog Type 2 voice systems. So keep that in mind.

 

[sparklehorse]

The G5 is not a scanner, it is a pager, so it lacks some of the basic features that scanners have. It can only scan one P25 trunked system at a time. Optionally it can scan up to 16 conventional UHF or VHF channels, depending on which G5 model you have. To scan conventional VHF or UHF it uses an internal antenna, which comprises its reception in those bands. It will not scan a P25 Trunk system AND the conventional channels at the same time. You scan one or the other. It does not have a 2 or 3 second delay at the end of a transmission which can make it easier to follow a conversation. When a transmission stops it resumes scanning immediately. If you have a lot of busy talkgroups in a scan list this can make listening quite chaotic. It does not allow you to hold on a talkgroup of interest. You can get around that to a degree with programming, but only to a degree. It’s somewhat tedious to program as it does not pull info from the RR database.
On the plus side, it tracks and decodes P25 Phase I and Phase II trunked sytems extremely well. It handles simulcast modulation well. It’s extremely sensitive on 700/800 MHz, even with its tiny antenna, and can wring out a good decode even on fairly distant sytems. It’s well-built, small, rugged and waterproof. Has good battery life and fairly loud volume. It has a good screen that’s easy to read. It works well while mobile, even just sitting in a cup holder.

In short, if you only need to monitor one P25 system, monitor it well at a reasonable price, then it’s pretty much in a class by itself. Hope that helps

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