325P2 or 436HP

[neilbell]

I am positively going to buy either a 325P2 or a 436HP scanner. Size is not important - either one is fine, cost is not a factor, I will use software to program it. I have no need for on-the-fly programming, all use will be in my home town area. I mostly listen to a large multi-site digital trunked system in the SF Bay area called EBRCS. I am a happy user of a 996P2 with a nice discone antenna outside which I like but the increased display ability of the 436 would be useful. I realize that the 325 will be able to use the programming I have in the 996 and that is convenient!

Reception of the 40 MHz CHP system is important, I don't really use search very much and it is unimportant. So which do you think is my best choice? I doubt that the large trunked system will be undergoing significant changes for quite a while. Reception quality is very important, especially in the 40 mHz system. So which do you guys (or gals) think I should get and why?

Neil Bell, KJ6FBA

 

[MStep]

I am positively going to buy either a 325P2 or a 436HP scanner. Size is not important - either one is fine, cost is not a factor, I will use software to program it. I have no need for on-the-fly programming, all use will be in my home town area. I mostly listen to a large multi-site digital trunked system in the SF Bay area called EBRCS. I am a happy user of a 996P2 with a nice discone antenna outside which I like but the increased display ability of the 436 would be useful. I realize that the 325 will be able to use the programming I have in the 996 and that is convenient!

Reception of the 40 MHz CHP system is important, I don't really use search very much and it is unimportant. So which do you think is my best choice? I doubt that the large trunked system will be undergoing significant changes for quite a while. Reception quality is very important, especially in the 40 mHz system. So which do you guys (or gals) think I should get and why?

Neil Bell, KJ6FBA

I cannot comment on your specific use or the frequencies or modes that you want to scan. All I can say is that the 436 is the best portable scanner I have ever owned (and my radio monitoring goes back over 60 years), and like it's big brother, the base/mobile 536, is extremely rich in features and functions.

 

[marksmith]

For what you describe, either radio would deal with the big trunked system very well, and neither would be particularly great in VHF Low 40mz unless the signals are strong.

I have both because for the size, the 325 is a nice comfortable carry, and for the features, onboard database, recording capability and other reasons the 436 is a great radio. The increased display size of the 436 display is offset by the small fonts used on it.

If you don't care about size or money, the 436 is your radio.

Mark
WS1095/536/436/996P2/HP1e/HP2e/996XT/325P2/396XT/PRO668/PSR800/PRO652

 

[buddrousa]

2nd that plus you can upgrade the 436 to receive new radio formats if you wish. DMR PROVOICE for now.

 

[K1TSL]

Despite some screen issues with my 436 (now sending it back a second time), I think it is one of the best units out there overall in terms of features. There seems to be a fair amount of issues out there with the displays. In my case, it keeps reverting to all black making it unreadable. I wish they could get this problem fixed once and for all. But, maybe I'm an outlier.

However, it's probably not the radio for you at 40mhz. I don't own the 325 so I don't have an opinion on that. What I can say is that I've owned a dozen handhelds over the years and my Uniden BR330T kills all of them on the lower bands. It even has shortwave on it. I can pick up 10 meter beacons fairly often. It's the only scanner I've never considered parting with at one point or another.

So maybe neither is the best option based on your primary interests. The 436 coupled with the radio shack 800mhz antenna is great on UHF and higher if you have an interest in listening to those bands. I also didn't think I'd care about the on-the-fly programming but it has proven its usefulness to me on several occasions.

I have yet to find the perfect scanner for all bands. So it's either a decision of compromise, or owning multiple units to cover all the bases.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[mancow]

436 without a doubt.

 

[SteveSimpkin]

Love my BR330T too!
Here are some more opinions:
http://forums.radioreference.com/uniden-prospective-owners/310126-bcd-436hp-vs-bcd-325p2.html

 

[kc5igh]

I own both radios, and it's been my experience that a great deal of your satisfaction with either one will depend on your listening environment(s).

The 436 is much more feature-rich than the 352, as noted above, but its rf performance appears to be optimized for urban, strong-signal environments. It handles strong-signal and adjacent-channel overload very effectively, but is much less sensitive than the 352, particularly on VHF-hi (155 MHz and thereabouts).

The 436's sensitivity improves as you move up the frequency spectrum, and it's about equally sensitive as the 325 in the 800 MHz area.

There's very little 40 Mhz activity in my vicinity (with the exception of the state game & fish folks, who operate at 44.8 (if I remember correctly). I've heard them talking on the 325, but I don't think I've ever heard them on the 436. That may or may not mean that the 436 is inherently less-sensitive than the 325 in that portion of the rf spectrum.

I hope this helps!

-Johnnie

 

[safetyobc]

436 because of its ablility to be updated to ProVoice and DMR.

 

[whisper16]

If my memory is correct, you had a 325p2 before? I think I would give the 436 a try this go around.