436hp vs bc355n vs bct15x for analogue

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2e0wes

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Hi friends, I'm looking for advise, I currently own a 436hp and use a diamond discone antenna mounted on my roof, but I'm thinking that the 436 is like a Swiss army knife of radios, and is nice and clear on the digital but not the greatest on vhf, so I am considering adding either the 355n or bct15 for listening to air band and marine, and also some analogue fire transmitions, about 20 miles away. Do you think the 355 or the 15 will receive analogue any better, or am I waisting my money. If I did add another radio to the fleet, it would also allow me to thin out my database in the 436, and hopefully this would help with missed transmission. I know the 436 scans quick, but it does seem to miss beginnings of conversations. Thanks in advance.
 

Ubbe

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The BCT15 are one of the best receivers that Uniden have made and even as new they are priced favourably. But you shouldn't have problem with a 436, that's also a pretty good receiver. But as you use a discone, that works best at the FM broadcast band, the 436 might get too much signal from the Broadcast band and de-sense from it in the VHF band. You usually need to have a FM trap filter whenever a discone are used, or have to live far from the FM transmitter site.

I would suggest to first try a FM trapfilter. If you want all signal in the VHF air band then look closely at the specification of the trapfilter so it doesn't attenuate the lower part of the airband. That will exclude the Stridsberg FM filter and some others.


/Ubbe
 

N8IAA

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Definitely the 15X. I use that as my analog scanner in the shack with an indoor antenna.
It receives from over twenty miles away. Just imagine if I had an outdoor antenna............

And, yes, the 436HP's have problems in the VHF/UHF ranges. It's been documented in the Uniden forum with a weird fix.
 

ScubaJungle

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Edit: My mistake -
in the case of already having the 436 - then I would say it comes down to this:
If you want to have a dedicated scanner for analog so as to not tie up the 436 (as you mentioned), then go for it.
If that isnt an issue though, and it is purely performance, I would just keep the 436 until you find something super cheap at a garage sale or something. I dont see the performance difference justifying the cost of a new scanner. Thats my opinion - actually I am in the same boat. Looking for a second scanner for analog stuff, so I dont tie up my 436 on stuff that a much cheaper scanner can do just as well
 
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N8IAA

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If all you're going for is analog, I think it may be pointless to spend all the extra money on a 436 - although I do love my 436 and find it does really well on VHF/UHF. Most of the VHF/UHF near me is digital though, so the 436 is necessary. If all youre going for is analog, you can grab a 15X for really cheap online used.

OP already owns a 436.
 

2e0wes

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Thank you guys for your replies, I'm not sure if a filter would help, as the local marine is on nfm, as will as the fire paging.
N81aa, the 15x does look a sweet rig and the alpha tags are very useful. My 436 has seemed to have stopped receiving marine altogether, I am going to refresh the database, as everything seem correct in the settings. My 436 is only 2 months old, so I hope it doesn't have the problems that the early productions had.
 

Ubbe

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Some older 436 didn't have a capcitor installed that was necessary to attenuate some clock pulses that could interfere at UHF frequencies, when used with the internal rubber duck antenna, not when used with an external antenna.

/Ubbe
 

ScubaJungle

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Thank you guys for your replies, I'm not sure if a filter would help, as the local marine is on nfm, as will as the fire paging.
N81aa, the 15x does look a sweet rig and the alpha tags are very useful. My 436 has seemed to have stopped receiving marine altogether, I am going to refresh the database, as everything seem correct in the settings. My 436 is only 2 months old, so I hope it doesn't have the problems that the early productions had.
Personally, I think that if you have a quality antenna, tuned for what you are listening to, it will make more of a difference between the two. If you were talking about an SDS, then Ive definitely heard of VHF/UHF issues there, but thats not the case here.
 

2e0wes

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Edit: My mistake -
in the case of already having the 436 - then I would say it comes down to this:
If you want to have a dedicated scanner for analog so as to not tie up the 436 (as you mentioned), then go for it.
If that isnt an issue though, and it is purely performance, I would just keep the 436 until you find something super cheap at a garage sale or something. I dont see the performance difference justifying the cost of a new scanner. Thats my opinion - actually I am in the same boat. Looking for a second scanner for analog stuff, so I dont tie up my 436 on stuff that a much cheaper scanner can do just as well
Thanks scuba, I've been looking for used, but there few and far between here in nova Scotia. Good luck
 

ScubaJungle

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Thanks scuba, I've been looking for used, but there few and far between here in nova Scotia. Good luck
Ah, the location definitely complicates it. If you can get it shipped from the US, there are so many analog scanners used going for practically nothing. I suppose that would depend on whether the seller is willing to ship intl though
 

bobruzzo

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I have a 15X and its a VERY good scanner in all ways. I use it specifically for all my conventional stuff. I have a combination of police, fire and business freqs. Also I have seen them advertised with very good prices. Definitely worth it for the money. I didn't want to tie up my new SDS200 with conventional stuff, and I use the 200 only for one P25 simulcast system and one Motorola trunked system. I might even buy another 15X if I get a pickup truck (in future).
 

2e0wes

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Ok, I have just ordered a 15x off amazon.ca, but it looks like prices are going up, they have put the 355 up 85 bucks in 3 days and it's more expensive that the 15x. the 536 has gone up 600 bucks in 2 months, I really don't think anyone will pay 1200 cad, for a 536. Thats, mad.
 

2e0wes

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I have a 15X and its a VERY good scanner in all ways. I use it specifically for all my conventional stuff. I have a combination of police, fire and business freqs. Also I have seen them advertised with very good prices. Definitely worth it for the money. I didn't want to tie up my new SDS200 with conventional stuff, and I use the 200 only for one P25 simulcast system and one Motorola trunked system. I might even buy another 15X if I get a pickup truck (in future).
Thanks for the input, my 15x should be here on friday.
 

bobruzzo

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Ok, I have just ordered a 15x off amazon.ca, but it looks like prices are going up, they have put the 355 up 85 bucks in 3 days and it's more expensive that the 15x. the 536 has gone up 600 bucks in 2 months, I really don't think anyone will pay 1200 cad, for a 536. Thats, mad.
I've seen some INCREDIBLY ridiculous prices on some of the Unidens rigs. I'm glad I bought mine when I did.
 

Bob1955

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Hi friends, I'm looking for advise, I currently own a 436hp and use a diamond discone antenna mounted on my roof, but I'm thinking that the 436 is like a Swiss army knife of radios, and is nice and clear on the digital but not the greatest on vhf, so I am considering adding either the 355n or bct15 for listening to air band and marine, and also some analogue fire transmitions, about 20 miles away. Do you think the 355 or the 15 will receive analogue any better, or am I waisting my money. If I did add another radio to the fleet, it would also allow me to thin out my database in the 436, and hopefully this would help with missed transmission. I know the 436 scans quick, but it does seem to miss beginnings of conversations. Thanks in advance.
2e0wes-Hi, how are you? Do NOT purchase a Bearcat BC-355N as it is not a good receiver but rather go with the Bearcat BCT-15X. That is the BEST trunking/conventional analog radio out there. It has gone up in price from $125 months ago. It is supply and demand now. I would suggest giving Paul a call from Bearcat Warehouse at 877-568-7226 and that is the BEST place for advise. Be safe.
 

2e0wes

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Thanks again to bobruzzo and Bob 1955, for you input and advice, if the audio is a clear as my old yupiteru mvt-7100, that I had 18 years ago when I forced out of the hobby when the uk police and everything else went trunked, I will be happy
 

wbswetnam

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I used to own a BCT15X, and I gave it away when I got a BCD996P2 to replace it. Mistake! The BCT15X had the best analog performance of ANY analog-only scanner I have ever had... and I've owned a lot of scanners.
 
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