Hello. Are there any advantages to having a base scanner over a handheld?
The only I can think of is maybe you can attach antenna to your roof and connect it to the base unit.
Soon, I'm going to buy a BCD436HP, but I was wondering why someone would choose a base unit such as the BCD536?
You can attach an external antenna to the 436HP (or most any portable scanner).
Base/mobile units usually have a somewhat larger display than the portables, though with the 436HP vs 536HP, it's a small difference (they are shaped differently).
Base/mobile units also generally have a larger speaker, so you may get better audio, both because of the speaker size, and also because the B/M unit is in a larger case, which also helps the audio somewhat. Also, the base units often are made with a metallic outer case, which can help reduce interference from other devices, such as printers, wifi hubs, broadband modems, etc. For base/mobile units such as the 536HP, you have "dedicated" buttons for certain functions; range and service type for example. On the handheld sibling, the 436HP, access to those functions requires a couple of key presses or scrolling through a menu. Not a huge factor, but a difference.
On the other hand, the portable units, handhelds, can also be attached an antenna, which helps reduce 'in house' interference. They can also be easily moved from room to room (using the antenna on the scanner, of course), or taken out on your deck or porch or to your vehicle very easily. And the handhelds, as long as you have spare, charged, batteries, will keep working during a power failure.
