Base Scanner for Birthday?

[ArkTex]

Heya all and happy holidays.

I turn 21 on Monday, November 28th this year, and so I thought I’d splurge and finally get a true base station.

I already have a Unication G4 that I bought earlier this year and I love it. However, there has been some trade offs.

I’m looking for a base uniden like the BCD996P2. Reason being is that although the Unication is the perfect receiver for my use case, it’s usability as a base scanner is slim. It’s good for when I’m traveling and I want to pick up certain talk groups only. However, when I’m at my house or at a family member’s it’s really stubborn sometimes.

Is the BCD996P2 worth the money? Does it have nearly the same reception range as the Unication?

thanks.

 

[freqseeker]

Happy birthday, mine is two days before yours. I can only wish I were turning 21, that was several+ decades ago.
The BCD996P2 is a excellent radio. I own the first of it's kind the BCD996T. The only thing you would need to worry about is LSM simulcast. The only base radio that handles that is the Uniden SDS200.
I do see that Colorado DTRS does have some simulcast so keep that in mind.
Another great option for simulcast is the Blue Tail Technologies MicroP25RX. It is digital only at this time.
Let us know what you decide.

 

[ArkTex]

Happy birthday, mine is two days before yours. I can only wish I were turning 21, that was several+ decades ago.
The BCD996P2 is a excellent radio. I own the first of it's kind the BCD996T. The only thing you would need to worry about is LSM simulcast. The only base radio that handles that is the Uniden SDS200.
I do see that Colorado DTRS does have some simulcast so keep that in mind.
Another great option for simulcast is the Blue Tail Technologies MicroP25RX. It is digital only at this time.
Let us know what you decide.

Thank you!

I’ve been looking into the P25RX, but my belief is that you need a computer like a SDR to operate it, correct?

 

[KevinC]

Thank you!

I’ve been looking into the P25RX, but my belief is that you need a computer like a SDR to operate it, correct?

The only thing you absolutely have to have a computer for is FW updates…which would be true for any scanner.

 

[freqseeker]

Thank you!

I’ve been looking into the P25RX, but my belief is that you need a computer like a SDR to operate it, correct?

They can all be used without a computer.
The MicroP25RX is programmable using the Wio display sold separately but cheap. The creator made this model when parts became unavailable for the first two.
See this thread MicroP25RX It's long but you can see the evolution. There are pictures as well. The creator @btt is very active on the forum. Post any questions you have there.
Here's a video MicroP25RX youtube

 

[APX8000]

SDS-200.

 

[ArkTex]

SDS-200.

I do like the look of the SDS line, but I'm not really interested in it. If I need good simulcast performance, then I'd rather use my Unication since even that will beat out an SDS. I'm looking for a Uniden that does both P25 1 and 2, as well as really good analog reception. My main choices right now are the 996P2 and the 536HP. My budget is around 400ish.

 

[dave3825]

I turn 21 on Monday, November 28th this year, and so I thought I’d splurge and finally get a true base station.

Happy birthday.

When I turned 21, 30 years ago, I splurged on a case of beer. It's nice to see today's generation buying more tech savvy things.

 

[just1bob]

Happy birthday kid. Hope you find what works for you. You may want to consider a Home Patrol 2. Mine works great here in sw Michigan. A lot involves what works for you in your location. Just be sure you can easily return whichever you try out, just in case. Good luck.

 

[hiegtx]

I do like the look of the SDS line, but I'm not really interested in it. If I need good simulcast performance, then I'd rather use my Unication since even that will beat out an SDS. I'm looking for a Uniden that does both P25 1 and 2, as well as really good analog reception. My main choices right now are the 996P2 and the 536HP. My budget is around 400ish.

At your $400 price point, you could get a 996P2. Currently $358.00 at Amazon, $399.95 at ScannerMaster, #365.99 at Bearcat Warehouse.

A 536HP would go over your price range. Currently $498.00 at Amazon, $519.95 at ScannerMaster, and $499.00 at Bearcat Warehouse.

The 536HP would be marginally better on simulcast, but you already have that covered with your Unication. Looking specifically at your county, Mesa, the statewide system, DTRS, has several sites in your county, but none flagged as simulcast.The 996P2 would likely be able to handle DTRS in Mesa, and is a good analog scanner as well as P25 trunked systems that are not simulcast. It's easily programmable with software, and you are a premium subscriber, so imports from the RR database would be easily accomplished.

 

[darkness975]

BCD996P2 or BCD536HP

 

[APX8000]

If you're going to use your Unication for monitoring simulcast systems, and don't want to spend the $$ on the SDS, go with the 536.

 

[Magnetsteve]

I do like the look of the SDS line, but I'm not really interested in it. If I need good simulcast performance, then I'd rather use my Unication since even that will beat out an SDS. I'm looking for a Uniden that does both P25 1 and 2, as well as really good analog reception. My main choices right now are the 996P2 and the 536HP. My budget is around 400ish.

But the question is, are you in a simulcast environment? If you are, you'd be way better off with a SDS. I had a 996p2 and it was unusable in a sim environment.

 

[JethrowJohnson]

But the question is, are you in a simulcast environment? If you are, you'd be way better off with a SDS. I had a 996p2 and it was unusable in a sim environment.

I looked up the database for where he is and I didn't see any simulcast.

 

[ArkTex]

But the question is, are you in a simulcast environment? If you are, you'd be way better off with a SDS. I had a 996p2 and it was unusable in a sim environment.

I travel a lot for work so maybe and maybe not. I don’t have the funds for an SDS so I’m going for the next best option.

 

[JethrowJohnson]

I travel a lot for work so maybe and maybe not. I don’t have the funds for an SDS so I’m going for the next best option.

I would recommend the BCD536HP, but like someone else said, I'm not sure that'll fit your budget either.

 

[RichardKramer]

You say you travel to family members houses; how about the BCD436 ht. You can carry it around the house, reception is good on conventional and mine doesn't do a bad job rxing P25 P2 if you have the settings right. I live in Berks County, PA and we have Phase 2 simulcast and with listening to several analog scanners with rebroadcast freqs, I haven't missed any Phase 2 calls. Every once in a while a tx is a bit garbled but still understandable, but usually the dispatcher will say the unit was garbled also. If it works good enough for your area on digital, you may want to take it mobile instead of the unication and you'll have analog to boot. Happy 21st B-day; I just turned 66 on the 22nd.

 

[ArkTex]

I travel a lot for work so maybe and maybe not. I don’t have the funds for an SDS so I’m going for the next best option.

In addition, with me traveling a lot unless I get a SDS-100 I don’t see a point in spending 300-400 more for something that won’t travel.

 

[ArkTex]

You say you travel to family members houses; how about the BCD436 ht. You can carry it around the house, reception is good on conventional and mine doesn't do a bad job rxing P25 P2 if you have the settings right. I live in Berks County, PA and we have Phase 2 simulcast and with listening to several analog scanners with rebroadcast freqs, I haven't missed any Phase 2 calls. Every once in a while a tx is a bit garbled but still understandable, but usually the dispatcher will say the unit was garbled also. If it works good enough for your area on digital, you may want to take it mobile instead of the unication and you'll have analog to boot. Happy 21st B-day; I just turned 66 on the 22nd.

Does the 436 work with the GPS puck?

 

[RichardKramer]

Does the 436 work with the GPS puck?

Yes it does. BC436 GPS mod.