I've had the chance to get several Uniden scanners since the first of the year, and thought I'd share some thoughts about them. First off, the BC365CRS.
Why in the world would anyone want the bottom-of-the-line Uniden scanner that has no digital, no trunking, and no coverage above 512 MHz? I've found a few reasons to make it worth considering.
First, I like the style, the nightstand/kitchen counter look. It's not for everyone, but fits in well if you can get signal to it. Programming can be tedious for some, but even a little bit of 10-key experience makes it easier (if the term "adding machine" is in your vocabulary, just hush, and start programming it.) The countertop style makes programming easier and more comfortable than any other manual entry scanner.
Which is a good thing, because you'll want to use all 500 channels in the scanner after running it through it's paces. The sensitivity is great, considering the price, which makes it popular for rail and air fans. I ran it through searches on 1 MHz at a time of the 150-160 segment of the band to gather various local frequencies, and soon had around 75 channels programmed, with plenty of activity in the DFW area. I then added the AAR allocations, and about 100 Civ/Mil air frequencies.
Within a couple of days this became one of my favorite scanners because of the performance. I can hear PS VHF agencies in at least 6 counties on a daily basis, and more railroad traffic than I've bothered to track down. Airband reception seems excellent, as I'm only using a V/U dual band antenna. A tuned airband vertical or a discone would probably help.
The sensitivity has a drawback in that a 152 MHz filter is a beyond recommended accessory, at least if you don't enjoy "BBBBRRRRRKKKNNNBRRRRPPPBBBRRRRRRZZZZZRKKK!!!" announcing the beginning of a ducting event. It has good NOAA weather radio reception, as expected, but no SAME alerting. It's also an FM clock/radio, but that's not why we buy scanners, is it?
Where would this be a good scanner? My first thought is at hunting/fishing camps, beach houses, etc., due to price, performance, and form factor. Could also work at an office, depending on building type and whether or not you're the boss.
Who would it be good for? Anyone that enjoys railroad or airband monitoring, but i think it would be an especially good gift for a young person. Programmed with local stuff, hopefully the scanner bug will eventually bite them. If not, at least they can get up on time for school.
It's limited in coverage and functionality compared to more modern scanners, but if you look at it in terms of performance/fun per buck, it's hard to beat. Order one for a young person in your life and program it for them. Then go ahead and order your own... You know you'll want one. 😎
Why in the world would anyone want the bottom-of-the-line Uniden scanner that has no digital, no trunking, and no coverage above 512 MHz? I've found a few reasons to make it worth considering.
First, I like the style, the nightstand/kitchen counter look. It's not for everyone, but fits in well if you can get signal to it. Programming can be tedious for some, but even a little bit of 10-key experience makes it easier (if the term "adding machine" is in your vocabulary, just hush, and start programming it.) The countertop style makes programming easier and more comfortable than any other manual entry scanner.
Which is a good thing, because you'll want to use all 500 channels in the scanner after running it through it's paces. The sensitivity is great, considering the price, which makes it popular for rail and air fans. I ran it through searches on 1 MHz at a time of the 150-160 segment of the band to gather various local frequencies, and soon had around 75 channels programmed, with plenty of activity in the DFW area. I then added the AAR allocations, and about 100 Civ/Mil air frequencies.
Within a couple of days this became one of my favorite scanners because of the performance. I can hear PS VHF agencies in at least 6 counties on a daily basis, and more railroad traffic than I've bothered to track down. Airband reception seems excellent, as I'm only using a V/U dual band antenna. A tuned airband vertical or a discone would probably help.
The sensitivity has a drawback in that a 152 MHz filter is a beyond recommended accessory, at least if you don't enjoy "BBBBRRRRRKKKNNNBRRRRPPPBBBRRRRRRZZZZZRKKK!!!" announcing the beginning of a ducting event. It has good NOAA weather radio reception, as expected, but no SAME alerting. It's also an FM clock/radio, but that's not why we buy scanners, is it?
Where would this be a good scanner? My first thought is at hunting/fishing camps, beach houses, etc., due to price, performance, and form factor. Could also work at an office, depending on building type and whether or not you're the boss.
Who would it be good for? Anyone that enjoys railroad or airband monitoring, but i think it would be an especially good gift for a young person. Programmed with local stuff, hopefully the scanner bug will eventually bite them. If not, at least they can get up on time for school.
It's limited in coverage and functionality compared to more modern scanners, but if you look at it in terms of performance/fun per buck, it's hard to beat. Order one for a young person in your life and program it for them. Then go ahead and order your own... You know you'll want one. 😎
