BCD160DN or 260DN in Ontario

[tomofo]

Can anyone confirm how this radio performs with railroad NXDN - will it program the ARR channels 307-487? How's the reception?

Will it program VHF band to the ARR 12.5khz bandplan - eg 161.2725 ?

FWIW - apparently CPKC is about to begin transitioning to NXDN for tower based comms (RTC authority, MOW, etc) by the summer. That's on very good authority. Hoping this scanner will be good for that.

 

[mciupa]

If someone is in the Toronto area with the 160/260, give it a try with MacMillan Yard or the GO Transit Rail Control. That would help answer the questions that @tomofo has in the post above.

As far as the band plan is concerned, it is able to be customized: from page 20 of the Owners Manual

Change Band Defaults This setting allows you to change the “Auto” (default) values to whatever you feel “Auto” should be for each band (vs. the radio defaults). Since all of the step and modulation settings default to “Auto,” this allows you to skip those settings when programming.

NOTE: These settings do not affect service searches.
1. From MENU/Settings/Band Defaults, scroll to the band you wish to edit and press Yes/E. The Set Modulation menu for that band displays.
2. Scroll to AM, NFM, FM, WFM, or FMB (Broadcast) and press Yes/E to save and exit. The Set Step menu for that band displays.
3. Scroll to one of the following options and press Yes/E to save and exit. Auto 5 kHz 6.25 kHz 7.5 kHz 8.33 kHz 10 kHz 12.5 kHz 15 kHz 20 kHz 25 kHz 50 kHz 100 kHz
4. Scroll to other band

It will be interesting to hear what VE3BLI has to report about it up in Hastings.

 

[VE3BLI]

It will be interesting to hear what VE3BLI has to report about it up in Hastings.

I missed the post office home delivery, as I out taking the wife grocery shopping. It’s still on the truck, so I was told to come back later in the afternoon.

I read the pdf manual, but hopefully the programming won’t be as hard as I’m imagining it is.

I started out early 1990 with a pro-38 and a Kenwood TH225AT ht when it was "enter frequency then hit store." lol


Update later.

 

[VE3BLI]

Last Monday, later in the day, I picked up my Uniden BCD260DN from the post office.

I’ve been playing with since then. Reading the manual, watching videos by M0FXB hatech on YouTube trying to figure it out.

I have few channels programmed in so far( 1/bank. lol).Only using telescoping antenna at present, although I tried a DIY antenna I have hanging on the wooden curtain rod ( not much improvement).

The receiver is quite hot, easily picking up signals I had trouble with on my old Pro-38 and my Yaesu FT-60.

 

[ve1sef]

Last Monday, later in the day, I picked up my Uniden BCD260DN from the post office.

I’ve been playing with since then. Reading the manual, watching videos by M0FXB hatech on YouTube trying to figure it out.

I have few channels programmed in so far( 1/bank. lol).Only using telescoping antenna at present, although I tried a DIY antenna I have hanging on the wooden curtain rod ( not much improvement).

The receiver is quite hot, easily picking up signals I had trouble with on my old Pro-38 and my Yaesu FT-60.

Both "Train Aficionado" and "The Scanner Guys" did show's on the 160/260 on Youtube over last couple of weeks
Not sure if they'd help out, but might be worth a look.

 

[VE3BLI]

Both "Train Aficionado" and "The Scanner Guys" did show's on the 160/260 on Youtube over last couple of weeks
Not sure if they'd help out, but might be worth a look.

I watched The Scanner Guys show.

 

[buddrousa]

They debuted both the 160/260 a few months before their release. I did not know they did a second show of both scanners.
I have both my BCD160DN Serial Number is less than 50 and my BCD260DN is 20.
Very happy with both as I posted as one of the first to receive these as having a hot receiver.

They both work very well as a CHEAP DMR NXDN Trunking Receiver as long as you only want to hear all traffic as you cannot use TALKGROUPS.
They both also work very good on CONVENTIONAL DMR and NXDN Systems.

 

[Aviator747]

Has anyone confirmed how the BCD160DN is on air bands? I see that it gets the full UHF Military band compared to the 125AT. I am looking for something for the airshow circuits.

 

[Mr44]

I just bought a BCD160DN last weekend and I've been having a blast with it. I've mainly just been searching 406-430, 450-470, and 150-174 and finding tons of things to listen to here in Toronto: buses/transportation companies, HAM repeaters, contruction guys (hilarious), mall security on NXDN, hospitals, various businesses, lots of other NXDN and DMR both conventional and trunked, BMO Field during Toronto FC games... I even heard some Hamilton transit service in the 410MHz range. There's always airband, too, since I'm close to Billy Bishop Airport, although I need to get outside and closer to the lake for better reception.

I'm looking at a piece of paper right now with nearly 100 frequencies where I've found the CTCSS/DCS, DMR CC, or NXDN RAN, and this is all indoors, using a Diamond RH77 antenna with the radio sitting on my west-facing window sill. If I put on the shorter antenna and went to sit in a park in a more central location I bet I'd hear even more.

I guess it depends on your tastes. I've "been there, done that" listening to police, and honestly I just like having radio chatter going while I work from home or do other things. That said: I'm probably going to buy a BCD325P2 since I could still get Toronto EMS and Fire, and according to the database there are 63 trunked systems that I'll also be able to monitor.

 

[Aviator747]

I just bought a BCD160DN last weekend and I've been having a blast with it. I've mainly just been searching 406-430, 450-470, and 150-174 and finding tons of things to listen to here in Toronto: buses/transportation companies, HAM repeaters, contruction guys (hilarious), mall security on NXDN, hospitals, various businesses, lots of other NXDN and DMR both conventional and trunked, BMO Field during Toronto FC games... I even heard some Hamilton transit service in the 410MHz range. There's always airband, too, since I'm close to Billy Bishop Airport, although I need to get outside and closer to the lake for better reception.

I'm looking at a piece of paper right now with nearly 100 frequencies where I've found the CTCSS/DCS, DMR CC, or NXDN RAN, and this is all indoors, using a Diamond RH77 antenna with the radio sitting on my west-facing window sill. If I put on the shorter antenna and went to sit in a park in a more central location I bet I'd hear even more.

I guess it depends on your tastes. I've "been there, done that" listening to police, and honestly I just like having radio chatter going while I work from home or do other things. That said: I'm probably going to buy a BCD325P2 since I could still get Toronto EMS and Fire, and according to the database there are 63 trunked systems that I'll also be able to monitor.

How does it sound on the airband?

 

[Mr44]

How does it sound on the airband?

To my ears, quite good. I've never really been a big listener of it and don't have another radio to compare at the moment, but even sitting on my window sill some transmissions come in at "five bars" and others at lower strength are still readable. Outside, down by the lake, almost everything comes in loud and clear even on the stock antenna.