The functionality requested here is not under patent, and is currently implemented in other Uniden scanners. I'm just not sure why they chose to omit it from the 325P2.
BCD325P2 Backlight Settings?
- Thread starter ot0tot
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doctordialtone
Member
Why don't you send a PM to @UnidenSupport ?
W5JCK
Member
I agree the 325 should have the same backlight options as its much cheaper 125 counterpart. I own both and I like the ability of the 125 to turn the backlight on when squelch is open and off when squelch closes. This is a good feature when monitoring a portable device outdoors at night on battery power. That way you get battery savings yet still have time to read the LED before it goes off. It often takes longer to pick it up and get it aligned with my eyes than the 3-5 second timer will allow.
Speaking of battery life, that might be why Uniden decided against keeping the backlight on during open squelch option. The 396 had three batteries and much better battery life than the 125 with just two batteries, and I know from the forums that there have been quite a large number of complaints about that. So perhaps they thought that eliminating the 125 option of keeping the backlight on during open squelch would lower the number of complaints with the 325. Or maybe the different design teams don’t communicate well with each other. Who knows...
Speaking of battery life, that might be why Uniden decided against keeping the backlight on during open squelch option. The 396 had three batteries and much better battery life than the 125 with just two batteries, and I know from the forums that there have been quite a large number of complaints about that. So perhaps they thought that eliminating the 125 option of keeping the backlight on during open squelch would lower the number of complaints with the 325. Or maybe the different design teams don’t communicate well with each other. Who knows...
I did several months ago, and was told they would pass the suggestion along. No updates since then though.
JJMNIZ
Member
What I'd like to see is Uniden offering a scanner that features excellent VHF and UHF performance along with SIMPLEX DMR capability.
NWtoSFO
Member
I like the idea of the light going off when the squelch closes. If my scanner is on the nightstand and squelch opens I never focus my eye quick enough to see the screen. W5JCK, as you own both the 325 and the 125, do you notice any difference on vhf between the two? I have the 325 and love it but was wondering if the 125 is any better at airband and vhf.
W5JCK
Member
I’ll have to test that out. I mostly listen to P25 Phase 2 on the 325 and local Fire/EMS on UHF on the 125. I rarely listen to VHS on either. Pilots are difficult to understand on the air band because of the way they talk, so I rarely monitor that. I often wonder how air traffic controllers can even understand them! BTW, the 125 receives air band and VHF very well, I just rarely monitor those. I have noticed that when I occasionally do listen to P25 and UHF simultaneously on the 325 I have to attenuate the UHF because it is louder than the P25.
BTW, I originally bought the 125 when my local PD was on UHF too, along with my local Fire/EMS. Then the PD switched over to that garbled mess they call P25. At least Phase 2 sounds better than the older Phase 1. I was using a 436 and 536 for trunking, but to be honest I hated those newer kind of LCD screens which are difficult to read with my old eyes, and since the 125 has such a terrific screen I bought a 325 since it has a similar one. Not long after getting the 325 I sold my 436 and 536. I never really liked them much anyway. The 325 is pretty solid, but the micro-USB port pretty much disintegrated after 18 months. I’ve never had a micro-USB port do that on any other device, and the one on the 125 is in great shape, so I guess it was just a rare faulty part. I documented this in a thread here on RR.
NWtoSFO
Member
My region just upgraded to digital so had to as well. But I’m also up in the mountains a lot for fire photography in the summer, so between the air-to-air tac’s and air-to-ground tac’s I need a dependable radio that will catch all the traffic bouncing around between the hills. And since the two radios are the same layout I’m inclined to get a 125 to compliment the 325 if it’s better in the airband and 152-159 range.
W5JCK
Member
I don't have any VHF in the 152-159 range programmed in, nearest I have is amateur radio band a little below that at 144-149. I have been monitoring the DFW aircraft this morning with both scanners, although the 125 is using the stock rubber ducky and the 325 is using an aftermarket 800 MHz rubber ducky. I could not find where I put the stock rubber ducky for the 325. Both sound pretty good on the aircraft band. I'm about 23 miles SW of DFW Airport, so ground chatter is not very good this far away, but aircraft in the air come in well. I have to say the sound quality is about the same on the two scanners. The 125 is picking up more traffic probably due to having the stock rubber ducky which should be better tuned for the aircraft band. Not that any rubber ducky is that good. So my brief test seems to indicate the 125 is at least as good as the 325 in the air-band and VHF ham band. I think being a conventional scanner it is scanning through the channels faster and more reliably. I tried switching the antennas, and the 125 still did better and more quickly stopped on an open channel. Hope this helps!
BTW, I only had the air-band and VHF ham band systems scanning on each scanner. I turned off all the other systems during the test.
NWtoSFO
Member
Didn’t even think about the scanning speeds between the two. I think I’ll probably give the 125 a shot for when I get out of the city. Thanks for all the info.
And to bring it back around to the OP’s topic(!), I like that the 125 keeps its backlight on until the squelch closes. Wish the 325 did the same. Maybe a firmware update for that, Uniden?
And to bring it back around to the OP’s topic(!), I like that the 125 keeps its backlight on until the squelch closes. Wish the 325 did the same. Maybe a firmware update for that, Uniden?
The backlight just drains down the two AA cells faster, personally I'd rather have longer battery life. Most of the time I can tell what is being received by the sound of the transmission.
99% of the time I'm running the scanner off USB power, so battery life isn't an issue. I just can't understand why the backlight on the 325 works differently than the backlight on the 125AT.
its a pain, im with the "backlight with squelch option" crews.. also, how about some firmware updates for us aussies with the UBCD325P2
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Not sure there are any Uniden Euro Reps in the Forums you might sent a E-Mail to the Uniden Euro Support.
Bump @UnidenSupport
Would be great to add this to the firmware update along with the auto-power on feature!
Would be great to add this to the firmware update along with the auto-power on feature!
Bump! @UnidenSupport
If you have any firmware engineers stuck at home, this would be a great time to work on these updates!
If you have any firmware engineers stuck at home, this would be a great time to work on these updates!
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We have seen here before that the firmware for scanners is not open source as proved by Whistler.
You should send your request to Uniden Support.
You should send your request to Uniden Support.
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