I was surprised to see only 2 AA batteries power the BCD325P2, thinking the radio is a replacement for the BCD396XT which take 3 AA batteries. But while it’s not quite the same form factor, and regardless of if it’s considered a replacement for the 396 or not, I didn’t think my use of nicads and NMH’s in the 2 cell BCD325P2 would give me the same longevity I remembered the the 3 cell BCD396XT gave me. I knew the Eveready AA DISPOSABLE Lithium batteries would last longer but they aren’t cheap! So when the rechargable Li-ion AA batteries came out I got some. Today, first time using these new EBL 3000mWh 1.5 volt AA cells, I experienced almost 7 hours before the low battery alarm went off. The volume was deliberately set to maximum with the backlight set to squelch. During this time I was also busy programming “Digital Waiting” and since it was in a low ambient light environment, I placed the scanner display to Infinite. I’d say the backlight was continuously on for aprox 1 hour during that programming period. The radio was turned on at 5am on a Saturday and lasted to almost noontime. This time period is not as busy as a regular weekday so I’m adjusting downward the length of time the batteries would last before they needed to be replaced… conservatively I put them at better than 4-5 hours, I’m not recommending these batteries after just one session but I’d say they look promising. The EBL batteries were found on Amazon.
BCD325P2/BCD996P2: BCD325P2 battery life
- Thread starter n1chu
- Start date
I use IKEA rechargeables and I get six hours with no back lighting and volume set at 8 with mostly trunk systems monitoring,...My 396XT using same methods gets about 10 hours on same type of rechargeables,...
Good to know. I neglected to ask what others were experiencing. Thanks!
BinaryMode
Blondie Once Said To Call Her But Never Answerd
Just be advised there are a few threads here (one of which I responded to) that mention the lithium batteries probably have a built-in buck convertor to lower the actual battery voltage down to 1.5 Volts. If that convertor goes south, so too will your equipment using these batteries. For that reason alone I don't use rechargeable lithium batteries anymore and just buy packs of the 10 year shelf life Energizer single use batteries or use Energizer Ni-Mh's (I'm a little partial to Energizer ). In addition to that, some have claimed that the buck convertor can introduce interface to the radio. YMMV.
If you REALLY want some Watt hours, buy one or more of these. Still kinda portable. At least for me.
I'm a little partial to Tripp Lite as well.
If they can make a BCD325P2 handle simulcast I'd be happy.
If you REALLY want some Watt hours, buy one or more of these. Still kinda portable. At least for me.
I'm a little partial to Tripp Lite as well.
If they can make a BCD325P2 handle simulcast I'd be happy.
“If they can make a BCD325P2 handle simulcast I'd be happy.”
They do. It’s called the SDS100…
In order to combat simulcast they needed to incorporate “software defined radio” (SDR). And since Uniden already has a SDR scanner, the SDS100, redesigning the BCD325P2 would be redundant. If it’s the form factor of the BCD325P2, (it’s physical size) you are referring to, I agree. A smaller handheld would be nice!
They do. It’s called the SDS100…
In order to combat simulcast they needed to incorporate “software defined radio” (SDR). And since Uniden already has a SDR scanner, the SDS100, redesigning the BCD325P2 would be redundant. If it’s the form factor of the BCD325P2, (it’s physical size) you are referring to, I agree. A smaller handheld would be nice!
sfb88
Member
With apologies in advance for the threadjack, the post above aroused my curiosity. Since the Unication pagers can handle simulcast are they also SDRs?
Yes. The Unication G-5 Pager IS an SDR receiver. It handles simulcast nicely. (Interesting to note the battery life of a G-5 outlasts a SDS100. It will play all day in scan mode, whereas the SDS100’s battery is only good for maybe 4-5 hours, depending upon its use. It is my understanding the Uniden SDS100 requires more power than its predecessor (BCD436HP) due to its ability to combat simulcast. I have not researched this so I can’t speak to why that is.)
Although you could power, but not charge, the BCD325P2 via USB, I totally agree that it performs very nicely with high capacity NiMH batteries. So, I keep three sets of those particular AA batteries and purchased an Energizer Charger on Amazon to keep two of those sets topped off at any given time. I also have this charger also purchased on Amazon, that works well too. I just had to get particular about ordering high capacity NiMH batteries to exclusively use with this scanner to get the longest use. The thing is, if you are remaining static for a while, e.g. keeping the scanner running all afternoon on a desk, just forget the batteries and go the USB route to just keep it powered on wherever you’re at. Throw the fresh batteries in once going mobile. This will also keep your batteries fresher longer as they will have less overall charging cycles to wear them down. Just as an example, on my nightstand, I keep a dock, USB power cable, and BNC attachment for external antenna all ready to go for when I need it.
Yeah, the G5 looks like a solid piece of hardware and @zlandmedia has been rightfully busting my chops to go this or the SDS route to overcome the local simulcast distortion here in the Tampa area. The only thing about the G5 is that it’s a bit pricey and I’d have to learn how to program and manage it. I actually kind of like the idea of supplementing my BCD325P2 with a G5 so I have a dedicated P25 device; and could then use my BCD325P2 for monitoring other things such as EDACS, WX, air traffic, or whatever.
Just being the “tinkerer” that I am, I want to build my own SDS with a microcontroller and some SDR dongles. I’d probably go the Raspberry Pi route to do so. I just think it’ll be a fun project and I’m retired now, so as long as I’m feeling up to it, I certainly do have the time to build something.
For kicks, here’s a photo of my humble “mad scientist” workbench that has evolved in my garage since retiring and moving to Florida: 😂
Lovin your “mad scientist” work bench!
The Unication G5 is a nice little pager. But only after realizing its constraints when used as a scanning receiver. On the plus side it’s built to combat simulcast and does a great job. But it comes in two versions, VHF/700-800MHz or UHF/700-800MHz. Unication has yet to produce a pager that receives both VHF and UHF in the same pager. There are some that can afford to purchase both but it bears remembering the device was developed to work on trunked systems, together with the conventional VHF or UHF as an alert pager, not an all-band scanner. (It would be nice if they were able to produce a VHF/UHF/700-800MHz trunking capable radio that acted as a scanner without the alerting feature that keeps the pager silent until it hears the alert tones or digital codes.) Another drawback when using it as a scanner is its inability to receive both trunking and conventional in any one of the 8 knob selections. You can place conventional systems in one knob setting but you can not add a trunked system to that same knob selection, or vice versa, you must use another knob setting. And since the pager will not allow the 8 knob selections to be “ganged” you must manually choose the knob selection you want, and either switch back and fourth manually or, as I do, use it in conjunction with a scanner, and dedicate the pager to the particular knob selection I chose to place any particular agency.
My comparison between the Uniden BCD325P2/BCD996P2 and the Unication G5 is this; If you are not bothered by simulcast the P2’s from Uniden are the way to go. I have found the reception is comparable between the two. But it must be noted I am not bothered by simulcast on those simulcast trunking systems I monitor and the conventional agency’s I listen to are local to me… I hear them just fine. So, the G5 pager, with its internal VHF antenna and the external 700/800MHz screw-on antenna do a great job for me.
I must confess I expected more from the G5 when I bought it… not because of the restrictions I listed above but because I came to realize the Uniden BCD325P2’s reception qualities were just as good for my needs, and it could scan everything without manually changing the knob setting. I even considered selling the G5 but decided to keep it as a dedicated receiver when used as I specified above. I’ve grown happily accustomed to its use as a dedicated receiver.
The G3 pager does VHF and UHF and you get to chose what UHF range you want.
Wouldn't be without my G4 and G5 pagers as they work get and are small with great battery life.
Ok. But does the G3 do trunking? That’s what I needed to include along with VHF… I believe that combination is only available in the G5?
Get an external USB battery and proper cable so you can listen almost 24 hours continuous. I use an old army ammo pouch that will hold both radio and external battery. When in the vehicle, just plug it in a cigarette lighter. Works good.
Much thanks! That‘s actually the most thorough information that anyone has yet shared with me regarding the benefits of the Unication pagers! I actually got my BCD325P2 to work pretty well on the closer of the two local P25 sites. I would say that I would currently rate the reception an 8/10 after various tweaks and the like. I was considering selling my current scanner to upgrade to the SDS, but I’m otherwise very happy with it. What I will do is build my own hardware SDR and see how well that solves the four bit phase issues. I could likely make something VERY nice for well under $250! That way I could have a dedicated scanner for P25 that won’t require a PC to run! I have a couple of other projects on deck first, like I am working on a completely digital power supply. Once I finish those projects, I will mess with this. I wouldn‘t mind upgrading if it would give me a significant difference, but I’m hesitant when considering the price as I don’t need it to be perfect. Besides, the two groups that I want to listen to most are being received via my local site with decent enough reception. Many of the other channels remain on EDACS, so I think I could hold off on the SDS for a little while anyhow. I guess that I will try my hands on the project and take the “wait and see” approach. 🤔
Agreed. An external battery pack will satisfy the limited internal battery concerns as many others have stated over the years when it relates to a portable handheld scanner. I took the concern as a seperate topic, defined solely to attaining the best battery life in the same form factor as the scanner itself, in other words, what AA cell size batteries would give us the longest service before replacing or recharging without breaking the bank. That eliminates the Eveready Lithium disposables because of their price. But I confess, when I’m off to an airshow, usually a two day 8am-4pm event, I used to stock up on the Eveready Lithium disposables! I say used to because I don’t do that anymore. A recent diagnosis has slowed me down to where I now use a mobility scooter when at these all-day events. Since the scooter takes two 12 volt li-ion batteries wired in parallel, I’ve got all the power in the world using the USB programming cord for the scanner and an amplified speaker. I usually wear noise cancelling headphones but when I do get asked “Are you listening to the planes?” They are really asking if I would allow them to hear also. I’m not too excited about sharing my headset and some of the youngsters shy away from the headset idea anyway so the amplified speaker comes in handy.
Great ideas regarding the airshows! I haven’t been to one in ages, so I’m long overdue. I do live 20 minutes from MacDill AFB and being rated a 100% disabled veteran (service connected, permanent & total), I do have access to that base and pretty much any base that I want so that I could take advantage of its services, namely Commissary & Exchange, MWR, etc. I also get “Space-A Travel,” so my dependents and I are authorized to fly on nearly any DoD aircraft that has the extra space. Of course the commanding officer gets the final call on everything including who goes “Space-A” aboard their aircraft. Unfortunately, I am exhausted most of the time as I meet the requirements for CFS secondary to “Gulf War Syndrome” and was positive for “toxic exposure” from being over there. On top of that I was eventually diagnosed with a rare genetic connective tissue disease, so my mobility kinda sorta sucks too. I did tell my son that if I could eventually manage the fatigue well enough, that I would absolutely love to do “day trips” with him so that we could hit up every major league ballpark in the MLB, and get there and back via “Space-A!”
As for the batteries, you’re doing the right thing. I would always recommend powering up that scanner using USB as you won’t have to even bother with AA batteries. If I ever need disposable batteries, the Amazon Basics Alkaline are ridiculously inexpensive for being as reliable as they are, so we order them by the 48 pack, which comes out to just $0.31 per AA battery. That’s how I get prolonged use out of my radios even in the Florida hurricanes as we were down for nearly a week after Milton came through! Now, as much as I like this good, cheap solution; I would not recommend going with the Amazon Basics rechargeable batteries as they are not as reliable as other brands.
I probably already mentioned it a couple of times in passing, but the rechargeable batteries that I’ve had the best luck with are the Energizer brand NiMH, just like the chargers they’re dependable. They do make a couple different types and ratings, but I’ve been happy with their 2300mAh Power Plus AA NiMH batteries; of course their Universal NiMH batteries are not as good, but I certainly haven’t had a single issue with them!
I also recently started trying out Panasonic Eneloop NiMH AA batteries based on a recommendation and my initial impression is that they’re a very high quality battery. I haven’t used them long enough to give a “glowing review,” but people generally like them a lot!
I really think the most important thing is to have a high quality charger and at least three sets of batteries for this scanner as the above should work quite nicely when going out and about. Of course, USB will always be the best way to go, but when not practical this should get you a solid rotation.
BTW, I’m VERY picky about my headphones, but I tend to purchase really decent German ones and guard them with my life!
Interesting, I've been planning on looking into those.
