BCD436HP vs PSR800

[himelrick]

I have 3 PSR-800's, given to me by my ham buddies, which are in perfect condition but useless due to simulcast issues here .I've already made one video, and was going to make a second, in which I run over them with a truck but since people seem to find value in these poorly designed devices I will be happy to give them away for nothing (their real value on p25 systems). PM me.

I sent a pm yesterday in reference that if You were serious I would take one ,not sure if You have been back on here since You posted. I could really use one as it would come in very handy for My work. I am also a Ham KD8OGT. thanks Rick

 

[AC2OY]

Just bought a 536 recently,sold the 197, but I'm not sure yet if I want to sell my 800.... It's a amazing little radio and it's portable!!! Yeah some p25 phase 2 systems or talkgroups sound sometimes like their underwater but I still can hear them.

 

[whsbuss]

I sent a pm yesterday in reference that if You were serious I would take one ,not sure if You have been back on here since You posted. I could really use one as it would come in very handy for My work. I am also a Ham KD8OGT. thanks Rick

I also sent a PM and have not heard back. I'm without any scanner because of the poor performance of the 536 on my home system. Other with an 800 have had good results. I'd sure like to get one of these until my county changes over to phase II

 

[DC]

Wirelessly posted (SCH-U350/1.0 NetFront/3.0.22.2.18 (GUI) MMP/2.0)

It would appear that several of us on this thread have sent bberns22 a PM (Me included) concerning wanting one of the three PSR-800's that he is just willing to give away. I haue also heard nothing back, and most likely won't. That's about how my luck goes. I don't know if he was serious or not, but until I hear from him or find an 800 in my mail box, I ain't believin' it. Remember, if it sounds to good to be true, It probably is. Happy Scanning... DC

 

[troymail]

Apples vs. Oranges

Chevy vs. Ford

City vs. Country

VHF trunking vs. UHF trunking vs. 700 vs 800

Mobile vs. stationary/home/base

None of these radios is exactly the same - Uniden or GRE. In fact, UPMan even stated in the forums somewhere that not even any two Uniden radios (of the same model) can be considered EXACTLY the same.

They all have different characteristics and features. Every user and every system has different likes and dislikes and needs.

Every use is different - conventional? Motorola? EDACS? P25? Phase 1? Phase 2? single site simulcast - dead center in the intended area? On the fringe? Next County over? City multipath issues? Middle of farmland? These as well as the radio specific things result in different outcomes/observations for each and every user.

The bottom line is that each radio does one thing better than the other given all of this variation. There is no one single scanner that we make everyone happy under all conditions - even for the systems and protocols that they each claim to support.

Personally, I almost NEVER get rid of a radio. They'll all have something they are good at that others are not. We've even seen features removed in current scanners that we in previous radios upsetting some people. My one exception on departing with a scanner was selling my BC235 when the BC245 became available. These days I won't even think of selling my old BC-IV given it's reaching "antique" (museum) age.

Someday, you may find a scanner that is perfect at everything everyone wants to do (but I'll be dead and gone if/when that ever happens). Until then, you're almost never going to be able to rely on what another user reports as "works great for me" to equate to it's going to satisfy you. There's just too many variables.

 

[RF23]

I have the PSR-800 and the 436HP. I will NOT get rid of my 800. One reason only. The 800 recording feature allows you to set specific channels to record. The 436HP does not. It records everything.

Otherwise, I like the 436HP much better. I always thought my 396xt was better at decoding the local P25 system than the 800. The 436HP seems to me to be better yet. The 436HP has discovery mode which I use a lot.

The 436HP has some bugs to be worked out, but it's worth the money if you really want one. Just hang on to the PSR-800 too!

I believe the loss of per channel record choice started with the HP-1 and has been continued to the x36 Uniden Radios.

However, the Unidens do not record everything they only record what you are LISTENING to, not every thing in your scanner (your probably meant that and I hope most know that, but the new people will not).

Therefore, if you are listening to one channel the scanner cannot record what is happening on another channel but I think that is how the per channel record worked in the previous Uniden models and how it works in the PSR800 is it not?

Therefore, in both methods of recording, if you want all that a particular channel is broadcasting to be recorded you will have to "set on that channel only" with what ever record mode you have.

 

[troymail]

...but I think that is how the per channel record worked in the previous Uniden models and how it works in the PSR800 is it not?

Not possible. The radio can only tune to one frequency/channel at a time - regardless if you are actively listening or not.

 

[RF23]

Not possible. The radio can only tune to one frequency/channel at a time - regardless if you are actively listening or not.

That is what I thought I said!

If you are listening to one channel regardless of the record method used the scanner will either record what you hear or it will not record the per channel choice unless that is the channel you are listening to because it only has one receiver.

That is why in practice both methods of record will fail to record everything on any channel unless you "set on that channel only".

 

[troymail]

That is what I thought I said!

If you are listening to one channel regardless of the record method used the scanner will either record what you hear or it will not record the per channel choice unless that is the channel you are listening to because it only has one receiver.

That is why in practice both methods of record will fail to record everything on any channel unless you "set on that channel only".

Reading the post now/again (was there an edit?) , I agree.

 

[KSDeputy]

Is a person nuts for owning a lot of scanners, depends. I love listening, so I have 5 base/mobile scanners and a portable. Along comes digital, and none of my scanners will pick it up. An expensive investment is turned into junk at the stroke of the government's pen. I bought one digital portable scanner the BCD 436 HP. That is the only scanner I will buy, and it is hopefully the last. I learned from what happened to my other 6 scanners. Like most Americans, I lost a lot of televisions when the government changed from analog to digital. Two of my favorites have a converter box, the others were slowly replaced. With the complexity of new radio systems, and thus scanners to monitor them, I doubt there will be converter boxes for the 6 scanners I have This can happen to anything, anytime as our society continues to get more sophisticated. My 6 year old Vista computer just died, and it isn't worth fixing because technology advances so fast that everything has changed in 6 years. I just bought a new computer, but I did specify Windows 7.

 

[troymail]

Disposable society. It seems almost nothing is worth fixing anymore.

Technology advances aside - between the parts and labor, it's easier just to go get something new.