BCD536HP Discussion Thread

[stingray327]

Quote to the Quote... I don't think Costco would ever sell high end scanner radios at their stores. It would take up too much wasted space for a high ticket item. Maybe their lower end models might sell, but its a niche market to sell these radios. It might look neat on the shelves but your average buyer that goes to Costco is not looking for a TrunkTracker 5 Bearcat scanner with Phase II TDMA digital mod to receive.

The average person is looking for bulk items of food for their families and household items as well as furniture for their homes. Also, tires for the car and gas, not 600 dollar Uniden Radios.

Also they sell and consumers buy Uniden cordless phones, Whistler radar/laser detectors, Samsung, Sony, and Pasonic HDTV in plasma and LED and smart LED, Samsung and Sony Blu-Ray DVD machines, Home Theaters, from BOSE to Sony and Pioneer. Computers, printers, cameras and diamonds.

 

[tsalmrsystemtech]

Honestly you make a good point but my thinking is that everybody knows what a cordless phone,tv's,hdtv's dvd players, and home theaters and computers and printers. I get it but when somebody passes up and the down the isle they will see these scanners and go hummmmmm what is this, oh a radio scanner.. Interesting pretty cool, never seen one of these in Costco. Wow pretty cool but have no idea what it does, nor how to use it, or how to program it, or what to listen too. Oh I live in a county or city and my police dept is fully ENC. Oh but it says police and fire receive on the box. Oh well I bought a 600 dollar radio and I paid a boat load of money and it does not work as describe on the box. You spend nights weekends and hundreds of hours trying to get this radio to work and then you point a gun to your head in frustration. Then you breakdown to your knees and surrender and find the receipt. O well COSTCO takes everything back.

Box torn, missing parts when returned. Thousands of units sold and then thousands returned and now shipped back to Uniden to have then fixed and re-boxed and a hassle. Catch my drift.

Costco makes deals with these vendors that if anything is returned that Uniden will give Costco their money back no questions asked.

My opinion is that Uniden see's that this is a no winning battle and will lose money and will be a nightmare to their company. They don't want dirty equipment back with missing parts and broken units that do not work anymore. The risk is not worth the benefit. Also, too you can have this radio for over a year and run it thru the mud and be missing the box and all of the parts included and COSTCO will give you a full refund. I don't think Uniden wants to mess with COSTCO> I wouldn't if I was a corporation making 600 dollar radios.

Radio scanners are a very niche market. Us people don't goto Costco looking for a Phase II Trunking Scanner. We go online to a speciality website and we know what we are looking exactly for. People in Costco have no idea what a scanner radio is. Its true.

 

[scantime]

>>>People in Costco have no idea what a scanner radio is.<<<

I guarantee you one post here and we'd all be shopping at Costco. lol

 

[tsalmrsystemtech]

I agree. I would go to COSTCO tonight if I could pickup the BCD536HP. I would not have to pay for shipping and have to wait for the mail each day like a little kid.

I just don't think the volume would not be there for COSTCO. COSTCO sells in volume and scanner sells are not like Plasma or LCD TV's or computer and printers and their meat department with awesome steaks.

They could do a test pilot but these radio's would be pulled from the shelves quickly because of the sales would just not be there. Real Estate is very expensive in COSTCO stores to sell your products and its almost impossible to get into their store to sell items on a mass scale.

 

[PhillyPhoto]

>>>People in Costco have no idea what a scanner radio is.<<<

I guarantee you one post here and we'd all be shopping at Costco. lol

1) Spend $55 on CostCo membership
2) Save $50 on scanner
3) Rinse
4) Repeat

 

[AZScanner]

Costco would likely be more interested in selling Unidens' less expensive analog scanners. We urban scanner warriors like to have the latest and greatest gizmo but for most folks, analog scanners are plenty of radio for them and in much of the country there's still plenty to listen to on analog. I'm somewhat surprised an analog variant of the Home Patrol hasn't surfaced yet. I'd imagine that a radio like that would do really well in more rural areas of the nation.

-AZ

 

[kman]

Please up here in canada we just want someone that will sell at a far price

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[tsalmrsystemtech]

Please up here in canada we just want someone that will sell at a far price

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Just drive across the border when time permits and pickup some radios at a local shop and head back northbound. Make a day trip out of it. Sounds like fun.

 

[Jay911]

Please up here in canada we just want someone that will sell at a far price

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Buy from Scanner Master or Universal Radio.

 

[wise871]

Audio through WiFI

I couldn't find a clear answer but will audio also be transmitted via the WiFi adapter supplied with the 536?

 

[stingray327]

I agree. I would go to COSTCO tonight if I could pickup the BCD536HP. I would not have to pay for shipping and have to wait for the mail each day like a little kid.

I just don't think the volume would not be there for COSTCO. COSTCO sells in volume and scanner sells are not like Plasma or LCD TV's or computer and printers and their meat department with awesome steaks.

They could do a test pilot but these radio's would be pulled from the shelves quickly because of the sales would just not be there. Real Estate is very expensive in COSTCO stores to sell your products and its almost impossible to get into their store to sell items on a mass scale.

There is a suggestion box so you can make a request for a product.

 

[mibzzer15]

I couldn't find a clear answer but will audio also be transmitted via the WiFi adapter supplied with the 536?

Clear answer: Yes!

 

[KG4KHQ]

Another question

I couldn't find a clear answer but will audio also be transmitted via the WiFi adapter supplied with the 536?

What about turning on and turning off the scanner? Remember you could not do that with the RH-96 remote head. I have to say that I am not crazy about using some type of tablet in place of a remote head while driving so I am going to take a wait and see attitude until everything comes out.

 

[PhillyPhoto]

What about turning on and turning off the scanner? Remember you could not do that with the RH-96 remote head. I have to say that I am not crazy about using some type of tablet in place of a remote head while driving so I am going to take a wait and see attitude until everything comes out.

You'll have to either do it manually or hook it up to a fuse that shuts off with the car like the radio. Seeing as how it writes your preferences to the SD card when you shut it off with the volume knob, I wish they included an ignition sense type of connection for vehicles. That way the scanner can be plugged in to constant power, but only truely turns on or off when power is applied or removed from the ignition sense cable. Something I know Motorola has been doing and I'm sure others have been doing as well for years.

There should also be a way to completely turn the screen off if you're only connecting to it remotely. No need to use power for it, or have it being used when you're not actually looking at it. You don't leave your computer monitor at home on when you're at work, right?

 

[Kingmobileaudio]

You'll have to either do it manually or hook it up to a fuse that shuts off with the car like the radio. Seeing as how it writes your preferences to the SD card when you shut it off with the volume knob, I wish they included an ignition sense type of connection for vehicles. That way the scanner can be plugged in to constant power, but only truely turns on or off when power is applied or removed from the ignition sense cable. Something I know Motorola has been doing and I'm sure others have been doing as well for years.

There should also be a way to completely turn the screen off if you're only connecting to it remotely. No need to use power for it, or have it being used when you're not actually looking at it. You don't leave your computer monitor at home on when you're at work, right?

Upman posted saying it only writes to the SD when your done changing something like settings or programing.

Data will not be lost when lose of power in normal use.

 

[BoxAlarm187]

You don't leave your computer monitor at home on when you're at work, right?

Yep, as an iMac user, I don't have any choice but to do so. :wink:

 

[K7TKR]

.....I have to say that I am not crazy about using some type of tablet in place of a remote head while driving so I am going to take a wait and see attitude until everything comes out.

I would say as a driver that I'm not crazy about anyone using a remote head while driving- especially one based on a phone or tablet. With the flat box-like case design, it ought to be easy enough to get at the actual controls with out distraction though I add that anything more than dealing with device volume, would constitute distracted driving ie programming etc. That is why having the GPS connected is so convient- darn near hands free. Especially for us truckers where hands free is a matter of regulation and the penalties more hefty and involved than for all you 4 wheelers.


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[PhillyPhoto]

You don't leave your computer monitor at home on when you're at work, right?

Yep, as an iMac user, I don't have any choice but to do so. :wink:

System Preferences > Energy Saver > Display sleep :wink:

 

[03msc]

System Preferences > Energy Saver > Display sleep :wink:

This is what I was thinking, too!

 

[BoxAlarm187]

You said leave the monitor on, not the screen sleep feature, which I already have enabled. ;-) Just picking nits, back to our regularly scheduled scanner talk...

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