BCD996P2 good for my area?

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Germanicus23

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I'm looking to get into scanners after being out of the loop for a number of years. Would the BCD996P2 work well in the Lexington/Fayette and Somerset/Pulaski areas?
 

Remington12G

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I'm looking to get into scanners after being out of the loop for a number of years. Would the BCD996P2 work well in the Lexington/Fayette and Somerset/Pulaski areas?
Two parts to your question that I can hopefully answer.

Lexington Operates a large simulcast system and is mostly encrypted, when I had a 996P2/325P2 it sucked on the Lexington 800MHz radio system because of simulcast distortion. Univ of KY operates a P25 Phase 2 800MHz radio system and is unencrypted, my 996P2/325P2 worked great on it. Fayette County sheriff operates a multi-site conventional P25 800MHz radio system and is unencrypted, you would have no problem hearing them.

Somerset PD is supposedly encrypted using NXDN. Pulaski County Sheriff runs a conventional UHF multi-site DMR system, your scanner would need the DMR upgrade to hear them. Pulaski County fire just applied for DMR on their frequencies so you might see them also move that way in the near future.
 

Bob1955

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I'm looking to get into scanners after being out of the loop for a number of years. Would the BCD996P2 work well in the Lexington/Fayette and Somerset/Pulaski areas?
I have a Bearcat BCD-996P2 and it is a problem free base/mobile scanner and I receive simulcast fine on one frequency(155.130 NAC 100). I cannot justify spending $649.95/$699.95 on the SDS series that had nothing but reported problems by other members in this group.
Stay safe.
 

Germanicus23

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Two parts to your question that I can hopefully answer.

Lexington Operates a large simulcast system and is mostly encrypted, when I had a 996P2/325P2 it sucked on the Lexington 800MHz radio system because of simulcast distortion. Univ of KY operates a P25 Phase 2 800MHz radio system and is unencrypted, my 996P2/325P2 worked great on it. Fayette County sheriff operates a multi-site conventional P25 800MHz radio system and is unencrypted, you would have no problem hearing them.

Somerset PD is supposedly encrypted using NXDN. Pulaski County Sheriff runs a conventional UHF multi-site DMR system, your scanner would need the DMR upgrade to hear them. Pulaski County fire just applied for DMR on their frequencies so you might see them also move that way in the near future.
So basically, it would not be good to listen to Lexington PD since they are simulcast/encrypted. Somerset PD is also encrypted and Pulaski would need DMR upgrade. Thank you for your help!
 

ofd8001

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Chiming in. . .

Yeah, it won't work on Lexington because of encryption. If they turned encryption off, it would.

Yeah, it won't work on Somerset because of encryption and NXDN. If they turned encryption off, it still would not because of NXDN and I don't think this model can be upgraded.

Yeah, Pulaski won't work either because of DMR and I don't think there is an upgrade for that either.
 

Remington12G

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Yeah, it won't work on Somerset because of encryption and NXDN. If they turned encryption off, it still would not because of NXDN and I don't think this model can be upgraded.

Yeah, Pulaski won't work either because of DMR and I don't think there is an upgrade for that either.
That's incorrect. The 996P2 has the capability of being upgraded to DMR and NXDN for an additional cost from Uniden. It's like $50 for NXDN and $60 for DMR last time I checked.
 

fxdscon

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I cannot justify spending $649.95/$699.95 on the SDS series that had nothing but reported problems by other members in this group.
Stay safe.

To say that there are "nothing but reported problems" is a completely false and inaccurate statement.

There are many, many members of this forum and others that are very satisfied with their SDS series scanners.
 

ofd8001

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That's incorrect. The 996P2 has the capability of being upgraded to DMR and NXDN for an additional cost from Uniden. It's like $50 for NXDN and $60 for DMR last time I checked.

Thanks for clarifying - I wasn't completely sure. Wasn't that an option added well after the x36 upgrades came out, as in it hasn't been around as long as the x36's were?
 

Remington12G

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Thanks for clarifying - I wasn't completely sure. Wasn't that an option added well after the x36 upgrades came out, as in it hasn't been around as long as the x36's were?
I believe so. They both have come a long way with tracking NXDN and DMR both Conventional and Trunked systems. I just don't prefer Uniden anymore due to the sound quality
 
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