The Uniden BC996T had been talked about at length for a great deal of time before it became available to the end user. It has been touted as the "greatest thing since sliced bread" (or at least the greatest thing since the BCD396T) in the world of scanning receivers. Well, is it? The following is my "out of the box" review. As always, you will find my review non-technical in nature. I'm not an electronics whiz, simply an end user of many many scanners and receivers during the long course of my radio hobby, which started on the front porch of my babysitter's house when I was but 8 years old...and out of the corner of my eye spyed that portable radio that had more than just AM/FM on it....the rest is history. If I'm not technical enough for you, my apologies. If I'm too technical for you...maybe you need to find another hobby! 
. Anyone may feel free to copy or reproduce this review, just kindly give credit to its source when doing so. Thanks. Here we go...
Thanks to Jeff at the Hamstation, I was one of the first end users on the planet to receive a BCD996T; it arrived at my workplace on Saturday 5/27. Since then I've been running it through its paces and I'm now prepared to offer the below with the hopes that it might be of some small help to someone.
Packaging
As usual, Uniden packs everything into the box quite well. The box says "Digital Scanners" on it, but unfortunately I only found one inside. Here's a picture of the box:
The Box
Within the box are two cardboard sections, one large that encompasses the radio, another small that holds the accessories. Both are well wrapped, taped shut, and securely hold their contents. The 147 page manual and accompanying paperwork/advertising is wrapped and sealed in plastic.
The Packing
Contents
As stated, despite the box labeling, there is one BCD996T scanner, manual, 3 wire DC cable, serial port computer control/programming cable, wall wort power supply, accessory plug power supply, telescoping "back of set" antenna with BNC connector, DIN sleeve, DIN keys, mounting bracket, and mounting screws.
The Accessories
As I've been known to state elsewhere, it's always important to have an assistant on hand when breaking out a new scanner for the first time.
My Faithful Assistant
Physical
The BCD996T is one SOLID radio. It could be a lethal weapon if the wife finds out you've bought it without prior "consultation". It weighs in at close to eight pounds. I was impressed with the weight, heft, and overall feel of this radio as soon as I got it in my hands. It is of a size with the Radio Shack PRO-2096, as shown via the below links.
996T/2096 Comparison #1
996T/2096 Comparison #2
996T/2096 Comparison #3
996T/2096 Comparison #4
996T/2096 Comparison #5
As you'll notice in the last photo, the 996's display is larger but not quite as bright as the PRO-2096's. This is with both radios on their brightest amber settings. Advantage 996, given the combination of the larger display, option to turn it green as well, and the 16 character lines vs the 2096's 12 character capability. We'll talk more about the display and its colors down the review a bit. Incidentally, my wife has yet to strike me with a radio; she likes my hobby because it keeps me home at night. Your mileage may vary...I also pay the bills.
Front Panel
The volume and squelch knobs are "ratcheted", in other words, as they rotate they "click" from one "position" to the next. I've never been overly fond of this approach but this is irrelevant to the operation of the radio. These knobs also provide secondary functions as well, and I'd guess this is why they're ratched as they will better stay in place when pushed in. Volume when pushed cycles you through backlight intensity levels and colors. Off > green dim > green medium > green bright > "red" dim > red medium > red bright. Having this at your fingertips is a great addition. Pushing the squelch button cycles you through the 996T's close call options. OFF > CC DND (do not disturb) > CC PRI (priority). Being able to access these functions without having to drill down through the menu is a very nice addition. The large silver knob to the right is the scrolling knob, and provides multiple functions. When pushed, it activates the Function option which allows access to various options. When pushed and held for more than a second it allows function to remain on until it's pushed again. It scrolls through menu choices, systems, channels, etc. The knob has a solid feel to it. There are 19 keys available, the largest of which, SCAN/SEARCH and HOLD/RESUME "wrap around" the scroll knob. Keys are very responsive and respond with varying levels and types of "beeps" which can be changed or defeated in the menu. There is also a front mounted jack for computer control and programming. The location of this jack on the front is critical for anyone mounting this radio in-dash with the supplied DIN sleeve. Finally, there is an earphone jack on the lower right. Controls are laid out in a sensible and useable format. It's very easy to get used to their locations. The 996T feels good to operate, it is solid to the touch. In other words, there is no fear of breakage when putting your hands on it. Obviously it's a piece of electronic gear, and a somewhat expensive one, and should be treated with respect, but the bottom line is, it's rugged!
Rear Panel
The rear panel consists of the female BNC antenna jack, a REC out jack, external speaker jack, DB9 serial connection for GPS device connectivity, and coaxial and molex DC power jacks.
Scott...enough of the aesthetics...how does the damned thing work?
Audio
One of my biggest issues with Uniden scanners has been audio quality, both analog and APCO-25 digital. Let's face it, quite frankly GRE has had the edge (IMHO) with both for a long time running. The BCD996T is not as loud as my PRO-2096. The audio does not have the level of bass that the 2096 does. I attached rubber feet to both the PRO-2096 and the BCD996T to elevate them off of the shelf and to allow audio to escape from beneath them, as they both have bottom firing speakers. The 2096 blows me out of the room with the audio at about 11 o'clock. I have to turn the 996T up to about 1 o'clock to achieve the same level of audio. I have also attended a large number of loud rock concerts, to include the Who and Aerosmith, and still tend to listen to music at a loud volume at my advanced age of 44, so your mileage in this regard may vary greatly. Where's my lighter?
In a mobile environment, the 2096 blasted fine at about 1-2 o'clock, mounted under the passenger side dash of my truck. The 996T in the same place requires a little more volume for comfortable listening. The suddenly warm weather on Cape Cod has resulted in me driving around with my window down also. This coincides with the 996T's arrival, of course, so this comparision may be slightly unfair to the new arrival. Bottom line is I can get away without using an external speaker with the 996T in both home and mobile environments, but the 996T doesn't crank as much as the 2096 does.
Audio clarity is very good on analog signals. The radio is very pleasant to listen to. Quality is not lost at low volume, I can crank the volume to just past 3 o'clock before it becomes unpleasant and distorted. Both FM and AM analog signals sound great. I have not tried broadcast band FM yet and really don't have a need or desire to do so. (As an aside there is a "FMB" mode to support the reception of such signals).
The biggie here of course is APCO-25 audio. How does it stack up? I ran the 996T out of the box in Auto P25 mode with AGC on. All of the P25 signals I can receive are conventional in nature and in the VHF-HI range primarily. I found that with the settings above, the AGC "attack time" still seemed to be a tad slow. Simply put, the first few words of the transmissions started loudly and then smoothed out. I began to wonder if the AGC tweak for the 396T as discussed in this thread would work with the 996T as well, as it had made a distinct difference in the performance of my 396T where P25 reception was concerned. With some help from UPMan and Kikito, the method to access this AGC tweak was discovered. Check this link for the procedure. In Auto Mode with AGC on the radio sounded overall good. After the tweak was completed the radio sounded GREAT. Sorry Uniden, but I have to keep using the PRO-2096 as the "standard" for consumer level P25 reception quality. The 996T without the tweak still doesn't (by my ears anyway) stack up to the quality of the PRO-2096. However, perform the tweak, and listen again. I think the BCD996T sounds every bit as good as the PRO-2096 with the tweak. It's just unfortunate that the tweak must be done before this occurs. I'm not overly afraid of pushing buttons but I'm sure some folks will hesitate to do so. Some folks may also find this unnecessary. I think the tweak makes a lot of difference.
Continued in part two...
. Anyone may feel free to copy or reproduce this review, just kindly give credit to its source when doing so. Thanks. Here we go...Thanks to Jeff at the Hamstation, I was one of the first end users on the planet to receive a BCD996T; it arrived at my workplace on Saturday 5/27. Since then I've been running it through its paces and I'm now prepared to offer the below with the hopes that it might be of some small help to someone.
Packaging
As usual, Uniden packs everything into the box quite well. The box says "Digital Scanners" on it, but unfortunately I only found one inside. Here's a picture of the box:
The Box
Within the box are two cardboard sections, one large that encompasses the radio, another small that holds the accessories. Both are well wrapped, taped shut, and securely hold their contents. The 147 page manual and accompanying paperwork/advertising is wrapped and sealed in plastic.
The Packing
Contents
As stated, despite the box labeling, there is one BCD996T scanner, manual, 3 wire DC cable, serial port computer control/programming cable, wall wort power supply, accessory plug power supply, telescoping "back of set" antenna with BNC connector, DIN sleeve, DIN keys, mounting bracket, and mounting screws.
The Accessories
As I've been known to state elsewhere, it's always important to have an assistant on hand when breaking out a new scanner for the first time.
My Faithful Assistant
Physical
The BCD996T is one SOLID radio. It could be a lethal weapon if the wife finds out you've bought it without prior "consultation". It weighs in at close to eight pounds. I was impressed with the weight, heft, and overall feel of this radio as soon as I got it in my hands. It is of a size with the Radio Shack PRO-2096, as shown via the below links.
996T/2096 Comparison #1
996T/2096 Comparison #2
996T/2096 Comparison #3
996T/2096 Comparison #4
996T/2096 Comparison #5
As you'll notice in the last photo, the 996's display is larger but not quite as bright as the PRO-2096's. This is with both radios on their brightest amber settings. Advantage 996, given the combination of the larger display, option to turn it green as well, and the 16 character lines vs the 2096's 12 character capability. We'll talk more about the display and its colors down the review a bit. Incidentally, my wife has yet to strike me with a radio; she likes my hobby because it keeps me home at night. Your mileage may vary...I also pay the bills.
Front Panel
The volume and squelch knobs are "ratcheted", in other words, as they rotate they "click" from one "position" to the next. I've never been overly fond of this approach but this is irrelevant to the operation of the radio. These knobs also provide secondary functions as well, and I'd guess this is why they're ratched as they will better stay in place when pushed in. Volume when pushed cycles you through backlight intensity levels and colors. Off > green dim > green medium > green bright > "red" dim > red medium > red bright. Having this at your fingertips is a great addition. Pushing the squelch button cycles you through the 996T's close call options. OFF > CC DND (do not disturb) > CC PRI (priority). Being able to access these functions without having to drill down through the menu is a very nice addition. The large silver knob to the right is the scrolling knob, and provides multiple functions. When pushed, it activates the Function option which allows access to various options. When pushed and held for more than a second it allows function to remain on until it's pushed again. It scrolls through menu choices, systems, channels, etc. The knob has a solid feel to it. There are 19 keys available, the largest of which, SCAN/SEARCH and HOLD/RESUME "wrap around" the scroll knob. Keys are very responsive and respond with varying levels and types of "beeps" which can be changed or defeated in the menu. There is also a front mounted jack for computer control and programming. The location of this jack on the front is critical for anyone mounting this radio in-dash with the supplied DIN sleeve. Finally, there is an earphone jack on the lower right. Controls are laid out in a sensible and useable format. It's very easy to get used to their locations. The 996T feels good to operate, it is solid to the touch. In other words, there is no fear of breakage when putting your hands on it. Obviously it's a piece of electronic gear, and a somewhat expensive one, and should be treated with respect, but the bottom line is, it's rugged!
Rear Panel
The rear panel consists of the female BNC antenna jack, a REC out jack, external speaker jack, DB9 serial connection for GPS device connectivity, and coaxial and molex DC power jacks.
Scott...enough of the aesthetics...how does the damned thing work?
Audio
One of my biggest issues with Uniden scanners has been audio quality, both analog and APCO-25 digital. Let's face it, quite frankly GRE has had the edge (IMHO) with both for a long time running. The BCD996T is not as loud as my PRO-2096. The audio does not have the level of bass that the 2096 does. I attached rubber feet to both the PRO-2096 and the BCD996T to elevate them off of the shelf and to allow audio to escape from beneath them, as they both have bottom firing speakers. The 2096 blows me out of the room with the audio at about 11 o'clock. I have to turn the 996T up to about 1 o'clock to achieve the same level of audio. I have also attended a large number of loud rock concerts, to include the Who and Aerosmith, and still tend to listen to music at a loud volume at my advanced age of 44, so your mileage in this regard may vary greatly. Where's my lighter?
In a mobile environment, the 2096 blasted fine at about 1-2 o'clock, mounted under the passenger side dash of my truck. The 996T in the same place requires a little more volume for comfortable listening. The suddenly warm weather on Cape Cod has resulted in me driving around with my window down also. This coincides with the 996T's arrival, of course, so this comparision may be slightly unfair to the new arrival. Bottom line is I can get away without using an external speaker with the 996T in both home and mobile environments, but the 996T doesn't crank as much as the 2096 does.
Audio clarity is very good on analog signals. The radio is very pleasant to listen to. Quality is not lost at low volume, I can crank the volume to just past 3 o'clock before it becomes unpleasant and distorted. Both FM and AM analog signals sound great. I have not tried broadcast band FM yet and really don't have a need or desire to do so. (As an aside there is a "FMB" mode to support the reception of such signals).
The biggie here of course is APCO-25 audio. How does it stack up? I ran the 996T out of the box in Auto P25 mode with AGC on. All of the P25 signals I can receive are conventional in nature and in the VHF-HI range primarily. I found that with the settings above, the AGC "attack time" still seemed to be a tad slow. Simply put, the first few words of the transmissions started loudly and then smoothed out. I began to wonder if the AGC tweak for the 396T as discussed in this thread would work with the 996T as well, as it had made a distinct difference in the performance of my 396T where P25 reception was concerned. With some help from UPMan and Kikito, the method to access this AGC tweak was discovered. Check this link for the procedure. In Auto Mode with AGC on the radio sounded overall good. After the tweak was completed the radio sounded GREAT. Sorry Uniden, but I have to keep using the PRO-2096 as the "standard" for consumer level P25 reception quality. The 996T without the tweak still doesn't (by my ears anyway) stack up to the quality of the PRO-2096. However, perform the tweak, and listen again. I think the BCD996T sounds every bit as good as the PRO-2096 with the tweak. It's just unfortunate that the tweak must be done before this occurs. I'm not overly afraid of pushing buttons but I'm sure some folks will hesitate to do so. Some folks may also find this unnecessary. I think the tweak makes a lot of difference.
Continued in part two...
Last edited:
