Beartracker 885 interest

[Madduck00]

As I get into scanning more(see my post in Gen Scanning), adding on to my ham interest, I enjoy taking radios with me. Along with my ham radio I want to put a CB into my Jeep. Both for off-roading but also for info on the highway getting to and from CO.

How well does the 885 do as a scanner?
I have an SDS100 I'm learning to use. It is quite eye opening how complex scanning is. Since the 885 has a programmable card, can I program pretty much anything? I read Sheepdogs write up, but dont understand a lot of it...yet. Emergency stuff is what i'd want it for. But, i also want to get air-gnd for fire season in the AZ are, and SAR when in CO.
Thanks for the help.

73, KJ7IOM

 

[RandyKuff]

Opinions on BearTracker 885

Hello All, This is my first post here at this forum. I am new to the radio hobby and I plan to include a few thing into my desktop set-up. First and foremost, I am interested in CB radios. I have a couple of handhelds CB radios (no mobile radio) but I want a base radio to go with these for...

forums.radioreference.com

 

[Madduck00]

Thanks much! Missed that review.
I'll be passing on it i think and just carry my SDS100 with me.

Thank you for the link.

 

[hiegtx]

As I get into scanning more(see my post in Gen Scanning), adding on to my ham interest, I enjoy taking radios with me. Along with my ham radio I want to put a CB into my Jeep. Both for off-roading but also for info on the highway getting to and from CO.

How well does the 885 do as a scanner?
I have an SDS100 I'm learning to use. It is quite eye opening how complex scanning is. Since the 885 has a programmable card, can I program pretty much anything? I read Sheepdogs write up, but dont understand a lot of it...yet. Emergency stuff is what i'd want it for. But, i also want to get air-gnd for fire season in the AZ are, and SAR when in CO.
Thanks for the help.

73, KJ7IOM

I don't own that unit, so no first hand experience with it. From what I understand, there is no, specific, programming. It only scans the Dispatch service types for public safety (Law Dispatch, Fire Dispatch, EMS Dispatch, and Multi-Dispatch. There is apparently no programming, other than a way to maintain it's database on the card.

See this thread: Uniden BearTracker 885 CB/ Scanner File Modification

and the Wiki page for that radio: Beartracker 885 - The RadioReference Wiki.
Those links point to how you can manually modify it's file to add other services.

But, your comment to pass on the 885 & just carry the SDS100 is probably your best choice if you want to monitor public safety (or anything else) while on the road.

 

[SurgePGH]

I don't own that unit, so no first hand experience with it. From what I understand, there is no, specific, programming. It only scans the Dispatch service types for public safety (Law Dispatch, Fire Dispatch, EMS Dispatch, and Multi-Dispatch. There is apparently no programming, other than a way to maintain it's database on the card.

See this thread: Uniden BearTracker 885 CB/ Scanner File Modification

and the Wiki page for that radio: Beartracker 885 - The RadioReference Wiki.
Those links point to how you can manually modify it's file to add other services.

But, your comment to pass on the 885 & just carry the SDS100 is probably your best choice if you want to monitor public safety (or anything else) while on the road.

The SD Card CAN be modified with little effort and can be made to scan MOST bands in the VHF, UHF and 700/800 arena. I own that unit and have it set to scan way more than the dispatch channels/ talk groups. It doesn't do well on simulcast but does well otherwise.

 

[Madduck00]

Thank you.
I watched a vid yesterday by ScannerGuys and he mentioned simulcast. Is it safe to say that most major cities have/use simulcast? Ergo: if i'm scanning in a big city, Phoenix here, then prob not a great choice?
If i understand this correct, when i go to small towns or am scanning air-gnd firefighting, SAR, etc, that prob is not simulcast. Scanning a freq in Maricopa, or, heaven forbid, I end up in some place like LAX that imagine uses simulcast, the unit is not great.

Thank you all for your time helping me.

73

 

[hiegtx]

Thank you.
I watched a vid yesterday by ScannerGuys and he mentioned simulcast. Is it safe to say that most major cities have/use simulcast? Ergo: if i'm scanning in a big city, Phoenix here, then prob not a great choice?
If i understand this correct, when i go to small towns or am scanning air-gnd firefighting, SAR, etc, that prob is not simulcast. Scanning a freq in Maricopa, or, heaven forbid, I end up in some place like LAX that imagine uses simulcast, the unit is not great.

Thank you all for your time helping me.

73

I think you'l find, if you spot checked major metro areas, in any number of states, that the odds of hitting a simulcast system (in most of the larger ones) are probably closer to 100% than to 50%. A number of sites on the systems in your Phoenix area are simulcast, though there a few that are not. Here in the DFW metro area, there are several large trunked systems. Of all the trunked systems in use in my area, most of which have multiple sites, the number of individual sites that are not simulcast is little more than a handful. While most of the sparsely populated rural counties do not have simulcast systems, there are a few that have moved to that system type.

You may have already seen this Wiki page on simulcast, but if not, take a look when you have time:
Simulcast digital distortion - The RadioReference Wiki

Fortunately, your SDS100 can deal with simulcast.

 

[Trucker700]

Thank you.
I watched a vid yesterday by ScannerGuys and he mentioned simulcast. Is it safe to say that most major cities have/use simulcast? Ergo: if i'm scanning in a big city, Phoenix here, then prob not a great choice?
If i understand this correct, when i go to small towns or am scanning air-gnd firefighting, SAR, etc, that prob is not simulcast. Scanning a freq in Maricopa, or, heaven forbid, I end up in some place like LAX that imagine uses simulcast, the unit is not great.

Thank you all for your time helping me.

73

In Phoenix you will definitely run into Simulcast problems with an 885. I had ( still have,but put away) and in Phoenix it would go crazy in some places. I ended up installing ( in an 18 wheeler) an old Cobra 29 and a Uniden SDS100. I added an external antenna mounted on the passenger's side mirror as well.
No more Simulcast issues anywhere.
In areas without Simulcast systems, the 885 works well just scanning the presets. Yes, the SDcard can be modified to scan other things. But,for me, I found using the right tool for the job, was worth more to me in time and money spent than having to deal with the limitations of the 885. The CB side is good. But, the display is all but impossible to see in bright light. It looks like an LCD display, which should not be hard to see in daylight. It's not. It is a backlite LED display. And washes out with bright light. ( natural daylight)
You have to mount it in a dark place to see it. But, during the day, with bright sunlight, even with the radio mounted in a dark or shaded spot, it is still hard to see.
Good idea. Just not well thought out.
James

 

[Madduck00]

Thanks again for everyone's input and thoughts. I appreciate the time.

I think yall have convinced me that sticking with my little President Bill II cb will be just fine for what i do. I'll bring my SDS100 with me when i want to scan.
James, that's a lot of good info and thanks. In a Jeep, when the top is off, it's bright everywhere so trying to 'hide' the 885 is just not an option. But, as you confirm my concerns, being in PHX, having simulcast, the SDS is the way to go.
As with most things, rarely do you beat the tool set up for the one, specific, job. You may be able to combine some things, but having THE right TOOL(singular), can rarely be beat.