Best Uniden V/U conventional/aero recommendations?

[EAFrizzle]

Got the SDS 100 and 200 for Christmas and they're great at what they do well, but basically worthless for V/U conventional scanning. My 30+ yo RS Patrolman mobile and pro 2042 beat the pants off of the SDS units on Rail and MilAir respectively, and a $20 Blowfang with the stock antenna beats either SDS on 30' high yagis for rx.

Is there a uniden scanner that has a lot of channels AND great performance in 100 to 500 MHz range? Digital and/or trunking not necessary, but im fine with having it so long as it can excel at VHF-hi and Civil/Military airbands. If the SDS weren't very useful and excellent at what they do (which is 700/800/900 digital only) to me, I'd definitely sell them off.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Search the forums & you'll come across numerous threads asking the same question. Recommendations I come across most often are for the BC125AT (handheld) and BCT15X (base). I owned the latter when I lived in a primarily analog area, superb receiver

 

[EAFrizzle]

Are they programmable? The SDS series has proven quite effective at causing me to become allergic to manual frequency entry.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Software programmable? absolutely. I recommend Proscan. You get a 30 day free fully functional trial to get your feet wet using it. After the 30 days $50.00 gets you two license activations and regular app updates. Its developer is an active member here on the forums always willing to lend a helping hand.

 

[prima19rider]

Icom R6 or R15. Great scanner / receivers

 

[dmfalk]

Your yagi is too big, and too sharply tuned for good reception, and the stock antennas that come with the SDS units aren't all that great, either. There are dozens of better antennas one could get that'll do the job. (I use a Comet W100RX, SMA mount, with my SDS100; others will recommend a Remtronics antenna....) With a good antenna, your reception of civilian & military airbands will greatly improve. Yes, it really comes down to the antenna as the culprit of bad reception!

 

[EAFrizzle]

My yagi is certainly not too big, and is tuned to the middle of the railroad VHF frequencies (it's a commercial antenna made for the RR band, a great catch from a decommed site). It's vastly better than anything I've ever used for V-hi. It's even great in the TFS and TDCJ allocations in the 150 range. My reception and my antennas are just fine. The SDS series are just poor performers under 700 MHz.

 

[mark40]

Recommendations I come across most often are for the BC125AT (handheld) and BCT15X (base). I owned the latter when I lived in a primarily analog area, superb receiver

I recommend Proscan. You get a 30 day free fully functional trial to get your feet wet using it. After the 30 days $50.00 gets you two license activations and regular app updates. Its developer is an active member here on the forums always willing to lend a helping hand.

@EAFrizzle: Whiskey is right on the money, I've had the same experience with the BCT15X and Proscan software.

 

[EAFrizzle]

Just pulled the trigger on the 125. Looks perfect for what I want to do. The extra channels are what swayed me from the R6. Plus no wasted circuitry for analog trunking.

 

[Citywide173]

Just pulled the trigger on the 125. Looks perfect for what I want to do. The extra channels are what swayed me from the R6. Plus no wasted circuitry for analog trunking.

I think you'll be quite happy with it. Can you PM me your address for when you throw out those underperforming SDS pieces of trash?

 

[EAFrizzle]

I'm going to punish the SDS pair by forcing them to listen to the scrambled eggs and cat puke that is the trunking situation in DFW...