comparing scanners, looking for advice

[Bernie9]

I am looking purchase a lower cost handheld digital scanner. I am comparing the Whistler 1040 and the Uniden BCD325 P2. Anyone wish to give advice from past experience. I am also interested in suggestions of other units you may have to offer to look into.
Thank you very much.

 

[doctordialtone]

Uniden BCD325 P2

I own the 325P2.

It's an excellent scanner and gets great reviews. It's been trouble free.

If you look through the forums you'll see that everyone is very happy with it. It's very reasonably priced.

Good luck!

 

[jonwienke]

Where are you located, and what are you trying to scan? The scanners you mention will work on some systems, but not others.

 

[Bernie9]

I own the 325P2.

It's an excellent scanner and gets great reviews. It's been trouble free.

If you look through the forums you'll see that everyone is very happy with it. It's very reasonably priced.

Good luck!

Thanks for your reply. I have read it is very difficult to program and does not come with a good manual. What are your thoughts about this. I am new to scanning. I did it many years ago, and a lot of this is new to me.

 

[RaleighGuy]

Between the two I'd definitely go with the Uniden BCD325 P2

 

[Bernie9]

Where are you located, and what are you trying to scan? The scanners you mention will work on some systems, but not others.

I am located in Bonner County Idaho. I want to scan, fire,ems, law, primarily. With some other like, R.R. air, etc...

 

[doctordialtone]

I have read it is very difficult to program and does not come with a good manual. What are your thoughts about this.

You can take a look at the "Easier to Read" manual to preview the programming.

Most of the people here have programmed their own scanner and there is a FREE program called "Freescan" to help you.

Sixspot Software - Downloads

FreeSCAN To install FreeSCAN, download and install the .MSI file. For differences between versions and important operating information, see the release notes. This version supports the the SC230, BC246T, BR330T, BCD396T, UBC3500XLT, BCT15, BCD996T, BC346XT(C), BCD396XT, BCT15X, and BCD996XT

sites.google.com

You can download information directly from Radio Reference to your scanner. Easy!

 

[doctordialtone]

Here's the manual I referred to:

Easier to Read BCD325P2 Digital Scanner Manual

 

[Bernie9]

Thank you so much. This manual is very helpful. I greatly appreciate your advice and help.
Thanks a lot.

 

[hiegtx]

Thanks for your reply. I have read it is very difficult to program and does not come with a good manual. What are your thoughts about this. I am new to scanning. I did it many years ago, and a lot of this is new to me.

The "difficulty" in programming is often from people who seem to think the scanner will program itself. While the 325P2 is an excellent scanner (I have one as well), you will need to program it.

However, you are a Premium Subscriber, so you can utilize FreeSCAN to download the information needed for your area, and get it set up relatively easily. Also, if using software, if you run into difficulty you can post your programming file so that someone can take a look, and suggest what needs to be changed. A User Guide for FreeSCAN is hosted in the Wiki here on RadioReference.
FreeScan User Guide - The RadioReference Wiki

You still have not indicated where you are. Your location would have an impact both on what scanner to suggest for you, as well as what you'd reasonably expect to hear. City, or county, and your state is sufficient to establish where you are. If you are in, or near, a major urban area, odds are that sooner or later you will encounter P25 Phase II systems, That also is the case if you occasionally travel to or through a large metropolitan area, whether on business, pleasure, visiting friends or relatives, you can expect to see this system type in use. That's one area that gives the 325P2 the edge over Whistler's WS1040. The 1040 cannot monitor Phase II systems.

 

[Bernie9]

Thanks for the valuable advice Steve, I am in Bonner County Idaho. I want to listen to. Bonner County, Kootenai County, in Idaho. And Pend Oreille County in Washington. I have interest in listening to, fire, EMS, and Law. Additionally I would listen to other traffic as well, air, R.R. Etc...
Thanks

 

[jonwienke]

The Hoodoo Mountain site for the Idaho Cooperative Agencies Wireless Interoperable Network in Bonner County is 6-transmitter simulcast, so you'll probably need to get the Uniden SDS100. The scanners you mentioned in your original post have trouble with simulcast, and depending on your location, may not receive anything even with a strong signal.

 

[doctordialtone]

Thanks for the valuable advice Steve, I am in Bonner County Idaho. I want to listen to. Bonner County, Kootenai County, in Idaho. And Pend Oreille County in Washington. I have interest in listening to, fire, EMS, and Law. Additionally I would listen to other traffic as well,

I live in a Simulcast area and have great reception with my 325P2.

Like I said, the 325P2 gets great reviews. Let us know how you make out!

 

[jonwienke]

I live in a Simulcast area and have great reception with my 325P2.

That means very little, as many others don't. Going from one end of a Wal-Mart parking lot to the other can change simulcast reception from zero to 100%, if your using something not designed for it.

 

[hiegtx]

The Hoodoo Mountain site for the Idaho Cooperative Agencies Wireless Interoperable Network in Bonner County is 6-transmitter simulcast, so you'll probably need to get the Uniden SDS100. The scanners you mentioned in your original post have trouble with simulcast, and depending on your location, may not receive anything even with a strong signal.

I think the site map is leading to the wrong conclusion. I don't believe this is a simulcast setup.

The Bonner County site (Hoodoo Mtn) as well as the five Kootenal County sites, are on license WQKU686. The location map accessed for the Hoodoo Mountain site shows all of these related sites, but of these six, only one is in Bonner County. The other Bonner County site, Schweitzer Peak, is on license WQOX708.

Pend Oreille County, in Washington state, looks to be all conventional for now as far as public safety is concerned.

Since simulcast does not appear to be an issue, the 325P2 should handle the OP's needs for his immediate area. However, you travel to or through a large urban area, whether for business, pleasure, visiting friends & relatives, etc, it is likely that somewhere along the way, you'll encounter one or more simulcast systems.

 

[Bernie9]

I want to thank everyone for all the input. I will take it all into consideration and do more research and ask more questions.
Thank you all for your informative responses.

 

[jonwienke]

I think the site map is leading to the wrong conclusion. I don't believe this is a simulcast setup.

There are 6 Hoodoo Mountain transmitter locations, all licensed for the same set of frequencies. Looks like simulcast to me.

 

[hiegtx]

There are 6 Hoodoo Mountain transmitter locations, all licensed for the same set of frequencies. Looks like simulcast to me.

Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

The HooDoo Mountain site, for the statewide system ICAWIN, is on license WQKU686. If you pull up the location map for that site, you see this:

RR Database Home

The most complete database of radio communications data

www.radioreference.com

However, if you pull up the associated map by the license, WQKU686, you get this:

The HooDoo site is the marker labeled as 2. The other markers are different sites for the system, that are in Kootenai County. The frequencies for the HooDoo site are unique to that site only. There are no other licenses in the county for those. The Kootenai sites, numbers 1, 3, 4, 5 are for sites in that county, and also do not use duplicate frequencies between them. Site 6 is a fixed location, FX1, and site 7 represents the mobile frequencies on that license.

 

[Bob1955]

Where are you located, and what are you trying to scan? The scanners you mention will work on some systems, but not others.

He's looking to purchase a "LOWER COST" scanner, jonwienke. He's made that very clear too.

 

[jonwienke]

Lower cost isn't helpful if it doesn't actually work.