- Joined
- Jun 13, 2002
- Messages
- 6,091
Uniden made a nice effort to improve the display of the 536 over the 996XT. The 996XT display was pretty good itself, so not a lot of improvement was needed.
I'm not completely sure that they succeeded in what they wanted to do.
The problem I have is that the 3 line display is easy to see, but it doesn't have all of the information at hand that I'd like. The 2 line display has all of the information, but some of it is too small for my tired old eyeballs to read.
I kind of which that they would go back to alternating between System/Group (or Department as it's now called) although that might not work with the System/Dept/Channel button functionality. Which I really like, BTW. Once I figured it out.
I'm not sure why they reverted to the volume/squelch controls on the right and the selector knob on the left. I seem to remember some umbrage when they changed the layout for the 7xx series scanners, maybe that's why.
I wish they had kept the knob size of the 996XT, but there's only so much real estate on the front panel.
They also continued their practice of using a screen with a fairly high albedo ratio. It baffles me that they haven't followed the practice of ham radio manufacturers who seem to have figured out how to make a highly viewable screen without a lot of reflectivity.
All of that being said, this is still a very good scanner. Performance wise, I think it's a significant step up from the XT series. I'm also sure that a lot of what I don't like is a matter of getting used to. I seem to remember that I didn't like the 996T screen when I replaced my 796XLT. Just progress, I guess.
I'm not completely sure that they succeeded in what they wanted to do.
The problem I have is that the 3 line display is easy to see, but it doesn't have all of the information at hand that I'd like. The 2 line display has all of the information, but some of it is too small for my tired old eyeballs to read.
I kind of which that they would go back to alternating between System/Group (or Department as it's now called) although that might not work with the System/Dept/Channel button functionality. Which I really like, BTW. Once I figured it out.
I'm not sure why they reverted to the volume/squelch controls on the right and the selector knob on the left. I seem to remember some umbrage when they changed the layout for the 7xx series scanners, maybe that's why.
I wish they had kept the knob size of the 996XT, but there's only so much real estate on the front panel.
They also continued their practice of using a screen with a fairly high albedo ratio. It baffles me that they haven't followed the practice of ham radio manufacturers who seem to have figured out how to make a highly viewable screen without a lot of reflectivity.
All of that being said, this is still a very good scanner. Performance wise, I think it's a significant step up from the XT series. I'm also sure that a lot of what I don't like is a matter of getting used to. I seem to remember that I didn't like the 996T screen when I replaced my 796XLT. Just progress, I guess.
