Any sun damage? That depends on what you mean by “any”. The finish doesn’t fade if that’s what you mean, and I don’t live in Fla. where it’s hotter most days than Ct.,where I live. But there are those periods where Ct. gets a tropical heat wave. And since I always roll up the windows and lock my truck it can get as hot as Fla., just not as often. I never had a problem with heat.
Ideally, the scanner should be mounted in a cool, dry environment. But realistically, this is not the case. And most scanners are built with the understanding they need to perform in less than ideal situations. However, I have found the display somewhat lacking in bright sunlight. Uniden suggests using the black & white settings for maximum contrast. But even then it may be tough to read in bright sunlight. It’s not just a Uniden thing. Mounting on the dashboard is just not the best place for it… unless when you want to take a quick glance at it and not get distracted from watching the road but isn’t that a contradiction in terms? If you don’t want the distraction, don’t put it smack dab in front of you! But I know what you mean. You will probably end up mounting it by the console. (I use a commercially available post that attaches to a floor plate held in place by the passenger seat bolts.) It sits close to the center console without drilling holes and is probably the best setup for your vehicle. It’s very versatile in that you can mount your scanner AND external speaker at an angle making it easier to glance at while at the same time keeping it out of direct sunlight. However, if you want to use GPS the antenna wire might be too short. The wire run would runs down the post, across the floor and up towards the dash.
Do Scanners get stolen? As compared to other items found in vehicles I would imagine not as much. But since scanners are scarce compared to items commonly found in cars, that’s probably why. Common sense tells us not to advertise, leave packages in plain sight, etc., and the same holds true for radios. And even if the scanner isn’t on some thief’s list, when mounted on the dash it may still draw unwanted attention to the vehicle when that same vehicle might have been ignored if the dash was clean.
