Features on future Uniden handhelds

[MarkEagleUSA]

I'd like to make a feature request for future handhelds as well as hear what others may want to see. Since Paul Opitz reads what we have to say, maybe he'll take some of our ideas to heart.

For me, since dynamic memory with alpha tagging is here to stay, it seems appropriate that PC programmability is paramount. While it can still be done by hand, it's an arduous task.

Therefore, I'd like to see a unified connection point consisting of one connector that would provide for power, data, and audio output (not sure if it's technically possible, but an antenna connection would be nice as well). That way, only one cable ever needs to be attached to the scanner at any given time, much like todays PDA's. This would also make it easy to provide accessories like desktop and mobile cradles. Imagine the convenience of a drop-in charger (both at home and on the road)! No more fumbling to attach seperate power and data cables.

What else would people like to see in Uniden's future handhelds?

 

[Kirk]

Support serial AND usb connections. Don't drop serial to add USB, but life would sure be easier if I could use USB to program in Windoze.

DTMF decode as a paging option.

 

[safetyobc]

#1 As preached before, a temporary channel lockout feature. Lockout for x amount of time or maybe until power off/on cycle.

# 2 Also, with all of the systems and groups and such, I would like to see a way to set up a priority system. For instance when the crap hits the fan in your local area, I would like to be able to push 1 or a combo of 2 (Fnc + key) buttons and scan my priority system no matter if it is trunking or conventional or maybe both would be nice. Instead of having to push multiple buttons to turn off other systems it automatically enables my priority system and disables all other systems. I realize that Priority Plus is similar to this but having a priority system would be better I think, especially with trunking.

# 3 Also, I think some type of portable memory (perferably pocket size like an MP3 player or similar size) would be neat too. A small device that you can program via PC and take with you. Then connect that device to your scanner via the PC cable included with the scanner and upload a new memory setup. Like a portable V Folder. I like having the 6000 channels the BCD396T has but a portable V-Folder would be cool and it would free up lots of programming room in the scanner for other features like priority systems.

# 4 I also like someone's idea of multiple backlight colors selectable by channel. red, blue, amber, and orange or similar colors.

# 5 I would love to see a way to record XX minutes of audio on a particular channel. Voice activated of course. Set it on say a local FD and leave the house. Come home and replay what has been going on. The new Minitor V pagers have this feature. They record up to 16 messages I beleive that can be replayed. This would be an awsome feature on a scanner.

I have more but that will do for now.........

 

[KD8CES]

I have a request for new features on mobile scanners, How about a simple scanner like the bc350c but has a few separate banks for user programming and also the priority feature, and a programmable search bank would be a nice touch. scannerdweeb.

 

[John_M]

I have one request that I don't think has ever been done before. The ability to turn off the keypad lighting and just have the display light (handhelds only). You don't need both all the time, sometimes you just want the display light so you can see who is talking. You only would need this feature if the scanner is not plugged in.

 

[MarkWestin]

Hello,

My biggest wants are as follows:

1. Adjustable brightness for backlight. At night all the scanners that I have are too bright. Most of my Ham radio equipment has adjustable backlights. When adjusted to the minimum necessary, battery life is also increased somewhat over full brightness.

2. A useful signal strength meter. Of all my handheld scanners, only the BCD-396T has any s-meter and that is so small that it is not really useful. All my communications receivers have useful s-meters. Of course all Ham gear has S-meters.

3. Make the case at least water resistant. My Yeasu VX-7R has full waterproofing, using a magnesium case, rubber gaskets, rubber plugs for all jacks, and some sort of membranes over the speaker and microphone. It is claimed that the radio can be submerged in 3 feet of water for 30 minutes. I would settle for a more water resistant scanner.

The current crop of scanners are the best ever made, with many features that never would have been thought of just a few years ago. Competition will force future scanners to have more "Ham Radio like" features.

Mark

 

[Admin0140434]

use a durable case (like those on the minitor pagers)

 

[Al42]

Therefore, I'd like to see a unified connection point consisting of one connector that would provide for power, data, and audio output (not sure if it's technically possible, but an antenna connection would be nice as well).

So if I want to power the scanner externally in the car, but use the internal speaker I'm out of luck. (Alternatively, if I power it externally at home, and have the audio plugged into the computer, the speaker stay on?) And I have to use an external antenna if I use external power or have the scanner connected to the PC?

Thanks, but I prefer seperate connections for each function. This isn't something we're going to use either as a portable or dropped into a Port-A-Com - there are other options.

Support serial AND usb connections. Don't drop serial to add USB, but life would sure be easier if I could use USB to program in Windoze.

You can - with a USB->Serial converter. A lot of us are doing it that way.

I'd like to see portable memory - maybe a SD slot somewhere. And safetyobc's priority system idea. Just some button press combo to make turn everything off and turn one SQK on. We can program that SQK for whatever we need. It's the turn-everything-off function that we need, and there are still a few keys with no Func-<#key> function.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

So if I want to power the scanner externally in the car, but use the internal speaker I'm out of luck. (Alternatively, if I power it externally at home, and have the audio plugged into the computer, the speaker stay on?) And I have to use an external antenna if I use external power or have the scanner connected to the PC?

Obviously you haven't seen some of the latest PDA's. The Palm Treo and Tungsten models use the Palm Universal connector which can handle simple power-only, data-only, or power-and-data connections.

As for audio, these PDAs look for the presence of audio (resistance actually) on the external pins and disconnect the internal speaker if found (this could also be accomplished with an additional "sense" line on the connector).

Like i said, I don't even know if an antenna connection could be handled in this fashion, but it would sure be nice.

I wouldn't want an all-or-nothing solution, but would like to have just 1 connector. The prospect of a drop-in cradle would be the ultimate addition to a radio like the 396.

This isn't something we're going to use either as a portable or dropped into a Port-A-Com - there are other options.

For you perhaps. I happen to like being able to go between home and mobile with my handhelds.

 

[wesct]

gps units have had all in one connections for some time now.

how about a usb to serial adapter that comes with the radio?

upload and download time could be decreased (increase in com port speed)

line out jack

discriminator output- this could possibly be accomplished by using the quad conductor jack in yaesu amateur and commerical radios

submersible? lets go for a swim!

wesct

 

[johnvassel]

Waterproofness... would be nice. But without floatability, it's only going to assure you that your scanner is operating at the bottom of the lake...lol.

That aside,

Hard Volume/ Channel buttons. Give me two top dials, or two Dual top dials, so I can adjust volumne/channels and turn it off without having to look at the buttons.
Some have this, but I'd like it on any new one.

Smarter backlighting features, like on my ham gear. Adjustable brightness, on with carrier detected,etc..etc.

Keep the fire toneout. While I have no scanners with this feature (I have the appropriate gear already). I love the idea this is now out. Way to keep the hobby interesting.

Tougher cases. My latest 'new' scanner is the pro83, and to think the 246 is built from this base is enough to make me avoid it. Just doesnt 'feel' real.

A weather alert feature that works while scanning...seemlessly.

While I realize non of these are ground breaking, they're the things I would expect from any scanner I'd buy.

john

 

[exalti]

Hello,

My biggest wants are as follows:

1. snip

2.snip

3. Make the case at least water resistant. My Yeasu VX-7R has full waterproofing, using a magnesium case, rubber gaskets, rubber plugs for all jacks, and some sort of membranes over the speaker and microphone. It is claimed that the radio can be submerged in 3 feet of water for 30 minutes. I would settle for a more water resistant scanner.

Mark

Magnesium? I thought magnesium was HIGHLY combustive in water? Could you possibly mean Titanium?

 

[MarkWestin]

Hello,

Here is a link to the VX-7R brochure:

http://www.vxstd.com/en/products/ama04img/vx7rb_pdf.pdf

On the first page they are loudly proclaiming "Magnesium", not to mention "submersible".

Mark

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Magnesium?

It's magnesium according to the specs.

a tough magnesium body with rubber bumper pads

 

[safetyobc]

Adding to my list, I hope the next Uniden HH has a better squelch than is on the BCD396T. It isn't sensitive enough, at least mine isn't. You have to put it on 0 to open it up. I usually keep mine on 2. Maybe it is supposed to be this way, but to me it seems like it is either too much or not enough.

Future Uniden HH's, please keep the belt clip that is on the 396, I love that thing! (and the wrist strap)

 

[Al42]

I wouldn't want an all-or-nothing solution, but would like to have just 1 connector. The prospect of a drop-in cradle would be the ultimate addition to a radio like the 396.

This isn't something we're going to use either as a portable or dropped into a Port-A-Com - there are other options.

For you perhaps. I happen to like being able to go between home and mobile with my handhelds.

I didn't say no to that - I said plugged into the wall with an external antenna and speaker, carried with nothing plugged in and dropped into a mobile cradle (or manually connected in the car) aren't the only options.

 

[Al42]

how about a usb to serial adapter that comes with the radio?

As someone else said about other peripherals - I already have all the adapters I need - why shoould I pay for another one?

I wish someone would supply the connectors, though.

upload and download time could be decreased (increase in com port speed)

If you can see what your serial port's doing, watch it during a data transfer - it spends a lot of time sitting there waiting for the scanner. It's not the port speed that's making it slow, it's the CPU speed. I suspect it's taking time to set things up in memory (or getting them back).

line out jack

There are pretty cheap adapters available.

discriminator output

Have Uniden or RS ever done that?

this could possibly be accomplished by using the quad conductor jack in yaesu amateur and commerical radios

The serial connector Uniden uses now is smaller.

submersible? lets go for a swim!

Or at least water resistant enough that we can use it in a driving rain without worrying.

 

[Al42]

A weather alert feature that works while scanning...seemlessly.

That, or trunking priority, would require a dual receiver. You just can't monitor a digital stream by jumping to the channel for a few milliseconds every few seconds.

 

[wesct]

As someone else said about other peripherals - I already have all the adapters I need - why shoould I pay for another one?
make it an option for serial or usb?

I wish someone would supply the connectors, though.
If you can see what your serial port's doing, watch it during a data transfer - it spends a lot of time sitting there waiting for the scanner. It's not the port speed that's making it slow, it's the CPU speed. I suspect it's taking time to set things up in memory (or getting them back).

- increase clock speed maybe?

There are pretty cheap adapters available.
Have Uniden or RS ever done that?
- no not that i know of- quad conductor jack for line out and discriminator output. no change in size of radio and no mods!

The serial connector Uniden uses now is smaller.

Or at least water resistant enough that we can use it in a driving rain without worrying.

hey paul- are you listening?

wesct

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

I didn't say no to that - I said plugged into the wall with an external antenna and speaker, carried with nothing plugged in and dropped into a mobile cradle (or manually connected in the car) aren't the only options.

It sure sounded like a no to me...

What are the other options then?

You said "thanks, but I prefer seperate connections for each function". My suggestion is to have seperate connections, but only ONE connector (on some sort of dongle and/or cradle) to attach to the radio that would have the ability to connect power, data, and antenna (if possible) in any combination as the user sees fit. For example, external audio would only be enabled if a speaker was attached.