Going to buy 436 or HP-2

[TxScanner]

I tried the HP-1 for about a month, and returned it before the ruturn time ended at Radioshack. I had a Pro-106 that recently died. I had absolutly no problems with it till then, and it picked up perfectly in the house and in the car with a RS800 antenna on it, I bought RAM mount windshiield mount from scannermaster for it, and placed it on my windshield, and it just didn't pick up good alot of times, got alot of broken up, Garbled traffic in the car, did fine in the house, i loved the easy to see touch screeen, and it was super easy to use, only reason i returned it, was the reception in the car, cause like i said, the Pro-106 was clear all the time. So, now im trying out the 436, Like said above, the screen is useless, i have bad eyes, and for me, it REALLY is useless. But, it seems the Reception in the car is bettter than the HP-1 i had. But its not not perfect, like my 106 was. Maybe the HP-2 has better reception than the HP-1, i dont know, id like to think so.

 

[stingray327]

I tried the HP-1 for about a month, and returned it before the ruturn time ended at Radioshack. I had a Pro-106 that recently died. I had absolutly no problems with it till then, and it picked up perfectly in the house and in the car with a RS800 antenna on it, I bought RAM mount windshiield mount from scannermaster for it, and placed it on my windshield, and it just didn't pick up good alot of times, got alot of broken up, Garbled traffic in the car, did fine in the house, i loved the easy to see touch screeen, and it was super easy to use, only reason i returned it, was the reception in the car, cause like i said, the Pro-106 was clear all the time. So, now im trying out the 436, Like said above, the screen is useless, i have bad eyes, and for me, it REALLY is useless. But, it seems the Reception in the car is bettter than the HP-1 i had. But its not not perfect, like my 106 was. Maybe the HP-2 has better reception than the HP-1, i dont know, id like to think so.

Switch over to a magnet antenna for better reception. I have 436 scanner and it is not good for car use for the problems I listed before.
I may get an HP-2 or a Whistler scanner for other car.

 

[AA6IO]

Have been using the HP-2 for 3 days now. I do think the audio and P25 decode is better than the HP-1.
Display wise, the HP scanners are hands down the best. I'll probably put my HP-2 in car on a regular basis. But for overall programming flexibility, you can't beat the x36HPs IMHO. I have the WS-1080, but find that not nearly as flexible or stable on P25 decoding in the car when moving as compared to my 436HP (use mag mount antennas).
Still, if I could only have two scanners (not one), it would be the 436HP and 536HP. Hands down the most flexible scanners in terms of selective programming, which is important in a radio-dense area like Los Angeles.
But if your just into setting up a few favorite lists and having a great display, the HP-2 should serve anybody quite well.
At home, I actually find I am using the 536HP in combination with the HP-2 for scanning. Sure nice to have the analyze features. Use them all the time for precise aiming of my 800 Mhz yagis at specific trunk sites. For trips and vacations, I will probably take both the 436HP and HP-2.
Steve AA6IO

 

[tumegpc]

I like the HP-1 because I was able to easily mount it using a Ram Mount and 4 screws. No removing of the dash or running wires was necessary. I can take it with me anytime, and it makes it very convenient when needing to program it.

I had the 436HP for a short while, and it was pretty good at receiving as long as it was stationary. Once mobile the 436HP had a difficult time keeping locked on our simulcast P25.

 

[TxScanner]

Like i think i read above, or somewhere else, Radioshack seems to be getting out of the Scanner Bussiness, they dont have much to offer anymore, they wont program them for you anymore, they dont carry the new stuff, other than the HP-1 around here, no 436 or 536HP models, so i disiappointed that i couldn't just go to Radioshack and look and hear them in person, like in years past. Got the HP-1 there, but got the 435 from Amazon, and they where a pleasure to deal with, returns are a breeze and fast refunds. I've got till after Christmas to try this 436 out with Amazon's holiday return policy, so we shall see. I loved the HP-1 at home, but in the car it didn't do so good, 436 isnt perfect either. Oh...how i miss my 106.

 

[jonwienke]

What is close call capture do? Advantages?

It picks up any nearby transmissions even if they aren't programmed into the scanner. You can save what CC finds in in a special favorite list.

 

[stingray327]

It picks up any nearby transmissions even if they aren't programmed into the scanner. You can save what CC finds in in a special favorite list.

That sounds familiar to the feature that the Pro-97 Radio Shack scanner had called "Skyscan" for close transmissions .
I guess that is another feature one can use if needed but I can't even get past this Sentinel program for this 436.
Nothing fancy here I just want to monitor my local agencies and not miss conversations. I don't need to monitor the full database program just the agencies that are local to me.
I tried to program my favorites this morning and spent 3 hrs. to do it to try to set up the keys to corresponding key pad numbers and still it has nothing to scan.
There must be something I am not doing right in programming 436 using Sentinel program as everyone has said it's easy.

 

[TxScanner]

Im returning the 436 tomorrow, i just hate the screen its just sad, they put that poor of a screen on a $500 scanner. My Pro 106, had a better, easier to see screen than the 436. Dont know what i'll get next.

 

[stingray327]

Im returning the 436 tomorrow, i just hate the screen its just sad, they put that poor of a screen on a $500 scanner. My Pro 106, had a better, easier to see screen than the 436. Dont know what i'll get next.

You are very correct on the screen especially if you use it in the car. I am in a similiar position cause I can't even program a favrorites list from the Sentinel Program I installed into computer.

 

[W6KRU]

Im returning the 436 tomorrow, i just hate the screen its just sad, they put that poor of a screen on a $500 scanner. My Pro 106, had a better, easier to see screen than the 436. Dont know what i'll get next.

It's not that it has a poor screen. It is poor utilization of the screen. I think the tiny fonts could be fixed with a firmware update, but we may never know.

 

[Voyager]

That sounds familiar to the feature that the Pro-97 Radio Shack scanner had called "Skyscan" for close transmissions .

Actually, they called it Signal Stalker.

 

[jonwienke]

You are very correct on the screen especially if you use it in the car. I am in a similiar position cause I can't even program a favrorites list from the Sentinel Program I installed into computer.

It's not that hard. Under Edit Profile, turn on the main database, select the service types you want to listen to, set your location and range, and then use the Add Channels On Range option in the Edit menu to create a new favorite list.

 

[stingray327]

It's not that hard. Under Edit Profile, turn on the main database, select the service types you want to listen to, set your location and range, and then use the Add Channels On Range option in the Edit menu to create a new favorite list.

tHE first part I already did in the scanner since I got it about a month ago. It's the Sentintal part that is the trouble area for me. Add Channels On Range option in Edit menu in the Sentinel Program?
In the Sentinel program its shows my favorites list and which key number I assigned to it. I put them under 0,1, 2 ,3 and 4. I have set monitor to "On" but still doesn't work.

 

[jonwienke]

Do the favorite lists show up in the scanner? Have you written to scanner to transfer sentinel settings to the scanner?

 

[TxScanner]

I chatted with Amazon last night, and there sending me out a new 436, and having UPS pick up my current one, at no extra charge to me. I told them about the screen scratching, and they where happy to send me another one. I've got a Tampered glass screen protector waiting for the new one.

 

[UPMan]

Someone complained about "swirl scratches" in the display early on. We were only able to duplicate, even on the 2 units we replaced for him, by using a very bright light at a very acute angle. What he was seeing and reporting as scratches were actually just the optical effect of the light going through the plastic lens at a sharp angle. It is a property of injection-molded lens parts for all kinds of products.

 

[ofd8001]

I've noticed that this "effect" is pronounced when wearing polarized sunglasses. So if someone has "regular" eyeglasses that may be of the transitional type (as in becoming sunglasses when outside) that have a polarizing feature added, this might be more noticeable.

 

[Voyager]

I've noticed that this "effect" is pronounced when wearing polarized sunglasses. So if someone has "regular" eyeglasses that may be of the transitional type (as in becoming sunglasses when outside) that have a polarizing feature added, this might be more noticeable.

Reminds me of the old issue where you could not read the scanner's display at all when wearing polarized sunglasses unless you turned it sideways. I forget which model that affected. BC245XLT?

 

[UPMan]

Pretty much anything that uses LCD will have "black zones" when wearing polarized lenses. We set at 45-degrees to minimize the effect at normal viewing angles.

 

[stingray327]

Do the favorite lists show up in the scanner? Have you written to scanner to transfer sentinel settings to the scanner?

How do you do the transfer? When I go to scan mode it says there is nothing to scan so my favorites do not work.