Out of 30 years of scanning I have never given aviation scanning much thought until a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to "Mancow" on the forums I am now hooked. I am looking at the BCT15 for my base scanner. Would this be suffice? I am going used and wanting to spend around a hundred bucks. If there are any readers here that have anything similar for sale please let me know.
Good Uniden Base for Military Air Monitoring?
- Thread starter frazpo
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JPSan
Member
15X ..Very good choice for MilAir comms
The 15X works great for me. strictly as a milair / satcomm receiver.
I have no complaints over it's rx capabilities, but then I live in an area where milair comms are plentiful here in Tucson. I can hear training exercises from the distant Goldwater range with a cheap modified discone.
My other favorite for milair listening would be the Uniden Bearcat 780xlt.
The 15X works great for me. strictly as a milair / satcomm receiver.
I have no complaints over it's rx capabilities, but then I live in an area where milair comms are plentiful here in Tucson. I can hear training exercises from the distant Goldwater range with a cheap modified discone.
My other favorite for milair listening would be the Uniden Bearcat 780xlt.
The 780xlt was the other one on my list. So it looks as if I am headed in the right direction.
Can you elaborate on your modded discone. My interest here in Missouri is going to be primarily Mil Air refueling exercises from bases here in the midwest and commercial air traffic.
Can you elaborate on your modded discone. My interest here in Missouri is going to be primarily Mil Air refueling exercises from bases here in the midwest and commercial air traffic.
780XLTs can be had at a reasonable price too. I have one and it works great for teh little bit of Milair I can snag in the Chicago area when I am home.
Get a portable / handheld scanner, with a BNC connecter, so you can carry it with you if need be.
Run your base antenna outside on a base / platform, with another coax from the platform to the portable.
A base and mobile scanner in one. Go ahead and splurge - get one with MILAIR capability.
FF - Medic !!!
The 780 is the best by far.
N8IAA
Member
Best HH is the 125AT. It is outstanding on VHF/UHF milair and satcoms. I also use an Alinco DJ-X11. Used to have a Pro-2006, and Pro-43. My 15X doesn't hear as well as my 125 where I live.
Larry
Larry
I am currently using a 396xt while on the road and at the house. I also use an older 890xlt as a base but I am wanting a base that is more up to date with quicker scan and search speeds. I do connect my portable to the outside antenna but messing with a portable and an antenna wire is always kind of a pain.
Mancow. What makes the the 780 more supreme over the bct15? Arent there more options on the BCT15? Or is it a sensitivity issue?
JPSan
Member
15X & 780...can't tell any noticeable difference here.
As I stated I have both the 780 and the 15X. And quite honestly they compare as far as performance goes the same. Both hear weak comms the same. No overloading. No intermod. No desense from being so close to DMAFB. The 15Xs are just over year old purchases, new.
Using Motorola Syntor speakers on both
So it's whatever you decide either would be a great choice.
Everybody is going to have there reasons for specific versions.
The 780 is been out of production for quite a while now. I have heard issues with the LCD panel acting up for some people. Fading and such. Getting repairs and parts my be an issue for some.
I cut my discones to shorten them using an antenna analyzer since I only monitor milair V/UHF freqs. I did what was best for my monitoring. And it works just fine.
Don't much care to listen to police calls anymore.
Listening to the Davis Monthan AFB P25 system is boring as the security forces more often than not are encrypted. Flightline activity ho hum.
So far I can hear on my combo setup are a/c up by Phoenix and Utah , various ranges, refuel track comms and some test a/c ops. My 15X is usually on the most.
My antennas are mounted one a 1 story house and not even above the roof peak.
Again, its whatever floats your boat.
Have fun, listen.......
As I stated I have both the 780 and the 15X. And quite honestly they compare as far as performance goes the same. Both hear weak comms the same. No overloading. No intermod. No desense from being so close to DMAFB. The 15Xs are just over year old purchases, new.
Using Motorola Syntor speakers on both
So it's whatever you decide either would be a great choice.
Everybody is going to have there reasons for specific versions.
The 780 is been out of production for quite a while now. I have heard issues with the LCD panel acting up for some people. Fading and such. Getting repairs and parts my be an issue for some.
I cut my discones to shorten them using an antenna analyzer since I only monitor milair V/UHF freqs. I did what was best for my monitoring. And it works just fine.
Don't much care to listen to police calls anymore.
Listening to the Davis Monthan AFB P25 system is boring as the security forces more often than not are encrypted. Flightline activity ho hum.
So far I can hear on my combo setup are a/c up by Phoenix and Utah , various ranges, refuel track comms and some test a/c ops. My 15X is usually on the most.
My antennas are mounted one a 1 story house and not even above the roof peak.
Again, its whatever floats your boat.
Have fun, listen.......
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