Hand held vs mobile base for performance

[Zaskar]

In the next day or so i will be purchasing a digital scanner. i am leaning towards the 996T.on the other hand, a HH may suit my needs also. my main concern is the reception difference. would the base/mobile have better reception then say the 396T HH? also i'm thinking the base model may have better filtering being it is bigger?

 

[hiegtx]

In the next day or so i will be purchasing a digital scanner. i am leaning towards the 996T.on the other hand, a HH may suit my needs also. my main concern is the reception difference. would the base/mobile have better reception then say the 396T HH? also i'm thinking the base model may have better filtering being it is bigger?

If you want something that you can carry with you, whether around the house or in a vehicle, without being tied to a power cord from an ac adapter or dc cord in your car/truck, then a handheld is your pick. A handheld has the additional advantage of being operable from batteries (in the house) in the event of a power outage.

However, I believe the 996 is a bit more sensitive than the 396. Audio, in the larger, base/mobile style case, is better, as would be expected (not that the 396 audio is bad, but the base type units usually sound better as a class). The display on the 996 is also larger.

A couple of other points for the 996 vs the 396: It has a 250 talkgroup limit per system, vs 200 for the 396. For large trunked systems, that can be a plus. The 996 can also handle muti-site trunked systems, something the 396 does not do readily. The Pima County P25 system I mentioned in your earler inquiry shows two sites, but comments indicate it may be tied into other systems in the area at some future date. Multi-site would be very useful in that case. I have not had intermod issues with my 396, using it where ever I go in the metro area. No issues with the 996 either, but I'm using it as a base, not mobile. Price on the two scanners, from most online retailers, is approximately the same.

 

[Zaskar]

If you want something that you can carry with you, whether around the house or in a vehicle, without being tied to a power cord from an ac adapter or dc cord in your car/truck, then a handheld is your pick. A handheld has the additional advantage of being operable from batteries (in the house) in the event of a power outage.

However, I believe the 996 is a bit more sensitive than the 396. Audio, in the larger, base/mobile style case, is better, as would be expected (not that the 396 audio is bad, but the base type units usually sound better as a class). The display on the 996 is also larger.

A couple of other points for the 996 vs the 396: It has a 250 talkgroup limit per system, vs 200 for the 396. For large trunked systems, that can be a plus. The 996 can also handle muti-site trunked systems, something the 396 does not do readily. The Pima County P25 system I mentioned in your earler inquiry shows two sites, but comments indicate it may be tied into other systems in the area at some future date. Multi-site would be very useful in that case. I have not had intermod issues with my 396, using it where ever I go in the metro area. No issues with the 996 either, but I'm using it as a base, not mobile. Price on the two scanners, from most online retailers, is approximately the same.

Thanks for the helpful reply. where is the speaker located on the 996? i dont like the idea that it seems to have no feet, is that correct? if not what do you guys do for that? seems wierd it would just sit on its own chassis.

 

[iMONITOR]

Thanks for the helpful reply. where is the speaker located on the 996? i dont like the idea that it seems to have no feet, is that correct? if not what do you guys do for that? seems wierd it would just sit on its own chassis.

I use some stick-on rubber feet that Radio Shack sells. They're about 1/2" square, and 3/8" high. They make the scanner sit very stable, and it doesn't slide around when you program it. Although if you can find something just a little higher, it might be better.

Radio Shack's come in an 8-pack, but they look very similar to these:

 

[Zaskar]

I wish they would have put the flip feet on it like the BC9000XLT. Where is the speaker?

 

[radio10-8]

I started a while back with a base and then I had to buy a mobile to take with me. Both are good. My base uses an external antenna and it works fine. I have attached the 246T to the external antenna and I have not noticed a difference. If your time is spent at home then go with a base. If not, go handheld.

 

[iMONITOR]

I wish they would have put the flip feet on it like the BC9000XLT. Where is the speaker?

The speaker is on the bottom. There is also an external speaker jack on the back.

 

[hiegtx]

I wish they would have put the flip feet on it like the BC9000XLT. Where is the speaker?

I've got my 996 'mounted' on the underside of a shelf.
Someone asked UPman the same question, about flip-down feet, when the 996 was released. His suggestion was to use the mounting bracket, installed underneath rather than on top, as a 'flip-down' stand. Or the rubber feet, as mentioned by Great Lakes.

 

[TrekBoy85]

Thanks Guys, You've Helped Me with my own decision on whether or not to go with the 996 or 396.

 

[Zaskar]

Thanks Guys, You've Helped Me with my own decision on whether or not to go with the 996 or 396.

What did you decide on and why?