Handheld Equivelant of BCT15?

[PHOENIX_SCANNER]

Am I missing something or did Uniden miss a model when planning their lineup?

I am not finding a handheld scanner that can do what the BCT15 can do without moving all the way up to the top of the line 396.

The BCT15 is the best analog scanner I have ever gotten my hands on, and I want that level of quality and features and coverage in a handheld, for a few hundred bucks. Everything under the 396 seems to be a lesser scanner than the BCT15, and I don't need the 396. I have to have full mil-air capability.

Usually most base scanners have a "sister" handheld scanner, but apparently not in this case.

 

[br0adband]

From what I've seen, there is no comparison, really. The BR330T would have been the first thing I'd suggest, lacking primarily the amount of memory the BCT15 offers and GPS, with most of the rest being identical. I still question Uniden's decision to kill that scanner off as fast as they did...

I always wanted a BC246T upgrade with MilAir and more memories, and I had high hopes for the upcoming 346T but, I won't be getting one. I wish - I really wish Uniden would find a way to do that Radio ID tagging display that GRE has jumped ahead with on the Pro-106/Pro-197... that to me is a HUGE HUGE GIGANTIC plus to the scanning I do, especially on the amazingly complex SNACC system here in Las Vegas. I've spent a long long time compiling a fairly decent list of RIDs for the thousands of units on that system, and having a radio that can display not only the TGID but the actual RID at the same time just kicks pretty hard.

UPMan, are you listening/reading? That's like the only thing right now that I seriously wish Uniden would find some way, shape, or form to do... RID tagging and display along with the TGID display also.

Geez... that would so totally rock, it really would.

ps:
And work on some new display of some kind, the 16 character tags are killing us... perhaps even allowing longer ones that scroll by would be acceptable if an actual redesigned higher resolution LCD is out of the question. $500 for a high perf scanner with a high res screen... yeah, I could go for that.

 

[UPMan]

The closest two models would have been BC246T (shipped in 2004) and BR330T (shipped in 2005). BC246T was the first ever DMA scanner. I could have made the BCT15 (shipped in 2006) work just like that one, but in the intervening years had had one or two other good ideas that built upon DMA.

The BC346XT will do everything the BCT15 does and more (except for the preset BearTracker stuff).

 

[br0adband]

The BC346XT will do everything the BCT15 does and more (except for the preset BearTracker stuff).

So get it out the door already, geez... Seriously, thanks for all the great work you've done for the community and continue to do, it's greatly appreciated. Can't wait to see what the 346XT can do...

 

[PHOENIX_SCANNER]

The BC346XT will do everything the BCT15 does and more (except for the preset BearTracker stuff).

Sounds perfect.

 

[DaveIN]

Why not include BearTracker in the 346XT too...

 

[garys]

Am I missing something or did Uniden miss a model when planning their lineup?

I am not finding a handheld scanner that can do what the BCT15 can do without moving all the way up to the top of the line 396.

The BCT15 is the best analog scanner I have ever gotten my hands on, and I want that level of quality and features and coverage in a handheld, for a few hundred bucks. Everything under the 396 seems to be a lesser scanner than the BCT15, and I don't need the 396. I have to have full mil-air capability.

Usually most base scanners have a "sister" handheld scanner, but apparently not in this case.

As others noted, the BR330T was the closest thing. It's still available from Scanner World, but if you want one, you should move fast.

The closest two models would have been BC246T (shipped in 2004) and BR330T (shipped in 2005). BC246T was the first ever DMA scanner. I could have made the BCT15 (shipped in 2006) work just like that one, but in the intervening years had had one or two other good ideas that built upon DMA.

The BC346XT will do everything the BCT15 does and more (except for the preset BearTracker stuff).

I know that the BCT15 was a follow on the BCT8, but is there really a market for that Bear Tracker stuff? We discussed that via email a while ago in the context of using the BCT15 as a public safety agency scanner. Most people I know who have BCT15s hate the Bear Tracker stuff, and that includes me.

It's the only flaw in what is definitely the best analog scanner I've ever owned.

 

[Mike_G_D]

I have to have full mil-air capability.

PHOENIX_SCANNER,

According to the wiki, the new 346XT won't have the milair range. Maybe UpMan knows differently and that needs to be changed?

-Mike

 

[W6KRU]

PHOENIX_SCANNER,

According to the wiki, the new 346XT won't have the milair range. Maybe UpMan knows differently and that needs to be changed?

-Mike

I noticed that to and it applies to the 396XT as well I think. That was one of the reasons I got my 396T instead of waiting.

 

[br0adband]

And I got my BCT15 last week for the MilAir coverage also. Wanted another 246T, I really did, but as I live here in Vegas and I've got the Nellis AFB control tower almost line-of-sight about 3 miles from my downtown apartment (and all the "local" air traffic for military purposes, the bombing range, etc) it's a must-have nowadays.

It's the one single thing that I always felt the 246T was missing and wished it had. It looks like Uniden might just ignore that aspect for the 346XT too, which if true is a damned shame. Enough of us want that band coverage to matter, maybe we need a petition or something. But, at this late stage in the 346XT's development and FCC acceptance, I'd say it's a foregone conclusion that once again Uniden just missed the mark...

Don't get me wrong: I preach the 246T like it was the second coming in the scanner universe, always have, and it will always be something - that if I can find it for a good price - I'll snatch up in a second flat, but that lack of MilAir coverage really disappointed me and many others.

Soooooo close to the mark... sooooo very close...

 

[Mike_G_D]

milair

DDan,

According to the RR wiki for the 396XT it has continuous coverage between 25MHz and 512MHz so it should cover milair fine.

I am just surprised that the analog only 346XT doesn't cover that band (at least according to the RR wiki description). A lot of people want a good analog only unit for air monitoring and considering that the base/mobile BCT15 does a good job on this (I know, I have one) it would seem logical that a handheld analog unit would cover that range as well. I can't see a logical reason to omit this band unless there was a problem getting the unit to pass FCC certification with that band included and redesigning to compensate for that issue appeared impractical to make the market initial sale date. Though that seems odd considering the overall form factor is so close to that of the 396XT and one would generally think that the digital capable unit would have a harder time given the greater number of internal unintentional radiators. Or maybe the wiki is simply wrong?!?

-Mike

 

[PHOENIX_SCANNER]

Agreed. The BCT15 is a nice milair scanner, a great PS scanner, and yeah, I could easily do without beartracker as well.

I look at beartracker as more of an irritant than a flaw though.

The BCT15 provides unbeatable analog monitoring in my view, and tops all other scanners analog or digital, from all makers. I still sit in disbelief as it picks up almost every transmission from the fire vehicles in my city, for MILES. No other scanner I have tested, and I've owned all the great ones new and old, can match it. It never requires attenuation on anything, unlike every other scanner I have tried with high-up outdoor antennas. My old PRO-2006 was the closest thing, but it needed attenuation on VHF, and it is pretty out of date by now and lacking far too many features to compete with this scanner. The 15 is a brilliant piece of work. Not having a handheld version is a true shame.