Where are you getting all these ideas from? Who said Uniden was going to stop supporting HP? Where did UPman indicate he was going to rely on tech savvy users and freeware authors?
The loop is closed - stop trying to break it open.
Home Patrol / The cost thread...
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Where are you getting all these ideas from? Who said Uniden was going to stop supporting HP? Where did UPman indicate he was going to rely on tech savvy users and freeware authors?
The loop is closed - stop trying to break it open.
AZScanner
Member
This means one of two things:
1. The home patrol will sell for the same price as current digital models or
2. The home patrol will sell for a "significant increase in price".
Given that Uniden probably doesn't want to charge a bunch more than $500 for a radio to win back "average joe", I'm guessing that number 1 is more likely than number 2. If it's not then I'm gonna do a "number 2" in my boxers
because I really want one of these new radios. What the above statement tell me for certain is that the HP-1 will NOT sell for less than it's older digital brothers, so quit whining about it people. The price will be the same as a 396XT is today, at minimum.
Thanks Paul for confirming it for us.
-AZ
I have confirmed nothing...just provided a few baseline numbers. Please hold your applause until the end of the show.
scanchs
Member
When will we be able to applaud?
UPMan,
Are you still planning to have an "official" announcement this Thursday? If so, will there be any additional specifications and/or pricing information announced at that time? Thanks for all you do...
ScanCHS
I have confirmed nothing...just provided a few baseline numbers. Please hold your applause until the end of the show.
UPMan,
Are you still planning to have an "official" announcement this Thursday? If so, will there be any additional specifications and/or pricing information announced at that time? Thanks for all you do...
ScanCHS
That is my plan, but am at the mercy of some content providers...
No pricing, though, for two reasons:
1) Since it has not received an FCC Grant it would subject us to $10,000 per violation fines to offer it for sale. It is not for sale at this time.
2) We do not set the retail price. You'll need to get that from a retailer (who also cannot offer it for sale until it has received an FCC Grant without risking the same fine).
No pricing, though, for two reasons:
1) Since it has not received an FCC Grant it would subject us to $10,000 per violation fines to offer it for sale. It is not for sale at this time.
2) We do not set the retail price. You'll need to get that from a retailer (who also cannot offer it for sale until it has received an FCC Grant without risking the same fine).
AZScanner
Member
I have confirmed nothing...just provided a few baseline numbers. Please hold your applause until the end of the show.
Not officially, no.
But based on your comments, I'll be pleasantly surprised if it sells for less than today's digitals. Look forward to hearing the "official" word on this so people will quit predicting imminent failure for the HP if the price isn't less than $300. I think the radio will sell just fine at today's ~$500 price point, especially among first responders and news media.
-AZ
scanchs
Member
Fair enough...
OK, then I guess we'll just have to wait on the federal government (again!)...
ScanCHS
OK, then I guess we'll just have to wait on the federal government (again!)...
ScanCHS
I was simply relating the experiences with the 396T updates and the 396XT. The 396T firmware updates were great. But unfortunately, they weren't supported by the 'free' software. By all accounts, the XT series of radios are also great, but there is no software support. And there was software support announced when the radios were released.
So my analogy is that even is something is 'free', there is a cost to get it done. If HP programming software is 'free' or if the proprietary software/hardware Uniden uses for processing HP1 data is also 'free' but otherwas underbudgeted within the corporation, we'll see a similar result.
Happy fanfare from customers, but ultimately a bunch of dissatisfied folks as we all scramble to find our own programming solutions.
I'm not saying this is going to happen. All I'm saying is that 'free' isn't always the best course and I would much better pay for whatever support costs to ensure the radio stays supported.
Drowsiness
Member
I realize that, but that is ALL very old technology as far as technology goes. I mean, memory is dirt cheap these days with NAND and the like prices dropping like stones. So while it is nice that the additional channel storage and such did not cause any significant rise in the retail prices, it is not so nice that the prices have not come down pretty much at all.
Yes, there were some mistakes made in the past, some Uniden's responsibility, some outside of their control. But I have a feeling that people will quickly realize that Uniden "got it right" this time. Let's face it: the Uniden XT and earlier radio models could "make do" without a working software package at the time the radios were released.
Yes, it made programming more difficult and more labor intensive but you could make do without programming software. The HP is different, the software is just as important as the radio in the overall user experience. If the user gets frustrated using the software side of the Home Patrol (Sentinel), then the radio will quickly get put aside (or returned).
Remember the software is not just used for keeping up with favorites lists but also for firmware updates and database updates.
You have to have both pieces of the puzzle (radio+software) correct the first time around for the Home Patrol to succeed.
I do believe Uniden is getting ready to hit a grand slam home run with the release of Home Patrol and its sister Sentinel software package.
Marshall KE4ZNR
Yes, it made programming more difficult and more labor intensive but you could make do without programming software. The HP is different, the software is just as important as the radio in the overall user experience. If the user gets frustrated using the software side of the Home Patrol (Sentinel), then the radio will quickly get put aside (or returned).
Remember the software is not just used for keeping up with favorites lists but also for firmware updates and database updates.
You have to have both pieces of the puzzle (radio+software) correct the first time around for the Home Patrol to succeed.
I do believe Uniden is getting ready to hit a grand slam home run with the release of Home Patrol and its sister Sentinel software package.
Marshall KE4ZNR
Uniden doesn't have MSRP's on their scanners?
Edit : Yes, I am aware MSRP is not a final retail price, however, the MSRP (according to many dealer websites) for the 396/996 series radios is $550.00, and in turn they were/are sold for $499.00 or around there.
So, in essence, radio manufactures do have a part in setting the retail price, don't they?
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markbart
Member
Drowsiness
Member
They'd probably be the only manufacturer in the world that doesn't.
AZScanner
Member
I'm sure it costs less to make a Ferrari these days then it did ten years ago too. Doesn't stop them from selling them at the low to mid six figure range just like they did ten years ago.
The product will sell for whatever the market will bear, and this market has proven time and again that it will bear $500 per unit, with the occasional $100 off here and there to pick up those of us who were sitting on the fence at the higher price point. Something to remember also is that these units don't sell in the multiple millions like cell phones and mp3 players do, so while they employ similar technology, the ROI per unit is much higher - and a complete scanner rethink like the HP-1 would require significant investment costs. This scanner is the culmination of over four years of work. That's expensive when you consider just the payroll alone for all the people involved, let alone the other costs incurred just to design and create the initial prototypes themselves. I'll be totally surprised if the street price is lower than $500. I really truly will.
-AZ
Viper43
Member
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How could it cost less today to build a Ferrari than it did 10 years ago? Costs have jumped dramaticaly in the last 10 years for everything, but especially those involving technology, and the price of metal is rediculous, mostly thanks to China. Have you sold any scrap metal lately? I have, $30 for two small condenser radiators from a home AC unit. 10 years ago I'd have gotten $10 max for the same items. It's made of aluminum and copper, items used in making scanners as well. $700 for a junk van missing alot of parts that were used on a wrecked van. That same van would have gotten me $80 ten years ago.There are fewer workers in the plants but their pay has jumped up. There is no way it costs less to build anything than it did 10 years ago, even fuel costs are up from then.
Drowsiness
Member
It's like when I sell a television.. the markup on the a lot of current sets is 300%. Not a typo.
specop
Member
Cost
Before digital, I could have filled a couple of pages of a legal pad with names of folks I knew that had a scanner, from ten year olds, to my grandmother. Since going to digital, I am the only one I know that has one. I meet alot of people that hear/see mine, ask how much, then push their hopes of buying one off a cliff. Its just too much money for most people. I have friends that make twice what I do, they love the scanner and want me to bring it with, but think I am crazy for spending what I did. I am glad to see Uniden making new scanner products, but unless this baby is $350.00 or less no one I know will be looking for one. I have my 396T set up for Michigan, it works great! Unless Uniden comes up with something that gives me distance or direction to the transmitter, it will be riding my dashboard until encryption is 100%.
Before digital, I could have filled a couple of pages of a legal pad with names of folks I knew that had a scanner, from ten year olds, to my grandmother. Since going to digital, I am the only one I know that has one. I meet alot of people that hear/see mine, ask how much, then push their hopes of buying one off a cliff. Its just too much money for most people. I have friends that make twice what I do, they love the scanner and want me to bring it with, but think I am crazy for spending what I did. I am glad to see Uniden making new scanner products, but unless this baby is $350.00 or less no one I know will be looking for one. I have my 396T set up for Michigan, it works great! Unless Uniden comes up with something that gives me distance or direction to the transmitter, it will be riding my dashboard until encryption is 100%.
BillVette
Member
This is my first post here and I hope I don't ruffle any feather. I don't feel that $500.'s a high price. I figure that the number of hours of enjoyment using the new HP is a better value that a movie, or dinner out. I was looking at purchasing a 396xt but some of the long time members here make it sound like I'd need to hire a programmer to get it to scan. Kind of made me think twice about the purchase. But if I can get a scanner like the HP that takes away some of the stress of programming and allows me to hear some local activity and learn the other tech stuff as I go along, then I think that I'll plunk down some of my retirement money. Over 15 years ago I got a BC235xlt and it was around $200.'s so the $500.'s doesn't sound too bad in 2010 dollars. Bill
Digital? What is that? Us'n hillbillies still have the old radios. crystal radios are still high tech to us. lol
Drowsiness
Member
Crystals?
Sorry, but that is too new for me. I desire and admire that warm, orange glow from the back of MY radio.
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