Honest Advice

[minicrocop]

Looking for 3rd party info about the 325P2 that I do not wanna ask Bearcat Warehouse.

Previous posts of mine show I am a novice at best. I still have the same signal strength issues.

Adams County on Low Band 40mhz going to 800mhz phase 2, over next year or two.
Franklin County on 400mhz digital
Cumberland County on 800mhz open sky to phase 2 by 2019

I live in the mountains and can only get low band using a discone. Can also get 154Mhz.

So the recommendation by the powers be is to get a BCD325P2 over a Whistler 1080.

BC Warehouse sells the scanner and a lot of extra bells and whistles and I do not know what I need. I am told it charges via USB but will only charge when there is no chatter on the radio. So what should I do?

Would a USB cable from the scanner to a wall plug adapter, like what comes with a cell phone, work at home...basically going OEM? If I plugged a 12V USB adapter into the car lighter, could i use the same USB cable? Buying two OEM cables is not an issue, not trying to be super cheap.

Antenna...given I need a discone for low band and I cannot hear 400Mhz analog, would the standard antenna it comes with be able to get a signal or am I still dependent on the current home setup?

Given the cost of the scanner and the nature of electronics, I have considered trying to mount the hand held in my truck, in a safe place with easy access but it could reduce the volume and I do not know if the location in my truck matters with the stock antenna with respect to having an XM system and cell phone...does position in truck matter?

If the mounting location in the truck matters, I all ready run a glass mount old cell phone looking antenna into the old 16 channel bearcat. Maybe that antenna will work, maybe not. In any event if running the standard PL259 connection to a Motorola adapter, to a BNC adapter...or any combo of those, can they be standard radio shack OEM like connectors or do they have to be rated for a certain radio frequency? If so, I buy everything and get up and running next week I would be looking to get low band, 400Mhz Digital and 800Mhz digital...is their backward compatibility in all the components?

Lastly it seems the scanner can be programed via some self scan of local signal or CPU with some software. If this is the case, one of the bells and whistles is to buy it programmed, at like $80 per county...is that just like the clear coat **** you do not need when you buy a car?

Thanks and sorry for the bi-polar all over the place post.

I know I am taking something a monkey can figure out and making a mess, just don't want to buy what I do not need.

 

[RF-Burns]

1. Yes, you can plug the USB into a USB Wall Plug to charge the radio. The 436 is the same way. Uniden does not supply a wall plug anymore. Yes, you can charge it in your car via any USB Port or Adaptor.

2. If you are dependent on an outdoor antenna right now, you will still need the outdoor antenna. Changing radios doesn't give you a boost in reception. Some radios have greater sensitivity than others but not enough you change your low band performance. Low band you need a 1/4 Wave Antenna for good results of a VHF 5/8s wave.

3. Scanner position in the car really doesn't matter to much, you just want to try and keep it away from other electronics and vehicle computers. If you can not hear it there are many places you can buy an external speaker, easiest and fastest place would be a truck stop or visit Radio Shack before they go out of business.

4. That Glass Mount Antenna is worthless. The best Antenna out there for ALL BAND COVERAGE is an Antenna Specialist MON752, BUT they are not in business anymore, so your next best option is the Mag Mount From Radio Shack for All Band. It is a solid performer on low band and on 800Mhz and everything else in between. There are many antennas on the market but they simply aren't worth the money. Austin Antenna makes a mobile antenna, Ive had 3 of them and they all stink for Low Band. Radio Shack is going out of business so act fast if you want to buy one. You will need a BNC to SMA Adaptor if you choose this antenna.

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/parts/0531lrg.jpg

5. If you want to use your scanner in handheld form away from your discone antenna or a mobile antenna this a great antenna. Just make sure you buy the SMA Connector, NOT BNC or REV SMA.

Diamond RH77CA SRH77CA Antenna

6. Save your money and program it yourself! Its a good way to learn how to use the radio and its functions. Go to marksscanners.com for an easy to read manual.

7. Lastly, Open-Sky CAN NOT be monitored what so ever, no scanner can pick it up.

 

[buddrousa]

I can not speak for the 325P2 I have a pro-668 and a bcd436hp and the bcd436hp does not charge if the scanner is turned on. The pro-668 and the ws1080 charge when turned on but stop charging when a call is received so this is not going to fully charge overnight. Most all new handheld scanners batteries should be charged using an after market charger like these.
1. Maha MH-C9000 $51.00 charges 4 batteries
2. MAHA MH-C801D $69.00 charges 8 batteries
3. SkyRC NC2500 $70.00 charges 4 batteries

 

[hiegtx]

Looking for 3rd party info about the 325P2 that I do not wanna ask Bearcat Warehouse.

Previous posts of mine show I am a novice at best. I still have the same signal strength issues.

Adams County on Low Band 40mhz going to 800mhz phase 2, over next year or two.
Franklin County on 400mhz digital
Cumberland County on 800mhz open sky to phase 2 by 2019

I live in the mountains and can only get low band using a discone. Can also get 154Mhz.

So the recommendation by the powers be is to get a BCD325P2 over a Whistler 1080.

Since you have at least two agencies of interest that will be moving to P25 Phase 2, then you are correct to consider the 325P2 instead of the previous model, the 396XT. Besides the WS1080, you might also consider the Uniden BCD436HP. The Home Patrol 2 is also a Phase II scanner (the correct usage is the II rather than the '2', but the "2" is much easier to understand for many people). However, the HP-2 is not a 'true' handheld scanner. It does not come with a belt clip, and is the size and shape of, say, one of the older Sony Walkmans, for cassette tapes. In order of cost on Amazon, low to high, it's the 325P2, Whistler WS1080, BCD436HP, and the HP-2.

Instead of a discone, I use this antenna at home.

BC Warehouse sells the scanner and a lot of extra bells and whistles and I do not know what I need. I am told it charges via USB but will only charge when there is no chatter on the radio. So what should I do?

There are a lot of extras there that either are not needed, or are available elsewhere for less, often much less. The scanner will only charge the batteries (in the scanner) when the scanner is turned off, not 'when there is no chatter'. The better solution, at least for many of us, is to use an external charger. Multiple threads on these. buddrousa has mentioned several good ones; I have the first two, plus others.

Would a USB cable from the scanner to a wall plug adapter, like what comes with a cell phone, work at home...basically going OEM? If I plugged a 12V USB adapter into the car lighter, could i use the same USB cable? Buying two OEM cables is not an issue, not trying to be super cheap.

The scanner will come with a USB cable. If you have a cell phone or tablet charger/wall wart that meets at least the minimum USB standard (5volts/500ma output), then you can use that. Preferably, it would be one with the standard USB outlet on the adapter, so that you could use the scanner's cable. If there is no removable cord on your cell phone adapter, you might need a different one. That's because many of the cell phones & tablets use a micro-USB connector on the device (phone or tablet), but the 325P2 uses the slightly larger mini-USB connector. There ate untold hundreds of cables and adapters available on sites such as Amazon or Monoprice, or at office supply stores, and many more. Don't overpay for an adapter or an additional cable.

Antenna...given I need a discone for low band and I cannot hear 400Mhz analog, would the standard antenna it comes with be able to get a signal or am I still dependent on the current home setup?

The antenna that comes with the scanner may not be your best choice. For a handheld scanner, Vhf-low will be a challenge no matter which scanner and/or antenna you buy. I don't have any active low band usage in my area, but for the lower frequencies, a longer/larger antenna is best, but those also reduce your 800MHz sensitivity. I use this antenna on my 436HP. Lots of other antenna suggestions over in the Antenna forum.

Lastly it seems the scanner can be programed via some self scan of local signal or CPU with some software. If this is the case, one of the bells and whistles is to buy it programmed, at like $80 per county...is that just like the clear coat **** you do not need when you buy a car?

Bingo! At least, that's my opinion. As Motorman said, program the scanner yourself. For the cost the dealer wants for one county, you can buy the Basic version of ARC-XT (for the 325P2), plus pay for several months to a year or more of a Premium Subscription to RadioReference. Then, using the software, just import what you want to hear in your area. The WS1080, the BCD436HP, as well as the Home Patrol-2, all come with the database loaded on a memory card in the scanner.The software for these models is provided as a free download from Whistler or Uniden. (There are a couple of third party options, but the free software is already your's for the downloading.)

You can also ask in the regional forum that includes your state, to see if someone in the area will share a file with you, to get you started. Many of us on this site have either shared, or created, "starter files", to help a newcomer get up and listening quicker. ALso, if you pay a dealler for programming, what will you do when things change, like the two systems you mentioned that will transition to Phase II? Pay the dealer another $60-80 to reprogram? I sure wouldn't. Yes, there is a learning curve with the newer digital scanners. But there's a lot of help available, to get you past the rough spots. We were all "new" at some point.

 

[Voyager]

I would echo what hiegtx said. Get the Scantenna and an external charger. Maha or Lacrosse make good chargers.

 

[dmg1969]

minicrocop, where specifically (not your address...just county or town) are you located? I am over the mountains in Perry County. Your location has a lot to do with what you will be able to hear.

The 325P2 is the same form factor as the BC125AT, which I have one of. I used to run it in my vehicle in a cup holder mount until I switched to an HP-1.

It depends on if you want a portable (handheld) unit or a base that you can also mount in your vehicle. That's what I do with my HP-1. It is my mobile scanner, but I can also listen to it in the house. It CAN be used as a portable (handheld), it is not really practical, in my opinion.

A decent glass-mount antenna is the Tram 1199, but I would go with some type of NMO mount antenna. I just recently had an NMO mount professionally installed in the roof of my vehicle and use a Laird Tri-Band (ABSCANCS) antenna. It covers VHF, UHF and 800 MHz, but does surprisingly well on low band as well.

Whichever scanner you choose, do not buy it programmed! Sit down and learn to program it yourself. In fact, you can generally download an "easier to read" manual and have some things figured out by the time the scanner arrives. I did that with my HP-1. By the time it arrived, I was already familiar with it.

HTH.

 

[minicrocop]

Guys I don't know how to use the quote thing so you are stuck with a guy with more than one clue but not near 2 clues. Guys by the way THANK YOU for all of your advice.

DMG1969:

I am in Michaux, Adams County side of Big Flat Mountain....though I feel like I live in Green Bank West Va. Essentially sandwiched at about 1500' west facing, between two mountains that peak around 1900' and 2000', respectively but you cannot hold me to that, estimate based on published reports,

Ironically there are several towers on the Flat "Ridge Rd" which certainly look like they support the telecommunications industry but the area is notorious for lack of / spotty cell service by any provider and two-way radio comms leave a lot to be desired....to include that "tone of death" on the digital. Which would be good for another thread, why would a digital motorola portable have issues with signal strength when the unit is inside my turnout coat as apposed to my outside pocket, in an area of the County where signal is never an issue?

I really do not know how to explain it, in addition to the two towers, there is a third about 6 miles South (which I think Franklin works off of but Ridge is listed as well), there is the Nawanka Tower that Adams uses and a new cell tower under construction, a few miles away. There also may be another tower being built for the 800Mhz system, nearby. If you mapped it out by air I think all the towers would be within a 5-8 mile radius. Again you cannot hold me to that. The capabilities of all these towers, height, etc...are way above my knowledge.

It is like we leaned nothing from 9/11 radio wise.

Oh yeah Perry County Bro...in my Truck on Route 30 at the Adams Franklin line I can get low band static out of Franklin's but they are as clear as a bell in Breezewood...can even hear the low band in the tunnel...go figure. IDK, way above my head, I know every now and then our Fire 2 and Perry County bleed over...another story for another day lol


So from I have read it seems like the bearcat 325P2 is the way to go. No bells or whistles for now. Buy a secondary battery pack setup. With the scanner being powered >90% of the time by home or car power, I should be okay. Antenna and signal issues...I have been warned a head of time and will have to see.

So again thanks to you all, nice to be able to go to a Forum and get real info from real people despite my limited knowledge.

 

[minicrocop]

Update:

So I went with the 325P2 and so far so-so good. I opted for the sw package ARC XT and the membership on RR. I'd say I understand 0.1% of it.

More Questions:

This scanner is RF shielded, right? I use a Samsung scs-2u01 Verizon Wireless Network Extender and it say it may cause troubles in the 10 microwatt to 30 milliwatts, is that a problem?

So far I have only been able to get low band...much improved low band. That was the case before with the analog scanner. If the RF from the samsung is the issue, can I construct some type of a shielded area to place my scanner?

The samsung has to be connected by network cable to the router and needs a gps signal, to function so space is limited. I recently added a wifi booster on another floor and while wireless, it does have a port for a network cable and maybe I can trick the samsung, trial by error.

As far as the scanner goes, I am downloading what RR has in the database for what I want. I am not downloading all the channels. Again novice here but want to make sure this is right.

Franklin County PA -25 Standard Fire Channels
It lists this

Site 101
Site 102

WTF do those mean? It doesn't really list the channels like the analog or conventional but calls them talk groups.

Do I need both sites downloaded?

It lists 400Mhz freq's on both sites, in blue print, with the last one in each set in red type, is that something I should be messing with?

I assumed all of the technical settings would download from RR to ARC then to the Bearcat, aside from picking the channels (for example F-1 through F-11 and not installing the township and fire station channels ( I assume talk around channels) ) are there steps I am missing?

This is all a learning process for me and fun and pull my hair out kind of stuff.

Also if you go to the RR for Franklin County it lists WPKX793 as the license. This is the info:

1027383 TOWER 134.1 / 141.1 / 624.8 / 1700 RIDGE ROAD; METHODIST HILL TOWER SITE

That above is one of the towers and I assume a part of the p-25 system and one would assume their old low band which is powered down. By air I am less than 2 miles from this tower...do I just suck?

Thanks