If money were no object.....

[DOPPLERBOB]

I own a Pro-96 and am reasonably happy with it, however, some of the added features of the Uniden 396 make me drool a little (don't tell the wife please :roll: ). Could someone give me an honest opinion if the 396 is that much better than the pro96 where I should get it if money were no object. I am looking for the comparison between the two scanners in the audio and signal capture (sensitivity) categories as top priority in your opinions (of course you have to also own a Pro-96 to give your opinion).

Thanks to all,
Bob

 

[W4KRR]

I own a Pro-96 and am reasonably happy with it, however, some of the added features of the Uniden 396 make me drool a little (don't tell the wife please :roll: ). Could someone give me an honest opinion if the 396 is that much better than the pro96 where I should get it if money were no object. I am looking for the comparison between the two scanners in the audio and signal capture (sensitivity) categories as top priority in your opinions (of course you have to also own a Pro-96 to give your opinion).

Thanks to all,
Bob

I have both. Both receive the systems I want to receive. I haven't really done a side by side comparaison of the two as far as sensitivity. The digital audio sounds good on both radios. The analog audio sounds a bit better on the PRO-96. Which one do I like better? The BCD396T. Only you can answer whether you should get a BCD396T or not. There's a whole 24 page thread here on opinions of the BCD396T near the top of the Uniden Scanners page.

 

[Voyager]

I own a Pro-96 and am reasonably happy with it, however, some of the added features of the Uniden 396 make me drool a little (don't tell the wife please :roll: ). Could someone give me an honest opinion if the 396 is that much better than the pro96 where I should get it if money were no object. I am looking for the comparison between the two scanners in the audio and signal capture (sensitivity) categories as top priority in your opinions (of course you have to also own a Pro-96 to give your opinion).

Thanks to all,
Bob

BCD396T advantages:
Size
Close Call
Fire ToneOut
Better decoding (IMHO) of P25 (My 396 works in places my 96 will not)
200 TGs (not just 150)
10 GQKs (not just 5 sub-banks)
Free software
Comes with PC cable
All 6000 channels available all the time

PRO-96 advantages:
Louder audio
Infinite squelch controls (not 16 steps like the 396)
Stores found CTCSS/CDCSS with one key
Faster UL/DL (from my experience) of data
V-folders can quickly restore a default setup (clear lockouts, etc)
Infinite backlight availability without losing timed setting.
Can remove from belt much easier if you have other devices on belt
(396 must be turned upside down to remove)
Can scan several zones/sites in the same bank. (only need one scan list)

Trade-offs:
SMA (396) vs BNC (96)
Blue backlight (396) vs Amber (96)
PRO-96 has rubber grip issues - 396 may have printing issues (too new to tell)
Faster to change 96 battery 'pack' vs only 3 cells for 396 (loose)

That's all I can think of offhand.

Joe M.

 

[Al42]

PRO-96 advantages:
Can remove from belt much easier if you have other devices on belt

It'll even "remove" if you just sit down ... or bend over.

Can scan several zones/sites in the same bank. (only need one scan list)

Only has 10 of them, though.

 

[whooey]

396 HAS MIL AIR!!!!

Its a done deal, money is no object. You need BOTH of these radios!!!

They both have their ups and downs, just buy an 396 and have both.

Brandon G.

 

[rfaricy]

396 HAS MIL AIR!!!!

Its a done deal, money is no object. You need BOTH of these radios!!!

They both have their ups and downs, just buy an 396 and have both.

Brandon G.

The PRO-96 has mil air - standard - as well, and then some, as enabling "Extended Frequencies" opens up literally EVERYTHING, 25-1300, except cellular.

 

[Al42]

The PRO-96 has mil air - standard - as well, and then some, as enabling "Extended Frequencies" opens up literally EVERYTHING, 25-1300, except cellular.

It allows the receiver to tune to those frequencies - it doesn't give it any sensitivity on them.

 

[MacombMonitor]

The PRO-96 has mil air - standard - as well, and then some, as enabling "Extended Frequencies" opens up literally EVERYTHING, 25-1300, except cellular.

It allows the receiver to tune to those frequencies - it doesn't give it any sensitivity on them.

I found MilAir to work just fine on a PRO-96 that was "opened" using Win96. Both VHF, and UHF MilAir.

 

[rfaricy]

The PRO-96 has mil air - standard - as well, and then some, as enabling "Extended Frequencies" opens up literally EVERYTHING, 25-1300, except cellular.

It allows the receiver to tune to those frequencies - it doesn't give it any sensitivity on them.

Test Conditions:
New AA Alkaline batteries
Calibrated Motorola service monitor
All measurements were checked by ear to verify there was no birdie interference

12 dB SINAD points with 1.00 kHz tone at 3.00 kHz deviation:

MHz____PRO-93____PRO-96____
17____0.62 µV____0.43 µV____
60____0.57 µV____0.34 µV____
70____1.61 µV____0.64 µV____
80____4.11 µV____0.39 µV____
90____9.64 µV____0.31 µV____
100____20.39 µV____0.26 µV____
225____0.45 µV____0.31 µV____
250____0.85 µV____0.60 µV____
275____2.16 µV____1.39 µV____
300____5.18 µV____2.88 µV____
325____10.95 µV____1.58 µV____
350____30.16 µV____0.96 µV____
375____173.57 µV____0.99 µV____
400____60.88 µV____0.55 µV____
425____0.39 µV____0.29 µV____
450____0.38 µV____0.25 µV____
475____0.46 µV____0.27 µV____
500____0.49 µV____0.29 µV____
525____0.84 µV____0.40 µV____
550____2.01 µV____0.60 µV____
764____(no reception)____1.36 µV____
775____(no reception)____0.70 µV____
800____(no reception)____0.35 µV____
960____0.41 µV____0.28 µV____
975____0.41 µV____0.29 µV____
1000____0.42 µV____0.29 µV

Booyah. Say what again? You might want to delete your post. :roll: Take the foot out of your mouth and KNOW what you're talking about so as not to be made to look stupid.

 

[fmon]

The PRO-96 has mil air - standard - as well, and then some, as enabling "Extended Frequencies" opens up literally EVERYTHING, 25-1300, except cellular.

It allows the receiver to tune to those frequencies - it doesn't give it any sensitivity on them.

275____1.39 µV
300____2.88 µV
325____1.58 µV
350____0.96 µV
375____0.99 µV

Booyah. Say what again? You might want to delete your post. :roll: Take the foot out of your mouth and KNOW what you're talking about so as not to be made to look stupid.

I've condensed your list down to Pro-96 data in the area which the topic is about. Those readings are great compared to the Pro-93 numbers on the test list but, anything over 1.0 uV is nothing to brag about, in fact the first three in the above list are only good for air shows, And the range of the last two is not very good either. Unidens usually do much better then GRE in this area.

In an earlier post by Al42. quoting

Can scan several zones/sites in the same bank. (only need one scan list)

Only has 10 of them, though.

Could be wrong but I took Joe's meaning to be that the 96 can scan a multi site SmartZone much better in one bank then the 396.

 

[whooey]

Silly me, I forgot win96 opens up MilAir!!!

rfaricy, you need to relax.

Brandon G.

 

[SCPD]

Have the 2096, 96, and 396
when home use the 2096 & 396 hooked through a active multy coupler and the 96 direct from the rooftop diamond discone antenna.
reason is when i did run the same system through this set up was the radio shack scanner connected did better with local or near local signal then through coupler. (i wasn't getting some local signals)
also i like to mention one or two of the system i like to monitor are digital so the need of those scanner.
i played around with the signal stalker (radio Shack) versus cc (uniden)
with radio shack 83 and 97 in my area where basically useless (too much strong signals)
396 i have been picking up about 80% more then i ever did with the shack ones.
if i known about the 396 coming out i would never have bought the 2096.
at the moment i run the radio shack scanner split up between local and distance system.
the 396 combination with close call on all the time also serving it as pointy setting between ems and PD.
on the programming side the shack one are more easier for a beginner to do, with don starrs software.
i wished the 396 software was remotely set up like don's.
overall with the right antenna etc. at this point i could survive with the 96 and 396

 

[Voyager]

396 HAS MIL AIR!!!!

Its a done deal, money is no object. You need BOTH of these radios!!!

They both have their ups and downs, just buy an 396 and have both.

Brandon G.

The PRO-96 has mil air - standard - as well, and then some, as enabling "Extended Frequencies" opens up literally EVERYTHING, 25-1300, except cellular.

Sorry, but MilAir is NOT standard on the PRO-96. You won't find it anywhere in the specs. Yes, it can be modified to cover it, but it is still not spec'ed there, and I've found that the sensitivity is nothing like the Uniden models there.

Joe M.

 

[DOPPLERBOB]

Thanks to all for your honest opinions on the 396 compared to the pro-96. Just as I was afraid of, it looks like I have to get the 396 also!
Ahh, it's omly one more radio to the collection.
Bob

 

[loumaag]

... and then some, as enabling "Extended Frequencies" opens up literally EVERYTHING, 25-1300, except cellular.

Hmm, assuming you have done that (checked the extended frequency box in Don's fine software) try this. Press <TUNE>, then press <1> <8> <0> <ENTER>, take a look at your display. :roll:

 

[rfaricy]

It says "180.0000" ... what's your point?

 

[loumaag]

It says "180.0000" ... what's your point?

You must have the only one in existance that does that. Oh, BTW you are missing a digit. Every one I have ever seen says "174.00000" if you do that. Next available frequency is "216.00250".

 

[rfaricy]

Indeed I must have.

 

[Al42]

In an earlier post by Al42. quoting

Can scan several zones/sites in the same bank. (only need one scan list)

Only has 10 of them, though.

Could be wrong but I took Joe's meaning to be that the 96 can scan a multi site SmartZone much better in one bank then the 396.

So did I. The 96 can do ... maybe 30 ... TRS systems and a bunch of conventional channels. (How many TRS systems are you going to put into a single bank?)

The 396 can do 100 or so TRS systems and still do quite a few conventional channels, and every TRS system is scanned as a single system.

 

[rfaricy]

In an earlier post by Al42. quoting

Can scan several zones/sites in the same bank. (only need one scan list)

Only has 10 of them, though.

Could be wrong but I took Joe's meaning to be that the 96 can scan a multi site SmartZone much better in one bank then the 396.

So did I. The 96 can do ... maybe 30 ... TRS systems and a bunch of conventional channels. (How many TRS systems are you going to put into a single bank?)

The 396 can do 100 or so TRS systems and still do quite a few conventional channels, and every TRS system is scanned as a single system.

The 396 can do _400_ systems, while the PRO-96 is restricted to _10_.

"Workarounds" for 'several non-digital trunking systems in a single bank' are rumored to work (by putting analog freqs between control channels), but this only works after those analog channels happen to have had a carrier present (setting an invalid PL tone/DCS keeps the scanner from stopping on the channel - works best with a constant transmission such as a WX channel).