BCD160DN/BCD260DN: Is this a new Uniden model? BCD260DN

[KevinC]

Public Safety Low: 30.8200 to 47.6600
Public Safety Hi: 150.7750 to 169.5000

Thanks. I wonder how it will handle the different channel spacings in the various chunks of VHF spectrum. On current Uniden's if you choose a 5 kHz step it will be 2.5 kHz off on a lot of frequencies and if you choose 7.5 the same will happen.

 

[ProScan]

It looks like this table is not respected. Steps are 7.5 K. I'm running a process now that will get every frequency and step. I'll post a file when t's done.

 

[ProScan]

See this file, It's interesting that the frequency jumps from 159.4725 to 163.2500 to 169.5000.

https://proscan.org/BCD260DN%20Public%20Safety%20HI%20Steps.txt

 

[KevinC]

See this file, It's interesting that the frequency jumps from 159.4725 to 163.2500 to 169.5000.

https://proscan.org/BCD260DN%20Public%20Safety%20HI%20Steps.txt

Thanks.

 

[radiopro52]

Many agencies in MA are still getting along fine with analog. The only digital in my town is the DPW on DMR. Very few fire departments have adopted P25 other than a few that are on trunked systems. At that, they have analog fire ground channels.

There's lots of analog still in use everywhere. Analog is still king in many rural areas and small towns. My state of AL has a statewide P25 trunking system that was launched about a decade ago but not all counties use the system, though that number is growing slowly. The counties that aren't using the system still use conventional analog.

I think it's very important that the new Uniden radios perform well on analog. If it's more of an afterthought like it is on the SDS radios, I may as well stick with my 346XT and SDS200.

 

[JvdK]

Some beta-testers in this thread indicated that the sensitivity of the new 160DN is comparable (or even slightly better) than the 125AT/125XLT. So analog performance should be okay 😊

 

[radiopro52]

Some beta-testers in this thread indicated that the sensitivity of the new 160DN is comparable (or even slightly better) than the 125AT/125XLT. So analog performance should be okay 😊

Sounds promising then. I'll probably pick up the 160DN to use while traveling, or for listening to DMR simplex at home. The SDS200 will be the P25 scanner. Can never have too many radios

 

[RoninJoliet]

If there is NO trunking and you program conventionally a DMR or NXDN system your going to hang up on the CChannel or busy channel and will have to L/O it it's defeating the purpose of the system???

 

[Ubbe]

If there is NO trunking and you program conventionally a DMR or NXDN system your going to hang up on the CChannel or busy channel and will have to L/O it it's defeating the purpose of the system???

That's the problem with the current conventional DMR programming and I choose to program all those as One Frequency Trunked. I don't know how Uniden have solved that issue. Whistlers way of not having control channel trunked scanning in DMR are then automatically also working for conventional systems and doesn't get hung up on control channel or idle burst transmissions.

Hopefully Uniden have changed their code to treat control channel data and idle bursts the same way as it would be encrypted and skips the channel, and there's no issue with Whistler holding some kind of patent for that kind of behavior, and Uniden checks the other slot for any calls being initiated before skipping the channel.

/Ubbe

 

[buddrousa]

Buy the scanner that has the features for what you want to hear.
If you want to hear TRUNKING DATA buy a TRUNKING SCANNER
If you want to hear CONVENTIONAL TRAFFIC buy a CONVENTIONAL SCANNER.
Do not buy a pellet rifle to go BEAR HUNTING not going to work.

 

[sonm10]

Buy the scanner that has the features for what you want to hear.
If you want to hear TRUNKING DATA buy a TRUNKING SCANNER
If you want to hear CONVENTIONAL TRAFFIC buy a CONVENTIONAL SCANNER.
Do not buy a pellet rifle to go BEAR HUNTING not going to work.

What Budd is saying is to use the right tool for the job. There are certain things that my 996 does better at, certain things my SDS200 is better at, certain things a SDR is better at.

Another analogy, you don't use a roofing nail gun to build cabinets. Different tool, different job.

Also, as stated before, these new scanners are for a niche market, rail fanning.

 

[sfb88]

I find it interesting that while these new scanners are mentioned as being for rail fanning, the content creators of two rail fan Youtube channels that I watch both use Baofeng (sp?) transceivers for rail monitoring.

 

[JvdK]

Also, as stated before, these new scanners are for a niche market, rail fanning.

If this new handheld works as good as the 125XLT they will be great for aircraft spotters too. In Europe some ground support services on civil/military airfields are using DMR. If you think inside the box, yes it’s a niche market scanner. For those who dare to think outside the box it’s a scanner with potential depending on how well it handles non-trunking DMR/NXDN.

 

[bearcatrp]

Do not buy a pellet rifle to go BEAR HUNTING not going to work.

unfortunately, there are idiots that would try.

 

[03msc]

I find it interesting that while these new scanners are mentioned as being for rail fanning, the content creators of two rail fan Youtube channels that I watch both use Baofeng (sp?) transceivers for rail monitoring.

In my experience, the subpar receive of Baofengs would have me avoiding them. The true railfans that I have watched typically are carrying actual radios in receive mode only (mobile or handheld). I know that's what I do. Much better quality audio and reception in my experience.

 

[KevinC]

In my experience, the subpar receive of Baofengs would have me avoiding them. The true railfans that I have watched typically are carrying actual radios in receive mode only (mobile or handheld). I know that's what I do. Much better quality audio and reception in my experience.

Plus they won't do NXDN.

 

[03msc]

Plus they won't do NXDN.

HAHA that's true! Definitely not.

 

[JoeBearcat]

do you think Uniden will discontinue any other models to roll out the new scanners?

No. You can bet on that. There may be models that are discontinued through attrition, but these models will not directly replace any existing model.

We MAY see them around the end of the year. I still hope they are available in late December which is a possibility. Production is starting soon.

I still do not know the MSRP.

 

[JoeBearcat]

Reference digital trunking modes being what is desired (I mis-read my original quoted text)

The same argument can be made for analog, but BC125AT sales continue to be strong.

Fact is there is a market for many levels from analog-only through digital trunking.

 

[JoeBearcat]

The lack of trunking is obviously due to the government restricting the manufacture of trunking scanners now.

LOL