BCD436HP/BCD536HP: Just Purchased Uniden BCD436HP

[cino]

So I have had the scanner for a few days and it seems to be a decent scanner. I saw a lot of people bashing it and some that loved it. So far it seems to be a decent scanner. I went through many post and back and fourth on buying it and finally got tired of reading the i love it or hate it post and just purchased it. I would say anyone thinking about purchasing the 436 just buy it and give it a try you have 30 days with most retailers to return it.

I may or may not have the clock issue not even sure i care about that. The only thing that I really dislike that all my other scanners could charge or run with no battery at all when connected to ac outlet. I did purchase some eneloop batteries because of the charging issue but so far its not been a problem since i don't listen to my scanner 24/7
**update** I have not tried this but You can operate continuously by connecting a USB Power Source to the scanner and selecting "Serial Mode" at the prompt.

I am no super scanner guru just an average listener. I hope this helps someone that has been sitting on the fence for weeks like myself

one recommendation I will give is.
so uniden may or may not go out of business i saw some rumors or the scanner may drop dead and i would have no one to turn to. So i spent 30 or so bucks for a warranty to get my money back if everything goes south. just a piece of mind for me i suppose.

 

[Paulsan]

It's a fine scanner. You may or may not have a problem. It's not perfect, but it works great for my needs.

 

[DSC45]

BCD436HP

The 436 works great for me as well. I also purchased the Maha Charger and Powerex Batteries (2700). One and a half hours later batteries are fully charged for another eight hours of operation.

I also purchased two additional antennas, CH-32 (Miracle Baby) and the Radio Shack 800 antenna.

 

[KA2ZEY]

I also just purchased the 436 after being a devout 369 user. It so nice to have the RR database at your finger tips and having all the great info on the screeen. P25 decoding sounds great and the whole scanner is very well laid out. I do wish it had DMR and the screen can be a bit hard to read sometimes. But yeah, great scanner. No issues with clock or reception. Make sure you get the latest update.

 

[DSC45]

I also just purchased the 436 after being a devout 369 user. It so nice to have the RR database at your finger tips and having all the great info on the screeen. P25 decoding sounds great and the whole scanner is very well laid out. I do wish it had DMR and the screen can be a bit hard to read sometimes. But yeah, great scanner. No issues with clock or reception. Make sure you get the latest update.

Great Review of the 436.

Question; What does DMR stand for?

Thanks

 

[fxdscon]

Question; What does DMR stand for?

Thanks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_mobile_radio

.

 

[f2shooter]

I've had one for a few weeks now and like it a lot. So far it has done everything I want it to do. There is more there that I haven't discovered yet as it is a complex unit with many features. A lot of them I won't be needing in my area so I have to sort out what I will use and what is not needed. I have the same problem with all of my newer cameras. So many features.

Otis

 

[KA2ZEY]

As complex as it is, you really could program the scanner without a computer. That would be much more difficult with the 396.

 

[cino]

I also just purchased the 436 after being a devout 369 user. It so nice to have the RR database at your finger tips and having all the great info on the screeen. P25 decoding sounds great and the whole scanner is very well laid out. I do wish it had DMR and the screen can be a bit hard to read sometimes. But yeah, great scanner. No issues with clock or reception. Make sure you get the latest update.

try adjusting the contrast it may affect battery life a little but should help with visibility of the screen

 

[SCPD]

All good reviews

Well, I've been putzing thru the Uniden forums here.
Deciding to finally give up the old Pro-96 (welcome to the 90's) and get a new scanner.
Like the positive reviews of the 436HP.

Question: Where's the best price? Who did you get yours from?

I don't really listen to a whole lot, just the local PD and Fire. So if I don't mind spending a hour or so manually programming the radio, is there anything not in the box that I need?

Thanks

 

[bazil747]

You should get a battery charger . Just think its a good idea.
I have 15 minutes battery charger from Energizer Model # CH15MN2.


Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

 

[Paulsan]

Got mine from Amazon. Good price and fast shipping. I recommend a MAHA charger.

 

[marcotor]

Well, I've been putzing thru the Uniden forums here.
Deciding to finally give up the old Pro-96 (welcome to the 90's) and get a new scanner.
Like the positive reviews of the 436HP.

Question: Where's the best price? Who did you get yours from?

I don't really listen to a whole lot, just the local PD and Fire. So if I don't mind spending a hour or so manually programming the radio, is there anything not in the box that I need?

Thanks

I have two 436HP's and have not had one problem with either. If you record a lot of calls, you can replace the stock card with a 8-32GB card. You should have one as a backup anyway Amazon seems to be the best place for price, I grabbed one from the Warehouse (a return) that was 100% new for under $350. If you're searching for a bargain, and aren't in a hurry, that is the way to go. Otherwise the regular Amazon price is good, but it never hurts to check the other usual places, sometimes you can run into a sale.

The biggest thing is getting the playlist(s) sorted the way YOU want them to be. For me, it is much easier using the included Sentinel software, then tweaking that to suit my needs. If you prefer manually programming, go for it.

You might want to consider a replacement duck, or an external antenna - depending on your location. I agree, get a decent external charger and stay away from "quick" chargers. Lo and slow

 

[MStep]

I could be jumping on the 436 bandwagon myself in a few days. Last month, I purchased the 536, and (notwithstanding some of the issues we've discussed in the forums), I really like the way the 536 is laid out, the features it offers, and its flexibility of operation. I'm a month into my use of the 536 and I'm still picking up some good tips and tricks about its operation.

I do a bit of driving, and was trying to figure out the best way to mount the 536 in the car, and then it occurred to me that perhaps the best way get the 536 in the car in essence was simply to get a 436 for mobile use.

After viewing some of the videos of the 436 in operation on YouTube, I figure the unit would most likely suffice for the type of relatively local area driving & monitoring that I do. I have a really nice inverter in the car, and I picked up a couple of the Duracell 6 hour chargers (which I also use for my camera gear), so I'm pretty much set on having good batteries available all the time.

Of course the icing on the cake for me is not only do I get most of the functions of the 536 into my car with the 436, but I have something that can be used for portable operation as well. In addition, because the 436 shares the same Sentinel program with the 536, I'm pretty much set up and ready to go.

So good luck to you guys who have just purchased your 436 units--- I may be joining your ranks sooner, rather than later.

 

[cino]

I really like the portability and I still have not had any problems with the scanner. I took it on vacation and between sentinel and zip code programming it was really nice I was thinking I would like to have the base station but hard to justify since i can just carry the 436 anywhere. I do have an outdoor roof antenna and a usb cable so when at home i just plug it in and use it as a base station

 

[kb8rvp]

BCD436HP Just Purchased Uniden BCD436HP

You can run the scanner when connected to a USB power source such as a laptop, cell phone charger etc. with or without batteries. When you get the prompt for serial mode just press no and the scanner will start scanning. If you press yes it will go into serial mode which you would use to do a firmware update or programming the SD card or update the master database on the SD card with the sentinel software from Uniden.

So I have had the scanner for a few days and it seems to be a decent scanner. I saw a lot of people bashing it and some that loved it. So far it seems to be a decent scanner. I went through many post and back and fourth on buying it and finally got tired of reading the i love it or hate it post and just purchased it. I would say anyone thinking about purchasing the 436 just buy it and give it a try you have 30 days with most retailers to return it.

I may or may not have the clock issue not even sure i care about that. The only thing that I really dislike that all my other scanners could charge or run with no battery at all when connected to ac outlet. I did purchase some eneloop batteries because of the charging issue but so far its not been a problem since i don't listen to my scanner 24/7
**update** I have not tried this but You can operate continuously by connecting a USB Power Source to the scanner and selecting "Serial Mode" at the prompt.

I am no super scanner guru just an average listener. I hope this helps someone that has been sitting on the fence for weeks like myself

one recommendation I will give is.
so uniden may or may not go out of business i saw some rumors or the scanner may drop dead and i would have no one to turn to. So i spent 30 or so bucks for a warranty to get my money back if everything goes south. just a piece of mind for me i suppose.

 

[1075]

Thanks for the review. I have also been considering purchasing a BCD436HP for a while, but have held off because of concerns about all of the problems discussed on the forums. I am currently using a BCD396T, but the county where I live recently went to a P25 phase II system, so I need to upgrade.

I'm wondering how hard the 436 is to program. I'm not very tech savy to begin with, and don't own a Windows computer, everything I have is Apple, which may be a problem since Uniden's software is windows based.

I leave my scanner on 24/7- 365, and take the 396 in the car when I travel. I have my favorites programmed on quick keys.

 

[phask]

If I did not have a Windows PC (or ez access) I wouldn't bother.

Firmware updates need a PC, not to mention the whole issue of an upgradeable database.

Not saying not do it, but I;d never want to program by hand, especially a P25 system.

I'd get a 992 if no PC - even then, you will miss a LOT.

Thanks for the review. I have also been considering purchasing a BCD436HP for a while, but have held off because of concerns about all of the problems discussed on the forums. I am currently using a BCD396T, but the county where I live recently went to a P25 phase II system, so I need to upgrade.

I'm wondering how hard the 436 is to program. I'm not very tech savy to begin with, and don't own a Windows computer, everything I have is Apple, which may be a problem since Uniden's software is windows based.

I leave my scanner on 24/7- 365, and take the 396 in the car when I travel. I have my favorites programmed on quick keys.

 

[MStep]

Thanks for the review. I have also been considering purchasing a BCD436HP for a while, but have held off because of concerns about all of the problems discussed on the forums. I am currently using a BCD396T, but the county where I live recently went to a P25 phase II system, so I need to upgrade.

I'm wondering how hard the 436 is to program. I'm not very tech savy to begin with, and don't own a Windows computer, everything I have is Apple, which may be a problem since Uniden's software is windows based.

I leave my scanner on 24/7- 365, and take the 396 in the car when I travel. I have my favorites programmed on quick keys.

Except for the most rudimentary programming (a dozen or so conventional channels), it is a very long and painstaking process. Aren't there programs that you can run on an Apple computer that allow you to run WIndows-based programs? That's the route I would take. Programming with Sentinel takes anywhere from minutes to maybe an hour if you are creating some favorites list (highly recommended for added flexibility in monitoring). The same process done manually could take weeks.

If you have an iMac, or other Apple desktop computer that is running on an Intel processor, and you can grab a copy of Windows 7 or 8, you could even install Windows through Boot Camp and boot up your Apple into Windows. Works very well for me.

 

[1075]

Except for the most rudimentary programming (a dozen or so conventional channels), it is a very long and painstaking process. Aren't there programs that you can run on an Apple computer that allow you to run WIndows-based programs? That's the route I would take. Programming with Sentinel takes anywhere from minutes to maybe an hour if you are creating some favorites list (highly recommended for added flexibility in monitoring). The same process done manually could take weeks.

If you have an iMac, or other Apple desktop computer that is running on an Intel processor, and you can grab a copy of Windows 7 or 8, you could even install Windows through Boot Camp and boot up your Apple into Windows. Works very well for me.

Thanks for the input! My iMac is old, pre-Intel, I do have a MacBook Pro that could probably do that, but I'm not sure. As I said, except for basic stuff I'm pretty challenged technologically. I do have some friends that work IT, one who is into scanners. I will reach out to them.

If I jump on a 436HP, and if I get some help programming it, I think I will be able to survive with only occasional updates.

Decisions, decisions....