BCD325P2/BCD996P2: Looking for solutions

[KZ6TOD]

Im looking at the BCD996P2. Had a few questions. I want to put this in my portable shack. One I can take with me camping but also run at my house.

Scanner Master says I can input 5 counties is the correct?

What Base antenna should I purchase for my house? What antenna should I purchase to run out when I'm camping? This will not be installed mobile in my vehicle but in a mobile gobox camp setup

Is there a better mic? Speaker? I should look at? Any accesories I'm not thinking of?

More questions to follow.

 

[smithken]

5 counties? You can probably put in hundreds of counties depending on how you set it up.

Mic? There is no mic, the 996P2 just receives, it doesn't transmit.

 

[KZ6TOD]

Thanks Smithken. Mic (LOL).. good call had Ham on the mind.

Any antenna recommendations?

 

[marksmith]

I had the same reaction. Also wondered what power source would be used for camping.

Mark
WS1095/536/436/996P2/HP1e/HP2e/996XT/325P2/396XT/PRO668/PSR800/PRO652

 

[KZ6TOD]

I had the same reaction. Also wondered what power source would be used for camping.

Mark
WS1095/536/436/996P2/HP1e/HP2e/996XT/325P2/396XT/PRO668/PSR800/PRO652

Im looking at a couple of options for camping. Solar/Gel Battery setup. Will post the setup once I get the bugs worked out.

 

[teufler]

Radio will have to have a power supply, 12 battery, like an old car battery or a gel cell battery or a generator to operate away from your car. It can monitor with the antenna that you use for your ham equipment though use some kind of switch that cuts the signal; to the scanner while you transmit. Counties, you can store states of coverage though you will probably only hear about 40 miles from your setup location, Forty is pushing it too. A portable ht scanner would probably work better.

 

[buddrousa]

I can run my BCD436HP 1 and 1/2 days on a Uniden 10,000 Mil USB rechargeable pack from Biglots for $20.00 this is nonstop scanning plus the 8 plus hours I get on the 3 AA 2500 mil rechargeables.

 

[Ronaldski]

There's 100 banks available so I use each one for a county, airplanes, different services, etc. I have 75 banks used & granted at home I only tune in a handful, rest are for traveling or doing database verifying since im an administrator here.
With that I only use 26% of the memory!

Don't have scannermaster program them, ridiculous $ (5 counties=$210 !) that they charge to let them program them, just get a subscription here and use freescan.
How-to https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=freescan+program
They just use the same info from here as it is anyway.
One item that you can count on is radio usages change, counties will go digital and then you would need to be updated. This way you can stay on top of it!

Antenna... comes with a collapsible rod antenna.

If wanting to hookup to an outside antenna I put up diamond brand discone 130J model up 20+ years ago and its still in tact!
RS discones are cheaply made and don't stand up to well at all.

 

[SOFA_KING]

There's 100 banks available so I use each one for a county, airplanes, different services, etc. I have 75 banks used & granted at home I only tune in a handful, rest are for traveling or doing database verifying since im an administrator here.
With that I only use 26% of the memory!

Don't have scannermaster program them, ridiculous $ (5 counties=$210 !) that they charge to let them program them, just get a subscription here and use freescan.
How-to https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=freescan+program
They just use the same info from here as it is anyway.
One item that you can count on is radio usages change, counties will go digital and then you would need to be updated. This way you can stay on top of it!

Antenna... comes with a collapsible rod antenna.

If wanting to hookup to an outside antenna I put up diamond brand discone 130J model up 20+ years ago and its still in tact!
RS discones are cheaply made and don't stand up to well at all.

Roger that on the Diamond Discone! I've had mine for 25 years and it is still solid. Stainless steel is the way to go. Reception wise, outstanding. I have tried many antennas, and these always surprise me on how far they can hear. For feedline, use hardline. Andrew 1/2" (LDF 4-50) works good up to 100', and 7/8" (LDF 5-50) for up to 200'. Forget the noisy LMR 400 and 600 cable. It's way overrated. You will be amazed at what real hardline will deliver to the radio. I'm always amazed. And if you want to make that discone even better, put a 62.75" whip on the top in place of that base loaded crap they supply. A real quarter wave whip is incredible on low band, and especially good on the 6 meter ham band. It covers 50-53 under 1.6:1 VSWR. With only 100 watts I work out to 1,400 miles (single hop) E skip with ease. I love my discone with full 1/4 whip on 6m! I took a 108" stainless whip, cut off the 3/8 24 stud, tapped it for the metric thread size on top of the discone, and trimmed it for 6m. Great antenna. I wish I had three more of them.

Phil