That's the first I've seen of the Beartracker 885. It's an interesting looking radio. If you're looking primarily for a CB transceiver radio that also includes some scanning features, I think this is your only option. Keep in mind that, compared to a traditional scanner, this unit lacks some pretty important features related to scanning. I'm glad to see it has separate antenna connections for the scanner and the CB - you'd be hard pressed to find a single antenna that would work decently for both functions.
As far as scanner features, you will lack the ability to see in the display which agency you're hearing at any given time. And I don't see a way that you have much control over what agencies are scanned or not scanned - you can select service types, but you wouldn't, for example, be able to limit your scanning to only the Clemson Univ PD and Clemson City PD. Perhaps I missed the details about having more control over selecting and de-selecting objects that are scanned beyond just GPS control and Service types.
It appears you would also be at the mercy of the accuracy of the RadioReference database. As one of the SC Database admins, of course I think we do a pretty good job of keeping the database up to date. But there are always mistakes, and most importantly, there are things missing in the database. I see that the database on the radio can be updated weekly, which is great. But there are plenty of areas (not necessarily in SC) where the RadioReference database is incomplete or out of date.
You might be better served to purchase separate devices (CB and scanner) to ensure you have the features you're looking for on the scanning side. As far as cost, unfortunately most modern scanners are not what I would consider "budget friendly." The fact is that many areas in South Carolina (not Pickens County, but most other notable population centers) use simulcast towers for Palmetto 800. The only scanners that will reliably scan simulcast systems are the SDS-100 and 200 which I don't consider "budget friendly" (not friendly to my budget, at least). So if you plan to scan outside of Pickens County - say, in Greenville, or Anderson, or Spartanburg, or Greenwood, or Rock Hill - you'll want a scanner that supports simulcast scanning. And as previously noted, this combo radio (the BT 885) doesn't support scanning of NXDN systems, which are now in use by public safety agencies in Pickens, Abbeville, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield and Cherokee Counties. Nor does it scan DMR systems, which are in use by public safety agencies in Oconee, McCormick and soon in Edgefield Counties.
If you decide to purchase it, I'll be very interested to hear your review of how it works.
