People Complaining About 436/536's

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RFI-EMI-GUY

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Dec 22, 2013
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Not complaining but I have the SIREN application working with my Android device and have tested both the AP and Infrastructure modes. Took me less that 15 minutes to set up and test both.
 

k3fs

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Mar 11, 2010
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275
Location
Western PA
The receivers are far from hot. There is a problem with UHF, and VHF reception that we have found a band aid fix for, and Uniden is burying their heads in the sand and will not admit it's an issue. http://forums.radioreference.com/uniden-tech-support/337172-436-how-improve-your-uhf-reception.html

Uniden has still lied about the advanced analysis features. Uniden's deception and lack of addressing issues, is the main concern. You cannot do analysis with these radios. They don't even have IF or control channel output. I for one would have stayed away from any HP model, but the promise of portable advanced analysis features without the need of a computer, was enough to change my mind. You cannot see the frequency on trunked systems.

Yes, Uniden did eventually fix the display and RTC issues. As they should.

The shame of it is that the 436 really had the potential to be the best thing out there.

Uniden's lack of honesty, in addressing the remainder of the issues is the problem.
 

buddrousa

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Retired 40 Year Firefighter NW Tenn
Well my 436 scanner 2 analog channels only 460.150 and 154.430 at 25 air miles same rubber duck antennas hears when my pro668 and TRX-1 does not even break the squelch. I would hate to see if it had a hot receiver.
 

blackcloud08

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The receivers are far from hot. There is a problem with UHF, and VHF reception that we have found a band aid fix for, and Uniden is burying their heads in the sand and will not admit it's an issue. http://forums.radioreference.com/uniden-tech-support/337172-436-how-improve-your-uhf-reception.html

Uniden has still lied about the advanced analysis features. Uniden's deception and lack of addressing issues, is the main concern. You cannot do analysis with these radios. They don't even have IF or control channel output. I for one would have stayed away from any HP model, but the promise of portable advanced analysis features without the need of a computer, was enough to change my mind. You cannot see the frequency on trunked systems.

Yes, Uniden did eventually fix the display and RTC issues. As they should.

The shame of it is that the 436 really had the potential to be the best thing out there.

Uniden's lack of honesty, in addressing the remainder of the issues is the problem.

I could get 28-32 miles on U/VHF and am getting that on my 536. I'm in the mountains of NC so I consider that a win considering I've got just a Radioshack 800mhz antenna.
 

RFI-EMI-GUY

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The receivers are far from hot. There is a problem with UHF, and VHF reception that we have found a band aid fix for, and Uniden is burying their heads in the sand and will not admit it's an issue. http://forums.radioreference.com/uniden-tech-support/337172-436-how-improve-your-uhf-reception.html

Uniden has still lied about the advanced analysis features. Uniden's deception and lack of addressing issues, is the main concern. You cannot do analysis with these radios. They don't even have IF or control channel output. I for one would have stayed away from any HP model, but the promise of portable advanced analysis features without the need of a computer, was enough to change my mind. You cannot see the frequency on trunked systems.

Yes, Uniden did eventually fix the display and RTC issues. As they should.

The shame of it is that the 436 really had the potential to be the best thing out there.

Uniden's lack of honesty, in addressing the remainder of the issues is the problem.


What "portable advanced features" are you talking about? If you read the manual before buying it is clear there is no IF or discriminator output.

As far as the 436 and sensitivity, you should know that many portable scanners have similar problems due to plastic casing. You can attach an external antenna and avoid that. Alao don't expect no noise if charging with a switcher supply, or using inside near a computer. If you examined the design of your smartphone or wifi closely you would realize they are substandard communications products. Tiny inefficient antennas buried inside high speed CPU's and tiny coaxial cables.

I have two "scanners" a BCD536HP and an Icom ICR-9000, they do totally different things. If you want to do control channel analysis, you can use a $40 SDR radio dongle and some free software. The Uniden does show you what talk group ID's and User ID's are active, What more do you need?
 
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RFI-EMI-GUY

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Dec 22, 2013
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I could get 28-32 miles on U/VHF and am getting that on my 536. I'm in the mountains of NC so I consider that a win considering I've got just a Radioshack 800mhz antenna.

I agree; my 536 picks up trunked systems two counties away with the supplied whip antenna, inside my house.
 

K2KOH

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Jul 30, 2001
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Putnam County, NY
The receivers are far from hot. There is a problem with UHF, and VHF reception that we have found a band aid fix for, and Uniden is burying their heads in the sand and will not admit it's an issue. http://forums.radioreference.com/uniden-tech-support/337172-436-how-improve-your-uhf-reception.html

Uniden has still lied about the advanced analysis features. Uniden's deception and lack of addressing issues, is the main concern. You cannot do analysis with these radios. They don't even have IF or control channel output. I for one would have stayed away from any HP model, but the promise of portable advanced analysis features without the need of a computer, was enough to change my mind. You cannot see the frequency on trunked systems.

Yes, Uniden did eventually fix the display and RTC issues. As they should.

The shame of it is that the 436 really had the potential to be the best thing out there.

Uniden's lack of honesty, in addressing the remainder of the issues is the problem.

Part of the reason the 436 receiver is not hot is becasue the antenna is garbage. I have a Watson 801 on mine and it kicks ***. My 536 is using a discone on my deck and bottom level condo and it receives quite a bit consindering the antenna handicap.
 

garys

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The 536s I have at home have very good front ends from low band to 900. My 436 has a good receiver as well with either an outside antenna or the RS 800 mhz antenna attached. I don't think I've ever had an OEM portable scanner antenna that wasn't a POS. That goes back over 35 years.

If people wouldn't cry so much about Uniden would be better shipping portable scanners with no antenna.
 

wbswetnam

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DMR-istan
Antenna and radio placement can also make a huge difference in reception sometimes. At the back of my house, my portables have very mediocre reception, but at the front part of the house the reception is great.
 

ColonelMike

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Shepherdsville, KY
I find it ironic this post is basically COMPLAINING about people COMPLAINING.:roll:

Most people who have been critical of Uniden have been critical over the issues they have, not as a whole. I bought my 536 and switched from to Uniden because as a Sheriff Colonel, it would help me be able to monitor situations remotely from anywhere using the siren app. This still does not work as advertised properly.

If you cannot discuss it in the Uniden Tavern area of RadioReference, I am not sure where else we could discuss this kind of stuff?
 

sprite1741

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Jun 22, 2006
Messages
198
Amazon has a lot of used 436's and 536's at Amazon Warehouse. That's where most of the returns from dissatisfied customers go. Right now 9, 536's and 14, 436's. Pick up a bargain if you want one. Only 1 used WS1040, no TRX-1 or 2's at the warehouse. BTW, I hear as many excuses for the 4/536 line as I hear complaints.
 

blackcloud08

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Most people who have been critical of Uniden have been critical over the issues they have, not as a whole.

There are a lot of people talking about how Uniden is garbage as a product and company. Several have ditched Uniden to make the switch to Whistler and then you'll see them complaining about Whistlers software being so bad that they don't want the Whistler anymore. But we won't hear them same people say they were wrong when they came to Uniden.
 
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Ubbe

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Sep 8, 2006
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Stockholm, Sweden
Amazon has a lot of used 436's and 536's at Amazon Warehouse........Only 1 used WS1040, no TRX-1 or 2's at the warehouse.

I think one must also look at number of units sold. There is some 10-15 TRX scanner reviews and 2000 Uniden HP scanner customer reviews on Amazon. I don't know why Uniden owners would be more motivated to write a review, so I guess it is a lot more Unidens HP models being sold.

/Ubbe
 

Drumbum

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Sep 29, 2007
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Lynchburg Va
I won't buy a whistler just due to the fact I can't get ARC software to program it, that's all I use on my 436 and 396T, love their software

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk
 

mciupa

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Nov 5, 2002
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Owned a 536 in 2014 when they first came out. No headphone issue, no dimming screen. Original SD was great for the first year.

Wanted Analyze features and realized when they wouldn't be coming and the SD card started going wonky, I thought I'd be happier with a 996P2. Sold the 536 and had a 996P2 from 2015 until October 2016 when I sold the 996P2 and only had a HomePatrol-II

With DMR upgrade, WiFi, replay, system storage capablities and Amazon Lightning deals, I had a change of heart and bought one again. I use my HomePatrol-II for analysis and love having the 536 back again. :)
 
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