Radio Shack vs. Uniden

[squelchtale]

I realize this question has probably been asked a thousand time and I apologize! I am looking at the purchase of a new handheld scanner and am looking at the new pro-96 or the uniden digital model. For those of you who have used both would you mind giving your opinions on them? Thanks

 

[scannerfreak]

Hi chiefsfan, If you use the "search" function at the top of the forums page you can search the threads here with many many opinions on the RS Vs the Unidens. You'll find all you need! You can also try www.strongsignals.net There are a ton of threads there as well comparing the two!

 

[serebin]

don't forget to check the yahoo groups http://groups.yahoo.com

 

[jimlawrence]

I own both a Uniden 250D and a Pro 96.

The Pro-96 is excellent at monitoring 800 MHz trunked systems and conventional P-25 digital systems in general. However, the 250D covers milair, which the Pro-96 doesn't.

If you wouldn't mind giving us an idea as to what you'd want to listen to, we could probably steer you in the right direction.

 

[mlevin]

If you have win 96 programming software you can enable extended freqs like mil-air. However, I have both and the 250 does better with both military and civil air. For all other things I prefer the pro96. You really have to have both, to have the best of both worlds.

 

[Voyager]

I own both a Uniden 250D and a Pro 96.

The Pro-96 is excellent at monitoring 800 MHz trunked systems and conventional P-25 digital systems in general. However, the 250D covers milair, which the Pro-96 doesn't.

If you wouldn't mind giving us an idea as to what you'd want to listen to, we could probably steer you in the right direction.

The PRO-96 covers MilAir fine - just not from the factory. You need to DL the software that enables the MilAir bands.

Each unit has key features. If you want/need LTR or PC control, go with the Uniden. If you want/need to be able to load many settings (if you travel) without a PC, be able to instantly decode CTCSS tones, or monitor several different trunked systems in the same band without having to readjust the audio for each one, go with the PRO-96.

You might also want to do a Google search for "BC296D PRO-96 comparison"

Joe M.

 

[mciupa]

Uniden = battery pack
Radio Shack= AA batteries

Uniden = monitoring I-calls
Radio Shack = cannot monitor I-calls

Uniden = higher price
Radio Shack = lower price

Uniden = 1000 ch.
Radio Shack = 5500 (using the V- folders)

You see,it's really like comparing apples and oranges , pick your
flavor !!

 

[Voyager]

Uniden = battery pack
Radio Shack= AA batteries

Uniden = monitoring I-calls
Radio Shack = cannot monitor I-calls

Uniden = higher price
Radio Shack = lower price

Uniden = 1000 ch.
Radio Shack = 5500 (using the V- folders)

You see,it's really like comparing apples and oranges , pick your
flavor !!

You're right about the batteries. I-calls on Uniden but only on 3600 systems. Neither does I-calls on 9600. Price is pretty comparable. It depends where you shop. The Uniden comes with the cable. That's the biggest advantage. It also comes with the charger, which you need since it's a proprietary pack you are charging. AAs can be charged in any common NiMH charger, or picked up at any convenience store (bet they won't have Uniden packs!). The Uniden also comes with software, but I think most people think it stinks so you really have to buy software for either one if you want to program them that way (highly recommended).

Joe M.

 

[Concrete1]

Uniden = battery pack
Radio Shack= AA batteries

Uniden = monitoring I-calls
Radio Shack = cannot monitor I-calls

Uniden = higher price
Radio Shack = lower price

Uniden = 1000 ch.
Radio Shack = 5500 (using the V- folders)

You see,it's really like comparing apples and oranges , pick your
flavor !!

I would disagree with RS being lower priced.
The uniden Includes a 1500mA battery, an AC adapter/charger & the computer interface cable. Even though the Uniden 296D is about $25 more than the RS 96, these accessories actually make it a better deal.
Also to add:
Uniden = WFM mode, TV sound & FM broadcast
RS = None

Uniden = Signal Strength meter & select step rates
RS = none

Uniden = LTR Trunking capability
RS = not available

Uniden = Computer Programming & control (Prg CD & cable Included)
RS = Programming Only (Software & Cable Optional)

 

[WayneH]

Since everyone else decided to reiterate what can be had via search I'll join in...

I agree that they are apples and oranges. They both do many things that the other brand can't do, or do well. Overall the PRO-96 does everything the best but doesn't have as many frills as the Uniden, as folks have mentioned.

The PRO-96 is far superior at decoding and tracking Motorola trunked systems. The Uniden is very error prone at decoding IDs. It is a rare occurence (if ANY) where the 96 will show a false ID. This isn't my opinion, it's fact.

In addition, the 96 is far superior in decoding digital signals and requires no tuning. I've put my 96 up against my Motorola XTS radios and with the AGC off they sound about exactly the same. It's only with fringe signals does it not compare, but that's why the AGC is toggled on. In many cases with the AGC on it does better than an actual Moto radio.

-Wayne

 

[4phun]

You get a bigger bang for your buck with the PRO-96!

I would disagree with RS being lower priced.
The uniden Includes a 1500mA battery, an AC adapter/charger & the computer interface cable. Even though the Uniden 296D is about $25 more than the RS 96, these accessories actually make it a better deal.

You may disagree but the simple fact is that the Radio Shack PRO-96 is far cheaper. It can be bought for less than $450 any day of the year by paying for it with a new Radio Shack instant credit account. You save ten percent instantly on the total purchase and most of us close the account and pay the bill as soon as it comes in. When Radio Shack has sale coupons on its web site the PRO-96 is even cheaper with the additional coupon discounts.

Also can’t you get it through your head that the PRO-96 has an internal charger? Pop in four high quality 2300mA AA rechargeable batteries and it lasts far longer than any Uniden digital portable. I usually trickle charge mine while using it for hours while driving. I leave the keypad light on all the time!

I enjoy the loud battery draining volume of the PRO-96 while driving because I know I can always pop in another set of AA batteries.
There will be none of these low audio, hard to hear, power limited scanners for me. Why would you want one at any price?


I carry extra AA batteries to swap out just in case the PRO-96 scanner dies on me, and that this all I do. I am just carrying the extra unnecessary batteries in my case! I end up using them in my MP3 player or digital camera most of the time.

Also to add:
Uniden = WFM mode, TV sound & FM broadcast
RS = None

How many people use a $500 scanner to listen to FM radio? If they do, they don’t really need a scanner. Anyone can do a better job by picking up a tiny $19 AM/FM radio with TV band. That way they can also hear the AM broadcast band which you can not do with any current digital scanner.

I have two AM/FM/TV radios with me many times and the last thing I would do is listen to the FM band on a scanner. BTW thought these Sony and Panasonic radio's are combo radios and include TV band audio , I also have a tiny CASIO TV which does the real thing -TV video and audio with 4 AA battteries. My cost on this was less than $70 during a sale.

Notice the TV also takes the same type of batteries as the Sony, Panasonic and PRO-96 . Everything in my case takes the same battery AA exept a couple of specialty items that take AAA. You can't have this benefit with a Undien digital handheld and its non standard battery pack. I hate those things! I would have bought the PRO-96
just for that featuer alone, it takes standard batteries!

I would think a long time before I bought a something that took a weird hard to change battery pack and I still probably would not consider buying it. Weird battery packs bring more pain in the long term than most benefits such as size savings.

The PRO-96 with its interesting shape drops neatly in my shirt or suit pocket.

Uniden = Signal Strength meter & select step rates
RS = none

Signal strength meters in Uniden products are a joke. I know, I have a Uniden scanner with it. One can more tell by listening to the quality of the signal as to how strong it is at any given moment. Are you using the Uniden signal strength meter to determine if a signal is present even when there is no audio? Did you not know that the PRO-96 has two signal indicators in its display for this!


Far better and more meaningful is the unique PRO-96 display that tells you the quality of a digital signal and its decoding rate. This is supposed to be a digital radio scanner and that is where the PRO-96’s strength is. You will find these features highly desirable in dealing with digital systems.

Uniden = LTR Trunking capability
RS = not available

If you want to listen to boring business band chatter than by all means buy a Uniden digital scanner to get LTR. I could care less about it here in the SE USA. I suspect most people have no need for LTR except in a few areas of the country where it was sold to a public safety agency. The issue is mute as they switch to APCO digital as then these can be heard by the PRO-96 digital scanner.

Uniden = Computer Programming & control (Prg CD & cable Included)
RS = Programming Only (Software & Cable Optional)

This is a real moronic argument when you are discussing handheld scanners. Who in their right mind wants to carry a computer around with all its heavy batteries and wires just to control a scanner?

Why?

Do you want to change the frequencies in your scanner? That is built into the PRO-96 with its massive amount of memory and V-folders. I have calculated in real life you can program a PRO-96 with between 110 and 880 different trunking systems stored in v-folders! That is at least 110 different systems you can carry in your pocket using a PRO-96 without needing to go back to a computer. Yes you can have eight different Motorola trunking systems in one bank in a PRO-96 and they can be a mixture of analog and digital! If you were a real glutton for over exposure to Motorola trunking systems you could shoe horn up to 17 different systems in one bank which would all be scan able with the push of one button. (Note there may be only one EDACS trunking system in any one bank and you cannot mix MOT and EDACS in the same bank.)

Do you want to run ETRUNK or TRUNKER to figure out system ids and other neat things about trunking systems? Is that why you want a radio controlled computer interface to your handheld? You will have to add an additional radio for that to work anyway so look at all the clutter you now have gotten yourself into. If you had looked more carefully at the PRO-96 you will have discovered that it includes built in software that allows you to decode System ID, tower ID, and other stuff.

As a matter of fact I have demonstrated again and again to a few friends that it is possible to scope out an EDACS system from grabbing its control channel and putting it in its proper LCN in just a couple of minutes, to figuring out all the LCNs for an entire EDACS system in fifteen minutes to an hour with just the single PRO-96, no extra wires, no computer control running ETRUNK and no extra scanners required. The PRO-96 does this even on a PRO-Voice system if they are running in mixed mode with some analog channels.


The bottom line is you get a bigger bang for your buck with the PRO-96 than any other digital scanner right now.

 

[squelchtale]

Is there a certain production date or code a person should purchase to get later models that all the updates/bugs have been worked out of reference the Pro-96?

 

[rdale]

There's only one bug fixed with the latest and it's not worthy of worrying about because it is easily worked around... In any case look for CPU 1.2 when you boot and you'll know you have the latest.

 

[wwhitby]

I went through the same quandry two months ago, and in the end, I am going with the PRO-96 over the BC296. The specific items that made me decide to go with a PRO-96 are the Automatic Gain Control, V-Scanner features (i'm going to love this when I go out of state) and the fact that the PRO-96 uses AA batteries instead of those &#^#%$ propriatary battery packs.

Also, Radio Shack offered one free DPS upgrade, and just may offer more in the future.

As others have pointed out, the 296 has features that the PRO-96 doesn't. However, those features didn't matter to me or I didn't need them.

The best thing to do is look at the areas where you live and travel, and what features you absolutely have to have, and then use that as the basis for your decision. For example, if you don't have LTR systems or don't care about WFM, then don't worry that you won't get those features in a PRO-96.

Warren

 

[INDY72]

Umm I have to take issue with the LTR being boring business chatter! There are many many LTR public safety systems out there and it looks like at least two to three new LTR public safety systems comming online. Just an example-- University of Mississippi -LTR, Simpson County Mississippi - LTR, Adams County 911 District - LTR Passport, Buncombe County North Carolina is according to the actual county website, LTR UHF, and there are many more out there.

 

[4phun]

WARNING UNIDEN 296D FAILS to TT LTR PASSPORT or LTR Multinet

Umm I have to take issue with the LTR being boring business chatter! There are many many LTR public safety systems out there and it looks like at least two to three new LTR public safety systems comming online. Just an example-- University of Mississippi -LTR, Simpson County Mississippi - LTR, Adams County 911 District - LTR Passport, Buncombe County North Carolina is according to the actual county website, LTR UHF, and there are many more out there.

Yes there are many more LTR out there and Uniden 296D users fail to tell the truth that only LTR Regular can be trunk tracked. LTR Passport can not be trunk tracked by any Uniden scanner. It can be monitored conventionally by scanners like the PRO-96, PRO-95 etc. LTR MultiNet is also a format that can not be trunk tracked with any Uniden digital scanner It isn't even a LTR digital format either. Simply put the Uniden can only trunktrack one of the three types of LTR systems. A person who falls into the trap of passing up a PRO-96 just to get a Uniden for LTR may be disappointed.

 

[kikito]

When buying a radio, a few things to ask yourself would be:

1. What are you going to use it for, what frequencies, type of systems, etc.

2. Are you really going to need or use all the features? (I know by experience, I have bought radios in the past because of more features and end up not using them)

This is something I posted back in December to several lists and forums, so here it goes again. (Anybody feel free to correct, add, etc.)




Features of the BC296D, (that the Pro-96 DOES NOT HAVE or are better in the BC296D):

-- More software programs available
-- Longer alpha-tags (16 vs 12)
-- LTR trunking
-- EDACS Narrowband trunking
-- EDACS SCAT trunking
-- EDACS Blockout feature
-- EDACS Emergency ID feature
-- Direct entry and/or selection of Talkgroup ID's
-- I-Calls
-- Patch Tracking
-- Status Bit option (on or off)
-- End Code option (detect or ignore)
-- Activity ID option (on or off)
-- Lockout Talkgroups without taking away available ID channels
-- Shows ENC when receiving encrypted transmissions
-- Up to three Base/Offset ranges for VHF/UHF through the keypad
-- More custom search ranges (10 vs 1)
-- Better and more pre-programmed searches
-- Data Skip option
-- More priority channels (10 vs 1)
-- Selectable frequency step sizes (Auto, 5, 6.25, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 25, 50 and 100kHz)
-- More frequency modes (AM, FM, WFM, NFM)
-- Easier to clear all lockout frequencies
-- Screen Mask feature
-- Auto Store during a search
-- Beep Alert for desired frequencies or talkgroups
-- Faster scanning and searching rate (theoretically 100 ch/sec vs 60 ch/sec)
-- Priority Plus option (Scans only priority channels)
-- Supports Military Airband out of the box (No need to enable through software)
-- More channels per bank (100 vs 50) or more total channels (1000 vs 500) of immediate use (meaning without having to load from memory or computer program)
-- Computer Control (Not just programming)
-- Reverse Frequency button (Repeater input)
-- Lockout specific CTCSS/DCS during scanning or searching
-- PC Cable included
-- Software Included (Nothing spectacular but decent)
-- Power supply included
-- Battery pack included (Although proprietary)


Features of the Pro-96, (that the BC296D DOES NOT have or are better in Pro-96):

-- Control Channel information (SysId, etc.)
-- More trunked delay options (None, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 & 4.0)
-- Better audio
-- Better screen and keypad backlighting
-- More backlight functions and delays
-- Bigger screen fonts
-- Uses regular AA batteries
-- Battery charges last twice as long
-- Upgradeable DSP firmware
-- Better and faster CTCSS/DCS decoding (Including Subaudible Squelch Tail Elimination turn-off codes)
-- Digital AGC
-- Automatic digital signal adjustment/tuning (Intelligent Adaptive Digital Tracking)
-- V-Scanner Folders feature (Virtually 11 scanners-in-one or 5500 channels total)
-- Control Channel only on VHF trunked systems (Although there's a way to do it on the BC296D)
-- Quick access TUNE function
-- Excellent software (Win96 by Don Starr)
-- Enable extra frequency ranges through software (17-25 MHz, 225-400MHz, 700 MHz band, etc.)
-- You can Scan a trunked system in a bank and Search another one in a different bank, unlike the BC296D that limits you to Scan or Search all your trunked sytems
-- Up to 150 Talkgroups ID's per bank
-- Better reception/sensitivity from VHF to UHF/800MHz (Just my opinion and for my area, not technically or scientifically proven)
-- Battery Low threshold adjustable (Through software)
-- Changeable Welcome Screen text
-- Able to review lockout frequencies
-- Up to six Base/Offset ranges for VHF/UHF trunked systems through software (Only one through the keypad)
-- Skips over encrypted transmissions (Only on 3600 systems and when both sides are using it)

 

[Voyager]

This is something I posted back in December to several lists and forums, so here it goes again. (Anybody feel free to correct, add, etc.)

Features of the BC296D, (that the Pro-96 DOES NOT HAVE or are better in the BC296D):

-- More software programs available
-- LTR trunking
-- Direct entry and/or selection of Talkgroup ID's
-- I-Calls
-- Shows ENC when receiving encrypted transmissions
-- Easier to clear all lockout frequencies
-- Supports Military Airband out of the box (No need to enable through software)

In order:

The sheer number of programs available is irrelevant. Win96 is the first program for the 96 and eliminated most need for competition. Chevy makes more models than Lamborghini. Does that mean Chevys are better? If you believe that, I have one I'll trade you even up.

LTR limitations were discussed above. You should add a similar disclaimer.

I've posted many times the method for direct entry of TGs on a PRO-96.

I-Calls only on 3600 systems. Nothing does them on 9600.

Shows you when you are receiving a type of transmission you can't hear. I fail to see the benefit of this.

I believe the PRO-96 has a method to clear all lockouts at the same time. I don't use it, so I don't recall what the keystrokes are.

You have to set a flag via SW once. Big deal. Once set, it's set forever unless you unset it or overwrite it. Since it's such a trivial matter on the '96, I would hardly call it a benefit on the 296.

Joe M.