oh what you are saying makes sense but we live with what it is.
That is exactly why we are at the same point today with scanner technology as we were back in 1986 when I had a Bearcat 1000xlt (or 100xlt, whataver that one was..?). There really is absolutely no improvement other than the ability to carry the new trunked type systems, and even that was done what 10 or 15 years ago now?
It really is time we get them to move forward with a reasonable user friendly interface. We need to ALL make them (the manufacturer's) focus on that. Otherwise, it will be 2030, and we will still be "pressing HOLD + dot + 1 + dot + 1 to put a scanner into "scan mode" of a particular system. Doesn't make any sense at all.
.... Then if we want to scan just that system, you can hold diown the hold key for a couple of seconds and you are then you are scanning JUST the group. You can do the same think by turning off the quick keys but I think the number key is alittle faster.
That demonstrates exactly my point. Press and hold the [HOLD] key to put the scanner in SCAN mode!! hmmmmmm....... that's intuitive for the user!
Any scanner that can hold 25000 channels will be complicated.
That is not true at all. It does NOT have to be complicated. Complicated to program systems and understand frequencies and tones and how systems and radio's work is fine, we can't "fix" that. But the user interface does not need to be complicated, it could be very simple if they simply selected a proper processor (instead of a cheap logic processor you can't do much with), and then focused on creating a GUI that is intuitive. Cell phones used to be complicated back in the late 80's and early 90's. You had to press the [MEM] key, and then a 2 digit # to direct dial a stored phone number, and you could only store 99 of them. Remember that? Well, how hard is it now to dial any of the 1000's of contacts multiple numbers or email addresses on your iPhone? And, there are NO buttons! So the not enough room for buttons excuse doesn't work anymore.
Simply put, we should be able to program and NAME any and all systems, groups and individual frequencies into memory. And then simply select items, groups and/or complete systems, drag and drop them or just check them off and press SCAN to scan them. Presss GOTO and select a name from the list (select a system, select a group, select your item), press enter and you are on it. Press the WEATHER key to listen to Weather.... you know, the key should actually do what it says it does. Not some cryptic unmarked code to do it.
Honestly, I've been out of scanning for 5 to 10 years, and just got back into it and bought the 396xlt. I still have my old 245xlt, and I am astonished at the lack of progress in the technology. When I thought about buying a new scanner, I thought for sure the technology would have changed, but to my surprise it actually went backwards in the interface arena.
This really needs to change, and there is absolutely no reason it shouldn't. I hope Uniden and the other manufer's are reading this and thinking long and hard about it, and/or are already onto this....
Just my perspective....
