What does the simulcast do
Scanner recommendations between Uniden and Whistler
- Thread starter Bonkk083
- Start date
Simulcast - The RadioReference Wiki
Which results in...
(Discussed heavily here on the forums)
Simulcast Distortion - The RadioReference Wiki
Pisses us off..and forces people to buy the most expensive scanner on the market (SDS)
Technically, but I think only by a year, 2014 vs 2015, IIRC. I wouldn't let age be a determining factor. The biggest difference is the 536 is a database scanner, 996 is a dynamic memory scanner. If you plan on having this in a car and traveling with it, the database scanner will be much easier. Type in your current zip code and it'll load the programming from the microSD card. Database scanning isn't for everyone though. IMO it makes it easier to just listen to a specific county or system. I never really got the hang of using dynamic memory the same way
I'm going to use it at home, with the 536 it has a wifi dongle is that good or bad
I don't own a 536 but I do have the 436 (handheld version), so I don't have any experience with it. According to Scannermaster's website, the wifi dongle is used to "remotely control your scanner under the same wireless network". If that's something that you're looking to do, it's a good thing.
Check out the videos on Scannermaster's page, they can explain and demonstrate better than I can
If you are using software, such as ProScan, there's not a lot of difference about "how hard" either of those scanners is to program them.
For the 996P2, you would have to program everything you wanted to listen to,
For the 536HP (the HP suffix does indicate it;s a scanner in the Home Patrol series), you can simply update the main database, then scan using your location & a range, plus specifying the types of things you want to monitor. That's good if you are taking a road trip. Make sure the database is up to date, connect a GPS to the scanner & hit the road. The GPS will enable systems in range as you drive, turning off those that are passing out of range. However, you probably would find that, long term, you'd be happier using a Favorites list for the agencies in your area that interest you.
The basis of the programming between the two scanners is not that different. In the 996P2, you have Systems, (sites for trunked systems), and groups, which are a collection of channels (conventional channel frequencies, or talkgroups in a trunked system). For the 536HP, or any of the scanners that fall under the 'Home Patrol' classification, you have systems, sites, and Departments. The 'Department' of any of the HP scanners is the same as what is called a 'group' in the 996P2 & other DMA scanners.
The biggest difference is that in the HP type scanners, you can collect systems (and their components) and program them into a Favorites list. You can have a number of them created & stored on their memory card, and select which ones you want to monitor at any one time. For the 996P2, you can program a number of systems, and select which specific ones you want to hear, as long as you programmed them in advance. The 536HP has a display with more information than the 996P2. Plus, the 536HP, and other Home Patrol scanners, can record what it's hearing on it's memory card, even when not connected to your PC. For the 996P2, the only way you can record anything is if it's connected to a computer's sound card. Cost wise, the 996P2 is currently a little over $350 on Amazon, and the 536HP is $489. ScannerMaster is about $40 higher on each. Of course, ScannerMaster & other dealers such as Bearcat Warehouse, can give you more technical support, answering questions,. But if you know what you want, and don't need any hand-holding from your dealer, I'd order from Amazon. Amazon has a very flexible return policy, no restock fees, and if you have a Prime membership, they pay the return shipping as well. Many of the dealers do charge a restock fee for returns, plus you are paying the shipping for returns, and in most cases for it to be shipped to you. At the price points for these scanners, Amazon shipping to you is at no charge.
Regardless of what you buy, and where your purchase is made, do not pay a dealer to program a scanner. There's practically endless threads here on the forums about programming, plus Wiki pages, as well as dozens of 'how to videos' on YouTube. You might find someone in your state who can share a programming file more specific to your area. For the 996P2, you will need software; while you can program through the keypad, it can be very tedious and time consuming, especially when it comes to text tags. Looking at your county, I do not see any current listings for agencies using DMR or NXDN, though some of the school districts in surrounding counties are using DMR (those might not be of interest). Since you are a Premium Subscriber, you could use FreeSCAN to aid in importing what you want to hear (as long as none of the systems that interest you use DMR or NXDN). However, that software is no longer supported, ProScan is a much better choice, The 536HP does need Sentinel (free from Uniden) to maintain the database, and it can handle programming (though not imports). ProScan can be used on either the 996P2 or the 536HP, as well as a large number of other Uniden scanners. Should you, at some point, find that you have some DMR or NXDN systems of interest, either of these scanners can accept the paid upgrades for those two modes. Don't pay a dealer to do that for you, You can register the scanner on Uniden's site, & purchase the upgrades at a cost of $15 to $25 (or even more) less than what the dealer would charge you.
Can the 536HP be set to a unlimited range for home use are will the 996P2 be better for that
Not quite sure you grasp the concept of "range" (no such animal as unlimited) so...
Understanding Range
I mean like I get some frequencies about 70 miles does that make a difference for homepatrol
No. If it is a Favorites list, range makes no difference if that list is not set to use location control. If that’s the case, that system and its channels would be checked any time that list is enabled for scanning.
I don’t use location control on the Favorites lists I have created. I know what I can expect to hear, regardless of how close or or farther away it is.
Are the frequencies already programmed with homepatrol are do some frequencies needs to be put in
For any of the ‘Home Patrol’ family of scanners, any system, channel, talkgroup, etc, that is in the RadioReference database as of the last date that you updated the database in Sentinel as well as your scanner is available to be monitored. The only ones that you would need to add would be items not yet in the database. That might be a completely new system, or one in the database that has added channels since the last update. For the DMA scanners such as the 996P2, you have to program everything, whether it’s in the database or not.
What is the difference between simulcast and multi site support
Simulcast refers to a single site on a trunked system. For these, there are two or more subsites (transmit towers) in an area (usually a county) where all of these use the same set of frequencies, each transmitting the exact same thing, on the same frequency & talkgroup, at the same time. So, when these multiple transmissions reach your scanner, they are out of sync with each other, since the subsites are at varying distances from your location. More on what is simulcast, and why it affects a scanner, is in the Wiki: Simulcast digital distortion - The RadioReference Wiki.
Multi-site refers most commonly where there are two or more towers in a trunked system, using different sets of frequencies at each one, in a county. Your state's Palmetto 800 is a multi-site system. Those have transmitters spread across the various counties, so that field units can maintain contact with their dispatcher, no matter where in the state they are. While some of the sites used in the system are tagged as Simulcast, that has nothing to do with the fact that this is a multi-site system.
They are counties that are listed as simulcast would the 536 and 996 has the multi site work
Again, multi-site & simulcast are two different its, not the same.
Either of these scanners can handle your statewide multi-site system when properly programmed.
However, the sites that are tagged as Simulcast can be an issue. Simulcast problems are extremely location specific. Read the simulcast article in the Wiki that I linked earlier.
Would I need a scanner that is simulcast capable like the SDS200
