The best beginners scanner!

[Oldglide]

I've been doing this for a long time and IMO, the Uniden BC246T is absolutely the best place to start. It's unfortunate that this model is no longer being manufactured by Uniden, the replacement BC346XT lacks some of the conventional user controls we're used to seeing on a scanner. FIND ONE! I would pay up to $200.00, most that I've seen go for around $150-$175, if it were clean with all the accessories. This scanner is user friendly and a breeze to program with FreeSCAN, which by the way is FREE!. If you want to learn Uniden's DMA system, programming and trunking this is the place to start. Great specs and "good ears". You have to spend a little time learning but well worth the effort. For me, this has now become my reference for a non-digital scanner. I hope it's still scanning when I'm not. Good luck to all.

 

[sjlamb]

I've been doing this for a long time and IMO, the Uniden BC246T is absolutely the best place to start. It's unfortunate that this model is no longer being manufactured by Uniden, the replacement BC346XT lacks some of the conventional user controls we're used to seeing on a scanner. FIND ONE! I would pay up to $200.00, most that I've seen go for around $150-$175, if it were clean with all the accessories. This scanner is user friendly and a breeze to program with FreeSCAN, which by the way is FREE!. If you want to learn Uniden's DMA system, programming and trunking this is the place to start. Great specs and "good ears". You have to spend a little time learning but well worth the effort. For me, this has now become my reference for a non-digital scanner. I hope it's still scanning when I'm not. Good luck to all.

The BC246T could be "absolutely best place to start" IF..... and only IF.... it is actually capable of hearing the radio systems being used in your listening area. In my location; the 246T would be about as useful as a sack of hammers.

Since this thread is directed towards beginners, I think a word of caution is deserved here. While the BC246T is a fine scanner, it will prove essentially useless to even "beginners" if the radio systems they interested in hearing are digital voice or operate on 9600 baud APCO-P25 control channels.

So.... for all the beginners reading this thread, it would be very wise to research which type(s) of radio systems are being used in your area and which scanner models are capable of hearing them BEFORE selecting which model to buy.

 

[CStarr59]

When I first started scanning everything was analog conventional frequencies, and it made it fairly easy to understand and program your scanner. Getting started today in a digital area is very diffacult at best, especially if you have no knowledge of scanner programing. I think this issue needs to be addressed more to help new people understand what a great hobby this can be, and also be aware of what's going on around their community. I appreciate all this forum gives to everyone looking for knowledge or asking questions. But with that being said, I believe there needs to be more done from the manufactures of these scanners to help new people understand without becoming totally frustrated and giving up. Some of the manuals on CD or paper are very short on explinations and guidance. There has to be an easier way to get this new wave of scanner technology understood.

 

[Oldglide]

Point well taken

I've been doing this for a long time and IMO, the Uniden BC246T is absolutely the best place to start. It's unfortunate that this model is no longer being manufactured by Uniden, the replacement BC346XT lacks some of the conventional user controls we're used to seeing on a scanner. FIND ONE! I would pay up to $200.00, most that I've seen go for around $150-$175, if it were clean with all the accessories. This scanner is user friendly and a breeze to program with FreeSCAN, which by the way is FREE!. If you want to learn Uniden's DMA system, programming and trunking this is the place to start. Great specs and "good ears". You have to spend a little time learning but well worth the effort. For me, this has now become my reference for a non-digital scanner. I hope it's still scanning when I'm not. Good luck to all.

Your point is well taken . I made the mistake and ASSUMED, we all know what that means, That the beginner would have known this before hand, I also should have mentioned the BC246T is analog only and not digital. Sometimes my enthusiasm overtakes my clear thinking. Apologies to all.