Time to Upgrade

[K9kazoo]

Looking to upgrade from my 245XLT to a digital model...

I've narrowed down some choices:

1. Uniden BC796D
2. Uniden BC296D
3. Uniden BCD-396T (due to be released)
4. Go with another manufacturer like Icom...

I’m looking for a digital scanner to cover the trunking bands, civil and military aircraft bands. The RS 2096 just won't cut it... a lot of gaps in freq coverage.

Any thoughts, ideas, comments, questions???

 

[K2KOH]

Are you leaning more towards Aircraft monitoring, or the trunking? The reason I ask is because I'm finding out more and more that a regular scanner just doesn't cut it when it comes to listening the VHF/UHF aircraft...that ANL/NB button really does come in handy.

I use an Icom R10 for ACARS monitoring, and an Icom R20 for VHF/UHF ATC communications.

For trunking, I use a Radio Shack Pro-96, which, with Don Starr's Win96 software, will search the UHF Airband.

So, I've either really thrown you into a quandry, or I've helped you make a decision. Either way, have fun!

 

[K9kazoo]

Quandry it is... Geezzz and I thought it was just neat to listen to aircraft landing and taking off. What are my options here??? Where to start, where to end??? Enlighten me on the possibilities... Don't leave out any details

I was looking at dropping $500-600 US at HRO in Portland!

I await...

Thanks for the quick reply.

B.

 

[n4voxgill]

Icom does not make any trunk tracking scanners. I listen to air force planes from Randolph AFB every day on my Pro96 and 2096. Look at all the features and pick the one that does the most of what you want.

 

[K9kazoo]

Well I guess Icom is out... and on another thread someone stated a mod for the (20)96??? Thus opening up the Mil freqs. Being in Canada I'm not too sure how much Mil air I'm going to hear... our seagulls and geese are getting kinda old

Being a newbie to ACARS... what is envoled/required to enable???

B.

 

[scnnr]

Well I guess Icom is out... and on another thread someone stated a mod for the (20)96??? Thus opening up the Mil freqs. Being in Canada I'm not too sure how much Mil air I'm going to hear... our seagulls and geese are getting kinda old

Being a newbie to ACARS... what is envoled/required to enable???

B.

Bleach

Get a pro 96 if you want a portable or a 2096 if you want a base/mobile. Awesome digital quality on the Radio Shack scanners compared to Uniden's.

Along with the V folders and the Win 96 program you will find these radios just what you want for traveling across the country

 

[JoeyC]

If you are primarily buying this scanner to cover the air bands and you want trunking too, get a Uniden. The "opened up band" you will get in the milAir band will be a disappointment on the Pro96 as the radio is not tuned to receive that band and reception is shabby to say the least. Also if you are looking at quality, I'd say stick with the Unidens as well. More and more I am reading about something breaking on the Pro96 or not working. Granted, the digital quality sound is reportedly better than the Unidens, but unless you are buying this scanner primarily for digital reception and don't mind a less sturdy model, go for the Pro96.

 

[K2KOH]

Quandry it is... Geezzz and I thought it was just neat to listen to aircraft landing and taking off. What are my options here??? Where to start, where to end??? Enlighten me on the possibilities... Don't leave out any details

I was looking at dropping $500-600 US at HRO in Portland!

I await...

Thanks for the quick reply.

B.

There's a couple of free ACARS decoder programs on the Web...ACARSd and WACARS. I use AirNav, a little pricey, but not bad. All you do is connect the scanner to the computer's mike input and let the software do the rest. It's pretty cool.
I use the Icom because it has a noise blanker, and keep a lot of the hash out. But another poster here has a good point..the Uniden does do quite well on UHF Air. My only complaint with the Uniden is no AM noise blanker, but I've never seen a scanner with one.

 

[james32746]

If you are primarily buying this scanner to cover the air bands and you want trunking too, get a Uniden. The "opened up band" you will get in the milAir band will be a disappointment on the Pro96 as the radio is not tuned to receive that band and reception is shabby to say the least. Also if you are looking at quality, I'd say stick with the Unidens as well. More and more I am reading about something breaking on the Pro96 or not working. Granted, the digital quality sound is reportedly better than the Unidens, but unless you are buying this scanner primarily for digital reception and don't mind a less study model, go for the Pro96.

I have both a Pro-96 and BC-796D and I noticed that on the Pro-96 you can use ordinary TV/FM Radio coaxial cable (75 ohm) and 50 ohm with no problem because the reception is not degraded but DO NOT try it on a Uniden that scanner won't take 75 ohm coax too kindly only 50 ohm, I say for versatility and better digital audio go with the Pro-96 or Pro-2096. Plus I think the sensitivity of the Pro-96 is much better than the Uniden ones because on one of my local analog TRS (Seminole County), the tower is 4 miles away and it sounds real scratchy (maybe it is on my end and not the scanner's end because it can sound clean too some times) and on the Pro-96 it sounds clean.

So unless you want Military Air, EDACS Narrowband/SCAT, or LTR go with the PRO-96/2096.

 

[RagnarD]

I originally purchased and IC-R20 for aircraft monitoring and some other favorites of mine but was disappointed with it and returned it.

I also own both the PRO-96 and the BC-296D and in my situation have found out the following:

1. For overall scanning both radios are about the same

2. For trunking the PRO-96 is far superior, it has better sensitivity and trunks better on both conventional and APCO-25 systems.

3. For UHF/VHF aircraft the BC-296D wins hands down. I know folks say that using Don Starr's awesome WIN96 app you can "open up" the mil air freq range but I have used both side by side under identical circumstances and the 296 wins hands down.

4. In summary, if you want a better aircraft receiver buy the BC-296D, if you want a better trunk scanner buy a PRO-96

5. Regardless of which rig you buy make the investment in the control/programming software. Don Starrs stuff is great and I never could of programmed the Uniden without Butel's ARC-250 application.

These are my findings but your mileage may vary.

Good Luck!

73
de
chris

 

[n4jri]

My PRO-96 is pretty deaf on mil-air, but that may not be a problem for someone living near a base and wanting to monitor local traffic.

If I want to monitor mil-air more distant, I flip on the AR-8200.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[K2KOH]

I originally purchased and IC-R20 for aircraft monitoring and some other favorites of mine but was disappointed with it and returned it.

I also own both the PRO-96 and the BC-296D and in my situation have found out the following:

1. For overall scanning both radios are about the same

2. For trunking the PRO-96 is far superior, it has better sensitivity and trunks better on both conventional and APCO-25 systems.

3. For UHF/VHF aircraft the BC-296D wins hands down. I know folks say that using Don Starr's awesome WIN96 app you can "open up" the mil air freq range but I have used both side by side under identical circumstances and the 296 wins hands down.

4. In summary, if you want a better aircraft receiver buy the BC-296D, if you want a better trunk scanner buy a PRO-96

5. Regardless of which rig you buy make the investment in the control/programming software. Don Starrs stuff is great and I never could of programmed the Uniden without Butel's ARC-250 application.

These are my findings but your mileage may vary.

Good Luck!

73
de
chris

Just curious...what didn't you like in the R20...I love mine so far...

 

[fireant]

If going digital and wanting the mil air I say get the new 396 this summer or at least till it comes out to see how it does on digital uniden may have the audio problem fixed also it will be more sensitive in the mil air band. I use a Pro 97 and Pro 43 for mil air however do not have a digial scanner yet not no need not enough digital in my area yet. hope this helps

fireant