Twice The Price For Digital (?)

[BadRambo]

Hiya Guys --- about to jump into a new mobile scanner, and of course, am down to the 15 or the 996. After going through the owner's manuals, it would appear that the ONLY difference between the two is digital decoding, and at double the price(?)

Or am I missing something in the 996 that justifies the price difference. Your comments please...

Many Thanks --- Bob

 

[pinellasfirefighter]

hmmm......

 

[K9GTJ]

There have been several threads on this recently. Here is one that I think best sums it all up...

http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42503

 

[hiegtx]

Close, but not not quite.

The digital does make up a latge portion of the price differential, due to the cost for the digital decoder.However, there are few other points to consider.

BCD996- 6000 channels BCT15- 2500

996- selectabe display, two colors
15- only one color
(see the post release threads for pics & the differences in color shades)

The 996 comes with a DIN sleeve for in-dash mounting; the sleeve has to be purchased separately on the 15.

Programming software for the 996 is a free download. For the 15, the full version requires purchase, $29.95.

If you don't need digital, or the extra channel capacity, get the 15. If your area is headed digital, or you want the extra channel either for your local area, or because you travel a good bit, then the 996 might be the better choice.

 

[scannerfreak]

Alot of the "extra" cost is for the License from DVSI..You forgot that one

 

[BadRambo]

OK guys, you convinced me. While there is some sporadic digital traffic in my area (Northern Calif and Bay Area) it is still not here yet (yet)... ... so with the future in mind, I had better spring for the 996. The extra channel capacity is nice too -- saves alot of reprogramming when you plan on visting another geo-area.

Thanks for the veteran inputs -- it has been a long wait for the 996 -- better get it !!!

Bob

 

[BadRambo]

Alot of the "extra" cost is for the License from DVSI..You forgot that one

Hiya "Freak" ---

Just did some very fast research on DVSI, and if Uniden is paying a royalty fee to use that technology for digi-demod, then that could be a noticable amount depending on how bad DVSI is gouging, if they are...

Makes sense -- thanks for the input.

Bob

 

[hiegtx]

Alot of the "extra" cost is for the License from DVSI..You forgot that one

Sort of. I more or less consider that included in the cost of the digital decoder. You can't have one without the other. No matter which way you cut it, it's a big part of the price difference.

 

[DaveNF2G]

BTW, the BCT-15 manual makes the erroneous statement that Canadian use requires a license. It's probably a holdover from the BCD996T manual, which they probably edited for the '15.

 

[Al42]

The extra channel capacity is nice too -- saves alot of reprogramming when you plan on visting another geo-area.

I can get every channel I listen to, at home and away, into the 6,000 channels of the 396, so you're right, it's nice.

But "programming" for a trip, if you already have a system set up for the trip in the UASD, only takes a few minutes of the computer's time and almost no effort on your part.