Uniden BCD996P2 Questions before purchasing

[curtisabolt]

I would like to know if anyone has any experience owning and using the Uniden BCD996P2 scanner here in Michigan and has the Michigan Public Safety Communications System (MPSCS) P25 Phase 1 programmed in and Muskegon County Simulcast programmed as well.

With that, if you do. Does it work well? Was it easy to set up and program in the frequencies and what program do you suggest for setting it up with above frequencies?

And anything else you can think of that would be helpful for me to know and learn without buying and making the mistake of buying and not fitting the needs I have.

I am doing this to help a friend's dad get set back up listening after Muskegon county deprecated the analog voice system that was previously used.

Feel free to DM me or post here. DM's are greatly appreciated also.

 

[BenScan]

I don't live up there, but I would not recommend the BCD996P2 due to its poor performance with simulcast trunked systems. Go ahead and spend the money on the SDS 100 or SDS200 that handles simulcast more reliably. You might get lucky and have the BCD996P2 work in a particular location, but there's a good chance there will be a lot of frustration involved. Others who are familiar with where the scanner will be used may offer better news, but I personally would not buy the BCD996P2 again.

 

[iMONITOR]

The BCD996P2 works just fine at my home in Macomb Twp, Michigan (Macomb County) which is a 14 site simulcast system. However not everyone is this lucky. Buy from a reputable dealer that allows returns with a full refund if it does not perform as advertised by Uniden. I suggest Scanner Master or Amazon. At the most if might cost you shipping but that's it. It's better than spending $750.00 if you don't need too!

 

[RoninJoliet]

Just for general info here at my area my 996p2s work perfect on the simulcast Illinois P25 Starcom 700/800 Digital System, easy to pgm and sound great,.....

 

[Ronaldski]

There is under MODE at the link plenty of DE we list, that encrypted just an FYI.

https://www.radioreference.com/db/sid/100

 

[werinshades]

Avoid the headaches and aggravation, buying paper clips and Yagi antennas to point directly at a site, save your money for an SDS200. Very rare that a non-SDS scanner works "perfectly" on a simulcast system, but it is possible if you move to a specific location in your house when the wind is blowing from the optimum direction and your paper clip is bent in the perfect configuration. As I've proven to a friend who swore up and down his non-SDS scanner was working "perfectly" on a simulcast site, much of the "silence" was missed transmissions that my SDS scanner was sitting right next to it and receiving a transmission.

 

[twjr80]

Avoid the headaches and aggravation, buying paper clips and Yagi antennas to point directly at a site, save your money for an SDS200. Very rare that a non-SDS scanner works "perfectly" on a simulcast system, but it is possible if you move to a specific location in your house when the wind is blowing from the optimum direction and your paper clip is bent in the perfect configuration. As I've proven to a friend who swore up and down his non-SDS scanner was working "perfectly" on a simulcast site, much of the "silence" was missed transmissions that my SDS scanner was sitting right next to it and receiving a transmission.

While the non-SDS scanners don't do as well with simulcast systems, I have a 996P2 with a home made yagi pointing at the nearest site. Not missing one thing.

 

[werinshades]

While the non-SDS scanners don't do as well with simulcast systems, I have a 996P2 with a home made yagi pointing at the nearest site. Not missing one thing.

Yes, that's my point. Buy the SDS scanner, no homemade contraptions to try and accomplish the same goal, and as I said, silence might not be inactivity, but missing transmissions. OP's choice to make, that's why opinions are being solicited.

 

[ka3aaa]

you cant go wrong with the 996p2 in my opinion and i highly recommend it along with proscan for programming it.

 

[JimD56]

I love the BCD996P2, I used to have 3, BUT now I am down to only one. As simulcast has taken over and my experience with the BCD996P2 is not good on simulcast. Even being close to one of the antennas and a Yagi pointing that way I was still getting distortion. I now run an SDS100, an SDS200, a Unication G4, and multiple SDRs running SDRTrunk and I don't miss anything.

 

[twjr80]

Yes, that's my point. Buy the SDS scanner, no homemade contraptions to try and accomplish the same goal, and as I said, silence might not be inactivity, but missing transmissions. OP's choice to make, that's why opinions are being solicited.

For some, like myself, building your own "contraptions" is fun.

 

[werinshades]

For some, like myself, building your own "contraptions" is fun.

That's up to the OP, but if you use tin foil and a paper clip to monitor a system on a scanner....well...ok

 

[curtisabolt]

Thank you for all your feedback. The good and bad of everyone's is helpful and informative. With that said, the receiver is going to be used by my friend's father, who has no clue how to use the new technology and is as old school as I am. However, I have the knowledge of understanding what buying a good receiver can get you. Since I had an Icom R-1 back in the day before receiving certain frequencies were blocked.

Now days, it seems like if your just an everyday clueless Joe, they don't want you to hear what they are saying. If you have a little technology smarts you can get around this by having a receiver or a internet connection that has a site that rebroadcasts the scanner channel. So I than the feed providers who do that.

I however still have a lot of learning to do. I am leaning towards the SDS200, However, I know my friend would choke at the price. To me, it's a good investment.

With that said, just a couple of more questions to anyone willing to answer. What kind of antenna should I get?
I see a Yagi antenna suggest. Any particular brand that I should look for?

Also, Is there a way to figure out where the simulcast antennas are located so I can determine if a Yagi antenna will be a good fit for the set up?

 

[curtisabolt]

The BCD996P2 works just fine at my home in Macomb Twp, Michigan (Macomb County) which is a 14 site simulcast system. However not everyone is this lucky. Buy from a reputable dealer that allows returns with a full refund if it does not perform as advertised by Uniden. I suggest Scanner Master or Amazon. At the most if might cost you shipping but that's it. It's better than spending $750.00 if you don't need too!

Thanks for the semi local info. Anyway to figure out where the simulcast antennas are here in Muskegon County that you know of?

 

[werinshades]

With that said, just a couple of more questions to anyone willing to answer. What kind of antenna should I get?
I see a Yagi antenna suggest. Any particular brand that I should look for?

Some with non-simulcast scanners use a Yagi antenna and swing it around until they have optimum coverage on simulcast systems. If you do go with the SDS200, that shouldn't be necessary, so right there you save a few bucks.

I'm an advocate to not buy anything extra at first. It comes with a stock antenna, and that might be enough. I personally purchase external speakers with my desk top scanners, as the speaker being low, and the nature of digital having a little more bass, I prefer using one. If your friend finds he doesn't like the audio, you can upgrade later. I'm not a believer in buying all the bells and whistles until you figure out what you'll need. Plenty of resources to purchase from if it becomes necessary.

 

[wtp]

i am a cheap guy and would recommend the SDS series.
my county uses a 700 Mhz simulcast and my 325P2 works great everywhere, except my house.
i use it when out and have to do the old rabbit ear antenna dance inside the house.
i will however eventually buy a SDS radio.

 

[twjr80]

That's up to the OP, but if you use tin foil and a paper clip to monitor a system on a scanner....well...ok

I'm not using tin foil and a paper clip.

 

[swatpup102]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but when I scan my local P25 Phase 1 simulcast systems from a static location, I lock to a single site/tower on both my SDS100 and my 996P2. No antenna pointing or changing. I never have issues out of either one scanning the system this way.

When I go mobile in the local area with the SDS100, I typically use favorites for the surrounding county systems, and lock on to the towers in the area. It's not until I go past my local AO and hook up the GPS do I use the full database and location following.

In summary, you can absolutely use the 996P2 for simulcast systems if you're staying in a static spot, close enough to a tower, and do a site lock on that frequency set (assuming it gives you good reception). I'm lucky for this as I can pick it up the nearest tower without an antenna hooked up on my 996P2.

 

[werinshades]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but when I scan my local P25 Phase 1 simulcast systems from a static location, I lock to a single site/tower on both my SDS100 and my 996P2. No antenna pointing or changing. I never have issues out of either one scanning the system this way.

When I go mobile in the local area with the SDS100, I typically use favorites for the surrounding county systems, and lock on to the towers in the area. It's not until I go past my local AO and hook up the GPS do I use the full database and location following.

In summary, you can absolutely use the 996P2 for simulcast systems if you're staying in a static spot, close enough to a tower, and do a site lock on that frequency set (assuming it gives you good reception). I'm lucky for this as I can pick it up the nearest tower without an antenna hooked up on my 996P2.

With simulcast systems, 1 site might include more than 1 tower which transmits the same data on the same frequencies. It's not an issue locking on to a site, it's an issue when the non-SDS scanners become overloaded with the same transmissions from different near by locations. The SDS series scanners, are the only one currently out there that can handle these type of systems properly and in many cases, 100% decode. I've owned many scanners over the years, and also live in a simulcast jungle, so understand this concept very well. I've seen too many times on here where people make purchases of non-simulcast scanners because they're "cheaper", only to be frustrated and/or returning it because "it can't pick up everything and/or the transmissions are breaking up". This is why many of us lean towards SDS100's/200's. It's not because we're salespeople for Uniden, but have seen the end result in many cases.

 

[JimD56]

You can experiment, going the "cheap route" first. Get 2 RTL-SDR's, ($60.00), with a 4-inch 700/800mhz stubby antenna each, ($15-30) then load up SDRTrunk (Free). I get 10 times better reception with the SDR's than either of my SDS100/200.