Uniden released new hp2? What about fixing the models you already released!

[AuntEnvy]

To be fair, I'm not sure why uniden would have done a release of a new unit the way they did, and perhaps it took a while to get it accomplished, and, and, and.... but people should have paid more attention to what they were buying.

This kind of reminds me of the NFL draft. Everyone is frothing at the mouth for the hot new prospect. And when their team doesn't win the super bowl then he sucks and so does everyone who's in charge of the team.

 

[daveharpe]

Read the other threads. The timeline has been posted by Uniden.
Currently, they are working on the 536 since they finally received the working WiFi firmware in December. Next will be the 436.

"Next" isn't a timeline. It's a vague promise. If it's anything like the 536 it'll be later than anyone expects.

Again it's been a year without a key feature that I - among many others - planned to use. It's indefensible.

 

[Voyager]

"Next" isn't a timeline. It's a vague promise. If it's anything like the 536 it'll be later than anyone expects.

Again it's been a year without a key feature that I - among many others - planned to use. It's indefensible.

I said UNIDEN posted the timeline - I didn't say I did. They mentioned terms like "weeks" which is a timeline. If you don't want to look for it, why should I do the work for you?

Yes, it is indefensible that Uniden had to wait a year before getting the dongle firmware so they could add the features.

 

[daveharpe]

Yes, it is indefensible that Uniden had to wait a year before getting the dongle firmware so they could add the features.

The dongle has nothing to do with the 436HP other than it illustrates Uniden's apparent ability to only work on either the 536 or the 436 but not both at the same time. This is odd since they seem to be able to release new, improved models of similar radios (HP2) and new models of older radios (996P2) unabated.

It's ridiculous to say Uniden gets a pass on this simply because their supplier had delivery issues with one component of one radio. That is not a customer problem, it's a Uniden problem. Yet they are making it a customer problem with no compensation. "Sorry we can't manage our supply chain...guess you won't be getting that feature we promised anytime soon. Oopsie."

If there was such a big delay with the dongle you would think it would be more customer-friendly to finish features in radios already released versus efforting new radios to market - which is the subject of this thread.

 

[troymail]

All I can say is that as a consumer, you can't listen to all of the hype and dive in early unless you just want to, can afford it, and be willing to accept that a product doesn't live up to your expectations. Everyone's situation is different - between what they want a product for, what it does or doesn't do, and in this case (being a radio scanner), what what you want to listen to in your area. Clearly, even with the features actually available, users have had a wide variety of experiences - both good and bad. That's bound to happen.

Did Uniden advertise and not (yet) deliver on a feature? Absolutely.

Is there much we can do about it at this point if we already own one other than to wait? Not much except wait a little longer if they are saying they are still planning to deliver.

What we can do is be much more suspect and cautious in the future when promises are made ... wait in the wings and see if the promises hold true - and decide at a later date if you want to jump in or walk away. Or just walk away from Uniden entirely and don't look back. Those are really the only viable options.

If you want to be first to own one, one thing is certainly going to be true... you'll also be first to experience any dissatisfaction in the product if/when it doesn't live up to expectations.

I have both a 436 and 536 and of course other older radios from both GRE/Whistler as well as Uniden. All have something they do better than the other when it comes to features. None are "perfect" but I can't really expect that given the wide range of things they are trying to do to satisfy everyone.

As far as the back and forth in this thread - people should just be allowed to vent and not get into attacks on one another. Say your mind and allow others to do the same and let's put an end to the attack mode discussion... There's still alot out there (for now) that we can do with our radios while we wait....

 

[Voyager]

The dongle has nothing to do with the 436HP other than it illustrates Uniden's apparent ability to only work on either the 536 or the 436 but not both at the same time. This is odd since they seem to be able to release new, improved models of similar radios (HP2) and new models of older radios (996P2) unabated.

Please cite your source that the firmware in the 436 and 536 are not related.

Also, it's clear that for the most part the x36 and XT/P2 series do not share much of the same SW - at least for display purposes.

 

[WQPW689]

Anyone who thinks a company is going to suspend all other efforts to expand their markets in order to throw 100% of all available resources into a single set of problems is bound to be very disappointed.

 

[stingray327]

If you've already purchased an HP-1 or X36HP, your check has already been cashed and the money spent. Any further work to product already shipped will be a gift and completely incidental. As others have stated: if you don't like Uniden's method of going to market with scanners, don't buy them. I don't know of too many companies where the product people regularly stick their necks out in a public venue. I'm completely amazed that Upman hangs in with some of the venom displayed. And, I'll wager that nobody who's grumbling 'class action' has even consulted counsel. Here's another news flash: corporations have staff attorneys waiting around for things like this. And, they get paid no matter what.

Devotion to accuracy: I bought an HP-1 because I believed the whole' last scanner that you'll ever have to buy' bit. As long as I don't yet need Phase 2 or any other digital schemes, I'm going to sit on my sadder but wiser hands as far as an HP-2 or X36HP.

I just got an HP-2 and I do like it better than the 436. It was not up and running as they make some claim that it can be up and running in a very short time.. It took me some time to work with the Sentinel Program for the HP-2 say 4 or 5 hours.. The 436 has a different Sentinel Program but it's much more difficult to operate and see the screen but yet I didn't spend as much time in the Sentinel Program for the 436 as I did the HP-2. I still have alot to learn on the HP-2 even though it is suppose to be more user friendly as I am learning more about it just by usage. it All I have to do now is figure out how to coordinate the favorites list in the HP-2 like I did in the 436. Two of the favorite files came up empty with no data in it t after I had programmed the freqs. into HP-2 via Sentinel.
The one thing I didn't expect on these two scanners is how fast they eat up AA Alklaine batteries and Lithium batteries. The HP-2 will be alot more fun to play with since it is a more user friendly scanner.

 

[scosgt]

But they still did not include a RESUME button. The most totally frustrating thing on a scanner ever.

And computer control would have been really really nice.

 

[Voyager]

I just got an HP-2 and I do like it better than the 436. It was not up and running as they make some claim that it can be up and running in a very short time.. It took me some time to work with the Sentinel Program for the HP-2 say 4 or 5 hours..

The "quick up and running" does not involve Sentinel - it involves powering up the unit and entering your zip code and range. Many people have stated they were up and running in less than a minute.

 

[Hulca]

Unbelievable. Uniden has put out another scanner.
They are spreading themselves to thin.

It was more important to release another scanner than fix the on going issues with the x36's.
No wonder it a year to finally deal with the x36 issues.

 

[Jay911]

Unbelievable. Uniden has put out another scanner.
They are spreading themselves to thin.

It was more important to release another scanner than fix the on going issues with the x36's.
No wonder it a year to finally deal with the x36 issues.

I feel like I should yell bingo here for some reason.

As to Voyager and Stingray's comments, when I first got my first HP1, the longest part of setup involved breaking the batteries out of the hard plastic wrapper, and that took about a minute.

 

[Voyager]

Unbelievable. Uniden has put out another scanner.
They are spreading themselves to thin.

It was more important to release another scanner than fix the on going issues with the x36's.
No wonder it a year to finally deal with the x36 issues.

If you read the posts made by Uniden, they got the WiFi firmware in December. That's what took "over a year" (in actuality, about a year their time and 9 months our time) to "fix the issues" (complete the firmware).

Yea - it's amazing they didn't stop everything and wait for it for 9 months. :roll:

But, then we would have people criticizing them for not doing anything else.

 

[Jay911]

People aren't happy without complaining about something, Voyager. There's no point in arguing with these yahoos any more. People have been howling for years about why Uniden doesn't go with USB connections and control. Now that USB is becoming standard, they're complaining that they can't use their old serial peripherals. When the HomePatrol-1 came out, people *****ed that those features weren't available in a x96 style chassis. When the features came out in the x36 line, they whined about the x96 line getting "abandoned". When the x96 line gets a new radio that can do phase II, they bellyache about how the company isn't focusing on just one product.

I sometimes wonder why UPMan bothers posting here.

 

[marcotor]

When the x96 line gets a new radio that can do phase II, they bellyache about how the company isn't focusing on just one product.

And go on and on how it would "be easy" to add TRBO, NXDN, etc. to the scanner.

 

[jonwienke]

Haters gonna hate.

 

[stingray327]

People aren't happy without complaining about something, Voyager. There's no point in arguing with these yahoos any more. People have been howling for years about why Uniden doesn't go with USB connections and control. Now that USB is becoming standard, they're complaining that they can't use their old serial peripherals. When the HomePatrol-1 came out, people *****ed that those features weren't available in a x96 style chassis. When the features came out in the x36 line, they whined about the x96 line getting "abandoned". When the x96 line gets a new radio that can do phase II, they bellyache about how the company isn't focusing on just one product.

I sometimes wonder why UPMan bothers posting here.

I am happy with the HP-2 as a base station. I do notice that the 436 is a better receiver in the house or the car.
I use 436 in car.
I prefer the HP-2 if I could only have one .

 

[bearcatrp]

What hurts us users are the morons who purchase newer products (after x86) from uniden instead of going elsewhere for a scanner and showing uniden that screwing folks for not delivering on a feature ADVERTISED right on the side of the box will hurt there business. The folks who bought x86 scanners got ripped off. PERIOD. Until I see a firmware update that corrects my scanner to make it function as advertised, then my money goes to honest companies who don't lie about features. Whining for a year won't do squat. Give up and move on, hopefully to a different company.

 

[stingray327]

The "quick up and running" does not involve Sentinel - it involves powering up the unit and entering your zip code and range. Many people have stated they were up and running in less than a minute.

I went in computer first.

 

[signal500]

Unbelievable. Uniden has put out another scanner.
They are spreading themselves to thin.

It was more important to release another scanner than fix the on going issues with the x36's.
No wonder it a year to finally deal with the x36 issues.

I suspect Uniden released the HP2 and the BCD996P2 to help offset the costs involved in resolving the on-going issues with the x36HP line. Uniden needs additional sales and profit to justify staying in the radio scanner business especially after the x36HP line fiasco.

According to UPMAN, the HP1 is the best selling scanner in the history of Uniden and I'm sure the BCD996XT is the runner-up. The future of Public Safety radio systems is moving to P25 Phase 2, so it would make sense for Uniden to upgrade their two top selling scanners and hopefully increase sales.

In my opinion, only a few of us expert radio scanning hobbyists are truly happy with the x36HP line of scanners. I for one have already had to send in two BCD536HPs and one BCD436HP for repair. I have never had to do that for any other scanners I have ever owned. I no longer get that 'warm and fuzzy feeling' now when Uniden releases a new scanner that use to make me go out and buy one.

Just my 2 cents after a year of silence on this issue.