Upgrading My 325P2

EastCoastSunrise

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Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 29, 2021
Messages
97
All,

I’ve had my 325P2 for about a year now. It’s my first real scanner and I love it. However as I’ve continued to dive deeper in to the hobby my needs have changed. Mainly I’ve found the lack of recording functionality to be something I didn’t think I’d need but now I miss it as enjoy dispatching for the Incident Page Network. So being able to play back the transmissions is now more important to me than I first thought.

So now I’m looking at either the 436 or the SDS series. I’m lucky enough to live just outside of Boston MA, meaning I end up needing to monitor everything, which is a mess of city run conventional UHF, single city P25 in the 400mhz range, a few VHF frequencies, and two different statewide trunks. (I know the old Mass State Police Motorola system is being retired and replaced with CoMIRS a all P25 system.)

So I am stuck with a scanner that does well on digital and conventional UHF. It’s been a while since I’ve looked in to either line of scanners but in my quick looking around I’ve seen reports that the SDS’s have poor performance on conventional frequencies as compared to digital on the 700-800mhz band. Does the SDS line still have these issues in the VHF/UHF band or have they been fixed? Same goes for the 436? Or would I even notice a difference when compared to my 325P2 given I set them up similarly?

Next, is the 436 still worth it over the SDS’s? According to scanner masters website there’s about a $140 delta between that and the SDS100. So I’m wondering which is the better long term buy if there is one?

Also given that both are SMA instead of BNC does anyone have any antenna recommendations? I know I’ll need a couple to cover everything especially VHF, for when I monitor aviation.

The last thing I have questions about is what do I do with my 325P2? Is it worth selling it to help aid the financial blow to my wallet or do I take the slightly larger financial blow and keep it around as either a second scanner, a broadcastify feeder, or something else.

Thanks for all the feedback in advance!

EastCoastSunrise
 

sfb88

Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2011
Messages
209
Location
Baltimore, MD
If the 325P2 is meeting your scanning needs, maybe it might be cheaper to get a Windows PC and Proscan and use it to do the recording. I don't have direct, personal experience with this so I will hope others will comment on the feasibility.
 

Chris0516

Active Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2020
Messages
1,103
Location
Pittsboro, North Carolina
All,

I’ve had my 325P2 for about a year now. It’s my first real scanner and I love it. However as I’ve continued to dive deeper in to the hobby my needs have changed. Mainly I’ve found the lack of recording functionality to be something I didn’t think I’d need but now I miss it as enjoy dispatching for the Incident Page Network. So being able to play back the transmissions is now more important to me than I first thought.

So now I’m looking at either the 436 or the SDS series. I’m lucky enough to live just outside of Boston MA, meaning I end up needing to monitor everything, which is a mess of city run conventional UHF, single city P25 in the 400mhz range, a few VHF frequencies, and two different statewide trunks. (I know the old Mass State Police Motorola system is being retired and replaced with CoMIRS a all P25 system.)

So I am stuck with a scanner that does well on digital and conventional UHF. It’s been a while since I’ve looked in to either line of scanners but in my quick looking around I’ve seen reports that the SDS’s have poor performance on conventional frequencies as compared to digital on the 700-800mhz band. Does the SDS line still have these issues in the VHF/UHF band or have they been fixed? Same goes for the 436? Or would I even notice a difference when compared to my 325P2 given I set them up similarly?

Next, is the 436 still worth it over the SDS’s? According to scanner masters website there’s about a $140 delta between that and the SDS100. So I’m wondering which is the better long term buy if there is one?

Also given that both are SMA instead of BNC does anyone have any antenna recommendations? I know I’ll need a couple to cover everything especially VHF, for when I monitor aviation.

The last thing I have questions about is what do I do with my 325P2? Is it worth selling it to help aid the financial blow to my wallet or do I take the slightly larger financial blow and keep it around as either a second scanner, a broadcastify feeder, or something else.

Thanks for all the feedback in advance!

EastCoastSunrise
If the 325P2 is meeting your scanning needs, maybe it might be cheaper to get a Windows PC and Proscan and use it to do the recording. I don't have direct, personal experience with this so I will hope others will comment on the feasibility.
ECS, I agree with sfb. I have the 325P2. I use Proscan for my programming needs. It is much easier that way. When I got the 325P2, it was actually a toss-up between the 325P2 and the 436HP. I finally decided on the 325P2, because. I didn't like the 436HP's taller, thinner design. It looks to easy to knock over. Regardless of using a stock antenna, or a telescopic antenna.
 
Last edited:

hiegtx

Mentor
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 8, 2004
Messages
11,172
Location
Dallas, TX
All,

I’ve had my 325P2 for about a year now. It’s my first real scanner and I love it. However as I’ve continued to dive deeper in to the hobby my needs have changed. Mainly I’ve found the lack of recording functionality to be something I didn’t think I’d need but now I miss it as enjoy dispatching for the Incident Page Network. So being able to play back the transmissions is now more important to me than I first thought.

So now I’m looking at either the 436 or the SDS series. I’m lucky enough to live just outside of Boston MA, meaning I end up needing to monitor everything, which is a mess of city run conventional UHF, single city P25 in the 400mhz range, a few VHF frequencies, and two different statewide trunks. (I know the old Mass State Police Motorola system is being retired and replaced with CoMIRS a all P25 system.)

So I am stuck with a scanner that does well on digital and conventional UHF. It’s been a while since I’ve looked in to either line of scanners but in my quick looking around I’ve seen reports that the SDS’s have poor performance on conventional frequencies as compared to digital on the 700-800mhz band. Does the SDS line still have these issues in the VHF/UHF band or have they been fixed? Same goes for the 436? Or would I even notice a difference when compared to my 325P2 given I set them up similarly?

Next, is the 436 still worth it over the SDS’s? According to scanner masters website there’s about a $140 delta between that and the SDS100. So I’m wondering which is the better long term buy if there is one?

Also given that both are SMA instead of BNC does anyone have any antenna recommendations? I know I’ll need a couple to cover everything especially VHF, for when I monitor aviation.

The last thing I have questions about is what do I do with my 325P2? Is it worth selling it to help aid the financial blow to my wallet or do I take the slightly larger financial blow and keep it around as either a second scanner, a broadcastify feeder, or something else.

Thanks for all the feedback in advance!

EastCoastSunrise
If you mainly want recording when at a fixed location with access to a PC, then you could use FreeSCAN, ProScan, or ARC-XT to record from your 325P to the computer. But if you, instead, want the recording capability when you can't access a PC, then you would need either a 436HP, SDS100, or TRX-1.

The most common reason for choosing the SDS100 over a 436HP is if you are dealing with simulcast systems. But if your 325P2 handles the systems in your area, then you either are not currently dealing with simulcast systems, or else your location is such that you do not have a problem. (Simulcast problems can be very dependent on your location.) The SDS100 is the best choice if simulcast is a problem. The 436HP is not as resistant to simulcast problems, but, in my experience, it is better than the 325P2. (I tried all three models at some of the worst simulcast areas in my metro area, D/FW.) I also tried the TRX-1 at the same time, and it was the worst of the group.

While the 436HP & SDS100 both use SMA antennas, instead of BNC., both come with a BNC to SMA adapter. So, if you nave an antenna that works well on your 325P3, then you could use the same one on either of these other models with the aid of the adapter. In my area, the City of Dallas primarily uses Uhf frequencies. Dallas County is mostly Vhf. There are some Uhf DMR & NXDN systems, with most of the public safety agencies (other than the ones mentioned) are on 700 or 800MHz trunked systems. Dallas (both city & county) will be migrating to a 700/800MHz system over the next months, and the four smaller cities currently on Uhf NXDN systems will also upgrade. For now, the best antenna for my SDS100 is the REM-842B.

Whether you keep, or sell the 325P2 is completely your option. While the 325 does not have innate recording ability, it is a very handy size for a grab & go scanner. Both the 436HP as well as the SDS100 are a good bit larger. If there is enough going on in your area that having a second scanner would be useful, then keep it. If not, then selling it would add some additional money towards one of the other scanners. Looking at the CoMIRS system, I see several sites listed as Simulcast. While you apparently do not have simulcast problems, particularly on the old state police system, you might have issues as more agencies shift to the new P25 Phase II system.
 
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