What is the "Best" Handheld for me

[pb_lonny]

I have been a scanner "nut" for over 25 years... I have owned and used a heap of radios overs the years, from basic 20 channel units to the Icom R8500 and R20 plus Unidens, up to the UBCD436PT.

Over the past few years, I have been "making do" with some lower level scanners. I will shortly be in a position to "invest" in a decent handheld radio.

Some background information:
- We have a state wide P25 phase2 network, which is used by our emergency services and some other government users, but it is mostly encrypted, so while it is something to consider, it is not "vital".
- We have some DMR and NXDN, so that is also a consideration.
- I LOVE scanning and searching the bands, so a decent "auto store" type mode is vital.

1. Is the USDS100 a major step up from the UBCD436PT for this type of use?
2. Is importing a 160DN worth it for the DMR and NXDN?
3. Do I look at Icom?

 

[RaleighGuy]

1. Is the USDS100 a major step up from the UBCD436PT for this type of use?
2. Is importing a 160DN worth it for the DMR and NXDN?
3. Do I look at Icom?

1. SDS100 is the top of the line scanner and is a step up from older versions due to ability to handle simulcast, and possibility of future upgraded FW.
2. The 160DN can not handle trunked DMR or NXDN, only conventional, you'd be better with a SDS100 or x36 scanner and adding the NXDN and DMR upgrades.
3. I do not know enough about ICOM to comment.

 

[trentbob]

I have been a scanner "nut" for over 25 years... I have owned and used a heap of radios overs the years, from basic 20 channel units to the Icom R8500 and R20 plus Unidens, up to the UBCD436PT.

Over the past few years, I have been "making do" with some lower level scanners. I will shortly be in a position to "invest" in a decent handheld radio.

Some background information:
- We have a state wide P25 phase2 network, which is used by our emergency services and some other government users, but it is mostly encrypted, so while it is something to consider, it is not "vital".
- We have some DMR and NXDN, so that is also a consideration.
- I LOVE scanning and searching the bands, so a decent "auto store" type mode is vital.

1. Is the USDS100 a major step up from the UBCD436PT for this type of use?
2. Is importing a 160DN worth it for the DMR and NXDN?
3. Do I look at Icom?

So you are comparing a Uniden latest digital to a whistler trx1 or any Icom radio, is that correct?

Number one you have to make sure of the stability of the Whistler company. Are they still in business, are they supplying new radios to vendors, are they doing current update and firmware updates? Are they capable of receiving phase Ii reception? Will they be in business to supply warranty repair? Don't get me wrong they're a great little radios designed from the GRE PSR 800 Circa 2011 with improvements of keyboard and firmware updates which are quite old now. They are not known for their ability to receive phase ll simulcast.

They include DMR and nxdn non-licensed for free but in my experience they did not work for my NX 48-460 MHz trunk system, not worth the damn but for some they are great. I don't do DMR in my area so I'm not qualified to even comment.

As far as the latest introduction of radios from Uniden that don't trunk track, have no capability of p25, offer DMR and nxdn but don't trunk track them and the SDS series which has an SDR chip and superior p25 phase Ii decoding it's pretty much.. you get what you pay for.

As far as Icom is concerned it is the superior receiver of both Uniden and Whistler hands down, they will even accept your encryption codes if you have them. Even though I own them they are immediately ruled out for your purposes because they don't trunk track. Not even going to go there LOL, maybe another time. Good luck.

 

[bearcatrp]

Plus Icom does not do DMR.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

- I LOVE scanning and searching the bands, so a decent "auto store" type mode is vital.

1. Is the USDS100 a major step up from the UBCD436PT for this type of use?
2. Is importing a 160DN worth it for the DMR and NXDN?
3. Do I look at Icom?

1. Not really. The search and store functions of the x36s and SDS series are identical
2. as mentioned previously, the 160DN only handles conventional DMR & NXDN (not trunked)
3. What model icom? They are amateur transceivers / communications receivers. A much different animal than a Uniden scanner in many ways

 

[trentbob]

It doesn't matter what Icom Unit it is, they don't trunk track, if they did, we wouldn't be having this conversation, there would only be one leader in the scanner industry.

Reminds me in the the old days when I was only a staff photographer at The Trentonian and our chief photographer got a, and I can't remember the model number but it was one of the big metal Bearcats that had a loud hum made by Electra before Uniden, there were no trunk tracking scanners. I insisted, I'm guessing in the late '80s, it would not work.

He was ordered to be able to receive the new New Jersey state radio system, a hybrid, Motorola type ll smartzone system, long gone now. The thing wasn't worth a damn because you never knew what you were listening to, it did pick up 800 MHz but you had no way to track it. It actually got him fired.

As things developed, trunk tracking scanners were introduced by both GRE/ Radio Shack.. and Uniden. Guess who replaced him as Chief photographer😆.

 

[pb_lonny]

The lack of a multi-range auto store feature is a pain.... Back in the old days, you could setup 5 frequency ranges, set the UBC9000XLT or UBCD396T to search these and then they would auto store the results. The UBCD436PT does this via discovery mode, but that it one band at a time...

 

[pb_lonny]

So at this stage, it looks like the R6 will be the winner, with a view to spend the extra $$$ on a new chair

 

[YalekW]

I was surprised to see that the SDS 100 actually drains battery life more often than my pro 106 does.
From 4.2-3.2 volts while demodulating nfm + scanning, it goes down p fast. I don't like that at all honestly...

 

[LEH]

So you are comparing a Uniden latest digital to a whistler trx1 or any Icom radio, is that correct?

Number one you have to make sure of the stability of the Whistler company. Are they still in business, are they supplying new radios to vendors, are they doing current update and firmware updates? Are they capable of receiving phase Ii reception? Will they be in business to supply warranty repair? Don't get me wrong they're a great little radios designed from the GRE PSR 800 Circa 2011 with improvements of keyboard and firmware updates which are quite old now. They are not known for their ability to receive phase ll simulcast.

They include DMR and nxdn non-licensed for free but in my experience they did not work for my NX 48-460 MHz trunk system, not worth the damn but for some they are great. I don't do DMR in my area so I'm not qualified to even comment.

As far as the latest introduction of radios from Uniden that don't trunk track, have no capability of p25, offer DMR and nxdn but don't trunk track them and the SDS series which has an SDR chip and superior p25 phase Ii decoding it's pretty much.. you get what you pay for.

As far as Icom is concerned it is the superior receiver of both Uniden and Whistler hands down, they will even accept your encryption codes if you have them. Even though I own them they are immediately ruled out for your purposes because they don't trunk track. Not even going to go there LOL, maybe another time. Good luck.

Color Whistler gone as of a day or so ago.
For the OP, if you live in an area with simulcast digital, the SDS100 is your best bet, it was designed to be able to decode the signals properly. Analog reception is a bit weak though (the 436 is better there).
If you have low band VHF (30-50 MHz) there really isn't a good choice that I have found.

 

[W2JGA]

First you need to look at what you currently like listening to and what you are CAPABLE of listening to.

If your current list of stations you like to listen to will eventually go encrypted in the next few years, is it really worth making the investment?

I have the same BCD436HP that is currently 'becoming' a desktop brick as time goes by.

 

[pb_lonny]

So I got a good deal on a UBCD436PT, (Australia version of the BCD436HP) I go it brand new for $570 AUD, which is about $360 USD