Which is the better scanner

[Ubbe]

I don't know if Uniden use some sort of reference for their signal strength bars. Logically they should follow S units and each S unit are a 6dB difference. Squelch opens at -120dBm and then one bar at -114dBm and next bar at -108dBm and so on. My BCT15 are probably using the same receiver as the 996 scanners and I could compare it with my 536 to see if they indicate the same. Their sensitivity seems to be pretty much equal anyhow when running them from the same splitter, maybe the 536 a tad more sensitive but that could be just the tolerances between scanners of the same model.

/Ubbe

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Your Post #1:
"Is the 996 more sensitive at receiving weak than the 536"?

Who would know the answer to that better than you for what you monitor at your location?

Seems to me like the OP might be looking for a general consensus to see if their observations match up with others' but I'll go back to my statement in post #5...

 

[Bonkk083]

I don't know if Uniden use some sort of reference for their signal strength bars. Logically they should follow S units and each S unit are a 6dB difference. Squelch opens at -120dBm and then one bar at -114dBm and next bar at -108dBm and so on. My BCT15 are probably using the same receiver as the 996 scanners and I could compare it with my 536 to see if they indicate the same. Their sensitivity seems to be pretty much equal anyhow when running them from the same splitter, maybe the 536 a tad more sensitive but that could be just the tolerances between scanners of the same model.

/Ubbe

I connected it straight to each scanner

 

[iMONITOR]

It just seems when I post anything about what works for me, and others try it and it doesn't work for them, I get a lot of negative feedback. Maybe that's not a good way to approach performance issues in such a uncontrolled general manner.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

It just seems when I post anything about what works for me, and others try it and it doesn't work for them, I get a lot of negative feedback.

That's just the nature of the radio beast

 

[iMONITOR]

I connected it straight to each scanner

What were your findings?

 

[buddrousa]

And 60 miles is a stretch unless you have 100 tall antenna

 

[Ubbe]

I measured the values of a BCT15, BCD536 and a SDS100 and the BCT15 where actually 6dB worse in sensitivity when using a pure signal without any other frequencies interfering. The SDS100 initially showed 10dB stronger signal strength than what the signal generator where giving but the sensitivity where the same as the 536. Setting it's filter to None instead of Normal restored the proper values and display showed the same as the signal generator but it still had issues as it would get stuck at 103dBm when increasing the signal level and would only go between -120dBm up to -103dBm. Changing channel back and forth cleared it but it would occasionally return and get stuck at different levels. Could be a cold solder joint problem but I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary than this stuck signal strength level. SQ opening where at 20dB S/N for all scanners and dBm signal strength values are for the number of bars and all values where more or less consistent over all frequency bands, just a dB here and there that differed.

It seems that it is almost a 6dB difference between each bar segment, one S unit. For HF signals the standards says a S5 corresponds to -97dBm but for VHF it is -117dBm. It seems using the HF values are more appropriate for a scanner and 5 bars equals S5 for the 536 and SDS100 and one bar equals a S1 value.

BCT15
SQ-113
1-105
2-99
3-93
4-85
5-81

BCD536
SQ-119
1-115
2-109
3-104
4-100
5-98

SDS100
SQ-119
1-115
2-110
3-106
4-101
5-96

/Ubbe

 

[Bonkk083]

I measured the values of a BCT15, BCD536 and a SDS100 and the BCT15 where actually 6dB worse in sensitivity when using a pure signal without any other frequencies interfering. The SDS100 initially showed 10dB stronger signal strength than what the signal generator where giving but the sensitivity where the same as the 536. Setting it's filter to None instead of Normal restored the proper values and display showed the same as the signal generator but it still had issues as it would get stuck at 103dBm when increasing the signal level and would only go between -120dBm up to -103dBm. Changing channel back and forth cleared it but it would occasionally return and get stuck at different levels. Could be a cold solder joint problem but I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary than this stuck signal strength level. SQ opening where at 20dB S/N for all scanners and dBm signal strength values are for the number of bars and all values where more or less consistent over all frequency bands, just a dB here and there that differed.

It seems that it is almost a 6dB difference between each bar segment, one S unit. For HF signals the standards says a S5 corresponds to -97dBm but for VHF it is -117dBm. It seems using the HF values are more appropriate for a scanner and 5 bars equals S5 for the 536 and SDS100 and one bar equals a S1 value.

BCT15
SQ-113
1-105
2-99
3-93
4-85
5-81

BCD536
SQ-119
1-115
2-109
3-104
4-100
5-98

SDS100
SQ-119
1-115
2-110
3-106
4-101
5-96

/Ubbe

The 536 is more sensitive by your measurements is what you're saying

 

[Bonkk083]

If you have priority scan set to 7 seconds will it still scan those in the normal too

 

[Bonkk083]

I measured the values of a BCT15, BCD536 and a SDS100 and the BCT15 where actually 6dB worse in sensitivity when using a pure signal without any other frequencies interfering. The SDS100 initially showed 10dB stronger signal strength than what the signal generator where giving but the sensitivity where the same as the 536. Setting it's filter to None instead of Normal restored the proper values and display showed the same as the signal generator but it still had issues as it would get stuck at 103dBm when increasing the signal level and would only go between -120dBm up to -103dBm. Changing channel back and forth cleared it but it would occasionally return and get stuck at different levels. Could be a cold solder joint problem but I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary than this stuck signal strength level. SQ opening where at 20dB S/N for all scanners and dBm signal strength values are for the number of bars and all values where more or less consistent over all frequency bands, just a dB here and there that differed.

It seems that it is almost a 6dB difference between each bar segment, one S unit. For HF signals the standards says a S5 corresponds to -97dBm but for VHF it is -117dBm. It seems using the HF values are more appropriate for a scanner and 5 bars equals S5 for the 536 and SDS100 and one bar equals a S1 value.

BCT15
SQ-113
1-105
2-99
3-93
4-85
5-81

BCD536
SQ-119
1-115
2-109
3-104
4-100
5-98

SDS100
SQ-119
1-115
2-110
3-106
4-101
5-96

/Ubbe

On one frequency the 996 was 459-466 rssi and the 536 was 450 does that tell anything if the 996 would be better in my situation

 

[JethrowJohnson]

If you have priority scan set to 7 seconds will it still scan those in the normal too

Yes. It'll just check the priority channels every 7 seconds, and scan everything else normally.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

And 60 miles is a stretch unless you have 100 tall antenna

Well that depends on numerous factors; band, conditions, TX power, elevation, if you own dogs or cats (seeing who's still paying attention, hah) among others. I pick up stations well beyond 60 miles from my QTH reliably with external antennas a small fraction of that height above ground

 

[Bonkk083]

Yes. It'll just check the priority channels every 7 seconds, and scan everything else normally.

The priority scan channels that I have set would be scanned twice in priority and normal scan

 

[JethrowJohnson]

Right.

 

[Bonkk083]

Right.

Does the number tags have anything to do with priority scanning, I tried priority plus but I didn't see how to put channels in order for one to override the others

 

[JethrowJohnson]

Does the number tags have anything to do with priority scanning, I tried priority plus but I didn't see how to put channels in order for one to override the others

I think it goes by order of creation. So, if you want one channel to override another, you have to program the more important one first and the other one somewhere after it.

 

[Bonkk083]

I think it goes by order of creation. So, if you want one channel to override another, you have to program the more important one first and the other one somewhere after it.

I set the qk for the county but under it has ems fire in categories

 

[Bonkk083]

Are they much difference between 436 (996p2) and 419 (536hp) Rssi and another frequency is 450 (536hp) and 466 (996p2) RSSI

 

[Bonkk083]

I saw this in a article

Sensitivity in a radio scanner​

The Sensitivity in a Radio Scanner is designed to measure the signal strength of a radio station. It is measured in microvolts (uV). A smaller number indicates a more sensitive receiver since less signal strength is needed to hear the station. Sensitivity is primarily of importance in rural areas or when listening to weather forecasts on the