Which would you buy?

[noshoes]

I am interested in a hand held scanner.
which would you buy Bearcat BC246T or Icom ic-r5 and why would it be the best choice ?

 

[jhooten]

Unless you plan to lug a programming computer around with you the 246.
If you need trunking the 246.
If AM shortwave matters to you the R5
246 has close call for finding new freqs R5 doesn't.
Price wise they are about the same.

The lack of a key pad for direct frequency entry on the R5 would cause me to lean more to the 246 for a general use scanner.

 

[noshoes]

Thank you for the input!

 

[N8IAA]

Remember, any new scanner that you buy is going to be light years ahead of what you have been using. The R-5 is not really a scanner, but a communications receiver. For what you want the 246 is going to be a better bet. Read the wiki here on the website. See if a digital scanner will be better in the long run, or, if an analog will work for you. A lot of reading and comprehending the new radios. I bought a digital scanner only after reading posts here and on a yahoo group. Bought my first one in 2005. There was only one system in my listening area to monitor. Had it for three years before considering a new digital. Read up on the GRE PSR500. Found out that GRE was making one up for Radio Shack on the same frame. Read all the pre-release on it. Bought the 106 in November. Have not been disappointed in it since. One thing that is neccessary to know, is that with all the memory, software is needed to program the radios quickly.
Larry