Whistler TRX-2 VS Uniden Bearcat BCD536HP VS Uniden SDS200

[Roberts-W-1966s]

Hello all.
I am totally new to these forums. I would really like to know some things. I am looking at buying one of 3 different Police Scanners.
Either the Whistler TRX-2, the Bearcat BCD536HP Or the Uniden SDS200. Now the SDS200 is really expensive, i am leaning toward the BCD536HP. I currently own the Whistler WS-1065, but it doesn't do DMR or Provoice. Also it doesn't seem to handle simulcast sites very well. I live in Mid-Michigan in the middle of Clinton County. So i am looking to scan other counties and agencies as well. I have noticed that the Whilster TRX-2 doesn't do Provoice either. I have been told by the manufacture that it does however do simulcast sites well. Is this true? Also as i said i am looking at the BCD536HP but if it doesn't handle simulcasting very well then i will need to buy the SDS 200. Help with this would be very much appreciated...

Thanks so much
Robert.

 

[sallen07]

I have noticed that the Whilster TRX-2 doesn't do Provoice either. I have been told by the manufacture that it does however do simulcast sites well. Is this true? Also as i said i am looking at the BCD536HP but if it doesn't handle simulcasting very well then i will need to buy the SDS 200.

I would invite you to look around, especially on the Uniden forums. You will find plenty of folks who have an opinion. But the truth is that the SDS100 and SDS200 are the only scanners on the market designed to handle simulcast. Depending on your location, you *might* get acceptable results with another model of scanner, but if you want to be sure? Get the SDS200.

 

[Ubbe]

The TRX-2 and BCD536 wont be much different than your 1065 when it comes to handling simulcast. If you accept the way your 1065 works then go with the BCD536. It has a better receiver than Whistler and are more user friendly. The cost will be more than the TRX-2 as you also have to buy the additional digitial modes. Compare their prices when loaded with the options you'll need. The TRX-2 will be conciderable lower in cost.

The SDS200 will handle all simulcast issues and you have to add the digitial mode cost as well, so it is up to how much you want to spend.

What you could do are to buy cheap but good RG6 coax and a directional yagi antenna for 800MHz that will cost maybe £30 and see if the reception using your current scanner can be improved. Then you don't need the SDS200. If it works out then you could get a filter so that only 700-900MHz are used from the yagi and the lower frequencies comes from another antenna, perhaps a discone. It depends of what kind of money you can spend.

/Ubbe

 

[hiegtx]

Hello all.
I am totally new to these forums. I would really like to know some things. I am looking at buying one of 3 different Police Scanners.
Either the Whistler TRX-2, the Bearcat BCD536HP Or the Uniden SDS200. Now the SDS200 is really expensive, i am leaning toward the BCD536HP. I currently own the Whistler WS-1065, but it doesn't do DMR or Provoice. Also it doesn't seem to handle simulcast sites very well. I live in Mid-Michigan in the middle of Clinton County. So i am looking to scan other counties and agencies as well. I have noticed that the Whilster TRX-2 doesn't do Provoice either. I have been told by the manufacture that it does however do simulcast sites well. Is this true? Also as i said i am looking at the BCD536HP but if it doesn't handle simulcasting very well then i will need to buy the SDS 200. Help with this would be very much appreciated...

Thanks so much
Robert.

Simulcast is very much location dependent. If you're in the middle of a simulcast system, you might have no trouble at all if you are close enough to one site so that it's signal overrides the signals from other sites. Or, if terrain, a number of tall buildings, or something else also shield you from the conflicting signals, you may also escape the effects. But if none of the above apply, and you are hammered by simulcast until your scanner is about as useful as a boat anchor, then you would likely need either one of the SDS series scanners, or perhaps a Unication pager.

In checking some known simulcast problem areas in my vicinity, the TRX-1 (handheld sibling of the TRX-2) came in last of a four scanner model comparison on simulcast reception. The 325P2, came in at third, the 436HP (handheld relative of the 536HP) came in second, and the SDS100 had the best results. For any of the Uniden scanners, you would need to purchase the paid upgrades if you wanted DMR. NXDN, or ProVoice.

The yagi antenna suggested by Ubbe is one possible deterrent for simulcast, but in many cases, pointing an antenna at only one site rules out reception of any other systems that are not in the same direction.

 

[Roberts-W-1966s]

The TRX-2 and BCD536 wont be much different than your 1065 when it comes to handling simulcast. If you accept the way your 1065 works then go with the BCD536. It has a better receiver than Whistler and are more user friendly. The cost will be more than the TRX-2 as you also have to buy the additional digitial modes. Compare their prices when loaded with the options you'll need. The TRX-2 will be conciderable lower in cost.

The SDS200 will handle all simulcast issues and you have to add the digitial mode cost as well, so it is up to how much you want to spend.

What you could do are to buy cheap but good RG6 coax and a directional yagi antenna for 800MHz that will cost maybe £30 and see if the reception using your current scanner can be improved. Then you don't need the SDS200. If it works out then you could get a filter so that only 700-900MHz are used from the yagi and the lower frequencies comes from another antenna, perhaps a discone. It depends of what kind of money you can spend.

/Ubbe

The problem is .. i think i need to go with Uniden because the Whistlers do not do Provoice. So i am limited to Uniden. My county does use some provoice on their system.

 

[Roberts-W-1966s]

So your saying if i cannot go with an SDS 100/200 the next best choice would be the BCD536? Would i also be correct in stating that the Whistlers to me are kind of quirky and buggy? Or no?

 

[Ubbe]

If you are up to some configuration and setup and can spend the time, then you could get some SDR dongles, the RTL-SDR are a good one, and connect to a computer and run any of the programs available for them that decodes all the modes incl provoice. If it's only a couple of systems that have simulcast problems then you could have one SDR dongle for each system on the same PC.

Uniden put a SDR dongle type of chip in their SDS scanners to be able to handle simulcast, so it will work just as good. There are programs that also can scan several systems if you want to that but locking one receiver to one single system will let you monitor without missing any conversations.

You can use your current scanner for all other systems.

One RTL-SDR dongle will cost you something like $25 and depending of how your signal strenght are you can use a $5 antenna splitter to divide the signal from one antenna to feed both the dongles and scanner. If you now are able to use the telescope on your scanner then you could get a better antenna and split the signal and still get the same signal strenght as you have now. If you need to receive weak signals from distant systems then you can get a $30 amplifier to compensate for the splitter loss. The total sum will be much less than buying a new scanner and having several SDR dongles sitting permanently on their own single system will work much better.

I'm running two dongles on my PC, for monitoring weather baloons, pagers, quck search of the whole airband and different kinds of digitial systems, and don't see much CPU power being used that impact anything else I do on my PC. I have other SDR dongles connected to stand alone $30 RasperryPi modules that are easy to get going as there are ready made files you put on their SD memory cards and then login to change any configuration. You don't need to be a computer hacker or Linux wizard to use them.

There are so many projects that open up when you start to use SDR dongles, and also RaspberryPi, that will widen your interest for all kinds of different monitoring. If you get into problems then just google the problem and a solution will pop up.

If you are able to fiddle with configurations and handle a mess with the different hardware and cables running all over the place, then you can save a lot of money. But if you could care less about it and you only want to connect the mains transformer and power on the scanner and enter a zip code, then it will cost you much more but will also be an almost problem free solution.

/Ubbe

 

[jonwienke]

If simulcast is causing reception issues with your trx2, then don't bother with the 536, it isn't designed to handle simulcast either. It might be a little better, but it won't solve the problem. The SDS200 is the most expensive, but it receives simulcast correctly without resorting to stupid antenna tricks that limit you to only receiving one system site.

 

[buddrousa]

Welcome to RR Robert
What all new people to the hobby need to learn and answer these questions.
1. What is it you want to hear? (Police, Fire, EMS, what is the range you expect (how far do you want to hear)?
2. Where are you located?
3. What is your budget?
4. Do your homework What Type Systems are in use in your area. (P25, DMR, NXDN, SIMULCAST, TRUNKING)?
5. How technological savvy are you?
6. Do you want a Base Mobile or Handheld?
7. Do you understand BASIC COMPUTER COMMANDS (DOS COMMANDS)?
8. If needed can you put up your own outside antenna?
9. If you require assistance PLEASE LIST
A. Where you are.
B. What type Scanner you have.
C. How you are trying to program it (by hand or Software and IF BY SOFTWARE WHAT BRAND AND VERSION.
D. What problem you are having.
Answering all the above questions will give you the best option to buy the scanner that best works in your requirements and get you the best assistance from the members here.
There is not 1 member here that can answer a question posted this way. MY SCANNER DOES NOT RECEIVE.

 

[slhbeard]

I have both the 536 and trx2 and get great reception on them. I have not had a problem with simulcast guess I could be the exception to the rule or lucky. I have DMR and NXDN on both with equal reception. I have the Pro Voice on the 536, but do not have any systems nearby. The trx2 was a challenge to setup. but thanks to the assistance of the folks at whistler, I was up and running with mine in no time. As far as reception, it depends on the system I am listening to as which scanner receives better. It boils down to how much time and patience you have will determine which scanner to choose.

 

[fredva]

I have noticed that the Whilster TRX-2 doesn't do Provoice either. I have been told by the manufacture that it does however do simulcast sites well. Is this true?

Consider that after producing the TRX-1 and TRX-2, the manufacturer announced the TRX-100 and TRX-200. The main feature of the TRX-100/200 was to be simulcast compatibility. The TRX-100/200 project ended up being scrapped. But if the TRX-2 handled simulcast well, you should ask yourself why would they have tried to build a simulcast-compatible scanner when the TRX-2 was already on the market?

Whistler scanners have some strengths, but the company doesn't offer a true simulcast-compatible scanner.

 

[doctordialtone]

Whistler scanners have some strengths, but the company doesn't offer a true simulcast-compatible scanner.

True. Whistler abandoned their scanner development for the TRX-100/200.

From Whistler:

"Hi guys -
I wanted to let you all know that we have discontinued our development on the TRX-100 and TRX-200 as it was not meeting the expectations of the level of scanner we want to bring to you. "

TRX-100 / 200 Update

Hi guys - I wanted to let you all know that we have discontinued our development on the TRX-100 and TRX-200 as it was not meeting the expectations of the level of scanner we want to bring to you. We have high expectations for our scanners and we never want to disappoint our customers so...

forums.radioreference.com

 

[Roberts-W-1966s]

If you are up to some configuration and setup and can spend the time, then you could get some SDR dongles, the RTL-SDR are a good one, and connect to a computer and run any of the programs available for them that decodes all the modes incl provoice. If it's only a couple of systems that have simulcast problems then you could have one SDR dongle for each system on the same PC.

Uniden put a SDR dongle type of chip in their SDS scanners to be able to handle simulcast, so it will work just as good. There are programs that also can scan several systems if you want to that but locking one receiver to one single system will let you monitor without missing any conversations.

You can use your current scanner for all other systems.

One RTL-SDR dongle will cost you something like $25 and depending of how your signal strenght are you can use a $5 antenna splitter to divide the signal from one antenna to feed both the dongles and scanner. If you now are able to use the telescope on your scanner then you could get a better antenna and split the signal and still get the same signal strenght as you have now. If you need to receive weak signals from distant systems then you can get a $30 amplifier to compensate for the splitter loss. The total sum will be much less than buying a new scanner and having several SDR dongles sitting permanently on their own single system will work much better.

I'm running two dongles on my PC, for monitoring weather baloons, pagers, quck search of the whole airband and different kinds of digitial systems, and don't see much CPU power being used that impact anything else I do on my PC. I have other SDR dongles connected to stand alone $30 RasperryPi modules that are easy to get going as there are ready made files you put on their SD memory cards and then login to change any configuration. You don't need to be a computer hacker or Linux wizard to use them.

There are so many projects that open up when you start to use SDR dongles, and also RaspberryPi, that will widen your interest for all kinds of different monitoring. If you get into problems then just google the problem and a solution will pop up.

If you are able to fiddle with configurations and handle a mess with the different hardware and cables running all over the place, then you can save a lot of money. But if you could care less about it and you only want to connect the mains transformer and power on the scanner and enter a zip code, then it will cost you much more but will also be an almost problem free solution.

/Ubbe

I rent so running cables everywhere is out LOL

 

[Roberts-W-1966s]

I just want to thank everyone for their advice and help. I have decided to spring for the SDS200 even though it is more money. I am looking forward to it. I will let you know how it turns out.

 

[halftime]

Curious about the simulcast - I may be having a "doh!" moment, but what if you didn't program in or locked out those frequencies? wouldn't that resolve the issue?

 

[jonwienke]

Curious about the simulcast - I may be having a "doh!" moment, but what if you didn't program in or locked out those frequencies? wouldn't that resolve the issue?

You can't. Simulcast is multiple transmitters broadcasting on the same frequency simultaneously. If you lock out the frequency, you lose everything.

 

[fredva]

Curious about the simulcast - I may be having a "doh!" moment, but what if you didn't program in or locked out those frequencies? wouldn't that resolve the issue?

The simulcast we're talking about here is as jon described above - simulcasting on the same frequency from multiple locations. This creates problems for scanners not designed to handle signals on the same frequency coming from different distances and arriving at the scanner out of sync with each other. There's another type of simulcast - where the transmissions of one type of radio system is simulcast on another type of system using a different frequency. For example, the primary system being an 800 mhz digital trunking system but the dispatch talkgroup is also heard on a VHF analog frequency.

 

[hiegtx]

I have both the 536 and trx2 and get great reception on them. I have not had a problem with simulcast guess I could be the exception to the rule or lucky. I have DMR and NXDN on both with equal reception. I have the Pro Voice on the 536, but do not have any systems nearby. The trx2 was a challenge to setup. but thanks to the assistance of the folks at whistler, I was up and running with mine in no time. As far as reception, it depends on the system I am listening to as which scanner receives better. It boils down to how much time and patience you have will determine which scanner to choose.

Taking a look at the database page for your county, Warren, there are four sites for MSWIN in your county. However, none of the four appear to be simulcast. However, for neighboring Hinds County, at least two of the MSWIN sites in that county are flagged as simulcast. But, since you are not in Hinds, you may be far enough away that you don't have an issue. I suspect that if you drove around much in Jackson, or elsewhere in Hinds, you would see some effects of simulcast.