Why I sold my BCD546HP

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3bamams

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For anyone interested in buying a Uniden scanner please don't as this company is not what it was 10 or 20 years ago. I am tired of businesses coming up short with quality and expecting the end user to pick up the tab. I just sold my BCD536HP for a Whistler TRX2 and I am very happy and I want any prospective Uniden buyers to know this. The Whistler company is putting the user first and their bottom line second. Back in the day you bought a scanner and that's all you had to do to listen to the radio waves around us. In today's digital exclusive licensed technology that should not change. Companies selling scanners should pay for the royalties and not the end user. How can Whistler offer this radio technology for free with free upgrades and Uniden makes you pay for it. Don't say its included in the price because I just picked up a TRX2 for under $500 dollars and my 536 was $600 new with nothing but problems! This is what I like most with Whistler. #1 I can see what I want to scan rather then remembering numbers that you have to end up writing down to decipher. #2 in mobile operations the TRX2's internal battery does not allow the scanner to shut off every time you turn the car on. #3 the record feature shows a date and time stamp from the unit itself. And last the ability to record certain TG's or frequencies rather then a global recording of everything it scans. Of course there are pros and cons to both but over all Whistler has a far better set up for scanning. I'm sure this topic has been played out before but it never hurts to remind people. Thanks for listening!
 

K9JLR

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For anyone interested in buying a Uniden scanner please don't as this company is not what it was 10 or 20 years ago. I am tired of businesses coming up short with quality and expecting the end user to pick up the tab. I just sold my BCD536HP for a Whistler TRX2 and I am very happy and I want any prospective Uniden buyers to know this. The Whistler company is putting the user first and their bottom line second. Back in the day you bought a scanner and that's all you had to do to listen to the radio waves around us. In today's digital exclusive licensed technology that should not change. Companies selling scanners should pay for the royalties and not the end user. How can Whistler offer this radio technology for free with free upgrades and Uniden makes you pay for it. Don't say its included in the price because I just picked up a TRX2 for under $500 dollars and my 536 was $600 new with nothing but problems! This is what I like most with Whistler. #1 I can see what I want to scan rather then remembering numbers that you have to end up writing down to decipher. #2 in mobile operations the TRX2's internal battery does not allow the scanner to shut off every time you turn the car on. #3 the record feature shows a date and time stamp from the unit itself. And last the ability to record certain TG's or frequencies rather then a global recording of everything it scans. Of course there are pros and cons to both but over all Whistler has a far better set up for scanning. I'm sure this topic has been played out before but it never hurts to remind people. Thanks for listening!

I actually own both, and there are pros and cons to both, but I really like both scanners for the context in which they are used (536 HP mobile and TRX-2 for the base). That having been said, you can't exactly compare apples to oranges here. I'm pretty sure the scanner companies DO have to pay royalties, so you pay for that one way or another, whether it's built into the price or requisite of a paid upgrade.

The 536 HP does have Pro Voice capability after the nominal upgrade, whereas the TRX-2 currently does not, so that is not factored in to the cost of the TRX-2. I do realize that the TRX-2 does have NXDN capability, whereas the 536 HP does not, and both can monitor TRBO (the 536 does require the upgrade). However, the 536 HP has the purportedly patented GPS integration technology, whereas the TRX-2 doesn't or cannot offer this feature due to the Uniden's patent. In terms of price, I'm not sure where you got the $600 figure, as I purchased my 536 HP for $489 last fall (I've seen them sell as low as $450 on Amazon) and I purchased my TRX-2 for $483 last month, so the two are usually comparable in price. The big trade-off is no pro-voice or GPS integration on the TRX-2 versus no NXDN and paid pro-voice and TRBO upgrades on the 536 HP, which brings the true cost of the 536 HP WITH upgrades to approximately $600.
 

3bamams

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I'm not comparing the two scanners but rather the companies and their ability to produce a product that meets standards that can for the most part please everyone. As for the $600 price, this is what I paid pre-order when the scanner first came out. This was what 2 years ago now so sure the price has gone down.
 

SOFA_KING

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Oh boy...This is probably not going to go well. Talk about a "can of worms"!

Both companies have their shortcomings. Where one excels at one feature, the other excels at another feature. And we can expect patent issues having something to do with that.

In the end, the buyer always pays for any and all "royalties" involved. These companies simply markup the total cost of production to make a profit, or they would never be in the scanner business to begin with.

However, I do agree that we are used as beta testers. I don't like it either. But the "up side" to this is a direct pipeline to the manufacturer on presenting feedback and suggestions that ultimately make a better offering. If you pay attention to the key exchanges happening around here with key people, you will see that feature enhancements are happening as a result of this collaboration. That is a big win for scanner owners, whether they realize it or not.

I have found both major scanner manufacturers to provide a solution to my scanning and searching needs. Could they be improved even more? Certainly! And would we like one scanner that " does it all"? Absolutely! But all we can do is suggest what we really want or need...and hope someone cares enough to listen.

Of the two, I find the relationship with Whistler better and more "respectful". Uniden does answer certain requests, but the exchange is not there. Clearly, each company has different values for its customers. That's the way I've seen it for years now.

Phil
 

K9JLR

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I'm not comparing the two scanners but rather the companies and their ability to produce a product that meets standards that can for the most part please everyone. As for the $600 price, this is what I paid pre-order when the scanner first came out. This was what 2 years ago now so sure the price has gone down.

The problem is that this is so very subjective. You did what you felt necessary as a consumer, and no one should argue with that. It's your money and your decision, and that's fine. However, in the minds of some consumers, the 536HP does meet their standards better than the TRX-2, and vice versa, so I'd at least acknowledge that these decisions are constructs and highly individualized within the scanner listener market.

I'll use myself as an example. The 536HP is the best fit for my mobile needs, but the TRX-2 is a better fit for my base station usage. Both products meet my standards for different settings, as each has its pros and cons.
 

jonwienke

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Most Uniden users do not have "nothing but problems".

And Whistler isn't giving anything away for free, they are simply building the cost into the scanner price. No company can remain solvent for long if they don't price their product high enough to cover its costs. The 536 is commonly available for about $480--slightly cheaper than the TRX-2.
TRX-2: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H3XYJS0/
536: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HZOW5K2/

Whistler can include DMR and NXDN in the price of the TRX-2 because the TRX-2 doesn't have several of the features included "for free" with the 536.

The 536 has Wi-Fi wireless streaming and scanner control. The TRX-2 does not.

Uniden has better programming software than Whistler. You don't have to "remember numbers" if you don't want to; you can organize things by Favorite Lists, which you can name however you like, and toggle on and off by name rather than by a number in the menu. Uniden also allows much longer channel labels than Whistler. And Uniden's software allows you to delete favorite lists you no longer use.

Uniden includes a lifetime subscription to the RR database, and updates are published weekly through the Sentinel programming software. Whistler does not--you have to pay for a RR subscription separately to update your scanner, or else update it by hand.

Uniden has GPS capability for scanning local channels while traveling. Whistler does not. If you're on the road a lot, this is a BIG deal. You don't have to manually turn sites and systems on and off as you travel, and the scanner isn't bogged down scanning things that are out of range.

I hope you're happy with your new scanner. But not everyone is going to make the same choice as you when all factors are considered.
 

ChrisABQ

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Regarding the comments about us being beta testers, the few people that surf here everyday, are nitpicking every single thing about their radios every single day. What about Apple and Samsung, aren't their customers beta testers also? I have not seen a Uniden scanners batteries burst into flames in someones pocket. I have not seen someones Whistler secretly spy on them either because of a software hack. I think Whistler and Uniden are doing pretty damn good considering the state of the world and the state of technology. Give them a break.
 

mikewazowski

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Yes, we're beta testers but for the most part, we're also people who want the latest and greatest technology now.

I'm sure if Uniden waited until every bug was worked out, we'd all be screaming that it's taking too long.

As the OP said, there are pros and cons to each scanner. I tend to prefer Uniden as that's what I'm used to. I bought a WS1098 last year but just couldn't live with the way Whistler does things.
 

K9JLR

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Uniden includes a lifetime subscription to the RR database, and updates are published weekly through the Sentinel programming software. Whistler does not--you have to pay for a RR subscription separately to update your scanner, or else update it by hand.

Just a quick correction here, the TRX-2 scanner does NOT require a membership or subscription to update the RR database data with EZ-Scan software. My understanding is that this was included in the scanner's price per a similar agreement between Whistler and RR.
 

garys

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In the 9 months that I've had my Galaxy Note 5, the OS has updated three times. About once a month or so, my two Win7 computers update with new patches and fixes. My Samsung TVs update their software every few months, as does my Xfinity router. I have a yet to be installed car stereo and the installation manual says to download and install the latest firmware once I have it hooked up.

One of the advantages of a firmware based scanner is that not only can fixes be downloaded, but new features can be added. That's something that many of us have wished for over the past several years because we were tired of having to sell our scanners and buy new hardware every time new features were introduced.

The people whining in this thread are by and large the people who whine in every thread. Give them the consideration which they deserve.

Regarding the comments about us being beta testers, the few people that surf here everyday, are nitpicking every single thing about their radios every single day. What about Apple and Samsung, aren't their customers beta testers also? I have not seen a Uniden scanners batteries burst into flames in someones pocket. I have not seen someones Whistler secretly spy on them either because of a software hack. I think Whistler and Uniden are doing pretty damn good considering the state of the world and the state of technology. Give them a break.
 

Blackswan73

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Whistler does not--you have to pay for a RR subscription separately to update your scanner, or else update it by hand.
Really? Since when? I have had two 1080s, and a 1095, plus two 668s, all made by Whistler and I have never had to pay to update my databases. Also, the 1088, 1098, TRX1, and TRX2 do not require a subscription. Yes, the 1045, and 1065 Whistler scanners do require a subscription, but so do the 996p2, and the 325 Uniden scanners
 

buddrousa

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I own both and both have a place in my scanner rack. Do I wish the Unidens did NXDN YES. Do I wish the Whistlers Trunked tracked true DMR Trunking YES. Do I wish I could remote control my Whistlers and record audio to logging software YES. But I knew what my scanners were going to do before I bought them (What they would do at the time of purchase) and I am happy to have both.
 

jonwienke

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Really? Since when? I have had two 1080s, and a 1095, plus two 668s, all made by Whistler and I have never had to pay to update my databases. Also, the 1088, 1098, TRX1, and TRX2 do not require a subscription. Yes, the 1045, and 1065 Whistler scanners do require a subscription, but so do the 996p2, and the 325 Uniden scanners

My mistake.
 

TomTN

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I am happy Whistler is on the scene but my preference is Uniden. The company itself has been good to work with and their products are excellent.

Many do not understand that digital completely changes the game. Just as the analog AM radio of the past is different from HD Radio, my old BC160 was different from my two BCD536HP units. Pair the 536 with ProScan and the marriage is incredible.

Today's scanners require specialized knowledge. Those who don't take the time to learn how to use them properly are the first to blame the hardware/manufacturer. I think given the dwindling market share of the scanner market Uniden does a great job keeping what is left alive and current.
 

milcom_chaser

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For anyone interested in buying a Uniden scanner please don't as this company is not what it was 10 or 20 years ago. I am tired of businesses coming up short with quality and expecting the end user to pick up the tab. I just sold my BCD536HP for a Whistler TRX2 and I am very happy and I want any prospective Uniden buyers to know this. The Whistler company is putting the user first and their bottom line second. Back in the day you bought a scanner and that's all you had to do to listen to the radio waves around us. In today's digital exclusive licensed technology that should not change. Companies selling scanners should pay for the royalties and not the end user. How can Whistler offer this radio technology for free with free upgrades and Uniden makes you pay for it. Don't say its included in the price because I just picked up a TRX2 for under $500 dollars and my 536 was $600 new with nothing but problems! This is what I like most with Whistler. #1 I can see what I want to scan rather then remembering numbers that you have to end up writing down to decipher. #2 in mobile operations the TRX2's internal battery does not allow the scanner to shut off every time you turn the car on. #3 the record feature shows a date and time stamp from the unit itself. And last the ability to record certain TG's or frequencies rather then a global recording of everything it scans. Of course there are pros and cons to both but over all Whistler has a far better set up for scanning. I'm sure this topic has been played out before but it never hurts to remind people. Thanks for listening!

I'm glad you sold what wasn't working for you. I would have done the same. I'm waiting for Whistler firmware that lets me select the step size and mode per band segment within the bandplan. I was not impressed with Uniden's customer support over an antenna that did not fit on the bnc connector of one of their radios. The best I can do is to offer feedback to both companies hoping they will implement change, and value the investment customers have made in their products...
 
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DaveNF2G

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Yes, we're beta testers but for the most part, we're also people who want the latest and greatest technology now.

I'm sure if Uniden waited until every bug was worked out, we'd all be screaming that it's taking too long.

As the OP said, there are pros and cons to each scanner. I tend to prefer Uniden as that's what I'm used to. I bought a WS1098 last year but just couldn't live with the way Whistler does things.

People are screaming just that about NXDN. Unfortunately, Uniden has not/will not/can not? let us know whether they are in fact working on such a feature.

It should also be recalled that Whistler's NXDN rollout had a lot of reported problems also.
 

wx5uif

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Biggest thing holding me back with Uniden is GPS location scanning. Driving around the OK / KS states every day would tire me locking and unlocking systems.
 

jonwienke

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People are screaming just that about NXDN. Unfortunately, Uniden has not/will not/can not? let us know whether they are in fact working on such a feature.

It should also be recalled that Whistler's NXDN rollout had a lot of reported problems also.

Uniden is currently focused on debugging some DMR problems, most recently talkgroups from one system being displayed when traffic from another system is being received. (https://forums.radioreference.com/u...cdx36hp-false-tgid-display-investigation.html) It's reasonable to infer that the firmware engineers that would be tasked with writing the NXDN update are the same ones working this issue, so NXDN isn't likely to be rolled out until the known DMR issues have been addressed.
 

GaRebel

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My Uniden 436 with DMR will be heading to Ebay over the weekend.
 

wa8pyr

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Just a quick correction here, the TRX-2 scanner does NOT require a membership or subscription to update the RR database data with EZ-Scan software. My understanding is that this was included in the scanner's price per a similar agreement between Whistler and RR.

Correct. Like Sentinel, EZScan downloads library updates weekly as long as you run the software at least once a week. I've found that EZScan has a better "nag" feature reminding you to check for updates, which can be turned off (I prefer to leave it on so I don't forget).

As far as the rest of the thread, I've got both TRX-1 and BCD436HP, and I like them both for different reasons. I much prefer the Whistler Way of V-Folders, Scan Lists and Scan Sets and as such am more partial to my TRX-1 for traveling.

I own both and both have a place in my scanner rack. Do I wish the Unidens did NXDN YES. Do I wish the Whistlers Trunked tracked true DMR Trunking YES. Do I wish I could remote control my Whistlers and record audio to logging software YES. But I knew what my scanners were going to do before I bought them (What they would do at the time of purchase) and I am happy to have both.

Actually, the Whistler radios do trunk track DMR systems; I've got a couple Whistler radios and they work just fine. However, like EDACS, LTR and NXDN systems, all the channels have to be present or transmissions will be missed. EDACS systems have to have the channels in the correct LCN order. Uniden models, on the other hand, are LCN dependent for both EDACS and DMR.

Either way, this requires some detective work by those who are so inclined so that the database can be made as accurate as possible and minimize the chance of a system not working quite right. This can sometimes be a bit tricky due to the propensity of business licensees often lumping frequencies from several licenses and licensees onto a single system, which can make finding all the frequencies a challenge.
 
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