| Home | Scanner Recomendations |
| Last updated June 21, 2008 |
| Trunking Scanner Recomendations | Conventional Scanner Recomendations-next |
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| For
people new to
trunking scanners: First, make sure you know what 'trunking' is all about. There is a good tutorial here. Buy only what you need for the immediate future: The Radio Reference Database is a good place to see what there is in your area to scan. Trunking is here to stay but still not used everywhere. If you don't need trunking there are plenty of conventional scanners out there that receive a whole lot better. Rebanding is another issue. Nobody really knows how it will work yet and it may be years before it's fully implemented. By then there will be other newer scanners that have newer features. If you are not going to be monitoring any Motorola systems, don't worry about it. Don't just go looking for the latest and greatest scanner assuming it's what you need and will do everything you want (the Pro-528/433 for instance). Use the following information to select just what you need (or will need in the immediate future) to purchase a scanner. Many of the older scanners have nice features that the newer scanners have dropped. Do I need a digital capable scanner? If none of the systems you want to monitor are 'digital', (or won't be going digital soon) don't buy a digital capable scanner (for more than double the cost of a analog trunking scanner) and wait for a digital system as digital scanning is still new and very awkward to program with the current scanners. Wait untill programming has been refined a little better and until you really need one. Note that a lot of the newer digital trunking systems operate in the 700MHz band and, as of this writing, only 4 scanners have the ability to scan them. Use my Trunking Comparison Chart to see which scanners offer you want or/and need. To get more detailed info, go to Uniden's or Radio Shack's site and download the PDF manual for the scanner to see exactly what it does and how to program it. I also have Easier to Read Manuals on my main page for some of the more popular scanners. |
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Performers: All are rebandable-Red are digital capable. PSR500(HH)/PSR600(Base/Mobile): Pros- Object oriented memory management, 5 way navigation keys to access special modes and programming options, Virtual Scanner Memory Management system; One V-Scanner folder can hold up to 1800 objects, meaning any combination of talkgroups, conventional channels, and trunking systems; 21 folders; about 37,800 objects, Multi-Site Trunking with option to look for the site with the best received CC decode rate, 700MHz and 380MHz trunking, changeable steps, Network Access Code programming, ID delay, I-call IDs, 'any' color display, signal strength meter, favorites scan list, 'Expert' settings, 'multiple' priority channels, Spectrum Sweeper, user defined service search, Zeromatic search tuning, TCXO (temperature controlled crystal oscillator) for frequency stability, search 'Seek' feature, and firmware upgrades. Cons- talkgroup name and system name alternate, overly busy display. BCD996T/(UBCD996T)(Base/Mobile): Pros- has all the features of the BCD396T but with 6000 tagged channels/500 systems, GPS Location Based Scanning, GPS Non-Radio Based features, GPS Display Mode, Multi-Site Trunking, Close Call 'Do-Not-Disturb', Close Call Temporary Store, temporay channel lockout, optional (BC-RH96) remote display, and per channel/group recording settings (also for Close Call, search, weather, and Tone-out). Cons- scans multiple trunking systems with a 2 second delay, cumbersome menu system, delay has to set for whole system (all groups/channels), have to press FUNC to see groups being scanned. Very complicated to update the firmware (BCD996T). BCT-15/UBC800XLT(Base/Mobile) has all the features of the BCD996T plus the 'Beartracker Warning System' and Alert Plus (BCT-15 only) and without digital/700MHz trunking and only 2500 (1600 tagged) channels. BCD396T/(UBCD396T)(HH): Pros- Digital-700 MHz trunking, fast (100 channels/sec.) conventional scanning, 6000 tagged channels/400 systems, search with scan, PL/DPL tones, automatic channel step, SCAT/Wide/Narrow EDACS, signal strength meter, battery meter, custom channel alerts, repeater reverse, weather priority, priority plus, I-call IDs, optional (BC-RH96) remote display, Fire Toneout Standby, analog/digital AGC, Close Call, Auto Store, and Custom Screens. Cons- scans multiple trunking systems with a 2 second delay, cumbersome menu system, delay has to set for whole system (all groups/channels). Very complicated to update the firmware (BCD396T). BR330T(HH) has all the features of the BCD396T (without digital-700 Mhz trunking, and only 2500 [1600 tagged] channels) plus a 100 kHz-1300 MHz range, an AM bar antenna, AM service search, and Race Track Operation (and pre-programmed races). PSR300(HH)/PSR400(Base/Mobile); Pro-164(HH)/Pro-163(Base/Mobile):(All basically the same). Pros- for fast analog trunking, repeater finder tool (for LTR LCN), ID delay, Mil air, Signal Stalker II, search-seek feature, 150 IDs per bank (1500 IDs total), weather priority, bright backlight and backlit keypad, Zeromatic search tuning, signal meter and 1000 channels. Cons- preset steps (with 8.33kHz steps in the air band), 1 search limit, 1 priority channel. BC796D(Base/Mobile): Pros- fast (100 cps) conventional scanning, APCO25 Digital Audio with 9600 Baud C4FM & CQPSK, 1000 channels/10 banks, I-call IDs, Mil air, W/N/SCAT EDACS, adjustable scan-search-ID/delay-resume, signal meter, repeater reverse, changeable steps, SAME weather alert, 10 priority channels, priority IDs, EDACS Patch Tracking, PC control/programming/cloning, auto store, channel alert, Moto status bit ignore, and EDACS partial IDs. Cons- does not receive as well as the BC780XLT. They all trunk LTR, VHF, and UHF systems, trunktrack and scan (conventional) at the same time, have attenuation per channel, AFS/Decimal EDACS ID display, power-on resume, weather alert, changeable receive modes per channel, alpha-tags, CTCSS and DCS, ID delay, CB band, Motorola Control Channel Only programming, and have a computer interface. |
| Most people agree if you
want performance buy Radio Shack (GRE
models) and the
new GRE (PSR) models. Fewer intermod problems, faster
displaying tone codes, faster trunking systems, and
clearer digital transmissions. If you want features buy Uniden (or Uniden made RS models). Dynamic memory, 100 chs/sec (conventional) scan, W/N/SCAT EDACS trunking, changable steps and receive modes, 700MHz trunking, CTCSS and (not either) DCS tone search, auto store (IDs and freqs), channel alerts, repeater reverse, computer control, I-call IDs, scan-search-ID/delay-resume, more priority channels, and better accessories. Radio Shack scanners will trunktrack faster (with multiple systems). Uniden scanners will scan conventional freqs faster. |
| Most of the newer radios have all the features that we need for scanning and trunking. The list below contains radios with unique or rare features that some people may want or need. |
| Multi-Site Trunking: |
| BCT-15, (U)BCD996T, UBC800XLT, PSR500/600. |
| 700MHz Trunking: |
| (U)BCD396T, (U)BCD996T, PSR500/600. |
| Digital (P25) Trunking: |
| Pro-96/2096, BC785D, BC296D, BC796D, (U)BCD396T, (U)BCD996T, PSR500/600. |
| Rebanding Supported: |
| Pro-92 (not 92A or 92B), Pro-96/2096, Pro-528/433, Pro-164/163, Pro-162/160, BC296D, BC796D, BC898T, BC246T, BR330T, BCD396T, BCT-15, BCD996T, PSR300/400/500/600. |
| Alpha-Tagging: |
| Pro-92/2067, Pro-93/2053, Pro-95, Pro-96/2096, Pro-97/2055, Pro-164/163, Pro-162/160, BC780XLT, BC785D, BC250D, BC296D, BC796D, BC246T, BR330T, (U)BCD396T, BCT-15, UBC800XLT, (U)BCD996T, PSR300/400/500/600. |
| Military Air: |
| Pro-2052, Pro-97/2055, Pro-164/163, BC895XLT, BC780XLT, BC785D, BC250D, BC296D, BC796D, BC898T, BR330T, (U)BCD396T, BCT-15, UBC800XLT, (U)BCD996T, PSR300/400/500/600. |
| Priority IDs: |
| Pro-94, Pro-2052, Pro-2051, Pro-162/160, BC245XLT, BC780XLT, BC785D, BC250D, BC296D, BC796D, BCT-8, PSR500/600. |
| Priority Plus IDs: |
| Pro-94, Pro-2052, BC780XLT. |
| Priority Plus scanning: |
| BC785D, BC250D, BC296D, BC796D, BC246T, BR330T, (U)BCD396T, BCT-15, UBC800XLT, (U)BCD996T. |
| I Call IDs: |
| BC780XLT, BC785D, BC250D, BC296D, BC796D, BC246T, BR330T, (U)BCD396T, BCT-15, UBC800XLT, (U)BCD996T, PSR500/600. |
| Emergency call ID alert: |
| BC780XLT, BC785D, BC250D, BC296D, BC796D, BC246T, BR330T, (U)BCD396T, BCT-15, UBC800XLT, (U)BCD996T. |
| EDACS patch tracking: |
| BC780XLT, BC785D, BC250D, BC296D, BC796D.. |
| Auto LTR LCN Programming: |
| Pro-92, Pro-2067. |
| Search with Scan: |
| BR330T, (U)BCD396T, BCT-15, UBC800XLT, (U)BCD996T. |
| Scan/Search resume: |
| BC780XLT, BC785D, BC796D. |
| Changeable Step Size: |
| All Uniden models except the BCT-8 and BC235XLT, PSR500/600. |
| Signal Strength Meter: |
| Pro-164/163), BC895XLT, BC780XLT, BC785D, BC250D, BC296D, BC796D, BC898T, BR330T, (U)BCD396T, BCT-15, UBC800XLT, (U)BCD996T, PSR300/400/500/600. |
| Auto store: |
| BC895XLT, BC780XLT, BC785D, BC250D, BC296D, BC796D, BC898T, BC246T, BR330T, (U)BCD396T, BCT-15, UBC800XLT, (U)BCD996T. |
| Auto sort: |
| BC895XLT, BC780XLT, BC250D, BC296D. |
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