Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This scanner is the top of the line for scanning enthusiasts. It is, hands-down, the best scanner ever made. That's a pretty big compliment, I know. But in more than 40 years of "monitoring", this is the most usable, flexible and featured radio I have ever had. It includes digital (P25) capability.
However - if you are expecting instant results or plug-and-play operation, this is not for you. This radio has a learning curve and is truly a hobbyist radio. Having said that, if you are willing to invest the time in learning how the radio works, you will be rewarded with an excellent and enjoyable experience.
For folks new to the hobby, or those who just want to listen to things without programming and details - get Uniden's Home Patrol. It's as simple as putting in your zip code - and you'll be listening. For the BCD996XT (and its handheld relative, the BCD396XT), it will require programming, using the included cable to connect to a computer. You will have to get the software for it - which ranges from Freescan (absolutely free) or Proscan and other paid-for programs. You will also need a source of information - RadioReference.com is the best place to get it.
Once you do get the programming down, it's a joy to operate and listen to. One of the limitations modern scanners used to have was bank and channel - everything had to fit in the "blocks" of channels. The DMA (Direct Memory Access) architechture blows those limitations away. Once you have the concept of "systems" and "groups" down, it makes scanning ridiculously flexible. The downside is that you can have so much programmed in your radio that you need a printed guide to remember what is where for the less used things (and the software allows you to print those guides).
I do not use the GPS capabilities, but it's a brilliant concept. Once programmed, the radio can turn systems on and off based on the location your GPS provides. For folks travelling a regular route or commute, for instance, this would switch things on an off according to where they are travelling, such as different highway patrol channels, county sheriff departments or city fire and police. The possibilities are endless (and this is all available in the handheld BCD396XT as well).
If you have deep pockets, do add the handheld BCD396XT to your collection also - having two radios programmed exactly the same is a great sanity saver - they are nearly identical in function, having only slight differences on the keypads.
Either way, this is the best scanner type radio available. There are Radio Shack models that come close, but the Uniden edges them out because of a less complex display. If you don't need the digital capabilities, you can go with the non-digital BCT15X for about 300 cheaper. But when digital comes to your locality, you will be buying a new scanner.
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Uniden Digital Mobile Scanner with 25,000 Channels and GPS Support (BCD996XT)The Uniden BCD996XT may look the same as its similarly named predecessor, the BCD996T, but inside it's a whole lot different. The new scanner significantly raises the bar with improved APCO-25 digital decoding as well as a host of new features and more memory. For those who like GPS scanning, a feature no other manufacturer offers, you can now enable and disable not only systems but groups as well. It offers a band-scope feature, a fire tone out search feature to help you determine the tone out frequencies being used, improved close call, APCO-25 NAC code decoding, and more.
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