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  1. #1
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    Default Advise on purchasing a BCD396T

    Hello experts, I strongly intend on getting this device. The one and only dealer in the Toronto area sells it for C$900 plus our 15% Ont tax (right now US$1=C$1.2). Overpriced, too expensive, if yes, what alternatives do I have besides driving down to the States and buying from an American dealer? What's a fair price for this product? BTW, in the C$900 price they will load it with anything I want, all OPP and other PD frequencies, etc., they asked me what do I want to be loaded with. Besides the police frequencies, what else should I ask for? I travel to the States a couple of times a year and I wouldn't mind to hear the "bears" while driving, let's say, in Virginia, on my way to Florida! Also I would like to be able to hear what truckers are talking on the road. Any advise on all the above?
    Thank you very much for your help.
    I have never owned and used a scanner in my entire life!
    RW

  2. #2
    Speed Demon
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    Wait till christmas. A new radio scanner is coming out. I wouldnt rush on buying a radio scanner now. Technology moves pretty fast. Overall you not missing anything.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Advise on purchasing a BCD396T

    Quote Originally Posted by Road Warrior
    Hello experts, I strongly intend on getting this device. The one and only dealer in the Toronto area sells it for C$900 plus our 15% Ont tax (right now US$1=C$1.2). Overpriced, too expensive, if yes, what alternatives do I have besides driving down to the States and buying from an American dealer? What's a fair price for this product? BTW, in the C$900 price they will load it with anything I want, all OPP and other PD frequencies, etc., they asked me what do I want to be loaded with. Besides the police frequencies, what else should I ask for? I travel to the States a couple of times a year and I wouldn't mind to hear the "bears" while driving, let's say, in Virginia, on my way to Florida! Also I would like to be able to hear what truckers are talking on the road. Any advise on all the above?
    Thank you very much for your help.
    I have never owned and used a scanner in my entire life!
    RW
    That is overpriced by about $300 if I understand the conversion factor. Probably your best alternative is to go on a road trip and buy one here. I cannot believe how much the Canadians screw their own citizens!

    I bought mine at Communications Electronics, www.usascan.com in Michigan for $519. They are a top-notch outfit to do business with. Other good places are Grove Electronics in NC. The closest place to you would be Scanner World, in Albany NY they are at www.scannerworld.com.

    No details are available on the newest scanner in the pipeline, it may not even have digital capabilities. There is almost always a new scanner in the pipeline so one could wait forever trying to always have the newest. I am happy with my 396T. Plus with the small size it is very stealthy.

    Having one with all the data already programmed would be nice, but not worth an extra $300 or so. It can be programmed by PC with free Uniden software download (haven't tried it yet). Or it can be programmed the old-fashioned way which is easy but a little bit tedious.

    I would also program in Fire/Ambulance channels and DOT (state and local). Having the DOT programmed in is very helpful in the winter. It's a great way to keep up to date on road conditions.

    GTO_04

    GTO_04

  4. #4
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    Default To: raresvx

    Thank you for the advice to wait until Christmas. No big deal, just 3 months, BUT what the new one will have in store better than the 396T??? What I am personally interested is to be able to hear police communication, city and freeways, lots of jurisdictions, also as GTO_04 said, FD and Emergency vehicles, also, if possible, weather alerts AND trucker's conversations as well! I need it to be DIGITAL, cause everybody is moving to digital nowadays, besides the old system, I don't know how is it called, trunking or analog...
    And is the new one you are talking about Uniden as well? Better than the 396T?
    Thanks a lot.

  5. #5
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    Default To: GTO_04

    Thank you very much for the reply.
    As of today, C$900=US$750 plus 15% Ont sales tax.
    After 9/11, when I changed completelly, became very pro-American, I did 10 road trips, all together I covered 45 states, and you have no idea how many things I bought from the States saving hundreds of $$$!!! Why? Cause EVERYTHING in the States is at least 40% cheaper than in Canada!!! And I'm talking about exactly same products, either is vacuum cleaner (house and car), pressure washer, camcorder, digital camera, toaster, bread maker, clothes, satellite system, etc., 90% of them bought from New Hampshire, Dellaware and Montana, states with NO sales tax!!! I have planned to go to Miami and Key West for 12 days in October (around Canadian Thanksgiving) but unfortunatelly my mom, out from hospital in couple of days, will need somebody around her, and I don't know I will find somebody to take care of her for 12 days... regardless, if not in October, my next road trip is next May, I don't like visiting new places during cold weather, including driving to these new places!
    Oh, one example, in 2003 I bought a Bisell vacuum cleaner from a Wal-Mart in Wilmington, DE, it was C$90, within days after I got back to TO i went to a local Wal-Mart and exactlly the same product was C$150 PLUS 15% tax!!! Another example, on my way to Arizona I bought a digital camera from a Best Buy store in Terra Haute, Indiana, at the border with Missouri, about C$150 cheaper (at that time, 2002, US$1=C$1.6) than in TO... so you see how lucky you guys, and girls, are to live in US of A!!!
    And something else, here in Canada personal ownership of DIGITAL scanners is regulated by Industry Canada, and they will never allow you to own one if you are not member of a radio club, etc., but the dealer is authorized to hand you a waiver, you sign it, and then you are free to buy the scanner and use it freely in your car or anywhere else!
    US$519=C$620... yes, about C$300 cheaper... lucky you
    For me it wouldn't be a problem to get in touch with those people in Michigan or Albany, NY, thank you very much for the web sites, but you know, about the warranty, if it doesn't work or malfunction after a while, I will have to send it back to them for repair and who knows what happens with the mail (I will have to pay insurance for a US$500 product).
    OK, I will think about, the lady in charge with scanners told me that after they update all the files for this new model she will take it on the road for a test, she told me to call back in 2-3 weeks.
    So to ask for all of the PD frequencies, OPP, locals, maybe I'm lucky to have them some PDs in the States, also FD and Emergency and DOT, yes, very important the road conditions and maybe Weather Alerts!
    OK, thanks a lot for your precious informations, now the ball is in my court

  6. #6
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    Default

    What's the model number of the new scanner? I was looking into the 396T as well, but noticed it doesn't have any 700 MHz coverage. I understand that some of the public safety rebanding in the States will probably push a few interesting users into the 700 MHz band. I haven't used my BC-1 for years, but until there's a complete cure for the Spectre and other RDDs (that is, a complete elimination of all LO emissions from our detectors), I may just leave my RD at home for awhile (if I'm lucky enough to get it back from the OPP) and try out a decent digital scanner.

  7. #7
    Speed Demon
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    raresvx nailed it, all the new electronics are coming out around christmas and the prices are going down a lot. Christmas is the best time to buy electronics but keep in mind that it will be out dated really soon after the purchase :wink:

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by SpeedFreak
    raresvx nailed it, all the new electronics are coming out around christmas and the prices are going down a lot. Christmas is the best time to buy electronics but keep in mind that it will be out dated really soon after the purchase :wink:
    Exactly! I wouldnt rush into buying one. New modes are coming out. I would say any digital scanner today will be outdated in a few months.

  9. #9
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    So far the only scanner better than the 396T appears to be this 996T, as GTO 04 has predicted before (thanks GTO 04 :wink: )
    Is it worth waiting for it, spring '06, as I have not bought my scanner yet :?: :roll: Isn't it too expensive for just the GPS feature :?: :roll:
    ----------------------------------

    Uniden Announces Industry’s First GPS-Enabled Scanner
    New Mobile Model Features Close Call™ Technology and APCO 25 Capability
    Fort Worth, Texas, October 1, 2005 - Uniden America Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wireless consumer electronics, today announced a new mobile digital scanner, the Bearcat BCD996T. This model introduces the first-ever GPS-enabled scanner, allowing the product to automatically select nearby radio systems for scanning. The BCD996T also offers APCO 25 digital capability, allowing consumers to monitor the activities and signals of city and government service departments, and features advanced scanner technology in an in-dash or mobile mount design.
    The GPS-enabled feature offered by the BCD996T provides automatic system selection, which permits the scanner to turn system reception on or off depending on the user’s location, and allows the user to define the scanner display to show location-based information.
    In addition, when a GPS unit, not included with this scanner, is connected to the BCD996T, it will alert at areas of special interest, such as dangerous intersections, school zones, or general points of interest.
    Featuring APCO 25 capability, Uniden’s BCD996T is poised to further enhance Uniden’s offerings to public safety and increase interoperability between agencies using different types of radio systems. Uniden’s BCD996T will not permit users to monitor sensitive, encrypted signals from national and local security services.
    An extended list of features
    The Bearcat BCD996T also offers Close Call™ RF Capture Technology, Dynamic Memory Management, Fire Tone-Out, and Multi-site programming as well as 6,000 channels and a frequency range of 25 MHz to 1.3 GHz (excluding cellular and UHF TV frequencies). This new model is slated to hit retail shelves in spring 2006 and carries a MSRP of $849.99.
    “The BCD996T, the first GPS-enabled model in the scanner industry, is another milestone in the evolution of scanning,” said Paul Opitz, product manager at Uniden America Corporation. “These new features will provide an efficient way for agencies that need compatibility in multiple geographic areas to use the scanner without having to reprogram the equipment for each location.”
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Editor of Police Call, Gene Hughes is retiring.
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Rebanding Information:
    The FCC rebanding plan to move Nextel out of selected area of 800 MHz frequencies is designed to reduce interference on public safety agencies. As far as scanners go the major impact of this new band plan will be on Motorola 800 MHz analog systems that are forced to shift frequencies under this plan and Mot P25 digital systems in some selected Uniden scanners. No EDACS or Johnson LTR trunk systems are effected by this rebanding other than reprogramming the new frequencies due to how those systems operate and the scanners decode and trunk those systems.

    First, the scanner owner has to determine if their system is even effected under rebanding. The best case scenario is that the scanner buff will have to learn the new frequencies for his system and reprogram that into his scanner.

    The major factor that determines if a scanner will be effected by a system moving under rebanding is due to the internal software (firmware) programmed
    into the scanner to follow the trunk system . The way the firmware for trunking scanners works for the Motorola format is based on each frequency being assigned a channel number in an internal software table in the scanner (the FCC assigned each of the 800 MHz frequencies a channel number 1 to 868). With this new rebanding, all the channel numbers are changing. Most of the newer scanners have the ability to update their firmware to change these tables of frequency = channel numbers. Some can not due to the fact that their programming is not flashable.

    The major impact of rebanding will be on all Motorola analog using the BC-235/245/895/780/250D/785D scanners and P25 systems using the 250D/785D scanners. The fore mentioned scanners cannot be used when rebanding plan is implemented and cannot be flash upgraded. The customer will have to buy a new scanner to monitor any system that changes frequencies due to rebanding. If their system doesn't have to move, they will not see any changes.

    (Note: We do not have the capability to do the research for each customer that calls to determine if their system is going to be impacted).

    The BCT-8/898T/296D/796D/246T/BCD396T/BC330T can all be reflashed with software updates that will be available from Uniden on their website

    Of course, once rebanding takes place, the user will have to research the new freqs, update his scanner with the latest softwear, and reprogram that
    trunk system to the new frequencies.

    Reportedly, the only safe RS scanners are the Pro-2096 and Pro-96 (reflashed) and Pro-97/92 (reprogrammed). Any other RS scanner will have to be replaced if their Motorola system is impacted by the rebanding plan.


    Here are the people who will have to get new scanners if they are tracking a Motorola system.
    Own a Uniden BCT-235/BCT-245/BC-780/BC-250D/BC-785D or a Radio Shack Pro-91/92A/92B/93/94/95 handhelds or the Pro-2050/2052/2053/2055/2066/2067 base and base/mobiles, they will have to replace their scanners when rebanding goes into effect in their area or they will no longer be able to trunk track their local systems.

    A most excellent write-up and table of all the trunk scanners and what needs to be done. http://www.wpascanner.com/reband/reband.htm
    FCC Page 800 MHz Band Reconfiguration
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    The BR330T is a TrunkTracker III scanner that includes a combination of features present in the BC246T (analog trunking features), the SC230 (race track features), plus extended frequency coverage. It shares a tool with the BCD396T.
    Major Features
    .1 MHz – 1.3 GHz, excluding cellular – covers AM Broadcast, FM Broadcast, and TV Broadcast as well as all scanning bands.
    TrunkTracker III – scans Motorola, EDACS, and LTR analog trunking systems.
    2500 Dynamically Allocated Channels – plenty of room for storing radio system and racing information.
    Race Track Operation – makes it easy to scan and select drivers at races.
    Close Call RF Capture Technology – quickly detects and tunes to nearby transmissions.
    Fire Tone-out Operation – can operate in a standby mode and respond when a fire tone-out is issued.
    Extended Quick-Key Operation – systems can be assigned to any of 100 quick keys for rapid selection.
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    How about a link to one of the most knowledgeable Trunk-Tracking web sites ever.
    FREE!
    Just sign up for a user name & password.
    Get trunking assistance and all the frequencies that your scanner can hold. Just click on the title below.
    http://www.radioreference.com/module...es.php?name=RR
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    http://www.grove-ent.com/closeoutdea...eoutdeals.html

  10. #10
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    Reportedly, the only safe RS scanners are the Pro-2096 and Pro-96 (reflashed) and Pro-97/92 (reprogrammed). Any other RS scanner will have to be replaced if their Motorola system is impacted by the rebanding plan.
    I've been following the status of the RS scanners, and the latest that I saw over at RR was the 2096 and 96 *SHOULD* be able to work later using the custom table feature.

    The 97 would likely require a trip back to RS to be upgraded, *if* they decide to offer an upgrade.

    Ed

 

 

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