Uniden 300-Channel Clock Radio Scanner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This was on my wish list and my wife indulged me for my birthday!Thanks!

When I started working as a young teenager, the second thing I bought with my money was a Bearcat 6 channel handheld scanner. That was more than 30 years ago and times sure have changed.

Let us talk about the non scanner features first.The atomic clock works solid and had no trouble getting signal.The alarm clock also works as expected.The snooze button could stand out a little more since there are a lot of buttons of similar size and location.(I said similar and not exact!)

The FM and TV reception work fine and I can pick up stations 40 to 50 miles away without static.The AM reception is adequate and works about as good as AM radio can.

The radio also has a very important feature of weather alerts from NOAA.You can program it to only alert you on weather events in your area (county).This is an important safety feature I cannot suggest more.

To be honest, I didn't need an atomic alarm clock or an FM radio as I already had those needs met.I also have a nice collection of scanners but I had a specific need (want) and this scanner fit the bill - almost.

I will digress for a second and mention that many metropolitan areas no longer use conventional radios for public safety agencies.Conventional means each agency has a dedicated radio frequency and many times departments inside of each agency have their own dedicated frequency.It doesn't take long to realize that a lot of frequencies are needed.

To combat this, many public safety agencies (and sometimes large businesses) will use a trunked radio system.To monitor trunked radio systems, you need a scanner capable of receiving (following) the system.Some trunked systems are now digital which require an even more specialized scanner.

The Uniden BCT15 or Uniden BCD996T will work for trunked or digital trunked systems.I strongly suggest you research what systems and frequencies are used in your area before you buy any scanner.

Getting back to the scanner review...

This scanner monitors conventional frequencies only.I bought this scanner to specifically monitor one frequency - the local school system.This system allows me to monitor early morning traffic from the school which allows me to be alerted of any problems or concerns including weather delays or closings.

But I also use it to monitor more items such as those little FRS radios everyone seems to have and the traffic from the local Air Force base.I won't bore you will everything but programming is very easy to do and the manual is very clear on all operations of the radio.(You can preview the manual at Uniden's website.)

The reception is very good and when I listen to some air bands for commercial and military, it has several hundred miles of range with the supplied antenna.

The search feature is functional and the preprogrammed search banks make it easy for new users to find frequencies.You can create your own custom search banks too.

The operation to scan or hold on one frequency is simple to learn and use.

I gave the scanner only 4 stars for 2 reasons. One is the really poor BNC connector on the antenna.It is a major complaint that extends to most Uniden base station scanners.You need to be careful attaching it or you can damage the antenna or even the radio.

The second reason is more of a personal nit pick of my own.I picked up the scanner to monitor the conventional frequency of the local public school.My bedroom is located on the second floor so I have some height inside the house on the radio.

An ambulance service a couple of counties over also uses the same frequency as the school.The local school has a PL tone which I can program into other scanners in my collection but not this one.So I wished the scanner accepted PL tones.Again, this is just a small nit pick which won't be a problem for most others.

I do recommend this radio or any Uniden radio in general.I own 3 current models and have had many in the past.Enjoy and happy scanning!

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Product Description:
The Uniden Clock Radio Scanner is a multi-featured conventional channel scanner with all hazards alert. The scanner allows you to store and then scan up to 300 channels distributed over 10 banks. It also alerts you when NOAA or any broadcast station the scanner is tuned to issues an EAS (Emergency Alert System). Other features include a service search and weather scan, listening to TV on the radio (channels 2-13), and an alarm clock with snooze function. In addition to your favorite broadcast channels, this clock radio keeps you in tune with public safety, police and fire departments, NOAA weather reports, and more.
With channel memory, this unit scans frequencies at a rate of up to 70 channels per second to help you find the channel you're looking for. If you know exactly what you want, direct channel access let's you quickly dial in to your favorite channel. For faster scanning, you can even use a channel/frequency lockout function to skip over stored frequencies.
This clock radio scanner has all the functions of regular radio/alarm clock. The scanner, in standby mode, displays the time. The alarm clock can sound up to 20 minutes or be shut off manually. A convenient snooze button lets you silent the alarm for an extra five minutes.
You can listen to AM/FM and TV channels 2-13 or use them as your snooze alarm in the morning. You can store up to 30 broadcast channels (10 AM and 20 FM/TV) for quick and easy access. Ten frequencies can be set as priority channels which the clock radio scans and checks every two seconds.
The Clock Radio Scanner's LCD lighted display can be enabled or disabled. A key touch-tone sounds to confirm you've made a valid key input while another tone alerts you of an invalid entry. The scanner requires AA batteries and will let you know when batteries are low and when they need to be replaced. This unit comes with the manufacturer's 1-year limited warranty.
What's in the Box
BC370CRS radio scanner, AC adapter, telescope antenna, and owner's manual

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Uniden Bearcat BCT8 BearTracker Warning System with 800 MHz TrunkTracker III Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you're not sure about scanning or especially trunking, this would be a great way to experience it without spending the bigger bucks for the higher end scanners. I have them also, but purchased this one for a barebones emergency communications room for my employer. The radio functionality is just as good as my much more expensive radios and this one was just as easy to program too(I agree with a previous reviewer that ARC8 from Butel is the way to work with this radio). As a matter of fact, I would recommend to anyone planning on the purchase of a computer-programmable scanner that you should include a software package in your budget. There's just no easier way to go - it avoids all the button pushing on the radio. (Note: do not bother with the included crippled software or its upgrade; ARC8 and other choices that will work better and are simpler.)

The only thing this radio really lacks is the alphanumberic tags - you'll need to remember what id is what service when it stops. But the price is SO much less!

Update 7/06: With the FCC's bandplan change coming soon, it's good to know that this radio IS firmware upgradeable so that you will not lose the trunking ability when the bandplan changes arrive in your area.
The travel features are fun - when I travel, I don't care if I'm listening to the PD district or beat that I am staying in, I just want to hear something! The search features and control-channel-only mode will allow easy use in a city away from home. All the rest of the features - good audio, nice backlighting, decent size, quality of build - go along with how good Uniden has been making scanners.

This would make a great first scanner, and it also makes a great 4th one too! And if you're thinking this might be too expensive for a first scanner - spend the extra money for this one over the BC350C, it's a LOT easier to use.

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Product Description:
BearTracker Warning System with 800 MHz TrunkTracker 111. Tune into your favorite Police, Fire, Weather, Emergency, CB Radio, Marine and more. Model# BCT8

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Uniden BC72XLT Handheld Scanner (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As they say, "a little bit of knowledge goes a long way..."If you live in or near a big city, this scanner will do absolutely no good because large metropolitan police forces use a trunk communication system due to the large number of units at work at one time. These systems aren't actually scrambled, but due to high volume of calls, it would be hard of a single scanner unit to keep track of them so while you might be able to hear one end of the converstaion, you won't necessarily be able to hear the other.

This unit is perfect for smaller cities which use frequencies betweem 153.0000 and 169.0000 for their police communications. The unit is also good for tracking airport traffic and, as you know by now, NASCAR events. The best thing to do when scanning for new frequencies is to have access to a code book for your area so you'll know what you're listening to at the time.

If you're technologically-challenged in any way, you're better off letting someone who knows what they're doing program the basic channels for you. I like the fact that's it's a lot smaller and not as heavy as its predecesors. It's a conspicuous as a mobile phone and a lot easier to carry on your belt without it getting in the way.

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Product Description:
Versatile, compact, and easy to use, the Uniden BC72XLT handheld scanner offers a simple way to monitor the "action" bands, including police and fire channels (including rescue and paramedics), NOAA weather transmissions, business and industrial radio broadcasts, utilities, marine and amateur (ham radio) bands, air bands, and more. In short, the scanner keeps interested parties in the information loop. Of course, scanning the 32,000 available frequencies can be time-consuming and frustrating, which is why Uniden added such functions as Close Call capture technology, which instantly tunes to signals from nearby transmitters to help you detect and identify local signals, and a comprehensive memory that holds up to 100 programmed channels (10 per bank).
The scanner also offers six preset service banks, with preset frequencies for police, fire/emergency, aircraft, ham, marine, and weather, making it easy to locate specific types of calls. And should you want to regularly monitor a few specific channels, you can designate them as "priority" channels. The BC72XLT will then check those channels every two seconds while it scans each bank, so you never miss an important transmission. Other scanning functions include 10 programmable search ranges for finding unlisted frequencies in your area and a two-second scan delay that lets you hear any replies to the original transmission before moving on.
A scanner is fairly useless if you can't decipher the transmission, which is why the BC72XLT is outfitted with triple-conversion circuitry. The technology virtually eliminates any interference from IF images and clarifies the selected frequency, so you needn't strain to pick up certain words or phrases. And thanks to the key lock, you won't accidentally change the programming while carrying the scanner in your pocket. Add in a memory backup that preserves stored frequencies even if the scanner loses power and an easy-to-read, backlit display and you're ready for virtually any scanning situation.
The scanner comes with a flexible antenna with a BNC connector, ensuring adequate reception in strong signal areas (a separately sold external antenna will further improve reception), along with an AC adapter. As an alternative, you can power the scanner using two AA alkaline or rechargeable batteries (the latter can even be recharged while in the scanner). The unit measures 2.75 by 4.5 by 1.25 inches (W x H x D) and is backed by a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box
Scanner, AC adapter, flexible antenna, belt clip, frequency guide, user's manual.

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Uniden BC346XT Handheld TrunkTracker III Analog Police Scanner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a great scanner, with very good specs, has a nice, small form-factor, and works reliably.

I concur with the positives in the other, previous reviews.

But I've got a couple of gripes, for which I knocked one star off the rating: (these are not deal-breakers, but just things to be aware of)

1.The included rechargeable batteries are just a bit too large in diameter for the battery cover to fit properly (the cover sort of "bulges" out).More of an annoyance at this point, but I'm concerned that it could possibly break eventually, requiring me to find a replacement cover.(Using AA batteries does not cause this problem, the cover fits just fine with them).

2.The arrangement and organization of the owner's manual is very poor in my view.It's not printed, which may surprise some buyers, personally I'd prefer it printed, but I understand the economics of releasing it only online/on included CD.But sorry, the manual is VERY POORLY arranged.I'm an experienced radio guy, just not with Uniden brand products.But I still am getting frustrated trying to find stuff.I would much prefer a PDF style manual, where typefaces, spacing, white space, etc. can be combined to communicate point much more effectively.Is this a big deal? Well probably not a deal-breaker, once you/I figure out how the various features work, we won't need the manual much, but it's a royal pain until then.You may have friends who can help you out on this, which may make this irritation not too big a deal for you.

3.This scanner does have a LOT OF CAPABILITY, including some really cool features, as a result, most keys have multiple functions, some (again, my personal opinion) are not as well thought out as I would prefer, ie not intuitive.

But overall, it's a good unit.My gripes are probably not deal-breakers, and keeping in mind the price, it's a worthwhile purchase. If you're experienced with Uniden products, you might not have any trouble at all figuring out how to use it, perhaps even not needing the manual, but if you're like me, just be prepared for a learning curve longer than you might otherwise expect.

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Product Description:
TrunkTracker III Handheld Police Scanner Supports Motorola, EDACS, and LTR trunking systems. 9,000 channels, Program up to 500 systems, Dynamic Memory means no wasted channels, GPS Support for location-based scanning, location alerts, and crows-flight navigation. Fire Tone-Out Alerts you when fire pages are issued, Band Scope gives you a graphic representation of signal activity. Close Call(r) RF Capture tunes to nearby signals with no programming needed. Temporary Lockout lets you temporarily eliminate unwanted reception, Alpha Tagging makes it easier to know what you are hearing. All Hazards Alert notifies you of severe weather or other hazards. PC Programming and Control makes setting up the scanner easier than ever. Frequency Coverage: 25.0000 - 224.9800 MHz400.0000 - 512.0000 MHz806.0000 - 823.9875 MHz849.0125 - 868.9875 MHz894.0125 - 960.0000 MHz1240.0000 - 1300.0000 MHz

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Cobra HH 38 WX ST 4-Mile 40-Channel CB Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We have two of these, we keep one in my wife's car and the other in mine.Our main use is to monitor traffic back-ups (delays) on the Interstate.For this purpose, it works great.

For more regular use, I would recommend getting the external (magnet-base) antennae.This significantly boosts both the reception and transmission.I carry one of these antennaes in my trunk for longer trips.There are not many choices out there for hand-held CBs -- Based on what's out there, this seems like a good choice.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cobra HH 38 WX ST 4-Mile 40-Channel CB Radio

Product Description:
Check the weather and communicate with friends and family during outdooractivities with Cobra's HH 38 WX ST handheld CB radio. Its SoundTrackertechnology cuts noise up to 90 percent so you'll be able to hear up to fourmiles away. With 40 CB channels, you can scan for full coverage of over 30million other CB radios. A high/low power switch reduces power consumption by upto 75 percent to extend battery life while you are on the road. This modelincludes a DC power cord that plugs into your vehicle's cigarette lighter tosave power.

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