Uniden 500 Channel Scanner
What We Liked: If youre looking for a police scanner that has all the bells and whistles, consider this Uniden 500 Channel Scanner. Not only does this scanner feature an astounding 500 channels, but it also dazzles with weather alerts and a built-in FM radio. Youll even have the ability to save your favorite frequencies with this model for quick tuning during future uses.
Best Police Scanners To Buy In 2018
Digital mobile police scanners, or digital police scanners, as there are frequently known, enable you to easily tune into the neighborhood and world surrounding you, automatically grabbing the Police, Fire and EMS channels in your area. These scanners are excellent resources to stay informed during local emergencies and remain apprised of other local events. And with location-based scanning, its an easy and hands-free way to tune into tens of thousands of different channels. Handheld and digital police scanners are special devices that let you listen to different wireless radio conversations, making them useful for picking up channels that are primarily used by emergency responders.
In this article, we will give an overview of the 5 best police scanners to buy in 2017. So, keep the frequency clear for a few minutes because you are about to be provided with all the information you need to make the right choice.
Create Your Own Scan Channel Lists
This is one of our favorite features of the Whistler TRX-2, and one that we wish was included on other radio scanners. Do bear in mind that you will only be able to access this feature if you have access to a Windows computer. One of the few downsides of the TRX-2, to be honest.
The problem with using this radio out of the box is that the job it does of giving you radio channels is just far too good. Once you have tapped in your zip code, it will find every scannable radio channel for you. Every one. This means that when you use the scan feature, it may be going through a few dozen channels at once. This is a slow process. It is also pretty slow when you turn on the device and load up the scan list for the first time.
If you can create your own scan channel lists, you can narrow down that process. It will scan faster, which means you can keep tabs on conversations a little bit easier. In addition to this, it also means that you will only hear the channels you want to be able to hear. No useless chatter. You have full customization too.
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Q: How Do I Program A Police Scanner
Each model is going to have different ways to program it. Some will rely on a direct input interface in other words, you program it using the buttons and push pads installed on the device. Some more advanced models will ask that you install software onto a laptop or PC then hook the radio up with a cable and program it via your computer. Either way, most scanners should come with decent documentation that explains the process in a clear and concise fashion.
Uniden Bc365crs 500 Channel Scanner
The above product can be used both indoors and outdoors but if you are looking specifically for such an antenna which is best to use windows then this product is only for you..!! This product is the best indoor police scanner antenna for your house or any office you want to place it..!! This is an entry-level and mobile based scanner that is widely used nowadays. Also, this antenna is used for monitoring police air weather, etc. The best part of this antenna is that you can save the frequencies. I know it is really very difficult to grab the frequencies and what caused it. In this antenna, you are able to save at least 300 frequencies so that your work gets easier.!!
In addition to being a scanner, this model has a built-in FM radio with 30 FM presets available. It also has an alarm clock and weather scan with alert feature.
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Runner Up Pick Uniden Beartracker Mobile Tracking Scanner With Gps Support
The Uniden BearTracker Mobile Tracking Scanner with GPS Support is an advanced and complicated scanner receiver. With this scanner, youll unlock the full power of the electromagnetic spectrum. Few transmissions will be beyond your ears.
- Not suitable for non-technical users
- Poor mounting system
The BearTracker has an extensive user interface which lets you dial in the channels you want. You can also program favorites for easy access. The standard police, fire, maritime, and EMS channels have buttons on the interface, which is a nice touch.
Overall, this scanner is one of the more difficult scanners to use despite being one of the most powerful. The band coverage of this scanner ranges from 25 MHz to 1.3GHz, sensibly excluding the UHF TV and cellular bandwidths.
No matter where you go, you can check the signal. Military signals and alternative police channels will be at your disposal, provided that you can locate them while channel surfing.
If youre a hobbyist or an enthusiast, its hard to ask for a better scanner. While the unit is intended for use in your car, its also a great desktop scanner. Like others, the mounting system on this scanner leaves a lot to be desired, however.
Uniden Bcd436hp Digital Handheld Police Scanner
BEST HANDHELD
This handheld police tracker is easily portable and boasts a number of excellent features including a Close Call RF Capture feature, GPS connectivity, an extra-large, easy-to-read display and radio system analysis. Its very simple to program and easy to operate all it takes is turning it on and entering your zip code to enable TrunkTracker V to work its magic. Its able to pick up signals from across town to across the street, and will keep you updated on the latest local updates that pertain to you and your safety. The scanner also includes an instant replay function so you can skip back and replay pertinent pieces of information, and you can set up custom alerts so your scanner can alert you when a specific event happens like a close call hit, emergency alert or other update.
Pros: Convenient handheld design, plenty of features, customized alerts and instant replay.
Cons: The design is not waterproof.
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Different Types Of Radio Systems
Broadly speaking there are three types of system:
- Handheld As the name suggests, you hold it in your hand. This model has the most mobility of course, whilst often being weaker models in terms of broadcast pick up range. It is also limited by its battery lifespan.
- Base/Mobile A middle ground between handheld police scanners and desktop models. They can be plugged into the wall for base use, or installed in a vehicle for mobile use.
- Desktop The complete opposite of Handheld. As the name suggests, they are designed to sit on the desktop and must be plugged into a wall power outlet. That lack of mobility is usually offset with more frequency pick up power, as well as more built-in features such as additional channel memory.
Analog Vs. Digital Analogue is the traditional radio source that has been around since the very birth of the device. Digital is a far more modern communication medium. Analogue has the advantage of being generally cheaper, whilst digital is more powerful and has more options. It can, for example, be trunked or broken up into essentially different channels making it a more effective medium. As it is more expensive to install, many law enforcement agencies have not yet switched over.
Best For Low Prices: Whistler Ws1025 Analog Desktop Scanner
If what you want is a basic but reliable scanner for a very reasonable price, the Whistler WS1025 analog scanner fits the bill nicely. For around $100, this scanner can access emergency weather alerts by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and frequencies used by storm spotter networks teams of volunteers that provide reports directly to the National Weather Service.
The Whistler WS1025 is an analog scanner, so your access to police, fire and medical emergencies departments may be limited . But if you live in a smaller town, and the signals youre interested in are analog, look no further.
The WS1025 has enough memory to store up to 200 channels. You can input frequencies manually or with a computer and categorize them into separate banks or lists based on signal type . You can also set a priority channel to be scanned every two seconds, even when youre searching for other available frequencies.
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Are Police Scanners Legal
Yes, police scanners are legal in the US. In other countries, the scanners may not be legal, but it is unlikely that anyone would know that you were using a scanner.
As a rule of thumb, if the police do not want you to know a piece of information, they will use an encrypted channel. You wont be able to listen to these channels on the scanner, so dont worry about hearing anything youre not supposed to be hearing.
Best Digital: Uniden Bcd996p2
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Some features require paid upgrades
There arent that many brands in the police scanner game , but Uniden is a major player in the world of scanners. Meant as a one-stop-shop for analog scanning and digital transmissions, the Uniden BCD99P2 is one of the better scanners out there. Whatever your needs, the BCD99P2 most likely has you covered, even if it does so in a fairly large package.
The BCD99P2 is capable of location-based scanning, and it can detect nearby radio transmissions. The TrunkTracker V scanner also offers continuous band coverage spanning 25 MHz to 1.3 GHz. Factor in 25,000 different dynamically allocated channels, and youll have enough options to cover all your local systems, recalled via the intuitive internal memory of the unit. It all comes in a compact 11 x 3.75 x 8.5-inch unit with a bright display and easy-to-navigate controls.
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Our Police Scanner Buying Guide
If youve ever watched out your window as emergency vehicles sped to a home down the street, you know the value of having a police scanner. These devices let you listen in on local police transmissions, helping you stay aware of whats going on nearby. This can help you monitor your area for crime so that you can keep your own home safe.
Choosing a police scanner means finding a device that can help you get the best reception possible. With the right scanner, youll get the widest range of options when youre listening. The wrong scanner will have you frustrated as you struggle to find a transmission. Look for a scanner that offers a broad frequency range and a large number of channels. Some scanners also offer both analog and digital frequencies, which can be a plus.
Some of the best police scanners use something called Close Call RF Capture technology, which helps you tune in to nearby transmissions. Since many consumers investing in police scanners are interested primarily in nearby happenings, this feature comes in handy. Location scanning is another feature that can help you access the transmissions in your immediate area. When a scanner has location scanning built in, it searches for transmissions nearby rather than forcing you to manually input them. This is especially valuable if you plan to use your scanner in more than one place.
Uniden Sds100 Digital Handheld Scanner
This radio scanner from Uniden offers an extreme functionality that youve never experienced before. It could work even in the most remote areas with little to no signal.
Searching for a decent signal is a real challenge in remote areas. However, you would not have to go berserk searching for signals when using this device. Uniden radio scanner comes with a real I/Q radio design that advances digital function even in signal-destitute areas, such as mountains and far-flung provinces.
Another feature that I genuinely like about this radio scanner is that it is water-resistant. You would never have to worry about this scanner obtaining moisture, especially in critical situations. It still works efficiently and can even recover signals for effective communication in emergencies.
Additionally, it comes with a rugged design to withstand long time usage.
Since this device uses a Lithium-ion battery, recharging is a breeze. It also has excellent efficiency and incomparable sturdiness for a radio scanner.
Another advantage of a Li-ion battery is its exceptional stability, allowing you to obtain a higher energy concentration and power capacity. This feature enables extended power retention compared to other battery types.
- Batteries are rechargeable, stable, and efficient.
- Advanced features may take time to master.
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Uniden Sr30c Portable Police Radio Scanner Review
With a conveniently compact design that more or less matches the design of BC125AT, the Uniden SR30C is packed with some advanced features. It supports 500 channels divided into 10 storage banks that allow for quick search and easy access.
This police scanner or handheld scanner listens to 32,000 frequencies and covers police band, fire band, ham radio, CB radio, civil aircraft, racing, NOAA weather, railroad, and more.
The unit is equipped with Close Call RF Capture that allows instant tuning to signals coming from nearby transmissions. However, you can always use the Do Not Disturb function to prevent close call checks during transmissions.
The unit doesnt have a big display, but it a backlit display for clear readability. You can dim the display if you want. The powering options include AA batteries. You can use the non-rechargeable one for longer battery life, or you can opt for NiMH rechargeable batteries.
What I liked about this unit is that you can charge the batteries even when the unit is actively scanning for transmissions. Thats something you wont find in BC125AT.
The scanner comes with a flexible antenna with a BNC connector. So, you can change the antenna to improve reception. The audio quality is not so great, but it is decent enough and can remove static using the squelch technology.
Pros
We Break Down The Top Police Scanners On The Market
A high-quality police scanner can help you stay in the know during your drive. Regardless of what type of police scanner suits your needs, you wont need wifi as the best police scanners will simply operate by being plugged into an AC adapter or by use of batteries.
The number of options available for those interested in police scanners can be overwhelming, and it can be tough to distinguish what exactly you need. Our review team prides itself on the honest and unbiased review of products to help further customer understanding of the industry and the top-rated police scanners available.
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Uniden Bcd436hp Homepatrol Series Digital Handheld Scanner Trunktracker V Simple Programming Same Emergency/weather Alert Covers Usa And Canada
- The BCD436HP is the first scanner to incorporate the HomePatrol-1 ease of use in a traditional handheld scanner. Plus, Unidens exclusive Close Call RF Capture feature, GPS Connectivity, Extra-Large Display, Radio System Analysis and Discover Modes put the most advanced scanner features ever right in the palm of your hand.
- Simple to operate, no programming needed. Simply turn it on, enter your zip code, and TrunkTracker V does the rest.
- This user-friendly digital scanner will immediately begin receiving communications used by Public Safety, Police, Fire, EMS, Ambulance, Aircraft, Military, Weather, and more.Scan Speed 85 channels per second
- This functionality is made possible by combining the rich radio system database from Radio Reference with Unidens patented radio system selection methods to correctly identify and monitor only nearby systems in the USA/Canada.
- Whether it is across town or across the street, the BCD436HP keeps you informed. Now with the largest display on the market and more advanced features, the BCD436HP makes a superior unit for the scanner enthusiast..Instant Replay Plays back up to 240 seconds of the most recent transmissions..Custom Alerts You can program your scanner to alert when you receive, a Channel or Unit ID, a Close Call hit, an ID is transmitted with an Emergency Alert, or a Tone-out hit. For each alert in the scanner, you can select from 9 different tone patterns, 15 volume settings, 7 colors, and 3 flash patterns.
Best Home Police Scanner
Our Rating:
Offering menu-driven programming, and scan list functionality, you can easily set this model up in a matter of minutes and organize all your favorite channels by taking advantage of the scan list and memory backup features. Its also able to scan the most common trunked radio system signals, and comes with the popular digital AGC feature which will compensate for low user audio levels.
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Best For Home: Uniden Homepatrol
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Doesn’t include a power adapter
With an easy to rest stand, the Uniden HomePatrol-2 digital scanner with a pre-programmed database is a highly functional scanner thats perfect for any room in the house. Including specialized features such as quick record and playback, the Uniden is a highly recommended digital scanner that can be up and running in minutes. Theres no programming needed herejust enter your zip code and HomePatrol-2 will load all the recognized police, fire, and EMS channels in the surrounding area. It includes channel information for the US and Canada from radioreference.com.
Weighing just over a pound, the HomePatrol-2 is easy to tote around. Additionally, the inclusion of a touch screen was an industry first with the HomePatrol-2. Uniden also includes rechargeable batteries that last between five to six hours. It comes with a USB charging cord that you can connect to a standard USB power brick.