Uniden BCD325P2 Handheld TrunkTracker V Scanner. 25,000 Dynamically Allocated Channels. Close Call RF Capture Technology. Location-Based Scanning and S.A.M.E. Weather Alert. Compact Size.

This scanner is impossible to program without a lot of training. I expected with modern tech that I would just sync it to my computer and it would sync the necessary frequencies for my local trunked system. Not so. It says its programable via PC, but the software is not from Uniden and obsolete. I was trying to replace a nearly 30 year old Radio Shack trunk tracking scanner that was simple to program. I will be returning this. Update: Purchased the SDS 100. While it is twice the cost, it is well worth it.

Ive been using this scanner for 2 years now. Prior to that I had no scanner experience. The learning curve was steeper than I was expecting, but not because the scanner was poorly designed. Here is some of my experience and advice. The Scanner is Too Hard to Program This is true, not because the scanner is poorly designed, but because the nature of digital systems are so much more complicated. Most states are, or already have, converted from analog to digital systems. The reason is because coverage is so much better (by a factor of hundreds!). This also means users need more knowledge about how these systems work. You cant just buy a scanner, turn it on, and listen. With digital, there are THOUSANDS of frequencies. You have to tell the scanner what you want to hear. If youre not familiar with digital systems, youll want and need help. Fortunately, there is an excellent place to get it. Youre also going to need a computer. If thats a problem, dont buy a Digital scanner, buy an analog scanner and save several hundred dollars. Go to radioreference.com. Do it before you even buy your scanner. Youll find tons of useful information for beginners. The site has separate forums for each state that tell you what frequency is used by which talk group (they all set up their systems differently). It also has many different forums, some organized by scanner manufacturer, where you can ask questions about specific models. Theres even a forum for PROSPECTIVE Uniden buyers where you can ask questions before you buy. Theres also a forum for beginners where experienced users answer questions. Most of it is free, but they sell a one-year membership for $25 that lets you download frequency tables. Its worth it. The time savings of downloading over manually entering data is enormous. Another major help to me was links to “easier to read owners manuals”. The guy that wrote them sells them on different sites for about $30. RR.com has a link to many, at no cost. They still dont tell you WHY you might want to use one option over another, but they will tell you HOW to set it up in fairly easy to understand terms. Software You dont have to use computer operated software to program your scanner, but doing so will save you hundreds of hours of tedious data entry. Download Freescan (yes, its FREE), and read about it on RR.com. It really simplifies things. One great thing is that if you have Freescan, and you read the forum for your state, its possible you could find someone nearby willing to email you a copy of the Freescan file theyve created that you can simply download to your scanner. Its a lot easier to start with a working copy someone else is already using, than to try to build your own from scratch! Once you have one, you can tweak it to suit your preferences. Batteries When I first got mine, I thought the battery life was short too. I dont know if that’s true or not, as now, the same rechargeable batteries typically last 4-5 hours. Best to buy enough to last you a day. I listen to mine from 5 to 8 hours a day, and can easily do this with 4 rechargeable AAs. The Stock Antenna is Crap! This is my one big gripe about Uniden scanners, or at least the BCD325P2. The photos show the unit with a 6” black “rubber ducky” antenna. If you take a scissor and cut off the black plastic an inch or so above the base, youll find that the actual antenna (the cable wire inside the plastic) is actually only an inch long. This greatly reduces the scanners ability to pick out radio transmissions from the air. In order to receive the frequencies the scanner is capable of transmitting, youll have to buy an after-market antenna, at a cost of around $30. I bought the Remtronix REM 800B, available on-line (see scannermaster.com) and noticed the difference immediately. Why Uniden would build a great scanner and put such a crappy antenna on it is a mystery to me. Its an insult to customers, and given the high cost of digital scanners, the added cost for a good antenna would be minimal. Bottom line: expect to spend another $40 to $60 over and above the cost of the scanner for a decent antenna, batteries, and possibly a subscription to RR. Its a relatively small (but irritating) amount to spend to get the most out of your scanner investment, but once you get your programming catered to your interests, you wont regret it. On the plus side, this scanner is $100 cheaper now than it was two years ago!

Very happy with my purchase of this scanner

This is a good scanner. Too bad it eats batteries. Maybe 4 hours of usage with one set. I use rechargables otherwise Ill be spending a fortune on batteries.

First of all I paid for a New unit and received a used like new Amazon substitute, it will cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars to get it programmed to work. Then all you have to do is get a PhD in radio communications engineering to figure out how to use the scanner! Amazon would not let me return it-very disappointed.

This is hard to program unless you are very tech savvy, which is why I gave it 3 stars for ease of use, but after we got this professionally uploaded with surrounding channels my husband hasnt put it down. The sound quality is clear at his workplace but a little broken up at the house with certain channels, sort of like tv channels. Overall, it keeps you informed of surrounding events.

works but hard to program and after year tech support dont want to help

A lot of distortion on trucking freq. took apart the stock antenna added a paper clip instead and cut it size to clean up some of the distortion. More distortion if you are holding it as opposed to setting it on a counter across the room. Battery life isn’t great but I have 8 rechargeable batteries on a charger. If you’re more serious I guess you have to spend another 250 bucks to get better performance. The speaker is loud on digital but lower on analog and yes I updated the firmware. Knowing what I know now I probably would have either spend more mone or picked another hobby.

Either I cant read correctly, or the instructions dont match. Put in numbers for my county and nothing happens. Cant pick up anything, not even planes.

Works perfectly. Controls are what they are, and they are ok, but not great. Unless you have a lot of spare time and patience, you are going to need to also buy software to program this, and likely a subscription to a scanner frequency database.