Uniden Bearcat BC75XLT Handheld Scanner, 300 Channels, 10 banks, Close Call Technology, PC Programable, NOAA Weather, Aviation, Marine, Railroad, NASCAR, and Non-Digital Police/Fire/Public Safety

This thing works perfectly. Im using it to feed a scannerradio.com feed for a local PD. Yes, its an incredible under utilization for a scanner like this, but Im providing a service to my neighbors and thats okay for me. Either way, its one of the least expensive scanners that can do what Im doing, and I find it works great. Word of caution, scanning correctly can actually be kind of difficult to get setup correctly. Its not really meant for people that dont have some computer-type skills, or someone available to them that can help set it up.

I should have done my due diligence BEFORE buying this item. The equipment works well enough BUT the laws have changed dramatically since I was a kid. Most police agencies now use only encrypted vehicle-to-vehicle transmission. Seems like many emergency crews (fire and rescue, marine and air too) are going the same route. So not much traffic to pick up. No longer possible to listen in on the day-to-day chatter among police or fire crews in my area. (Southern California). Before YOU buy this unit, Google the frequencies in your area so you know how many are encrypted ... its likely that you wont be able to pick up much real-time emergency chatter anymore either.

For the price, this thing works great. I am a rail enthusiast, and this thing works great for use in the car when Im out looking for trains. The only thing I will say to detract from it is that the antenna that comes with the unit is not the best for any one frequency range just because of the design. An antenna designed to pick up such a wide range of frequencies is just not going to receive as well as one cut specifically for that frequency. Id recommend investing in an antenna more specifically attuned to the frequencies youll be scanning, but other than that, this is an excellent little scanner for the price!

This scanner is rather simple, but still packs quite some features in this small package. Irrespectively of what others may think, personally I read the enclosed instructions and in 5 minutes was able to program the frequencies I wanted. And if I had a question, I did find the answer inside. Please note that this scanner only works with analog systems, it will not work with digital or more sophisticated networks. I use it to listen to ATC with no problems at all, and as a bonus it only uses two batteries! If you expect a preprogrammed scanner that will work right out of the box, this is not the one for you. Overall, for people looking for a simple, affordable analog scanner, into which to program a (known) list of frequencies, this one is definitely recommended.

I purchased this for my Sisters Birthday. Unfortunately I ordered it in April. When she opened it yesterday on her Birthday May 30th, this will not work in our citys upgraded digital system. We are on the 700mhz digital system now and this only goes to 500mhz. My sister was a police officer and wanted a scanner to listen too calls. I am sure this is a nice scanner, but it will not work here in this Louisiana town. Please help not sure what to do now...

It is the best scanner for your money.

I bought this scanner based on the good reviews and fairly low price. I wanted something decent but not astronomical in price, but not cheep either. I have hardy been able to use it. I have tried so many different rechargeable batteries it isnt funny and NONE of them work for more than 5 or 10 minutes before the unit starts beeping and flashing the low battery warning. I take the batteries out and test them and they ALL show fully charged. Im not using cheep batteries either. I am a photographer and use expensive batteries in my equipment and even those dont work in this thing. Regular batteries with the switch on Alkaline work fine, but Im not going to go through batteries every other week to keep the thing running. The worst part is Unidens customer service. I have submitted two warranty claims with them because apparently the didnt get the first one because I never even got so much as an automated response after filling out the form. After filing a second claim, I did get an automated response with return instructions. I questioned the return shipping policy on a warranty claim and never got a response. Then my claim was marked as closed. I have been dealing with their warranty department for months and had I known they would be so bad, I would have just returned it to Amazon... now its way too late to do that. Having been in and around the fire service all my life, I always thought Uniden to be a reputable company. Now Im not so sure.

The overall quality of this Radio is excellent. Controls for volume etc. are good and intuitive with practice. VOLUME IS CLEAR and Adjustable. I am not satisfied with the instructions on how to program this radio, consequently, Ive not programmed the radio because the instructions are not clearly described. Instead, I just rely upon the existing frequencies (Channels) that are pre-set at the factory (out of the box). Probably, most disappointing is that fact that in this region, theres just not that many open channels broadcasting, and that is likely due to the encrypted frequencies or just so little or no traffic. Once in a while, I might be able to pick up periodic conversation lasting several seconds for FIRE or MARINE but thats about it. Only WEATHER (NOAA) has a consistent and prolonged broadcast anouncement. POLICE, AIR RACE HAM, OTHER (GMRS etc), RAIL, and CB channels are basically quiet or full of Static. HAM channels may occasional pick up local chat between two HAM operators certain time of the early evening, but nothing else. Any disappointment with this scanner isnt the scanner itself but with the lack of hearing life action other than on weather or marine frequencies.

I cant give you too much technical jargon. What I can say is the following; Very easy to set up. Manual was an easy read. The YOUTUBE videos make programming and setup a snap. My advice before you buy is ask someone in your area about scanning as this is an entry level scanner. It may not do all of what is required in large cities/metropolitan areas. I live in the rural northwest and I am enjoying all the frequencies in my area. I also put rechargable batteries in my scanner and they seem to last about 9 hours a charge. This may vary with your scanner depending on what you have it doing. 4 stars because the plastic feels a little bit brittle and so I handle it with kit gloves.

Programming the device is a bit challenging. Programming thru a connected computer may be easier, but requires purchased software. Uniden should provide the software gratis. And the scanner SHOULD be usable while charging, battery life is short. Works well, good reception here in mountain valley until recharge requires shutdown.