Uniden Bearcat SR30C, 500-Channel Compact Handheld Scanner, Close Call RF Capture, Turbo Search, PC programable, NASCAR, Racing, Aviation, Marine, Railroad, and Non-Digital Police, Fire, Public Safety

Its bad enough no batteries are included but there is no information on the specific type of batteries other than rechargeable Ni-Mh batteries. I would have made a different purchase had I known

This has to be considered a basic analog scanner. It seems to work well with good sensitivity. Programming is a bit tedious if you want to enter multiple frequencies. The most significant deficiency is that you cannot enter alphanumeric names for your banks and channels -- the only scanner Ive ever owned since the 1990s that didnt have that feature. Also note that the PC software for programming only works on a Windows PC, not Mac. They advertise something called Turbo Search but there is nothing in the User Manual that describes such a feature. UPDATE: I have returned the SR30C and replaced it with its better brother, the BC125AT. Amazon doesnt carry it (in the U.S.) but I found it for only a few dollars more than the SR30C on Walmart. (EDIT:: I see that Amazon now has the SC125AT). The BC125AT is essentially the same scanner as the SR30C but with MUCH better features (including alphanumeric channel labels) for only a few dollars more. It almost seems that Uniden intentionally crippled functions and features to make the SR30C a bit cheaper.

The scanner itself is solid and easy to program. Have not tried the downloadable programming software because it is easy enough manually. I live in the suburbs and find the stock rubber ducky antenna to be inadequate for pulling in signals. A mobile antenna and a better rubber ducky have made a world of difference. Im sure this wouldnt be a problem in more urban areas. Good audio as well.

This unit replaced another brand that broke at the antenna connector after a year of use. This model received local police traffic that the unit did not. It is also smaller and seems better built.

Brought this thinking that I could start doing a hobby I’ve been interested in for a while. I couldn’t figure out even after doing YouTube searches on it to get it out of all lock mode. Also couldn’t figure out how to get my local police feeds. Returned it a week later. After I sent customer support a message which they only say they respond via email, though they do have an 800 number. Call the 800 number and all it says is to email them. Not worth the money.

I was looking to monitor aircraft frequencies. Right out of the Box it started finding close by transmitters. With a little manual reading I learned how to store those found frequencies in the empty memory slots. A little more reading and I was able to scan the preprogrammed aircraft band. Little more reading I might find out what else it can do for me. Battery started beeping after 3 or 4 hours of use. It shut off little after that. Im going to monitor battery life on the 2nd set a little closer so I know how many spare batteries to keep with me. Its standard AA batteries so cheap and easy to find.

Scanner kept jumping back to the weather during the race.

A potential great that falls just short. Excellent features. Excellent for the beginner and average user who enjoys listen to what is going on in areas with low band, VHF coverage. Most often. Rural areas. Not hard to program in frequencies, Ten banks to organize or group your local favorites. Lock-out button to remove unnecessary chatter when something big is going on ( the banks help there also). I am very pleased with the operation of this scanner. But my only beef with the designers of this portable scanner is the battery life. It only uses two AA batteries, instead of four. Really guys?!?? What were you thinking??! So far, my experiments with Rechargable batteries have found Tenergy batteries to last the longest. I get 5 to 6 hours depending on scanner traffic. I always carry spare batteries and spare power cable when taking it out for extended periods. So, If w friend were to ask if they should purchase one. I would say go ahead, it will do the job you need it to do. It has some excellent features, but just understand its one major design flaw and shortcoming. And carry extra batteries when out and about.

The Bearcat SC30R scanner fits in your hand and is very light weight. The learning curve is moderate as any to learn and I was programming in under a day. This scanner is a great first time scanner to own, you will not be disappointed.

Worked great until the police and fire departments in my area switched to p25 phase 2. I used it at work as a security officer since our dispatcher does not always pay attention to theirs. Shame this model can’t be updated to get the new system.