Uniden HomePatrol-2 Color Touchscreen Simple Program Digital Scanner, TrunkTracker V and S,A,M,E, Emergency/Weather Alert, APCO P25 Phase 1 and 2! Covers USA and Canada, Quick Record and Playback

This is my first scanner. Needed digital and analog for local police and fire. 22 miles from Boston and I can pick up Cambridge, Boston, MSP and local. Results may vary, its radio, and depends on line of sight and propagation. I really like the touch screen, if I want to lock on a channel when it is broadcasting, all I have to do is tap. Used Sentinel software to make favorites lists to cut down on scanning time. I was able to add my own custom FRS/GMRS channels including CTCSS tones. The home patrol unit has a quick frequency monitor feature that you can punch in manually via the touchscreen, or use Sentinel to edit your favorites lists. You can run it on power via microusb, or rechargeable battery. Battery lasts about 8 hours of continuous use, 14 hour recharge time, based on mAH entered into the options menu.

The home patrol ll scanner is very easy to use compared to most. I love that is shows the department that is transmitting instead of just a frequency code. The touch screen makes it easy to adjust and displays in color. I’ve only had it a few days and I’m very happy with the scanner.

I have owned several police scanners through the years, but this one is a whole new ball game. The best feature I think is the self programming. My only Cons is that I think its reception is kind of finicky for a pricey scanner as this one. And if it had came WITH their $50. upgrade features I would have given it a 5 Star rating. My honest opinion is that its a little over priced. But I still like the compact size & the Touch Screen features.

I own both the Home Patrol 1 and 2. This is a super easy way to listen to your local police, fire, EMS activity. No more keying in frequencies as all data is periodically updated from a free download site. Connect your HomePatrol-2 to your PC using the included cable and you can update frequencies as well as any firmware fixes from Uniden. The interface is a little bit tricky to get used to but once you do, you are able to navigate listening to exactly what you need to hear (town by town) is easy. I use the sleep timer which will turn the scanner off after up to 3 hours of listening. Handy for listening at night before bed. Device uses batteries (seem to last 6-8 hours though I have not tested thoroughly) as well as an included AC Adapter. I typically keep it plugged in. This is a great choice for anyone who wants to listen to the emergency services without having to guess at what the most recent set of frequencies is.

This product is what every review says, type in zip code and go. No programming…..easy set up

This radio was unable to receive first responders in my area. The manual could only be understood by a person with a Phd in engineering. There are so many instructions to do mostly useless things that youll go through dozens of pages just to find something relevant to its reason for existence...locating police, ems frequencies for listening.

Fantastic. First impression was when I opened the smaller than expected box. There were two complex cardboard shapes with everything slipped into carefully designed spaces inside the folds. (I am impressed when someone takes the time to design a simple thing like packaging. I believe this indicates an overall high level of quality that permeates down to the internals of the product.) I installed the four rechargeable AA batteries and found it to be pre-charged to a useable level. I fiddled for a while then plugged it into a USB charger overnight. (The red CHARGE light never did turn green, but the onscreen battery indicator was a solid green.) I got out the quick start guide and dove in. I plugged the included USB cable in my PC and selected NO on the Start Charging screen. This is clever: if you choose YES it accepts a charge current off the USB cable, as one might expect. If you select NO, the PC sees a flash drive with a SETUP folder! I went through the setup process and watched it load the scanners interactive software onto my PC, which downloaded the latest firmware and national+state frequency database. I read up on the use of this software and then loaded the profile from the scanner. I reset my location (zip code) and the services I wanted it to scan. I tweaked the volume, squelch, etc. and saved the profile back to the scanner. (All this can be done on-screen, but its much easier with the PC software.) I held down the power switch for a second or two and it came to life. Im too new at this product to judge yet, but I spent some time fiddling with the attenuation and range controls to get it to find what I wanted to listen to. Ive been learning the HOLD and AVOID functions by trial and error. Im going to read the owners manual (also loaded onto my PC) soon, but Im having too much fun for now. Overall, this is a really sophisticated scanner that comes with local PC software support, which uses an Internet connection to keep the frequency database up to date for me. Ive had scanners before. The early ones required me to use a book to keep my frequencies up to date. Later many of the radio systems went to trunk and digital modes that my little scanner couldnt handle. When the police and news helicopters were nearby over some incident, it was nearly impossible to find out what was happening. That scanner, as nice as it was, sat in a drawer for many years. This one, however, looks like it will prove to be a lot more interesting and informative. And when we go to the local small airport restaurant for lunch, we will be able to monitor aircraft and tower conversations while we watch the takeoffs and landings. The old scanner didnt support that mode.

Awesome scanner. I have a portable scanner that I used for my house, but had to take it apart to take it with me since I keep it plugged in to keep the batteries charged. I decided to buy one for the house and one for mobile. My first impression was that I had the best scanner already and this would offer me nothing new. Boy, was I wrong. I get channels I never received before from all over the state. Its also mobile too, which means I can take it with me on trips if I want. Yes, its a learning curve to master all of the features that it offers, but the upgrade was well worth whatever effort I have to put forth to learn how to use all of the available features. Id definitely recommend this scanner to anyone looking for a permanent scanner for their home.

Easy to get started and use.

works great