Uniden BCD536HP HomePatrol Series Digital Phase 2 Base/Mobile Scanner with HPDB and Wi-Fi. Simple Programming, TrunkTracker V, S.A.M.E. Emergency/Weather Alert. Covers USA and Canada.

I purchased this bcd536hp scanner due to the wifi adapter. I use proscan software with the web server and now can listen to my stream anywhere in the world. You must have proscan turned on with web server. so computer has to be on and scanner has to be on all the time. I make sure I have light on scanner turned off. I dont need that to die on me!. I use it mostly for simulcast in Central NY. I have to say it does pretty good on simulcast. I just couldnt afford the Uniden sds200. ProScan is well worth it. try it out for free for 30 days and if you like it then you pay a one time fee of 50.00

I knocked off 1 star only due to the high price. This seems like a very high quality product and it seems to work great. I now regret paying extra for the home patrol version as I only used the zip code function for the first hour or so while I figured out how to use the software to create favorites lists from the database.

I have been a scanning hobbyist for 35 years, almost all with Uniden scanners and I have never encountered anything that has claimed more and delivered less. Heres what Amazons site says: The BCD536HP continues Unidens tradition of leading innovation. HomePatrol Programming makes it the easiest-to-program mobile professional scanner weve ever made. Plus, the Wi-Fi feature lets you use the exclusive Uniden Siren App on your smartphone or tablet to access your scanner from anywhere in your home or vehicle. Easy to program?? No way! I agree, the HomePatrol feature makes it super easy to scan right out of the box. The problem is that you get a generic scan that floods you with transmissions you dont want. Do you really want to listen to Public Services in another suburb discuss filling potholes? Programming the unit to your specific needs is NOT EASY. The commands are complex and sensitive to the slightest error. Worse, Uniden provides no help. The manual is useless. If you search on-line long enough you can find a 3rd party manual that is better but still difficult and it costs $35. There are also several YouTube videos that help a lot but still be prepared for a long and difficult learning curve. WiFi - forget it. Does not work at all - absolutely no function. The advertised Uniden Siren App does not exist. It has never been delivered and all that Uniden will say about it is App release coming! How can you advertise and sell a product when its most highly touted feature doesnt even exist? Arent there Consumer Protection laws against this?? In fairness, a couple of good things to say about the unit. It has the best reception of any unit I have worked with and it has almost completely solved the vexing problem of P25 Simulcast interference. These are important features not to be overlooked. IMHO - Uniden bit off more than they could chew with this unit. Unless you enjoy living on the bleeding edge of development, hold off buying a new Uniden until they release the next generation scanner that can actually deliver what it claims!

It was time to upgrade a couple of my scanners so I done some research and chose the Uniden bcd536hp. my previous scanners were all radio shacks and were a pain in the neck to program them, even with third party programs. The 536hp is the simplest scanner I ever owned to get up and running. From updating the firmware to frequency database it is a breeze. Having the wifi and gps capability is a plus as well. Although unidens siren app is not as well thought out or implemented as it could be, there are other features that can make use of the wifi ability. I currently have this on my nightstand but will probably buy a second for my vehicle. Im a ham radio operator and a volunteer with local public safety entities. Unfortunately they use three different bands depending on the agency. My single band issued radio just doesnt give all the information I need. This new scanner so far has done a bang-up job of filling the gaps just by simply entering in my zip code. Would definitely (and most likely) by again

July 23 update: After reading several posts at the radio reference website, I have found out why the unit is always asking to set the date and time. It seems that it has an internal battery for just this and it must be shipped dead from the factory. To charge it, you must leave the scanner on for several days. The magic number of days posted there seems to be three. So, turn on the scanner, and leave it only for several days in a row. The battery only charges while the unit is actually on. A constant power supply to the radio, while it is turned off will not charge the battery. Once I did this, the constant nagging for me to set the date and time has finally gone away. I will be adding back one of the removed stars as this is a great scanner but I am holding back one because UNIDEN should have made this CLEAR in the manual on the setting up section. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ July 2014 update: Now this scanner is asking me to set the date and time every time I turn it on!!!!!! Uniden, fix this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Because of this, Im removing two stars! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ And now, I really like it. Like all Uniden scanners, documentation is to be desired. It is/was written for those that have been aboard with Uniden from the get-go. Im sure they get it! But, if you are not an aged veteran of Uniden, then you are not alone and the manual that comes with it is of little help. With that said, this unit does offer help for the novice. LIKE ME! The sentinel software really helps, but it also ASSuMEs a lot. Do as I did; take a day off, sleep good and then try it again with an open mind. With this, you can figure out how to make your scanner work best for you. yes, it uses stupid words like append for what most would call add and other stupid Chinese to English translation errors. The feature I like most is the simulcast. I can now listen to all the local police cars as they broadcast. With my old scanner, this was not there. The reason I got this new scanner was that I often saw police and emergency vehicles zoom by my home with no chatter at all on my old digital scanner. Now, when I see them, I actually listen to them and know exactly where and why they are in a hurry.

Typing in your zip code to start scanning is very easy, but this scanner picks up so many transmissions from so far away that it is overwhelming. There is no easy way to bypass the transmissions you dont want or select only the transmissions you do want. The scanner itself is very good, with clear sound and long range using just the included antenna. If you are willing to pay extra the company offers to sell you a new sd card with your choice of county options, but after paying so much for the scanner in the first place it shouldnt cost extra to be able to program the scanner correctly. If you want an easy to program scanner to listen to only the agencies you want to hear, this is NOT it.

I like this police scanner. I can get calls from many miles away and close to my home. Its nice to hear all the calls and sometimes hear the outcomes of calls. It has good sound but we wanted more so we added a speaker for better sound and quality to hear in other rooms of the house too. It is hard to get the programming just the way you want it, but with persistence it is workable. It came tightly wrapped and in perfect condition. We have been listening to this radio for up to a year now and no problems. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to hear the calls digitally.

The BCD536HP and its portable variant the BCD436HP are the only consumer scanners that Im familiar with that can operate in a P25 simulcast environment. Signals on the same frequency from multiple sources cause time delay distortion that will render less advanced receivers useless. You can try all of the tricks with attenuation and directional antennas and they wont solve much. So if you live in a area that has simulcast P25, you youll need to spend the extra $$$ to purchase the Uniden 536/436. These are incredibly feature rich radios, far beyond the tech of last centurys programmable scanners. The downside is that they arent easy to program let alone use the high level features. Yes, you can activate a scanner configuration from your zip code. I consider it more of a gimmick that allows the radio to start receiving after its just been removed from the box. Much of what gets loaded is fluff. Scanner programming software and some familiarity with trunking, frequencies and talk-groups are a must. This information is available. You will learn a lot in the process. BTW, the manual leaves much to be desired. I hope that Uniden has plans to release a less feature rich and complicated receiver line while retaining the superior receiver/processing power of the 536/436. This is the most advanced digital scanner in the consumer market. It works VERY WELL! Youll need to be patient though, and spend HOURS becoming familiar with this radio and the programming process. For those reasons only, I rated this with a 4 stars rather than 5. Im very pleased with my initial purchase and actually own two now!

Amazing piece of equipment but might not be ideal for everyone. The 536HP (and its sister 436 handheld) incorporate Unidens HomePatrol technology that esentially allows for anyone to turn it on and listen to just about anything you choose based on your zip code (including APCO 25 trunked systems in use by many agencies). However, programming the unit to isolate your favorites can prove to be a nightmare as many reviewers have noted. The old methods of programming banks with your favorites is complicated and essentially requires that you use software to achieve what used to be possible with direct entry. Specifically, Uniden has a free software application called Sentinal (PC only, no MAC) that allows for programming and managing the various profiles lists and systems that correspond to your listening requirements. Within those categories you must also customize in order to match the units performance with your desires. Once programming is completed in Sentinal, the choices are transferred to the units micro SD card via the included cable. The entire process can be frustrating for those without the willingness or patience to persevere. Having said all that there are various third party resources that can help you understand the process if youre determined. If you make it through all that youll be rewarded with what I believe to be a remarkably competent piece of equipment that will provide what is arguably the best consumer grade wideband base station listening experience on the market. But for its complexity I would have easily given it 5 stars.

The scanner is amazing! I will say you need to be a bit tech savvy because the manual has a lot to be desired, but with Google and YouTube, programming for the home was an absolute breeze. Once you connect it to your home WiFi you can use the Siren app to listen to it anywhere in your home on you phone or tablet. Worth the money and the time to set it up.