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.

Although pricey, this is the best consumer grade scanner out there IMO. That said, theres an apparent glitch with SD-card-write-read-memory, meaning that after shutting down the scanner with HOLD settings for the System and Department these settings are lost approximately one of every four boot-ups, making it frustrating to have to take the time to catch the desired System and Department again to put back on hold. Ive experienced this with two brand new BCD536 scanners and Ive discussed this quirk with Unidens technical support to which they agree that this characteristic is not right. If and when they can solve this minor issue I will then give this scanner a highest 5-Star rating.

This is truly a fantastic scanner! As others have said, it does have a very steep learning curve but the good news is that it is usable out of the box. Simply enter your zip code and it will find many frequencies used in your area. Obviously, this is only the tip of the iceberg as to what is possible with this unit. Once you become more familiar with how many of the digital systems operate, this scanner will make it possible for you to monitor them. There are also optional, pay to unlock features availiable. Both Provoice and Dmr are systems that you can monitor once unlocked. Using the Sentinel software, included, this scanner is easier to program and both the firmware and databases can be updated. This unit features included Wi-Fi, works great and includes a dongle you just plug into the back. There are tons of menues and this scanner is very customizable. This unit includes a usb cable to connect to a computer. The manual isnt the best but I hear there are better ones out there. YouTube also has many videos on how to operate and program. This scanner with its rich set of features shouldnt be outdated for several years at least. Again, expect to spend some time learning how the new digital systems work and you will be rewarded with a scanner that has all the bells and whistles.

What a scanner! I have had scanners from the day they were presented. This BCD536HD has to be the one that is so impressive. I like the way it hooks up to my PC and the way I can program frequency and favorite channels. Before I purchased this rig I was told that trunk tracking was not in my area. Well the joke is on the one that gave me this info. I hear many trunk frequencys and they use P25. The only thing I dont like is the speaker is underneath. I will purchase an external speaker for a clearer sound. I did purchase the program ARC536PRO and it is a great program for virtual control on PC. I did learn a lot from other users on http://www.radioreference.com/ and video on YouTube.com. If you are thinking of getting this scanner, dont hesitate, it is a great receiver.

12/15/17 Update I’ve owned the Uniden BCD536HP for almost 3 years, purchased the DMR upgrade and enjoying it ever since. I did have the RTC issue and finally decided to send it in for repair about a week ago; I’m surprised they accepted it after so long. Thank you, Uniden! I picked up a Whistler TRX-2 about 2 weeks ago and can say the BCD536HP was the better choice thus far. Once I get my BCD536HP back then I’ll have time to use them simultaneously more. BCD536HP • Screen is larger and displays more details about target; has 32 larger font characters across another 4 for HOLD status. • Boots up much faster than the TRX-2, even with the RTC error asking me to reset the clock and letting it time out. Starts scanning 16 seconds after turning knob to power on after RTC repair. • Speaker is louder; listening to people I talk with locally on Ham bands and has natural sounding audio. • GPS scanning capability for those interested although I haven’t purchased or used the unit. • Support for third-party software like ARC536. • It’s about $10 cheaper; HRO has it for an additional $5 less today. • The Sentinel programming software is basic and not as polished as Whistler’s; need to manually find updates to it on their website. TRX-2 • The Digital Trunking Scanner Programming System is more polished than Uniden’s and makes it easier to upgrade all components from a single interface. • The ability to store different configurations via V-scanner is a nice function. • The NXDN system upgrade was offered for free. • Speaker isnt as loud and listening to people I talk with locally on Ham bands, sounds hollow. • Feels like a tin can and the detachable head (something I dont care for) feels light and cheap; even the mount is thin. • Screen is small and belongs on a handheld, not mobile/desktop scanner; has 16 characters across with smaller font. • The supplied Whistler USB cable is way too short unless youre using a notebook on the same desk as the scanner. • Only two of five white keys have lights and all other keys dont appear to have any lights behind them. • Noticed backlighting display flickering and reported by others as well. • Scanning shows top level lists instead of actual targets names. • Paging system intermod on 2m Ham and 150-160MHz bands but not present on BCD536HP, receivers, SDRs or Ham gear. • Too easy to accidentally edit config since clicking on something will automatically save config. • Copying initial Library was extremely slow and stuck at 42%; clicking in the window appeared to wake it up as it looked like it was freezing. The same cable used with the BCD536HP updates the database much faster. • Starts scanning 3 minutes and 7 seconds after holding button (for about 3 seconds) to power on. • Every time you go into the Menu and back out, the lists reload again and you have to wait! • No third-party software support.

Easy to program from face of radio if you hold on channel and add. Watch video on YT. Search through the full database and see what you want to listen to. Just turn off full database and your saved list will load fast. Audio is ok-good but an expert speaker would be better.

Unidens flagship scanner that seems to be able to do most anything you would want from a scanner. It will take some time to learn how to even begin to use it and is an ongoing learning process. The included manual is difficult to follow but Unidens support page and YouTube make up for it. I suggest this be for the serious scanner fan and not for beginners or occasional listening. There are less expensive units that will do just fine for that. One note, I do recommend an alternate scanner antenna vs. the included telescoping one for indoor. I purchased the Accessories Unlimited AUSCAN3 16 Inch Magnet Mount Scanner Antenna and it made all the difference in the world. I simply stuck it to the top of the scanner and immediately cured the static, popping and garbled transmissions that I was receiving with the included indoor antenna!

Absolutely awesome scanner! Very easy to get the wifi up and running, and the Siren app works perfect on iPhone and iPad. THe programming software makes this a VERY simple scanner to program. Just find your state, choose what you want, and make your list to send to the scanner. Was completely up and running in 30 minutes and have not used a scanner since the old analog only kind. This takes all of the mystery out of trunking and programming all of that so you can get on with listening. Best part is you can switch your lists very quickly and easily. Radioreference.com is a great site to use for seeing what is in your state and area. A definite recommend on this one.

One of the best dugital scanners on the market.

I love how easy it is to program this scanner by simply entering your zip code, but that may also overwhelm you with channels you dont care that much about which causes it to take much longer to scan through all the channels and you can easily miss parts of a conversation or updates about an event. So, youll still have to learn how to go through your channel list and block out the ones you dont want so you dont miss the important things you do want to hear (such as police band or fire and rescue traffic only). Otherwise you may hear the dispatch say something, then it takes so long to get back around to that channel again and you missed the response. My other major dislike about this scanner is it has no auto volume control feature. You set the volume to a normal level and then you have these very loud female dispatchers come on and blow you out of the room. You turn it down so it doesnt disturb everyone in the house and you cant hear anyone else. The extreme difference in volume levels during the same conversations on the same channels is more than annoying and a very good reason not to buy this scanner, it gets old very fast, especially at night when other people in your house may be trying to sleep. Almost everything out there in the market these days, tvs, stereos, etc has a very simple feature known as auto volume control or auto leveling for the audio output stage so your volume level will stay fairly consistent as you switch channels or input sources, and its usually enabled by default. I thought maybe I turned it off accidently somehow but after looking through a lot of the forums this seems to be a very common complaint with most of these scanners, the feature simply isnt there, and the company doesnt seem to care much about fixing the problem. Its hard for me to believe a scanner so technically advanced would not have this very basic and much needed feature, but do consider this before making a purchase. The only fix Ive found so far is to route the output audio of this scanner thru another (extra cost over the $500 you are spending) device that does control the audio output level and make it consistent. Overall, if you can live with the extreme volume level differences, then this isnt a bad scanner, but there are other brands out there that work just as well and dont have that type of ongoing unresolved issue. One last thing Ill say... youll be paying a whole lot for this scanner versus the price of an analog scanner or even digital scanners from some other companies. Its nice that they have released a product that is usable now, and has a builtin feature to upgrade the firmware as they continue to work on it, but in reality the software is an unfinished product and youll have to pay dearly to get the other features added to your scanner as they complete them. I thought I was paying a lot for a well supported product but right after I spent my money on this I learned there are a few updates available for it but Ill have to pay even more to get those. Thought I did all my research on scanners before making this purchase, but knowing what I do now, I think the choice would have been the other one I was looking at instead. For reference previous scanners owned were a Radio Shack Pro Base Station (still have), 2 Bearcat Mobile (still have 1), 3 Bearcat Handhelds (still have 1).

To put it bluntly, if you havent taken a college course in how to program a high end scanner, dont buy this one, and as for its preprogramming of channels feature that all you do is enter your zip code, ya, itll scan every state around you and thousands of channels you dont want, and you cant use the range function either when using the scanner set up to scan using a zip code. That only works on channels you have manually entered, and you cant lock channels out either using the preprogramming function. So unless you have the time and knowledge of some very complex, very in depth scanner functions, youre going to be left wondering where the nearest place is you can take a course on how to program the thing, or figure on buying something not so complex, because Ive had 4 scanners prior to this one and was able to find my way around them, but this thing was just too much. The menus and functions keep going on like some infinite journey into the abyss. It has functions I had no idea what they even were, and didnt want to spend the next six months googling it and fiddling around with it just to program it to scan the channels I wanted and not a few thousand I didnt, and I mean thousands. When using the zip code programming, it will scan thousands of channels in your state and the states surrounding you, and theres no way to tell it not to scan all those channels while using in that manner. You cant lock them out and you cant use the range function either, its unreal, and I wonder why not when evidently itll do everything else including wipe your nose. Is it a well made scanner? Yes. Is it high end? Ya, and probably the most complicated scanner on the planet. I guess if this is your hobby and youve been into it your entire life and you want the absolute best, buy this scanner. If you live in a rural area and just want a scanner to scan maybe 10 to say 30 local channels, you dont need this one. Theres plenty of other scanners that have trunking and digital that arent a fraction as complicated as this thing. I returned it. So why did I buy it you may ask... well, I thought Id buy a scanner that I wouldnt have to upgrade for a good long while. What I didnt plan on was buying something so complicated that I couldnt properly program it. Thats my story and Im sticking to it.