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.

ok... so to be honest I love it now, not a few hours ago. :) I found the instruction book to be super confusing. I went out onto YouTube to get information, but most of the videos were way above what I wanted to do. I was attracted to this scanner due to the ID feature (showing what department is talking) and my thought was I would learn as I got use to the unit. I did not want to have to use my computer to program the scanner, but use my zipcode and let the unit load itself. Well... long story short... I figured it out. I put in my zipcode, set a 10 mile range. I created a new favorite list and copied the database into this. I then edited down the favorite list to the departments I wanted to monitor. Then I shut off monitoring the full data base, leaving only my new favorites list to be scanned. This was much easier than manually entering the 10 departments I monitor. Hope this helps someone else. :)

The BCD536HP is a one of the best radio scanners. The sound is great, easy to manually program frequencies, and the sentinel software is nice but takes a while to learn. It works just like my BCD436HP but larger display and larger keys to add frequencies. zip code programming is great. I had it scanning frequencies in less than 10 minutes. I would sure buy it again if I did not have one. I plugged it into my cigar lighter in my truck and it worked great.

Works Great:I have had this for 3 months without a glitch. If you need to listen to a Motorola or Harris P25 public safety system this is the best way to go for most people. Previously I was using a Motorola Spectra to listen to this system in analog mode (I have skills). But the county switched to P25 and shut me out. So this Christmas after a long delay I treated myself to a BCD536HP. Pros: Very sensitive receiver Receives analog and P25 digital and capable to upgrade the common digital modes Provoice and DMR at small cost. Small, well appointed controls, WiFi connectivity for Android and IOS. Powerful audio (when used with an external speaker) Easy to upgrade firmware and channels using Sentinel. Cons; You will have to get latest firmware and channels using Sentinel to get started. Not hard to do, it requires a PC and a USB cable (supplied). Ditch the internal speaker, plug in an external communications speaker 3 or 4 inch diameter. Getting Started Programming can be somewhat frustrating for the newbie. I am used to programming commercial LMR radios and understand all the parameters. So I would say I am expert, however this experience turns out to be unneeded and perhaps misleads me. This radio is quite different in that Sentinel will download a fire hose full of nationwide channels. Your radio will require you to provide your Zip code (or connect optional GPS) and it will activate all the systems in a radius you provide. This will probably be way more than you need. The solution is to use Sentinel to create a Favorites List and use Quick Keys to activate only the channels or systems you wish. Otherwise you will spend a lot of time pressing the Avoid Button to ignore the dog catcher (no kidding). The database comes FREE from www.Radioreference.com Visit that site, the forums etc, and learn about the system you wish to monitor. Simulcast Systems You will hear a lot of favorable and unfavorable things about this receiver. The largest complaint is the reception of P25 simulcast systems. It is true that the scanners available today (Both Uniden and Whistler) use a discriminator to decode the P25 signal. This is not the best way to decode P25 in a simulcast system. The best way is a DSP receiver, and you can only obtain that by buying a Motorola, Harris radio (which you cannot legally program properly), a Pricey Unification Pager, or set up a software defined radio (for geeks). Personally my experience is that my radio works fine on my local simulcast system and I am in an overlap area. Occasionally the bit error rate is high and the audio garbles. P25 itself is not a perfect mode and you will find dispatchers and officers sound like the have marbles in their mouths. It is the nature of P25. If you have any concerns contact local users and ask them their experience with this scanner in your area. Encryption If your local agency uses encryption on some or all of their talk groups you will NOT be able to decode them. The radio lacks an encryption card and even if equipped you would NEVER be able to obtain the lengthy 256 bit key. It would be illegal as well. If I havent scared you off, you will be very pleased after you get it up and running. Uniden also makes a portable version of this radio, the BCD436HP. I bought the mobile/base version as then I do not have to worry about batteries and the BCD536HP has better shielding and so receives with less noise.

Like the self programming. Dislike sound quality, attached extension speakers did help. Needs a sound leveling system, some channels come in really loude and others I can hardly hear. Try to find a happy medium.

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.

This scanner took some time getting set up and programmed but man was it worth it!! Acutal call: Dispatch to officer, we have a caller on the line needing assistance with two drunk ninjas throwing beer cans at his car. Officer to dispatch, Im finishing up a call nearby and Ill be on my way. Dispatch to officer, caller has updated they are now in bandanas and playing with themselves. Officer to dispatch, send me the address and mark me in route to the drunken ninjas. Dispatch to officer, caller states they are now in a helmet and snorkels.

This is the 1st scanner I have had in several years and the advancements are outstanding. Once I figured out how to use the software for programming, I simply set up a favorite with only the agencies that I wanted to listen to. I pick up all the surrounding counties, State Police, DOT, Game & Fish, EMS. It is pricey, but well worth the money for anyone that likes to keep up with what is going on with first responders.

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).

I can only say, if you want a quality scanner IE Police, fire, air, etc. Look no further than this! There is a small learning curve but for what all you get and can do it would be silly to think there would not be. However with the easy zip code option, you can turn it on enter zip code and do nothing else and you are up and running. The sound is great and clear too! The only con (and not a big con) is I wish for the price they would send a quality antenna with it. Dont get me wrong, the antenna that comes with it is fine but there are better antennas that will give you much better range. On the fence? Dont be.. Do it! Do it now! You know you want it.. Why wait lol. All kidding aside, I would buy again. Its a great scanner!!!

Amazing scanner. The most advanced scanner with the most options I have ever had. Currently I have 5 scanners and 4 of them are Uniden. The most important thing to determine before you buy this scanner is if the police, sheriff and fire departments in your community transmit an encrypted signal. This scanner or any scanner will not work for you if the signal is encrypted. In Georgia, Clayton, Henry, Fayette and Spalding Counties encrypt their signals. I live in Clayton county and the other counties I listed surround me. I am returning it. It is a heart breaker for me and my wife. We have been listening to police scanners for 20 years and now nothing will work. I guess it is more important for the police department, sheriffs department and fire departments to keep everything from the public than it is for the public to know what is happening in their community. This is a sad day for government transparency. I guess the local politicians think it is better if you do not know what is happening in your community.