I had a ( Baofeng ) years ago. Long before computers could program for you. It was all manual. Lol. Are they still any good? The prices are pretty low.
Just what I was looking for, a channel for folks just getting into this hobby. I've always wanted a scanner since I was a kid listening to my uncle's scanner. Thanks for providing this valuable resource sir.
My God, finally 🙌🏾 someone that explains things easily and concisely. I swear the radio UA-cam sector is full of people that seem to make life harder for no reason at all. Thanks 👍🏾 I'm subscribed.
Before you buy a scanner make sure your police/fire department aren't truncated, it keeps you from picking up their frequencies on your scanners. That's why I took mine back.
Here in Pittsburgh,PA Almost EVERY thing is still non trunked UHF FM. The BC125AT is MORE than adequate AND since it supports AM, Aircraft & CB are in the mix. I have 3 of them programmed identically (1 stays at home, 1 in the car (legal in PA, YMMV) and 1 "knock about" that I carry (I got a shorty UHF antenna for it). I even got BC125ATs for my sister and niece. (LOL) A great little radio if your area is non trunked and analog! I have of course also scanned with my Baofeng UV-5R. If you live in an untrunked analog area AND you are really on a tight budget a UV-54 is a option, It's no where near as fast as the Bearcat or have as many channels (since it's primary use is NOT as a scanner) But It can work.
I’m looking to get into scanning especially for when I’m on the go I’m still trying to really wrap my head around this but the video was extremely helpful but I was wondering what other resources I should look at to get to know the hobby
The BC75xlt seems to leave out the Rail Road bands! I just ordered the BC125AT because of the fact that you can scan service frequencies independently. I like that. I also have a sds100 and a bct15x plus about 40 ham and gmrs radios. My dream radio now is the unication G5 pager. Cost is about the same as the sds100. So it mite be a while. Thanks for a great video. I'm Roger KK7KLD and WRQZ243 in mid utah.
Started using a scanner in my ham shack about a year ago to support my receive capabilities. It’s the original Uniden Home Patrol. Even though a lot of the public service stuff has gone digital I primarily use my analog scanner for monitoring band openings on 6m & 10m FM, the ISS repeater when it’s overhead, local analog repeater traffic, GMRS, FRS & MURS frequencies. With all of that programmed in there mine is constantly receiving something….. it practically never shuts up. (funny thing is this scanner was given to me because the original owner said there was nothing to listen to any more)
I am interested in getting a scanner but I don’t know anything about on how to use them and the terminology used in the video about them. It would be great for a video on scanning 101
NOPE, the BEST budget Police scanner is the ICOM R6. its Continious coverage SCANNER from 100 khz - 1309.995 ZERO gaps in Coverage excipt CELLULAR band is locked. and its ALL BAND , ALL MODE , all the time. 100 Channel / second high speed Scanning. AUTOMATIC Scanning & NEW Frequcency search w/ Automatic memory write. built in Ferrite bar antenna for Superior AM.
You should totally make a video like this on handheld Digital Scanners. I'm new to scanning and starting to learn more and more. I could really use an informative video going into the details of mainline digital scanners comparing features/capabilities and prices.
I have a lot of scanners. I have the USDS100 just the Australian version of the SDS100 and I find that it is quite “deaf” on close call. Even a very old scanner from the 1980:90 that had close call performs better. Usually on digital modes. I was trying to interrogate a commercial DMR radio and on the USDS100 just wouldn’t work. Eventually I did a range scan and found the freq but maybe they would be a good thing for you to do a comparison or test ?
I have both the BC 75 and the BC 125 . had them years . work very well . can charge USB . and PC program. runs all day on 2 AA NiMH battery's Japan 2100 MAH I got. the stock antenna is ok. but longer ones really help a lot ! The 42 in Abbree CB BNC one really helps on 25-50 MHz . the winter months I get WWV on 25 MHz . yes WWV is back on 25 1! . I find scanners at yard sales all the time. mostly the old ones. My Alinco DJ-X11 is full coverage RX . but over that $100 mark. That close call on BC 125/75 you can select bands on that. 73's
Good info. It would be helpful to have a follow up video which compares receiver performance … sensitivity and selectivity, etc. I’m a ham geek and if I was shopping a scanner, I’d care less about how memories it has and more about how well it receives.
Its why I use the SDRplay RSPdx. Its one of the most sensitive and adjustable IF and high bit rate Analog to digital converter in the market. I bought direct from them or you can use one of their Us distributors. It does all Ham bands and panadapter functions. Steep learning curve for all the plugins and you learn how to virtual cable for WSJT_X and other cool decoders. The scanner function is outstanding and also has a scheduler for planned frequencies. $220 shipped DHL from the builder and engineers. All of them are licensed HAMs and there are 100s of videos. It has a low band BNC, SMA line A and B with B biased for pre amps at the antenna. Its as good or better than my Kenwood TS 590S for signal aquisition and filtering. 5 adjustable notches too. As I said they use an older model RSP1a on their Hamfest Kenwood TS 590 for panadapter to control the PC software. Its whizbang awesome for sniffing out signals with a 25-1.6 Ghz Tuned Discone antenna. Its has unity gain to 1.5db but rejects nothing on the bands because a discone and the radials are like a feedhorn that's resonant to most any EMF that hits it. Mine had a whip to xmit but it's not used now. I need to get a trans switch to ground it on RF sense because my SDRPlay will not tolerate much over 20db of signal nearby. No attenuator for me, duh,I want sensitivity but when transmitting I want the thing at ground. 73 Craig
One thing I try to find in all my gear is that the batteries follow a non-proprietary form factor. I prefer rigs that take standard AA batteries that can be bought almost any place on earth. The proprietary rechargeable packs are a bummer in that if the battery dies in the field you are done. Just can't walk into a convenience store and pick up more AA cells and be on your way. I am also not thrilled with "battery alarms". Especially if they are an audible beep. I say this because if you do use rechargeables it detects the lower voltage and will sound the low battery alarm when in truth you have more hours of operation at the lower voltage levels of rechargeable batteries. Some of these scanners use proprietary batteries yet others use standard AA batteries.
Ape, my last scanner was about 1974. I just recently thought about getting one and haven't done any research. The SDS 100 is about 6 times the cost of these. What does it do that these others can't., and since you have it already, is it worth it? Thanks Chuck KE0PTI
Dang at '74! It can handle trunking, and some of the digital modes. I think it's worth it but that is a relative decision. I do really enjoy listening to it...
There are sub 200$ analog trunking scanners but when you start looking at digital it gets $$$. I’ll be doing more scanning stuff in the future so stay tuned 👍
anybody know what kind of hand held scanner to use or to buy i live in utica ny and my county is oneida and they said digital scanner you can hear and get all the county and they said the analog scanner you can't hear the police or they block or fade out where you can't hear anything is that true for the Analog scanner. and they was tryng to sell me a digital scanner because you can get every and they wanted $400 dollars plus they charge for programming the scanner. i told them that to much and i can't afford it.
Another good, informative video. Thanks, Ape. I can get the BC125AT here for just under ₱13,933 including shipping. A bit spendy for a scanner, more than a Yaesu FT-70DR, but I can see how it would be useful plus would let me monitor the VHF airband which I'm interested in, not to mention keep an ear on the 2m & 70cm bands while I'm listening to HF.
@@TheSmokinApe I think it's just the mark-up charged by Chinese online stores. I did find a 125AT from another seller for ₱11,800 with free shipping but they only have an 80% "ships on time" rating vs. 100% for the first one. That's still $210 though but it's the cheapest one. It seems that most personal electronics and tech gadgets cost more in SE the Philippines: cameras, computers, etc. It is what it is.
@@TheSmokinApe Nice! Programming via PC is a breeze with the BC125AT_SS software from Uniden, and if you are running the BuTel software, that's the one where you can import from the RR database with a premium membership (my preferred route, lol). I love my SDS-100 as well, but the 125AT has a special place.
Are there even any budget trunked scanners? I have a BCD436HP. Maybe that one IS the budget one. I really want an SDS100 like you have........ and I want an SDS 200 as long as I'm dreaming. LOL
I am with you, a SDS200 would look real good on my desk. Unfortunately, there really isn't a budget scanner but you could look into SDR's and you can monitor trunking relatively inexpensively 👍
my 436 home patrol covers every thing from 25 through 1300 I got all my services I needed does that help this has been a 50 year hobby for me with my 436 hp on my hip
I need some help/direction. Please & thank you. I would like to find a scanner that's digital trunking but within budget. Any help, info. and links are appreciated. Thank you.
Wish I had watched this sooner. I just purchased the SR30C by accident (hit the wrong order on Amazon) what I really wanted was the BC75XLT, however after setting up and using the SR30 today I'm quite happy with it. Easy to program, the audio is pretty good, even better with ear buds it's reminiscent of my old RadioShack Pro26 scanner. Paid $128 for the SR30C (after shipping) still a great price for someone who's paid a considerable amount of bucks on scanners. Good reviews here, have to subscribe now. WRZE723
Got to buy a new scanner because my old Bear cat XL 144 (16 ch) won't pick up anything but the weather. What is the cheapest scanner that will also pick up the 800MHZ range? .🙏
It sucks , where I live almost everything is p25 encryption. There are about 4 non encrypted , but still on p25 . I used to enjoy scanning . now I can't get nothing but ham convos .
I have several 20+ year old scanners in near new condition in my closet. My main reason for having a scanner was to listen to various police and fire departments. I think that is why most people bought scanners. That is no longer possible where I live. Voice transmissions are encrypted, and most information is sent as data, which just sounds like an old fax machine. I live near Phoenix, AZ, and there is no need for weather channels here. The weather is always the same. It's either hot or damn hot.
Good video Ape. I have not looked much yet but got scared off by the prices of the SDS100 and SDS200!💰💰😮😮 That BC125AT seems to be the go unless you sell me your SDS100 for $100👌🙏🤪
Hey SH, what I would recommend is reaching out to these guys www.zipscanners.com/ they are super friendly and can tell you what types of services you can scan in your local area to see if that fits your interests. Also, they can tell you what scanner would perform best for you.
Great review ape, thanks, but no 70 megs,? modern day scanners are nothing like the 80s gave us, ahh reminiscing, the bearcat 200xlt was best HH, and the realistic Tandy scanners, pro 2004/2006, I'm still mega pissed I lost mine due to lightning a few years back, ripped case off and nearly cried :) way too far gone to repair. Thankfully most my ham gear has wideband receive, far better than any scanner, albeit at a price range that does not cut it for scanner only users and doesnt handle trunking. my 'ol yaesu vx2 and icom 208H are my "scanners" today, pity the baofeng's dont do AM in the airband, but at 50 bux (in this country anyway) you cant complain :)
So folks in Orlando and other areas where police use encryption are completely out of luck with no possibility of monitoring what's going on? Frustrating but at least saves me the time and money of buying a worthless (to me) scanner. I don't care about the other activity...
Tangential note: granularity of the frequencies able to be stored. This refers to the "steps" that a scanner recognizes. Rather than a complex explanation, I'll cite an example. For the amateur 440-450 MHz repeater band in Southern California, the coordinating agency (SCCRBA) used to specify repeaters on 25 KHz channels. That is, on 44X.025, 44X.050, 44X.075, and 44X.100, etc. or four repeaters for each 1 MHz. There came to be so many repeaters that they designated a shift FOR ALL REPEATERS to 20 KHz channels which means 44X.020, 44X.040, 44X.060, 44X.080, and 44X.100, etc. or five repeaters per 1 Mhz. The older - and even some recent scanners' firmware - allowed 12.5 Khz steps to pick up the 25 Khz repeaters but you would miss out on some of the 20 Khz channels meaning that the scanner would land 5 or 10 Khz away causing the reception to be distorted. If the channel granularity were 5 Khz, then this problem would not exist. But also note that some agencies' channels are even more granular such as GMRS at, say, 462.6875 and, while you may not be able to program that _exact_ frequency, landing on an adjacent programmable frequency would not cause the same annoying distortion. Just a thought before you buy.
I have an old old "Realistic 400 channel Pro 2006". I also have the user's manual (instructions) I've tried some different frequencies, but I am afraid the frequencies I found are "dated/old". So far all I can get is the National Weather Service. Is this hopeless because the scanner is so old?? Or can I possibly find the current frequency numbers for my area and program them in *WITHOUT* getting some kind of "paid subscription"?? Thanks and God bless.
Nick, it's all over the map. Some are, some aren't. Here in Montgomery Co. Alabama, fire/sherriff are not encrypted. City PD dispatches in the clear, city fire is 100% encrypted. There are tons of fire/police/ems that are still unencrypted. They may be on P25/NXDN, which requires digital "decoding", which is NOT decrypting. Huge difference.
There are still man things for folks to listen to. You can check Radio Reference to see what is available in your area vs listening to some dude who may or may not know what they are talking about.
Hey Atoms. Yeah, that Homepatrol ain’t cheap. I think the whole element of trunking gets confusing, especially with all the types; analog, digital, p25, phase 1, phase 2, etc…. Thanks for watching 👍
I was looking for an easy to understand and informative video and am happy I found yours. I will be a first-time scanner purchaser and will definitely look into BC125AT. I am looking for one that will include police, fire and possibly air traffic - will this one do that? Is there such a scanner? Thanks for any input for this newbie!
Thanks Maureen. So, the services where you live impact what radio you should get; your best bet is to call Zip Scanners and they can point you in the right direction.
@@TheSmokinApe Thank you! I just filled out the online form and should hear from them tomorrow. When I was young my mom had a scanner and loved to listen to the air traffic; now I’m 20 miles from a major airport so that’s why I was interested in the air capabilities. And I love true crime so of course the police scanner feature is appealing. Thanks again, and I’ll definitely be watching more of your videos. Have a great evening.
the only thing locked up is in crepted channels no radio will puck that up my radio covered every thing I needed back in the begining I even had the vice channel boy was that fun to hear
@@TheSmokinApe Thanks for your response. Also, I saw your followup video. I think there are some experts who understand these things well, I'm still pretty new and am pretty ignorant in the hobby of radio.
The cheap Chinese radios are nearly deaf to any signal to low below -60db. My SDRPlay can easily handle -160db on my Sirio Discone antenna fed with TIMES MICROWAVE LMR400. RG11 works too but a 2:1 transmatch might be warranted. I don't worry about 25 ohms on recieveb only but do care about cheap cable attenuating anything DX on the MW broadcast bands.
Hey SmokinApe, thank you for sharing this video. If I wasn't on a buget and I wanted a scanner so that I could listen to police, fire and emergencies, for trunked, digital, and non trunked frequencies, what would you suggest? I am really unsure what I need to buy for my area in order to listen. Thank You
@@TheSmokinApe Just wanted to say thank you so very much for recommending the SDS100. I received it today and had Uniden program 2 counties for me and I upgraded the antenna to the Remtronix. Thank you so very much excellent scanner.
You made a good choice Ape ! I have the BC125AT and love it. It’s been problem free for about 10 years ! I’m also an extra class ham. K5EGD I still love my little scanner !
I have a Uniden desk top I purchased back in 1990 that still works. It has a fantastic receive. With that being said, I hope Unidens quality is still the same. Thanks for the info Ape. :)
I think everything from dishwashers to blue jeans is made with less quality these days. Glad to hear your scanner is still holding up! Thanks for watching Adam 👍
I cannot recommend enough for scanners the use of a Ham band to 1.6 Ghz DISCONE STYLE Antenna for general purposes. You can also install a cheap remote antenna switch with those small relays to LMR400 or better cable. Use cheap coax and your scanner is deaf to most long range stuff. You can use quad shield RG11 or even your common RG6u for recieving on any rig. The 75 ohm match is nothing for a reciever and the higher velocity factor really enhances signal transmission that most RG58 or RG8u looses to 66.5 velocity rates. Twin lead is good too but 300 ohms does require a 10 to 1 transformer match. I'm building a remote switch so I can add some specialty antennas for ADS-B and Satellites for my SDR scanner. 73 brothers !
Ecco cosa sto cercando di spiegare da tanto tempo. Non riuscivo a capire, ma poi, adesso ho e idee più chiare. Loro sono sotto, loro parlano, anche dall'interno, mentre la voce esce, e dice tutto quello che succede in casa mia, poi altri parlano anche quando in casa loro non c'è nessuno, si sentono molto chiaro. Loro hanno sempre detto, da lì che con quello prenvengono l*arrivo di certe persone. Credo che sia proprio tutto quello che voi state dicendo.., più o meno. Mi registrano da tempo, così qualche giorno fa, ho sentito la mia voce, io dall'alto, ho fatto la prova ed ero io... Loro hanno tante registrazioni, Della mia vita... Credo proprio di aver capito!!!...
The push here in Connecticut is to get everyone onto the state owned digital system. I'm not sure if they will be 100 percent successful. But, I do think everyone will be digital sooner than later.
Now this is the type of review I like. Quick, short, comparison, & a chart. Thanks. Loved it.
Thanks, glad you liked it 👍
Its his bread and butter way. Informative and concise videos without all the shilling for sponsors or begging for money. He's a class act!
@@radiotests Thanks Craig 👍
I had a ( Baofeng ) years ago. Long before computers could program for you. It was all manual. Lol. Are they still any good? The prices are pretty low.
And I hate unboxing segments, where it takes them 7 minutes to just unpack it!
Just what I was looking for, a channel for folks just getting into this hobby. I've always wanted a scanner since I was a kid listening to my uncle's scanner. Thanks for providing this valuable resource sir.
Glad it was helpful 👍
My God, finally 🙌🏾 someone that explains things easily and concisely. I swear the radio UA-cam sector is full of people that seem to make life harder for no reason at all. Thanks 👍🏾 I'm subscribed.
Glad you liked it DCX1, thanks for watching and for the sub!
BC125AT owner. Love it. Primary use: racing and monitoring SkyWarn
Thanks for sharing!
Before you buy a scanner make sure your police/fire department aren't truncated, it keeps you from picking up their frequencies on your scanners. That's why I took mine back.
my radio picked up police and even the vice unit along with fire and ambulance and no problums
I also had a permit to do that
I am so glad I found your channel, I find all this stuff fascinating.
Welcome aboard!
Great job! You do great scanner content. I would like to see more scanner stuff from you if you have it on your creation list. :-)
Thanks Ortwein, I do have some more planned but so little time...
I just got my Uniden Bc125at, and I absolutely love how I can program it both manually and from pc and that it has NOAA weather alert
Awesome, they are pretty cool!
Alpha tagging is a GAME CHANGER. I can't remember more than 10 frequencies in my head. It's nice to see the name of the agency I'm listening to!
Heck yeah James, AT is a must for me 😳
Thank you.
@@coryjay2791 thanks for watching 👍
Here in Pittsburgh,PA Almost EVERY thing is still non trunked UHF FM. The BC125AT is MORE than adequate AND since it supports AM, Aircraft & CB are in the mix. I have 3 of them programmed identically (1 stays at home, 1 in the car (legal in PA, YMMV) and 1 "knock about" that I carry (I got a shorty UHF antenna for it). I even got BC125ATs for my sister and niece. (LOL) A great little radio if your area is non trunked and analog! I have of course also scanned with my Baofeng UV-5R. If you live in an untrunked analog area AND you are really on a tight budget a UV-54 is a option, It's no where near as fast as the Bearcat or have as many channels (since it's primary use is NOT as a scanner) But It can work.
Nice that you can get into the game without and expensive scanner 👍
@@TheSmokinApe Yep, And you can thus afford to spend on better antennas (tuned for the bands you are actively scanning). 👍😊👍
The review i needed. Wanting to update from the bc75
I’m looking to get into scanning especially for when I’m on the go I’m still trying to really wrap my head around this but the video was extremely helpful but I was wondering what other resources I should look at to get to know the hobby
Check out radioreference.com it’s a great site for scanners 👍
Unlucky us , our emergency services in Australia, are all encrypted.
Dang
The BC75xlt seems to leave out the Rail Road bands! I just ordered the BC125AT because of the fact that you can scan service frequencies independently. I like that.
I also have a sds100 and a bct15x plus about 40 ham and gmrs radios.
My dream radio now is the unication G5 pager. Cost is about the same as the sds100. So it mite be a while. Thanks for a great video. I'm Roger KK7KLD and WRQZ243 in mid utah.
The SDS100 is super sweet. I did just get the g4 and I love it, listening to it right now… 👍
Thank you for this video it helped me pick what scanner to go with which is the 125C
Awesome man 👍
Just got a BC125AT. Loving it so far. Used to have a BC 300 XLT.
Nice 👍
Started using a scanner in my ham shack about a year ago to support my receive capabilities. It’s the original Uniden Home Patrol. Even though a lot of the public service stuff has gone digital I primarily use my analog scanner for monitoring band openings on 6m & 10m FM, the ISS repeater when it’s overhead, local analog repeater traffic, GMRS, FRS & MURS frequencies. With all of that programmed in there mine is constantly receiving something….. it practically never shuts up. (funny thing is this scanner was given to me because the original owner said there was nothing to listen to any more)
Dang, sounds like you are pretty busy over there. I am always surprised we people say stuff like that. Thanks for checking in!
Im at an air show being like, I should really get a scanner so I can listen to the aircraft. Then you post this lol
It's fate! Thanks for watching Chip
@@TheSmokinApe yes it is
I am interested in getting a scanner but I don’t know anything about on how to use them and the terminology used in the video about them. It would be great for a video on scanning 101
He John, I will do some more scanning videos 👍
you need 436hp home patrol that has a zip code button you drop in your zip code and your in
I just purchased the BC-125. I'm just waiting for the programming software to arrive.
Nice, good luck with it.
What are you missing if your scanner doesn't have the 800. bands? Thanks - good vid.
Muck of the public safety stuff is on 800mhz there days
BC95XLT , 800Mz band baby.
NOPE, the BEST budget Police scanner is the ICOM R6.
its Continious coverage SCANNER from 100 khz - 1309.995 ZERO gaps in Coverage excipt CELLULAR band is locked.
and its ALL BAND , ALL MODE , all the time.
100 Channel / second high speed Scanning.
AUTOMATIC Scanning & NEW Frequcency search w/ Automatic memory write.
built in Ferrite bar antenna for Superior AM.
What do they go for?
You should totally make a video like this on handheld Digital Scanners. I'm new to scanning and starting to learn more and more. I could really use an informative video going into the details of mainline digital scanners comparing features/capabilities and prices.
I’ll add it to the list 👍
I have a lot of scanners. I have the USDS100 just the Australian version of the SDS100 and I find that it is quite “deaf” on close call. Even a very old scanner from the 1980:90 that had close call performs better. Usually on digital modes. I was trying to interrogate a commercial DMR radio and on the USDS100 just wouldn’t work. Eventually I did a range scan and found the freq but maybe they would be a good thing for you to do a comparison or test ?
Hey RWTV, I can add it to the list.
I have both the BC 75 and the BC 125 . had them years . work very well . can charge USB . and PC program. runs all day on 2 AA NiMH battery's Japan 2100 MAH I got. the stock antenna is ok. but longer ones really help a lot ! The 42 in Abbree CB BNC one really helps on 25-50 MHz . the winter months I get WWV on 25 MHz . yes WWV is back on 25 1! . I find scanners at yard sales all the time. mostly the old ones. My Alinco DJ-X11 is full coverage RX . but over that $100 mark. That close call on BC 125/75 you can select bands on that. 73's
Agreed, the BC's are the way to go... thanks for watching 👍
Good info. It would be helpful to have a follow up video which compares receiver performance … sensitivity and selectivity, etc. I’m a ham geek and if I was shopping a scanner, I’d care less about how memories it has and more about how well it receives.
Great suggestion! I have a few different videos planned.
Its why I use the SDRplay RSPdx. Its one of the most sensitive and adjustable IF and high bit rate Analog to digital converter in the market. I bought direct from them or you can use one of their Us distributors. It does all Ham bands and panadapter functions. Steep learning curve for all the plugins and you learn how to virtual cable for WSJT_X and other cool decoders.
The scanner function is outstanding and also has a scheduler for planned frequencies. $220 shipped DHL from the builder and engineers. All of them are licensed HAMs and there are 100s of videos. It has a low band BNC, SMA line A and B with B biased for pre amps at the antenna. Its as good or better than my Kenwood TS 590S for signal aquisition and filtering. 5 adjustable notches too. As I said they use an older model RSP1a on their Hamfest Kenwood TS 590 for panadapter to control the PC software. Its whizbang awesome for sniffing out signals with a 25-1.6 Ghz Tuned Discone antenna. Its has unity gain to 1.5db but rejects nothing on the bands because a discone and the radials are like a feedhorn that's resonant to most any EMF that hits it. Mine had a whip to xmit but it's not used now. I need to get a trans switch to ground it on RF sense because my SDRPlay will not tolerate much over 20db of signal nearby. No attenuator for me, duh,I want sensitivity but when transmitting I want the thing at ground. 73 Craig
One thing I try to find in all my gear is that the batteries follow a non-proprietary form factor. I prefer rigs that take standard AA batteries that can be bought almost any place on earth. The proprietary rechargeable packs are a bummer in that if the battery dies in the field you are done. Just can't walk into a convenience store and pick up more AA cells and be on your way. I am also not thrilled with "battery alarms". Especially if they are an audible beep. I say this because if you do use rechargeables it detects the lower voltage and will sound the low battery alarm when in truth you have more hours of operation at the lower voltage levels of rechargeable batteries. Some of these scanners use proprietary batteries yet others use standard AA batteries.
It's a good idea to standardize on a battery, I wish more stuff used 18650s.
I always carried back up batteries with me for that fire that went in over time
I have the 125. love it although the sound could be better .Its a bit on the high pitched side. only down side to me.
I tend to agree but you can’t have everything, thanks for watching 👍
My day has been made, Ape is wearing an OBX Brew Thru shirt! That’s just minutes down the road from me. Great video!
lol! Can't go wrong with a Brew Thru!
the 125 is good for analog, just make sure and take a power pack with you. not fun changing batteries every couple hours.
Right
outer bank Brew-Thru sounds good! Ape thanks for clearing this up a lot of others just skate over the real points on how to use.
Howdy Chuck! Thank for checking out the video!
A police scanner is the only way to really know what is going on in your area.
You dang right!
@TheSmokinApe which do you recommend
Ape, my last scanner was about 1974. I just recently thought about getting one and haven't done any research. The SDS 100 is about 6 times the cost of these. What does it do that these others can't., and since you have it already, is it worth it? Thanks Chuck KE0PTI
Dang at '74! It can handle trunking, and some of the digital modes. I think it's worth it but that is a relative decision. I do really enjoy listening to it...
a sds 100 goes for 649.99 dollars at ham radio world and the B C D 436 hp goes for 499.95
I am w r x n 824 g m r s
So am I understanding correctly these are all digital trunking scanners that can handle project 25 phase 2 police/fire/etc?
No
I'm curious about low cost trunking scanners are there any good ones? Perhaps another video idea 💡
There are sub 200$ analog trunking scanners but when you start looking at digital it gets $$$. I’ll be doing more scanning stuff in the future so stay tuned 👍
The new Alinco is going to make scanning easy
Hey Andy, it does look interesting. Thanks for the comment brother.
Are any of these scanners P25 capable?
can you do a Budget Police Scanner options for P25
Sorry bro, any of the p25 scanners are about 500$ 😡
ham radio world has a B C D 536 home patrol for 599.95 does that help I have used the 436 hp for years
Im looking yor a new police scanner my budget is under 300$
The best bet would be to find out what frequencies and modes they use in your area, that would narrow down the choice for you 👍
anybody know what kind of hand held scanner to use or to buy i live in utica ny and my county is oneida and they said digital scanner you can hear and get all the county and they said the analog scanner you can't hear the police or they block or fade out where you can't hear anything is that true for the Analog scanner. and they was tryng to sell me a digital scanner because you can get every and they wanted $400 dollars plus they charge for programming the scanner. i told them that to much and i can't afford it.
Can these scanners hear emergency services? Police, fire, and so on?
It depends on what broadcast system is being used in your area.
I can't get anything on 800 mhz so I returned my scanner Today. It's an Analog.
Does baofeng make a wideband receiver?
It has extended coverage but I wouldn’t say it’s got wide and receive 👍
Another good, informative video. Thanks, Ape. I can get the BC125AT here for just under ₱13,933 including shipping. A bit spendy for a scanner, more than a Yaesu FT-70DR, but I can see how it would be useful plus would let me monitor the VHF airband which I'm interested in, not to mention keep an ear on the 2m & 70cm bands while I'm listening to HF.
Here the ft70 is about $170 and the 125 is $105. I guess it’s a tariff thing. Thanks for watching Jay 👍
@@TheSmokinApe I think it's just the mark-up charged by Chinese online stores. I did find a 125AT from another seller for ₱11,800 with free shipping but they only have an 80% "ships on time" rating vs. 100% for the first one. That's still $210 though but it's the cheapest one. It seems that most personal electronics and tech gadgets cost more in SE the Philippines: cameras, computers, etc. It is what it is.
If you don’t need digital, the Bc-125AT is the workhorse.
Glad to hear that, because it's what I ended up ordering!
@@TheSmokinApe Nice! Programming via PC is a breeze with the BC125AT_SS software from Uniden, and if you are running the BuTel software, that's the one where you can import from the RR database with a premium membership (my preferred route, lol). I love my SDS-100 as well, but the 125AT has a special place.
Are there even any budget trunked scanners? I have a BCD436HP. Maybe that one IS the budget one.
I really want an SDS100 like you have........ and I want an SDS 200 as long as I'm dreaming. LOL
I am with you, a SDS200 would look real good on my desk. Unfortunately, there really isn't a budget scanner but you could look into SDR's and you can monitor trunking relatively inexpensively 👍
my 436 home patrol covers every thing from 25 through 1300 I got all my services I needed
does that help this has been a 50 year hobby for me with my 436 hp on my hip
Nice...........
👍🍻
I need some help/direction. Please & thank you. I would like to find a scanner that's digital trunking but within budget. Any help, info. and links are appreciated. Thank you.
Hey Mark, your probably looking at least 450$ for a digital trunker 😳
Wish I had watched this sooner. I just purchased the SR30C by accident (hit the wrong order on Amazon) what I really wanted was the BC75XLT, however after setting up and using the SR30 today I'm quite happy with it. Easy to program, the audio is pretty good, even better with ear buds it's reminiscent of my old RadioShack Pro26 scanner. Paid $128 for the SR30C (after shipping) still a great price for someone who's paid a considerable amount of bucks on scanners. Good reviews here, have to subscribe now. WRZE723
Thanks for the sub 645. Glad to hear your scanner is working out for you 👍
Got to buy a new scanner because my old Bear cat XL 144 (16 ch) won't pick up anything but the weather. What is the cheapest scanner that will also pick up the 800MHZ range? .🙏
Most 800MHz is digital these days, check out Zipscanners and see what they recommend for your location 👍
It sucks , where I live almost everything is p25 encryption.
There are about 4 non encrypted , but still on p25 .
I used to enjoy scanning . now I can't get nothing but ham convos .
Sorry to hear that Don
TYVM for the info. What is the importance of the mfg date? 125 is in 2011 and the SR30 is 2019. Seems like the newer date is better. Help me out
They don't make the 125 anymore. I would pick a newer date if I had the option.
I have several 20+ year old scanners in near new condition in my closet. My main reason for having a scanner was to listen to various police and fire departments. I think that is why most people bought scanners. That is no longer possible where I live. Voice transmissions are encrypted, and most information is sent as data, which just sounds like an old fax machine. I live near Phoenix, AZ, and there is no need for weather channels here. The weather is always the same. It's either hot or damn hot.
Man, the encryption stuff does suck. Sorry to hear about it…
Dude.. if you don't have a digital or p25 capabilities then you aren't hearing anything. Really?
Yes, I think I covered it in the video?
You said on the BC125 it had alpha numeric taging but the chart you posted had a no check-mark. Is your statement correct or is the chart correct?
It doe shave Alpha Numeric Tagging
Good video Ape. I have not looked much yet but got scared off by the prices of the SDS100 and SDS200!💰💰😮😮
That BC125AT seems to be the go unless you sell me your SDS100 for $100👌🙏🤪
Lol! Thanks for checking out the video Don 👍
I need to find a good one under $300 everything in my area is P25 phase 2
Hey SH, what I would recommend is reaching out to these guys www.zipscanners.com/ they are super friendly and can tell you what types of services you can scan in your local area to see if that fits your interests. Also, they can tell you what scanner would perform best for you.
look on bear cat wear house
Great review ape, thanks, but no 70 megs,? modern day scanners are nothing like the 80s gave us, ahh reminiscing, the bearcat 200xlt was best HH, and the realistic Tandy scanners, pro 2004/2006, I'm still mega pissed I lost mine due to lightning a few years back, ripped case off and nearly cried :) way too far gone to repair.
Thankfully most my ham gear has wideband receive, far better than any scanner, albeit at a price range that does not cut it for scanner only users and doesnt handle trunking. my 'ol yaesu vx2 and icom 208H are my "scanners" today, pity the baofeng's dont do AM in the airband, but at 50 bux (in this country anyway) you cant complain :)
Hey Ressy, thanks for the post!
So folks in Orlando and other areas where police use encryption are completely out of luck with no possibility of monitoring what's going on? Frustrating but at least saves me the time and money of buying a worthless (to me) scanner. I don't care about the other activity...
Yeah, sucks when it goes encrypted
Tangential note: granularity of the frequencies able to be stored. This refers to the "steps" that a scanner recognizes. Rather than a complex explanation, I'll cite an example. For the amateur 440-450 MHz repeater band in Southern California, the coordinating agency (SCCRBA) used to specify repeaters on 25 KHz channels. That is, on 44X.025, 44X.050, 44X.075, and 44X.100, etc. or four repeaters for each 1 MHz. There came to be so many repeaters that they designated a shift FOR ALL REPEATERS to 20 KHz channels which means 44X.020, 44X.040, 44X.060, 44X.080, and 44X.100, etc. or five repeaters per 1 Mhz.
The older - and even some recent scanners' firmware - allowed 12.5 Khz steps to pick up the 25 Khz repeaters but you would miss out on some of the 20 Khz channels meaning that the scanner would land 5 or 10 Khz away causing the reception to be distorted. If the channel granularity were 5 Khz, then this problem would not exist.
But also note that some agencies' channels are even more granular such as GMRS at, say, 462.6875 and, while you may not be able to program that _exact_ frequency, landing on an adjacent programmable frequency would not cause the same annoying distortion.
Just a thought before you buy.
YAwn
I’m looking for a scanner in the 30-76 mhz range for my military radios.
I’m not familiar with Ken that will do that, sorry man
Unifen Bc 75 I got one used in box at flea market $40 it's compact and you can see the freq display clearly bigger numbers
Dang, 40$ is a heck of a deal 👀
Nice review. Are these all essentially line of sight scanners? 2 meters and above?
Yeah, line of sight and some will go lower than 2m
I have an old old "Realistic 400 channel Pro 2006". I also have the user's manual (instructions) I've tried some different frequencies, but I am afraid the frequencies I found are "dated/old". So far all I can get is the National Weather Service. Is this hopeless because the scanner is so old?? Or can I possibly find the current frequency numbers for my area and program them in *WITHOUT* getting some kind of "paid subscription"?? Thanks and God bless.
This might help What can I listen to? - Scanner Talk
ua-cam.com/video/dZ1t6DQNS3c/v-deo.html
Check out radio reference for your area .
Aren’t most frequencies police/fire encrypted?
Nick, it's all over the map. Some are, some aren't. Here in Montgomery Co. Alabama, fire/sherriff are not encrypted. City PD dispatches in the clear, city fire is 100% encrypted. There are tons of fire/police/ems that are still unencrypted. They may be on P25/NXDN, which requires digital "decoding", which is NOT decrypting. Huge difference.
FEP is correct.
@@FEPLabsRadio thanks for the clarification. Now I’m more interested in possibly hearing what’s happening locally
@@503Nick look on radioreference.com. they will have tons of info for your area
You also have utilities companies to listen to for emergency info. Then you know about power problems. Lots of stuff to listen to.
Why is it so confusing to find a good scanner . My dad is 70 and we want something simple .
It is confusing, contact the folks at Zip Scanners and they will be able to help you out 👍
BC125AT is 170$ on Uniden's website now 😢
Dang!
You have no product links from the video in description, other than that good video.
Thanks Chris, glad you liked the video 👍
Is the 125 able to pick up digital signal? Or is it analog only?
Analog only
I have the whistler WS 1010WA 400 channel memory very happy with it.
Nice, that’s a popular scanner 👍
Hi SA, what software do you use to keep you in the shot with the dynamic background? Very nicely done bro
I use OBS with a green screen 👍
Thank you so much. Trying to start a podcast and want them to look great like yours :)@@TheSmokinApe
@@fzovko good luck with it 👍
@TheSmokinApe Hey which is the cheapest best digital police scanner?
The best bet is the Uniden SDS100
@@TheSmokinApe Anything cheaper?
you are probably looks at 500$ for a Phase 2 P25 Digital Trunking scanner
@@TheSmokinApe I have a bca125at and I can't listen to the police anymore
@@TheSmokinApe Uniden BCD436HP is that a good one?
You're AWESOME...... Thank you!!!😊
Thanks 👍
Nicely done! Enjoyed the 'to the point' review as others have also said. Thanks!
Thanks Brent, glad you liked it 👍
Sucks I need a 600 dollar plus scanner to listen to the good stuff in my area.
That does suck...
Whats really the benefit of scanners now adays when most public services have went digital and are scrambled- such as police.
There are still man things for folks to listen to. You can check Radio Reference to see what is available in your area vs listening to some dude who may or may not know what they are talking about.
don't feal bad are co Shariff got drunk an the news media beat him up so bad that all of are county is in cripted except fire dept
Great and informative breakdown! Thanks for sharing the video.
Thanks Dean, glad you liked it 👍
No matter how encrypted public saftey will become, ham will always be the unencrypted way to hear what's going on around you.
I imagine that is the case.
Them homepatol scanner are extremely expensive i have all realistic 800mhz scanners trunked and running 4 at a time never miss a beat
Iam missing the digital missed calls i need a digital scanner
Hey Atoms. Yeah, that Homepatrol ain’t cheap. I think the whole element of trunking gets confusing, especially with all the types; analog, digital, p25, phase 1, phase 2, etc…. Thanks for watching 👍
@@TheSmokinApe i know its crazy🤪
Over all thumbs up though thank you
Thanks Charles, glad you liked it 👍
heard you can turn a bofang into a scanner
Putting a cat in the oven won’t make it a biscuit 👍
I was looking for an easy to understand and informative video and am happy I found yours. I will be a first-time scanner purchaser and will definitely look into BC125AT. I am looking for one that will include police, fire and possibly air traffic - will this one do that? Is there such a scanner? Thanks for any input for this newbie!
Thanks Maureen. So, the services where you live impact what radio you should get; your best bet is to call Zip Scanners and they can point you in the right direction.
@@TheSmokinApe Thank you! I just filled out the online form and should hear from them tomorrow. When I was young my mom had a scanner and loved to listen to the air traffic; now I’m 20 miles from a major airport so that’s why I was interested in the air capabilities. And I love true crime so of course the police scanner feature is appealing.
Thanks again, and I’ll definitely be watching more of your videos. Have a great evening.
@@TheSmokinApe I heard from them and they let me know that the Uniden SDS100 is the best one for me - I wish…😁
Question: Can you UNLOCK the scanner for the 800MHz?
You have any videos on this?
As far as I know you can not.
the only thing locked up is in crepted channels no radio will puck that up my radio covered every thing I needed back in the begining I even had the vice channel boy was that fun to hear
Even the dang school bus radios are digitally trunked in my area lol, analog scanner would be a paperweight in my area sadly.
Dang, even the school bus!
and the reason for that is so when a student won't be in school the driver knowest not to pick him up
and we do not know my brother in-law is a driver
Thanks for the review. I’m using a uv5r I received as a gift until I can upgrade.
Plenty of folks start off that way, thanks for checking out the video!
@@TheSmokinApe No problem. Enjoy the new subscription!
Forgive me ignorance but could I just use a baofeng uv-5r as a scanner, just be sure not to broadcast? What would be the drawbacks from that?
Hey Jeff, you can but the experience isn't the same. Here is a video I did on the matter: ua-cam.com/video/fDReoYnIiOs/v-deo.html
@@TheSmokinApe Thanks for your response. Also, I saw your followup video. I think there are some experts who understand these things well, I'm still pretty new and am pretty ignorant in the hobby of radio.
The cheap Chinese radios are nearly deaf to any signal to low below -60db. My SDRPlay can easily handle -160db on my Sirio Discone antenna fed with TIMES MICROWAVE LMR400. RG11 works too but a 2:1 transmatch might be warranted. I don't worry about 25 ohms on recieveb only but do care about cheap cable attenuating anything DX on the MW broadcast bands.
Are any triple conversion? Or just double conversion?
I haven’t seen any triples
The Radio Shack Pro-43 handheld and Pro-2006 desktop were triple conversion. Both were made by GRE. @@TheSmokinApe
Nice, didn't know that 👍
Hey SmokinApe, thank you for sharing this video. If I wasn't on a buget and I wanted a scanner so that I could listen to police, fire and emergencies, for trunked, digital, and non trunked frequencies, what would you suggest? I am really unsure what I need to buy for my area in order to listen. Thank You
The SDS100 is probably the top of the line for the stuff you mentioned.
@@TheSmokinApe Thank you SmokinApe I will take a look at it.
@@TheSmokinApe Just wanted to say thank you so very much for recommending the SDS100. I received it today and had Uniden program 2 counties for me and I upgraded the antenna to the Remtronix. Thank you so very much excellent scanner.
@@janiceemery2008 glad to hear it’s working out for you 👍
temu has some good prices
Thanks for the info 👍
Thank you for your time and info.
Any time 👍
Great
👍
That was very helpful
Awesome, glad you liked it 👍
I just need one to listen to my local police which one is good?💀
It's going to depend on what you need.
@@TheSmokinApe just need a handheld radio to have in the car
I mean, you want to listen to the local police? Are they using digital? Troubled?
check on scan master you city services are listed there my 436 hp covered every thing that I could here that's 50 years of lisening
If you can not listen to cop,fire and/or ambulance is there any reason to still get one?
Some folks like to listen to ham radio repeaters and railroad…
@@TheSmokinApe Maybe if you can get a very cheap scanner
@@kygent508 they can get pricy. Flea markets and eBay are good places to look 👍
I use my vhf UHF radio to lissen on department stores near me just for fun los prevention
Do any of these do apco-25 unencrypted?
Hey Kyle, none of these do.
my radio did every thing except unencrypted
Thank you
You're welcome
You made a good choice Ape ! I have the BC125AT and love it. It’s been problem free for about 10 years ! I’m also an extra class ham. K5EGD I still love my little scanner !
Dang at 10 years, I did go ahead and order the 125. Thanks for the comment DJ
BC125at has too many GAPS is coverage .
I have a Uniden desk top I purchased back in 1990 that still works. It has a fantastic receive. With that being said, I hope Unidens quality is still the same. Thanks for the info Ape. :)
I think everything from dishwashers to blue jeans is made with less quality these days. Glad to hear your scanner is still holding up! Thanks for watching Adam 👍
in the last 50 years uniden has been my go to radio
I cannot recommend enough for scanners the use of a Ham band to 1.6 Ghz DISCONE STYLE Antenna for general purposes. You can also install a cheap remote antenna switch with those small relays to LMR400 or better cable. Use cheap coax and your scanner is deaf to most long range stuff. You can use quad shield RG11 or even your common RG6u for recieving on any rig. The 75 ohm match is nothing for a reciever and the higher velocity factor really enhances signal transmission that most RG58 or RG8u looses to 66.5 velocity rates. Twin lead is good too but 300 ohms does require a 10 to 1 transformer match. I'm building a remote switch so I can add some specialty antennas for ADS-B and Satellites for my SDR scanner. 73 brothers !
Great info, thanks for sharing Craig 👍
Ecco cosa sto cercando di spiegare da tanto tempo. Non riuscivo a capire, ma poi, adesso ho e idee più chiare. Loro sono sotto, loro parlano, anche dall'interno, mentre la voce esce, e dice tutto quello che succede in casa mia, poi altri parlano anche quando in casa loro non c'è nessuno, si sentono molto chiaro. Loro hanno sempre detto, da lì che con quello prenvengono l*arrivo di certe persone. Credo che sia proprio tutto quello che voi state dicendo.., più o meno. Mi registrano da tempo, così qualche giorno fa, ho sentito la mia voce, io dall'alto, ho fatto la prova ed ero io... Loro hanno tante registrazioni, Della mia vita... Credo proprio di aver capito!!!...
The push here in Connecticut is to get everyone onto the state owned digital system. I'm not sure if they will be 100 percent successful. But, I do think everyone will be digital sooner than later.
Hey Chris. It’s the same here but most of the p25 systems have dispatch patched into analog, I guess they ran out of Motorola money 😳
the in tire state of Minnesota went 800 meg's