Uniden BC245XLT Handheld Scanner by Uniden
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List Price: Category: CE See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Uniden BC245XLT Handheld Scanner
Digital camera Review: Excellent - 4.9 - Perfect for beginners to advanced users!
Summary: 5 Stars
I had gotten interested in scanning by listening online. I noticed how much i listened to it and wished i could take it places and scan other things, i dedided to invest in my own. The Uniden BC245XLT is the best thing I have seen for a reasonable price. When it arrived I was so nervous and excited. At first it is a little confusing to figure out for someone who doesn't know one clue on what they're doing, but you get the hang of it. I am really good with it now about 2 weeks later. The reception is better than I expected, I wasnt really sure on what to except but the reception, 1-10(best), i'd give it a 9. Overall I give the BC245XLT a 4.9 because nothing can be perfect!! I wish they would have given it larger channel storage and that's about all. I cant think of somethign bad about it but thats a good thing. Anyone interested, trust me, this is the product for you. However if your looking for a desktop scanner or to spend more money you can look at a better version of the BC245XLT, the BC895XLT or the ultimate Uniden: BC780XLT which is a 500ch. desktop TrunkTrack III scanner! That looks unbelievable with Alpha tags and record features!Digital camera Review: Rock Solid
Summary: 5 Stars
The only reason NOT to purchase this scanner is if you want to have a police scanner that allows alphabetic tags. Some of the newer radios let you program in not only the frequency but a description (alphabetic tag) so that when the radio stops scanning on a frequency you can see the name of the service you are monitoring. This radio scans fast (100 channels/second) and is very solid in terms of reception. You can purchase a cable and software to program the scanner from your computer (and therefore avoid having to punch in each frequency on the tiny keyboard).
You CAN monitor BOTH conventional and TRUNKED frequencies at the same time! This is a big plus with this scanner as some others (including the 895) claim to trunk but only allow you to monitor either conventional frequencies OR trunked -- but not both.
Some competitors to this radio:
Radio Shack Pro-94: Essentially the same radio in a different case.
Radio Shack Pro-92: Has 500 channels, slower scan speed (25 channel/second), the ability to simultaneously scan both conventional and trunk frequencies. Allows programming via computer. Allows storage of alphabetic descriptions of what has been programmed into each channel.
Uniden BC 780XLT: Not released as of 11-2000 (scheduled for 12/2000 or 1/2001). Supposed to be a 500 channel scanner with alpha tags and 100 channel/second scan speed. Will have all capabilities of the 245. May produce a new handheld based on its design.
Digital camera Review: Great Scanner Except for Frequency Download
Summary: 4 Stars
I recently purchased a Uniden BC 245XLT handheld scanner and am generally very pleased with it. It is well designed, well made, easy to program manually, and has good sound quality. My only complaint so far is my inablity to use its new, highly touted "Smartscanner" feature to download frequencies from the Uniden/Bearcat national frequency database via a PC or external modem. To access the database via a PC, it is necessary to go to Uniden's Website, download a small program (that is zipped but not self-unzipping), install the program and, while it's running, dial a 900 phone number that's preprogrammed into the scanner. Unfortunately, it took me many frustrating and unsuccessful attempts to connect with the 900-number database using both my PC and, separately, an external modem before I discovered that my phone company, GTE Communications Corporation, routinely and automatically blocks 900 numbers from being dialed and that there is no way of getting around the block. While the scanner's operating guide mentions the possibility of a 900 block on one's phone line, since I had never requested such a block from the phone company, it had never occurred to me that there would be one as a matter of GTE policy. Thus, before buying a BC 245XLT with the hope of using the Smartscanner feature, a person should check with his/her phone company to make sure that 900-number calls can be made. If 900-number blocking is fairly common among phone companies, I think Uniden should switch to a non-900 number for frequency downloading. Or, if they maintain their policy of charging for downloads, they should consider making them available over the Internet through the use of a credit card and a secure server.Would-be purchasers of the BC 245XLT should also be aware that Uniden's 800 Customer Service number, once one is able to get through, may be answered by someone who doesn't know much about the Smartscanner feature of the product. The first time I called and told the Customer Service representative that I was getting an "error" message on the scanner screen when I tried to dial the 900-number frequency database, I was told that that was because their server would not be operational for another couple of days. When I tried a couple of days later and still got an error message, another customer rep demanded to know, "Who told you that about our server?" but did give me some useful information about COM port settings in the software I had downloaded previously from the Uniden Website. On my next attempt and next error message on the scanner, a third and different customer rep told me that, after seeing the 1 900- prefix on my scanner screen, I would need to manually punch in the rest of the telephone number on the scanner keypad to be able to make the call. It was only when that didn't work that I called my phone company and discovered that there was a 900 block on my phone line. As a last resort, I called Uniden again and asked if there was any way, other than using the 900 number, to download frequencies. She told me she would have to ask her supervisor and, a couple of minutes later, gave me another 800 number to call. When I called that number, which I think was the Bearcat Radio Club, and told the person who answered about my Smartscanner problem, she replied, "I don't know nothing (sic) about that." As is often necessary these days, I then asked, "Is there someone there who does?" A fairly knowledgeable-sounding person then came on the line and suggested that some purchasable third party software might do the trick. I haven't tried this yet but, in these matters, hope springs eternal, I guess.
Digital camera Review: Great!!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Uniden BC245XLT is a scanning radio that many scanner enthusiasts would love to own. It is known as the Trunktracker II because of the ability it has to capture trunk radio frequencies. This is a recent scanner innovation.The programming was relatively easy for someone who has experience with scanners. Basic scanner functions were easy to see and accessible. The trunk tracking ability is useful and great to use, once you figure out which type of system you are tracking.
The only problem found with this scanner was not even the scanner itself. The computer interface using the Smartscanner software seemed to work fine. However, the phone number, which you call to download scanner frequencies, would never complete the download.
Having been a scanner enthusiast for over 10 years, I recommend this as an excellent scanner for the radio enthusiast. It has clear sound, and the trunk tracking abilities work well!! With a wide range of frequencies, you will be able to keep up with all the action in your neighborhood.
Digital camera Review: BEST SCANNER EVER
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me just say uniden has out done it this time. The best scanner has just arrived. BC 245XLT simply remarkable !!!!