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Reviews For: Uniden BCD436HP Handheld Scanner

Category: Receivers: Scanners

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Review Summary For : Uniden BCD436HP Handheld Scanner
Reviews: 16MSRP: 499
Description:
Handheld Trunktracker V scanner. DMA based scanning. Uses a 4
GB microSD card to store the entire USA and Canada database.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.uniden.com/scanners/uniden-bcd436hp-homepatrol-series-digital-handheld-scanner-/invt/bcd436hpg
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00163.8
K1TSL Rating: 2015-03-07
My experience has been excellent so far... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I had resisted purchasing this unit after seeing the reviews here. Other websites had more positive feedback and eventually I pulled the trigger.
I've been using a BR330T for the last several years and more recently a PRO-18.
The learning curve on the 436 is about a steep as I've seen if you're the type of person who wants to control every little part. I am that person. But, after sitting down with it and the Sentinel software for a few hours one Saturday morning (and after the help of a few youtube vids), I got mine setup just they way I wanted it.
Yes, you can get this operating right out of the box with just your zipcode and a few button clicks but I am particular about what I want to hear and some of that isn't readily available in the database. Now that I have put myself through a crash course in programming the 436, it doesn't take much effort to get things tweaked when I need to.
Mine is not deaf as some others have reported. I'm using the famous Radio Shack 800mhz antenna. I was pulling in distant p25 that my PRO-18 was missing with the same antenna. VHF seems to be working as well as I would expect and appears to be on par with the 330T which I thought was excellent.
I think the display is excellent compared to other units I have owned. It's easy to read, provides a lot of information and can be set to backlight with the usual squelch, keypress options. The customizable led notifier is a nice perk.
Your experience may differ, but for this user, I'm quite satisfied.
SIERRAHOTEL Rating: 2014-11-29
Overpriced, deaf, issues galore. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
If this is the future of scanning, it's headed for the apocalypse. How did this thing get released?

Pros: Does digital 700/800 MHZ very well. No real complaints about reception on those bands, WHEN IT WORKS! Problem is, it doesn't work a lot of the time.

Cons:
1. SD card issues. Supposedly the furnished one is of poor quality. I bought 3 different major brands and I had trouble with all of them, they get corrupted somehow. They work fine in my PC, old camera, and other devices. No problems with any of them, but in the BCD436HP, they all have the same problems. Frustrating.
2. Deafness on VHF. Compared to any other radio I have, it's deaf, even compared to other radios I've considered deaf in the past. At my house, with the stock antenna, the only things I can receive is a police department directly across the river from me, and it's very hissy, and I can hear the local WX broadcast, if I have the 436 in just the right position. I can hear both on my other radios with full quieting, and they're listenable with no antenna at all on most of them. With a VHF antenna, it's better, but really nothing breaks the squelch but that very close police department. You can't hear rail, or anything else on it. My other scanners all hear constant railroad traffic 24/7, while the 436 sits there silently. A friend's 436 is exactly the same, but Uniden insists it meets the specs. That is not true, there is a major issue here, and they don't seem to want to fix it.
3. Display is dimming. Uniden will fix this, if it's sent to them. Judging from my experiences with Uniden repair lately, that's about all they can fix.
4. Odd charging/power scheme is annoying, but I charged the batteries out of the radio anyway, so it's no big deal.
5. Unit locks up once in a while, for no apparent reason. Usually, it reboots ok, but once it locked up to the point I thought it was bricked, but removing the batteries for a while brought it back.

This is the worst scanner I've ever had, with one exception, the old AOR1000. After going through the hassles with this radio, and my previous Uniden Home Patrol, I'm done with Uniden for the time being. I'm selling the 436 at a loss to a friend who only listens to trunked 800 digital traffic. Good luck to him, I'm done, going to give a Whistler WS-1080 a try!
N2GQL Rating: 2014-11-24
Not worth the money Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I had high hopes when I purchased the 436HP. It didn't take long for those hopes to be dashed. Firstly, I have to state at the outset that if this scanner did everything it is supposed to do, and did it well, it would be a great unit. Unfortunately, it doesn't.

1. It's sensitivity leaves a lot to be desired when compared to other recent Uniden, GRE, and Radio Shack models.
2. The quick key system is a pain. Unless you have one heck of a memory, or keep a cheat sheet with you, finding all of the different lists, departments, and so on, is frustrating. I've worked with the quick key feature in other Uniden scanners, including the 996, and the 436 system is much less used friendly and easy to manage.
3. The Uniden Sentinel software is also difficult to manage. The process is just too cumbersome when compared to software that I have used in the past by companies like Butel.

Bottom line: if you decide to purchase this scanner, be prepared for a VERY steep learning curve; and be prepared for a disappointing listening experience. Not Uniden's best effort.
K7TTI Rating: 2014-10-29
Really bad scanner Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This thing should never have been released. The implementation of what it is being advertised to do lacks considerably. I have owned and currently own 4 other Uniden scanners and although they do not do what the 436 is supposed to do they do what they were designed to do very well. The 436 doesn't. And if I had known that the SD card was placed in a flimsy holder directly beneath the batteries I'd have never bought it. Anyone considering purchasing the 436 should wait until something better comes along.
VK2KIT Rating: 2014-10-22
HDUMTFTUSB? Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Wondering what 'HDUMTFTUSB' stands for?

'How Did Uniden Manage To %$%% This Up So Badly'?

Ok, here goes..

Pro's:

* Decodes P25 phase 11 (apparently). I don't have any nearby phase 11, so I can't confirm.
* Decent P25 Phase 1 Audio. Does sound better than the 396XT with improved high frequency audio response (less bassy).
* Virtually unlimited memory for channels and talkgroups and Radio ID's etc.
* Audio logging (sort of)
* Big display (sort of)

Cons:

* VHF and UHF bands are relatively deaf compared to the previous model. The squelch requires almost a fully quieting signal to open, even on the lowest setting of 2. Many signals not heard because of these two issues alone. My 436HP doesn't even meet Uniden's claimed sensitivity figures on some bands.
* Too damned big! The thing looks and feels like you have a house brick pulling your pants down when clipped to your belt. Not unlike a PSR500. Definitely too big to put in your pocket.
* Awful USB battery charging/management system (can't charge and listen at the same time) and unreliable RTC function.
* Poor programming software (Sentinel).
* Poor LCD field layout/design. Looks like a pre-production/prototype layout.
* Clear plastic LCD lens looks new for about the first week, then suffers from multiple scratches.
* No trunking control channel search function as in the x96xt.
* Missing analyze functions listed on the box.
* Virtually zero product support from Uniden after almost 12 months of missing features. Seems like UPman has gone into lockdown mode after comments about legal action for false advertising on certain forums.

Save your money..

Buy a BCD396xt and if you really need the other digital modes, investigate DSD+ and SDR.
KD6CCP Rating: 2014-05-18
Outstanding Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Scanning has finally caught up with the times with this unit. The 436hp does it all and is easy to use. With the free Sentinel software you can load up even the most confusing frequencies in seconds, point and click. I purchased the GPS unit which performs great. PNP and drive down the road and it will automatically changes bands in your area. The CON is the battery life is a bit on the short side and there is no AC connection. But you can charge it via USB. Not that big of a deal for me. It will run off USB but just not charge the battery and play at the same time. The reception is great but the stock antenna is not a serious contender. I went with a Diamond SCH320A, its like night and day. The scroll control pod knob feels a little lose, but seats fine as you turn through the functions. Glad I didn't buy a lower end hard to program unit, very happy with this puppy.