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Uniden BC-246T Scanner
Uniden BC-246T UASD Programming/Control Software
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BC-246T Scanner and
UASD Programming/Control Software
Requirements:
Software requires BC-246T scanner
Computer with serial port or serial-to-USB connector
Scanner Pros:
- Fun and feature packed
- Solid construction
- Comes with everything you need
- Upgradable firmware
- Dynamic memory is the perfect system
UASD (Software) Pros:
- Store multiple configurations for easy reprogramming
- Easily read and write to scanner memory
- Change all options available via Windows interface
- Comes packed with hundreds of existing data files
Cons:
- A little hard to figure out at first
- Some tasks
a little clumsy
- Interface could use more polish
Price:
Scanner: $215 -
$250
UASD: $29.95
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Rating on UASD Software
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Introduction
I got my first scanner (radio receiver, not computer scanner) about 25 years ago. It was a Realistic (Radio Shack) 8-channel scanner and each channel required a separate scanner crystal for a specific frequency. If you wanted a new channel, you'd have to head down to Radio Shack and buy a new crystal.
Years later, I got my second scanner. It was a Uniden Bearcat digital scanner. The term "digital scanner" has a new meaning today, but back then it meant that you could just punch a frequency into a keypad and the scanner would pick up that frequency. That Uniden scanner lasted many years before it was replaced by another new Uniden scanner.
That second Uniden scanner was made obsolete when many radio systems switched to trunking systems. (A trunking system allows multiple agencies to use the same frequency set. In order to listen to these systems, you need a trunk tracking scanner, often called a trunk tracker.) I recently decided to purchase a new scanner after many years of being away from the hobby. Like many people, I felt I had two choices; Radio Shack and Uniden.
I originally purchased a Radio Shack scanner (the Pro-97) because it was on sale for $149. A day after purchasing it, I read about FCC rebanding. Rebanding is going to cause a change in the frequencies that are used by some trunking systems, and it's also going to change the internal calculations that are necessary to track trunking systems. That means that any scanner you buy today will need to be updated to handle the new system. If you can't upgrade the scanner, it's nothing more than a paper weight when it comes to listening to trunking systems.
The Pro-97 is not upgradable, so I promptly returned it. Upon further research, the choice of scanners became clear and I purchased a Uniden BC-246T. Am I ever glad that I did. The Uniden has many advantages over the Radio Shack model. It's better constructed, has better features, comes with a lot of accessories that would have cost me over $50 additional for the Radio Shack model, and best of all, it has upgradable firmware so it should handle rebanding just fine.
This review primarily deals with the UASD software from Uniden that's used to program and control the scanner via your computer. However, in order to fully appreciate the design of the software, you first have to know a little about how the BC-246T scanner works because it likely doesn't work the way you are familiar with.
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