New Bearcat (Uniden) scanner

[Andrew Geil]

Uniden America Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wireless consumer electronics, today announced a new mobile digital scanner, the Bearcat BCD996T. This model introduces the first-ever GPS-enabled scanner, allowing the product to automatically select nearby radio systems for scanning. The BCD996T also offers APCO 25 digital capability, allowing consumers to monitor the activities and signals of city and government service departments, and features advanced scanner technology in an in-dash or mobile mount design.

The GPS-enabled feature offered by the BCD996T provides automatic system selection, which permits the scanner to turn system reception on or off depending on the user’s location, and allows the user to define the scanner display to show location-based information.

In addition, when a GPS unit, not included with this scanner, is connected to the BCD996T, it will alert at areas of special interest, such as dangerous intersections, school zones, or general points of interest.

Featuring APCO 25 capability, Uniden’s BCD996T is poised to further enhance Uniden’s offerings to public safety and increase interoperability between agencies using different types of radio systems. Uniden’s BCD996T will not permit users to monitor sensitive, encrypted signals from national and local security services. The Bearcat BCD996T also offers Close Call™ RF Capture Technology, Dynamic Memory Management, Fire Tone-Out, and Multi-site programming as well as 6,000 channels and a frequency range of 25 MHz to 1.3 GHz (excluding cellular and UHF TV frequencies). This new model is slated to hit retail shelves in spring 2006 and carries a MSRP of $849.99.

“The BCD996T, the first GPS-enabled model in the scanner industry, is another milestone in the evolution of scanning,†said Paul Opitz, product manager at Uniden America Corporation. “These new features will provide an efficient way for agencies that need compatibility in multiple geographic areas to use the scanner without having to reprogram the equipment for each location.â€

An extended list of features will be available on the Uniden America Corp. website (www.uniden.com).

Well, gosh darn, I could buy a well used car for that much and put a scanner worth twice as much inside it. :-D

 

[rdale]

The street price will be around $550 - anyone who drives more than 100 miles from home will be able to make GREAT use of this feature.

No more worrying about what bank has the local Skywarn / spotter / public safety freq's. Just set it up ahead of time, give the GPS boundaries for your system, and every time you drive into that "box" the radio will automatically turn that bank on.

- Rob