NEW Uniden BCD160DN Scanner.....My Review After Using It A Couple Weeks

Rishayan checks out this brand new scanner, giving his opinion on its functions and sensitivity, and compares it to other scanners that he has.

[@karlroby5501]

The reason for the french owner's manual is because the place in Canada were Uniden sells the most units is in Québec.

[@cpsmonroe1]

Mine is arriving later today so these pointers are helpful 👍🏽

[@RishayanPorMexico]

Thanks for watching my video.

[@roberttraylor1392]

did you have any luck i have the new bcd260dn mobile i programmed it when it stops on a transmission you cannot hear nothing any input will help

[@414RadioTech]

Better off just getting a BCD325 P2 it's got all three flavors in P25,NXDN,DMR‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

[@RC944jim]

Hi you talk down the SDS100 a lot maybe you will do a side by side showing us how poor you think the SDS is compared to this new scanner! Thanks

[@RishayanPorMexico]

Well, I don't hate the SDS100, as I have two of them, it's just that for the price, they could have made it with better performance, sensitivity wise, and clarity. Sure, I can make a video showing the differences, but the DMR sound quality differences may be a little too subtle to hear on the video. However, I will say this. The day before yesterday I was outside walking around with my BCD160DN and I was quite pleased with the DMR sound quality, with very little distortion, and very few dropouts. One thing I did notice though, is that with listening to an active DMR channel, it sure did suck up my batteries quick. It only uses 2 AA, and I was using rechargeable AA. I'm not really complaining though, as it's easy enough to carry around a pocket full of fully charged AAs. They were older AAs though, and so the problem may have been with the AAs and not with the radio. I just haven't had the chance to test it out much with alkaline AAs. But I'm going out again today to do some local DXing on UHF, and this radio has become one of my favorites to carry with me when I'm doing my non-TRS UHF analog and digital studies. The SDS100 is still the king when I do my TRS 700/800 or 400/500 trunked studies. Thanks for watching my video.

[@RC944jim]

@@RishayanPorMexico Thanks for the reply, I look forward to your comparison!

[@sigsnrigs240]

I’m a scanner enthusiast too I had the ads 100 436 and the 325 p2 I sold the SDs 100 436 and kept the 325 p2 it does everything just as good only has two AA BUT YOU THROW SOME ENELOOPS IN IT ITS GOOD FOR 8 hours i do miss the replay feature in the 436 and sds

[@RishayanPorMexico]

I never had a 325p2, thought about buying one several times...but the only thing that I don't like about the Unidens is their poor sensitivity....I am always looking for radios that pick up the digital signals with good sound and good sensitivity.....In fact, your comment gives me the idea to make a video showing my best radios for each band, and each modulation....Coming Soon!...Thanks for watching my video.

[@UKRedSnow]

I imported 2 x 325P2 to the UK and love them. Got rid of the SDS100 (shocking selectivity on VHF airband and an external antenna), and the 436 (not great sensitivity on UHF air). Also got rid of the Icom IC-R30 as I didn't like the memory restrictions of 100 freqs in a group, and was prone to interference when used as a base station, and also in the car! Unfortunately the Icom IC-R15 seems to be exactly the same issue wise, and I reckon I'll get rid of that also. We have very little P25 Phase 2 but there is a trunked system I can receive, but the whole programming trunked P25 systems goes way over my head, so I've had to input all frequencies and keep resuming scanning manually which is a pain as I can't often follow the conversation as it'll stop on a different conversation :-/ Seems you can't beat the 125/160DN/325P2 form factor units 👍🏻

[@RC944jim]

Did you do the update? Who did you buy from? What antenna are you using? What was your volume set to? 15 is the max I think.

[@RishayanPorMexico]

I don't know about any update, as this radio is not even a month old. I bought it from Uniden. I use the stock antenna, as well as a longer HYS antenna for the VHF high band. Saludos

[@RC944jim]

@@RishayanPorMexico can you please check your volume setting that you used during your review? Your review is the first one I found online thank you!

[@roberttraylor1392]

awesome video i just received the bcd260dn programmed it but when i receive cannot hear not when it stops on a transmisson what is going on any idea

[@RishayanPorMexico]

Well, I'm sorry you have that problem, but it's really hard to tell without actually seeing your radio. If the problem persists, call up Uniden and see what they say. Good Luck.

[@rhythmicsound]

hello there what brand is that antenna on the uniden and where purchased

[@RishayanPorMexico]

It was the HYS 771N dual band BNC flexible whip handheld antenna. I purchased it on the 6th of feb 2024 on Amazon for 11.99....I just checked, and the same antenna is still available on Amazon. Thanks for watching my video.

[@tylerbeach4727]

Was dmr included with this scanner or did you have to pay extra for it?

[@RishayanPorMexico]

No, it comes with DMR and NXDN included, and I have a sneaky feeling that in the future they are going to offer P25 as a paid upgrade......because it will identify a signal as P25 when the scanner stops on it in search mode.( although it won't decode it..yet) No other analog scanner does that. Thanks for watching my video.

[@tylerbeach4727]

Thank you cleaning that up! Scanner master had the add for this scanner listed as saying dmr included, then changed it to capable. Uniden wouldn’t answer my question as the scanner hadn’t hit market yet. I wasn’t going to pay $250 for it plus another $75 for dmr.

[@RishayanPorMexico]

Yes, DMR and NXDN come included, and work quite well, even a little better than the paid upgrade to DMR on the SDS100. The only negative is that the radio only shows the Color Code, but not the talkgroup.

[@royshook2208]

can you use rechargeable batteries in the Uniden BCD160DN and will it recharge the batteries while in the scanner and last can you listen to the scanner while its recharging

[@RishayanPorMexico]

Yes, I use rechargeable AA batteries all the time. They don't last quite as long as alkaline batteries, so I always carry a small supply of them, charged up and ready to go. The radio only uses two batteries, and they charge up relatively fast, in a couple hours, in my separate charger. As expensive as alkaline batteries have become, it's certainly much cheaper to use and re-use rechargeable batteries. I use a separate charger to recharge the batteries, and have never really really tried doing it while in the radio, but you may very well be able to.

[@sigsnrigs240]

Indications are so much better

[@nickrooney6206]

I live in New York. I was thinking of getting this just so I can listen to the police stuff. There’s a lot of problems going on and some of the towns stabbing robberies. I’d like to hear about that stuff and know what’s going on near me…. just don’t know how to program it. I was hoping it had that ZIP Code it just gives you all the stuff….. I would like my whole county and where did you get that better antenna and how much?

[@RishayanPorMexico]

Actually, if you want to hear police communications, and you are outside of New York City, you need to get a Uniden SDS100, because almost all police communications is P25 digital. If you live in the city of New York, Police are still on 476Mhz analog, but not too much longer, as almost all public safety communications in the city of New York, even the fire department, are supposed to go encrypted. I really hope that it doesn't come true, and the taxpayers in the city need to protest at city hall to demand their right to know what's going on in their city. But that's the crooked government's plans. It really depends on what municipality you live in, to tell you what radio and what antenna to get. If you live in Nassau County, the police already are pretty much encrypted.

[@nickrooney6206]

@@RishayanPorMexico I just called up a place and asked them what’s the best one I can get and their programming it for me Uniden BCD325P2 Phase II Handheld Digital

[@vhf2287]

Can this radio deal with slots in DMR?

[@RishayanPorMexico]

Sure...it recibes both slot 1 and slot 2. It just doesn't tell you which slot you're listening to or which talkgroup. Just the Color Code.

[@sigsnrigs240]

I hated the battery’ on the SDs they should last at least 14 hrs for the pice you pay 😅

[@pavelhabana5728]

un saludo don rishayan, yo como no hablo gringo no le entiendo, pero quiero preguntarle a como ofrece esos radios de comunicacion?......

[@RishayanPorMexico]

Figase, cuando estuve en Barajillas, yo tenia varios a vender...económicos....como a 1000 o 1500 cada uno....pero nadie les quiso comprar. Son muy útiles para comunicar del negocio a la casa, etc. ...Saludos

[@feramezquita4466]

De que trata esto ?

[@RishayanPorMexico]

De vez de cuando hago videos sobre mi pasatiempo( por los pasados 50 años) de ser aficionado de la radio...de estudiar sistemas de comunicaciones y estos son un poco de mi colección. A veces, lo hago lo mismo en español, como ya hay mas y mas paisanos interesado en ese pasatiempo también. Saludos.

[@feramezquita4466]

Quiero entender amigo!! Se ve Interesante y intelectual