Customer Reviews

Uniden Bearcat BCT8 BearTracker Warning System with 800 MHz TrunkTracker III

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you're not sure about scanning or especially trunking, this would be a great way to experience it without spending the bigger bucks for the higher end scanners. I have them also, but purchased this one for a barebones emergency communications room for my employer. The radio functionality is just as good as my much more expensive radios and this one was just as easy to program too(I agree with a previous reviewer that ARC8 from Butel is the way to work with this radio). As a matter of fact, I would recommend to anyone planning on the purchase of a computer-programmable scanner that you should include a software package in your budget. There's just no easier way to go - it avoids all the button pushing on the radio. (Note: do not bother with the included crippled software or its upgrade; ARC8 and other choices that will work better and are simpler.)

The only thing this radio really lacks is the alphanumberic tags - you'll need to remember what id is what service when it stops. But the price is SO much less!

Update 7/06: With the FCC's bandplan change coming soon, it's good to know that this radio IS firmware upgradeable so that you will not lose the trunking ability when the bandplan changes arrive in your area.
The travel features are fun - when I travel, I don't care if I'm listening to the PD district or beat that I am staying in, I just want to hear something! The search features and control-channel-only mode will allow easy use in a city away from home. All the rest of the features - good audio, nice backlighting, decent size, quality of build - go along with how good Uniden has been making scanners.

This would make a great first scanner, and it also makes a great 4th one too! And if you're thinking this might be too expensive for a first scanner - spend the extra money for this one over the BC350C, it's a LOT easier to use.

Having logged over two million miles as an over-the-road truck driver and a radio junky I love all kinds of radios... I got out of listening to scanners when they went to trunking calls... Listening to one side of a radio call gets real old real fast.. The cost of radios that would track trunking radios was expensive and limited... While recovering from getting hit by a truck traveling 70mph while making a left hand turn on my Harley. I turned my love of raidos to keep entertained during the many hours of recovery... Short wave is great... My longing for a scanner that will track trunking was a must... After reading many reviews and doing research I knew that one scanner needed to cover all bases was the Uniden BCT8 fit what I wanted... I find the Bear Tracking feature is great I had know idea that it would work so great... It works much better than radar dectors by the time they alert you it is too late... Where the Bear Tracker works great... I think it will be on a lot of future scanners... I only own one scanner with it's Trunking Tracker III it is the only one I need... I live right under the flight path of the flight for life helicopters I can scan for them as well as Police and Fire calls... The Ambulance services control towers and much more... The instruction manual leaves a little to be desired but if you have any experience in radio's it isn't a problem... While it takes a little effort to figure out listening groups it is not rocket science... If you are like me and want only one scanner this is it... I put together a battery pack for it in case of power outages it comes with everything you need for using it in your car... I think it is the most bang for the buck in scanners... Buy it... My son also thinks it is extra cool because it has a NASCAR logo on the front...

I've had this scanner for a week now and it still surprizes me. When on a road trip I picked up my local police from 50 miles from my town. My other scanners don't pick them up after about 10 miles. It's also compatable with ECAS Trunked System, which is the main reason I baught this scanner. It also gets rid of the anoying beeps at the end of each trasmission of the fire and police. Also great feature is the conectivty of the scanner to your computer makes programing very easy. I would recomend this scanner for any beginner or advanced radio scanner listener.

One of the hottest receiving scanners I have ever owned. Great backlight for mobile or night use. (Main reason for 4 star rating) Down side. Very vague setup instructions. I am in the Communications field and have two friends that make a living at it and are still having problems programming the trunk tracking feature, especially the talk groups. Do not seem to get them to work and no help from the manual. Instructions are terrible and not complete. Also, DO NOT BUY the software that Uniden advertises. Go to another vender and get a much better program.

This scanner has no problem keeping track of ALL radio traffic. I live in densely populated San Francisco near the entrance to the bay and right under the GG bridge. This little scanner gets it all. CHP, Bridge Patrol, Bridge Electricians, Bridge Shuttle bus. SFPD, SFFD, EMS. Yellow Cab, DPT, Harbor Pilots, Tugs, laundry delivery trucks, totally (too much information)TMI! In search mode I get signal from as far north as San Rafael (Marin County)as far east as Oakland as far south as Burlingame with the supplied telescopic antenna! For mobile applications ditch the supplied little wire antenna'n get a magnetic roof mount.
Bear Tracker works. Had it on the road 2day and it picks off Mobile Extenders left and right.
Programing is as easy as spending a few hours in search mode and entering the stations as you get them. The Trunk tracking feature rocks. In time you will be able to tell who is who. Dont want that Freq? Delete it easily.
A well designed and easy to use product. Crystal clear reception, intelligent layout and the pre-programmed freqs. are amazing.
Pricy perhapes, but worth it. I feel like I have been scanning for years and this is only my 4th day.

5 stars for delivering the goods, in spades. I am very happy.

Great scanner. I have taken the scanner plunge in the past year. I have had a handheld for emergencies and went down the route of finding frequencies and programming them in. It really is a hobby type of thing since it is so time consuming and can be addictive after a while.

What brought me to this scanner was I was really looking for something more plug and play. I also needed something for the car since I travel a lot and wanted to use it on the road. Problem is every place you go has a differently freq set up for local communications. That means a bunch of research and programming before every trip. Enter the Uniden BCT8. This is really a nice scanner. I have done my research and for the price for this unit cannot be beat. If your new to scanning or just need a backup this will work fine. Because of the way it's set up you can just put in the state your traveling through and the scanner will do the rest. Note: (It's illegal to use a scanner while mobile in some states so make sure you check).

The scanner has gotten me out of a couple traffic jams and has given me exactly what I wanted. We were on a trip back from Florida and hit real bad traffic in Indiana. Flipped on the scanner and found out a boat had flipped over on a bridge in front of us blocking all lanes in my direction. We flipped around and took a different route. Things like that have happened a few times since I have had this scanner.

It has a ton of storage if you want to program in some of your own Freqs. It also has all the presets you will need if you don't have the time to mess with it.

After having this scanner for a few months I even got my HAM license so I could talk back to some of the people I was listening to when at home. I liked it so much I got another one for my shack and keep the other in the car all the time.

While the Uniden Bearcat BCT8 Warning System may be a great scanner and received mostly great reviews, it was not made clear that this is an analog scanner and will not pick up transmissions made in digital mode.

Unfortunately, it was after my 30-day return period had passed that I learned the reason I was having trouble picking up local transmissions was that my local public service agencies broadcast digitally. So a word of caution to prospective buyers, make sure how your local agencies are broadcasting and choose your scanner appropriately.

A great value in a scanner, I couldn't believe the traffic I heard, {depending on where you live} pilots to the tower, weather reports, tons of police action, EMS and fire depts engaged in all kinds of incidents,I heard slot techs and hostesses in the casinos, security even government enforcers tracking and detaining wanted felons! also heard railroad traffic!
the scanner is already set and ready to go to pull in all the action in your neck of the woods, plus more advanced features to trunk track HWY patrols and other agencies, it even has the frequencies for what you want to hear right on top of the unit for quick reference,
and like all uniden "bearcat" products it's built to last!
put it on your desk, or take it with you on the road..this gadget will give you tons of entertainment, you won't take law enforcment or rescue teams for granted again!

This scanner has the best auduio quality I have ever heard and it is made very well. The entire keypad lights up too. The only thing that would of made this better is the CTCSS/DCS feature which I have mentioned to Paul Optiz-product designer at Uniden. It has 250 channels to program,much easier then the newer units like the BCT15,and BCD996 that use a different programing method. The sensitivity is good, however VHF Low band could be better. I live here in a apartment and can't put a roof antenna up so I am using the stock antenna. It should be noted that I am a volunteer firefighter here in Westchester County and have had scanners since 1974. To sum it up, buy this unit over the BC350C which is not as good plus Westchester County, NY has just started trunking as of 9/10/07.

This is my first scanner. The BCT8 does everything I need it to do. It's easy to program and it comes pre-programmed with every state's highway patrol frequencies. It's a great first scanner. The only thing is it can't program in channel names, but for the price, that doesn't bother me.