Uniden BC355N 300-Channel Base/Mobile Scanner, Close Call Capture, Pre-programmed Search “Action” Bands to Hear Non-Digital Police, Ambulance, Fire, Amateur Radio, Public Utilities, Weather & more

I got this scanner to listen to the local emergency channels as well as the storm spotter stations. It is always nice to know what is going on in the area as I am a first responder. There are days I like to follow big fires as some times we are called in for mutual aid, so it gives me a good snap shot of what to expect if a MABAS is called.I do believe that the location for this is good to note as well. I live in a semi rural area surrounded by a lot of forestry land and bluffs, my scanner is by my desk in the basement with just the basic pull out antenna attached. So far it has had no issues getting very good signal, even in snow, rain, heavy winds, and summertime tree cover. Some days I actually hear the calls paging us for a fire on the scanner before my actual pager picks up the page and sounds off.The programming is not hard, I had absolutely no issues getting the local frequencies programmed into the private selection. The little instruction booklet that came with it was pretty fairly easy to comprehend when it came to setting frequencies into the private section, not really sure why this particular function had so many negative reviews about it being confusing. This is my first scanner and from unboxing to being up and running with all the local frequencies installed it took maybe an hour, this includes assembly, running the cord, attaching the antenna and looking up and saving the 15 or so local frequencies.It comes with the power and antenna capabilities to use in the house or while on the road. It is pretty nice using it on long road trips to hear about what is going on in front of you. The weather channels are nice too as you can follow the weather alerts from the NWS in real time. We get frequent tornadic weather, so this is nice to have in the basement to have a decent heads up in the event of natural disasters.Overall I am pleased, my kids love to listen in when we get a fire call, it gives me the alerts that I want. It is pretty easy to operate. If you are looking for a basic analog (not digital) scanner. It has ran daily since I got it and I have not had any issues at all. If I had to throw a negative in there, it would be a stretch with saying the sound gets a bit crackly for a few seconds, but then I have to remember where it is and it is pulling in analog.I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a basic scanner.

Very easy setup! Great instruction manual

This unit is versatile in that it is easily moved from a desktop "installation" to a vehicle "installation" - and it is ALMOST a "portable" unit except that it needs an external power connection. It is small and light enough to be moved about easily, and compact enough to fit in many "cubby holes". Unlike some mobile units, it's exterior is "clean" enough to look fine sitting out in the open on a desktop, yet it can be quickly/easily attached to a (pre-installed) mount in a vehicle, although it does require manual attachment of the power and antenna cables. Of course, the mobile mounting bracket could be used instead to mount the unit, say, under a shelf or whatever.Functionally, it works well in most respects. I was a little surprised that it seems to be a bit less sensitive than the old crystal-controlled scanner that it replaced. The backlit display is readable under most lighting conditions, but some indicators would seem quite small for quick reading in a mobile installation - unless the unit can be located fairly close to the observer. Fortunately, it's not necessary to see them clearly during normal scanning mode. I haven't yet used my unit in a mobile installation, but I'm wondering if the buttons will be easy to see and access under poor lighting conditions. The buttons are small enough and spaced tightly enough that they might be difficult to use in a moving vehicle and/or with a gloved hand.Generally speaking, the unit is easy to use, but some of the functions don't seem to be intuitive - and so I often have to pull out the manual to do the operations that I use only rarely, in order to get all of the necessary steps in the correct sequence. The most tedious aspect is when manually programming (or removing) specific frequencies. While not particularly difficult, the process is time-consuming. It would help a lot if this unit had the ability to be programmed from a computer, because this likely would save a lot of time in the process. Meanwhile, programming frequencies by "capturing" actual transmissions is straight-forward, quick and easy - so long as the someone "cooperates" by transmitting on the desired channel when you want to "capture" it. I am still rather confused by how the "channel banks" interact with each other - and how to configure them properly. But, I've been able to get the unit set up to do almost all that I need it to do. (The missing piece is that I don't know how to access the PL channels that are used in this area).The unit does retain its programming when power is removed - although I haven't confirmed this over the long-term.The only problem I've run into is being unable to find any specifications for the necessary impedance of the external speaker, and wasn't even able to find out from Tech Support. This isa rather concerning. Hopefully, they will be more helpful if there are any other support needs.Overall, I do like this unit, and I feel it is a good value.

I'm sure these worked at some point in the past, but don't waste your money. These are analog scanners and most agencies have gone completely to digital and trunked systems, which makes this scanner useless. It's old technology. I've tried to pick up signals on the miriad of antennas I own, and can't pick up a signal at all, except weather channels and the occasional CB bands. Even those come through horribly. I have several wideband antennas, including my main discone antenna 30ft above my house. I've but the bullet and invested in an SDR scanner, specifically the uniden sds200 (not cheap but worth it's weight in gold) and it works flawlessly. I'll hold onto this solely for weather, but I wish I could return it at this point I don't even know why they still sell them...

Great little radio for the price,I love it.

Old technology, WEAK speaker and the antenna connection is loose.

Good condition