If you are searching for the best radio scanner that you can buy you will find it in the over $500 price range. Have a look at our radio scanners at over $500. We have reviewed the five best of them and you can find out full reports below for each of the following;
Uniden SDS200 (Our Most Popular Radio Scanner)
Looking For The Best Police Scanner?
So why would you want such a great radio scanner? If, like me you want to keep up to date with what is happening in your area, from events to crime, a police scanner is good for up to date information. A lot of what happens around you will never make it onto the news. But with a police scanner you will know a lot more about the goings on and maybe sometimes you will be able to help, for instance if there is a local emergency.
Other Uses For A Radio Scanner
Its useful too if you are driving somewhere or need to know what is happening with the weather. You will always have your finger on the pulse when you have a police scanner.
With so many scanners in this price range on the market, we have taken the time to review the best and for ease of assessment have laid out our results in the table below. For more detailed information, click on the model name.
Best Scanner Review Table
| Model | Image | Description | Micro SD card | Check Price Here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uniden SDS100 |   | True I/Q Digital Handheld Scanner, Designed for Improved Digital Performance in Weak-Signal and Simulcast Areas, Rugged / Weather Resistant. | 8GB | Check Price |
| Uniden SDS200 |   | Uniden SDS200 Advanced X Base/Mobile Digital Trunking Scanner, Incorporates The Latest True I/Q Receiver Technology, Best Digital Decode Performance in The Industry | 8GB | Check Price |
| Uniden BCD436HP |   | Uniden BCD436HP HomePatrol Series Digital Handheld Scanner. TrunkTracker V, Simple Programming, S.A.M.E. Emergency/Weather Alert, Covers USA and Canada | 4GB | Check Price |
| Uniden BCD536HP |   | Uniden BCD536HP HomePatrol Series Digital Phase 2 Base/Mobile Scanner with HPDB and Wi-Fi. Simple Programming, TrunkTracker V, S.A.M.E. Emergency/Weather Alert. | 4GB | Check Price |
| Uniden BCD996P2 |   | Uniden BCD996P2 Digital Mobile TrunkTracker V Scanner, 25,000 Dynamically Allocated Channels, Close Call RF Capture Technology, 4-Line Alpha display, Base/Mobile Design, Phase 2, Location-Based Scanning | 8GB | Check Price |
| Uniden HomePatrol-2 |   | Uniden HomePatrol-2 Color Touchscreen Simple Program Digital Scanner, TrunkTracker V and S,A,M,E, Emergency/Weather Alert, APCO P25 Phase 1 and 2! Covers USA and Canada, Quick Record and Playback | 4GB | Check Price |
Radio Scanner Ease of Use
Quality doesn’t mean difficult when it comes to scanners. For instance if you take the SD200, generally recognised as one of the best scanners on the market, it is also universally congratulated for being easy to set up and use when you get it out of the box. Close behind the SD200 is the SD100, which is an earlier version of the 200. It has an awesome array of features and likewise, is easy to set up and use.
These quality scanners all have a wide range of features which make using them a delight to use.
Scan And Search Speed For A Radio Scanner
For instance an important consideration when buying a police scanner is the scan and search speed. The more channels you want to search through the better it is to have a fast search speed. As a typical example, if you want to listen to ten channels, you will need a scanning speed of around 16/second, which is pretty slow. For instance if you want to search a lot of channels, you should be aiming for the best radio scanner that can do a search speed up to 100 channels/second. Sometimes you might also want an additional search mode feature such as Service Search, which will go through pre-programmed frequencies and makes it easy to find the frequency you want if you have it already programmed into the police scanner.
Advance Radio Scanner Features
Speaking of advanced features and coming back to the SD200, it has a unique Ethernet connectivity function. Ethernet connectivity enables you to get updates, programming, streaming, and advanced control. Just as a not it also offers fully Customizable Scanning with your own favorites lists, a backlit keypad which I find really useful in dim light or outside at night, a channel volume offset, PC programming and control, which is also really great to have, USB connectivity and charging – handy if you are out and about, weekly database updates, and free sentinel software which keeps the SDS200 database and memory up to date.
Radio Frequency Considerations
One thing you need to be aware of is that scanners will cover a different range of frequencies according to their quality of build. And different agencies (ie police / fire) will use different frequencies. So before you buy a radio scanner its a good idea to check out the frequencies used in your area so that you know which ones the agencies use. This will help point you in the right direction for a scanner. You can look them up here; RadioReference
Related to the above issue is the question of types of radio scanner. A conventional radio system will use a single frequency for each communication channel. Which is fine but you cannot use a conventional radio scanner if you want to listen in to a trunked conversation.
So what is a trunking radio system? This is where a large number of agencies use just a few radio frequencies. So in a city for instance where there is a lot going on, frequencies can be shared. If you are using a conventional system you wont be able to get trunking signals, however if you have trunking set up then you will be able to get conventional signals.
Best Radio Scanners Over $500
Now we get to the fun part. The radio scanners in this high-end price range are top-of-the-line scanners that are even used by professionals. They offer compatibility with almost any channel or frequency, can store an unlimited number of channels, and have a lightning-fast scanning speed.
Yes, we know that they’re pretty expensive, but they’re still worth every dollar, especially if you want a reliable scanner to use on the regular.
However, many people don’t want to even look at scanners above $500 because they think they’re very difficult to use and program. But with the latest technology, that’s not always the case. For example, the Uniden SDS200 is constantly recognized as one of the easiest scanners to set up and use on the market.
Once you familiarize yourself with a scanner from this price range, the options are limitless. You can customize your display settings, search through channels faster than ever, get database updates from the internet, and even replay a few minutes of your latest transmissions. Pretty awesome!
If top-of-the-line features and unmatched quality is what you’re looking for, get one of these 5 radio scanners and you can’t go wrong.
Uniden SDS100
- Frequency Coverage: 25-512 MHz; 758-824 MHz; 849-869 MHz; 894-960 MHz; 1240-1300 MHz
- Frequency Steps: 5, 6.25, 7.5, 8.33, 10, 12.5, 15, 20, 25, 50, 100 kHz
- USA/Canada Radio Database
- GPS Connectivity
The Uniden SDS100 is a handheld radio scanner with a wide array of features. Check the price on Amazon here.
It has a fully customizable LCD display, located above the backlit keypad. A thick handgrip is molded into the unit to make carrying it around with you a breeze.
It also has a rubber trim around the bottom areas that make it more durable.
Feature-wise, a true I/Q receiver allows the SDS100 to pick up digital transmissions even in difficult RF environments. This ensures a much better signal recovery and improved error correction.
Additionally, the scanner comes pre-loaded with the entire database of radio systems in the US and Canada, and you can regularly update this database with the free Sentinel software that comes with the device. Uniden also updates this database once every week.
Oh, and did we mention that it’s built with a water-resistant housing? This means you can use it even in rainy conditions without worrying about malfunctions.
Overall, a high-quality digital performance makes the SDS100 one of the best scanners available today. For an in depth review check it out here.
Uniden SDS200
- 8GB Micro SD
- GPS Connectivity
- Trunktracker X
- Frequency Coverage: 25-512 MHz; 758-824 MHZ; 848-869 MHz; 895-960 MHz; 1240-1300 MHz
- Free Sentinel Software for Database and Firmware Updates
The SDS200 is a revolutionary scanner from Uniden. It’s the first scanner with an integrated I/Q technology, providing one of the best digital decode performances on the market.
Its design is that of a standard mobile/base scanner, with a keypad on the right and a customizable colour display on the right.
As for the features, it can replay up to 4 minutes of your latest transmission, and that’s 4 minutes of raw transmission, without the quiet time in between. You can save all your replays in the 8GB microSD card, alongside the entire US and Canada radio database.
To Buy The SD 200 Check Amazon Here
What makes this scanner even better to use is the customizable display. You can pick different colours and placements for each element according to your preferences.
With such amazing features, you’d think it’s difficult to start using it, but all you need to do is enter your zip code and leave the rest to the scanner.
Overall, the SDS200 covers all the bases and it’s hard to go wrong with this one. For a full review of the SD200 look here.
Uniden BCD436HP
- Frequency Range: 25-512 MHz; 758-824MHz; 849-869 MHz; 894-960 MHz; 1240-1300MHz
- Frequency Steps: 5, 6.25, 7.5, 8.33, 10, 12.5, 15, 20, 25, 50, 100 kHz
- 4GB MicroSD Card with USA and Canada Database
- Sentinel Software
Uniden first introduced Home Patrol-1 in this exact scanner, making the BCD436HP one of the easiest to use and operate.
Featuring a big LCD display with a backlight on top and rubber buttons below it, the design is easy to follow and the built of the unit with high-quality plastic feels very firm in your hand.
The BCD436HP has all the essential features for Uniden scanners, like Close Call Technology, GPS connectivity, and Trunk Tracker 5.
The ability to use GPS ensures you can always get location-specific transmissions, while the Trunk Tracker technology allows you to tune into trunked systems, such as APCO 25 Phase 1 and Phase 2, X2-TDMA, Motorola, EDACS, and LTR.
To summarize, the BCD436HP has all the essential features you need in a scanner while still being pretty easy to operate.
For a complete review of the Uniden 436 check here
Uniden BCD536HP
- Frequency Coverage: 25-512 MHz; 758-824 MHz; 849-869 MHz; 894-960 MHz; 1240-1300 MHz
- Frequency Steps: 5, 6.25, 7.5, 8.33, 10, 12.5, 15, 20, 25, 50, 100 kHz
- Pre-Programmed Database
- Sentinel Software
- Back-lit display and keypad
- 4GB MicroSD Card
The BCD536HP is officially described by Uniden as “the easiest-to-program mobile professional scanner” they’ve made.
It has a typical horizontal design with multi-functional buttons and knobs, a MicroSD slot, a mini USB slot, and a headphone jack.
In addition, there’s a port on the back of the scanner that allows you to connect a Wi-Fi Dongle and access the internet via the scanner. That means you can use the exclusive Siren App from Uniden that lets you listen to your scanner from anywhere in your home.
Other features include the essentials from Uniden we all know and love – Close Call RF Capture Technology, Trunk Tracker 5 for APCO 25 Phase 1, Phase 2, X2-TDMA, Motorola, EDACS, and LTR, and the ability to connect to an external GPS receiver for automatic scanning.
Uniden BCD996P2
- Frequency coverage: 25-512 MHz; 758-823 MHz; 849-869 MHz; 894-960 MHz; 1240-1300 Mhz
- Frequency steps: 5 kHz – 100 kHz
- Frequency Span: 0.2 MHz – 500 MHz
- Scan rate: 100 channels per second
- Search rate: 300 steps per second
- Number of channels: 25.000
Designed for serious radio scanner users, the BCD996P2 from Uniden is a digital mobile scanner packed full of features and a large memory bank.
It has an advanced dynamic memory system, which means you can save up to 25,000 channels into different categories.
Other features include the main basics of every Uniden scanner in this price range, such as the exclusive Close Call RF, the Trunk Tracker 5 that allows you to listen to trunked systems (APCO 25 Phase 1, Phase 2, X2-TDMA, EDACS, Motorola, and LTR), and the ability to connect it to a GPS unit for scanning systems based on your location.
To navigate through all these features, you have 3 multi-functional knobs and 17 buttons that perform different actions based on your listening mode.
For an in depth review look here
Conclusion
No matter which price range you’re looking to buy a scanner from, you can’t go wrong with any of the models we’ve reviewed in this guide. Whether you’re looking for basic features to introduce yourself to this world or want high-end features that can make you a master scanner user, this list covers it all.
We hope that these reviews will help you make a better decision. Good luck, and happy buying!
| Model | Image | Description | Micro SD card | Check Price Here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uniden SDS100 | | True I/Q Digital Handheld Scanner, Designed for Improved Digital Performance in Weak-Signal and Simulcast Areas, Rugged / Weather Resistant. | 8GB | Check Price |
| Uniden SDS200 | | Uniden SDS200 Advanced X Base/Mobile Digital Trunking Scanner, Incorporates The Latest True I/Q Receiver Technology, Best Digital Decode Performance in The Industry | 8GB | Check Price |
| Uniden BCD436HP | | Uniden BCD436HP HomePatrol Series Digital Handheld Scanner. TrunkTracker V, Simple Programming, S.A.M.E. Emergency/Weather Alert, Covers USA and Canada | 4GB | Check Price |
| Uniden BCD536HP | | Uniden BCD536HP HomePatrol Series Digital Phase 2 Base/Mobile Scanner with HPDB and Wi-Fi. Simple Programming, TrunkTracker V, S.A.M.E. Emergency/Weather Alert. | 4GB | Check Price |
| Uniden BCD996P2 | | Uniden BCD996P2 Digital Mobile TrunkTracker V Scanner, 25,000 Dynamically Allocated Channels, Close Call RF Capture Technology, 4-Line Alpha display, Base/Mobile Design, Phase 2, Location-Based Scanning | 8GB | Check Price |
| Uniden HomePatrol-2 | | Uniden HomePatrol-2 Color Touchscreen Simple Program Digital Scanner, TrunkTracker V and S,A,M,E, Emergency/Weather Alert, APCO P25 Phase 1 and 2! Covers USA and Canada, Quick Record and Playback | 4GB | Check Price |