Uniden Handheld Scanner – Black (BC75XLT) Review

Eventually, it had to happen my old scanner decided a month ago decided to die on me as it has provided me with more than 10 years of service. Lately I had been having problems with reception, even with a large telescoping antenna it would not pick up transmission that other railfans were receiving. So yes, it was time to get myself a new scanner and after doing some research to find the perfect suitable scanner for me to use while railfanning I decided on the Uniden Handheld Scanner – Black (BC75XLT).

I am not a radio nerd

To be honest, I am not a radio nerd, but looking for a scanner that could be used Trackside to observe train movements in the area. If you are not a radio scanner follower, it is daunting no matter if it is digital or analog. Another thing I had to consider was that railroads have begun to transmission over the VHF narrowband and some scanners do not pick up these transmissions.

Therefore, I opted in buying the Uniden BC75XLT handheld scanner that would suit me fine as the only feature it did not have was scanning military frequencies. When received the box included the scanner, a rubber duck antenna, the belt clip, a USB cable, a hand strap, and hard copy of the product manual. I decided to buy some extra rechargeable batteries, an AC plug adapter, and car charger.

Charging and Programming the Uniden BC75XLT

The first thing I did was to charge the scanner that is easily done by plugging it into the PC with the supplied USB cable or with the added AC plug adapter bought in your car. Even programming the Uniden BC75XLT was quick and easy by using my PC and a huge improvement to my older one that you had to program manually. Another great feature is that you can program 100 frequencies into the scanner if required.

The scanner itself is lighter and smaller than my previous one making it a bonus for me where weights concerned and does not feel like a brick. It comes with great buttons that provide you with different functions.

Functioning the Uniden scanner in the field

I live in the Stony Point area and love to railfans in the vicinity, but for some reason I could never seem to hear transmissions with my older scanner, even after using it with the telescoping antenna. Moreover, to my surprise the Uniden Handheld Scanner – Black (BC75XLT) literally picked up about 70 percent of the time with only using the provided antenna, was clear as daylight, and could pick up trains travelling meters away. To my surprise, I had been out all day with the scanner and thought that I would have to charge the batteries soon as nine hours had already passed. Surprisingly the batteries still had some power left in it and uses two AA batteries.

Main Features

• The Uniden BC75XLT comes with 300 Channels / 10 Bank
• The scanner is PC programmable
• The Uniden compactly designed for added suppleness and portability.
• It also had Close Call™ RF Capture Technology that instantly tweaks to signals from nearby transmitters
• The frequency coverage includes the most bands where you can hear police, ambulance, fire, recreational radio, public utilities, weather, and more.
• The scanner comes with 10 preprogrammed service searches. The frequencies are fixed in separate for picking up channels with the Police, Fire, Emergency, Aircraft, Ham, Marine, and Weather Banks make it easier to locate explicit types of calls
• The backlit display, makes the scanner easier to read in low light conditions
• The Uniden is operated by two AA batteries
• With the priority scan, it helps to prioritize channels that you have chosen
• The delay function helps avoid missed replies during 2-way conversations

Pros and Cons of Uniden Handheld Scanner BC75XLT

Uniden BC75XLT

Pros

• The scanner works great and provides clear transmissions
• It is easy to set up and scans most systems
• The advanced programming features are great to use
• The battery life is good
• It comes with low battery indication and batteries are rechargeable saving you money

Cons

When the scanners plugged in to charge, you cannot listen to any transmissions.

Customer Feedback

For some great customer feedback, Amazon offers you with more than 500 customer reviews. Most customers are pleased with the scanner when it comes to receiving transmissions as it provides them with clear uninterrupted channels.

One of the customers advised that he has used scanners from the seventies and pleased to say that the Uniden BC75XLT handheld scanner is still one of the best-owned scanners he has ever owned. The scanner has some great features; it is compact comes with superlative audio and built with quality in mind.

Uniden Handheld Scanner Users

Conclusion

After using the Uniden Handheld Scanner – Black (BC75XLT) for a month now I am still pleased to say that it works well it is lightweight, offers me with great reception, and highly recommend it to anyone who also love railfanning or just want to have it for fun.