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Introduced early in 1995, the BC3000XLT was to replace the ill-received
BC2500XLT which tried to prove that features would sell a radio when its
receiver was so far off the mark.
Luckily for us, Uniden learned its lesson and the BC3000XLT was born. It created quite a stir and became the favorite handheld among the scanner community. Great speed, coverage and sensitivity added up to one heck of a deal that few could afford to pass up. What follows are my personal impressions regarding the features and performance of this scanner. This, in no way, should be viewed as an endorsement to purchase this radio nor is it intended to discourage anyone from buying it. I have no personal or business relations with Uniden Corporation. These are simply thoughts offered to my fellow hobbyists who may be interested in purchasing this particular radio. I simply ask that this information be kept intact. A lot of hard work and effort has gone into the testing and writing of this review. I would appreciate it if every effort is made to keep this document whole with me as the original author. And if you want to share your thoughts about this review with me or have further questions, feel free to send e-mail. Thank you and enjoy!
Rich Wells |
| Channels | 400 |
|---|---|
| Banks | 20 |
| Coverage | 25-550 760-1300 MHz |
| Scan | 100 channels/second |
| Search | 100/300 steps/second |
| Steps | 5, 12.5, 25 & 50 kHz |
| Modes | AM, FM & WFM |
| Sensitivity | Not listed |
| Conversion | Triple |
| IFs | 1=? 2=? 3=? |
| Priority | 10 channels |
| Search limits | 1 |
| Search skip | 50 frequencies |
| Auto-store | Yes |
| S-meter | No |
| Delay | 2/4 seconds |
| Lockout | Yes |
| Attenuator | Yes |
| Lock | Yes |
| Tone codes | No |
| Computer intf | No |
| Rotary control | No |
| Channel count | No |
| Data skip | Yes |
| Clock | No |
| Timers | No |
| Weather | Yes |
| Weather Alert | No |
| Light | Display |
| Power | Proprietary NiCd |
| Audio | 500mW |
| Size | 2.7 W x 7.3" H x 1.5" D |
| Weight | 13oz |
| Memory | 7-day backup |
The front cover is actually a fold out containing descriptions of the radio with numbered parts. One points out the keys, another the top panel features and the last a detailed breakdown of the display indicators.
Across from this is the Contents page which is well done and will help you find what you are looking for quickly and painlessly within its 45 pages of material.
Next up are the Introduction pages which detail the major features of the BC3000XLT along with references to the pages which cover their operation in detail.
This is followed by a page detailing what is included with the radio and should be found when you open the box.
The Getting Started section points out how to attach the battery, charging it and installing the antenna and belt clip.
Scanning Basics details how the memory of the radio is broken down into banks and channels as well as the differences between scanning and searching. Squelch and volume operation are then covered as well as how to lock the keypad.
We then move on to descriptions of how program memory channels as well as how to program the search limits. The auto-store feature is covered here as well as how a search-discovered frequency can be transferred to a memory channel.
The Scanning section covers the basic of how banks are enabled and disabled along with how to use channel lockout, priority channels and delay.
We move along to searching which starts with the same material presented in the programming section. It is augmented by details of holding a search and stepping around as well as using the Turbo Search, delay and lockout features.
Next up is Manual Mode which explains how to "jump" to any memory channel as well as scroll through memory using the arrow keys. This section really should be right after the section on programming if you ask me.
The next section describes how to use the weather scanning feature. A simple press of the WX key ought to do it (imagine that!).
This is followed by the Additional Scanner Features section which covers data skip, changing frequency step and receive mode, attenuator and display backlight.
The remaining sections cover optional accessories, replacement parts, care and maintenance, troubleshooting, technical information (it's really not all that technical), birdies and (spartan) specifications.
Construction and Physical
The first thing you'll notice about the BC3000XLT is that it is BIG! While
being very tall and quite wide, its thickness is about average for most radios
but seems smaller simply due to its other larger dimensions.
The entire radio is molded in black plastic and looks rather nice considering that it has very little "character" compared to most radios these days. I mean, it is basically a plastic brick with a rounded top. Very simple but it gets the job done.
At the very top of the front panel is the Uniden trademark "TWIN TURBO" symbol and words stenciled in red with the BC3000XLT moniker in yellow. Right below this is the LCD display beneath an ovular plastic cover with the usual blackened edges.
Traveling down further we next hit the keypad which dominates about 40% of this side of the radio. It is composed of five rows and columns except for the SCAN and MANUAL keys which occupy two horizontal spaces. The function keys are all black rubber while the numeric, decimal and enter keys are gray rubber. Lettering is all in white on the keys except for a few auxiliary markings above keys which are in orange.
Below the keypad is the large speaker which is 4cm in diameter. The grill is composed of 35 slots of which 21 lead through to the speaker itself. Below this is the Uniden label in yellow with Bearcat in red.
Like most radios, the top panel contains the BNC antenna jack, volume and squelch controls as well as external speaker and earphone jacks. A nice touch is the rubber cap which covers the speaker and earphone jacks thus keeping dust (and anything else) out the radio's insides. The volume and squelch controls are of decent size with ribbed sides and red markings on top to help check their current setting visually.
The back panel contains the model sticker containing FCC id number as well as the radio's serial number. There is also the mounting for the supplied belt clip which simply pushes in and then down to lock it into place. This clip is OK but it won't take a lot of abuse. And its proprietary nature keeps you from replacing it with a metal version from another scanner or ham radio.
The NiCd battery pack actually forms the back of the radio at the bottom as well as 50% of the the bottom of the radio itself. So if the battery is not attached, the radio can't stand by itself.
To attach the battery, it is simply pressed against the radio back and then slid up into place where it locks. To remove it, you simply press the release button and the pack slides down and out. However, some genius thought to cover the release button with the bottom of the belt clip! So to get at it, you have to pry up the belt clip about 1/2 inch. Not a big deal but it does irk me every time I have to remove it.
The right and left sides, as all as the bottom, contain no details so that saves me some typing.
Antenna
The antenna is the AT-218...the same one used on most of their other handheld
radios. In my handheld antenna review, it scored in the middle of the pack (17
of 27). It scores high in the 850-870 MHz range, does OK in the VHF-hi
range (145-205) but is mediocre everywhere else.
You will definitely benefit from buying a replacement antenna like one from Austin, Diamond or some form of simple telescoping whip.
Features
As mentioned earlier, the BC3000XLT is a large radio by today's standard. It is
basically a black, plastic brick with an antenna sticking out of it. Overall,
it is a solid radio and has held up for the two years I have owned it. Due to
its size however, my BC3000XLT rarely leaves the house so it has not had to
stand up to the ravages of on and off the belt or being thrown into the
passenger seat to go for a ride.
There is some give in the side panels along the seams where the front and back panels come together. Nothing excessive though. The battery pack stays in place and there is just a little give to it from side to side. Finish is good and fit is acceptable.
For a radio of this size, the display is definitely on the small size. The smaller PRO-26 takes the marks in this category. The display has good contrast and can be viewed easily from the sides or below. Not much viewing from above however. The numerals are about as small as I would like them to be and remain useful. LCD indicators are rather small too and the distance between the LCD and its cover makes the top rows of indicators harder to read in dim lighting due to "shading".
The display backlighting is done via green LEDs mounted along the left and right side edges. Illumination is very good although very uneven. Perhaps for a radio this wide, LEDs along the top or bottom edges would have worked better. Pressing the LHT key illuminates for about 15 seconds but it can be pressed again to turn off before then. Key presses made while the light is on reset the 15 second timer which is handy. Holding down LHT while powering on the radio disables the timer thereby allowing you to toggle the backlight on and off.
Moving on to the keypad, its large size will be a benefit for those with large fingers or who consider themselves "all thumbs". This, along with the wider key spacing, comes from having a larger radio. The keys are fairly well laid out and have a good feel to them allowing rapid key presses. Each key press is verified with a beep and it varies with the volume setting. It can also be turned off by holding down the E key while powering on.
There is also a keylock feature which helps to prevent accidental key presses from activating the radio. Simply press and hold the key icon button until the radio beeps and/or you see the keylock icon displayed. Repeat this procedure to unlock the keypad.
One note about the keypad in regards to the DLY/B-SAVE key. According to the inside cover of the operating guide, the B-SAVE is for the battery saver. However, no mention is made of this key therein. It does mention the battery saver and that it is an automatic action when used in manual mode with the delay feature turned off. I can only think that Uniden had planned to allow users to control the battery saver through the use of this key but time constraints regarding the release date kept them from adding it or removing the B-SAVE lettering.
The large speaker allows for a wider frequency range response giving all signals a natural tone. Audio is crisp but compared to some other radios, it can sound a bit muffled but nowhere near as bad as the PRO-26. Power here is rated at 500mW. While it is loud, I think this is an inflated value since I find it no louder than Yupiteru or AOR models which are rated much less than 200mW. And hiss from the audio amp is easily heard in a quite room while scanning or searching. Similarly, the switching due to the battery saver can also be heard as it "wakes up" and goes back to "sleep".
Squelch action seems good with acceptable hysteresis for all modes. I would characterize the squelch tail as a bit above average on FM at any setting... it's a bit longer than I'd like. AM signals are good.
Like most of Uniden's models, the BC3000XLT is supplied with a 6 volt NiCd battery rated at 600mAh. This NiCd, like the older BC100/200XLTs, has an LED that lights while charging as well as the jack for the supplied AC adapter. Packs can be charged on or off the radio but be sure not to overcharge them if attached to the radio. Doing so will dramatically shorten their life. Depending on frequency activity and the volume setting, battery life is around 5 to 6 hours.
The earphone jack does supply a stereo signal and can support 32 ohm stereo headphones or the supplied 64 ohm earphone. Using the earphone, no unnecessary noise were heard while scanning or searching. Very faint hiss from the audio amp is present however. Using stereo headphones, the audio hiss becomes much more annoying but there is PLENTY of power available so be sure to use caution if you go this route.
Programming
The BC3000XLT follows the tradition of Uniden simplicity when it comes to
programming in your favorite frequencies to be scanned. While in manual mode,
you select the channel directly or scroll through memory using the arrow keys
to find the desired channel. Once found, you simply key in the frequency value
and press E. If an error is made while keying in the frequency, simply press
the decimal (.) key once or twice to return to the original frequency.
The 3000 also comes with a duplicate frequency checking feature. If you enter a frequency which has already been programmed into one of the other 399 memory channels, it will beep at you and indicate the number of the channel where this frequency is already stored. To go ahead and store the channel anyway, simply press E. To abort the entry, simply press decimal twice. Looking through the manual I saw no description of this feature.
Once a channel has been programmed, the receive mode can be changed from its default value as well as setting a delay or attenuation. If the receive mode is changed, the new mode will flash to indicate it has been changed from the default. To keep a channel from being scanned, it can be locked out using the L/O key.
To erase a memory channel frequency, simply enter a value of 0. This channel will automatically be locked out and therefore not be scanned.
Scanning
Once the memory contents have been programmed, the scanner is put into action
by simply pressing the large SCAN key. All currently selected banks will be
scanned which appear at the top of the display. Banks are toggled on and off
for scanning by simply pressing their respective numeric key. Since the
BC3000XLT has 20 banks, the ./SFT key is used to select whether a numeric key
is using a lower-10 (1-10) or upper-10 (11-20) bank. A nice touch on the keypad
is that the numeric keys are stamped nearby with the number of the upper-10
bank they control when used with the SFT key.
To stop scanning, the large MANUAL button is hit. This stops the scan on a particular memory channel which can then be monitored. Pressing SCAN starts it up again. And whether stopped in manual mode or while scanning, the PRI key can be used to turn the priority feature on and off which, when enabled, is verified on the display by the PRI indicator.
If scanning stops on an active transmission but you don't wish to listen to it, simply press SCAN to continue. To keep that channel from being scanned at all, simply press L/O which locks out that channel.
The data skip feature can be enabled to help reduce the interference from unmodulated carriers as well as data signals but it has little effect. And it doesn't work on AM signals nor while priority is enabled.
There is also a weather scan which scans the bank of pre-programmed weather frequencies to see if one is active. The BC3000XLT comes with seven of these frequencies good for coverage in the US.
Searching
The BC3000XLT comes with one pair of search limits allowing you to enter an
upper and lower frequency limit to search between. These frequencies are
entered followed by pressing the LMT key. Unfortunately, once they are entered
there is no way to verify them which is a drawback when compared to most Radio
Shack models. Not only can they be seen, but they can also be used as temporary
holders to try out new frequencies for activity.
Once the limits have been entered, the SRC key is used to start the search. The scanner will step through the specified frequency using a default step size and receive mode. These both can be easily changed using the STP and AM/NFM/WFM keys. Once changed from their defaults, the size/mode will flash on the display as a reminder.
If a step size of 5 kHz is used, it is possible to use the Turbo Search feature to triple the standard 100 steps/second rate. If Turbo is enabled, the SRCH indicator will blink. Unlike the PRO-26, a step size of 25 kHz is available for faster searching of the civil and military aero bands.
While searching, the radio will stop on active transmissions. To resume searching, the SRC key can be pressed to continue. To hold on a frequency, pressing either of the arrow keys will do the job at which point the HLD indicator lights. At this point, the arrow keys can be used to step the current frequency. While held, it is possible to store the current frequency within any of the radio's 400 channels.
Holding the arrow keys will slowly step until released. Pressing these arrow keys will also change the arrow indicators on the display. When the search is resumed, it will continue in the direction of the arrow on the display. This is the method by which you can change the search direction.
During the search, up to 50 undesired frequencies can be locked out so that they will not be tested in the future. If 50 frequencies are locked out, trying to lock out the next frequency will simply "wrap" to the start of the list thereby overwriting successive frequencies in the list. Unlike the PRO-26, there is no practical way to review those frequencies which have been locked out.
The delay feature is used while searching to add a two-second delay after transmissions end to wait for replies before the search is resumed. The built in attenuator can be used to attenuate signals by about 15dB. While searching, the priority feature can not be enabled unfortunately.
A great feature is auto-store which allows search-discovered frequencies to be automatically stored in banks of your choosing. The search limits are entered as usual then AUTO is pressed to being this special mode. The banks to store into are then selected using the numeric keys. Once done, the search is started leaving you free to do other things. Check back later to see just what activity your radio has uncovered! With the BC3000XLT's 400 channels, that's lots of memory available to perform auto-store operations.
Priority
The BC3000XLT comes with ten priority channels...one for each of the first ten
banks. And any channel in those banks can be easily tagged as the priority
channel. This feature can be enabled while scanning or sitting on one memory
channel but is not available while searching.
Once enabled, the priority channel for each bank being scanned is checked every two seconds for activity. In the cases where this results in more than one priority channel being checked, the lower numbered priority channels have higher priority.
If you use priority from manual mode, be aware that the priority channels are chosen based on the banks which were being scanned just before you stopped the scan to enter manual mode.
When receiving an active transmission and the radio "goes off" to check for a signal on the priority frequency, there is a brief break in the audio which is normal on all scanners. The length of this "break" on the BC3000XLT is what I would call a bit above average. The more channels there are to check, the longer this break will be. One channel is fine but as you get to about four or above, it is intrusive if listening to an active channel at the time.
VHF/UHF performance
As usual, the first testing is for birdie frequencies within the receive range.
In this case, everything between 25 and 1300 MHz. I managed to find 20 such
frequencies. Uniden lists 52. If you stick to the "popular" bands, you probably
won't even run across 16 of them which is great news. Of the rest, two are in
the VHF aero band while two are in the 312 MHz range.
While at home and using the stock antenna, I did a sweep of this same range for image and intermodulation problems. The results were very good. The only real problems were above 900 MHz were few of us play anyway. There were two TV images in the low 900s and rampant cell images between 991 and 1013 MHz. And there were a few pager images between 1035 and 1037 MHz as well as a TV image around 1285 MHz. Nicely done!
Next, I replaced the stock antenna with the Grove ANT-19 (19" whip) to see how the BC3000XLT would handle the added signal strengths. Results were still very good. Just a few problems in the FM radio band with intermod from some of the very strong local stations and a nearby cordless phone frequency was detected on a few frequencies between 300 and 421 MHz.
It was now time to get nasty and see how well the Uniden handheld flagship held up in the heat of battle. We traveled to our usual testing grounds in a nearby city location surrounded by several FM radio, cellular, TV and pager towers. Using the stock antenna, I searched the entire receive range and noted the results of interference. Overall, the results were mediocre. I counted roughly 115 frequencies that showed some form of imaging or intermod.
Recent tests of the same type found the specified number of problems for the following radios : PRO-60=20, AR8000=25, DJ-X10=30, PRO-67 & BC235XLT=50, MVT-9000=60, IC-R10=100 and PRO-26=100. Keep in mind that the AR8000, DJ-X10 and IC-R10 stock antennas are radically different but all the rest use antennas which are very similar to the one used on the BC3000XLT so their results are comparable.
For the VHF range, the biggest problems came from pager images that killed many frequencies between 154 and 156 MHz as well as more in the 168 MHz range.
For UHF, the military aero range (225-400 MHz) was plagued with cell voice and data images throughout the 330 to 385 MHz range. Pagers were also a problem in the 420 to 423 MHz range. Cellular voices were heard in the low 800s and pager images were prominent in the 817 to 820 MHz range. TV images were on a few frequencies between 800 and 950 but weren't a big concern overall. The bigger problem were cell images which began intermittently over 894 MHz and really kicked in above 940 MHz to be heard up until 1 GHz. Pagers were again heard throughout the 1035 to 1048 MHz range while cell transmissions were detected on many frequencies between 1054 and 1223 MHz.
| Freq | BC3000XLT | PRO-26 | PRO-43 | BC235XLT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 47 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 119 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 124 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 132 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 151 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 162 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 258 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - |
| 308 | 3 | 1 | 2 | - |
| 349 | 2 | 1 | 2 | - |
| 388 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - |
| 451 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 454 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 460 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 463 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 464 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 851 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 854 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 857 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 860 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 863 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 929 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 937 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Using the above rankings, I took an average for each radio (using 5 for a value of 0) for the frequencies that all four radios could receive which placed the radios from first to last as follows : PRO-43 (1.6), BC235XLT (2.0), BC3000XLT (2.6) and PRO-26 (3.4).
The PRO-43 results show why this radio continues to be so popular among monitoring enthusiasts. And the BC235 was hot on its heels. The BC3000XLT was able to outperform the PRO-26 due to superior results on UHF. But it was not helped at all by its VHF standings.
Again, using the above rankings, I took an average for the three radios capable of tuning the military aero band (225-400)(using a 4 for a value of 0) which placed the radios from first to last as follows : PRO-43 (1.6), BC3000XLT (2.7) and PRO-26 (3.0).
Taking this added band into account, the PRO-43 continues to be a top performer thereby keeping it as king of the hill. The BC3000XLT is just not a good performer in this band and it is particularly hurt by the interference caused by cell images. These are the two reasons I turn to the PRO-26 or PRO-43 to monitor this band instead of the BC3000XLT.
Some empirical experiments for selectivity showed the BC3000XLT to be on par with these radios but not quite as good as the PRO-26 on VHF signals. For UHF, the BC3000XLT and PRO-26 performed equally and ahead of the BC235 and PRO-43.
Ranking
| Category | Score | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Sensitivity | 15 | 25 |
| Selectivity | 5 | 15 |
| Interference rejection | 15 | 20 |
| Coverage | 60 | 90 |
| Channels | 10 | 15 |
| Channels per bank | 15 | 15 |
| Ease of use | 20 | 20 |
| Scan/Search speed | 10 | 10 |
| Receive modes | 5 | 15 |
| Step sizes | 0 | 25 |
| Conversion | 10 | 10 |
| Audio | 20 | 20 |
| Antenna | 5 | 20 |
| Construction | 10 | 20 |
| Size | 0 | 15 |
| Search | 10 | 35 |
| Attenuator | 20 | 20 |
| Auto-store | 20 | 20 |
| Search frequency lockout | 10 | 15 |
| Backlight | 15 | 30 |
| Alpha-tagging | 0 | 20 |
| VFO | 0 | 10 |
| Squelch tail | 5 | 10 |
| Priority | 10 | 20 |
| Delay | 10 | 15 |
| Hold | 0 | 10 |
| Rotary Control | 0 | 10 |
| S-meter | 0 | 10 |
| Power-on resume | 0 | 10 |
| Computer Interface | 0 | 20 |
| Tone Decode | 0 | 15 |
| Battery indicator | 0 | 10 |
| Channel count | 0 | 5 |
| Tape record control | 0 | 5 |
| Clock | 0 | 5 |
| Timers | 0 | 5 |
| Weather programmed | 5 | 5 |
| Weather alert | 0 | 5 |
| Data skip | 5 | 5 |
| Bank delete | 0 | 5 |
| Bank sort | 0 | 5 |
| Total | 310 | 670 |
| Total | 46 | 100 |
The radio is well made and mine has held up well for the two years I have owned it. It's crisp and loud audio is bound to please as well as the 400 channels with auto-store to help fill them up. The display has good contrast and acceptable size but it is the backlight that is especially pleasing.
It's biggest drawbacks are its large size and its ability to receive cell images throughout its UHF coverage range. Some might add its NiCd usage here as well.
Recommendations
I bought my BC3000XLT about two years ago mail-order for $340 delivered to my
doorstep. Since then, prices have only come down about $20-$30 dollars which
goes to show you how popular this radio is and therefore how well it will hold
its value on the used market.
Its main competition comes from the PRO-26 which can be had for about the same price (I bought both for the same price at the same time). The 26 is smaller, offers better power options, has a larger and easier to read display, and wider frequency coverage. It offers similar performance to the 3000 but unfortunately has lackluster audio.
To a lessor extent, the newer BC235XLT is also taking some sales away from the BC3000XLT due to its lower price ($240), better receiver and TrunkTrack feature. But it lacks much of the 3000's frequency coverage as well as wide FM receive and auto-store feature.
Many people are also opting to purchase the UBC3000XLT which is the European version of this radio which has no restrictions between 760 and 1300 MHz. Being as such, it's obviously illegal to import into the US due to federal law regarding cellular-capable receivers. This radio typically runs about $380 or so.
Uniden also makes a version of the BC3000XLT for a European distributor called Commtel. It is marketed under the model number COM216 and is pretty much identical to the UBC3000XLT except that it takes 4 AA cells instead of the proprietary NiCd.
Why is it that Uniden can't give us this option here in the US? I know that a large number of people who initially consider the BC3000XLT later reject it due to its NiCd usage. I have to agree that this is THE main reason I did not buy this radio as soon as it was available. It is a great radio but I fear Uniden is loosing potential customers by not offering better flexibility in terms of battery options like we find on most of our radios these days.
For the most part, my BC3000XLT gets less use than the PRO-26 these days due to its use of this NiCd pack. To make sure I have power available for this radio, I have a second NiCd which I keep charged and ready. Most dealers charge about $32 for this battery. Why is it that Uniden or some other third party can't make a slip-on replacement pack that takes AA cells?
Lastly, I never take this radio with me walking around or in the car simply because of its size. Not only is it large but it attracts undue attention because it is much harder to "hide" on your person. While its thickness is average, I find it unnecessarily wide and tall.
But if you have no problems with this radio's size or use of a NiCd, then its features and performance are sure to please.
Other Info
Bob Parnass reviewed the BC3000XLT in the April 1995 issue of Monitoring Times.
Read this article for more insights into the BC3000XLT as well as how it
stacked up to the PRO-43 it was compared against. There is also a table
containing the "hidden" key presses for this radio.
| Copyright © 2010 by Richard J. Wells |
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