Uniden "Do It" but it's never quite right...

Having owned many scanners in many years gone by, I always have to give Uniden a tryout because they have probably been the most prominent (not necessarily the best though) scanner making comapny around. My very first handheld scanner was a Uniden and so is my very latest - the UBC92XLT...

In short, I think that Uniden have never quite struck the right nerve in designing a scanner. They seem to be able to pick up most anything in the "usual" bands as well as any other scanner can but to my knowledge, they have never made a "no gaps" scanner. This is pre-historic thinking in this day and age and they need to get there act together on this. 0 - 1300 mhz is the minimum nowadays. The 92XLT suffers from many let-downs such as...
1. The gaps in the receive bandwidth (as above).
2. Default, and wrong step sizes for this part of the world.
3. Lack of direct keypad VFO frequency entry.
4. The most annoying - No receive strength indicator.

As said, Uniden need a no gaps receive bandwidth and programmable receive modes to match (AM, NFM WFM etc). It also needs programmable step sizes. It needs the ability to enter a frequency into VFO and be able to listen into it straight away while changing step sizes and/or modes. It needs a tuning knob. It MOSTLY needs a receive strength level indicator - Uniden, where on earth is your thinking.?? This is what receiving is all about. While it can be argued that you either receive a signal or not,, you must be able to see the strength - MUST...

The keypad layout and software ergonomics has me feeling somewhat bemused and having to refer to the manual all the time to see what, when, where and why it works that way. This latest keypad control is the worst ever and the the simpleton drawings on/around the keys looks like this is a childs toy, not a serious scanner.

I suppose the compact design and size is in keeping with the rest of the radio world, but I like the feel of the earlier full sized models of Unidens last generation and my very favourite Uniden handheld is the BC 3000XLT, which I still own and will keep. The very best Uniden handheld in my opinion, is the 245XLT. It never seemed to sell that well but it was a good unit - why did I ever sell my one.??

The 92XLT seems to work ok but setting it up is a painful exercise and I am already having thoughts about it overall usefulness. It is a nice size to hold in your hand but feels more "plasticky" than ever before. Having said all those bad things, the 92XLT still has the Uniden name on it and this usually means that it will do the job for you - albeit a very limited and compromised job in this day and age of scanners.

Uniden has tried to keep pace with some of the very best scanner companies by making this unit compact and operable with a poor ergonomic layout and they have cut many corners to save costs and have mostly failed in my opinion. Observing internet sites that sell second-hand Uniden scanners, reveals that the older models seem to sell better than these newer units. I can see why now. Older units seem to have a solid Uniden reputation behind them while this newer breed seems to have stepped sideways now, instead of forward...

This unit works reasonably well but I can't confess to being in love with it...

5 out of 10