The 7 Best Phase 2 Digital Trunking Scanners (2023 reviews)
We consider a phase 2 digital trunking scanner to be a worthy investment in the long run.
We are here to help you choose the right one for your purposes from all the best available products in market today.
Our review process:
Our Top Picks:
Best Overall: Buy: Uniden First Scanner READ REVIEWBest With internal speaker: Buy: Uniden Good Scanner READ REVIEWBest For Railroad: Buy: Uniden specific System READ REVIEWBest For North America: Buy: Uniden USB Cable READ REVIEWBest For conventional communications: Buy: Phase 2 Digital Trunking Scanner READ REVIEWBest For cell phone: Buy: Uniden Mobile Scanner READ REVIEWBest premium: Buy: Uniden external CB speaker READ REVIEWBest Overall: Uniden First Scanner
Buy on Amazon The uniden first scanner's high-end materials makes sure that it ages well with use. There is a learning curve, for someone who has never had a scanner. The Sentinel software makes it pretty easy to manage frequencies and talkgroups and gives you a wealth of options. It has really refined and created the best scanner. It has design for improved digital performance in weak-signal and simulcast areas. The larger battery offers a lower center of gravity so it's more stable standing on the desktop. Though this is a great little scanner that is feature rich and will last for many years into the future. It takes 6 to 8 hours to fully recharge. It is a little easier to use at first than trying to program from the scanner itself.Why We Like This:
- Pickes up very well and the battery at least latest 6 hours
- Keeps your wife out of the rv
- Great p25 phase 2 trunked system reception with the stock antenna
Best With internal speaker: Uniden Good Scanner
Buy on Amazon If you are currently in the market looking for a reliable scanner for your daily usage, you cannot go wrong with this pick. Uniden's BDC996p2 digital base/mobile scanner is a full-featured design with the serious hobbyist in mind. It features like advanced dynamic memory system, close call rf capture technology, and gps compatibility. It picks up all frequencies in these bands. It does detect and you can program an alert for any FTO (fire tone out) you save. This feature means it will instantly tune to nearby transmitters. The sound quality is outstanding and it's a very nice looking unit to boot. There is an upgrade to the software that will allow it to work with this model.Why We Like This:
- External outside antennas also add to user's ability to pick up distant broadcasts
- Different colors and audible alerts for each frequency
- Great recp and easy to get codes using computer program
Best For Railroad: Uniden specific System
Buy on Amazon The Uniden BCD325p2 scanner is a highly functional scanner that can receive all of the modern analog and digital signals you are likely to encounter in your area. The Uniden police scanners feature simple to set up keys to the systems you want to hear. You can run it from a vehicle or an outlet if you are inside or from a battery pack via the USB. This greatly reduces the scanners ability to pick out radio transmissions from the air. This scanner is the most currant system. It is easy to carry in a shirt pocket. The programming is cumbersome to do manually.Why We Like This:
- External power is via the supplied usb cable
- Great scanner for both analog and digital
- Decoding digital p25 and dmr is fantastic
- Super compact and easy to carry around
Best For North America: Uniden USB Cable
Buy on Amazon The uniden usb cable is capable of outshining several other products featured in this list in overall features for the price point. This scanner is specifically for newbies, even the "extreme upgrade" is blah for anyone who already knows what they're doing. It has a Mini USB port, Mini Line out port, Ear phone jack, and Mini GPS port. It comes with rechargerable batteries. It is easy to program and picks up all the local traffic. This scanner makes it easy to listen to transmissions in your area. It has a Mini USB port, Mini Line out port, Ear phone jack, & Mini GPS port. It will run on your current IF you have an AC to USB adapter. The Sentinel software comes with the device and is also the means of updating the national database as often as weekly. It is great for a first time user or advance user.Why We Like This:
- Great no problems at all listen to all the action
- Excellent scanner, very easy to operate
- Works great in the car as well
- Has a large national database that you can update with home patrol sentinel software
Best For conventional communications: Phase 2 Digital Trunking Scanner
Buy on Amazon The phase 2 digital trunking scanner is capable of outshining several other products featured in this list in overall features for the price point. This radio will tune in any kind of auto racing, plus weather, aviation, marine and railroad traffic. It has so many channels available on this radio, that you can't possibly fill it up with frequencies. The SR30C only covers analog frequencies. It features work well, and are quite easy to use. The scanner lets you scan transmissions and is pre-programmed with service bands for your convenience. This can be programmed from a Windows PC. The box does contain two "AA" batteries and they can last a long time if the unit isn't left on for a day.Why We Like This:
- You can program up to 500 frequencies into the scanner’s memory
- Easy to program by hand or by a microsoft computer
- Works best with ac wart >500 mumps in order to charge the batteries
Best For cell phone: Uniden Mobile Scanner
Buy on Amazon The uniden mobile scanner's material feels more premium than its price would suggest. This bearcat scanner comes with six pre. It allows you to program up to 300 channels, including police, ambulance, fire, amateur radio, weather and more. It has a 110 plug and antenna, and 12v plug for your car or truck. The frequency coverage of the bc355c includes the "action" bands where you can hear police, ambulance, fire, amateur radio, public utilities, weather and more. It comes with smart features like close call. The bc355c features close call rf capture technology, which allows it to instantly tune to signals from nearby transmitters, so you can stay on top of what's going on in your vicinity. This unit includes a suction cup stick-on antenna for use in your car, plus a mounting bracket and wires for attaching to the car's electrical system, or you can use the auto plug in for power. It is very small, quite easy for even a complete novice to use, and performs very well.Why We Like This:
- Makes for pretty interesting listening on a saturday night
- Receives the emergency channel which dispatches fire ambulance, etc
- Delivers what they promise
Best premium: Uniden external CB speaker
Buy on Amazon Uniden's BCD7 is a 7-watt external cb speaker that is designed to complement your uniden cb or bearcat scanner and enhance your ability to stay tuned in to the conversation. It includes support for digital systems, including the latest apco project 25 phase ii systems. This mobile scanner radio offers 25, 000 channels of advanced dynamic memory system, trunktracker v technology, and more. Mounting brackets and hardware come standard and a 6 foot cord with industry standard 3.5 mm audio plug make installation a breeze. The BCD7 is a mini sized speaker that delivers great performance. It comes with an advanced digital decoding system and large memory bank, the bearcat bcd996p2 scanner is an extremely powerful and useful public safety scanner.Why We Like This:
- New and hot release
- Good brand reputation