BCD536HP Uniden Police Scanner

The big burly brother to the BCD436HP handheld model.

The BCD536HP has WiFi and its own app. Do any other scanners offer such brilliant features? Answer: Ha! Nope!

This allows you to set up your scanner in one location and use your scanner anywhere in the world via tablet or smartphone.

Use it at home or install it in your vehicle.

GPS ready, this is a popular unit to install in vehicles and scan as you cruise on the open highway...

...like a cowboy on your steel horse...

...when you’re all alone, you’ll think, dead or alive, “this scanner yees all the haws."

I need a digital scanner, why should I buy the BCD536HP?

The BCD536HP is a solid mobile and base scanner which was, until the launch of the Whistler TRX-2 in the summer of 2016, our top selling base/mobile police scanner.

Will the BCD536HP go on sale anytime soon?

We don't know. Uniden does not disclose when they will be dropping prices and even when prices do drop, it is usually only $5 to $10. You can sign up for our emails & we'll keep you posted.

I'm reading reviews and see there are issues with the BCD536HP - what's the deal?

When the BCD536HP and BCD436HP launched in the fall of 2013, there were some issues with the scanners and several needed to be replaced. Uniden has since modified the BCD536HP and the larger issues have been addressed. All Uniden scanners come with a 1-year warranty and Uniden stood behind this and made good with affected scanners. If you see a negative review or comment about the BCD536HP, it was most likely posted before the spring of 2014, so be sure to view when it was posted.

What's ProVoice and do I need it?

ProVoice is a form of digital broadcast that affect some EDACS signals. These can only be monitored on the BCD436HP and the BCD536HP scanners with the addition of the ProVoice upgrade. Zip Scanners can make this upgrade for you by choosing this add-on option, or you can update it on your own after purchasing here. Review the most up-to-date list of affected areas here.

Additional Memory?

You can add a larger memory (SD card) to increase favorites lists and recording space. Recording time by SD card size:

• 2 GB = 6 hours
• 4 GB = 12 hours
• 8 GB = 24 hours
• 16 GB = 50 hours
• 32 GB = 100 hours
• 64 GB = 200 hours

Can I charge the batteries from the scanner when it is on?

No. You must power off the scanner to charge. We recommend an external battery charger and 2 sets of rechargeable AA batteries; all of which can be added on this page. This way you can always have a fresh set of batteries. The batteries we sell last about 8 hours on single charge; Energizer/Duracell last about 5 hours.

What do BCD536HP buyers say?

• Has WiFi capabilities.
• Looks great installed in the dash of vehicles and comes with mounting gear.
• No built in GPS (must buy GPS device).
• You can add frequencies manually.

How is the BCD536HP different than the BCD436HP?

The BCD536HP and the BCD436HP were both released in the fall of 2013 and the main difference between them is that the BCD436HP is handheld and the BCD536HP is for home/base and vehicles.

1. 8 GB SD Card
2. USB Cable
3. AC Adapter
4. DC Adapter
5. Three-wire Harness
6. Quick Start Guide
7. Sentinel Software
8. Mounting Bracket (fits most vehicles)
9. WiFi Module

Looking to deeeep dive?

We took the time to scour the internet for you.

• Mark's Scanners is an excellent, very detailed website comprised of digital owner's guides for all police scanner radios, including the BCD536HP. We highly recommend this page to all BCD536HP owners (and potential buyers). It is loaded with how-to's, screenshots and more.
• Download BCD536HP Sentinel Software. Download the software that drives this scanner for free. Set up favorites lists, configure for your area & see if you're comfortable operating before you buy. If you buy, you'll have everything set up & ready to go.
• BCD536HP Owner's Manual. This is the official BCD536HP owner's manual, but we highly recommend Mark's Scanners BCD536HP guide over this.
• Radio Reference is the largest police scanner radio forum with over 850k users. There are several threads about the BCD536HP where just about every question imaginable has been asked and answered by BCD536HP owners.
• There are Yahoo Groups for every police scanner radio, including the BCD536HP.
• eHam is a great source for unfiltered user reviews of the BCD536HP. While not as in-depth as professional reviews, you can get a good general idea of what users think about the BCD536HP.
• Our BCD536HP YouTube playlist contains several reviews of the BCD536HP from both professionals as well as users.
• BCD536HP review from The Spectrum Monitor.

Watch our Uniden Sentinel software programming video here or above in video gallery.

Deep dive on programming here.

We HIGHLY recommend letting our experts program your scanner.

Programming issues are, by FAR, the #1 reason for...

1. Returns
2. 99% of any negative comments about the BCD536HP you'll read while researching
3. 99% of any negative comments about us
4. 90% + of all support questions
5. Our receding hairlines

Basically, you're about to spend hundreds of dollars on a snappy new gadget, might as well spring a few extra bucks so it will actually work right out of the box.

What is "One Touch Start Up"?

Adding this with programming allows our technicians to make hardware, software & frequency updates prior to shipping your scanner. You can buy only the programming, which will give you everything needed to listen in your area, but "One Touch Start Up" ensures a smooth experience right from the start with zero technical know-how. "One Touch Start Up" is a popular gift item as this allows the scanner to simply "work" by powering on.

Air, Rail & Race programming?

Each of these will count as "1 County". So if you want to listen to Air and Rail you would buy "2 Counties" of programming and in the text area, type the name of the Airport and Rail you'd like to hear.

How long does this take?

Programming adds 1-2 additional business days to delivery.

What if this does not work?

We have a 100% money back guarantee if you’re not happy with your programming.

How are you so much cheaper than other scanner programming places?

We’re awesome.

Can you program X, Y, Z?

We can program anything that is in Radio Reference. If you have frequencies that are not in Radio Reference, as long as you can put them in a CSV file, we can program them. 

What if I need help?

We’re always here to help. 

Can I program this scanner myself?

We created a programming decision tree as well as programming videos (above) to help you decided on whether you should include professional programming with your scanner, but we HIGHLY recommend adding programming.

Can't I just punch in my zip code for programming?

When you type in your zip code, it scans EVERYTHING in your area, which is kinda like getting the phone book thrown at you. This is why over 95% of orders include programming & why we highly recommend it. Our professional programming filters the junk out so you don't have to listen to things such as the dog catcher, repo guy, power company & such.

How long does programming take?

It takes our scanner tech over an hour to program each scanner & this is ALL he does. For new & moderate scanner users we estimate 3-12 hours of programming. Setup time varies wildly based on scanner, area, scanner experience & general tech familiarity.

Why should I buy programming?

Programming is the #1 reason police scanners are returned. While scanner programming is much easier than the days of crystal scanners, there is a learning curve like any other electronics purchase. While some scanner enthusiasts are highly technical and want to learn the ins and outs of programming, others want their scanner to just ‘work’ right out of the box.

95% of all scanner sales include programming, so unless you’re familiar with scanners, scanner terminology, own a PC (Macs do not work), and want to learn the nuances of programming, we highly recommend having your scanner professionally programmed.

Scanner technology is fairly user-friendly, but scanners are not smartphones or iPads. If you're spending hundreds on a scanner, we recommend springing a few extra bucks so it works right out of the box. 

Self Programming

Can't you teach me programming with your lifetime technical support?

No. Lifetime technical support is not unlimited technical support. We are always here to help and love to do so. We made how to videos and can help point you in the right direction, but we will not teach programming.