Specifications

The obvious competition for the PSR410 is the Uniden BCT15X. Both radios offer new style programming and hundreds of
features. As a user of the various Uniden DMA scanners (BCD396XT and BCD996XT and others) I have gotten used to the
programming methods used by the Unidens so I was apprehensive about learning the GRE method of Scannable Objects, it
all sounded pretty strange to me. As I worked with the PSR410 and other OOUI GRE scanners I learned how to program
various Scan Lists, Scannable Objects and Searches and discovered that it really wasn’t all that difficult. It is no harder to
learn than the Uniden method and some people may find the GRE method more intuitive. If you have not already learned one
method or the other you might find the GRE method easier to learn.
The real question will likely be the feature set and comfort level you develop with the radio. If you have a chance to play with
both for a while do so. Download the manuals for both and see how well you understand them.
The BCT15X and the PSR410 are both DIN sized, but the Uniden is a bit deeper. The front panel is the same height and
width as the PSR410.
On the Uniden one uses a multi-function knob on the front for navigating menus while the GRE uses the keypad much more
intensely. Essentially you’re trading size for ease-of-use. The Uniden takes more effort to operate the radio because with
fewer keys you have to remember what many consider to be difficult key combinations and drill down thru multiple layers of
menus. The GRE has more keys so it’s easier to operate.
While both radios use forms of dynamic memory architecture, they go about it differently. The Uniden is a bit more
conventional in that you create Systems instead of Banks and turn them on or off while the GRE has you enter the objects
once and let’s you create multiple scan lists (unfortunately only up to 20) to choose the items you want to scan.
The Uniden has many features that some might want while others may not need. These include the ability to connect to a
GPS unit and use that to control what you want to listen to (a fantastic feature for mobile use that is described elsewhere on
Scanner Master’s site). In addition, the Uniden has Fire Tone Out, the ability to use Remote Heads and other fun to use and
explore features.
The GRE is well regarded as having better audio. My own observations support this as well. While analog only, the PSR410
seems to have a much fuller sound than the Unidens. In addition the LED light can be used in so many ways to designate at a
glance what you are listening to.
While the PSR410 is a fantastic radio everyone will have ways they would have designed it differently. I would have created
a quick reference card to allow explanations of the basic features that fit on a pocket or wallet. I would have made the buttons
easier to view, with larger buttons, text or both.
Operations on large networked trunked systems using the Roaming feature on the PSR410 is pretty good but I think Uniden’s
method of individual defined sites is better, especially on larger systems that have more than 28 control channels altogether.
On smaller scale systems however, the GRE is easier to program. Since so many of the large statewide systems are digital (or
going digital) these days this feature will become less important for analog only scanners. If you listen to LTR systems,
AutoMove system helps immeasurably to decipher the unusual channel locations.
A few of the Uniden features that I really like are the Fire Tone Out, GPS and Remote Head system. These are not available
on the GRE. The GRE however handles some items better, such as during Search Events when it displays the CTCSS or DCS
code, the received code will remain on the display until there is another code decoded, the frequency changes or the radio is
put into another mode.
Normal retail price for the PSR410 is about $175 to $200, a slightly lower price than Uniden’s BCT15X.
The GRE is better if these are most important to you:
* Better audio quality
* If you don’t want or need the extra features of the BCT15X
* If you are not bothered by excessive strong-signal interference
* If you need higher sensitivity which is not always desired as it can overload the radio