Uniden Part 2 - How they have mis-managed the BCDx36HP scanners

Before I even get into it, the Home Patrol 2 is now showing up in peoples hands.  From what I have read about it, I am not at all impressed.  There are only 2 differences from what I see between the HP 1 & 2.  The 2 has P25 Phase 2/TDMA, and USB charging.  That is it.

I was hoping they would have fixed a few things, like having a real audio output for mobile use, or moving the connector jacks around so they don't stick out the side of the unit.

On to the BCDx36HP

Lets start by splitting this up into 4 things Uniden needs to fix.

1) Audio streaming via Siren App
2) Remote display via Siren App
3) Analyze Features
4) Misc. Bug Fixes

I split the Siren App into 2 sections because the remote display feature is a lot easier to pull of, vs the audio streaming.  Those of you who have tried to stream over a wifi connection, know that it rarely works out and the wifi more often than not gives out after a period of time.  The other complication is if you have a crappy router, you will have even more problems.

My guess is that Uniden decided to try and knock the audio streaming out first, probably because it is the hardest to get working and the most time consuming.  It sounds like a reasonable plan.  So here is where Uniden has screwed up.  They have become so fixated in getting this to work, they let everything else slide.  At a certain point, you have to stop and look at the big picture, and if what you are trying to accomplish isn't working, you should be able to switch gears and deliver something.

I don't think anyone would have faulted Uniden if they had said "We are having a hard time with the audio streaming, we are going to table it for now in order to work on the other items, then get back to it."

Uniden has lost sight of the big picture and everyone is paying for it

They have consumed themselves with fixing the audio streaming to work, they have lost sight of the big picture.  What they fail to realize is that even though the wifi/audio is problem, there should be no reason why the remote head portion would not.  Lets add to the fact that there is a work around for the audio streaming.  Move the scanner next to the computer and hard wire it.  No ideal but we have been doing it this way for 15 years and it works.  There is no work around at all for remote head or the analyze feature.   A lot of people bought this scanner for the remote head option.  10 months later and it is still non existent.  There is no reason why they couldn't change gears, put something together for the remote head option, then go back to the audio streaming.

In short, what we are witnessing is project management at it's worst.  Uniden is spinning it's wheels trying to get the one feature to work, that we can do without for the time being, and has let everythign else slide.

I am hopefully done with Uniden bashing for now.  The next post will be a write up on the differences between the NJ State 800 Trunk System and the new NJICS 700 Trunk System.