[TrunkCom] BC250D Release Date

[rsh@remove.idirect.com]

On Sat, 7 Dec 2002 11:02:29 -0500, Brian J Cathcart wrote:

>First let me say I understand the anticipation of this scanner.  I've got
>7 digital systems in South Florida I will be able to monitor with the new
>scanner, so I want it badly too.  But I'm sick of seeing people slam
>Uniden with wild speculations as to why it's delayed.

Agreed in full. [The Ontario Provincial Police have gone digital, encrypted
and trunked at a VHF frequency, in the 142MHz band space.]  The radios will
be out later in Canada since, while they have FCC approvals, they do not yet
have IC TAC approval.  Sometime in 2003 is the best we in Canada can get
from Canadian retailers.  The card too will need a separate TAC and it is a
question as to whether or not IC will even issue one at this time.

Also, IC is saying that because the radios are digital capable, EACH unit
must be licensed.  They have yet to promulgate the rules for the license,
too.  This will also delay it.  

Analogue scanners are exempt from licensing, but the regs are quite strict
on Digital.  Basically when they were written 6 years ago the philosphy was
'thou shalt NOT have a digital capable scanner, ever...'

>Why would you assume the worst in Uniden in their release date?  First,
>what makes you think it doesn't "bother" Uniden to have the scanner out
>in time for Christmas?  Do you really believe the company executives are
>sitting around saying "you know, let's screw ourselves out of Christmas
>profits and delay the release of this scanner".  Or do you think they
>have warehouses full of the new scanners and they are just sitting on
>them?  Get real!

I believe some HAVE been sold in the US. Remember too that Uniden makes
around 90000 scanners each year, and that is for distribution around the
world, and covers ALL of the various flavours that they make.  They have to
be different for Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the US and, in theory, for
other nations too.  That means that the US will only get SOME of them, and
has to take its turn.  The US does NOT get the entire production of
scanners, nor should it.  That would be unfair to the rest of us...

>Second, did you stop to think that there were delays beyond their
>control?

>Like the west coast shipping shutdown?
Applied to the US only, but impacts all of the Americas because all of the
Americas are forced to accept the US product by Uniden America in the US.


>Increased security delays?
Not aware of any - since they would be set up internally in the US and would
not apply elsewhere in the world.  For example, I suspect Israel, Lebanon,
Iraq and Iran, to pick four countries [not at random]  have NO security
delays on these scanners.

>Producation machine broken?  etc etc  There can be any number of
>reasons.  To dismiss the delay as Uniden not caring about the release
>date is rediculous.  Uniden is in this to make money and they are well
>aware that they need to get this scanner out as soon as possible,
>especially for Christmas.

At least in the US, where Xmas is the biggest marketing season.  In other
parts of the world, other dates are more their target...  It depends on the
local religion(s) and customs.

>Third, setting a "later" release date keeps customers who are hounding
>Uniden from being disappointed if there is another delay.  Think about it
>- if Uniden says "December" then gets delayed to January you're going to
>jump all over them for saying "December".  If they say "January" and they
>come out in December you're going to say it's a suprise tactic.  Damned
>if you do, Damned if you don't is what you're putting Uniden into.

True, and this is a case of all of the above factors being in play.
Government approvals are NOT coming all that quickly around the world,
production problems have been in play, and shipping problems definitely have
been in play.  The price has also been an issue which MAY result in
purchases around the world being distorted.

>The scanners are made and being made.  Uniden is doing their best to get
>them out.  They will be out.  There is big demand for them (like there
>was for the 245xlt and 780xlt when they first came out) so you'll see the
>first batches sell quickly.  You will gets yours - it might be december,
>it might be January, the fact is you'll get it.

It might not be for 6 months, too, if enough are ordered by government units
since they will mass order and block the rest of us if they think they need
to.  If production is 90000 per year, that is about 7,500 per month for the
world as a whole.  If we then take the percentage of the world's population
that lives in the US, the US is entitled to around 300 per month.  That
would result in a demand problem <grin>...  The question for us OUTSIDE the
US is not only when we can get them, but when we will be able to get the
UBC250D version, since we do NOT need the FCC cell phone frequency block.

For what it is worth...

RSH


R.S. (Bob) Heuman       -       Toronto, ON, Canada
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