Scanners › Uniden BC125AT
Uniden BC125AT: will it hear your police?
The BC125AT is Uniden's compact analog handheld scanner. This isn't a hands-on review. We checked what it can hear, from Uniden's own product page and manual, against the FCC licenses of every US county we cover.
The short answer
It's analog only: no P25, DMR or NXDN[1]. It hears the main public safety channels in 199 of 3,198 US counties (6%), part of them in 2,355, and little or nothing in 643 (20%), where most main channels are digital.
From FCC licenses[3], which don't show encryption. No scanner plays encrypted channels.
Will the BC125AT hear your city?
Type your city, county or ZIP code. The answer comes from the FCC licenses of your county's main public safety agencies.
What the BC125AT decodes
- Analog (non-digital) radio: police, fire and ambulance where they're still analog, plus NOAA weather, aviation, marine, railroad and racing bands.[1]
- Military and civilian air bands.[1]
- Any digital system. Uniden: the BC125AT “is not a digital scanner and is not capable of Digital Radio system monitoring (e.g. Project 25, DMR, NXDN).”[1]
- The 700 and 800 MHz bands. Its US band plan stops at 512 MHz, so it can't tune channels there even when they're analog.[2]
- Encrypted channels. No scanner plays them.
Key specs
| Type | Analog handheld scanner (not digital)[1] |
|---|---|
| Channels | 500 alpha-tagged channels, in 10 banks of 50[1],[2] |
| Frequency coverage (US) | 25–54 MHz, 108–174 MHz, 225–380 MHz, 400–512 MHz[2] |
| Close Call | Close Call RF capture with Do-Not-Disturb, which tunes to strong nearby transmitters[1],[2] |
| Service searches | Police, fire/emergency, ham radio, marine, railroad, civil air, military air, CB, FRS/GMRS/MURS, racing[2] |
| Weather | 7 weather channels and weather alert[2] |
| Power | 2 AA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries (included) or 2 AA alkaline, or USB from a PC[1],[2] |
| Size and weight | 2.6 × 1.3 × 4.5 in; 6.2 oz without antenna and batteries[2] |
| Programming | By hand, or from a PC with Uniden's BC125AT software[1] |
Specs from Uniden's product pages, owner's manuals and upgrade pages, checked 28 Oct 2026. We list only what Uniden states.
Where to buy
Uniden BC125AT (handheld)
Analog-only handheld. Check your city first: in a digital area it hears little.
We earn a commission if you buy through these links. It doesn't change what you pay.
Where the BC125AT works: 3,198 counties, 9,191 cities
| What the BC125AT hears | Counties | City pages |
|---|---|---|
| Fully: hears the main channelsThe main licenses are analog. | 199 (6%) | 285 (3%) |
| Partly: hears most of itThe main systems are analog; some agencies are digital. | 822 (26%) | 2,382 (26%) |
| Partly: hears the analog partA mix of analog and digital licenses. | 1,533 (48%) | 4,635 (50%) |
| Can't hear most of itMost main channels are digital: it hears only a few. | 621 (19%) | 1,865 (20%) |
| Can't hear itThe main channels are digital. | 22 (1%) | 24 (0%) |
| No voice channels on file | 1 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
How we counted. This is the same answer the county and city pages give to “Works on an old analog scanner?”: we read the FCC licenses of each county's main public safety licensees and count their voice channels as analog-only, digital-only or both. A city counts with its county. Our count doesn't separate frequency bands, so where agencies use 700 or 800 MHz, which the BC125AT can't tune, it hears less than shown. Licenses don't show encryption. Source: FCC ULS license file of 18 Oct 2026, as of 27 Oct 2026.
Biggest cities where it hears the main channels
Lynchburg, VA · Santa Cruz, CA · Watsonville, CA · Florence, AL · Brenham, TX · Amsterdam, NY · Cortland, NY · Truckee, CA
Biggest cities where it hears part of it
New York City, NY · Chicago, IL · San Diego, CA · Dallas, TX · Jacksonville, FL · San Jose, CA · Indianapolis, IN · San Francisco, CA
Biggest cities where it hears little or nothing
Los Angeles, CA · Houston, TX · Phoenix, AZ · Philadelphia, PA · San Antonio, TX · Fort Worth, TX · Austin, TX · Charlotte, NC
In a digital area? Get a P25 scanner
Where most channels are licensed as digital, the BC125AT hears little. A digital P25 Phase II scanner hears the analog channels too, so it covers both.
Digital alternative
Uniden SDS100 (handheld)
Decodes analog and P25 Phase I and II, and is built for simulcast areas.
We earn a commission if you buy through these links. It doesn't change what you pay.
Who the BC125AT is for
- Analog areas. In 199 counties the main public safety channels are licensed as analog, and in 822 more most of them are.
- Listening beyond police. Uniden lists aviation, military air, marine, railroad, racing and NOAA weather, which are largely analog.
- A small, simple first scanner on AA batteries.
Who should skip it
- Your area is digital. In 643 counties most main channels are licensed as digital, including around Los Angeles, Houston and Phoenix. Get a P25 scanner such as the Uniden SDS100 (Check price on Amazon for the Uniden SDS100 (opens store)) or the cheaper Whistler WS1065 (Check price on Amazon for the Whistler WS1065 (opens store)).
- Your agencies are on 700 or 800 MHz. The BC125AT doesn't tune those bands.
- Your police are encrypted. No scanner plays encrypted traffic. Check your city or county first.
Questions
Is the BC125AT a digital scanner?
No. Uniden says the BC125AT is not a digital scanner and can't monitor digital radio systems such as Project 25 (P25), DMR or NXDN.
Can the BC125AT pick up P25?
No. P25 is digital, and the BC125AT is analog only. For P25 you need a digital P25 scanner.
Will the BC125AT work in my area?
Look up your city or ZIP code above. Where the main channels are licensed as analog, it hears them. Where they're digital, it hears little or nothing.
Can the BC125AT hear 800 MHz?
No. Its US band plan covers 25–54, 108–174, 225–380 and 400–512 MHz, so 700 and 800 MHz channels are out of range.
How many channels does the BC125AT have?
500 alpha-tagged channels, in 10 banks of 50, according to Uniden.
What's the best police scanner to buy for my home?
The one that matches your area's radio. If the channels are analog, a scanner like the BC125AT is enough. If they're digital, you need a P25 scanner. If your police are encrypted, no scanner hears them.