---
product_id: 1515321
title: "Bearcat BC125AT Handheld Scanner, 500-Alpha-Tagged Channels, Close Call Technology, PC Programable, Aviation, Marine, Railroad, NASCAR, Racing, and Non-Digital Police/Fire/Public Safety."
brand: "uniden"
price: "R3648"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
category: "Uniden"
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/1515321-bearcat-bc125at-handheld-scanner-500-alpha-tagged-channels-close-call
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# 500 alpha-tagged channels Orange backlit display for low-light use Multi-band: aviation, marine, railroad & more Bearcat BC125AT Handheld Scanner, 500-Alpha-Tagged Channels, Close Call Technology, PC Programable, Aviation, Marine, Railroad, NASCAR, Racing, and Non-Digital Police/Fire/Public Safety.

**Brand:** uniden
**Price:** R3648
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 📻 Stay ahead of the signal—never miss a beat with Bearcat BC125AT!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Bearcat BC125AT Handheld Scanner, 500-Alpha-Tagged Channels, Close Call Technology, PC Programable, Aviation, Marine, Railroad, NASCAR, Racing, and Non-Digital Police/Fire/Public Safety. by uniden
- **How much does it cost?** R3648 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/1515321-bearcat-bc125at-handheld-scanner-500-alpha-tagged-channels-close-call)

## Best For

- uniden enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted uniden brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Multi-Band Analog Coverage:** Access over 40,000 frequencies across civilian, military, and emergency bands including aviation, marine, and racing.
- • **Lightweight & Portable Design:** Compact and easy to carry, perfect for professionals who demand mobility without sacrificing performance.
- • **Pre-Programmed Popular Channels:** Start scanning immediately with preset channels for police, fire, ham, marine, and more—no setup hassle.
- • **Close Call RF Capture Technology:** Automatically locks onto nearby transmissions for real-time, on-the-go scanning without missing a beat.
- • **Master 500-Channel Alpha Tagging:** Organize and identify channels instantly with custom names—never lose track of your favorite frequencies.

## Overview

The Bearcat BC125AT is a versatile handheld analog scanner featuring 500 alpha-tagged channels and Close Call technology for instant nearby signal detection. Covering a broad spectrum including aviation, marine, railroad, and emergency services, it offers a lightweight, portable design with an easy-to-read orange backlit display. Pre-programmed popular channels and free PC programming software make it ideal for professionals seeking reliable analog monitoring in a compact form.

## Description

"The Bearcat BC125AT Handheld Scanner has a feature called Close Call Technology. The Close Call RF Capture instantly tunes to signals from nearby transmitters and the Close Call Do Not Disturb Mode prevents close call checks during a transmission. This radio is compact and features Weather Alert technology and is capable of attaching to civilian and military air bands.Receives conventional channels on the following frequencies: (25-54 MHz) (108-174 MHz) (225-380 MHz) (400-512 MHz) ". Pre-Sets for Popular Channels

Review: This is a analog radio only. - This is a solid and compact “analog” scanner with many functions. It receives AM and FM only. So depending on where you live and what kind of antenna you connect to it determines what you can hear. Any rubber duck antenna is poor at best. Good for commercial and military aircraft, CB, VHF and UHF ham radio, railway traffic. Many public services such as police and fire have moved to digital modes such as P25 and may be encrypted. Most ham radio VHF and UHF repeaters are still FM, but more and more are moving to digital modes such as D-Star, C4FM, DMR. If you want to hear digital modes, this is not the scanner you want. If you want to hear digital P25 which is usually trunked also you need a scanner like the SDS100. As with any scanner, it’s easier to program the BC125AT with the free software on the Uniden website. You may need to get the proper cable also which is a USB-A to a Mini USB. Scanners use a lot of power, so you will run through a lot of batteries. You can power the radio with just the USB cable if you want. Many people find that more economical in the long run.
Review: Nice unit; limited support - I like this scanner (the BC125AT) better than the SR30 because it has Alpha tagging (that is, readable labels displayed for each channel, in addition to the frequency assigned to the channel). Otherwise, this scanner is very similar to the SR30. I like that it is compact and lightweight, and easy to read when set so that the display backlight comes on automatically when a channel activates (and turns off when the channel clears). Although it is quite cumbersome and time-consuming to program these units manually, the available (free) programming software makes it a breeze to create one or more channel files, and download whichever configuration is desired. Also, the configuration currently stored in the scanner can be uploaded to the software, where it can be edited and/or saved as desired for backup and/or to update the current configuration. It's even POSSIBLE to create a program file for the SR30 using a file for the BC125AT or vice-versa but because the two units have different file formats, it's necessary to "work" the files to make them cross-compatible (unless Bearcat has now created a file converter app, or you write your own converter). In any case, this file conversion was useful for me so that I could "easily" program my SR30 to have the same configuration as my BC125AT - or vice-versa - by creating a template file - or by uploading the configuration from one scanner - and then re-formatting its data to produce a file for the other model scanner. (Of course, any Alpha Tagging (labels) had to be added manually for the BC125AT's version). And, of course, the model-appropriate configuration files can be used to program more than one scanner of the same model to have the same configuration, if desired. As for features, the BC125AT is similar to the SR30, although it seems to scan more slowly than the SR30. I like most aspects of both models, but there are a few things about both that annoy me: - The units cannot scan while recharging the installed batteries. (However, the units CAN scan while connected to external power but the batteries won't be recharged while the unit is on - inconvenient!). - The channel lock-out "mechanism" is cumbersome to activate unless the channel is currently active. - Certain other keyboard operations seem more difficult than they need to be. - The multi-function knob makes it difficult to adjust the volume and particularly the squelch functions. - It is like pulling teeth to find out details of how some of the features are used and/or how they are intended to work, because apparently, they are not fully documented anywhere - and even the support folks don't know how some things work. - To my knowledge, there is no mobile installation kit to allow the scanner to be operated in a vehicle and then easily removed for temporary hand-held use. - There is no compatible (32-ohm) external speaker offered for use with these scanners. Despite the annoyances, these scanners otherwise function well.

## Features

- ANALOG SCANNER (Please note: the model BC125AT is NOT a digital scanner and is not capable of Digital Radio system monitoring, (e.g. Project 25, DMR, NXDN). Many Police/Fire/Emergency/Public Safety Agencies in larger cities are switching over to DIGITAL Trunking systems. If you live in an area where Digital radio systems are used, you need to upgrade to a Uniden Digital model (“D” stands for Digital), such as models SDS100, SDS200, BCD436HP, BCD536HP, BCD996P2, BCD325P2, or HomePatrol-2.
- LISTEN TO OVER 40,000 FREQUENCIES, you can listen to both civilian and military bands, including Non-Digital Police, Ambulance, Fire, Weather, Marine, Aircraft, Railroad, Civil Air, Amateur radio services, and Racing events.
- SEARCH MORE EFFICIENTLY with 500 Alpha-Tagged Channels finding the channel you want to listen to is easy, with 500 channels divided into 10 storage banks. Organize your channels by department, location, area of interest, or any other way you prefer. Alpha Tagging lets you assign names to your channels, so you can keep track of who you are listening to.
- LIGHTWIEGHT PORTABLE DESIGN, take this Bearcat handheld radio scanner with you on the road, or on outings. It packs plenty of features, the orange backlight display is easy to read, even in low light conditions.
- GET STARTED LISTENING RIGHT AWAY with convenient Pre-sets for the most popular searches. Frequencies are preset in ten separate Non -Digital Police/Fire/Emergency, Ham, Marine, Railroad, Civil Air, Military Air, CB Radio, FRS/GMRS/MURS, and Racing search bands. This makes it easy to find channels that interest you.
- NOTE: The product does not have 2-way communication, is only a scanner for receiving Non-Digital radio transmissions
- How can we help? Uniden Customer Support web site is designed to conveniently walk you through product setup and troubleshooting, Contact customer support phone: 1-800-297-1023.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B00772MR0K |
| Batteries | 2 AA batteries required. (included) |
| Best Sellers Rank | #1 in Radio Scanners |
| Color | Multicolor |
| Customer Reviews | 4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars (9,519) |
| Date First Available | August 26, 2011 |
| Department | Electronics |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 1.01 pounds |
| Item model number | BC125AT |
| Manufacturer | Uniden |
| Other display features | Wireless |
| Product Dimensions | 4.33 x 2.17 x 7.28 inches |
| Special features | Digital Display |
| Whats in the box | Civil & Military Aircraft Bands, Free Software Available Online, Uniden Bearcat 500 Channel Alpha Numeric Hand Held Radio Scanner, Usb Cable |

## Product Details

- **Brand:** Uniden
- **Color:** Multicolor
- **Frequency Range:** 25-54 MHz, 108-174 MHz, 225-380 MHz, 400-512 MHz (UHF)
- **Number of Batteries:** 2 AA batteries required. (included)
- **Number of Channels:** 500
- **Product Dimensions:** 2.17"D x 4.33"W x 7.28"H
- **Special Feature:** Digital Display
- **Talking Range Maximum:** 50 Kilometer
- **Voltage:** 3 Volts
- **Water Resistance Level:** Not Water Resistant

## Images

![Bearcat BC125AT Handheld Scanner, 500-Alpha-Tagged Channels, Close Call Technology, PC Programable, Aviation, Marine, Railroad, NASCAR, Racing, and Non-Digital Police/Fire/Public Safety. - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61bE7T-RjEL.jpg)

## Questions & Answers

**Q: programable for trains?**
A: Yes, most if not all passenger and freight operations in the USA and Canada operate around 160 mhz so you can absolutely program the scanner and listen in. The EOT (End of Train) devices, broadcast over the 400 mhz range which you should be able to hear also. (Side note: The EOT broadcast will simply be a beep every so often but helpful to know when a train is coming).

**Q: Can I use an external battery such as used to recharge a iphone to power this? This is to be used at nascar race. Connected by usb.**
A: Yes you can!  If you just want to power it and not recharge the batteries, remove the batteries, flip the internal switch to "ALK” to prevent it from trying to charge, and then plug in your power brick using the included USB cable.  Power on and listen!  No batteries necessary.

(FWIW, the included USB cable is just a Type A to Mini-B cable.  You can buy a longer one from Amazon.  Just make sure it is MINI-B and not MICRO-B.  There is a difference.  I’ve used them; they work fine.)

**Q: Does this scanner have a jack for earphones or earbuds**
A: Yes, there is a 1/8-inch (3.5 mm) miniplug for earphone or stereo headphones on the top of the scanner.

**Q: Does anyone believe this scanner is easier to use than the Whistler 1010?**
A: the BC125AT is easier to use, this Radio comes included with its own software which is super user-friendly. Programming the Radio manually on the Keypad is also very easy to accomplish.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is a analog radio only.
*by D***M on November 26, 2025*

This is a solid and compact “analog” scanner with many functions. It receives AM and FM only. So depending on where you live and what kind of antenna you connect to it determines what you can hear. Any rubber duck antenna is poor at best. Good for commercial and military aircraft, CB, VHF and UHF ham radio, railway traffic. Many public services such as police and fire have moved to digital modes such as P25 and may be encrypted. Most ham radio VHF and UHF repeaters are still FM, but more and more are moving to digital modes such as D-Star, C4FM, DMR. If you want to hear digital modes, this is not the scanner you want. If you want to hear digital P25 which is usually trunked also you need a scanner like the SDS100. As with any scanner, it’s easier to program the BC125AT with the free software on the Uniden website. You may need to get the proper cable also which is a USB-A to a Mini USB. Scanners use a lot of power, so you will run through a lot of batteries. You can power the radio with just the USB cable if you want. Many people find that more economical in the long run.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Nice unit; limited support
*by T***E on December 27, 2024*

I like this scanner (the BC125AT) better than the SR30 because it has Alpha tagging (that is, readable labels displayed for each channel, in addition to the frequency assigned to the channel). Otherwise, this scanner is very similar to the SR30. I like that it is compact and lightweight, and easy to read when set so that the display backlight comes on automatically when a channel activates (and turns off when the channel clears). Although it is quite cumbersome and time-consuming to program these units manually, the available (free) programming software makes it a breeze to create one or more channel files, and download whichever configuration is desired. Also, the configuration currently stored in the scanner can be uploaded to the software, where it can be edited and/or saved as desired for backup and/or to update the current configuration. It's even POSSIBLE to create a program file for the SR30 using a file for the BC125AT or vice-versa but because the two units have different file formats, it's necessary to "work" the files to make them cross-compatible (unless Bearcat has now created a file converter app, or you write your own converter). In any case, this file conversion was useful for me so that I could "easily" program my SR30 to have the same configuration as my BC125AT - or vice-versa - by creating a template file - or by uploading the configuration from one scanner - and then re-formatting its data to produce a file for the other model scanner. (Of course, any Alpha Tagging (labels) had to be added manually for the BC125AT's version). And, of course, the model-appropriate configuration files can be used to program more than one scanner of the same model to have the same configuration, if desired. As for features, the BC125AT is similar to the SR30, although it seems to scan more slowly than the SR30. I like most aspects of both models, but there are a few things about both that annoy me: - The units cannot scan while recharging the installed batteries. (However, the units CAN scan while connected to external power but the batteries won't be recharged while the unit is on - inconvenient!). - The channel lock-out "mechanism" is cumbersome to activate unless the channel is currently active. - Certain other keyboard operations seem more difficult than they need to be. - The multi-function knob makes it difficult to adjust the volume and particularly the squelch functions. - It is like pulling teeth to find out details of how some of the features are used and/or how they are intended to work, because apparently, they are not fully documented anywhere - and even the support folks don't know how some things work. - To my knowledge, there is no mobile installation kit to allow the scanner to be operated in a vehicle and then easily removed for temporary hand-held use. - There is no compatible (32-ohm) external speaker offered for use with these scanners. Despite the annoyances, these scanners otherwise function well.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great relatively small scanner.
*by N***S on September 4, 2019*

Some reviews on this radio bash it for being unable to listen in on local police department, etc. These users need to do more research. This is an excellent analog receiver, NOT A DIGITAL RECEIVER. Check your local law enforcement radio frequencies and equipment as digital transmissions cannot be picked up by this radio. For where I live this is not an issue. I can hear my local law enforcement clearly and was easy to find their frequencies online. Another invalid complain many users had was how difficult it is to program and use the radio. Seriously, read the manual. There are three different scanning modes, not including Close Call or any of the Priority Scanning functions. I read the manual once and understood their operation and function. I mostly Hold on a single channel but occasionally scan a few banks I programmed from my computer with the included USB cable. Again, follow the directions that came with the radio and you can easily program the radio from a PC. Others have said that the program is similar to Excel, and they are not wrong. It's very simple, it shows you the banks you can program you just fill in the form. My only complaint is the battery life. One one hand, the receiver is relatively compact as it only takes 2 x AA batteries. As a result though, I am averaging about 4 and half hours of listening time before the low battery warning. I wish they would make the receiver a little bigger to accommodate a larger amount of batteries. In summary, I like this scanner a lot. It's relatively small, light, picks up my local frequencies quite clearly, and has decent listening times. Research which frequencies you will want to be listening to to avoid disappointment. I would recommend this to someone as a first time purchase of a police scanner.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Uniden Bearcat BC125AT Handheld Scanner, 500-Alpha-Tagged Channels, Close Call Technology, PC Programable, Aviation, Marine, Railroad, NASCAR, Racing, and Non-Digital Police/Fire/Public Safety.
- Koss QZ-99 Noise Reduction Stereophone, Standard Packaging,Black
- Syncwire Headphone Splitter, Nylon-Braided Extension Cable Audio Stereo Y Splitter (Hi-Fi Sound), 3.5mm Male To 2 Ports 3.5mm Female Headset Splitter for Phone, PS4, Switch, Tablets & More

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/1515321-bearcat-bc125at-handheld-scanner-500-alpha-tagged-channels-close-call](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/1515321-bearcat-bc125at-handheld-scanner-500-alpha-tagged-channels-close-call)

---

*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-02-22*