How 396xt programming differs from 396t

[pokey]

I have had a 396t for years and programmed it using the Arc 396 software. I had the programming down pat. I just purchased a 396xt and have bought the new Arc 396xt software and am clueless as to programming. It doesn't even look like the quick keys are set up the same. Can anyone assist?

[hiegtx]

Originally Posted by pokey

I have had a 396t for years and programmed it using the Arc 396 software. I had the programming down pat. I just purchased a 396xt and have bought the new Arc 396xt software and am clueless as to programming. It doesn't even look like the quick keys are set up the same. Can anyone assist?

The main "programming" difference is that, for trunked systems, your quick key is assigned at the site (tower) level, not at the system itself. If you have a multi-site system that you're programming, such as a statewide, or large regional system, you can either assign each transmitter site the same quick key, so that they all can be toggled on and off, at the same time, or given them differing ones, so that you can access them individually. You also have larger talkgroup limits within the system, the start-up keys, and some other features.

For a quick-start, presuming you still have your 396T, why not download FreeSCAN (if you don't have it already)? Use FreeSCAN to download your 396T into a file, then you can either edit it there, or simply upload that back into the new 396XT, giving you a jump start. Once you've done that, you could then download the 396XT into ARC-XT and get a better idea of what it looks like, plus start setting up some of the features of the 396XT. Such as the display colors, one color for Fire, a different one for PD, EMS, whatever. (The FreeSCAN download from 396T, edit, upload to 396XT was what I used for a jump start when I got my first 396XT.)

For conventional (non-trunked) systems, where P25 (digital voice) is in use, for the 396XT, you can set the audio for the channel to digital, and enter the NAC code. Or, if digital, but the NAC is currently unknown, just have the scanner search for it.

If you have a regional system, where, in the 396T, you had to create multiple systems, with the same talkgroups, but with the separate trunked system frequencies, in FreeSCAN, you can actually 'cut & paste' the sites from those extra 396T "systems" into one, making it a multi-site system, which the 396XT handles easily. I don't know if you can do that with ARC-XT, don't have that software, but you can with FreeSCAN.

[ka3jjz]

There are many differences. One big one - you can do multi site programming with the XT, you can't with the older T model. Another is that the XT scanner support location based scanning - the older T model didn't

These 2 wiki articles outline many of the differences - you''ll see them in bold...

BCD396XT - The RadioReference Wiki

BCD396T - The RadioReference Wiki

There are also several new kinds of quick keys, such as number keys which the older 396T didn't support. I'd suggest reading the Easier to Read manual first...

Easier to Read BCD396XT Digital Scanner Manual

HTH..Mike

[pokey]

Thank you for the replies. I downloaded Freescan and dumped my 396t data into it and then dumped it into my 396xt then into Arc 396xt. So my new radio now is programmed like my 396t. Still not sure how multi site systems work though. I have 15 separate banks for different opp towers but I cut and paste talk group id's as they are the same for each tower. So can I just program all this nice now and list all my opp tower sites and all the frequencies associated to each one? This is where I get confused. Thank you.

[ka3jjz]

Forget the word 'banks' - no such thing in DMA

The basic idea behind multi site is that you can have more than one site under a trunked system - and all the groups that contain talkgroups you define are shared across all sites. Yes, you define each site, each with its own set of frequencies.

This was not possible under the 396T - it didn't support this style of programming. You would, as you imply, have 15 separate systems, each with their own site and groups, and the talkgroups would have to be copied to each site individually. No more with the XT scanners.

Mike

[pokey]

So how would I program Fleetnet on the 396xt then?

[pokey]

I just purchased the premium membership and am trying to program it using the database and Freescan. I am trying to dump everything in one system but It only allows 20 groups per system, and the groups are already pre-defined by this website. So, do I program two different systems in order to fit all the talkgroup ID's in, or am I on the wrong track altogether?

[ka3jjz]

Your best bet is to ask some questions in the Ontario forum...

Ontario - The RadioReference.com Forums

That system is so huge you're going to need to decide precisely what you want to hear. If you want to hear everything, leave every site set up in ID Search mode...Mike

[MikeOxlong]

Originally Posted by pokey

So how would I program Fleetnet on the 396xt then?

Setup one system with all the talkgroups you want to listen to and then add in all of the sites to this one system.

It's much better then the 396T way of doing it with one site per system. Now you can have multiple sites per system which will save a lot of memory.

[MikeOxlong]

Originally Posted by pokey

I am trying to dump everything in one system but It only allows 20 groups per system, and the groups are already pre-defined by this website. So, do I program two different systems in order to fit all the talkgroup ID's in, or am I on the wrong track altogether?

You can do whatever you want.

You can combine groups into one or delete groups that you're not interested in if you want only one system.

[MikeOxlong]

I've asked for this thread to be closed since Pokey is asking the same questions in this thread: Programming 396xt for Bell Mobility Radio's Fleetnet system