BCD396XT users in NE Ohio with LSM Firmware?

[eorange]

If anyone has applied the simulcast fix, please share your experiences with these P25 systems:

• Cuyahoga
• Lake County
• Cleveland

Has the garble been significantly reduced or eliminated?

Thanks in advance!

- a bunch of anxious scannists

[jpadley85]

Originally Posted by eorange

If anyone has applied the simulcast fix, please share your experiences with these P25 systems:

• Cuyahoga
• Lake County
• Cleveland

Has the garble been significantly reduced or eliminated?

Thanks in advance!

- a bunch of anxious scannists

I applied the fix and listened to Cleveland P25 and Lake County MARCS-IP throughout the evening. The fix seemed to help significantly, however, nothing is perfect. I noted several differences after the fix... First, voltage levels were all over the place, whereas prior to the update, voltage levels would vary only slightly. Secondly, ERR rates did not appear to be lower than before the update, however audio quality was much better at higher ERR rates. Prior to the fix, I would note distortion at levels 20 and above whereas after the fix, I don't notice audio distortion until ERR rates rise above 40 or so.

[eorange]

Thanks for the update - sounds encouraging. With the PSR-500 using the Rat Shack 800 duck, somedays it's kinda OK, and other days it's not even worth turning on.

[jpadley85]

Originally Posted by eorange

Thanks for the update - sounds encouraging. With the PSR-500 using the Rat Shack 800 duck, somedays it's kinda OK, and other days it's not even worth turning on.

I agree - I just sold my PRO197 because of poor performance. I had it mounted in my car with a high gain 800 mhz antenna on the roof and I'm lucky if it decodes 50% of what the 396xt does with the factory duck. I'll be replacing the 197 with a 996xt this weekend.

On a side note - I have also found that turning on the Attenuator helps slightly with reception of the Lake IP system when stationary if you have a strong signal, but make sure you turn it off when moving around as it causes the reception to be more positional.

[eorange]

How is the upgraded 396XT doing with MARCS P25 and CLE P25? Are the transmissions pretty clear? More than listenable? You did mention that nothing is perfect (which is sometimes the case even on tried-and-true MARCS).

Would an average user say "this sounds pretty good"?

Are you using a duck antenna, and listening in different locations?


Any update would be helpful. Thanks in advance!

[jpadley85]

Originally Posted by eorange

How is the upgraded 396XT doing with MARCS P25 and CLE P25? Are the transmissions pretty clear? More than listenable? You did mention that nothing is perfect (which is sometimes the case even on tried-and-true MARCS).

Would an average user say "this sounds pretty good"?

Are you using a duck antenna, and listening in different locations?


Any update would be helpful. Thanks in advance!

Yes and Yes. I am using the factory duck antenna and also just installed the 996xt in my vehicle using a high gain, low-profile 700-800mhz can antenna, so I am able to do side-by-side comparisons. I am always carrying the 396xt wherever I go and am always listening when mobile. I still encounter some reception issues in unexpected places, but overall the decode rate with the new firmware is excellent. The 396 with the update is still much better than the 996 with the mounted antenna and I feel it sounds very good.

[wa8pyr]

Originally Posted by jpadley85

Yes and Yes. I am using the factory duck antenna and also just installed the 996xt in my vehicle using a high gain, low-profile 700-800mhz can antenna, so I am able to do side-by-side comparisons. I am always carrying the 396xt wherever I go and am always listening when mobile. I still encounter some reception issues in unexpected places, but overall the decode rate with the new firmware is excellent. The 396 with the update is still much better than the 996 with the mounted antenna and I feel it sounds very good.

Unfortunately the use of a high-gain antenna on the 996 is probably skewing the results, so what you've got there isn't really a true side-by-side comparison. I'd really be interested to see the results of a comparison:

1. 396 and the 996 sitting on a desktop with similar (or better yet, identical) antennas, or
2a. Hook the 396 up to a high-gain antenna in the car, or
2b. Use attenuator on the 996 in the car to make it perform more like the 396 with the duck.

Any way you go about it, the most accurate results will be had using comparable facilities.

[eorange]

Originally Posted by jpadley85

The 396 with the update is still much better than the 996 with the mounted antenna and I feel it sounds very good.

That is really good news. Glad to hear the performance improvement is sustained. THANKS for the update!

I don't have a 346 (or 996), but with a PSR-500...the ONLY thing that made a difference is using a beam pointed towards a tower, and keeping it there, fixed. No amount of ATT, different whip/ducks antennas, parameter tweaking, nothing made the PSR-500 sound better.

So I'll go out on a limb and say the 996 sounds like it behaves the same way...further testament that the firmware fix really did the trick, up here in NE Ohio.

Although, hooking the 396 up to the same hi-gain antenna would be an interesting test, i.e. can the new firmware handle it?

[eorange]

Originally Posted by jpadley85

I still encounter some reception issues in unexpected places, but overall the decode rate with the new firmware is excellent. The 396 with the update is still much better than the 996 with the mounted antenna and I feel it sounds very good.

Just checking in...is the 396XT still doing well with the simulcast systems? Still clear reception?

[Swipesy]

A little different perspective (a PSR 800 user). I am using a PSR800 with all the updates, hooked up to and outside Yagi up 20 feet with 50 ft of LMR 400 coax. The Yagi is pointed at the Geauga Tower located on Chagrin Road in Bainbridge. The Yagi runs through a Hamtronics 800 Mhz preamp and then into a duplexor that also has a Diamond J Discone mounted up 15 feet with LMR 400 coax run of 50 ft. All 700-800 Mhz comes from the Yagi and all VHF-UHF low/high band comes off the discone.

With my setup I pull in MARCS P-25, Cleveland P-25, MARCS (off Beachwood, Chesterland Towers), Southwest SWARN, Summit County 800 system. My results are as follows:

MARCS P-25 hearing Chagrin, Solon, Geauga, Cuyahoga County and sometimes Lake County from the Cuyahoga 700 Mhs and never Lake's 800 Mhz) - Sometimes perfect, sometimes horrible but mostly acceptable but nothing like the old analog Geauga system. I will say though that the Geauga P-25 System is getting better from its early startup.

Cleveland P-25 - Sometimes quite garbled, sometimes good and on average ok.

MARCS - the quality of MARCS 3600 is deteriorating. It has slipped backwards in my opinion as to clarity. It now sounds very 800 ish with scratchy sound like the users are trying to swallow the mike. Occassionally it is very clear but within the past 2 months it has slipped to average.

Southewest SWARN - Always clear

Summit - 90 % clear and the other 10% sounds like MARCS above - scratchy.

I have played extensively with the PSR 800 settings to no avail. I have found that the default settings work best and for sure the recent Firmware and DSP updates have improved reception to where now it is somewhat enjoyable listening again.

John

[eorange]

The only thing that continues to make a difference on MARCS and CLE P25, with my PSR-500, is the cheapo HDTV desktop beam antenna.

Reception is very good with the HDTV antenna, and anywhere from so-so to horrible without it (using any whip, or my Diamond discone).

[Ed_Azalea]

Again not for the 396XT but for my BCD996XT. Before I could try the HDTV antenna I had an old mobile cellular antenna I thought I would try in place of the attic discone. Well besides being lower it cleared every P25 system up and now getting Parma P25 when I didn't before!

I did the latest firmware upgrade and it seemed to make the higher discone work better on some but worse on others. I went back and forth and I think I like the 1.06 version better.....but I think sensitivity is degraded since I went to 1.07 and even back to 1.06 on all frequencies and systems. So I'm back at 1.06 and the cell antenna.

[OHIOSCAN]

I find my GRE600 w/DPD OMNI-X antenna to be the most stable on Cuy 700. My PSR-500 is useless and the PSR-800 goes from pretty good to useless since the latest F/W & DSP upg. The little HDTV antenna
does seem to help,

Mike

[eorange]

The 500/800 is useless on the DPD antenna?

[Swipesy]

Originally Posted by Ed_Azalea

I did the latest firmware upgrade and it seemed to make the higher discone work better on some but worse on others. I went back and forth and I think I like the 1.06 version better.....but I think sensitivity is degraded since I went to 1.07 and even back to 1.06 on all frequencies and systems. So I'm back at 1.06 and the cell antenna.

Ed,

How did you manage to rollback the PSR 800 to 1.06? I do not see those files on GRE's website or in EZ Scan Software.

Thanks,

John

[Ed_Azalea]

Originally Posted by Swipesy

Ed,

How did you manage to rollback the PSR 800 to 1.06? I do not see those files on GRE's website or in EZ Scan Software.

Thanks,

John

Not a GRE it's a 996XT. And the new firmware updater has both versions included.

This is getting a little confusing since the OP was asking about the 396XT specifically but others have commented on thier experiences with other scanners with updated firmware on the P25 systems.......whew.....

[Swipesy]

I plead guilty as charged.

John

[eorange]

This goes without saying, but LSM updates from any Uniden are welcome. At the time I created this thread...only the 396XT LSM firmware update was available.

[OHIOSCAN]

Originally Posted by eorange

The 500/800 is useless on the DPD antenna?

I don't use the DPD OMNI-X with the 500 or 800, the 785's share the DPD.

Mike