Uniden BCD 996xt no good in Park City!

KSPILOT536 · Oct 19, 2014

I have tried everything I can think of on this scanner and the simulcast system does not work well on this,Highway Patrol works great though,but being most of our law enforcement is on simulcast here in Wichita I'm missing a lot of action!
Before the digital switch in January I would get CONSTANT traffic Friday and Saturday nights on my RS Pro 2026 but now,if I get 2 calls an hour I'm lucky!
Signal is full strength on all channels,I can even take the antenna off and its still receives well on Highway Patrol and few WPD calls so I know its not the antenna or signal issue.
Don't know what else to do,and I'm frustrated that I spent $400 on a scanner that I was told would work here and doesn't!
Any suggestions would be great!

retiredmich · Oct 19, 2014

They may be Encrypted

AA6IO · Oct 19, 2014

I just checked the database for Sedgwick County and your new P25 system in Wichita. Looks like all D's and no E's, meaning all digital P25 (they are phase I) that are not encrypted, so you should be able to copy with 996XT. Maybe someone in your area has 996XT and can help you. I would think you would be able to hear lots of stuff based on the database. I am in Los Angeles.
You may want to check out the Easier to Read Manual for 396XT/996XT on line and go over the digital settings carefully.

Steve AA6IO

kd0fmg · Oct 19, 2014

I would do what sshermanmd has said. I would also look into getting a programming cable and downloading a software such as pro96 com and make sure there isn't something incorrect in the database. With that you'll be able to cross reference real time information about the system with the database.

AA6IO · Oct 19, 2014

kspilot536
You used the word channels in you post. I presume you know that the system in question is a trunking system with contol channels and talk groups. Sorry if this seems obvious but when you say channels, it almost sounded like you had this set up like a conventional system..
Steve AA6IO

kd0ega · Oct 19, 2014

Dont give up...you can do it

I monitor Shawnee Co. which also has a P25 Phase 1 system...simulcast multi tower sites ..At first I tried to program my 996T with out the assistance of a software program...I failed miserably....used the ARC996PRO program with no issues at all monitoring wise.

tonysony · Oct 19, 2014

Sedgwick county offline

I noticed in the last couple of weeks that whoever was broadcasting Sedgwick County and Wichita police departments no longer is broadcasting. I don't know if this has anything to do with what you are talking about or not but I'd be curious if anybody knows what has happened.

iMONITOR · Oct 19, 2014

KSPILOT536 said:
I have tried everything I can think of on this scanner and the simulcast system does not work well on this,Highway Patrol works great though,but being most of our law enforcement is on simulcast here in Wichita I'm missing a lot of action!

Are you certain you programmed all the talk-groups you want to monitor?

If you're programmed to ID SCAN, and the talk-groups are not all programmed, you will not hear them.

If you're programmed for ID SEARCH, then it should hit on all talk-groups in that system, even if they're not programmed.

KSPILOT536 · Oct 19, 2014

I used FREESCAN and have a cable and used software to program my scanner,that not an issue,I have everything correctly in but I do not get good reception and when I do get a hit,its mostly garbled.

KSPILOT536 · Oct 19, 2014

Uniden BCD 996XT

Anybody have this scanner?
Do you have the Attenuator on and what are the P25 filter settings
I have my settings MODE @ 13 and adjust level @ 180.
Any other tricks I should know about with this scanner?
Highway Patrol sounds great but WPD on simulcast is lousy,garbled when I get a call and few calls at that.

teufler · Oct 19, 2014

try changing the modulation from nbfm to fm

KSPILOT536 · Oct 19, 2014

Yep...did that,still not getting many calls.
It sits on a group but do not hear anything and other times garbled.

fp5930 · Oct 19, 2014

Uniden 996XT No Good In Park City

I live about one mile west of the Park City city limits and I have a Radio Shack Pro 106 and a BCD396XT and I experience the same issues as KSPILOT536 posted above except I am not fortunate enough to hear two calls per hour. My scanner frequentlystops scanning on the agency I.D.'s but most of the time there is no audio (just starts scanning again) and occasionally I get garbled transmissions but not able to understand what is being said. I have tried different threshold settings on the Pro 106, different antennas, different rooms of the house, etc., but I am beginning to think I (we) are in a dead reception area. I was thinking about buying a BCD436XT/536XT to see if they would work better but KSPILOT536 just squelched my thoughts about that. Any suggestions?

ccs247 · Oct 19, 2014

The FCC ULS listing for Sedgwick County shows a modification for P25 Phase II. This could explain the garbled transmissions on the 996XT and 396XT.

ULS License - PubSafty/SpecEmer/PubSaftyNtlPlan,806-817/851-862MHz,Trunked License - WNLE919 - SEDGWICK, COUNTY OF - Frequencies Summary

KSPILOT536 · Oct 19, 2014

What does that mean?
My new $400 scanner is a boat anchor?

lep · Oct 19, 2014

The 996XT does NOT receive P25, Phase 2. Nor does the Home Patrol, the only Uniden scanners which receive Phase 2 are the x36 models, either the 436 hand held or the 536 (which looks very much like the 996XT).

If you are certain your local system is Phase 2, the 996 is the wrong scanner for our area. GRE (now defunct) made a scanner for Phase 2 and the "rights" have been bought the Whistler radar detector folks and they have a scanner for Phase 2 but I have no experience with these new models. Best bet is to read up on the subject.

KSPILOT536 · Oct 19, 2014

Just my luck!
I was going to buy the 536 but thought this one for $200 less would do what I need!
I check many websites even SCANNERMASTERS and they all said the 996 xt was a good scanner for this area!
Anything I can do to update this thing to work on phase 2?

teufler · Oct 19, 2014

wichita is type 2 , they have not gone to tdma 2, there was talk in the postings, but not sure if they did. and I sent the file to your email address.

lep · Oct 19, 2014

No, the 996 can NOT be modified for Phase 2. I have a 996XT running on my desk this moment on a 700 MHz APCO Phase1 system and it works perfectly for me. So, if my local system decides to change to Phase 2 I will be out of luck with this scanner. If you are Positive your local system is Phase 2, you will need either a Uniden 536 <or> the new Whistler model.
First however, I would suggest you have some one in your local community verify the problem is Phase 2. Because "IF" the problem is encryption, there is no solution at all!

teufler · Oct 19, 2014

assuming you scanner is programed correctly, and to see if yoi are in a "dead zone", put the scanner in the car and drive around and see what happens.

Uniden BCD 996xt no good in Park City!

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