Bcd396t

[K8TEK]

You really don't get it, do you? The radio does not do something and there is nothing to document it, anywhere! This is my whole problem with it. I don't like the radio that badly that I am suffering. I think if they make it that disabling one feature also disables another, they should tell you, or fix it.

 

[kg4pbd]

I've used this radio on everything from digital vhf systems, p25 800 mhz systems, EDACS, etc. up and down the east coast. I've never had a problem. Since I was traveling I just created the systems straight out of ARC396 and the RR database. And it worked! That's why I'm a fan of the radio. For a consumer grade radio to do that as well as it does is pretty cool.

 

[bwilborn]

You really don't get it, do you? The radio does not do something and there is nothing to document it, anywhere! This is my whole problem with it. I don't like the radio that badly that I am suffering. I think if they make it that disabling one feature also disables another, they should tell you, or fix it.

So, an update to the user manual would satisfy you? Somehow, I don't think so.

-- B

 

[rhutch]

Or he can't post his complaints here (after all, he did spend a lot of money for the radio) so others can read his complaints then deem them worthy or not when considering to buy the stated radio.

What's bad for this site is fanboys who bring up carpeting or some other nonsense not related to scanning. Then I keep reading that firmwares may soon be released to fix a problem on a radio that's over two years old!

Maybe you'd like to read who brought up the carpeting and all the other analogies.

As for posting complaints, sure he can, he does, thats basically all he posts are complaints. That said if he can post comlaints don't get upset when others post that they don't agree with them.

It seems all K8TEK likes to do is go around and stir up trouble, he's started trouble on the GRE forum too. It looks like his posting privliages were taken away for a week and now he's come back with a vengance. The problem really isn't even what he says it's the immature, arrogant, rude way he says them, but then again what can you expect from a 24 year old who's done and knows everything, someday maybe he'll grow up.

Why is it when someone says they don't have a problem that they are a "fanboy". The vast majority of "problems" are the user (aka the nut holding the knob), secondly people have an unrealistic expectation of what a scanning receiver can do. It will never perform as good as an actual radio on the system which cost three to five times as much and really only has to do one thing, that is monitor a single system. There seems to be more people that don't have problems then those that seem to complain about everything. The fact is if you really don't like the product sure say you don't like it and why, then get rid of it and buy something that does meet your needs. Having worked in sales there definately is a percentage of people that will and do complain about anything and there is no way anyone could make them happy.

Take a look at the complaint, he actually complains that the scanner is too small, what did he think it would expand and get bigger with use?

Just because a few people have problems monitoring certain systems that does not make it a problem for the vast majority of units that Uniden sold. The EDAC's problem is a prime example I monitor a few EDACS systems I have never had any problem with the "get extra beeps". Maybe the guys at Uniden also don't have any problems either so it makes it hard to fix a problem that they really can't confirm.

 

[K8TEK]

So, an update to the user manual would satisfy you? Somehow, I don't think so.

-- B

Yes, yes it would! Explain that disabling keypad beeps also disables the low battery alert! This would just show how stupid the engineers are, though!

This has got me wondering, does disabling the keypad beeps also disable the weather alert and fire tone out features as well? In Unidens line of thinking, it should!

 

[rhutch]

Yes, yes it would! Explain that disabling keypad beeps also disables the low battery alert! This would just show how stupid the engineers are, though!

This has got me wondering, does disabling the keypad beeps also disable the weather alert and fire tone out features as well? In Unidens line of thinking, it should!

And how smart you are? What was the last radio you designed and manufactured?

 

[K8TEK]

You know everything, don't you? I didn't engineer a radio, so I have no right to complain?

 

[jakegday]

Yes, yes it would! Explain that disabling keypad beeps also disables the low battery alert! This would just show how stupid the engineers are, though!

This has got me wondering, does disabling the keypad beeps also disable the weather alert and fire tone out features as well? In Unidens line of thinking, it should!

there are 100 more things as minor as that missing from the owners manual...

 

[loumaag]

Okay let's calm down a bit.

So Jonathan is not happy with his 396T and he expresses his dislike here; okay, that is fine. What is not needed is people extending that dislike into their own agenda of Uniden bashing.

Tim, your constant searching through the forums looking for an opportunity to bash is getting very tiresome. As for your base arguments, consider this before you bash Uniden for taking so long to respond to users complaints. GRE's solution to problems was not provide any response at all until the most recent models; prior to that there were no firmware updates allowed to solve such problems. When the Pro-96 was found to have a major bug, the solution there was to send your radio in for replacement of the CPU; and please remember this was done only under duress, it certainly was not an announced solution. Uniden has been providing firmware updates on their models for some time and as for the 396T, I have lost count of the number of firmware updates put out since the radio was released in June of 2005. Okay so the last one was over a year ago, well maybe the problems being addressed on the upcoming one might have had so limited a scope that finding, developing, and testing a solution involved more time then if they could be tested in-house. An example of that is I have owned a 396T since the week it was released and have yet to experience the EDACS beep problem on any consistent basis. That may be that I don't have the specific set of circumstances set up to hear them, can you imagine how frustrating that may be to someone trying to develop a solution to a problem they cannot replicate? Or would you rather just rant?

 

[rhutch]

You know everything, don't you? I didn't engineer a radio, so I have no right to complain?

No, you don't have the right to call them "stupid" if you can't do it yourself.

 

[K8TEK]

It isn't my job to develop firmware.

As far as trading it in, I have had plenty of Uniden scanners and this is the only issue I have with this radio. I would like to know when my battery is about to die without looking at the screen all day. I also do not care for the keypad beeps. I find this kind of odd, because every other radio I own that allows you to turn off the keypad beeps retains the low battery alarm. I am not bashing anybody, but I would like to understand Uniden's reason behind this decision.

 

[rhutch]

It isn't my job to develop firmware.

As far as trading it in, I have had plenty of Uniden scanners and this is the only issue I have with this radio. I would like to know when my battery is about to die without looking at the screen all day. I also do not care for the keypad beeps. I find this kind of odd, because every other radio I own that allows you to turn off the keypad beeps retains the low battery alarm. I am not bashing anybody, but I would like to understand Uniden's reason behind this decision.

There you go, that is a complaint that deserves to be heard. Yes I agree the 296 lets you shut the keypad beep off but retains the low battery beep, I wish I could turn the battery beep off because I find it really annoying when your trying to listen to a transmission and it keeps beeping through it (and it will beep for a long while until it goes dead). As for the 396 I find it doesn't use batteries all that fast so a quick look when I adjust the volume gives me a rough Idea as to when I need to change the batteries ie 3.8 V got most of the day, 3.7 V go a few hours, 3.6 V and hour or so, 3.5V time to change the batteries.

 

[K8TEK]

I need the beep! The scanner gets put in my truck and is hooked to my siren to rebroadcast it over the speaker. The thing may be running for hours, and if it wasn't fully charged when I put it in there, it may go dead. I am away from my truck when I use it like this, and when it is about to go dead, I would like to know. It is so much easier hearing it being rebroadcast over the siren then to wear the lapel mic and go deaf anytime someone keys the mic. Not to mention we still use VHF, when some agencies use UHF or MARCS, so you couldn't hear them anyway!

I suppose I could hook it up to the car and keep it charged that way, but that will just add more clutter, considering I am out of 12V outlets. When it starts beeping though, I know I have at least 20 minutes to change the batteries out.

 

[com501]

I need the beep! The scanner gets put in my truck and is hooked to my siren to rebroadcast it over the speaker. The thing may be running for hours, and if it wasn't fully charged when I put it in there, it may go dead. I am away from my truck when I use it like this, and when it is about to go dead, I would like to know. It is so much easier hearing it being rebroadcast over the siren then to wear the lapel mic and go deaf anytime someone keys the mic. Not to mention we still use VHF, when some agencies use UHF or MARCS, so you couldn't hear them anyway!

I suppose I could hook it up to the car and keep it charged that way, but that will just add more clutter, considering I am out of 12V outlets. When it starts beeping though, I know I have at least 20 minutes to change the batteries out.

OK, I am now confused. You hook your SCANNER to your ExtRad input on your SIREN?

What agency allows you to hook ANYTHING to the SIREN on your emergency vehicle?

You are rebroadcasting SCANNER audio over your external PA? How annoying is that?

You DON'T have an emergency vehicle, yet you have a SIREN? I'm still confused. Which is it? And WHY would you want to rebroadcast ANY audio over your external speaker, unless it is from your DISPATCH center, and even then, how come you don't have a handheld?

 

[K8TEK]

OK, I am now confused. You hook your SCANNER to your ExtRad input on your SIREN?

What agency allows you to hook ANYTHING to the SIREN on your emergency vehicle?

You are rebroadcasting SCANNER audio over your external PA? How annoying is that?

You DON'T have an emergency vehicle, yet you have a SIREN? I'm still confused. Which is it? And WHY would you want to rebroadcast ANY audio over your external speaker, unless it is from your DISPATCH center, and even then, how come you don't have a handheld?

Just so you know, I am not a whacker ham with a siren, I have credentials! I think you need to go back and read my post, I do have a handheld, but I am not going to carry 2 or 3 around.

 

[motorman105]

WOW I'm sorry you don't like your BCD 396T JH2184.
I think this the best scanner Uniden ever came up with!! A friend of mine purchased one of these and asked me to program it. After 15 minutes I was putting stuff on Ebay to sell so I could afford my own BCD 396T!!
I use it in my truck, at work, at home. I think the size is perfect, the Dynamic memory system is the best! Uniden must have read my mind ( didn't take long) and built this scanner!!! I can even figure out the computer software!!!!
I'm amazed anyone could hate something this good!...but then....I did see a child crying at Disneyworld once so I guess anything is possible!!!!!

 

[warrior420]

Get a car power adapter!!!! My scanner is always plugged in the house or the truck. And when i go mobile i make sure the batteries are fresh. This is a ridiculous complaint and you shouldnt be wasting everyones time reading your bs.

 

[JoeyC]

It appears to me after reading alot of these "complaint" threads that the hobby of radio monitoring is way too expensive for alot of people. Some people spend their hard earned money on radios and expect them to wash windows and slice bread as well.

If someone gets so fired up about the subtle differences in operation across different brands/models of scanners that they have to bash vendors over minutia, they need to take up a hobby that they can comfortably afford.

 

[yaesumofo]

Notice how this fellow has not posted in this thread since?
This is a typical TROLL/.
Anybody who has a 396 knows that if they actually were to have all of these issues on a NEW radio that it would be corrected by Uniden under warranty.

We all know the battery issue is a bunch of bull. EVERY AA battery I have ever tried rechargeable or otherwise have fit in and operated this radio.

This is clearly a lowbrow troll attempting to get a bunch ot loyal UNiden 396 users riled up.
Ignore ON.
Yaesumofo

I just want to comment on the my Uniden BCD396T and how disappointed I am in my scanner. First of all..the annoying EDACS beep problem. I never once had that problem with my Pro 96 or Pro2096. The only thing I like about it is that it picks up alot father than my pro96. The pro-2096 however, in my opinion is one of the best scanners ever made. The next thing I don't like about it is the poor audio. The entire unit is just too small. This is the most overrated and overpriced piece of equipment. The biggest waste of money I have ever spent. Another thing is I can't get any batteries to work in the unit other than the batteries that came with it. I have tried every rechargeable energizer battery that I have and used from my Radioshack but they do not work at all for my BCD396T. The unit will not even power on with other types of batteries. Another problem I have had is the dust problem around the speaker and some type of dust has accumulated on the display screen on the inside that I can't get out. Also, my belt clip broke for no apparent reason..the piece that makes it snap broke so now its easy to knock it off. Even my PC input cover doesn't go back correctly anymore after I try to put it down. I'm thinking about buying a normal size radioshack scanner that doesnt have an EDACS beeping problem and that annoying buzz alarm type sound it makes also on the EDACS system like this one. Maybe the new update will help it but I like my Pro-2096 alot better. I do not recommend this at all. The first and last Uniden I will ever buy.