Dynamic Memory BC396

[Skud]

I own a Pro-96 and right now have my banks setup so each tower is in a bank so the Talkgroup ISs are seperate. How does this Dynamic Memory with the BC396 differ from the way the Pro-96 operates.
I am possible looking at getting one of these

 

[ka3jjz]

There is no such thing as a 'bank' in the new Uniden DMA radios. It's now 'systems' and 'groups'. You allocate what you need from the pool of channels - 6000 is the limit on the 396, I believe. UPMan's article is a good place to start. 73s Mike

 

[Skud]

so if someone wanted to keep the talkgroups documented seperatly from what is on which control towers, this is saying the 396 is not good to get.
This is more for infomration on the difference as I really are looking at a APCO25 scanner to stream video over the internet on the scanner screen. That is why I was looking at uniden

 

[ka3jjz]

I'd suggest reading the article; if I understand your needs correctly, it sounds like it would be possible by allocating seperate systems for each tower. That way your talkgroups would be isolated to one system, and as I understand it, you can scan more than one system.

Note that the blue 'article' in my response is a link to UPMan's article. 73s Mike

 

[hankv]

I own a Pro-96 and right now have my banks setup so each tower is in a bank so the Talkgroup ISs are seperate. How does this Dynamic Memory with the BC396 differ from the way the Pro-96 operates.

If you set up the 396 the same way (i.e. one tower per system), the only difference would be less wasted memory. Think of a system as a bank with no wasted space. Talk Groups are put in groups within each system.

 

[jonny290]

exactly, the only real difference between the DMS and old setups are that your banks now have a minimum size of zero and scale to exactly fit however many entries you have in. and we use different terms

i love it and laugh at all my other radios' puny memory organization schemes. Icom's setup on my 208H is the closet it gets, and that's still a heap of trash.

 

[Raven95150]

When programming a 396, you program each tower's control channels into a SYSTEM, Then divide the system into GROUPS (such as police, fire, EMS, etc) Then you program the CHANNELS (talkgroup IDs) into the group you want. The advantage to this is you can turn each group within a system on or off, instead of having to go through each channel and lockout/unlock them individually. Also, there are no limits to the number of systems, groups or channels. The only limit is 6000 total channels. With most scanners, you have X number of banks with X number of channels available within each bank. With the 396, You could have 100 systems with 60 channels each, or you could have 10 systems with 600 channels each or any other combination of up to 6000 channels.

 

[hankv]

Not Exactly.

With the 396, You could have 100 systems with 60 channels each, or you could have 10 systems with 600 channels each or any other combination of up to 6000 channels.

Not if it's a Trunked System. According to the manual:

Dynamic Allocation Capacity
Systems: 400 max
Groups: 20 per system
Channels: up to 6000 (3000 typical)
Channels per Trunked System: up to 200

 

[Skud]

I think I understand it now being a long time RS scanner person.
A system is like a Bank but in the RS scanners you have 50 or 100 channels in a Bank, where in a system, I can choose how many channels I want in that system. Correct?

I also can then add talktroups in those systems. ALso does it have a closed option like the RS pro-96 so I can choose to only hear certain traiffic in a system?

Thanks for the help

 

[regression]

Skud, that is correct. They dynamic memory lets you use the available memory how you want to, no wasted space.

Yes, the 396 has two modes when scanning a trunked system, ID Search and ID Scan.

In ID Search mode, if traffic is on a talkgroup id that you have programmed into the system, it will display whatever description you have for that talkgroup id. If the talkgroup id is not in the system, it will just display the number. This is like having the bank Open in Radio Shack scanners.

In ID Scan mode, it will only scan the specific talkgroup id's you have programmed into that system (and of course if those talkgroup id's are not locked out). This is like having the bank Closed in Radio Shack scanners.

Hope that helps.

 

[Raven95150]

Not if it's a Trunked System. According to the manual:

Dynamic Allocation Capacity
Systems: 400 max
Groups: 20 per system
Channels: up to 6000 (3000 typical)
Channels per Trunked System: up to 200

Wow, I hadn't read that in the manual, I was just throwing numbers out off the top of my head. I actually have a couple systems with 185-190 channels, so if I want to add very many more I guess I will need to delete some channels out of those systems that I rarely/never listen to.

 

[hankv]

Wow, I hadn't read that in the manual, I was just throwing numbers out off the top of my head. I actually have a couple systems with 185-190 channels, so if I want to add very many more I guess I will need to delete some channels out of those systems that I rarely/never listen to.

Simple solution to that - Create another system with the same frequencies, but use only the additional TG's.

 

[ampulman]

Skud, that is correct. They dynamic memory lets you use the available memory how you want to, no wasted space.

Yes, the 396 has two modes when scanning a trunked system, ID Search and ID Scan.

In ID Search mode, if traffic is on a talkgroup id that you have programmed into the system, it will display whatever description you have for that talkgroup id. If the talkgroup id is not in the system, it will just display the number. This is like having the bank Open in Radio Shack scanners.

In ID Scan mode, it will only scan the specific talkgroup id's you have programmed into that system (and of course if those talkgroup id's are not locked out). This is like having the bank Closed in Radio Shack scanners.

Excellent explanation. In addition, in either mode, should you come across a TG within a particular group (within a system) , and wish to follow the conversation, just press hold. When finished, just press hold again and you will continue to monitor the group(s) as before.

AM

 

[XTS3000]

Wow, I hadn't read that in the manual, I was just throwing numbers out off the top of my head. I actually have a couple systems with 185-190 channels, so if I want to add very many more I guess I will need to delete some channels out of those systems that I rarely/never listen to.

something I have yet to try, but I think someone mentioned to have more than 200 talkgroups in the same group, make another identical trunked system, but don't enter the freqs. Only add talkgroups as you've been doing before. Now assign this new system the same quick key as your system with 185-190 talkgroups. Worth a try...........

Does that make sence?

The reason for the 200 talkgroup limit is probably due the 396 processor speed. When a TRS talkgroup becomes active, the 396 identifies the talkgroup, then has to search it's memory to see what GRP it's in, and then display the aplha tag. All this takes processor cycles.

 

[regression]

something I have yet to try, but I think someone mentioned to have more than 200 talkgroups in the same group, make another identical trunked system, but don't enter the freqs. Only add talkgroups as you've been doing before. Now assign this new system the same quick key as your system with 185-190 talkgroups. Worth a try...........

Does that make sence?

The reason for the 200 talkgroup limit is probably due the 396 processor speed. When a TRS talkgroup becomes active, the 396 identifies the talkgroup, then has to search it's memory to see what GRP it's in, and then display the aplha tag. All this takes processor cycles.

For the second system, you will need to enter the control channels. So, system 1 will have the control channels and talkgroup id's 1 through 200, ID SCAN mode. System 2 will have the same control channels and talkgroup id's 201 through 400, ID SCAN mode, and so on. Then assign both systems the same system quick key, and you are in businesses.

A system will need the control channels even if it is assigned the same system quick key as a system with control channels.