Help! Can't get BAND SCOPE going on 396XT

[ILikeHatchChili]

I cannot get band scope working on my BCD396XT. Here is what I have set up.
In Custom Search 10, I have LL=866.00, UL=868.5, C-Ch mode OFF, and Custom Search 10 assigned to Search Key 3. I know for a fact that in this frequency band in my area, there are a few control channels, at least one EDAC cc and the voice frequencies.

I then press SCAN, then HOLD, and then Function+3, to get into the Search Key 3 mode. All I get is the frequency band being scanned. Of course search stops at the control channels, but I merely twist the knob next to the antenna to make the scanner continue searching. This is what I expect for normal searching. I wait for the whole band to be searched before I expect the band scope to appear, but it does not.

From what I read about activating the BAND SCOPE mode, all I have to do is to call up Search Key 3. Should I not get at least a "picture" of the control channels in the designated band? BTW, in MENU, Settings, Set C-Ch Output, I have selected Off.

Please tell me what I am doing wrong.

Firmware is Version 1.07.00

Thanks

Peter

 

[dracer777]

Wirelessly posted (MOT-QA30/00.72 UP.Browser/7.2.7.5.610 (GUI) MMP/2.0)

I think you have an obscured view of what band scope is. Or maybe I do?

Go to menu, "search for....", "set search key", chose the the one you want, select "band scope". The you need to set the center frequency and range you want it to scan.

If you have further questions, or I completely misunderstood what you are asking, feel free to address it. :]

 

[ILikeHatchChili]

Wirelessly posted (MOT-QA30/00.72 UP.Browser/7.2.7.5.610 (GUI) MMP/2.0)

I think you have an obscured view of what band scope is. Or maybe I do?
Go to menu, "search for....", "set search key", chose the the one you want,
select "band scope". The you need to set the center frequency and range you want it to scan.
If you have further questions, or I completely misunderstood what you are asking, feel free to address it. :]

Got it. Thanks.

 

[dracer777]

Wirelessly posted (MOT-QA30/00.72 UP.Browser/7.2.7.5.610 (GUI) MMP/2.0)

No problem, also, on the wiki for the 396xt, there is a link to the PDF manual, there is a good explanation of what you can do inside band scope in there, I would post a link, but I'm using my phone to post.

Check out the PDF, it will give you alot more insight how to do alot of things with the scanner that you probably don't know about.

 

[ILikeHatchChili]

Wirelessly posted (MOT-QA30/00.72 UP.Browser/7.2.7.5.610 (GUI) MMP/2.0)

No problem, also, on the wiki for the 396xt, there is a link to the PDF manual, there is a good explanation of what you can do inside band scope in there, I would post a link, but I'm using my phone to post.

Check out the PDF, it will give you alot more insight how to do alot of things with the scanner that you probably don't know about.

Thank you. I have been at that site for the manual. My problem was that I took everything too literal too early. I did not scroll down far enough in the Select Range menu to see the Band Scope option.

I also discovered that you can be in the normal scan/search mode, and if, when the scanner stops at a transmission (conventional or trunking), you push the Hold button, then Function+3(SR3), the band scope will appear around that tranmission frequency (control frequency for a trunk system regardless of TGID stopped on). Neat.. now to learn how to wisely choose the frequency step so that the active frequencies adjacent to the center frequency will appear in the display.... any ideas, anyone, how to choose the step?

 

[DaveIN]

Press the "." key to change from frequency span, center frequency, to frequency step, then "E", Then scroll to the step size, "E" to enter (if I remember correctly).

 

[ILikeHatchChili]

Press the "." key to change from frequency span, center frequency, to frequency step, then "E", Then scroll to the step size, "E" to enter (if I remember correctly).

Got that already. My question is how to choose the step size for the frequency band in view, so that all the activity will be shown and not missed because of the step increments (i.e., activity "buried" between increments).

Thanks... any other help/hints are welcome.

 

[DaveIN]

OK, that would be the frequency span, scroll control to change the bandwidth. The narrow the bandwidth, the faster it scans.

 

[DaveeCom]

Got that already. My question is how to choose the step size for the frequency band in view, so that all the activity will be shown and not missed because of the step increments (i.e., activity "buried" between increments).

Thanks... any other help/hints are welcome.

I'm wondering about that myself. Does the scanner widen the receiver bandwidth during scope operation or does it risk skipping frequencies altogether if they're in between the ticks on the scope display?

 

[ILikeHatchChili]

I'm wondering about that myself. Does the scanner widen the receiver bandwidth during scope operation or does it risk skipping frequencies altogether if they're in between the ticks on the scope display?

I think the latter scenario you mentioned (skip frequencies between ticks) because you will notice the BW does not widen as you change frequency steps.

I sure wish that I could figure out how to advance to the next shown adjacent frequency (to the left or right) merely by just twisting the knob ccw or cw one click only. This and choosing the correct frequency step would make the band scope very useful, I think.