Hmm - the RS handheld you are using is likely to be anything from the PRO-92 to the PRO-95....
Anyway, programming the 246 is a totally different animal than programming the PRO series. You must not think of banks, but groups and systems. It is possible that the programming is off - there is a better online manual called the 'Easier to Read BC246T Manual' which can be found in the BC246 wiki page under 'Related Pages' at:
http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/BC246T
The other possibility is one I've had some experience with, having worked on several parades in the Towson area. If that's the general area where you are, it's well known to have several holes there that are not-so-kindly referred to by hams as a 'RF Hell' - and with good reason. There are so many transmitters - pagers, taxis, business, ect. - in that area that a condition called 'desense' can be a real headache. It's entirely possible that the RS handheld you are using is resisting this better than the more sensitive Uniden.
Basically put, it means that the receiver is so swamped with received signals, that it locks onto one you don't want to hear (say, a pager) - even if you're not actually tuned to it - and reduces the sensitivity on everything else. Apart from filtering, a different antenna may be necessary. For example, many folks have had excellant success with a 800 mhz duckie from RS - but even that may be too much in such an environment. The classic test - turn on the attenuator when listening to the county. If reception is either unaffected or improves - even slightly - that's a clear sign that you are experiencing desense.
Let's try to tackle the programming angle first, since that's the cheapest way to go. I don't have a 246, but I'm willing to bet there are a few folks in the area that do.
73s Mike
