436HP Volume Offset?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Ensnared

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Messages
4,438
Location
Waco, Texas
I've looked in the Easier To Read Guides specific to Sentinel/436HP as well as the Uniden Owner's manual looking for a description of Volume Offset. There is nothing explaining what this means. So, someone, please enlighten me. To me, this sounds like an Audio Boost, a feature on my PSR 500. But, I could be wrong.
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
From what I understood, sometimes you hear the first part of a transmission and the volume sounds fine, then the one responding back to that transmission sounds weak, example to far from the mic, you can use the volume offset to compensate so that both sound equal, or close to it.
 

phask

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
3,670
Location
KZZV - SE Ohio
Increase or decreases the volume on that selection.

Does NOT do what the previous user implied. It will increase or decrease ANY thing on that selection.




I've looked in the Easier To Read Guides specific to Sentinel/436HP as well as the Uniden Owner's manual looking for a description of Volume Offset. There is nothing explaining what this means. So, someone, please enlighten me. To me, this sounds like an Audio Boost, a feature on my PSR 500. But, I could be wrong.
 

phask

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
3,670
Location
KZZV - SE Ohio
Nope - that would be AGC - automatic gain control.

From what I understood, sometimes you hear the first part of a transmission and the volume sounds fine, then the one responding back to that transmission sounds weak, example to far from the mic, you can use the volume offset to compensate so that both sound equal, or close to it.
 

hiegtx

Mentor
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 8, 2004
Messages
11,171
Location
Dallas, TX
I've looked in the Easier To Read Guides specific to Sentinel/436HP as well as the Uniden Owner's manual looking for a description of Volume Offset. There is nothing explaining what this means. So, someone, please enlighten me. To me, this sounds like an Audio Boost, a feature on my PSR 500. But, I could be wrong.
What that does is adjust the volume on a specific frequency, either to make it louder, or softer.
TemplateVolumeOffset < UnidenMan4 < TWiki

Say you have ten channels (frequencies or talkgroups) programmed in, and have your volume control set at a comfortable listening level for them. Nine of the ten are just fine the way they are. But that tenth one isn't. Either the volume is much higher than the other nine, or maybe it's much lower.The audio sounds like they are screaming, or maybe whispering, hard to hear. You can use the Volume Offset to adjust the volume on just that one frequency or talkgroup to move it into the range of what the other programmed channels (conventional or trunked) sound like.
 

JamesO

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2003
Messages
1,814
Location
McLean, VA
Nope - that would be AGC - automatic gain control.

Has anyone REALLY confirmed the AGC works on the x96XT or the x36HP?

I have yet to really see/hear that it works on these radios and I have a lot of situations where is is needed.
 

kb8rvp

Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2003
Messages
552
Location
Michigan
I use the volume offset in my programming of the X36HP and the 396XT as well to even out the volume between talk groups and channels. It really helps make up for the little effect the AGC has on these radios.
I have some talk groups that are very loud and I set them at -2 and I have some that are a little quiet and I have them set to a +1 and a few that are at +2 then you can hear just about everything without having to turn up the volume and you don't get blasted out of your seat on others... You can do it in the programming software or on the fly using the radio menu.

Mike
 

JamesO

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2003
Messages
1,814
Location
McLean, VA
I use the volume offset in my programming of the X36HP and the 396XT as well to even out the volume between talk groups and channels. It really helps make up for the little effect the AGC has on these radios.
I have some talk groups that are very loud and I set them at -2 and I have some that are a little quiet and I have them set to a +1 and a few that are at +2 then you can hear just about everything without having to turn up the volume and you don't get blasted out of your seat on others... You can do it in the programming software or on the fly using the radio menu.

Mike

I use the volume offset to deal with patched TG that are usually way too loud.

Interesting your comment about the AGC on the x96CT and even the x36HP radios, I call BS on the fact that the AGC even works until it can be PROVED TO WORK otherwise!!! Not just a few fanboys claiming the AGC functions. This is an entire topic I would like discussed with a White Paper put out by Uniden with examples of settings and what each one does, how it reacts and what the default baseline AGC would be set to.

Jury is still out on the AGC for the HP-1 a far as I am also concerned.
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
JamesO, interesting, according to the manual the AGC setting states- helps balancing the audio level you hear as you listen to different radio sources so you can hear them at a similar volume. Modulation must be set correctly, fm, nfm to operate. Default setting is 0. Volume Offset then as stated previously must then only be for one specific frequency or talkgroup, if I understand it correctly. Which sort of makes sense related to Volume Offset, I have one Talkgroup which always seems weaker in volume than the rest of the system, the AGC did nothing to correct this.
 

captaincraig44

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 19, 2003
Messages
812
Location
Arvada
That is the one major issue I still have with Uniden radios - the AGC that really is worthless. After all these years, how can Uniden be so stagnant on progress with this? My GRE radio sounded beautiful, smooth and even on all digital channels, while my 436 is all over the place. I shouldn't have to adjust a volume offset for each channel/TG. After all, some individual transmissions are substantially louder or quieter than others, not necessarily every transmission on a given freq/TG. With that being said, is that something that could be fixed with a firmware update, or is that a hardware issue?
 

JamesO

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2003
Messages
1,814
Location
McLean, VA
That is the one major issue I still have with Uniden radios - the AGC that really is worthless. After all these years, how can Uniden be so stagnant on progress with this? My GRE radio sounded beautiful, smooth and even on all digital channels, while my 436 is all over the place. I shouldn't have to adjust a volume offset for each channel/TG. After all, some individual transmissions are substantially louder or quieter than others, not necessarily every transmission on a given freq/TG. With that being said, is that something that could be fixed with a firmware update, or is that a hardware issue?

I still call BS/Vaporware on the AGC for the x96XT and x36HP platforms. Even somewhat on the HP-1.

How can you "fix" something that may never have been implemented??? :D

Again, maybe I/We are all missing something on how the AGC should be configured, how it works and maybe it is PILOT ERROR, but when there are MULTIPLE settings for the AGC on these scanners, there may by hundreds of combinations to try. Without a CLEAR and CONCISE description of what each parameter does, how each parameter affects signals and some benchmark/baseline settings, how an anyone supposed to be able to figure out even where to start with the AGC on these products.

I find it interesting that there have not been a large group to pipe in claiming how well the AGC works and what settings they are using. This large block of silence has me generally suspicious that this is just Vaporware

I would love for someone to produce a White Paper with examples and descriptions on how each setting changes/modifies the Volume on these radios. And to be more to the point, should this really be considered an AGC or an AVC? I would be happy with a AVC (Automatic Volume Control) that actuallyh worked as there is not likely any AGC going on here. Also for Gain or dB changes within the IF section, this should have little to no impact of FM or digital signals, only on AM. Or this is at least how I understood the world to work.

I am all ears, I am ready to be proved wrong!!
 

Ensnared

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Messages
4,438
Location
Waco, Texas
Volume Is Awful

The piss poor volume of this radio is my main complaint for this otherwise fine radio. My PSR 500 blows this radio away when it comes to volume. At highway speed, inside a Nissan Versa (not the most sound-insulted automobile out there), it is almost impossible to hear while mounted on my dash. Even when I attach the over-the-ear mono earphone, it does not work well. Amazon.com: Accessories Unlimited AUEPD1 Earphone With 3.5Mm Plug: Cell Phones & Accessories
 
Last edited:

JamesO

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2003
Messages
1,814
Location
McLean, VA
The piss poor volume of this radio is my main complaint for this otherwise fine radio. My PSR 500 blows this radio away when it comes to volume. At highway speed, inside a Nissan Versa (not the most sound-insulted automobile out there), it is almost impossible to hear while mounted on my dash. Even when I attach the over-the-ear mono earphone, it does not work well. Amazon.com: Accessories Unlimited AUEPD1 Earphone With 3.5Mm Plug: Cell Phones & Accessories

The mono earphone is part of your problem. ALL newer Uniden scanners have stereo headphone jacks and you cannot use a mono plug in the earphone jack without causing problems and maybe even damaging the audio amp.

You need to get a stereo to mono adapter of some sort.

Search the forum here for the info about the balanced or differential audio amp circuit used in these radios.

Read this carefully - http://forums.radioreference.com/uniden-owner-tech-support/294323-audio-out.html
 
Last edited:

Ensnared

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Messages
4,438
Location
Waco, Texas
Audio Out Thread

The mono earphone is part of your problem. ALL newer Uniden scanners have stereo headphone jacks and you cannot use a mono plug in the earphone jack without causing problems and maybe even damaging the audio amp.

You need to get a stereo to mono adapter of some sort.

Search the forum here for the info about the balanced or differential audio amp circuit used in these radios.

Read this carefully - http://forums.radioreference.com/uniden-owner-tech-support/294323-audio-out.html

In this thread, there are several different opinions mentioned. However, at your suggestion, I plugged in a set of stereo ear buds. Wow! The audio was loud! Thank you so much for clearing this up for me.

I don't understand all of the information listed on that thread yet. I understand that I cannot use my MP3 3.5 mm input on my Kenwood Stereo unless I keep the volume of the radio down very low.

I wonder. Does anyone make a stereo external speaker? Does the Uniden external speaker work well with my 436? I did not know it was stereo.
 

Ensnared

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Messages
4,438
Location
Waco, Texas
Audio Out Thread

The mono earphone is part of your problem. ALL newer Uniden scanners have stereo headphone jacks and you cannot use a mono plug in the earphone jack without causing problems and maybe even damaging the audio amp.

You need to get a stereo to mono adapter of some sort.

Search the forum here for the info about the balanced or differential audio amp circuit used in these radios.

Read this carefully - http://forums.radioreference.com/uniden-owner-tech-support/294323-audio-out.html

In this thread, there are several different opinions mentioned. However, at your suggestion, I plugged in a set of stereo ear buds. Wow! The audio was loud! Thank you so much for clearing this up for me.

I don't understand all of the information listed on that thread yet. I understand that I cannot use my MP3 3.5 mm input on my Kenwood Stereo unless I keep the volume of the radio down very low.

I wonder. Does anyone make a stereo external speaker? Does the Uniden external speaker work well with my 436? I did not know it was stereo.
 

UPMan

In Memoriam
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
13,296
Location
Arlington, TX
We use stereo connections on our external communications speakers so that they won't short out stereo-wired jacks (as are used on headphone out jacks).
 

Ensnared

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Messages
4,438
Location
Waco, Texas
Weird Setup

I found a mono to stereo adapter, not gold-plated like what was shown in another post, and put it on the over-the-ear earphone. It is not as loud of volume like when I had the two stereo buds in my ears. I don't want both ears engaged. To reduce marital discord, I have one ear with the scanner and one ear with the CB while driving using two separate earphones.

When I plug use the stereo adapter with the mono plug or simply use one side of stereo ear buds, I cannot say the radio is any louder, but I don't won't to blow out the radio audio. I can get by with the audio. I will say this. I put NOAA on the radio and then compared the audio without and without the adapter. It is noticeably louder with the adapter.

When my wife is not with me on my way to work, I will purchase/use the Uniden External speaker suggested by Upman. Hopefully, this will get above the road noise.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top