BCDx36HP: Test for P25 Decode Improvement

[Ensnared]

Originally Posted by N0UDG

I believe post #1 of this thread should help answer your question.

Generally speaking, I can discern the topic of most threads without reading the first. But, this was the exception. I did not know the radio had this capability. I'm quite impressed. I never knew there would be a way to determine how well a radio was receiving a particular system.

This will be yet another advantage of Uniden over GRE-designed digital scanners.

[wbigcount]

Originally Posted by Ensnared

Sinp

This will be yet another advantage of Uniden over GRE-designed digital scanners.

Advantage?? Having to set them in way that shouldn't be the right setting is an advantage?

[Ensnared]

In my opinion, one of the most powerful methods of learning involves direct observation. Are there any You Tube videos showing how to activate the test/analysis function on the 436/536 Uniden Scanners? I would like to see this demonstrated since I don't own the radio yet.

[detroit780]

The Analyze function never made production.We have been told it will be in a future firmware release. The future hasn't arrived yet but since the last firmware release was in March it should be just around the corner.

Originally Posted by Ensnared

In my opinion, one of the most powerful methods of learning involves direct observation. Are there any You Tube videos showing how to activate the test/analysis function on the 436/536 Uniden Scanners? I would like to see this demonstrated since I don't own the radio yet.

[Ensnared]

Originally Posted by detroit780

The Analyze function never made production.We have been told it will be in a future firmware release. The future hasn't arrived yet but since the last firmware release was in March it should be just around the corner.

Ok. I really don't understand what is going on in this thread even after reading the first post. I thought the decode test was an analysis mode.

Let me rephrase this. Are there any You Tube videos showing the "test decode" function of these radios?

[UPMan]

Test is subjective (your perception).

[Ensnared]

Originally Posted by UPMan

Test is subjective (your perception).

Well, my mind is almost numb from having watched tons of You Tube videos on these radios. Yes, I thought it was kind of odd a radio analysis would come back with some of the terms I saw to describe reception. Live & Learn. Thanks.

[MaxTracker]

In P25 Conventional mode this vastly changes things. By selecting NFM and 12.5Khz the audio was clearer and louder. Actually sounded as good if not better than it does on my 996XT. Will try on DPS channels tonight.

[qc]

East Bay Regional Communications System (EBRCS) Trunking System, Multiple, California - Scanner Frequencies

Site CCCO Central Simulcast

Condition before: Excellent with some Digital Distortion

Condition after: Poor with more Digital Distortion


I have notice more Simulcast Digital Distortion on BCD436HP when using FM mode and less when using NFM, also notice more Simulcast Digital Distortion when I upgraded the Firmware to 1.03.00 form 1.02.07 hopefully Uniden will have improvement with future Firmware updates but still a big improvement over my PSR-500

[turtle16]

Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) Trunking System, Various, Minnesota - Scanner Frequencies

1 (1) 004 (4) Carver - Scott Co. Simulcast

Before:Excellent

After: Excellent

BCD436HP

[KD5BIQ]

FORMAT FOR REPORTING:
Link to the system in RRDB. GATRRS Greater Austin/Travis Regional Radio System (GATRRS) Trunking System, Austin, Texas - Scanner Frequencies
Specific site monitored (if known). Multiple, all with same results (degraded decoding)
Condition before: Fair - Poor
Condition after: Fair - Poor (no improvement)

[n3ouc]

Berks County Public Safety Radio System Trunking System, Berks County, Pennsylvania - Scanner Frequencies

Degraded decoding on the entire system

FM = Poor <10%
NFM = Poor <10%

Tried all kinds of threshold changes with the 10% being gained at 5.
Signal strength is about 400 on all channels

MIke

[JackdAnderson]

Link to the system in RRDB. San Diego County - Imperial County Regional Communications System (RCS)
Specific site monitored: south zone.
Condition before: Fair
Condition after: Better

Chula Vista Police, San Diego County Sheriff, National City Police.

[K1IRG]

Does a fine job with P25 conventional but a poor job with P25 trunked systems. I tried FM.. NFM little if any change. About 50% dropouts, distortion, and incomplete transmissions.

I monitor the same public service system with a 796D and a PRO 96. the copy is great would hardly know it is digital. Virtually no drop outs no distortion or incomplete signals. If I hear it so does the dispatcher.

The 796D has the capability to adjust the P25 trunked signals for best quality. The 536 does not have an adjustment capability of trunked P25 only for conventional P25.

I had the 796 and the 536 side by side monitoring the same P25 trunked system. The 796 was perfectly clear. The 536 all distorted on the same transmissions. I thought I was upgrading and the 536 does have some great features that I was looking for but without P25 trunked I will give up the other features. I had the radio about four days got frustrated and sent it back to the store.

[shglad]

Link to the system in RRDB.
WyoLink/P25
WyoLink Trunking System, Statewide, Multi-State - Scanner Frequencies

Specific site monitored (if known).

Aspen Ridge
Hogsback Ridge

Condition before: Poor or no traffic.

Condition after: Excellent

Then, put any additional discussion you want to add.
436 & 536

[W6KRU]

Link to the system in RRDB: San Diego County - Imperial County Regional Communications System (RCS) Trunking System, Various, California - Scanner Frequencies
Specific site monitored (if known): North Cell
Condition before: Mediocre
Condition after: Better

The P25 errs were peaking in the high 40s before the switch to FM. After the switch the errs were peaking in the low 30s. After the change I was able to change the threshold from 10 to 11 for additional improvement. After this success, I tried the same thing on my 396T and 396XT. I had good results on them as well. I wish this had been suggested for them years ago. This was very beneficial for multipath problems caused by simulcast.

[wa2sqq]

Jersey City Trunking System, Jersey City, New Jersey - Scanner Frequencies
Although labeled as Simulcast, there is only one site to this system

BEFORE:
Default (NFM) Poor (Garbled & frequent intermittent dropouts - even after manual threshold adjustment.)

AFTER
(FM): Definitely a slight improvement, but far from acceptable.
I also noticed:
:When changed to FM that radio would stop on TG's though no traffic was being passed. Going back to NFM stopped this from happening.

: This system gives me 3 consistent bars on the S meter. Switching to another antenna (rooftop) improves the random dropouts, but audio quality is still "very garbled". My 996 does so much better!

: Inserted a variable attenuator and saw the degradation occur when signal level drops below 3 bars on S meter.

: Was able to duplicate all the above with another system (Bergen County)
Bergen County Public Safety Trunking System, Bergen County, New Jersey - Scanner Frequencies

BOTH systems are in the 470 mhz range
Strangely, these problems do not exist on systems up on 800 mhz., even some that are much weaker.

Conclusion: With the current firmware, P25 operation is POOR.

[MikeWazowski]

Gentlemen, please keep in mind that this thread is for reporting the results of your testing using the following format:

To submit a report:
FORMAT FOR REPORTING (to make my life a little easier):
Link to the system in RRDB.
Specific site monitored (if known).
Condition before: Excellent / Poor
Condition after: Excellent / Poor

Then, put any additional discussion you want to add.

If you require technical assistance with your scanner, please use the Uniden Owner Tech Support forum.

Thanks.

[N2ZGE]

My BCD436 has been doing a terrible job decoding tg's on my local County's site here in NJ. However, after playing around with it a little, it has made some fair improvement. The default Threshold is set to 8 on the scanner, and after conducting the test, it does show the error rate close to zero at the default threshold of 8, however it sounds BETTER when it is set to "manual" rather than auto. So, even though 8 is the default setting anyway, setting it to 8 under manual makes a big difference for me.

I also added a 3 second Site hold time delay under system options, giving the scanner a better chance of catching/decoding the P25 phase TDMA signal in scan mode. Yes, I still hear a few garbled transmissions that should be heard more clearly, but I believe part of that problem is due to the transmissions currently being patched through VHF still for some departments. If your system is still simulcasting on VHF, this will definitely make some of your transmissions sound more garbled at times and there's nothing you can do about that until the VHF patch is abandoned on their end.

Next, I will try setting my squelch setting lower, maybe to about a 2, to see if that helps even more. I think it's a great scanner, but you really need to play around with the settings a lot to get it to decode clearly on digital trunked systems.

[brischo]

OK lets hope I do this right,,, Im using the BCD436HP

Link to system Genesee, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans Counties Public Safety Trunking System, Regional, New York - Scanner Frequencies

Listening to Genesee simulcast only

Condition before Clear to very poor with much distortion

Condition after no noticeable change

I have adjusted the settings multiple times with no real change in the results
I also have the advantage of comparing it to the audio of the Harris XG25 Portable and Mobile units
those radios are much clearer but still get digital distortion. I think it comes from a combination of the system and the user

All other systems I have in the scanner both digital and analog come in very good. The only problem is the Genesee County system audio