Question for users of BCD396T

[rick521]

If the BCD396T does not track multi-site systems like the CO State DTRS, how do users of this scanner monitor the state system?

 

[RISC777]

hmm... rick521, you might want to search out the Yahoo group BCD396T. There's been some serious messaging on that exact topic. Let's see, no, the 396 will not in perhaps the strictest terminology do 'multi-site trunk tracking' (right now, who knows what firmware upgrades may or may not do about this) ... but at the same time 'it does.' Here, in CO, a lot has to do with where you are geographically, are you listening at home and at work, or also on your commute? That comes into play when you're programming CCh's and what sites you're near at different times. Usually multiple Systems, or lock/unlock CCh freqs that are in a System. The 396, I think, gives enough ways to be flexible in some areas that it's mostly up to the individual and what works for them. That Yahoo group I mentioned? The postings there definitely cover this way in-depth. If you look for it and can't find it, let me know. Between this forum site and that group, I don't have to look anywhere else for information or answers to questions. Have fun!

 

[poltergeisty]

I am not sure I understand this. All you have to do is enter in the control channel and talk groups. Voila, you can hear the system. All of Co. having a multi site system? Yes you can hear them on seperate towers at the same time but, you can still hear them.

I'm confused on multi site?

 

[abqscan]

Just because you enter in a CC, doesn't mean you will hear "everything." If your 396T is stuck on a CC that a TG has not affiliated with, you are out of luck! They way I understand it is one needs to program a new system with one CC and all the TG's you want to listen too from that CC, and scan multiple systems.

 

[RISC777]

If the BCD396T does not track multi-site systems like the CO State DTRS, how do users of this scanner monitor the state system?

There are a plethora of sites around the state. Each site will have a number of departments/systems affiliated to or with that site. Basically, you cannot have one site programmed in and hear everything the state (you probably already know this, though). It's a geographical kind of thing. For instance, Loveland, Poudre Fire Authority, Union Colony won't be able to be monitored from Denver, unless you've got a directed yagi with a good amount of gain mounted fairly high and aimed 'just right' - because those cities and systems are affiliated with the sites that service them, that they use. Each site only has so many channels, and if it were setup any other way, these sites would have too much traffic and too many would go unheard due to lack of channel availability. So, based on being in Adams County, look at what you want to monitor on the state system. Learn and identify what sites you can receive based on distance, your antenna, etc. Program those sites' Control Channels in, enter your Talk Groups, and then tweak, modify, add/delete Talk Groups until you're receiving what you want to monitor. As far as the 4 EDACS in the Denver metro area, those you should be able to pick pretty well I would think. Did my comments muddy the waters for you?

 

[poltergeisty]

So there are sites in other states that will allow you to hear the entire state?

Where I live I just program the towers in my area and I can receive the city Pd here and the other towns. I can also hear Boulder,Adams county and anything from that area. I'm thinking about putting up a yagi my self to pull in other towers.

I'm not understanding the programing of the 396d still myself I don't have one yet. Will the 396d monitor a CC and then go to the next? Like the 796d and 296d this is what I'm used to. I know the 396d has dynamic memory but, it sounds like a hindrance here maybe I'm wrong. I think if the 396d monitors one CC and moves to the next it will be able to meet your demands on the sites here.

I need to look at that manual again and see if I can make some sense of this dynamic memory thing.

 

[RISC777]

snip:
"So there are sites in other states that will allow you to hear the entire state?"
----> That I can't answer, I don't know.

If you are used to a BC796D, then you already know the programming for CO's TRS system. As far as the dynamic memory in the BCD396T, basically throw out of your thinking banks and channels. With the 396 you program Systems until you're out of memory. No bank assignments.

The only thing remotely close to "banks" are the Quick Keys. Those are used to enable/disable Systems from being scanned, turn them on or off. Way, way more flexible the 396 is. It's not the 'perfect' scanner, but until the BC996D is released (or whenever the next handheld comes out) I won't buy another bank/channel based scanner.

 

[captaincraig44]

I'm not understanding the programing of the 396d still myself I don't have one yet. Will the 396d monitor a CC and then go to the next? Like the 796d and 296d this is what I'm used to. I know the 396d has dynamic memory but, it sounds like a hindrance here maybe I'm wrong. I think if the 396d monitors one CC and moves to the next it will be able to meet your demands on the sites here.

I need to look at that manual again and see if I can make some sense of this dynamic memory thing.

First, no, the 396 will not scan multiple control channels in the same system. Once it finds one, it doesn't let go. Even if you travel outside of the signal coverage, it will still hold on that CC. Kind of stupid logic, and I'm hoping the upcoming firmware update addresses that, but I'm not holding my breath. I have four different "systems" for Jefferson County setup in my 396, for example. Each system has CC's that are common for agencies in Jeffco to affiliate with. If I just threw them all into one bank, I would really only be monitoring the first CC that the 396 come across. This way, I can monitor multiple towers so I can be more confident of hearing a given TG. It uses a lot of extra space, but even with hainvg to do this for Arapahoe, Douglas, Adams, etc I still only have used something like 78% of the memory and that includes lots of other systems that I monitor infrequently like Federal trunk and conventional, DIA, Xcel, etc.
Also, if you read the Yahoo groups posting about multi-site tracking, don't expect Uniden to provide this ability in a future firmware upgrade. It wasn't advertised to do so and I don't see much sense from a business stand point of upgrading it to do so. You can read all of the increasingly childish banter over there if you are really bored, but I would personally use that portion of my life for something more productive or fun.

Second, Dynamic memory is a very good thing. I can't really think of a downside to it actually. Trust me, once you get to understand it and see it in action, you will appreciate it.

 

[RISC777]

First, no, the 396 will not scan multiple control channels in the same system. Once it finds one, it doesn't let go. Even if you travel outside of the signal coverage, it will still hold on that CC. Kind of stupid logic, and I'm hoping the upcoming firmware update addresses that, but I'm not holding my breath. I have four different "systems" for Jefferson County setup in my 396, for example. Each system has CC's that are common for agencies in Jeffco to affiliate with. If I just threw them all into one bank, I would really only be monitoring the first CC that the 396 come across. This way, I can monitor multiple towers so I can be more confident of hearing a given TG. It uses a lot of extra space, but even with hainvg to do this for Arapahoe, Douglas, Adams, etc I still only have used something like 78% of the memory and that includes lots of other systems that I monitor infrequently like Federal trunk and conventional, DIA, Xcel, etc.
Also, if you read the Yahoo groups posting about multi-site tracking, don't expect Uniden to provide this ability in a future firmware upgrade. It wasn't advertised to do so and I don't see much sense from a business stand point of upgrading it to do so. You can read all of the increasingly childish banter over there if you are really bored, but I would personally use that portion of my life for something more productive or fun.

Second, Dynamic memory is a very good thing. I can't really think of a downside to it actually. Trust me, once you get to understand it and see it in action, you will appreciate it.

Ditto to what captaincraig said. The only thing about dynamic memory is maybe, more of it? Other than that, hopefully the whenever-it's-out 496 will have something like an SD card slot. Keep systems on it, more expandability and flexibility. Then again, Uniden may have some stuff planned that'll blow all our socks off anyways. *Remains to be seen*

 

[poltergeisty]

I have another question concerning the 396d. Thanks Rick for this thread.

When you come across a ENC does it automatically mute or can you still hear the mubo jumbo?

 

[RISC777]

When something is encrypted you'll see ENC instead of DAT or LNK, and, no, you won't hear anything other than the usual bit of background noise.

 

[poltergeisty]

When something is encrypted you'll see ENC instead of DAT or LNK, and, no, you won't hear anything other than the usual bit of background noise.

Um, ya, I know that. Thats why I said what you said :lol: ENC. Just wanted to know if you could still hear the unintelligible voice coming from the radio or in the 396d they decided to automatically mute it.

Where I'm at you can hear a lot of digital sounds when the screen blinks ENC.

 

[rick521]

Thank You

Thanks to each and everyone of you who took time to answer my question. Hopefully by the time this state wide system gets to my area, the issues of today will be solved by the scanners of tomorrow.

And then lets hope I can afford to buy one.

 

[mancow]

Um, ya, I know that. Thats why I said what you said :lol: ENC. Just wanted to know if you could still hear the unintelligible voice coming from the radio or in the 396d they decided to automatically mute it.

Where I'm at you can hear a lot of digital sounds when the screen blinks ENC.

I think what he meant by "background noise" may have been the slight hiss of the audio amp when muted.

When the 396 encounters an encrypted P25 signal you hear nothing. It's as if you turned the volume all the way down. You don't hear the garbled nextel sound like you do on the PRO96.

If that answers your question.

It's a nice feature but I wish I could turn it off at times when searching the Fed bands and I'm not really paying attention to what it's doing.

 

[captaincraig44]

At the most, you might get a tenth of a second of audio before the radio decides that it's something that you shouldn't be listening to and mutes it. That was the case when the Prez was in town on the SS channels. The first time the radio stopped on the freq, it would breiefly allow the encrypted noise through, then squelch it.