The fear of getting back in

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Peerlessk

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Lima NY
I’ve been lurking in the shadows since 2013 . I figure it’s time to break silence . I have and don’t laugh please a bct8 scanner that because of digital I’m looking to upgrade . One I’m looking @ is the BCD536HP. The price and it becoming a door stop and being blocked out in the future makes me Leary of the purchase . I like to monitor the police in my area and have hope to do so in the future . Anyone shed some light on the digital era ? Are we going dark ? And would the BCD536HP be a good start in my digital journey ? I apologize if I’m posting this in the wrong section
 

Unforgiven_AF

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Douglas, MA
I was just like you a few weeks ago, coming from old tech and looking to listen again. While I'm still a noob, and have way more to learn to really understand everything, I purchased the 536 and have had it for a little less than a week. From what I have read (check the wiki's and read a lot of threads) the BCD536HP is the top of the line for now. New stuff will come out, but departments would also need to buy new equipment, figure out interoperability (sp?), and turn it on. The signals we are listening to will be around for a long time.

I'll be honest, jumping from my old Radio Shack punch in a code and listen to the 536 was, and is intimidating. I try to learn one new feature or function a day. I more or less am listening to what I wanted to when I decided to get back into it. The good thing is I'm probably using 1% of the scanners ability to do that, so I have a world to grow in. :)
 

Peerlessk

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Insightful response . My thinking that uniden still has this model and thus just released some new software for it or update makes me feel better that it will be supported for a good while or should be . Thanks for the response
 

TailGator911

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I was in the same boat. When I came off the road from trucking I had traveled for years with a bc245xlt, (top of the line then) then things started happening. I upgraded to a BC330 and then a 396XLT and I got frustrated with the programming and shelved them for about six months. Ended up giving my 396 to my son and taking a break for awhile, settling into retirement, that sort of thing. Had hurricanes tear up my house so I was preoccupied for a while there.

Then I sold the Florida house and moved up to Ohio and decided to get back into scanning and. I bought the BCd436HP but I didn't really have the time or patience to sit down with it. After a few frustrating weeks I packed it up and sent it back to ScannerMaster and gave up on digital scanning for a while.

Then things settled down for me and I decided to get back into it gung-ho. I read up on the best scanners available and bought what I thought was the top of the line - a Whistler TRX-1, a BCD536HP, and a Whistler WS-1065. I re-committed to the hobby and with the help of some very kind folks here and the time and dedication I put into learning each radio, I now have everything streamlined and operating smoothly and back into it 100%.

Don't be intimidated like I was, keep at it and it will all fall into place. For me, it was a matter of patience and dedication, sitting down with the radio (s) and learning a little bit each day. The lightbulb will start clicking here and there and then suddenly - it all comes together. I am so glad I decided to get back into it.

An old dog can learn new tricks, I am living proof of that :)
Don't give up!

JD
kf4anc
 

bob550

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Welcome to the forum, and welcome back to the hobby! It looks like your in Livingston County, which appears to be mostly P25 phase 2, so the 536 would be a good choice. Nothing appears to be encrypted at this point, which would be the only reason your 536 couldn't receive these transmissions. You may want to search through the New York forum, https://forums.radioreference.com/new-york-radio-discussion-forum/, for more information on Livingston County.
 

captainmax1

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Same story here. Started out scanning in late 60's with crystal scanners, then the programmable digital radios came out and had to learn a new system which I learned to love. Did only moderate scanning for 25 years while in college, doing a career and raising kids. Newer Object Oriented Scanners came out and had to learn new system again with lots of frustration but computer programming eventually made it a lot easier. Then Dynamic Memory Architecture was here and made it frustrating again. In 2014 I bought the x36 scanners and again was intimidated and frustrated learning the newer DMA with System, Dept., Channel orientation But over time with practice and help in these forums it all started to click. I like the new System, Dept., Channel architecture with Zip Code that Uniden uses now and glad they didn't change it with their new SDS-100 Scanner. I enjoy scanning and listening to my radios more now than any time in my life I believe. Keep with it and use these Forums. There are Very Knowledgeable people on these Forums to help us.
 

bob550

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Having been in this hobby for more than 35 years, I am amazed at the amount of data compressed onto a micro SD card the size of a fingernail. Back in the day, it would have required an entire library of books for that amount of information.
 

K5MPH

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As bob550 said where you live they did not Encrypted anything yet you are lucky here where i live in Brownsville,Texas they Encrypted everything and i mean everything,to start the police was the first and then the fire and then later ems at one time the fire wanted to stop the encryption and the police complained so it never took place so count your self lucky the BCD536HP is an good pick,welcome back to the hobby.......
 

Peerlessk

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Lima NY
software

I've been reading but don't find what I'm trying to understand . needing a firmware update I'm sure of . how? I'm running a new laptop with windows 10 . do I just plug scanner in and it installs drivers needed . no clue what I'm doing . a link for this ? bcd536hp
 

hiegtx

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This has been one heck of a learning curve ,this scanner is a beast.
Have you installed Sentinel, the software for the BCD536HP?
If so, you can easily do the firmware update. Start Sentinel on your PC. Plug the USB cable that came with the scanner into both the scanner and your PC. You should then get a prompt on the scanner asking you to press a key. You need to press the E (yes) key to put the scanner into mass storage mode. Once the scanner's display is showing it as in 'mass storage mode', then either click on the top menu item Update and select update firmware, or click on the icon just below the letters 'date' (within Update) to update the firmware.

If you have not already done so, you can find more detailed information at these two links:
Easier to Read BCD436/536HP Digital Scanner Manual
and
BCDX36HP Sentinel Software Manual
 

Peerlessk

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Sep 1, 2013
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Lima NY
Have you installed Sentinel, the software for the BCD536HP?
If so, you can easily do the firmware update. Start Sentinel on your PC. Plug the USB cable that came with the scanner into both the scanner and your PC. You should then get a prompt on the scanner asking you to press a key. You need to press the E (yes) key to put the scanner into mass storage mode. Once the scanner's display is showing it as in 'mass storage mode', then either click on the top menu item Update and select update firmware, or click on the icon just below the letters 'date' (within Update) to update the firmware.

If you have not already done so, you can find more detailed information at these two links:
Easier to Read BCD436/536HP Digital Scanner Manual
and
BCDX36HP Sentinel Software Manual
Thank you, Ifter doing some digging AND lots of reading I’ve managed to get the firmware updated and data update . Still confused and learning what to scan locally without a favorites list . Thank you for the reply
 

hiegtx

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Thank you, Ifter doing some digging AND lots of reading I’ve managed to get the firmware updated and data update . Still confused and learning what to scan locally without a favorites list . Thank you for the reply
For scanning without a Favorites list, you can use your location. Enter your location via zip code. Note that if your zip code covers a large area, you would be better off to use a map program to get your exact location, latitude & longitude. But zip code would at least get you started.

Next, enter a range. That range will determine the agencies and systems that will load in the scanner. Note that those systems are not just based on the distance from your location. Instead, what it is really doing is using your range setting, plus the range distance in the database for the given entity. A more complete explanation is here: How it Works: Location, Location, Location

The other key is Service Types. By default, the scanner will have Dispatch service types enabled, such as Law Dispatch, Fire Dispatch, EMS Dispatch, and Multi Dispatch. But if you look at the database for your area, you'll a number of other types used. Such as Law Talk, Fire Tac, Multi Tac. Be sure and enable the Talk and Tac types for each of the public safety types (Law, Fire, EMS, & Multi).

The above will get you going. Note that you can also create a Favorites list via Sentinel, once you've made the settings above. In Sentinel, after you have updated the database, set your range, location, and Service Types of interest, click on the Edit drop down menu at the top of the Sentinel window. Select 'Add channels in range'. That will create a Favorites list based on the settings you entered. You likely will find some things that do not interest you, such as perhaps a large statewide system, or certain cities or counties that you do not care to listen to. You can trim out the ones not of interest by either clicking on them to select, and then right><click>. From the pop-up menu that generates, choose Remove from Favorites.

If, instead, you choose to modify your list with the Favorites List Editor (accessed either from the Edit menu, or by clicking on the small icon under the 'w' in 'View', resembling a star with a pencil on it), you can make your choices in the editor. There, you can also modify the text tags to make something more to your tastes. Also, using the Editor, you can set individual channels or talkgroup IDs to active an alert tone when the channel is active, or set the LED to show a specific color, such as Red for Fire related, Blue or Cyan for Law Enforcement, or any other color combinations you want.
 

twotoejoe

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Feb 25, 2017
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Clarkesville, Georgia
"Also, using the Editor, you can set individual channels or talkgroup IDs to active an alert tone when the channel is active, or set the LED to show a specific color, such as Red for Fire related, Blue or Cyan for Law Enforcement, or any other color combinations you want"

More info for the 536 please. I can't figure this one out..
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