396/996 Firmware wish list - (Uniden take note?)

Status
Not open for further replies.

Boatanchor

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2011
Messages
991
OK, so hopefully Uniden monitor these posts and considers some of the following wishes from owners and prospective owners when compiling future firmware/DSP updates...

Please feel free to add your comments, suggestions and complaints..

Here are mine:

50-200mS programmable audio delay to eliminate Squelch noise from analogue signals. (Apparently GRE have a system such as this in some of their more recent scanners).

Elimination of low level uP/DSP audio artifacts (clicks/tones/squeaks etc ) from received signals at low volume levels (396XT). Most noticeable when using earphones, when holding scanner to the ear at low volume settings or when connected to an amplified external speaker. Occurs on both analogue and digital signals - Do the 996XT scanners suffer from these same annoying noises??

Programmable DSP based high pass and low pass audio filters. Or, at the very least an option to enable a 300Hz high pass filter to eliminate CTCSS buzz/hum from some analogue systems with >200Hz CTCSS tones.

RSSI based channel voting. Not sure how this would be implemented in a scanner, but the ability to program a network of linked repeaters into a vote group of up to 20 or so channels and then have the scanner 'vote' to the strongest repeater would be awesome.

That's it for the time being..

Will add more as I think of them :)

Boaty
 
Last edited:

DaveIN

Founders Curmudgen
Database Admin
Joined
Jan 5, 2003
Messages
6,515
Location
West Michigan
The 396/996 are no longer manufactured, so I doubt you'll see additional support for the firmware. As for the XT series, yes I hear the noise/artifacts with headphones. Not really anything that can be corrected without a hardware update, I suspect.
 

Boatanchor

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2011
Messages
991
The 396/996 are no longer manufactured, so I doubt you'll see additional support for the firmware. As for the XT series, yes I hear the noise/artifacts with headphones. Not really anything that can be corrected without a hardware update, I suspect.

No longer manufactured??

Will be a shame if Uniden really have cancelled production of the 396/996 series without bringing new equivalent models to market.

As for firmware updates, Uniden just released one for the 396/996 in early March 2012, so it appears that these radios are still being supported.

Boaty
 

Boatanchor

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2011
Messages
991
sound's like you're looking to spend at least a grand for a real radio.

None of the items I suggested involve any more than a firmware change (possibly excluding the audio artifact issue, which could well be a hardware problem).

The 396/996 already contains rudimentary audio processing such as AGC and a switchable digital low pass filter for P25. Assuming all analogue and digital audio processing is done in the digital domain, it wouldn't be hard to implement a fixed or variable CTCSS high pass audio filter as well.

As for RSSI voting, guess what, the radio already does it on trunking systems! If you program multiple control channels into a trunking network, the radio will vote to the strongest CC. It's not a long bow to stretch voting to conventional systems too.

I already have a $1000 real radio (Motorola XTL5000), but let me tell you there is a lot of stuff the 'real radio' doesn't do well either.

My Icom R2500 sounds better on IMBE P25 than the XTL5000!

Boaty
 

scannersnstuff

Active Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2006
Messages
1,920
yup. that's one reason why there ain't one radio that's good for it all. that's why we keep spending. i am using a kenwood tk-2170 as a base radio. the audio/reception is great.
 

KE4RWS

Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2004
Messages
292
Location
South Florida
Why So Difficult???

My Uniden firmware wish?

How about having the firmware updates they do happen to provide to people who buy their products in a clean, simple way that does NOT require some special "key" to implement major updates? And how about simply putting it on your website for easy downloading by people *without* first having to provide their personal information and agreeing to receiving future advertisements and other emails from Uniden?

While every other manufacturer who provides firmware downloads lets you quickly download the desired flash option, Uniden has chosen to complicate what should be a very simple process. I have a 996XT which I've not been able to upgrade the firmware to the final version because I don't have some kind of registration key. From what I've read I had to first "register" my scanner on Uniden's site to obtain said key. After doing this not only was I not able to get the "key" but I emailed Uniden support asking why. A week later I still haven't heard a peep from them on it, which mean still no ability to implement the latest firmware. And I've searched for posts on this magic "key" on here but it seems anytime anyone so much as hints about it they get referred to UPMan's link where he talks about how to get it. Only thing is after following his instructions THERE IS NO LINK to getting this key I need. So apparently this whole key thing is taboo and even Uniden doesn't respond to a simple email asking how to get it. So yeah, I'm a tad uptight over it :mad:

Really Uniden? Is this *really* the way to do this? Why not just post the firmware on your website and allow people to download it as they see fit and use it in the products they paid for? No registering, no personal info collection, no agreeing to advertisements, etc, etc.

I guess I'm silly when it comes to stuff like this because anytime GRE releases a firmware update you just go to their site, download it and you're DONE.
 

UPMan

In Memoriam
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
13,296
Location
Arlington, TX
A registration key has never been required for the BCD996XT. The provision is there if we do a major update for a paid feature, but again, has never been used for the XT. We did release major updates for the "T" series, but opted to release them for free. Original plan was to charge for them.

If you check the actual instructions for the update: http://info.uniden.com/twiki/pub/publish/BCD996XTFirmwareupdate.html
you will see that we actually put in bold type in the instructions that you do not need a registration key.

All we do is post the firmware on our website for you to download and apply.

Done!

Actually, though, in the coming weeks we will be rolling out a new updater that you simply run, select your model, and it pulls the firmware from your internet connection and applies it to the scanner. It will simplify the update method (but will still require a registration key in the event we release paid features).
 
Last edited:

KE4RWS

Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2004
Messages
292
Location
South Florida
"Paid Feature"? I guess that opens up a whole different set of issues then . . .

All I know is when I was finally able to download the firmware in question (ver 1.06) and I used the updater it indicated I needed to enter a key. Having none, I immediately went to the Uniden site where I faithfully registered my 996XT as it stated to do but there was no mention of the mysterious "key" people kept referring to. And after sending a message to Uniden via their own website that also proved totally useless, as they never bothered to reply to their customer, I was left with no information so I wasn't able to finish the update.

So now you're telling me this key is only required in order to charge people money to get other features out of the scanner they bought that are developed at a later date?

Okay.

Really a damn shame to have to hear about all this several days later after Uniden totally ignored me on their site. I think that would irritate anybody - that is unless you like being ignored.
 
Last edited:

Boatanchor

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2011
Messages
991
Actually, though, in the coming weeks we will be rolling out a new updater that you simply run, select your model, and it pulls the firmware from your internet connection and applies it to the scanner. It will simplify the update method (but will still require a registration key in the event we release paid features).

Excellent news UPMAN.

That will certianly simplify the process form many.

Rick
 

fullmoon

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2006
Messages
95
Location
bourbonnais, illinois
A registration key has never been required for the BCD996XT. The provision is there if we do a major update for a paid feature, but again, has never been used for the XT. We did release major updates for the "T" series, but opted to release them for free. Original plan was to charge for them.

If you check the actual instructions for the update: http://info.uniden.com/twiki/pub/publish/BCD996XTFirmwareupdate.html
you will see that we actually put in bold type in the instructions that you do not need a registration key.

All we do is post the firmware on our website for you to download and apply.

Done!

Actually, though, in the coming weeks we will be rolling out a new updater that you simply run, select your model, and it pulls the firmware from your internet connection and applies it to the scanner. It will simplify the update method (but will still require a registration key in the event we release paid features).

Really happy to read this Sir, as I am lost as far as updating my 396xt thru the current method.
 

DaveIN

Founders Curmudgen
Database Admin
Joined
Jan 5, 2003
Messages
6,515
Location
West Michigan
No longer manufactured??

Will be a shame if Uniden really have cancelled production of the 396/996 series without bringing new equivalent models to market.

As for firmware updates, Uniden just released one for the 396/996 in early March 2012, so it appears that these radios are still being supported.

Boaty

I'm not sure what models you are using in Australia, however just to clear it up, it's not the whole series that was discontinued. There are the original BCD396T and BCD996T US models that were discontinued. They were replaced by the BCD396XT and BCD996XT US models. The March firmware update was for the "XT" models.

The models in Australia i.e. UBCD396T are not supported by the US firmware updates (or Uniden USA).

If your using the AU version the firmware updates can be found at the above page.

I see an UBC "XT" version was also to be released and mention that the "T" versions were also discontinued.

Keep in mind that the new updater will be for the US series of scanners.
 

UPMan

In Memoriam
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
13,296
Location
Arlington, TX
We have not announced any firmware updates for these models. We do have a new application used for applying updates, but I'm waiting until I am sure I have all the BC125AT update feedback (it was the first model to have an update that uses the new application) before rolling that process (with the current updates) out for other models.
 

fullmoon

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2006
Messages
95
Location
bourbonnais, illinois
We have not announced any firmware updates for these models. We do have a new application used for applying updates, but I'm waiting until I am sure I have all the BC125AT update feedback (it was the first model to have an update that uses the new application) before rolling that process (with the current updates) out for other models.
Excellent
 

CM1

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 23, 2010
Messages
213
Location
Central, NJ
I would like the option to scan/track ANY/ALL talkgroups - especially since one can now plumb the audio to a third party program like DSD. Uniden I hope your listening...at least the option to do this would be nice!
 

kevino

Database Administrator
Database Admin
Joined
Jan 6, 2005
Messages
853
Location
Chicagoland
Item for the 996XT wish list

I have a 996XT and wish I had the option to allow it to stop on encrypted talkgroups and pass at least an initial digital blurp - similar to what my 396T does. I enjoy identifying UIDs on my state's P25 trunked system. This would make it easier for me to be alerted to encrypted ops, place the 996XT in manual mode and take note of the UIDs being used in the hope I might be able to identify that same UID being used on a non-encrypted talkgroup. Currently, the 996XT would already need to be in manual mode on an encrypted talkgroup in order to display the UIDs in use.

Some may call this a step backward - I prefer to call it "signal intelligence"! :)
 

One13Truck

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Jul 2, 2004
Messages
916
Location
My home 20 eating pizza.
I'm still running the 1.08.14 just because the latest updates offered are great for when I travel but not a huge help to me locally which is 99% of my listening with the 396XT.

Possible or not, most likely not for the current units, here's what I'd like to see. Updates to allow trunking of the newer systems that are out there now. I know not many are around and nobody knows how they'll work or take hold. But I'd like to at least have it worked on for the few that are there. Another thing I wish was done not only by Uniden but by GRE as well is to allow their devices to play well with us Mac people. There's not many of us but it's frustrating to be ignored.

And let me also say this is not a firmware request either but when I looked at the 396XT and GRE's PSR800 I decided to stay loyal to Uniden and go with the 396XT because it has a full keypad. I like to do all my programming by hand, not hook up to the computer and use some kind of programming software. I've never used the ones for the 15X or the 396XT and don't plan on ever doing so. Not to mention even if I wanted to it's a pain because of the Mac issue. I'm currently looking at replacing an older desktop scanner and debating between the 996XT and the PSR900 when it's finally released. It comes down to the same issues with the keypad. If the 900 offers an optional keypad I'll go with it but if it doesn't I'll be the owner of a 996XT. So please Uniden, don't EVER go that route and take away the keypads!! I'd buy a Home Patrol if I wanted that. Leave it to that and keep the keypads on the rest!!!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top