396 firmware update?

[DaveNF2G]

Uniden apparently announced a firmware update today, September 6, but the versions mentioned are not on their website yet as of 16:30 EDT.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Just d/l'd 'em!

 

[EricCottrell]

Hello,

I think it is a temporal anomaly since the BR330T is mentioned and it is not released yet.

73 Eric

 

[safetyobc]

Is on there now.

http://www.uniden.com/rn_productsupport_downloads.cfm?product=BCD396T

 

[UPMan]

Public announcement of the firmware update is here: http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?p=150094#post150094

 

[DaveNF2G]

Hmm. Yup, the new versions are there now. Interesting phenomenon.

 

[dgoodson]

And fire toneout, that did not work before, is working now!

 

[captaincraig44]

Fire tone-out works, but where is our AGC tweek? That is one thing that the PRO-96 is killing the 396T on. The 96 is practically transparent as it adjusts the audio levels. The 396 is very slow in comarison. Sometimes with the volume on 1, I swear the speaker almost blows out before the levels are adjusted.

 

[jpm]

Fire tone-out works, but where is our AGC tweek? That is one thing that the PRO-96 is killing the 396T on. The 96 is practically transparent as it adjusts the audio levels. The 396 is very slow in comarison. Sometimes with the volume on 1, I swear the speaker almost blows out before the levels are adjusted.

Is this a issue with a pure APCO 25 system. I myself only have this volume issue when either the police or fire sides are talking. Cops like to talk across the room and firemen talk within that 2-3" from the mic as I was taught when I first started with the fire department I work for. Just yesterday on the system I monitor the copper was cutting out the first two numbers from a 28 request and the dispatcher told him twice of such after the copper got mad due to the dispatcher not recieving the first two numbers.

 

[captaincraig44]

Is this a issue with a pure APCO 25 system.

Yes, this is on the Colorado State system. It's especially annoying when State Patrol dispatch opens the mike and doesn't speak initially. You can hear them typing in the background and so the AGC pumps up the audio - right before the dispatcher begins to speak, thus waaaay overcorrecting and making the resulting audio about 10 levels too loud for a second or two. Not ideal in an office environment, or when you are trying to keep a relatively low profile.

 

[kikito]

It seems to me that the issue with the AGC has to do more with the radio not keeping the volume level to the user volume setting (and stopping there), hence why it keeps going higher and higher at times.

In other words, the AGC seems to keep raising the level gradually, even when it already has pass the selected volume setting.

 

[jpm]

So far the only issue I've experience is when the talk groups go from the coppers and the fire dudes. One uses the mic position correctly and the other likes to talk across the room. I myself have seen these coppers using their shoulder mics and show off while talking across the room. Or talk right away and they get irritated with the dispatcher because they didn't receive their first two numbers for a 28. This is very bad for the ear when I have my ear piece in place.

 

[captaincraig44]

In other words, the AGC seems to keep raising the level gradually, even when it already has pass the selected volume setting.

I had thought about that. Would it be that difficult to dictate that the AGC not allow the audio to go over the user-set volume? I would think it would be a simple addition to a future firmware upgrade? Other than that little nuisance, this thing kicks butt!

 

[DaveNF2G]

On the positive side - since the update, I am getting excellent FTO results on channels where tones are sent over CTCSS or DCS. I'm very pleased!