996P2

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terryc8171

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Spent my weekend reading the forums and comparing scanners as Kent County MI is moving away from analog so will need to upgrade eventually. I like the feature of the homepatrol-2 of entering a zip code and start scanning but also read that SD cards aren't without problems and it seems it's more for mobile. Last night had decided on the 996P2 until I began to read the manual today. Looks like it will meet my future needs but I will never understand how to get it programmed. Can I really become a RR subscriber, download a zip file and program police, fire, EMS etc by syncing to PC?
 

rabrol

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Can I really become a RR subscriber, download a zip file and program police, fire, EMS etc by syncing to PC?

Yes and no.

Technically, using FreeScan, you can connect to your RR account (assuming you are a paid subscriber to the database) and download various systems and set them up. It will not be a zip file you download, but the process of viewing the database is fairly simple. In the software you will still have to assign quick keys to systems and groups. Then you can send the data over to your 996.

One caveat. Currently FreeScan does not support DMR, if you plan on upgrading your 996.

For the BCD536, the process is handled through bundled software which has an automatic subscription to the RR database. This means you also have the entire North America database installed right on your scanner. This is where your zip code functionality comes in. Tell it what you want to monitor, and it will create a list and start scanning the local services.

Although the SD card scanners are great, customizing them is very time consuming. Same with the BCD996P2, although it is less complicated than the 436/536 radios.
 

ka3jjz

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In point of fact, I don't think ProScan nor ARC-XT (the other 2 programs that supports the P2 series) supports ProVoice or DMR as yet, either. More work on this undoubtedly needs to be done, but given that we just got these protocols right before Xmas, we gotta give the developers some time to come up to speed on this.

Mike
 

ka3jjz

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Spent my weekend reading the forums and comparing scanners as Kent County MI is moving away from analog so will need to upgrade eventually. I like the feature of the homepatrol-2 of entering a zip code and start scanning but also read that SD cards aren't without problems and it seems it's more for mobile. Last night had decided on the 996P2 until I began to read the manual today. Looks like it will meet my future needs but I will never understand how to get it programmed. Can I really become a RR subscriber, download a zip file and program police, fire, EMS etc by syncing to PC?

Well, yes and no. I hedge my answer because while it is true that someone could send you a file (no, you can't just download a database like you can with the 436 or 536), and you could potentially use it, you would never understand WHY something is set up the way it is.

Regardless of whether you use the 996P2 or the 436/536 series, there is something of a learning curve, and the article below (blue text are links) will give you links to everything you need to know to get started...

Program your DMA Scanner - The RadioReference Wiki

Now at the bottom of this article are links to the FreeScan user guide (which is hosted in our wiki) as well as the user guides for each of the radios.

Take your time when you are doing this programming. Get a simple design set up and working, BACK IT UP, then continue to make changes. If you run into something that gets hosed, you can revert it back to the last working version by using your back up (we've all had to do that at one time or another). I would suggest doing 1 or 2 conventional systems and 1 trunk, just to get the look and feel of how to go about it. Then build on that

Mike
 

ka3jjz

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Thanks for the info. Does ProScan also support ProVoice?

I would expect ARC-XT will follow suit, if it doesn't already...Mike
 

ProScan

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In point of fact, I don't think ProScan nor ARC-XT (the other 2 programs that supports the P2 series) supports ProVoice or DMR as yet, either. More work on this undoubtedly needs to be done, but given that we just got these protocols right before Xmas, we gotta give the developers some time to come up to speed on this.

Mike

ProScan does support DMR for the BCD325P2 and BCD996P2. Nothing needed on the software side for EDACS ProVoice. UPMan stated several days ago publicly that us three developers were given a heads up on the DMR & PV and the protocol. So I knew about this 6 weeks ago and had time to do the DMR One Freq and MotoTRBO.
 

terryc8171

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Thanks for all the posts and links. Even after reading the DMR wiki article, I'm confused. Do you expect Freescan will support DMR and ProVoice in the future? I get the sense from the posts that a newbie can learn the 996 with time and the available support on the forum and it might be a better choice then some other radios. It's just not going to be as easy as enter a few frequencies on my old analog and start listening.
 

UPMan

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At this time, it appears that development on FreeScan is frozen. I am not sure what is future plans are for the platform.
 

kmi8dy

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also freescan has not offered update for people to check for the software for about 6 to 8 weeks now. it does not even let you get into the data base at all to check so i guess this is a sign that they are walking away without a thank you or an explanation. seems to be a chicken sheit way of doing things.
 
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Timmeh-31

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At this time, it appears that development on FreeScan is frozen. I am not sure what is future plans are for the platform.

Well, while we're on the subject, has Uniden considered adapting Sentinel for the 996P2 or other scanners in its line? If FreeSCAN is likely to be declared DOA any day now, then so far as I know that only leaves two options for programming software: ProScan and ARC.

I guess I'm just a little confused why even a "basic" programming app wasn't included with the scanner. Surely nobody at Uniden seriously thought people would program hundreds or thousands of channels using the native scanner interface? :confused:

Even with my (now relatively archaic) BC246T, it had a rudimentary app provided by Uniden. It may have been clunky but at least it worked. Would really like to see some additional options for programming these radios.
 

Timmeh-31

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I second that opinion. I have spent a lot of money over the years on programming software to cover all the models. ProScan is hands down the best I have used.

Vince.

I'll probably wind up picking it up next week. And although my past experience with the ARC products from about 8 years ago was that it was a slow and ham-fisted approach to programming, I'm delighted to see that it has actually come a long way since then and wouldn't be averse to getting it as well eventually.

Conceding all that, I guess my point was that it seemed odd that Uniden would create a sophisticated piece of hardware with no "official" software support, which in effect adds another $50-70 on top of what one has already paid for the radio (and compounded by another $50-110 if you want to unlock the additional scan modes.) With nearly $200 of post-sale expenditure (part of which is third-party and, let's face it, you really NEED the software to program with any level of proficiency or expediency), I guess I'm feeling the "bite" involved in getting this radio. I don't regret getting it; it's a brilliant bit of engineering kit to be sure. Simply feeling the pinch to my wallet now is all. 😒
 

UPMan

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My understanding is that the software author has chosen to focus on school and flying for a while. He may or may not resume development in the future.
 

lu81fitter

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Soon I will be buying a 996p2 and will most likely be getting the upgrade for DMR. Since I've used Freescan for my BCT15X, I cannot use it for my DMR programming on the p2. I will be interested in using Proscan software in the future. Where is the best place to download it and can I get it prior to my scanner purchase to make up the programming in advance and familiarize myself with its operation and programming "style" ? I hope this is posted in the right thread......
 
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