BCD436HP/BCD536HP: A few questions

[casemods]

1: do I need to enter TPL/DPL/CTCSS/ETC for listening?

2. What's the best way (or only way) to set a custom list to scan through? I have about 100 channels saved in my baofeng radio. I pick up a lot on it. I wanted to save all that onto the 436 instead and have it scan all those. Most, if not all, are from the database. And I know it won't transfer over easily, but I can just add a favorites list from the database in the pc program and it will be pretty easy.

3. Will the scanner automatically detect the tone for a transmission in scan mode? (Will be 100-200 channels

4. Will the scanner only see the info provided from the database? What if there is missing info? I noticed that the 3 frequencies listed for Costco all seemed to pop up in one location at the same time, so the database seemed inaccurate for those listings.

5. How do you guys get your info when trying to document new stores or other?

6. Will DMR or NXDN be needed for stores or retail? What about other add-ons?

7. How do I avoid the transmissions that only have an electric buzzing tone? Not sure if it's encrypted or if I'm hearing a repeater or if it's an add on that I don't have but need to hear the audio from.

Thanks in advance ☺️

 

[buddrousa]

Do you need tires on your car rims?
No but it rides much better with tires mounted on the rims.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

1: do I need to enter TPL/DPL/CTCSS/ETC for listening?

No, but if you have numerous stations in close proximity broadcasting on the same frequency it does help

2. What's the best way (or only way) to set a custom list to scan through?

There is no best or only way. Set them up whichever way works best for you
Planning Favorites Lists
Manage Favorites Lists

3. Will the scanner automatically detect the tone for a transmission in scan mode?

Yes

4. Will the scanner only see the info provided from the database? What if there is missing info? I noticed that the 3 frequencies listed for Costco all seemed to pop up in one location at the same time, so the database seemed inaccurate for those listings.

Keep in mind business frequencies can be shared amongst many different businesses. Below are common business & retail frequencies but they aren't guaranteed to be in use at every location everywhere

Common Itinerant and Business - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

US-Nationwide Businesses-Retail - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

5. How do you guys get your info when trying to document new stores or other?

By listening. How else?

6. Will DMR or NXDN be needed for stores or retail? What about other add-ons?

Not required, but they do help. What "other add-ons"? Provoice? Not used in the business world. Only about 20 systems are still online country wide, it's an EOL'ed protocol. If I were to choose only one strictly for businesses I'd go with DMR as it's the most prevalent of the three

7. How do I avoid the transmissions that only have an electric buzzing tone? Not sure if it's encrypted or if I'm hearing a repeater or if it's an add on that I don't have but need to hear the audio from.

If it sounds like this or this (DMR and NXDN raw emissions respectively) then the upgrades you inquired about in question 6 may work to bring them in

 

[richardbritt]

1. No
3. Yes
4. I search the FCC database manually for licenses by location, then manually enter them in a favorite list and sit on that particular list to find active frequencies not in the database. The Radioreference database is not a data dump of fcc data, but confirmed information found by other members thru lots of years of monitoring. If no one is in some areas and you can verify something new and can actually confirm it by listening, please submit it to the database administrators. Not on this forum, but each page has a link to submit changes. On your 436hp you can also use the Close call menu to find transmissions like when you are out shopping.
6. I use the dmr and nxdn features often
7. Use the avoid button to temporarily avoid a transmission.

Welcome to the site. Lots of people on here to help you. Ask away

Regards Richard

 

[casemods]

Do you need tires on your car rims?
No but it rides much better with tires mounted on the rims.

They are called wheels, not rims. The rim is only one part of a wheel.

 

[buddrousa]

When I started Driving over 50 years ago Tires are mounted on RIMS.

 

[nessnet]

When I started Driving over 50 years ago Tires are mounted on RIMS.

It's like soda - or pop - even a 'coke' (in the south) - they all refer to generic carbonated, sweet beverages.
It all depends on what part of the country's 'dialect' you are using.
I heard "rims" used by a tire store owner yesterday - just depends on where you are.

 

[casemods]

The _ on the bus go round and round 🤔

 

[wtp]

radio.

 

[Ubbe]

1: do I need to enter TPL/DPL/CTCSS/ETC for listening?

I have many users on the same frequencies that are like a FRS/GMRS type and I enter the same frequency but with different subtones after each other and end with a frequency that have search set to it. Then the scanner will show the correct info for that particular user and any unknowns will be found by the search function.

2. What's the best way (or only way) to set a custom list to scan through? I have about 100 channels saved in my baofeng radio. I pick up a lot on it. I wanted to save all that onto the 436 instead and have it scan all those. Most, if not all, are from the database. And I know it won't transfer over easily, but I can just add a favorites list from the database in the pc program and it will be pretty easy.

You will need to use something like the Chirp program, if not appending from the database, to read you Baofeng that can export the file as csv. Then import into Excel and copy a selection of the frequency column, or the whole of it, into the first blank row in a department and Sentinel will automatically add rows to cover the number of frequencies. Subtone values are usually not compatible between different scanners/radios so have to be entered manually.
Baofengs own software doesn't seem to even allow you to copy a column of frequencies and then paste them into Sentinel.

I have different departments for different sources of frequencies, like Baofeng defaults and UBC780XLT MIL and so on that I then very easily can include in scan if I want to, usually to compare reception from that particular antenna and scanner to the original radio or scanner and their antenna.

/Ubbe