Austin Fire Department and BC796

[albee1]

I need any help I can get learning to use the new BC796 and the Austin Fire Department frequencies. I have entered all "site" and "simplex" frequencies into the scanner. Is this the proper procedure to be able to pick up AFD? I live in Round Rock, will I be able to hear all fire calls? I keep getting "Card Error Please Check". Is this a faulty piece of equipment? What is the download people have spoken about?
Hearing the AFD is crucial, so any help anyone can give would be GREATLY appreciated.
Seems they will be using the new system beginning tomorrow, April 19th, as they have called in all on-duty and off-duty personnel today to attend "Communication School"...have called for all trucks also.

 

[waynesewell]

The card error sounds like a malfunction. If the BC796 is like the BC296 (my understanding is that they are equivalent desktop and handheld units), the digital card should already be installed and you should get a message to that effect when powering on.

I'm not sure if the card malfunction would prevent you from listening to analog transmissions, though. I have my card turned off, because I haven't found anything digital to listen to yet, and the manual says it takes additional power to have it on.

 

[scannerfreak]

Try removing the card and re-seeding it into the slot. The card is located in the battery compartment.

 

[duckbird]

Removing and then re-inserting the card seems to work.

 

[rbarker]

AFD should be on there

Were you able to finally hear AFD on the Trunked system. I have a BC296D and I do get the card error every few days, but it does work and I do hear them. I think some of them are still on the UHF.

If you are not already on our Austin, TX discussion group, check it out:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CenTexComm/

Subscribe: CenTexComm-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

[ifyc576]

albee1:

I have a bc296d. The Apco-25 card error seems to be an intermittent problem so far. Turning the scanner on and off seems to do the job for me. If not, I guess reinserting it will have to do. If you get errors more than once a day or everyday, then definitley call Uniden.

As far as programming the freqs. I programed the AFD talkgroups and I have no problem trunking the system. I also programmed the analog freqs as well with no problems, but I stick with the digital freqs. Don't know how well the AFD freqs sound in Round Rock, but who knows?

I would say program the scanner with ARCPRO250, but go figure Uniden did not put a pc interface on the bc796d.

 

[Sanscanman]

796d pc interface

would say program the scanner with ARCPRO250, but go figure Uniden did not put a pc interface on the bc796d

This is certainly news to me, I had thought that it had the same RS232 port that the 780 and the 785 had, and would simply need a common serial cable to program it like the others.

In fact Unidens website states

• PC Control/Programming (Software Included)

Did they change thier mind mid stream?
That would indeed be a bad error in judgement on unidens part.

 

[waynesewell]

From the manual:

Using the Remote Interface

You can connect your scanner to either a PC or another BC796D using the remote interface cable port. This allows you to either control and program your scanner using a PC and the supplied software and cable or clone the memory from one BC796D into another BC796D (gender changer/coupler required, not supplied).

And so on.

The wording appears to be pretty much identical to that of the 296D, except for the model number and key sequences.

 

[ifyc576]

Whoops!!!

I stand corrected. Pardon for the momentary lack of reason.

By all means then program the 796d with arcprc250!