BCD325P2/BCD996P2: BCD325P2 Help

[zadrugas]

I promise I'm not an idiot (I hold an Extra class Ham radio license, I've built PCs and gotten Linux to work on them, write simple Python programs)... but this scanner is making me feel like one.
I got it a number of years ago, got my local PD/Fire trunking system programmed into it, and sort of let it be.
I want to get more out of it, but I. Just. Can't. Figure. Out. How. It. Works.
I've got FreeScan. I've paid for ProScan. I paid for a "pro" account at Radio Reference. I've got the factory manual (mostly useless). I've got the "easier to read" manual from Mark's Scanners (much better!).

I've I pull up all the different "Systems" (or "Sites", are those terms interchangeable? Who the hell knows?!).

I import them into the software.

I assign a "number tag" to certain "systems" (sites?), but that number tag doesn't seem to be used for anything.

I assign "quick keys" 0-99 to "sites" - but those don't seem to have any point, because I can't seem to find any way to specifically select those sites when the scanner is running.

I assign "group" quick keys within the talk groups in the "Sites", but in the tree they are not really under the site, so I don't understand the relationship. But again, the group quick keys don't seem to do anything when the scanner is running (I'll press the number button, but nothing seems to change.

I upload maybe 20 different "systems" (or sites?) into the scanner, turn it on - and it just sites there and flashes the ID for the first "system" (or site?), and makes an angry beep when I push the scan button. I can press hold, and then scroll through with the dial, but then when I press scan, it just sits there and doesn't scan any further.

I'm at my wits end. I promise I'm not a complete idiot - I'm sure there is something I'm doing wrong that is probably very basic.

Can someone kindly explain to me how to do the following on this scanner?

1. Have multiple "systems" (or sites) in the radio (say the trunking systems for three local counties, plus Marine VHF channels, FRS/GMRS, Ham radio bands, etc. and have the scanner only scan the particular "system" or site I'm interested in at the moment.

2. Easily switch from, say, monitoring my local PD/Fire trunked system, to doing a quick scan of Marine VHF, to scanning CB channels, to WX frequencies.

3. Have the radio scan larger groupings (say all the Fire/PD trunked systems) in the area WITHOUT scanning absolutely everything.

4. Make use of the "quick keys".

I've been hunting through videos for a few days now and striking out, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[GM]

I used ARC-XT for programming in the past and have found that the "scan list" is the quick key assigned to the site in a trunked system. The group quick key is the "sub bank" (again in a trunk system) and can only be toggled on and off while the system is active and using the function button if I remember correctly. I no longer have ARC-XT on my laptop, so I don't recall 100% off hand but it goes something like that. And if you have a scan list of 10 or higher, I believe you press the decimal . button and then the scan list number really quick to toggle it on and off.

And however you name the site in your scanner is what will show up on the top of the display on the BCD325P2. The system name doesn't show up on the screen with my experience and is there for a reference when programming and saving the file name.

 

[hill]

I believe you press the decimal . button and then the scan list number really quick to toggle it on and off.

GM is right. For single number Quick Keys just hit whatever number of the key.

I know for fact that this Quick key method works, since I use a 325P2 when stay overnight in Richmond each week for work.

In closing I use single digit Quick keys for things I listen to all the time. The stuff I don't use much is on the two digit Quick keys.

 

[doctordialtone]

I've been hunting through videos for a few days now and striking out, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

Read through the Easier to Read manual for the proper way to program your scanner.

Good luck!

 

[hill]

But again, the group quick keys don't seem to do anything when the scanner is running (I'll press the number button, but nothing seems to change.

You need to use the function key before hitting the quick keys for groups.

 

[BinaryMode]

I'll try to help with this as best as possible and maybe make a video. Which by the way, there probably are videos on YouTube about this scanner. Now get this! I don't have an Extra class ham ticket, I don't know how to code, and I can program the P2s by hand or via Proscan! LOL! So it's weird how that works I guess. I never even hardly needed to use the manual either. And I personally like Uniden's manual but that's just me. Which is like 1% of the community I bet.

Okay, numeral one.

1. Have multiple "systems" (or sites) in the radio (say the trunking systems for three local counties, plus Marine VHF channels, FRS/GMRS, Ham radio bands, etc. and have the scanner only scan the particular "system" or site I'm interested in at the moment.

Bear with me and I'll try to explain the difference between a system and a site as best I can.

First, you need a system. Sites live in systems.

A system can have multiple sites.

A site are all the frequencies to the tower.

Or a site can be FRS/GMRS frequencies, etc.

So as you describe you want: the trunking system (their tower/s) Marine, FRS/GMRS, Ham, etc. It WOULD be best to create multiple systems for all that. So, Ham in one system, the trunked system in another system, Marine in its system, and FRS/GMRS in its system. You can't use a trunked system with FRS/GMRS, Marine, etc together though. Reason being as that when you pick the system in Proscan (or the scanner) you have to tell it what it is. Like P25, DMR, NXDN, etc. So all the sites that live in that system will related to that modulation type.

But I'll tell you how to combine it all in one system for the analog stuff and then the trunked stuff.

In Proscan create a system.

System type: Conventional. Chose a quick key for this system like number 1. You can have up to 100 system quick keys.

Right click the system and select Add | group | (Frequencies).

Use the quick key option for this group, 0 though 9. So say, 1. I'll explain this latter.

Right click your group (which you can name whatever you want up to 16 characters) and chose Add | Channel (Frequency). Now you enter the FRS/GMRS frequencies and I would name the group FRS/GMRS.

Once we have all of the FRS/GMRS frequencies programed we now move on to Marine.

Right click the group and select Add | Group (Frequencies). Since we now need another group for Marine and its frequencies.

Right click the newly created group and select Add | Channel (Frequency). Now program all the Marine frequencies.

For this group's quick key chose 2.

Now if you write that data to the scanner you'll have a system under number 1 scan both groups that are in a conventional site. Conventional meaning nothing but analog frequencies. If you press Func 1 or 2 on the scanner's keypad you can disable/enable the two groups. One for FRS/GMRS and the other for Marine. And keep in mind this is system 1.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Now lets add a P25 standard trunk system. We'll program this system as number 2.

Right click in Proscan and chose Add | System

The system type will be P25 Standard Trunk.

Right click this system and chose Add | Site Frequencies. This site would be the tower for the trunked system.

Chose a quick key for this site. Number 2 in this case.

Right click the site and chose Add | Channel (Frequency). Since we have to add the tower's frequencies.

After that's done we need to add the talkgroups you want to monitor from this tower. So right click the newly created system and select Add | Group (TGID's). This is a group that will hold all the talk group IDs. This group could be talk group IDs relating to PD. You could create another group related to Fire, etc. Chose a quick key for this group. 1 though 0. Say 1.

Now that a group is created we need to add the talkgroup IDs inside of this group. To do that right click the TGID's group and select Add | Channel (TGID). Now add your talkgroup IDs relating to this group and only this group. Like PD or Fire, etc Remember, this will be group quick key number 1.

Now to create another group do the same thing creating a quick key number 2 for this group.

Write all this to the scanner and you now have two systems to scan: System 1 will be the conventional frequencies. System 2 will be the trunked tower in its site as number 2.

If you press 1 or 2 as the scanner is scanning you can enable or disable the systems. 1 would be the conventional system and 2 would be the trunked tower.

If you're only scanning, say system 2 (the trunked system), you can press Func and the number key to the group to enable or disable that group. So, if you press Func 2 you will disable group 2 which may be the Fire talkgroup IDs.

I realize this sounds like a massive PITA and is waay too overlay complex, but once you understand the flow and do this a few times the whole ecosystem will become apparent. Or should.

2. Easily switch from, say, monitoring my local PD/Fire trunked system, to doing a quick scan of Marine VHF, to scanning CB channels, to WX frequencies.

This is where you press on the keypad number 1 or 2. 1 would be the conventional system (FRS/GMRS/Marine/Ham, etc) and 2 would be the trunked system.

For CB and weather you can do this via the Weather scan option in the scanner's menu or for CB go to the menu and select Search For... | Service Search | CB Radio.

3. Have the radio scan larger groupings (say all the Fire/PD trunked systems) in the area WITHOUT scanning absolutely everything.

To do this you would program a system. Then you would program more than one site for this system. Each site would be a tower and its frequencies. Then you create a TGID group for this system containing the sites (towers) for the talkgroup IDs you're interested in. You would then press all the keys for the systems to turn them all off except this system. So if this were system 1 and you had systems 1 though 4. You press, 2, 3 and 4 turning those off leaving 1 turned on.

4. Make use of the "quick keys".

Quick keys are weird in that you have to be in THAT system to switch the quick keys on/off for the groups in THAT system. And again, that's done with pressing Func and then hitting the number assigned to the group's quick key. Numbers 1 though 0.

The use of all these numbers makes it very cumbersome and hard to remember unless you program the scanner in a certain way that only makes sense to you. I don't own a Uniden HP or SDS type scanner, but their ecosystems may be a little better in this regard.

I'll try to do a video that helps explain this better.

 

[n1chu]

You really need to meet with a knowledgeable scanner owner. Go to the regional forums in RadioReference.com. Choose the forum for your local, they are listed by state. See if you can find someone who will meet with you. Sit down with them and go through the programming process. (Just choose a meeting place that’s public and has WiFi. You don’t want to meet in some parking lot at night by yourself because there are those who think they can get away with swiping your scanner! Sad to have to say it.)
I’ve met up with a few who were having issues with the newer scanners, nothing to be ashamed of, the scanners have a high learning curve which makes plowing through the “how to’s” by yourself a tough prospect.

 

[BinaryMode]

As mentioned I created a video. Hopefully this sheds some light on how to do this by covering the basics.

Click the Mega link and the video should render in your browser via HTML5. You can also chose the download option.

161.51 MB file on MEGA

mega.nz

 

[zadrugas]

I'll try to help with this as best as possible and maybe make a video. Which by the way, there probably are videos on YouTube about this scanner. Now get this! I don't have an Extra class ham ticket, I don't know how to code, and I can program the P2s by hand or via Proscan! LOL! So it's weird how that works I guess. I never even hardly needed to use the manual either. And I personally like Uniden's manual but that's just me. Which is like 1% of the community I bet.

Okay, numeral one.





Bear with me and I'll try to explain the difference between a system and a site as best I can.

First, you need a system. Sites live in systems.

A system can have multiple sites.

A site are all the frequencies to the tower.

Or a site can be FRS/GMRS frequencies, etc.

So as you describe you want: the trunking system (their tower/s) Marine, FRS/GMRS, Ham, etc. It WOULD be best to create multiple systems for all that. So, Ham in one system, the trunked system in another system, Marine in its system, and FRS/GMRS in its system. You can't use a trunked system with FRS/GMRS, Marine, etc together though. Reason being as that when you pick the system in Proscan (or the scanner) you have to tell it what it is. Like P25, DMR, NXDN, etc. So all the sites that live in that system will related to that modulation type.

But I'll tell you how to combine it all in one system for the analog stuff and then the trunked stuff.

In Proscan create a system.

System type: Conventional. Chose a quick key for this system like number 1. You can have up to 100 system quick keys.

Right click the system and select Add | group | (Frequencies).

Use the quick key option for this group, 0 though 9. So say, 1. I'll explain this latter.

Right click your group (which you can name whatever you want up to 16 characters) and chose Add | Channel (Frequency). Now you enter the FRS/GMRS frequencies and I would name the group FRS/GMRS.

Once we have all of the FRS/GMRS frequencies programed we now move on to Marine.

Right click the group and select Add | Group (Frequencies). Since we now need another group for Marine and its frequencies.

Right click the newly created group and select Add | Channel (Frequency). Now program all the Marine frequencies.

For this group's quick key chose 2.

Now if you write that data to the scanner you'll have a system under number 1 scan both groups that are in a conventional site. Conventional meaning nothing but analog frequencies. If you press Func 1 or 2 on the scanner's keypad you can disable/enable the two groups. One for FRS/GMRS and the other for Marine. And keep in mind this is system 1.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Now lets add a P25 standard trunk system. We'll program this system as number 2.

Right click in Proscan and chose Add | System

The system type will be P25 Standard Trunk.

Right click this system and chose Add | Site Frequencies. This site would be the tower for the trunked system.

Chose a quick key for this site. Number 2 in this case.

Right click the site and chose Add | Channel (Frequency). Since we have to add the tower's frequencies.

After that's done we need to add the talkgroups you want to monitor from this tower. So right click the newly created system and select Add | Group (TGID's). This is a group that will hold all the talk group IDs. This group could be talk group IDs relating to PD. You could create another group related to Fire, etc. Chose a quick key for this group. 1 though 0. Say 1.

Now that a group is created we need to add the talkgroup IDs inside of this group. To do that right click the TGID's group and select Add | Channel (TGID). Now add your talkgroup IDs relating to this group and only this group. Like PD or Fire, etc Remember, this will be group quick key number 1.

Now to create another group do the same thing creating a quick key number 2 for this group.

Write all this to the scanner and you now have two systems to scan: System 1 will be the conventional frequencies. System 2 will be the trunked tower in its site as number 2.

If you press 1 or 2 as the scanner is scanning you can enable or disable the systems. 1 would be the conventional system and 2 would be the trunked tower.

If you're only scanning, say system 2 (the trunked system), you can press Func and the number key to the group to enable or disable that group. So, if you press Func 2 you will disable group 2 which may be the Fire talkgroup IDs.

I realize this sounds like a massive PITA and is waay too overlay complex, but once you understand the flow and do this a few times the whole ecosystem will become apparent. Or should.




This is where you press on the keypad number 1 or 2. 1 would be the conventional system (FRS/GMRS/Marine/Ham, etc) and 2 would be the trunked system.

For CB and weather you can do this via the Weather scan option in the scanner's menu or for CB go to the menu and select Search For... | Service Search | CB Radio.



To do this you would program a system. Then you would program more than one site for this system. Each site would be a tower and its frequencies. Then you create a TGID group for this system containing the sites (towers) for the talkgroup IDs you're interested in. You would then press all the keys for the systems to turn them all off except this system. So if this were system 1 and you had systems 1 though 4. You press, 2, 3 and 4 turning those off leaving 1 turned on.



Quick keys are weird in that you have to be in THAT system to switch the quick keys on/off for the groups in THAT system. And again, that's done with pressing Func and then hitting the number assigned to the group's quick key. Numbers 1 though 0.

The use of all these numbers makes it very cumbersome and hard to remember unless you program the scanner in a certain way that only makes sense to you. I don't own a Uniden HP or SDS type scanner, but their ecosystems may be a little better in this regard.

I'll try to do a video that helps explain this better.

Finally it is starting to make sense. THANK YOU!
I'm a high school teacher, and when a student doesn't understand something, I know it is important to try and explain it clearly and in a new way - and that is what you did. I'll be sure to watch the video, if you are ever in the Puget Sound area, I'll buy you a beer!

 

[zadrugas]

As mentioned I created a video. Hopefully this sheds some light on how to do this by covering the basics.

Click the Mega link and the video should render in your browser via HTML5. You can also chose the download option.

161.51 MB file on MEGA

mega.nz

This is the best thing ever.
Thanks a million - heck with the beer, if you are ever in the area, I'll share some really good Scotch!

 

[BinaryMode]

HAHAHA Scotch is good. LOL! Don't worry about it.

I'm so glad you found it useful. I try helping people in all manners of tech across the Internet. Usually I'm pretty good with it. Though, with today's Windows 10 and 11 an issue could be anyone's guess. I really don't like those operating systems and it makes me not want to help those that use 10 and 11 because of it. I use 10 but it's heavily stripped down.

After viewing my video again I did make a few mistakes, but it's kinda minor I guess. I made that video without sleep for 24 hours. LOL Oddly, I can actually think better with lack of sleep. Isn't that just crazy! Heck, while trying to go to bed I decided I'd start to learn Spanish. So now I'm on a personal 2 year goal to learn Spanish. HAHAHA

Sounds like you have a good teaching approach. Sometimes I wish I could go back to high school again. I'd do a lot better. I dropped out sophomore year and went to a place called Job Corp where I got a GED and then the high school diploma. Shamefully, I feel like I earned my GED more so than the high school diploma.

Edit-

You are a premium subscriber so that would perhaps make it easier to load a database in the scanner via Proscan. I'm not a premium subscriber however so I don't really know the ins and outs of that.

 

[K9KLC]

You are a premium subscriber so that would perhaps make it easier to load a database in the scanner via Proscan. I'm not a premium subscriber however so I don't really know the ins and outs of that.

I can tell you it makes it way easier. At least to me.

 

[K9KLC]

@BinaryMode
Thank you for your posts. I have a 996xt I'm fighting (kind of anyway) and I think your post will help me get what I'm after on that for how my son said he'd like to work. Gave me some ideas anyway

 

[zadrugas]

HAHAHA Scotch is good. LOL! Don't worry about it.

I'm so glad you found it useful. I try helping people in all manners of tech across the Internet. Usually I'm pretty good with it. Though, with today's Windows 10 and 11 an issue could be anyone's guess. I really don't like those operating systems and it makes me not want to help those that use 10 and 11 because of it. I use 10 but it's heavily stripped down.

After viewing my video again I did make a few mistakes, but it's kinda minor I guess. I made that video without sleep for 24 hours. LOL Oddly, I can actually think better with lack of sleep. Isn't that just crazy! Heck, while trying to go to bed I decided I'd start to learn Spanish. So now I'm on a personal 2 year goal to learn Spanish. HAHAHA

Sounds like you have a good teaching approach. Sometimes I wish I could go back to high school again. I'd do a lot better. I dropped out sophomore year and went to a place called Job Corp where I got a GED and then the high school diploma. Shamefully, I feel like I earned my GED more so than the high school diploma.

Edit-

You are a premium subscriber so that would perhaps make it easier to load a database in the scanner via Proscan. I'm not a premium subscriber however so I don't really know the ins and outs of that.

Being a premium subscriber does make it much easier, but having you explain to me how the System/Site/Group architecture worked manually was the key I needed to be able to understand how to download the stuff in a way that was useable!
Thanks again!

 

[wtp]

Zadrugas,
i sent a personal message (PM) if you look to the top right of this page.

 

[Melvin22]

As mentioned I created a video. Hopefully this sheds some light on how to do this by covering the basics.

Click the Mega link and the video should render in your browser via HTML5. You can also chose the download option.

161.51 MB file on MEGA

mega.nz

Any chance you can post this to YouTube? This would complement a lot of material already on there.

 

[BinaryMode]

Not a cold, dark chance in hell, sorry. I got rid of my YouTube account years ago. I can't STAND GOOGLE for reasons I'm not going into paragraph after paragraph here. Only to say the main reason is that they censor you, then they have the power to make or break your website SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and they freaking know it. The whole company needs to be broken up and competent congressional members need to here from people like me who know the technology and understand the firm MASSIVE grasp Google truly has. Just look at all the Chormeified nonsense code some websites use forcing one to use Chrome. That's why Chrome has a perceived snappiness to it. It's because the website code is made to interact with a Chromium-based browser.

I don't have any social media accounts. Reddit (Google's personal control freak forum) LinkedIn, Facebook, X, etc I don't ever wanna partake in that e-discovery nonsense that a potential prosecution can use against you because you had to defend yourself from an idiot that busted his way into your house. Check out the book Violence Of Mind written by Varg Freeborn. And get the actual book that can't be taken from you digitally. I highly recommend it for anyone thinking of a CCW or being "hero." But I digress...

So, yeah. No social media for me except classical forums like this. I do have an Odysee account though. I guess that would be considered a social media account I guess... Uses the LBRY blockchain.

What I would encourage you to do is make your own video like people should have done years or decades ago. They're there on everyone's favorite YouStupid, but I always thought them to be lame and not very educational. I just present the facts, ma'am... Not really my greatest, and I did make a few mistakes, but it drives home the point I guess. I'm not in anyway shape or form a "content creator"/"influencer" and never want to be either.

Anyway...

 

[tvengr]

Here is a PDF file which will answer all of your questions about using quick keys. Print it out and save it for your reference.