BCD396T Firmware Update Available

[ctrl]

Also the update makes the digital emergency hot tone sound better. On my radio it is much louder. On other 396's I have head an escalating louder tone. Mine does not do the escalating, not that I have noticed yet,

This is definitely true. I think it might be to loud now. Volume set at 5-6, which is a normal listening volume. The HOT tones just about blow you away. Way louder then the voices from the channel.

Almost seems as if AGC doesn't start untill the tone is over.

If you had an earpiece in, you'd probably go deaf.

 

[wolter]

I'm gettin them as well and there seems to be more than before. What's up with that?

I'm also finding that I get more machine-gunning now than with the previous. This is with a Motorola Type-2 UHF. If I remember correctly, firmware 1.08 improved things dramatically. It is now worse.

 

[DaveIN]

I'm gettin them as well and there seems to be more than before. What's up with that?

I'm monitoring the Howard County, Indiana EDACS system from West Lafayette, Indiana. Although I'm at the edge of coverage I didn't receive so many beeps before firmware 1.11.03. Now it seems liike 80-90% of the time I hear some beeps.

Has anyone noticed that the BCD396T seems to be a little more sensitive to EDACS systems than Motorola Systems? I monitor the EDACS system above with no bars on the signal strength indicator whereas I cant recall ever picking up a Motorola system with no bars showing.

If your getting the beeps when 30 - 40 miles from the site, then I'd say it is a reception problem.

 

[loumaag]

Unfortunately, I'm still getting the trailing EDACS beeps with my 396, flashed with 1.11.03, and trunking this system for Worcester, MA http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=TRSDB&sid=168

Insight, anyone, Mr. Optiz?

Okay, before we all go off the deep end here, lets consider what was fixed and what was not changed (supposedly).

dmjt99, what P25 trunking system are you listening to at the same time? I don't even see one in the state.

What was fixed was a bug where if you were monitoring a Project 25 system and a EDACS system, the beeps were not properly suppressed. If you were not monitoring a Project 25 system (or indeed if you just disabled it via SQK) the problem went away.

wolter the same question is applicable to you, I see no Project 25 Trunking systems in your area either, so one of two things has happened in reference to EDACS monitoring; 1) a new bug has surfaced or 2) nothing is different than before.

bacon, I don't know the area where you are but you should use the above as a guide to see if the bug fix really affected you.

 

[wolter]

What was fixed was a bug where if you were monitoring a Project 25 system and a EDACS system, the beeps were not properly suppressed. If you were not monitoring a Project 25 system (or indeed if you just disabled it via SQK) the problem went away.

I'm simply going off what was written in Uniden BCD396T Firmware Revision Notes 1.11.03 (BCD396TFirmwareRevisionNotes.pdf):

"Fix an issue where EDACS beeps are sometimes not detected and suppressed." -page 1.

That is all it says. It says nothing about P25 systems. Regardless, the problem happens when I am not monitoring a P25 system (as you sleuthed, I have none near me), so the problem did not "[go] away" - even before the update was applied.

 

[wolter]

If your getting the beeps when 30 - 40 miles from the site, then I'd say it is a reception problem.

I can't speak for Bacon, but I'm only 1-1/2 mile from the site.

 

[jas0nr7272]

Just applied the update here yes the audio on P25 seems to be improved.
Anyone else see an improvment or am i just to excited about the update?

 

[rhutch]

I'm simply going off what was written in Uniden BCD396T Firmware Revision Notes 1.11.03 (BCD396TFirmwareRevisionNotes.pdf):

"Fix an issue where EDACS beeps are sometimes not detected and suppressed." -page 1.

That is all it says. It says nothing about P25 systems. Regardless, the problem happens when I am not monitoring a P25 system (as you sleuthed, I have none near me), so the problem did not "[go] away" - even before the update was applied.

Even on the GE radio's on the EDACS you get a beep.

 

[ScanWorcester]

EDACS beeps

rhutch: With some radios, you will hear a fraction of the first EDACS beep on any radio. However the EDACS bug that we're talking about is the series of 5 beeps at the end of the transmission, as if you were listening on any conventional, non-trunking receiver.

loumaag: Correct, there aren't any P25's in the state of Massachusetts, however I can RX plenty of P25 out of this state. Are you saying that if I turn on my NHSP or CTSP P25 systems, the EDACS beeps on an unrelated, non-P25 system will go away?

everyone else: As wolter's situation, I'm not monitoring any other system at this time either. This is STRICTLY an EDACS system, which is no more than 3 miles from me (I can RX w/o a antenna even). I'm also obviously not the only one experiencing the problem with the newest firmware. As I said, I'm getting the whole 5 beeps after 3/5 transmissions, which is about 40% more than before.

 

[Bill2k]

loumaag: Correct, there aren't any P25's in the state of Massachusetts, however I can RX plenty of P25 out of this state. Are you saying that if I turn on my NHSP or CTSP P25 systems, the EDACS beeps on an unrelated, non-P25 system will go away?

A true P25 system is a trunking system. NHSP uses conventional channels with digital modulation (APCO25). When the scanner is decoding the digital, it displays P25 to show its digital. CTSP is not P25 either, its Motorola Type II.

I also thought I would not hear the beeps while traveling through Worcester or Hartford. I guess I still will. But hey...... doesn't the audio sound MUCH better

EDIT: Heres a P25 system http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=TRSDB&sid=3856

 

[USScanner]

On 9600 systems the hot tone does escalate louder which is nice, still waiting to see if it does the same for 3600 systems.

**On a side-note: Any firmware updates in the future to allow multi site trunking, start up system configuration & analog and or digital channel strapping on the 396 like the 996 will do? Paul any insight??

This is definitely true. I think it might be to loud now. Volume set at 5-6, which is a normal listening volume. The HOT tones just about blow you away. Way louder then the voices from the channel.

Almost seems as if AGC doesn't start untill the tone is over.

If you had an earpiece in, you'd probably go deaf.

 

[John_M]

The volume settings seem to be a bit lower. At least when set to 8, which is where I have mine set all the time.

 

[SCPD]

On 9600 systems the hot tone does escalate louder which is nice, still waiting to see if it does the same for 3600 systems.

Actually this is a console/configuration option, not 9600bps related.

 

[racin06]

For anyone who wants to make the AGC sound like a PRO-96, use these settings:

P25 Response Time: -7
P25 Reference Gain: +3

Wow! My 396 does, in fact, sound like my Pro-96! Thanks for sharing the settings!You certainly saved me alot of trial, error and frustration. Thanks again!

 

[racin06]

And those EDACS beeps are gone!
GTO_04

Yes, those EDACS beeps are gone! I've been monitoring SAFE-T and Hamilton County now for 2 hours and not one incident of beeps!

Also, I used Shaun's recommended settings and I haven't had one incident of machine gunning on SAFE-T and my 396 and Pro-96 sound exactly the same. A big thanks to the users on this board and to Uniden!

 

[don333]

I understand how to set the response time, but after this how do you access the reference gain. Thanks

 

[SCPD]

I understand how to set the response time, but after this how do you access the reference gain. Thanks

Hold down the F (function) key while turning the knob. It's detailed in Uniden's PDF if you read this thread.

 

[don333]

Never mind..I figured it out!!!!!

 

[troymail]

Wow! My 396 does, in fact, sound like my Pro-96! Thanks for sharing the settings!You certainly saved me alot of trial, error and frustration. Thanks again!

What system are you listening to?

 

[gregmoss]

For analog AGC, try these settings:

Response Time: -3
Reference Gain: -2
Gain Range: +11

Whats the default settings for, Response Time: Reference Gain: Gain Range: The analog volume seems abit lower as too before. The AGC is off, the analog is still abit lower than it was originally