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BCD396XT / BCD996XT Firmware Update Released
- Thread starter UPMan
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I've done all that and there is nothing new over FW 1.04.00 at all. The same exact hidden P25 menu items are still there but no option to set the threshold manually per site like the T model.
My P25 performance is as good or worse than it was with 1.04.00.
I even went back and downgraded to 1.04.00 (yes, it will allow a downgrade) and compared again to a 396XT and the performance was better on the older firmware.
The 1.06.00 Firmware Revision Notes say:
"This update improves decoding on many P25 systems. For cases where the default settings are not optimal, the update also adds a manual setting that allows you to adjust the decode threshold.".
Where is this "manual" setting that was added with this release?
I don't get it as there is no manual adjustment added. It is still the same old adjustments that have been in the so called "hidden" menu since the T model firmware. Nothing new at all.Where is this "manual" setting that was added with this release?
When I read the firmware notes, I thought this is going to be great, they really did bring back the manual setting that is available under each site within a P25 system but that seems to not be true.
I sure can't find any new "Manual" setting that was not already there before this version!
Is there a new one that I'm just overlooking? Or are the FW revision notes worded in error?
The manual setting I need is the per site setting so I can dial it down to 5 which works great on my systems on the T model.
I did try changing the two settings under the hidden menu and they work exactly as they did before.
I do not really know what the P25 Adjust Mode does as mine still starts at 8 when viewing the decode rate screen when scanning the system regardless if I set that setting to its lowest of 3 or its highest of 15. That setting seems to make zero difference to my decode quality whatsoever.
The other setting, "P25 Adjust Level" does cause the scanner to settle down in its searching of the proper threshold voltages with a setting around 100 to 200. Set that to 50 or below and my threshold voltages are all over the place hunting while receiving a signal with voice. Either way, mine will never search a site with a P25 Adjust Level below 8.
That is exactly what the old manual setting in the T models did, it fixed the threshold voltage at the level the P25 adjust level was set to so the radio did not keep searching and adjusting those voltages to what it thinks are correct.
Otherwise DDan, your first post after the install of the new FW sounded positive for you.
Is it still looking good or are you still seeing problems like before 1.06 was installed?
It seems most are claiming an improvement and a then one or two not seeing any improvement and then one or two with install problems.
I myself fall into the category of no improvement at all and nothing has changed in the menu, especially no manual setting has been added. Everything looks and behaves exactly as it did before the FW upgrade other than my FW number now shows the new 1.06 version in the scanner display.
I sure can't find any new "Manual" setting that was not already there before this version!
Is there a new one that I'm just overlooking? Or are the FW revision notes worded in error?
The manual setting I need is the per site setting so I can dial it down to 5 which works great on my systems on the T model.
I did try changing the two settings under the hidden menu and they work exactly as they did before.
I do not really know what the P25 Adjust Mode does as mine still starts at 8 when viewing the decode rate screen when scanning the system regardless if I set that setting to its lowest of 3 or its highest of 15. That setting seems to make zero difference to my decode quality whatsoever.
The other setting, "P25 Adjust Level" does cause the scanner to settle down in its searching of the proper threshold voltages with a setting around 100 to 200. Set that to 50 or below and my threshold voltages are all over the place hunting while receiving a signal with voice. Either way, mine will never search a site with a P25 Adjust Level below 8.
That is exactly what the old manual setting in the T models did, it fixed the threshold voltage at the level the P25 adjust level was set to so the radio did not keep searching and adjusting those voltages to what it thinks are correct.
Otherwise DDan, your first post after the install of the new FW sounded positive for you.
Is it still looking good or are you still seeing problems like before 1.06 was installed?
It seems most are claiming an improvement and a then one or two not seeing any improvement and then one or two with install problems.
I myself fall into the category of no improvement at all and nothing has changed in the menu, especially no manual setting has been added. Everything looks and behaves exactly as it did before the FW upgrade other than my FW number now shows the new 1.06 version in the scanner display.
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I'm using V 3.3.10.140 for win 7 from scannermaster
http://www.scannermaster.com/v/vspfiles/downloadables/pl2303_windows7.zip
You should use the latest driver (v3.4.25.218 10/24/2011). Here is a direct link to the installer:
http://www.prolific.com.tw/support/...ne/PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller_v1.5.0.zip
http://www.prolific.com.tw/support/...ne/PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller_v1.5.0.zip
kruser:
http://forums.radioreference.com/un...6xt-firmware-update-coming-3.html#post1708885
That is the manual adjustment that was added.
http://forums.radioreference.com/un...6xt-firmware-update-coming-3.html#post1708885
That is the manual adjustment that was added.
I'm using 3.3.11.152 dated 03/12/2010
The link UPMan posted should work better. I also know there are problems with some of the older Prolific based adapters. Mainly the ones that use the PL2301 chipset. The ones that use the PL2303 chipset work fine under Win7.
I know Paul but that menu or adjustment has been there for a long time!
The hidden menu has always had that exact setting.
Is it different or something?
Mine looks exactly the same as it did in the older firmware with the same lower and upper limits of 3 and 15 so nothing new that I can see or am I blind!
Thanks!
W6KRU
Member
What I am seeing here is that when the mode setting is set to 8 or above, it acts like a manual setting. My 396XT goes directly to that threshold setting at the beginning of a transmission (i.e. mode 11 = threshold 11). If mode is set to less than 8, the threshold seems to be the same old auto setting and my scanner goes to a setting of 12 at the beginning of a transmission.
The mode setting seems to set an upper limit on the auto threshold adjustment.
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any idea when the server will be back up so i can download this thing or is there a mirror download site?
any idea when the server will be back up so i can download this thing or is there a mirror download site?
Ive been adjusting around with mine. Right now I am using a level of 140 with a mode of 8 and getting decent results on the Charlotte Project 25 system....Seems to be a small improvement over the older version but still fine tuning it here...
Ha, neither of mine act like that at all. I set the P25 adjust mode to 3 and it starts at 8, I set it to 11 and it starts at 8, I set it too 15 and it starts at 8! Mine (the 396 and 996) both start at 8 and then bounce around between 8 and 11 but never settle down. I surely cannot get it to go down to 5.
Mine both exhibited this exact behavior before this firmware update as well hence the reason I'm asking what is really new.
Thanks for trying to explain what you think you are seeing. I wish I could see that so I'd at least know my settings are changing something!
I cannot force mine to start at 11 like yours for anything. It is always 8.
I'm puzzled.
The setting sets the maximum set level. Some systems do better when the range is restricted to 8, but most are best at 11.
W6KRU
Member
Yes I didn't explain very well. Mine always starts at 8 as well but when a transmission starts it then changes the threshold to the same level as the mode setting. The scanner doesn't seem capable of adjusting threshold down. It always starts at 8 and goes up from there although you say you see it go up and down??????????
That's pretty much what I've been trying. I can't force a mode of 5 like needed but I can change the level to a higher setting and that does seem to settle down the "hunting" that the thing does when it is trying to find the proper settings. It will at least lock and remain on 8 with a higher level like 140. I'm still not seeing any decode improvement over the older firmware though and I'm now back to the exact same mode and level settings that worked the best with the older firmware.
I beleive you are right about the lowest setting that is usable on P25 mode is 8...If I set mine to 7 then the auto setting starts flying back up to as high as 13 and back down to 8....By setting the mode to 8 then it constantly stays between 7 and 8 and doesn't vary outside of that boundry and it makes the copy much much better...Now I am going to leave my mode at a setting of 8 and adjust the P25 level upwards of 125 to 160 level and see if I can fine tune it...The systems that I am monitoring are settleing in at level 7....
Ok that makes sense! When I say mine goes up and down, I mean it hunts or fluctuates between 8 and 11 for the most part. I never see it go above 11 and rarely will it go down to 7 and never below 7. I can settle this hunting down by changing the P25 level to a higher value of say 120 to 200 and then it will stick at a mode of 8 regardless of what I set the P25 mode to. It seems that the lower the P25 level is set, the more the radio will swing its tuning voltages and the higher the level is set, the tighter the tuning voltages become which cause less hunting as I call it.
Of course I've tried the default level of 50 but that causes mine to hunt like crazy and the mode indicator will then jump all over between 8 and 11 during a conversation. Of course the audio is horrible when the thing is hunting all over the place. If I set the P25 level to a higher value to stop the hunting, then the P25 mode fixes itself at 8 which is too high for my system.
Are you running yours with the suggested value of 50 for the P25 Level?
I really wish I could get my mode to go down to 5 as that sure is the sweet spot for my 996T.
When I look at the P25 decode screen on the 996T, the voltges shown at the bottom do not fluctuate as I am in manual mode with a mode set of 5 or 6. On the 996 or 396XT, those voltage levels fluctuate like crazy as I have no manual setting contrary to what the revision notes claim.
The thing is still in auto mode.
I'm glad it is working for some though!
Highpockets
Member
Well, updates installed (396XT & 996XT), although I was disappointed it only addressed the decoding problem. I must say, on a scale of 1 to 10, I have to give the upgrade an 8 on improving the P25 system decoding.
Fair and balanced!
The 3-4 second delay settings are still missed.
Fair and balanced!
The 3-4 second delay settings are still missed.
By golly, this works! It's not perfect but a lot better than ever before!
Mine is staying on 7 the most during an active conversation.
Why we cannot get a setting below 7 though is beyond me.
It is like DDan said that the control seems to go back more auto when set below 8. That sucks when I need a 5 for good decode.
Now to compare with my 996XT that is back to FW 1.06.00 and see if these same settings work the same without the new firmware.
Something is telling me that it will.
W6KRU
Member
I'm liking a a level of about 100.
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