BCD396XT Keypad Operation

[SC_Scan]

I could use some assistance please. I recently purchased a BCB396XT and am somewhat confused as to its general operation. I have scoured the user manual for answers to no avail. At present, I have left the factory programming on the radio.

The scanner is recognized by Mr. Scanner/ScanSoft Lite and the Free Scan software and the default frequencies and Quick Keys (QK) are displayed in the Trunking view mode.

When I power the radio on it stays on the Alaska System (1), and I am unable to select any other Systems or Quick Keys from the radio keypad

How does one maneuver between Systems and/or Quick Keys from the radio keypad please?

My scanning experience is limited to some previous Radio Shack handheld scanners.

 

[DaveIN]

For the pre-programmed systems look at this link: UsingPreloadedSystems < UnidenMan4 < TWiki

Read this on getting started: Scanner Programming

Also this easier to read manual for the 396 classic T model will help you get started with keypad operation: Easier to Read BCD396T/UBCD396T Manual

 

[GoNavy]

I could use some assistance please. I recently purchased a BCB396XT and am somewhat confused as to its general operation. I have scoured the user manual for answers to no avail. At present, I have left the factory programming on the radio.

The scanner is recognized by Mr. Scanner/ScanSoft Lite and the Free Scan software and the default frequencies and Quick Keys (QK) are displayed in the Trunking view mode.

When I power the radio on it stays on the Alaska System (1), and I am unable to select any other Systems or Quick Keys from the radio keypad

How does one maneuver between Systems and/or Quick Keys from the radio keypad please?

My scanning experience is limited to some previous Radio Shack handheld scanners.

Well I may be wrong, but my 996XT didn't have any quick keys set by default. and it was very generic. So other then locking it out, it going to scan it. What I did was downloaded Freescan software because it was free, I downloaded the default stuff off the scanner and saved the file, because I really didn't need 90% of what was in there. I then got a RR subscription and I used freescan to download stuff for my area, assigned quicks to the systems and groups, uploaded them to the scanner. I use the SQK (system quick key) to turn off or on what I want to listen too. I also use the GQK (group quick key) to turn off individual stuff within the system I am really not interested in, like the sanitation dept, or street sweepers, not really too interested, but if I ever do there right there...lol...the only thing from the default setup I keep was my state AWIN system, but all I did was opened the default file I saved high lighted the Arkansas AWIN system hit copy, then opened my file and pasted it in, easy as pie, assigned a quick key and uploaded the whole deal to my scanner. Hope that helped, may not be the way your suppose to do it, but it works for me.

 

[rvictor]

When I power the radio on it stays on the Alaska System (1), and I am unable to select any other Systems or Quick Keys from the radio keypad

Alaska is assigned SQK 21 not 1. You need to acquire an understanding of the SQKs and GQKs in order to be able to control the scanner. Here's something that I've posted previously that may be helpful.

System Quick Keys (SQKs) allow you activate and deactivate systems or trunked sites for scanning. For conventional systems, the SQKs are set at the system level. For trunked systems, the SQKs are set at the site level. There can be more than one system or site assigned to a SQK.

The single digit SQKs are toggled between active and inactive by pressing the corresponding key on the keyboard. The two digit SQKs are toggled between active and inactive by pressing the ./NO key followed by the two digits on the keyboard.

The display

S0:1234--7**0 indicates that SQKs 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 0 are active; SQKs 8 and 9 are inactive; and SQKs 5 and 6 are unassigned.

S1:12---678** indicates that SQKs 11, 12, 16, 17, and 18 are active; SQKs 19 and 10 are inactive; and SQKs13, 14, and 15 are unassigned.

Etc. to S9:12345678790

Each system can have up to 10 Group Quick Keys (GQKs). The indicator for the GQKs is the line below the SQK line and works the same way except that it only has ten possible values and therefore is only single digits. There can also be more than one group assigned to a GQK.

GQKs can be toggled active and inactive by pressing FUNC and the keyboard number while the scanner is scanning the particular system which contains the groups that you are controlling.

If you use software to program your scanner, you can assign the SQKs and GQKs as you set up your programming and can also set the initial state of the SQKs and GQKs. I've never used ScanSoft Lite, but from what I've read, it's not well thought of. I'd suggest that you use FreeScan which is widely used and very well thought of. The fact that it is widely used will make it easy for you to share data with others.

Hope this is helpful.

Dick

 

[SC_Scan]

Thanks!

Thanks to all of you who responded to my questions!