BCD396XT P25 Performance Poll

[DaveIN]

Just checking the consensus of the BCD396XT users opinion on P25 performance.

 

[GTO_04]

I think they've closed the P25 gap with GRE. The audio (digital and analog) is still a little better on the PSR500 though. That's probably a function of what appears to be a larger speaker on the 500.

The ability to flag TGs as "digital only" has been a huge help, and has just about eliminated the motorboating that plagued the 396T.

Well done, Uniden

GTO_04

 

[DaveIN]

Would it help to have the digital flag be selectable for system wide and per channel?

I would like system wide digital settings or analog settings. Then maybe override on the specific talkgroups that are a minority. I.e. SAFE-T with mostly digital talkgroups and a few analog, while the county TRS is all analog but one TG.

 

[SquierStrat]

im glad this poll was created. im looking forward to hearing from people with first hand experience say how it sounds compared to the psr500

 

[RollCallRadio]

I'm sorry and disappointed to say that the 396XT still suffers from multipath distortion and drop-outs to a much greater extent than the PSR-500. It is an improvement in this area over the 396T and the 996T, but it doesn't even come close to the PSR-500/600. I wish it did because it has more, "cooler" features and more memory. It is smaller and lighter and has a beefier belt clip. I also prefer the Uniden memory scheme. But like its predecessor, the 396XT doesn't measure up to the GRE's when it comes to multipath correction.

Not everyone is ever going to notice this problem, admittedly. But anyone who moves around in an area served by simulcast digital systems is very likely going to. I happen to live in multipath hell. I'm smack between two towers on the local system I listen to and about 35 miles equidistant from 3 towers on the other system I listen to frequently. On the 396XT, no amount of tweaking will get rid of the drop-outs and distortion, even though the signal strength is a steady 5 bars. The GRE's operate with no distortion or drop-outs right out of the box. The difference is somewhat astounding. However, I can move the 396XT a couple of miles away and all the problems go away. Of course, in travelling around I can find many other places where multipath causes problems with the Uniden. But since I happen to live in one of them, it is truly annoying...and disappointing.

I can also say that at least with stock antennas, the PSR-500 is picking up distant 800mhz systems much better. On the roof 800mhz antenna, they seem about the same so it may just be that the stock Uniden antenna isn't tuned as close to 800mhz as the GRE. But just to reiterate, the multipath issues are completely independent of signal strength.

 

[DaveIN]

I tested the BCD396XT next to the BCD396T (Classic) last night. Side by side, on the same two towers on the MPSCS P25 system, with the same RS800MHz antenna, I saw the same signal strength bars, and heard the same sound from each. Both radios were running in the automatic setting, the 396 classic in auto 8 and the 396XT was hovering at about 11, sometimes dipping down to 10 or 9. The threshold numbers were pretty consistent, with the Classic being a little slower than the XT on adjustment. The error rate was nearly the same. I would not rule out that there is an advantage to have the manual settings available for troublesome systems such as the South Bend/Mishawaka, IN P25 system, that the Classic already has, and the XT may need for those systems with the exception to the rule, that are not working well with the automatic setting.

 

[SCOTTER]

Good job Dave for doing the test you did I agree 100%. My test turned out about the same way. But after rereading RollCallRadio's reply and others all I have to say is wow what a slap in the face to Uniden. How can a GRE out of the box be better than Uniden's top of the line scanner? If I told my freinds I just got a GRE scanner they would say what the hell is that. If I told them I got a Uniden Bearcat scanner they would say really how you like it does it pick up this or that how's it sound? Im not hating on Uniden I just think they pushed the unit out the door too fast and need to do a little firmware work Uniden should be number 1 when it comes to scanners. What do you guys think? SCOTTER lifetime Uniden owner

 

[RoninJoliet]

Today running around on I 80 between my city and the Indiana border the 396XT was almost perfect on decode of the ILL-Starcom 700/800 P25 digital system ....Moving in the mobile was tough on this system with breakups but the 396XT is MUCH BETTER on this problem...A few weeks ago when i took the GRE500 on the same route it was not bad but suffered with cell tower overload and alot of "flickering" on the CC's where as the 396XT was much more stable...I would still give a "slight" edge on audio volume to the GRE but the 396XT has what seems like a slight edge on "clearer audio" than the GRE...Here at my home location moving the 396XT a little this way and a little that way in the house results in it decoding better than the GRE as its trying constantly to over come in "AUTO" the multipath problems....I think here in ILL on this Starcom the "no adjustment on decode" is great as its doing its thing by itself....Dave IN, do you have the Uniden 346 and is it all that the 396XT is with the exception of digital...Im thinking of selling my Uniden 246 for the 346...Thank You

 

[DaveIN]

Dave IN, do you have the Uniden 346 and is it all that the 396XT is with the exception of digital...Im thinking of selling my Uniden 246 for the 346...Thank You

Good report Ron. And yes, the BC346XT is a much improved radio over the original BC246T.

 

[mancow]

It's a great piece of equipment and a definite improvement upon the previous but in no way does the digital decode compare to the GRE units.

 

[Markscan]

I disagree. I have compared my 396T and a PSR 500 side by side, and found no major difference. I have had no issues at all with my XT. Once I set the talkgroups to digital only, it performed flawlessly. I really had to tweak the T (updating and reverting firmware) to get good performance. That being said,you should not have to go through hurdles to get good performance right out of the box. I will say the 500 was smooth as soon as I turned it on. But I love my XT.

 

[RollCallRadio]

I have compared my 396T and a PSR 500 side by side, and found no major difference.

And I would have noticed no major difference if there were no multi-path issues where I was located. But here, and anywhere multi-path is a problem, the difference is major. I can easily move the radios to a location very close by and there is no noticable difference.

Today I took both radios on a road trip through Maryland and Delaware. At times the 396XT is perfect on digital systems. Then a mile later you will simply not be able to understand something someone said when the signal strength is great. The PSR-500 never does that. That's the difference.

This was a much greater problem with the 396T and remains a much greater problem with the 996T. I run several on-line feeds and I keep replacing 996T's with PSR-600's to eliminate multi-path distortion and drop-outs. It's always an instant fix. By this weekend there will be no Uniden's on my digital feeds. And it really pisses me off because the features on the Unidens are clearly superior. But what really counts is how it sounds.

By the way, I actually do like the 396XT very much. It's a very cool radio with the best features currently on the market, no doubt. And the digtal processing isn't horrible, it's just not as good as the GRE's. Where I want to look cool I'll carry the 396XT. Where I want it to sound perfect I'll have the PSR-500.

 

[SquierStrat]

so is it safe to say the XT is not better then the psr500 at digital?

 

[FJB2022]

so is it safe to say the XT is not better then the psr500 at digital?

I was wondering the same thing, I am thinking about getting one because my PSR500 has magor front end overload problems near cell towers and where I live there everywhere but from what I understand after reading multiple post some say its just as good and some say its not as good. I believe on a 3600 trunking system people say it sounds great and has no front in overload but on a P25 9600 Simulcast system some say the PSR500 works better. Like I said I don't have one but I would like to hear what more people have to say because I would also like to get a 996XT when it comes out.

 

[jnewell]

so is it safe to say the XT is not better then the psr500 at digital?

For me, my area, my systems, they are indistinguishable when running side by side.