BCD396XT Startup Key Question

[rvictor]

As I understand it, if I use the Startup Key function to determine active systems at startup, it turns off and on the Lockout of the various systems based on their programmed Startup Keys. It appears to do this by means of the Lockout function rather than by any interaction with the System Quick Keys. Therefore the SQK display shows systems as active although they really aren't because they've been Locked Out. This seems less than ideal, but perhaps unavoidable.

What I'm wondering, however, is once I've Locked Out a number of systems using the Startup Key function, how do I unlock those systems without having to use the Menu to go to each system and change its Lockout setting system by system.

I know that there is a Func + L/O Long Press that will unlock everything, but then I've got Searches and Close Call unlocked that I don't want and I have to Lockout each of those again. Is there a way to unlock all systems without unlocking the services as well? If not, it seems that the use of the Startup Key function creates more work than merely using the SQKs particularly since the use of the SQKs gives a real display of what you are actually scanning.

Am I perhaps missing something? It wouldn't be the first time nor, I'm sure, the last.

Thanks.

Dick

 

[W6KRU]

Am I perhaps missing something? It wouldn't be the first time nor, I'm sure, the last.

Thanks.

Dick

Same here Dick. I do everything with QKs and only lockout a few select groups. If it enabled and disabled QKs that would be useful but I don't see anything in the reference that would indicate it does.

 

[rvictor]

Same here Dick. I do everything with QKs and only lockout a few select groups. If it enabled and disabled QKs that would be useful but I don't see anything in the reference that would indicate it does.

I think the distinction between the lockout and what you can do with quick keys is inherently confusing to begin with. It took awhile to figure out that they were two different ways of doing much the same thing. Seems like it would be useful to merge them so that a locked out system didn't show up in the quick key display.

Dick

 

[davidmc36]

............it seems that the use of the Startup Key function creates more work than merely using the SQKs particularly since the use of the SQKs gives a real display of what you are actually scanning.

Am I perhaps missing something? It wouldn't be the first time nor, I'm sure, the last.

Thanks.

Dick

I was thinking the same thing the other day while reading a post where a guy was asking a rather convoluted question about start-up keys.

Then I remembered back to another post where UpMan answered somebody's question about Start-Up Keys and described how he has one start-up key that starts up all his systems with GPS enabled, and another start-up key to start up a few select systems WITHOUT GPS enabled that are local to his home and a third with systems that are local to work. That is about the only scenario that I could see using Start-Up Keys for. Not applicable to me though since the 996 is permanent mobile install. Would be handy if I were ever to get a 396XT. Although I don't forsee that, my next digital will be the 996XT, if there ever is one, nudge-nudge, wink-wink.

 

[rvictor]

I was thinking the same thing the other day while reading a post where a guy was asking a rather convoluted question about start-up keys.

Then I remembered back to another post where UpMan answered somebody's question about Start-Up Keys and described how he has one start-up key that starts up all his systems with GPS enabled, and another start-up key to start up a few select systems WITHOUT GPS enabled that are local to his home and a third with systems that are local to work. That is about the only scenario that I could see using Start-Up Keys for. Not applicable to me though since the 996 is permanent mobile install. Would be handy if I were ever to get a 396XT. Although I don't forsee that, my next digital will be the 996XT, if there ever is one, nudge-nudge, wink-wink.

I guess I can see some usage if the systems will always be totally mutually exclusive so that you'd never want to change the lockouts manually, but even then you don't get the real quick key display it would seem.

Dick

 

[davidmc36]

I guess I can see some usage if the systems will always be totally mutually exclusive so that you'd never want to change the lockouts manually, but even then you don't get the real quick key display it would seem.

Dick

The way UpMan described it the systems were not exclusive, he has multiple instances of the same systems programmed in, some with GPS enabled and some with GPS disabled. Shouldn't be much of a problem with the amount of memory available in the 996 and especially the 396XT.

 

[UPMan]

To unlock a system, FUNC+Scroll to it and press L/O.

 

[rvictor]

To unlock a system, FUNC+Scroll to it and press L/O.

Thanks. That's much quicker than going through the menu system, but, from your answer would I be correct to assume, there's no way to unlock all systems without also unlocking the services as well.

73
Dick

 

[UPMan]

Correct.

 

[kenisned]

If someone hasn't already, this is something that would be good in the "suggestions" thread.

Start up keys should work by using the system quick keys as opposed to the L/O system function.

 

[UPMan]

But then you couldn't make "overlays" of different areas that use the same SQKs. I have SQK 0-9 doing one set of systems for one SK and SQK 0-9 doing another set of systems for a different SK (so I don't have to abandon single-press SQK to only one area).

 

[rvictor]

But then you couldn't make "overlays" of different areas that use the same SQKs. I have SQK 0-9 doing one set of systems for one SK and SQK 0-9 doing another set of systems for a different SK (so I don't have to abandon single-press SQK to only one area).

This is the kind of information that would be helpful to have up front. Some of these strategies are just not very obvious. I started out thinking that the failure of the startup keys to work through the SQKs was not a very good idea. I'm still not sure that this strategy will provide any benefit to me, but at least I now understand that it was not an oversight, but a conscious decision. I can now use that information to consider how to best use the startup key function. Unfortunately, the number of people reading this thread is likely a very small percentage of people who have or will buy this scanner. Many of those will never have the benefit of your explanation.

73,
Dick

 

[W6KRU]

I agree with everything that Dick says. I still haven't thought of a way to use it but It gives me another tool to think about.

 

[Mike_G_D]

I'll second or "third" (?) that. I have a BCT15 and read through these forums pretty regularly. I find I do get quite a few tips from reading various threads and posts that really clarify my understanding.

The manual for the 15 is really organized very oddly (at least to me) - the information is there but the order and arrangement are not intuitive (again, at least to me).

I, too, was having problems with getting used to the SQK and SK arrangement. After much experimenting and perusing of the manual as well as reading these threads I think I finally have a good understanding of the operation of these functions. This last information by UPMan really made a significant difference in how I program my 15's memory. I understand now and believe I finally have a pretty good arrangement set up that I can effectively make use of. I have much experience with the GRE "object oriented scanning" methodology and had nowhere near the level of difficulty developing a good understanding of that and finally developing a solid and usable organizational methodology for it as I did with the 15's DMA approach. But this was not due to any inherent weakness of the DMA approach versus the GRE approach rather it was due to the weakness of the instructions explaining the approach that were immediately available. I prefer not to rely on the "easier to read" manuals in the wiki as I tend to think of that as someone else' interpretation of the provided instructions and may, therefor, contain errors or omissions which may be significant to me. I try to rely on the included manual as much as possible and read as much as possible in these forums especially any posts by UPMan himself.

Initially, I really thought that the DMA approach (as realized in the BCT15, at least) could not meet my needs as effectively as the newer GRE approach (in the so called "object oriented scanning" units) but now, I believe I have effectively mastered the DMA methodology to the extent that I can make it work quite well for me. This is partly why I bought the BCT15. I really wanted to experiment with the Uniden DMA programming and didn't want to dive in to a full fledged 996 or 396 due to money reasons. As mentioned, I have much experience with the GRE approach already and mastered that fairly easily. I was surprised how hard it was to master the DMA method but, again, this was mostly due to the weakness of the instructions available. I am fairly technically minded and have a technical background. I always refer to the included instructions first on anything I am unfamiliar with as a rule but am quite good at intuitively figuring out most anything requiring programming in the consumer realm if I am forced to without instructions. But the Uniden DMA method really threw me for a loop I am ashamed to say! I know that I did have some preconceived organizational ideas that I had to "unlearn" but the weakness of the instructions really added to the problem.

I think the new web approach to the instructions for the new 396XT is a good idea. I hope it will mitigate the problems inherent in the earlier manuals. For me, I now believe it will be relatively easy to switch between the two new scanner programming approaches (Uniden's DMA and GRE's "OOUI"). If necessary, I feel relatively confident now that I could switch completely over to the Uniden approach comfortably.

-Mike

 

[davidmc36]

The manual for the 15 is really organized very oddly (at least to me) - the information is there but the order and arrangement are not intuitive (again, at least to me).

You're not the only one

I prefer not to rely on the "easier to read" manuals in the wiki as I tend to think of that as someone else' interpretation of the provided instructions and may, therefor, contain errors or omissions which may be significant to me.

I'm with you on that too, but do suggest them to somebody who is very new to trunking and DMA type scanners. Even if there are the odd mistake they could help somebody grasp the concepts, so long as they compare the info to the regular manual for accuracy. My personal taste is that I don't find the "easier to read" versions any better or any harder to understand than the regular manual.