BCD436 Choppy

[wfncnews]

This might help. Even after restoring the BCD436 to factory settings and just the DB it still shows mostly no bars for signal strength.

 

[RF23]

This might help. Even after restoring the BCD436 to factory settings and just the DB it still shows mostly no bars for signal strength.

You might try to listen to a local NOAA weather station or a commercial FM radio station to see if 436 itself has a problem. You should get some signal bars then and it would check out your receiver and antenna.

 

[fredva]

Hmm. There are multiple reports of these new scanners not working very well on Type II systems - Eastern Maryland/Delaware, Charlottesville, VA, and San Diego County are examples. Is this the original VIPER system (Type II) you are trying to monitor?

 

[wfncnews]

Hmm. There are multiple reports of these new scanners not working very well on Type II systems - Eastern Maryland/Delaware, Charlottesville, VA, and San Diego County are examples. Is this the original VIPER system (Type II) you are trying to monitor?

It is a Motorola Type II SmartZone Omnilink. Actually it is this one - Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders (VIPER) Trunking System, Various, North Carolina - Scanner Frequencies

 

[wfncnews]

You might try to listen to a local NOAA weather station or a commercial FM radio station to see if 436 itself has a problem. You should get some signal bars then and it would check out your receiver and antenna.

I've tried three different antennas on the BCD436 and all have the same "no signal bars" result even when scanning the entire DB.

 

[wfncnews]

Picture of No Bars During Reception

Hopefully the attached image will display. This is what the screen looks like during a strong audio reception. As you can see, there are no bars displayed in the upper right.

 

[KC9NEG]

Do you have the ATT (attenuator) engaged on the 436?

 

[wfncnews]

Do you have the ATT (attenuator) engaged on the 436?

Off

 

[wfncnews]

One more piece of information. I just attached my BCD436 to my big external antenna on the roof and still no bars.

 

[whsbuss]

One more piece of information. I just attached my BCD436 to my big external antenna on the roof and still no bars.

I hate to say it, but it sounds like a defective scanner.

 

[kikito]

When I first listened to my 436hp I had not upgraded the firmware. Using the home patrol mode everything sounded just fine and received far off transmissions in my basement. After the firmware upgrade came the reception degradation....

I gotta say the same thing happened to me with the 396XT and possibly again now with the 436HP.

I'm also noticing some talkgroups sounding kind of "scratchy", with and without AGC on a VHF Trunked P25 system.

 

[wfncnews]

I hate to say it, but it sounds like a defective scanner.

Might just be. I found this video online and the bars that it displays are nowhere to be found on mine even when connected to my external antenna. Uniden BCD436HP Scanning Indianapolis P25 Phase I Simulcast System on Vimeo

Uniden BCD436HP Scanning Indianapolis P25 Phase I Simulcast System on Vimeo

 

[wfncnews]

UPDATE: Just off the phone with Uniden tech support and they had me monitor WX and still no bars. They are saying the unit is defective and I should return it or send it in for warranty service.

 

[mancow]

The RSSI is adjusted way too low. I rarely see any bars either and that's with a 13 element beam pointed straight at trunking site. I only see them when the local PD repeater a few blocks away kicks on.

 

[SRyno]

I had a similar issue... was making me crazy.. Turned off weather alert and all is well now..

 

[FJB2022]

When I first listened to my 436hp I had not upgraded the firmware. Using the home patrol mode everything sounded just fine and received far off transmissions in my basement. After the firmware upgrade came the reception degradation. So I am wondering about the firmware. We are so anxious to get up and running that we jump right in and upgrade. Experience has taught me that firmware upgrades do not always make things better. All I can say is that the reception was crisp and clear before I upgraded. Unfortunately once you upgrade, there is usually no way of going back.



QUOTE=wfncnews;2122632]I don't know about the signal strength. Not sure how to visualize that.

I do have a weather SAME channel setup.

I have the latest firmware.

The audio is broken.

I'll have to listen to the full DB I've never done that since I setup the unit.

[/QUOTE]

I have two of these scanners and both would receive the neighboring P25 systems before i upgraded the firmware. Since i have upgraded the firmware the audio is choppy in my city with the tower less than 2 miles away and i can't receive the 2 P25 neighboring cities at all now. Hopefully they can get a good firmware update out soon since we can't go back.