BCD436HP/BCD536HP Firmware Upgrade Wish List

[Minus1]

It is annoying, given the intricacy of the BCD536HP, that the ZIP, SERV, and RANG buttons do not have a FUNCTION meaning. I've considered some possible uses:

FUNCTION ZIP could be programmed to list the locations predefined by the "Edit Location" menu, allowing people to choose from their favourite locations without having to remember the zip code or GPS location.

FUNCTION SERV could select a predefined favourite set of Services.

FUNCTION RANGE could show the range of the currently selected channel (if it has a defined location).

 

[Minus1]

Can the MENU button in Analyze - RF Power Plot mode not jump right out of the Analyze function and go back to the main menu please?
It is tedious when all you want to is change the RF Power Plot frequency.
The MENU should always go back one level in the MENU heirarchy.
I've found that FUNCTION MENU does go back one level to ANALYZE, but why, when it doesn't work like that in other menus? Some consistency please.

Better still, if RF Power Plot, allow the frequency to be adjusted using the knob.

 

[Voyager]

The MENU should always go back one level in the MENU heirarchy.

It does if you press the MENU button (no FUNC needed). But the Analyze function is not a menu item.

 

[jburgess]

This is a suggestion for possible firmware update for the BCD436HP and future models.

On the UID's make a wildcard. Example if a department has UID's 600xxx then you can type in the known digits then remaining digits with the "x". Then label such as Home Town Police. Then the scanner would label anything 600xxx as Home Town Police. If hits on anything like 600xx or 600xxxx it doesnt do anything.

 

[Gilligan]

This is a suggestion for possible firmware update for the BCD436HP and future models.

On the UID's make a wildcard. Example if a department has UID's 600xxx then you can type in the known digits then remaining digits with the "x". Then label such as Home Town Police. Then the scanner would label anything 600xxx as Home Town Police. If hits on anything like 600xx or 600xxxx it doesnt do anything.

I like this idea.

 

[mancow]

I just want the ability to get it out of mass storage mode remotely.

 

[cjabass123]

This is in reqard to P25 ANALYZE functionality. Forgive me if I repeat someone else's wish. And I apologize if what I'm suggesting is way off base.

It seems the AUTO mode is working for some and not others. Some say the auto adjustments are so aggressive that it causes audio quality to go from good to bad (and perhaps back again). Some have suggested allowing the user to have some input, such as setting a smaller range of adjustment (ie 3 - 5 or 6 - 9) instead of having the radio test from 0 - 9 every time. And I think we need a simple quick way to save the settings, once we identify them.

So I guess what I am requesting is a SMART AUTO mode. Here's how I'd like to see it work:

I apply the new firmware and go into SMART AUTO ANALYZE for the first time. I HOLD on a channel. I say ANALYZE. The ALERT light is RED. As the radio performs it's adjustments, as the error rates improve the ALERT light begins to go to YELLOW and when the alert light gets to GREEN, I hit a button and the radio changes it's settings (saves them) and sets the mode to MANUAL for that channel. If I ever go into analyze mode for that channel again, I'll see the alert light is green (because it's been set to MANUAL) and know that the radio has already been set for that channel.

Perhaps part of its adjustment could also be to test both FM and NFM modulation settings.

I am not saying it's impossible but it seems that getting clean P25 audio adjustments, on-the-fly, automatically, may simply not be realistic. (Though GRE users seem to be very happy) That's not a slam against Uniden. They're certainly working on it. But until such time as they nail it, perhaps the user can help if Uniden gives us a method to do so.

Once I find a good P25 setting for a system, dept, or channel, I'd like to know that I'm done with it and not have the radio try to re-adjust it every time, causing me to lose the audio stability that I may have already saved.

As a former programmer, I know that if all the data and parameters are present, anything can be accomplished.

 

[Boatanchor]

In my experience the Auto mode doesn't (can't) work when signals are fluctuating in strength and may not even work properly with stable signals.

Auto mode is particularly bad when the scanner is mobile and worse still on the higher (800Mhz) bands where signals are more prone to fast amplitude variations and multipath effects.

There are enough (external) variables that impact on digital reception quality without adding some dodgy Auto tuning mode that doesn't work.

Every trunking and conventional system that I monitor has optimal decode at a manual setting of 7 or 8.
Yet, if I enable Auto mode, the x36HP routinely fluctuates up to 12 or 13 and rarely, if ever, drops below 9.
On a system that is optimized at 7, once the scanner goes up to 12 or 13 the decode is crap.

I've never used the Auto mode, even on the 'old' x96XT scanners.

For what it's worth..

 

[Syncopations]

Obviously, I'd want decode for DMR, dPMR, NXDN, and D-Star.

Talking about these digital flavors, will a firmware update allow these formats to be decoded, or would extra hardware in the scanner(s) be needed?

 

[cjabass123]

In my experience the Auto mode doesn't (can't) work when signals are fluctuating in strength and may not even work properly with stable signals.

Auto mode is particularly bad when the scanner is mobile and worse still on the higher (800Mhz) bands where signals are more prone to fast amplitude variations and multipath effects.

There are enough (external) variables that impact on digital reception quality without adding some dodgy Auto tuning mode that doesn't work.

Every trunking and conventional system that I monitor has optimal decode at a manual setting of 7 or 8.
Yet, if I enable Auto mode, the x36HP routinely fluctuates up to 12 or 13 and rarely, if ever, drops below 9.
On a system that is optimized at 7, once the scanner goes up to 12 or 13 the decode is crap.

I've never used the Auto mode, even on the 'old' x96XT scanners.

For what it's worth..

I do not disagree with you. At all.

I am simply requesting an AUTO function that will help less experienced users like myself zero in on those optimum values. And have the radio do more of the work for us.

 

[Minus1]

This is in reqard to P25 ANALYZE functionality. Forgive me if I repeat someone else's wish. And I apologize if what I'm suggesting is way off base.

It seems the AUTO mode is working for some and not others. Some say the auto adjustments are so aggressive that it causes audio quality to go from good to bad (and perhaps back again). Some have suggested allowing the user to have some input, such as setting a smaller range of adjustment (ie 3 - 5 or 6 - 9) instead of having the radio test from 0 - 9 every time. And I think we need a simple quick way to save the settings, once we identify them.

So I guess what I am requesting is a SMART AUTO mode. Here's how I'd like to see it work:

I apply the new firmware and go into SMART AUTO ANALYZE for the first time. I HOLD on a channel. I say ANALYZE. The ALERT light is RED. As the radio performs it's adjustments, as the error rates improve the ALERT light begins to go to YELLOW and when the alert light gets to GREEN, I hit a button and the radio changes it's settings (saves them) and sets the mode to MANUAL for that channel. If I ever go into analyze mode for that channel again, I'll see the alert light is green (because it's been set to MANUAL) and know that the radio has already been set for that channel.

Perhaps part of its adjustment could also be to test both FM and NFM modulation settings.

I am not saying it's impossible but it seems that getting clean P25 audio adjustments, on-the-fly, automatically, may simply not be realistic. (Though GRE users seem to be very happy) That's not a slam against Uniden. They're certainly working on it. But until such time as they nail it, perhaps the user can help if Uniden gives us a method to do so.

Once I find a good P25 setting for a system, dept, or channel, I'd like to know that I'm done with it and not have the radio try to re-adjust it every time, causing me to lose the audio stability that I may have already saved.

As a former programmer, I know that if all the data and parameters are present, anything can be accomplished.

I think that is a very good idea. Certainly I am sure owners of commercial P25 radios do not have to start messing around with threshold settings before they can use their radios!

 

[ResQguy]

Has anyone thought about allowing the avoid button to operate when the keypad is locked? There are only two controls I want access to most of the time, and that is volume and avoid.

 

[k3fs]

When the batteries get low, have the radio automatically restart scanning after the alert. After 2-5 seconds radio will automatically revert to whatever it was doing, instead of sitting there with the message waiting for you to pres E. or at least the option to do that.

Same request for after listening to replay. 2-5 seconds and default to No, and not wait for you to press "." Or at least the option to do that.

The scrolling of the Unit ID and TG in the 396XT is nice. It is very difficult to read the unit ID on the 436. Display option to allow the display to alternate TG, and then UID.

Option for time LED stays on. Up to as long as channel is active.

It would be nice if the LED was able to act more like the LED in the Yaesu VX7. It can alternate colors, and has more colors. I have not taken the time to see what he difference is design wise.

Option to unmute encrypted. The radio ignores muted encrypted too fast, and moves on even if the transmission is still active. You have to be quick to see what system, or channel it was.

Band scope

Close Call Finds system as in the 396XT that would store the finds until radio shut off. Also the ability to number tag that system as in the 396XT.

Close Call Auto Store as in the 396XT.

Trunking Discovery

 

[szron]

I think it was posted by many before and by me at some point in some thread but I'll keep posting until it's there because it's an critical feature.

P25 Patch tracking

 

[Minus1]

The 'Priority Scan' menu item should provide a list of all channels currently set to Priority. At present, find the channels is tedious.

The Function PRI button should toggle between OFF and PRIORITY, with what type of priority (ON or DND) being set on the menu. Three ways toggles are a confusing nuisance.

 

[Gilligan]

I would like to see a squelch unmute delay that would at least help a little bit with trying to listen to passport systems as you could set it to wait at least 500 ms or so before opening the squelch and you wouldn't have to listen to the data bursts. I'm sure this could help with other things as well but that would be the primary use. If Uniden is not planning on implementing passport in the future this would be a convenient workaround solution that would be easy for them to implement instead.

 

[Voyager]

I would like to see a squelch unmute delay

Set the P25 Wait Time lower.

 

[Gilligan]

Set the P25 Wait Time lower.

Assuming you meant "longer"... Tried this and it didn't work, unless I'm doing something wrong...

 

[Voyager]

No. Lower. Default is 400 mS. If you set it to 0 mS, the squelch will open as fast as it can get.

 

[Gilligan]

The idea of a squelch unmute delay would be to prevent the radio from opening the squelch for a specified time. This would be useful in at least muting the data bursts of passport systems so that you could scan several channels (in conventional mode) and listen to the audio of the users without hearing all of the data bursts every 3 seconds. I am going to double check my settings and see if it would work if I have the audio type set to "All" and the P25 wait time set to 1000 ms.