BCD436HP/BCD536HP: BCD436HP Digital Audio Sounds Muffled

[walt991]

I purchased a used BCD436HP and all of the digital signals I try to monitor sound muffled and over-modulated. I have a P25 P2 station very close by and it’s a very very strong signal and it’s muffled too. I also have some Provoice and DMR stations nearby and they also sound over-modulated. Audio from analog signals are perfectly clear.

Is this normal for a 436 or do I have a bad unit? Should I send it to Uniden for repair?


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[sibbley]

The 436 has bassy audio, IMHO, but not horrible.

 

[Bob1955]

I purchased a used BCD436HP and all of the digital signals I try to monitor sound muffled and over-modulated. I have a P25 P2 station very close by and it’s a very very strong signal and it’s muffled too. I also have some Provoice and DMR stations nearby and they also sound over-modulated. Audio from analog signals are perfectly clear.

Is this normal for a 436 or do I have a bad unit? Should I send it to Uniden for repair?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

walt991, this is what happens when you purchase a "used" scanner. Their "may" be a reason why this individual sold it. I would call Paul at Bearcat Warehouse in Maryland and their number is 877-568-7226 and maybe it needs a software update so since I'm not familiar with that Bearcat BCD-436HP, I'll leave it to the expert that he is. Uniden America Corp should be your last resort for repair as it will run cost you money and may have been damaged by the prior. Paul will also see if it has the latest software. Hope this will help you out. Have a nice weekend Walt.

 

[buddrousa]

Both the 436 and 536 have a Bass Muddy Sound

 

[buddrousa]

walt991, this is what happens when you purchase a "used" scanner. Their "may" be a reason why this individual sold it. I would call Paul at Bearcat Warehouse in Maryland and their number is 877-568-7226 and maybe it needs a software update so since I'm not familiar with that Bearcat BCD-436HP, I'll leave it to the expert that he is. Uniden America Corp should be your last resort for repair as it will run cost you money and may have been damaged by the prior. Paul will also see if it has the latest software. Hope this will help you out. Have a nice weekend Walt.

Dear Bob Calling Bearcat Warehouse is not the answer Dating back to 2013 when the X36's were released this has been a know issue.
I own 5 536's and 2 436's all sound the same.

 

[budevans]

I purchased a used BCD436HP and all of the digital signals I try to monitor sound muffled and over-modulated. I have a P25 P2 station very close by and it’s a very very strong signal and it’s muffled too. I also have some Provoice and DMR stations nearby and they also sound over-modulated. Audio from analog signals are perfectly clear.

Is this normal for a 436 or do I have a bad unit? Should I send it to Uniden for repair?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Over modulated digital, is not normal for a BCD436HP. Here's something you can try. You can adjust the audio level (louder or softer) for each Talk Group in Sentinel. Try it on a couple of Talk Groups to see if that helps.

Bassy sounding audio is something users have commented on in the past, regarding some models of Uniden scanners.
Note, the latest Uniden scanners SDS100 and SDS200 have had reports from some users as being too Treble sounding on analog.

 

[phask]

walt991, this is what happens when you purchase a "used" scanner. Their "may" be a reason why this individual sold it. I would call Paul at Bearcat Warehouse in Maryland and their number is 877-568-7226 and maybe it needs a software update so since I'm not familiar with that Bearcat BCD-436HP, I'll leave it to the expert that he is. Uniden America Corp should be your last resort for repair as it will run cost you money and may have been damaged by the prior. Paul will also see if it has the latest software. Hope this will help you out. Have a nice weekend Walt.

You state you know nothing about a 536, so why the useless comment?
Any "software update", which would be a firmware update is done by the user.

 

[trentbob]

Dear Bob Calling Bearcat Warehouse is not the answer Dating back to 2013 when the X36's were released this has been a know issue.
I own 5 536's and 2 436's all sound the same.

This is absolutely my experience also... I use both x36s everyday and I imagine everybody's results are different.

Although P2 simulcast is choppy and sketchy in my area on the X36 it is also very muffled and garbled and really hard to understand what is being said but on the other hand I've heard stuff on the X36 that came in just fine like nxnd 4800. Analog VHF and UHF has great modulation on the 536 but not so much on the 436.

Here is a great solution I stumbled on by accident for my 436 and I use it every day with great results on a SZ system not affected by LSM I listen to... For a while there was this rechargeable speaker on a As Seen On TV advertisement where you laid your smartphone on top of the speaker and it Amplified your music. It also takes a 3.5 plug. I saw one at the mall in the As Seen On TV store and I bought it. You can leave it plugged in the wall all the time and I plug it into the 3.5 earphone jack on the 436. It actually turns muffled garbled Transmissions into legible and quite adequate modulation.

Like all As Seen On TV products it's long gone now but I have searched for it. If I ever see it again I will buy a bunch of them.

 

[Ubbe]

There have never been a firmware release that have changed anything to the audio quality. One would think that it at least would had been tailormade to the inbuilt speaker, but I guess not. I don't know why it would be so difficult, with a scanner with a DSP that handles all audio, to have a menu item for audio, with AGC level, bass mid and treble tone and loudness level for analog and digital audio. The service menu in HP1/2 suggest that there is such settings but they are not user accesable.

/Ubbe

 

[budevans]

This is absolutely my experience also... I use both x36s everyday and I imagine everybody's results are different.

Here is a great solution I stumbled on by accident for my 436 and I use it every day with great results on a SZ system not affected by LSM I listen to... For a while there was this rechargeable speaker on a As Seen On TV advertisement where you laid your smartphone on top of the speaker and it Amplified your music. It also takes a 3.5 plug. I saw one at the mall in the As Seen On TV store and I bought it. You can leave it plugged in the wall all the time and I plug it into the 3.5 earphone plug on the 436. It actually turns muffled garbled Transmissions into legible and quite adequate modulation.

Like all As Seen On TV products it's long gone now but I have searched for it. If I ever see it again I will buy a bunch of them.

I too use an inexpensive external speaker with my 436. I use the Inland Pro 2000, it's a 5 watt amplified 2 speakers for use with a PC. It has a standard 1/8" stereo cable to plug into the earphone jack of your scanner. It costs just $7 from Micro Center. They really improve the sound on my 436.

 

[trentbob]

I too use an inexpensive external speaker with my 436. I use the Inland Pro 2000, it's a 5 watt amplified 2 speakers for use with a PC. It has a standard 1/8" stereo cable to plug into the earphone jack of your scanner. It costs just $7 from Micro Center. They really improve the sound on my 436.

I had tried all kinds of speakers with the 436 without good results. It turned out they always had to be Amplified speakers because the output is so low on the earphone jack. For some reason this one speaker which is a gimmick for your smartphone actually worked great for me. Who knows why?

My 436 is not significant to me anymore and I bought it when my County went to P2 simulcast. As it turns out my county is one of those flukes that all serious users bought one of the two alternatives as that is all that worked. The SDS 100 does work in my County using the inverted filter. I don't know about the sds200 and at this point never will.

 

[walt991]

I have the latest 1.25.0 firmware.

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[walt991]

There have never been a firmware release that have changed anything to the audio quality. One would think that it at least would had been tailormade to the inbuilt speaker, but I guess not. I don't know why it would be so difficult, with a scanner with a DSP that handles all audio, to have a menu item for audio, with AGC level, bass mid and treble tone and loudness level for analog and digital audio. The service menu in HP1/2 suggest that there is such settings but they are not user accesable.

/Ubbe

Audio settings would be a good idea.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Anderegg]

Pretty sure Uniden went for extra BASS to make the scanner audio sound deeper and more professional, compared to the tinny super treble audio out of most older, especially GRE scanners. Unfortunately, the case and speaker components are not compatible with this level of EQ witchrat, and it sounds bad. Even sounds bad over headphones. If you've ever listened to a weak signal analog transmission on a scanner, then on a Motorola with deep bass, you will instanly hear a lot less hiss and high frequency static from the deeper Moto bass.

Paul

 

[Bob1955]

Dear Bob Calling Bearcat Warehouse is not the answer Dating back to 2013 when the X36's were released this has been a know issue.
I own 5 536's and 2 436's all sound the same.

This is why I wouldn't go with ANY of those zip code scanners. The Bearcat BCD-996P2 and the BCT-15X are TOP performers period! Never any problems PERIOD!

 

[buddrousa]

Then don't give advice for things you know nothing about because you do not own one. They work good for those of us that need NXDN I have several NXDN systems and just so you know my new SDS100 and SDS200 work better than my 15x's and my 996p2's the sds scanners have better range all using the same antenna system. One ST2 to 1 4 port stridesberg feeding 2 8 port stidesbergs with the spare 2 ports on the 4 port feeding 2 handhelds. NEVER ANY PROBLEMS PERIOD.

 

[phask]

This is why I wouldn't go with ANY of those zip code scanners. The Bearcat BCD-996P2 and the BCT-15X are TOP performers period! Never any problems PERIOD!

Try loading a large statewide system in a 996p2. Or try loading a smaller system and 900 unit ID's. Yeah - you can't do it without using several systems and slowing down considerably.

Try a multi-state trip using GPS? No way.