BCD436HP Harris P25 Trouble

[LFRfreak]

My 436 has trouble tracking a Harris P25 system (Midland, TX) that my Pro-106 tracks with ease. It constantly misses transmissions. While scanning the favorites list that has this P25 system along with just a few small conventional sublists, the radio doesn't show any signal bars when it scans through the P25 system. If I do a hold on the system, full signal bars will show here and there, but they are absent for the most part. I'm well within the coverage area, so signal strength isn't an issue. I've played with some settings, but no luck yet. I'm at a loss. Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[VA3DBJ]

I am having the same issue with the Durham Region NextGen system (Ontario) but with the 536HP. I am only 5 miles from the east tower.

 

[LFRfreak]

I found an imperfect solution. Hopefully it works for others in the same boat. Bring the squelch down to 0 and it tracks the system like a charm, showing full signal bars. I didn't think the squelch setting had anything to do with trunked systems, but it definitely makes a difference in this case. The side effect of this fix is that I can't scan conventional freqs at the same time.

Is there any way to set the squelch for a system independent of the global squelch setting?

 

[ChrisABQ]

Make sure you have the latest update 1.11.20 which was enhanced for digital reception including P25 and try setting Digital Threshold to manual 8.

 

[sprite1741]

I have only had mine going since yesterday but I am noticing the same thing on p25. I think my WS1040 and my GRE500 scan faster. I seem to miss the beginning of some transmissions on the Uniden that the other scanners catch . I did update the firmware, as my new bcd436 had firmware from a year ago. The speaker on my Uniden is not as good as the Whistler. The 436 seems to have a rattle if the volume is up more than half. Keep us posted if you find a solution. I am going to try the manual 8 setting. I had to do that on my BCD396t.

 

[sprite1741]

The manual 8 setting and setting the hold time up on the p25 did not help. I am missing the first second or so of transmissions. The system is working flawlessly on my Whistler. I hear the mobile or dispatcher call the other on the WS1040, but the 436 misses whoever calls first. After it is on the Talkgroup I hear both sides just fine. It's only the first call that gets missed. Also my speaker is distorted. The audio is pristine on the other scanner. My unit was new, but had 1 year old 1.09.02 firmware so I updated it. Both scanners are programmed the same. Not all happy with this. Any fixes? I got this on the lightning deal last week. Maybe wasn't such a good deal. Fortunately have until 1/31/17 to return, but I hate returning things.

 

[ChrisABQ]

What is the serial code? (3900 is old, 6800 is new). You can also try different settings for manual, each situation is different. Some say 7 works better for them. Another option would be to pay a grand for a Unication G4 or 5 which I hear works flawlessly.

 

[sprite1741]

Thank you. Mine is 3900, is their a difference and why is Amazon shipping old ones.

 

[ChrisABQ]

That's the chance you take. I bought from Amazon but bought from Uniden seller and got a 6800 in May of this year. There are many issues with the older models, I'm sure if you were to research it, you would find many.

 

[sprite1741]

I read it wrong, sorry the last 4 were 3900, the number after the z is 6800. The speaker worries me, other than that I like the scanner. I can't turn the vol up past number 8 without distortion.

 

[budevans]

I read it wrong, sorry the last 4 were 3900, the number after the z is 6800. The speaker worries me, other than that I like the scanner. I can't turn the vol up past number 8 without distortion.

I've had my 436 going on two years. I have the same issue, can't turn the volume up over 8 while using the internal speaker.

My solutions:
For home, I picked up a cheap ($7) pc speakers. Big improvement in the sound level and quality.

In my car: I picked up a $1 cable to plug into my cars stereo. Again, huge improvement.

Carrying around: I used $1 earbuds from the dollar store. Again, much better sound quality.

 

[sprite1741]

The speaker seems to vibrate, like it's loose and that really annoys me. I have read other comments to the same in the Whistler forum and on Amazon. The head phones sound good, I will have to use them most of the time. I got some cheap skullcandy ones from wal-mart. Very nice sound. I can turn my Whistler up all the way and it's really loud and clear. I can't hear the 436 very well on the speaker. If I go past 12 it gets hard to understand whats being said.

 

[budevans]

The speaker seems to vibrate, like it's loose and that really annoys me. I have read other comments to the same in the Whistler forum and on Amazon. The head phones sound good, I will have to use them most of the time. I got some cheap skullcandy ones from wal-mart. Very nice sound. I can turn my Whistler up all the way and it's really loud and clear. I can't hear the 436 very well on the speaker. If I go past 12 it gets hard to understand whats being said.

Regarding the PC Speaker, it's powered and has it's own volume control. I set my 436 at 5 and turn up the volume on the PC speakers.

I use just one of the PC speakers. I cut the cord and tossed the other speaker to save space. The PC speaker amp is listed as 3 watts. The speaker it self is 3 1/2" X 1.5" oval. So plenty of sound.

 

[LFRfreak]

Manual 5 works, but it takes a minute or so after booting up before the signal bars show up for this system. Thanks for the tip.

 

[royldean]

We've got a Harris P25 Phase II simulcast system where I work (Chester County, PA), and I've attempted using Manual 8 (now testing 5), and I now receive ZERO comms (with the new firmware). It was bad before (couldn't get anything other than a stray Fire/EMS call - no PD activity whatsoever), but now I get nothing at all.

 

[scanlist]

I am experiencing similar issues with a 436 and 996P2 in completely missing transmissions on the Denver P25 Harris site.

Even with a scan delay set it will randomly resume scan immediately after a transmission drops and misses activity for several seconds afterward. I have noted the same behavior with a 396XT.

There appears to be an issue with uniden firmware interpreting Harris P25 control channel data.

 

[VA3DBJ]

I have had to set mine to manual 5 as well. But it still has issues linking. It probably would at 4 or 3 if it were available.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[FirstsargeGeri]

Harris P25 Issues with 436

My 436 has trouble tracking a Harris P25 system (Midland, TX) that my Pro-106 tracks with ease. It constantly misses transmissions. While scanning the favorites list that has this P25 system along with just a few small conventional sublists, the radio doesn't show any signal bars when it scans through the P25 system. If I do a hold on the system, full signal bars will show here and there, but they are absent for the most part. I'm well within the coverage area, so signal strength isn't an issue. I've played with some settings, but no luck yet. I'm at a loss. Any ideas?

Thanks!

Ever find a solution, A lot of other people (including myself) are having the same issue here in Bedford County, VA, I have tried everything I can think of, the 996 and my 1080 seem to handle with no problem

 

[ScanRite]

I've been having a similar issue here in central Oregon.

The state's 700mhz site I can pick up immediately. The local county's sites, that are 800mhz, new and linked to the state, the 536 doesn't see them. If I turn on the state site with the county site on, all of a sudden the county one will start tracking. I can then turn off the state site and have no issues with the county sites.

The county sites have a drastically different waveform to them too. See attached.

 

[OregonScanner]

I've been having a similar issue here in central Oregon.

The state's 700mhz site I can pick up immediately. The local county's sites, that are 800mhz, new and linked to the state, the 536 doesn't see them. If I turn on the state site with the county site on, all of a sudden the county one will start tracking. I can then turn off the state site and have no issues with the county sites.

The county sites have a drastically different waveform to them too. See attached.

Similar thing happens to me trying to monitor the Portland Simulcast and Washington County Simulcast on the Oregon state radio system. 436HP and 536HP sometimes skip over the site like there's no control channel active. Sometimes it does work. No simulcast problems audio sounds great once it finds the control channel. Sometimes I have to hold on a talkgroup and enable attenuation for a few seconds, then disable attenuation and then it usually finds the control channel. Unication G4 has no problems at all finding control channels just no Phase II audio capability yet. My 325P2 is much better with these two sites.