BCD536

[h8tdigitalradio]

Hello,

Did you have any of your systems assigned to the FL Locked Out? I just disabled via SQK all systems in a FL, then re-enabled them. The unit scanned normally. I am trying to duplicate what happened to you.

 

[troymail]

I believe what I did was disable all SQKs in the sole favorites list I have and the display said nothing to scan. Then when I tried to reenable 1, it would not let me.

 

[troymail]

Did a short drive north towards and into he the City (Caton Ave @ I-95) - fought with the SQK lockout situation and then drove south to PG County (I-95 and Rt 198 through Laurel).

General thoughts - the 536 did pretty good most of the time when it found/locked onto talkgroups. I could hear things in places where I couldn't in the past with the PSR800. However, while in PG / Laurel area, I would routinely see the PSR800 stop on activity while the 536 just kept scanning. Eventually, the 536 would stop on a talkgroup but it was a good 1-2 seconds before you'd hear any voice. And as before, short messages end up being missed while the radio is working on locking in. But again, once it stops and locks - not bad.

When I got into PG, I hit the SYSTEM button to hold on the PG system (any talkgroup) but at that point I never heard anything (I have no idea why). Eventually, I released the hold and then disabled all other SQKs (systems) except PG and starting hearing things again. Even with only PG enabled, the radio seemed to struggle locking onto an active talkgroup. This is even worse when you have multiple systems actively being scanned. It seems to become suspiciously "quiet" when many systems are enabled within the favorites list.

All-in-all, I think if the scanning/lock on talkgroup can be sped up somehow, that, coupled with the somewhat improved decode and the extended range (picking up systems further away than I've seen in other radios for a while now), this could be a good radio.

There are no silver bullets, right?

 

[troymail]

Any way you could post a recording from the statewide system and a local system, I am curious how it sounds?

I can post audio or video but it really depends on what you want to see. I can make things seem really bad or really good. I have audio of both.

Any particular thing you'd like to see? PG from within PG? Baltimore City from my house (I couldn't get before)? When I was driving earlier south of BWI airport I was listening to Franklin (Baltimore County) chasing a suspect north of Reisterstown... I thought that was pretty good.

Bottom line is there really isn't consistent reception - too many variables.

It does seem "better" but not in all ways..... if we're looking for perfection, this ain't it. But it's a (small) step in the right direction.

EDIT: I mean from PSR800 -> BCD536HP it's a small step better. Apparently, it's a much larger step forward from a BCD396XT/BCD996XT....

 

[S1099]

Troy - thanks for the great posts. Are you seeing a meaningful improvement using a single favorites list than you did when you had multiple favorite lists?

 

[troymail]

Troy - thanks for the great posts. Are you seeing a meaningful improvement using a single favorites list than you did when you had multiple favorite lists?

Not huge changes-- but this isn't a new problem. Even my PSR800 causes you to miss things when trying to scan multiple systems. The difference I see if that the PSR800 is more likely to find the activity upon scanning to the next system. For some reason, the 536 seems to "scan right by" activity on a system.... something Uniden really needs to look into. I think this is related to the other observation - when the 536 does stop on an active talkgroup (particularly digital) when going from one system to another, the screen indicates it has found activity but you hear nothing for 1-2 seconds (at least).

 

[troymail]

Sitting here in Columbia (Columbia Gateway Dr) ... Gave up trying to listen to PG from here. However, I do seem to be hearing Md FiRST activity from the Baltimore site. Both the PSR 800 and the 536 are detecting activity (the 800 is detecting more) but only the activity that the 536 is detecting is decoding enough to understand it.

 

[jkahn]

Well, in prep for a quick road trip (North side of PG to South Baltimore), I did some more programming with Sentinel. One of the things I did was manually readd the Baltimore site to Maryland FiRST (I really wanted to create a 2nd "system" so I could listen to both sites but I haven't figured out how to do that in a single Favorites list).

Anyway -- NOW I can hear the Baltimore site! But, I suspect the radio is now locking onto that site and I won't hear the activity on the Anne Arundel site (not what I want). Note a feature that is missing (or two) is not being able to see which site you'r listening to and/or the active frequencies.

Still, some progress....

Troy:
You've got one and I don't, but if the 536 is set up similar to my HP-1, the separate favorite lists are all you need: You should be able to select multiple favorite lists to monitor at the same time. when you want to..

I set up lists for specific areas within one system, like STARS. With Sentinel it is easy to get rid of all but the one or two towers you want to monitor and the excess talk groups, for each area you are monitoring.
This will speed up the scanning, too.

JK

 

[troymail]

Updated recommendation: BUY

I've gotten used to the BCD536HP and now can recommend it -- it's a BUY.

:wink:

I do recommend also continued usage (at least in my case) of the Radio Shack 800 Mhz antenna.

 

[CqDx]

Sitting here in Columbia (Columbia Gateway Dr) ... Gave up trying to listen to PG from here. However, I do seem to be hearing Md FiRST activity from the Baltimore site. Both the PSR 800 and the 536 are detecting activity (the 800 is detecting more) but only the activity that the 536 is detecting is decoding enough to understand it.

Next time if you are in the area, try the 2nd level parking at Wegmans on Snowden River Drive. It has pretty good terrain clearance from the trees and I usually use that spot to gauge my PSR800 and antenna performance. I was able to pull 171.9 NPS off Hogback mountain and a few VA STARS control channel from there with a 800 MHz antenna on car roof

 

[troymail]

I was in the Odenton (western Anne Arundel County) area just before 7pm listening to a house fire in Laurel (PG County). Out of county (non PG) units ran the call so the talkgroup was operating as Phase 1. Digital decode was a bit sketchy and I had to move to another parking spot to receive better. The is a cell tower very close to the location I was positioned.

I didn't test it but from that same location, I'm pretty sure my PSR800 would not have decoded it at all.

 

[adcockfred]

will you have to enable record on the 436 after power up too ?

 

[troymail]

will you have to enable record on the 436 after power up too ?

I suspect yes -- they really need to add a settable option for recording -- one that remembers to enabled recording on power up. I keep forgetting to enabled each time I power the radio up.

 

[lawman210]

I am in Edgewood maryland and haven't been able to really hear any city traffic

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[Robert721]

Really looking forward to the next Upman video on using quick keys. I am trying to create a way to turn on and of different talk groups and conventional system easily while mobile.

Is the site up yet that is in the book for sharing info and list? I can't seem to find it and also can't the 536 on the list to register the product. Didn't find a product registration card in the box either.

 

[ka3jjz]

Lawman210-

You MIGHT get Baltimore county (no guarantees) off the Northern tower sites, but I highly doubt you'll get the city. Baltimore city tends to concentrate its coverage to areas inside the Beltway. Forget Anne Arundel as well (as you mentioned this in another thread). The reason? you're simply too far away. 800 tends to propagate only for about 25-30 miles as a general rule, assuming no obstacles - somewhat more if you have a good outside antenna, mounted high up and clear of obstructions. As you're in Harford, it's quite a haul for 800 to get that far.

You can only bend the laws of physics so far...Mike

 

[lawman210]

Ok I was able to finely get a handle on the basics to set up favorites and transfer them to my scanner. I am able to pick up so far Baltimore City eastern, south east and north east. I am not sure if I am getting all the traffic but it has been working a bit better. Now to figure out the quick keys and tags

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[ka3jjz]

I'm quite surprised you can get the City at all from Edgewood - must be a pretty hot front end on that 536 and a nice high antenna to do that...Mike

 

[CqDx]

On the flip side I can hear Aberdeen Proving Ground Edgewood site from Columbia, but that's UHF...

 

[lawman210]

I'm quite surprised you can get the City at all from Edgewood - must be a pretty hot front end on that 536 and a nice high antenna to do that...Mike

Using the stock antenna that came with the 536

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