bcd536

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steve1202

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Is the reception for the 536 that much worse than the 996? Is there a way to adjust setting for analog? Missing a lot of my conventional conversations and the ones I do get are not clear at all.
 

pepsima1

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Is the reception for the 536 that much worse than the 996? Is there a way to adjust setting for analog? Missing a lot of my conventional conversations and the ones I do get are not clear at all.

There are no settings necessary to adjust to receive an analog conventional channel. Make sure you have the right antenna attached. You might have a bad radio.

If you are having trouble with your new radio then I would just return it due to hardware related issues with the 536. Stick with your 996XT for right now.
 

steve1202

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Thanks much for the fast response... Not quite the answer I wanted, but may be the truth. Actually sold my 996xt and regret it more and more. I have been playing with this scanner for a couple weeks. When watching the P25 error level it is going up and down. Seems as though I end up missing conversations longer than 10 secs. Even after drops seems as though still wont pop back in during scan. Conventional analog just seems very weak when works. Missing 80 to 90% of analog reception. Missing probably 60 to 70% of digital. Wish I really knew if it was my setup, a setting, or the scanner itself. For a $600 scanner you would think the hardware and or software would be 110% and that they wouldn't make the customers wait for anything at all. After my experience with the 996xt I am very bummed out with this one(BCD536hp) Thanks all for any help and or suggestions!!
 

pepsima1

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Well I always want people to hear the truth. I was one of the guinea pigs and I have regrets too. I ended up selling both of my BCD996XT radios and bought two of the 536HP radios and was really excited. Then with all of the hardware problems I ended up selling both 536HP radios and taking a hit and buying two more BCD996XT radios again and I am really happy now. I just did not want to have to deal with it anymore. I will just sit on the side lines and enjoy. Plus having to make P25 adjust and tweaks to the radio was a bum deal too. I had so much error rates with the new radio and it was driving me crazy.

No more hardware issues anymore and love my radios again.
 

JamesO

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What firmware version are you running in your 536HP radio?

How do NOAA broadcast come in?

I know someone had a issue with the BNC connector center terminals that were too loose and would cause intermittent contact the antenna connector.

Also where are you located and what system(s) are you trying to monitor?
 

eaf1956

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Well I always want people to hear the truth. I was one of the guinea pigs and I have regrets too. I ended up selling both of my BCD996XT radios and bought two of the 536HP radios and was really excited. Then with all of the hardware problems I ended up selling both 536HP radios and taking a hit and buying two more BCD996XT radios again and I am really happy now. I just did not want to have to deal with it anymore. I will just sit on the side lines and enjoy. Plus having to make P25 adjust and tweaks to the radio was a bum deal too. I had so much error rates with the new radio and it was driving me crazy.

No more hardware issues anymore and love my radios again.

Some of us bought a 536 but kept our 996XT....And even got another 996XT to boot. Point is never sell a good radio for an UNKNOWN one.
 

eaf1956

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BCD 536HP

I wonder if UNIDEN would buy back every x36HP scanner that was sold until or whenever they can get it all working? Maybe kick in an extra $50 for being suckers. LOL (By suckers I mean Beta testers.) Oh wait there was no testing ...
 

steve1202

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What firmware version are you running in your 536HP radio?

How do NOAA broadcast come in?

I know someone had a issue with the BNC connector center terminals that were too loose and would cause intermittent contact the antenna connector.

Also where are you located and what system(s) are you trying to monitor?


firmware: 1.03.03

Can receive wx broadcast perfect

located: northern illinois

attempting to monitor Starcom 21 P25 and conventional in area.

thanks for help
 

smithken

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Starcom could be a simulcast problem, what site are you trying to monitor? Make sure the attenuator is turned off for any Starcom sites and any conventional frequencies.
 

steve1202

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Starcom could be a simulcast problem, what site are you trying to monitor? Make sure the attenuator is turned off for any Starcom sites and any conventional frequencies.


Att off. I seem to be able to pick everything starcom up fine when using the full database. All problems seem to be with favorites. I do not believe it is the settings as I get some conversations just not all or they just cut out with high error rate. I think I got the analog (can't be sure yet) set now with threshold of 5 on conventional. After reading another post on here I see that I am not alone with this problem. Took him months to figure out. When I hold on a talk group I should see the signal bars correct? I did have them, but were there and gone and up and down. No real steady middle. I would leave on full database but way more than I need and slows everything down.
 

JamesO

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Att off. I seem to be able to pick everything starcom up fine when using the full database. All problems seem to be with favorites. I do not believe it is the settings as I get some conversations just not all or they just cut out with high error rate. I think I got the analog (can't be sure yet) set now with threshold of 5 on conventional. After reading another post on here I see that I am not alone with this problem. Took him months to figure out. When I hold on a talk group I should see the signal bars correct? I did have them, but were there and gone and up and down. No real steady middle. I would leave on full database but way more than I need and slows everything down.

The problem is the S meter/signal bars do pulsate even on a solid signal. This signal pulsation is partially a function of the Uniden firmware and how the scanner does some form of housekeeping.

As for the Full Database, you should be able to append the full database to a Favorites list then delete or lock out what you not want to listen to. This is usually better than trying to create a Favorites list from scratch until you REALLY understand the scanner.
 

steve1202

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The problem is the S meter/signal bars do pulsate even on a solid signal. This signal pulsation is partially a function of the Uniden firmware and how the scanner does some form of housekeeping.

As for the Full Database, you should be able to append the full database to a Favorites list then delete or lock out what you not want to listen to. This is usually better than trying to create a Favorites list from scratch until you REALLY understand the scanner.


Thats how i set it up. Just in case decided to do it again and same results. Even took down to one site and nothing. Illinois, statewide (starcom system), stephenson county (department), Freeport (site). It really seems like it could be a software bug with the favorites. Almost like problem decoding? or just horrible reception. No signal bars showing and DAT and LNK coming and going when locked on TGID. Thought I seem a way to downgrade firmware somewhere but cant find it. Wondering if just maybe rewriting the firmware could help me.. Thank you all for the help!!!! I have spent all my time for prolly week and half on this thing....
 
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