BCD536HP Discussion Thread

[pratzert]

Hi UPMan.

I did listen to the video, and it "does" sound like the BCD536 unit is handling simulcast distortion pretty well.

But can you please give us some personal feedback on your experiences with how the new scanner handles simulcast distortion ?

I realize it's a difficult to really know how they would perform in a different area monitoring a different system, but I'm looking for some "feel good" feedback from someone who has some hands-on experience.

Was the simulcast distortion problem something that Uniden purposely worked on to try to solve, or at least mitigate it thru tweaks in hardware or software on the new units ?

 

[AZScanner]

In addition, when I get my 436, I will be posting a video showing the radio's performance on our local P25 simulcast system. It's damn near unscannable due to simulcast distortion issues, as you can hear by listening to the Broadcastify feed for Phoenix Police. So it will be really put to the test out here - I'm hopeful, based on the recording that UPMan posted, that the performance will be much better, but we shall see.

-AZ

 

[AZScanner]

Hi UPMan.

I did listen to the video, and it "does" sound like the BCD536 unit is handling simulcast distortion pretty well.

But can you please give us some personal feedback on your experiences with how the new scanner handles simulcast distortion ?

That's going to be tough right now... the only people besides Paul with hands-on experience with the new radios are the beta testers, who are bound by a non disclosure agreement to NOT answer your question. I'll be able to answer this question definitively in about a month or so when mine arrives. As they say on TV, stay tuned!

-AZ

 

[UPMan]

And, my subjective comments would be purely based on the video I posted...the other system in the area that is problematic is PAWM, which I can receive well from my office, but which I quickly drive out of on the way home, so no good opportunity, yet, for me to provide a similar recording (one of our beta testers has good ears on this system, though). Even with the good quality of the recording, there are still some "holes" where reception is difficult (I believe "BENSCAN" posted his observations based on his brief access to the new scanner from his QTH).

 

[pratzert]

UPMan,

Thank you for the comments. If you do get an opportunity to listen in on other Simulcast systems, please let us know how the reception is?

But I assume the older scanner such as the BCD996XT did not do as well as the new unit in handling simulcast ?

Thanks again for all of your efforts in helping us learn abut these new products.

Regards.

 

[ofd8001]

And, my subjective comments would be purely based on the video I posted...the other system in the area that is problematic is PAWM, which I can receive well from my office, but which I quickly drive out of on the way home, so no good opportunity, yet, for me to provide a similar recording (one of our beta testers has good ears on this system, though). Even with the good quality of the recording, there are still some "holes" where reception is difficult (I believe "BENSCAN" posted his observations based on his brief access to the new scanner from his QTH).

This is probably walking a tight rope, but I thought I'd ask. Is there any chance that the beta testers could provide some feedback on what they've experienced (if any) on simulcast systems?

I'm sure Uniden (and the beta testers themselves) want a very high degree of anonymity for many understandable reasons. Perhaps they could forward their opinions to Upman and he can post them. Yeah there is trust that Upman posts the unvarnished truth, but I've seen nothing to suspect he'd do otherwise. (I'm guessing Upman has probably already heard from some of his beta testers on this, given the amount of interest).

Possibly "Tester 1: X number of sites and there's Z percentage improvement compared to other scanners".

 

[AZScanner]

Okay, I know a way this could be put to rest right now.

Paul, get the boss to pay for a quick flight from Fort Worth to Phoenix. Get a room at the Drury Suites hotel located just off the I-10 at 32nd street. Once in the room, fire up the scanner and tune in the Phoenix RWC Simulcast A, and monitor the Phoenix Police 400A/B talkgroups and record the result (and PM me if you come out and visit Phoenix, I wanna see the new scanner! :lol.

I tell ya, if this scanner works on our nasty radio system, especially at the location I just described above which is pretty much radio hell, it will work just about ANYWHERE.

-AZ

 

[pratzert]

Okay, I know a way this could be put to rest right now.

Paul, get the boss to pay for a quick flight from Fort Worth to Phoenix. Get a room at the Drury Suites hotel located just off the I-10 at 32nd street. Once in the room, fire up the scanner and tune in the Phoenix RWC Simulcast A, and monitor the Phoenix Police 400A/B talkgroups and record the result (and PM me if you come out and visit Phoenix, I wanna see the new scanner! :lol.

I tell ya, if this scanner works on our nasty radio system, especially at the location I just described above which is pretty much radio hell, it will work just about ANYWHERE.

-AZ

But when Paul leaves Phoenix, I would like him to stop in Baltimore and see how the scanner does with the Baltimore City and Baltimore County systems.

I'd be happy to buy him a surf and turf dinner and several cold ones in return......

 

[AZScanner]

Yeah I can see how that might open "Pandora's box" so to speak: "Yeah it works in all those other places but what about __________?" Paul would spend so much time traveling that nothing else would get done. I don't think anyone wants that.

I think we'll just have to wait and see when the new radios start arriving at RR Member's homes. You can be sure that if the performance has improved, you'll hear about it first directly from them. And if it hasn't, then I'm sure we'll hear about that too. I will certainly be putting my verdict online as soon as the radio arrives and I fire it up for the first time.

-AZ

 

[BenScan]

Or he could just drop an extra scanner off with me on his way home. I'd love to try them out some more.
Ben

Okay, I know a way this could be put to rest right now.

Paul, get the boss to pay for a quick flight from Fort Worth to Phoenix. Get a room at the Drury Suites hotel located just off the I-10 at 32nd street. Once in the room, fire up the scanner and tune in the Phoenix RWC Simulcast A, and monitor the Phoenix Police 400A/B talkgroups and record the result (and PM me if you come out and visit Phoenix, I wanna see the new scanner! :lol.

I tell ya, if this scanner works on our nasty radio system, especially at the location I just described above which is pretty much radio hell, it will work just about ANYWHERE.

-AZ

 

[SCPD]

New scanners video of p25 Phase two?

Whats the incentive to get the new scanners if theres no video of it decoding Phase 2 P25?Come on get that up there.Doesnt anyone want to see the new toy in action?

 

[SCOTTER]

Hi folks I asked yesterday on the 436 thread what I thought was a fair question about the digital auto decode on the 436 post 641 and I would like to know on the 536 and that was has the digital auto decode been changed from XT series. All I wanted was a yes or no but I got nothing.I want to buy one I had the 396t and have the xt and want to get the new one but not having a simple question like that not answered scares me and Im running out of time christmas is in 20 days does anybody know Thank you for any help.

 

[desert-cheetah]

Whats the incentive to get the new scanners if theres no video of it decoding Phase 2 P25?Come on get that up there.Doesnt anyone want to see the new toy in action?

To make that a possibility, Paul would have to be somewhere that uses P2 or have a beta tester who has been able to test P25 send a video to him so he can post it.

I'd still like to toss out my offer to test one on Phoenix's RWC

 

[Jay911]

Hi folks I asked yesterday on the 436 thread what I thought was a fair question about the digital auto decode on the 436 post 641 and I would like to know on the 536 and that was has the digital auto decode been changed from XT series. All I wanted was a yes or no but I got nothing.I want to buy one I had the 396t and have the xt and want to get the new one but not having a simple question like that not answered scares me and Im running out of time christmas is in 20 days does anybody know Thank you for any help.

Nobody can tell you that, and you can't get it for Christmas, both for the same reason - the radios will not be available until January.

 

[scottyhetzel]

Im sure UpMan sent units to those areas that most Post-ers' were complaining about. It would only make sense. People are not going to keep a $600.00 plus unit if it not a complete step up people. I heard people complaining about Simulcast issues for years.

 

[SCOTTER]

What do you mean nobody can tell me that you dont think UPMan knows if it has been changed or not on the new scanners please. And as far as getting it for Christmas all I have to do is ask for gift cards or cash and tell them what I will be buying with it and then preorder you can do that you know pretty slick.And when I get asked what I got for Christmas I can say a new 436 scanner it should be shipping in a few weeks.

 

[BenScan]

In regards to P25 simulcast issues, if they didn't change hardware, compared to the HP-1 and XTs, and the reception is better, I wonder when we'll see some firmware updates for those. I have 1 HP-1 and 7 XTs, that essentially do not work now for one of the most important systems in my area. If the reception is not better, then I'm not likely to buy any more until Uniden really addresses the P25 simulcast problems.

 

[Jay911]

What do you mean nobody can tell me that you dont think UPMan knows if it has been changed or not on the new scanners please

The odds are pretty good that if he hasn't said it in the first 675 posts of this thread, he won't be saying it any time soon. He has his reasons for not talking about certain things.

 

[Voyager]

In regards to P25 simulcast issues, if they didn't change hardware, compared to the HP-1 and XTs, and the reception is better, I wonder when we'll see some firmware updates for those. I have 1 HP-1 and 7 XTs, that essentially do not work now for one of the most important systems in my area. If the reception is not better, then I'm not likely to buy any more until Uniden really addresses the P25 simulcast problems.

I don't recall if it was merely hinted or if it was stated outright that the new scanners use different hardware. Even in the promo video, it was hinted that Uniden could have merely put a faster processor in the 396 and called it a new model. That implies that the new units have faster processors.

Joe M.

 

[DPD1]

What do you mean nobody can tell me that you dont think UPMan knows if it has been changed or not on the new scanners please. And as far as getting it for Christmas all I have to do is ask for gift cards or cash and tell them what I will be buying with it and then preorder you can do that you know pretty slick.And when I get asked what I got for Christmas I can say a new 436 scanner it should be shipping in a few weeks.

When you're talking about performance related issues in a device, it's very difficult to give people answers in a 'yes' or 'no' fashion. It's all open to interpretation, by each individual person. Some people's amazing improvement, can be other people's huge disappointment. So it's all relative. My uneducated guess is that it probably has a good improvement, but like always... some people may feel not enough.

You could always wait a little bit and see what others say about that issue.