BCD996XT still at ver. 1.04 ??

[Jay911]

One of the big problems that people seem to have is that they think that everything can be solved/fixed/added/improved with new firmware. People think that TDMA or adding a reception of a different frequency band or using 3 batteries instead of 4 or adding an on-board GPS is a firmware upgrade. It's not. A lot of things require new hardware.

Also, your scanner that was the "flagship model" several years ago isn't now. It's not an outrage that they're not providing support for your BC235XLT or PRO-43. I have a 2007 Subaru WRX. In 2009, they put a large screen navigation/radio display in that year's model. Asking for Uniden to provide major upgrades for the x96T/x96XT line is like me demanding that Subaru fit a touchscreen nav unit in my car.

 

[brownlab]

So what is PG and Loudoun going to do with all of those X2 TDMA radios they have installed?

 

[SCPD]

Once again a thread about firmware upgrade or lack there of for xt models has been hijacked by people asking for TDMA P25 phase 2 and talking about how 'great' the home patrol is.

The conclusion is Uniden has given up on every scanner except for the home patrol. The only firmware upgrades for the XT models were within a year of its production. I believe the 996xt only has had ONE firmware upgrade.

I am not asking for TDMA P25 Phase 2 cause I know you need new hardware installed into the scanner. I am asking for patch problem with p25 systems to be fixed and possibly to have a display mode selection one for trunking systems and another for conventional (if it is possible). I believe its hichpockets who is only asking for 3-4 sec delay to be added.

Things that can be changed via a firmware upgrade. But Uniden has give the owners of these scanners the shaft. Come on the only upgrade for the 996xt was to add the UNID. That was nice but I hardly use it. I want upgrades that will fix PROBLEMS with the scanner. I am not asking for much, not asking for upgrades that would make a completely new scanner.

I have been a Uniden user for many years. But I am really thinking about going to radio shack/GRE for my next scanner and never looking at uniden again. After their very crappy support for a CURRENT model. If a company is CURRENTLY selling a scanner they should try to fix the known problems. Instead uniden has decided to turn their backs on customers unless they own a home patrol.

 

[Dewey]

...
But I am glad they are both around because competition is good for everyone.
Happy Monitoring to all
Marshall KE4ZNR

We are in TOTAL agreement here .

Dewey

 

[Dewey]

...
I am not asking for TDMA P25 Phase 2 cause I know you need new hardware installed into the scanner. I am asking for patch problem with p25 systems to be fixed and possibly to have a display mode selection one for trunking systems and another for conventional (if it is possible). I believe its hichpockets who is only asking for 3-4 sec delay to be added.
...

I still would like the ability to make the XT display operate more like the older T model. Instead of alternating SITE/GROUP on the top line, that it would alternate SYSTEM/GROUP on the top line. I know that there is a reason for the SYSTEM/GROUP display, and those that prefer it, but a firmware update to either alternate all three (SYSTEM/SITE/GROUP), or to make the display line selectable from choices already there would really suit me.

... since I can't have TDMA

Dewey

 

[W6KRU]

Once again a thread about firmware upgrade or lack there of for xt models has been hijacked by people asking for TDMA P25 phase 2 and talking about how 'great' the home patrol is.

I agree. Asking for new features for the XT models via a firmware upgrade is non sense. Tweaking of existing features should be possible, like adding to the possible programmable delays.

Personally I just want my 396XT to perform as was advertised during it's release. The P25 decoding was supposed to be better than the 396T. It is not.

No P25 P2, no bluetooth, no builtin GPS. Just make the XTs work!

 

[kma371]

Question, is it possible through firmware to decode P25 radio IDs all the time, rather than the stupid "one channel trunk" system you have to create?




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[b52hbuff]

Ok, I can't resist a small hijack since folks are talking about it...

How about UASD for the XT series? And how about a UASD update for T series to program rebanded systems?

None of this is personally effecting me, since I have purchased a copy of BuTel for my 396T. But I really enjoyed UASD and miss being able to use it for rebanded systems.

 

[kruser]

I agree fully with DDan that the Manual P25 setting needs to be brought back in the XT line like it was in the T models.
My 396XT and 996XT's work very poorly on the simulcast system here.
The old 996T works like a charm as I can dial the P25 decode threshold down to 5 where it works fantastic. I cannot do that on the XT's. The goofy adjustment they do offer in the hidden menu will anly allow it to go down to about 8. Plus that adjustment affects ALL P25 systems and not just the single system I have issues with. If I want to listen to another non-simulcast system, I must change the hidden menu settings back to defaults.

 

[N9WP]

I agree fully with DDan that the Manual P25 setting needs to be brought back in the XT line like it was in the T models.
My 396XT and 996XT's work very poorly on the simulcast system here.
The old 996T works like a charm as I can dial the P25 decode threshold down to 5 where it works fantastic. I cannot do that on the XT's. The goofy adjustment they do offer in the hidden menu will anly allow it to go down to about 8. Plus that adjustment affects ALL P25 systems and not just the single system I have issues with. If I want to listen to another non-simulcast system, I must change the hidden menu settings back to defaults.

I totally agree with you guys on this one, it would be nice to manually choose the setting for each system on the XT's like we could with the earlier T scanners. Let it default to automatic like it is now but give us the option to change it manually too. MECA In Indy works pretty good with that hidden menu setting at 200 and keeps it at the threshold of 8 but my local Boone County SAFE-T systems threshold is at 11.

I'd like 3 options with those settings, leave it automatic like it is now, Let us choose the threshold for each system and it stays there, and 3, let us choose the threshold for each system and it automatically fine tunes only 1 threshold number up or 1 down.

That's the only gripe I have with the XT scanners, other then that I love them.

 

[W6KRU]

I agree fully with DDan that the Manual P25 setting needs to be brought back in the XT line like it was in the T models.
My 396XT and 996XT's work very poorly on the simulcast system here.
The old 996T works like a charm as I can dial the P25 decode threshold down to 5 where it works fantastic. I cannot do that on the XT's. The goofy adjustment they do offer in the hidden menu will anly allow it to go down to about 8. Plus that adjustment affects ALL P25 systems and not just the single system I have issues with. If I want to listen to another non-simulcast system, I must change the hidden menu settings back to defaults.

This shows the problem with AUTO P25 adjustment. My situation is the opposite of yours. The correct threshold for the system I am monitoring appears to be 12.

The threshold starts at 8 and if I turn up the level adjustment to 200 the decode threshold will stay around 8 and the err rate hovers around 50%. I can then turn down the level to 50 to allow the auto adjust to function and the level starts at 8 with double digit err rates that go up toward ~50% or more. Then the threshold auto adjusts to 12 and the error rate will drop to single digits. Sometimes though the threshold auto adjusts to 13 and the error rate climbs into double digits again going up to ~50% or more.

I think if I could just set the darn threshold to 12 and get it to stay there, I would be much happier with my 396XT and UPMan wouldn't have to read any more posts from me complaining about my 396XT sounding inferior to my PSR-500.

 

[PCTEK]

OK, It's been asked for specific upgrades to the 396XT/996XT, well, as previously mentioned, better P-25 decoding, but the update I'd like to see is the ability for the scanners to remember the volume level when I power them off, then back on (rotating the VOL knob to off and then back to on)

I would also like to see a firmware updatre for the 15X that will allow it display the System and Group numberds as the 396XT/996XT does. I know I can manually have it display, but why should I if it can always show it to me.

 

[SCPD]

I will never say that we won't provide updates or support for older scanners. Our track record says otherwise. We released updates for the BC296D and BC796D over 5 years after they were discontinued.

The ESN was used in the BCD396T/BCD996T to provide the Rebanding Update which was originally planned as a paid update. We instead provided those enhancements for free (but I'll gladly accept any donations you want to provide toward our development cost for this free update to 6 scanner models, 2 of which were long discontinued).

UPMAN is it true that the bcd396xt and 996xt can not support x2 tdma due to hardware?
i think thats the 1 and only question people have about the XT series...
We just want definate yes or no for that 1 question...
thanks and hope its not a bother

 

[KC9NEG]

I feel like I bought a BCD396XT and now its at the bottom of the support chain and some crappy home patrol unit has unidens top attention. (I personally feel the home patrol is built for people who know nothing more than to press a power button)

Wow... How incorrect!

 

[UPMan]

APCO 25 Phase 2 cannot be supported by existing hardware (even through firmware updates).

 

[KC9NEG]

I totally agree with you guys on this one, it would be nice to manually choose the setting for each system on the XT's like we could with the earlier T scanners. Let it default to automatic like it is now but give us the option to change it manually too. MECA In Indy works pretty good with that hidden menu setting at 200 and keeps it at the threshold of 8 but my local Boone County SAFE-T systems threshold is at 11.

I'd like 3 options with those settings, leave it automatic like it is now, Let us choose the threshold for each system and it stays there, and 3, let us choose the threshold for each system and it automatically fine tunes only 1 threshold number up or 1 down.

That's the only gripe I have with the XT scanners, other then that I love them.

Quoted for truth... MECA needs 200 for best decode.

 

[kma371]

Question, is it possible through firmware to decode P25 radio IDs all the time, rather than the "one channel trunk" system you have to create?

What about this through firmware upgrade?




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[UPMan]

I'm still not sure what that post meant. You can use UIDs with P25 Trunked Systems (doesn't have to be One-Freq Trunked system).

 

[kma371]

Ok say I have a conventional P25 freq, you can only see unit ids if it's setup as a one channel trunk system.

Can this be changed through firmware


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[UPMan]

Oh, for conventional. (I was thinking vs. Trunked).

The structure for conventional systems would have to be changed in a major way to allow a "Unit ID" layer.