bct15 firmware 1.06 Fire Tone Out ?

[clanusb]

Alright, first off let me apologize, ive searched and have been unsuccessful at finding an answer.

My BCT15 is on the factory firmware 1.03.04?

I've had my BCT15 for just over a year, and love it. I monitor Sacramento Public Saftey Trunked Systems and a few conventional systems as well.

A few days ago I got my hands on the station tones and set up the 10 stations that interest me the most. All the stations are on 154.1900, all the A and B tones are programed and it works great. The only thing I hate is that i cant hit hold on one station, because it opens the squelch and i hear everything, and i don't want to simply disable the other 9 stations. My main question is with the new 1.06 firmware they added the 30second delay feature... but during this 25seconds of extra time does it open the squelch as well?

let me paint the picture as best i can.

The tones drop, the scanner picks up the tones and goes to that particular tones and broadcasts the dispatch. then pauses on the certain set up. But once the dispatcher clicks off, does it pause on that set up and simply mute everything? or would the extra few moments have the next set of tones and dispatch as if the squlech was open?


im sorry if that seems confusing. I really dont want to update my firmware as of yet, but if the extra 25seconds opens the squelch i may just might.

 

[DaveIN]

You will hear everything during the set delay time. If another set of tones are broadcast, the radio won't tune to the new display.

Any particular reason you didn't want to update the firmware?

 

[clanusb]

Thank you DaveIN.

Well it works perfectly just the way it is right now. Our trunked systems are no where near being rebanded. So i was just going to leave things be the way they are. That and im just worried ill screw something up.

 

[DaveIN]

It's not hard to upgrade if you just follow the instructions on the BC_UP program and the Uniden Twiki instructions. The biggest problem is the com port setup, but if you use FreeSCAN, ARC15, or the Uniden UASD programs, it uses the same settings. There are many people who have already done the upgrade and would be happy to assist you if needed.

 

[clanusb]

Alright, i downloaded a demo of ARC15pro just to play around. i backed up everything.
im following the directions on the wiki.

Im following the directions on the UP program. ARC found the scanner and works with it perfectly on comm1 at 115 setting.

UP doesnt pick it up though. I turn the scanner off...press okay, hold down 6/and lock out at the same time while turning the scanner on. (hardest thing ever to do when its above your head.) and then UP says error....check the comm settings and everything else again...

 

[DaveIN]

Is there a diffrent port selection in the pulldown menu on the BC_UP?

 

[clanusb]

thats negative.

it gives me Comm1 only, with 3 different rates. 38400, 57600, and 115200. (i believe those are the 3, correct me if im wrong, that was from memory)

ive tried all 3, no luck.

im using the cable that was provided on my only port. the port is only used for scanners, last time i used it was about a year ago to program it. other than that i used it today to read the scanner with the demo of arc pro. since im using the factory cable its only able to be plugged in on the front of the scanner.

the scanner is set up for the front port at the 115 setting.

 

[DaveIN]

Are you using a USB converter or direct to serial port? If USB, make sure your using the latest driver.

When you press L/O, 6, and power on the display should be blank, but back-lit. Make sure the firmware update file is unarchived from the zip into the .scn file. A good place to put the file is on the desktop.

Verify the com port is the same one used with ARC15.

 

[clanusb]

its direct serial to serial. no USB ports.

the screen does exactly what you said, except the UP program says error after a few seconds. i unzipped the file to the desktop as you said.
Arc15 reads it as com port 1, same and only option that UP gives me.


when i hit 6 and LO do i just hold them down until the screen powers up and goes blank? Do i hold them down throughout the entire update?

 

[clanusb]

sorry for the double post. BUT success!

no idea what the hell i did.

I gave it another try... turned it on hit the buttons..up gave me a fail. so i was setting it up again, but forgot to turn the scanner off(it was still powered on w/ blank screen)....and i press okay...and then it starts updating and successfully installed.

thank you very much DaveIN. im now up and running with 1.06. lets see how it works

 

[Eng74]

Alright, first off let me apologize, ive searched and have been unsuccessful at finding an answer.

My BCT15 is on the factory firmware 1.03.04?

I've had my BCT15 for just over a year, and love it. I monitor Sacramento Public Saftey Trunked Systems and a few conventional systems as well.

A few days ago I got my hands on the station tones and set up the 10 stations that interest me the most. All the stations are on 154.1900, all the A and B tones are programed and it works great. The only thing I hate is that i cant hit hold on one station, because it opens the squelch and i hear everything, and i don't want to simply disable the other 9 stations. My main question is with the new 1.06 firmware they added the 30second delay feature... but during this 25seconds of extra time does it open the squelch as well?

let me paint the picture as best i can.

The tones drop, the scanner picks up the tones and goes to that particular tones and broadcasts the dispatch. then pauses on the certain set up. But once the dispatcher clicks off, does it pause on that set up and simply mute everything? or would the extra few moments have the next set of tones and dispatch as if the squlech was open?


im sorry if that seems confusing. I really dont want to update my firmware as of yet, but if the extra 25seconds opens the squelch i may just might.

I have 7 sets in my tone out. The All Call, Batt. 7, and my four nearest stations. I like to have my time set at Infinite. If they tone out sometimes they can be getting more call info before they start the dispatch then it is back into the standby mode and you miss the call. This has to be my favorite things on the Uniden scanners.

 

[clanusb]

since i updated i use the 30second delay. which is quite nice actually. Our dispatchers usually send everything out pretty quickly, so i don't have any issues there.
I do wish that it could monitor both the TRS and the tone outs in the back ground, that would be very very nice. Also the ability to decode DTMF tones like most of the stations in this county are. But im fortunate enough that the stations I care about the most are QCII or Plectron still.
I have ten stations, all the stations who have immediate family/friends working I have programed and a few close stations are in.

 

[DaveIN]

Good to see you have the BCT15 firmware updated.

I do wish that it could monitor both the TRS and the tone outs in the back ground, that would be very very nice.

You and a lot of us, would like to see this. It would require two receivers, one to monitor the trunked system/conventional systems, and another to monitor the tone out frequency.

 

[clanusb]

It would require two receivers, one to monitor the trunked system/conventional systems, and another to monitor the tone out frequency.

that is very true. well instead of having a $200+ scanner dedicated to ten tones, they should come up with a "cheap" little device ;]

 

[Eng74]

that is very true. well instead of having a $200+ scanner dedicated to ten tones, they should come up with a "cheap" little device ;]

I know what you mean. I have the BCT15 for Fire Tone Out and a Pro-164 scanning. It would be great if they made one for just FTO that could have a few more channels and be able to use PL/DPL also.

 

[clanusb]

Well everything has been working fine. I like the extra 25seconds they put on with this firmware. However....instead of hearing one set of tones..it takes that time to flip the display to that station..

When its one station ill here the special alert beep, and then the 3 beeps after the tones and before the dispatcher talks.

If its 2 sets of tones i wont hear the set that is programmed in for the particular channel, but ill hear anything after that. any ideas why its doing that? it wasnt doing that before.