Boy do I need help!

[rfrf]

Just bought a new Uniden BCD996T yesterday. I had it partially programmed with some local towers for police, ambulance, highways, etc. by the store. I wimped out!
Now I have to learn to do it myself. I can move around in the menu to do simple setting things, but programming even a simple non trunked simplex frequency seems a daunting task.
Am I just especially dense or has/does anyone else have the same problem initially? I find the owner's manual to be quite involved and hard to follow.
It's early days yet I know but I need a book like "Programming a BCD99T for Dummies"!

 

[Smerri]

Try bcTool.

I use it on my BCT15 and my BR330T. Have never programmed digital but I would imagine this would make it a lot easier than by hand. The program is free too.

http://www.bctool.org/

Hope that helps.

 

[rfrf]

Thanks Smerri for the advice. A friend of mine sent me that same link and I downloaded it onto my laptop. I haven't used it yet. I only know local people who have Radio Shack models and the 796D, so no help here locally. I'm afraid of losing the info that is already programmed into the scanner when I start to work with this program. Have you backed up your scanner onto your hard drive?
Thanks for your help.

 

[matthewtomek]

I would suggest programming your scanner using computer software. It's pretty much fill in the blank and easy to use. (http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Category:Software_Applications)


Also, when you start a thread, it may help to be a little more specific with the topic other than "Boy, I need help." Some people may not look at this thread due to its title.

 

[Smerri]

Thanks Smerri for the advice. A friend of mine sent me that same link and I downloaded it onto my laptop. I haven't used it yet. I only know local people who have Radio Shack models and the 796D, so no help here locally. I'm afraid of losing the info that is already programmed into the scanner when I start to work with this program. Have you backed up your scanner onto your hard drive?
Thanks for your help.

You can connect your scanner to your computer, and use the program to read the data from the scanner. That way it will pull the info off your scanner onto your computer and you can program from there, without losing any previously entered data.

 

[Highpockets]

Just bought a new Uniden BCD996T yesterday. I had it partially programmed with some local towers for police, ambulance, highways, etc. by the store. I wimped out!
Now I have to learn to do it myself. I can move around in the menu to do simple setting things, but programming even a simple non trunked simplex frequency seems a daunting task.
Am I just especially dense or has/does anyone else have the same problem initially? I find the owner's manual to be quite involved and hard to follow.
It's early days yet I know but I need a book like "Programming a BCD99T for Dummies"!

It may help if you let the users know where you are from, State, County, City, Boro, etc. someone may live near you that has a file already setup for your area for bctool or freescan that will get you started, and give you an idea what it all looks like in the software package. Good Luck and enjoy your new scanner.

 

[hiegtx]

Just bought a new Uniden BCD996T yesterday. I had it partially programmed with some local towers for police, ambulance, highways, etc. by the store. I wimped out!
Now I have to learn to do it myself. I can move around in the menu to do simple setting things, but programming even a simple non trunked simplex frequency seems a daunting task.
Am I just especially dense or has/does anyone else have the same problem initially? I find the owner's manual to be quite involved and hard to follow.
It's early days yet I know but I need a book like "Programming a BCD99T for Dummies"!

Good morning Rf, and welcome.

You may find this manual easier to read. (anything in blue is a link). The 996, and the other Uniden radios using dynamic memory (DMA), has confused others at first, so don't feel like you're the only one. However, once you get used to it, it's very flexible, and can display more information on the screen for each system & channel (or talkgroup) being received. You might also find this article helpful.

While you certainly can program your new 996 by hand, you'll find, in the long run, it's much faster and easier to program using software and your computer, as the others have noted. Besides BCTool, FreeScan and Uniden's UASD software are also available, & free, programs that work on the 996. See the 996's Wiki page for more details & links. BCTool & FreeScan will allow importing of system data from the database here if you decide to become a premium subscriber. Even if you don't subscribe at this time, software would still let you cut & paste information from the website to the program, then load it into the scanner. Or, as Highpockets noted, if someone else near you has a ready made file, import that and load it into your scanner, then review it to get a better idea of how to set up systems yourself.

 

[rfrf]

need help programming BCD996T

Thanks Smerri, mathewtomkek, Highpockets and hiegtx for your assistance and advice. I appreciate it all as I start my learning curve here!
First order of the day is to get a software package up and running. Thinking about using bctools. I need an adaptor for the Uniden cord that will allow me to connect to my laptop. I need a serial port to USB adaptor. Just checked a local supplier and they have them for $29.95. Here we go........

 

[rfrf]

Reply to High Pockets re: programming BCD996T

I'm located in southwestern Ontario, Canada.
Thanks

 

[cpuerror]

rfrf, where exactly are you? I might be able to help you out.

 

[rfrf]

Where am I?

Saugeen Shores in Bruce County

 

[Viper43]

Before using the software it's best to learn to program it without software, or, when you need to do it you won't know how.

The manual isn't that hard to understand, just don't read things into it that are not there and make sure to actually read things and don't just skim over them

V

 

[rfrf]

Learn to use it manually first

Ya okay Viper. I learn best hands on. That seems to be part of the problem. I don't want to mess up what's already programmed. I know I would do best if I were to learn it first hand from someone as they programmed one. Perhaps I am 'reading too much into it'.
Wahwahwah. I'm sounding like a broken record here. It'll all come to me eventually I guess. I'll just keep reminding myself it's a hobby and to keep it fun.
Thanks for the reply.

 

[Smerri]

For the serial conversion, I purchased this one.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10311&cs_id=1031104&p_id=2276&seq=1&format=2

Discussed in this thread here.

http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98215

It has worked well for me over the last few months.

 

[rfrf]

Serial to USB

Thanks for the post Smerri. That's great information in both those links.
This forum is so useful, I've learned so much. Thanks to everyone!
We really get dinged for prices up here in Canada. $34.95 or $29.95 for this little adapter. I'm going to snoop around some computer guys I know before I put that kind of money out.
I'm really looking forward to using this software.

 

[Viper43]

Start by adding a conventional system, then try a trunked system, neither of which will affect whats already in the scanner......
No guts no glory

V

Ya okay Viper. I learn best hands on. That seems to be part of the problem. I don't want to mess up what's already programmed. I know I would do best if I were to learn it first hand from someone as they programmed one. Perhaps I am 'reading too much into it'.
Wahwahwah. I'm sounding like a broken record here. It'll all come to me eventually I guess. I'll just keep reminding myself it's a hobby and to keep it fun.
Thanks for the reply.

 

[maalox]

Thanks for the post Smerri. That's great information in both those links.
This forum is so useful, I've learned so much. Thanks to everyone!
We really get dinged for prices up here in Canada. $34.95 or $29.95 for this little adapter. I'm going to snoop around some computer guys I know before I put that kind of money out.
I'm really looking forward to using this software.

hi i also have a 996t if you perfer we can talk by phone and i can help you program it manually.

 

[rfrf]

No guts no glory!

Thanks for the coaching Viper. They say there's no stupid questions. We'll see...........
I have two systems already entered now for me. They are police/ambulance/highway, etc and are very busy. They operate off two different towers. I'd like to enter another local police frequency that is not trunked, not digital but just a plain simplex frequency.
There are other frequencies like local taxi companies, construction firms, etc. that are not trunked or digital and I would like to keep them separate.
For the life of me, I can't wrap my head around how to do this with this scanner/manual. I've gone into the menu and created a third system in the list for the local simplex police frequency and named it, etc. but can't figure out how to enter a frequency for this system.

 

[maalox]

Thanks for the coaching Viper. They say there's no stupid questions. We'll see...........
I have two systems already entered now for me. They are police/ambulance/highway, etc and are very busy. They operate off two different towers. I'd like to enter another local police frequency that is not trunked, not digital but just a plain simplex frequency.
There are other frequencies like local taxi companies, construction firms, etc. that are not trunked or digital and I would like to keep them separate.
For the life of me, I can't wrap my head around how to do this with this scanner/manual. I've gone into the menu and created a third system in the list for the local simplex police frequency and named it, etc. but can't figure out how to enter a frequency for this system.

enter freq on the keypad press e it will say quicksave enter no the dot key then youll see which system you want to enter it press e twice then it will give you the menu options then set it with the name then set audio type to digital or anaolog then press e again tyhen press the hold key freq should be entered into your system

 

[rfrf]

Thanks Maalox. I can't believe the offers for help I'm getting!
Maybe I'll take you up on your offer of the phone assistance. If you decide that you wouldn't mind, would you like to email me your number and a good time to call?