Does a 396 "Learn"?

Status
Not open for further replies.

mnsrefer

Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2006
Messages
29
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Good day;
I realize the 396 is capable of seeking and automatically storing hits, but does it learn?
By that I mean, once put on line after (say) a programming change or antenna swap, does it internally track its hits and simplify or prioritize its scans and searches?
I swear mine "warms up" (weeding out poor hits, increasing the number of them and becoming clearer) as a listening session goes on.
Don't mean to be silly. Just wondering.
Regards;
Mike
 

69stiles

Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2003
Messages
225
Location
Waterloo Region
My br330t seems to latch on to a talk group with lots of action & block the usual pickups. I rarely have to "hold" on to a talk group. Is that sort of what you mean? I've had lot's of RS & Unidens & this is by far the best one yet. This new bct15 that's out, is it the base version of the 330?
 

josephdavis13

Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2004
Messages
159
Location
Austin Texas
My Uniden BCD396T performs the same way. When I initially turn on the radio it works better the longer it is operating. I have seen this radio behave like this many times.
 
D

DaveNF2G

Guest
I think that your descriptions indicate a problem with your scanners. A solid state device should not have to "warm up" before reaching optimum performance.

My best guess as to the cause would be cold solder joints. If that is the case, you can expect the scanners to fail eventually.
 

mnsrefer

Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2006
Messages
29
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Warm Up

Everyone settle down.
"Warm up" was simply a way of saying "get into the groove", "settle into a routine", "find its pattern (of search / scan)".
One of the problems with the written word (particularly email and forums).
No context.
Too many opportunities for literal translation and misunderstanding.
 

rdale

Completely Banned for the Greater Good
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 3, 2001
Messages
11,380
Location
Lansing, MI
There is no misunderstanding... It does not "get into a groove" "settle into a routine" or "find its pattern."
 

DaveIN

Founders Curmudgen
Database Admin
Joined
Jan 5, 2003
Messages
6,515
Location
West Michigan
The 396 has no AI, just a larger dynamic memory. The firmware runs the same routine the same every time you turn it on. It will even return to the last mode you left it in when you turned it off. If it behaves in a way you think is different than that of what you programmed, you may want to go back and look at the changes you made in programming, manually or via software.

The BCT15 is similar in many ways to the BR330T but is not a direct copy, nor does it cover the same frequency range or have the same dynamic memory size. If it was you could just clone memory between radios.
 

hotdjdave

K9DJW - Senior Member
Database Admin
Joined
May 10, 2005
Messages
1,720
Location
The Valley (SFV), Los Angeles, CA
I think a better term to use is that the BCD396T "adjusts."

The P25 decode can be set to a certain starting point, and from there the scanner adjusts the levels for optimal P25 decoding. So in fact (in a way), it does "warm up" until it "gets into its groove" and "finds a pattern" to the proper P25 setting. ;)

Similarly, when scanning a TRS, the BCD396T adjusts to find the proper control channels of the TRS.


The problem with all this learning is that it also forgets. Each time you scan a new frequency or system, it all starts over again.


Learning : Adjusting : Correcting
 
Last edited:

rdale

Completely Banned for the Greater Good
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 3, 2001
Messages
11,380
Location
Lansing, MI
While Dave is correct - that does not address this thread... The radio does not modify its scan methods / signal hits / etc as it remains powered up.
 
D

DaveNF2G

Guest
I agree with rdale. There are a couple of thermal phenomena that affect solid-state scanners, though.

Burn-in is a phase of manufacture and testing where a unit is left running for a set period to see if any components fail due to defects. Not every single radio is subjected to burn-in testing, so a customer might experience component failure either as soon as the radio is powered up for the first time, or within a short time of the purchase.

Heat affects electronic components over time, usually shortening their lifespan because the chemical reactions that are involved in deterioration take place more quickly in higher temperatures. Thermal drift is well known in tube equipment, but it can also affect solid state gear. It usually isn't so dramatic, but I have personally experienced "migratory birdies" in scanners.

We probably shouldn't rule out some sorts of shifts in scanner behavior due to physical warmup, but they should not be very significant.

This does not invalidate my earlier comment. A scanner should not have to "warm up" to meet its normal operating specifications, unless it is being used in an unusually cold environment. If there are any cold solder joints in a scanner, the best indicator is sudden failure of the circuit involved.
 

MetalCarnage

Member
Joined
May 12, 2005
Messages
735
Location
Ajax Ontario
I dont appear to have anything to join into the argument with, so i will just say.....you are ALL wrong and make no sense at all, he he :)

I have to throw this in:

EDIT: "My 396T is a neural-net processor...a learning computer. The more contact I have with frequencies, the more I learn."
 
Last edited:

Codeman

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2005
Messages
95
I wish the 396 had some AI. For unknown reasons, mine seems to "lock" onto certain control channels in a Moto Type II analog system every once in a while, which results in no activity. I simply turn the radio off, then back on, and I start picking up activity again. I've ruled out that it's periods of inactivity. Once it goes quiet, it stays that way until I cycle the power, and then activity usually starts almost immediately. It's not that big of a deal, but I would like to know why it happens, or, better yet, that it didn't happen at all.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top