First BCD396XT Has arrived, first look and discussion!

[DaveIN]

I monitored several towers on the Indiana SAFE-T system this weekend. I must say the decoded audio from a mixed-mode system has improved very much. I did have some weak signal "motorboating", but when the signal was there it was solid and clear with low error rates. I like the fact that I can set the talkgroup as digital only for ID Scan, I just wish I had the option for ID Search as well. NAC reporting worked well on the SAFE-T mixed-mode system and on the conventional P25 systems from the Kentucky state police.

 

[DaveIN]

I haven't seen anyone mention using the ATTenuator yet (although I am on page 5 out of the current 10+ pages of the thread so far). It might seem counterintuitive to some users, but the attenuator might be more useful, especially in high-RF environments, than adding a "better" antenna. Pulling more signal into the scanner's front end might actually make things worse.

I have not used the attenuator too much yet. I usually didn't need it for the 396 classic except for extream cases. I have used the IFX (intermediate frequency exchange) however with some success.

 

[UPMan]

GPS channel control on conventional systems is done at the channel group level (just as it is with trunked systems).

 

[DaveIN]

GPS channel control on conventional systems is done at the channel group level (just as it is with trunked systems).

Scott and I were talking about the idea that it would be great to have this feature at the "system" level as well. Then you could have the GPS turn the system on at a location specified.

 

[DaveNF2G]

P25 Lpf?

I was reading the reference guide (thanks to whoever made it available) and came across a reference to a "P25 Low-Pass Filter." I found no description or explanation in the guide. What is this feature all about?

 

[UPMan]

On some systems you can hear a tone that is an artifact of the the 4096 Hz sampling rate. Turning on this filter effectively filters out the tone.

 

[DaveIN]

I was reading the reference guide (thanks to whoever made it available) and came across a reference to a "P25 Low-Pass Filter." I found no description or explanation in the guide. What is this feature all about?

As I understand it, it's a "low pass filter" for ~4KHz noise on P25 channels. I've been running it on all the time with no ill effects.

 

[GTO_04]

I monitored several towers on the Indiana SAFE-T system this weekend. I must say the decoded audio from a mixed-mode system has improved very much. I did have some weak signal "motorboating", but when the signal was there it was solid and clear with low error rates. I like the fact that I can set the talkgroup as digital only for ID Scan, I just wish I had the option for ID Search as well. NAC reporting worked well on the SAFE-T mixed-mode system and on the conventional P25 systems from the Kentucky state police.

That's the feedback I'm looking for! I am very interested in how it performs on SAFE-T.

Take a look at UPMan's Avatar and here: Image:BCD396T BL.jpg - The RadioReference Wiki

Thanks. I assume that also applies to the keyboard backlight then.

GTO_04

 

[DaveIN]

Thanks. I assume that also applies to the keyboard backlight then.GTO_04

The keyboard has the light shown through the white numbers and silver keys, so only the white numbers are really shown.

 

[JANFINE]

Re: Gps

I have a Garmin V that worked with the BC15 and BC996.
Is it compatible with the BC346xt?
I've tried it with a null modem between the 2 cables and with the GPS & Scanner set to the same baud rate. The GPS is set to NEMA IN/OUT.

Could it be a old/bad null modem or is the GPS not compatible with the newer scanners?

Thanks.

 

[UPMan]

The GPS should be fine. It is likeliest either that you haven't set the scanner's port to 4800 bps or that the null modem/gender changer isn't in the correct configuration. (Well, since you checked the baud rate, then null modem/gender changer is likeliest for you...).

 

[DaveIN]

Jan, make sure you turn the control channel output off as well. This one is going to bite a bunch of people UPMan. Could this feature be changed to automatically turn off the control channel output when the baud rate is changed or something similar?

 

[JANFINE]

Re: Gps

Got it. Thanks. I had a bad null modem. I had bought it when the BC245 first came out so I could clone other peoples radios to mine. I was thinking about turning off the output of the Control Channel. I didn't think it was bi-directional. Thanks.

 

[SCPD]

Just a note im in love with this 396xt what a huge diff from the 396t nice job There Paul
it now holds its own with the gre 500 and or 106 if not better p25 audio then both of those
jeff

 

[KC1UA]

GPS channel control on conventional systems is done at the channel group level (just as it is with trunked systems).

I always understood that to be the case, yes, but I apparently was wrong in my thinking that it was also possible to set it at the system level, as was the case with the 996T and BCT15. I see a distinct benefit to this feature, but I still think it would be nice to have the per system setting as well.

Freescan has not developed to the point of being able to support this feature. Once software can accomplish the programming it'll become a lot easier.

Thanks.

 

[STA75]

396xt

I am 99.99% sure it is a patch...Raleigh, NC PD does this on our Statewide VIPER system. You will sometimes see the same TGID twice with the way they have patches setup. so on my 396xt you will
end up seeing 40096 40096.
Marshall KE4ZNR

Thats what it must have been cause it went back to single numbers. Thanks Rick

 

[soncorn]

GPS channel control on conventional systems is done at the channel group level (just as it is with trunked systems).

So this means that instead of assigning coordinates to "sites" on trunked systems or to entire conventional systems I will be able to assign coordinates to groups instead?

That sounds so much better than what I have been doing for the 996T which is multiple systems to cover one real system based on police districts, etc.

 

[UPMan]

On trunked systems, you will be able to set coordinates both for sites (so you can select the optimal tower for your location) and channel groups (so you can select the appropriate channels for your location) independently.

 

[K5RYA]

On trunked systems, you will be able to set coordinates both for sites (so you can select the optimal tower for your location) and channel groups (so you can select the appropriate channels for your location) independently.

I noticed that. I thought maybe I had missed something on my 996T and went back and it looks like the 996T only supports location info for sites, not channel groups like the XT's. Do you know if we will see an update for the 996T that will bring this functionality or will we have to wait for a XT version of the 996 for this feature?

 

[AZScanner]

Still no user reports from Phoenix?

Hey Paul, were any of your beta testers from Phoenix? How did it do on the RWC system?

I hate to keep harping on this but $500 is a lot of money so I want to hear from others before I decide between this radio or the 346.

Thanks,
-AZ