freescan and first time use..

[originalvalleykid]

hey guys-
so ive had my uniden bcd396xt for six months now, i love it! the local radio store was nice enough to program itfor me seeing as how i have a mac. i have since found an old pc and downloaded freescan.
the local shop gave me a quick tutorial when they originally programmed it, but of course i don't remember it all step by step exactly. i do remember the good part where i can check off what freq's/agency's/etc..i want. ive launched freescan and im ready to do this, i just dont want to accidentally erase anything on it. my goal is to go back through that check list and add some stuff that i did not add originally. hoping maybe a little step by step link or just some help from you kind folks on the getting started forum. maybe even some do's and do nots if ya will to save me a headache or three..
thanks a million
ryan

 

[Highpockets]

hey guys-
so ive had my uniden bcd396xt for six months now, i love it! the local radio store was nice enough to program itfor me seeing as how i have a mac. i have since found an old pc and downloaded freescan.
the local shop gave me a quick tutorial when they originally programmed it, but of course i don't remember it all step by step exactly. i do remember the good part where i can check off what freq's/agency's/etc..i want. ive launched freescan and im ready to do this, i just dont want to accidentally erase anything on it. my goal is to go back through that check list and add some stuff that i did not add originally. hoping maybe a little step by step link or just some help from you kind folks on the getting started forum. maybe even some do's and do nots if ya will to save me a headache or three..
thanks a million
ryan

See if this will help:

FreeScan User Guide - The RadioReference Wiki

 

[originalvalleykid]

just clicked on it, looks like some meaty info. good stuff! thanks, ill let ya know how bad i screw it up..lol

 

[Highpockets]

just clicked on it, looks like some meaty info. good stuff! thanks, ill let ya know how bad i screw it up..lol

The first thing I would do if you have any programming in the scanner is to download from the scanner into Freescan and save that file, so in case you make any mistakes, you'll have your original file to load back into the scanner. And the file you fool with if you save it give it a different name so you'll still have the original file. Use the save as for the second file or you'll overwrite the original.

 

[CoolCat]

Did the scanner shop provide you with a saved profile when they programmed it for you? If so then you already have a backup (freescan can import almost any other programming software's save file).

Whether they did or not, you should start off by saving your existing profile. Download it from your scanner, then choose 'save as', re-name it so you'll known what it is, then keep that file somewhere safe (HINT: email it to yourself as an attachment so you'll have a safe copy of it, offline, in case something happens to that computer).

Once you have a safe copy of your scanner profile, you are free to make as many changes as you wish without the fear of losing everything.

Happy Freescanning

 

[originalvalleykid]

checking..

 

[originalvalleykid]

ok. so i saved my original program and have it on my desktop. i just trying to figure out how to get to the
page that has all the freq's in california/los angeles county so i can get what want after viewing them. i saw it in the radio store when he did it but dang, cant remember exactly how he got there..still browsing it all and nothing yet..

 

[Highpockets]

ok. so i saved my original program and have it on my desktop. i just trying to figure out how to get to the
page that has all the freq's in california/los angeles county so i can get what want after viewing them. i saw it in the radio store when he did it but dang, cant remember exactly how he got there..still browsing it all and nothing yet..

In Freescan under the file tab use the Import selection (RR Conventional or RR Trunked) then you get a sign in screen then you can pick United States, your state, your county, the freq's will come up and you pick what you want, and import them into the software. Import everything you want (Conventional & Trunked) into one file for uploading to your scanner. Save your work...

Use the Freescan guide to help you!

 

[originalvalleykid]

seems as though i need to be a premium member to do this, time to pay the piper for toys. lol

 

[Highpockets]

seems as though i need to be a premium member to do this, time to pay the piper for toys. lol

Wow! Sorry I missed that, I usually notice that and mention it to the user...

You could enter the data by hand or use EZ Grab (I never used that feature) but that may take time.

 

[CoolCat]

You cannot import frequencies unless you are a premium subscriber.

You can either purchase a premium subscription (I believe 3 months is the minimum) and use the steps highpockets explained above, or use Freescan's "EZ Grab" feature to simply copy them from the RR LA county page.

EDIT: wow, you guys either type really fast, or I type really slow. I swear I am not just copying highpocket's posts

 

[Highpockets]

Instead of two of us throwing instructions at you, I'll back off and let CoolCat handle it!

 

[originalvalleykid]

No problem, I'll sign up. Worth it. It sounds like I need to import conventional and trunked separately and combine them in the same file after? ..then..upload that single file to my scanner, sound right?

 

[Highpockets]

EDIT: wow, you guys either type really fast, or I type really slow.

At my age I'm lucky to see the keyboard, I two finger pick and peck.

 

[ka3jjz]

Basically correct. However the biggest hurdle most folks have is the concept of quick keys. Our DMA FAQ has a good section on this concept - keep in mind that in order to scan a system, you need to have quick keys enabled and allocated. (note: both here and in the wiki, anything in blue is a link)

Systems, Sites and Groups - The RadioReference Wiki

You can use the Quick Key Manager in FS to make sure that your system/site keys are all active; you need to check each group individually to make sure they too have a quick key (at least one) allocated and active.

The Quick Key Manager in FS is displayed here;

Freescan Tools functions - The RadioReference Wiki

In FS you can access the wiki help via Help/Online Help

I haven't had a chance to update it to 2.06 version; I'll likely get started on that next week sometime. If anyone wants to jump in, feel free - that's part of why the user guide is on the wiki in the first place, so not just one person is responsible for changes.

best regards..Mike

 

[originalvalleykid]

whew, this info can sometimes make your head spin. i just remember sitting down with the local shop and we went through the checklist, " you want chp?"..yes i say.. he checks the box.."you want forest service?"..yes i say...he checks the box..on and on. took about 2 minutes. we checked alot..there were some i did not..i work all over los angeles every week, all times of the day and night, so i just thought id go back and check some more boxes that i didnt originally to broaden my horizon.
*chp is my absolute favorite tho seeing as how im on the highway most of my time.

any good tips or advice on better reception for my scanner? i have the uniden bcd396xt w/a diamond srh77ca antenna.
anything better than this? that i can put on top of my truck with a magnet out the back slider??

 

[ka3jjz]

Yes, an antenna on your truck will do wonders for your reception. In the cab, the scanner is surrounded by lots of metal - making a somewhat effective shield.

Let us know what freq range(s) you are interested in, and folks can recommend something. In the interim, our scanner antennas wiki has links to numerous reviews;

Scanner Antennas - The RadioReference Wiki

The Diamond is fine for portable work...best regards...Mike

 

[jschandua87]

I just want to ask if anyone can help or what would be the best way for me to get all the talk group I want in to my scanner using freeScan I live in Texas by Houston and we are on I big system with alot of Talk Groups and it gives me a Yes Or No and when I hit yes it still missing alot of Talk Groups. So do I need to Type all the ones missing or what? I have the Enable System Protect on so will that help with talk? I am new to this Program. I also have bcTool+ so not sure what would be best for me?

 

[ka3jjz]

You would set up a group with only those talkgroups you want to hear. Be sure to assign a quick key and enable it - then make sure you are running in ID Scan mode, not ID Search. That forces the scanner to look at your list only and nothing else.

Setting up the quick key is the part everyone gets all screwed up on - so here's a couple of snapshots from the wiki based user guide...

This first pic is with the simple view box on the left side of the form checked...

File:FS tlkgroup simpview v8.JPG - The RadioReference Wiki

See the 'Quick Key' pulldown next to the name? That's how you allocate it - now to make sure you have enabled it...

File:FS Type2 System.JPG - The RadioReference Wiki

Look at the far right top of the form - that's where the quick keys, when they're checked in the box, are enabled. Usually FS checks them all as a default, but I don't particularly like that, as it wastes resources if you have a lot of systems to program. This form is also where you tell it whether you want to use ID Search or ID Scan

I would read the entire user guide, really, before you start doing a lot of programming, along with the Easier to Read guide for the 396. It will make understanding how to build a system much easier than just hunting/pecking at a particular topic. Here are the relevant links

Easier to Read BCD396T/UBCD396T Digital Scanner Manual

You can get to the FS User guide when you're online by selecting Help/Online Help from the menu, or go here...

FreeScan User Guide - The RadioReference Wiki

Do NOT use System Protect right off the bat! The FS user guide tells you why...

best regards..Mike