Is there an Idiots "how too" guide anywhere?
Not exactly, but this is indexed and may help you.
Easier to Read BR330T/BCD396T/UBCD396T Manual
I fully agree. you should definitely get software. This will not only make your programming much easier, but it will help you understand all of the features of the 396. Here is a list of software:
http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/BC396T#Supporting_Software Three that provide the most value are ARC396 by
BuTel, and free programs,
FreeSCAN and
BCtool. They allow a automatic download of any or all frequencies in your county and state from this site, and sets up trunking TGID's & para's(this is a big help). They have a neat virtual control panel that works your scanner from the keyboard., but the best part is that it logs all the information(freq & PL) and lets you see your scanner window in a much larger scale that you can actually see clearly. The logging is great when searching, but it is also handy for normal scanning. Often, I do not look up in time to see what agency was just talking, so I just look at the log. You can download all three and see which one you like(ARC free demo has some limitations, but it is robust)
Also, if you have a new PC or lap top, you will need a serial to USB converter from Uniden
http://tinyurl.com/2cqyu4 or Radio Shack:
http://tinyurl.com/2gpbsp . Another source is
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10311&cs_id=1031104&p_id=2276&seq=1&format=2, for quite a bit less. It is reported to work.
Note: You would need to become a
paid subscriber to this site to get the automatic down loads, but this is also very reasonable($7.5 for 3 months). This can save you countless hours of programming and frustration. Since you are in
Chicago, you will need to know something about
Trunking Basics and
Trunking Systems Things have changed a lot, Rip Van Winkle, but software has stepped in to make the transition less traumatic :lol:,
