Try pressing FUNC then the Volume knob and watch the ERR rate in the upper left corner. Press FUNC, then the Volume knob to exit.
When the scanner detects a voice transmission, it will display a count of the decoding errors.
Last edited:
Hawai'i County Radio System Upgrade
- Thread starter ccs247
- Start date
- Status
Try pressing FUNC then the Volume knob and watch the ERR rate in the upper left corner. Press FUNC, then the Volume knob to exit.
When the scanner detects a voice transmission, it will display a count of the decoding errors.
Failed auto locate. Not encouraging.
Watching for error rate now for Kailua and nothing displayed after several minutes and channel activity as seen on SDR display. Left P25 control to Auto and it bounces all over. This is a strong signal, tower is about 4 miles north.
Watching for error rate now for Kailua and nothing displayed after several minutes and channel activity as seen on SDR display. Left P25 control to Auto and it bounces all over. This is a strong signal, tower is about 4 miles north.
What I would do is do a search in the range of 151.000 to 156.900.
Once you do the search notate which control channels are popping up as you do the search. Once you write them all down then create a trunking system manually and put the radio on ID SEARCH. Any talkgroups that pop up you can notate them. The import of the RR database could not be a 100 percent right.
I always do all of my own programming so I know its done right.
Once you do the search notate which control channels are popping up as you do the search. Once you write them all down then create a trunking system manually and put the radio on ID SEARCH. Any talkgroups that pop up you can notate them. The import of the RR database could not be a 100 percent right.
I always do all of my own programming so I know its done right.
Sounds like it should be working, here are some suggestions to try in the Sentinel software:
1.Find the system in the full USA database and APPEND to a new favorites list.
2. Edit the new favorites list and set all other sites to AVOID except for the Kailua site, assuming that is indeed the site you are closest to.
3. Be sure to enable all SERVICE TYPES in the Sentinel software.
4. Turn on ID SEARCH for the system.
5. Download that new favorites list to the scanner
6. Be sure it is set to scan ONLY that new favorites list and NOT the full database.
If you are picking up the correct site, you should see full signal bars blinking once every second or so indicating you are locked onto the control channel. Hopefully you should hear traffic after a few moments. Here in Honokaa, I sometimes go 30 minutes or so with no activity, but it's a slow area. There in Kona you should get more activity.
If that doesn't work, I'm at a loss.
Well, no voice. Do get the signal strength pulsing as you mentioned. Periodically get LNK or DAT shown briefly on the screen, so it looks like it is getting some info from the control channel.
Think fiddling with the P25 threshold in manual is worth bothering with? It cycles all over in AUTO.
Think fiddling with the P25 threshold in manual is worth bothering with? It cycles all over in AUTO.
Hmmm, if LNK/DAT is only periodically popping up, it sounds like it is struggling to lock onto the control channel. If I recall correctly when I had my BCD436, the LNK/DAT would show constantly even when there was no voice, Then when there was voice traffic, it would show PT0 or PT1.
Is Attenuation turned ON? If so, you can try turning it OFF. If you are only 4 miles from the tower, seems like you shouldn't have a problem. Or if Attenuation is ON, try turning it OFF. Perhaps the signal is too strong.
Well, this is weird: Decided to give "Discovery" a try, and with only Kailua enabled, showd LNK/DAT always on one or the other.Then, all of a sudden, I got voice traffic and PT0 and PT1 showing. Using "Analyze" got me thinking, as it showed things working, steady LNK/DAT and steady signal strength.
Why the heck would that be? Discovery found something the normal regular programmed list could not do?
I suppose the question is now what do I do with this? Saw something about using Sentinel to view Discovery stuff.
SOMETHING woke up, went back to scanning, and now LNK/DAT is almost constant. And suddenly got some HFD broadcast. I did not change a darn thing, but it is sort of working now.
Big relief, was thinking I would be shipping the thing back for a refund.
Saw a post about Uniden having some new firmware for trial in Beta form, a guy said it fixed his issue. May give it a whirl as long as I know I can come back to this configuration.
Why the heck would that be? Discovery found something the normal regular programmed list could not do?
I suppose the question is now what do I do with this? Saw something about using Sentinel to view Discovery stuff.
SOMETHING woke up, went back to scanning, and now LNK/DAT is almost constant. And suddenly got some HFD broadcast. I did not change a darn thing, but it is sort of working now.
Big relief, was thinking I would be shipping the thing back for a refund.
Saw a post about Uniden having some new firmware for trial in Beta form, a guy said it fixed his issue. May give it a whirl as long as I know I can come back to this configuration.
Last edited:
Sounds like perhaps in Discovery Mode, it is locking on the Kailua site properly like you want, but in regular scan mode it is attempting to lock onto a more distant site. If I were you, I would go into Sentenel and DELETE all sites except for Kailua on your favorites list to be absolutely sure it is not attempting to lock onto another site. Then re-download that favorites list to the scanner and try scanning it again.
In regular scan mode (ID searching) it is working perfectly, Kailua only enabled. HPD and HFD pop right up.
I did do a couple external changes that I will backtrack on to see if they mattered or not. A FM trap was one of them. The control channel is now so strong that it is popping up as a CC hit.
Need to read up on what Discovery might have found that the radio needs and make sure it stays in the list.
I did have everything but Kailua on Avoid. It is not scanning other systems. That is another trial to be done tomorrow.
Will be PO'd if it all goes south again.
I did do a couple external changes that I will backtrack on to see if they mattered or not. A FM trap was one of them. The control channel is now so strong that it is popping up as a CC hit.
Need to read up on what Discovery might have found that the radio needs and make sure it stays in the list.
I did have everything but Kailua on Avoid. It is not scanning other systems. That is another trial to be done tomorrow.
Will be PO'd if it all goes south again.
If you are using the scanner with the included telescopic antenna, have you tried placing the scanner in front of a window facing the transmitter site?
I have the radio connected to an attic antenna of my design. No way would I bother with the cheesy back-of-set stuff.
Of note, more sleuthing to be done. Turned power off and back on, same old, same old, no P25 until I went through the Analyze, Discovery, routine again.
Looks like something gets lost that needs to be in the list.
Of note, more sleuthing to be done. Turned power off and back on, same old, same old, no P25 until I went through the Analyze, Discovery, routine again.
Looks like something gets lost that needs to be in the list.
I can attach a zip file containing a .hpe file for Kailua if you would like to try importing it into a favorites list.
The .hpe file would certainly be a help if you have time to send it.
It is good to know the radio does work and it is just cockpit error at this point. Only a matter of time until I crack the nut, hopefully it will help others struggling to get these things working.
Further fiddling this morning (Thank God for being retired).
Pattern is this: Do Analyze or Discovery on the site, all works perfectly, and continues to if I switch to scan without power down.
Power down and back up and it is deaf again. Posted this in Uniden Tech support just to see what others might have seen.
It is like Analyze/Discovery switches something on, as it is the same site as during scan, right?
It is good to know the radio does work and it is just cockpit error at this point. Only a matter of time until I crack the nut, hopefully it will help others struggling to get these things working.
Further fiddling this morning (Thank God for being retired).
Pattern is this: Do Analyze or Discovery on the site, all works perfectly, and continues to if I switch to scan without power down.
Power down and back up and it is deaf again. Posted this in Uniden Tech support just to see what others might have seen.
It is like Analyze/Discovery switches something on, as it is the same site as during scan, right?
Last edited:
File attached.
If you have a quick key assigned to the favorite list, try enabling site quick keys 2, 12 and 14. For example:
FL quick key.1.2 E
Had to read up on the new x36 way of selecting quick keys. Uniden is as bad a MS for changing things all the time. Had gotten somewhat OK with QK's on my 15x and then it is all changed. Believe it or not, no reference spelled out that you have to type a period between the numbers.
Tried that, enabled a couple other as well for grins, but none have a signal here. No change in behavior, still have to do an Analyze after restart to wake the thing up. At least it does scan through and stop once the thing is activated.
Sure looks like a bug, a surprise I am the only one to get this behavior, or maybe the others all returned their radios figuring they were defective?
No response on the Uniden support forum.
As you alluded to earlier about a possible firmware issue, I was running firmware 1.11.22 when the system went operational. I am now using 1.11.28. None of my BCD436HPs or BCD325P2s are exhibiting anything near what you are experiencing.
Just tested firmware version 1.11.20. Works fine.
- Status
