Help Programming a BC246T

[coreymcl]

Help I am trying to program my new BC246T scanner. I have never used a scanner before. I want to program to listen to my cities EMS, Fire and Police. I live in Grand Prairie, TX link to reference information http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&sid=37

How do I do this? I'm not having much luck with the manual.

Thanks,

Corey

 

[UPMan]

Unfortunately, Grand Prairie uses digital for most of the channels on their system including all of the services you want to listen to. Arlington, Fort Worth, Irving, Dallas are all no problem (and are already programmed in the scanner at the factory) but for GP you'll need a digital scanner like the BCD396T.

 

[coreymcl]

I asked Scanners R US before I purchased and they said it would work. Are you 100% sure of your answer? I guess I will be calling Scanners R Us tomorrow and returning this unit.

Man this su@ks!

Corey

 

[UPMan]

I live in S. Arlington. Uniden HQ is just South of DFW, so I drive through GP twice each day and monitor the system each time. Plus, it is a major system we monitor for testing. I am 100% certain.

 

[coreymcl]

Thanks! I guess I will be returning this one and getting the other one. I guess before I order the 396 is there anything else I should consider? Keep in mind I know next to nothing about scanners.

Corey

 

[UPMan]

You can d/l the 396 software from either Uniden's site for UASD (Uniden Advanced Scanner Director) or from www.butel.nl for ARC396 (and there are a couple of others, but these are the primary 2 usually mentioned for programming) and get a feel for how systems/channel groups/channels are organized. Works essentially the same as the 246, but there are a couple of enhancements.

Depending on your listening location and what you want to hear, you might want to get an antenna specific for the 800 MHz band (the included antenna is a general purpose one).

Other than that, you should be good to go. When the scanner arrives, hit "SCAN" then hit [.] 5 2 to start scanning the preset stuff in the DFW area (including GP dispatch channels). While you are listening to the comms, you can study some more on the software so that you can customize the systems to how you want them (for example, putting each one on its own quick key so that you can enable/disable them independently).

 

[coreymcl]

Thanks for the information.

Corey

 

[coreymcl]

I don't know if there is a short answer to this question but besides Miltary comms. what else would the BCD396T not allow me to monitor should I choose too? Also can you tell me more about this 800 MHz band antenna? I don't know where to start asking questions on this piece.

Thanks again for the help!

Corey

 

[hiegtx]

I don't know if there is a short answer to this question but besides Miltary comms. what else would the BCD396T not allow me to monitor should I choose too? Also can you tell me more about this 800 MHz band antenna? I don't know where to start asking questions on this piece.

Thanks again for the help!

Corey

The 396 will monitor mil-air comms just fine. The 330 is a little more sensitive, but the 396 does cover the band.
As for other frequency coverage, what would you "miss" with a 396 that you could hear with a different scanner, like the BT330T? You would not miss anything in the area of public safety and trunked radio systems. They both cover the same bands. What the 330 includes that the 396 does not are some broadcast tv audio coverage (in the Uhf tv band), the AM broadcast band, and bandwidth below what the 396 gets (below 25Mhz), where there are some international broadcasters. This coverage would be much more useful if the 330 would receive SSB signals, which are used extensively in the shortwave bands. It does not get SSB.
Full frequency coverage specs are at the back of the owners manuals for tje 330 & the 396. The 330 is not digital. To get Grand Prairie, your neighboring city Mansfield, and many federal agencies, you need to go digital. That means either the 396 (handheld), or 996 (base/mobile).

The Radio Shack 800 Mhz antenna will improve your reception on the trunked systems using that band. Living in Grand Prairie, you probably will not need it to hear your 'hometown' system. However, it would help reception of more distant system, if they interest you, such as the Fort Worth/Tarrant County TRS, NE Tarrant, Carrolton, etc. Mansfield is, I understand, a weak system, so might help there. Mil-air, and Vhf-high stations such as Tx DPS, Dallas County SO, and other southern cities such as Duncanville & Cedar Hill, probably would come in better on the standard antenna that comes with the 396 than they would with the 800 antenna. My suggestion, if you get a 396, is try the original first, with the systems you want to hear. If all of them come in, save the $17 + tax. Or, get the antenna, and keep it handy for when you're out in the car, farther out from GP, & need the extra range.

 

[coreymcl]

Thanks for the information I will be sending back my 496 and getting the 396 with the antenna you provided the link for. As a Photographer I am looking to take some pictures. Hence the need for the scanner.