hold time

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67pontiac

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BCD536HP scanner ..... interupts transmission to scan... I need it to hold on the channel until they are done talking at least!
 

K4EET

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Just to clarify, are you saying (1) the Uniden BCD536HP resumes scanning while somebody is talking (e.g. they are in the middle of a sentence...) or (2) the Uniden BCD536HP resumes scanning when one party stops talking but the other party has not yet replied? Which scenario (1) or (2) are you referring to as they are caused by different conditions? Also, when you say "I need it to hold on the channel until they are done talking at least!" are you wanting the scanner to remain on the channel/talkgroup indefinitely until the parties are completely done with their conversation?

In addition to the above, so that we can give realistic answer(s) to your issue, what are you monitoring? Is it Police and Fire/EMS services, aircraft, railroads, etc.? Each of them would have their "typical" exchanges and that would give us a better understanding still at just what all you want to hear. A "typical" exchange may be just one back and forth while another "typical" exchange may go back and forth 3 or more times.

Finally, the answer just might be to increase the "Hold" time from 2 seconds (the usual default) to perhaps 5 seconds or more. Then, if the exchange is something that you want to hear in its entirety, you may have to resort to pressing the "Hold/Resume" button to stop the scan on that channel/talkgroup.

Let us know if what I said is anything near what you are looking for so far. Also, be sure to answer the initial questions too. Thanks!

Cheers! Dave
 

hiegtx

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BCD536HP scanner ..... interupts transmission to scan... I need it to hold on the channel until they are done talking at least!
If you are hearing an interruption in listening, check to see if you have any of the following items enabled:
Priority
Weather Priority
Close Call

Any of those three can cause a break in the transmission you're hearing.
 

67pontiac

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Thanks,,, now I can't get Parkston SD FD or PD anymore. I also don't hear the tone tests at 6 pm everyday... I seem to hear everything else from Mitchell though.. Mitchell dispatches for a couple smaller towns including Parkston.. any ideas?
 

tvengr

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Another thing to check is if you have a negative scan delay time. That will cause it to start receiving a transmission and then resume scanning after a fixed period of time whether the transmission is finished or not.
 
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trentbob

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Original poster... Are you referring to delay on a channel? Or... Are you asking about system hold time. Two entirely different things.
 

67pontiac

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I got that issue resolved, thanks everyone... Now I can't seem to get anything from Parkston, SD. I am using Sentinel and not liking it... anyone use other programs?
 

hiegtx

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I got that issue resolved, thanks everyone... Now I can't seem to get anything from Parkston, SD. I am using Sentinel and not liking it... anyone use other programs?
You have to use Sentinel for database and firmware updates. However, you do have choices for programming. Try ProScan. It has a 30-day free trial period before you either have to discontinue use, or purchase a license to continue usage. ProScan can program your 536HP scanner, as well as a number of other Uniden models. You also can use database import with ProScan if you'd rather do that than append and edit systems from the main database in Sentinel. ProScan's cost is $50.00, and besides programming, also includes virtual control, logging, and recording for the scanners it supports.

There is also ARC536 from Butel. The Basic version includes programming, cost of $39.95, but to get all of it's features, the Pro Version costs $69.95. ProScan has all features in the $50.00 cost. ARC536 also has a free trial period, so you can try either, or both ARC536 and ProScan before you have to decide which you may want to purchase. I prefer ProScan, but there are a number of members here on RadioReference that prefer the Butel software.

Were you previously getting Parkston, but now you are not> Did you change parts of your program file, possibly avoiding something in error? You may want to export your Favorites list, if you are using one, and attach it to a post. That way, someone else can take a look for something that needs to be added or modified.
 

ofd8001

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I agree there are other programs to use, but they all have degrees of difficulty. Modern scanners are pretty complex devices because radio systems have gotten more complex. So programming them is challenging - at first. Of course that's true for any kind of software I suppose.

As far as receiving your system: Are you close enough to receive it? Is is programmed properly? Do you have the correct Service Types selected? Are you using Location Control and are the settings correct?

There are other things that might be the issue. Check this page out for possible reasons: X36 "Nothing to Scan" Checklist

While you aren't in that "Nothing to Scan" situation, these items are still pertinent.
 

67pontiac

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Dimock, SD
I am almost certain that when I first got this scanner about 4 years ago I programmed it directly off of Radio Reference.. When I decided to update the data base about 3 days ago RR directed me to Sentinel.. I have time so I have spent LOTS of it trying to get the bugs out.. I am to the point I think it may have something to do with the tone outs. In my area Mitchell dispatches to several other smaller towns including mine Parkston, which is in a different county, these are all conventional. They do 6 pm tone tests every day so I used the Fire Tone Out Standby and that didn't work.. however I also don't get the Parkston PD anymore either and it doesn't have a tone. So I added a bunch of digital TGID channels from the State Radio list but I don't think they are being scanned. They are digital by default and I tried it with analog also, no difference. By now I am totally confused LOL... I should have printed out the original favorite list before I lost it... So now I am getting HP's out of Mitchell and Mitchell city PD, Davison County Sheriff but nothing from Parkston. These tone outs should down load with the channel in my opinion.
 

67pontiac

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Okay Im feeling old now lol ... I go to file, hit export to... desktop? document? It won't load on here is says file not supported.. hpe file..
 

hiegtx

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Okay Im feeling old now lol ... I go to file, hit export to... desktop? document? It won't load on here is says file not supported.. hpe file..
Export to somewhere you can find it, whether that is the desktop or a folder on your hard drive. I use a folder I created in my Favorites labeled Radio Related.

Regardless of where you save it, an *.pe file cannot be attached to a post in the forum without a little tweak.
You can <RIGHT><CLICK> on the file, then on the menu that pops up, select Send to, then from the choices that pop up, select "Compressed (zipped) folder". If your file was originally named "MyFile.hpe", you will see a file now named "MyFile.zip". That file can be attached to a post and uploaded.

You can also simply change the name before uploading. If the original fike (again) is "MyFile.hpe", rename it to either "MyFile.txt" or "MyFile.hpe.txt". Files with the (last) extension of zip or txt can be attached to a post. Whoever downloads the file then can simply unzip the compressed file, or change the name back to an *.hpe extension.
 

tvengr

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Are you monitoring Parkston from the conventional frequencies or from the statewide system? Are you able to receive Davison Co on the statewide system. I see that there is no site for Hutchinson Co. What is your closest site?
 

67pontiac

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Mitchell SD still uses conventional frequencies. Mitchell has a site but I don't know if its scanning..... Its on the State Radio system and QK is 9.
 

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67pontiac

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I just realized I did a tone out search for the receiving channel instead of the dispatch channel which would be 154.4000. I'll try again at 6 pm tone test..Thanks for all your help!! Im getting too old to learn all these new things! lol
 

ofd8001

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Rather than doing a tone out search, I'd suggest you monitor the channel for activity. Sometimes its best to turn the record feature on and let it go for a a while. That way you will see if there is any activity. The will confirm you are actually receiving traffic from the channel.

Once you are receiving, then you can move on to "advanced topics" such as tone search. That's where the scanner will determine the frequencies of tones used to activate fire paging. The term "frequency" depends on context. You have the radio frequency on which the transmissions occur and then you have the frequency of the tones that are being used for alerting purposes.

Once you've determined/confirmed the radio frequency, and the alert tone frequency, you can program the fire tone out feature. Bear in mind when the scanner is in Fire Tone Out operation, channels are not scanned. Rather the scanner is acting like a fire pager - laying dormant until the right tone combination happens, then the audio opens up and you can hear voice on the radio channel. (You won't hear voice from other radio channels).

Everything else "looks" like it is fine. So I'm at a loss figuring out why you don't receive other stuff, unless you are trying to receive other stuff in tone out search or tone out standby (which won't happen).
 

tvengr

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I just realized I did a tone out search for the receiving channel instead of the dispatch channel which would be 154.4000. I'll try again at 6 pm tone test..Thanks for all your help!! Im getting too old to learn all these new things! lol

Please check your PM.
 

hiegtx

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Also the State Radio channels came from RR set as Digital audio but could they be analog?
The State system is Motorola Type II, capable of digital as well as analog talkgroups. All of the TGIDs in the database are shown as digital (noted by the D in the Mode column). If there are also any analog talkgroups, no one has identified and submitted them.

Also, looking at Hutchinson County, I see that the Parkston Ambulance has a service type of Public Works. If being used strictly for ambulance comms, that tag should be EMS (dispatch, Tac, or Talk, depending on how it's used. However, the license listed expired in 2014, and there is no current licensee shown in the county for that frequency (155.220).
 

67pontiac

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Dimock, SD
Interesting.. know the ambulance also uses Mitchell dispatch so that may be why it isn't working. Parkston uses the PD channel for public works too so they are all a mess lol.. What prompted me to invest in a new scanner was my old Realistic 20 channel direct entry stopped receiving.. I can't remember why that was but the frequencies for Parkston used to be 39.200 in that range. Probably about the time they stopped using the Ambulance channel. .. I beleive the PD in Parkston has an analog and a digital because the dispatch is always trying both to get a hold of them. The hand held and one in the car must be different. So when my scanner goes off I will quickly save the tones and listen to see who they are from and move to the next one. So when I name and assign the tone out frequencies in the tone out list, they will then show up on the scanner when they go off on the dispatch channel? I used to find those annoying but now I miss them! When I bought this scanner, like I say I used radio reference directly and programmed it once, turned it on and its been running non stop ever since. The light is getting dim so I turned in down but otherwise not one problem.... til now
 
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