How do you assign different screen colors to different QK's (bcd996p2)?

[bobruzzo]

I have my bcd996p2 programmed with various entities such as conventional P25 systems, MILAIR, Coast Guard, Marine, US Navy ELMR system, etc. I'd like to set the COLOR of screen to CYAN for the Military QK's and GREEN for everything else non military. I can't figure out how to do this. It seems to be a global thing, you can only have 1 color for whole radio.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

It's been a while since I've owned a 996 (albeit an XT) & I don't recall if this is achievable by service type. I'm not seeing much info about it in either manual (full or easy to read) but if you edit a channel is there a menu option to "Set Alert"? If so, I think there should be another one to "Set Alert Light" or something similar. I believe this is also achievable per channel via Proscan. At one time I had PD channels set to a cyan LCD and fire to red so I know for a fact this is achievable

 

[bobruzzo]

It's been a while since I've owned a 996 (albeit an XT) & I don't recall if this is achievable by service type. I'm not seeing much info about it in either manual (full or easy to read) but if you edit a channel is there a menu option to "Set Alert"? If so, I think there should be another one to "Set Alert Light" or something similar. I believe this is also achievable per channel via Proscan. At one time I had PD channels set to a cyan LCD and fire to red so I know for a fact this is achievable

Yeah I just read similar thing. Not worth the bother if you have to set every individual channel! I will see if others might offer more ideas before I start playing in settings. I did notice with COLORS, the contrast is awful with most of them...Cyan and green are the only ones I can see clearly. The other colors are way to dark to see the text. But I dont know if you can adjust individual contrast levels either.

 

[N9JIG]

Screen colors are global so you cannot set them on a per-channel or per-service basis.

You can set the ALERT light on a per-channel basis but that is it.

You can set the CONTRAST in the menu system, try different settings there agains the colors to find the right combination.

 

[JimD56]

Screen Colors are set in ProScan on the "Options" tab In Virtual Controller Mode, and you can get a screen to Flash on the Alert setting as Rich said, that's done in programming.
I have one BCD996P2 set screen to Aqua BUT Flashes Red on a certain channel, "Highly Visible" from across my office.
Jim

 

[ProScan]

I have my bcd996p2 programmed with various entities such as conventional P25 systems, MILAIR, Coast Guard, Marine, US Navy ELMR system, etc. I'd like to set the COLOR of screen to CYAN for the Military QK's and GREEN for everything else non military. I can't figure out how to do this. It seems to be a global thing, you can only have 1 color for whole radio.

It's done at the channel level like the 1st image. If you want the ProScan virtual display to show the same color then that's done in the Options->Scanner Specific like the 2nd image. Choose Alert Light. Ignore the Service Types in the 2nd image. It doesn't apply to the P2's

 

[iMONITOR]

Yeah I just read similar thing. Not worth the bother if you have to set every individual channel!

Just set a handful of really important ones! You know, so you can get a heads up when the ATF are at your front door!

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Screen colors are global so you cannot set them on a per-channel or per-service basis.

Not true. As I mentioned above I did this before on my 996(XT) via Proscan. Per-service, no. Per-channel, yes!

 

[iMONITOR]

Not true. As I mentioned above I did this before on my 996(XT) via Proscan. Per-service, no. Per-channel, yes!

I think you're talking about changing colors on ProScan's Remote Control mode on your computer, not on the scanner screen itself.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

I think you're talking about changing colors on ProScan's Remote Control mode on your computer, not on the scanner screen itself.

Incorrect. The LCD color on the physical scanner

 

[bobruzzo]

Screen colors are global so you cannot set them on a per-channel or per-service basis.

You can set the ALERT light on a per-channel basis but that is it.

You can set the CONTRAST in the menu system, try different settings there agains the colors to find the right combination.

OK I do understand colors per channel but the problem is contrast, which you can't adjust per channel. The contrast is terrible with those dark colors. cyan and green are the only ones I can see well. The other colors are so dark you cant see the text.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Maybe adjust it somewhere in the middle (7 or 8?)

 

[JimD56]

See My Color Scheme for 2 BCD996P2's (Black on Aqua) and 1 BCT15x, (Black on Dark Salmon) oh there is an SDS200 creeping there too.
The BCD996P2's Flash Red on the scanner rack NOT on the PC using ProScan.

 

[bobruzzo]

Is it practical to (in future firmware update) have the ability to change TEXT to WHITE? Text is difficult to see clearly when using dark colors. Contrast adjustment doesnt help much.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Is it practical to (in future firmware update) have the ability to change TEXT to WHITE? Text is difficult to see clearly when using dark colors. Contrast adjustment doesnt help much.

This is impossible with a liquid crystal display (LCD) so it can't be implemented with firmware. Background color changing is achieved by a multi-color LED backlight but the text color can only be lightened or darkened. The difference between the 996P2 and the SDS100 is the latter's display is a full color RGB (I believe?)

 

[JimD56]

You can totally do WHITE text with any color and with BLACK, using ProScan and it is quite visible.

 

[bobruzzo]

You can totally do WHITE text with any color and with BLACK, using ProScan and it is quite visible.

OK I misunderstood, I have been using Freescan to program my 996p2....and manual programming. I guess Proscan can dig in the firmware deeper than you can manually to program certain things..

 

[JimD56]

Yup ProScan is totally worth the purchase, go get it.

 

[bobruzzo]

Yup ProScan is totally worth the purchase, go get it.

Got it actually and I now use it instead of Freescan for my bcd996p2. I re programmed all my quick key lists last night and they are saved ready to use if I need them or need to edit them.