BCD436HP/BCD536HP: How to scan everything?

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radioroo

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Hi guys,

How do I set my BCD436HP to scan all possible frequencies? Under Scan Selection, then 'Select Lists to Monitor' I can choose 'Full Database', 'Search With Scan' or my favourites. If I turn on only 'Search with Scan' it scans only a little bit of the spectrum and finds absolutely nothing but a few interference tones. It doesn't even find broadcast radio frequencies unless I press hold on department when it's at Broadcast Radio. My only other options are to monitor the full database (which is just what Uniden gives us) or my favourites. I think I am missing out on all sorts of transmissions. So how do I get the radio to continuously scan all the frequencies it is capable of receiving and actually stop when it finds signals? If I just use Search With Scan and press hold on "Full Search" will that scan everything the radio is capable of finding?

Thanks
 
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rwier

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Hi guys,

How do I set my BCD436HP to scan all possible frequencies? Under Scan Selection, then 'Select Lists to Monitor' I can choose 'Full Database', 'Search With Scan' or my favourites. If I turn on only 'Search with Scan' it scans only a little bit of the spectrum and finds absolutely nothing but a few interference tones. It doesn't even find broadcast radio frequencies unless I press hold on department when it's at Broadcast Radio. My only other options are to monitor the full database (which is just what Uniden gives us) or my favourites. I think I am missing out on all sorts of transmissions. So how do I get the radio to continuously scan all the frequencies it is capable of receiving and actually stop when it finds signals? If I just use Search With Scan and press hold on "Full Search" will that scan everything the radio is capable of finding?

Thanks

Few have tried what you are suggesting. Why? Let me "speculate" without having actual knowledge.

1) A WAG?: Of the multiple thousands (millions?) of radio frequencies that exist, probably 95% or higher are in either use continuously or are in use extremely rarely. Neither option is of interest to the "usual" scanner enthusiast. Your scanner could take hours (or days?) to go through the entire group just one time. So your scanner would either be locked on a constant stream (and need someway to force a resume scan) or sit there completely silent for hours.

I could be completely wrong, of course, lol.

As to how to, others may give instructions.
 

marksmith

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Scanning the entire spectrum the radio is capable of receiving is an incredibly inefficient task, and something the radio was never really designed to do.

It virtually assures you will miss just about everything you might want to hear.

I don't think you really understand the concept of using a scanner from your post.

Even scanning the full database will only scan the appropriate systems and frequencies in use in your specific area. It does not scan the "full database"

I suppose you could set up a search limit between lowest and highest frequencies the radio can receive, but it will take all day to scan it once, and you will spend the whole day skipping over birdie frequencies and other interference.

What exactly are you trying to receive?

I cannot think of any reason someone would even want to try "scanning everything"

536/436/ws1095/996p2/996xt/325p2/396xt/psr800/396t/HP-1/HP-2 & others
 

UPMan

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All the above said, to do what you want:

1) Edit a Custom Search range to include the entire spectrum (25 MHz -- 1300 MHz IIRC). (MENU --> Search for... --> Edit Custom)

2) Turn off all Broadcast screens. (MENU --> Srch/CloCall Opt --> Broadcast Screen)

Search (don't scan) (MENU --> Search for... --> Custom Search)
 

radioroo

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South West Ontario
Scanning the entire spectrum the radio is capable of receiving is an incredibly inefficient task, and something the radio was never really designed to do.

It virtually assures you will miss just about everything you might want to hear.

I don't think you really understand the concept of using a scanner from your post.

Even scanning the full database will only scan the appropriate systems and frequencies in use in your specific area. It does not scan the "full database"

I suppose you could set up a search limit between lowest and highest frequencies the radio can receive, but it will take all day to scan it once, and you will spend the whole day skipping over birdie frequencies and other interference.

What exactly are you trying to receive?

I cannot think of any reason someone would even want to try "scanning everything"

536/436/ws1095/996p2/996xt/325p2/396xt/psr800/396t/HP-1/HP-2 & others

To answer your question and to better explain my reasons, I moved to the 436 after first experiencing the world of scanning with an analogue Bearcat. It didn't have downloadable databases and such, so I found interesting frequencies just by accident and programmed my radio bit by bit as I found things. That was super fin to me. Now, obviously the 436 is a vastly superior machine and capable of digital and analogue reception, but it seems to rely on the downloading of databases and therefore unless someone else has discovered a frequency and added it to the database I'm not going to find it. Using this scanner is not nearly as fun - it feels clinical and pre-determined. I see people in my area on forums like this discuss various frequencies of interest that do not seem to be in my database and I wonder how they found them if not by scanning outside of what was given to them in the database.

Another reason is that I have various tech gadgets around my home that transmit radio frequencies, such as old walkie talkies, a baby monitor, video transmitters, wireless audio equipment, cctv cameras etc. And I want to see if I can find a signal from some of them with my 436. For one example, I own a cheap Chinese baby video and audio monitor (which is actually really good) that I use to keep an eye on my home when I'm in the studio next door, and it did not come with any info regarding frequency of transmission or security. I wanted to see if I could find any kind of signal from it on the scanner in case my privacy is at risk and others could potentially tune into it. This frequency is not going to be included in Uniden's database. And many such products and signals will not be included.

I don't know much about scanners and have probably only put about 50 hours of time into scanning since I got my Bearcat and then quickly upgraded to the 436 about a year ago. I will never be as into this as most of you are - I have other hobbies and don't have the interest in learning the in-depth codes and programming terms that you all talk about. But I like to tune into interesting signals and I always have had an interest in that since my childhood CB days.

I don't hear much that's of interest in my area on this scanner and so I have rarely used it. But today I thought, maybe it would be a lot more interesting if I could find things other than the boring old police, fire and ems that the database offers me. The interesting police are encrypted here so all I get is basically traffic cops talking about traffic incidents. That gets old quickly. Often I can only hear one side of the conversation and so it makes little sense anyway. There must be more interesting signals out there.
 

radioroo

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All the above said, to do what you want:

1) Edit a Custom Search range to include the entire spectrum (25 MHz -- 1300 MHz IIRC). (MENU --> Search for... --> Edit Custom)

2) Turn off all Broadcast screens. (MENU --> Srch/CloCall Opt --> Broadcast Screen)

Search (don't scan) (MENU --> Search for... --> Custom Search)

Thanks, that's what I was looking for. It turns out I had created a custom search called "Full Search" (unless that was there by default) but the upper limit was in the 900s not 1300. So thanks a lot.
 

UPMan

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Also, check out conventional discovery mode. It will automatically record new (as in not in the current database selection) finds.
 

marksmith

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I now better understand your request, and as i indicated (and Upman provided instructions) the limit search, or the discovery option is what you are looking for.

Depends on where you are located, but its pretty hard to find anything of any value for scanning anymore that isn't already in the database in one section or another.

For decades I would do range searches to locate new frequency data, and I still do in specific ranges such as federal, military air, or business frequencies, as these are more subject to finding something that might not be highlighted in the database for a particular user or area.

In general, pretty much the database has it covered unless you are looking for just weird signals.

I would recommend setting a narrower range and letting it sit on discovery or just search if you want to find something though. Searching the entire range means something has to be active at the exact second your search hits it. And it might not have another one second chance for a day.

By setting smaller ranges, you are much more likely to catch that new frequency as it will search over it many times in a short period of time.

Sent from my LG-V410 using Tapatalk
 

KD4UXQ

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Regarding your comment "Using this scanner is not nearly as fun - it feels clinical and pre-determined. "

That is partly true, especially if you rely on the Sentinel program only and do not program the scanner manually. You can program the Favorites lists any way you want using software other than Sentinel. Editing favorites in Sentinel is limited. I evaluated ProScan and Butel, and found Butel to be the easiest to use. But it really took me a few days to get used to either program. You will still need Sentinel to get Full Database and firmware updates. Butel and ProScan is for managing Favorites. If Uniden would improve Sentinel a little bit by making it possible to create Favorites from scratch instead of copying from the Full Database, and be able to import with a paid subscription from RR into a favorites list, there would be no need to get ProScan or Butel. For me personally, I found Butel to be much more intuitive and easier to navigate and understand how things are working than ProScan. But both are good.
 
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jonwienke

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If Uniden would improve Sentinel a little bit by making it possible to create Favorites from scratch instead of copying from the Full Database, and be able to import with a paid subscription from RR into a favorites list, there would be no need to get ProScan or Butel.

You can program a Favorite list from scratch in Sentinel without copying or importing anything from the Main Database. Create a new Favorite List, then right-click on it and select Program Favorite List from the pop-up menu.

And the Sentinel Main Database already has the entire RR database, so there is no reason to implement a paid subscription for something you already get for free. Updating the Main Database is a single button click in Sentinel, no subscription required.
 

KD4UXQ

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You can program a Favorite list from scratch in Sentinel without copying or importing anything from the Main Database. Create a new Favorite List, then right-click on it and select Program Favorite List from the pop-up menu.

And the Sentinel Main Database already has the entire RR database, so there is no reason to implement a paid subscription for something you already get for free. Updating the Main Database is a single button click in Sentinel, no subscription required.

Your are correct of course. I forgot I had figured that out early on. What I did not like that I had forgotten and was why I went to Butel, was the limited editing capabilities. Limited copy and paste options and global changes to columns in each line such as setting MODE and Service type.

If editing capabilities were improved I wouldn't have tried ProScan or Butel.

Thanks
 

UPMan

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Change an entire column:
1. Change one item in the column.
2. Select that item and CTRL-C (copy).
3. Select the entire column and CTRL-V (paste).

Other copy/paste functions work, as well.
 

KD4UXQ

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Change an entire column:
1. Change one item in the column.
2. Select that item and CTRL-C (copy).
3. Select the entire column and CTRL-V (paste).

Other copy/paste functions work, as well.

Now that's a neat trick. Thanks, UPMan.

Sort of like an Excel sheet, just select the first item and use the shift key selecting the bottom item to tag the whole column.
 

marksmith

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Copy/paste and other functions all work fine for me in Sentinel. Have not found anything I cannot do.

Regularly copy and paste whole departments or other stuff especially where I have modified descriptions etc and want to use mine rather than the database.

Pretty much everything you can do in Excel you can do in Sentinel. I have put stuff together, especially things like Unit ID info etc in Excel and paste into Sentinel with no problems.

Have often heard that comment about Sentinel being limited, but it does anything I can think of once you learn it.

536/436/ws1095/996p2/996xt/325p2/396xt/psr800/396t/HP-1/HP-2 & others
 

KD4UXQ

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Copy/paste and other functions all work fine for me in Sentinel. Have not found anything I cannot do.

Regularly copy and paste whole departments or other stuff especially where I have modified descriptions etc and want to use mine rather than the database.

Pretty much everything you can do in Excel you can do in Sentinel. I have put stuff together, especially things like Unit ID info etc in Excel and paste into Sentinel with no problems.

Have often heard that comment about Sentinel being limited, but it does anything I can think of once you learn it.

536/436/ws1095/996p2/996xt/325p2/396xt/psr800/396t/HP-1/HP-2 & others

Now that I see I can do editing functions similar to Excel, I have found other things I could not do before. You do have to stick with it longer than I did to figure out some things. The features are there once you realize you need to treat it like Excel, but not very intuitive at first. I just now also figured out I needed to highlight a system to add and remove departments after you said you were copy and pasting departments.

Thanks for the tip.
 

KD4UXQ

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Can you copy and paste a trunk site to another system? I can't seem to figure that one out.
 

marksmith

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Now that I see I can do editing functions similar to Excel, I have found other things I could not do before. You do have to stick with it longer than I did to figure out some things. The features are there once you realize you need to treat it like Excel, but not very intuitive at first. I just now also figured out I needed to highlight a system to add and remove departments after you said you were copy and pasting departments.

Thanks for the tip.
To create a new department, you need to highlight the system. Then you can + in s new department.

If you have 50 channels copied from somewhere else in Sentinel, or from Excell or other windows list, you just need to click on the department, click the + to create 1 empty record, click on it, and paste. All 50 records will be added.

Same with 5000 UID records copied from Excel. One paste and they all populate.

Sentinel has tons of editing capabilities people just don't know are there.

Copy one service type, highlight oma range or control-click specific ones, and paste to modify in groups. You can also control - click or shift highlight a,range to do other things, including record (line) delete.

You will find if you know Excel, you know about using Sentinel.

536/436/ws1095/996p2/996xt/325p2/396xt/psr800/396t/HP-1/HP-2 & others
 

rwier

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...... Have often heard that comment about Sentinel being limited, but it does anything I can think of once you learn it ...

I especially like the .hpe system allowing the transfer of existing programming to a different Uniden scanner. That also facilitates helping RR members (with Uniden scanners) who get stumped in far away places.
 

KD4UXQ

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What about copying a trunk site from one system to another. I am still not figuring that out.

Thanks
 
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