BCD436HP/BCD536HP: Is Close Call useless or is my scanner faulty?

[radioroo]

I keep close call on all the time. It has never found anything when out and about, walking, driving, at home, at work, apart from a buzz once. I tested the feature by transmitting on my handheld CB radio and the close call finds the transmission fast. However, this only works when I hold the CB a few feet from the scanner. When I step into the next room or farther it does not work at all. The CB puts out 4 watts. If the 436 can't detect a 4 watt transmission from 10 feet away it is effectively useless. Is my scanner faulty?

Close Call is the feature I was most excited about when buying the scanner as I thought I could detect and automatically tune into nearby transmissions when out and about.

 

[y84media]

Mine picks up an FM radio station. That's it.


Sent from my iPhone, because it rules!

 

[rbm]

Close Call means ...................... really, really close!

From my car with a mag-mount antenna, most hits are no further away than 1/8-1/4 mile.

With the stock rubber duck antenna, you must be even closer. Much closer.

At home, with an outside antenna, I may get 40-50 hits per day.

In addition, unless I lock out the air band ...
Since I'm not far from an airport, during busy times, I'll get 10-20 CC hits per hour on busy days.

Rich

By the way, here's what it sounds like in my den when I get a CC hit on 20+ Uniden scanners at the same time.
Uniden Close Call - CC DND - YouTube

 

[bravo14]

I did a test on close call I got nothing not even a FM or TV station. I know there is a tv station about a mile or mile and half from me. I even try to use gmrs freq (still on close call) went about 1000 yards got nothing.

 

[radchuck03]

The close call feature is intended for only very very limited use. Usually about 1000 feet or less. I'm thinking it was more ideal for let's say you come across a major incident, and you don't have time to look at the frequency but you want to hear the action real time. I used this feature at the San Francisco international Airport, and it worked real well. This time I was using a Uniden 396 XT. The close call function means just that, close call that is meaning close proximity. Despite the very close range limitations, I still like the feature overall. It comes in nice and very handy when you want to listen to virtually anybody using conventional frequencies for whatever reason. Store security is one of my favorites. They use primarily conventional frequencies, and rarely talk except when there's something going on. Major events such his bicycle races, parades etc. make it come in very handy!

 

[radioroo]

1000 feet or less would be great but sadly it's more like 10 feet or less for me. And that is completely useless.

 

[markjrenna]

It does not work. It needs to be reworked to be more useful. 1000 feet is much too close. I would rather it be up to a couple miles. Maybe with distance options.

 

[AZScanner]

Once again I have to do a double take to make sure this scanner really is the same one the rest of you are talking about.

I've used close call lots of times on my 436HP. I will usually turn it on when I'm at a shopping mall or inside Target or Walmart and it's alway found the in-store radios without a problem. I'd use it here at work too but I found out that the security frequencies are all DMR, which this scanner can't decode (yet, I'm sure that's in the works).

I don't get the disconnect. Are you guys telling me I got the ONLY BC436HP that works correctly? I seriously doubt that.

Something folks should consider is the fact that this scanner has all sorts of close call options, including the ability to turn certain bands on or off. Perhaps that's the explanation for some of these problems - I'd check all the CC options first before saying the scanner's broken.

-AZ

 

[vstream02]

Once again I have to do a double take to make sure this scanner really is the same one the rest of you are talking about.

I've used close call lots of times on my 436HP. I will usually turn it on when I'm at a shopping mall or inside Target or Walmart and it's alway found the in-store radios without a problem. I'd use it here at work too but I found out that the security frequencies are all DMR, which this scanner can't decode (yet, I'm sure that's in the works).

I don't get the disconnect. Are you guys telling me I got the ONLY BC436HP that works correctly? I seriously doubt that.

Something folks should consider is the fact that this scanner has all sorts of close call options, including the ability to turn certain bands on or off. Perhaps that's the explanation for some of these problems - I'd check all the CC options first before saying the scanner's broken.

-AZ

Same here...these folks are probably using a stock antenna. I can pick up target CC outside.

 

[phask]

Correct me if I'm wrong - but Close Call does not decode ANY of the digital comms.? Are will it receive a control channel and pass "noise".

If it bypasses digital, in some places there is not a lot CC would get.

I just don't currently use it -

 

[UPMan]

If tone search is off, it will decode P25. Other digital formats will be noise.

There is no way to adjust the range of a Close Call hit. To get a "hit", the signal must be about 15dB above any other signal in the band. If two signals of nearly the same RSSI are present, neither will generate a hit. If you are near FM broadcast towers, you are likely not going to get a hit on the VHF band (it would take quite a signal to be 15 dB above a nearby broadcast source. That said, I also get hits in stores, but have also gotten air-band hits near DFW airport from planes in the air.

In the city, typically the source has to be very close (within a few hundred feet). But, I've gotten hits on repeaters out in rural central Texas from 5-10 miles away.

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

Once again I have to do a double take to make sure this scanner really is the same one the rest of you are talking about.

I've used close call lots of times on my 436HP. I will usually turn it on when I'm at a shopping mall or inside Target or Walmart and it's alway found the in-store radios without a problem. I'd use it here at work too but I found out that the security frequencies are all DMR, which this scanner can't decode (yet, I'm sure that's in the works).

I don't get the disconnect. Are you guys telling me I got the ONLY BC436HP that works correctly? I seriously doubt that.

Something folks should consider is the fact that this scanner has all sorts of close call options, including the ability to turn certain bands on or off. Perhaps that's the explanation for some of these problems - I'd check all the CC options first before saying the scanner's broken.

-AZ

Same here...these folks are probably using a stock antenna. I can pick up target CC outside.

Make that three.

I'm not a huge fan of my 436 (still considering selling it), but the close call feature works perfectly on it.

 

[KB7MIB]

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (BREW; Opera Mini/6.0.3/27.2354; U; en) Presto/2.8.119 320X240 LG VN530)

I've got a GRE PSR-500 and the Signal Stalker (same thing as Uniden's Close Call) has picked up the NWS transmitter from ~23 miles away.
I rarely use it, however, so I don't know what it's really capable of.

 

[UPMan]

Signal stalker actually uses different basic principles to arrive at a similar (but not same) result. We use a patented coherent frequency detection system. Not sure the exact method that they use(d).

 

[SCPD]

After experiencing several issues with my 536 I tried something. Put the 996XT and 536HP in Close call mode, set up virtually the same. Outdoor antenna (In Fact the same antenna on a multi-coupler) the 996XT did much better at decoding CC then the 536HP. I'm about 1/2 mile from the PD transmitter (Repeater Input) The 996XT caught the transmission everytime (10 times) the 536HP caught the transmission 6 out of 10 times.

No Bull UP, And you'd be most welcome to drive up and try this for yourself, Be happy to buy you lunch maybe you could explain some of the other weird things the radio does ...

 

[KevinC]

After experiencing several issues with my 536 I tried something. Put the 996XT and 536HP in Close call mode, set up virtually the same. Outdoor antenna (In Fact the same antenna on a multi-coupler) the 996XT did much better at decoding CC then the 536HP. I'm about 1/2 mile from the PD transmitter (Repeater Input) The 996XT caught the transmission everytime (10 times) the 536HP caught the transmission 6 out of 10 times.

No Bull UP, And you'd be most welcome to drive up and try this for yourself, Be happy to buy you lunch maybe you could explain some of the other weird things the radio does ...

Not doubting what you are seeing, but having the radios " set up virtually the same" is not a valid test. Unless they are setup identically the same something in the setup could be causing the disparity in performance.

 

[awattam]

I had the same issue with Signal Stalker on a Radio Shack scanner and found that the squelch was too high. May not apply here but I just wanted to throw that out there.

 

[AC2OY]

By accident I had it on one night, it locked on a NYC radio station. Sounded crystal clear also. I'm sure as always with me it's operator error...LOL

 

[N7JGN]

If tone search is off, it will decode P25. Other digital formats will be noise.

There is no way to adjust the range of a Close Call hit. To get a "hit", the signal must be about 15dB above any other signal in the band. If two signals of nearly the same RSSI are present, neither will generate a hit. If you are near FM broadcast towers, you are likely not going to get a hit on the VHF band (it would take quite a signal to be 15 dB above a nearby broadcast source. That said, I also get hits in stores, but have also gotten air-band hits near DFW airport from planes in the air.

In the city, typically the source has to be very close (within a few hundred feet). But, I've gotten hits on repeaters out in rural central Texas from 5-10 miles away.

Hi.. I'm having trouble finding the way to turn tone search on and off on the 436... . Please advise..
Thanks in advance.. I love the 436 Now.. 😄
Doug

 

[horizonscanner]

so there is now way we can avoid/skip FM broadcast band from CloseCall feature. I too receive FM stations when close call is active.