MARCS/BCD396T Motorboating

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BigJimbo

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I applied the new firmware updates last week. Since then I am getting a considerable amount of motorboating noise on MARCS. I did not hear much before I did the update.

This is happening in strong reception areas, not fringe areas.

Has anyone had similar issues? And if so, have you been able to fix it/how did you do it?

Thanks,
 

rfburns

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What does the ERR equal? My experience so far is that the higher the ERR the worse the motorboating and the more difficult to understand. Transmitters which are received with an ERR at or close to zero sound very good. Starting somewhere around 35 they start sounding bad and by the time they are up over 60 it is very difficult to understand.
 

jerk

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BigJimbo said:
I applied the new firmware updates last week. Since then I am getting a considerable amount of motorboating noise on MARCS. I did not hear much before I did the update.

This is happening in strong reception areas, not fringe areas.

Has anyone had similar issues? And if so, have you been able to fix it/how did you do it?

Thanks,
Buy a GRE... Seriously.
Right now I am running a different firmware version supplied by Uniden.
A little better, I have reception now, before I didn't on Safe-T in Indiana.But I still have motorboating, it's less but I think it sounds longer than it did before.

Some have changed the hold time settings. Email Upman and let him know.
Personally I think it's time to email Federal Trade Commission as well, the FCC for their type acceptance on the scanner. And if anybody knows a good lawyer, maybe Uniden will admit they have a big problem.

Also, Better Business Bureau in your State and the one in the Uniden headquarters area.
 

BigJimbo

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Most of the time the ERR is ---

I dont get the noise as a transmission is beginning...it seems like the scanner stops, I get a "fuzzy/staticy" motorboat noise for about 1-2 seconds, then it stops and goes back into scan.

I adjusted the P25 wait time to 700 from 500. Maybe that will help. I read some posts on the Uniden forum that indicate that may do it.

Alan, I'm sympathetic to what's happening to many of you in Indiana..... If you have some tips to help, then please post them. I'm not about to throw Upman or Uniden under the bus. Paul has always been here for us and I'm very satisfied with this scanner.

Oh, by the way Alan...read my signature!
 

rfburns

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BigJimbo said:
I adjusted the P25 wait time to 700 from 500. Maybe that will help. I read some posts on the Uniden forum that indicate that may do it
I tried that and it didn't seem to help. Increasing from 400 up to 700 does help with not hearing encrypted P25 transmissions. All three of my GRE models have a lot better sounding audio on the systems where the ERR is above 30 and about the same when the ERR is 0 to 5.
 

jerk

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BigJimbo said:
Most of the time the ERR is ---

I dont get the noise as a transmission is beginning...it seems like the scanner stops, I get a "fuzzy/staticy" motorboat noise for about 1-2 seconds, then it stops and goes back into scan.

I adjusted the P25 wait time to 700 from 500. Maybe that will help. I read some posts on the Uniden forum that indicate that may do it.

Alan, I'm sympathetic to what's happening to many of you in Indiana..... If you have some tips to help, then please post them. I'm not about to throw Upman or Uniden under the bus. Paul has always been here for us and I'm very satisfied with this scanner.

Oh, by the way Alan...read my signature!
All I know is when I travel to Ohio next time I don't hold out much hope for good reception.

I did add something, email Upman. I have a differnt firmware rught now 2.00.06.
Also, Uniden Tech support told me to set system hold time to 3 seconds. That's not acceptable to me. Playing with the P25 wait time, I'm not really sure if that is a solution. All that does really comes down to an individual preference.

And then my opinion, just because someone posts here as an "official" representative of Uniden does not mean we should support them blindly as I feel too many do here on RR. It seems many who support Uniden only want to hear the good and excuse the bad. And the bad should not be posted because of Uniden's presence here on RR. This is the only way to express my opinion, Uniden has my numbers and has not contacted me to listen to my opinions. And any email I get from them are marked confidential and for me and them only.
The tech support was abysmal in my opinion.
 
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Throw a PRO-96 under the train.

newsalan wrote: "...Personally I think it's time to email Federal Trade Commission as well, the FCC for their type acceptance on the scanner...."

I'm ready to do the same with my (GRE) Radio Shack PRO-96 - it is nearly useless on the Lucas County P25 simulcast system. 'Ripping', 'chopping', 'screetching' and 'motorboating ', making it useless for 2 out of every 5 transmissions. Total waste of money, and I bought the radio in anticipation of the digital system - now it's too old to return it to The Shack. I've got HQ cable run to a 800MHz beam on a rotor and I still can't get a 'sweet spot' for the damn radio. Forget about using it as a portable.

MARCS works okay 4 out of 5 transmissions on it though as it isn't multicast digital like the Toledo Lucas County system from hell.
 

jerk

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mmartinfan said:
what firmware update on the 396?
On April 10th Uniden released a new firmware update, actually two, one was to add an elctronic ESN to the BCD396, the other was supposed to cure/solve/eliminate digital decoding problems.

Instead it made things much worse in my neck of the woods.
If your scanner is registered with Uniden you should have received an email notifying you.
 

wa8pyr

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mmartinfan said:
what firmware update on the 396?

The latest one.... 2.00.whatever

I've personally found P25 audio to be somewhat improved on both MARCS Columbus (P25 C4FM simulcast) and Delaware County (CQPSK simulcast). Very little trouble with "going digital" in general.

But it still doesn't hold a candle to the PSR500...
 

jerk

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FPO703 said:
The ESN update is not a firmware update. The firmware provided the changes.
Semantics I guess...
From,
Uniden BCD396T Firmware Revision Notes 2.00.07
Previous Update 1.14.04
-- Add ESN (electronic serial number) and ESN checksum to the scanner

Says it’s a firmware update to me. But what do I know.
 

BigJimbo

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Seems like we are getting off topic. Can we please get back on track?

For the others that have joined the thread, do you have any helpful information to pass along about getting your 396 to eliminate motorboating since you updated your scanner last week?
 

ctpd845

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johnnyelectron said:
MARCS works okay 4 out of 5 transmissions on it though as it isn't multicast digital like the Toledo Lucas County system from hell.

There is nothing wrong with the Lucas County system, it works great. Your issue has been discussed in many threads on these forums. The CQPSK simulcast systems were not made for the cheaper digital processors in the scanners, they were made for the radio users. There is nothing wrong with your pro-96, your just not going to get the results you want.
 
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