Need Help Programming Uniden BCD396XT

[AChupp2]

I need some help manually programming my Uniden BCD396XT.

Let me start by saying I have spent hours and hours reading about all things regarding scanners and how to program them. I have read and re-read every article I can find on this site including the Easier to Read Manual. Therefore I feel like I have a pretty solid grasp on what is going on all things considered. This is my first scanner and I just received it today so by no means do I know everything but I have done a lot of research before receiving it to get a jump on what is going on.

I know that programming through a software program is preferable and easier and that will be my preferred method as well but my USB cable won't be here for a few days. I still want to know how to program the scanner manually as well just in case.

I am trying to program basically everything in the RR database for St. Joseph County, IN into the scanner.

St. Joseph County, Indiana (IN) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

I was able to get the Mishawaka Public Safety Project 25 Phase I system programmed and working but I am having trouble getting a system such as the South Bend Police programmed correctly.

I am comfortable with the keystrokes and such. I just don't know what items to enter into some of the fields on the scanner.

I am just going to touch on the more key items that need programmed but if there is anything else that needs entered, programmed or changed please point it out.

What do I need to enter in the following fields?

System Type should be Motorola, correct?

Do I need to set an End Code?

ID format, Decimal or Hex?

Audio AGC?

Band Plan?

What frequencies to I enter while setting up the site?

What do I need to enter or set under group?


I think the reason I was able to program the Mishawaka Public Safety correctly is that I understood the concept of a trunked system well enough to see what settings and information needed to be entered. With the information provided in the RR database I am unclear in what information it is giving me about the South Bend Police for instance.

Is it a digital system? Is it a trunked system?

Because I don't know the answer to the previous questions I feel like I don't know what needs to be entered into the system, site and group menus in the scanner.

Hopefully I have provided sufficient information to allow you to help me and have been clear enough in what I need in order for you to help me program these items manually.

Thanks for any and all help you can provide.

 

[captclint]

Since you haven't gotten any replies, some more info is in order. South Bend Police are on Indiana Project Hoosier SAFE-T Trunking System but you may be looking at the conventional frequencies. If so, then create a conventional system, add the frequencies to a group. No other para's need.

If you are trying to program Indiana Project Hoosier SAFE-T , then I believe it should be Moto. It has both digtal and analog (System Voice: Analog and APCO-25), so I think the end code should be set to analog and digital, but I am not sure. Try Ignore 1st. TGID should be decimal, band plan not needed (I believe it is usually only for VHF & UHF systems). As for the frequencies, pick the site closest to you, create a site under the system, and enter the red and blue freq. and set site to Control channel only. As for the TGID's, go to your region, and enter the ones you want.
I am not an expert in this system so I am only trying to get the ball rolling with somene who does.

 

[number40Fan]

I would just wait for the cable if you are new to this. Makes it so much easier when using Freescan to program the 396xt. It took me a few tries with the program to get everything set up the way that I wanted to have my 396xt. After I had it going using the program, I was able to see how everything was supposed to be entered into the scanner. So a few weeks later when I purchased a 396t for my FIL, I was able to input most everything I wanted by hand (didn't have my cable with me at the time) and it went smoothly.

 

[AChupp2]

Thanks for the help so far. The first response with more insight into the Hoosier SAFE-T system really helped me wrap my head around what that system is all about. With the database page I was looking at, I wasn't sure what was going on. Once I went to the database page that was linked to the full Hoosier SAFE-T system it opened my eyes as to what was going on.

I received my cable Friday and programmed it using the cable and have a few things programmed at this point just to get started. I got a subscription to RR so I could just import the data straight into FreeSCAN. I will be programming more stuff into the scanner soon but wanted to start out slow before overwhelming myself early into this process. I am sure I will be able to look at the imported data and learn a lot more about how to program the scanner manually by understanding what items need entered where.

I still need to learn more about "fine-tuning" items to help maximize the scanner's ability but that will come in time.

I am not sure how many people will be reading this thread at this point as it didn't really get much response but can anyone help me understand squelch and how to set it and what it is doing?

 

[ab8sn]

Squelch Control

Thanks for the help so far. The first response with more insight into the Hoosier SAFE-T system really helped me wrap my head around what that system is all about. With the database page I was looking at, I wasn't sure what was going on. Once I went to the database page that was linked to the full Hoosier SAFE-T system it opened my eyes as to what was going on.

I received my cable Friday and programmed it using the cable and have a few things programmed at this point just to get started. I got a subscription to RR so I could just import the data straight into FreeSCAN. I will be programming more stuff into the scanner soon but wanted to start out slow before overwhelming myself early into this process. I am sure I will be able to look at the imported data and learn a lot more about how to program the scanner manually by understanding what items need entered where.

I still need to learn more about "fine-tuning" items to help maximize the scanner's ability but that will come in time.

I am not sure how many people will be reading this thread at this point as it didn't really get much response but can anyone help me understand squelch and how to set it and what it is doing?

The squelch keeps the radio/scanner quiet until a signal is received then it opens to allow it to be heard. You want to set this control just a little past the point where the white niose stops in order to hear some weaker signals. The higher it is set the stronger the signal needed to allow it to be heard.

73s hope this helps

Chad

 

[number40Fan]

Start around 2. Seems to work best for me.

1 will make mine hang on a site too long if there is a slight signal and 3 and up seems not to catch enough.

 

[scannerizer]

I need some help manually programming my Uniden BCD396XT.

Let me start by saying I have spent hours and hours reading about all things regarding scanners and how to program them. I have read and re-read every article I can find on this site including the Easier to Read Manual. Therefore I feel like I have a pretty solid grasp on what is going on all things considered. This is my first scanner and I just received it today so by no means do I know everything but I have done a lot of research before receiving it to get a jump on what is going on.

I know that programming through a software program is preferable and easier and that will be my preferred method as well but my USB cable won't be here for a few days. I still want to know how to program the scanner manually as well just in case.

I am trying to program basically everything in the RR database for St. Joseph County, IN into the scanner.

St. Joseph County, Indiana (IN) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

I was able to get the Mishawaka Public Safety Project 25 Phase I system programmed and working but I am having trouble getting a system such as the South Bend Police programmed correctly.

I am comfortable with the keystrokes and such. I just don't know what items to enter into some of the fields on the scanner.

I am just going to touch on the more key items that need programmed but if there is anything else that needs entered, programmed or changed please point it out.

What do I need to enter in the following fields?

System Type should be Motorola, correct?

Do I need to set an End Code?

ID format, Decimal or Hex?

Audio AGC?

Band Plan?

What frequencies to I enter while setting up the site?

What do I need to enter or set under group?


I think the reason I was able to program the Mishawaka Public Safety correctly is that I understood the concept of a trunked system well enough to see what settings and information needed to be entered. With the information provided in the RR database I am unclear in what information it is giving me about the South Bend Police for instance.

Is it a digital system? Is it a trunked system?

Because I don't know the answer to the previous questions I feel like I don't know what needs to be entered into the system, site and group menus in the scanner.

Hopefully I have provided sufficient information to allow you to help me and have been clear enough in what I need in order for you to help me program these items manually.

Thanks for any and all help you can provide.

OK. I'm not in Indiana, BUT I can help you by telling you a word about Motorola systems.

The system in question is a trunked radio system. You DO want to use Motorola as the system type. Take heed of teh system voice line. For this one, it clearly states "Analog and APCO-25 Common Air Interface." Whenever you see this, know it's a Motorola system. If it were Proejct 25 strictly (not a single analogue talkgroup), you'd set it for P25.

End Code basically dictates the scanner what to do when someone stops talking. If off, the scanner will stay in the transmission until the carrier (that humming noise you hear while the user is transmitting) finally stops. The ID format is totally your choice but IMHO, DEC is a lot easier to deal with for you just need to punch in the numbers of the appropriate TGID.

Audio AGC? Don't know much about. The way I see it is you can use it to enhance the audio quality of analogue and digital transmissions. I'll let someone else explain this one.

Band Plan you normally don't have to use it for 800MHz systems like the SAFE-T system. However, upon examing the link you provided, it seems that the sites may have gone trhough rebanding (basically shifting of frequencies down 15KHz). In that case, you need this plan:

Band Plan 1
Lower Base: 851.025
Upper Base 854.0
Offset: 440 Positive Polarity
Spacing: 25 KHz

Band Plan 2
Lower Base 851.0125
Upper Base 868.9875
Offset 0 Positive Polarity
Spacing: 25KHz

For the frequencies, create sites that are St. Joseph County related (the frequency table in the SAFE-T link makes that clear) and type the control channels (you know they're such because they are red and blue frequencies). Before entering them however, click the site and scroll to see if it's undergone rebanding. If it has, then you'll have to set the band plans above. Select Custom.

The Groups are where the channels (TGIDs) are entered. How you would like to utilise the groups is totally up to you. I suggest making one group per agency. So you could have the sheriff in one group, fire in another, etc...

Hopefully, I was able to help you. I have a 396XT so let me know if you have further questions.

 

[AChupp2]

Thanks for the last few responses. I have been using the scanner the past few days but haven't really been on here to post. I am getting the hang of things to get going but haven't taken much time to keep reading and fine-tuning like I want to due to watching football.

I used FreeSCAN just to program a few things in the county to try and learn before I get too carried away and that has really helped. Using FreeSCAN has really helped me understand the initial part of programming the scanner.

I will keep reading and learning and if I have any more questions I will ask as needed.

 

[teufler]

your file

frequency file for your area.