Need Help with Uniden BCD396XT

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mudpuppy69

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Joined
Jan 4, 2010
Messages
2
Location
Battle Creek mi
I am in need of some serious help with my scanner. It just arrived in the mail today. Been tryin to program it all day... with no success! I tried manually inputting the frequencies, but apparently I am doing something wrong. I live in battle creek MI. I am tryin to get the channels for the city police dispatch, fire, EMS. I read that my city maybe encrypted or something like that.... I really dont know. Can someone please tell me what I am doing wrong and help me set this thing up before I punt it out my window!


Joe
 

frankcastle

Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2008
Messages
156
Location
Marshall County Indiana
I am in need of some serious help with my scanner. It just arrived in the mail today. Been tryin to program it all day... with no success! I tried manually inputting the frequencies, but apparently I am doing something wrong. I live in battle creek MI. I am tryin to get the channels for the city police dispatch, fire, EMS. I read that my city maybe encrypted or something like that.... I really dont know. Can someone please tell me what I am doing wrong and help me set this thing up before I punt it out my window!


Joe

It appears that most of the Law Enforcement talk groups are encrypted, meaning that you will not be able to monitor them. Fire and EMS are not encrypted, so listen away. First you'll want to download and install Freescan. It is a free program that uses your computer to program the scanner. If you decide to punt it out the window, let me know first so that I can be outside waiting to catch it! LOL
 

Gator596

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Premium Subscriber
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Sep 4, 2009
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482
Location
Niagara Region - Canada
Hang in there! As has been mentioned elsewhere on these forums - the learning curve for DMA scanners like the one you have is STEEP. I was in the same position as you when I got mine but I stuck with it and am now getting fairly good at using it. Frankcastle is right - download Freescan! Another thing that kept me from throwing my 396 out the window when I first got it was to listen to the Service Search bands that come loaded from the factory. Here is how you get to them; Press menu, scroll down to Search for... hit the "E/yes" button, if the "Service Search" is hi-lighted, hit the "E/yes" button again and then scroll through the different bands (Air, CB, Mil Air, News, FRS, Public Safety, etc.) press the "E/yes" button again and you will be scanning! (actually, you will be SEARCHING).
Using the service search let me listen in on some good stuff during the time I was not learning to program the 396 with Freescan.
 

mudpuppy69

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2010
Messages
2
Location
Battle Creek mi
Thank you to all that responded to my post! The bad part is that I will be sending it back to scan masters for a refund. I really only wanted it to listen to the police in my area. I went to my local radio shack prior to buyin this scanner.They informed me that all I needed was a digital trunking scanner. Apparently they were not aware that all the police bands are encrypted!
 

Gator596

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Premium Subscriber
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Sep 4, 2009
Messages
482
Location
Niagara Region - Canada
Wait! Read this before getting a refund!

Sorry to hear you are taking your scanner back. Before you do, keep in mind that you can possibly still get a lot of information on what the police in your area are doing by monitoring OTHER emergency and NON emergency radio users. Fire departments, EMS, taxis, transit busses, etc are often sources of excellent intel when something is going on. Just because you cannot monitor the police directly, you can still get some excellent clues from other radio sources. Food for thought!
 

sparker1962

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Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 6, 2009
Messages
95
Location
San Diego, CA
It looks like only the homeland security and narco frequencies are encrypted. That is kind of expected. There are some local police frequencies in Calhoun County that are not encrypted.

Keep your scanner!
 

troymail

Silent Key
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
9,981
Location
Supply (Lockwood Inlet area), NC
Thank you to all that responded to my post! The bad part is that I will be sending it back to scan masters for a refund. I really only wanted it to listen to the police in my area. I went to my local radio shack prior to buyin this scanner.They informed me that all I needed was a digital trunking scanner. Apparently they were not aware that all the police bands are encrypted!

RS stikes again!
 
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