new guy needs advice...new to scanners

[ruger22com]

Howdy!
I just bought a new uniden BC346XT handheld scanner. (it seems stae of the art)
WOW....I have not even turned on a scanner in 20 years, and just assumed you could hit a button and get all the police reports. wrong assumption huh?
My ham radio buddies explained the trunk tracking stuff (basics anyway) and I have downloaded a list of mobile alabama freqs and system types.
I have been playing with it and figured out a lot of stuff, but still have problems in what is scanned (like all the commercial radio freqs) when all I want is the cop stuff.
so maybe you can help with these basic questions (Warning, I spent 20 years in commercial radio broadcasting, so I am familiar to RF stuff..but not scanner freq stuff at all)
1) Is there a simple way to reset the unit to the original factory settings? (to fix what I have screwed up)
2) is there an easy way to make it where it ONLY search's police freqs (Mobile Alabama), as I now get FM radio stations every other search.
3) what software can be hooked up (and how) to import city police settings for 3 or 4 mediam large towns.
4) is there a website or primer anywhere that is kind of like a dummies guide to scanners specific to the BC346xt.
Thanks for any help!!!!!!!
If you need any help with firearms, I run my own forum at Sign In
-Bob

 

[whiskeytango]

re: djd

1) Is there a simple way to reset the unit to the original factory settings? (to fix what I have screwed up)

yea, if you look in the manual theres a reset procedure, i dont know it specifically.

2) is there an easy way to make it where it ONLY search's police freqs (Mobile Alabama), as I now get FM radio stations every other search.

Mobile County, Alabama (AL) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference these are your non trunked freq's, i would program them into a bank separate than your trunked for now...

this is your local trunked system.... Mobile County Trunking System, Mobile, Alabama - Scanner Frequencies

pick a tower that is closest to you for the main bank, with edacs youll have to separate each "bank" per tower, because they only work in logical channel order...numerically. i would check the wiki page for a lot of basic info on trunking/edacs/etc.

3) what software can be hooked up (and how) to import city police settings for 3 or 4 mediam large towns.

not sure here, there are programs but i dont know specifically what they are. i programmed my own scanner and it was the best part...once you figure it out


4) is there a website or primer anywhere that is kind of like a dummies guide to scanners specific to the BC346xt.


check the wiki page on radioreference

 

[whiskeytango]

and welcome back to scanning =)

 

[ka3jjz]

Let's take this one at a time..

1. Most Uniden scanners use the same key combo to clear memory - 2,9,hold are all pressed while turning power on. This is important - when the scanner asks you if you want to reload memory, say NO

2. Before we even talk about how to hear something specific, a basic understanding of trunking is necessary. WT has given you the database entry for the Mobile area (it's linked in blue - as are any other text you see in blue...); it shows that Mobile and Mobile county are both using trunked systems. You can start by reading this article...

Trunking Basics - The RadioReference Wiki

3. The 346XT is supported by FreeScan, which as the name implies, is freeware. We host the user manual for this software in our wiki here.

There is an additional complication, however. Modern PCs don't come with serial ports anymore, so you need a USB-Serial converter. Uniden sells their USB-1; however you will also need drivers so Windows will assign a COM port to use. You can get both from Scanner Master - and if you find you need up to date drivers, I understand the FreeScan website has them in their download area.

4. To read up on the 346XT, the Uniden TWiki site is where I'd begin (no one as far as I know has written an easier to read manual for it- yet...)

BC346XT < UnidenMan4 < TWiki

That's enough for now. There's lots more to absorb than the answers might suggest, so let's do this in chunks. When you get this under your belt, c'mon back and ask more questions. I can guarantee you will have them.

73 Mike