Official BCD396T Discussion Thread (Post-release)

[bwigg]

BC396 measured current draw.

I measured the current draw last night on my BC396.

Here is what I found:

MOT trunking FM mode in squelched condition with no backlight - 150 ma
As above with backlight on-220 ma
As above holding on control channel with full volume-300ma
Average speech with half volume kicked the current up to about 160 to 170 ma with no backlight. It may have been more on average speech, but the lag in my mechanical meter movement prevented me from seeing the istantaneous current value.

Program mode showed no difference in current consumption even when writing to memory.

It looks like 8 to 10 hours should be the average battery life.

 

[whooey]

I noticed something pretty neat. I'm waiting for a tone out for a station here in town. To make sure it works, I have my PRO2006 on the analog dispatch channel. This way if I hear the station dispatch I'll know if I missed the tone out.

When ever the squelch breaks on the dispatch channel, the signal bar on the 396 tone out screen goes to full, after the transmission on my 2006 the signal bar goes back to no bars.

I thought that was cool, it shows me that the scanner is monitoring the channel.

Thought I would share.

Brandon G.

 

[1080iAddict]

I noticed something pretty neat. I'm waiting for a tone out for a station here in town. To make sure it works, I have my PRO2006 on the analog dispatch channel. This way if I hear the station dispatch I'll know if I missed the tone out.

When ever the squelch breaks on the dispatch channel, the signal bar on the 396 tone out screen goes to full, after the transmission on my 2006 the signal bar goes back to no bars.

I thought that was cool, it shows me that the scanner is monitoring the channel.

Thought I would share.

Brandon G.

I'll show you somthing more neat. Hit the 'hold' button while in tone out mode and you can monitor the channel while it is waiting for a tone out and it will still alert while you monitor the channel.

 

[whsbuss]

I noticed something pretty neat. I'm waiting for a tone out for a station here in town. To make sure it works, I have my PRO2006 on the analog dispatch channel. This way if I hear the station dispatch I'll know if I missed the tone out.

When ever the squelch breaks on the dispatch channel, the signal bar on the 396 tone out screen goes to full, after the transmission on my 2006 the signal bar goes back to no bars.

I thought that was cool, it shows me that the scanner is monitoring the channel.

Thought I would share.

Brandon G.

I'll show you somthing more neat. Hit the 'hold' button while in tone out mode and you can monitor the channel while it is waiting for a tone out and it will still alert while you monitor the channel.

So when its displays Tone Out Detect, it is closed until it receives the tones? And monitors the freq when it displays Tone Out Monitor?

 

[1080iAddict]

I noticed something pretty neat. I'm waiting for a tone out for a station here in town. To make sure it works, I have my PRO2006 on the analog dispatch channel. This way if I hear the station dispatch I'll know if I missed the tone out.

When ever the squelch breaks on the dispatch channel, the signal bar on the 396 tone out screen goes to full, after the transmission on my 2006 the signal bar goes back to no bars.

I thought that was cool, it shows me that the scanner is monitoring the channel.

Thought I would share.

Brandon G.

I'll show you somthing more neat. Hit the 'hold' button while in tone out mode and you can monitor the channel while it is waiting for a tone out and it will still alert while you monitor the channel.

So when its displays Tone Out Detect, it is closed until it receives the tones? And monitors the freq when it displays Tone Out Monitor?

Yep. Of course, now that I ScanRec'd the tones and decoded them, and programmed them into the 396, my test station gets no runs so I do not know if tone-out will even work!!!!!

 

[jdanon]

Well if you've got the tones recorded somewhere or can generate them, just play them through a low power portable in your basement or something and see if it opens your pager/scanner.

 

[chris24]

Does anyone know if it's possible to just display the group name on the top line when the scanner stops on a channel? Currently it alternates between group name and system name.

 

[troymail]

Printed vs. online BC396 manual

It appears that the online version of the 396 user manual (uniden.com)
is different than the printed manual that came with the radio...

Anyone have any idea why? Hopefully, the online version is suggesting
that some modifications to the radio software have already been made
and will be available soon....

Any ideas?

(Hopefully, one of the things that will get fixed is the fire tone out
capability... the online version of the user manual mentions using
only tone A or tone B for single tone alerting systems (i.e. set the
other tone to ZERO).... but the radio doesn't let you do that either...

 

[mikewazowski]

I don't understand how Uniden has this setup. Or, maybe I don't understand how to tell whether a system is true P25?

One good rule of thumb which might help:

If it has analog talkgroups, program it in as a regular Motorola system.

The newer systems with the P25 control channel (9600bps) do not support analog voice.

If it only has digital talkgroups, then it could be either Motorola or P25.

 

[1080iAddict]

The 396 must be generating TONS of world wide interest because ever since it was released, Uniden's web site has been sloooooooooow. :shock:

 

[kikito]

The 396 must be generating TONS of world wide interest because ever since it was released, Uniden's web site has been sloooooooooow. :shock:

:lol: Nah, I think the biggest factor is all of us hitting Refresh on the browser every 5 minutes to see if the software has been posted!!!! :lol:

 

[troymail]

The 396 must be generating TONS of world wide interest because ever since it was released, Uniden's web site has been sloooooooooow. :shock:

:lol: Nah, I think the biggest factor is all of us hitting Refresh on the browser every 5 minutes to see if the software has been posted!!!! :lol:

Exactly....

 

[rdale]

" but the radio doesn't let you do that either"

Mentioned many times already - the first firmware update will implement that.

 

[troymail]

" but the radio doesn't let you do that either"

Mentioned many times already - the first firmware update will implement that.

I find it interesting that the "updated manual" is online but the software is not....

 

[rdale]

Much easier to tweak a PDF file than package up new software...

 

[John_M]

Butel's ARC396 software isn't due out until July/August. The BCD396T is not hard to program without software but it is a pain in the ars.

 

[Voyager]

Well if you've got the tones recorded somewhere or can generate them, just play them through a low power portable in your basement or something and see if it opens your pager/scanner.

And that of anyone in your area, and the siren, too if you're close enough to the station and they use the same tones. BAD ADVICE!

Joe M.

 

[safetyobc]

I GOT MY 396!!! Glenn from SU packaged this thing in a box with packing so tight that you could throw it down, drop it, kick it, and the radio still would not move or shake, Nice job!

WOW, this is a great radio. I love the blue background! No problem seeing it for me. Audio is awsome! Only programed local VHF-High and one TRS, but they sound good so far. I like the belt clip too. Very secure feeling.

I was under the impression that the search and scan would work like another system. For instance, you are set a search range to be included with the scan. You scan prgmed systems 1, 2, 3, and then the search range, then back 1, 2, 3 and so on. Not so. It will scan the systems 1, 2, 3, and then scan the search range for a certain amount of time, then start at 1, 2, 3, then start the search where it left off. I prgmed in 225 to 400 for a search range and it will scan the srch range for about 4 or 5 seconds then back to the systems. Pretty Cool!

I am very very impressed. Good Job Uniden! Awsome scanner......but....... I gotta have some software!!!!

 

[Kirk]

Well if you've got the tones recorded somewhere or can generate them, just play them through a low power portable in your basement or something and see if it opens your pager/scanner.

And that of anyone in your area, and the siren, too if you're close enough to the station and they use the same tones. BAD ADVICE!

Joe M.

Yeah, I agree. Although I wouldn't have much moral issue with doing it using an FRS radio. Just change the receive frequency on the scanner to an FRS channel, use an FRS radio, and set up fire tone out the way you think it should be.

Transmitting on public safety frequencies when you're not authorized is a REALLY bad idea.

 

[mancow]

SysID 396 question

In CC only mode while searching the 800Mhz band I found several control channel names that I can't find matching systems for in the list.

As a matter of fact, I can't find anything in the list for the Kansas City area. Am I just overlooking it?

My main question is where is the system ID and label lookup list located if it's not pulling the data from the saved trunking systems list?

I have a feeling I'm just not seeing it but I've been through the list several times.


mancow