Official BCD396T Discussion Thread (Pre-release)

[JGP]

I received this e-mail from Grove Enterprises www.grove-ent.com today:

"The new Uniden BCD396T has been FCC accepted. Orders are now being taken by Grove Enterprises. The price is $524.95 plus $16.95 shipping. Call now to get your radio on order so you can be the first on your block to receive it! Anticipated delivery date is July 2005."

Joel
Franklin, Wisconsin

 

[troymail]

Has anyone found anything suggsting the 800 rebanding will be
taken care of in the 396? Now or in the future through an upgrade?

 

[cipher66]

UPMan already indicated that the 396T (and others) will be flashable for the new band plan..... see below.

Quote from other thread by UPman....

"However, as rebanding occurs on a system, scanners will need to be replaced, reflashed, or reprogrammed in order to continue to track the trunked systems in the 800 MHz band. The following table summarizes this impact on Uniden’s current product line.
Code:

Model Motorola APCO 25 Motorola Analog/Mixed EDACS LTR
BCD396D Reprogrammed Reflashed Reprogrammed Reprogrammed
BC246T N/A Reflashed Reprogrammed Reprogrammed
BC296D Reprogrammed Reflashed Reprogrammed Reprogrammed
BC796D Reprogrammed Reflashed Reprogrammed Reprogrammed
BC898T N/A Reflashed Reprogrammed Reprogrammed
BCT8 N/A Reflashed Reprogrammed Reprogrammed
Older Models N/A Replaced Reprogrammed Reprogrammed

End users will be able to reflash the indicated models using a PC cable and a software download from Uniden’s web site. All future Uniden trunktracking models are expected to either incorporate the Rebanding requirements or be flash upgradeable to do so".

Paul

 

[cipher66]

Quick question for UPMan,

According to the early prototype pictures that showed a display, it seemd that the display showed the CTCSS or DCS tone (if enabled). Is that going to be a feature, or was that just an early proto that tried to show an early representation of the radio's screen? (Reference: your early BCD396T avatar). I do hope that it does show the code on the main display unlike the current 246T/296D models.

Thanks

Paul

 

[UPMan]

Final unit will show the tone. Will also have an option to switch between channel alpha tag mode and "raw" mode (showing freq for conventional or TGID for trunked). Also will show the current channel frequency being monitored on trunked systems. Will also show the site ID (EDACS) or system ID (Motorola).

 

[cipher66]

Final unit will show the tone. Will also have an option to switch between channel alpha tag mode and "raw" mode (showing freq for conventional or TGID for trunked). Also will show the current channel frequency being monitored on trunked systems. Will also show the site ID (EDACS) or system ID (Motorola).

Thanks for the reply Paul! Great features just keep coming from you and the Uniden team on this radio.....

Paul

 

[Air490]

Just a quick question for Paul...

Does the BCD396T have the 8.33kHz channel spacing for airband?

 

[Admin0140434]

Does the BCD396T have the 8.33kHz channel spacing for airband?

i believe this was discussed... and i also believe the answer is yes...
paul... care to confirm?

 

[Air490]

Thanks folks. No sooner had I posted than I found the answer in the O/M on the Yahoo group.
Answer is yes...

 

[ronhl]

S-METER

Have not seen any detailed info regarding the blue display, so was wondering if it will have a signal meter?

:roll:

 

[Admin0140434]

Re: S-METER

Have not seen any detailed info regarding the blue display, so was wondering if it will have a signal meter?

preliminary screen shots (seen on the yahoo group) show one on the upper right corner

 

[DaveIN]

Will also show the site ID (EDACS) or system ID (Motorola).

What will the format on the display be? In hex or decimal?
EDACS until now has been displayed on GRE radios (i.e.) 0001, along with whatever the active LCN in use, (i.e.) LCN-06.

As you know, the Motorola System ID is usually displayed as a 4-digit hex number (i.e.) a1b2. Additionally, 9600 baud systems send the tower number as displayed on the PRO-96/2096. Will this also be done somehow with the 396?

Any option to save the System ID as the 396 System Label? How about press "E" when the System ID is displayed and a menu comes up to let you select what System lable to save to?

 

[Voyager]

As you know, the Motorola System ID is usually displayed as a 4-digit hex number (i.e.) a1b2. Additionally, 9600 baud systems send the tower number as displayed on the PRO-96/2096. Will this also be done somehow with the 396?

Actually, 9600 systems only have a 3-digit System hex ID. Not that this fact affects your question at all. 8)

Joe M.

 

[Voyager]

Final unit will show the tone. Will also have an option to switch between channel alpha tag mode and "raw" mode (showing freq for conventional or TGID for trunked). Also will show the current channel frequency being monitored on trunked systems. Will also show the site ID (EDACS) or system ID (Motorola).

Will there be a way to NOT show the tone?

IOW, maybe I want to see the text tag and the frequency, but not the CTCSS/CDCSS tone/code. Is that possible?

Joe M.

 

[DaveIN]

You’re correct. I guess I should have said "typically” 4-digit :wink:

 

[inscan]

Okay, I have read through the manual, and I don’t understand what systems and groups are exactly. If anyone could explain them it would be great. Thanks in advance!

 

[safetyobc]

Okay, I have read through the manual, and I don’t understand what systems and groups are exactly. If anyone could explain them it would be great. Thanks in advance!

Okay think of systems kinda like banks. groups are like mini banks or sub banks.

Think of a radio system like in your city. This is how I set up my 246T. You set say Little Rock, AR up as a Moto Type II system. Then in that system you can set up groups. Fire, Police, EMS, etc. In each group you have channels. It is simple really. Makes scanning a lot easier once you get the hang of it.

System 1: Little Rock TRS

Group 1: Fire
2305 (alpha tag optional)
2306 (alpha tag optional)
Group 2: Police
2307
2308
Group 3: EMS
2310
2311


Conventional systems work the same except use freqs in the place of the TGID's.

And on and on and on. There are millions of way to configure it. I suggest using software to program the scanner....... Hope this helps!

 

[Llwellyn]

Just want to add to the previous post, that the benefit of the system/group configuration on the 246T and the new 396T is the fact that you can have as many talkgroups per system as you need; previously there was a limit of 100 talkgroups per bank and they were in groups of 10 only. There are many metro systems, and now there are several statewide systems, that have a lot more than 100 talkgroups on the system; you either had to "pick and choose" what you wanted to hear and leave some entirely out of the scanner, or tie up more than one bank with the same system and scan the system twice. Now, you can have groups with any number of talkgroups, and more than 100 per system, so you can set up your scanner to get ALL traffic on a system.

 

[Voyager]

Just want to add to the previous post, that the benefit of the system/group configuration on the 246T and the new 396T is the fact that you can have as many talkgroups per system as you need; previously there was a limit of 100 talkgroups per bank and they were in groups of 10 only.

Actually, there is a limit of 200 TGs per system on the BC246T. Not sure what the specs are on the BCD396T yet.

Joe M.

 

[scanfan03]

Just want to add to the previous post, that the benefit of the system/group configuration on the 246T and the new 396T is the fact that you can have as many talkgroups per system as you need; previously there was a limit of 100 talkgroups per bank and they were in groups of 10 only. There are many metro systems, and now there are several statewide systems, that have a lot more than 100 talkgroups on the system; you either had to "pick and choose" what you wanted to hear and leave some entirely out of the scanner, or tie up more than one bank with the same system and scan the system twice. Now, you can have groups with any number of talkgroups, and more than 100 per system, so you can set up your scanner to get ALL traffic on a system.

The BC 246T has a limit of 200 TGs per system. I am guessing the 396 will have the same limit, because if you have anymore, the scanner will take to long to see if it has a TG that matches the one on the control channel and you could miss a transmission. UPman explains this a lot better than me, if you need a better explanation, then ask me and I will try to give a better one. The 246 does have a limit in TGs per system though. :wink: