Official BCD996T Post Release Thread

[UPMan]

When entering using the UASD, you must enter the leading "0" for single-digit minutes and seconds. The correct entry would be -930405.99

 

[MacombMonitor]

I'm familiar with the light settings, as it was one of the first things I adjusted. I always set mine on DIM, in hopes of extending the life of the lights/LEDs. I tried Dim, Bright, Red, Green, none of the settings take effect. The LCD display itself is still working fine...just no back light. It's weired too because it was on this morning, and the wife and I went out to breakfast and a flea market. Came back and it was out. No power failures in the house, no storms, and the radio is on a "good" surge suppressor.

My BC898T is sitting on the same shelf, on the same power strip...back light is fine.

I purchased it from a reputable distributor that is local, and he's already agreed to replace it.

 

[STiMULi]

I'm familiar with the light settings, as it was one of the first things I adjusted. I always set mine on DIM, in hopes of extending the life of the lights/LEDs. I tried Dim, Bright, Red, Green, none of the settings take effect. The LCD display itself is still working fine...just no back light. It's weired too because it was on this morning, and the wife and I went out to breakfast and a flea market. Came back and it was out. No power failures in the house, no storms, and the radio is on a "good" surge suppressor.

My BC898T is sitting on the same shelf, on the same power strip...back light is fine.

I purchased it from a reputable distributor that is local, and he's already agreed to replace it.

Try a full reset since it is a processor controlled function
(BTW how do you do that as I have not looked for it in the manual yet)

 

[MacombMonitor]

Try a full reset since it is a processor controlled function
(BTW how do you do that as I have not looked for it in the manual yet)

Turn the scanner OFF
Hold down the 2, 9, and HOLD buttons, turn the scanner ON.
You'll see a message that it is clearing the programmed memory (takes awhile).
Then you'll see a message asking if you want to restore the pre-programmed frequencies. You can choose to, or leave it blank.

I tried this, no change.

Bill

 

[MacombMonitor]

That is a bummer, I have not even received mine yet, now I am already worried, I know radio shack was having problems with there one batch of radios also with the light issue. I hope its just something simple for you. I will be watching mine when I get it this coming week...Good luck, anybody else...

The Radio Shack issue was with the PRO-2055, and it was a total failure of the LCD screen, not just the back light.

On my BCD996T, the LCD display itself is still functioning fine. It is only the back light for the display that stopped working. Both green, and red do not work, in either bright, or dim mode.

This happened while it was turned on, and working. Left the room for a couple hours, came back and it was out. Trying all the available menu settings does not bring it back. I even re-initialized the scanner, no change.

 

[safetyobc]

The Radio Shack issue was with the PRO-2055, and it was a total failure of the LCD screen, not just the back light.

On my BCD996T, the LCD display itself is still functioning fine. It is only the back light for the display that stopped working. Both green, and red do not work, in either bright, or dim mode.

This happened while it was turned on, and working. Left the room for a couple hours, came back and it was out. Trying all the available menu settings does not bring it back. I even re-initialized the scanner, no change.

That is a real bummer. Hopefully this is an isolated incident and not like the silk screen print issue of the 396.

 

[DaveIN]

The Radio Shack issue was with the PRO-2055, and it was a total failure of the LCD screen, not just the back light.

On my BCD996T, the LCD display itself is still functioning fine. It is only the back light for the display that stopped working. Both green, and red do not work, in either bright, or dim mode.

This happened while it was turned on, and working. Left the room for a couple hours, came back and it was out. Trying all the available menu settings does not bring it back. I even re-initialized the scanner, no change.

So the 996 functions just fine other than the backlight? Do you have a bench power supply? I'd try hooking it up to see if the backlight works through another power supply and the mobile power cable just to see if it might be the wall-wort.

 

[MacombMonitor]

So the 996 functions just fine other than the backlight? Do you have a bench power supply? I'd try hooking it up to see if the backlight works through another power supply and the mobile power cable just to see if it might be the wall-wort.

Currently (no pun intended) I don't have a bench supply. However, I did try substituting the power supply for my BC898T, and the results were the same. The power supply that comes with the BCD996T is rated 750MA, and the one for the BC898T is only rated 500MA. However someone else who claimed that their AC power supply that came with the BCD996T died, subbed the one from their BC898T, and it handled it fine. So the bottom line is, it doesn't appear to be a power supply issue.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! Appreciate them.

Bill

 

[timkilbride]

I can't get this GPS stuff figured out. I am using my DeLorme Street Atlas to get a lat/long. I take that and then run it through the FCC converter to get it to a decimal form. I then run the decimal form of the lat/long through the FCC converter to get my lat/long to enter into the UASD software. When I cross reference my final numbers with what I began with they are around 20 miles apart. What am I doing wrong? If someone has a easier way I would be willing to change the way I get my lat/long.

Thanks,
Tim K.

 

[UPMan]

If you are using Delorme, no mathematical conversions are needed. First, set Delorme to show in Degrees/Minutes/Second format (do this under the "Map Display" tab). Then, when the software shows a coordinate like:

N41° 55' 29"
W93° 4' 5"

Simply enter as: 415529.00, -930405.00
(put a "0" in front of single-digit minutes/seconds and put a "-" in front of west coordinates)

 

[timkilbride]

Thanks, UPMan! Shows how much I know about my DeLorme program.

 

[MacombMonitor]

The display light stopped working on my BCD996T after two days. No Bright, Dim, Green, Red, nothing. Doubled checked all the settings, still no luck. Just sitting on my desk this happened. Anyone else?

Bill

Gary swapped out my radio with a new one, and I'm back in business! A good example of why it's important to deal with a reputable dealer!

I wouldn't start wide-spread panic on this back light failure. It may have just been an exception to the norm. It can happen to just about anything.

 

[STiMULi]

Gary swapped out my radio with a new one, and I'm back in business! A good example of why it's important to deal with a reputable dealer!

I wouldn't start wide-spread panic on this back light failure. It may have just been an exception to the norm. It can happen to just about anything.

On a Sunday No less!

 

[KC1UA]

Speaking of backlights, and without scrolling through 150+ posts, I'm not sure if this was asked...it might have been. If so, my apologies for the redundancy.

Paul, what was the reason for not including the "cool blue" backlighting as an option with the 996T, just out of curiousity. I absolutely love that backlighting. Was it deemed impractical for a mobile/base unit or is there an electronic restriction involved. I understand that it will never be, just curious...

 

[UPMan]

A couple of reasons. First and foremost (your and my preferences notwithstanding) blue was not the color of choice for most users. Had it not been for that, I would have pushed for blue despite the significant cost (another of the couple of reasons).

 

[MacombMonitor]

I like the red (orange actually) the best. But I'm an old fart, and it probably reminds me of the old tube radio displays that had that color.

I found the blue display on the BCD396T looked fuzzy to me. Maybe because of my age (56). I have a coffee brewer with the same color of blue, as well as one of those cheap emergency back-up AM/FM radios you leave plugged into an outlet in case of a power failure. All of the blue displays look fuzzy, or slightly blurry to me.

 

[scannerfreak]

Anyone know where the Tap point is? I think I'm going to try it...BTW, Paul, I echo those other Comments..Nice Radio

 

[KC1UA]

Thanks for the explanation Paul. I had a feeling cost might be part of the issue. Well I certanly enjoy it in the 396T anyway. I'm surprised that more people don't like it.

Mod time already, huh, scanner_freak? At least no one has asked if there are any cell mods for it....yet.

 

[UPMan]

Well, no one has asked publicly. And to the private query, the answer was "no."

 

[STiMULi]

Anyone know where the Tap point is? I think I'm going to try it...BTW, Paul, I echo those other Comments..Nice Radio

I too am a radio bigot.

Where is that discriminator?