Official BCD996T Prerelease Thread

[CT22]

Squelch Control Knob/Button

UPMAN - Can you guys engineer a button/knob on the radio to disable PL/DPL tones when pushed? Maybe make the volume control knob a push/pull switch like the VFO knob, then it would work with this feature. Sometimes I want to disable the coded squelch but we have to go thru the menu to do this. While its not that difficult it can be kind of a pain while driving. Anyone else have input on this?

 

[rdale]

Set up two channels next to each other with/without PL - hold the L/O the one you don't want, click the wheel once, and unlock the one you want.

 

[rescue161]

I think what he's asking is to implement the use of a "monitor" button just like on most commercial radios.

I always hit the monitor button on my radios just to make sure someone is not on the channel before I transmit.

I'd love to see this feature as well.

I'l also second the need for a remote mount setup. I only have one DIN slot and it has a stereo in it that is not coming out.

 

[W1PC]

Feature Request - Mute

One feature I would like to see in the 996 is an automatic mute when my built in car cell phone rings. I have this on my car radio and it would be nice to mute the scanner when on the phone as well.

 

[swest90]

And how does the scanner know when your car phone is going off? Give me a break. I want it to mute when my tv shows come on too, then unmute during the commercials! My old RCA tv did the opposite, why cant my scanner! *gag*

The monitor button is an idea worth looking into.

 

[Jay911]

And how does the scanner know when your car phone is going off?

Many of the car-mounted phones have a wire coming out of the pack that provides a signal when the phone rings and another when the call ends. This is hooked into the car stereo on most vehicles. It would be a neat feature to have on a mobile scanner (I could see hooking it up to the PTT+ line on a mobile radio as well, to mute in, say, a police car when the officer keys up), but the number of people who would truly have a use for it is probably too few to warrant its inclusion..

 

[wesct]

I'l also second the need for a remote mount setup. I only have one DIN slot and it has a stereo in it that is not coming out.

if uniden adds fm stereo and am broadcast, you could have one radio in the slot doing both jobs!

of course, it would need inputs for a cd player and cassette

wesct

 

[RocketNJ]

Many of the car-mounted phones have a wire coming out of the pack that provides a signal when the phone rings and another when the call ends. This is hooked into the car stereo on most vehicles. It would be a neat feature to have on a mobile scanner ..

Why not have the phone's off hook indicate drive a relay that would open the external speaker path on the scanner?

 

[W8OSP]

Yes please make a remote mount kit!!

 

[phyrngn]

Just Fire

Will it have the capability to use the GPS to select just FIRE or EMS for a specific area? Cops (no disrespect intended) take up too much air time when you're listening to a good working fire. Looks like I'd better figure out how to run my 246 before I get into something this advanced!

 

[Voyager]

Will it have the capability to use the GPS to select just FIRE or EMS for a specific area? Cops (no disrespect intended) take up too much air time when you're listening to a good working fire. Looks like I'd better figure out how to run my 246 before I get into something this advanced!

Working fires don't usually present themselves as geographic specific events. It sounds like you simply want to use the groups function to lock out the PD channels when there is a working fire in the area.

Joe M.

 

[dfw1417]

GPS / Computer interface on the 996

I think it is time for Uniden to make the transition and advance to the current age with a USB interface on their scanners. It is such a pain in the butt to have to use an adapter with a laptop to interface with their previous scanners. USB technology is NOT going away, what is going AWAY is the Serial Port interfaces. I have a great GPS I want to use with the 996 but it has a USB connection! Most GPS units now use the USB interface.

I think I recall Paul stating in one of his replies to a question about a 396 base model as saying Uniden will not make clones of units but will produce units with more features and advancements.

Guess what.... A USB interface port takes the Uniden Scanners out of the obsolete age and into the future.

Im sorry, I can't justify purchasing another Uniden Scanner over the $500 mark without it supporting CURRENT technology instead of obsolete technology when connecting to my computers. Desktop machines are no longer supporting serial ports either! Most motherboards and especially the dual core systems are no longer providing serial ports either.

There is still time to move the latest Uniden Flagship model out of the old age and into the future by providing a USB interface port.

If I am going to spend another $600 on a scanner after I just bought the 796D when it came out, I will be sure to ensure it has a USB port on it instead of having to deal with a software fix to correct a hardware oversight.

Just my 2 cents worth .... You know if we stopped buying Uniden Scanners for this reason how long do you think it would take Uniden to provide USB ports on their units? Thats right, the very next unit to hit the market would have the USB interface once they realized that we were no longer buying their units for this reason.

Well that is where I am now. No more Uniden scanner purchases until they have at least 1 USB port for my laptop interface.

So I have made my decision, now the ball is in your court Uniden to make the decision when I will buy another of your scanners....

I like my 796 but I hate the adapter I have to use with it to connect it to the computer.

Have a nice day, all.

 

[safetyobc]

Paul announced a couple days ago on the BCD396T Yahoo Group that they would be selling a PC cable that would connect to the scanner and have a USB connection on the other end. I believe he said it would be available in a couple of months.

It's not a USB on the scanner but you will not need an adapter to hook to USB anymore.

 

[rdale]

Many people use old PC's to dedicate to their scanner, and it's MUCH easier to add a serial converter to a USB port than add a USB port to an old box.

 

[Jay911]

Garmin is one electronics manufacturer who "gets it". On the back of my GPSMAP 60CS, they provide a standard USB port, as well as their legacy RS232/power connection for older machines/connections/accessories.

No reason why a top-of-the-line scanner shouldn't have both connections.

 

[vince48]

Jay
I agree!

Garmin is one electronics manufacturer who "gets it". On the back of my GPSMAP 60CS, they provide a standard USB port, as well as their legacy RS232/power connection for older machines/connections/accessories.

No reason why a top-of-the-line scanner shouldn't have both connections.

 

[gg750]

Many people use old PC's to dedicate to their scanner, and it's MUCH easier to add a serial converter to a USB port than add a USB port to an old box.

It's very easy to add USB to an old box. A USB card costs about 30 bucks and pops right in to any open PCI slot...and in the case of new operating systems, no drivers or configuration required. To me, thats easier than trying to make a converter work properly.

G

 

[rdale]

Old boxes don't have PCI slots... There was a different standard "back in the day" ;>

 

[Voyager]

It's very easy to add USB to an old box. A USB card costs about 30 bucks and pops right in to any open PCI slot...and in the case of new operating systems, no drivers or configuration required. To me, thats easier than trying to make a converter work properly.

G

Yea - downloading the latest driver for a new piece of hardware is a real pain, but just wait until the USB cables come out if you think drivers are fun now. Serial is standard. It may not be the latest tech, but it works - much like digital vs analog voice. Just because it's not the latest doesn't mean it's not the best.

Joe M.

 

[gg750]

Old boxes don't have PCI slots... There was a different standard "back in the day" ;>

Yes they do...you would have to go back to pre-Pentium days to find a box without PCI slots...and I'd be surprised to find a box that old still running.