Pro-96 user getting a BCD396T

[JonHanson]

I am a current Pro-96 owner and I have juse placed my pre-order for the BCD396T. I wanted to explain how I have my channels configured on my Pro-96 to get some ideas from current Uniden owners on how to do something similar on my new Uniden when I get it.

I use the V-Folders feature of the Pro-96 to hold the different channels between all of the places that I use the scanner. I have one for home and one for work. There is some duplication between the two because I live in Gilbert and work in Chandler. Inside each V-Folder I have a couple of banks configured for Police due to trunking, one for emergency service, aircraft, etc.

I've always had scanners with "banks" so the new dynamic memory allocation scheme is new to me. I'd like to keep the same scheme (without the V-Folders, obviously) so that I can put all of the frequencies in for everywhere I like to listen and then choose to scan according to my location.

Can someone who is familiar Uniden's dynamic memory allocation scheme explain how I could do this?

 

[DaveIN]

You can do the same thing with the dynamic memory, but it needs to be set up for what the mode (i.e. trunked, conventional) that you are listening to. In place of the V-folder you will use a "System" folder, just call it work, home, etc. In the system folder you put the trunked system or conventional system. If you want to have trunked and conventional together at the same time, then you just assign both systems the same system quick key, then when you change listening locations you just select what you want to listen to by selecting the correct quick key.
Then you can add groups and call them EMS, Police, Fire, etc. and assign them group quick keys so you can turn agencies on and off for different listening situations.

It will be a little different than programmng banks and channels at first, but you sould be able to understand it more by doing it. You can download the BC246T demo software from Uniden and Butel to try programming dynamic memory at these sites:
http://uniden.com/rn_productsupport_downloads.cfm?product=BC246TUASD
http://butel.nl/

 

[JonHanson]

If I under stand the heiarchy correctly, it works like this:

system folders -> groups -> talkgroups or frequencies

I envision having one system folder for each location I like to listen to the scanner. Is it correct that in each system folder that I can have multiple groups (for the different services I listen to like police, fire, aircraft, etc.)?

The quick keys allow me to select a system folder quickly, right?

 

[safetyobc]

Correct.

Just to be certain you understand that the "System" can only be trunking or conventional. Not both. In other words the groups in the system will be either conventional or trunking groups. You may have to set up several systems to include the area you want to cover but with 400 systems available it should be no problem. And as stated above, just set 1 quickkey to turn on or off multiple systems. Say home can be Quick key 1 and Work Quick key 2. Simply pushing the 1 or 2 will let you scan your home area or your work area. Once you get your hands on the scanner and play with it a little while it will be really simple concept. I had the hardest time trying to figure out the systems and groups thing until I sat down with a pen and paper and mapped out how I wanted to set the scanner up.

Example:

System Name: County 1
Group 1 County Fire
155.55
153.25
Group 2 County Sheriff
155.50
Group 3 EMS
155.34

 

[Voyager]

If I under stand the heiarchy correctly, it works like this:

system folders -> groups -> talkgroups or frequencies

I envision having one system folder for each location I like to listen to the scanner. Is it correct that in each system folder that I can have multiple groups (for the different services I listen to like police, fire, aircraft, etc.)?

The quick keys allow me to select a system folder quickly, right?

WRONG! You aren't understanding systems correctly.

A system can only be one type of system - Conventional, trunked P25, trunked Motorola 3600, Trunked EDACS Wide, Etc.

You want to assign each area to a SYSTEM QUICK KEY or a set of system quick keys. You CAN assign different systems to the same SQK. (conventional, trunked, multiple conventional, multiple trunked, or any combination)

I plan to use each '10' SQKs as a V-folder - having 0-9 as "V-folder 0", 10-19 as "V-folder 1", Etc through 9, then enable or disable each set of SQKs for the area I want to monitor. It actually should take less time to enable SQK 31-39 and disable 11-19 than it takes to load a V-folder.

Joe M.

 

[JonHanson]

I realize now what a "system" is for the scanner. So when you want to scan a particular group of systems how to you tell the scanner this? For instance, say I was to scan systems 0, 4, and 6 is that possible?

 

[UPMan]

Well, the systems are not automatically numbered. Instead, you assign a quick key for each system. You can have multiple systems assigned to the same quick key.

So, can you assign systems to QK0, 4, and 6 and turn them on/off for scanning independantly? Yes. Just press the number buttons to toggle these systems on and any others off.

 

[JonHanson]

Doesn't the 396 have the capacity for 400 systems? How do get access to all of those via the quick keys?

 

[AZScanner]

Doesn't the 396 have the capacity for 400 systems? How do get access to all of those via the quick keys?

Let's imagine the quick keys are your "favorites" folder on your web browser. How would you quickly access all 4+ billion internet pages using only your favorites?

The answer is: You wouldn't. Just like your favorites or bookmarks folder on your web browser provide quick access to frequently viewed pages, the quick keys are there for you to quickly pull up systems you monitor all the time, such as your local PD or FD. Why assign a quick key to a system of airshow frequencies or amusement park frequencies that you only listen to once a year at most?

You get 10 quick keys (0-9) that you can assign to your favorite systems. But here's an added bonus - you can also set 1 quick key to multiple systems. Let's say that while you are at work you listen to the city PD, city FD, Highway Patrol and your work's TRS. You can set all 4 systems on 1 quick key and turn them all on (or off) with 1 keystroke. Pretty cool, no? :wink:

Anyway, that's how the quick keys work. Hope that helps. Once you have the scanner in hand, this will all make more sense.

-AZ

 

[JonHanson]

Yes, that's very informative.

I know I should just hold off and things will be much easier to understand once I have the scanner in front of me.

 

[UPMan]

And, to clarify a little, the BCD396T has 100 quick keys. The first 10 (0-9) are accessible by a single keypress. The other 90 (10-99) are accessed by pressing [.] followed by the two-digit quick key.