BCD325P2/BCD996P2: Scanner Problems After Power Outage?

[emsflyer84]

Hey all, I have two scanners going at my house connected to my rooftop antenna. One is a BCD325p2, the other is a BCD996p2. Here in New England we had a crazy winter storm yesterday and the power went out for a short time. 10 minutes maybe. Sometime after the power came back on, I noticed the 996p2 has terrible reception. At first I thought maybe the systems I was scanner were having power issues, but this morning I tuned both scanners to the same systems and the 325p2 was coming in my more clearly then the 996p2. I’m still picking things up with it but analog stuff is very scratchy (1-2 signal bars) and there is stuff I’m not getting at all anymore that I am getting with the 325p2. I still have to rule out feed line, connections, etc, but the only thing that happened was the power outage. Anyone had something like this happen before? Thanks.

 

[kg4ehv]

Y'all had some bad storms, check your antenna for wind and water damage.

 

[emsflyer84]

Agreed it was nasty. But my other scanner connected to the same antenna and feed line is working fine…

 

[buddrousa]

Refresh the programming in the 996p2 swap coax between the 2 if the problem persists then I would send the scanner to Uniden as it may have taken damage from the storm.

 

[dave3825]

my other scanner connected to the same antenna and feed line is working fine…

swap coax between the 2

1 feedline, 2 scanners. Run feedline direct to scratchy scanner and see what you get. That will rule out jumper and whatever is being used to split the signal.

 

[emsflyer84]

1 feedline, 2 scanners. Run feedline direct to scratchy scanner and see what you get. That will rule out jumper and whatever is being used to split the signal.

I have another scanner I will hook up and try as well and see what happens.

 

[dave3825]

Take the scanner with the loss of reception and connect that directly to the feedline. Quickest and easiest test. If it gets better, either jumper or splitter is bad. If no improvement, then scanner is the issue.

 

[wtp]

does ATT show up on the screen of the 996 ?
and it is time for a battery backup/surge protector.

 

[emsflyer84]

does ATT show up on the screen of the 996 ?
and it is time for a battery backup/surge protector.

I believe ATT was flashing off and on while the scanner was receiving, but I'll have to check that again.

 

[wtp]

if it was flashing that would be that some channels have it on and others have it off.
it would cause bad reception as it cuts the incoming signal to 1/100th of the original.
you would then have to turn it off.

 

[emsflyer84]

if it was flashing that would be that some channels have it on and others have it off.
it would cause bad reception as it cuts the incoming signal to 1/100th of the original.
you would then have to turn it off.

I'll check. But I didn't turn it on, maybe it reset itself after the power outage.

 

[wtp]

my 396T that i am the only one to touch, had turned the squech to 15.
it is in my pocket when i am out and next to me when i am in. the wife does not even know to to change things with it.
i believe that when something has a computer in it, it can think for itself.

 

[donc13]

A power outage is not the same as turning the scanner off. I would suggest you turn it off, wait 10 to 15 seconds and turn it back on. If it's OK, you are done. If not OK, presuming you have your programming done via software, reset the scanner (your manual should have instructions on how to do that) and reload your programming. Again, if all is well, you are done.

If it's not OK, the scanner was probably damaged by a voltage surge and/or lightning. Send it to Uniden for repair.

 

[emsflyer84]

Thanks all for the info. I went home and swapped the 996 for a 536 I had in my car and immediately started receiving the stuff I was missing with the 996, so I've got some more experimenting to do but right now it seems like I have a scanner issue...

 

[w2xq]

FWIW I have such electronics running off a UPS. That includes the Allstar nodes and the DMR hotspots. I have two older 1500VA versions of the https://www.amazon.com/APC-Back-UPS...NfmRFwoAtKnFgO_tZQENqEQTihBoCOc0QAvD_BwE&th=1 and the second keeps my router online for up to 8 hours. Voltage surges, power outages, pfft.

I am partial to APC APC, a flagship brand of Schneider Electric having used them since 1988. But that's me. Back then, I had 50 450VA units installed around the state keeping desktop computers, monitors and printers online. Only one failed. It couldn't stand up to the voltage drops with prison gates and prison wing doors opening 24/7.

HTH.

 

[buddrousa]

More than likely it did not like the CURRENT SPIKE that may have been more than its rated supply.
I have Access control break bars that spike at 8 amps for microseconds when first opened then hold at 250 milliamps.

 

[ecps92]

More than likely it did not like the CURRENT SPIKE that may have been more than its rated supply.
I have Access control break bars that spike at 8 amps for microseconds when first opened then hold at 250 milliamps.

Keep in mind the same OP has had multiple issues/threads for Simulcast RX before this event.

 

[emsflyer84]

Keep in mind the same OP has had multiple issues/threads for Simulcast RX before this event.

Unrelated, but thanks for pointing it out.