to sell or not to sell

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CATCHMEIFUCAN

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hello all i am just trying to find out weather it would be worth it for me to sell my 396t and update to the xt i have been useing the t for about 2 years with no problems at all it works great ,they main reassons i would like to upgrade is for the trunking priority an the clairity is suppose to be alot better on the p25,so im wondering is there is anyone that has had both of these radios an can help me out on deciding thanks?
 

ButchGone

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If you want different colored display, more memory and trunking priority then you might want to sell and upgrade.
If you want better P25 digital reception, then I'd wait. Many newer P25 systems are using simulcast transmissions with LSM CQPSK technology that is toublesome for Unident and GRE/Ratshack to decode. Sometimes the traffic comes in clear (like when you are not moving around) other times it's broken due to multipath issues. Until Unident or GRE addresses this problem with listening to P25 simulcast systems through firmware/DSP upgrades you won't notice much different.
And there's already talk of P25 Phase 2, which uses two-slot TDMA, being implemented in systems within a year or two.
No scanner out right now can properly decode either technology very well.
If you are happy with the 396, keep it for now and wait for either firmware updates or new models to better decode P25 simulcast and the upcoming Phase 2 systems.
If you gotta have the other new wiz-bang features of the XT, go for it!
BG..
 

JASII

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To Sell or Not to Sell

I recently went through this same quandary and I probably would not have upgraded if it had not been for an opportunity that came my way. I actually had a BCD996T and a GRE PSR500. I had the 996T first, but bought the GRE portable for it purported improved audio. I also liked the Radio IDs and NAC codes of the GRE. When the XTs were announced I decided to wait and see. Then a co-worker this fall asked me about a scanner. I asked if he was interested in a used one. He bought my 996T and appreciated that it was already programmed and was current on firmware. I then listed the GRE and it sold quickly. I guess if it were me I would make sure that the XTs have several features that you don't have now. For me, I like the addition of:

-Fire Tone Out

-NAC Decode

-Encrypted Audio Mute

-Trunking Priority

-Radio IDs

I am still learning the differences. I have yet to explore the whole C-CH OUTPUT, but I want to try it with Unitrunker.
 

dirt992

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I have a XT and I should have kept my T MY XT has been back to UNIDEN twice now and the sound is still bad. I hope you have better luck.
 

BHinAZ

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If your primary reason for going to the XT is for better digital decoding, then you may be disappointed. In my case, I think the decoding of the P25 Phoenix, AZ simulcast is actually a little worse on the XT than it is on the T. The P25 decoding on the mixed digital/analog non simulcast Maricopa County system seems slightly better on the XT than the T.

Considering Uniden has had about five years to refine the code, the processors ae now much faster, and the XT has a lot more memory to run larger programs, I was expecting a noticable difference in the quality of the decoding. Sorry to say, it just is not there. The XT still has that wavey digital sound and clipping of words. Compounding this is the lack of documentation from Uniden with instructions on how to fine tune the decoding parameters.

On the other hand, Uniden did make a good effort to fix many of the usability issues, so the functionality has improved. Also, it appears to me that the reception is somewhat better on the XT as compared to the older T generation. I would guess it to be about a 10% improvement. One other thing to keep in mind is that the XT is more likely to see firmware improvement than the discontinued T.

All things being equal, I would take the XT over the T. So, I guess it comes down to how much you will have to pay for the XT and what price you can get for the T.
 

sjlamb

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Get one from someone like ScannerMaster. They have a liberal return policy if it fails to meet your expectations. Seems to me that the majority of XT buyers that upgraded from the T have reported significant improvements over the Classic T. My 396XT has performed flawlessly and exceeded my expectations at all levels.
 

jimg

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Get one from someone like ScannerMaster. They have a liberal return policy if it fails to meet your expectations. Seems to me that the majority of XT buyers that upgraded from the T have reported significant improvements over the Classic T. My 396XT has performed flawlessly and exceeded my expectations at all levels.

I had the 396T and the digital reception was not good, at all. So I traded it in on a GRE-500, to get better digital reception. However, I found the 500 to be overly sensitive on conventional channels and it would "lock up"--just stay on the channel, but with no audio. A few weeks ago I bought the 396XT, and thus far, have been very pleased with its performance on both digital and conventional signals. In my opinion, it is just as good on digital as the 500, and much better on conventional reception. (I got my 396XT from Grove Enterprises, because they take trade-ins.)
 

DaveIN

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hello all i am just trying to find out weather it would be worth it for me to sell my 396t and update to the xt i have been useing the t for about 2 years with no problems at all it works great ,they main reassons i would like to upgrade is for the trunking priority an the clairity is suppose to be alot better on the p25,so im wondering is there is anyone that has had both of these radios an can help me out on deciding thanks?

Do you have a link to your systems in the database? I suspect that the XT will work great on your systems, but it would help to identify if you would experience any difficulty between the two based on the many opinions out there.

The big difference between the two in terms of P25 decode is the higher decode threshold and the automatic vs. manual settings you have on the classic "T" model. Both models work great here, but I had a mixed bag of "motorboating" on mixed-mode systems until the automatic decode came along.

As someone else mentioned, I think the PSR500 and 396XT are about the same in decoded P25 voice.
 

W2SJW

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Compounding this is the lack of documentation from Uniden with instructions on how to fine tune the decoding parameters.

There are no adjustments that can be made by the end-user on either of the 'XT' series scanners - they are on AUTO all the time. The only thing that you can change on the units is the P25 response time, and all that does is to tell the unit to wait longer or shorter before deciding it's hearing a P25 signal.

On most systems, the default of 400ms is just fine...
 

BHinAZ

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There are no adjustments that can be made by the end-user on either of the 'XT' series scanners - they are on AUTO all the time. The only thing that you can change on the units is the P25 response time, and all that does is to tell the unit to wait longer or shorter before deciding it's hearing a P25 signal.

On most systems, the default of 400ms is just fine...

There is the "hidden" Settings menu P25 Ajust Level on the XT. Since it is hidden, I guess Uniden feels it is not necessary to explain it's usage. Near as I can tell from reading comments on this forum, it modifies the inital threshold value (globally) so the auto feature starts adjusting closer to the best end result. This is the adjustment I primarily had in mind when I made my comment on the XT.

(There is also the hidden P25 Adjust Mode on the XT which allows a value between 3 and 15, but as I understand it, values 4 thru 15 use the same logic as selected by value 3. So on this setting, it is like having no adjustment at all.)
 
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