UBCD436PT help please

[Aussiecowboy70]

Good morning everyone. I have a UBDC436PT which I bought second hand. I used to have a Bearcat 9000XLT and loved using it but this digital stuff has me a little confused. I have purchased the Victoria sd card and inserted it. I have selected all lists to scan just so I can figure out what I want to listen to. I noticed that it stops on SES metro a lot and there is just static. Is that normal or have I done something wrong. With the Bearcat, I could raise or lower the squelch so it would still scan but not get caught up with these. I also went in to the menu and hit Select Service. I notice that there are some categories already set to On however there are a lot that are blank and don't seem to be able to select them. I get that Law would not be able to be turned on, but Public works, Railroad, Schools, Security, Transportation, Utilities, Racing Officials and Teams, Business, Corrections, Emergency Ops, EMS Tac and Federal appear to all be locked out. Is this normal or is there something I am not doing right? Also I get nothing but static on Custom so I would like to turn them off if anyone can help with that please.

 

[pb_lonny]

I have always just programmed it myself and not relied on any of the preprogrammed "services".
What do you want to listen to?

 

[RMason]

I notice that there are some categories already set to On however there are a lot that are blank and don't seem to be able to select them. I get that Law would not be able to be turned on, but Public works, Railroad, Schools, Security, Transportation, Utilities, Racing Officials and Teams, Business, Corrections, Emergency Ops, EMS Tac and Federal appear to all be locked out. Is this normal or is there something I am not doing right? Also I get nothing but static on Custom so I would like to turn them off if anyone can help with that please.

When selecting service types, the scanner will display "---" for Service Types that are not programed in the enabled Favorites Lists. This just indicates that there are no channels set for that service type in your programming. By default only EMS Dispatch, Fire Dispatch, Law Dispatch, Custom 1, and Multi-Dispatch are enabled. ​ To turn service types on/off on the scanner: (BCD436HP) Press Func then the Zip/Services button. Scroll to each Service Type and press E/yes to enable or disable. Press System or Avoid to exit.​

 

[Aussiecowboy70]

When selecting service types, the scanner will display "---" for Service Types that are not programed in the enabled Favorites Lists. This just indicates that there are no channels set for that service type in your programming. By default only EMS Dispatch, Fire Dispatch, Law Dispatch, Custom 1, and Multi-Dispatch are enabled. ​ To turn service types on/off on the scanner: (BCD436HP) Press Func then the Zip/Services button. Scroll to each Service Type and press E/yes to enable or disable. Press System or Avoid to exit.​

Hi thanks for the reply. When I do that I get the error sound. It seems to be locked out. Maybe because I am in Australia.

I have always just programmed it myself and not relied on any of the preprogrammed "services".
What do you want to listen to?

Hey there. I don't know yet. Many years ago I used to listen to vicpol etc as I was a stringer for the news. These days I have CFA as I live in the country. I just wanted to see what else was out there. Mainly I want to listen to CFA, SES, Ambo's just so I know what is going on in my area. Maybe buses and trains to see if it is interesting, would love to listen to strike teams with the big bushfires, etc. I just found out how to adjust the squelch which was on 0 so have adjusted it to 15 to fix the blank station noise. However I can't figure out what or where the custom ones came from and how to turn them off. Not so bad now as the squelch takes care of it most of the time.

 

[RMason]

Hi thanks for the reply. When I do that I get the error sound. It seems to be locked out. Maybe because I am in Australia.

Are you trying to enable one of the service types that shows "---"? These cannot be enabled because there is no channel programmed for that service type in your enabled Favorites Lists. That is expected behavior.

If it shows On or Off, you should be able to turn it on/off..

<edit> It is possible that the functionality between the UBCD436PT and BCD436HP is different. The user guide for UBDC436PT (https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0937/4495/5688/files/52562.pdf) shows the section related to selecting service types is grayed out. I believe that this indicates this functionality is not available in Austrailia/New Zealand.

 

[pb_lonny]

<edit> It is possible that the functionality between the UBCD436PT and BCD436HP is different. The user guide for UBDC436PT (https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0937/4495/5688/files/52562.pdf) shows the section related to selecting service types is grayed out. I believe that this indicates this functionality is not available in Austrailia/New Zealand.

When I setup mine for Tasmania, I just programmed in what I wanted to scan, in Australia, the RR database is not "great".

 

[VK3RX]

A few things.

All my Uniden scanners have the squelch set to 2. I have an external discone antenna, but my USDS100 portable also has the squelch set to 2 without any issues. If you have to have higher set then maybe you are picking up local interference? Wall warts are notorious for that. If you have an AM band portable radio, you could tune off a station and move around the house and see if you can localize the interference source. What frequency or service are you getting the interference on?

For local Victoria info, I recommend you join VicScan

 

[Aussiecowboy70]

Are you trying to enable one of the service types that shows "---"? These cannot be enabled because there is no channel programmed for that service type in your enabled Favorites Lists. That is expected behavior.

If it shows On or Off, you should be able to turn it on/off..

<edit> It is possible that the functionality between the UBCD436PT and BCD436HP is different. The user guide for UBDC436PT (https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0937/4495/5688/files/52562.pdf) shows the section related to selecting service types is grayed out. I believe that this indicates this functionality is not available in Austrailia/New Zealand.

That makes perfect sense. Thank you

 

[Aussiecowboy70]

A few things.

All my Uniden scanners have the squelch set to 2. I have an external discone antenna, but my USDS100 portable also has the squelch set to 2 without any issues. If you have to have higher set then maybe you are picking up local interference? Wall warts are notorious for that. If you have an AM band portable radio, you could tune off a station and move around the house and see if you can localize the interference source. What frequency or service are you getting the interference on?

For local Victoria info, I recommend you join VicScan

I'll try two. I don't have an outdoor antenna just an indoor telescopic which is about a meter long. I'll try the squelch at different levels to see what I can get away with and will join VicScan as well. Thanks for the info.

 

[Ubbe]

I don't have an outdoor antenna just an indoor telescopic

I have computers and SAT/TV boxes and WiFi routers and other electronics in my room and it's impossible to use an antenna directly connected to a scanner. There's too much interference and noise and also reception isn't good indoors.

I use good shielded coax cables and antennas on my roof but also cheap $5 SAT/TV diplexers connected to a sat dish on a small hill on my property to allow a signal below 750MHz to be mixed into the same coax as the sat dish uses. At that hill I then have a VHF and a shortwave antenna connected and extract that signal using another diplexer at the sat receiver to feed my scanners. Outdoor antennas receives a lot more signals and with much less interference and noise.

/Ubbe

 

[VK3YMML]

Good morning everyone. I have a UBDC436PT which I bought second hand. I used to have a Bearcat 9000XLT and loved using it but this digital stuff has me a little confused. I have purchased the Victoria sd card and inserted it. I have selected all lists to scan just so I can figure out what I want to listen to. I noticed that it stops on SES metro a lot and there is just static. Is that normal or have I done something wrong. With the Bearcat, I could raise or lower the squelch so it would still scan but not get caught up with these. I also went in to the menu and hit Select Service. I notice that there are some categories already set to On however there are a lot that are blank and don't seem to be able to select them. I get that Law would not be able to be turned on, but Public works, Railroad, Schools, Security, Transportation, Utilities, Racing Officials and Teams, Business, Corrections, Emergency Ops, EMS Tac and Federal appear to all be locked out. Is this normal or is there something I am not doing right? Also I get nothing but static on Custom so I would like to turn them off if anyone can help with that please.

Any of the above mentioned changed that you have stated would need to be made in the Uniden Sentinel software and then sent to the radio. Let me know how you go, I am based in then Western Suburbs of Melbourne and can lend a hand

 

[Aussiecowboy70]

Any of the above mentioned changed that you have stated would need to be made in the Uniden Sentinel software and then sent to the radio. Let me know how you go, I am based in then Western Suburbs of Melbourne and can lend a hand

Thank you yes I am yet to figure Sentinel out. I figured out how to change the squelch which is sitting at 3 and working much better. I have turned off all the regions except the ones I want and SES and they work well. The air channels I can pick some up well and others not so much but I take it that is because I don't have an external antenna. All the other items listed I don't have codes for I believe so need to figure those out. Also it came with Sentinel 1.03. IS that the latest and if not can you let me know what the latest is please. Cheers.

 

[VK3YMML]

Thank you yes I am yet to figure Sentinel out. I figured out how to change the squelch which is sitting at 3 and working much better. I have turned off all the regions except the ones I want and SES and they work well. The air channels I can pick some up well and others not so much but I take it that is because I don't have an external antenna. All the other items listed I don't have codes for I believe so need to figure those out. Also it came with Sentinel 1.03. IS that the latest and if not can you let me know what the latest is please. Cheers.

Just today I went to the Uniden Website to download Uniden Sentinel but it seems that any links to the software have been removed and you are reffered to the "Phone App" which is only applicable to the Uniden SDS200 has no involvment with the Uniden 436PT

At the end of the day you dont need a external antenna as such, you can sit the scanner near a window and it will improve the reception otherwise a passive loop antenna you can score off ebay or amazon will also work wonders

You mention you dont have "the codes" is this to turn on or off a bank in the scanner or something else entirely

If you are also looking for more local information I can recommend "Vicscan.com"

 

[pb_lonny]

If you are also looking for more local information I can recommend "Vicscan.com"

Vicscan.com is the best source for local information.

I use a VHF marine aerial, which covers everything "pretty well", it is mounted on the roof, about 4m up.

 

[VK3YMML]

Correction to my above post. The Uniden phone app works for the newly released SDS150 ... type-o my behalf

 

[Aussiecowboy70]

Just today I went to the Uniden Website to download Uniden Sentinel but it seems that any links to the software have been removed and you are reffered to the "Phone App" which is only applicable to the Uniden SDS200 has no involvment with the Uniden 436PT

At the end of the day you dont need a external antenna as such, you can sit the scanner near a window and it will improve the reception otherwise a passive loop antenna you can score off ebay or amazon will also work wonders

You mention you dont have "the codes" is this to turn on or off a bank in the scanner or something else entirely

If you are also looking for more local information I can recommend "Vicscan.com"

No the codes I was looking for was for corrections VIC and wanted to make sure I was ready for the F1. I need to play with the program so I can turn everything off and just have my own favourites list. I bought the card from SE comms which I think has everything, I just need to figure it out lol.

 

[VK3YMML]

No the codes I was looking for was for corrections VIC and wanted to make sure I was ready for the F1. I need to play with the program so I can turn everything off and just have my own favourites list. I bought the card from SE comms which I think has everything, I just need to figure it out lol.

You can check out the ACMA Frequency search pending on the location and information but be prepared that Correction Vic radio systems would most likely be encrypted or use Cellular PTT based radios

In the last few days I was checking out the new frequency allocations for the F1GP in Melbourne, there is a forum post on VicScan.com that I will be updating. I have a fair amount of the TGID's that I confirmed from last year