BCD436HP/BCD536HP: Uniden BCD436HP help needed!!!!

Tykroll28

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Jan 1, 2022
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5
Location
Geneva Illinois
Hello Everyone!!!

For reference i am looking at Illinois STARCOM21 system and the TRICOM dispatch and working groups for Geneva IL.

I am trying to listen to my local fire department ops channel and dispatch group. The talkgroup is unencrypted and my scanner shows reception bars, but there is no audio coming out of the scanner. I am using the uniden bcd436hp built in database. I did hear a quick transmission on the talkgroup that i want to listen to, but nothing else, it is unencrypted so i am thinking it might be a settings issue with my scanner. Any help would be appreciated. I’m not sure what’s up, it is also happening with other trunked system talkgroups that i know are unencrypted.
 

Tykroll28

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Jan 1, 2022
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Location
Geneva Illinois
Check to see if you have the service types enabled.


I do have the service type selected, i can pull up the department and site and system and it shows reception bars but no audio comes through. It did once or twice but the majority of it i cannot hear. I did set the squelch at 2. I must be missing something.
 

palmerjrusa

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Oct 22, 2005
Messages
1,173
Location
Frederick
I do have the service type selected, i can pull up the department and site and system and it shows reception bars but no audio comes through. It did once or twice but the majority of it i cannot hear. I did set the squelch at 2. I must be missing something.


Enable all the service groups just to check.

With my SDS100 I couldn't figure out why I wasn't receiving a talk group listed in the radio system's Fire Department when I had enabled the scanner's Fire service selection.

The problem was, some of the talk groups listed under Fire Department were classed as
"Hospital".

Turning on the scanner's Hospital service selection resolved the problem.
 

Tykroll28

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Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 1, 2022
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5
Location
Geneva Illinois
Enable all the service groups just to check.

With my SDS100 I couldn't figure out why I wasn't receiving a talk group listed in the radio system's Fire Department when I had enabled the scanner's Fire service selection.

The problem was, some of the talk groups listed under Fire Department were classed as
"Hospital".

Turning on the scanner's Hospital service selection resolved the problem.
Ok! I’m not near the county right now but when i get back i’ll definitely try this!
 

tvengr

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Feb 10, 2019
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9,182
Location
Baltimore County, MD
Are you scanning from the database or did you create a favorites list? If using a favorites list, please export and attach your file for me to take a look at it. In Sentinel, go to the File tab and click on Export to hpe file (Favorites List). You will need to right click on the exported file and Send to Compressed (zipped) folder to be able to attach it. Click on Attach files and Open the zipped folder. As stated earlier, simulcast distortion may be a problem.
 

JethrowJohnson

Active Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2022
Messages
891
Location
Marietta OH
Hello Everyone!!!

For reference i am looking at Illinois STARCOM21 system and the TRICOM dispatch and working groups for Geneva IL.

I am trying to listen to my local fire department ops channel and dispatch group. The talkgroup is unencrypted and my scanner shows reception bars, but there is no audio coming out of the scanner. I am using the uniden bcd436hp built in database. I did hear a quick transmission on the talkgroup that i want to listen to, but nothing else, it is unencrypted so i am thinking it might be a settings issue with my scanner. Any help would be appreciated. I’m not sure what’s up, it is also happening with other trunked system talkgroups that i know are unencrypted.
Can you explain the problem a little more specifically please? Is it scanning and then stopping on a talkgroup and there's no audio, or are you just holding on a channel and seeing a signal strength indication?
 

donc13

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Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,353
Location
Grand Junction, CO
That’s what i’m thinking.. would distortion cause it to not put out any audio? And would moving closer to the tower or site help it?
Yes, simulcast distortion can cause no audio because it can't decode the digital signal. You can perform a quickie test though... I don't know if the 436 has a signal attenuator you can turn on or not. If it does, turn it on and see if the audio comes back at least a bit better. Another option since the 436 is portable, is to take it for a walk around the block or drive around several blocks, again, see it the audio starts working.

And no, moving closer to the the tower is not a fix, simulcast distortion is very location dependant.
 

werinshades

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Jan 21, 2002
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5,818
Location
Chicago , IL
Also...here's a local thread that might be of assistance:


In addition, the only site needed for Kane County is a simulcast site, and based on your description, it is more likely than not, simulcast distortion. An SDS100 or SDS200 will resolve this issue.

 
Last edited:

Ubbe

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Sep 8, 2006
Messages
8,948
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
As I understand the control channel will always transmit in phase 1 mode that will be easier to decode but voice channels use phase 2 that will be more problematic. So at best, considering it is simulcast, you could get some reception from the control data that tells you what TG's that are in use but when monitoring the voice channels it will stop decoding.

You can try and program all voice channels as conventional in a new system and make a hold on that system and then try the attenuator both on and off and different settings of the P25 threshold levels until you seem to get a better decode success. Then apply those best settings to the original system.

/Ubbe
 
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