Uniden BCD536HP ID Search

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JoeyC

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Generally I program scanners for talkgroups that I want or might want to listen to and use ID SCAN almost exclusively and tend not to use ID SEARCH very often at all. So in the weeks I have owned this scanner I have not ventured into ID SEARCH, but decided to hit FUNC E/yes today as the scanner scanned the system I listen to and was quite surprised to find out this scanner is missing almost everything that my older scanners are picking up (again) including analog talkgroups. There are a few IDs that the scanner stops on without issue, but most hits on the older scanners are missed by the 536. All service types are ON (not that that should matter).

Does this scanners ID SEARCH not work the same as all the other Uniden scanners in existence or is this yet another flaw in this scanner? :mad::confused:

From the manual Pg 54 what does this mean??

Toggle ID Scan or ID Search
While scanning each Trunked System, press Func then E/yes.
Note: ID Search is not available with the Database.


Is scanning exclusively with a Favorites List considered the Database??
If so, why am I getting a few IDs that I haven't included in my FL as hits when ID SEARCHING?
 

troymail

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I load up programming also - sometimes only FIRE/EMS talkgroups and other times/systems ALL talkgroups.

When I only load a subset of the talkgroups for what the system is listed as having on RR, I usually run ID SCAN.

When I load the entire system, I run in ID SEARCH looking for new talkgroups.

I can't say that I've ever seen talkgroup appear under ID SEARCH that was programmed but I do routinely see NEW talkgroups appearing.

Last weekend I was monitoring a small LTR system and hearing nothing on the 536 while I was hearing activity on my other radios. I realized I was not in ID SEARCH mode... As soon as I enabled ID SEARCH, I started hearing the new TG on that system.

Now, having said all that - I routinely see/hear activity on other radios (specifically DIGITAL) where the 536 just scans right through the system without stopping. It is much worse if/when scanning more than one system and it seems to be even worse when one P25 system follows another (but it could be it just appears to be the case). At one time I had a belief that running in ID SEARCH mode also degraded performance and increased the likelihood that the 536 would not stop on active digital TGs but I can't prove that one either.

Anyway - if I missed trying to address your question, sorry about that....
 

theaton

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ID Search and Location Control

I asked a related question in another post that hasn't been answered:

"If location control is turned on and ID Search is turned on, how does the 436/536 treat identified TGs in Depts that are out-of range? Are they listed as from the DB or listed as Unknown? IOW is location controlled turned off for Depts if ID search is turned on?"

My 436HP picks up as much as my 396T. Both are always running in Search mode.

I wish, Wish, WISH the full database would allow Search mode. I consider this the biggest limitation of the 436/536. It's great as a 396XT and as a Home Patrol, but it fails to combine the best of both worlds. I just discovered that a system without any identified TGs is not even downloaded from the RRDB. Grrrrr. I hope that updates can improve this situation.

-Tim
 

LIScanner101

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I just discovered that a system without any identified TGs is not even downloaded from the RRDB. Grrrrr. I hope that updates can improve this situation.

-Tim

Is it still possible to create one anyway (manually) using the frequencies from the RRDB and then running the system in search mode?
 

whsbuss

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I read most all posts regarding issues with reception, and this particular one is near the very top. How can another scanner (non-x36) sitting right next to the 536/436 and pick up transmissions while the x36 sits there dumb? And all this "sweet spot" crap is just that. With the same antenna, same system I find it unacceptable for such a high priced scanner.
 

theaton

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Is it still possible to create one anyway (manually) using the frequencies from the RRDB and then running the system in search mode?

Yes, it can be typed in manually, typed into Sentinel, or downloaded with third-party software (similar to other scanners). But to have the entire RRDB on the scanner minus these few systems, or the ability to Search other systems, is a terrible shame. I want to load the RRDB updates weekly and not have to do a ton of work to make the scanner search for new TGs.

OTOH the 436 does a great job with conventional frequencies. It can distinguish analog from digital and record tone codes even if they don't match the DB. That's great for finding new frequencies to add to the DB. I just with it was so flexible with trunked systems.
 

AZScanner

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I read most all posts regarding issues with reception, and this particular one is near the very top. How can another scanner (non-x36) sitting right next to the 536/436 and pick up transmissions while the x36 sits there dumb? And all this "sweet spot" crap is just that. With the same antenna, same system I find it unacceptable for such a high priced scanner.

Then sell it. :roll: Honestly, I just get the feeling there's no pleasing you. I wish I could afford to, I'd offer to take your 536 off your hands right now, because I want one. Post after post after post about how much you hate the scanner. Sell it or get your money back. Life's too short to spend it complaining.

Is scanning exclusively with a Favorites List considered the Database??
If so, why am I getting a few IDs that I haven't included in my FL as hits when ID SEARCHING?

Because it's not so. It sounds to me like you have some service types turned off somewhere. If that's the case, it's not a bug. The scanner is doing exactly what you have told it to do - it's avoiding the service types you have currently set to OFF. Turn on all the service types and you'll get your ID Search hits as expected.

-AZ
 

UPMan

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ID SEARCH should grab any TGID that is not in your FL. If you have the channels in your FL but they are avoided, then ID SEARCH will ignore them, too. But, really, for what it sounds like you want to use ID SEARCH for, I'd encourage you to look at the Discovery feature.
 

whsbuss

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Then sell it. :roll: Honestly, I just get the feeling there's no pleasing you. I wish I could afford to, I'd offer to take your 536 off your hands right now, because I want one. Post after post after post about how much you hate the scanner. Sell it or get your money back. Life's too short to spend it complaining.



Because it's not so. It sounds to me like you have some service types turned off somewhere. If that's the case, it's not a bug. The scanner is doing exactly what you have told it to do - it's avoiding the service types you have currently set to OFF. Turn on all the service types and you'll get your ID Search hits as expected.

-AZ

Already sent it back. Not being negative, but if you were here listening to the poor transmissions my 436 had (compared to the GRE600) you would sing a different tune. I don't hate the scanner; in fact both units are very functional BUT they just don't work here. I post so others can understand that not everything is rosy and they should not expect glorious results out of the box.

Had two different incidents here and on both occasions the 436 left a lot to be desired. And its not just my ears. A few firefighters listening said they could not follow all the action going on. I do wish it was cockpit error but it was not. Didn't matter if full database (with all systems but mine turned off), FL in sentinel with all the appropriate services set, the 436 missed many transmissions. That should not happen at this price.
 

AZScanner

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ID SEARCH should grab any TGID that is not in your FL. If you have the channels in your FL but they are avoided, then ID SEARCH will ignore them, too. But, really, for what it sounds like you want to use ID SEARCH for, I'd encourage you to look at the Discovery feature.

Service types matter too. I just confirmed it by turning off Law Dispatch, Tac and Talk while holding on RWC Simulcast A which is the main site for Phoenix PD. The scanner sat there searching, quiet as a mouse. Turned them back on and the scanner again picked up PPD as normal. That sounds exactly like what the OP described in his post.

-AZ
 

LIScanner101

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AZ, that's interesting. intuitively, I would think that if you are searching for talk group IDs the scanner shouldn't care what your settings are in regards to service types. After all you're SEARCHING, you're not trying to select something that's already in your scanner. Why would your service types matter?
 

davenlr

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I use that feature to mute all the police talk while I am scanning our state system. Much faster than avoiding each department separately. For state police, I changed them from law-dispatch to security, just so they wouldnt get turned off.

Also, if the department doesnt have a check box on that screen with 0-99 check boxes, I dont think the scanner will scan it either.

Mine picks up everything I have it programmed to pick up. Havent noticed it missing anything. If they dispatch a fire, and I dont hear the units responding, I quick hit DISCOVERY, and find out what new talk group they programmed and are using. Our system is new, so they are always changing things around...possibly why the OP is missing transmissions.
 

AZScanner

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AZ, that's interesting. intuitively, I would think that if you are searching for talk group IDs the scanner shouldn't care what your settings are in regards to service types. After all you're SEARCHING, you're not trying to select something that's already in your scanner. Why would your service types matter?

You're right, they shouldn't - for new talkgroups. It sounds to me though that Joey was expecting the known ones he already had in the scanner to appear as active too, which they will only do if the service type they are tagged with is enabled, as evidenced in my previous post. That would explain why a 396 would pick up a talkgroup that the 436 did not.

-AZ
 

theaton

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Discovery vs. ID Search

ID SEARCH should grab any TGID that is not in your FL. If you have the channels in your FL but they are avoided, then ID SEARCH will ignore them, too. But, really, for what it sounds like you want to use ID SEARCH for, I'd encourage you to look at the Discovery feature.

Yes, the Discovery feature works well for quickly grabbing frequently-used TGs on a system. But if you want to scan multiple systems for the rare TGs (and rarely-used conventional frequencies as well), and also use the scanner for general listening at the same time, Discovery isn't so great. I add a lot to the RRDB by sorting large scanner logs. My scanner is running/logging all the time whether I'm listening or not. :lol:

Is it possible that the ID Search option will be added to the Full DB in a future update?
 

SCPD

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me too

I feel the 996Xt was a better radio,its louder,clearer,has search for many different areas of interest,is easier to
follow in my opnion.I miss the Custom Search on the 996XT.Next week I am going to sell my 536HP and go back to the 996Xt.The audio on the p25 phase 1 is hearable,the phase 2 is swirly and hard to understand.
Kind of weird,the 536 set up very easy,just the results are mediocre compared to the old 996XT.
I did notice the paint on the cabinet on the 536 seems better than the 996t though.
The 996xt has a better knob,the 536 knob is loose and flimsy and I like it on the right,cause Im right handed.
I gave the 536 a shot though,just not my thing- I even liked the home patrol better.....
 

UPMan

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I must have misunderstood his post. The only difference between ID SCAN and ID SEARCH is that ID SEARCH will include TGIDs that are not in any channel at all. TGIDs that are programmed into a channel are subject to the normal rules (won't be scanned if they are avoided, out of range, not of a selected service type, etc.). If he was expecting ID SEARCH to include those other channels, then that was a misconception on his part.
 

theaton

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XT vs. HP

I was using a 396T (not XT) until I got the 436, and the Custom Search features are virtually identical on the two. Both work great for searching the bands. I wish the individual bands could be assigned to quick keys, though. The 436 has the advantage of being able to distinguish digital from analog (I suspect the x96XT had that too). What did your 996XT have for Custom Search that the 536 lacks?

I feel the 996Xt was a better radio,its louder,clearer,has search for many different areas of interest,is easier to
follow in my opnion.I miss the Custom Search on the 996XT.Next week I am going to sell my 536HP and go back to the 996Xt.The audio on the p25 phase 1 is hearable,the phase 2 is swirly and hard to understand.
Kind of weird,the 536 set up very easy,just the results are mediocre compared to the old 996XT.
I did notice the paint on the cabinet on the 536 seems better than the 996t though.
The 996xt has a better knob,the 536 knob is loose and flimsy and I like it on the right,cause Im right handed.
I gave the 536 a shot though,just not my thing- I even liked the home patrol better.....
 

JoeyC

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OK, what UPMan said is for the most part what I am seeing. TGs that I have NOT programmed in the FL are the only ones that the radio stops on. I said for the most part because there are a couple TGs that I definately have programmed in the FL, that are being found in ID SEARCH mode (Text tags display). Nothing is avoided and AZ, as I stated in the first post, ALL Service types are ON. I have only one trunked system active (two sites) in the one FL. I have not yet explored Discovery mode and like I said, my usual listening mode is ID SCAN. Since this is now on my mind, I am running in SEARCH mode, and so far, at least 3 of the TGs I have programmed, are stopping in ID SEARCH mode, so I don't know whats going on.
 

theaton

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I must have misunderstood his post. The only difference between ID SCAN and ID SEARCH is that ID SEARCH will include TGIDs that are not in any channel at all. TGIDs that are programmed into a channel are subject to the normal rules (won't be scanned if they are avoided, out of range, not of a selected service type, etc.). If he was expecting ID SEARCH to include those other channels, then that was a misconception on his part.

That is very unfortunate. So if you want to listen to all possible TGs (in a large state system, for instance) on one or more local sites you simply can't use location control?

Is there any way to turn location control ON for Sites but OFF for Departments? I haven't found a way.

I'm having trouble seeing any benefit in location-based Department settings. For Sites it's wonderful ... but why put arbitrary limits on what the sites can send you? :eek:
 

UPMan

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Not unfortunate...it is just how ID Search has worked for at least 11 years.

If you want the scanner to stop on all possible IDs in the system, put it into a FL and set the FL to not be location controlled (you'll need to either delete or avoid sites you don't want scanned), unavoid all channels, and enable all relevant service types.

Location control for departments limits the selection so that you only hear agencies that are within your "sphere of interest." For example, while driving, I normally have no need or desire to hear all of the Arlington Patrol districts when I am in North Arlington...it would result in way too much radio traffic. So, Range is set to 0. As I drive, from North to South, as I approach the South Patrol area, the South Patrol department turns on and as I exit the North Patrol area, North turns off (due to the use of circles, there is some overlap). Similarly, when I am driving in Arlington, I don't need to be listening to Grand Prairie, Irving, Dallas, and Fort Worth...

If I'm stationary and want to hear departments outside my geopolitical sphere, I can always bump up the range setting on the scanner.

I suppose if you lived on a mountaintop, the amount of radio traffic wouldn't be such an issue...oh, wait. You do live on a mountaintop. :)
 
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