Uniden BCD99XT -- Piece of JUNK!
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DaveNF2G
Guest
I think that's the key to the newest scanners. You have to unlearn everything you already know about how scanners work. These are totally different.
If you us the butel/ARC software to program them it makes life so much easier. I own one and my fire house has 3 of them. paying the 40$ for that software was worth every cent. Or anyone that is unhappy with them should post them for sale for the people who cant get enough of them!
I was also intimidated by the new Uniden 996T, and 996XT models but after playing with them for several days, I now have few problems and am fairly good at figuring things out without software.
The GRE 500 and 600 were the same learning curve for me as the new Unidens so I would not blame either manufacturer.
I will however fully agree wit the OP's comment on the atrocious so called user manual on the included cd for the 996XT. That has to be the worst attempt at a manual I've ever seen and I find it harder to use then the scanner itself!
Plus the wiki website for the online version of the manual is horrible. Like the OP stated, it is horribly slow to respond when you click links plus it can be hard to navigate for the info you desire. I often seem to get lost and end up on a page with info not relevant to what I was looking for. I think the very slow response of the site is the worst part though.
Someone really needs to sit down and starting from scratch, write a new fully indexed manual and not in html format but rather a pdf.
I know some have converted the html source to pdf and that does help but it is still a poor manual due to the original source it is taken from.
I also find myself using the "easier to read" manuals like the 396XT manual from Mark's Scanners site as he did a pretty good job with it. I'm hoping he is working on one for the 996XT.
Paul (UPMan) also has a note in the online wiki 996XT manual stating a better or easier manual is coming like he has for the 396 but so far it has never came.
All in all, I love all my Unidens but the user manual for the 996XT is of a very poor design and I really don't see how anyone could disagree with that statement.
The GRE 500 and 600 were the same learning curve for me as the new Unidens so I would not blame either manufacturer.
I will however fully agree wit the OP's comment on the atrocious so called user manual on the included cd for the 996XT. That has to be the worst attempt at a manual I've ever seen and I find it harder to use then the scanner itself!
Plus the wiki website for the online version of the manual is horrible. Like the OP stated, it is horribly slow to respond when you click links plus it can be hard to navigate for the info you desire. I often seem to get lost and end up on a page with info not relevant to what I was looking for. I think the very slow response of the site is the worst part though.
Someone really needs to sit down and starting from scratch, write a new fully indexed manual and not in html format but rather a pdf.
I know some have converted the html source to pdf and that does help but it is still a poor manual due to the original source it is taken from.
I also find myself using the "easier to read" manuals like the 396XT manual from Mark's Scanners site as he did a pretty good job with it. I'm hoping he is working on one for the 996XT.
Paul (UPMan) also has a note in the online wiki 996XT manual stating a better or easier manual is coming like he has for the 396 but so far it has never came.
All in all, I love all my Unidens but the user manual for the 996XT is of a very poor design and I really don't see how anyone could disagree with that statement.
CStarr59
Member
Uniden, GRE, Radio Shack
I'm very thankful for Uniden and GRE scanners, they have made a great hobby even better with new technology and competition. I feel the same way about Radio Shack, even though they just market someone elses stuff. They still bring something different to the table, with a little different form factor.
I'm very thankful for Uniden and GRE scanners, they have made a great hobby even better with new technology and competition. I feel the same way about Radio Shack, even though they just market someone elses stuff. They still bring something different to the table, with a little different form factor.
IMHO, if you look at the industry trend for owners manuals you'll notice that it's usually one double sided page, has a reference to on line trouble shooting and a user support page on the web. RadioShack, GRE, and Uniden all point to Radioreference for peer-to-peer help with their current products. This removes some of the burden on their support centers, where many of the questions are answered to the best of their ability, but more often that not, may not be the answer the user was looking for.
Even the models that have well written and complete owners manual are obviously seldom used by many new users who would rather ask the same question over and over in these very forums, but this is exactly why the forum and more importantly, the Wiki have been created. As many have pointed out on the site, Google is your friend.
People with bald/shaved heads really have it bad... they don't have any hair to pull out when they've given up in frustration.
I resent that mike!!:lol: I mastered the beast and STILL have...oh,maybe 50% of my hair!
n9zas
IMHO, if you look at the industry trend for owners manuals you'll notice that it's usually one double sided page, has a reference to on line trouble shooting and a user support page on the web. RadioShack, GRE, and Uniden all point to Radioreference for peer-to-peer help with their current products. This removes some of the burden on their support centers, where many of the questions are answered to the best of their ability, but more often that not, may not be the answer the user was looking for.
Even the models that have well written and complete owners manual are obviously seldom used by many new users who would rather ask the same question over and over in these very forums, but this is exactly why the forum and more importantly, the Wiki have been created. As many have pointed out on the site, Google is your friend.
Yes, Google is a good thing. I'm also all for an electronic manual but please put it in a PDF format vs. HTML. HTML is just a poor choice in my opinion for a manual. It is fine on a website for things like an FAQ section but also create a PDF version that will read like a printed book should one chose to read or print it. I'm not saying they need to include a printed and bound paper manual but at least include it as a pdf on a cd for those without internet access. Then the end user can do what they like with it. I could not imagine trying to print the html formatted version that came with the 996XT if I were to give one of these radios to an elderly relative without a computer.
I myself must be a dying breed as I love reading a complete user or owner manual at night before sleep. However, I do always hook up whatever it is that I purchased and make an honest attempt at learning how it operates before I ever crack open a manual but the manual brings out things I've overlooked. I've done this since childhood. I also used too always take every new thing I ever purchased apart before ever plugging it in just to see what makes it tick! I started that when I was 5 but learned later in life to at least plug things in first and make sure they actually tick before I possibly void the warranty! Back then things did not have those little "warranty voided if sticker removed" things on them.
Again, nothing wrong with saving trees as even a person without a computer should be able to find someone that can help them but at least put it in a format that is widely accepted and can be read like a book if one chooses or can be easily printed into a booklet format should one desire to do such.
I once needed a service manual for a DLP TV. It was only available in an html format. Talk about the most horrible thing to navigate in order to find the info needed. Then the page with the schematic would not scale or zoom up like a good PDF. This made the schematic almost useless.
I'd also bet it takes more work to create a manual in HTML vs. a PDF version.
Oh well, it is what it is and now it is time to quit venting about the manual and get back to scanning!
Ahh yes, but I'm sure there are a good amount of dents in the wall from the impression made from those product mangers who have been reading the posts that we have all read this week :twisted:
acepilot340
Member
In 2006 I bought my first scanner ever, the Uniden BC246t; it was hard to figure out and so many new terms to use but with programming I came here and bought the premium subscription and downloaded the systems using ARC246. That is all it took for me to get to know about VHF to trunking. Then this summer I bought a 396XT and used my knowledge from the 246t to the XT because the interfaces are basically the same. Keep in mind the programming was confusing at first for the 246t but after being able to download the systems really taught me what its all about.
Geeze.
Have some patience.
You bought the absolute state of the art, with the most features you can buy and you are complaining you have to learn how to use it?
A ham of all people wrote a similar review on eham with his call for the world to see as he complained he wasn't smart enough to learn how to use the equipment he chose for himself.... embarrassing to me.
I see the same thing with hams that buy $10k-$12k radios and then describe the features they 'demand' that line up with a $600 entry level rig....baffling to me.
I'm a systems administrator, ham operator, scanner enthusiast, and all around technical nerd and it took me a couple days to get used to my 396XT. It never once occurred to me to hate the radio. I just kept cracking at it until it all made sense. It's a remarkable piece of gear and they really did a great job integrating so many options. I couldn't have dreamed of all the options when I first got into the hobby. It's great.
Just spend some time with it and learn something. This forum, between the wiki here and the people can answer anything you need. Have some faith.
Have some patience.
You bought the absolute state of the art, with the most features you can buy and you are complaining you have to learn how to use it?
A ham of all people wrote a similar review on eham with his call for the world to see as he complained he wasn't smart enough to learn how to use the equipment he chose for himself.... embarrassing to me.
I see the same thing with hams that buy $10k-$12k radios and then describe the features they 'demand' that line up with a $600 entry level rig....baffling to me.
I'm a systems administrator, ham operator, scanner enthusiast, and all around technical nerd and it took me a couple days to get used to my 396XT. It never once occurred to me to hate the radio. I just kept cracking at it until it all made sense. It's a remarkable piece of gear and they really did a great job integrating so many options. I couldn't have dreamed of all the options when I first got into the hobby. It's great.
Just spend some time with it and learn something. This forum, between the wiki here and the people can answer anything you need. Have some faith.
rvictor
Member
The manual in pdf is available for download here:
http://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/SiteExport
There is also a complete reference for the 396XT which is going to be pretty much the same as the 996XT.
http://info.uniden.com/twiki/pub/UnidenMan4/BCD396XT/BCD396XT_Complete_Reference.pdf
Dick
If you think the Uniden is hard to program then stay away from the Pro 106. Direct Object scanning is something I still don't like. It took me awhile to get a trunked system to work on the 106 and I've been a scanner user for over a decade and programmed AOR, ICOM, and Yupiteru radios.
I am glad I read through the whole list, but why did it take 20 messages to get to the most helpful one?? Mark's Scanners has the most easy to read and understand manual for many radios, including the Unidends and Radio Shacks. Spend a few minutes there and you will lose much of the frustration and begin enjoying the radio a lot more! You can even print out the quick guide to the multifunction keys.
I find the newer scanners easy to program if you take the time to READ the manual or in this case read off the cd enclosed. I had a frustrating experience with Gre 500 in quality issues BUT uniden has Great reputation of making above average products so I would always work with them to resolve any programming issues.As a last resort,you can send the unit to a place like lentini communications in Berlin connecticut and they would program it for the area you want for a reasonable fee.
Ouch!
I just got my Uniden 996XT a couple weeks ago. The most advanced scanner I've ever used before this was the Digital Radio Shack hand held. The Uniden 996XT is definitely confusing. But I did learn the hard way, using the computer to load the data into the scanner is awesome and much easier. Radio Reference makes that pretty easy. ^^; But I'm a complete idiot and I messed up something somewhere and a data channel I have should be voice but its not. It seems like a great scanner though. I hope you'll give it a chance.
I just got my Uniden 996XT a couple weeks ago. The most advanced scanner I've ever used before this was the Digital Radio Shack hand held. The Uniden 996XT is definitely confusing. But I did learn the hard way, using the computer to load the data into the scanner is awesome and much easier. Radio Reference makes that pretty easy. ^^; But I'm a complete idiot and I messed up something somewhere and a data channel I have should be voice but its not. It seems like a great scanner though. I hope you'll give it a chance.
WisconsinRailfan
Member
I just purchased the BCT15x, and at first I felt the same way. The darn thing just kept beeping loudly at me. I put it down for the night, took a deep breath, and posted some questions here, and another forum. Now I have it all figured out, for the most part. I like the challenge of learning a new radio, it's part of fun of this hobby.
crevatis
Member
I think if I hadn't previously learned how to use a BC246T that shipped with a real manual, I'd be in the same boat as Mike. The 996XT and and 396XT line of scanners are great products. Uniden (and possibly some of these other manufactures nowadays) just don't seem to hire anyone who has passed a 200 level technical writing course. That wiki page and reference pdf were just not designed well with the consumer in mind.
Hey,
I just gave my brother my brand new PSR500 for him to play with because I like my 996 better-for personal reasons none of which have to do with how the radio works or programming. Not a reason to send it back or use it as a tire chock certainly.
A lot of these post talk about about learning curves. And they are right. The more complicated these radio systems become, the more complicated the equipment to monitor them therefore, the more time it's going to take to learn the equipment. And unfortantly, what happened to crystal controlled scanners is now happening to the "key-board" programmable scanners as PC programming and control becomes the main-stream. And we will have to just deal with it I suppose. Personally, I like using Pc programmable controlled radios-there is lot more control over what can be scanned and how it looks not to mention the ability to program gobs of data in a very short time.
My two cents worth.
I just gave my brother my brand new PSR500 for him to play with because I like my 996 better-for personal reasons none of which have to do with how the radio works or programming. Not a reason to send it back or use it as a tire chock certainly.
A lot of these post talk about about learning curves. And they are right. The more complicated these radio systems become, the more complicated the equipment to monitor them therefore, the more time it's going to take to learn the equipment. And unfortantly, what happened to crystal controlled scanners is now happening to the "key-board" programmable scanners as PC programming and control becomes the main-stream. And we will have to just deal with it I suppose. Personally, I like using Pc programmable controlled radios-there is lot more control over what can be scanned and how it looks not to mention the ability to program gobs of data in a very short time.
My two cents worth.
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