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Uniden Hybrid CB Radio + Scanner!

KIM4208

Newbie
Joined
Oct 5, 2022
Messages
3
Location
Texas
DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!
This works for me perfectly!
You MUST have a basic knowledge of PC Files and File structure before attempting this!
Save a copy of your original SD Card as a back up!
I will not be held responsible for you not doing this properly.

Do an update on the SD Card so that it has the latest frequencies.
From a PC open the SD card.
Open the folder named BCDx36HP
Open the folder named HPDB
In the file structure there is a File named hpdb.cfg using NOTEPAD.
The HPD files have a numeric name. The TXT file tells you which # corresponds to your state. Example, PA = 42
Open the HPD file with NOTEPAD. PA is s_000042.hpd
Any Talkgroups or Frequencies that you want to monitor all have a numeric classification. The 885 ONLY allows ones with the values of 1,2,3 or 4.
If you find "Main St Fire Dispatch" for example it will be followed by the numeric value of 3.
2 Indicates it's a Police Dispatch talkgroup.
3 indicates it's a Fire Dispatch talkgroup or frequency.
4 indicates it's an EMS Dispatch talkgroup.

If you have a Fire TAC that you want to be available when you have the FIRE selection on the display you need to change it's designation to a 3.
It seems like fire Ops and TACs are given an 8. Change that 8 to a 3.
Do this for all of the talkgroups or frequencies that you want available to you keeping in mind that if you want it available under the POLICE Button then it needs to be a 2, FIRE button a 3, EMS button a 4.
SAVE the file with the same file name that it had.
Eject your SD card properly.
Insert it into your 885 and you are all set.

Let me know if you have questions or how it works for you.

Dave


You MUST do this exactly this way for it to work.
IF you do an update on the SD card it will undo all of your changes.
Got it, I will not blame anyone but myself for what I do, or don't do correctly.. Thank you.
 

Echo4Thirty

Active Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 6, 2021
Messages
662
EDIT: I dont want to start a "hey whats my state number" barrage, so I will rephrase. Is there an easy way to determine your state number other than to open each file and look?
 

SurgePGH

Active Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 30, 2008
Messages
596
Location
Belle Vernon, PA
EDIT: I dont want to start a "hey whats my state number" barrage, so I will rephrase. Is there an easy way to determine your state number other than to open each file and look?
Yes. Open the HPDB.CFG file with NOTEPAD and scroll down until you find your state.
 

west-pac

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2004
Messages
1,564
Interesting. I don't have this radio, and have never looked at this SD Card file, but it sounds like each of the 1, 2, 3, 4 designators can be edited to any frequencies and TGs. If that is the case, could those 4 buttons be turned into scanning specific counties?
 

KX5E

Newbie
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 3, 2023
Messages
3
Location
Gloster, MS
My question about the 885 is, if Uniden adds analog frequencies to the database, why can't I?
I wouldn't mind if the scanner monitored MURS & GMRS while I'm traveling. Another thing I changed in the database was distance on my local police repeaters. I have neighboring counties that were limited to a 12.0 to 21.0 mile circle and I changed all those to 50.0 and it definitely increased traffic. One last problem or limit of the scanner is my state line. I'm in Mississippi and I border Louisiana straight north of Baton Rouge and I want to monitor the neighboring police, fire, emergency traffic and it seems the GPS limits that traffic. When I cross the border, it lights up with heavy Louisiana traffic. What do I do to the database so I can monitor that traffic that is within 25 miles? It may only take doing the same thing and that's changing the circle mileage in the database for Louisiana. I'm enjoying mine. I'm better off not knowing ALL of its shortcomings. Haha.
 

redbeard

OH, PA, WV Regional Admin
Database Admin
Joined
Feb 5, 2003
Messages
1,237
Location
BEE00.348-3.1
My question about the 885 is, if Uniden adds analog frequencies to the database, why can't I?
I wouldn't mind if the scanner monitored MURS & GMRS while I'm traveling. Another thing I changed in the database was distance on my local police repeaters. I have neighboring counties that were limited to a 12.0 to 21.0 mile circle and I changed all those to 50.0 and it definitely increased traffic. One last problem or limit of the scanner is my state line. I'm in Mississippi and I border Louisiana straight north of Baton Rouge and I want to monitor the neighboring police, fire, emergency traffic and it seems the GPS limits that traffic. When I cross the border, it lights up with heavy Louisiana traffic. What do I do to the database so I can monitor that traffic that is within 25 miles? It may only take doing the same thing and that's changing the circle mileage in the database for Louisiana. I'm enjoying mine. I'm better off not knowing ALL of its shortcomings. Haha.
I think the simplest answer is that the 885 was meant as a continuation of the Beartracker series and is meant to be an easy way to monitor police/highway patrol when traveling. Anything else is better off done on a dedicated scanner rather than trying to make something do what it wasn't designed for.
 

KX5E

Newbie
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 3, 2023
Messages
3
Location
Gloster, MS
I think the simplest answer is that the 885 was meant as a continuation of the Beartracker series and is meant to be an easy way to monitor police/highway patrol when traveling. Anything else is better off done on a dedicated scanner rather than trying to make something do what it wasn't designed for.
I agree but who of us is going to leave well enough alone.;) :unsure:The scanner has to be capable of receiving a neighboring county/parish that is just across the state line. What I want to know is how to do it. It may be as simple as the change I made to my neighboring Mississippi counties and that was changing the mileage circle in the database. I'm impressed with the range. Plus there also has to be a simple way to add a frequency that's not in the existing database for local monitoring, just as they do in an update. When I travel out of my area, it's a given I'll live with it being an easy way to change with my GPS location and monitor my location law enforcement and emergency first responders as was intended. I attached the frequency range in the owner's manual.
 

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slowmover

Temporarily Banned
Timeout for bad behavior
Joined
Aug 4, 2020
Messages
1,853
Location
Fort Worth
I agree but who of us is going to leave well enough alone.;) :unsure:The scanner has to be capable of receiving a neighboring county/parish that is just across the state line. What I want to know is how to do it. It may be as simple as the change I made to my neighboring Mississippi counties and that was changing the mileage circle in the database. I'm impressed with the range. Plus there also has to be a simple way to add a frequency that's not in the existing database for local monitoring, just as they do in an update. When I travel out of my area, it's a given I'll live with it being an easy way to change with my GPS location and monitor my location law enforcement and emergency first responders as was intended. I attached the frequency range in the owner's manual.

I’ve naught to offer but encouragement.

Here’s hoping!

.
 

KX5E

Newbie
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 3, 2023
Messages
3
Location
Gloster, MS
Thank you. I thought so just going by the frequency width of each band in the pic I posted from the owner's manual above in a post.
Is there any text to post with the frequencies so that the radio sees them correctly? There are other places in the Mississippi folder that references my county and city of residense but this was the only section with frequencies so I assume they go there? Maybe next to the analog Fire Dept frequency and it'll see MURS, GMRS or other frequency under Fire section in the readout. Thanks again.
 

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