Uniden UBCD396XT nooby to digital needing help transferring from analog

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ImC0ld

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HI, I recently got a Uniden UBCD396XT and need help programming it. Unsure how to program the digital channels so if anyone has a file of the channels already set up for this scanner would be awesome.

I went from an old Baofeng Analog radio and cant hear my usual channels as they all went digital.

After CFA, Ambos Vic, SES Vic, trains, vic roads, just about anything in Victoria thats not encrypted. Even shopping centers are digital or encrypted these days.

Can this scanner get the new SES frequencies? I heard they went digital but unsure if this sacnner will pick them up? I've tried to program them in but I think I failed as it never hears anything. Unsure if I did it right or the TGIDs and frequencies are in the correct places. its all too complicated for me. Long live the days of typing in the frequency and listen, now its 5 different numbers, 1000 channels and if 1 is set up wrong nothing works.

I got ProScan so I can program the scanner with that. Or is there better software to program this scanner with?
 
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tvengr

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Welcome to Radio Reference! Are you in Australia? If you are, I suggest that you click on Report and request that your thread be moved to the Australian forum. You will find people in your area who will be able to answer your questions. The Australia forum is near the bottom after the states.
 

questnz

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Yes, we are very helpful people, enjoy your scanner. One of the way to help yourself is to subscribe as a Premium Member to RR Database then you will be able to download Victoria database straight to your scanner Victoria Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference then you follow some other links from here Radio Scanning and here Vicradio Zone and here ScannerGeek.com.au alternative software Downloads - Sixspot Software Easier to read manual Easier to Read BCD396XT Digital Scanner Manual. For extra info you can contact Ozscan (Jim) ubcd396xt @ outlook.com
He is an expert Ozscan - Uniden Scanner Instructions or here Ozscan
Hope this will be help you to get you underway. Good luck
 

ImC0ld

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If I subscribe, can I get a download so the channels are already set up for this scanner?
I've read the pages and its got frequencies but I dont know how to program this scanner so they are all jargon to me.
I dont understand how to program digitally. talkgroups, IDs, too many details, too many options, too confusing to me.
 

ImC0ld

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And the lists are not updated. Its still the old analog frequencies for SES which they are now digital.
so old lists wont help
 

questnz

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Contact Jim (Ozscan) he will help you with up to date complete database in your area with the frequency you be able to hear on 396XT Obviously he will charge you some fee but it will be worth it. All digital scanners are much more complex from old analog devices, so there is some learning to do. Use programing software of your choice to get most of your scanner.
ps After subscribing as Premium Member you can still download the RR Victoria database and have a look at the setup, it will give you a good idea of how it is done. It is worth it a small fee even for 6 months.
 

ImC0ld

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I soon will have a similar problem. I just brought a Uniden UBCD436PT so a new scanner. As its new in box (from ebay) unsure what is on the SD card. Its from South Australia but originally unknown. Hopefully its an Aus model.
Does this scanner come with a preprogrammed SD card for Australia or would i need a Victoria setup for it?
So next week, after ive had a good look and a go at it ill be back if i need help. Hoping things like ProScan will work with it.

Going to put the other unit in the car as i have a headunit mounted in the dash and i very doubt the UBCD436PT will work with that headunit.
 

ImC0ld

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I got it yesterday and it came empty. The SD card was empty except for its own data (sentinel files etc). The database was empty, the favorites were empty. It had nothing.
I updated the firmware and that put on the CFA districts which is nice but nothing showed. It said "nothing to scan"
Took me hours to find out why.
Its a long learning curve from the 396 but I'm getting there. Working out how to do things and now some make sense.
The 436 feels really cheap and hollow compared to the 396. It went from a colored screen to a colored led. Went from metal parts to plastic. Has that cheap look and feel to it. I'm not impressed at all with the build quality of the 436.

Unsure how but I did import all the 396 channels to the 436. Its working but as nothing is new its not feeling like a worthy purchase.

I checked out the database here but its old. After SES and it still has the 2012 list. Nothing about the new digital SES channels.
A lot of the lists are old. I thought it would be all the latest but its not.

I've messaged Ozscan and waiting for a reply.
 

Avguy1

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According to Radio Reference, The Victoria SES uses a combination of Victoria SMR and conventional UHF frequencies. The SMR system is MPT-1327 which the Uniden BCD-396xt and BCD 436HP/PT do not support. As far as programing the BCD-396xt scanner goes, a great program to use for that is called FreeScan and can be found here: Downloads - Sixspot Software
 

ImC0ld

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So thats why SES isn't anywhere to be found? They went stupid digital. Oh well...
I got that software but unsure how to program digital channels, trunking, P25 etc.
I'm old skool, put in an analog frequency and its done. All this digital stuff is so confusing.
When its done, like in the app I can move around to my liking but getting it there is the problem I have.
I'm autistic and just cant comprehend how digital works. talkgroups? P25? trunking? If someone would stop and teach me how to do it then I'll be fine but finding someone that knows about digital frequencies that is willing to help is a major problem.

I tried about 5 years ago and got so much abuse and banned Its taken this long to come back and ask for help again.
There is no need for the abuse and banning. WHY ban a potential paying customer just asking for help?
 

ImC0ld

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I got the 396 done with proscan.
The 436 is the one I've moved onto atm.

This is from the FreeScan website "The BCD436HP and BCD536HP are unsupported and will never be supported."

So thats no good. I got Sentinel installed and working but doesnt help, I still cant work out how to get the data in the right places to make it work.
From what I read, here at RR they have CSV files of everything.Sentinel doesn't import CSV files so going to have to find another way to install channels.
 

maus92

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Sentinel imports the RRDB updates via its own interface.

These are complicated radios, and are complicated to program. And complicated to explain in a forum setting.

There are *tons* of YouTube video about Sentinel. Here's just one about updates:

Perhaps and easier to understand manual for the 436: Easier to Read BCD436/536HP Digital Scanner Manual
 

ImC0ld

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If I was in USA or Canada this would be great but here in Australia this is useless.
I updated this Australian 436PT with the Australian firmware and its only got US and Canada databases.
HOW can I get an Australian database into Sentinel so I can program it as easy as the US do?
Or is it impossible as I'm in Australia and we are always left out?
Or is the Australian database stuck behind the paywall?
 

Whiskey3JMC

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HOW can I get an Australian database into Sentinel so I can program it as easy as the US do?
I'm not aware of a way to do this in Sentinel, but with Freescan and EZGrab, if you get a premium RR subscription you can export a frequency list as a CSV (see screenshot below) and import it into Freescan. RR database also covers Australia so hopefully you should be able to find a CSV file for your area.

Hope this helps
80383
 

maus92

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You can also enter frequency data into Sentinel by hand. Tedious, but I do it when necessary. I had to figure out how to do it myself, but it can be done. Luckily, you probably don't need to program a lot of systems.

I'm surprised that a Uniden retailer in Australia isn't able to assist - that is one of their functions, supposedly, and one reason to buy locally.

What I would do is find a similar system in the US / Canada database, download it, and look at its structure in Sentinel. That can give you guidance of how to program a local-to-you system.

Nobody in the Australian section of this site has been able to help / give suggestions / told you how they solved the issue?
 

Avguy1

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maus92

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I was reading in an Australian board about downloading Sentinel from the Australian Uniden support site - where did you get your copy of Sentinel? Perhaps the Aus version has the database you need. Here is a link to the Aus version of Sentinel:


Here is a link to instructions oriented to the Aus version of the 436:


The site notes that:
Australian Sentinel version - UBCDx36 is for use with the following Scanners - UBCD436PT and UBCD536PT.
This software is NOT compatible with the US models BCD436HP or the BCD536HP.
 
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