user manual BCD 396xt

Status
Not open for further replies.

RangerDave

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
22
Location
North Carolina
I did a search here and could not locate it. The uniden site is not any help either. Does anyone have a link,or PDF of the manual for my scanner. Thanks in advance. david
 

K7CAR

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
150
Location
Monroe, WA
That's an online manual. As far as I know there are no real manuals unless you want to monkey around copying off a URL and the gazillion links. Does Uniden really believe this is the way to go with a complicated line of scanners?

I have a BCT15X and would like to take a written manual upstairs to bed and read about the wonderful ways I can learn about this scanner, but no there's no written manual. I'd like to read a manual at work, but no manual. I'm sitting waiting for my daughter at soccer and could be reading about my scanner and playing with it, but NO there's no freaking written manual. I'd gladly pay what maybe $5 dollars more for the scanner if there was a written manual. Perhaps a written manual that made sense, not the click here dozen links to the online manual. Maybe there is a PDF manual I can print out on the CD? Assuming I have a printer.

Hello, Uniden not everyone has a computer and online access 24/7. Make a quality manual and I bet you wouldn't see the 100's of posts on this forum asking for help. I'm off my rant box for now!......:)
 

K7CAR

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
150
Location
Monroe, WA
UPMan, the link you posted is to development and production files. I see a reference to the BCT15X. Do you have a direct link to a PDF for that scanner? I'd like to print out a paper manual if possible. Thanks
 

UPMan

In Memoriam
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
13,296
Location
Arlington, TX
All four models share many/most pages on the site. So, the pdf is of the entire site. Each page indicates the model(s) it applies to (once you get into the ¨meat¨ of the site).

Note that I am making a few structural changes to the flow of the site this morning. Nothing major, just an attempt to clarify how the site should be used...I think a lot of people right now go to the model-specific page for a start and are promptly lost. You should be starting at:
http://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/ScannerManuals or http://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/UnidenScannersUsersGuides. I am just going to whack those links on the left side of the page (or make some other clarification...not sure what will work best until I get to it).

Try doing that with a paper manual. Actually, the site right now has dozens of clarifications and extensions to the instructions that weren´t there when the product originally shipped. In the long run, we think that this is conducive to lowering the learning curve. People are still complaining about problems with the BC296D/BC796D manuals and having to rely on other (non-Uniden) resources for some entire operation modes that were not clearly covered. I pick those as examples, but the same is true for every scanner manual I know of (and I pretty much wrote all RadioShack scanner manuals from 1985-1996 so I am beating myself up a bit here, too, so you don´t need to bother :) ).
 
Last edited:

K7CAR

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
150
Location
Monroe, WA
Well I don't want to get into the "meat" of the site. All I want is a fricking manual to download! I'm sorry, but is this too difficult? I see about 40 files you have linked to on that page. I just looked at the newest file. 4/17 at the bottom and it's a CD manual.

I see a number of people asking for a printable manual. Is this possible? Perhaps you could put a link on each scanner? When I go to the online manual for the BCT15X there is no link to a printable manual. Has this not come up in your morning meetings or forum wanderings?

PS, I see you added a bunch more to your post after I posted. Yes, there needs to be some changes. Make a link to a printable manual on EACH scanner. As a new scanner owner I have no idea all the scanners share common programming functions. I know now they do, but that's after 3 weeks of reading dozens of posts. I'd still like a specific manual for MY scanner. I don't care if past scanners had a sucky manual. Make yours one I can look at and understand what's going on. There's absolutely no excuse for using the cop out of "well that's how we've always been doing it" If some thing isn't working right then fix it. There are dozens of people having problems with your scanners. It's becoming more and more like you don't give a #$%^. It's not that difficult if you have the info. in front of you and the CD manual sucks. You can quote me on that a hundred times over on these forums.
 
Last edited:

UPMan

In Memoriam
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
13,296
Location
Arlington, TX
The link at the very top is the latest pdf. I´ve changed that page to clarify this.

It is not possible to have a printed manual other than the one linked there.
 
Last edited:

K7CAR

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
150
Location
Monroe, WA
No I guess not. That's still a linkable copy of the CD that I DONT want. There's no way anyone can print that out. Why are you even giving that link? I give up.
 

KE4ZNR

Radio Geek
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
7,254
Location
Raleigh, NC
It's becoming more and more like you don't give a #$%^.

:roll:

Please...no one has given more of his PERSONAL time answering emails and forum postings than UPMan (Paul). This has been discussed (and whined about) many times in the past but both GRE & Uniden has made the decision to do away with printed owners manuals for a variety of reasons. Cutting costs, being more green are a couple. The fact that the radios today have the capability to have their firmware upgraded and new features added (like UID/RID display) mean that even if Uniden (or GRE) included a paper owners manual it would be outdated quickly.
Marshall KE4ZNR
 

UPMan

In Memoriam
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
13,296
Location
Arlington, TX
Thanks, Marshall.

Kent: I recognize the frustration, but I have to manage the resources I have, not resources I wish I had.

As for the site itself, I have just spent a chunk of my Sunday morning on making it (I hope) more usable. I appreciate any and all feedback on those efforts.
 
Last edited:

K7CAR

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
150
Location
Monroe, WA
I see Paul posting here and that's great, but I don't need him to blow smoke up my ass. If there isn't a printable online manual then come out and say that. I don't need links to worthless pages. It took how many posts before he told me there wasn't a printable manual!.....Give me a break.

The customer isn't always stupid, so don't assume that. Did Uniden take into account that not everyone has a computer? Maybe 5% of the population? I bet more like 25% of the older people over 60. A good segment of potential customers for a scanner I would think. Those people are being alienated from ever figuring out how to really use their scanners. If suspect that if they weren't pre programmed with the basic stuff most would never get turned on.
 

KE4ZNR

Radio Geek
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
7,254
Location
Raleigh, NC
If there isn't a printable online manual then come out and say that. I don't need links to worthless pages. It took how many posts before he told me there wasn't a printable manual!.....Give me a break.

Give us a break. There is a printable online manual (pdf). If you decide not to print it out it is YOUR problem not Unidens.


The customer isn't always stupid, so don't assume that.

No, the customer is not stupid. However the customer is being very stubborn in this case.

Did Uniden take into account that not everyone has a computer? Maybe 5% of the population? I bet more like 25% of the older people over 60. A good segment of potential customers for a scanner I would think. Those people are being alienated from ever figuring out how to really use their scanners. If suspect that if they weren't pre programmed with the basic stuff most would never get turned on.

I suspect Uniden could present you with a owners manual covered in gold and you would still find something to gripe about it.
Sorry you feel so slighted over an owners manual.
You have been given several different ways to access the requested info. It is up to You if you decided to use them or not.
Marshall KE4ZNR
 

KE4ZNR

Radio Geek
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
7,254
Location
Raleigh, NC
And to finish up I am not saying that the online owners manual is perfect. All I am saying is that I am glad that companies like Uniden & GRE are trying to think "outside the box". The hobby has to adapt to the realities of the online world to survive.
But Paul (UPMan) and GRE are listening and trying new ideas to simplify a difficult hobby. That should be commended instead of being insulted.
And RR.com is always here to help answer questions. :)
Marshall KE4ZNR
 

K7CAR

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
150
Location
Monroe, WA
I was given a link to a Production/Development page There were at least 25 links on that page to cryptic zip files and pdf files. Even notes to Paul. Not even sure that should have been posted? The other links were to the Online Manual that can't be printed without clicking on the gazillion links within. Marshall, please direct me to the pdf file that is the correct manual that I can print out? The ones I downloaded were all linkable files that mirrored the CD.

The manual doesn't have to be covered in gold. Just black and white paper that I could print out. PLEASE

PS, if we all rolled over and stroked Pauls head he wouldn't have any reason to check in on us would he!........At least some of my *****ing may have got him moving on some change. He did say he was fixing some of the links on the Uniden site. There's now a link to the cryptic Development/Production page I see. Be easy to change the names of the files to make some sense. If you don't ask, you'll never get it.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top