Very disappointed in the BCD536

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RF23

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Those of you having this problem have you tried Cellphone's suggestion of changing to FM from NFM?

I believe you will have to do that from the scanner itself I don't think Sentinel will let you change it so it might not stick after turning the scanner off.

Also like Cellphone said Uniden would like to know and a lot us want to know too if it helps or not.
 

JoeyC

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You can set frequency modulation in Sentinel.
In conventional, its at the frequency level.
In trunked systems, its at the Site level.

Doing so, has improved my reception.
 

LIScanner101

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As pleased as I am (and I seriously mean that) about how changing modulation from NFM to FM improves the scanning experience on the new Unidens, I am also concerned as to why this is necessary...something is still not right here.
 

tbakken

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Ok that seems to be the answer. Now my 536HP is actually beating out the 396XT (sometimes). Crazy...still sounds like a firmware fix. Who would have thought.
 

RF23

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Does anyone know if the 436 has this problem too?

I thought the 536 & 436 had essentially the same receiver and Sentinel is for both as well so, it should have the problem too.
 
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AA6IO

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Well I changed my problem OCCS (Orange County) trunk system settings to FM from NFM, and although the P25 digital audio is less than stellar, I have to say it is markedly improved over that with NFM settings. I previously reported that I had to use a paper clip to reduce RF enough on this system to get much decoding. Now with my RS-800 and even TerraWave on it (albeit attenuated on all sites), am getting some reasonable results. I will mess with P25 settings tomorrow and see what happens.
I am encouraged to see that results are improving, for example, for JoeyC in San Diego, with these new settings.
Steve AA6IO (Cerritos in the heart of the LA basin)
 

JoeyC

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I am also concerned as to why this is necessary...something is still not right here.

Really! This tells me that the scanner (or perhaps Sentinel) is improperly treating frequencies in the 800 mhz band as NFM as a default (auto) where it should be FM.
 

Salvation

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I'm not an expert with radios or P25 or anything like that, but maybe it's just a simple software error where FM is marked as NFM and NFM is marked as FM somewhere in the software by mistake. Sometimes stupid little bugs slip through from just a simple wrong variable entry in the software that has a big effect down the line. Despite the display saying it's NFM and the database saying to use NFM, the procedure call to set the digital filters could be calling FM instead.

Just a thought from having done some programming in the past. One little missed semicolon or misspelled variable can give you wacky results that don't get picked up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

bberns22

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As pleased as I am (and I seriously mean that) about how changing modulation from NFM to FM improves the scanning experience on the new Unidens, I am also concerned as to why this is necessary...something is still not right here.

I doubt it's related to modulation type - almost everyone that has bought these radio's is not having this problem - its seems to be isolated to a very few people. Perhaps the source of the problem is elsewhere.
 

whsbuss

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Reading all these posts about changing Auto/NFM to FM has had absolutely no affect on my Motorola SmartZone II system here. Digital TGIDs still decode poorly, miss transmissions, have poor audio. If this work around works for other system types, Uniden really has a problem.
 

bberns22

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If it's so bad why have you not returned it?

Reading all these posts about changing Auto/NFM to FM has had absolutely no affect on my Motorola SmartZone II system here. Digital TGIDs still decode poorly, miss transmissions, have poor audio. If this work around works for other system types, Uniden really has a problem.



The Type II issue seems to be isolated to a very few which makes me think is is not radio related - if you think the radio is such a disappointment why not simply return it or get it replaced as part of the headphone white noise issue? If I were as unhappy with any product, as some of you are I would have gotten my money back and moved on to the competition.
 

whsbuss

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The Type II issue seems to be isolated to a very few which makes me think is is not radio related - if you think the radio is such a disappointment why not simply return it or get it replaced as part of the headphone white noise issue? If I were as unhappy with any product, as some of you are I would have gotten my money back and moved on to the competition.

Actually I did return mine. I know you have had good results with Philly's new P25 system but if you listen to many of the videos on youtube its not a ringing endorsement for the new Uniden scanners. P25 phase II is an important feature as many counties change over. What has me disappointed is the GRE scanners and 396/996 scanners do a better job at receiving digital signals on systems the x36 do not. How can Uniden release a new scanner that doesn't do better than its previous line?

Everyone has their own opinion and I respect that.
 

MORSEMAN

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NFM vs FM in Sentinel P25 Site

I am confused over the proposal to change modulation from NFM to FM. I can clearly find this selection in conventional frequencies but in my installation of Sentinel Version 1.02 Revision 01 when I Edit a favorites list for a P25 system and select a site and the Options Tab the only selections I see are, Site Name, Avoid, Attenuator, Quick Key, P25 Threshold Mode, P25 Threshold Level. There is no selection for Modulation.
Is this only in the original version of the software? Has it been eliminated in the new Sentinel version?
Am I running the wrong version?
 

dispatcher812

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I sure hope so. But UPMan listed the 5 fixes and none of them will address your (and many others) issues. Mine is useless on my Motorola Type II system.

Can you post a link to where he posted these fixes? I searched but did not find it. Thanks

On a side note I do notice that at times mine seems to fly while others it does seem slower and it does feel like I am missing a lot. I have all the sites programed in for the Connecticut State Police but use the location control and GPS to only scan certain a Troop when I am actually in that troops area. As I move, the troop I scan changes. But again at times it is slower then others. I do have a 2 sec hold on one of my systems so I know that will slow it down but the others seem slower.
 
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bberns22

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Actually I did return mine. I know you have had good results with Philly's new P25 system but if you listen to many of the videos on youtube its not a ringing endorsement for the new Uniden scanners. P25 phase II is an important feature as many counties change over. What has me disappointed is the GRE scanners and 396/996 scanners do a better job at receiving digital signals on systems the x36 do not. How can Uniden release a new scanner that doesn't do better than its previous line?

Everyone has their own opinion and I respect that.

Glad to hear you are in good shape with other scanners - nothing to complain about there
 

whsbuss

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Can you post a link to where he posted these fixes? I searched but did not find it. Thanks

Posted by UPMan on 2/17 - no info on when the new firmware will be released

Improved Long squelch tail problem
Fixed backlight set to squelch problem.
Fixed "Conventional discovery hangs on a P25 control channel even with time-out timer set."
Fixed "Scanner Hangs with no audio in mobile install after start with some vehicles."
Fixed DAT icon problem.
 

dispatcher812

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Posted by UPMan on 2/17 - no info on when the new firmware will be released

Improved Long squelch tail problem
Fixed backlight set to squelch problem.
Fixed "Conventional discovery hangs on a P25 control channel even with time-out timer set."
Fixed "Scanner Hangs with no audio in mobile install after start with some vehicles."
Fixed DAT icon problem.

Thank you.
 

Dafe1er

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Off in a far away place, far from u.......
Posted by UPMan on 2/17 - no info on when the new firmware will be released
Fixed "Conventional discovery hangs on a P25 control channel even with time-out timer set."
.
Good to hear!

This is a big PITA with the 436 and also the HP-1. I keep getting stuck on a frequency of 154.7100. I have to exit the scanners discovery modes and or turn the scanner's off to get it to try again.....but it always stops on this freq and cannot "avoid" it....Bring on the fix!
 
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