policefreak
Member
Well, mine just simply turns on. I thought you could access a bunch of menus. What gives?
What Happens when you power on the 396 and hold the "Hold" key?
- Thread starter policefreak
- Start date
- Status
Jakemcgraw
Member
No, the Menu button is on the upper left hand side of the scanner to access the menu's.policefreak said:
Think you mean the hidden menu..
I havent used it since I upgraded to V2.. here is what i found on how to use it..
P25 AGC Settings
To access these settings:,
1. Press [HOLD] while turning on the scanner.
2. Turn on the Digital AGC option.
3. Tune to a digital channel.
4. While receiving a P25 signal, hold F then tap the scroll knob. The scanner displays the current P25 RES TIME parameter setting (see below for option details).
5. Rotate the scroll control to change the setting.
6. F+rotate the scroll to select another setting.
Parameters:
Analog AGC Settings
To access these settings:,
1. Press [HOLD] while turning on the scanner.
2. Turn off the Digital AGC option and turn on the Analog AGC option.
3. Tune to an analog channel.
4. While receiving a signal, hold F then tap the scroll knob. The scanner displays the current ANA RES TIME parameter setting (see below for option details).
5. Rotate the scroll control to change the setting.
6. F+rotate the scroll to select another setting.
Parameters:
http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56027&highlight=uniden+digital+menu
http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40794&highlight=hidden+digital+menu
I havent used it since I upgraded to V2.. here is what i found on how to use it..
P25 AGC Settings
To access these settings:,
1. Press [HOLD] while turning on the scanner.
2. Turn on the Digital AGC option.
3. Tune to a digital channel.
4. While receiving a P25 signal, hold F then tap the scroll knob. The scanner displays the current P25 RES TIME parameter setting (see below for option details).
5. Rotate the scroll control to change the setting.
6. F+rotate the scroll to select another setting.
Parameters:
Analog AGC Settings
To access these settings:,
1. Press [HOLD] while turning on the scanner.
2. Turn off the Digital AGC option and turn on the Analog AGC option.
3. Tune to an analog channel.
4. While receiving a signal, hold F then tap the scroll knob. The scanner displays the current ANA RES TIME parameter setting (see below for option details).
5. Rotate the scroll control to change the setting.
6. F+rotate the scroll to select another setting.
Parameters:
http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56027&highlight=uniden+digital+menu
http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40794&highlight=hidden+digital+menu
policefreak
Member
Thank you everyone. I was able to get to the hidden menu. So I sat there for a good long while and messed with it. Now I increased the digital reference gain to +5 and now the digital audio is almost as loud as the analog audio.
Ever since I upgraded my FW, I cannot access this menu. Not sure if its the FW or if I am just an idiot. I used to do it all the time...
Note that the most common reason that analog (conventional) audio sounds louder than digital is that the analog conventional channels are incorrectly programmed as either AUTO or NFM when they should be programmed as FM (in most bands AUTO = NFM to match the FCC's current licensing requirements for the band...however many if not most existing licensees do not use NFM). Having them set to NFM causes the scanner to see the signal as overmodulated which, for FM, will result in audio that is reproduced much louder than is proper.policefreak said:
That said, differences in users (mics vs talkies; dispatch vs. patrol; FD vs PD) also account for much of the imbalance...and that really can't be fixed by a reciever.
policefreak
Member
Hmmm. Very interesting, I never would have thought of that! :>D
Can the modulation also affect the reception of control channels on Motorola TRS's? For example I live in NJ about 15-20 mi from Montgomery county, PA and Philadelphia. At some part of the house I can receive the control channel weakly but without any breaks in the audio from it being too weak to squelch. Yet if I try to scan the system, my 396 can't pick it up. Either the control channel is just barely too weak or the scanner is not sensitive enough to process the data from the weak but audible control channel. What to do?
Can the modulation also affect the reception of control channels on Motorola TRS's? For example I live in NJ about 15-20 mi from Montgomery county, PA and Philadelphia. At some part of the house I can receive the control channel weakly but without any breaks in the audio from it being too weak to squelch. Yet if I try to scan the system, my 396 can't pick it up. Either the control channel is just barely too weak or the scanner is not sensitive enough to process the data from the weak but audible control channel. What to do?
Improve your antenna or location (or ask the guys in Montgomery County or Philly to increase the height and/or power output from their sites 
).
).reedio
Member
So once I adj the digital and analog should I leave them "ON"or "OFF"
while just scanning.BC396T/Dan
while just scanning.BC396T/Dan
It depends on whether you want AGC turned on or off while scanning. I think, based on the lameness of my answer that I don't really understand what you are really asking.
reedio
Member
The BC396t says "Set Audio AGC" Analog/Digital-On or Off... So once I set itwith this being on, do I leave it on or off?
If you want the audio AGC to function, you would turn it on. If you don't want the audio AGC to function you would turn it off.
UPMan,
Should this hidden menu still function under current firmware? I, for the life of me, cannot get it to work since the upgrade. My scanner just turns on...doesn't beep or go into the hidden menu mode when following the instructions for my 396.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Should this hidden menu still function under current firmware? I, for the life of me, cannot get it to work since the upgrade. My scanner just turns on...doesn't beep or go into the hidden menu mode when following the instructions for my 396.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Yep. In fact that is the only way to adjust the P25 waiting time.
Got it working.
- Status