BCD436HP/BCD536HP: some intresting notes on this scanner

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N9NRA

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Well, i`ve now had my BCD436HP for a goodly while now (snagged it at Dayton), and for the most part i like this unit :). Display is nice & big, much easier on the eyes IMO, like the look of the scanner, looks a bit more "modern" if ya will, than my older `396XT does (i like that one too, that`s why i`m not sellin` it yet :D), Now that said, i have a question, has anyone else noticed that when you`re monitoring a P25 trunk system the unit has problems staying "locked" onto the control channel? Tested this against my `396XT just now and noticed that that unit had no problems locking on and staying locked on c-channel, the `436HP had problems, symptoms of this are, DAT indicator goes on & off on the display along with the signal indication going from full signal to no signal, which tells me the unit has "lost lock" on the c-channel then regained it (think a light switch being turned on and off quickly here). Is this something others have noticed or is this a function of mabey RFI here in the building i`m in? Right now just putting out a feeler to see what others are noticing/thinking on this. Thanx! N9NRA
 

N9NRA

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Are you running both scanners right next to each other?

Kinda, what i did was i first tried a different antenna on my `436HP thinkin` it was mabey a problem with the stock duck, didn`t make. Next tried it outside thinkin` mabey it was from something in my pad, still had the problem, monitored with my `436HP for a while then switched to my `396XT just to see if mabey this was a system problem, `396XT worked fine, no problems locking onto the c-channel, `436HP still had problems. What i might do now is hand-program the band plan for that system and see what happens, if i still have the symptoms then i`ll start to consider this a real bug and not just a fluke. I`m hoping this works, if so then i can say it`s a actual bug, and that the workaround i`m gonna try will work. N9NRA
 

N9NRA

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Update on my test that i just did. Well, that didn`t work ether (i hand-programmed the band plan info as given in the RRDB for the WISCOM system, still have tthe symptoms mentioned (not reliably locking on c-channel), might have to call this `un an actual bug, as i`ve pretty much done all i can to ether resolve it on my own or try to reproduce the symptoms (which i now have done). Here`s hopin` they set an update out there to fix this, it`s kinda anoying. I`d be curious to know if others are having the same problem, and if they were able to resolve it and what worked for them. Thanx! N9NRA
 

UPMan

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Not a problem. About every 2 seconds the scanner is going to do "housekeeping" that will make the RSSI go to 0 briefly. If you want this to happen less often, you can set the system hold time to a big number (but then if you scan it with other systems, the scanner will hold on that system for a long time, then go scan the other stuff).
 

N9NRA

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Not a problem. About every 2 seconds the scanner is going to do "housekeeping" that will make the RSSI go to 0 briefly. If you want this to happen less often, you can set the system hold time to a big number (but then if you scan it with other systems, the scanner will hold on that system for a long time, then go scan the other stuff).

Understood :). But know this, i also had this problem with my `396XT after doing an update (same symptoms as i`m having with my `436HP now) and i fixed it by rolling back to the last firmware, which happened to be the stock that it came outta the box with. As i`ve said before, this is a REALLY GREAT scanner, and i don`t want to have to just let it sit there on a shelf waiting for a fix to this (or god forbid sell it stright away after getting it...that would really stink :(). You`ve done too good a job with this to just let this run on without having some way of making a "reverse movement" when a buggy update comes along (which i can understand from time to time will happen, no one`s perfect here :)). Guess the curious question i will ask now is, what of the feuture of these new scanners, will there be anymore updates/fixes/enhancements, or will these simply head off into "EOL-land" after mabey a year to two years? Hope these stay around a while, as i`ve been looking for something like an HP-1 but with the nice form-factor of the T/XT models, and i`ve found it in the `436HP :), but PRETTY PLEASE! (Yeah, my did used to do that to us kids...quite funny now LOL :D), give us some new enhancements and fixes for some of these issues...PRETTY PLEASE! N9NRA
 

jasonhouk

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Not a problem. About every 2 seconds the scanner is going to do "housekeeping" that will make the RSSI go to 0 briefly. If you want this to happen less often, you can set the system hold time to a big number (but then if you scan it with other systems, the scanner will hold on that system for a long time, then go scan the other stuff).

Paul,

Can you define "housekeeping" What exactly is the scanner doing?
 

UPMan

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Checking the status of QKs and other options. It might also do some memory management during these breaks, garbage cleanup, etc.
 

policefreak

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To the OP, if you are ever concerned you are not receiving a control channel well because of a reception issue, you can always tune to it manually if you know it and check reception there. My 436 only does housekeeping for a split second, barely noticeable and not even long enough to make the DAT go away on my phase 2 system.
 

ButchGone

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So Paul, is there any advantage to performing "housekeeping" more often, like once every two seconds, over longer periods like 10 or 30 seconds? If just monitoring a Phase 1/2 system, any recommendations for system hold settings?
BG..
 
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