Uniden BCD396T Manual page 2

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Owner's manual (156 pages)

Owner's manual (156 pages)

Owner's manual (154 pages)

Table Of Contents

Table of Contents

Easier to Read BCD396T/UBCD396T Digital Scanner Manual

Programming Freqs/IDs into 'Groups'

Quickly Storing a Frequency

Quickly Storing an ID

Manually Programming Frequencies/IDs

**Edit Channel Options Menu**

Again, the manual is like trying to set a watch made in China. My biggest gripe is that it doesn't follow the menus of the radio. So, I have written this manual for myself so I

can actually use the scanner and will share it with you.

I have tried to write my manual to follow the menu sequences as closely as possible so you can find things a little easier in the radio.

The scanner does have some cool new features: Scan and Search,

system and search band,

Auto Store

tagged channels. You can store up to 400 different systems (if there is enough memory). The 'Automatic Channel Setup' allows you to enter a frequency without having to

change a step size setting. The

Fire Tone-out

offered with the radios, the

'Custom

And, of course, computer upload/download/clone and control.

The

'quick

keys' allow you to scan any combination of systems. There doesn't seem to be a limit to how many priority channels you can program. The sound quality is great

for a 'mini' scanner. When 'tone search' is enabled for searching or for a channel, it will search for CTCSS and DCS tones, not just one or the other. The Close Call and

Weather Alert Priority

features will run in the background while scanning and/or searching. An AC adapter, computer cable, and batteries come with the scanners. The

firmware is upgradeable for re-banding. One thing to remember is that IDs go into channels also (no more scan lists). There is also the (optional; expensive)

remote head

for those of you that wish to hide your scanner in the trunk.

Now the annoying stuff. Dynamic Memory has its drawbacks because you have to build everything first then program it. Press and hold for 2 seconds to turn the scanner

on?? Press and hold Func then tap the scroll control to adjust the squelch?? Why the SMA antenna all of a sudden? No belt clip; a knob screwed to the back of the

scanner to slide a cumbersome rotating clip. Alpha tagging is best left to the software. Scans multiple trunking systems relatively slow even with the hold time set to 0

(especially if you have a lot of IDs programmed). The channels and IDs aren't numbered so they can be hard to find if you have a lot of them in a group. The squelch tail is

long giving a distinct 'chop' at the end of transmissions; not the nice clean 'click' of my Pro-97. There is no 'per channel' delay; you must set the delay for the whole system

(all groups, all channels). The bottom lit display isn't as bright as my BC246T or Pro 97. The keypad is probably brighter.

An overview of the features can also be view at my

It is also recommended that you download and install the latest firmware upgrade for the scanners if you don't have it. See checking

recommendation is the freeware FreeSCAN. For those of you with a Mac,

http://marksscanners.com/396/396.shtml (2 of 51)8/17/2010 10:11:39 PM

Close Call

(actually an old feature brought back), signal strength bars, and a

sounds like something to try out. The 'Custom Screen' for Close Call is a plus if you live in a busy area. With all of the alerts

Alert' feature is nice too. I have also been able to enter partial IDs for Motorola (type I,IIi) and LTR systems, not just in EDACS systems.

Trunking Radio Comparison Chart

Adjusting P25 Wait Time

Memory Used