Uniden DMA FAQ Page 2

Additional Questions and Answers. For some quick answers to common problems, please see the DMA Problems article

[edit] Audio Questions

My audio is cutting out every couple of seconds. What is wrong?

• You probably have one of the priority features turned on.
  • Close Call Priority -- audio will cut out every 2 seconds on all systems. If your model supports it, check out Close Call Do-Not-Disturb to keep the Close Call feature but lose the "gap."
  • Weather Prioirty -- audio will cut out every 5 seconds on all systems.
  • Conventional Priority -- audio will cut out every 2 seconds only on Conventional systems (that time is user configurable).
• Another thing that causes audio cutouts is CTCSS or DCS, also known as "PL tone". If audio cuts out on a conventional channel with CTCSS, try changing the modulation setting to "FM" instead of "NFM". If the signal is weak, you may need to lower the squelch setting too.
• On the BCT15, the bear tracker warning system (bear claw icon) will also cause your audio to cut out every two seconds when active (thanx KB3JNX)

I had a speaker plugged into the speaker out, but when I unplug it I get no audio. What has happened?

• There is a known issue with the earphone jack on these scanners (particularly the 996 and 15). It may require a return to Uniden to fix, unless you are handy with disassembling the scanner to get to the jack to manually reset it.

Some users are more loud than others. AM sounds softer than others

• Make sure you are using the correct MODE for your FM systems. For most systems, FM is the correct mode. NFM is only for NFM users and will make those channels sound more loud compared to others. AUTO defaults to NFM and is not the correct setting for most systems on the air today.
• You may need to adjust the digital and/or analog AGC settings

[edit] Display Questions

What are the little numbers that sometimes appear in the top/right corner of the display?

• This is the battery voltage.

Why do I get the low battery warning even though the meter shows about 3.5 volts still available?

• This is a known issue, particularly with the 396. The reason for this bug is unclear, and awaits some clarification.

What do the three numbers that appear sometimes at the bottom of the display mean?

• These are the digital threshold setting values. They are the voltage levels used by the internal A/D converter to determine how the P25 signals are decoded. See page 102 of the online manual to Optimize the P25 settings using these values.

What is DSKP?

• DSKP stands for Data Skip and appears on the display when it is turned on. It controls behavior when Searching and for Close Call when the scanner stops on a channel with a data signal. If On, it stops briefly, then immediately resumes scanning. If Off, it remains on the channel until the transmission stops. This is ignored for AM channels. The default is Off.

[edit] Function Questions

I press the power button, but my 396t won't turn on

• You must press and HOLD the power button for two full seconds to turn the radio on (or off, once it has been turned on). This is a safeguard to prevent turning the radio on or off accidentally (such as when you're carrying it on your belt or in your pocket) on? If so, shut it off. The scanner checks for close call hits every few seconds, even when it's actively receiving, thus causing the breaks in the audio that you hear.

Can I go to a frequency directly without programming it into a system? Is there a VFO function?

• Press HOLD, key in the frequency, then HOLD (not Enter). Then you can SCROLL to step frequency up or down the band, pressing HOLD again starts a Search from this point.

Display shows "ID SEARCH". How do I get back to "ID SCAN"?

• While on that system, press the FUNC key and then press the SCAN button. You can also do it by just pressing the SCAN button while there are no active TGs on the system.

How do I go directly to a channel?

1. While in HOLD mode, hit FUNC-7 (RCL), then select the system, group, and channel.
2. Hit the HOLD button, then press the FUNC button and SCROLL to the system you want (using the scroll knob). When you get there, release the FUNC button and scroll to the channel you want. [Hint: If it's near the end of the list, scroll to the NEXT system then scroll backwards through the channels. The first scroll backwards will return to the previous system]

Problems/Questions about charging the 396t's batteries

• First: To charge the batteries, the switch in the battery compartment must be in the "NI-MH" position to enable charging. If you plug-in your scanner, and it says "charge off" on the screen, the switch is in the "alkaline" position (and will not charge the batteries). Next, with the switch in the "NI-MH" position, once you start charging the batteries the screen with read "Normal charging." The 396t's internal charger uses a 14 hour timer to determine when the charging cycle is complete. After 14 continuous (that is, uninterrupted) hours of charging, the display will change to "Charge complete." Interrupting the 14 hour charging cycle (for example, by unpluging the scanner after only a couple of hours of charging), will cause the scanner to start the 14 hour cycle from the beginning again when you next attempt to charge your scanner.
• It is highly recommended to use an external charger. Numerous users have noticed the batteries tend to get very hot after an extended charge. This has been widely documented as a cause of shorter battery life, and may cause damage in extreme cases.

My scanner locks up while powering up on the opening screen. How can I fix this?

• This is due to the dynamic database structure being corrupt. The only way Uniden been able to duplicate the issue is by disconnecting power while writing to the scanner from a PC. If this occurs while the database indexing is being updated (creating a system, site, channel, etc) the index will be broken. The only fix is a full reset/memory clear. In future f/w updates, we'll modify the boot code to automatically do a memory clear if a broken index is encountered during startup. Meanwhile, if this happens to you, use the key sequence for memory clear and reboot (thanx UPMan).

[edit] Programming Issues

I have several systems defined, but I'm not hearing anything

• There are a couple of ways this happens. On a trunked system, defining a system as P25 when it really isnt can cause this issue. Another way this can happen is you have defined system(s) with no active Group Quick Keys (GQK). Remember to define and enable at least 1 GQK for every system.

Which mode is the correct one? AM/FM/NFM/WFM

• AM is generally only used for the Air bands (108-136 and portions of the 225-400 MHz) and CB. WFM is only used for FM or TV broadcast. FM is the correct setting for most communications the scanner can receive, but newer systems could use NFM. As a rule of thumb, try the FM mode first. If the audio on that channel sounds weak compared to others, NFM may be the correct setting. Looking up the FCC license is another hint. If the emission is 11K, NFM should be the correct choice. If it's 16K or more, FM is likely correct most of the time.

Does it matter which port I use for programming? (BCD996/BCT15)

• Yes it does, to a certain degree. If you ever decide to upgrade the firmware on these 2 scanners, the rear port cannot be used for this purpose. You must use the front port. As this is the case, it's probably better to allocate the front port for programming to save the confusion of having to reallocate ports just for a single function.

I can't get my EDACS system to work

• EDACS systems must be programming in LCN or Logical Channel Number order to properly trunk.
• You must also select the correct mode for EDACS. Most systems are Wide (AKA Standard), but some will be Narrow. Look on a web site such as RadioReference.com for details about particular systems.

I can't seem to get the scanner to trunk my LTR system

• Like EDACS systems, LTR must be programmed in LCN or Logical Channel Number order to properly trunk. In addition, it's not uncommon to see channel numbers skipped. Program this precisely as shown
• LTR Standard is the only type of LTR system that can be trunktracked. Others such as Passport or Multinet cannot be trunktracked, but can be monitored by programming the frequencies as conventional channels.

How do I program my scanner to receive a conventional (i.e. non-trunked) station that has APCO 25 (IMBE encoded) voice?

• Program the channel as you would any other conventional channel. DO NOT set a CTCSS or DPL tone for the channel or set the channel to tone search (doing so will disable P25 audio decoding). The scanner will automaticallly sense the P25 (IMBE encoded) audio and decode it!

I can't hear a nearby trunked system that I KNOW has APCO 25 encoded voice. I programmed the 396t with system type set to APCO25. What's wrong?

• The APCO25 system type setting on the 396t is only used for true, APCO 25 Common Air Interface (CAI) compliant systems. Such systems (such as Michigan's statewide public safety communications system) use a 9600 baud control channel and are still relatively rare. Try setting the system up in your scanner as a Motorola Type II system. These systems use a 3600 baud control channel. If the audio is APCO 25 (IMBE) encoded, the 396t will automatically detect this and decode it.

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