Uniden DMA Scanner Issues

Why does audio cut out every 2 or 5 seconds?
- You have one of the following modes turned on:
  - if you have a BCT15 or BCT15X, you might have the BearTracker feature turned on (press HP until BP is no longer on the display to turn it off).
  - If the audio cuts out every 2 seconds regardless of mode, you have Close Call priority turned
  - If the audio cuts out every 5 seconds, you have Weather Priority turned on.
  - If the audio cuts out only when you are scanning a conventional system, you have Priority turned on. By default the audio will cut out every 2 seconds, but this is user configurable from 1-10 seconds.
For audio issues (P25 decoding sounds bad, broken-up, unintelligible etc.) please see our DMA P25 Decoding and Audio Issues article

What are the best batteries for the (insert handheld model)?
- See the Best Batteries for the 325P2 Thread

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.

See our Connections section of the DMA Software and Support article

I suspect I have issues with local FM BCers overloading my scanner. What are some good FM traps to use on these scanners?
- See the FM Bandstop Filter Comparison Thread

The frequency I entered is changed by the scanner

I get an 'over limit' message when trying to use Search and Store, but less than the max number of talkgroups in a group file are being used.

To fix this issue, use the following;
- Menu-->Srch/CloCall Opt ---> Max Auto Store -----> change 256 to 255

I press the power button, but my Handheld i.e. (BCD396t BCD436HP) won't turn On, What gives?
- You must press and HOLD the Power Button for a full two seconds to turn the radio On (or Off). This is a safeguard, to prevent turning the scanner On or Off accidentally, such as: when you're carrying it in your pocket or on a belt.

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, the boot code will be modified 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).

Simulcast Distortion

Has your speaker audio gone dead after having something plugged into the speaker jack? The Uniden Headphone Jack Modification may help

The Uniden USB-1 is getting hard to find. Are there alternatives that are known to work?
- See Generic USB to Serial Cables