BCD396T

LCD Close up

Bearcat BCD396T digital Trunktracker IV

3 batteries

Belt Clip View

Uniden's APCO-25 Capable portable Trunktracker scanner with Dynamic Memory Architecture.

Specifications

Limits

• Channels: 6000 maximum
• Systems: 400 maximum
• Groups per system: 20 maximum
• Talkgroups per trunked system: 200 maximum
• Scan Rate: 100 channels per second (conventional mode)
• System Quick Key range: 0-99
• Group Quick Key range: 0-9
• Custom Search Ranges: 10
• Preprogrammed Service Search Bands: 12

Frequency Coverage

• (North American Model BCD396T)
• 25.0000 - 512.0000 MHz
• 764.0000 - 775.9875 MHz
• 794.0000 - 823.9875 MHz
• 849.0125 - 868.9875 MHz
• 894.0125 - 956.0000 MHz
• 1240.0000 - 1300.0000 MHz

• (Australia/New Zealand Model UBCD396T)
• 25.0000 - 512.0000 MHz
• 764.0000 - 775.9875 MHz
• 794.0000 - 956.0000 MHz
• 1240.0000 - 1300.0000 MHz

Power Requirements

• Power requirements: 3 AA batteries, 6V DC, or 800mA AC adapter
  • Example: Radio Shack adapter with Adaptaplug B
  • Or Sony Car DC Adaptor

Features

• Rebanding supported? YES Currently available with version 3.00 firmware or better
• APCO25 Digital Audio decoding
• Adaptive Digital Threshold - Automatically sets the digital decode threshold for APCO 25 systems
• TrunkTracker IV with Control-Channel Only scanning and I-Call monitoring
• Close Call
• Close Call Do Not Disturb (with version 3 firmware)
• Supported step sizes: 5, 6.25, 7.5, 8.33, 10, 12.5,15, 20, 25, 50 or 100 kHz
• Fire Tone Out Alert
• Motorola Control Channel Only trunking
• DCS/CTCSS Rapid Decode
• Scan and (selected) Service Search simultaneously
• Frequency/ID AutoStore - automatically store frequencies from a service or limit search into a conventional system or store talk group IDs into a trunked system
• 16 character text tagging for each system, group, channel, taklgroup, search range, and SAME group
• Compatible with BC-RH96 Remote Head
• Analog and Digital AGC
• Quick Search
• 12 Service Searches - Public Safety, News, HAM Radio, Marine, Railroad, Air, CB Radio, FRS/GMRS, Racing, TV Broadcast, FM Broadcast, and Special (Itinerant)
• Custom Search — lets you program up to 10 search ranges
• SAME Weather Alert
• Weather Priority
• Priority Scan with Priority Plus
• Signal Strength display
• Battery level display
• LCD and Keypad Backlight
• Adjustable (0-5 sec) scan delay
• Adjustable Hold (scan duration 0-255 sec) per system, custom or service search
• Strong signal attenuation
• Upgradeadable firmware
• Channel Alert
• Independent Alert Tone Volume – lets you set the volume level of the following tones: Key Beep, Emergency Alert, Channel Alert, and Close Call Alert.
• Repeater Reverse
• Broadcast signal ignore while searching (TV and radio station frequencies, pagers, etc)
• Quick Recall – quickly navigates to a specific Channel by choosing the System, Group, and Channel.
• Duplicate Channel Alert
• Data Skip
• Key Lock
• PC Programming and Control
• Wired Cloning
• On-Air Cloning
• Battery saver
• Antenna Connector: SMA

RR System Compatibility

This scanner is compatible with the following Trunking System Types and System Voices used in the RadioReference Database, of course you must verify that the scanner will cover the appropriate frequency range:

• System Types:
  • Motorola Type I
  • Motorola Type II
  • Motorola Type IIi Hybrid
  • Motorola Type II Smartnet
  • Motorola Type II Smartzone
  • Motorola Type II Smartzone Omnilink
  • Motorola Type II VOC
  • EDACS Standard (Wide)
  • EDACS Standard Networked
  • EDACS Narrowband (Narrow)
  • EDACS Narrowband Networked
  • EDACS SCAT
  • EDACS ESK (version 3.0 firmware or later required)
  • LTR Standard
  • Project 25 Standard

• System Voices:
  • Analog
  • Analog and APCO-25 Common Air Interface
  • APCO-25 Common Air Interface Exclusive

Mods

• Discriminator Tap directions
  • NOTE: You must be a member of the BCD396T Yahoo Group to view this message
  • The JPEG for the discriminator tap can be viewed here
• Replace a Blown Speaker in the 396
• USB Port Discriminator and Bluetooth mod

Tips & Tricks

• Frequency 'tune' mode: While in scanning mode, press HOLD, key in the frequency, then press HOLD. The scanner stays on this frequency. This also works for talkgroups (hit . twice for a dash). An error message is displayed if you enter a talkgroup while scanning a conventional system.

Reviews and User Opinions

eHam

• BCD396T review thread

Monitoring Times

• BCD-396T Review (PDF)

UKMidlandscanner

• BCD396T Review

Safetyobc's Review

• BCD396T Review

396T review By Jason Reilly (VK7ZJA) (look in reviews link)

• UBCD396T Review

396T review By Paul Blundell (VK7FPGB) (look 1/3 down the page)

• Paul Blundell Review

Related Pages

External Links

• Easier to Read BCD396T/UBCD396T Manual
• Uniden Manuals and Firmware Update Info
• UASD Software and Firmware Updates
• BCD396T Owner's Manual
• Anabella's Undocumented BCD396T Factory Test Modes, also includes BC-RH96 Remote Head (PDF)
• BCD396 Database (links to FAQ)
  • Must be a member of the BCD396T yahoo group to view
• Uniden USB-1 page on Scanner Master

Wiki Articles

• Uniden DMA FAQ
• Firmware updates
• Uniden Band Plan Entry Method (for V3 and later)
• DMA Radios Hints and Kinks
• Programming an UHF system requires at least 1 base frequency and offset. An example is shown here. This screen is from the ARC396 software, and shows how to correctly program the Washington DC Police system, which requires 2 base frequencies and offsets.
• Uniden scanner test modes
• Simulcast digital distortion
• P25_audio_decode_level_adjustment
• Digital End Code detection
• Software Support for Uniden Rebanding
• Compare the BCD396T to other digital models
  • Digital Scanner Comparison Chart

Supporting Software

ARC396 Version 2.0 Screenshot

TCL/TK Software

• BCD396.TCL

Windows Software

• BuTel Software Products
  • ARC396
  • ARC396PRO is capable of recording audio
  • ARC396 Pro review at ukmidlandscanner
  • Clone396
• UASD Software and Firmware Updates from Uniden.
• For additional selections, please see the Uniden DMA Software Support article

Yahoo Groups and Message Boards

RadioReference

• Uniden forum
• Pro-96-BCD396T Comparison Thread

Strong Signals

• BCD396T Club
• BCD396T Forum
• Uniden Forum

Yahoo! Groups

• ARC396 Yahoo group
• BCD396T

eBay Listings

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