Actions

Difference between revisions of "BCD996T"

From The RadioReference Wiki

Line 55: Line 55:
 
Mode2 indicates the frequencies under the Channel Name for Conventional
 
Mode2 indicates the frequencies under the Channel Name for Conventional
 
systems or the TGID number for Trunked systems.
 
systems or the TGID number for Trunked systems.
 
==Digital/Analog AGC Tweak Procedures==
 
[[BCD996T AGC Tweak]]
 
  
 
==Related Pages==
 
==Related Pages==
  
 +
[[BCD996T AGC Tweak]]
 
[[BCD996T Lat-Lon]]
 
[[BCD996T Lat-Lon]]
 
 
[[BCD996T QandA]]
 
[[BCD996T QandA]]
 
 
[[BC-RH96]] Remote Head
 
[[BC-RH96]] Remote Head
 
 
[[media:Bc996discriminatortap.jpg|JPEG of discriminator tap point]]
 
[[media:Bc996discriminatortap.jpg|JPEG of discriminator tap point]]
 
 
[[Uniden scanner test modes]]
 
[[Uniden scanner test modes]]
  
Line 313: Line 307:
 
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ARC996_software/ ARC996 Yahoo group]
 
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ARC996_software/ ARC996 Yahoo group]
 
* [http://www.strongsignals.net/access/forums/viewforum.php?f=50&sid=a008fecb4f59406385d1ff0cbe328c9c Strong Signals BCD996T forum]
 
* [http://www.strongsignals.net/access/forums/viewforum.php?f=50&sid=a008fecb4f59406385d1ff0cbe328c9c Strong Signals BCD996T forum]
 +
 +
==Problems/Issues==
 +
See [[DMA Problems|Uniden Dynamic Memory Scanner Problems]]
  
 
==eBay Listings==
 
==eBay Listings==

Revision as of 22:00, 7 March 2007

BCD996T - Click image to view in full

Overview

Uniden's Base/Mobile Digital Trunktracker scanner with Dynamic Memory Architecture and GPS Support.

Started Shipping June 2006.

Specifications

Limits

  • Channels: 3000 typical, 6000 maximum
  • Systems: 500 maximum
  • Sites: 1000 maximum, 256 maximum per system
  • Groups per system: 20 maximum
  • Talkgroups per trunked system: 250 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: 13

Frequency Coverage

  • 25 - 512 MHz
  • 764 - 776 MHz
  • 794 - 956 MHz
  • 1240 - 1300 MHz

Power requirements

  • 11.0V to 16.6V DC

Antenna Connector

  • BNC

Features

User Manual and Related Documentation

BCD996T User Manual

Control Codes for BCD996

Talkgroup and Frequency display when scanning:

Use display mode #2: Toggling the Display Mode To change the display so the channel and frequency or Talk Group ID appear instead of extended channel information, hold on any channel then press F + [0]. The scanner displays Display Mode 2. To return to Mode 1, press F + [0] Mode1 indicates the channel data under the Channel Name. Mode2 indicates the frequencies under the Channel Name for Conventional systems or the TGID number for Trunked systems.

Related Pages

BCD996T AGC Tweak BCD996T Lat-Lon BCD996T QandA BC-RH96 Remote Head JPEG of discriminator tap point Uniden scanner test modes

Feature Summary

  • Rebanding Supported? YES
  • Permanent and Temporary Scanning Lockout
    • Pressing [L/O] once will to temporarily lock or unlock the current the channel. Double-tap [L/O] to permanently lockout the current channel.
    • Cycling power off/on automatically unlocks temporarily locked-out channels.
  • Permanent and Temporary Search Lockout
    • Pressing [L/O] once will to temporarily lock or unlock the current the frequency. Double-tap [L/O] to permanently lockout the current channel.
    • Cycling power off/on automatically unlocks temporarily locked-out frequencies.
    • Search Lockout Frequencies - 500
      • Permanent L/O - 250
      • Temporary L/O - 250
  • Startup Configuration – lets you set systems to be automatically locked or unlocked during power-up.
  • Single-Handed Function Operation
  • Priority Scan
  • Priority Plus
  • Channel Alert
  • Dropout Delay
  • Attenuator
  • Repeater Reverse
  • Quick Recall – quickly navigates to a specific Channel by choosing the System, Group, and Channel.
  • Frequency Autostore
  • ID Autostore
  • Quick Search
  • "Soft" Search Keys – let you assign search ranges to front-panel keys.
  • 500 (250 Temporary + 250 Permanent) Search Lockouts
  • Alpha Tagging – For System, Group, Channel, Talkgroup ID, Custom Search Range and SAME Group. The scanner allows up to 16 characters for each name.
  • Duplicate Input Alert
  • Data Skip
  • Broadcast Screen – sets the scanner to ignore hits on Pager, FM, UHF TV, VHF TV, NOAA WX and custom band frequencies.
  • Trunk Tracking – supports the following systems:
    • Motorola: Type I 800 / Type II 800, 900, UHF, VHF, P25
    • EDACS: WIDE, NARROW, SCAT
    • LTR
  • APCO Project 25 Decoder – lets you listen to digitized voice data that is compliant with the APCO Project25 standard.
  • APCO Auto Adjust Threshold
  • Multi-Site Trunking – allows independent system sites to share common talk group channel lists.
  • Control Channel Only mode
  • Independent Alert Tone Volume – lets you set the volume level of the following tones: Key Beep, Emergency Alert, Channel Alert, and Close Call Alert.
  • Key Lock
  • PC Control
  • Wired Cloning
  • On-Air Programming
  • Memory Back Up
  • Trunking Activity Indicators
  • Location-Based Scanning – Each system can include latitude, longitude, and range information and can be automatically enabled/disabled when a GPS is connected and the unit is within the defined range of the system.
  • Non-Radio Location-Based Features – the scanner can include location alerts (that sound alert tones when the unit approaches a defined latitude/longitude) and speed-trap alerts (that sound alert tones if the unit is traveling at > than a set speed limit while it is within a grid area).
  • GPS Display Mode – displays location and travel information based on the GPS input.
  • Scanner Programming: Man-Machine Interface
    • 'Getting the Most from the new Uniden Scanners' by Paul Opitz

Physical Dimensions: Width 7.33 Height 2.21 Depth 5.94

  • Construction:

GPS Features

The scanner does not include a GPS Receiver, an add-on GPS receiver is required. You can define a LAT/LONG centerpoint for any site in a Motorola or EDACS system or an entire Conventional or LTR system and a range (in miles) that specifies the radius of a circle that specifies where to turn the system/site on/off. The radioreference.com database (RRDB) will soon have the ability to store the Lat/Long/Range settings for conventional subcategories and trunked system sites.

GPS Units

GPS units known and tested to work with the scanner includes:

  • Delorme Tripmate (with modification for autostart)
  • GARMIN eTreX
  • GARMIN eTreX Legend
  • GARMIN eMap
  • GARMIN Rino110
  • GARMIN GPS18PC
  • GARMIN 12XL
  • GARMIN GPSmap 60CS (needs Garmin 010-10141-00 or equivalent cable)
  • GARMIN GPS2 Plus
  • Lowrance iFinder GO2
  • MAGELLAN Meridian Marine
  • Uniden Mystic
  • GPS1 Module Kit sold via Scannersoft website (home of Scan Control)

The above list is not all-inclusive. Basically any GPS that outputs serial NMEA standard data should work with the scanner. As other units are used and confirmed to work, this section should be updated to include the other models. GPS units that only have a USB connection will not work with the scanner (well, it is possible that some units could be internally modified to work, but we're talking off-the-shelf, here).

The scanner understands the sentences GGA (Global Positioning System Fix Data) and RMC (Recommended Minimum Specific GNSS Data) based on “NMEA-0183 ver.3.01”.

There is extensive information about the various models available, as well as technical and mapping application info, at Joe Mehaffey's GPS Pages

GPS Simulator

For those users that will use their BCD996T in both mobile and base modes a GPS simulator has been found to work. The purpose of the simulator is to trick the radio into thinking there is a GPS connected to it and is at a specific location so to lock or unlock systems that would normally be used or not used due to the current listening location if an active GPS were connected.

This is a free product and available from GPSFEED+. This software will work on both legacy and USB converted serial ports. The software is set up on a PC and connect a Null Modem cable between the PC and the rear serial connector on the back of BCD996T. The Simulator can be setup to designate any location on the world. The software can be set up to move in geometrical patterns that from that starting position.

Advanced Features

Multi-Site Trunking

Some wide coverage systems use multiple system sites that are linked together to provide extended area coverage. Each site operates on its own set of frequencies, but share talk group channels with all other sites in the system.

Normally, a site will only carry traffic for talk groups that have at least one subscriber unit (mobile radio) affiliated with it.

With the initial implementation of dynamic memory, each site needed to be entered as its own system, and all talk group channels had to be duplicated. This resulted in more complexity in programming as well as more memory usage.

Multi-Site Trunking is available for Motorola and EDACS system. With this method, you define a system, one or more sites for the system, and then the channels for the system. All channels are shared among all sites.

Here’s an outline of a Multi-Site System:

    System
         System Attributes
         Site
              Frequencies
              Other Attributes
         Site
              Frequencies
              Other Attributes
         Channel Group
              Channel Group Attributes
              Channel
                   Channel Attributes
              Channel
                   Channel Attributes
         Channel Group
              Channel Group Attributes
              Channel
                   Channel Attributes
              Channel
                   Channel Attributes

The only System attribute is the system name. This tag is never displayed, but makes the system easy to find for programming updates.

Site attributes include:

  • Site Quick Key: Equivalent to the System Quick Key; turns the site on/off for scanning.
  • Site Name
  • Site Location

Temporary Lockout

Pressing L/O one time while on a channel temporarily locks out that channel. Pressing F+L/O one time while on a system temporarily locks out that system.

Pressing L/O or F+L/O two times results in a permanent lockout. Pressing L/O for more than 3 seconds unlocks all channels in the current system (or all search lockouts if in a search). F+L/O for more than 3 seconds unlocks all systems.

Temporary lockouts are removed when power is cycled.

Startup Configuration

Pressing a number button while powering on the scanner automatically unlocks all systems assigned to that startup key and automatically locks all systems assigned to a different startup key (unassigned systems are not affected).

Location-Based Scanning (GPS)

If you connect a GPS unit to the scanner, it can automatically enable/disable systems based on the geographic information you provide:

  • Latitude (center of the range)
  • Longitude (center of the range)
  • Range (radius of a circle around the Latitude/Longitude) which can be selected from .5/1/3/5/10/20/30/50 miles

Rather than center the lat/lon on the antenna site for the system and set the range to the receivable range for the system, it makes more sense to center these settings on the geopolitical center of the system, and bound the range to encircle that entity. That is, while I can technically hear the Arlington TRS from west Fort Worth, I don’t really want to. Instead, I’d set the lat/lon/range values to approximate a circle around the Arlington city limits so that I would not hear Arlington until I approached/entered Arlington.

Also, not all geopolitical areas are perfect circles. You can modify the shape of the system by entering multiple sites for the system (even though the system might have only one site) and use different location settings for each site. For example, stack two circles to make a tall, narrow scan area for the system.

Non-Radio Location-Based Features (GPS)

There are non-radio type systems that hold other location based information:

  • Dangerous Xing: Stores location, range, direction of travel. If you are within range, traveling in the specified direction, you receive an alert.
  • Dangerous Road: Stores location, range, speed. If you are traveling at a speed greater than the one specified, and are within the range of the specified location, you receive an alert.
  • Points of Interest: Stores location and range. If you approach the specified location, you receive an alert.

In general, a location alert can have:

  • Latitude
  • Longitude
  • Speed (optional)
  • Alpha (optional)
  • Alert Type and Level (optional)
  • Vector (optional)
  • Heading

Alerts are based on:

  • Speed setting > 0 and no vector entered, non-directional speed alert
  • Speed setting > 0 and a vector is entered, directional speed alert
  • Speed = 0 and vector is entered, dangerous intersection alert
  • Speed = 0 and no vector entered, point-of-interest alert

The user can quickly save a location by pressing GPS. Scanner prompts for the type of location to store (Speed, Intersection, or POI).

Close Call Do-Not-Disturb

When set in this mode, the scanner will periodically make Close Call checks whenever the scanner is not receiving audio in another mode. This eliminates the annoying breaks in conversation while still allowing for the Close Call functionality.

Soft Search Keys

Let you program the keypad’s secondary functions to turn on/off specified search ranges.

Two-Color Backlighting

Lets you choose either red or green backlighting for the display/keypad.

Single-Handed Function Operation

Tap Function to access F+ key presses. 5 seconds after your last key press, the scanner reverts to non F+ entry (or press Function again to revert sooner).

Close Call Temporary Store

When this option is turned on, when the scanner gets a Close Call "hit", it temporarily saves the hit and includes that frequency when scanning. The scanner keeps the last 10 hits (older hits are erased by newer ones). Hits are lost when power is cycled. You can store a hit into memory by pressing "E" when on that frequency.

GPS Display Mode

Lets you display extended GPS information like:

  • Distance to POI
  • Heading to POI
  • Time to POI
  • Speed
  • Position
  • And so on

Dual Serial Ports

Front-set serial port using the same connector as BC246T/BCD396T/BR330T/SC230. Rear DB9 Male connector (for convenient direct plug-in of GPS Serial cable).

Either port can be configured to be PC interface or GPS interface.

PC Programming and Control

Reviews

Press Release

Uniden BCD-996T Press Release

Yahoo Groups and Message Boards

Problems/Issues

See Uniden Dynamic Memory Scanner Problems

eBay Listings


Return to Uniden Scanners