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BCD996T

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Overview

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

Started Shipping June 2006, and retails for close to ~$550.00

All information on this page is subject to change. Nothing on this page should be construed as a warranty of performance for this or any Uniden product.

User Manual and Related Documentation

BCD996T User Manual

Control Codes for BCD996

AGC Tweak Procedure

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 to be available Feb.2007

JPEG of discriminator tap point

Feature Summary

  • Rebanding Supported? YES
  • Memory Architecture
    • Dynamic allocation.
      • Memory Storage Limits
        • Total Channels - 6000
          • Creation of systems and channel groups use channel slots. The actual total channel count will be less than 6000.
        • Systems - 500
        • Sites - 1000
        • Sites per Systems - 256
        • Groups per System - 20
        • Channels per Conventional Systems - 1000
        • Channels per Trunked Systems - 250
        • Trunked Frequencies per Site 750 - 1000 (depending on the number of TGID in the system)
        • Alpha-tags do not affect the size of dynamic memory.

Note that Dynamic Memory is a significant change from banked memory, and requires significant shift in your "world view" in order to be understood. The 7 stages of Dynamic Memory world view transformation are:

  • Confusion
  • Frustration
  • Anger
  • The "Aha!" moment
  • Understanding
  • Devotion
  • Willing Slave
  • 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
  • 100 System/Site Quick Keys + 10 Group Quick Keys per System
  • 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.
  • Weather and SAME Alert
  • 10 Custom Search Ranges
  • Service Search – Public Safety, News, HAM Radio, Marine, Railroad, Air, CB Radio, FRS/GMRS, Racing, TV Broadcast, FM Broadcast, Special, Military Air
  • Tone Search – Rapidly searches for the CTCSS/DCS used during a transmission.
  • Fire Tone-Out
  • 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
  • Two-Color LCD and Keypad Backlight – select red or green backlighting.
  • 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
  • Close Call RF Capture
  • Close Call Do-Not-Disturb – sets Close Call RF Capture to operate only when no transmission is being received.
  • Close Call Temporary Store – automatically saves and scans the last 10 Close Call hits.
  • PC Control
  • Wired Cloning
  • On-Air Programming
  • Scan Speed – 100 CH/Sec. in Scan Mode (max)
  • Search Speed / Turbo Search – 100 Steps/Sec. in Search Mode (max) - except for 5 kHz step. 300 Steps/Sec. in Search Mode (max) - (Turbo Search) - for 5 kHz step
  • Memory Back Up
  • Trunking Activity Indicators
  • Audio AGC
  • 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)
  • 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

BuTel Software:

IDTracker II

Scancat Lite Plus

Scan Control

UASD Software and Firmware Updates

  • To Enter Registration Key: open program, click on "write to scanner", click on "setup" at top and then "registration" a box will open so that you can enter the number that was emailed to you ("demo" will now be removed from the write to scanner box)

Reviews

Press Release

Uniden Announces Industry’s First GPS-Enabled Scanner

New Mobile Model Features Close Call™ Technology and APCO 25 Capability In a Desktop Design

Fort Worth, Texas, September 1, 2005 – Uniden America Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wireless consumer electronics, today announced a new mobile digital scanner, the Bearcat BCD996T. This model introduces the first-ever GPS-enabled scanner, allowing the product to automatically select nearby radio systems for scanning. The BCD996T also offers APCO 25 digital capability, allowing consumers to monitor the activities and signals of city and government service departments, and features advanced scanner technology in an in-dash or mobile mount design.

The GPS-enabled feature offered by the BCD996T provides automatic system selection, which permits the scanner to turn system reception on or off depending on the user’s location, and allows the user to define the scanner display to show location-based information.

In addition, when a GPS unit, not included with this scanner, is connected to the BCD996T, it will alert at areas of special interest, such as dangerous intersections, school zones, or general points of interest.

Featuring APCO 25 capability, Uniden’s BCD996T is poised to further enhance Uniden’s offerings to public safety and increase interoperability between agencies using different types of radio systems. Uniden’s BCD996T will not permit users to monitor sensitive, encrypted signals from national and local security services.

The Bearcat BCD996T also offers Close Call™ RF Capture Technology, Dynamic Memory Management, Fire Tone-Out, and Multi-site programming as well as 6,000 channels and a frequency range of 25 MHz to 1.3 GHz (excluding cellular and UHF TV frequencies). This new model is slated to hit retail shelves in spring 2006 and carries a MSRP of $849.99.

"The BCD996T, the first GPS-enabled model in the scanner industry, is another milestone in the evolution of scanning," said Paul Opitz, product manager at Uniden America Corporation. "These new features will provide an efficient way for agencies that need compatibility in multiple geographic areas to use the scanner without having to reprogram the equipment for each location."

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