Difference between revisions of "New Functions for the BCDx36 Scanners"

Latest revision as of 16:37, 20 May 2023

These scanners are a fusion of the Uniden Dynamic Memory Architecture of previous series melding with the HP1 and HP2. Its most prevalent feature from the fusion is the series now contains the Radio Reference Data Base (RRDB) on a SD card. The SD card also contains their freeware programming software called Sentinel.

The BCD436HP and BCD536HP Scanner FAQ has many additional links including those for the Easier to Read manuals

Additional Filtering

There's an additional IF filter, in the series, which helps narrow down narrowbanded frequencies, as well as, 12.5khz & 25khz frequencies, ultimately helping the radio scanner pick-up signals cleaner than ever before, without traps and filters. Originally a user idea, through many discussions here on RR, with the previous DMA scanners, showing promise when users hacked there way into having 2 IF filters inline before the Voice decoder, showing somebody at Uniden is responsive to user ideas.

Navigation

User navigation within the menus now allow for visual list for Services, Favorites, and Systems in a Menu with easy toggle ON/OFF, making Quick Keys a thing of the past for some users. The old 2 layer system of the DMA architecture with System and Groups has been revamped to include a new entity above Systems making it a 3 layer system: 'Favorites', 'Systems' and 'Departments' (which were called 'Groups' in previous versions of DMA). There has also been some changes in the nomenclature; for example, LOCKOUT / L/O is now AVOID.

Ports and Jacks

There's a standardized USB Mini-B 4-Pin port on both for programming/control/updating/powering, and a semi-proprietary square port from prior BCD scanners on the BCD436HP for GPS

On the rear of the BCD536HP, there's a standard Serial port, USB port for the Wi-Fi input, a standardized USB Mini-B 4-Pin port on the front, and Headphone jack, with the rear containing a Stereo BTL jack on the rear that should not be connected to ground.

Recording

With the microSD card you can replay up to 240 second clips and instantaneously replay all that has been captured, or you can record all transmission until you move them to a computer to play back. You can individually select which transmission you what to listen to as they are sorted by time and date stamps. There isn't any dead air time in the recorded files unless there was an open carrier. There is one caveat; you can NOT use the instantaneous "Replay" while "Record"ing.

SD Cards for Memory

With the price of memory and SD cards decreasing by half every year, the switch to using SD cards makes sense, but also makes the scanner more prone to memory or data corruption. SD cards have what's called in the computer world a "FAT File Limit"; this is related to the amount of named files or folder (not size) to be saved, before a larger card is filled: i.e 5Gb of a 16Gb card with between 55k and 65k files written, before the BCDx36HP begin to show signs that the data may be corrupt and the scanner reboots itself. See the Replacement SD Cards thread for more on replacing your SD card.

WiFi Connectivity

The BCD536HP is unique to the scanner world, in that it has a Wi-Fi dongle, which can stream Audio and the User interface across a network. The Dongle provides ad-hoc and infrastructure modes, along with WPA and WPA2 networked security. At this point it's only been flushed out through a few third party apps, along with their iOS & Android Siren App's. Uniden purportedly had a year-long standoff with the Wi-Fi Vendor, making the dongle unusable at it's initial release. The Firmware has since been updated to version 7.28. Additionally, Android users waited for it's application for an extra 16 months. While both iOS and Android user's still believe their version are clunky and not fully finished, it does show promise. Links to known third party applications, and Siren, can be found here.

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-The BCDx36HP Series is inclusive of the handheld [[BCD436HP]] and the desktop/mobile [[BCD536HP]].  The series is a fusion of the Uniden Dynamic Memory Architecture of previous series' melding with the HP series.  It's most prevalent feature from the fusion is the series now contains the Radio Reference Data Base (RRDB) on a SD card.  The SD card also contains the programming software [[Sentinel (Uniden software)]], which is best software written by Uniden ever (with their scanner line up), it's free to download by any and all interested user(s), making it no longer necessary to purchase a Premium RadioReference.com subscription or expensive BUTEL software.  Along with a standardized USB Mini-B port on both for programming/control/updating, with the semi-proprietary square port from prior BCD scanners on the BCD436HP for GPS, and a standard Serial port on the rear of the BCD536HP.  User navigation within the Menu's now allow for visual list for Services, Favorites, and Systems in a Menu with easy toggle ON/OFF, making Quick Keys a thing of the past for some users.  Uniden has made a new and exclusive to the scanner world system type available post release with a $50 upgrade and registration to bring Pro-Voice to the nearly 6% of the county, that's still uses this soon-to-be deprecated mode. This brings the Uniden up-to-date with its direct competitors the GRE [[PSR-800]] and its sibling Whistler [[WS1080]] & 1088 and Radio Shack [[Pro-668]].
+These scanners are a fusion of the Uniden Dynamic Memory Architecture of previous series melding with the HP1 and HP2.  Its most prevalent feature from the fusion is the series now contains the Radio Reference Data Base (RRDB) on a SD card.  The SD card also contains their freeware programming software called [[Sentinel (Uniden software)|Sentinel]].
-The old 2 file layer system of the DMA architecture with System and Groups has been revamped to include a new file system above Systems making it a 3 layer file system: 'FaVorites', 'Systems' and 'Departments'.  As you can see, 'Groups' have gone bye bye, in-favor, of the HP series nomenclature on 'Groups' to be called 'DEPARTSMENT's; by the way not the only nomenclature to be changed, the centuries old LOCKOUT / L/O is now AVOID, thanks, via the HP series.
-Also as previously noted, the use of USER-changeable SD cards, with the price of memory, seemingly, decreasing by half every year, the switch to SD makes sense, but also makes the scanner more prone; to memory or data corruption, but Uniden no longer has to shell out the big bucks for Non-Volatile memory .  Of particular note users are currently have what's called in the computer world as "FAT File Limit"; they're issues related to the amount of files (not size) to be saved, before a larger card is filled: i.e 5Gb of a 16Gb card w/ between 55k and 65k files written, before the BCDx36HP begin to show signs that the data may be corrupt and the scanner reboots itself.  Better news, is the fact with the SD is you can Replay your listen sessions up-to 240 seconds clips and instantaneously Replay all that's captured, or you can Record all transmission until you move them to a Computer to play back, or in the scanner itself you can individually select which transmission you what to listen too, they are sorted by time and date stamping.  There isn't any dead air time in the Recorded files unless there was an open carrier but with one caveat you can NOT use the instantaneous "Replay" while "Record"ing.
+The [[BCD436HP and BCD536HP Scanner FAQ]] has many additional links including those for the Easier to Read manuals
-There's, also, an additional IF filter, in the series, which helps, narrow down, narrowbanded frequencies, as well as, 12.5khz & 25khz frequencies, ultimately helping the radio scanner pick-up signals cleaner than ever before, without traps and filters (may still be need for some users).  Originally a user idea, through many discussions here on RR, with the previous DMA scanners, showing promise when users hacked there way into having 2 IF filters inline before the Voice decoder, showing somebody at Uniden is listening to the User's.
-There's been growing pains along the way, between an Audio Jack problem on the initial release of xxxx2600 on the BCD536HP, a year long much anticapated Wi-Fi dongle firmware update so consumer could even use it and a RTC Battery & Dimming Display LED's.  The Audio Jack problem to go along the with the RTC & Dimming Display LED has made Uniden start 2 Repair Campaigns, to all but recall the series.  The 3 hardware issues are probably the least important hardware feature of any scanner, but none the less, they've have caused many Owner's and possible owner's, grand trepidation of the series long-term longevity.
+==Additional Filtering==
-While fears ran rampant for sometime before the Repair Campaigns announcement, they have eased many consumer's fear with the release of new NEW fixed units, allowing many consumer's to search for the holy grail of the newest years crop, the 58001xxx (2015) series and (6800xxxx which should be the 2016 series).  The RTC & LED affected both in the series, but yet didn't affect all users and only began to crop-up on the people, whom purchased the scanner 9 to 12 months prior.  Heavy confusion was initially swarming with the RTC issue because, numerous, first time owners, came to the RadioReference.com complaining of the time not keeping, but was in-fact, their fault, for simply not charging the scanner the first 50hrs, as recommended, per the manual. For the BCD536, they have a Wi-Fi dongle, that has ad-hoc and infrastructure mode, (along with WPA and WPA2 networked security) that brings the possiblity of networked scanner to the forefront, at this point it's only been flushed out through a few 3rd party Apps but intranet connects can still be made for their iOS Siren App. Uniden also, seemingly had a 12 month standoff with the Wi-Fi vendor, making the Wi-Fi dongle unusable for almost 12 months after the initial release.  The follow-up releases of Wi-Fi Dongle's firmwares seamed to tamp down acrimony on the issue, but without adequate Android based Siren App availability the hostility between consumers and a big corporation have yet to fade away.  The iOS version of the Siren App is out, making the 'HP' part shine on iPhones and iPads, while still a little clunky with occasional disconnects it shows promise, showing Uniden likes to trudge rather than run with development, but that has always been Uniden's way, older purchasers of Uniden products can attest to this, but often the company pushes itself to continually update and upgrade its way to a very workable product.
+There's an additional IF filter, in the series, which helps narrow down narrowbanded frequencies, as well as, 12.5khz & 25khz frequencies, ultimately helping the radio scanner pick-up signals cleaner than ever before, without traps and filters.  Originally a user idea, through many discussions here on RR, with the previous DMA scanners, showing promise when users hacked there way into having 2 IF filters inline before the Voice decoder, showing somebody at Uniden is responsive to user ideas.
+==Navigation==
+User navigation within the menus now allow for visual list for Services, Favorites, and Systems in a Menu with easy toggle ON/OFF, making Quick Keys a thing of the past for some users. The old 2 layer system of the DMA architecture with System and Groups has been revamped to include a new entity above Systems making it a 3 layer system: 'Favorites', 'Systems' and 'Departments' (which were called 'Groups' in previous versions of DMA). There has also been some changes in the nomenclature; for example, LOCKOUT / L/O is now AVOID.
+==Ports and Jacks==
+There's a standardized USB Mini-B 4-Pin port on both for programming/control/updating/powering, and a semi-proprietary square port from prior BCD scanners on the BCD436HP for GPS
+On the rear of the BCD536HP, there's a standard Serial port, USB port for the Wi-Fi input, a standardized USB Mini-B 4-Pin port on the front, and Headphone jack, with the rear containing a Stereo BTL jack on the rear that should not be connected to ground.
+==Recording==
+With the microSD card you can replay up to 240 second clips and instantaneously replay all that has been captured, or you can record all transmission until you move them to a computer to play back. You can individually select which transmission you what to listen to as they are sorted by time and date stamps. There isn't any dead air time in the recorded files unless there was an open carrier. There is one caveat; you can NOT use the instantaneous "Replay" while "Record"ing.
+==SD Cards for Memory==
+With the price of memory and SD cards decreasing by half every year, the switch to using SD cards makes sense, but also makes the scanner more prone to memory or data corruption. SD cards have what's called in the computer world a "FAT File Limit"; this is related to the amount of named files or folder (not size) to be saved, before a larger card is filled: i.e 5Gb of a 16Gb card with between 55k and 65k files written, before the BCDx36HP begin to show signs that the data may be corrupt and the scanner reboots itself. See the [http://forums.radioreference.com/uniden-tech-support/340206-replacement-sd-cards.html Replacement SD Cards] thread for more on replacing your SD card.
+==WiFi Connectivity==
+The BCD536HP is unique to the scanner world, in that it has a Wi-Fi dongle, which can stream Audio and the User interface across a network. The Dongle provides ad-hoc and infrastructure modes, along with WPA and WPA2 networked security. At this point it's only been flushed out through a few third party apps, along with their iOS & Android Siren App's. Uniden purportedly had a year-long standoff with the Wi-Fi Vendor, making the dongle unusable at it's initial release. The Firmware has since been updated to version 7.28. Additionally, Android users waited for it's application for an extra 16 months. While both iOS and Android user's still believe their version are clunky and not fully finished, it does show promise. Links to known third party applications, and Siren, can be found [[BCD436HP and BCD536HP Page 2|here]].
+[[Category:Uniden Scanners]]
+[[Category:Digital Scanners with DMR]]
+[[Category:Digital Scanners with MOTOTRBO]]
+[[Category:Digital Scanners without NXDN]]
+[[Category:Digital Scanners with ProVoice]]
+[[Category:Desktop Scanners]]
+[[Category:Mobile Scanners]]
+[[Category:Rebanding Supported Scanners]]
+[[Category:Radio Models]]