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Uniden BCDx36HP Quick Keys and Number Tags

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Applies to: BC346XT, BCD396XT, BCD325P2, BCT15X, BCD996XT, BCD996P2, BCD436HP, BCD536HP, SDS100, SDS200


What is the difference between Quick Keys and Number Tags?

With the release of Uniden's BCD436HP and BCD536HP (and the new SDS100 and 200), comes a couple of features that were not found in older DMA scanners models, that have been added to 996T, XT, P2 and this series. Don't confuse Quick Keys with Number Tags. They are two different features that accomplish different goals. Let's learn about both!

To help us learn about these two new features we will make up an imaginary fire department called "Maintown Fire Department". The Maintown Fire Department uses a Motorola Radio System named "Maintown Radio System" for daily communications. They have 9 channels or "TalkGroups" (TGIDs) named "OPS1" through "OPS9" for on scene communications.

Quick Keys

Favorites List Quick Keys
System Quick Keys
Department Quick Keys

allow you to turn on/off " Groups " of Talkgroups quickly and easily while scanning.

Example from our Maintown Fire Department Above: I create a Favorites List (shortened to FL from here on out) with the 9 "OPS" TGID's from above. I assign FL Quick Key 10 to this "Maintown FD OPS" FL. I then go into the FL with Sentinel, assign System Quick Key (SQK) 1 to "Maintown Radio System". Finally I assign Department Quick Key (DQK) 1 to the 9 OPS talkgroups.

My setup looks like this
Click to enlarge


  • Using Quick Keys I can now press 10.1.1 to turn on and off the Department that includes all 9 OPS Talkgroups.
    • If I wanted to, I could create another department on the same system called "Hazmat", with different Talkgroups and assign it DQK 2. I would then, press the FL.S.D Quick Key combo of 10.1.2, to turn on and off the "Hazmat" grouping (Department).
      • If I want to add a different radio system to that same FLQK I could do that under System Quick Key 2 which would make it 10.02 then any DQK would fall under 10.02.x.
  • Important points:
    • Favorites List Quick Keys can be numbered 0-99.
    • System Quick Keys can be numbered 0-99.
    • Department Quick Keys can be numbered 0-99.

Number Tags

Favorites List Tag Numbers
System Tag Numbers
Channel Number Tags

allow you to directly pull up a specific channel from any Favorites List while in Scan Hold mode. NOTE: FL/System/Channel Number Tags DO NOT have to mirror Quick Key assignments. That means that just because I assigned FLQK 10 to Maintown FD, I do NOT have to also assign FL Number Tag 10, to it. However, in my experience, it is easier to remember if you do use some form of matching up between the two sets or you won't remember them when the time comes to use it.

So from our example above, I decide to mirror my quick key configuration, and assign FL Number Tag 10, System Number Tag 1 to the Maintown FD. I then assign Channel Number Tags 1-9 to the matching OPS Talkgroup Names 1-9 (just to make it easier on myself to remember).

You can see this on the right hand side in blue in Sentinel
Click to enlarge

  • Important points:
    • Favorites List Number Tags can be numbered 0-99.
    • System Number Tags can be numbered 0-99.
    • Channel Number Tags can be numbered 0-999.

Now to use the Number Tag Feature. I hear a BIG house fire that has been assigned Maintown FD OPS 4. Using the FL Number Tag/System Number Tag/Channel Number Tag feature, I can quickly recall, Maintown FD OPS 4, by hitting "CHAN/MOD" to stop scanning and to hold on any TGID, then I tap 10.1.4 plus "CHAN/MOD" and it will go directly to Maintown OPS 4 (the Numbered Tagged Channel).

To Sum Up...

Just remember that
  • Quick Keys allow you to turn On or Off Departments (or groups of channels).
  • Number Tags allow you to recall a specific Channel/TGID out of everything in the memory.


References

Please see the following Easier to Read manuals for information on how to define and use Quick Keys and Number Tags

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