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Uniden BCDx36HP Quick Keys and Number Tags

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What is the difference between Quick Keys and Number Tags?

With the release of Unidens BCD436HP and BCD536HP comes a couple of features that were found in previous scanner models that have been added to the two new radios. 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 10 channels or "talkgroups" named "OPS1" through "OPS10" for on scene communications.

Favorites List/System/Department Quick Keys

Favorites List/System/Department Quick Keys allow you to turn on/off groups of channels talkgroups quickly and easily.

Example from our Maintown Fire Department Above:

  • I create a Favorites List (shortened to FL from here on out) with the 10 "OPS" talkgroups from above. I assign FL Quick Key 10 to this "Maintown FD OPS" FL. I then go into the FL within Sentinel and assign System Quick Key (SQK) 1 to "Maintown Radio System". Finally I assign Department Quick Key (DQK) 1 to the 10 OPS talkgroups.
    • My setup should look 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 10 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 Quick Key combo of 10.1.2 to turn on and off the "Hazmat" group of talkgroups.
    • 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 10.2 then any DQK would fall under 10.2.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.

Favorites List/System/Channel Number Tags

FL/System/Channel Number Tags allow you to pull up a specific channel from memory from all of the Favorites Lists that you have in memory.

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 don't 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.

  • So in our example 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 1-10 to the matching OPS TGs 1-10 (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 "Chann/MOD" to stop scanning and to hold on any TG/Channel, then I tap 10.1.4 plus Chan/Mod and it will put me right on Maintown OPS 4.

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/talkgroup out of everything in memory.

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