Programming Radio Systems
Your BCD396T comes preprogrammed with over 500 analog and digital systems from the most populous areas in the US. However, to get the most enjoyment from your scanner (especially if you do not live near one of these counties), you must customize the programming for your area.
To edit an existing system, use the menu to navigate to the system setting you want to change. This section assumes you are programming a new system.
Programming radio systems is completed in two major steps. Don't skip either step!
1.Plan the system.
2.Program the system into your scanner according to the plan you prepared in Step 1.
To make planning easier, planning worksheets are included in the back of this manual for each system type. Copy the worksheets (or download this manual from the Uniden America Corporation website and print extra sheets), then use them to plan out how you will program the scanner.
Important! Before you start programming your scanner, make sure the batteries are fresh or fully charged. If the scanner loses power while you program it, its memory might be corrupted which will require you to reinitialize it (see "Initializing the Scan- ner’s Memory" on Page 56). All information programmed in the scanner, including preprogrammed systems, might be lost.
General Notes
•You can store up to 400 systems.
•Trunking systems can have up to 200 channels each. The number of conventional system channels you can have is limited only by the amount of scanner memory remaining.
•You can store up to 20 channel groups per system.
•Total channels are limited to about 6000 (3000 is typical).
Programming Radio Systems
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