ScanDiego.com

I am probably going to get one this week. I have never had a scanner for a trunked system before. Been just listening to the CHP on my old 200 XL. From what I have been reading you can get the north and south RCS just fine on the 996, but the East county RCS is not able to be monitored cause of all the different sites, or cells??? I wanted to be able to listen to the Sheriff in the Warner Springs/Ranchita area, and maybe Borrego.
Also does the 996 able to listen to the Sheriff out of the box, after you download the stuff from Uniden?? Sorry for all the questions, but sure would appreciate all the help I can get.
GARY KI6AGZ
Been into 2 meter, and 220 & 440 for around a year. Have a Icom 706 MK11G, Yaesu FT8800 and 2 Kenwood THF6's HTs, but I think this 996 is going to be a tough one to figure out!!!!

I just got back from HRO. Got the 996!! Seems like the rural east county sheriff is already in the scanner. I guess I will listen to it for a bit and see if its them. Anyone with some tips will be appreciated!!!
Also, any one know how to listen to the CHP out in that area of Warner Springs/Ranchita????

Check out the listings on this site. Also look at the trunking primer. I have Radio Shack Scanners myself, but there will be other people that will be able to help. I'm sure they'll pop up. Congrats on your new toy.

Another problem!!! I have spent the last 5 hours trying to get my computer hooked up to the 996. It seems like the serial to USB adapter from IOGEAR is not being seen by my laptop which is running Windows XP. I tried removing the installation CD 5 times to no avail!!! Maybe I need to get the cable made by Uniden made for the 996 to plug directly into the USB port.
Anyone have any tips to get this adapter to work????

Do you mean that you have reinstalled the adapter driver 5 times?? If not try that again.

You also need to set the radio to accept programming. MENU/Settings/PC Control.

If you have done both, sorry, don't know what the problem might be.

USB to serial adapters are a pain in the neck. I tried a couple of different ones to program my 396 and finally gave up and bought a serial card for the computer. That works great.

Doesn't the 996 have a USB port?

I see by the previous message that the 996 does have a USB port. Isn't the cable readily available?

I'm wrong again. I just did some reading and both ports on the 996 are serial. Why do companies keep building devices with serial ports when hardly any computers come with them any more?

I guess Uniden does have a USB to serial cable for that unit though. At least that one probably works.

Don't know what I did different, but the adapter is working!!!!! One more question for now. If I want ti get the Sheriffs tac channel in the scaner, all I have to do is create a new channel and put the alph tag along with the TG. I will put it in the same bank as the rest of the N Sheriffs. Will the 996 see the TAC channel???? Or will I have to put the control freq along with the rest of the freqs in also????

As long as you include all of the control channels for that system in the site list, and have that system set for CONTROL CHANNEL ONLY, then you only need the control channels, and you can hear ALL of the traffic on the system if you use ID SEARCH mode. If you use ID SCAN mode then you will only hear the ones that you input.