Learning the BC-396

I played around with the programming of the BC-396 several times today and used it to help with monitoring the military, Coast Guard, and public safety. One thing I learned is that the stock antenna is acceptable for public safety monitoring but it isn't very good for military monitoring (surprise!) or aviation monitoring. As a result, I've decided to go ahead and order an RH-77C antenna with SMA connector this coming payday. I've been using my BNC RH-77C with the BC-396's supplied BNC-SMA adapter with success.

I have been playing around with the content and organizations of the systems and with the groupings of the systems by quick keys. The problem hasn't been grasping the idea of systems, groups, and quick keys. All of that makes sense. The problem has been remembering what quick keys are assigned to what systems. I keep on coming up with better ways to organize frequencies within the systems and groups. Likewise, new ways of assigning the groups to quick keys keep coming to mind. I would guess that it will just be a trial and error process until I decide how I like them organized. Unlike the banks of older scanners, the dynamic memory of the 396 offers up a multitude of possibilities.

I took the BC-396 with me on my walk to the barber shop this morning. I really noticed the small size of the radio. Compared to carrying the BC-250 or older handhelds on my belt, the BC-396 was like a feather. This radio will be great for event monitoring. It isn't as heavy as other radios and it takes up less space on your side (I'm already wide enough without adding a few more inches...). The ability to power it from common AA batteries and the Close Call function also add to it's utility as an event scanner. I really look forward to being able to take it to a race at Oglethorpe Speedway or some other event and putting it to the test.

Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net