DMR, ProVoice and Ultimate Updates for Uniden Scanners.

ScannerMaster offers a service to install the various paid updates for Uniden HomePatrol, x36 and P2 series scanners. These updates include the HomePatrol Ultimate Update (for HomePatrol 1 and 2 scanners) as well as the ProVoice and DMR/TRBO updates for the BCD436HP, BCD536HP, BCD996P2 and BCD325P2 scanners.

If you buy one of these scanners from ScannerMaster we offer a service to install these options for you before we ship the scanner. You can also send the scanner to us to perform the update, we then send the radio back to you.

Sometimes however it is not practical to send the radio to us. For US and Canadian customers it is pretty simple to buy the update directly from Uniden and install it yourself. For customers in other countries however it is a different story. Uniden can only accept credit cards from US and Canadian addresses. If you live in other countries then Uniden cannot accept your credit card for payment for these updates. They will refer you to a third party like ScannerMaster to obtain your updates.

ScannerMaster can accept credit cards from most countries. As long as the card works on our payment system we can provide you with the secret code to unlock the update for your radio. There are a couple things you will need to do to make this all work out:

First you need to update the FIRMWARE for your scanner. This is so important that if you don’t do it the paid updates just will not work! On the HomePatrol and x36 scanners it is done thru the Sentinel software, on the 325 and 996P2 radios it is done thru a separate (free) program available from Uniden’s website.

Once you have done the Firmware Updates then you need to obtain the “ESN” (Electronic Serial Number” from your scanner along with the “SUM” code. Here are the procedures for this:

HomePatrol-1 and HomePatrol-2:

  • Press Menu
  • Press Advanced Menu
  • Press the down arrow to get to the second page of items
  • Press the Version Information Button.

The ESN is listed and starts with 36 for the HP-1 and 37 for the HP-2. The SUM Code is the last 3 digits past the second dash. The ESN will look something like 36327-0040012345-123, the SUM code is the “123” part.

BCD436HP, BCD536HP, BCD325Ps and BCD996P2:

  • Press Menu
  • Select Settings.
  • (If you do NOT see “Upgrade” as an item in the list go back and update the firmware and start over!)
  • Select See Scanner Information
  • Select Firmware Version
  • The ESN will be listed as “SN37……”
  • The SUM Code will be a 3-digit letter/number combination.
  • We need both the ESN and the SUM Code. Don’t worry about the M-VER code.

We need the complete ESN and the SUM Code as well as the model of radio you have. With this info we can obtain the one-time code that unlocks the feature you want and send that code to you. You then go to the Upgrade menu on your scanner and enter it using the rotary knob to select the numbers. Once the code is properly added the radio will think it over for a minute or so and then announce that it was successful.

Once properly updated the code will stay working on the radio and will not need to be reinstalled. The code will only work for the radio it was obtained and if you dispose of the radio there is no way to transfer the code or feature to another radio.

ProVoice, DMR, MotoTRBO, NXDN and scanners FAQ

Recently Uniden and Whistler announced scanners with capabilities of handling new digital formats. Each company has announced updates to their top-tier scanners and Whistler has also announced new models.

Here are some of the more frequently asked questions:

Q: What is DMR?

A: Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) is a digital format, similar in function to APCO P-25. It is mostly used by businesses but occasionally by public safety users. It is less expensive than P25 for the end user but it is not compatible with P-25 radios. It can be used in conventional or trunked modes.

Q: What is MotoTRBO?

A: It is Motorola’s implementation of DMR. They added a few features to the DMR standard and named it TRBO. DMR scanners can handle TRBO.

Q: What about encryption?

A: If the user selects the Encrypted mode then scanners cannot monitor it. There are no modifications or upgrades that can be made to get past radio encryption.

Q: What is Uniden offering?

A: Uniden has announced updates to its BCD436HP (handheld) and BCD536HP (desktop/mobile) scanners. One update is for ProVoice, a digital format used for some public safety purposes in parts of the country. They have also announced updates for DMR and MotoTRBO formats occasionally used by public safety but more often used by business users. Each of these updates are paid and ScannerMaster can install them for you.

Q: What is Whistler offering?

A: Whistler has announced updates for its WS1080 and WS1088 (handheld) and WS1095 and WS1098 (Desktop/mobile) scanners for DMR and MotoTRBO. These are free updates that are installed by updating the firmware in EZ-Scan. Again, ScannerMaster will be happy to install these for you as part of our Setup & Optimize service. No ProVoice upgrades have been announced for Whistler scanners.

In addition, Whistler has announced 2 new scanners. The TRX-1 (handheld) and TRX-2 (desktop/mobile) will work on DMR and MotoTRBO out of the box and will be updatable later for NXDN. (Expected about January 2017.)

Q: What about NXDN?

A: NXDN is a separate digital format used by some public safety agencies and businesses. It is slated to be used by the nations railroads once the required updates are made to the railroad’s infrastructure and radio fleet.

Whistler has already announced that NXDN will be available sometime in late 2016/early 2017 for its TRX-1 and TRX-2 scanners but will not be available for others. Uniden has not announced any NXDN updates yet but has said they are working on “other formats”.

Q: What about DMR trunking?

A: Both the Uniden and Whistler scanners will track DMR trunking systems.

 Q: My question isn’t answered here. Where can I go for more information on these scanners or to buy them?

A: You can send your questions via email or call 1-800-SCANNER.