BCD436HP/536HP Keys & Controls

Summary: What the keys and knobs do on the BCD436HP and BCD536HP, including the differences between the two models.

How Func Works

Pressing Func activates Function mode for 3 seconds, so the next key does its second function. On the BCD536HP the Func key is the Scroll Control/Function knob (press it). Many keys change behaviour with the mode you’re in.

BCD536HP Controls

• Power/VOL/Light – turns the scanner on and off and sets the volume. Func then Vol enters or exits P25 Adjustment mode. Press to toggle the backlight intensity.
• SQ – turn to set squelch. Press to toggle the Close Call modes; press and hold for Close Call Only; Func then SQ starts Fire Tone-Out Standby/Search.
• Scroll Control/Function – press for Function mode; press to select or save; turn to move through menus, to set the decode threshold in P25 Adjustment mode, to choose characters in Data Naming, to change the Scan/Search direction, to scroll channels in Hold, departments in Department Pause, systems in System Pause, sites in Site Pause, custom search bands in Search Pause, recordings in Replay, weather channels in Weather Scan, and tone-outs in Tone-Out. In Close Call Only it resumes the search; in Close Call Hold it starts a Quick Search.
• Avoid – exit all menus; toggle the avoid status of a channel or frequency (Receive/Hold), or of a system, department or site (Pause); press and hold to clear all avoids in the current system (Scan Hold) or search avoids (Search Hold). Func then Avoid reviews search avoids (in Search) or the avoids in the current system (in Scan).
• Zip – enter your country and zip/postal code. Serv – select service types. Rang – set the range.

BCD436HP Controls

• Power/Light/Lock – press and hold to turn on or off; press for the backlight; Func then this key locks or unlocks the keypad.
• Scroll Control (Volume, Squelch) – press then turn to adjust the volume; Func then turn to adjust squelch; press Vol, then Func, then Vol for P25 Adjustment mode (press Vol to exit); press to select or save; Func then turn sets the decode threshold in P25 Adjustment mode. Turning it also changes Scan/Search direction, scrolls channels and departments/systems/sites, and so on, as for the BCD536HP.
• Avoid – the same as above, except Func then Avoid toggles the Close Call modes and Func then press and hold Avoid enables Close Call Only.
• Zip/Services – enter your country and zip/postal code; Func then Zip selects service types.

Controls Common to Both Models

• System – Func + System starts Scan mode. Press to enter System Pause for 2 seconds, then hold on a system. Double-press for a hold without the pause and again to release. In Search mode, it works the same way for searches.
• Department – press to pause for 2 seconds and hold on a department; double-press for a hold without the pause and again to release. Func + Department holds or releases a site.
• Channel – press to hold or release a channel, frequency, Close Call hit or tone-out. Func + Channel toggles the modulation for a channel, site or search in Hold modes. Press to pause in Replay.
• Menu – opens the menu; back one level. Func + Menu opens the Search, Close Call, Weather or Tone-Out menu in those modes.
• Replay/Record – press for Replay; Func + Replay starts or stops recording; press and hold to Review Recordings.

Number Keys

• Select Favorites Lists in Scan mode; direct entry in Hold mode.
• Toggle custom search bands in Custom Search; keys 0-6 toggle Close Call bands in Close Call.
• Func + 1, 2 or 3 start the Search Keys from Hold mode.
• 4 (ATT) – moves the cursor left when editing text. Func + 4 toggles channel/search/Close Call attenuation; Func + press and hold 4 toggles global attenuation in Scan Hold or Search modes.
• Func + 5 enters the Wi-Fi menu (BCD536HP only).
• 6 moves the cursor right. Func + 6 (WX) toggles Weather Alert Priority in Hold modes; Func + press and hold 6 enters Weather Scan.
• Func + 7 (IFX) toggles intermediate frequency exchange.
• Func + press and hold 8 (REV) shows the repeater frequency in Hold mode.
• Func + 9 (DISP) toggles the 3-line display (BCD536HP) or the channel service type (BCD436HP) in Scan Hold.
• Func + 0 (LVL) toggles the channel volume offset in Scan Hold.

./no / PRI

• Enters a decimal point; enters an “i” for an I-Call ID; deletes a character in Data Naming (twice deletes all); twice enters a hyphen in an ID; cancels a Confirm? prompt.
• Func + ./no toggles the Priority modes in Scan mode.

E / yes / Q.SRCH

• Selects a menu item or saves an entry.
• In Receive/Hold: stores a blinking CTCSS/DCS/NAC tone; stores an ID in ID Search; adds the channel to a Favorites List; edits the current channel; stores a unit ID.
• In Search: quick-stores a frequency.
• Func + E/yes starts a Quick Search in Hold mode, or toggles ID Search on and off in Scan mode (trunked system in a Favorites List only).
• Stores found tones in Tone-Out Search; selects the current Tone-Out menu in Tone-Out mode.