Database Software

Oracle 11g, new at Oracle after inheriting this server (Windows 2008). I'm trying the basic RMAN to get a consistent backup of each of the two databases, with Backup / Recovery Manual notes:
RMAN> SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE
RMAN> STARTUP FORCE DBA;
RMAN> SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE;
RMAN> STARTUP MOUNT;

then do the backup, then ALTER DATABASE OPEN and I'm back in business.
This works as expected on the test database. But on the production database I get:

RMAN> shutdown immediate
using target database control file instead of recovery catalog
database closed
database dismounted
Oracle instance shut down

RMAN> startup force dba

RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of startup command at 07/09/2010 11:31:55
ORA-12514: TNS:listener does not currently know of service requested in connect descriptor

Then I restart database service, listener service, and application service to get working again.
ORA-12514 advice said "llsnrctl services" to find which services are known.

The working test db shows up in the response with these 2 entries:
Service "UC4TEST" has 2 instance(s).
Instance "UC4TEST", status UNKNOWN, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Handler(s):
"DEDICATED" established:0 refused:0
LOCAL SERVER
Instance "uc4test", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Handler(s):
"DEDICATED" established:7 refused:0 state:ready
LOCAL SERVER

The erroring production db shows up with just one entry:
Service "uc4" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "uc4", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Handler(s):
"DEDICATED" established:16 refused:0 state:ready

I'm trying to find what this might mean, that there's not a second entry.

ORA-12514 code also says check llstener.log. My listener.log is 860MB (this may indicate some problem?), I haven't found my way into it yet. The databases are about 2GB and 4GB, just a few users, seems an awfully big listener log for a pretty small server

So what does the Listener not know, and why, and how I tell it? I thank you for any suggestions.