Uniden BC 245XLT User Manual
CONTENTS
Introduction ...................................3
Important Notice ...............................4
Terminology...................................5
What is Scanning? ...........................5
What is Searching? ..........................5
What is Trunk Tracking? ......................5
Feature Highlights ..............................7
Where to Obtain More Information .................9
Information on the Internet .....................9
Included with Your Scanner .....................10
Setup .......................................11
Installing the Battery Pack ....................11
Charging the Battery Pack ....................12
Low Battery Indicator ........................12
Adapter Safety Feature ......................12
Flexible Antenna ...........................13
Belt Clip ..................................13
Basic Operation...............................14
Turn the Scanner On ........................14
Setting the Squelch .........................14
Keylock...................................15
LCD Back Light ............................15
Auto Light .................................15
Programming.................................16
Duplicate Frequency Alert ....................18
Programming Tips ..........................18
Deleting a Stored Frequency ..................19
Scanning ....................................20
RF Attenuation Feature ......................21
Setting the Delay Mode ......................22
Channel Lockout ...........................23
Lockout Tips...............................24
Restore a Locked Out Channel ................25
Restore All Locked-Out Channels ..............25
Priority Scan...............................26
Changing the Priority Channel .................27
Searching ...................................28
Setting a Search Range ......................28
Turbo Search ..............................28
Search Hold Feature ........................29
Data Skip .................................29
Frequency Skip ............................30
Storing Search Frequencies...................30
SVC Scanning ................................32
SVC Scan Lockout ..........................34
Programming with SVC Scan..................35
Trunk Tracking ...............................36
Types of Trunking Systems ...................36
EDACS
®
Tracking ..........................38
Setting the Squelch .........................39
Programming Trunking Frequencies ............39
Searching a Trunked Bank....................42
Changing the Display Mode ...................42
Frequency Find Mode .......................43
Direct Entry ID Hold Mode ....................43
ID Lockout ................................44
Restore a Single ID .........................44
Restore all IDs .............................45
Searching Tips .............................45
Channel Activity Indicators....................46
Scan Lists.................................48
Programming ID Scan Lists Manually ...........48
ID Scan Mode .............................52
Setting Priority in Trunking Mode ...............53
Programming Scan Lists During Search .........54
Deleting a Stored ID.........................54
Moving between Scan List Memories ...........55
Multi-Track ...............................55
Fleet Map Programming ........................56
Selecting Trunking Programming Mode..........56
Selecting a Preset Fleet Map ..................57
Programming a Fleet Map ....................58
Programming a Hybrid System ................59
Setting the Base and Offset frequencies for
Motorola VHF/UHF trunked systems ............60
Toggling the Status Bit .......................61
Remote Interface..............................62
Connecting the scanner ......................62
SmartScan Mode ...........................64
Remote (PC Control) Mode ...................70
Clone Mode ...............................72
Care and Maintenance .........................74
General Use ...............................74
Location ..................................74
Cleaning ..................................74
Repairs...................................75
Birdies ...................................75
Troubleshooting...............................76
Specification .................................78
Appendix ....................................79
Preset Fleet Maps ..........................79
User Defined Fleet Maps .....................81
One Year Limited Warranty ..........inside back cover
2
Introduction
The
BC 245XLT
TrunkTracking™ and automatic scanning capabilities. It
can store frequencies such as police, fire/emergency,
marine, railroad, air, amateur, and other communications
into 10 banks of 30 channels each.
With the new SmartScanner™ feature, you can also
automatically program your scanner by downloading
directly from our Uniden/Bearcat national frequency
database via a PC or external modem.
Use your new scanner to monitor:
n
UHF High Band UHF 800/900 MHz Trunked Public
Safety Systems
n
Police and Fire Departments (including rescue and
paramedics)
n
Trunking for Motorola and EDACS systems
n
NOAA Weather Broadcasts
n
Business/Industrial Radio
n
Utilities
n
Marine and amateur (ham radio) bands
n
Air band
is a state-of-the-art radio with
Frequency Range Steps Transmission
29.0-29.7 MHz 5 kHz 10 Meter Amateur Band
29.7-50.0 MHz 5 kHz VHF Low Band
50.0-54.0 MHz 5 kHz 6 Meter Amateur Band
108-137 MHz 12.5 kHz Aircraft Band
137-144 MHz 5 kHz Military Land Mobile
144-148 MHz 5 kHz 2 Meter Amateur Band
148-174 MHz 5 kHz VHF High Band
406-420 MHz 12.5 kHz Federal Govt.
420-450 MHz 12.5 kHz 70cm Amateur Band
450-470 MHz 12.5 kHz UHF Standard Band
470-512 MHz 12.5 kHz UHF “T” Band
806-956 MHz 12.5 kHz Public Service “800”
Band
3
Important Notice
n
This scanning radio has been manufactured so
that it will not tune radio frequencies assigned by
the FCC for cellular telephone usage. The
Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, as
amended, makes it a federal crime to intentionally
intercept cellular or cordless telephone
transmissions or to market this radio when altered
to receive them.
n
The installation, possession, or use of this
scanning radio in a motor vehicle may be
prohibited, regulated, or require a permit in certain
states, cities, and/or local jurisdictions. Your local
law enforcement officials should be able to provide
you with information regarding the laws in your
community.
n
Changes or modifications to this product not
expressly approved by Uniden, or operation of this
product in any way other than as detailed by this
Operating Guide, could void your authority to
operate this product.
n
The screen displays used in this manual are
representations of what might appear when you
use your scanner.
4
Terminology
What is Scanning?
Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most two-way
communications do not transmit continuously. The
BC 245XLT
an active frequency.
Scanning stops on an active frequency and remains on
that channel as long as the transmission continues. When
the transmission ends, the scanning cycle resumes until
another transmission is received.
What is Searching?
The
BC 245XLT
active frequencies. This is different from scanning because
you are searching for frequencies that have not been
programmed into your scanner. You can choose between
two speeds while searching. Turbo Search, a new feature
for Uniden scanners, can search the VHF FM bands at up to
300 channels per second.
What is Trunk Tracking?
scans the channels you program until it finds
can search each of its 12 bands to find
Conventional scanning is a simple concept. You enter a
radio frequency in your scanner’s memory which is used by
someone you want to monitor. For example, the police in
your area may broadcast on 460.500 MHz , the fire
department on 154.445 MHz, the highway department on
37.900 MHz, etc. So when your scanner stops on a
frequency, you usually know who it is, and more
importantly, you can stop on a channel and listen to an
entire conversation. This type of scanning is easy and fun.
As the demand for public communications has increased,
many public radio users don’t have enough frequencies to
meet their needs, and this has created a serious problem.
Trunking radio systems solve this problem.
5
In a trunked radio system, which contains up to 28 different
frequencies, radio users are divided into groups, often
called talk groups, and these talk groups are assigned
specific IDs. When someone in a talk group uses their
radio, a brief burst of data is broadcast before each
transmission. The trunking system computer uses this data
to temporarily assign each radio in a talk group to an
available frequency. If the group using a frequency stops
broadcasting or pauses between replies for a few seconds,
they are removed from the frequency so another talk group
can use it.
Sharing of the available public service frequencies, or
trunking, allows cities, counties, or other agencies to
accommodate hundreds of users with relatively few
frequencies. Following a conversation on a trunked system
using a scanner is difficult, if not impossible, because when
there’s a short break during the conversation you’re
monitoring, it’s possible that the talk group will be assigned
to a completely different frequency in the trunked system.
This type of scanning is difficult and frustrating.
TrunkTracker™ changes this! Not only does your new
BC 245XLT
scan channels like a conventional scanner, it
actually follows the users of a trunked radio system. Once
you know a talk group’s ID, you won’t miss any of the
action.
If you’re a new scanner enthusiast, you may want to read
the first part of this manual and use your scanner in
conventional mode before you begin trunk tracking.
Understanding scanning fundamentals and its terminology
will make trunk tracking much easier. But if you’re already
an experienced scanner operator, you may want to go to
Trunk Tracking on page 36 now.
6
Feature Highlights
n
Trunk Tracking – Follow UHF High Band UHF
800/900 MHz trunked public safety and public
service systems just as if conventional two-way
communications were used.
n
Multi-Track – Track more than one trunking
system at a time and scan conventional and
trunked systems at the same time.
n
300 Channels – Program one frequency into each
channel. You must have at least one channel
programmed to use the Scan mode.
n
12 Bands, 10 Banks – Includes 12 bands, with
Aircraft and 800 MHz. 10 banks with 30 channels
each are useful for storing similar frequencies to
maintain faster scanning cycles or for storing all
the frequencies of a trunked system.
n
29 MHz-956 MHz – Indicates the range of
frequencies that can be searched within the bands
of your scanner.
Note: The frequency coverage is not continuous
and excludes the cellular band.
n
10 Priority Channels – You can assign one
priority channel in each bank. Assigning a priority
channel allows you to keep track of activity on your
most important channel(s) while monitoring other
channels for transmissions.
n
Preprogrammed Service (SVC) Scan – Allows
you to toggle through preprogrammed police,
fire/emergency, railroad, aircraft, marine, and
weather frequencies.
n
Unique Data Skip – Allows your scanner to skip
unwanted data transmissions and reduces birdies.
n
Memory Backup – If the battery completely
discharges or if power is disconnected, the
frequencies programmed in your scanner are
retained in memory.
n
Manual Channel Access – Go directly to any
channel.
n
LCD Back Light – An LCD light remains on for 15
seconds when is pressed.
n
Autolight – Automatically turns the light on when it
finds a transmission.
7
n
Battery Save – In manual mode, your scanner
automatically reduces its power requirements to
extend the battery’s charge.
n
Attenuator – Reduces the signal strength.
n
SmartScanner™ – Automatically program your
BC 245XLT with all the frequencies and trunking
talk groups for your local area by accessing our
national database with your PC or just an external
modem. (No PC required)
n
Turbo Search – Increases the search speed to
300 steps per second. This applies only to
transmission bands with 5 kHz steps.
8
Where to Obtain More
Information
Before using your scanner, you must program frequencies
into available channels. The Betty Bearcat Frequency
Guide lists typical frequencies used around the U.S.A. and
Canada that you may program into your new scanner.
To obtain a copy of the frequency guide, contact one of the
following:
n
Uniden Parts Department (800) 554-3988 (Hours
are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time
Monday through Friday.)
n
Bearcat Frequency Hotline (937) 299-0414 (Hours
are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Monday through Friday.)
n
Local Dealer
Information on the Internet
If you have access to the Internet, you may want to visit
www.trunktracker.com or www.bearcat1.com/free.htm
For more information about Uniden and our other products,
visit www.uniden.com
9
Included with Your Scanner
If any of these items are missing or damaged, immediately
contact your place of purchase or Uniden Customer
Service at: (800) 297-1023, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Central,
Monday through Friday.
Antenna Belt Clip
AC Adapter Battery Pack
Earphone
Programmable100-Channel BaseScanner
BC XLT860
Now is the time for all goodmen to
come to the aid of the party.
Four score yeas ago our fathers set
forth a new nation conceived in
Liberty and dedicated to the
proposition that all men are
created equal. The quick brown
fox jumped over the garden wall.
Now is the time fo4r all good men to
come to the aid of the party.
Programmable100-ChannelBase Scanner
BC XLT860
Now is the time for all goodmen to
come to the aid of the party.
Four score yeas ago our fathers set
forth a new nation conceived in
Programmable100-ChannelBase Scanner
BC XLT860
Liberty and dedicated to the
proposition that all men are
Now is the time for all
created equal. The quick brown
good men to come to the
fox jumped over the garden wall.
aid of the party. Four
Now is the time fo4r all good men to
score yeas ago our
come to the aid of the party.
fathers set forth a new
100
CHANNELBAND MHzSCANNING RADIOBCXLT12800 860
nation conceived in
Now is the time for all goodmen to
Liberty and dedicated to
TWINTURBO
DATABANK
come to the aid of the party.
12345678910
the proposition that all
P
100
SCANPRIORITYSRCHHOLD DELAYL/O
888.8888
WXAIR
Four score yeas ago our fathers set
men are created equal.
1
SQUELCH
1-10
2
11-20
3
21-30
TURBO/
4
31-40
forth a new nation conceived in
PRIORITY
5
The quick brown fox
41-50
DATA
AUTO
6
51-60
7
WEATHER
61-70
LIMIT
8
71-80
SEARCH
Liberty and dedicated to the
9
81-90
jumped over the garden
HOLD
.
VOLUME
DELAY
0
91-100
E
LOCKOUT
proposition that all men are
SCAN
wall. Now is the time fo4r
MANUAL
OFF
created equal. The quick brown
all good men to come to
fox jumped over the garden wall.
the aid of the party.
Now is the time fo4r all good men to
come to the aid of the party.
Now is the time for all
good men to come to the
Now is the time for all goodmen to
aid of the party. Four
come to the aid of the party.
score yeas ago our
Four score yeas ago our fathers set
fathers set forth a new
forth a new nation conceived in
nation conceived in
Liberty and dedicated to the
Liberty and dedicated to
the proposition that all
men are created equal.
The quick brown fox
jumped over the garden
wall. Now is the time fo4r
all good men to come to
TrunkTracker
Frequency Guide
and Other Printed
Material
10
300-Channel Trunk Tracking Scanner
Visit our
Website at
www.trunktracker.com
BC 245 X LT
TM
OperatingGuide
UDZZ01818ZZ
Operating Guide
RS232C
Setup
These are helpful guidelines when using your
new scanner:
n
If your scanner receives interference or electrical
noise, move the scanner or its antenna away from
the source.
n
If you need to improve reception, use an optional
antenna designed for multi-band coverage. (You
can purchase this type of antenna at a local
electronics store.)
n
Use the included earphone or an optional stereo
headset with proper impedance for private
listening. Read the precautions on the inside front
cover of this Guide.
Installing the Battery Pack
1. Open the cover.
2. Insert the battery
pack.
3. Replace cover and
press down until it
clicks into place.
11
Charging the Battery Pack
Use the AC Adapter/Charger to power the
from an AC outlet.
Use only the supplied AC Adapter
(AD70U) or one of the optional power
cords (WZ1015 or WZ1017).
You can use your scanner while the battery charges. To
fully charge the battery, leave the AC Adapter/Charger
connected for 14 – 16 hours.
Note: Disconnect the AC Adapter/Charger from the unit
when charging is complete.
BC 245XLT
Low Battery Indicator
When the Battery Pack is low and needs to be charged,
the battery icon appears in the display. You will also hear a
beep every 15 seconds as an audible alert.
Adapter Safety Feature
The AC Adapter included with this scanner may be
equipped with a polarized line plug — a plug with one
blade wider than the other. This plug will fit into a power
outlet only one way. If you are unable to insert the
adapter’s plug into an outlet, try reversing the plug.
12
Flexible Antenna
Attach the flexible antenna to the
Belt Clip
BNC connector.
Do not tighten the screws too tight.
You can damage the case or clip.
13
Basic Operation
Note: Fold out the Front Cover to see the Controls and
Indicators while reading this Guide.
Turn the Scanner On
Turn the
position. bc245 flashes twice in the display. The scanner
automatically starts scanning.
VOLUME
control clockwise out of the detent
Setting the Squelch
To set the squelch, you must be in the Manual mode, and
you should not be receiving a signal on your scanner.
1. Press until you do
not hear a signal.
2. Make sure that the
VOLUME is set to a
comfortable listening
level.
3. Think of the Squelch Control as a gate. Turn
SQUELCH fully counter-clockwise. This raises the
“Squelch Gate” so high that only very strong signals
can get through.
4.
Turn SQUELCH fully clockwise until you hear a hiss.
This lowers the “Squelch Gate” so that everything
gets through—noise, weak signals, and strong
signals.
STRONG SIGNALS
MEDIUM SIGNALS
WEAK SIGNALS
NOISE
14
5.
Turn SQUELCH back counter-clockwise just until the
hiss stops. Now the “Squelch Gate” allows only clear
signals through.
STRONG SIGNALS
MEDIUM SIGNALS
WEAK SIGNALS
NOISE
Keylock
Key Lock prevents accidental key entries during
conventional scanning or while in trunk tracking mode.
1. To lock the keypad,
press and hold
12345678910
until the symbol
appears in the lower
right of the display.
2. To unlock the keypad,
press and hold
12345678910
until the symbol in
the lower right of the
display turns off.
LCD Back Light
Press and release to turn the LCD light on. It remains
on for 15 seconds and then goes out.
Auto Light
Press and hold until you hear 2 short beeps. The
scanner will automatically turn the light on for 5 seconds,
whenever a transmission is found.
15
Programming
Before the
BC 245XLT
can begin conventional scanning,
you must program a frequency into at least one channel.
Repeat this procedure for each channel you want to
program.
1. Select frequencies
from your dealer, from
various sources on
the internet, or from
one of the guides
listed on page 9.
Here’s a list of sample
frequencies you
should try:
156.800 Marine Calling channel
155.340 Ambulance operations
155.280 Ambulance operations
155.160 Ambulance operations
462.950 Ambulance operations
462.5625 Family Radio Services (channel one)
2. Press .
3. Select a channel.
a. Enter the channel
number.
b. Then press .
16
12345678910
4. Enter the frequency.
a. Enter the frequency
number.
b. Then press .
12345678910
Note: To clear a mistake while entering the frequency,
press repeatedly until the display is cleared.
If you enter a
frequency which is
12345678910
outside the scanner’s
frequency bands, a
distinctive beep
sounds and Error
appears in
the display.
Press and go back
to Step 4.
(See the Table on page 3 or the Band List on the
back of the scanner).
17
Duplicate Frequency Alert
If you enter a
frequency which is
stored in another
channel, you hear a
beep and the other
channel displays.
Press to clear and
start again.
OR
Press again to
store the frequency in
both channels.
Programming Tips
n
Do not program a weather frequency into one of
the channels, since weather channels transmit
continuously.
Use Service Scan feature to select the weather
information band.
n
Group similar frequencies into adjacent channels.
For example, program police frequencies in
channels 1 through 10 and fire/emergency into
channels 11 through 20, and so on.
n
Put the frequency that you listen to the most or the
most important frequency into a Priority channel.
n
To quickly program a series of channels, start with
the lowest number channel.
For example, when you are programming five new
frequencies into Channels 4 through 8, start with
Channel 4. After you finish programming a
channel, press or to go to the next
higher channel.
n
Write down your programmed channels and
frequencies in some convenient place in case the
scanner memory is lost.
n
If you want to download frequencies using
SmartScan feature, go to that section in this
manual.
12345678910
18
Deleting a Stored Frequency
To delete a stored
frequency:
12345678910
a. Select a
channel.
b. Press .
c. Then press .
Note: Channels with no frequencies are automatically
locked out.
19
Scanning
1. After programming
frequencies, simply
12345678910
press to begin
scanning.
2. The bank indicators selected for scanning appear in
the display, and the bank being currently monitored
flashes. You can deselect banks from active
scanning by pressing their number on your keypad.
The indicator for each deselected bank turns off, and
the bank’s channels are not scanned.
Note: One Bank must always be active. You cannot
deactivate all ten banks at the same time. If you try
to turn all the banks off, the first bank is
automatically selected.
To restore a bank to active scanning, press the
bank’s number on your keypad. The bank’s indicator
will display again.
3. During normal
scanning the scanner
SCAN
skips unprogrammed
or locked
out channels.
CHANNELS
1 3 4 5 9 102 6 7 8
4. When a transmission
is received, the LCD
back light comes on
for five seconds and
the scanner stops on
that channel, provided
that you have
selected the Auto
Light feature. When
the transmission
ends, scanning
resumes
automatically.
20
Frequency
Locked Out
(L/O)
12345678910
Frequency not
entered
If you want to stop on
a channel during
scanning, press .
12345678910
If you want to resume
scanning, press .
12345678910
To directly access a specific channel:
1. Press .
2. Enter the channel
number you want
using the keypad.
3. Press again.
RF Attenuation Feature
The BC 245XLT comes with an RF Attenuation feature. If
you’re near an unusually strong signal source, the signal
may overload the scanner. The scanner may stop
repeatedly on that signal and miss other transmissions.
The RF Attenuation feature works in all modes and
attenuates (reduces) the incoming signal strength by about
15 dB, preventing stronger signals from overloading the
scanner.
To turn RF Attenuation on:
1. Press ATT.
21
2. You hear a beep, and
ATT
appears in the
display begins
flashing.
Now all incoming
signal strength is
reduced.
ATT
To turn RF Attenuation off, just press
icon goes out.
again. The
ATT
Setting the Delay Mode
A delay can be set for each programmed channel so that
when scan or search stops on a channel there is a brief
pause before the scanning cycle resumes. Delay must be
set for each programmed channel and it can be set when
your scanner pauses during a scan or when manual mode
is selected.
Delay in Scan or Search Mode
1. Press or set a
search range and
press .
2. When your scanner
stops on a channel
that you want to
delay, press .
DLY
displays and
scanning resumes two
seconds after the
transmission ends.
22
Delay in Manual Mode
1. Press .
2. Select the channel
that you want by
entering the number
and press .
Press and
DLY
displays indicating the
scanner will pause on
the channel when a
transmission is
received.
Channel Lockout
You can lockout any channel so it is not reviewed during
normal scanning. You can restore the channel to scanning
whenever you wish.
Lockout in Manual Mode
1. Press .
2. Select a channel.
Enter the channel
numbers. Press
again.
OR
Press or
to change higher, or
to lower
the channel.
3. Press to lockout
the channel.
L/O appears
in display.
12345678910
12345678910
23
Lockout in Scanning Mode
If the scanner keeps stopping on a particular channel due
to noise or too frequent transmissions, you may want to
keep that channel from scanning.
1. Wait until the scanner
stops at the channel.
2. Then press .
3. The scanner
immediately resumes
scanning because the
locked out channel is
no longer in the
scanning sequence.
Lockout Tips
n
To quickly lockout a series of channels, start with
the lowest number channel.
For example, if you are locking out channels 4, 7,
8, 12, and 15, start with Channel 4. After selecting
channel 4, press . Then press one or more
times to step up to the next channel to be
locked out.
n
Record the locked-out channels in some
convenient place so you can restore them.
12345678910
12345678910
24
Restore a Locked Out Channel
1. Press .
2. Select a locked out
channel.
a. Enter the channel
number.
b. Then press
again.
12345678910
3. Press to unlock
the channel. The
L/O
12345678910
icon goes out.
Restore All Locked-Out Channels
You can restore all locked-out channels in a bank only
when a bank is selected for scan. If you have deselected a
bank and you want to restore all of its locked-out channels
using the steps below, you must press and then press
the number of the bank on your keypad.
1. Press .
Note: You must be in
Manual mode before
restoring all
locked-out channels.
12345678910
25
2. Press and hold for
about two seconds.
You will hear two
beeps when all the
channels have
been restored.
Priority Scan
When Priority Scan is turned on, your scanner checks the
priority channel every two seconds for activity. If a signal is
present on the priority channel, your scanner monitors the
channel until the transmission ends, then resumes normal
scanning. You can designate one channel in each bank as
a Priority Channel.
To activate Priority Scan (in either the Manual or
Scan Mode):
1. Press .
Note: If you have
locked out the priority
channel, this message
appears when you
select Priority mode.
2. Press
again at anytime to
deactivate Priority
Scan.
12345678910
12345678910
26
Changing the Priority Channel
You cannot eliminate the Priority Channel, but you can
change it to any of the 30 available channels in each bank.
1. Press .
2. Select a new Priority
Channel.
a. Enter the channel
number.
b. Then press
again.
12345678910
3. Press and hold
for two
seconds to designate
this channel as your
new Priority Channel.
Two beeps indicate
that the Priority
channel has changed.
Note: Priority in Trunking mode works just the same,
except instead of setting priorities for channels,
you set them for talk group ID’s.
27
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