Uniden BC92XLT User Manual

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BC92XLT
OWNER’S
MANUAL
OWNER’S MANUAL
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Precautions
Precautions
observe the following.
IMPORTANT!
This scanning radio has been manufactured so that it will not tune to the 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. 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.
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.
EARPHONE WARNING!
Be sure to use only a monaural earphone with this scanner. You can also use an optional mono headset. Use of an incorrect earphone or mono headset might be potentially hazardous to your hearing. The output of the phone jack is monaural, but you will hear it in both headphones of a stereo headset.
Set the volume to a comfortable audio level coming from the speaker before plugging in the monaural earphone or headset. Otherwise, you might experience some discomfort or possible hearing
Precautions
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damage if the volume suddenly becomes too loud because of the volume control or squelch control setting. This might be particularly true of the type of earphone that is placed in the ear canal.
WARNING!
Uniden does not represent this unit to be water- proof. To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock, do not expose this unit to rain or moisture.
®
Uniden Uniden America Corporation. Close Call trademark of Uniden America Corporation.
Other trademarks used throughout this manual are the property of their respective holders.
and Bearcat® are registered trademarks of
TM
is a
Precautions
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BC92XLT Controls and Display
BC92XLT Controls and Display
Headphone Jack
Squelch
Volume
Display
Power
Keypad
DC 6V Jack
BC92XLT Controls and Display
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Contents
The FCC Wants You To Know ............................. 7
Contents
Scanning Legally .............................................. 7
Introduction ........................................................... 9
Feature Highlights ............................................... 11
About This Manual ......................................... 12
Understanding Scanning .................................... 14
What is Scanning? ......................................... 14
What is Searching? ........................................ 14
Conventional Scanning ................................... 14
Where To Obtain More Information ............... 16
Included With Your Scanner ............................... 18
Setting Up Your Scanner .................................... 19
Using Internal Batteries .................................. 19
Using AC Power ............................................. 23
Connecting the Antenna ................................ 23
Connecting an Earphone/Headphone ............ 24
Connecting an Extension Speaker ................. 24
Attaching the Belt Clip .................................... 25
About Your Scanner ........................................... 26
A Look At The Keypad ................................... 27
A Look At The Display ................................... 30
Understanding Banks ..................................... 32
Operation ............................................................ 33
Turning On The Scanner and
Setting Squelch .............................................. 33
Storing Known Frequencies Into Channels .... 33
Searching For and Temporarily
Storing Active Frequencies ............................ 34
Scanning the Stored Channels ...................... 35
Manually Selecting a Channel ....................... 36
Special Features ................................................. 37
Close Call
Chain Search ................................................. 41
Direct Entry Search ........................................ 43
Search Skip Memory ...................................... 45
Delay .............................................................. 46
Turning Channel-Storage Banks
On and Off ..................................................... 47
TM
RF Capture Technology ............ 37
Contents
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Locking Out Channels .................................... 48
Priority ............................................................ 48
Using Keylock ................................................ 49
Using the Display Backlight ........................... 50
Troubleshooting .................................................. 51
Resetting the Scanner ................................... 53
Care and Maintenance ....................................... 54
General Use ................................................... 54
Location ......................................................... 54
Cleaning ......................................................... 54
Repairs........................................................... 55
Birdies ............................................................ 55
Specifications...................................................... 56
Optional Accessories .......................................... 59
One-Year Limited Warranty................................. 60
Contents
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The FCC Wants You To Know
This scanner has been tested and found to comply
The FCC Wants You To Know
with the limits for a scanning receiver, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This scanner generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this scanner does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the scanner on and off, you are encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
Increase the separation between the scanner and the receiver
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1) This device may not cause harmful interference,
and 2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Scanning Legally
Your scanner covers frequencies used by many different groups, including police and fire departments, ambulance services, government agencies, private companies, amateur radio services, military operations, pager services, and wireline (telephone and telegraph) service providers. It is legal to listen to almost every transmission your scanner can receive.
The FCC Wants You To Know
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However, there are some transmissions that you should never intentionally listen to. These include:
Telephone conversations (cellular, cordless, or other private means of telephone signal transmission)
Pager transmissions
Any scrambled or encrypted transmissions
According to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), you are subject to fines and possible imprisonment for intentionally listening to, using, or divulging the contents of such a conversation unless you have the consent of a party to the conversation (unless such activity is otherwise illegal). This scanner has been designed to prevent the reception of cellular telephone transmissions and the decoding of scrambled transmissions. This is done to comply with the legal requirement that scanners be manufactured so they are not easy to modify to pick up these transmissions. Do not open your scanner’s case to make any modifications that could allow it to pick up transmissions that are illegal to monitor. Modifying or tampering with your scanner’s internal components or using it in a way other than as described in this manual could invalidate your warranty and void your FCC authorization to operate it.
In some areas, mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires a permit. Check the laws in your area. It is also illegal in many areas (and a bad idea everywhere) to interfere with the duties of public safety officials by traveling to the scene of an incident without authorization.
The FCC Wants You To Know
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Introduction
Thank you for purchasing a Uniden BC92XLT
Introduction
Handheld Scanner. The scanner is versatile, compact, and easy to use. In addition to its standard scanning features, your scanner also includes Close Call designed to help you detect and identify strong local radio signals in your area.
You can program up to 200 frequencies into the scanner's memory. The scanner lets you scan transmissions and is preprogrammed with service banks for your convenience. You can quickly search those frequencies most commonly used by police and other agencies, without tedious and complicated programming. The scanner gives you direct access to over 40,000 exciting frequencies.
Use your scanner to monitor:
Police and fire departments (including rescue and paramedics)
NOAA weather transmissions
Business/Industrial radio
TM
RF capture technology
Utilities
Marine and amateur (ham radio) bands
Air band
Introduction
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This table lists the frequency ranges, default frequency step, default mode (AM or FM), and type of transmissions you can hear for each range.
Frequency Range (MHz)
25.0-27.995 5 AM Citizens Band/
28.0-29.695 5 FM 10 Meter
29.7-49.995 5 FM VHF Low Band
50.0-54.0 5 FM 6 Meter
108.0-136.9875 12.5 AM Aircraft Band
137.0-143.995 5 FM Military Band
144.0-147.995 5 FM 2 Meter
148.0-174.0 5 FM VHF High Band,
406.0-419.99375 6.25 FM Federal Land Mobile
420.0-449.99375 6.25 FM 70cm Amateur Band
450.0-469.99375 6.25 FM UHF Standard Band
470.0-512.0 6.25 FM UHF TV Band
806.0-823.9875 12.5 FM Public Service Band
849.0125-868.9875 12.5 FM Public Service Band
894.0125-956.0 12.5 FM Public Service Band
Step (kHz)
Mode Transmission
Business Band
Amateur Band
Amateur Band
Amateur Band
Federal Government
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Introduction
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Feature Highlights
Close CallTM RF Capture Technology - you can set
Feature Highlights
the scanner so it detects and provides information about nearby radio transmissions. See “Close Call RF Capture Technology” on Page 37 for more information.
Pager Screen - lets you set the scanner so it does not detect pager frequencies during Close Call search.
Chain Search - lets you enter personal search bands in 10 locations and search all locations in a chain of frequency bands.
Triple-Conversion Circuitry - virtually eliminates any interference from IF (intermediate frequency) images, so you hear only the selected frequency.
Channel-Storage Banks - the scanner has 10 banks. You can store up to 20 frequencies into each bank (for a total of 200 frequencies), so you can more easily identify calls.
TM
Two-Second Scan Delay - delays scanning for about 2 seconds before moving to another channel, so you can hear more replies that are made on the same channel.
Lock-Out Function - lets you set your scanner to skip over specified channels or frequencies when scanning or searching.
Priority Channels - lets you program one channel in each bank (10 in all) and then have the scanner check that channel every 2 seconds while it scans the bank, so you do not miss transmissions on those channels.
Six Service Banks - frequencies are preset in separate police, Fire/emergency, aircraft, ham, marine, and weather banks, to make it easy to locate specific types of calls.
Feature Highlights
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Key Lock - lets you lock the scanner's keys to help prevent accidental changes to the scanner's programming.
Direct Access - lets you directly access any channel.
Display Backlight - makes the scanner easy to read in low-light situations.
Flexible Antenna with BNC Connector - provides adequate reception in strong signal areas and is designed to help prevent antenna breakage. Or, you can connect an external antenna for better reception.
Memory Backup - keeps the frequencies stored in memory for an extended time if the scanner loses power.
Two Power Options - let you power the scanner using internal batteries or external AC power using the included AC adapter.
Key Confirmation Tones - the scanner sounds a tone when you perform an operation correctly, and an error tone if you make an error.
Battery Low Alert - warns you when battery power gets low.
About This Manual
The screen displays used in this manual are representations of what might appear when you use your scanner. Since what you see depends on the frequencies for your area and the settings you select, you might notice some differences between what is in this manual and what appears on your scanner.
Feature Highlights
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To get the most from this manual, review the contents to become familiar with the basic functions available. If you are new to scanning, be sure to read “Understanding Scanning” on Page 14 for a quick background on the technology behind the hobby. The first thing you’ll need to do is install batteries in the scanner. Then you need to connect the included antenna to the scanner. See “Using Internal Batteries” on Page 19 and “Connecting the Antenna” on Page 23 if you need any help doing this.
Feature Highlights
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Understanding Scanning
This section provides you with background on how
Understanding Scanning
scanning works. You don’t really need to know all of this to use your scanner, but some background knowledge will help you get the most from your BC92XLT.
What is Scanning?
Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most two­way communications do not transmit continuously. Your BC92XLT scans programmed channels until it finds an active frequency, then stops on that frequency and remains on that channel as long as the transmission continues. When the transmission ends, the scanning cycle resumes until the scanner receives another transmission.
What is Searching?
The BC92XLT can search for active frequencies. This is different from scanning because you are searching for frequencies that have not been programmed into the scanner. When you select frequency bands to search, the scanner searches for any active frequency within the lower and upper limits you specify. When the scanner finds an active frequency, it stops on that frequency as long as the transmission lasts. If you think the frequency is interesting, you can program it into one of the banks. If not, you can continue to search.
Conventional Scanning
Conventional scanning is a relatively simple concept. Each group of users in a conventional system is assigned a single frequency (for simplex systems) or two frequencies (for repeater systems). Any time one of them transmits, their transmission always goes out on the same frequency. Up until the late 1980’s
Understanding Scanning
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this was the primary way that radio systems operated.
Even today, there are many 2-way radio users who operate using a conventional system:
•Aircraft
Amateur radio
FRS/GMRS users
Broadcast AM/FM/TV stations
Many business radio users
When you want to store a conventional system, all you need to know is the frequencies they operate on. When you are scanning a conventional system, the scanner stops very briefly on each channel to see if there is activity. If there isn’t, the scanner quickly moves to the next channel. If there is, then the scanner pauses on the transmission until it is over.
Simplex Operation
Simplex systems use a single frequency for both transmit and receive. Most radios using this type of operation are limited to line-of-sight operation. This type of radio is frequently used at construction job sites, and with inexpensive consumer radios such as GMRS/FRS radios. The range is typically 1-8 miles, depending upon the terrain and many other factors.
Repeater Operation
Repeater systems use two frequencies: one transmits from the radio to a central repeater; the other transmits from the repeater to other radios in the system. With a repeater-based system, the repeater is located on top of a tall building or on a radio tower that provides great visibility to the area of operation. When a user transmits (on an input frequency), the signal is picked up by the repeater and retransmitted (on an output frequency). The user’s radios always
Understanding Scanning
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listen for activity on the output frequency and transmit on the input frequency. Since the repeater is located very high, there is a very large line of sight. Typical repeater systems provide coverage out to about a 25-mile radius from the repeater location.
Where To Obtain More Information
By itself, this manual really only provides part of what you need to know to have fun scanning – how to program and use the scanner. The included conventional frequency guide will give you a good head start on the other part of what you need to know – what frequencies have interesting content.
Information On The Internet
The Internet is a great source for current frequencies and information about scanning.
Many web sites have lists of frequencies for your area. You can use a search engine to find and use them.
Make a list of the agencies you want to listen to, then look up the frequencies and systems used by those agencies. Here are a few useful sites:
http://www.scannermaster.com * - frequency resources and home of Police Call.
You can also call them at 1 800 SCANNER (hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday).
*
http://www.radioreference.com
- the Internet's premier source for user-supported radio system information.
http://www.bearcat1.com - frequency information from National Communications.
Understanding Scanning
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*
svartifoss2.fcc.gov/reports/index.cfm
­conventional frequency information on file with the US Government
* - This web site is not affiliated with Uniden Corporation.
To purchase another copy of the conventional frequency guide, contact your local dealer or:
Uniden Parts Department (800) 554-3988 (Hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Central Time Monday through Friday.)
For more information about Uniden and our other products, visit http://www.uniden.com.
Understanding Scanning
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Included With Your Scanner
Included With Your Scanner
Antenna
AC Adapter
Belt Clip
BC92XLT
OWNER’S
MANUAL
Scanner
OWNER’S MANUAL
Frequency Guide
Owners Manual
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.
Setting Up Your Scanner
Included With Your Scanner
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Setting Up Your Scanner
These guidelines will help you install and use your new scanner:
If your scanner receives interference or electrical noise, move the scanner or its antenna away from the source. You might also try changing the height or angle of the telescoping antenna.
To improve the scanner’s reception, use an optional external antenna designed for multi­band coverage. (You can purchase this type of antenna at a local electronics store). If the optional antenna has no cable, use 50-70 ohm coaxial cable for lead-in. A mating plug might be necessary for the optional antennas.
Use an optional mono earphone or mono headset with proper impedance for private listening. Read the precautions on the inside front cover of this Owners Manual.
Do not use the scanner in high-moisture environments such as the kitchen or bathroom.
• Avoid placing the scanner in direct sunlight or near heating elements or vents.
Using Internal Batteries
You can power your scanner using two alkaline or rechargeable AA batteries (not supplied).
Using Non-Rechargeable Batteries
1. Make sure the power is turned off.
2. Slide the battery compartment cover.
3. Before you install alkaline or any other non­rechargeable batteries, use a pointed object such as a ballpoint pen to set REG. ALK. BATT./
NI-MH BATT. inside the compartment to REG. ALK. BATT..
Setting Up Your Scanner
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WARNING!
Set REG. ALK. BATT./NI-MH BATT. to NI-MH BATT. only if you are using rechargeable batteries. Never attempt to recharge non-rechargeable batteries. Non-rechargeable batteries can get hot or burst if you try to recharge them.
4. Install two batteries in the compartment as indicated by the polarity symbols (+ and -) marked inside.
Setting Up Your Scanner
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