Uniden BCD396T User Manual
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BCD396T
OWNER’S
MANUAL
OWNER’S MANUAL
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Precautions
Before you use this scanner, please read and observe
Precautions
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 32 Ω stereo
headset. Use of an incorrect earphone or stereo
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 a stereo headset of the proper
impedance (32 Ω). Otherwise, you might experience
some discomfort or possible hearing 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.
Precautions
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WARNING!
Uniden does not represent this unit to be
waterproof. To reduce the risk of fire or electrical
shock, do not expose this unit to rain or moisture.
®
Astro
PL
SMARTNET
trademarks of Motorola, Inc.
LTR
EDACS
Private Radio Systems Inc.
Uniden
Uniden America Corporation.
TrunkTracker
are proprietary trademarks of Uniden America
Corporation.
, DPL®, Digital Private Line®, Motorola®,
®
, PRIVACY PLUS®, Private Line®,
®
,and SMARTZONE® are registered
®
is a registered trademark of E.F. Johnson Co.
®
is a registered trademark of M/A-COM
®
and Bearcat® are registered trademarks of
™
, Trunk Tracking™, and Close Call™
Other trademarks used throughout this manual are the
property of their respective holders.
Precautions
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Contents
The FCC Wants You to Know ..................................................................... 8
Contents
Scanning Legally ........................................................................................ 8
Introduction ............................................................................................... 10
Feature Highlights ..................................................................................... 11
About This Manual .................................................................................... 16
Using the Multifunction Scroll Control .................................................... 16
Entering Text ......................................................................................... 17
How the Scanner’s Controls Are Represented in This Manual .............. 17
Understanding Scanning .......................................................................... 19
Understanding the Scanner’s Memory ..................................................... 19
What is Scanning? .................................................................................... 19
What is Searching? ................................................................................... 20
What is CTCSS/DCS? .............................................................................. 20
Conventional Scanning ............................................................................. 22
Simplex Operation ................................................................................. 23
Repeater Operation ............................................................................... 23
What is Trunk Tracking? ........................................................................... 23
Trunked Scanning .....................................................................................24
Types of Trunking Systems ...................................................................... 25
Motorola Trunking .................................................................................. 25
EDACS Trunking ................................................................................... 27
LTR Trunking ......................................................................................... 28
I-Call (Motorola/EDACS) ........................................................................... 29
Where To Get More Information ............................................................... 29
Information On The Internet ................................................................... 29
Included With Your Scanner ..................................................................... 31
Setting Up Your Scanner .......................................................................... 32
Using Internal Batteries ............................................................................ 32
Using Rechargeable Batteries .................................................................. 33
Removing the Display Sticker ................................................................... 34
Using AC Power ....................................................................................... 34
Connecting the Antenna ........................................................................... 35
Connecting an Optional Antenna ........................................................... 35
Connecting an Earphone/Headphone ...................................................... 35
Connecting an Extension Speaker ........................................................... 35
Attaching the Belt Clip .............................................................................. 36
Attaching the Wrist Strap .......................................................................... 36
A Look At The Keypad .............................................................................. 36
A Look At The Display .............................................................................. 39
Using Menu ............................................................................................... 41
Using Func ................................................................................................ 41
Basic Operation ......................................................................................... 42
Turning On the Scanner and Setting the Squelch .................................... 42
Scanning Systems .................................................................................... 43
Preprogrammed System Tips ................................................................ 43
Selecting Systems to Scan ....................................................................... 44
Selecting System Channel Groups ........................................................... 45
Locking/Unlocking Systems ...................................................................... 45
Locking/Unlocking Channels .................................................................... 45
ID Scan/ID Search Mode .......................................................................... 46
Temporarily Holding On a System ............................................................ 46
Holding On a Channel .............................................................................. 46
Quickly Storing an ID During ID Search ................................................... 47
Quick-Storing Channels or Talk Group ID’s .............................................. 47
Quickly Recalling Channels ...................................................................... 48
Monitoring Trunking Activity ...................................................................... 48
Toggling Channel Alpha Tags ................................................................. 48
Using the Menu .......................................................................................... 49
Programming Systems Menu ................................................................... 51
Contents
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Other Settings ............................................................................................ 53
Displaying System Information ................................................................. 53
Viewing Memory Used ............................................................................53
Viewing the Firmware Version ................................................................53
Adjusting the Key Beep ............................................................................ 53
Locking/Unlocking the Keypad and Scroll ................................................ 53
Turning Power Save On or Off ................................................................. 54
Priority Scan ............................................................................................. 54
Using the Backlight ................................................................................... 54
Setting the Audio AGC .............................................................................. 55
Adjusting the Display Contrast .................................................................. 55
Initializing the Scanner’s Memory ............................................................. 56
Connecting Your Scanner to a Personal Computer .................................. 56
Using the Cloning Options ........................................................................ 57
Wired Cloning ........................................................................................ 57
On-Air Cloning ....................................................................................... 58
Programming Radio Systems ....................................................................59
Programming Conventional Systems ........................................................60
Entering/Editing Conventional Channel Groups .....................................60
Entering/Editing Conventional Channels ................................................61
Programming Motorola Systems .............................................................. 62
Setting System Frequencies ...................................................................63
Setting Modulation ..................................................................................64
Setting Attenuation .................................................................................64
Entering/Editing Motorola Channel Groups ............................................65
Entering/Editing Motorola Channels .......................................................65
Programming EDACS Systems ................................................................ 66
Setting System Frequencies .................................................................. 67
Entering/Editing EDACS Channel Groups ............................................. 68
Entering/Editing EDACS Channels ........................................................68
Programming LTR Systems ...................................................................... 69
Setting System Frequencies .................................................................. 70
Entering/Editing LTR Channel Groups .................................................. 70
Entering/Editing LTR Channels/Talkgroups ........................................... 71
Programming/Editing Optional Settings ................................................. 72
System-Level Settings .............................................................................. 72
Editing the System Name .......................................................................72
Editing the System Quick Key ................................................................73
Setting System Lockout ..........................................................................73
Setting the System Hold Time ................................................................74
Setting the Channel Delay Time .............................................................74
Setting ID Scan/Search (Trunked Systems Only) ...................................75
Editing the Fleet Map (Motorola Systems Only) .....................................75
Setting the Motorola Status Bit (Motorola Systems Only) .......................76
Setting the End Code Operation (Motorola Systems Only) ....................77
Setting I-Call (Motorola and EDACS Systems Only) ..............................77
Setting Emergency Alert (Motorola and EDACS Systems Only) ...........78
Setting Control-Channel Only (Motorola Systems Only) ........................78
Reviewing Locked Out Frequencies .......................................................79
Clearing All Locked-Out IDs ...................................................................79
Adjusting the P25 Level (Motorola and Conventional Systems Only) ....79
Setting the EDACS ID Format (EDACS Systems Only) .........................80
Setting System Attenuation (Trunked Systems Only) .............................81
Deleting Systems ....................................................................................81
Copying Systems ....................................................................................81
Group-Level Settings .................................................................................82
Entering/Editing the Group Name ...........................................................82
Setting the Group Quick Key ..................................................................83
Setting Group Lockout ............................................................................83
Deleting Groups ......................................................................................83
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Channel-Level Settings ............................................................................. 84
Editing the Channel Name ..................................................................... 84
Editing Frequencies (Conventional Channels Only) .............................. 85
Setting Channel Priority (Conventional Channels Only) ........................ 85
Setting Channel Alert ............................................................................. 86
Editing the Talk Group ID ...................................................................... 86
Setting CTCSS/DCS (Conventional Channels Only) ............................. 87
Setting the System Frequency Modulation ............................................ 88
Setting Channel Attenuation (Conventional Channels Only) ................. 88
Setting Channel Lockout ........................................................................ 89
Deleting Channels ................................................................................. 89
Copying/Pasting Channels .................................................................... 90
Searching and Storing .............................................................................. 91
Service Search ......................................................................................... 91
Quick Search ............................................................................................ 92
CTCSS/DCS Search ................................................................................. 92
Custom Search ......................................................................................... 93
Editing a Custom Search Range ........................................................... 94
Editing a Service Search ....................................................................... 95
Auto Search and Store ............................................................................. 97
Selecting a System ................................................................................ 97
Storing a Conventional System ............................................................. 97
Storing a Trunked System ..................................................................... 98
Using the Close Call Feature .................................................................. 100
Setting Close Call Options ...................................................................... 101
Close Call Hits ........................................................................................ 103
Search and Close Call Options .............................................................. 104
Managing Locked-Out Frequencies ........................................................ 104
Unlocking All Frequencies ...................................................................104
Reviewing Locked Out Frequencies .................................................... 104
Searching for Subaudible Tones ............................................................ 104
Screening Out Broadcast Sources ......................................................... 105
Finding Repeater Output Frequencies .................................................... 106
Setting the Maximum Auto Store Value .................................................. 107
Setting the Modulation Type ................................................................... 107
Setting Attenuation ................................................................................. 107
Setting Data Skip .................................................................................... 108
Setting the Delay Time ........................................................................... 108
Setting the Search Frequency Step ........................................................ 109
Using Weather Alert (SAME) ................................................................... 110
Searching For a Weather Broadcast ...................................................... 110
Turning Weather Alert On/Off ................................................................. 110
Programming a SAME Group ................................................................. 111
Setting WX Alert Priority ......................................................................... 112
Using Tone-Out ........................................................................................ 113
Fire Tone-Out Operation ......................................................................... 113
Setting Tone-Out Standby ...................................................................113
Setting Up Tone-Out ............................................................................113
Care and Maintenance ............................................................................. 115
General Use ............................................................................................ 115
Location .................................................................................................. 115
Cleaning .................................................................................................. 115
Repairs ................................................................................................... 116
Birdies ..................................................................................................... 116
Troubleshooting ...................................................................................... 117
Specifications .......................................................................................... 121
Contents
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Optional Accessories .............................................................................. 124
Appendix .................................................................................................. 125
Preset Fleet Maps ................................................................................... 125
User Defined Fleet Maps ........................................................................ 127
Type I Programming Information ......................................................... 127
Size Code Restrictions ........................................................................ 128
Planning .................................................................................................... 129
Collecting Information ............................................................................. 129
Filling Out The Conventional System Worksheet ................................... 131
System Name and Quick Key .............................................................. 131
Group Name and Quick Key ................................................................ 131
Frequency-Alpha Tag-Priority-CTCSS/DCS ........................................131
Filling Out The Motorola Worksheet ....................................................... 131
System Name and Quick Key .............................................................. 131
System Type ........................................................................................ 132
System Frequencies ............................................................................ 132
Fleet Map (Type I or Type I/Type II Hybrid Only) ................................ 132
Band Plan (VHF or UHF Only) ............................................................. 133
Group Name and Quick Key ................................................................ 133
Talk Group ID-Alpha Tag-Alert ............................................................ 133
Filling Out the LTR and EDACS Worksheet ........................................... 133
System Name and Quick Key .............................................................. 133
System Frequencies and LCN .............................................................134
Group Name and Quick Key ................................................................ 134
Talk Group ID-Alpha Tag-Alert ............................................................ 134
Conventional System Worksheet ............................................................ 135
Motorola System Worksheet ................................................................... 136
LTR/EDACS System Worksheet ............................................................ 138
Preprogrammed Systems ....................................................................... 140
One-Year Limited Warranty .................................................................... 146
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. However, there
are some transmissions that you should never
intentionally listen to. These include:
The FCC Wants You to Know
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• 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.
A license is required to use this product in Canada.
The FCC Wants You to Know
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Introduction
Your BCD396T scanner is a state-of-the-art scanner
Introduction
radio with TrunkTracker IV™ and automatic scanning
capabilities. You can store frequencies such as police,
fire/emergency, marine, air, amateur, and other
communications into the scanner. You can carry it with
you wherever you go. You can use the scanner’s scroll
control to quickly select channels and frequencies,
and you can automatically program channels in a
system using the AutoStore feature. Use your scanner
to monitor:
• Analog and digital trunked public safety systems
• Police and fire departments (including rescue and
paramedics)
• NOAA weather transmissions
• Business/Industrial radio and utilities
• Marine and amateur (ham radio) bands
• Air band
• Railroad
Your scanner can monitor the following bands.
*
Frequency (MHz)
Lower Edge Upper Edge Modulation
25.0000 27.9950 AM 5.0
28.0000 29.6800 NFM 20.0
29.7000 49.9900 NFM 10.0
50.0000 53.9800 NFM 20.0
54.0000 71.9500 WFM 50.0
72.0000 75.9950 FM 5.0
76.0000 87.9500 WFM 50.0
88.0000 107.9000 WFM 100.0
108.0000 136.9750 AM 25.0
137.0000 143.9875 NFM 12.5
144.0000 147.9950 NFM 5.0
148.0000 150.7875 NFM 12.5
150.8000 161.9950 NFM 5.0
162.0000 173.9875 NFM 12.5
174.0000 215.9500 WFM 50.0
216.0000 224.9800 NFM 20.0
225.0000 399.9500 AM 50.0
400.0000 512.0000 NFM 12.5
764.0000 775.9875 NFM 12.5
794.0000 805.9875 NFM 12.5
806.0000 823.9875 NFM 12.5
849.0125 868.9875 NFM 12.5
894.0125 956.0000 NFM 12.5
1240.0000 1300.0000 NFM 25.0
* Motorola® Astro®, SMARTNET®,SMARTZONE
M/A-COM Private Radio Systems Inc. EDACS® Wide, Narrow, and SCAT,
and E.F. Johnson Co. LTR systems.
Step
(kHz)
®,
and PRIVACY PLUS®,
Introduction
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Feature Highlights
General
Feature Highlights
Close CallTM RF Capture Technology - you can set
the scanner so it detects and provides information
about nearby radio transmissions. See “Using the
Close Call Feature” on Page 100 for more information.
Dynamically Allocated Channel Memory - your
scanner’s memory is organized so that it more closely
matches how radio systems actually work, making it
easier to program and use your scanner and determine
how much memory you have used and how much you
have left.
Preprogrammed Systems - your scanner is
preprogrammed with over 400 channels covering
police, fire, and ambulance operations in the 25 most
populated counties in the US, plus the most popular
digital systems. A complete list of the scanner’s
preprogrammed systems is in “Preprogrammed Systems” on Page 140.
100 Quick Keys – You can set the scanner so you
can quickly select systems and groups by using the
keypad. This makes it easy to listen to or quickly lock
out those systems or groups you don’t want to scan.
12 Service Searches - frequencies are preset in
separate Public Safety, News, HAM Radio, Marine,
Railroad, Air, CB Radio, FRS/GMRS, Racing, TV
Broadcast, FM Broadcast, and Special searches, to
make it easy to search and scan for specific
transmissions.
Lockout – You can lock out any system, group,
frequency, or channel while scanning. If you lock out a
system or group, any channels belonging to that system or group are also locked out.
You can lock out up to 200 frequencies. The scanner
skips locked-out frequencies while using the Close
Call feature or while searching.
Feature Highlights
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CTCSS and DCS Squelch Modes – prevent
interference from stations not using the mode you
select.
Analog and Digital Audio AGC – Helps automatically
balance the volume level between different radio systems.
Fire Tone-Out Standby – Lets you set the scanner to
alert you if a two-tone sequential page is transmitted.
You can set up to 10 settings (transmit frequency, tone
frequencies) then select one for standby monitoring.
Broadcast Screen – Sets the scanner so it ignores
Close Call
TM
or search hits on known broadcast
frequencies including pager frequencies.
Custom Screen – Lets you input up to 10 frequency
ranges that the scanner will ignore during Close Call
TM
or search operation.
Dropout Delay – You can set whether the scanner
pauses at the end of a transmission to wait for a reply.
You can set the delay time for each system you scan,
and while searching and using the Close Call
TM
feature.
Attenuator – You can set the scanner’s attenuator to
reduce the input strength of strong signals by about 18 dB.
Repeater Reverse – You can set the scanner so it
switches to the input frequency on a conventional
repeater system.
Channel Alert – You can set the scanner so it alerts
you when there is activity on any channel you specify.
Memory Check – Lets you see at a glance how much
total memory is left.
Scan and Search Operation – Lets you include
selected service searches or custom search ranges
during normal scan operation.
Custom Alerts – For each alert in the scanner (such as
channel alert, Close Call alert, emergency alert), you
Feature Highlights
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can select from 9 different tone patterns and also set
the alert volume level independently from the main
volume level.
Automatic Channel Step – Accepts frequencies on
any valid channel step, even if it does not fall within
the band plan’s default step.
Frequency Step – Lets you select a frequency step
(5, 6.25, 7.5, 8.33, 10, 12.5,15, 20, 25, 50 or 100 kHz)
for manual mode and chain search mode. The scanner’s auto step feature lets you set the scanner so it
automatically chooses the correct step.
Quick Recall – Lets you quickly select a specific
channel by choosing the system, group, and channel.
Scan/Search Delay – You can set the scanner so it
remains on a frequency up to 5 seconds after the last
transmission to wait for a possible reply.
Text Tagging – You can name each system, group,
channel, talk group ID, custom search range, and
SAME group, using up to 16 characters per name.
Unique Data Skip – Allows your scanner to skip
unwanted data transmissions and reduces birdies.
Duplicate Frequency Alert – Alerts you if you try to
enter a duplicate name or frequency already stored in
a system.
Memory Backup – If power is lost or disconnected,
the scanner retains the frequencies you programmed
in its memory.
Note: The scanner’s frequency coverage is not
continuous and does not include the cellular telephone
or UHF TV bands.
Trunk Tracking
Trunk Tracker IV™ Operation – Follows conversations
on analog Motorola, Motorola Astro (APCO 25), EDACS,
EDACS SCAT, and LTR trunked radio systems,
including systems in VHF, UHF, 700 MHz, 800 MHz,
Feature Highlights
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and 900 MHz bands. The scanner can scan both
conventional and trunked systems at the same time.
Control Channel Only Scanning – If the scanner is
set to scan Motorola trunking frequencies, you can set
it so it scans using only control channel data. You do
not have to program voice channel frequencies into
memory in this mode.
Adaptive Digital Threshold – Automatically sets the
digital decode threshold for APCO 25 systems.
Weather
Weather Search – Lets your scanner receive your
local NOAA weather transmission.
SAME Weather Alert – Lets your scanner alert you when
a SAME weather alert is transmitted on a NOAA weather
channel. The scanner also displays the transmitted
alert type. This helps you quickly find out about severe
weather in your area and lets you avoid false alarms.
WX Priority – Lets your scanner alert you when a SAME
weather priority alert is transmitted on a NOAA weather
channel.
Search
Service Search – Lets you quickly select and search
the scanner’s preprogrammed frequencies.
Custom Search – Lets you program up to 10 custom
search ranges. You can search any of these ranges
simultaneously.
CTCSS/DCS Search – Lets the scanner search for
CTCSS or DCS tones. You can identify up to 50
CTCSS tones and 104 DCS tones.
Quick Search – Lets you search from the currently-tuned
frequency if you are searching a conventional system.
Auto Store
Frequency AutoStore – Automatically stores all
active frequencies within a system you select.
Feature Highlights
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Talk Group ID AutoStore – Automatically stores all
new talk group ID’s into a channel group you select.
Priority
Priority Scan – Priority channels let you keep track of
activity on your most important channel(s) while
monitoring other channels for transmissions.
Priority Plus – You can set the scanner so it scans
only the priority channels
Backlight and Power
Display and Keypad Backlight – Makes the display and
keypad easy to see in dim light. You can adjust the
back light so it turns on when you press a key, when
squelch breaks during a transmission, or manually.
Low Battery Alert – The scanner alerts you if the
batteries need to be recharged or replaced.
Battery Save – You can set the scanner so it reduces
the amount of power it needs if there are no transmissions.
Key Controls
Key Lock – You can deactivate the scanner’s keys to
help prevent accidentally changing the scanner’s
programming.
PC Control and Cloning
PC Control – You can transfer programming data to
and from your scanner and your personal computer,
and control the scanner using a computer. This helps
you find frequencies listed on the Internet and load
them into the scanner. Free PC control and
programming software will be available at
http://www.uniden.com.
Clone Mode – You can clone all programmed data,
including the contents of the scanner’s memory, menu
settings, and other parameters from one BCD396T
scanner to another BCD396T scanner.
Feature Highlights
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On-Air Cloning – You can clone all programmed data
over the air from a PC to one or more BCD396T
scanners.
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 and user IDs 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.
Using the Multifunction Scroll Control
The scroll control on top of the BCD396T lets you
easily control channel selection, volume, and squelch,
and how information appears on the display.
To adjust menu settings, change channels in Hold
mode, and resume scanning: Simply rotate the
scroll control.
To change the scanner’s volume: Briefly press the
scroll control once, then rotate it. VOLUME LEVEL and
the current volume level appear on the display.
To adjust the squelch: While holding down Func on
the left side of the scanner, briefly press the scroll
control once then rotate it. SQUELCH LEVEL and the
current squelch level appear on the display.
To change the display mode: While holding down
Func, briefly press the scroll control twice. Extended
receive information, usually applicable to digital
scanning, appears on the display. Then briefly press
the scroll control again to return to the original display.
Entering Text
To enter a letter, turn the scroll control until the
character you want appears, To enter a number, press a
number key. To enter a decimal point, press .
Feature Highlights
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To move the cursor to the left, press /4. To move the
cursor to the right, press 6/ .
To clear a character, press No twice. To clear all
characters, press No 3 times.
To accept an entry, press down on the scroll control or
press E.
How the Scanner’s Controls Are
Represented in This Manual
To help navigate the scanner’s menus, the steps
shown in this manual show the displays you see and
the keys you press or control you operate to get a
desired result.
This example shows you how to use the scanner’s
menu to edit an existing system name. It shows you
the key to press ( ) to select a menu option and
the option you see (Program System) when you
press . It also instructs you to turn the scroll
control (shown as
press the scroll control (shown as
(Edit Name).
Menu
Menu
) to view a series of choices then
) to select a choice
Menu
Program System
Select the system
Edit Name
Follow these steps to enter/edit the
system name.
1. The first character of the
system name is covered by a cursor. Rotate the
scroll control to select the character you want.
2. Press 6/ on the keypad to select the next
character. The cursor moves to the next character.
To move the cursor to a previous character, press
/4.
Feature Highlights
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3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 until you have entered the
system name. Then press down on the scroll
control or press E to accept the setting.
Hints:
• Each system name can be up to 16 characters.
Abbreviate as necessary to fit.
• The default system names include the following
letter in the 16th position to indicate the system
type:
M = Motorola
E = EDACS
L = LTR
C = Conventional
• Press twice to delete the current character.
• Press three times to clear the entire alpha tag.
To get the most from this manual, review the contents
to become familiar with the basic functions available.
If you are new to scanning or trunk tracking, be sure to
read “Understanding Scanning” on Page 19 for a quick
background on the technology. 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 “Setting Up Your Scanner” on Page 32 if you
need any help doing this.
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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
BCD396T.
Understanding the Scanner’s
Memory
Your scanner’s memory is organized in an architecture
called Dynamic Allocated Channel memory. This type
of memory is organized differently and more efficiently
than the bank/channel architecture used by traditional
scanners. Dynamic Allocated design matches how
radio systems actually work much more closely, making
it easier to program and use your scanner and determine how much memory you have used and how much
you have left.
Instead of being organized into separate banks and
channels, your scanner’s memory is contained in a
pool. You simply use as much memory as you need in
the pool to store as many frequencies, talk group ID’s,
and alpha tags as you need. No memory space is
wasted, and you can tell at a glance how much
memory you have used and how much remains.
With a traditional scanner, when you program it to
track a trunked system, you must first program the
frequencies. Since you can only program one trunking
system per bank in a traditional scanner, if there were
(for example) 30 frequencies, the remaining 70 or so
channels in the bank are not used and therefore
wasted. Also, since some trunked systems might have
hundreds of talk groups, you would have had to enter
those types of systems into multiple banks in order to
monitor and track all the ID’s.
What is Scanning?
Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most twoway communications do not transmit continuously.
Your BCD396T scans programmed channels until it
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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 BCD396T can search each of its 12 bands and up
to 10 bands together to find 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
the scanner’s memory. If not, you can continue to
search.
What is CTCSS/DCS?
Your scanner can monitor systems using a Continuous
Tone Coded Squelch System (CTCSS) and Digital
Coded Squelch (DCS) system, which allow squelch to
open only when the tone you have programmed with a
specific frequency is received along with a
transmission.
CTCSS and DCS are subaudible tone signaling
systems sometimes referred to as PL or DPL
(Motorola’s trademarked terms for Private Line and
Digital Private Line respectively). CTCSS and DCS
are used only for FM signals and are usually
associated with both amateur and commercial twoway frequencies. These systems make use of a
special subaudible tone that accompanies a
transmitted signal.
CTCSS and DCS are used for many purposes. In
many cases, CTCSS and DCS are used to restrict
access to a commercial repeater, so that only those
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units, which transmit the correct tone along with their
signal can “talk” to the repeater.
CTCSS and DCS are also used in areas that receive
interference where there are several stations with
output frequencies close to each other. When this
occurs, you might hear multiple communications on
the same frequency. The stations might even interfere
with each other to the point where it is impossible to
clearly receive any of the stations. A scanner
equipped with CTCSS and DCS (like your scanner)
can code each received frequency with a specific
CTCSS or DCS frequency. Then, when you receive
multiple signals, you only hear the transmission with
the CTCSS or DCS tone you programmed. If you do
not receive the correct tone with a signal, the
scanner’s squelch remains closed and you hear
nothing.
You can search for the following CTCSS frequencies
and DCS codes.
CTCSS Frequencies (Hz)
67.0 69.3 71.9 74.4 77.0 79.7
82.5 85.4 88.5 91.5 94.8 97.4
100.0 103.5 107.2 110.9 114.8 118.8
123.0 127.3 131.8 136.5 141.3 146.2
151.4 156.7 159.8 162.2 165.5 167.9
171.3 173.8 177.3 179.9 183.5 186.2
189.9 192.8 196.6 199.5 203.5 206.5
210.7 218.1 225.7 229.1 233.6 241.8
250.3 254.1
DCS Codes (Octal)
023 025 026 031 032 036 043 047
051 053 054 065 071 072 073 074
114 115 116 122 125 131 132 134
143 145 152 155 156 162 165 172
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174 205 212 223 225 226 243 244
245 246 251 252 255 261 263 265
266 271 274 306 311 315 325 331
332 343 346 351 356 364 365 371
411 412 413 423 431 432 445 446
452 454 455 462 464 465 466 503
506 516 523 526 532 546 565 606
612 624 627 631 632 654 662 664
703 712 723 731 732 734 743 754
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 1980s, 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.
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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 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.
What is Trunk Tracking?
Your BCD396T is designed to track the following types
of trunking systems.
• Motorola Astro (APCO 25) trunking systems.
• Motorola Type I, Type II, Type IIi hybrid,
SMARTNET, and PRIVACYPLUS analog trunking
systems, which are extensively used in 800 MHz
communication systems.
• LTR trunking systems
• EDACS SCAT trunking systems
• EDACS trunking systems
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When tracking these types of systems, you might want
to remember that your scanner can track more than
one trunking system at a time and scan conventional
and trunked systems at the same time.
Conventional scanning is a simple concept. You enter
a frequency used by someone you want to monitor into
your scanner’s memory. For example, the police in your
area might transmit 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.
However, as the demand for public communications
has increased, many public radio users do not have
enough frequencies to meet their needs, creating a
serious problem. Trunking radio systems help solve
this problem.
Trunked Scanning
While conventional scanning worked great while there
were only a few groups wanting to use the
frequencies, with the advent of smaller, lower-cost
radios more and more agencies and businesses
wanted to take advantage of the utility of 2-way radio.
As a result, the bands that were used most became
full, so new users were not able to take advantage of
the technology as quickly as they wanted.
Trunking solved this frequency shortage by allowing
multiple groups to use the same set of frequencies in a
very efficient way. While each type of trunking system
operates a little differently (see the next few sections),
they all work on the same basic premise: even in a
system with a lot of users, only a few users are ever
transmitting at any one time.
Instead of being assigned a frequency, as with
conventional systems, each group is assigned a talk
group ID. A central computer controls the frequency
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each group operates on...and this frequency selection
is made each time a user transmits. So, while on a
conventional system queries, replies, and follow-ups
are all on a single frequency, they could each be on
completely different frequencies on a trunked system.
This semi-random frequency assignment made
monitoring such a system impossible prior to Uniden’s
invention of the TrunkTracker IV scanner.
Not only does your BCD396T 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 are a new scanner enthusiast, you might 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
terminology will make trunk tracking much easier. If
you are already an experienced scanner operator, you
might want to go to “Programming Motorola Systems”
on Page 62, “Programming EDACS Systems” on
Page 66, or “Programming LTR Systems” on Page 69
now.
Types of Trunking Systems
Trunking systems divide a few frequencies among
many different users, but the way that each system
does this is slightly different. This section describes
some of the technical data behind Motorola, EDACS,
and LTR trunked radio systems.
Motorola Trunking
While there are different types of Motorola trunking
systems, they all use the same basic trunking method.
The system consists of one control channel (or as
many as 4 per system), plus one or more voice
channels (typically 10, 20, or 28 total channels). When
a user presses Push To Talk (PTT) to transmit, their
radio first sends their talk group information to the
control channel. The computer then assigns that talk
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group to a specific voice channel and transmits that
data over the control channel. All radios in that talk
group switch over to the assigned voice channel and
the user can begin speaking. This all typically takes
place in about a second...the person transmitting
hears a beep from their radio when the channel is
assigned and then it is OK to start talking.
The systems in use are:
Motorola Type I – the radios send the radio ID, the
fleet and subfleet talk group ID to the control channel
each time they transmit. To program a Type I system,
you need to know the system’s fleet map. The most
common fleet maps are included in “Preset Fleet
Maps” on Page 125. You can also find fleet map
resources on the web.
Motorola Type II – the radios only send the radio ID
and radio channel code to the control channel. The
central computer keeps a database of radio ID’s and
which talk group is assigned to which channel code for
each radio, so with this system the user’s radio sends
only about
1
/3 the data as a Type I system with each
transmission. Type II systems do not use Fleetsubfleet talk groups; instead they use a 5-digit ID for
each talk group.
Type IIi Hybrid — these systems support a mix of both
Type I and Type II users. Like Type I systems, you
must know the system’s fleet map to ensure proper
tracking.
Motorola ASTRO (APCO 25) – these radios are
similar to Type II systems, but send only the radio ID
and radio channel code to the control channel, transmitting voice in digital form.
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EDACS Trunking
EDACS trunking works in much the same way as
Motorola trunking with a couple of major differences.
In an EDACS system, each frequency used by the
system is assigned a Logical Channel Number (LCN)
so that less data needs to be transmitted by the
control channel. Also, talk groups are assigned in an
Agency-Fleet-Subfleet (AFS) hierarchy. Also, there is
one variation of EDACS called SCAT that your
BCD396T can monitor.
Logical Channel Numbers – each frequency used by
the system is assigned an LCN. This information is
programmed into each user radio. When a user
presses PTT, their radio sends their AFS information
to the control channel. The computer then assigns that
talk group to a channel and sends the LCN so that all
other radios in that talk group will switch to the correct
channel. To program an EDACS system in your
scanner, you will need to know both the frequencies
used by the system and the LCN for each frequency.
Agency-Fleet-Subfleet – talk group ID’s for EDACS
systems are assigned in a way that makes it easy to
see at a glance the affiliation of the user. Each radio is
assigned a 2-digit agency identifier from 00 – 15.
For example, 01 might be used by the police, 02 by
ambulance service, 03 by the fire department, and so
on. Each agency is then subdivided up to 16 times to
provide fleet identification, and then 8 more times to
identify subfleets.
For example, the complete AFS for the Police
Department West District’s dispatch channel might be
01-062. 01 identifies the agency as the police
department, 06 identifies the fleet as the West district,
and 2 identifies the subfleet as the dispatch channel.
While these assignments are somewhat arbitrary and
vary from system to system, there are many resources
on the web for finding the assignments for most
systems. Because of the logical hierarchy of the AFS
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system, your BCD396T lets you assign wildcard ID’s
that let you, for example, use only one ID memory to
identify all units in either an agency or a fleet.
EDACS SCAT – EDACS SCAT (Single Channel
Autonomous Trunking) systems operate on a single
channel and alternate control data with analog voice
traffic. While your BCD396T cannot track ID’s in this
system, it can eliminate the control data so that all you
hear is the voice transmissions when you monitor this
type of system.
LTR Trunking
LTR (Logic Trunked Radio) systems are trunking
systems used primarily by business or private
communications service providers, such as taxicabs,
delivery trucks, and repair services. These systems
encode all control information as digital subaudible
data that accompanies each transmission, so there is
no separate control channel. Users on an LTR system
are assigned to specific talk groups, which are identified by the radio as six digit numbers.
These numbers are in the form AHHUUU, where:
A = Area code (0 or 1)
H = Home repeater (01 through 20)
U = User ID (000 through 254)
When the scanner receives a transmission on a
channel set to the LTR mode, it first decodes the LTR
data included with the transmission. In the ID search
mode, the scanner stops on the transmission and
displays the talk group ID on the display. In the ID scan
mode, the scanner only stops on the transmission if
the LTR data matches a talk group ID that you have
stored in the talk group ID list and have not locked out.
LTR systems are frequently programmed so that each
radio has a unique user ID.
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I-Call (Motorola/EDACS)
I-calls are direct unit-to-unit transmissions that are not
heard by other system users. Your BCD396T can
receive I-call transmissions. See “Setting I-Call
(Motorola and EDACS Systems Only)” on Page 77 for
more information about monitoring I-call transmissions.
Where To Get 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 two included
conventional and trunking frequency guides 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 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Monday through Friday).
• http://www.radioreference.com
premier source for user-supported radio system
information.
• http://www.bearcat1.com - frequency information
from National Communications.
*
- the Internet's
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*
• http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/reports/index.cfm
conventional frequency information on file with the
US Government
• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BCD396T
*
- a
group for people interested in discussing the
BCD396T.
* - These web sites are not affiliated with Uniden
Corporation.
To purchase another copy of the conventional or
trunking 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.
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