Uniden BCT-10 User Manual

Introduction

Welcome

Congratulations on your purchase of the BCT-10 Highway
Information System & Scanning Radio! State-of-the-art
engineering and advanced electronics provide you with a
preprogrammed information radio designed for easy operation and
dependability.

With the BCT-10 Scanning Radio, you can listen to hundreds of
highway patrol and police frequencies, as well as a number of
weather channels.

Plus, new built-in technology sounds an alarm when a highway
patrol unit using a mobile extender is detected!

Best of all, you don’t have to program any frequencies. Just set the
BCT-10 for your state, and the scanner will do the rest. Please
read this Operating Guide thoroughly before attempting to operate
the unit.

Features

• Highway Patrol Detection
with Strength Meter

• Local Police Coverage • Instant Weather

• Highway Patrol Coverage • Built-in Speaker

• 9 Level Strength Meter • Pre-Programmed Scanner

• Windshield Mountable

covers all 50 States Plus
Canada

1

Introduction

Terms and Definitions

Frequency Radio signals are sent as waves through the

air. These waves move up and down. A
frequency is the number of times in a certain
time period, usually a second, that these
waves move all the way up and all the way
down and back to all the way up. For example:

123.44 kHz means that the waves are moving
all the way up and all the way down and back
all the way up again 123,440 times each
second.

Mobile Extender When highway patrol officers step away from

their cars, signals from the patrol car are sent
to their portable radios via a mobile extender.
The mobile extender is a transmitter/receiver
that receives the signal from the station and
transmits it to the portable radio on a different,
but lower, frequency.

Scanning Scanning is the process by which your

scanning radio looks for “activity” in the
channels it is programmed to look at. The
scanner checks each frequency for the
presence of a signal, and when it finds a
frequency with a signal, for example someone
talking on it, it stops, allowing you to listen to
the signal. The BCT-10’s Highway Patrol Alert
System also looks for activity on mobile
extender frequencies. When the BCT-10

2

detects the presence of a signal on one of
these frequencies, it will trigger an audio and
visual alarm.

Unpacking

Carefully remove all items from the box. If there is any visible
damage, do not operate the equipment. Notify your dealer or
shipping carrier immediately.

For information or instructions on any problem that you may have,
call the Uniden Customer Service Center at:

[phone] Monday through Friday,
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central.

3

Included with Your BCT-10 Scanner

H

W
Y

HIGHWAY

OFF

SYSTEM

MODE

MUTE

ALARM

L/0

STATE

HOLD

The BCT-10 Highway

Information System

Windshield Mounting

Bracket and Hardware

BCT-10 Antenna Cigarette Adapter Power

Cord

Visor Clip Mounting

Bracket

BCT 10

SCANNER

MODE

L/0

HIGHWAY

SYSTEM

MUTE

STATE

ALARM

HOLD

OFF

Operating Guide

BCT-10 Operating Guide

χοµετο τηεαιδ οφ τηε παρτψ.

χοµετο τηεαιδ οφ τηε παρτψ.

οϖερτηε γαρδεν ωαλλ.Νοω ισ τηε τιµεφο4ρ αλλ γοοδ µεντο

γαρδενωαλλ. Νοωισ τηε τιµε φο4ραλλ γοοδ µεντο

τηαταλλ µεν αρε χρεατεδ εθυαλ.Τηεθυιχκ βροωνφοξϕυµπεδ

χρεατεδεθυαλ. Τηε θυιχκ βροων φοξ ϕυµπεδ οϖερ τηε

νατιονχονχειϖεδ ιν Λιβερτψ ανδ δεδι χατεδ το τηε προποσιτιον

τηεπαρτψ.

δεδιχατεδ το τηε προποσιτιον τηατ αλλ µεν αρε

παρτψ.Φουρ σχορεψεασ αγο ουρφατηερσ σετ φορτηανεω

τιµεφο4ρ αλλγοοδ µεν τοχοµε το τηεαιδ οφ

φορτη α νεω νατιον χονχειϖεδ ιν Λιβερτψ ανδ

Νοωισ τηε τιµεφορ αλλ γοοδµεν το χοµετο τηε αιδοφ τηε

φοξϕυµπεδ οϖερ τηε γαρδενωαλλ.Νοω ιστηε

οφτηε παρτψ. Φουρ σχορε ψεασ αγο ουρ φατηερσ σετ

αλλµεν αρε χρεατεδ εθυαλ. Τηε θυιχκβροων

Νοωισ τηε τιµε φοραλλ γοοδ µεν το χοµετο τηε αιδ

Λιβερτψανδ δεδιχατεδ το τηε προποσιτιον τηατ

φατηερσσετ φορτηα νεωνατιον χονχειϖεδ ιν
αιδοφ τηεπαρτψ. Φουρσχορε ψεασ αγοουρ
Νοω ιστηε τιµε φορ αλλ γοοδ µεν το χοµε το τηε

Flexible Mobile Antenna

Other Printed Material Straight Power Cord

If any of these items are missing, please contact your place of
purchase.

4

Installation

Installation

The BCT-10 uses a highly sensitive antenna to receive radio
signals. Its sensitivity and range depend on the method of
installation and the direction of the antenna in relation to the signal
source. Before you decide where to put your scanner, please keep
in mind one important factor:

For safety, do not mount the BCT-10 in a location where it will
obstruct your driving vision.

Helpful Tips

The antenna is located on the side of the unit. It should not be
obstructed and should be pointed as close to straight up or down
for best operation.

• Do not mount the unit in front of the heater or defroster vents.

• Do not leave the unit in direct sunlight or in the glove

compartment of a closed car for long periods of time, as
extreme changes in temperature may cause internal damage.
Also, removing the unit from the windshield makes you less
susceptible to break-in and theft.

• Be sure the BCT-10 is mounted free of obstructions from the
rear view mirror, sun visors, or the ceiling of the automobile.

5

Installation

Installing the Antenna

BCT-10 Antenna

1. Pinch the sides of the
antenna and attach it to
the BCT-10.

HIGHWAY

SYSTEM

Flexible Mobile Antenna

1. Mount the antenna on the
inside of the windshield at
the far right-hand
(passenger) side.

ALARM

HOLD

MUTE

STATE

MODE

L/0

Caution: Be sure the antenna does not obstruct the driver’s vision

in any way.

2. Route the antenna cable down the edge of the windshield and
around the dash.

6

Installation

Caution:

Be sure the cable is out of the way of anyone getting in or
out of the car.

3. Plug the cable’s BNC
connector into the BCT-10.

ALARM

HOLD

HIGHWAY

SYSTEM

MUTE

STATE

MODE

L/0

Mounting the BCT-10

Visor Mounting

1. Snap the visor clip onto the
BCT-10.

SQUELCH

Slots

Note: Make sure that the bracket tabs fit securely in the slots.

7

Installation

2. Slide the clip over the front
of the visor.

SQUELCH

3. Adjust the angle of the
antenna as close to
straight up or down as
possible.

SQUELCH

Note: You can remove and replace the BCT-10 by sliding both

the unit and the visor mount off and on the visor.

8

Installation

Windshield Mounting

1. Find a good position for the BCT-10 on your windshield. Refer
to the Helpful Tips on page 5 for some guidelines on mounting
positions.

2. Put the metal
mounting
bracket on
the
windshield to
adjust it for
best position.

4

3

3. If necessary, adjust the metal
mounting bracket so that
when you slide the BCT-10
onto it, it is parallel to the
road surface and fits flush
against the windshield.Your
BCT-10 should look like the

1

1. Windshield

2. Road Surface

3. Metal Mounting
Bracket

4. Metal Mounting

2

Bracket
parallel to road

VOLUME

OFF

VOLUME

OFF

example at the right once it
is installed.

Caution:

Do Not adjust the metal mounting bracket with the
BCT-10 attached. Doing so can cause damage to the
bracket and the unit.

VOLUME

OFF

9

Installation

4. Snap the windshield
mounting clip onto the
BCT-10.

5. Slide the plastic windshield
mounting clip into the the
metal mounting bracket.

VOLUME

OFF

Slots

HIGHWAY

SYSTEM

MUTE

STATE

MODE

L/0

ALARM

HOLD

The mounting clip locks into the plastic portion at three different
positions. These positions can be used for vehicles with different
vertical angles of their windshields. The back position can be used
for vehicles with windshields that are slanted back.

10

6. Place the bracket and the
BCT-10 in the proper location
on the windshield of your
vehicle and press the suction
cups firmly against the
windshield.If the BCT-10
does not fit flush against the
windshield, try a different
position on the metal
mounting bracket.

7. Adjust the angle of the

Installation

VOLUME

OFF

VOLUME

OFF

VOLUME

OFF

antenna as close to straight
up or down as possible.

SQUELCH

11

Connecting the Power

Direct Connection

WARNING: The BCT-10 is designed to operate only with 12V DC,

negative ground power systems. Operation of the unit
on other voltages or polarities will cause damage to
the unit and may create a fire hazard.

The straight power cord provided with the unit has bare wires at
one end, and a small connector at the other end.

1. Connect the positive wire to a 12V DC source in your vehicle’s
fuse box.

2. Connect the other wire to ground.

12

Fuse

Box

HIGHWAY

SYSTEM

OFF

ALARM

HOLD

MUTE

MODE

L/0

STATE