Uniden BCT15 User Manual

Precautions

Before you use this scanner, please read and observe the following.

IMPORTANT!

This scanning radio has been manufactur ed 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 feder al crime to

int en t iona lly int e rce pt cellu la r or cordl ess te le ph on e tra nsm iss io ns or to ma rke t this

r ad io w h e n al te r e d t o r ec e iv e th em . Th e in st al l at i o n, po ss es s i on , or u se of t hi s

scanning radio in a motor vehicle may be prohibited, regulated, or requi re a permit

in certain states, cities, and/or local j urisdictions. Your local law enforcement

offic i als sh ou ld be a bl e to p ro v ide y ou wit h in f orm at io n r eg ar ding t h e la ws in yo ur

community.

Changes or modifications to this product not expressly approved by Uniden, or

op er ati o n of thi s pr oduct i n any way other tha n as de t ail ed by t hi s O per a ti ng Guid e,

could voi d your author ity to operate thi s product.

EARPHONE WARNING!

Be sure to use only a monaural earphone or 32 Ω stereo headset. Use of an

incorrect earphone or stereo headset might be potentially hazar dous to your

hea rin g . Th e o utp ut of t he ph one ja ck is mon a ura l, but yo u w ill h ea r it in b oth

headphones of a stereo headset.

S et t he vol u me to a co mf or ta bl e a ud io le ve l c omi ng fr om th e sp ea k er b ef o re

pluggi n g in t he monaur a l ear p hon e or a ster eo he ad s et of t he proper im pe dance

(32 Ω). Otherwise, you m ight experience some discomfort or possible hearing

da ma ge if the vol um e s u dde nl y be com es too loud b eca us e of t he vo lu m e c on tro l or

squelch control setting. This might be particularly true of the type of earphone that

is placed i n the ear canal.

k 31 10.0444 Tw[(E)-55.0 7 4J2Ag!( )]TJ/TT2 1 Tf.4 -9.2 TD-0.0222 TcU(Inw)66dInwn66.2( )]TJ/TT4 1 T3-2.0.2 TD-0.0108cTm-0.067 Tw[oe o

Astro®, DPL®, D ig it al P ri v at e L i n e®, Motorola®, PL®, PRIVACY PLUS®, Private

Line®, SM ART N ET®, and SMARTZONE® are registered trademarks of Motorola,

Inc.

2

LT R® i s a registered trademark of E.F. Johnson Co.

EDA CS® is a registered trademark of M/A-COM Private Radi o Systems Inc.

Unide n® and Bearcat® are registered trademarks of Uniden America Corporation.

Trunk Tracker™, Trunk Tr acking™, and Close Call™ ar e proprietary trademarks of

Uniden America Corporati on.

Other trademarks used throughout this m anual are the proper ty of their respecti ve

ho l de rs .

Power R ela ted Iss ues

Important: To prevent memory from being corrupted, do not unplug the AC

adapter during the time the memory is accessed for programming or auto store.

Notes:

• If when you connect the AC adapter the [VOL] /Power Switch is ON, the
scanner may not pow er on. Sh ould this occur, simply turn the control OFF, then
ON again.

• If the scanner loses power (as when you turn off your car’s ignition with the

scanner’ s pow er switch on), it can lose some system settings such as displa y

color and backlig ht. To ensur e that such settings persist, either chang e the

set ti ng us i ng th e sc a nn er ’ s m e nu or p ow er th e s c a nn er off t he n b ac k o n u s ing

the power switch after making such set ting changes.

• W he n y ou tur n of f th e sc an ner us ing t he po w er sw i tc h, the s c an ne r re m em be rs

the last settings and mode. When you tu rn power back on , it resumes the

previous mode.

Prec auti ons

3

Table of Cont ents

Precautions .... ..... .... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ....... ...... .... 2

Pow er Rel at ed Issue s... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .... 3

The FCC Wants You t o Kn ow .. ......... ......... ......... ..... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ........ ......... .... 9

S can ning Le ga lly .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... . 9

Introduc ti on ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .... .... ... .. .... .. 12

Fe atu r e Hi gh lig hts .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 13

Ge nera l ... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 13

Tr un k Tra ck ing . .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 15

Sear che s a nd Scan nin g......... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ......... .. 16

GP S ... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... ... . .... ..... .... .. 17

W eathe r .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ......... .. 17

Me mo ry Stora ge Limit s.... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 18

S ea rch Lo c kou t L imi ts . .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 18

A bout Thi s Manual.. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 18

How t he Sc anne r’s Co ntr ols A re R ep res ented i n Thi s Ma nu a. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... . l 18

A Short User’s Guide to Ass ist the First- Time Scanner E nt hu si ast ... ......... ......... ......... ......... ...... 20

Understanding S ca nni ng and the BCT15 . ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ...... 22

Un de rsta nd ing the Sca nn er ’s Mem ory ... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 22

Un de rsta ndi ng Quick Keys... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 22

W hat i s S canni ng ?.. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 23

W hat i s S earch ing? ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 23

W hat i s C TC SS/ DCS? . .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 23

Co nve nti on al S c anni ng.... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 24

S imp lex Op erat io n .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 24

Re pe ate r Ope rati on..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 25

W hat i s T r unk Tr acki ng ?.. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 25

Tr un ked Sca nn ing .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 26

S tartu p C o nfig ur atio n....... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 26

Mu lt i-Si te Tr unkin g....... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 27

Typ es o f Tr unk ing Sys te ms .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 27

Moto r ola Tr un ki ng ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 27

EDA CS Tru nkin g....... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 28

L TR Tr unk ing ... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... ........ ..... .... .. 29

W her e To Get Mor e I nfo rmat ion.... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 30

In form atio n O n Th e Inte rnet... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 30

Incl uded Wi th Y o ur Scanner .... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .... .. 31

Setting Up Your S ca nner . ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .... .. 32

B ase Sta ti on .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ......... .. 32

S ett ing Up an Au dio R ecord in g De vice o r Co mp ute r Recor din g.... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 34

V eh icle In stal lati o n.. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 34

Mou ntin g Usi ng th e Bra cket... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 34

Mou ntin g Usi ng th e Opti on al D IN- E S leeve .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 35

Rem ovin g t he Scan ne r fr om th e D IN- E S leeve ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 37

Mou ntin g Usi ng ISO Tech niqu e .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... ...... 37

Rem ovin g t he Disp la y St icke r ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 38

Co nn ecti ng a n Op tion al A ntenn a... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .. 38

4

Controls, Keys, and Functions......... .... ......... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ......... ..... ......... .... ..... .... ......... .... ........ 40

A Look a t The LCD D is play ...... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ........ ......... ........ 47

Tones ......... ..... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .... .. .. ......... ..... ... 49

Opera tion... ..... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 50

Tu rn ing On the Sca nn er an d Set ting the Sq ue lch........ .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 50

S ett ing the D isp lay B ackli gh t ........ ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ......... ..... ... 50

S ett ing Aler t M ut e... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 50

Tem p orar y Ale rt Mu te... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 50

Con ti nuou s Aler t Mu te.. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 50

E nte rin g Te xt W i thin A Men u O ptio n. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 51

S tartu p K ey O pera ti on......... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ......... ..... ... 51

Con ven ti on al ........ .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .... . ... 51

Tr un ked . ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... ......... ... 51

Ser v ice R an ge ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... .. . 51

Cust om Ran ge..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... .. . 52

Introduc ti on to BearTra cker Operation .... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ........ ......... ........ 53

Us ing Be arT r acker S can ning ... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 53

Th e B ea rTr acke r Scan nin g Ico ns. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 54

Us ing th e B ea rTr acke r Wa rning Syste m.... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 54

Using the Menu ....... .... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .... ..... ............ 55

G en eral Op erat io ns.... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 55

Di spla y For mat .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ........ 56

E diti ng a Nam e.. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ........ 56

E diti ng A Fre qu ency... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 57

Fi r st a nd Se cond Men u L eve ls. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 57

Programming Ge neral Setting s ... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ... 59

S ett ing and U si ng the D i splay Backli gh t .... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 59

Setti n g th e Dim mer .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 59

A djust i ng the Ke y Be ep... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 60

S ett ing the Audio AGC.... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 60

S ett ing the D isp lay O rienta ti on. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 60

A djust i ng the D ispl ay C o ntrast . .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 60

S ett ing the GPS F orm at .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 61

S ett ing the Be ar Tra cker Op ti on s.. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 61

Set H o ld Ti me. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 61

Set D e la y Ti me .... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 62

Set A tte nuato r. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 62

Set A ler t Lev el ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... .. . 62

Set A ler t Ton e. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 62

Set R e c ord.. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ......... .... ..... ... 63

Max P riority Scan .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 63

Bear Tr ack er S ho rtcu t O ptions ... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 63

S ett ing the Seria l Port S pe ed... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 64

Di spla y ing Scanne r Infor mati on ... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 64

Vie win g M emo ry U se d.. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 64

Vie win g t he F irmwa r e V ersio n and El e ctro nic S eri al N umbe r ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 64

I niti ali zi ng the Sca nn er’ s M em ory ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 65

Co nn ecti ng Yo ur S c anner to a Pe rso na l Co mput er ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... ... 65

5

Volu me/Sq ue l ch wi th PC Con tr ol ... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 6 5

W ire d Cl onin g..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .. .. ... 66

Programmi ng Your Scanne r .... ..... ......... .... ......... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ......... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ......... .... ... 68

Syste m Setti ng s... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 6 8

Syste m Optio ns ... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 6 9

Site Op ti on Set ting s .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 7 0

Cha nnel Op ti on Set ting s .... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 7 0

P rogr ammin g C o nven tion al S ys tems..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 7 1

P rogr ammin g T run k ed R ad io Sys t em s .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 71

P rogr ammin g S y stem S ettin gs. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ......... ... 7 2

Edit ing the Sy ste m Na me .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 7 2

Speci fyi ng th e Co rrect Syste m Typ e ... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 7 2

Edit ing the Sy ste m Na me .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 7 3

Prog ramm ing Sys t em Op tions .... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 7 3

Assi gni ng a Co nven ti on al S y stem to a Sta te .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 78

P rogr ammin g S it es. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 8 1

Assi gni ng a Tr un ked Syste m to A S tate .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 86

P rogr ammin g C h annel G ro up s ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... ....... 8 7

Setti ng U p a C ha nn el Gr ou p . ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 8 7

Edit ing a Chann el Grou p Na me .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 8 7

Edit ing Chan ne ls . ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 8 8

Loc ki ng Out C han ne l Gr oup s ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 8 8

Delet i ng Ch ann el G roup s .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 8 8

P rogr ammin g C h annel s .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 8 9

Cre atin g a C hann el ... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 8 9

Edit ing the C ha nnel Nam e (Al p ha Tag) ... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 89

Edit ing Freq uenci es .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 9 0

Edit ing the T alk Gr ou p ID .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 9 0

Sele cti ng CT CSS/D CS T o ne s .... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 9 1

Qu ick CT CSS /D CS Sa ve .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 91

Setti ng C hann el Mod ul atio n M et hod ... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 91

Setti ng C hann el At ten ua tion .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 9 2

Setti ng C hann el Pri ori ty ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 9 2

Setti ng C hann el Ale rt .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 9 3

S et Re c ord .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ......... .... ... .. .... ... 9 3

Searchin g a nd Storing ......... .... ..... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ........ ......... ... 9 6

S erv ice Se ar ch... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 9 6

Qu ic k Se arc h. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... ....... 97

Cust om Se arc h .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 97

E diti ng a Custom S earc h R ange... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 98

S earch With Sca n .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ... 9 9

S et De la y Ti me... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... . 10 0

S et A tte nu ato r.... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... ... . . 1 01

S et Re c ord .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ......... .... ... .. .... . 1 01

A ssig ning a Se ar ch Ran ge to a Sea rch Ke y ... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... . 101

S aving a Fo und C h an nel ( Qu ick Save ) .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... . 10 1

A uto Se arch a nd St or e.... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... . 10 2

Sele cti ng a Syste m ... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... . 10 2

Con vent iona l Se arc h a nd Sto r e .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... . 10 2

6

Tr un ked Sear c h and Sto re .... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ...... 1 03

Using the Clo s e Ca ll Feature ....... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .... ..... . 104

S ett ing Clo s e Call Op ti on s .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 104

Cl ose C all Hi ts........ .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .... . . 1 06

Cl ose C all Hi ts w i th Scan .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 07

Searc h and Close Cal l Op tions ........ .... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... . 1 08

Man ag ing L ocke d-Ou t Fr equ en ci es ... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 08

Unlo cking A l l Fre quenci e s..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 09

Revi e win g L ocke d Ou t F req ue nci es... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 109

Sear chi n g f or Su ba udib le Ton es .... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ...... 109

Scr e enin g O ut B road c ast Sou r ces . .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 110

Fi ndin g Re peate r Output Fre quen cie s .... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 111

Setti n g th e Ma ximu m A uto St or e V alue ... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 11

Setti n g th e Mo du lati on T ype .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... 1 11

Setti n g A tten ua ti on .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 112

Setti n g D at a S kip. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 112

Setti n g th e De lay T im e . .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 13

Setti n g th e Sea rch Fr eq uenc y St ep.... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 11 3

Setti n g R eco r d..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 13

P rio rity Scan .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ...... 114

Using Weather Aler t ( SAME) ... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ........ ......... ..... . 1 15

S earch i ng For a Weath er Broa dca st. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ...... 1 15

Tu rn ing We ath er S c an Aler t O n/Of f .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 115

P rogr amm i ng a S AME Gr o up .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 16

S ett ing WX Alert P rio rity.. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 17

Fire Tone-O ut I ntroduction ...... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ........ ......... ...... 1 18

S ett ing Tone -Out Sta ndby... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 18

S ett ing Up Ton e-Ou t .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 18

To ne -O ut Mu lt i-C ha nnel M onit or ing .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 20

S ett ing Tone -Out Rec ord .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 120

Using the BC T15 wit h a GPS ... .... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... . 121

Device Compa tibility........ .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 21

Co nn ecti ng Yo ur S c anner to a GPS D evic e .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 21

I niti al S canner /G PS O pe ra tion . .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 21

L oca tion -B ase d ( GPS ) Scan nin g . ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 122

A nothe r Examp le of Multipl e Site Cre ation .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 123

No n- Radio Locati o n B ase d GP S Fe atu re s .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 23

S ett ing the Opti ons. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 24

For P OI O nl y ........ .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .... . . 1 25

Fo r Dang er ous Xin g, a nd D an gero us Ro ad Only ... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 25

De le ting a Lo cati on .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 26

G PS Disp lay Mode. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ..... . 1 27

G PS Rev iew Lo cat ion M o de .... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... ...... 1 28

Care and Maintenance ........ ..... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ........ ......... ..... . 1 29

G en eral Us e .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ......... .... ...... 129

L oca tion.... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... ........ ... .. .... ..... . 1 29

Cl ea nin g... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... ........ .... . .... ..... . 1 29

B ird ies .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ......... ..... . 129

7

Troubleshooting ..... ..... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ........ ......... . 130

Speci fications ..... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .... ......... .... . 133

Reference ... .... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ..... 136

Prese t F lee t M ap s .. ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... ........ ..... .... . 136

Us er D efin ed Fle et Maps ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... . 138

Type I Pr og ram min g In fo rmat io n .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... ..... 138

Size C o de Restr i cti ons . ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... . 139

CT CSS Fr eq ue nci es ... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... . 13 9

DCS Cod es ... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... .... .... . .... . 140

Index.. .... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ...... 141

One -Year Limit e d Warrant y . ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ........ ..... .... . 14 5

8

The FCC Wants You to Know

Thi s scanner has been tested and found to compl y w ith the limi ts for a scanning

receiver, p ursuant to Part 1 5 of the FCC Rule s . These limits are designed to

pr ovide r easonable protection against harmful inter ference in a residenti al

ins tall at ion. T hi s s canner gener at es , us e s , a nd ca n ra di ate ra di o fr eq uen c y energ y

an d, i f no t i ns t al l ed an d u s ed in a c c or da nc e w it h th e in str uct i o ns, ma y c au se

harmful interference to radio communicati ons.

There is no gu ar an tee that in terf e renc e will n ot occ u r in a partic u lar inst al lat io n . If

this scanner does cause harmful interfer ence to radio or television reception,

whi c h ca n be d ete rm i ne d by tur n in g t he sc ann er on an d off, you are enc o ur aged to

try to cor rect the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient o r relocate the receiving anten na

• Increase the separation between the scanner and the receiver

Thi s d e vice complies w ith Part 15 of the FCC Ru les . Operation is subject to the

fo l lo w in g tw o cond it io ns: 1 ) Thi s de v ice m a y not cause h ar mful in t er fe re nc e , and 2)

this device must accept any interference rece ived, including interference that may

cause undesired operation.

Scanning Legally

Your scanner covers frequencies used by m any different groups, including police

an d f i r e de pa rt me n ts , am bu l an c e s e rvi c e s, go v er nme n t a ge nc i es , pr i v at e

com pa ni e s , am a t eu r ra di o s er v i c e s, mi li t ar y op era t io ns , pa ge r s er vi c es , a nd

wireli ne (telephone and telegraph) service providers. It is legal to listen to almost

every transm ission your scanner can receive. However, th ere are some

transmi ssions tha t you should never intentionally listen to . These include:

• Tel ep ho ne con ver sat io ns (c e llu la r, co rd l es s , or ot he r p r i v a t e m e an s of

te l ep hone sig na l tr ans m i ss i on )

• Pager transmissions

• Any scrambled or encrypted transmissions

Acc o rd i n g t o t he El ec t r o ni c C om mun ic a t i on s Pr iv ac y A ct ( EC PA) , yo u a re s u bj ec t

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 par ty to the

conver sation (unless such acti vity is ot herwise illegal). This scanner has been

designed to prevent the reception of cellular telephone transm issions and the

decoding of scrambled transm issions. Thi s i s done to comply with the legal

requirement that scanners be ma n ufactured so they are not easy to mod ify to pick

The FCC Wants Y ou to Know

9

up these transmissions. Do not open you r scanner’s case to make any

m od if i c a ti on s th at c ou ld al lo w i t to p ic k up tr an sm i s s i on s th at ar e i l l e g al t o m o ni to r.

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 and/or portable use of this scanner is unlawful or requires a

p e r m it . C he c k th e l aw s in y o u r a re a. It i s al s o i ll e ga l i n m a ny ar ea s (an d a ba d i d ea

everywher e) 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.

10

BCT15 Quick Start Guide

To h el p yo u enjo y the fe at ur es an d perf or ma nce o f your BCT 15 as fas t a s p oss i bl e ,

follow the steps below. See the content of the manual if you need additional

info rm atio n.

1. Mo un t th e sc a nn er and con ne c t po w er.

2. Attach the antenna.

3. Rotate the [VOL] control clockwise past the click to a midpoint.

4. Ro tat e [SQ/STATE] t o it s mi n i mu m po s i t io n.

5. Pr es s t he [SQ/STATE] knob.

6. Rotate the Scroll Control knob until your state i s highl ighted.

7. Pr es s t he Scroll Control knob to set your selection.

You a re now set to re ceive transmissions from your state. Othe r states are locked

ou t .

Us in g t he cha rt be lo w, pr es s [POL/DOT], or [HP/B] to receive th e type of

ag en c i e s .

POL includes Police and Sheriff services.

DOT includes the states’ Department of Transportation ser vices.

HP includes the Highway Patrol, State Police, State Patrol, and State intercity.

B a cti vat e s th e B ea rTr a ck er W arn in g S y s t em a nd its a s s oc i at ed al ert f ea t ur e.

Bea rTr acker Syste m Key Options

Press X to enable [POL /DOT] [HP/B]

1X POL HP

2X DOT HP/B

3X P OL & DO T HP & B

4X NONE NONE

The BearTrac ke r Wa r ni ng Sy st em is a special part of the BearTracker System.

Thi s system alerts you to transmissions on frequencies used by ‘mobile extender ’

ra di o s as w e ll a s by c ar -t o- car , air craf t- to-car, and other special-purpose

frequencies. You receive an audible (beep tone) and visual (flashing Alert light)

al ert w h en eve r y o u a re w i th i n an a p pro xi m at e t h ree - m il e r ad iu s of H i gh w a y

Patrol/State Police units using a mobi le extender unit.

BCT15 Quick Start Guide

11

Introduction

Yo ur BCT15 scanner is a state-of-the- art scanner radio w ith Trunk Tra cker™ III

an d aut om atic s c a nn ing c ap ab ilit ie s . Yo u ca n stor e in the dyna mi c m em ory

conv e ntional fr eq ue nc i es s uch as p ol i ce, fir e/emer ge nc y, ma rine, ai r , ama t eu r , an d

other communi cations. You can store and scan services that use Trunked R adio

Systems and so much mor e. You can use the scanner’s Scroll C ontrol to quickly

sel ec t chann el s and fr eq uenci es , a nd y o u c an a uto ma t ic al l y pr og ra m c ha nn el s in a

system using the Auto Store feat ure. Use your scanner to monitor:

• An alog tru nked p ublic sa fety syst em s ( unencrypted o nly) *

• Police and fire departments (including rescue and par amedics)

• N OAA weather transmi ssion s

• Business/Industri al radio and utilities

• M ar ine an d A m a t eu r (h am r ad io ) ba nd s

•Railroad

• M ilit a ry an d Ci v ilia n A irc r aft

Your scanner can monitor the following bands

Frequency

(MHz)

Lo w er E d ge

2 5. 000 0 26 .9 600 AM 5.0 P et r ol e um Pr od uc ts & B ro ad c ast

2 6. 965 0 27 .4 050 AM 5.0 CB Class D Cha nnel

2 7. 410 0 27 .9 950 AM 5.0 Business & Forest Products

2 8. 000 0 29 .6 800 NFM 20 .0 10 Meter Amateur Band

2 9. 700 0 49 .9 900 NFM 10 .0 VHF Low Band

5 0. 000 0 53 .9 800 NFM 20 .0 6 Meter A mat eur Ban d

5 4. 000 0 71 .9 500 WFM 50 .0 V HF TV Br oa dca st 2 - 4

7 2. 000 0 75 .9 950 FM 5. 0 Intersystem & A stronomy

7 6. 000 0 87 .9 500 WFM 50 .0 V HF TV Br oa dca st 5 - 6

8 8. 000 0 10 7. 900 0 FMB 100. 0 FM B r o adc a s t

108.0000 13 6. 975 0 AM 25 . 0 Aircra ft Band

137.0000 14 3. 987 5 NFM 12. 5 Military L and Mobile

144.0000 14 7. 995 0 NFM 5.0 2 M et er A m at eur Band

148.0000 15 0. 787 5 NFM 12. 5 Military L and Mobile

150.8000 16 1. 995 0 NFM 5.0 VHF High Band

162.0000 17 3. 987 5 NFM 12. 5 Fe de ra l Gov e rn m ent

174.0000 21 5. 950 0 WFM 50 .0 TV Br oa dca s t 7 - 13

216.0000 22 4. 980 0 NFM 20. 0 1. 25 M et e r Am at e ur B and

225.0000 37 9. 975 0 AM 25 . 0 UHF Air cra ft B an d

380.0000 39 9. 987 5 NFM 12. 5 Military B an d

Frequency

(M Hz )

Upper Edge

Modulation Step ( k Hz) Comments

Pickup

12

Frequency

(M Hz )

Lower Edge

40 0.0 00 0 405.9875 NFM 12.5 Mis ce lla neo us

40 6.0 00 0 419.9875 NFM 12.5 Federal Governmen t Lan d Mobil e

42 0.0 00 0 449.9875 NFM 12.5 70 cm Am ate ur B a nd

45 0.0 00 0 469.9875 NFM 12.5 UHF St andard Band

47 0.0 00 0 512.0000 NFM 12.5 UHF TV

76 4.0 00 0 775.9875 NFM 12.5 Publ ic Ser vi ce Ban d

79 4.0 00 0 805.9875 NFM 12.5 Publ ic Ser vi ce Ban d

80 6.0 00 0 823.9875 NFM 12.5 Publ ic Ser vi ce Ban d

84 9.0 12 5 868.9875 NFM 12.5 Publ ic Ser vi ce Ban d

89 4.0 12 5 956.0000 NFM 12.5 Publ ic Ser vi ce Ban d

12 40 . 00 00 1300.0000 NFM 25.0 25 c m Am at e ur Ba nd

Frequency

(MHz)

Uppe r Edge

Modulation Step (kHz) Comments

The frequency r anges shown are based on factory-default step settings. Step

setting changes are user definable.

• The modulation setti ng are default settings. The user can sel ect fr om AM / F M

/ N FM / WFM / FMB/ AUTO.

• You can select AUTO for modu lation or step settings. If selected, the radio

use s ta bl e v a lue s .

• I f y o u s e t the st ep t o 15 k H z , p ro gr amm ab le f r eq ue nc i es ar e t he n se t to ste ps

of xxx.x000, xxx.x150, xxx.x300, xxx.x450, xxx.x600, xxx.x750, and xxx.x900.

For example, the next frequency of 400.0900 MHz is 400.1000 MHz.

• I f y o u s e t the st ep t o 8. 33 k H z , pr o g ram ma ble f req u en c i es a re th en set to

steps of xxx.x000, xxx. x083, xxx.x166, xxx.x250,xxx.x333, xxx.x41 6, xxx.x500,

xxx.x583, xxx.x666, xxx.x750, xxx.x833, and xxx.x916.For example, the next

fr e que nc y of 1 00 .0916 MHz is 10 0.100 0 MH z .

• If you set the step to 7.5 kHz, frequencies betw een 150.8150 and

15 4. 6 25 0 M Hz must be multiples of 7.5 kHz ba se d on 150.8150 MHz. For

example, the next frequency after 150.8100 MHz is 150.8150 MH z. The next

frequency after 154.6250 MHz is 154.6275 MHz.

Feature Highlights

General

2500 Dynamically Allocated Channels in Up To 500 Systems — pro vi d es y o u

with plenty of room for all your local action.

Be arTrac ker™ Wa rni ng Sy stem — al erts you when channels normally used by

publ ic safety systems are in use nearby.

Introduction

13

State-by-State Preprogrammed Channels — let yo u easily keep up with activity

on l ocal police, Department of Transportation, and Highway Patrol frequencies

when you travel, without having to program any channels.

Close Call™ RF Capture Technology — instantl y detects and tunes to nearby

t r an s m i s s i o n s w it h no ad di ti on al pro gr am m in g.

Close Call Do Not Disturb — checks f o r Close Call activity in between channel

reception so active channels are not interrupted

Close Call Temporary Store — temporarily stores and scans the last 10 Close

Call hits so that you can continue to monitor activity on these freq uencies, even

after you are out of Close Call detection range.

100 System Quick Keys with 10 Channel Group Quick Keys per system —

m akes it ea sy to listen to or quickly lock out those systems or groups you do not

want to s can.

Lockout Options — w ith several di fferent and easy lockout options, you can

qu ickly make your choi ces to lockout or unlock services.

Temporary Lockout — pro vi d es y o u wit h a f ast m e an s to au t oma t i c a lly un lo c k

temp orarily locked out ch annels/systems when you cycle power.

Receives 25-512, 764-805, 806-956, and 1240-1300 MHz — (excluding cellular

f r eq ue nci es ) t h e sc an n er r ec e iv es t h e mo s t pop u l ar a n d us e f ul r an ge s .

DIN-E and ISO Vehicle Mountable — using a opti onal DIN-E sleeve (Part

Number DIN-0001 not pr ovided) or a standard ISO technique, the scanner can be

easily mounted in most vehicles.

Broadcast Screen — u s ing this op ti on you can ign or e Clo s e Ca ll or S ea rc h hits in

Pager, FM, UHF TV, VHF TV, NOAA Weather, or custom set bands.

Data Skip — helps you to be more free from unwanted data transmissions and

r educes ‘birdies.’

Duplicate Input A lert — warns you if you attempt to inpu t dup licate d ata fo r a

name, frequency, or other item.

Fire Tone-Out — al ert s y ou i f a t w o- to n e se qu en t i al p ag e i s t r a nsm it ted .

Frequency Auto Store — lets you autom at ic a l ly st or e a n ewl y fo un d fre quency

during a sear ch.

3-Level Display and Keypad Backlight — makes it easy to use the scanner at

night.

14

Tone Volu me Adjust — lets you select and set va rious tones for different

pu rp ose s. Yo u c a n a dj u s t th e le v el o f th e f o ll o wi n g t on es: K ey B ee p, Be a rTr ac k e r

Al ert, Emer gency Alert, C hannel Alert, C lose Cal l Al ert, Tone- Out Detection Alert,

an d L oc a t i on Al er t.

PC C ontrol — lets you can connect the scanner to the serial port of your PC and

cont ro l th e sca nn er wit h sp ecia l s o ftwa re .

Wired Clone — make s it ea sy to t r ansfer data from one scan ner to the o t her such

as me mo ry in f orm at io n a nd me nu set t i ng s .

Memory Backup — fe el confident of secu re settings because the scanner’s

memory is backed up during operati on and retained when power is turned off.

Audio AGC — helps to balance the audio level from different sources.

Record Out — yo u can co nn ec t an out p ut j ac k t o a VO X co ntro lle d re c or de r or PC

sou nd i n pu t t o r ec o rd th e re c e i v ed au di o.

Orange Wire Vehicle Connection — a s p eci a l w i r e le ts y o u co nn ec t t o t he

dimmer circu it of your vehicl e so the vehicle’s dimmer also dims the scanner’s

light in g.

Startup Configuration — lets you easily change the scanner’s operation for

di ffer en t a re as .

Tr unk Track ing

Tr u nk Tr a ck er I I I — you can scan th e following trunked systems: Motorola Type I

800 MHz, M otorola Type II 800, 900 M Hz, UHF, VHF, EDACS WID E, NA RROW,

an d S C AT, an d LTR

Control Channel Only — eliminates the need to program voice channel

frequ encies for Moto rola systems.

Multi-Site Trunking Support — let s yo u pr og ra m the scan ner to sh ar e tr unk e d

system chan nels across m ultiple sites, and t urn on a nd of f each site in dep ende ntly

so that you can select the be st site to scan for your area without du plicating

channels.

ID Auto Store — you ca n s tor e a ne w TG ID fou nd dur in g a s ea rch into a sp ec if i ed

system.

Quick Search — le ts you con tin ue a search st art ing from a current freq uency in a

convent io nal system or from a current trunke d channel TGID in a trunked system.

Introduction

15

Name Editing — you can edit or change names, using up to 16 characters, for the
fo llo win g a ttr ibu t es:

System, Site, Group, Channel, TGID, GPS Location, Custom Search Range,

S A M E Gr ou p (w ea t he r), an d Tone -O u t.

Trunking A ctivity Indicators — show you trunking activity when you hold on a

co n tr ol c h an ne l .

Sea rches and Scanning

Atte nuator — lets you reduce by 20 dB the strength of a strong signal to help

elim inat e we a k rece ptio n o r in terf e rin g tra nsm is s io n.

Alert Mute — you can disable alerts based on a BearTracker pr ior ity channel,

Emergency Al ert, Clo se Call, Tone-Out, and GPS.

Alert Plus Scan — lets yo u listen t o only alerts from BearTracker systems or

groups, C lose Call, Weather (WX), and GPS.

C hann el Alert — lets you assign a tone to a channel so that when the channel

becomes active, the tone sounds.

C han n el Me mo ry Sc a n — you can scan conve ntional and trunked system

channels at the same time with progr amming.

CTCSS/DC S Search — quickly determines the CTCSS/DCS sub-audibl e tones

used by an agency.

Convenien t Lockout — lets you lockout any system, site, gr oup, or channel so

that item is skipped during scanning. If a system, site, or group is locked, the

ch a nn els o f that en t it y will b e skip pe d.

C ustom Se arch — lets you progr am up to 10 search ranges and scan each in

order.

Dropout Delay — lets you set a time va lue so that you don’t miss a repl y at t h e

en d of a tran smission. The value can be set for systems ( al l cha nnels shar e the

same value), as well as Search, C lose Call, and Tone-Out settings.

Priority Plus — this option lets you scan and hear only priority channels.

Priority Scan — lets you designate conventional channels as priority so during

scan ning, they are che cke d every 2 se co nds.

R epe at er Re verse — using one key, you can choose to listen to the input

fr equency of a conventional or trunked system.

16

Search With Scan — let s you monitor a se rvice sea rch and a cu stom search sca n

sequentially.

Servic e S earch — lets you select from a list of the most popular services (Public

Sa fety, News, H AM R adio, Marine , Railroad, Air, Citizen s Band Radio,

FRS/GMRS, Racing, TV Broadcast, FM Broadcast, Military Air, and Special,) and

set up your search within that range.

Scan Speed — you can scan at a maximum speed of 100 channels per second in

S c an Mo de .

Turbo Search — in r egular Search Mod e t he sca nne r checks at a m aximum va lue

of 10 0 steps per second while in Tur bo Mode, the rate rises to 300 steps per

sec o nd an d s e ts t h e s t ep to 5 kHz autom atically which provides you with greater

ability to hear more.

Search Key — you can assign three keys to initiate a search range.

GPS

Location Bas ed Scanning — using a connected, optional GPS, you can easily

listen to systems as you travel.

GPS (Location Based) Alerts — notify you when you near an area you have

pr ogrammed as a dangerous road, dangerous i ntersection, or a general point of

interest.

Weather

Weath er and SAM E/FIPS Al ert — t h e s c a nn er r ece iv e s y o ur are a N OA A

br oa dca st a n d can be pr og ra mme d t o r ec e iv e S A ME E v e nt C od e s and FI PS

cod es f o r ar ea sp e ci f ic da ta .

WX Priority — y ou wi ll know imm ed i ate l y when a weather al er t is tr ansmi tted on a

NO AA w e at h er c h an ne l .

WX Scan — le ts t o q u i c k l y fi nd th e b est w e at h er c h an ne l f or y o u r ge og ra ph ic

location.

Introduction

17

Memory Storage Limits

S yste ms Site s S ites in A Sy st em

500 10 00 25 6 20 25 00

Channels in a Conventional

System

1000 250 750-1000

* depending on t he number of TGID in the system.

Channels i n a Trunked

System

Cha nnel Groups

in a System

Trunked Frequencies

Channels —
All Systems

Per Site*

Search Lockout Limits

Fr equencies

500 25 0 250 S earch Mode

Te mporary L/O

Fr equencies

Permanent L/O

Frequenci es

Skipped Review

Me n u Mo de

Close Call M ode

About This Manual

The screen displays used in this m anual are representations of what might appear

when you use your scanner. Si nce what you see depends on the frequencies and

use r IDs fo r your area and the settings you select, you might notice some

differences between w hat is in this manual and what appears on your scanner.

To ge t the mo s t fr om this ma nu al, re vie w th e conte nts to be c om e fam ilia r wi th the

basic functions avai lable. If you are new to scanning or trunk tracking, start with

the fol lowing short introduction to scanning and follow-up with the enclosed

r ep rin t ed ar ti c l e o n P ro gra m m ing pr ov i d ed wi t h t h e co urt e s y of Pop u l a r

C om munica t ion s ma ga zi ne .

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

displa ys you see and the keys you p re ss or control you operate to get a desired

r esult. We use a fo rm of shor thand symbols to save space.

The following example shows you how to use the scanner’s menu to edit an

existing system name. It sh o ws you th e key to pre ss in bold and i n brackets

[MENU] to se l ect a m en u op t ion and th e opti on yo u s ee on t h e LC D in b ol d C ou ri er

18

typ e (Program System ) when yo u pr es s [MENU]. It also instr ucts you to turn the

Scroll Control (sh own as ) to view a series of choices then press or tap the
Scroll Control (t he act i o n s h own as F to enter a cho ice (Edit Name).

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 S el ect the syste m  F

Edit Name  F The n , edit the syste m name.

Introduction

19

A Short User’s Guide to Assist the First-Time

Scanner Enthusiast

Welcome to the family of Uniden scanner users. You have j ust unpacked your

Uniden BCT15 scanner. You are anxious to scan and hear something so you

rotat e the [VOL/POWER] control and wai t a moment as the opening Message and

C opy rig ht s c re en s c on f irm th e mo de l in f orm atio n. Th en , if yo u live in a resi de ntia l

area, you probably hear nothing or very little. Why? The reason is simple. The

progr ammable BCT15 does not instinctively know where you are and what you

wish to l iste n to.

Ta ke a fe w minutes to assi st in the ‘ educating your scanner’ process so you can

enjoy li stening for the fi rst time and feel good about your purchase.

Before proceeding, fi rst set the volum e and the squelch level s. Once set cor rectl y,

these settings let you listen at a comfortable level and let the scanner provide a

signal whose strength is sufficie nt to b e he a rd clearly. Alwa ys be sure to conne ct

the provided antenna or an external (optional) antenna.

T here are several options that quickly assure you tha t your scanner works.

The easiest is to activate the scanner’s Weather System (following) or

Be arTracker Syst e m on Pa ge 52 . Follow these steps to tun e to t he nearest N OAA

(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrati on) broadcast.

[MENU]  WX Operation F

The scanner changes to the local NOAA weather channel for your area. Although

there are ten channels, one wil l be received best for any given location.

Press [SCAN/SEARCH] to exit WX mode .

O n ce y o u e s ta bl i s h t ha t th e sc a nn er op er at es u si n g t he NO AA i nf o r m a t i on , you

can next begin monitoring one of the ser vices within the BearTracker System.

T he U nide n BearTracker System makes it e asy fo r you to start scanning other

se rv i c es , esp eci all y fo r t he t r av e l er. W e h ave pr ep ro gr amm ed th e B CT1 5 wi th t he

system data on a state-by-state Unite d Stat e s m ainland basis.

Refer to the enclosed r eprint of the article from P o pu lar Com munic a t ion s de al ing

w it h s c a nn er p ro gr am min g.

To correctly progr am the BCT15 scanner begin on Page 68. Th e tw o es s e nti a l

p ro gr am mi n g st ep s ar e

1. Plan the system

20

2. Pr ogram the system based on the plan.

The repr inted article from Po pul a r Comm u ni c at io ns, describes, in clear,

easy-to-understand language, how to start the programming session. The article

also includes a glossary of term s and other valuable data. Be sure to take ti me out

to look it over befor e proceeding.

To pr ovi d e y o u wi th us e fu l s iz ed w or kshe et s an d ins tr uctio ns t o com p l ete t he m, we

have est ablis he d lin ks at ou r c omp any w e bs i t e. Vis i t , h ttp://www.u niden.com/scanners

t o se e a li st of hel p f ul fo r m s. Bu t fir st, v is it h ttp://www.radioreference.co m a nd loc at e

th e sy s te m near es t y our l oc at ion that yo u wa nt to sca n. If yo u regi s t er and pa y a smal l

fe e, y ou c a n d ow nl o ad a r e ady -t o-u se fo r mat t ed P DF c om p l et e wi t h t he data f rom y our

sel ec t ed sy stem . Other wi se , y ou c an pr int the bla nk wo rk s hee t on our w eb pag e as

you w ou l d any ot her web b ased pa ge.

The pr og ra m m i ng da ta of a la r g e me t r op o l i t an ar e a may c o nsi s t of m a ny p ag es

de pe n din g o n h ow e xt en si v e t h e ar ea ’ s Pu bl i c Se rv i c e Sys t e m Tal k gr ou ps ar e.

Do n’t be ov e rwh e lm e d. Be g in b y ch o osi n g t h e Tal k gr ou ps of i n te r e st t o you .

Transfer the data from the Radio Reference sheets to the appropriate work sheet,

fi n al l y prog r am mi n g the data i n to the scanne r .

You ca n vi s i t o ne o f th e R a di o R e fe r e nce fo r u ms an d p ot e nti a l ly l e ar n of som eo ne

in y ou r im m edi ate ar ea who ha s prog ra m me d t he sam e mo de l s cann er in y ou r

ar ea . Th e n, by u si ng th e C l on e f e at ur e o r by e xc ha ng in g fi le s th at y o u ea c h h ave

t r an sf er re d t o a c o mp ut e r us i ng t h e Un i d en Ad v an ced Sca n ne r D ir ec t or (U A SD )

software you can install the programmed data into your sca n ner. Once you have

ei ther program med or selected the option that lets you start experiencing

scanning, spend the next few mi nutes learning the basics of trunk tracking for an

eve n m or e com ple t e l i ste ni ng ap pr eci a t i on .

A Sho rt Us er’s G uide to Assis t the Firs t-Time Sc anner Enthusi as t

21

Understanding Scanning and the BCT15

T his s e cti on pro vi d es y o u wit h ad di t i o n al b ack g r o un d o n h ow s c a nn in g wo rks an d

how your scanner provides that feature. You don’t real ly need to know all of thi s to

use your scanner, but some further background knowledge will help you get the

most from your BCT15.

Understanding the Scanner’s Memory

Your scanner’s memory is organized in an architecture called Dyn am ic Al loca t ed

Channel me mo ry . T hi s t y p e of m em or y is or ga ni z ed d if fe r e nt l y an d mo re e ffi c i en t ly

than the bank/channel architecture used by traditional scanners. Dynamic

All ocated design match es how radio systems act u ally work much more closely,

making it easier to progr am and use your scanner and determine how much

m emory you have used and how much you have left.

Instead of being organized into separ ate banks and channels, your scanner’s

m em or y i s c o nt a ine d in a pool. You s im pl y us e a s m uc h me mo ry as y o u ne e d in

the pool to store as many frequencies, and talk group ID’s as desired. No m emory

space is wasted, and you can tell at a glance how much memory you have used

a n d ho w mu c h r emain s .

With a traditional scanner, when you program it to track a trunked system, you

must first program the frequencies. Si nce you can only progr am one tr unking

system per bank in a tr aditional scanner, if t here were (for example) 30

f r eq ue nci es , th e r em ain i n g ch an ne ls i n t h e b an k a re no t us ed an d t h ere f or e

w asted. Also, since some trunked systems might ha ve hundreds of ta lk groups,

you woul d have had to enter those types of systems into multiple ba nks in o rd er to

monitor and track a ll the ID’s.

Understanding Quick Keys

Traditional “Banked” scanners let you select and deselect banks by pressing a

single digit on the keypad. The BC T15 uses a similar method to turn on and off

scan ning sites and systems. When you program a system or site, you assign a

qu ick key (System/Site Quick Key, or SQK) from 0 to 99. Yo u can use the same

qu ick key fo r multiple system s, so t h at the syst e ms are turned on and off to g ether.

To t urn a system / site on or off, just p ress the digi t corresponding to t h e assigned

SQK. For two-digit SQK’s, first press [.No] , then enter the two-digit S QK.

The BCT15 lets you assign another quick key to a group of channels within a

system. This group quick key (GQK) can be fr om [0]-[9] . To turn on and off
channel groups, you press F wh ile the scanner is scanning the system containing

22

the channels, then press the GQK within 2 seconds. Systems can have up to 20

cha nn e l gro u ps , an d mu lt i p le c h an ne l g r ou ps c a n b e as s i gn ed to t he s a me GQ K .

Wh at is Scan nin g?

Unlike standard AM or FM radio stati ons, most two-way communications do not

tr a ns m it con t inuou s ly . You r BC T15 s cans prog ra m me d ch an ne ls unt i l it finds an

act iv e fr eq ue n c y, th en s to ps o n t ha t fr eq ue nc y a nd r em ai ns on t ha t ch an ne l a s

long as the transmission continues. When the transmission ends, the scanning

cycle resumes until the scanner receives another transmission.

What is Searching?

The BC T15 can search each of its 13 service search ranges and up to 10 custom

sea rch ranges to find active frequ encies. This is differ ent from scanning because

you ar e searching for frequencies that have not been progr ammed into the

scanner’s channels. You set the upper and the lower values of the range and then

the scanner searches for any active frequency within the limits you specify. W hen

the scanner finds an active freque ncy, it stops o n that frequency as long as the

tra nsmi ssion l asts. If yo u t hink the freq uency is in teresting, you can pro gram i t in t o

the scanner’s memory. If not, you can continue to sear ch.

What is C TCSS/DCS?

Your scan ner can monitor systems using a C ont inuous Tone Coded Squelch

Syste m (CTCSS) and Digita l Coded Squelch (D CS) syste m, wh ich allow squel ch

to open only when the tone you have programmed with a specific frequency is

received along with a transmission.

CTCSS a n d DCS are sub-a u dible tone signa ling systems someti mes referred to

as P L o r D P L (M oto rol a’s t ra de ma rk e d t er ms fo r P riv a te L ine an d D i git al P ri v at e

Li ne r es p ect i v e ly ) . CTC SS an d DC S a r e u sed on l y f or F M s i gn al s and ar e u sua ll y

associated with both amateur and commercial two- way frequencies. T hese

systems m ake use of a special sub-audib le tone th at accompanies a transmitted

signal.

CTCSS and DCS ar e used for many pur poses. In many cases, CTCSS and DCS

ar e us e d t o r es t r i c t ac c e ss to a co m m e rc i a l re pe at e r, s o th at on ly th os e uni ts w hi ch

transmit the correct tone along with their signal can “talk” to the repeater.

CTCSS and DCS are also used in areas that receive interfer ence where there are

se v er al st at io ns w it h ou tput fr equ enci es clo s e to eac h o the r . Wh en thi s o cc ur s, you

might hear multiple communications on the same frequency. T he stati ons might

Understanding Scanning and the BCT15

23

even interfere with each other to the point where it is impossible to clear ly receive

any of the stations. A scanner, such as your BCT15, equipped with CTCSS and

D CS , c a n co de e a c h r e cei v ed fr eq ue ncy wi th a s p eci f i c s u b- au dib l e C T C S S o r

DCS frequency or code. Then, when you receive multipl e signals, you only hear

the transmission with the CTCSS or DCS tone you programmed. If you do not

r eceive the correct t o ne with a signal, the scann er’s squelch rema ins closed and

you he ar not hi n g.

The tables showing the available CTCSS frequencies and DCS codes are found in

t h e Re fer en c e S ect i o n o n Page 134 of th is manual.

Conventional Scanning

Conventional scanning is a relatively simple concept. Each group of user s in a

con ventional system is assi gned a single frequency (for sim plex systems) or two

fr equencies (fo r repeater systems) . Any time one of th em transmits, th eir

transmission always goes out on the same frequency. Up until the late 1980s, thi s

w as the primary way t h at radio syst ems operated .

Even today, there are many 2-way radio users who operate using a conventional

system:

• Air craft

• A ma t eu r ra di o

• F RS/GMRS users

• Broadcast AM/FM/TV stations

• M an y bu si n es s ra di o use rs

When you wan t to store a conventional system, all you need to know is the

fr equencies they operate on. When you are scann ing a conventional system, the

scanner stops very briefly on each channel to see i f there is activity. If there isn’t,

the sca nner qui c kl y mo ves to t h e ne x t c han ne l . If the re is, th en t he sc a nne r pauses

on the transmission until it is over.

Simplex Operation

Sim pl ex syst ems use a single frequency f or both t ransmit and receive. M ost ra dios

using thi s type of operati on are limited to line-of-sight oper ation. This type of radio

is frequently used at constr uction job sites, and with inexpensive consumer radios

suc h as G M RS /F RS rad i os . T he r ang e is ty p ical ly 1- 15 m ile s , dep endi ng u pon th e

t e rra in an d ma ny o t he r f ac t or s .

24

Repeater Operation

Repeater syste ms use two freq uencies: one transmits from the radio to a central

repeater; the other transmits from th e r epeater to other radios in the syste m. With

a re p eater-based system, the rep e ater is locat ed on to p of a tall building or on a

radio t owe r t ha t pro v id es g reat vis ib ilit y t o the are a of op erat io n. Wh en a use r

transmits (on an input fr equency), the signal is pi cked up by the repeater and

re tr an s mi t te d (o n a n o ut pu t fr eq ue nc y ) . Th e u ser ’s ra di os al way s l i s te n fo r act iv i ty

on the output frequency and transmit on the i nput frequency. Since the repeater is

loc a t e d ve ry high, th er e is a ve ry la rg e line o f si gh t.

Typ ica l repeater systems provide coverage out to a bou t a 25 -mile radius from th e

re pe at e r lo cat io n.

What is Trunk Tracking?

Your BC T15 is designe d to track the follow ing types of trunking systems.

• Motorola Type I, Type II, Type IIi hybrid, SM ARTNET, and P RIVAC YPLUS

anal og trunking systems, which are extensively use d in 800 MHz

communication syst ems.

• LTR tr unking systems

• EDACS SCAT tr unkin g systems

• EDACS trunking syste ms

When tr acki ng these type s of systems, you might want to reme mber that yo u r

scanner can tr ack more than one trunking system at a t im e and scan con ve ntional

and trunked systems at the same time.

Conventional scanning is a simple concept. You enter a frequency used by

so me one you wa nt to m on it or in to y ou r sca nner’s m em or y. Fo r ex a m pl e, the po l ice

in your area might transmit on 460.500 MHz, the fire departm ent on 154.445 MHz,

the highway department on 37.900 M Hz, etc. So w hen your scanner stops on a

fr e que nc y, you usuall y kno w wh o it is , an d mo re imp or t a ntl y, yo u can s top 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 i ncreased, many public

radio users do not have enough frequencies to meet their needs, creating a

serious proble m. Trunking radio systems help solve this problem.

Understanding Scanning and the BCT15

25

Trunked Scanning

W hi le c o nve nt i o n al s c a nn in g wo r k e d gr ea t w hil e t he re w er e on l y a f e w gr ou ps

wanting to use the frequencies, with the advent of sm all er, lower-cost radios more

and more agencies and businesses wanted to take advantage of the utility of

2- way r a di o. As a re sul t, th e ba nds th at w er e used mo st bec a m e f ull , so n ew users

w er e no t ab le t o t a ke ad va nt ag e o f t h e t ec h no lo gy a s qu ic k ly as t he y w an t ed .

Trunking solved this fr equency shortage by allowing multiple groups to use the

same se t o f f requencies in a very e ffici ent way. While each t ype of t runking system

opera tes a l ittl e diffe rently (see the next fe w sections), they all wo rk on the same

ba sic premise: even in a system w ith a lot of users, only a f e w use rs are ever

transmitting at any one tim e.

Inst ead of being assig ned a fr equency, a s with conventional systems, each grou p

is assigned a talk group ID. A central computer control s the frequency each group

o p er a t es on . . .and th i s fr eq ue ncy s e lec t i o n is m a de eac h ti me a u ser t ra ns m its . So ,

w hile on a convention al system queries, replies, and fo llow-ups ar e all on a single

frequency, they could each be on completely different frequencies on a trunked

system. This semi-random frequency assignm ent mad e monitoring such a syst em

impossible prior to U niden’s inventi on of the TrunkTr acker scanner.

Startup Configuration

T he S ta rt up C o nf ig ur at io n o pt i o n le ts y o u q uic k l y an d au t om at i c a ll y l o ck an d

un lock systems based on yo u r desired configuration. Simply hold d o wn a nu mber

button while powering on the scanner. Systems assigned to that number are

au tomatically unlocked and syst ems assigned to other numbers are automatically

locked. Systems that are not assigned to any startup configuration are left

u n c ha ng ed .

You could use this feature to give you quick, single-pre ss Quick Key access to

you r favorite systems even when yo u travel to o ther locations. For example, if yo u

progr am your scanner as follows:

Sy st em/S ite Q uick Key Configuration 1 Configuration 2

1 Fort Wo rth Ph oe nix

2 Tarr ant C ou nt y Mesa

3 Ar lin gto n Ma ripo s a Count y

When you are i n the For t Worth area, press [1] while turning on the scanner.
System Quick Keys [1 ] , [2 ], and [3] then allow you to select betw een the local
systems. When you tr avel to the Phoenix area, hold [2] while turning on the

26

scanner. Now, the For t Worth systems ar e locked out a nd System Quick Keys [1],

[2], an d [3] a llow select ion between the Phoenix-area systems.

Multi-Site Trunking

Some systems covering a very lar ge geographic ar ea use multiple ant enna sites

that each operate on different frequencies, but that use the sam e Talk Gr oup ID’s

for traffic. W hen pr ogrammi ng such a system, you pr ogram e a ch site’s fr equencies

and other se ttings in to the system, then p rogram the channels into channel groups

within tha t system. Each site can have its own quick key, so you can tu rn each

individual site on or off while you scan. Since all sites share all the channels within

the syst e m, multi-site tr unking is much more efficient than programming e a ch site

as a se parat e system.

Not only does your BCT15 scan channels like a conventional scanner, it actually

follows the users of a t r unked radio system. Once you know and program a talk

gr ou p’s I D ( T G I D ) , yo u wo n’ t mi ss a ny o f t h e a c ti on .

If you are a new scanner enthusiast, you might want to read the fi rst part of this

manual and use your scanner in conventional mode before you begin trunk

tracking. Under standing scanning fundamental s and terminology will make trunk

tr a c kin g mu c h ea s ier . If y ou are a l re ad y an ex pe ri e nc e d s cann er oper ato r , you c an

review the programm ing worksheets and their associated pages in the Reference

Se c t io n of t hi s man ua l .

Types of Trunking Systems

Trun king systems divide a few frequencies among many different users, but the

way that each system does this is slightly different. This se ction de scribes some of

the t e chnical data behi nd Motorola, EDACS, and LTR trunked radio systems.

Motorola Trunking

Al l Motorola trunking systems use the same ba sic trunking method . The system

consists o f one control channel (or as ma n y as 4 per system but only one is act ive

at an y on e t i m e), p l us o ne or m ore voi c e c ha n ne l s ( t ypi c al l y 1 0, 2 0, or 2 8 t o tal

cha nnels). When a user presses Push To Talk (PTT) to transmit, their radio first

sends the person’s talk group information to the control channel. The computer

then assigns that tal k group to a specific voice channel and tr ansmits that data

over the control channel. All radios in that talk group switch over to the assigned

voi c e c ha n ne l an d t he use r c a n be g in s p ea k i n g. Thi s al l t ypi c al l y t a kes pl ac e in

ab ou t a sec o n d. . .th e p er son t r an s m i t ti n g he a rs a b ee p f ro m t he ir ra di o wh en th e

channel is assigned and then it is OK to star t tal king.

Understanding Scanning and the BCT15

27

T he syste ms in u se a re:

Motorola Type I — the radio s send the radio ID, the fle et an d subfleet talk group

ID to th e control channel each time t h ey transmi t. To program a Type I system, you

ne ed to know the system’ s fl ee t m a p . T he m o st c o m m o n f l ee t ma ps ar e inc l ud ed i n

the Reference section in this manual. You can also find fleet map resources on the

web at http:/ / www.rad io refe rence . com for example.

Motorola Type II — t he rad i o s on ly s en d t he ra di o I D an d r a di o c h an ne l c od e t o

the control channel. T he 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 se nds only about 1/3 the data as a Type I syste m with each

tr ansmission . Type II systems do not use Fleet-subflee t talk groups; instead they

use a 5-d i gi t ID for eac h tal k gr ou p.

Type IIi Hybrid — these systems support a mix of both Typ e I and Type I I users.

Like Type I syste ms, you must know the system’s fleet map to ensure pr oper

tr acking.

Motorola ASTRO 25 (APCO 25) — these radios are si milar to Type II systems,

but send only the radio ID and radio channel code to the contr ol channel,

transmitting voi ce in digital form. The BCT15 is not designed to process APCO 25

si gn al s .

EDACS Trunking

EDACS trunking works in m uch the same w ay as Motorol a trunking with a co uple

of major differences. In an EDACS system, each fr equency used by the system is

assigned a Logical Channel Number (LCN) so that less data needs to be

transmitted by the control channel. Talk groups are assigned in an

Agency-Fleet-Subfleet (AFS) hierarchy. There is one variation of EDAC S called

S CAT (S in gl e Ch an ne l A ut o no mo us T ru nki n g) th at y o ur B C T 1 5 c a n mo ni to r.

Logical Channel Numbers — ea ch fr equen cy used b y 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

t h en as s i g n s th at ta lk g rou p t o a cha nn e l an d s e nd s th e L C N s o t h at al l o t he r

radios in that talk group will switch to the correct channel. To program an EDACS

system in your scanner, yo u will need to kno w b oth the frequencies used by the

system and the LCN for e ach frequency.

Agency-Fleet-Subfleet — ta lk group ID’s for EDACS systems are assigned in a

w ay t hat m ake s it e a sy t o se e a t a gl an ce t he affilia t ion of t he u s e r . E ach r ad io i s

assigned a 2-digit agency identifier from 00 - 15. For exampl e, 01 might be used

28

by the police, 02 by the 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 m ore times to ide n tify subfleets.

For e x am pl e, th e co mpl ete A FS fo r th e P oli ce D e pa rt me nt W es t D i s t ri c t ’s di s pa tch

channel might be 01-062. 01 identifies the agency as the poli ce department, 06

identifies the fleet as the West district, and 2 identifies the subfl eet as the dispatch

channe l. Whi le these assignments are somewhat arbitrary and vary from system

to system , there are many resources on th e web for finding the assignments fo r

most syste ms. Because of the logical hierarchy of t he AFS system, yo ur BCT15

lets yo u assi gn wild car d ID’s t hat let you , fo r exa mp le, u se only o ne ID m emory t o

identify all units in either an agency or a fleet.

EDACS SCAT — (Single Channel Au ton omous Tru nking) systems operat e on a

single channel and alternate control data w ith analog voice traffic. While your

BC T15 cannot track I D’s in this system, i t ca n eliminate t he control data so that all

you hear is the voice transmissions when you monitor this type of system.

LTR Trunki ng

LTR (Logic Tr unked Radio) systems are trunking systems used primarily by

business or pr ivate communications service providers, such as taxicabs, delivery

tru cks, and repair services. The se systems encode all co ntrol i nformation as d igit al

sub audible data that accompanies each transmission, so there is no separate

control channel . Users on an LTR system are assigned to specific talk grou ps,

which are identified by the radio as six digit numbers.

These num bers are in the form AHHUUU, where:

A = Ar ea c od e (0 or 1 )
H = H om e re pe at e r (0 1 thr ou gh 20 )

U = User ID (000 through 254)

Wh en th e s c a nn e r r e cei v e s a t ra ns m is s i o n on a c h an ne l s et t o t he LT R m o de , it

first decodes the LTR data included with the tra nsmission. In the ID search mode,

the scanner stops on the transmission and displays the talk gr oup ID on the

display . In t he ID scan m ode, t he scanner only stops on the transmission if the LTR

d ata ma t ches a tal k g r oup I D th at you hav e sto r ed i n th e t al k gr ou p I D li st and hav e

not l ocked out. LTR syste ms are frequent ly programmed so that each radio ha s a

un i q ue us e r I D .

Understanding Scanning and the BCT15

29

Where To Get More Information

By itself, this manual only pr ovides part of what you need to know to have fun

scanning — how to program and use the scanner. Other sources provide

ad dit io na l in f orm at io n.

Information On The Internet

T he Internet is the be st source for cur ren t frequenci es and information about

scanning. Many web si tes are dedicated to providing lists of frequencies for your

area. Many have built-in database search engines to assist you.

Make a list of the agencies you w ant to l isten to, then look up the frequencies and

systems used by tho se age ncies. Here are a few useful sites:

• http://w ww.scannermaster.com * — frequency resources and home of Police

Call.

Yo u c a n al so c al l th em a t 1 80 0 S C A NNE R (ho u rs are fr om 1 0: 0 0 a .m . to 5 :00

p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday).

• http://www.radioreference.com * — the Internet’s premier source for

use r-suppo r ted r adio syste m information.

• http://w ww.bearcat1.com — fr equency information from National

C om munica t ion s.

• ht tp://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/reports/index. cfm * — conventional frequency

information on file with the US Governme nt

• http://groups.yah oo.com /gro up/BC T15 * — a group for people interested in

discussing the BCT15.

* - T he s e we b sit e s are no t aff ilia t ed wit h Unid en C or pora ti on.

F or m ore i n fo r m at io n a bo ut U n i de n a nd ou r pr od uct s, v i s i t h ttp:/ / www.un iden.c o m .

30

Included With Your Scanner

If any of these items are missing or damaged, immediately contact your place of

purchase or Uniden Customer Service at: [phone], 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,

Ce nt ra l Ti me , Mon da y th ro ug h Fr i da y.

Included With Your Scanner

31

Setting Up Your Scanner

T he s e g uid el ines will h e lp yo u in s tall a nd set up you r ne w s c an n er:

T he B C T 1 5 c a n be pl a c ed o n a con ven ie nt s u r f a c e i n y ou r ho m e as a ba se s ta t i o n,

and connected to a standard outlet that supplies 120VAC, 60Hz. You must use

either the supplied antenna or an electrically correct outdoor antenna, properly and

safel y m ounted a t yo ur ch osen si te.

The scanner is also designed to accommodate either DIN-E and ISO-DIN

automotive mounting configurations. A DIN- E sleeve and keys, (Part Number

DIN-0001) are opti onal and available from Uniden.

The unit can also be placed above or beneath the dash of your vehicle using the

supp l ie d br ac ket an d mo un ti ng ha rd wa r e.

• I f you r sc a nn er r ec e iv e s i nt er f er e n c e or ele c t r i c a l no is e , mo v e t h e s c a nn er o r

its antenna away from the source.

• To improve the scanner ’s reception, use an optional external antenna

designed for multi-band coverage. ( You can purchase this type of antenna at a

local el ectronics store). If the opti onal antenna has no cable, use 50-75 Ω

coaxial cable for lead-in. A m ating plug might be necessary for the opti onal

antennas.

• Use an optional mono earphone or mono headset with pr oper impedance

(32 Ω) for pr ivate listening. Read the precautions on the inside front cover of

this Owners Manu a l.

• Do not use the scanner in high-moisture environments such as the kitchen or

bathroom.

• Avoi d placing the scanner in direct sunlight or near heati ng elements or vents.

Base Station

This is the simplest approach to let you get started quickly. Decide on a l ocation

that is convenient to a nearby wall outlet, has desk space to let you complete your

progr amming worksheets, will safely allow the indoor antenna to be extended, or

n e ar a wi n do w to us e an ou td oo r a nt e nn a.

32

BCT15

Moun t in g
Wood

Screws

Desk

Stick-on
Mounting

Feet

To secure the radio, by means of the mounting bracket, to a sur face, follow the

steps bel ow :

1. Attach the four protective rubber feet to the mounting bracket when you use

the scanner on a flat surface. Do not use them when you mount the bracket

using scr ews.

2. Use the bracket as a template to mark positions for the two mou nting screws.

3. At the ma rked pos it io ns, dr ill h ole s s lig htly s ma lle r t ha n t h e scre ws .

4. Align the bracket with the threaded holes on the sides of the radio case so the

bracket is beneath the radio. Secure the bracket using the tw o thr eaded

knobs. Never overtighten the knobs.

On c e th e ra di o i s pos i ti on ed, connect it to a source of AC pow er us i ng t he s u ppl i ed

13.8V, 75 0 mA A C ad ap t er . I n ser t t h e ba rr el o f th e A C ad ap t er t o t h e j a c k on the

re ar , up pe r ri g h t s i d e o f th e r a di o ma rk e d .

WARNING!

Use only the Uniden-supplied AC adapter with this scanner.

I ns e rt th e c o nn ect o r of the sup pl ied i nd o or t e l es c o pi ng an te n na t o th e BNC
Antenna Connector a nd apply moderate pressur e to secure it.

Setting Up Your Scanner

33

Setting Up an Audio Recording Device or Computer Recording

It is best i f you plan ahead when you initiate the basic setup of the scanner if you

include the components to record incoming reception. You need an audi o

recording device which can be controlled by a Voice Operated module (VOX)

either externally or from wi thin the uni t and the correct connecting cable.

The REC (record) jack on the rear apron provides a constant-level audio output

which is not affected by the setting of the volume control. Use a mono or stereo

ca b l e t ha t en ds i n a 3. 5 m m p lu g for t h e sc a nn er. T he reco rd er mi g ht ha ve i t s ow n

requi rements as to the proper plug. Check the recorder’s instructions to be sure.

C on ne ct t h e ca ble t o an ext e rn al o r i n te rn al V O X co nt ro l s o t h at t he r ec o rd er

o p er a t es w h en au di o is p r es e n t.

You can also connect the cable to the appropriate input jack on your PC so that

w ith co ntrolling so f tware, you ca n r ecord t o yo u r hard disc.

I n ord e r fo r t he f un c ti on to op er at e , yo u mu s t se t th e c h an ne l t o r e co rd. You m u st

also set the system’s record option to either All Channel, w hich will r eco rd a ll
channels regardless of any channel’s setting, or Marked Channel wh ic h on ly lets

r ecording occur if you have selected record f o r that channel. Which you choose

w ill d epen d on va rio us f act o rs.

Vehicle Installation

You can mount your scanner in your vehicle, using either the supplied bracket or

the optional DIN-E sleeve.

Mounting Using the Bracket

With th e br acket removed from the radio, use the holes in the br acket a s a

template to initia lly ma rk the location you plan to use in your veh icle. Be absolutely

certain of what m ight be behind the mounting surface before making any hol es, be

it a bo ve, or bel o w , or in fro nt o f yo ur dash, ar m re s t c on s ole, o r ot her lo c at io n. I f yo u

drill carelessly, expensive damage can result. If in doubt, consult your vehicle

dealer’s service department or a qualified professional installer.

Important: AVO ID AIRB AG DE P LOY ME NT Z O NES. Ign ori ng th is in s talla t ion

co n c ern ma y resu lt in b od ily h ar m and the in abilit y of t he air ba g to per f orm

properly.

34

1. Using appropriate scr ews or other hardware, secure the bracket.

2. Insert the scanner and insert the bracket knobs to l ock the scanner in position.

3. Attach the C igarette Lighter Power Cord to the rear of the scanner and plug

the adapter end into a dash mounted 12V D C socket.

4. Attach a suitable mounted mobile antenna to the antenna jack on the back of

th e s canner.

Mounting Using the Optional DIN-E Sleeve

I f y o u a re u ns u re ab ou t how t o i ns t a l l y ou r s c a nn er i n you r v e hic l e usi ng the

optional DIN-E sleeve, consult your automobile manufacturer, dealer, or a qualified

installer. Befo re installing, con firm that you r scanner fits in the desire d mountin g

ar ea an d y o u ha ve a ll t he ne ces s a ry m a t er ial s to comp le te t he ta sk . Yo ur s c a nn er

requires a 2 x 7-1/8 x 5-5/16 inch (50 x 180 x 135 mm) mounting area.

Al low an additional 2-3/8 i nch (60mm) space behind the unit for connector s and

wir es.

To purchase the DIN-E sleeve and included Removal Keys, visit

http:/ / www. un id en .co m/s t or e/ an d order par t num be r, DIN- 00 01.

Setting Up Your Scanner

35

1. Remove the bracket if i t is attached.

2. Remove the four Philips screws fro m fou r small tabs of the case, on the rear,

that secure the outer metal case and pul l off the case (toward the rear) with

care.

3. Install the DIN sleeve into the openi ng in your dashboard, lip facing out.

4. Push out the top and bottom tabs to hold the sleeve firmly in place.

5. Before i nser t ing the sca nner in th e sl ee v e, attach t he c a bl e fr om t he pre v io usl y

mounte d antenna. Attach the D C Power le ads. RED goe s to a positive (+)

con nection on you r fuse block w hile BLACK connects to the vehicle’s chassis

gr ou nd (- ) .

6. Connect the ORANGE lead to one side of the headlamp switch so that when

you activate the headlights, the scann er ’s LCD disp lay changes intensi ty. B e

sure all the connections are routed away from any potentially pinching or

sl ic in g sh ee t m et al.

7. S lo wly slide the scanner i nto the sleeve until it locks in place.

8. To remove the un it, fu lly in sert the removal keys into each slot on the left a n d

right edges of the front panel. Carefully sli de the r adio from the sleeve.

Note: if you plan to connect a GPS unit or external speaker at a later time, expect

to remove the uni t for ease of m aking those connections.

36

Removing the Scanner from the DIN-E Sleeve

If you pl an to conne ct other devices o r wires to the ra dio, such a s a GPS unit, at a

later time , you should pla n to r emove th e scanner from the DIN-E sleeve. This is

easily done using the provided Removal Keys that come with the op t ion al DI N-E

sleeve. See “To purchase the DIN- E sleeve and included Removal Keys, visit

http:/ / www. un id en .co m/s t or e/ an d order par t num be r, DIN- 00 01. ” on pa ge 35 .

Refe r t o t he le ft illu s t ra ti on that f ol lows, sh owi ng th e Re mo v al Key s.

Ful ly insert bo t h Remo val Keys i nto the slo ts on the left and the right edges of the

ra di o ’ s dr es s pa n el. You c an no t r em ov e t h e ra d io wit h on l y on e ke y. Pr es s i n fu lly ,

and do not twist the keys. The r adio will unlock from the sl eeve making withdrawal

f r om th e s le e v e po s s i b le . St o re t h e key s i n a sa fe pl ac e f o r f utu re u s e.

Mounting Using ISO Technique

Some vehicles can take advantage of another approach to mounti ng a radio in a

ve hi c l e, c all ed t he ISO te chni que . Ho w ever , thi s t echnique re qu ir e s a ve ry detai l ed

and thorough knowledge of the technique. Therefore, we strongly suggest that if

you have any doubt about your experience and abilities, please consult w ith a

pr of e s s i on al i ns t al l er w ho i s fa mil iar wi t h the I SO ap pr oa ch t o r ad i o i ns t al l at io n.

To begin the process, it is first necessary to remove the scanner’s outer metal

sleeve from the in ner chassis. Unthread the four screws in the r ear of the unit.

Sl ide the cover toward the rea r and off. Once the sleeve is rem oved, you will see

threaded, metric machine scr ew holes on either side of the chassis cabinet.

Uniden does not supply these screws. Their diameter, length, and screw type

Setting Up Your Scanner

37

should be chosen by a qualified installer based on the internal vehicle bracket

w hich will b e used in sec ur in g the s c an ne r cha s s is .

Once the original radio is removed from the vehicle dash and the fit of the scanner

is correct, be sure to connect all the power, audio, antenna, and any other cables

or wires, to the scanner before the scanner is secur ed.

T he fo llo win g illu s tra ti on is a ty p ical e xam ple o f t h e ISO tech niq ue and the g ene ral

side mounti ng screw holes often encountered. It does not actually represent the

Uniden scanner nor your vehicle’s mounting bracket. Only a professional installer

w ill b e able to de t er min e the bes t a nd c or re ct a pp ro ach .

Internal br ackets

Dash

Removing the Display Sticker

Before you use the scanner for the first time, re move the protective plastic film

over the display.

Connecting an Optional Antenna

The scanner’s BNC connector makes it easy to connect a var iety of optional

antennas, including an external mobile antenna or outdoor base station antenna.

Note : Always use 50- or 75 - ohm , RG -5 8, or RG- 8, B NC ter m in ated coa x ia l cab le

to conne c t a n ou tdoo r an ten na. If the antenn a i s ov er 50 feet fr om the scann er , us e

R G-8 low-loss di electric coaxial cable. C able loss increase s with hi gher frequency.

Connecting an Earp hone/Headphone

F or p r i v a t e l i s t e ni ng , yo u c a n p l ug a 1/8-in c h (3 . 5 mm ) min i-p lu g e arp h on e o r

headphones (not supplied) into the headphone jack on the front of your scanner.

T his a ut o mat i c a lly d is c o nn ec t s th e i n t er na l s pe ake r. S e e “ E ar ph on e Wa r n in g” a t

38

th e fro nt of the man ual f or imp or ta nt in fo rm at io n about usi ng an

earphone/headphone.

WARNING!

Never connect anything other than the r ecommended amplified extension

spe ak e r to t he sc a nn er’ s head ph on e ja c k. Da ma ge to th e s can ner mi gh t oc c ur.

Connecting an Extension Speaker

In a noi sy area, an optional amplified extension speaker, positioned in the right

pl ace , m i gh t p ro v id e mo r e com f o r t ab l e l is t en ing . Pl u g th e s p ea k er ca bl e’ s 1/8-in c h

(3.5-mm) mi ni-plug into your scanner’s back-panel Ex t. Sp. J ac k .

WARNING!

Never connect any part of the headphone jack to the antenna jack or connect

the radio to an installation where the antenna and audio connection are

grounded. This might also damage the scanner.

Setting Up Your Scanner

39

Controls, Keys, and Functions

Each of the knobs and keys on the BCT15 produce several different results

de pe nd in g up on h o w yo u ac t i v a te t he m . Yo u c an , fo r e x a mpl e, rot a te th e kn ob s as

well as pr ess them. Some keys provi de one operati on when briefl y pressed while

pressing and holding a key or knob gives a different result.

40

Finally, many controls and keys behave differently depending on the mode your

r ad i o is i n w hen yo u us e the ke y o r con tr ol . Car ef u lly examine the fol l ow i ng ta bl e to

se pa rate tho se acti on s.

Note: “Press” means press a nd release br ie fly. “ Press and ho ld ” means press and
ho l d d o w n f or at l ea s t 2- s e co nd s . “ F + P ress” means Tap or Press the Scr ol l
Control to put the scanner into Function mode then press the key under

discussion.

Controls, Keys, and Functi ons

1. Po we r VO L, Mute

• Turn to turn the scanner on or off.

• Tur n t o ad ju s t th e vo lum e [VOL] .

• Pr ess briefly to enab le Alert Mute temporar ily. P ress briefly ag ain to turn it off.

• Press and hold to enable Alert Mode continuously. Press briefly again to turn it

off.

2. Squelch [SQ] control, [STATE] K ey

• Tur n t o ad ju s t sq ue lc h .

• Pr ess to switch to the State list. Use the Scroll Contro l to di al to the desired

state. Press F to e nter your sel ection.

3. Scroll Control, F unct ion Key, Enter Key (see se parate Fu nct ion Plus listing)

• Turn to sel ect Ch annel, Frequency, or TGID in H OLD mode .

• Tur n t o di al t o a m e nu i te m i n M E NU m o de .

• Turn t o sel ect an alp h a-nu mer ic cha ra c te r wh ile ed it in g a nam e in ME NU

mo de.

• Tur n t o r e sum e s c an n i ng or se ar c hi ng w hil e mo ni tor i ng .

• Pr ess / Tap to en ter FUNCT ION mode . No t e this appr oa c h re s ults in a 4 secon d

t i me ou t . Th e sc a nn er t h en re tu r n s to NO RM A L m od e.

• Press and Hol d to latch FUNCTION mode. Press again to release.

• Press to sele ct F a menu item.

• Press plus tu rn [VOL] to set b ackli gh t.

• Press plus tu rn Scroll Control t o m ove rapidly to a system o r custom search

ra ng e.

Controls, Keys, and Functions

41

• T ur n to u se Al phabe t Sk ip in GP S mo de .

• P re s s t o canc e l F UNCTI O N mo de an d ret ur n to NO RM AL mode .

4. Function Plus Se veral specific actions can be accomplished by pressing F then pressing

another key or pressing F t h en pr ess i n g and ho l d i ng an ot h er ke y.

F + [MENU]

• Use thi s combination, in Scan or Scan Hold mode, to switch to the edit menu

for the current syste m, current search r ange, or current location data.

• Use thi s combination to switch to the Bear Tr acker me nu, i f in the Be arTracker

System.

• Use thi s combination in any other mode to go to the menu for tha t mode.

F + [L/O]

• U se this combin ation, to temporarily lockout a curre nt system, curre nt site, or

cu rr en t se ar ch r a n ge i n S c an or S c an Ho ld mo d e. The te mp or ar y l oc k o ut i s

cl ea re d w h en y ou tu r n po w er of f t h en on .

• U se this combin ation then press [L/O] twice rapi dly to per manently lockout a

system or search r ange. T he p e rman ent lockout r emains in e ffect u ntil you

pu rposely unlock that syste m or search rang e.

• U se th is combination to switch to Review Se arch Lockout from Se arch, Sea rch

H old, Clo se Ca ll O nly, and Clo s e Ca ll Ho ld mod es.

• Use thi s combination except press and hold [L/O] to unlock all systems, sites,

sea rch ranges and Close Call H its system s and enable al l the System Q u ick

Ke ys for Scan a n d Scan H old modes. The same operation unlocks all

Locations of all types in the Review Location mode for GPS related settings.

F + [1] to [9] and [0] Keys

• Use thi s combination, in Scan mode, to turn on or off any assig n ed Gr oup

Quick Key (GQK).

• U se t hi s c o mb i na t i on in S c an Hol d mo de an d pr ess [1] to tog gle Pr iority mode

— Off, On, Pl us On.

• U se thi s comb in atio n, wh ile in WX Sca n o r WX Sca n H old , p re ss [2] to toggle

betw een WX Scan and WX Al ert Scan.

• Use this combination, while i n any other mode but Scan and GPS. Pr ess [2] to
tog gl e WX Al er t pri o ri ty on or of f. Pr es s and ho ld [2] to switch to WX Scan

mode.

42

• Use this com bination in any mode except Scan and GPS. P ress [3] to tog gle
Close Call mode. Press and hold [3] to swi tch to Close Call Only m ode.

• Us e th is co mb in ati o n i n an y m od e e x c ep t S c an an d G PS. Pr es s [4 ], [5], o r [6]

to begin searching the range set when you set up and assigned one of these

keys to a selected search range.

• Use this com bination in any mode except Scan and GPS. P ress [7] to tog gle

th e att e nu at o r setti n g.

• Use t hi s c o mb inat io n in Sc an H old, Sea rch , S earch H old, C lose C all On ly, a nd

Clos e Ca ll H old m od es. Press [8] to mon itor th e fr eq uency to th e site repeater.
The scanner changes back to the frequency from the repeater when you
release [8].

• Use thi s co mbination i n any m ode except Scan and GPS . Press [9] to set Alert

Pl us S can on .

• Use t hi s c o mb inat ion i n Sca n Ho ld mo de. P re ss [0] to toggle Name Disp mode

on or o ff.

F + [.No] Key

• Use this combination in Scan and Scan Hold mode to toggle the Active

Channel Display m ode on and off.

F + [SCAN/SEARC H] Key

• U se t h is c om binati on in Se ar c h Hol d mo de or mo ni torin g in Sear c h mod e. Us e

to resume searching.

• In al l other modes except Search, Sear ch Hold, and GPS, press

[SCAN/SEARCH] t o display Quick Search Prompt.

• Use this com bination while scann ing a trunked system to tog gle ID Scan and

ID Search.

Note: This does not work while scannin g Bear Tracker system.

5. POL/DOT Key

• Press to change the group lockout status of Police, D epartment of

Tr an sp ort a ti on . Un lo ck ed m e an s e n ab l ed f or sc a nn in g. Se e t h e t ab le o n

Page 53 for th e result of multiple key presses.

6. HP / B

• Press to change the group lockout status of HP ( Highway Patrol), and

®

BT (BearTracker™) Key

B Bea rTr a ck e r™ . U nlo ck ed me an s en ab le d f or sc a nn in g. S ee t h e t ab le o n

Page 53 for th e result of multiple key presses.

Controls, Keys, and Functions

43

7. GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) Key

• Press t o switch to GPS mode.

• P re ss an d h ol d t o s t or e c u rre nt l o c at i o n d at a w i th a c o nn ec t e d a nd en ab l ed

GPS.

8. L/O Key

• Press once to temporarily lockout a system channe l, a search f r equency, o r

l oca ti on da ta . The te mp or ar y l oc k o ut i s c an cel led whe n yo u t u rn o ff p owe r .

• Press t wice rapidly to perman ently lockout a system channel, a se a rch

freque ncy, or location d ata. The permanen t lockout rema ins in effect until you

purposely unlock that channel, frequency, etc. Note: this does not apply to a

T GID fou n d during an ID Search using the BearTracker syste m.

• P re s s an d hold w hil e in Scan or Sc an Ho ld mod e to unlo c k all lo c k ed va lu es in

the current system.

• Press and hol d to unlock location data in Review Loca tion (GPS) mode.

• P re ss an d h ol d t o u nlo c k al l t h e f r e qu en ci e s of al l S e ar ch R a ng es in Se ar ch

m ode a nd Clo se Ca ll mo de.

9. [1] to [9] and [0] Key

• In Sca n mode, p ress th e n umeric ke ys to access a set Qu ick Key for a system

o r s e ar c h ra ng e.

• In Custom Search mode, press numeric keys to enable or disable a specific

search r ange number, applicable onl y to the search range.

• I n All Ho ld , Close Call, an d Tone-O ut mo de s , p re ss the nu me ric k eys t o swit c h

to Direct Entry mode.

• When editing a name, press [4] to mo ve the cursor one character to the le ft.
Press [6] to mo ve the cursor one character to the ri ght.

10 . [.No] Key

• Press to cancel an Error or Warning message.

• Press to inpu t the d ecimal point for a frequency.

• P re ss t o en t er a hy p he n w he n i n pu t ti ng a Tal k Gr ou p I D.

• Press to enter a n ‘i’ as the first cha racte r of an I-Call (Indi vidu al Call) in H old ,

Close Call Only, and Tone- Out m odes.

• Press to enter n u meric val ues for the tens place for a Quick Key.

44

11. [EYE S ] Key

• Press to sele ct (enter) data value or a menu selection.

• Pr ess to edit channel data in Scan or Scan Hold mode s. Not e: does not apply

to BearTra cker system.

• Press to capture and store a frequency in Search, Search Hold, Close Call,

Clos e Ca ll Ho ld , WX Sc an , an d WX Sca n H old mo de s .

• Pr ess to switch to the Ed it Menu for a curre nt Tone-Out.

• Pr ess to switch to Review Location mo de for GPS operations.

12. [SCAN/SEARCH] K ey

• Pr ess t o r esu me scann in g wh ile mo nito rin g a cha nn el in Sca n Hold mo de .

• Pr ess to switch to Scan m ode from a ny mo de except Scan H old , or GPS

mo de.

• Press to enable a scan screen from GPS mode.

13. [HOLD/RESUME] Ke y

• Pr ess t o ena ble a Ho ld while in t he follo win g mo de s: Sc an , Sear c h, Clo s e Ca ll

Only, and WX Scan.

• P re s s agai n t o tog gl e to sca n mo de fr om a hold .

Note that an error tone sounds in Close Call Only m ode if a signal has not yet

be en ac q ui r e d.

14. [MENU] Key

Pr ess then use the Scroll Control to step to various menu listings for option

settings.

15. BNC Antenna Connector

Co nn ec t an ap pr op ri a t e o ut do or an te n na o r p us h on th e su pp l i e d in do o r an t en na .

16. External Speaker Jack

Us e an m ini (1/8- i nch 3.5 mm) a ud io plu g t o co nne ct a n e xte rn al a mp lif ie d sp ea k er

for enhanced listening in noisy environments.

17. 9-Pin Serial Connector for GPS or PC connection

Using the cable from the GPS, connect a com patible unit here. Using a standard

serial cable and possibly a gender changer or null modem adapter, connect a PC

se ri a l por t her e.

Controls, Keys, and Functions

45

18. DC Power IN

Con ne c t on ly th e s u pp li e d A C ad a pt er to th i s j a ck . N ev e r us e an y ot he r A C

ada pt er as dam a ge mi g ht oc cur.

46

A Look at The LCD Display

GRP appears wi th Quick Key numbers for groups 0 - 99 in Function m ode.

Sx: :

Th i s icon appears w ith icons o f Qui ck Key number for S ystems a nd Sites ( from “ 0”
to “99”).

“x” show s current ten’s place of Qu ick Key for System or Site.

GRP :
This icon appears with icons of Quick Key number for Groups (1 - 9, 0) i n Fu nctio n

Mo de.

1 - 9 , 0 :

In SCAN mode, the numbers of unlocked Quick Key for Systems/Group are

displayed. And a curr ent scanning number bl inks.

In SCAN HOLD mode, the Quick Key number of the current System/Gro up i s

displayed.

The nu mb er s of s el e ct ed Us er R an ge s ap pe ar whi le C u st om S e ar c h . An d the

number of searching Range blinks.

PL , DT, HP, BT :
These icons show Groups’ lockout status of Bear Tracker System.

(PL = Police Groups, DT = D OT Groups, HP = Highway Patrol Groups, BT = Be a r

Tracker Groups)

HOLD :

Thi s i c on ap pe ar s i n S c an Hol d Mo de , Se ar c h Ho ld M od e a nd C los e Ca l l H ol d

Mo de.

DSKP :

Thi s i c on ap pe ar s w he n t he D a ta Skip f un cti on i s on .

L/O :

Thi s i c on ap pe ar s a t l oc k e d o ut Ch an ne l or fr eq ue nc y .

A Look at The LCD Di splay

47

PRI :

T his ico n tu rns o n wh ile the Pri ori ty Scan wor k s an d thi s blin ks whi le P rio ri ty P lu s

w orks.

GPS :

This icon appears when the scanner receives GPS data.

AM / FM / NFM / FMB / WFM :

T he s e ic o ns s h ow th e mo du la tion typ e. “A M” , “F M”, “NF M ”, “F MB ” o r “W F M” wi ll

appear.

ATT :

This icon appears on the Channel that is Attenuator On.

C67.0 / DCS023 / etc. :

T his area displays the informa tion of CTCSS/D CS.

WX :

This icon turns on while the Weather Alert Priority Scan works.

f (Function icon) :

This icon appears while Function Mode.

Function Mode does not have a timeout when this icon blinks.

P (Priority Channel) :

This icon appears when the channel set to “Priority On”.

M (A lert Mute) :

T his ico n b lin k s whe n th e scan n er is in t emp o rar y Ale rt Mu te.

This icon appears when the scanner is in continuous Alert Mute.

S (S ign al In d ic a tor ) :

This icon shows strength of the signal from 0 to 5.

C (Close Call Pri) :

T his ico n a pp ears wh en t he Close Ca ll Mo de is CC Pr i Mo de .

T his b lin ks whil e Clo s e Call O n ly Mod e or when the scann e r de t ect s the Cl ose

Call.

c (C lose Call DND) :

T his ico n a pp ears wh en t he Close Ca ll Mo de is CC DND Mo d e.

T his is a reve rse disp la y of Clo se Ca ll Pr i ic o n.

48

Tones

The BC T15 pr oduce s va ri o us ton es , beep s, and a l er t so unds f or di f fe r ent reason s .

They ar e c om pr i sed of thr ee f un da me ntal t one s : hi gh 120 0 H z , middl e 92 0 H z, and

low 640 Hz. In addition there are alert sirens and a series of tones whose volume

ar e user selectabl e. Some of the m ore frequently uncounted tones are detailed

be l o w.

General Tones

Key Touch — a single high beep sounds

Confirmation — a double high beep sounds

E nt er or A ccept — press [EYES] soun ds a n alt er n ati ng hig h, si le nt, mid dl e be ep.

Er ror — this sounds a high beep, silence, repeated twice.

Weath er Alert To nes

War ning — a repeating, rising tone or siren effect sounds.

Watch — a rising tone with a warbling sounds.

Adviso ry — a rising tone with intermittent silence includi ng the standard 1050 kHz

NOAA tone.

Menu Mo de Tones

Rotate the Scroll Control in Menu mode produces a single high beep. Turning

past the last menu item in a sequence sounds a doubl e beep.

A si n g l e m i dd l e to ne be ep s ou nd s w he n y o u ma k e a m e nu s e le c t i on usi n g [EYES]
or F.

Pr essing [ MENU] to back step to a lower level produces a double, mi ddle tone

be ep .

Scann er Alert Tones

There are 9 selectable Alert Tones that you can use to provide notice of activity on

a se lec t e d ch an ne l us i ng Se t A l e r t or Eme rg en cy Al ert .

The re ar e f ou r s el ec t ab l e to ne s av a ila bl e f or PO I pl u s tw o mo r e f i x e d t o ne s

re s er v ed f o r Da ng er ou s Xin g a nd D a ng er ou s R oa d.

Tones

49

Operation

50

Entering Text Within A Menu Option

T o ente r a l ette r , turn the Scroll Control unti l the letter, num er al or ot he r cha ra c ter
you want appe ars. To move the cursor to the left, press [4]. To move the cursor to
th e ri gh t, pr ess [6].

To clear a character, press [.No] twice. To clear all char acters, press [.No] thr ee

time s.

To accept an entry, press or tap the Scroll Control o r pr es s [EYES].

To ca nc e l an en t r y, pr ess [M ENU].

Startup Key Operation

You can setup a Star tup Key Configuration so that when you power up, the

scanner can change the locko ut state for each system or each site. Naviga te to

Set Startup Key there are differences in the m enu structure for Trunked and

Conventional system s.

Conventional

[MENU ]   Program System  F
S ele ct th e system  F

 Edit System Option  F
 Set Startup Key  F fo r each system or site.

Tr unk ed

[MENU ]   Program System  F
Sele ct the trunked system  F

 Edit Site  F
 S el ect a site  F
 Set Startup Key  F fo r each system or site.

Service Range

[MENU ]   Search for ...  F

 Edit Service  F
 Select a Ser vice range  F
 Search with Scan  F
 Set Startup Key  F

Operation

51

Custom Range

[MENU]   Search for ...  F

 Edit Custom  F
 Se le c t a Cust o m ra nge  F
 Search with Scan  F
 Set Startup Key  F

Assign all the systems/site s that you want to scan at the sa me time to th e same

key. You can use one key [0 ] to [9] for each. To use the Sta rtup Key feature, hold

down the key while you turn on power or shortly thereafter.

52

Introduction to BearTracker Operation

Using BearTracker Scanning

The BC T15 includes state-by-state preprogrammed frequencies designed to

pr ov i d e yo u wi th go od ge ne ra l ra di o c ov e ra ge tar g et e d t o t h e s ta t e yo u a r e i n .

T o scan th e BearT r acker frequencies for your sta t e, press [SQ/STATE] to enter the
St at e S el ec t i o n m o de . R ot a te the Scroll Control  a nd select your current stat e.
Now, the [POL/DOT] and [HP/B] keys le t you select which sets of

pr ep ro gr amm ed fr eq ue n ci es t o sc a n, in ad dit i o n t o t h e ch an ne ls y ou ha v e

pr ogrammed. The BCT15 scans these frequencies according to the settings you

select in t h e foll owing sections.

Wh i l e th er e i s n o wa y to de t er m in e t he loc a t i on of a sp eci fi c se rv i c e you he ar,

based on the typical range of reception, and using a suitable antenna, you can

estimate that the transmission i s reachi ng you from 25 miles or less and about

three m iles or less fo r the BearTracke r Warning syst em.

Press X to enable [POL /DOT] [HP/B]

1X POL HP

2X DOT HP/B

3X P OL & DO T HP & B

4X NONE NONE

POL incl udes P oli c e a nd Sh er iff ser vic e s .

DOT includes the states’ Department of Transportation services.

HP i ncludes the Highway Patrol, State Police, State Patrol, and State intercity.

B a ctivate s the BearTracker Warning system an d its associated alert feature.

When you select a state, t he scanner a lso u nlocks any use r-progr amm ed systems

you have assigned to the selected state and l ocks out user-progr ammed systems

assigned to other state s (systems not assi gned to a state are not af fected).

Introduction to BearTracker Operation

53

The BearTracker Scanning Icons

When you select a state and one or more of the agencies, each enabled service’s

i con is disp la y ed on th e lo we r pa rt of the LCD (P L , DT, HP, BT). Wh en t he y are

disabled, the icon disappears from the display.

W he n t h e sc a nn er det e cts a si gn al i n an en a ble d s e rv i c e , th e i c o n b l i n ks .

T he sca nner scans all the chann els of the BearTra cker system. Al ert Channels are

a l s o s c an ne d a lon g w i t h an y pr og r a mme d P r i o r i ty C h an ne ls .

Using the BearTracker Warning System

T he B e arTracker Warning System is a special part of th e BearTr acker System.

Wh en you pres s [HP/B], the scanner is set to alert you to tra n smissions of close

by ser vices. The BT display icon begins to blink. The Bear Tr acker LED lights, and

you hear a menu selected Alert Tone.

Most highway patrol vehicles on the road today are equipped with a secondary

r adio system known as ‘mobile ext ender ’ or ‘ve h icular repeater.’ Whenever the

dispatcher transmits to any vehicle in the district, ‘mobile extender’ in ever y car

within the district is acti vated.

Eve ry 2 seconds, the scanner checks fo r activity on BearTracker War ning System

f r eq ue nci es f or y o ur s ta te ( s e e “Setting the BearTracker Opti ons” on Page 61 for

i nformation affecting all Be a rTracker Warning system options) to set how many

fr equencies the scanner checks during each cycle). T he BearTr acker War ni ng

Sys te m fre quen c ies inclu de s fr eq ue nc i es us e d by ‘m obi l e ext e nd er ’ ra di os as we l l

a s by c a r-to -c a r, ai rc ra ft-to-car, and other special -purpose frequencies. You

receive an audible (beep tone) and visual (flashi ng Alert light) alert whenever you

are withi n an approximate three- mil e radius of Highw ay Patrol/State Police units

u s in g a m ob il e ext e nd er uni t.

54

Using the Menu

The Me nu mode of the B CT1 5 i s ver y powerful . Ma ny s ettin gs re qu i re th at you d r ill

down m ul ti ple leve ls . Thi s ass u res yo u the ut mo st fl exib ilit y a nd the a bil it y to

customize the operation to your specific requirem ents.

To assist you to familiarize yourself and help you to become proficient using the

me nu , w e ha v e p ro vi d ed th re e se cti on s .

The fi rst deals with general menu r elated operations and scr een descriptions. The

seco nd s ho ws a flow char t of the fir s t and se co nd leve ls which will g et you m ost of

the w ay when you want to set or revisi t an option. The third addresses individual

settings of the options that you must perfor m to get th e most fr om th e radio’s

op er at io n.

General Operations

1. To enter the M enu mode pr ess [M ENU].

2. To select an ite m from a menu list, rotate the Scroll Control — you will see 

use d a s a s ho rt h an d c h ar ac t er in t hi s m an ua l .

3. To se lect a speci fic item you have a rrived at, press ei th e r [EYE S ] or pr e ss / ta p

the Scroll Control — F is used as a shorthand icon in this manual for that

act io n.

4. To return to any previous menu l evel or to cancel a menu choice before it is

m ad e, pr es s [MENU]

5. To exit the Menu mode, do any of the following;

Pr ess [SCA N/SEARCH ] to go to Scan mode.

Pr ess [HOLD/RESUME] to go t o Scan Hol d mo de .

Pr ess [GPS] to go to GPS mode.

Pr ess [L /O] to return to the previous mode.

Pr ess repeatedly [MENU] to return, level by le vel, to the previous m ode.

6. Me nu it em s o n the LC D are re pr ese nt e d in t h is m a nu al i n Courier Bold Typeface.

Using the Menu

55

Display Format

The Menu screen uses 4 lines of text. The uppermost line is the heading for the

level with three choices below. For exampl e, the display to set the modulation

l ooks like:

Editing a Name

T here are many instances whe n you will want to custo m name a ne w system, a

new site, a TGID and mo re.

F or example, to edit a system name:

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Select the system  F
 Edit Name F

To enter a letter, turn the Scroll Control unti l the char acter you want appears. To
enter a decimal point, pr ess [.No]. To move the cursor to the left, press [4]. To
move the cursor to the right, pr ess [6 ] .

To c l ea r a ch ar act e r, pr es s [.No] twi ce. To cle ar all characters, pr ess [.No] 3 ti m es .
To ac c e pt a n en t r y, pr ess [EYES] or F.

Notes:

• I f the n a me a lre ad y ex i s ts i n th e sa me ca t eg or y, th e s c a nn er s ou nd s a t on e

an d the display shows Name Exists an d Accept? (Y/N) . At that poi nt you
select either [E YES] or [.No].

• In na mi n g a C us to m Se ar c h R an ge , yo u m ig ht lea v e th e name b lank . I f yo u do,

the scanner asks Set Default Name OK? (Y/N). U s e ei th er [EYE S ] or
[.No] to make your choice.

56

Editing A Frequency

To enter a frequency, use the numeric keys and [.No] for the decim al point. M ove
to the next place only by turning the Scroll Control. Wh e n al l th e c h ar ac t e rs ar e
entered, press F to finali ze the entry.

Notes:

• Refer to the table that lists the Band Coverage for the scanner. The frequency

entered must be divisibl e by the value listed in the Step colu mn for that range.

If not, the stored frequency is r ounded to either a 5 kHz or a 6.2 5 kHz ste p .

• If you enter a frequency for a conventional channel and that frequency is

a lready s tor ed , t he di spl a y sho ws Frequency Exists Accept? (Y/N)
You can confirm acceptance or press [.No] to cancel.

First and Second Menu Levels

The f ollowing illustration show s the Base leve l menu items and, for each of those,

the next level of options. There are additional levels for many of the second level

options but space prohibits the complet e layout. This diagram will assist you t o

e it he r pl a n a me nu se s si on or to r et u r n to an opti o n you mi gh t want to edi t at a later

t i me . De t ai l s o f ea ch a nd t h e st ep s i nv o lv e d in usi n g e ac h ar e do cu men t ed i n t h is

ma nu al ,

Using the Menu

57

Program System

Program Location

Srch/CloCall Opt

Search for ...

Close Call

Set Priority

WX Operation

Tone-Out for...

Wired Clone

Settings

Program SystemBase Level Program Location Srch/CloCall Opt Search for...

Conventional

MOT TYPE1

MOT TYPE2

EDCS WIDE/NARROW

EDCS SCATSet Bear Tracker

LT

POI

Dangerous Xing

Dangerous Road

Freq Lockouts

Broadcast Screen

CTCSS/DCS Search

Repeater Find

Max Auto Store

Set Delay Time

Set Modulation

Set Attenuator

Set Data Skip

Set Step

Set Record

Service Search

Edit Service

Custom Search

Edit Custom

Search and Store

Set Search Key

Set Bear Tracker

Set Hold Time

Set Delay Time

Set Attenuator

Set Alert Level

Set Alert Tone

Set Record

Max Priority Scn

Close Call Only

CC Auto Store

Hits with Scan

Set CC Mode

Set CC Override

Set CC Alert

Set CC Bands

PriorityClose Call WX Operation

Off

On

Plus On

Weather Scan

Weather Alert

Program SAME

Set Delay Time

Set Attenuator

Set Record

WX All Priority

Tone-Out for...

Tone-Out Standby

Tone-Out Setup

Wired Clone

Master

Slave

Settings

Set Backlight

Adjust Key Beep

Set Audio AGC

Set Upside-Down

Adjust Contrast

Set GPS Format

Set Serial Port

See Scanner Info

58

Programming General Settings

The following section deals with the general settings of the scanner.

Setting and Using the Display Backlight

Pr ess F. f appears on the displ ay. Repeatedly press [VOL] to reach your

desire d level from Off, L ow, Medium, and Hig h .

Setting the Dimmer

If you connect the vehicle power cable’s orange wire to a wire or connection poi nt

in y o ur c ar t h at cha ng es s t at e whe n yo u tur n o n t he he ad l i g ht s , th e sc a nn er c an

automatically di m the display w hen you tur n on the h e adlig hts. If you have not

connected the orange wire, set Dimmer to Manual and manually select the
di mmer level. If you have connected the orange wire, set Dimmer to Auto, th en

sel ec t “ + P ola rit y” if t h e or an ge wi re g et s 1 2V w he n you tu rn on t h e he ad l ig ht s or t o

“- P ol ar it y ” i f t h e o ra ng e wi r e is s w i t c h ed to c ha ss i s gr ou nd wh en y o u tu rn on t h e

he ad l ig h ts .

Tapping [VOL] overrides the menu setting and cycles t hr ough all backlight

settings.

[MENU ]   Settings  F

 Set Backlight  F
 Set Dimmer  F

Auto — U se this setting i f yo u have connected t h e scanner to your vehicle’s

headlights using the orange wi re. If you select this option, the scanner

automatically di ms the backlight when you turn o n the head lights. After selecting

this optio n, sel ect:

+ Polarity — I f t h e he ad li g h t wi r e is co nn e c te d t o +12 V wh en t h e he ad lig ht s

ar e on pick this setting.

- Polarity — If the headlight wire is connected to vehicle gr ound when the

headli ghts are on, pick this setting.

Manual — U se this setti ng to manually set th e dimmer level to High, Middle,
Low, or Off. To gu ide you in your selection, at each setting th e display sh ow s what

you can expect to see.

Programming General Setti ngs

59

Adjusting the Key Beep

[MENU]   Settings  F

 Adjust Key Beep F

Auto — the scanner automatically sets the key beep to match the master volum e

sett ing level you sel ect.

Level 1 - 15 — the scanner lets you manually select one of fifteen key beep
levels. As you tur n the Scroll Control, the beep gets louder. Press F when you

r ea ch t h e de si r ed l eve l.

Off — the scanner tur ns the key beep off.

Setting the Audio AGC

[MENU]   Settings  F

 Set Audio AGC F

This setting helps balance the audio level you hear as you listen to different radio

sources so you can hear them at a simil ar volume. Use this setting if you listen to

an audio source that has natural changes in audio level for which you w ant to

compensa te.

Yo u c a n se t the mo de to be on or o ff.

 to select ei ther on o r off.

On — F AG C is en abl e d.
Off — F AG C is di sabl ed.

Setting the Display Orientation

[MENU]   Settings  F

 Set Upside-down  F

T his s e tti n g co nt r ols t he or i en t at i o n o f the di spl a y. I f y o u se t Up s ide -d ow n t o On,

the scanner inverts the displ ay text and graphics. This lets you mount the unit in a

non-conventi onal way and still see the displ ay in a normal manner.

Adjusting the Display Contrast

T here are 15 contrast levels. As you scroll from level 1 to 15 you see th e contrast

chan ge. Pr es s t he Scroll Control to lo ck the d esired le vel until th e t i me yo u desire

to change it.

60

[MENU ]   Settings F

 Adjust Contrast  F
 Sele ct a leve l Level 1 to Level 15  F

Setting the GPS Format

[MENU ]   Settings  F

 Set GPS Format  F

These s e tt ings co ntr o l ho w the s c a nne r han dl es GPS in put when you ar e usi n g t he

location-based functions.

 Set Pos Format  F

S el ect fr om De gr ee s , Mi nu te s , Sec o nds — DDD°MM’SS.ss or D e g ree s i n de ci ma l
— DDD.dddddd

 Set Time Format  F

S el ect be tw een 12H or 24H

 Set Time Zone  F

Se lect the time zone you are in re lative to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) from +14.0H th ro ug h 0.0H and then to

-14.0H in 0.5 hour steps. The Internet is a good source for a quick reference

chart.

 Set Unit  F

S el ect be tw een mile an d km ( k i l om et er )

Setting the BearTracker Options

Set Hold Tim e

Thi s i s th e ti me t ha t th e sc an n er r ema in s on a t r an sm i s si on whi l e s c a nn i n g a

Bea rTracke r system until it b e gins to scan a new system.

[MENU ]   Set Bear Tracker  F

 Set Hold Time  F

Se t th e h ol d t i me , i n s ec o n ds , be t wee n 0 an d 2 55 .

Use  to change the number position.

Programming General Setti ngs

61

I f you exc e ed 25 5, an d pr e s s F, yo u see

Out of Range, Set Max? (Y/N)

If you want to use the maximum setting, press F.

If not, press [.No] to cancel and enter a 4c0 Tw141T10eTwt/Span <</MCID 7>>BD(r)76.8( a)100( 4c0 Tw14( an)-100(d)-100( )100(p)-100(r)0u4[4 Tw[(I)-78..79)100(t)27200(5,)-Se-26.3( DTJ/T/Spl)72.06aBT3.9(m)-2( T)20 e(F)TjETEMC/Span <</MCI9you want.nhw<000i1 Tf2.30.2756 Tm0 t100(c)t 1 Tf1i1 Tf2n6 Tm0 g6 Tm0 d6 Tm0 Tw<000t 1 Tf156 Tm0 rc Tm0 hw<0000 0 10 2w3 0 TDl3 0 TDow<000n6 Tm0 g6 Tm0 t 1 Tf1h6 Tm0 Tw<0003sca6 Tm0 nw<000n6 Tm0 Tw<0006767Tw<000m67aw<000i1 Tf2n2( Tm0 ow<000n6 Tm0 chw<000a6 Tm0 nw<000n6 Tm0 Tw<000l0-00(c)s0 0 10 2f 1 Tf10a6 Tm0 syst 1 Tf156<000m33r0.0430 -1.2(d)1[a6 Tm0 f 1 Tf1t100(c)56 Tm0 r)33r t 1 Tf1h6s Tm0 t 1 Tf1r`s0 `à`ñp3  0`0Ê`ò`0€` C!õàÈ0€à` 0`Ð`! p rr

62

Set Record

Thi s setting lets you enable the RE C jack. Then you connect an audio cable to an

audio recor ding device such as tape, digital recor der, or hard disc of a computer.

Once se t, you can re co rd , in real time, incoming transmissions.

[MENU ]   Set Bear Tracker  F

 Set Record  F
 to sele ct On or Off.

Then  F t o se t y o ur selection.

Max Priority Scan

Thi s se t t ing l et s y ou c ho ose ho w m a ny B ea rT ra ck er f r eq ue nc i es ar e c h ec k e d

during use of the BearTracker Warning System. A lower number makes the break

sho rter, but makes it more likely that some alerts are mi ssed. A higher n umber

reduces the chance of missed alerts, but the breaks are longer.

[MENU ]   Set Bear Tracker  F

 Max Priority Scn  F

Pr ess a number key to enter a value between 001 and 255.

Pr ess F to enter that value between 1 and 255.
If you exceed 255, and press F, you see

Out of Range, Set Max? (Y/N)

If you want to use the maximum setting, pr ess F.

If n ot, press [.No] to cancel and enter a new number in range.

Note: This setting affects both the Bear Tracker channels and any priority

chan ne ls you h ave in a ctive conven t i onal syste ms.

BearTracker Shortcut Options

• To lo c k ou t a f re q, pr es s [L/O] while monitoring an active channel.

• To toggle a l ockout of a trun ked system with in the BearTracker system,

pr es s F + [L/O].

• hi nts...To enable attenuation of a strong signal, press F + [7].

• To quickly l ock or unlock a service, while in either Scan m ode or Scan Hold

mode, press the service key based on the following table.

Programming General Setti ngs

63

Setting the Serial Port Speed

Use thi s setting to control the data r ate used for the front and back pa nel serial

por ts. Y o u t ypica l ly s et th e fr ont p or t t o ma tch t h e s pee d used to com m unica te w i th

yo u r PC ( d ef au lt 1152 00 b ps ) a nd t h e ba c k por t t o th e spe e d us e d to co mm un i c at e

with an attached GPS device ( defau lt 4800 bps). N ote that the back port is male .

Yo u ma y ne ed a g en de r c h an ge r an d a nu l l m o de m a da pt e r t o us e a t y pi c al D B 9

se ri al c a bl e f rom th e r ea r po rt .

[MENU]   Settings  F

 Set Serial Port  F
 Set Baud Rate  F
 Set Front Port or Set Rear Port  F

F or S er ia l Po rt Spe ed (B au d Ra t e) , yo u ma y s el ect fr om

48 00 bp s

96 00 bp s
19200 bps
38400 bps
57600 bps
11 52 00 bp s

Off

Displaying Scanner Information

Viewing Memory Used

[MENU]   Settings  F

 See Scanner Info  F
 % Memory Used  F

The scanner displays the per cent of mem ory that is used, as well as the number

an d percent of system s, sites, an d cha n nels that are creat ed. Press any ke y t o

retur n to th e previo us menu.

Viewing the Firmware Version and Electronic Serial Number

To see the last Firmware Version, as well as the electronic ser ial number:

64

[MENU ]   Settings  F

 See Scanner Info  F
 Firmware Version  F

The version number in the format X.XX.XX appears on the top line of the di splay
wh ile t h e se ria l nu mb er s h ow n a s SNXXXXXXXXXXXXXX appears at the bottom.
Important: record the serial number in a secure place should you have a need to

iden tify your scanner at some time. Pr ess any key to return to th e pr evious menu.

Initializing the Scanner’s Memory

Follow these steps to clear the memory.

Warning: T h i s c le ar s da ta you have entered. You cannot restore user

pr og ra m m e d d at a t h at ha s be en de l e te d.

1. To in i t i a liz e t h e sc a nn er ’s m e mo r y, t urn of f t h e sc a nn er .

2. Wh i l e pr e ss i n g [2], [9] , an d [H OLD] at the same time, turn on power.

At t ha t po int an yt hi ng y o u h ave pr og ra m m e d is g on e.

Connecting Your Scanner to a Personal Computer

You can use the supplied cable to connect your

scanner to a personal computer to download data

f r om th e c o m p ut e r to t he m em or y o f th e s c a nn er o r

control the scanner’s operation. Before you proceed,

you must first set the scanner ’s communications

speed as described in the “ Setting the Serial Port

Speed” sect ion. In ad di ti on you will ne e d a co py o f

Uni den A dvanced Scanne r Di re c tor s of t war e. Y o u c an

down load t h e so ftwa re f r om http://www.u niden.com in the Customer Service

download s l ink. However, yo u m ust purchase an U nlocking Key from you r Uniden

de al er t o u n l oc k t he sof tw a r e’s f u ll f un cti on al it y.

Important: Start with a high ba ud rate se tting. If, during tra nsfer, you get an err or

me s s ag e, r e du c e t h e set t i n g i n th e so f tw are an d t h e s c an n er a nd s ta rt ag ai n un ti l

you get r eli able, complete tran sfer o f data .

Volume/Squelch with PC Control

If you use a PC to control the scanner, and you change the scanner’s volume or

squel ch setting using the PC, the scanner ignores the fr ont-panel control’s current

setting. However, if you later change the volume or squelch setting usin g the

Programming General Setti ngs

65

f r on t- pa ne l c on t r o l, th e s c a nn er us e s th e c o nt r o l’s s et t i n g ( i .e . th e sc a nn er pay s

attenti on to the last method used).

Wired Cloning

Usi n g th e s cann er in a cl o ni ng set up le ts y ou tr ansfer progr am me d dat a di re c tl y

from a sou rce or master BCT 15 to a ta r g et or slave BCT 1 5. Wi r ed clo ni n g

betw een other models to the BCT15 is not possible.

[MENU]   Wired Clone F

 Master or Slave (select one as the master and one as the slave)

To clone (transfer ) data directly from one BCT15 scanner to another BCT15

scanner, you must first connect the scanners to each other using the included

connection cable. Then you m ust set one scanner as the source and the other as

the target.

1. Plug th e sm al l er e nd o f the in c lu de d c on ne c ti on cabl e int o t he F r on t P or t. T he n

connect the DB9 end of the cable into the Rear Port. Be sure to set the

scanner using the Front Port to Front and the other unit to Rear when

m ak i ng th e sp ee d s e lec t io n .

2. Set the scanner containing the programming you want to transfer as the

master scanner, then set the other scanner as the slave scanner.

3a. ( Master scanner) Clone Master Press SCAN Key  [SCAN/SE ARCH]

 Clone Master Connecting

3b. ( Slave scanner) Clone Slave Press SCAN Key  [SCAN/SEARC H] 

Clone Slave Connecting

66

4. Wh en you are r e ad y to cl on e t h e sc a nn er, pr e ss [SCAN/SEARCH] on the
slave scan n er first, then [SCAN /SEARCH] on th e ma s t er s c a n ne r. T h e

master scanner checks the connection between the two scanners, then

t r an sf er s i ts d at a t o th e sl a v e s c a nn er.

5. When the transfer is compl ete, Complete ap p ears on both scanners. If the
t r an sf er di d no t wo rk, Error ap pe ar s on t h e ma s t er sc a n ne r. R e ad ju st t h e

baud ra te to a lower setting a nd tr y again.

Start of Transfer

During Transfer

Pr ess [L /O] on the Master unit to exit Clone mode.

Programming General Setti ngs

67

Programming Your Scanner

To ge t th e m o st en j oy m en t f r om y o ur sc a n ne r, y o u mu s t cu s t om iz e t he

p ro gr am mi n g f or s er v i c es i n y o u r ar ea .

To edit an existing system, u se the menu to navigate to the system setting you

w ant to cha nge. Thi s section assumes you are programming a new system.

Prog ramming radio systems is comp le t ed in two m ajor steps. D on’t sk ip eithe r

step!

1. P la n the system.

2. P rog ram the syste m into your scan ner according to the plan you prepared in

St ep 1.

To make thi s easier, planning worksheets are available fr om Uniden’s website:

http://www.uniden.com/scanners. There you can fi ll out a worksheet on line and

then pr int it or print hard copy to fill ou t as you see fit.

General Notes

T he follo win g t ab le s pro v id e you wit h th e in f orm at io n to suc c essf u lly p erfo rm

vari ous steps con n ecte d with program ming each o f the systems: C onventional,

M otorola, EDACS, and LTR. Some operations are common to all of th e systems

w hile some are sp e cific to one system . Use the fo llowing tables to quickly locate

the step you want or need to p erform (where required ), an d to which system or

systems it applies.

System Settings

Sy st em S et tin gs CNV

Edit Name

E dit S y s Op ti on

Edit Sit e

Edit G roup

C o py S y s tem

De le te Syste m

68

MOT EDCS

TY PE I TYPE II

WIDE /

NARRO W

SCAT

LT

••••••

••••••

•••••

•••• •

••••••

••••••

System Options

Sy st em Op ti on

Settings

Set Qu i ck Key

Se t Star tu p K ey

Set Lockout

Set Hold Time

ID Sca n/S ea rch

Set Delay Time

Set D ata Ski p

Set Lo c at ionIn fo

Se t Stat e

Ed it Fle et Map

Se t Stat us B it

Se t En d C o de

Set I- C all

MOT EDCS

CNV

TYPE I TYPE II

WIDE /

NARROW

SCAT

LT

•

•

•

•

••• •

•• • • ••

•

•

•

•

••

••

•••

Em er ge ncy A l er t

EDC S ID F o rma t

Se t R eco rd

Rv w ID:Srch L /O

Clr A ll L/ O I Ds

•••

•

•• • • ••

••• •

••• •

Programming Your Scanner

69

Site Option Settings

MOT T YPE I MOT T Y PE II EDCS

Site Setting

8 00MH z

St a n d ar d

8 00MH z
Splinter

8 00MH z

Sta nd ard

8 00MHz
Splinter

9 00MH z

Ba nd

VHF

Band

UH F

WIDE NA RRO W SC AT

Ban d

LT

Edit Name

S et Quick Key

S et Startup

Key

Set

Fr eq ue nc i es

S et Modu lation

S et Attenu ato r

S et Lo ck out

S et Ho ld Ti me

Edit Band Plan

S et C-C h Only

Set

L oca tion Inf o

Set State

De le te Site

New Site

• • • • • ••• •

• • • • • ••• • ••

• • • • • ••• • ••

• • • • • ••• • ••

••••••• •

• • • • • ••• • ••

• • • • • ••• • ••

• • • • • ••• • ••

••

•••••••

• • • • • ••• • ••

• • • • • ••• • ••

• • • • • ••• •

• • • • • ••• •

Channel Option Settings

Cha nnel Settings CNV

Edit Name

E di t Fr eq ue nc y

E dit T G ID

70

•• • ••

•

MO T

TYP E 1 TYPE 2

EDCS

WIDE /

NARROW

LT

••••

Channel Settings CNV

MOT

TY PE 1 T YP E 2

EDCS

WIDE /

NARROW

LT

Set CTCSS/DCS

Set M od ulati o n

Se t At ten ua tor

Se t Pr i or it y

Se t Al e rt

Se t R eco rd

Set Lockout

C opy Ch an ne l

De lete Chan ne l

Ne w Cha nnel

•

•

•

•

•• • ••

•• • ••

•• • ••

•• • ••

•• • ••

•• • ••

Programming Conventional Systems

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 New System  F
 Conventional  F

Confirm? Yes=”E” / No=”.” Press the desired key.

The scanner creates an empty conventional system with a default name o f

System n C. Note that “n” is a number t h at increments as you add ne w syst e ms.
The C on th e right side of the display indi cates that this is a conventional system.

After creating the system:

1. Set system-level settin gs that apply to conve ntional systems in “Programming

Syste m Settings.”

2. Cre at e on e o r mo r e c h an ne l g r ou ps w i th c ha nn el s as de sc ri b e d in

“P r o gr am m in g Ch an ne l G r o ups. ”

Programming Trunked Radio Systems

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 New System F

Programming Your Scanner

71

T hen, sel ect the syste m type:

MOT TYPE 1 — Motorola Typ e I systems
MOT TYPE 2 — Motorola Typ e II systems

EDCS WIDE/NARROW — EDACS Wide and Narrow system s

EDCS SCAT — EDACS SCAT system s

LT — LTR Systems

T he scanne r creates an empty syste m with a d efault n ame of System n x. Note

that “n” is a number that increments as yo u add n e w systems. The “x” on the right

si de of the display is M for Motorola system, E for EDACS syst ems, and L for LTR

systems. After creating th e system:

1. S e t the system -level settings i n “Programming System Settings” that appl y to

the type of system you selected.

2. S et up at least one si te fo r the system a s d escribed i n “P ro gra m m ing Sit e s” on

Page 81 .

3. To scan specific channels, create one or more channel groups with channels

as described in “ Programming Channel Gr oups.”

Programming System Settings

Editing the System Name MELCS

Ea ch system na me can be made of up to 16 charact ers. Abbreviate as ne ce ssary

to fit. For Motorola and EDACS Wide/Narrow systems, the syste m name only

appears in the scanner menu’s Pr ogram System listings. It is not shown during

scan ning. For other systems, the system name a lternates with the Channel group

when the scanner stops on a channel.

T he d e fault system names i nclude the following lett er in the 1 6 th position to

i ndicate the system type:

M = Mo to ro la ; E = ED ACS ; L = LTR ; C = Conventio na l

Specifying the Correc t System Type

In order for trunk tracking to work properly, you ha ve to specify the corr ect system

type when you create th e system. Here are some tips f or selecting the corr ect

type:

72

Use online resources, such as t h e w w w.r a di or ef er en c e. c o m d ata ba se, to i den ti fy

the syste m type.

Even th ough a system h a s digital channels, it is no t necessarily a P25 system.

Note that the BC T15 is not designed to process P25 signals.

These should be entered as Motorola 800 Standard and not P25.

ED AC S W i de i s th e sa me a s ED AC S St an da rd .

ED AC S N e t w or k ed si t e s ar e E DA CS N a rr ow

Editing the Sys tem Name

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select th e system  F
 Edit Name F

To enter a letter, turn the Scroll Control ( ) until the character you want appears.
To enter a decimal point, press [.No] . To move the cursor to the left, pre ss [4]. To
move the cursor to the right, p ress [6].

To clear a character, press [.No] twice. To clear all characters, press [.No] 3 times.
To accept an entry, press [EYES] or F.

Programming System Options MELCS

Editing the System Qu ick Key C

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select a conventional system  F
 Edit Sys Options F
 Set Quick Key  F

After selecting this option, sel ect any number from 0-99 to assi gn the system to a

quick key o r press [. No ] to assign the system to no quick key, t hen press F.

Notes:

• Access single-digit system/site Quick Keys by pressing the single digit on the

keypad during scanning. Access t wo-digit system Quick Keys by pressing

[.No] th en bo th di git s.

• You can assig n as many systems to the same quick key as you want.

• To be scanned, a syste m’s Quick Ke y must be activated and the system must

be un l o c k ed .

Programming Your Scanner

73

Setting the Startup Key C

[MENU]  Program System  F

 S elect a co n vent i onal syste m  F
 Edit Sys Options  F
 Set Startup Key  F

Se lect a startup key from 0-9 or select “.” for no start u p key.

Notes:

• To unlock the system at startup, pr ess and hold the selected startup key while

you tur n on the sc a nne r .

• T he syste m Quick Key is also enabled.

• If you press a different key at sta rtup, the system is locked out.

• If yo u do not a ssign the system a star t up ke y , the syste m is not affected by any

key press during startup.

Setting the System Lockout C

[MENU]  Program System  F

 S elect a co n vent i onal syste m  F
 Edit Sys Options  F
 Set Lockout  F

Unlocked — The system i s sca nne d when its q ui ck key is enabled.

Temporary L/O — The system i s n ot sca nned, even if its q ui ck key is enabled.

C yc lin g p owe r wil l rem ove th e locko ut.

Lockout — The syste m i s not scanned, even if its q uick key is enabled. Yo u must

m anually unlock the system.

Setting the System Hold Time C

[MENU]  Program System  F

 S elect a co n vent i onal syste m  F
 Edit Sys Options  F
 Set Hold Time  F

Se t how long t he scanner wil l remain scannin g on thi s system b efore moving to the

ne xt system (up t o 255 second s). Note that the scanner will sc a n a ll u nlo cke d

cha nnels at least one time, regardless of th e system hold time setting.

74

Setti ng ID Scan/ID Search MEL

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select a system  F
 Edit Sys Options  F
 ID Scan/Search  F

Sets w hether the scanner only stops on talk groups you have programmed in (ID

Scan) or whether the scanner stops on any unlocked channel (ID Search) .

Setti ng Channel Delay Time MELCS

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select a system  F
 Edit Sys Option  F
 Set Delay Time  F

This setting controls how many seconds the scanner waits after a transmission

en ds b ef o re r es u min g sc a nn in g. En t er a v al ue f r om 1-5 or Off, th en pr es s F.

Notes:

• The default setting is 2 seconds for each system.

• This set t ing applies to all channels within the system.

Setting Data Skip C

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select a Conventional system  F
 Edit Sys Option  F
 Set Data Skip  F

Thi s setting controls wheth er th e scanner autom atically skips channels it identifie s

as d at a. Th i s i nc l ud es c h an ne l s w i t h ei t he r n o a ud i o o r a c o nst a nt - l e v e l au di o

source. If turned on, the scanner resumes sca n ning as soon as it d etects the data

signal.

Setti ng Location Information C

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select a Conventional system  F
 Edit Sys Option  F
 Set LocationInfo  F

Programming Your Scanner

75

T his sett in g contr ol whether the system is automatically enabled an d disabled

when you connect a GPS to the scanner.

Se t Latitude — En ter the system’s latitude using the format you se lect ed in the

system settings.

Se t Longitu de — Enter th e system’s lo ngitu de using th e for ma t you sele ct ed in the

system settings.

Se t Range — Set the system’s range using the units you select ed in the syste m

sett ings.

Set GPS Enabl e — L/O status is autom atically contro lled by r eceivin g data from

GPS.

Setting the Fleet Map M (Type I Only)

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Select a Moto rola Type I system  F
 Edit Sys Option F
 Edit Fleet Map F

Preset — select from th e 16 most common fleet maps

Custom — allo ws you to en ter a custom fleet map. Enter th e size code (0 to 14)

for each block. Press F to select.

F or M otorola Typ e I system s, you must enter a syst e m fl eet map in order for the

sc a n ne r t o pr op er l y t r ac k a nd dis p l a y ta l k gr ou p I D’s . T he fl ee t m ap is us u all y

i ncl ud ed i n the same r esource that provid ed syste m f r equencies a nd talk g roup ID

lists.

Note : If yo u don’t know the fleet map for your Motorola Type I syst e m, check a

r esou r ce on the I nternet such as www.radio re fer en ce.co m or re fer e nc e websi tes i n

t h is ma nu al .

Setting the Status Bit M

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Select a Moto rola Type I or II system  F
 Edit Sys Option  F
 Set Status Bit  F

Ignore — the scanner round s all re ceived ID’s down to the next inte rval of 16.
The default sett in g is Ignore.

76

Yes — th e sc a nn er tre a ts al l r e cei v e d I D ’s a s un iqu e I D’s .

Note: Motor ola analog systems use talk g roup ID’s in multiples of 1 6. ID nu mbers

that fall bet ween these ID’s indicate special sta tus flags f or the syst em. This settin g

det er min es h ow t he s c an ner wi ll handle ID ’s that ar e n ot mu lt ipl es of 1 6.
Se lect your setting then press F.

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select a Mot orola Type I o r II syst em  F
 Edit Sys Option  F
 Set End Code  F

This setting determines how the scanner handles the transmission end code sent

by mo st Motorola systems. Se lect your setting then press F.

Yes — th e sc a nn er i mm e di at el y ret u r n s to t h e co nt r o l c ha n ne l whe n it d et e cts t he

en d c o de .

Ignore — the scanner does not retu rn to the contro l cha n nel until the carr ier

dr op s.

Note: The d efault setting is Yes.

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 S el ect a Mot orola Type I, II or EDACS Wide/Narr ow system  F
 Edit Sys Option  F
 Set I-Call  F

Thi s se t t ing de t er m in es ho w y o ur s c a nn er tr ea ts I -C a l ls w h il e I D Se ar c hi n g .

On — t h e scanner tracks I-Calls.

Off — the scanner ignores I-Calls. The default setting is Off.

Only — t h e scanner only tracks I-calls and ignores other r adio traffic on the

system. Pre ss F to select.

Note:

Programming Your Scanner

77

Setting the Emergency Alert Option ME

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Select a Moto rola Type I, II or EDACS Wide/Narrow system  F
 Edit Sys Option  F
 Emergency Alert  F

Off — the scanner does not alert you to emergency tr ansmissions.

Alert 1 - 9 t h e sc a nn er s o un d s an a le rt be ep to no ti fy y o u o f t h e em er ge nc y

t r an s m i s s i o n . Th e d ef a ult al er t i s Off. You can choose any of 9 different beep

types. Once you choose an alert tone, next:

 Set Level  F

Auto — the scanner automatically sets the emergency alert beep to th e master

volume l evel.

Level 1 - 15 — t he scanner adju sts the vol ume you hear to the leve l you select .

Assigning a Conventional System to a State

In addition to the BearTracker System Pr eprogrammed State information, you may

w ant to progr am another system in that same sta te. Then, when you turn on that

state using the [S TATE] and th e Scroll Control, the system you program will a ls o

be enabled and scanned. See “Assigni ng a Trunked System to A State” after

“Setting Site location Informa tion”

Conventional Systems C

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Se le ct an existing Conventional system type  F
 Edit Sys Option  F
 Set State  F

R otate the Scroll Control to the same state as th e system’s sta te.

Setting the EDACS ID Format E

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Select an EDACS Wide/Narrow system  F
 Edit Sys Option  F
 EDCS ID Format  F

78

ED AC S Tal k Gr ou p I D ’ s ar e c o mmo nl y pr o vi d ed i n o ne of tw o f or ma ts: AFS and
Decimal . This settin g de term ines ho w you en ter ED ACS ID ’s and how the sca nner

displays th e m.

AFS Format — the scanne r uses AFS form at for T a lk Group ID’s

Decimal Format — the scanner uses decimal format for Talk Group ID’s

Note: The scanner defaults to AFS ( agency, flee t, subfleet) format - the format

used in most EDACS systems.

Setting the System Record Option MELCS

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select a system  F
 Edit Sys Option  F
 Set Record  F

This setting c o ntr ol s ho w th e sc ann er handles th e r ecor d opt i on f or ch anne ls i n the

system.

All Channel — Th e scanne r sends the audio for all channels in the system to
the REC j ack, regardless of th e chan nel’s record option setting.

Marked Channel — T h e s c a nn er on l y s en ds t he au di o f or c h a nn els t h at ha ve
th e R e cord opt ion turne d on to the REC ja ck.

Off — Th e scanne r does not send any audio from any channel in the system to
the REC j ack, even if the record option is turned on for a channel.

Note for systems : In order for the function to work, you must set the channel to
record. Yo u must also set the system’s record option to e ither All Channel

(whic h will re co rd a ll c ha n nels re ga rd less o f th e chan ne l’s re cor d sett in g) or

Marked Channel ( wh ich only records t h e channels you’ve set to record).

Reviewing ID Search Lockouts MEL

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select a trunked system  F
 Edit Sys Option  F
 Rvw ID:Srch L/O  F

The scanner displays each l ocked out ID fo r the system and gives you the option

to Unlock the ID. To unl ock an ID, rotate the scrol l to select the lo cked out ID, then

pr es s [EYE S ]. If no ID’s ar e lo cked ou t, the scanner d isplays Nothing Locked /
Press Any Key.

Programming Your Scanner

79

Clearing All Locked Out ID’s MEL

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Select a tr unked system  F
 Edit Sys Option  F
 Clr All L/O IDs  F

To quickly unlock all IDs i n the system, answer “Y” to “Confirm? Unlock All
(Y/N)”

Editing Sites MESL

U se this option to enter and e d it site informatio n for the current system. See

“Programming Site s” for instru ctions for each site option. Note that you must

program at least one si te fo r each tr unked system in o rder f or your scanner t o scan

the system.

Editing Chann el Groups MECL

Use th is opti on to enter and edi t cha nnel grou ps an d ch an nel infor m ati o n. S ee

“Programming Channel Groups” for instructions for each channel gr oup and

ch a nn el o pt io n. N o t e tha t yo u m us t pr og ra m at le as t on e ch an ne l gr ou p a nd on e

cha nnel for each conventional system in your sca nner. Yo u do not have to ente r

cha nnel group information f or trunked systems, but doing so makes it easier to

fo llo w spe cif ic talk g rou ps.

Copying Systems MECSL

Occasio nally you might want to copy and rename a syst e m to hi ghlight one group

over another.

One system might be called City - F i re and the same system Cit y - P D wi th

adjustments to data within.

T his lets you quickl y locate the desired set of data.

To copy a system i nclud ing all sett ings, groups, a nd channels:

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Select the exi sting system  F
 Copy System  F

New Sys Name?

E n te r y ou r ne w na m e u si n g th e Scroll Control an d [4] an d [6] to move to th e r ig ht
or to the left one character of the display. P ress F when finished.

80

Deleting Systems MECSL

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select t h e existing system  F
 Delete System  F

Confirm Delete?

Yes=”E” / No=”.”

Important: Del ete d systems canno t be restored. You must r e-enter them.

Programming Sites MESL

Thi s section covers setting s that appl y to trunked radio site. You must program at

least one site for each trunked r adio system. When you p ro gram multiple sites, all

sites shar e the same channel groups and channels within th e system.

Note: You can only program one site in an EDAC S SCAT and LTR syste m.

Setting the Site Name ME

Ea ch site name can be up to 1 6 char acters. Abbre viate as necessar y to fi t. The

si t e n am e al te rn at e s w i t h t he Ch an ne l gr ou p w h en t he s c a n ne r s t op s on a

channel.

The default site names include the foll owing l etter in the 16th positio n to indicate

the syste m type:

MS1: Motorola 800 MHz Type I Standard

MS2: Motorola 800 MHz Type II Standard

MP1: Motorola 800 MHz Type I Splinter

MP2: Motorola 800 MHz Type II Splinter

M92: Motorola 900 MHz

MV2: Motorola VHF

MU2: Motorola UHF

EDW: EDACS Wide

EDN: EDACS Narrow

Fol lowing these steps to change the system name.

Programming Your Scanner

81

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Select a tr unked system  F
 Edit Site  F
 Sel e ct a Si te  F
 Edit Name  F

To enter a letter, turn the Scroll Control unti l the char acter you want appears. To
enter a decimal point, pr ess [.No]. To move the cursor to the left, press [4]. To
move the cursor to the right, pr ess [6 ] .

To c l ea r a ch ar act e r, pr es s [.No] twi ce. To cle ar all characters, pr ess [.No] 3 ti m es .
To ac c e pt a n en t r y, pr ess [EYE S ] or F.

Setting the Site Quick Key MESL

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Select a tr unked system  F
 Edit Site  F
 Sel e ct a Si te  F
 Set Quick Key  F

Aft er selecting th is option, select an y number from 0- 99 to assign th e system to a

qu ick key or press [. No] t o assig n the system to no quick key, th e n press F.

Notes:

• Acce ss si ngle -digit system/site Quick Keys by pressin g the single digit on t h e

keypad durin g scann ing. Acce ss two-d igit syste m Quick Keys by p ressin g

[.No] then both digits.

• You can assign as many systems to the same quick key as you wan t.

• To be scanned, a system’s Quick Key must be activa ted and the syste m must

be un lo ck ed .

Setting the Site Startup Key MESL

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Se le ct a trunked system  F
 Edit Site  F
 Sel e ct a Si te  F
 Set Startup Key  F

Se lect a startup key from [0] to [9] or select “.” for no startup key.

82

Notes:

• To unlock the syste m at startup, p ress and hold the selecte d startu p key while

you tu r n on th e s c a nn er.

• The system Qu ick Key is also enabled.

• If you press a different key at startup, th e system is locked out.

• If you d o not assig n t he syste m a sta rtup key , th e system is not a ffected by any

key press d uring startup.

Setti ng Site Frequencies MESL

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select a trunked system F
 Edit Site  F
 S el ect the si te  F
 Set Frequencies F
 New Frequency (or sel ect an existing fre quency)  F

Input a system frequency using the number keys and [.No] key, then press F. If

you ar e entering frequ encies for an LTR or EDACS system, the scanner will a ls o

prom pt y ou to en t er th e LC N for t he f requ en c y you just en t ere d . LCN’s (lo g ical

channel numbers) are pr ovided from the same source where you got the other

system informa tion.

To enter addi tional frequencies, press [MENU], then  to select New
Frequency. Then repeat the above.

Note: If you select Control Channel Only mode (see “Setting Control-Channel

O nl y ( M ot o ro l a S ys t ems O n ly )” o n Page 86), you only need to enter the

frequency(s) that can be assigned as the control channel. M ost frequency lists

usual ly indicate which of the frequencies are the control channel frequencies.

Other wise, you m ust enter all of the frequencies.

Setting Site Modulation ML

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 S el ect a trunked system  F
 Edit Site  F
 Select a Site  F
 Set Modulation  F

Auto — th e sc a nn er us es t h e de f au lt mo du lat io n f o r t he f r eq ue ncy b an d.

FM — the scanner uses FM (frequency modul ation) for the frequency band.

Programming Your Scanner

83

NFM — the scanner uses narrowband FM for the frequency band.

Note: The default setting is Auto.

T his setting controls the modulation m ethod used for the frequency ba nd. In most

case s, if you le ave this set to Auto, the scanner automatically selects t h e correct

m odulation type for th e system you are programming.

Setting Site Attenuation MESL

Enable Attenuation if you are near strong signal sources. Attenuation can help

reduce interference and desensitization that strong signals create. You can also

turn this setting on or off by holding on a trunked system, then press F + [7/ATT].
[MENU]  Program System  F

 Se le ct a trunked system  F
 Edit Site  F
 Sel e ct a Si te  F
 Set Attenuator  F

Off — the attenuator i s off.

On — site frequencies are attenuated by about 20 dB.

Setting Site Lockout MESL

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Se le ct a trunked system  F
 Edit Site  F
 Se le ct a site F
 Set Lockout  F
 Select from the following choices F

Unlocked — the system is scanned when its quick key i s enabled.

Temporary L/O — the system is locked for this session.

Locked — the system is not scanned.

84

Setting Site Hold Time MESL

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select a trunked system  F
 Edit Site  F
 Select a site  F
 Set Hold Time  F

Thi s setting contr ols how ma ny seconds the scanne r looks at a site befor e moving

to the next unlocked site o r system. Using the number keypad, enter a value from

[0] to [2][5][ 5] , then press F to save the setting.

Notes:

• I f t he sc an ne r c a nn ot de tec t a c o nt r o l c h an ne l on an EDA C S or Mot o r o la

system, it immediately moves to the next site or system. The scanner always

scans LT R or SCAT systems for at least 1 second to ch eck for curr ent activity.

• If you select 0 and the control channel is received, the scan n er stays on the

system fo r a mi nimal time (only long enough to check current system activity).

• The default setting is 2 seconds for each system.

• The scanner moves to the next system after the hol d time exp ires, any cur re nt

t r an sm i s s i on en ds, an d t h e c h an ne l de l a y tim e e x pi r es .

Editing the Band Plan M (VHF and UHF only)

In order for the scanner to scan Motorola VHF and UHF sites, you must enter

parameters that allow the scanner to determine the frequencies i n use by the

system. This information is normally available at the same source where the other

system inf ormation i s fo und.

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select a trunked system  F
 Edit Site  F
 Select a site  F
 Edit Band Plan  F

You can ente r up to 3 band p lans. Select the pl an to enter or edit, then foll ow the

pr ompts to enter the Base Frequency, Channel Step, and Channel Offset for the

site.

Programming Your Scanner

85

Setting Control-Channel Onl y Mode M

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Select a tr unked system  F
 Edit Site (current)  F
 Select a si te  F
 Set C-Ch Only  F

T his sett in g dete rmines the frequencies you need to enter for Motorola systems.

Select your setting, then press F.

On — You on ly ne ed t o en t er co n tr ol c h an ne l f r e qu en c i e s.

Off — You must enter all voice and control channel frequencies.

Note: The scanner defaults to On.

Setting Site Location Information MESL

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Select a tr unked system  F
 Edit Site (current)  F
 Select a si te  F
 Set LocationInfo  F

T his sett in g contr ol whether the system is automatically enabled an d disabled

when you connect a GPS to the scanner.

Set Latitude — E nt er the syste m’s latitude u sing th e format you se le cte d in the

system settings.

Set Longitude — Enter the syst em’s l ongi tude usi ng the fo rmat you se lected in

the system settings.

Set Range — Set the syst e m’s range usin g the units yo u sele cted in the syst e m

sett ings.

Set GPS Enable — Depending o n the data received from the GPS, the L/O

statu s of the site is automatically controlled.

Assigning a Trunked System to A State

In addition to the BearTracker System Pr eprogrammed State information, you may

w ant to progr am another system in that same sta te. Then, when you turn on that

state usi ng the [STATE] con t ro l an d the Scroll Co ntrol, th e syst em you p rogram

w ill a lso b e u nloc k e d and scann e d.

86

Trunked Systems (Sites) MESL

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 S el ect an existing MOT Type I, II, EDACS, SCAT, o r LTR system  F
 Edit Site  F
 Scroll to an existing site or create a n e w one  F
 Set State  F

Rotate the Scroll Control to the same state as the site’s state .

Deleting Sites ME

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select a trunked system  F
 Edit Site  F
 Select a site  F
 Delete Site  F

Confirm Delete? Yes=”E” / No=”.”

Important: Deleted sites cannot be restored. You must re-enter them.

Programming Channel Groups MEC L

Setting Up a Channel Group MECL

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select a system  F
 Edit Group  F
 New Group F

The scanner creates a group w ith a default name of Group n. n inc r em en ts b y

one fo r each new group you cr eate within a syste m.

Editing a Channel Group Name MECL

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 S el ect a system  F
 Edit Group  F
 Select a Group  F
 Edit Name  F

Follow these steps to enter/edit the group name.

1. The cur rent name displays w ith the fi rst character of the name highl ighted.

Programming Your Scanner

87

2. Rotate the Scroll Control to select a n ew first letter. Pre ss [6 ] to move one character to the right. Repeat the Scroll Control action to change the character. To move one character to the l eft, press [4].

3. R epeat Ste p 2 until you have entered t he system name. Then press F to

accept the setting.

Notes:

• Each grou p nam e can be up to 16 cha racters. Abbre viate as necessary to fit.

• T he group and system (for con ventional, SCAT, and LTR systems) or site (for

M otorola and EDACS syst ems) name alternat e in the top line of the display

when the scanner stops on a channel.

• Press [.No] twi ce to delete the current character.

• Press [.No] three times to clea r the entire alpha tag.

Editing Channels MECL

Once yo u c r ea te a c ha nn el gr oup, st o re ch anne ls i n that g ro up . S ee “ Pr og r am ming

Channel s” for specific channel options.

Locking Out Channel Groups MECL

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Se le ct an existing system  F
 Edit Group  F
 Select an existing gr oup  F
 Set Lockout  F

This setting determines whether the scanner wil l scan this group of channels.

Select your setting, then press F.

Lockout — the gr oup is not scanned.

Temporary L/O — the group is not scanned for this sessi on. The L/O is

can celled when you cycle power.

Unlocked — t he gr ou p i s s c a nn ed . Th e d efa ul t se tt i n g i s Unlocked

Deleting Channel Groups MECL

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Select a system  F
 Edit Group  F

88

 Select a channel group  F
 Delete Group  F

Confirm Delete?

Yes=”E” / No=”.”

Important: Del ete d c ha n ne l gr ou ps c an n ot be res t o r e d. You m us t r e -e nt er th em .

Programming Channels MECL

Creating a Channel MECL

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 S el ect a system  F
 Edit Group  F
 S el ec t a c h an ne l gr ou p o r a Ne w G ro up  F
 Edit Channel  F

Select an existing channel to edit or “ New Channel” to create a new channel.

When you create a new channel you are prompted to enter the frequency (for

convent io nal systems) or Ta lk Gr oup ID (for Tr unked systems) . Enter the

information for the channel , then press F t o pr oc e ed to s et t ing ad dit i o n al c h an ne l

op t i on s .

Editing the Channel Name (Alpha Tag) MECL

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 S el ect a system  F
 Edit Group  F
 Select the group  F
 Edit Channel  F
 Select the channel  F
 Edit Name  F

Follow these steps to enter/edit the channel name.

1. The cur rent name displays w ith the fi rst character of the name highl ighted.

2. Rotate the Sc roll Con trol to select a new first le tter .

3. Pr es s [6 ] to move one character to the ri ght.

4. Re pe at the Scroll Control action to cha n ge th e char acter. To move one cha racter to the left, press [4]. Press [.No] twice to delete th e cur rent ch ar ac ter . Pr es s [.No] three times to clea r the entire alpha tag.

Programming Your Scanner

89

5. R epeat from Step 2 until you have entered the desired name. Then

press F to a c c ep t th e s e t ti n g .

Notes:

• Each channel name can be up to 16 characters. Abbreviate as necessary to fit.

• The channel name appears on the second line of the display when the radio

scans or stops on a channel.

• I f you do no t e nt e r a c h an ne l na m e , th e sc a nn er di s p la ys t h e f r e qu en cy (f or

con ventional systems) or the talk group ID (f o r trunke d systems) whe n it stops

on a ch an nel.

Editing Frequencies C

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Se le ct a convent ional system  F
 Edit Group  F
 Select a channel group  F
 Edit Channel  F
 Se l e ct th e ch an ne l  F
 Edit Frequency  F

Use the [0] to [9] and [.No] keys to enter or mod ify a frequen cy. When you pre ss

the first place key, the cur sor a utomati call y moves one character to the right. You

can al s o , clockwise or counter-clockwise to highlight any digit.

Editing the Talk Group ID MEL

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Se le ct a trunked system  F
 Edit Group  F
 Select a channel group  F
 Edit Channel  F
 Se l e ct th e ch an ne l  F
 Edit TGID  F

To edit the Talk Group ID, enter the Talk Group ID you wa nt usi ng the num ber

keys. Then press F.

90

Selecting CTCSS/DCS Tones C

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 S el ect the conven tional system  F
 Edit Group  F
 Select the group or New Group  F
 Edit Channel  F
 Select the channel or New Channel  F
 Set CTCSS/DCS  F

At this point you can scrol l to Off, Search, CTCSS, DCS, or Set Lockout. and

select the subaudible frequency in the C TCSS range or the DCS code.

 CTCSS or DCS  F

This setting controls how a sub audible CTCSS or DCS is used for the channel.

Se le ct y o ur s et ti ng , then pr es s F.

Off — any signal opens squelch. The default setting is Off.

Search — t h e scanner searches for and displays any CT CSS or DCS tone tha t

accompanies th e t ransm i ssion.

CTCSS — the scanner onl y opens squelch if the CTCSS tone you select is also

pr esent with the signal. The scanner then prompts you to enter or scroll to the

de s ir e d t o ne .

DCS — the scanner onl y opens squelch if the DCS tone you select is also present

with the signal. The scanner then prompts you to enter or scroll to the desir ed

tone.

Set Lockout — the scanner does not stop on the channel if the tone you select

is present. The scanner prompts you to select a CTCSS or DCS tone.

Quick CTCSS/DCS Save

If you set a channel to CTCSS/DCS Search a nd the scanner d etects a tone, when

you pr ess [EYES], the first op tion is Save found CTCSS/DCS?

Setting Channel Modulation Method C

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 S el ect the conven tional system  F
 Edit Group  F
 S el ec t a c h an ne l gr ou p  F

Programming Your Scanner

91

 Edit Channel  F
 Se l e ct th e Ch an ne l  F
 Set Modulation  F

Auto — the scanner uses the default modulation for the channel. The default
setting is Auto.

AM — the scanner uses AM (amplitude modulation) for the channel.

FM — the scanner uses FM (fr equency m odulation) for the channel.

NFM — t h e s c an n er u ses n ar r ow ba nd FM f or t h e c h an ne l .

WFM — t h e s c an n er u ses w i de ba nd FM f or t h e ch an ne l.

WFM ( Broadcast) — t h e scanner use s FM Broadcast for th e channel.

T his setting con trols the mod ulatio n method used for the channel. In most cases, if

you l e ave this set to Auto, the scanner automatically selects the corr ect

modul ation type for the channel you are pr ogrammi ng.

Setting Channel Attenuation C

[MENU]  Program System  F

 S elect a co n vent i onal syste m  F
 Edit Group (existing si t e)  F
 S el ec t a C h an ne l Gro up  F
 Edit Channel  F
 Select a channel  F
 Set Attenuator  F

T his s e tti n g co nt r ols wh et h er th e sc a nn er at ten ua t es s ig na l s on thi s c h an ne l .

Select your setting, then press F.

On — the channel i s attenuated by about 20 dB.

Off — the channel i s not attenuated. The default setting is Off

You can also toggle this setting by holding on the channel and pr essing F then
[7/ATT] within 2 seconds.

Set ti ng Cha nne l Priority C

[MENU]  Program System  F

 S elect a co n vent i onal syste m  F
 Edit Group  F
 Select a channel group  F

92

 Edit Channel  F
 S ele ct t h e c h an ne l  F
 Set Priority  F

Thi s se t t ing c on tr ol s w he t he r t he sc a n ne r t rea t s th e c h an ne l as a pr i ori ty c h an ne l

while s ca nn in g. S ele ct On or Off, t h en pr es s F.

On — w hen yo u tur n on t he Pri or it y featu re, t he c ha nn el w ill b e sca nn ed eve ry 2

seconds.

Off — th e ch anne l will no t be tre ate d with pri ori ty. The defa ult s e ttin g is Off

Setting Channel Alert MECL

[MENU ]  Program System  F

 Select a system  F
 Edit Group  F
 S el ec t a c h an ne l gr ou p  F
 Edit Channel  F
 Select the channel  F
 Set Alert (1 to 9)  F

Off — the scanner does not alert you when the channel becomes active.

Alert 1 - 9 — the scanner sounds an aler t beep to notify you that the channel

has become active. You can choose any of 9 different beep types. Once you

cho ose an alert ton e, then:

 Set Level  F

Auto — the scanner automaticall y sets the chan nel al ert beep to ma tch the

master volume level.

Level 1 - 15 — t h e scann er adjusts t h e volume of the beep to the level you

select.

Set Record MECL

 to enable a live audio output from REC to an au dio re c or din g d ev i c e.  F

On — th e sc a nn er out p ut s t he s i gn al .

Off — the scanner does not output any audio.

Programming Your Scanner

93

Setting Lockout MECL

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Se le ct a system  F
 Edit Group  F
 Select a channel group  F
 Edit Channel  F
 Select a channel  F
 Set Lockout  F
 Select from the following choices F

Unlocked — the channel is scanned when its quick ke y is enabled.

Temporary L/O — the channel is locked for this session.

Locked — the channel i s not scanned.

Cop ying a Channel MESL

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Se le ct a system  F
 Edit Group  F
 Select a channel group  F
 Edit Channel  F
 Select a channel  F
 Copy Channel  F

Yo u s e e Copy Channel Copied to Buffer.

Press [MENU ] to r e tu r n to on e le ve l b e fo re Yo u s e e Paste Channel as the last

list i tem. At thi s point you can paste that channel information to another group or

compatible syst em.

Deleting a Channel MESL

[MENU]  Program System  F

 Se le ct a trunked system  F
 Edit Group  F
 Select a channel group  F
 Edit Channel  F
 Select a channel  F
 Delete Channel  F

Yo u s e e Confirm Delete? Yes=”E” / No=”.”

94

Se lect Ye s to delete the channel or No to cancel.

Programming Your Scanner

95

Searching and Storing

Service Search

Se rvice Search lets you select and search the scanner ’s preprogrammed sea rch

r anges. During service search, the scanner searches starting w ith the low est

f r eq ue ncy i n th e s e ar c h ra n ge y o u s e le c t t o th e h i gh es t f re qu en c y i n t h e ra ng e.

There are tw o ways to do this.

[MENU]   Search for ...  F

 Service Search  F

Se lect the service sear ch range  F

The ot h er ap pr oa c h is:

F + [SCAN/SEARCH]  F

Quick Search? Yes=”E” / No=”.”

Press [.No]
T hen to select Service Search  F

The following search ranges appear as you scroll 

Public Safety
News
HAM Radio
Marine
Railroad
Air
CB Radio
FRS/GMRS
Racing
TV Broadcast
FM Broadcast
Military Air
Special

T he sca n ner searches the service you selecte d, stopping on any transmission it

finds and displaying the frequency. Turn the Scroll Control to change the search

d i r ec t i o n. An ar ro w ap pe ar s , s h ow i ng th e cu r r en t s e ar c h d ire cti on .

To pause searching, press [HOLD/RESUME ] . To resume sear ching, press F +
[SCAN/SEARCH]. Or, press [HOLD/RESUME].

96

To lock out a frequency found while searching, press [L/O]. Pressing [L/O] o nce
displays Temporary L/O an d p re ss i ng [L/O] t wice d isplays Locked Out.

Notes:

• If all frequencies in the search range you selected are locked out, All
Locked! appears and the scanner does not search the range.

• I f t he ser v i c e y o u se lec t u ses c ha n ne ls (s u ch as CB Ra di o or M ar ine ), t he

scanner displays the service channel number.

• Press and hold [L/O] f o r ab ou t 2 s ec o n ds t o u nlo ck all fr eq ue nci es t ha t ar e

locked out in Search Mode and C lose Call Mode.

Quick Search

Quick Search lets you search from the currently-tuned frequency if you are

scanni ng a conventional system or sets the system to ID sea rch if you are

scanni ng a trunked system .

If you are on a co n ventional system or channel, press F + [SCAN/SEARCH] to
start quick search. Quick Search? Yes=”E” / No=”.” appear s. Press
[HOLD/RESUME] to g o to q uick search h old.

Pr ess [EYES] t o st art q uick se a rch or [.No] t o go to th e s e ar c h me nu .

Custom Search

Custom Search l ets you progr am and search 10 custom search ranges. You can

search any of these ranges simultaneously and select each custom search range

you set. During custom search, the scanner se arches starting with the lowest

frequency i n the search r ange you select to the highest frequency in the range.

There ar e two methods to begin a custom search.

Notes:

• Se a r c h r a ng es ar e pr ese t. T he s e r a ng es c an b e ed it e d. S e e “Editing a Custom

Search Range” on Page 98 to change the range.

• You cannot turn off al l custom search ranges.

[MENU ]   Search for ...  F

 Custom Search ...  F

The other approach is:

F + [SCAN/SEARCH ]

Quick Search? Yes=”E” / No=”.”

Se ar ching and Stor ing

97

Press [.No] then  to Custom Search  F.

T he sca n ner starts custom search of the custom search range you selected,

stopping on any transmission it finds and displ aying the frequency. Turn the Scroll
Control to change the search direction. An arrow appears, showing the current

search direction.

To t urn search rang es on or off, pr ess [0] and [1] to [9]. T o hol d s ear chin g, pr ess

[HOLD/RESUME]. To resume searching, press [HOLD/RESUME] or F +
[SCAN/SEARCH]

T o l ock out a f requency found while se arching, pr ess [L/O]. T h e re ar e t w o di ff e ren t
results based on the number of times you press [L/O].

Press [L/O] 1 time: Temporary L/O appea r s

Press [L/O] 2 times: Locked Out appears and the scanner resumes custom

sea rch.

If you turn off the active custom search ra nge, the scanner skips to the next

custom search range and continues searching.

Note: If all frequencies i n all active custom search r anges are locked out, All
Locked! appears and the scanner does not stop.

Editing a Custom Search Range

You can edit up to 10 custom search ranges. The names of the custom search

ranges appear on the display. The default custom search range names appear as

Custom 1, Custom 2, and so on.
[MENU]   Search for ...  F

 Edit Custom  F
 Custom 1, Custom 2 to Custom 10  F

Another approach is

F + [SCAN/SEARCH]

Quick Search? Yes=”E” / No=”.”
Press [.No] then  to Edit Custom  F.

At this point you can edi t each of the settings that compr ise a custom search.

Edit Name — lets you edit the custom search range’s name.

98

Edit Srch Limit — le t s you view and select the frequency ranges to sear ch.

The scanner prompts you to enter the upper and lower search limits.

Set Delay Time — le t s yo u set th e am ount of ti m e the scanne r wi ll de la y bef o re
continuin g to search afte r a transmission ends.

Set Modulation — le t s you set t h e custom search range’s modulat io n type.

Set Attenuator — le ts you s et whe t he r t he sca n ne r will a t te nu a te rece p ti on by

20 dB du rin g se ar c h.

Set Data Skip — le t s you se t whe th er the sca nn er will s k ip da ta t rans mi ssions

duri ng se arch.

Set Step — lets you set the custom search range’s step (the gap betw een

frequencies) .

Set C-Ch Only — le t s you sear ch for a Motorola control channel. If it fi nds one,

the sca n ner scans the syste m.

Set Record — if during your listening to the selected service, if a transmission is
received , choosing On sends an audio signal to the connected audio recor ding

device.

Search with Scan — se ts whe ther the scanner includes the custom search

during scanning. If unlocked, the sca n ner first scans all selected systems, then

searches the selected service searches fo r the selected hold t im e (0-255

seconds).

Within the Search With S can menu listing are the following settabl e options

Set Quick key — le t s you assign a Q u ick Key fo r the custom search range.

Set Startup Key — le t s you deci de which custom search range should be

un l o ck ed an d s c a nn ed at po we r up

Set Lockout — le t s you lock the custom search r ange for thi s session or

pe rm an en t l y as w i t h a n y ot he r L/ O ac t i o n.

Set Hold Time — sets how l ong (seconds) the cust o m se a rch range is che cked

before the scanner mo ves to the next prog rammed entry.

Search With Scan

When you press [SCAN/SEARCH] t h e B CT 1 5 st ar ts a s c a n o f th ose si t es ,

ch annel s, et c y ou ha v e manua lly p r ogr a mm ed th at ar e unl oc ked and h ave t he i r

Syste m Quick key enabled.

Se ar ching and Stor ing

99

In addition to this scan you can search any of the preprogrammed service or

custom sea rch r anges.

W hi le s c a nn i n g, pr es s F. Rota te the Scroll Control unti l you r each the desired
servi ce or custom search range. Press [L/O] t o unlock it. You can also assign a

System Quick Key to the search to make it easy to quickly ena ble/disable the

se a rc h r an ge fo r s e arch an d s c a n. T h e S ea rc h w it h S c an H old t i m e d e te r m i ne s

how long the scanner stays on a search before moving on. The default is 2

seco nds. See Page 99 to chan ge th e Sea rch with Scan settin gs.

Editing a Service Search

Yo u c an c h an ge t h e w ay s er v i c e s ea rc h w o rk s fo r ea ch s er v i c e. Th e re ar e al s o t wo

m et h od s to re ac h th e p oi n t of ed it i n g.

Method One

[MENU]   Search for ...  F

 Edit Service  F
 Select a service range:

Public Safety, News, HAM Radio, Marine, Railroad, Air, CB
Radio, FRS/GMRS, Racing, TV Broadcast, FM Broadcast, Military
Air, Special  F

Method Two F + [SCAN /SEARCH ]

Quick Search? Yes=”E” / No=”.”
Press [.No] then  to Edit Service  F.

At this point you can edit each of th e settings that comprise each service search

range.

The following show you how to set the various option settings associated with a

Service. For each, your starting operation is

[MENU]   Search for ...  F

 Edit Service  F
 Select a service range:

Set Delay Time

 to select a value from 1 sec, 2 sec, 3 sec, 4 sec,

5 sec, and Off.  F

100