Uniden UBC-9000XLT User guide

UBC9000XL T

Auto Scanner

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UBZZO1248AZ

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OPERATING GUIDE

UBC9000XL T Controls

1

IfEE

10 9

1.

2.

3.

4. ON/OFFNOLUME and

5.

Programmingand Status Keys
Display
Bank Keys

SQUELCHControls 9.
RotaryTuning Controls

8

2 3 4

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6

7

6.

7.

8.

10.

5

Numericand SpecialFunction
Keys

Scan Keys
Mode Keys
Search Keys

Output Jacks.

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Precautions

Before you use this scanner, please read and observe

. the following:

WARNING!

Unidendoes not representthis unitto bewaterproof. To reduce

the risk of fire or electrical shock, do not expose this unit to

rain or moisture.

Uniden@ and Bearcat@ are registered trademarks of Uniden Corporation

@1995 Uniden Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in the Philippines

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I

Table of Contents

Introduction 2
Included with the
UBC9000XLT 3

Feature Highlights. . . . . . . . .. 4

Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . .. 6

Base Installation. . .. . . . . . .. 6

What is Scanning? . . . . . . . .. 7

Searching 7

Banks and Channels. . . . . . .. 8

Settingthe Squelch. . . . . . . .. 8

Usingthe RotaryTuner. . . .. 10

Programming Channels. . .. 11

ProgrammingBy
ManuaIEntry 12
Programmingwiththe
RotaryTuner 13
ProgrammingwithSearch.. 14
Programmingwith

AUTOSTORE 17
Deletinga

Programmed Frequency. . .. 19

Transferring a

Programmed Frequency. . .. 19

Programming Channels with

AlphaCharacters. .. . . . . .. 20

To DeleteAlphaCharacters. 22

The Scan Mode 24

Scanning AllProgrammed

Channels and Banks. . . . . .. 24

TurningBanks ONor OFF.. 25

LockingOut Channels. . . .. 26

Using PriorityScan. . . . . . .. 28

The Search Mode. . . . . . . . .. 29

Beginninga Search. . . . . .. 29

ScrollingFrequencies

Duringa Search. . . . . . . . .. 30

UsingTurboSearch. .. .. .. 31

UsingSearchDelay. . .. . .. 31

LockingOutFrequencies... 32

Unlockinga Frequency.. . .. 32

UnlockingAllFrequencies.. 33

Birdies 33

Additional Scanner Features 34

Using Data Skip 34
Changingthe

FrequencyStep. . . . . . .. . .. 35

Settingthe Signal Mode. . .. 36

UsingSignalAttenuation. . .. 37

Preventing

Accidental Programming. . .. 38

UsingCOUNTto

MonitorChannelActivity. . .. 38

DisplayingBank

MemoryStatus. . . . . . . .. .. 40

UsingAuto Recording. . . . .. 41

ViewingScanner

Status Information. . . . . . . .. 42

DisplayLight 44
UsingHi-Cut 44

CTCSS Operation. .... ... .. 45

Installingthe CTCSS Board. 45
UsingCTCSS "...47

To Changethe

CTCSSTone Frequency. .. 48
CTCSSTone Frequencies.. 49

Care and Maintenance...... 50

Troubleshooting........... 51

OptionalAccessories and

ReplacementParts. . . . . . . .. 52

Specifications.. .. . . . . .. ... 53

1

Introduction

The UBC9000XLT isa sophisticatedinformation radiowith automatic
scanning capabilities. You can use it at home as a base unit,or install in
your vehicle as a mobileunit.

The UBC9000XLT can store frequencies such as, police, fire/emergency,

marine, air, weather, and otherbroadcasts into 20 banks of 25 channels
each. The new RotaryTuner feature enables rapidand easy selection of

channels andfrequencies. And with AUTO STORE,you can

automatically program any channel.
With the UBC9000XLT, you can scan all 500 channels with Turbo Scan. In

the Search Mode, you can choosesuper fast Turbo Search. In addition,
the UBC9000XLT has AUTO SORT -an automaticfrequencysorting
feature for faster scanningwithin eachbank.

Types of Communication

You will be able to monitor communication such as:

. Police and fire department (including paramedics)

,

. Business/industrialradio

. Motion pictureand press relay

. Utility

. Landtransportationfrequencies, such as trucking firms, buses,

taxis, tow trucks, and railroads

. Marine and amateur (hamradio) bands

. Air band

. Analogue cellulartelephone frequencies
. Public Service800 MHz band

And many more in the 25-1300 MHz range.

2

Included with the UBC9000XL T

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1

,~

Australian
Warranty
Program

Telescoping Antenna

(AT124)

AC Adaptor
(AAD8500U)

. Readthis Operating Guide thoroughly beforeyou usethe

scanner.

. If any of the above itemsare missingor damaged, contact the

placeof purchase immediately.

3

Feature Highlights

. TwinTurboScan/Search- This lightning-fasttechnology

enablesthe UBC9000XLT to scan upto 100channels per second
and search upto 300 steps per second (in5kHz steps).
Becausethe frequency coverage is so large (see
"Specifications,"page 53, for band listing), averyfast scanning
system is essential. That is why wecombined our latest

technology - Turbo Scan and Search - into the UBC9000XL T.

. RotaryTunerControl- Turn the large Rotary Tuner to select

the desiredfrequency or channel.

. 500 Channels- You can programeach of these memory

channelsto store one frequency.

. 20 Banks - Each bankcontains 25 channels, usefulfor storing

similar frequencies in order to maintain faster scanning cycles.

. 25 -1300MHz-lndicates the rangeof frequenciesthat can be

searchedwithin the bands of your scanner. (Note: The

frequency coverage is not totallycontinuousbetween 550-760
MHz.)

. 10 Priority Channels- You can assign one Prioritychannel for

each of the 10 banks,A-J. This allowsyou to keep track of
activityon your most importantchannel(s) while monitoring

other channelsfor transmissions. .

. Auto Store - Automaticallystores all active frequencieswithin

the specified bank(s).

. Auto Sorting- Programmedfrequencies are automatically

sortedwithin each bank for faster scanning.

. Auto Recording-This feature lets you record channelactivity

from the scanner ontoa tape recorder.

. Scan/Search Delay-In the Scan or Search Mode,causes the

scannerto remain on a frequency two seconds after the last
transmissionto wait for a possible reply.

. Direct ChannelAccess-Allows you to manually selecta

specific channel without scanning.

. Direct Frequency Programming-Allows you to programa

specific frequency into a channel without searching.

. Frequency Transfer-Lets youtransfer a frequency intoan

empty channel, or replacethe frequency in the current channel.

. Programmable Alpha Characters-You canprogram

upto 250 channelswith 16alphacharactersfor easy reference.

4.

f

. Variable Frequency Steps (Increments)-In the search or

ManualMode, lets you change thesteps betweenfrequencies.

. Channel/Frequency Lockout-Lets you temporarily remove

channels or frequencies from the scanningor searchcycle.

. Signal Attenuation-Reduces the scanner's sensitivity for

unusuallystrong signals oftenfound on the WFM (wide
frequency modulation)bands.

. Data Skip-Lets you set the scannerto automaticallycontinue

searching or scanningwhen it encounters an unmodulatedor
data signal.

. Enter Lock-Temporarily disables programmingkeysto

prevent accidental programming.

. External Speaker Jack-Allow you to connect an external

speakeror earphonefor custom listening.See "Included with
your Scanner"on page 3, and "OptionalAccessories &
ReplacementParts" on page 52.

. Line, and AUXJacks-Allow you to connect a tape recorder.
. Display Light-Lets you viewthe displaymore easily in dark or

Iow-lightconditions.

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5

Getting Started

Standard

240V

ACWallOutlet

h

AC Adaptor!
Charger
(AAD8500U)

DC 13.8V

Jack

J- Plug

Auxiliary Antenna
Jack Jack

Off-On!
Enter-Lock
Switch

Telescoping
Antenna

FoldingLeg

Base Installation

1. Insert the DC plugend of the AC Adaptor intothe DC 13.8Vjack
onthe rear panel.

2. Plug theAC Adaptor into a standard 240VAC walloutlet.

3. Plug the Telescoping Antenna intothe "ANT'connector. Extend
the antenna to its full height. Forfrequencieshigher than
406 MHz, shorteningthe antenna mayimprovethe reception.

4. Ifyou needa betterviewing angle,flip the foldinglegs downto
raisethe front of the scanner.

Foruse withan optional external speaker:

Plug the external speaker into the "EXTSP' jack
located on the front of the scanner.

«:: PROG ~ ~ SEND ~ ~ ALPHA:}

~HOLD~

(.SRC J (AUTO.)

For use with an optional tape recorder:

'-- UMIT~

Be sure to use a tape recorderwith
microphoneand remote input jacks.

UNE EXTSP

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1. Connectacablefromthe"LINE"jackonthe

front of the scannerto the microphoneinputof a tape recorder.

2. Connect a cable from the RCA-type"AUX"jack on the back of
the scanner to the recorder's "REMOTE"jack.

(See "UsingAuto Record," page 41.)

For use with an optional CTCSS Tone Board:

CTCSSBoardSocket(insidethe unit).See"CTCSSOperation,"page45.

6

What is Scanning?

Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most two-way communications
(listed below) do not transmit continuously. The UBC9000XL T scans
programmed channels at the rate of up to 100 channels per second until it

finds an active frequency. Scanning stops on an active frequency, and

remains on that channel as long as the transmission continues. When the

transmission ends, and no response is detected, the scanning cycle resumes

until another transmission is received.

..

- - - - - - - - - - - "

I ---- ~AN ---- - ..

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v..00::-';~~'

CHANNELS1 2 3 4 5 6 7 a 9 10

An optional DELAY can be set so that the scanner stays on the channel
for 2 more seconds, waiting for anothertransmission before resuming

scanning.

Searching

Scanning and searching are similar inthat they both involvefinding active
frequencieswithin a group of frequencies.The difference is Scanning

looksonly at a group of programmedfrequencies that are stored in the

scanner's channels and grouped into banks.

I ~

Frequency Frequency

LockedOut Not

(UO) Entered

I

Searchinglooks at all the frequencieswithin a pre-selected rangeof

frequencies.

If you find an interesting frequency while searching,you can store it in a

channel for easier access later. See"Programmingwith Search" on

page 14. Themainpurpose of the Search function is tohelp you find

active frequencies toprogram into memory.

7

.

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CTCSS Operation

This sectionapplies only if you are installingand usingan optional
CTCSSTone Boardwith your scanner.

Installing the CTCSS Board

InstallingtheCTCSSToneBoardisa simpleprocedure,andrequiresonly

afewminutesfollowingthestepsbelow.

CAUTION:Be sure to turn the scanner off and disconnect the power
cord before attempting to open the scanner.

1. Remove the five screwsfrom the top cover.

Lift

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2. Carefully lift the cover upfrom the back of the unit and turn it to

the left - being careful not break the speaker wire.

3. Stand thecover on its leftside panel.

(Continued,next page)

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45

2. Think of the Squelch Control as a gate. Turn SQUELCHfully
counterclockwise. This raises the "SquelchGate"so high that no
signalscan get through.

SQUELCH

StrongSignals

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3. Turn SQUELCH fully clockwise until you hear a hiss.This lowers
the "SquelchGate" so that everything getsthrough... noise,
weak signals, and strong signals.

SQUELCH

StrongSignals

MediumSignals

WeakSignals----..-----....-.........

-

VOLUME

---..--- ..---..---..---..--..
Noise---..---..---.. ---..--..

---..---.. ---..---..---..--..

.......

4. Turn SQUELCH backcounter clockwisejust untilthe hiss stops.
Nowthe "Squelch Gate" allows only strong signals through.

.

.

.

..

..

,.

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SQUELCH

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StrongSignals

MediumSignals-

WeakSignals
Noise-- - ..- - - ..- - +

9

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+

+

.

.

.

Using the Rotary Tuner

Frequency LED
Channel LED
Mode Selector

Rotary Tuner
Lock LED

Lock Key

RotaryTuner and Controls

This uniquefeature allows easy, rapid,and preciseselection of
frequencies and channels in the UBC9000XLT.

Frequency/Channel Mode Selector -Press to switch betweenchannel
or frequency mode. When the CHANLED ison, you can step rapidly
through channelswith the RotaryTuner. When the FREQ LEDis on, you
can tune quickly and accurately through frequencieswith the Rotary Tuner.

Rotary Tuner -Usethe RotaryTuner to step through channels or

frequencies, dependingonthe setting of the Frequency/ChannelMode
Selector. Turn the knobclockwiseto step up,counter clockwiseto step

down.

Lock Key/LED -The LED lights when the RotaryTuner is locked.

Press LOCK to enable the RotaryTuner.

10

Programming Channels

Before you can scan, you must program the channels within a bank. You
can store one frequency per channel, up to 500 channels. These are the

banks and their associated channels:

Bank ChannelNumber Bank

A
B 26 -50 2 276 -300
C 51 - 75 3
D 76 - 100 4
E 101 - 125 5 351 - 375
F
G 151 -175 7
H 176 - 200 8 426 - 450
I 201 - 225 9
J 226 - 250

Auto Sort

Eachtime you store a frequency, the list of scanning frequencies inthe
bank is automaticallysorted by frequency number. This uniqueAuto Sort
feature enables faster scanning. When you manuallystep through.a
bank, however, frequencies are sorted according tochannel number.

Choosing a Programming Method

WiththeUBC9000XLT,therearefivewaystoprogramachannel:

1

-25 1 251 -275

126 - 150 6

0 476 -500

Channel Number

301-325

326 - 350

376-400

401 - 425

451-475

. Manuallyselecting a channel andfrequency,usingthe numeric

keypad

. Usingthe Rotary Tuner to selecta channeland frequency

. Searching a band to find activefrequencies,and then storing them

into channels

. Usingthe Auto Storefeature to automaticallyprogramchannels

. Transfer a programmed frequency from another channel

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11

Programming By Manual Entry

Usethese keys:

EJEl8

(PROGIlSENOIIAlPHA)

C]

~~

~ c::s~ DATA

@ @ c::>(DB.AY.) c:::3>

1. Select a frequency.
Example: Program

482.7625 MHzinto Channel1.

2. Press IMANUAL) to enter the

Manual Mode.

3. Enterthe channel number,then

press I MANUAL).

uo \ J CJ

Scan and Numeric Keys

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CL][[J m:J~ [L)

D

CD ID (E] [IJ CL>

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~ JJ fl)

BankA ch 22

LlO OOO.OOOOMHz

Bank A P ch 1

LlO OOO.OOOOMHz

4. Enterthe frequency. Then

press ~ .

Example: 482.7625
Ifyou make a mistake, press

~ twice to erase.

Bank A P ch 1

482.7625MHz

12

If anerror is made during
programming,or if the frequencyis out
of range,this screen appears. Entera
valid channel or frequency number.

Ifthe frequency is stored in another
channel,the displaywill indicatethe
originalchannel for that frequency.

To program more channels, repeat steps 3 and4.

Press ~ to store the same frequency into the selected channel.

Or, selectanother channel.

Or, press ~ twice to clear.

Bank A P ch
OUTOFBAND

DUPLICATECH230

Programming With the Rotary Tuner
Usethesecontrols:

8~8 n

( PROG11SENO11AlPHA) "-J

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D

1

BankA ch 1

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rrr.....

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Scan, Numeric Keys, and Rotary Tuning Controls

1. Press

Manual Mode.
OR

Turn the Rotary Tuner.

Note: Make sure the LOCK LED is out.

2. Select CHAN with the RotaryTuner
Mode Selector, then turn knob.
Example: channel 52
Turn rightto step upthrough
channels, leftto step down
through channels.

0 CTCSS DATA'"

(DELAY.) c:::3

IMANUAL) to enterthe

Bank B ch 49

LlO OOO.OOOOMHz

Bank C ch 52

LlO OOO.OOOOMHz

13

3. Select a frequency.
Example: 123.7750

4. Enterthe Frequency.
Then press

5. To turnto a newfrequency, select

FREQwiththe Rotary Tuner
ModeSelector then turn rightto
step up, leftto step down.
Example: 123.7875 (turn right)

Note: The channel indicatorflashes on the display, indicatingthat the

frequency displayed is not programmed inthat channel.

6. Press ~ to programthe

channel.

To program more channels with the Rotary Tuner, repeat steps 2 -6.

Programming with Search

The Search feature lets you search for active frequencies in a range you
choose and store any or all of those frequencies into channels.

For more information about searching, see "The Search Mode," page 29.
Use these keys:

~ .

BankC ch 52

123.7750MHz

12.5KHz ch :::'?2

AM 123.7875IvrHl-

Bank C ch 52

123.7875MHz

8~~

CJ

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( PROG11SENO11ALPHA) .

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Search, Scan, Numeric,and Bank Keys,

and RotaryTuning Controls

Note: Be sure to set SQUELCH before you begin a search. See

"Setting the Squelch," page 8.

14

~

1. Select a frequency range.
See page 53.

Example: 450.000MHz to 456.000 MHz

2. Press IMANUAL) .

3. Enter the frequency andpress
~to enter the lower limit

of thesearch range.
Example: 450.000 MHz

4. Enter the frequency andpress
~to enter the upper limit

of the search range.
Example: 456.000 MHz

5. Press~ to beginthe search

function.

To exit search, press I MANUAL).

The scanner stopson the first
active frequency it finds.

I NFM 450o0000MHZ!

NFM 450.0000MHz
NFM 456.0000MHz

SRC NFM 12 .5 KHz

t 450.3750MHz

SRC NFM 12 .5 KHz

t 450.3750MHz

. To programthe frequency, press ~ to stop searchin-g.Then,

proceed to step 6a, 6b, or 6c.

. If you do notwantto programthe frequency, press ~ to

continue searching.

6a.Programthe frequency into the

current channel.

Press ~ .

12.5KHz ch"-

NFM 450.3875MHz

I

6b. Program the frequency into

another channel:

15

Bank C ch 53

450.387SMHz

12. 5KHz ch

"5

NFM 450.3875MHz