Uniden UBCD996T User Manual
UBCD996T
Owner's Manual
OWNER'S MANUAL
Precautions
Before you use this scanner, please read and observe the following.
EARPHONE WARNING!
Be sure to use only a monaural earphone or 32 stereo headset. Use of an
W
incorrect earphone or stereo headset might be potentially hazardous to your
hearing. The output of the phone jack is monaural, but you will hear it in both
headphones of a stereo headset.
Set the volume to a comfortable audio level coming from the speaker before
plugging in the monaural earphone or a stereo headset of the proper impedance
(32 ). Otherwise, you might experience some discomfort or possible hearing
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damage if the volume suddenly becomes too loud because of the volume control or
squelch control setting. This might be particularly true of the type of earphone that is
placed in the ear canal.
WARNING!
Uniden represent this unit to be waterproof. To reduce the risk of fire or
electrical shock, expose this unit to rain or moisture.
Astro , DPL , Digital Private Line , Motorola , PL , PRIVACY PLUS , Private Line ,
SMARTNET , and SMARTZONE are registered trademarks of Motorola, Inc.
LTR is a registered trademark of E.F. Johnson Co.
EDACS is a registered trademark of M/A-COM Private Radio Systems Inc.
does not
do not
®® ® ®® ® ®
®®
®
®
Other trademarks used throughout this manual are the property of their respective
holders.
2
Power Related Issues
Important:
during the time the memory is accessed for programming or auto store.
Notes:
!
If when you connect the AC adapter the is , the scanner
may not power on. Should this occur, simply turn the control , then again.
!
If the scanner loses power (as when you turn off your car’s ignition with the
scanner’s power switch on), it can lose some system settings such as display
color and backlight. To ensure that such settings persist, either change the setting
using the scanner’s menu or power the scanner off then back on using the power
switch after making such setting changes.
!
When you turn off the scanner using the power switch, the scanner remembers
the last settings and mode. When you turn power back on, it resumes the previous
mode.
To prevent memory from being corrupted, do not unplug the AC adapter
[VOL] /Power Switch ON
OFF ON
3
Table of Contents
Precautions ...................................................................................................................................2
Power Related Issues ................................................................................................................3
Introduction .................................................................................................................................11
Feature Highlights ......................................................................................................................12
General .....................................................................................................................................12
GPS ..........................................................................................................................................14
Search ......................................................................................................................................15
Auto Store .................................................................................................................................15
Priority ......................................................................................................................................15
PC Control and Cloning ............................................................................................................15
Memory Storage Limits ...............................................................................................................16
Search Lockout Limits ................................................................................................................17
About This Manual ......................................................................................................................17
Using the Scroll Control [FUNC] ...............................................................................................17
How the Scanner’s Controls Are Represented in This Manual ................................................18
Entering Text Within A Menu Option .........................................................................................18
A Short User’s Guide to Assist the First-Time Scanner Enthusiast and Glossary ...............19
Understanding Scanning and the UBCD996T ..........................................................................21
Understanding the Scanner’s Memory .......................................................................................21
Understanding Quick Keys .........................................................................................................21
What is Scanning? ......................................................................................................................22
What is Searching? ....................................................................................................................22
What is CTCSS/DCS? ................................................................................................................22
Conventional Scanning ...............................................................................................................23
Simplex Operation ......................................................................................................................23
Repeater Operation ....................................................................................................................24
What is Trunk Tracking? .............................................................................................................24
Trunked Scanning ......................................................................................................................25
Types of Trunking Systems ........................................................................................................25
Motorola Trunking .....................................................................................................................25
EDACS Trunking ......................................................................................................................26
LTR Trunking ............................................................................................................................27
Startup Configuration ..................................................................................................................28
Setup/Operation .......................................................................................................................28
Multi-Site Trunking ......................................................................................................................28
I-Call (Motorola/EDACS) ............................................................................................................29
Where To Get More Information .................................................................................................29
Information On The Internet .....................................................................................................29
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Included With Your Scanner ......................................................................................................30
Setting Up Your Scanner ............................................................................................................31
Base Station ...............................................................................................................................31
Setting Up an Audio Recording Device or Computer Recording ................................................33
Vehicle Installation ......................................................................................................................33
Mounting Using the Bracket .....................................................................................................33
Mounting Using the DIN-E Sleeve ............................................................................................34
Removing the Scanner from the DIN-E Sleeve ........................................................................36
Mounting Using ISO Technique ................................................................................................36
Removing the Display Sticker ...................................................................................................37
Connecting an Optional Antenna ................................................................................................37
Connecting an Earphone/Headphone ........................................................................................37
Connecting an Extension Speaker .............................................................................................38
Controls, Keys, and Functions ..................................................................................................39
A Look At The Display ................................................................................................................44
Operation .....................................................................................................................................45
Turning On the Scanner and Setting the Squelch ......................................................................45
Startup Key Operation ................................................................................................................45
Conventional ............................................................................................................................45
Trunked ....................................................................................................................................45
Search Range ..........................................................................................................................45
Scanning Systems ......................................................................................................................46
Selecting Systems to Scan .........................................................................................................47
Selecting System Channel Groups .............................................................................................47
Locking/Unlocking Systems ........................................................................................................48
Locking/Unlocking Channels ......................................................................................................48
ID Scan/ID Search Mode ............................................................................................................48
Holding On a System ..................................................................................................................49
Holding On a Channel ................................................................................................................49
Quickly Storing an ID During ID Search .....................................................................................49
Quick-Storing Channels or Talk Group ID’s (TGID) ....................................................................49
Trunking Activity Indicators .........................................................................................................50
Toggling the Display Mode .........................................................................................................51
Optimizing P25 Performance .....................................................................................................52
Conventional System ...............................................................................................................52
Trunked System .......................................................................................................................52
Using the Menu ...........................................................................................................................54
Programming General Settings .................................................................................................55
Setting and Using the Backlight ..................................................................................................55
Setting the Dimmer ...................................................................................................................55
Setting the Backlight Color .......................................................................................................56
Adjusting the Key Beep ..............................................................................................................56
Setting the Audio AGC ................................................................................................................56
Setting the Display Orientation ...................................................................................................57
Adjusting the Display Contrast ...................................................................................................57
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Setting the GPS Format .............................................................................................................57
Setting the Position Format ......................................................................................................57
Setting the Time Format ...........................................................................................................58
Setting the Time Zone ..............................................................................................................58
Setting the Distance Units ........................................................................................................58
Setting the Serial Port Speed .....................................................................................................58
Displaying Scanner Information ..................................................................................................59
Viewing Memory Used .............................................................................................................59
Viewing the Firmware Version and Electronic Serial Number ..................................................59
Initializing the Scanner’s Memory ...............................................................................................59
Connecting Your Scanner to a Personal Computer ....................................................................60
Volume/Squelch with PC Control .............................................................................................60
Wired Cloning .............................................................................................................................60
Programming Your Scanner ......................................................................................................62
System Settings .......................................................................................................................63
System Options ........................................................................................................................63
Site Settings .............................................................................................................................65
Channel Settings ......................................................................................................................66
Programming Conventional Systems .........................................................................................66
Programming Trunked Radio Systems .......................................................................................67
Programming System Settings ...................................................................................................67
Editing the System Name .........................................................................................................67
Specifying the Correct System Type ........................................................................................68
Programming System Options .................................................................................................68
Programming Sites .....................................................................................................................76
Programming Channel Groups ...................................................................................................83
Setting Up a Channel Group ....................................................................................................83
Editing a Channel Group Name ...............................................................................................83
Setting the Group Quick Key ....................................................................................................84
Editing Channels ......................................................................................................................84
Locking Out Channel Groups ...................................................................................................84
Deleting Channel Groups .........................................................................................................85
Programming Channels ..............................................................................................................85
Creating a Channel ..................................................................................................................85
Editing the Channel Name (Alpha Tag) ....................................................................................85
Editing Frequencies ..................................................................................................................86
Editing the Talk Group ID .........................................................................................................86
Setting the Audio Type .............................................................................................................87
Selecting CTCSS/DCS Tones ..................................................................................................87
Quick CTCSS/DCS Save .........................................................................................................88
Setting Channel Modulation Method ........................................................................................88
Setting Channel Attenuation .....................................................................................................89
Setting Channel Priority ............................................................................................................89
Setting Channel Alert ................................................................................................................90
Set Record ..................................................................................................................................90
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Searching and Storing ................................................................................................................92
Service Search ...........................................................................................................................92
Quick Search ..............................................................................................................................93
Custom Search ...........................................................................................................................93
Editing a Custom Search Range ................................................................................................94
Search With Scan .......................................................................................................................95
Set Delay Time ...........................................................................................................................96
Set Attenuator .............................................................................................................................97
Set Record ..................................................................................................................................97
Assigning a Search Range to a Search Key ..............................................................................97
Saving a Found Channel (Quick Save) ......................................................................................97
Auto Search and Store ...............................................................................................................98
Selecting a System ...................................................................................................................98
Conventional Search and Store ................................................................................................98
Trunked Search and Store .......................................................................................................99
Using the Close Call Feature ...................................................................................................100
Setting Close Call Options ........................................................................................................100
Close Call Hits ..........................................................................................................................102
Close Call Hits with Scan .........................................................................................................102
Search and Close Call Options ................................................................................................104
Managing Locked-Out Frequencies .......................................................................................104
Unlocking All Frequencies ......................................................................................................105
Reviewing Locked-Out Frequencies ......................................................................................105
Searching for Subaudible Tones ............................................................................................105
Screening Out Broadcast Sources .........................................................................................105
Finding Repeater Output Frequencies ...................................................................................106
Setting the Maximum Auto Store Value ..................................................................................107
Setting the Modulation Type ..................................................................................................107
Setting Attenuation .................................................................................................................108
Setting Data Skip ....................................................................................................................108
Setting the Delay Time ...........................................................................................................109
Setting the Search Frequency Step ........................................................................................109
Setting Record ........................................................................................................................109
Adjust P25 Level ....................................................................................................................109
Priority Scan .............................................................................................................................110
Fire Tone-Out .............................................................................................................................114
Setting Tone-Out Standby .........................................................................................................11 4
Setting Up Tone-Out .................................................................................................................114
Tone-Out Multi-Channel Monitoring ..........................................................................................116
Location-Based (GPS) Scanning .............................................................................................117
GPS Compatibility .....................................................................................................................117
Connecting Your Scanner to a GPS Device .............................................................................117
Initial GPS Operation ................................................................................................................117
Non-Radio Location Based GPS Features ..............................................................................119
Setting the Options ...................................................................................................................120
Deleting a Location ...................................................................................................................121
For POI Only ..........................................................................................................................121
GPS Display Mode ...................................................................................................................122
GPS Review Location Mode .....................................................................................................123
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Care and Maintenance ..............................................................................................................125
General Use .............................................................................................................................125
Location ....................................................................................................................................125
Cleaning ...................................................................................................................................125
Birdies .......................................................................................................................................125
Troubleshooting ........................................................................................................................126
Specifications ............................................................................................................................129
Reference ...................................................................................................................................132
Preset Fleet Maps ...................................................................................................................132
User Defined Fleet Maps ..........................................................................................................134
Type I Programming Information ...........................................................................................134
Size Code Restrictions ..........................................................................................................135
Preprogrammed Systems with Quick Keys ............................................................................137
CTCSS Frequencies .................................................................................................................138
DCS Codes ...............................................................................................................................138
Index ...........................................................................................................................................140
One-Year Limited Warranty ......................................................................................................144
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Introduction
Your UBCD996T scanner is a state-of-the-art scanner radio with Trunk Tracker IV™
and automatic scanning capabilities. You can store in the dynamic memory
conventional frequencies such as police, fire/emergency, marine, air, amateur, and
other communications. You can store and scan services that use Trunked Radio
Systems and so much more. You can use the scanner’s Scroll Control to quickly
select channels and frequencies, and you can automatically program channels in a
system using the Auto Store feature. Use your scanner to monitor:
!
Analog and digital trunked public safety systems (unencrypted only)
!
Police and fire departments (including rescue and paramedics)
!
Business/Industrial radio and utilities
!
Marine and amateur (ham radio) bands
!
Air band
!
Railroad
!
UHF CB Radio
!
CB Radio
Your scanner can monitor the following bands
87.9875
FMB
136.9875
224.9000
12.5
The scanner’s frequency coverage is not continuous.
Note:
11
Feature Highlights
General
Close Call™ RF Capture Technology
tune to nearby radio transmissions. See “ Using the Close Call Feature” on Page100
for more information.
— Lets the scanner detect and automatically
Close Call Do-Not-Disturb
checks whenever the scanner is not receiving audio in another mode. This
eliminates the annoying breaks in conversation while still allowing for Close Call
functionality.
Close Call Temporary Store
includes them when scanning.
Dynamically Allocated Channel Memory
organized so that it more closely matches how radio systems actually work, making
it easier to program and use your scanner and determine how much memory you
have used and how much you have left.
Preprogrammed Systems
local systems (for Australian and NZ Emergency Services for example) as a
complementary start.
100 Quick Keys
groups by using the keypad. This makes it easy to listen to or quickly lock out those
systems or groups you don’t want to scan.
9 Service Searches
Air, CB Radio, UHF CB Radio, Racing, TV Broadcast, and FM Broadcast searches,
to make it easy to search and scan for specific transmissions.
“Soft” Search Keys
— You can set the scanner so you can quickly select systems and
- frequencies are preset in separate Police, Marine, Railroad,
— Lets you quickly search specified ranges.
— When set, the scanner makes periodic Close Call
— Temporarily saves the last 10 Close Call hits and
— Your scanner’s 6,000 channels are
— Your UBCD996T may come pre-programmed with
Channel Lockout
while scanning. If you lock out a system or group, any channels belonging to that
system or group are also locked out.
Frequency Lockout
locked out + 250 temporarily locked out). The scanner skips locked-out frequencies
while using the Close Call™ feature or while searching.
CTCSS and DCS Squelch Modes
the tone code you select.
Analog and Digital Audio AGC
between different radio systems.
— You can lock out any system, group, frequency, or channel
— You can lock out up to 500 frequencies (250 permanently
— Prevent interference from stations not using
— Helps automatically balance the volume level
12
Fire Tone-Out Standby
— Lets you set the scanner to alert you if a two-tone
sequential page is transmitted. You can set up to 10 settings (transmit frequency,
tone frequencies) then select one for standby monitoring. Up to ten tone-outs on the
same RF setting can be scanned at one time.
Broadcast Screen
— Sets the scanner to ignore Close Call™ or search hits on
known broadcast frequencies including common pager frequencies.
Custom Screen
— Lets you input up to 10 frequency ranges that the scanner will
ignore during Close Call™ or search operation.
Scan/Search Delay
— The scanner pauses at the end of a transmission to wait for
a reply. You can set the delay time for each system you scan, and while searching
and using the Close Call™ feature.
Attenuator
Repeater Reverse
— Reduces the input strength of strong signals by about 20 dB.
— Automatically switches to the input frequency on a
conventional repeater system.
Channel Alert
— Alerts you when there is activity on any channel you specify using
your choice of nine unique alert tones.
Memory Check
Search with Scan Operation
— Lets you see at a glance how much total memory is left.
— Lets you include selected service searches or
custom search ranges during normal scan operation.
Custom Alerts
— For each alert in the scanner (such as channel alert, Close Call
alert, emergency alert), you can select from 9 different tone patterns and also set the
alert volume level independently from the main volume level.
Automatic Channel Step
— Accepts frequencies on any valid channel step, even if
it does not fall within the band plan’s default step.
Frequency Step
— Lets you select a frequency step (5, 6.25, 7.5, 8.33, 10, 12.5,15,
20, 25, 50 or 100 kHz) for manual mode and search mode.
Text Tagging
— You can name each system, group, channel, talk group ID, custom
search range, and custom search range, using up to 16 characters per name.
Data Skip
— Allows your scanner to skip unwanted data transmissions and reduces
the affect of birdies.
Duplicate Frequency Alert
— Alerts you if you try to enter a duplicate name or
frequency already stored in a system.
13
Memory Backup
frequencies you programmed in its memory.
— If power is lost or disconnected, the scanner retains the
Temporary Lockout
frequency. The lockout is cleared when you turn power off, then back on so you
don’t have to remember to unlock the channels later.
Startup Configuration
scanner.
Single-Handed Function Control Operation
Control to enable the Function mode. It reverts to normal mode in about 3 seconds
from your last press if no other action occurs.
Record Out Jack
signal control, you can record live audio of designated channels.
Display and Keypad Backlight
dim light using two color options and six light levels plus off.
Vehicle Power Connection (Orange Wire)
dimmer circuit to also dim the scanner’s display with the vehicle’s dimmer control.
Trunk Tracker IV™ Operation
Motorola, Motorola Astro 25 (APCO 25), EDACS, EDACS SCAT, and LTR trunked
radio systems, including systems in VHF, UHF, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, and 900 MHz
bands. The scanner can scan both conventional and trunked systems at the same
time.
— Makes it easy to temporarily lock out a system, channel, or
— Lets you easily manage multiple configurations for your
— You can tap the Function/Scroll
— Using the appropriate cable and audio recording device with
— Makes the display and keypad easy to see in
— Lets you connect to your vehicle’s
— Follows unencrypted conversations on analog
Multi-Site Trunking
more efficiently use the scanner’s memory and more easily select sites to monitor.
Control Channel Only Scanning
system, you can set it so it scans using only control channel data. You do not have
to program voice channel frequencies into memory in this mode as long as all
possible control channels are programmed.
Adaptive Digital Threshold
APCO 25 systems.
— Lets you share system channels across multiple sites to
— If the scanner is set to scan a Motorola
— Automatically sets the digital decode threshold for
GPS
Location Based Scanning
automatically enable and disable systems based on the Location Information
(longitude, latitude, Range) that you provide.
GPS Non-Radio Based Features
Intersections, Speed Alerts, and Points of Interest that you program into the scanner.
GPS Display Mode
— Lets you display extended GPS information such as
— If you connect a GPS unit to the scanner it can
— The scanner alerts you to Dangerous
14
Distance to a POI, Direction to a POI, Time to a POI, Speed, Position, and more.
Search
Service Search
preprogrammed frequencies.
— Lets you quickly select and search the scanner’s
Custom Search
search any of these ranges simultaneously.
CTCSS/DCS Search
on any channel or during a search. The scanner can identify up to 50 CTCSS tones
and 104 DCS codes.
Quick Search
searching a conventional system.
— Lets you program up to 10 custom search ranges. You can
— Lets the scanner search for CTCSS or DCS tones or codes
— Lets you search from the currently-tuned frequency if you are
Auto Store
Frequency AutoStore
selected conventional system.
Talk Group ID AutoStore
channel group you select.
— Automatically stores all active frequencies into the
— Automatically stores all new talk group ID’s into a
Priority
Priority Scan
important conventional channel(s) while monitoring transmissions on other channels.
Priority Plus
— Priority channels let you keep track of activity on your most
— You can set the scanner so it scans only the priority channels.
PC Control and Cloning
PC Control
your personal computer, and control the scanner using a computer. This helps you
find frequencies listed on the Internet and load them into the scanner. Free PC
control and programming software will be available at the UBCD996T web page at
www.uniden.com.au (for Australia) or www.uniden.co.nz (for New Zealand).
Clone Mode
scanner’s memory, menu settings, and other parameters from one UBCD996T
scanner to another UBCD996T scanner.
— You can transfer programming data to and from your scanner and
— You can clone all programmed data, including the contents of the
15
Memory Storage Limits
* depending on the number of TGID in the system.
16
Search Lockout Limits
About This Manual
The screen displays used in this manual are representations of what might appear
when you use your scanner. Since what you see depends on the frequencies and
user IDs for your area and the settings you select, you might notice some
differences between what is in this manual and what appears on your scanner.
To get the most from this manual, review the contents to become familiar with the
basic functions available.
Using the Scroll Control
The Scroll Control, a dual purpose control, also lets you switch to secondary function
operations. When used in this manner, you see in this manual. Located
prominently on the right of the UBCD996T’s front panel, the knob/switch lets you
easily control channel selection, plus Normal and Function Modes, as well as how
most of the information appears on the display.
To adjust menu settings, change channels in Hold mode, and resume
scanning: Scroll Control
Simply turn the .
To use tap the . This action is written in shorthand as
which is fully explained in the next section. When you tap the control appears
and remains in the upper left corner of the display for 3 seconds. During this time,
press any button to access the button’s second function. Or, press and hold the
Scroll Control for 2 seconds. The scanner beeps, and the function is “latched”
so that is does not return to normal mode until you tap the Scroll Control again.
flashes at approximately 1 second intervals.
If you select while scanning, the UBCD996T continues to scan, but holds on
the current system until the function operation is cancelled.
Scroll Control
17
How the Scanner’s Controls Are Represented in This
Manual
To help navigate the scanner’s menus, the steps shown in this manual show the
displays you see and the keys you press or control you operate to get a desired
result. We use a form of shorthand symbols to save space.
The following example shows you how to use the scanner’s menu to edit an existing
system name. It shows you the key to press in brackets to select a menu
option and the option you see on the LCD in Boldface Courier type (
System
Scroll Control
Scroll Control
Name
) when you press . It also instructs you to turn the
.
(shown as ) to view a series of choices then or the
(the shorthand action shown as to a choice such as
[MENU]
enter
[MENU]
Program
press tap
Edit
[MENU]
Select the system
Edit Name
Program System
Then, edit the system name.
Entering Text Within A Menu Option
To enter a letter, turn the Scroll Control ( ) until the letter, numeral or other
character you want appears. To move the cursor to the left, press . To move the
cursor to the right, press .
To clear a character, press [.No] [.No]
times.
To accept an entry, press or tap the or press .
To cancel an entry, press .
6/>
twice. To clear all characters, press three
Scroll Control [E ]
[MENU]
</4
YES
18
A Short User’s Guide to Assist the First-Time
Scanner Enthusiast and Glossary
Welcome to the family of Uniden scanner users. You have just unpacked your
Uniden UBCD996T scanner. You are anxious to scan and hear something so you
rotate the control and wait a moment as the opening Message and
Copyright screens confirm the model information.
Then, if you live in a residential area, you probably hear nothing or very little. Why?
The reason is simple. The programmable UBCD996T does not instinctively know
where you are and what you wish to listen to.
Take a few minutes to assist in the ‘educating your scanner’ process so you can
enjoy listening for the first time and feel good about your purchase.
Before proceeding, first follow the steps on Page 45 to set the volume and the
squelch levels. Once set correctly, these settings let you listen at a comfortable level
and let the scanner provide a signal whose strength is sufficient to be heard clearly.
Always be sure to connect the provided antenna.
Uniden has made it easy for you to start scanning. We have preprogrammed the
UBCD996T with local systems (for Australia and New Zealand Emergency
Services). Simply press [SCAN] to start scanning.
Finally, you may decide to program the scanner yourself. To correctly program the
UBCD996T scanner begin on Page 62. The two programming steps are
[VOL/POWER]
1. Plan the system
2. Program the system based on the plan.
To provide you with useful sized worksheets and instructions to complete them, we
have established links at our company website.
Visit, to see a list of helpful forms. But first, visit
http://www.uniden.com/scanners
http://www.radioreference.com
want to scan. If you register and pay a small fee, you can download a ready-to-use
formatted PDF complete with the data from your selected system.
Otherwise, you can print the blank worksheet on our web page as you would any
other web based page.
The programming data of a large metropolitan area may consist of many pages
depending on how extensive the area’s Public Service System Talkgroups are. Don’t
and locate the system nearest your location that you
19
be overwhelmed. Begin by choosing the Talkgroups of interest to you. Begin by
transferring the data from the Radio Reference website to the worksheets you obtain
from the Uniden website and from there, to the scanner.
You can visit one of the Radio Reference forums and potentially learn of someone in
your immediate area who has programmed the same model scanner in your area.
Then, by using the Clone feature or by exchanging files that you each have
transferred to a computer using the Uniden Advanced Scanner Director (UASD)
software you can install the programmed data into your scanner. Once you have
either programmed or selected the option that lets you start experiencing scanning,
spend the next few minutes learning the basics of trunk tracking for an even more
complete listening appreciation.
20
Understanding Scanning and the UBCD996T
This section provides you with additional background on how scanning works and
how your scanner provides that feature. You don’t really need to know all of this to
use your scanner, but some further background knowledge will help you get the
most from your UBCD996T.
Understanding the Scanner’s Memory
Your scanner’s memory is organized in an architecture called
Channel
than the bank/channel architecture used by traditional scanners. Dynamic Allocated
design matches how radio systems actually work much more closely, making it
easier to program and use your scanner and determine how much memory you
have used and how much you have left.
Instead of being organized into separate banks and channels, your scanner’s
memory is contained in a . You simply use as much memory as you need in the
pool to store as many frequencies, and talk group ID’s as desired. No memory space
is wasted, and you can tell at a glance how much memory you have used and how
much remains.
With a traditional scanner, when you program it to track a trunked system, you must
first program the frequencies. Since you can only program one trunking system per
bank in a traditional scanner, if there were (for example) 30 frequencies, the
remaining channels in the bank are not used and therefore wasted. Also, since some
trunked systems might have hundreds of talk groups, you would have had to enter
those types of systems into multiple banks in order to monitor and track all the ID’s.
memory. This type of memory is organized differently and more efficiently
pool
Dynamic Allocated
Understanding Quick Keys
Traditional “Banked” scanners let you select and deselect banks by pressing a single
digit on the keypad. The UBCD996T uses a similar method to turn on and off
scanning sites and systems. When you program a system or site, you assign a quick
key (System/Site Quick Key, or SQK) from 0 to 99. You can use the same quick key
for multiple systems, so that the systems are turned on and off together. To turn a
system/site on or off, just press the digit corresponding to the assigned SQK. For
two-digit SQK’s, first press , then enter the two-digit SQK.
The UBCD996T lets you assign another quick key to a group of channels within a
system. This group quick key (GQK) can be from 0-9. To turn on and off channel
groups, you press while the scanner is scanning the system containing the
channels, then press the GQK within 2 seconds. Systems can have up to 20
channel groups, and multiple channel groups can be assigned to the same GQK.
[.No]
21
What is Scanning?
Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most two-way communications do not
transmit continuously. Your UBCD996T scans programmed channels until it finds an
active frequency, then stops on that frequency and remains on that channel as long
as the transmission continues. When the transmission ends, the scanning cycle
resumes until the scanner receives another transmission.
What is Searching?
The UBCD996T can search each of its 9 service search ranges and up to 10 custom
search ranges to find active frequencies. This is different from scanning because
you are searching for frequencies that have not been programmed 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. When
the scanner finds an active frequency, it stops on that frequency as long as the
transmission lasts. If you think the frequency is interesting, you can program it into
the scanner’s memory. If not, you can continue to search.
What is CTCSS/DCS?
Your scanner can monitor systems using a Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System
(CTCSS) and Digital Coded Squelch (DCS) system, which allow squelch to open
only when the tone you have programmed with a specific frequency is received
along with a transmission.
CTCSS and DCS are sub-audible tone signaling systems sometimes referred to as
PL or DPL (Motorola’s trademarked terms for Private Line and Digital Private Line
respectively). CTCSS and DCS are used only for FM signals and are usually
associated with both amateur and commercial two-way frequencies. These systems
make use of a special sub-audible tone that accompanies a transmitted signal.
CTCSS and DCS are used for many purposes. In many cases, CTCSS and DCS
are used to restrict access to a commercial repeater, so that only those units which
transmit the correct tone along with their signal can “talk” to the repeater.
CTCSS and DCS are also used in areas that receive interference where there are
several stations with output frequencies close to each other. When this occurs, you
might hear multiple communications on the same frequency. The stations might
even interfere with each other to the point where it is impossible to clearly receive
any of the stations. A scanner, such as your UBCD996T, equipped with CTCSS and
DCS, can code each received frequency with a specific sub-audible CTCSS or DCS
frequency or code. Then, when you receive multiple signals, you only hear the
transmission with the CTCSS or DCS tone you programmed. If you do not receive
the correct tone with a signal, the scanner’s squelch remains closed and you hear
nothing.
The tables showing the available CTCSS frequencies and DCS codes are found in
the Reference Section on Page 138 of this manual.
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Conventional Scanning
Conventional scanning is a relatively simple concept. Each group of users in a
conventional system is assigned a single frequency (for simplex systems) or two
frequencies (for repeater systems). Any time one of them transmits, their
transmission always goes out on the same frequency. Up until the late 1980s, this
was the primary way that radio systems operated.
Even today, there are many 2-way radio users who operate using a conventional
system:
!
Aircraft
!
Amateur radio
!
UHF/PRS
!
Broadcast AM/FM/TV stations
Many business radio users
!
When you want to store a conventional system, all you need to know is the
frequencies they operate on. When you are scanning a conventional system, the
scanner stops very briefly on each channel to see if there is activity. If there isn’t, the
scanner quickly moves to the next channel. If there is, then the scanner pauses on
the transmission until it is over.
Simplex Operation
Simplex systems use a single frequency for both transmit and receive. Most radios
using this type of operation are limited to line-of-sight operation. This type of radio is
frequently used at construction job sites, and with inexpensive consumer radios
such as UHF/PRS radios. The range is typically 1-12 kms, depending upon the
terrain and many other factors.
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Repeater Operation
Repeater systems use two frequencies: one transmits from the radio to a central
repeater; the other transmits from the repeater to other radios in the system. With a
repeater-based system, the repeater is located on top of a tall building or on a radio
tower that provides great visibility to the area of operation. When a user transmits
(on an input frequency), the signal is picked up by the repeater and retransmitted
(on an output frequency). The user’s radios always listen for activity on the output
frequency and transmit on the input frequency. Since the repeater is located very
high, there is a very large line of sight.
Typical repeater systems provide coverage out to about a 40kms radius from the
repeater location.
What is Trunk Tracking?
Your UBCD996T is designed to track the following types of trunking systems.
!
Motorola Astro 25 (APCO 25) trunking systems.
!
Motorola Type I, Type II, Type IIi hybrid, SMARTNET, and PRIVACYPLUS analog
trunking systems, which are extensively used in 800 MHz communication
systems.
!
LTR trunking systems
!
EDACS SCAT trunking systems
!
EDACS trunking systems
When tracking these types of systems, you might want to remember that your
scanner can track more than one trunking system at a time and scan conventional
and trunked systems at the same time.
Conventional scanning is a simple concept. You enter a frequency used by someone
you want to monitor into your scanner’s memory. For example, the police in your
area might transmit on 460.500 MHz, the fire department on 154.445 MHz, the
highway department on 37.900 MHz, etc. So when your scanner stops on a
frequency, you usually know who it is, and more importantly, you can stop on a
channel and listen to an entire conversation. This type of scanning is easy and fun.
However, as the demand for public communications has increased, many public
radio users do not have enough frequencies to meet their needs, creating a serious
problem. Trunking radio systems help solve this problem.
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Trunked Scanning
While conventional scanning worked great while there were only a few groups
wanting to use the frequencies, with the advent of smaller, lower-cost radios more
and more agencies and businesses wanted to take advantage of the utility of 2-way
radio. As a result, the bands that were used most became full, so new users were
not able to take advantage of the technology as quickly as they wanted.
Trunking solved this frequency shortage by allowing multiple groups to use the same
set of frequencies in a very efficient way. While each type of trunking system
operates a little differently (see the next few sections), they all work on the same
basic premise: even in a system with a lot of users, only a few users are ever
transmitting at any one time.
Instead of being assigned a frequency, as with conventional systems, each group is
assigned a talk group ID. A central computer controls the frequency each group
operates on. This frequency selection is made each time a user transmits. So, while
on a conventional system queries, replies, and follow-ups are all on a single
frequency, they could each be on completely different frequencies on a trunked
system. This semi-random frequency assignment made monitoring such a system
impossible prior to Uniden’s invention of the TrunkTracker scanner.
Not only does your UBCD996T scan channels like a conventional scanner, it actually
follows the users of a trunked radio system. Once you know and program a talk
group’s ID (TGID), you won’t miss any of the action.
If you are a new scanner enthusiast, you might want to read the first part of this
manual and use your scanner in conventional mode before you begin trunk tracking.
Understanding scanning fundamentals and terminology will make trunk tracking
much easier. If you are already an experienced scanner operator, you can review
the programming worksheets and their associated pages in the Reference Section
of this manual.
Types of Trunking Systems
Trunking systems divide a few frequencies among many different users, but the way
that each system does this is slightly different. This section describes some of the
technical data behind Motorola, EDACS, and LTR trunked radio systems.
Motorola Trunking
While there are different types of Motorola trunking systems, they all use the same
basic trunking method. The system consists of one control channel (or as many as 4
per system but only one is active at any one time), plus one or more voice channels
(typically 10, 20, or 28 total channels). When a user presses Push To Talk (PTT) to
transmit, their radio first sends the person’s talk group information to the control
channel. The computer then assigns that talk group to a specific voice channel and
transmits that data over the control channel. All radios in that talk group switch over
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to the assigned voice channel and the user can begin speaking. This all typically
takes place in about a second...the person transmitting hears a beep from their radio
when the channel is assigned. Then it is OK to start talking.
The systems in use are:
Motorola Type I — the radios send the radio ID, the fleet and subfleet talk group ID
to the control channel each time they transmit. To program a Type I system, you
need to know the system’s . The most common fleet maps are included in
fleet map
the Reference section in this manual. You can also find fleet map resources on the
web such as at .
http://www.radioreference.com
Motorola Type II
— the radios only send the radio ID and radio channel code to the
control channel. The central computer keeps a database of radio ID’s and which talk
group is assigned to which channel code for each radio, so with this system the
user’s radio sends only about / the data as a Type I system with each transmission.
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Type II systems do not use Fleet-subfleet talk groups; instead they use a 5-digit ID
for each talk group.
Type IIi Hybrid
— these systems support a mix of both Type I and Type II users.
Like Type I systems, you must know the system’s fleet map to ensure proper
tracking.
Motorola ASTRO 25 (APCO 25)
— these radios are similar to Type II systems, but
send only the radio ID and radio channel code to the control channel, transmitting
voice in digital form.
EDACS Trunking
EDACS trunking works in much the same way as Motorola trunking with a couple of
major differences. In an EDACS system, each frequency used by the system is
assigned a Logical Channel Number (LCN) so that less data needs to be transmitted
by the control channel. Talk groups are assigned in an Agency-Fleet-Subfleet (AFS)
hierarchy.There is one variation of EDACS called SCAT that your UBCD996T can
monitor.
Logical Channel Numbers — each frequency used by the system is assigned an
LCN. This information is programmed into each user radio. When a user presses
PTT, their radio sends their AFS information to the control channel. The computer
then assigns that talk group to a channel and sends the LCN so that all other radios
in that talk group will switch to the correct channel. To program an EDACS system in
your scanner, you will need to know both the frequencies used by the system and
the LCN for each frequency.
Agency-Fleet-Subfleet
— talk group ID’s for EDACS systems are assigned in a
way that makes it easy to see at a glance the affiliation of the user. Each radio is
assigned a 2-digit agency identifier from 00 — 15. For example, 01 might be used by
the police, 02 by the ambulance service, 03 by the fire department, and so on. Each
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agency is then subdivided up to 16 times to provide fleet identification, and then 8
more times to identify subfleets.
For example, the complete AFS for the Police Department West District’s dispatch
channel might be 01-062. 01 identifies the agency as the police department, 06
identifies the fleet as the West district, and 2 identifies the subfleet as the dispatch
channel. While these assignments are somewhat arbitrary and vary from system to
system, there are many resources on the web for finding the assignments for most
systems. Because of the logical hierarchy of the AFS system, your UBCD996T lets
you assign wildcard ID’s that let you, for example, use only one ID memory to
identify all units in either an agency or a fleet.
EDACS SCAT
single channel and alternate control data with analog voice traffic. While your
UBCD996T cannot track ID’s in this system, it can eliminate the control data so that
all you hear is the voice transmissions when you monitor this type of system.
— (Single Channel Autonomous Trunking) systems operate on a
LTR Trunking
LTR (Logic Trunked Radio) systems are trunking systems used primarily by
business or private communications service providers, such as taxicabs, delivery
trucks, and repair services. These systems encode all control information as digital
sub audible data that accompanies each transmission, so there is no separate
control channel. Users on an LTR system are assigned to specific talk groups, which
are identified by the radio as six digit numbers.
These numbers are in the form AHHUUU, where:
A = Area code (0 or 1)
H = Home repeater (01 through 20)
U = User ID (000 through 254)
When the scanner receives a transmission on a channel set to the LTR mode, it first
decodes the LTR data included with the transmission. In the ID search mode, the
scanner stops on the transmission and displays the talk group ID on the display. In
the ID scan mode, the scanner only stops on the transmission if the LTR data
matches a talk group ID that you have stored in the talk group ID list and have not
locked out. LTR systems are frequently programmed so that each radio has a
unique user ID.
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Startup Configuration
Setup/Operation
The Startup Configuration option lets you quickly and automatically lock and unlock
systems based on your desired configuration. Simply hold down a number button
while powering on the scanner or while the opening screens are displayed. Systems
assigned to that number are automatically unlocked and systems assigned to other
numbers are automatically locked. Systems that are not assigned to any startup
configuration are left unchanged.
You could use this feature to give you quick, single-press Quick Key access to your
favorite systems even when you travel to other locations. For example, if you
program your scanner as follows:
When you are in the Fort Worth area, press while turning on the scanner. System
Quick Keys , , and then allow you to select between the local systems.
When you travel to the Phoenix area, hold while turning on the scanner. Now, the
Fort Worth systems are locked out and System Quick Keys , , and allow
selection between the Phoenix-area systems.
[1] [2] [3]
[1]
[2]
[1] [2] [3]
Multi-Site Trunking
Some systems covering a very large geographic area use multiple antenna sites that
each operate on different frequencies, but that use the same Talk Group ID’s for
traffic. When programming such a system, you program each site’s frequencies and
other settings into the system, then program the channels into channel groups within
that system. Each site can have its own quick key, so you can turn each individual
site on or off while you scan. Since all sites share all the channels within the system,
multi-site trunking is much more efficient than programming each site as a separate
system.
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I-Call (Motorola/EDACS)
I-calls are direct unit-to-unit transmissions that are not heard by other system users.
Your UBCD996T can receive I-call transmissions. See “Setting I-Call (Motorola and
EDACS Systems Only)” on Page 72 for more information about monitoring I-call
transmissions.
Where To Get More Information
By itself, this manual only provides part of what you need to know to have fun
scanning — how to program and use the scanner. Other sources provide additional
information.
Information On The Internet
The Internet is the best source for current frequencies and information about
scanning. Many web sites 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 want to listen to, then look up the frequencies and
systems used by those agencies. Here are a few useful sites:
!
http://www.radioreference.com
supported radio system information.
!
For Australia visit www.uniden.com.au, select any scanner product then click on
"Scanner Frequency".
* — the Internet’s premier source for user-
!
For New Zealand visit www.uniden.co.nz, select any scanner product then click
on "Scanner Frequency".
* - This web site is not affiliated with Uniden Australia Pty Ltd or Uniden NZ Ltd.
For more information about Uniden and our products, visit www.uniden.com.au
(Australia) or www.uniden.co.nz (New Zealand).
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Included With Your Scanner
(P/N AAD-996S)
UBCD996T
UBCD996T
Owner'sManual
OWNER'S MANUAL
If any of these items are missing or damaged, immediately contact your place
of purchase.
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