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Uniden BC898T User's Manual

1. FREQ CHA o o SQUELCH VOLUME 1 Programming and Status Keys 2 Display 3 Bank Keys 4 Squelch Volume Controls 5 Rotary Tuner 6 Numeric Keypad 7 Scan Manual Keys 8 Mode Keys 9 Search Keys 10 Line External Speaker Jacks Contents The FGC Wants You TO KNOW is coat iini er eletto Matte EO eai uisa Gee EROR 3 ecanmng Eegally tetto cate hee rot tieu AAA A A dex de dede ph duds 3 a ue e Wee MTM REL TK EE 4 Feature o e alle Lu c rm 5 About This Mari al 2 5 oput hae o A vecta rte o eee edad 6 Understanding Scanning ein 7 Understanding Banks and Channels o occccccinnnnonccccncnnnnnnnnancanncconn nana nnnnrnnn nenas 7 What 1S Scanning a 7 What is Searching rS 7 Ve KR 7 Conventional SCA ne nece dtp dore i ede decus ed ex en tudie ocu headed de Bde ez s de 8 Whatis Tr nk TACO pP EE 9 Tr nked Scannihg rato it Rag hy Ei eter 10 Types or Trunking SySIelTIS EE 11 Where To Obtain More Information eeeeeeeeeeeeseeeenn nennen 13 Using a Computer to Control Your BC898T e 13 Included With Your Scanner irit ais 14 Installing YOU Scanner acies cio Ee 15 For Home Use Desktop Installation ooonnnninnnnnnnccnnnnnnnccconcccnnnnnonnnnnnannnnnnnnnnnnnnns 15 Using An Optional External Speaker Earphone Headphone 16 Using An Opt
2. Missing replies to One or more of the Make sure all the system s conversations system s frequencies frequencies have been continued might not be entered entered If the scanner is set to Make sure the EDACS scan an EDACS system channels are programmed the EDACS channels in LCN order Review might not be in LCN Programming EDACS logical channel number Systems on Page 44 order The system you are trying Set the scanner to scan to scan might be LTR or LTR or EDACS systems EDACS Review Programming EDACS Systems on Page 44 and Programming LTR Systems on Page 45 If you still cannot get satisfactory results while using your scanner or if you want additional information please call or write the Uniden Parts and Service Division The address and phone number are listed in the Warranty at the end of this manual If you would like immediate assistance please call Customer Service at 800 297 1023 If you have Internet access you can visit http www uniden com for additional information Specifications Certified in accordance with FCC Rules and Regulations Part 15 Subpart C as of date of manufacture Channels 500 Banks 10 50 channels each Frequency Range 25 0 27 995 MHz Citizens Band Business Band 28 0 29 995 MHz 10 Meter Amateur Band 30 0 49 995 MHz VHF Low Band 50 0 54 0 MHz 6 Meter Amateur Band 137 0 143 995 MHz Military Land Mobile 144 0 147 995 MHz 2 Meter Amateur Band
3. 148 0 161 995 MHz VHF High Band Above bands in 5 kHz steps 108 0 136 9875 MHz Aircraft Band 162 0 174 0 MHz VHF High Band 216 0 224 9875 MHz VHF High Band 225 0 399 9875 MHz UHF Air Band 400 0 419 9875 MHz Federal Land Mobile 420 0 449 9875 MHz 70 cm Amateur Band 450 0 469 9875 MHz UHF Standard Band 470 0 512 0 MHz UHF TV Band 806 0 823 9875 MHz 800 Band 849 0125 868 9875 MHz 800 Band 894 0125 956 0 MHz 8007 Band Above bands in 12 5 kHz steps Operating Temperature 20 C to 60 C Scan Rate 100 channels per second conventional mode Search Rate 300 steps per second 5 kHz step only Scan Delay 2 seconds Audio Output 2W nominal into 8 ohm internal speaker Power Requirements 12 VDC 500mA AD140U AC adapter Antenna 50 ohms Impedance External Jacks Antenna Jack BNC Type Ext Speaker Jack 3 5mm Line Out Jack 3 5mm DC Power Jack 5 5mm Remote Jack D sub9 Pins Size 101 2 in W x 73 s in D x 31 2 in H Weight 3 8 lbs Features specifications and availability of optional accessories are all subject to change without notice Optional Accessories Contact your local Uniden Dealer or call the Uniden Parts Center at 800 554 3988 8 00AM to 5 00PM EST Monday through Friday for information about ordering these optional accessories Cigarette Lighter Power Cord Earphone oc o c d oc Jo ec gt oc AT ince at Mobile Mounting Bracket with
4. Programming Motorola Gvstems cnn nn nnn o nono nono non nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnns 41 Programming a e Biet RE DEET 44 Programming EDACS SystemS sse nennen 44 Programming CIR Systems 3 da pet utet IN oes nn TANU add eee te a 45 Care and Maintenance 46 General US Bam Ge Petri ip b lt e eee XR RR ER EMO EO LEN ERN ee 46 Reie Le lu uc PL P MEM 46 MI ap ER 46 nij EI TOI TR 46 Birdies ft AS TREE iride A ede A Feed va ne 46 TOQUES Mee TEES 47 Specifications oi 50 le ul Re 52 Piae 53 Preset Fleet Maps inciter einen E e e E petet ul e d eerta a a b relt 53 User Defined Fleet Maps ooooococccocccccococooncoonnoono nono nononnnnnnnnn ener rear ee rnn rrr reni 55 The FCC Wants You to Know This scanner has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a scanning receiver pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation This scanner generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions may cause harmful interference to radio communications However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If this scanner does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception which can be determined by turning the scanner on and off you are encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of th
5. 5 210 7 218 1 225 7 229 1 233 6 241 8 250 3 254 1 DCS Codes Octal 023 025 026 031 032 036 043 047 051 053 054 065 071 072 073 074 114 115 116 122 125 131 132 134 143 145 152 155 156 162 165 172 174 205 212 223 225 226 243 244 245 246 251 252 255 261 263 265 266 271 274 306 311 315 325 331 332 343 346 351 356 364 365 371 411 412 413 423 431 432 445 446 452 454 455 462 464 465 466 503 506 516 523 526 532 546 565 606 612 624 627 631 632 654 662 664 703 712 723 731 732 734 743 754 Conventional Scanning Conventional scanning is a relatively simple concept Each group of users in a conventional system is assigned a single frequency for simplex systems or two frequencies for repeater systems Any time one of them transmits their transmission always goes out on the same frequency Up until the late 1980 s this was the primary way that radio systems operated Even today there are many 2 way radio users who operate using a conventional system Aircraft Amateur radio FRS GMRS users Broadcast AM FM TV stations Many business radio users When you want to store a conventional system all you need to know is the frequencies they operate on When you are scanning a conventional system the scanner stops very briefly on each channel to see if there is activity If there isn t the scanner quickly moves to the next channel If there is then the scanner pauses on the transmission until it is ov
6. If after following the instructions in this Operating Guide you are certain that the Product is defective pack the Product carefully preferably in its original packaging Include evidence of original purchase and a note describing the defect that has caused you to return it The Product should be shipped freight prepaid by traceable means or delivered to warrantor at Uniden America Corporation Parts and Service Division 4700 Amon Carter Boulevard Fort Worth TX 76155 800 297 1023 8 00 a m to 5 00 p m Central Monday through Friday 57 REGISTER ONLINE TODAY THANK YOU FOR BUYING A UNIDEN PRODUCT A World Without Wires Uniden May be covered under one or more of the following U S patents 4 398 304 4 627 100 5 199 109 5 471 660 5 577 076 5 896 422 6 064 270 4 409 688 4 841 302 5 408 692 5 483 684 5 598 430 5 991 346 6 266 521 4 455 679 4 888 815 5 428 826 5 530 296 5 600 223 5 991 603 4 461 036 4 932 074 5 438 688 5 548 832 5 642 424 6 012 158 4 521 915 4 947 456 5 448 256 5 551 071 5 710 992 6 025 758 4 597 104 5 014 348 5 465 402 5 574 995 5 859 875 6 034 573 UBZZ01322ZB 2004 Uniden America Corporation Fort Worth Texas Contains additional foreign articles Custom manvfactured in China
7. channel you want to set as the priority channel Then hold down PRI for about 2 seconds The scanner beeps twice and the new priority assignment is made Programming Trunked Systems Before you start programming your scanner to track a trunked system consider the following You might want to gather all information about the systems you want to monitor before you start to program the scanner The Motorola Trunking Worksheet LTR Trunking Worksheet and EDACS Trunking Worksheet included in the help file included with the demo software download at http www uniden com make this easy You can program only one trunked system per bank For example if you are programming Bank D you can only select channels 151 200 with the rotary tuner or using the HOLD A or LIMIT V keys Note To clear a mistake while entering a frequency press twice then enter the frequency again Setting the Scanner to Trunking Programming Mode You must set the scanner to its trunking programming mode before you can program channels and enter trunking frequencies If you are in conventional scan mode 1 Hold down TRUNK The scanner beeps twice and BANK and TRUNK flash 2 Select the trunking bank you want to program If you are in trunking scan mode 1 Press TRUNK to return to conventional mode if you have been monitoring a trunking bank 2 Hold down TRUNK The scanner beeps twice and BANK and TRUNK flash 3 Select the trunking bank y
8. information you want to program Transferring a Programmed Frequency You can send any frequency to another channel To transfer a frequency select a channel with the frequency you want to assign to a different channel Then press SEND All the bank indicators flash If you have programmed CTCSS or DCS tones they also appear when you press SEND Transferring a Frequency to the First Available Channel In a Bank 1 Select the bank where you want to send the frequency For example press D The display alternates between the frequency you are transferring and the bank s low est available channel N Press E on the keypad to transfer the frequency to the new channel The scanner moves the frequency from the old channel to the new channel 3 To cancel the transfer before it is complete press SEND Transferring a Frequency to a Specific Channel 1 Use the keypad to enter the channel where you want to send the frequency For example press 9 and 4 on the keypad to send the frequency to Channel 94 2 Press HOLD A The display alternates between the frequency you are transferring and the frequency in the new channel 3 Press E to complete the transfer The frequency is now stored in the new channel and the old channel is empty 4 To cancel the transfer before it is complete press SEND 35 Duplicate Frequency Alert If you enter a frequency already stored in another channel the scanner beeps and the other channel ap
9. no cable use 50 70 ohm coaxial cable for lead in A mating plug might be necessary for the optional antennas Use an optional earphone or stereo headset with proper impedance for private listening Read the precautions on the inside front cover of this Owners Manual Do not use the scanner in high moisture environments such as the kitchen or bathroom Avoid placing the scanner in direct sunlight or near heating elements or vents For Home Use Desktop Installation DC 12V Power Jack Remote Jack Antenna Jack Telescoping Antenna Insert the DC plug end of the included AC adapter into the DC 12V jack on the back of the scanner Plug the other end of the AC adapter into a standard 120V AC wall outlet Plug the included telescoping antenna into the ANT connector on the back of the scanner Then extend the antenna to its full height Note For frequencies higher than 406 MHz shortening the antenna might improve the reception Use the scanner s desktop stand for a better viewing and operating angle 15 Adapter Safety Feature The AC adapter included with the scanner might be equipped with a polarized line plug a plug with one blade wider than the other This plug fits into a power outlet only one way If you are unable to insert the adapter s plug into an AC outlet try reversing the plug Using An Optional External Speaker Earphone Headphone GED GE rra sa Fo
10. rotary tuner or HOLD A or LIMIT V to select the ID you want to unlock 3 Press L O The ID is unlocked and the next locked ID appears 4 Press SRC to return to the search mode Restoring All ID s Follow these steps to unlock all locked out ID s at once Hold down L O until you hear two short beeps 2 Hold down L O for about 2 seconds to unlock all the ID s at once Note If you unlock all the ID s Non appears Press SCAN to scan the ID s stored in your scan lists or press SRC to return to the search mode 3 Press SRC to return to the search mode Searching Tips ID Delay Mode Use the DELAY key to select the delay mode if it s not active This mode holds an ID for 2 seconds while you wait for a reply In a trunked system you can set a delay for each bank Other groups might use the system but your scanner will only look for the ID in the display Note If you consistently miss responses while in ID delay mode you might need to change the default system type or change the fleet map you are using ID Hold Mode Press HOLD A to hold on a particular ID in the display This is where the trunk tracking effect is really noticeable You can hold a specific talk group such as fire department on scene operations no matter which frequency the group uses ID Monitor Mode To enter manual mode for a conventional system in a bank selected for a trunked system press MANUAL All active talk group ID s appear in succession Note Loc
11. subaudible tone that accompanies a transmitted signal CTCSS and DCS are used for many purposes In many cases CTCSS and DCS are used to restrict access to a commercial repeater so that only those 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 at the same time The stations might even interfere with each 7 other to the point where it is impossible to clearly receive any of the stations A scanner equipped with CTCSS and DCS like your scanner can code each received frequency with a specific CTCSS or DCS frequency Then when you receive multiple signals you only hear the transmission with the CTCSS or DCS tone you programmed If you do not receive the correct tone with a signal the scanner s squelch remains closed and you hear nothing Local frequency allocation groups set cooperative standards to establish the CTCSS and DCS tone for each transmitter or repeater You can search for the following CTCSS frequencies and DCS codes CTCSS Frequencies Hz 67 0 69 3 71 9 74 4 77 0 79 7 82 5 85 4 88 5 91 5 94 8 97 4 100 0 103 5 107 2 110 9 114 8 118 8 123 0 127 3 131 8 136 5 141 3 146 2 151 4 156 7 159 8 162 2 165 5 167 9 171 3 173 8 177 3 179 9 183 5 186 2 189 9 192 8 196 6 199 5 203 5 206
12. system is simply a Type system with some blocks designated as Type II blocks To program a Hybrid system follow the steps listed in Programming Motorola Systems on Page 41 However if you want a block to be Type II select Size Code S 0 When you begin searching a trunking bank with a hybrid fleet map you will see both types of system ID s That is Type II ID s usually appear as an even number without a dash Type I ID s appear as a three or four digit number followed by a hyphen followed by a one or two digit number Programming EDACS Systems 1 Hold down TRUNK for about 2 seconds The scanner beeps and BANK TRUNK and the bank letters A J blink Press a bank key to select the bank where you want to store the frequencies oN Select EDACS scanning by turning the rotary tuner or repeatedly pressing HOLD A or LIMIT V to select one of the following EDACS scanning choices ED HI Wideband 9600 bps ED LO Narrowband 4800 bps ED SCT SCAT Then press E on the keypad gt A If necessary repeatedly press HOLD or LIMIT V until PRO9 F appears Then press E on the keypad e To enter the trunking frequencies for LCN1 use the keypad to enter the first frequency then press E on the keypad Press to enter the decimal point Note To clear a mistake while entering a frequency press twice then enter the frequency again D For each additional frequency select the next channel by turning the rotary tun
13. Hardware MB001 Uniden Em a Betty Bearcat Freguency Directory SN 74 Local Directories PC Software BC898T SS Available by download 52 Preset Fleet Preset Map 1 Maps Block Size Code Appendix Preset Map 2 Size Code 11 Block Size Code Size Code 11 Size Code 4 Size Code 11 Size Code 4 Size Code 11 Size Code 4 Size Code 11 Size Code 4 Size Code 11 Size Code 4 NGQOHBWNAS Size Code 11 Size Code 4 Size Code 11 NOOB GO AC Size Code 4 Preset Map 3 Size Code 4 Block Size Code Preset Map 4 Size Code 4 Block Size Code Size Code 4 Size Code 12 Size Code 4 Size Code 12 Size Code 4 Size Code 4 Size Code 4 Size Code 4 Size Code 4 Size Code 4 Size Code 12 Size Code 4 zl OO Go Size Code 12 Size Code 4 Preset Map 5 zl OO Go Size Code 4 Block Size Code Preset Map 6 Size Code 4 Block Size Code Size Code 4 Size Code 3 Size Code 12 Size Code 10 Size Code 12 Size Code 4 Size Code 4 Size Code 4 Size Code 4 Size Code 12 Size Code 4 Size Code 12 YN OO Pa GO AC Size Code 4 Size Code 12 Preset Map 7 joo Pa GO AC Size Co
14. III trunk tracking bank If you choose a preset map and still have difficulty following complete conversations then you ll have to program your own fleet map Selecting a Preset Fleet Map 1 If you are still in the programming mode press DATA Otherwise select the trunking programming mode and bank you want to change Then repeatedly press HOLD or LIMIT Y until El appears then press E N Repeatedly press HOLD A or LIMIT V until FLEET appears then press E Repeatedly press HOLD A or LIMIT V to select the fleet map you want For example E1P2 4 Press E then press SRC The scanner exits the trunking programming mode acquires the data channel and begins searching using the preset fleet map you chose Note You will now begin to see Type Fleet Subfleet ID s For example 100 12 100 9 000 12 400 8 etc See User Defined Fleet Maps on Page 55 for more information about Type ID s How do you know if the preset map is correct You ll have to listen to see if you are following complete conversations If not try another preset fleet map Programming a Custom Fleet Map You might want to read User Defined Fleet Maps in the Appendix and use the Motorola Trunking Worksheet included in the help file included with the free demo software download at http www uniden com before programming a custom fleet map User Defined Fleet Maps includes a detailed explanation of scanner fleet map programming as well
15. Uniden BC 898T OWNER S MANUAL Precautions Before you use this scanner please read and observe the following IMPORTANT This scanning radio has been manufactured so that it will not tune to the radio frequencies assigned by the FCC for cellular telephone usage The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 as amended makes it a federal crime to intentionally intercept cellular or cordless telephone transmissions or to market this radio when altered to receive them The installation possession or use of this scanning radio in a motor vehicle may be prohibited regulated or require a permit in certain states cities and or local jurisdictions Your local law enforcement officials should be able to provide you with information regarding the laws in your community Changes or modifications to this product not expressly approved by Uniden or operation of this product in any way other than as detailed by this Operating Guide could void your authority to operate this product EARPHONE WARNING Be sure to use only a monaural earphone with this scanner You can also use an optional 32 O stereo headset Use of an incorrect earphone or stereo headset might be potentially hazardous to your hearing The output of the phone jack is monaural 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 9 Otherwise you might experie
16. and terminology will make trunk tracking much easier If you are already an experienced scanner operator you might want to go to Programming Trunked Systems on Page 42 now Types of Trunking Systems Trunking systems divide a few frequencies among many different users but the way that each system does this is slightly different This section describes some of the technical data behind Motorola EDACS and LTR trunked radio systems Motorola Trunking While there are different types of Motorola trunking systems they all use the same basic trunking method The system consists of one control channel plus one or more voice channels typically 10 20 or 30 total channels When a user presses Push To Talk PTT to transmit their radio first sends their talk group information to the control channel The computer then assigns that talk group to a specific voice channel and transmits that data over the control channel All radios in that talk group switch over to the assigned voice channel and the user can begin speaking This all typically takes place in about a second the person transmitting hears a beep from their radio when the channel is assigned and then it is OK to start talking The systems in use are Motorola Type the radios send the radio ID the fleet and subfleet talk group ID to the control channel each time they transmit To program a Type I system you need to know the system s fleet map The most common fleet maps ar
17. annel To quickly program a series of channels start with the lowest number channel For example when you are programming five new frequencies into Channels 4 through 8 start with Channel 4 After you finish programming a channel press MANUAL or HOLD A to go to the next higher channel Record channels and frequencies in some convenient place in case the scanner s memory is lost Setting the Delay Mode A delay can be set for each programmed channel so that when scan or search stops on a channel there is a brief pause before the scanning cycle resumes Delay must be set for each programmed channel and it can be set when your scanner pauses during a scan or when manual mode is selected Setting Delay in Scan or Search Mode 1 Press SCAN or set a search range then press SRC 2 When your scanner stops on a channel press DELAY DELAY appears Scanning resumes two seconds after the transmission ends Setting Delay in Manual Mode 1 Press MANUAL 2 Usethe keypad or rotary tuner to select a channel 3 Press DELAY DELAY appears The scanner pauses on the channel when a transmis sion is received Recording Transmissions You can set any channel for recording while scanning Then if your scanner stops on a channel you have designated for recording the connected tape recorder begins to record the audio However before you can use this feature you must connect a tape recorder to your scanner For information about attach
18. as a table listing the fleet map size codes If you are still in the programming mode press DATA Otherwise select the trunking programming mode and bank you want to change 2 Repeatedly press HOLD or LIMIT V until El appears 3 Press E 4 Repeatedly press HOLD or LIMIT V until FLEET appears then press E 5 Repeatedly press HOLD or LIMIT V to select USR 6 Press E 7 Enterthe size code for the first block by repeatedly pressing HOLD or LIMIT V until the correct size code appears 8 Press E The next available block appears 9 Repeat Steps 7 and 8 until you have selected a size code for each block For specifics about each size code see Size Code Restrictions on Page 55 10 Press SRC The scanner exits the trunking programming mode acquires the data channel and begins searching using the map you ve programmed 43 Programming Talk Group ID s Enter the talk group ID for each group you entered If you are still in the programming mode press DATA Otherwise hold TRUNK for 2 seconds then select the bank and system type and press E Repeatedly press HOLD A or LIMIT V until PRO9 ID appears Then press E Repeatedly press HOLD or LIMIT Y or rotate the dial to select the talkgroup ID channel you want to program oN 4 Enter an ID To enter the dash used in Type ID s use the key 5 Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for all ID s you want to program Programming a Hybrid System A hybrid
19. canner In a Vehicle Mounting the Scanner 1 Select a location in your vehicle to mount the scanner Avoid a location that could inter fere with your driving In a passenger car the ideal location is underneath the dash board on the passenger side Warning Make sure there are no obstructions such as wires or an air bag behind the mounting location you select Use the shortest mounting screws that will securely hold the mounting bracket on the mounting location you select If you are not sure if the mounting location is safe and free of obstructions check with your vehicle s dealer 2 Use an optional mounting bracket as a template for marking the location for the mount ing screws Note If there are screws already holding the dashboard you can use the same screw holes to mount the bracket 3 Drill the necessary holes and secure the mounting bracket in place using the screws provided with the bracket o o 4 Mount the scanner to the bracket only after the wiring has x been connected to the scanner s rear panel Connecting the Antenna Plug Connect an optional mobile antenna plug into the ANT connector on the back of the scanner For more information on antenna installation please refer to the instruction guide that came with your antenna Connecting the DC Power Cord If you are not experienced in connecting accessories to your vehicle s fuse box please consult you
20. de 12 Block Size Code Preset Map 8 Size Code 10 Block Size Code Size Code 10 Size Code 1 Size Code 11 Size Code 1 Size Code 4 Size Code 2 Size Code 4 Size Code 2 Size Code 4 Size Code 3 Y oo M43o0 N CQ Size Code 4 Size Code 3 Size Code 4 NGQOBWNAS Size Code 4 Size Code 4 Preset Map 9 Block Size Code Preset Map 10 Size Code 4 Block Size Code Size Code 4 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 zl OO Px GO A CH Size Code 0 Size Code 4 Preset Map 11 Y 000 Px GO 30d Size Code 4 Block Size Code Preset Map 12 Size Code 4 Block Size Code Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 NOJAA GO AC Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 NOJAA GO AC Size Code 0 Preset Map 13 Size Code 4 Block Size Code Preset Map 14 Size Code 3 Block Size Code Size Code 3 Size Code 4 Size Code 11 Size Code 3 Size Code 4 Size Code 10 S
21. defect or malfunction covered by this warranty E used in any conjunction with equipment or parts or as part of any system not manufactured by Uniden or F installed or programmed by anyone other than as detailed by the Operating Guide for this product STATEMENT OF REMEDY In the event that the product does not conform to this warranty at any time while this warranty is in effect warrantor will repair the defect and return it to you without charge for parts service or any other cost except shipping and handling incurred by warrantor or its representatives in connection with the performance of this warranty THE LIMITED WARRANTY SET FORTH ABOVE IS THE SOLE AND ENTIRE WARRANTY PERTAINING TO THE PRODUCT AND IS IN LIEU OF AND EXCLUDES ALL OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY NATURE WHATSOEVER WHETHER EXPRESS IMPLIED OR ARISING BY OPERATION OF LAW INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER OR PROVIDE FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT OR PAYMENT OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES Some states do not allow this exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitation or exclusion might not apply to you LEGAL REMEDIES This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you might also have other rights which vary from state to state This warranty is void outside the United States of America PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING PERFORMANCE OF WARRANTY
22. e emergency tone stops transmitting To cancel the siren press WX ALERT disappears Searching for a Weather Broadcast You can use the BC898T to search for your local NOAA weather channel To search for a weather broadcast press WX to find an active weather channel in your area WX appears You might receive more than one weather station in your area When you press WX your scanner finds the first active transmission If a transmission seems weak or distant press WX again to find a clearer station Notes Weather scan does not resume automatically You must press WX again to start the weather scan again In some parts of the country you might not be able to monitor weather transmissions such as in low lying areas Normally a higher location will improve the reception NOAA broadcasts are continuous broadcasts You will only lose reception if you move out of a coverage area If the signal is lost the scanner resumes searching for a weather transmission Programming a FIPS Code SAME Specific Area Message Encoding was adopted late in the last century to replace the wide area alerts previously used Weather alerts today are preceded by a digital packet that identifies not only the type of alert but also the geographic location for the alert Thus it is possible for a weather broadcast that can be received across many counties to be targeted to a single county To specify a county SAME uses a standard established by
23. e following measures Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna e Increase the separation between the scanner and the receiver This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 This device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation Scanning Legally Your scanner covers frequencies used by many different groups including police and fire departments ambulance services government agencies private companies amateur radio services military operations pager services and wireline telephone and telegraph service providers It is legal to listen to almost every transmission your scanner can receive However there are some transmissions that you should never intentionally listen to These include Telephone conversations cellular cordless or other private means of telephone signal transmission Pager transmissions Any scrambled or encrypted transmissions According to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act ECPA you are subject to fines and possible imprisonment for intentionally listening to using or divulging the contents of such a conversation unless you have the consent of a party to the conversation unless such activity is otherwise illegal This scanner has been designed to prevent the reception of cellular telephone transmissions and the decoding o
24. e included at the back of this manual You can also find fleet map resources on the web Motorola Type II the radios only send the radio ID and radio channel code to the control channel The central computer keeps a database of radio ID s and which talk group is assigned to which channel code for each radio so with this system the user s radio sends only about 1 3 the data as a Type I system with each transmission Type II systems do not use Fleet subfleet talk groups instead they use a 5 digit ID for each talk group Type Ili Hybrid these systems support a mix of both Type I and Type II users Like Type systems you must know the system s fleet map to ensure proper tracking EDACS Trunking EDACS trunking works in much the same way as Motorola trunking with a couple of major differences In an EDACS system each frequency used by the system is assigned a Logical Channel Number LCN so that less data needs to be transmitted by the control channel Also talk groups are assigned in an Agency Fleet Subfleet AFS hierarchy Also there is one variation of EDACS called SCAT that your BC898T 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 w
25. els in a bank for example you would program a system with channels at 1 3 5 and 9 into Trunk 2 channels 51 53 55 and 59 Where To Obtain More Information By itself this manual really only provides part of what you need to know to have fun scanning how to program and use the scanner The two included conventional and trunking frequency guides will give you a good head start on the other part of what you need to know what frequencies have interesting content Information On The Internet The Internet is a great source for current frequencies and information about scanning Many web sites have lists of frequencies for your area You can use a search engine to find and use them Make a list of the agencies you want to listen to then look up the frequencies and systems used by those agencies Here are a few useful sites e http www scannermaster com frequency resources and home of Police Call You can also call them at 1 800 SCANNER hours are from 10 00 a m to 5 00 p m Eastern Time Monday through Friday http www radioreference com the Internet s premier source for user supported radio system information http www bearcat1 com frequency information from National Communications svartifoss2 fcc gov reports index cfm conventional frequency information on file with the US Government This web site is not affiliated with Uniden Corporation To purchase another copy of the conventional or
26. enter a FIPS code 1 through 15 Then enter the FIPS code and press E To set the scanner so it sounds an alert tone when it receives any FIPS code turn the rotary tuner or repeatedly press HOLD or LIMIT V to move ALLFIPS to FI To set the scanner so it sounds an alert tone when it receives only one of the FIPS codes you programmed turn the rotary tuner or repeatedly press HOLD or LIMIT V to select FI to F15 Then press E 4 When you finish entering FIPS codes press E Programming The BC898T has 500 memory channels each of which can be programmed to store one frequency The channels are divided into ten 50 channel banks useful for storing similar frequencies in order to maintain faster scanning cycles You can use the keypad and rotary tuner to program your scanner You can also use the scanner s AutoStore feature to automatically program channels and transfer a frequency you already programmed from another channel to a channel you select Notes The information in this section covers basic steps for programming frequencies and channels For specific information about programming conventional channels see Programming Conventional Channels on Page 39 For specific information about pro gramming trunked systems see Programming Trunked Systems on Page 41 Before you start to program your scanner we recommend you download the demo software and use the worksheets in the software s help files to help you organize the
27. er Simplex Operation Simplex systems use a single frequency for both transmit and receive Most radios using this type of operation are limited to line of sight operation This type of radio is frequently used at construction job sites and with inexpensive consumer radios such as GMRS FRS radios The range is typically 1 8 miles depending upon the terrain and many other factors Repeater Operation Repeater systems use two frequencies one transmits from the radio to a central repeater the other transmits from the repeater to other radios in the system With a repeater based system the repeater is located on top of a tall building or on a radio tower that provides great visibility to the area of operation When a user transmits on an input frequency the signal is picked up by the repeater and retransmitted on an output frequency The user s radios always listen for activity on the output frequency and transmit on the input frequency Since the repeater is located very high there is a very large line of sight Typical repeater systems provide coverage out to about a 25 mile radius from the repeater location What is Trunk Tracking Your BC898T is designed to track the following types of trunking systems Motorola Type I Type II Type lli hybrid SMARTNET and PRIVACYPLUS analog trunking systems which are extensively used in 800 MHz communication systems LTR trunking systems EDACS trunking systems When tracking these t
28. er as your sole means for receiving emergency alerts Your local electronics retailer carries several weather radios specifically designed for this function Your scanner allows you to either search for a local NOAA weather broadcast or be set to alert when a SAME weather alert is broadcast on a NOAA channel Turning Weather Alert On Off In weather alert mode your scanner functions as a severe weather warning radio This is especially useful when your area is expecting severe weather conditions late at night When you set the scanner to weather alert mode it emits a loud siren and displays information about the weather alert whenever your local NOAA weather station transmits a severe weather emergency tone Follow these steps to turn on weather alert 1 Press WX to find your local weather station 2 Press HOLD A 3 Hold down ALERT for about 2 seconds ALERT appears The scanner s volume is muted until the warning tone sounds Your scanner now functions as a weather alert radio waiting to receive a severe weather emergency tone When your scanner receives the emergency tone and a SAME event code from your local NOAA weather station it responds with a loud siren at maximum volume regardless of the volume control setting and displays information about the alert You might see any of the following information during a weather alert L1 Warning L2 Watch L3 Advisory TST Test The siren will continue until th
29. er or pressing HOLD A Then use the keypad to enter the next frequency then press E on the keypad Press to enter the decimal point 44 7 If you selected ED SCT in Step 3 stop here Otherwise if you selected ED HI or ED LO in Step 3 follow these steps to enter the talk group ID agency fleet and subfleet for the system you want to scan a Press DATA b If necessary turn the rotary tuner or repeatedly press HOLD or LIMIT V until PROO ID appears Then press E on the keypad c Turn the rotary tuner or repeatedly press HOLD A or LIMIT V until the talk group ID memory location where you want to store an ID appears d Use the keypad to enter the agency fleet and subfleet then press E Press to enter the hyphen e To enter additional IDs repeat Steps c d e LTR Systems e A a o N Hold down TRUNK for about 2 seconds The scanner beeps and BANK TRUNK and the bank letters A J blink Press a bank key to select the bank where you want to store the frequencies Select LTR scanning by turning the rotary tuner or repeatedly pressing HOLD A or LIMIT V to select LT Then press E on the keypad If necessary repeatedly press HOLD or LIMIT V until PRO9 F appears Then press E on the keypad To enter trunking frequencies use the keypad to enter the first frequency then press E on the keypad Press to enter the decimal point Note To clear a mistake while entering a frequency pres
30. f scrambled transmissions This is done to comply with the legal requirement that scanners be manufactured so they are not easy to modify to pick up these transmissions Do not open your scanner s case to make any modifications that could allow it to pick up transmissions that are illegal to monitor Modifying or tampering with your scanner s internal components or using it in a way other than as described in this manual could invalidate your warranty and void your FCC authorization to operate it In some areas mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires a permit Check the laws in your area It is also illegal in many areas and a bad idea everywhere to interfere with the duties of public safety officials by traveling to the scene of an incident without authorization Introduction Your BC898T scanner is a state of the art scanner radio with TrunkTracking and automatic scanning capabilities You can store frequencies such as police firelemergency marine air amateur and other communications into 10 banks of 50 channels each Use it at home as a base unit or install it in your vehicle as a mobile unit You can use the scanner s rotary tuner to quickly select channels and frequencies and you can automatically program channels in an available bank using the AutoStore feature Use your scanner to monitor e 800 MHz trunked public safety systems Police and fire departments including rescue and paramedics NOAA weather t
31. frequency its indicator stops flashing Holding On An Active Frequency To hold on the current frequency press HOLD A To resume searching press SRC 27 Setting Data Skip The scanner normally stops on any frequency with activity and remains there until either the activity stops or you press SRC to resume scanning However some signals are identifiable by the scanner as data signals and you can set the scanner to automatically skip these channels Note Even with this option turned on the scanner might pause for a couple of seconds on data transmissions before resuming To turn on data skip press DATA Skipping Frequencies If a particular frequency continues to interrupt search scanning you can set the scanner so it skips the frequency To skip over a frequency press L O when the scanner is stopped on a frequency you want to skip Notes You can program up to 100 skip frequencies The 101st skip frequency entered causes the first skipped frequency to unlock e If all frequencies in the search range are set to skip a beep sounds and it moves to search hold mode To resume searching a Unskip all skipped frequencies OR b Select a different search frequency range To unskip all skipped frequencies hold down L O for about 2 seconds in search hold mode Storing Found Frequencies If you find a frequency you want to save into a channel follow these steps Press E or SEND when the scanner i
32. his setting To change the frequency step press MANUAL then repeatedly press STEP until the frequency step you want flashes Note If you select a 6 25 kHz step for the 150 0000 through 161 9999 MHz frequency range the scanner will actually use a 7 5 kHz frequency step to match the FCC band plan for this range However the scanner s display will show 6 25 kHz as the selected step Setting the Modulation Mode Radio transmissions are modulated in several different ways The BC898T is able to demodulate the most common transmission types Your scanner has the most common modulation mode preset for each band so you seldom have to change this option However there are occasional services that use a modulation mode that is not standard for that band To change the modulation mode press MANUAL then repeatedly press MODE until the modulation mode you want flashes Setting Priority Channels You can set one conventional channel in each bank as a priority channel When you turn on the priority scan option see Priority Scanning on Page 22 the scanner automatically checks these channels every 2 seconds to see if there is activity If there is the scanner immediately switches to the priority channel Note The scanner does not check trunked channels priority channels if the channel is locked out or in locked out banks By default the first channel of each bank is set as priority To change the priority channel manually select the
33. ight 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 If you are new to scanning or trunk tracking be sure to read Understanding Scanning on Page 7 for a quick background on the technology behind the hobby The first thing you ll need to do is plug the AC adapter into the scanner Then you need to connect the included antenna to the scanner See Installing Your Scanner on Page 15 if you need any help doing this In addition to the information in this manual the help file included with the free demo software includes more instructions and programming planning worksheets that are very useful for organizing the information you need to program your scanner Download this software from http www uniden com Understanding Scanning This section provides you with background on how scanning works You don t really need to know all of this to use your scanner but some background knowledge will help you get the most from your BC898T Understanding Banks and Channels The memory in your scanner is organized into 10 banks of 50 channels each Each bank can contain conventional channels as well as 1 trunking system For each trunking system each bank can also store 10 groups of 10 talk group ID s 100 per bank What is Scanning Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations most two way communicat
34. ights Then turn the rotary tuner to select the frequency 20 Note You can also use the keypad to enter a frequency Press E to program the frequency into the channel you selected Using the Frequency Channel Mode Selector Repeatedly press FREQ CHAN to switch between channel and frequency mode When the CHAN LED is on you can use the rotary tuner to step rapidly through channels When the FREQ LED is on you can use the rotary tuner to tune frequencies quickly and accurately Using the Lock Key LED Press LOCK to enable or disable the rotary tuner When the LOCK LED is on the rotary tuner is locked This prevents accidentally changing the displayed channel and frequency while monitoring a transmission Manually Selecting a Channel To manually select a channel press MANUAL enter the channels number using the keypad then press MANUAL again The channel s number and any frequency stored in the channel appears Scanning Programmed Channels Before you start to scan you must first program channels See Programming on Page 35 and Programming Conventional Channels on Page 39 for conventional channels or Programming Trunked Systems on Page 41 for trunking systems for complete instructions To begin scanning simply turn on the scanner or if the scanner is not currently scanning press SCAN The scanner checks each system you have programmed that is not locked out and stops if there is activity SCAN scrolls acro
35. ill switch to the correct channel To program an EDACS system in your scanner you will need to 11 know both the frequencies used by the system and the LCN for each frequency so that you can program the frequencies in LCN order Agency Fleet Subfleet talk group ID s for EDACS systems are assigned in a way that makes it easy to see at a glance the affiliation of the user Each radio is assigned a 2 digit agency identifier from 00 15 For example 01 might be used by the police 02 by ambulance service 03 by the fire department and so on Each agency is then subdivided up to 16 times to provide fleet identification and then 8 more times to identify subfleets For example the complete AFS for the Police Department West District s dispatch channel might be 01 062 01 identifies the agency as the police department 06 identifies the fleet as the West district and 2 identifies the subfleet as the dispatch channel While these assignments are somewhat arbitrary and vary from system to system there are many resources on the web for finding the assignments for most systems Because of the logical hierarchy of the AFS system your BC898T lets you assign wildcard ID s that let you for example use only one ID memory to identify all units in either an agency or a fleet EDACS SCAT EDACS SCAT Single Channel Autonomous Trunking systems operate on a single channel and alternate control data with analog voice traffic While your BC898T ca
36. ing a recorder to your scanner see Using An Optional Tape Recorder on Page 16 To program a channel for tape recording 1 Use the keypad or rotary tuner to select the channel you want to record 2 Press LINE LINE appears indicating that the channel will be recorded if you connected a tape recorder to your scanner 3 Repeat these steps to select other channels for recording To record a channel press SCAN When your scanner stops on a channel and LINE appears the channel is recorded To turn the record feature off for a channel 1 Use the keypad or rotary tuner to select the channel you do not want to record any more 2 Press LINE LINE turns off and the channel is not recorded Data Skip A scanner will normally stop on any transmission it receives This means the BC898T will stop on data signals and unmodulated transmissions You can automatically skip many of these types of transmissions during searches Repeatedly press DATA until DATA appears to activate the data skip feature or until DATA disappears to deactivate the data skip feature When data skip is active your scanner might pause momentarily on an unwanted signal but will resume searching in 2 or 3 seconds Frequency Skip If a particular channel continues to interrupt search scanning you can set your scanner so it skips the frequency To skip a frequency press L O Note You can program up to 100 skip frequencies If you try to program more than 100
37. ional Tape Recorder ooocccnccccncnnnnconononnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnninenis 16 Using the Demo SoftWare ni aert terc ia KES QU M Pe ausus 17 Installing The Scanner In a Vehicle ocoooonnccnoonnninnscnccccccrnrnnnnnnnrnnrrrnne rre 18 Basic Operation iv eesti ads Perce es hot A aa ene be egg eet 20 Turning On the SCAN eis date shine ctn tesi depth esito e he dh ade a Ee peas odd es 20 Setting he quel MU 20 SING ANG rio In TUTO ENT TERT 20 Using the Frequency Channel Mode Selector oooooooooccccccccconccoonccncnonnnnnannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnns 21 Usirig the Lock Key LED eio ditte ege bett ite ehe tdt ar porte Qo eoa 21 Manually Selecting a Channel ssssseeesseeeeeeenne eee 21 Scanning Programmed Channels 5 0 at ete abes Ue teed dea tope PCIe 21 Locking Unlocking Banks usina 22 Eocking Unlocking Chantnels s stos te aloe se hone ettam etas cte td e s t m teet 22 Restoring All Locked Out Channels oooooooococcconnnonononcccccconnonnnnnnnnnrn cnn enana nr nenn nana 22 Priority Scanning ados A AA 22 le En We Cer 23 Trunk Scarnring O PUSE ace Bisa A eae ades 23 Setting the TEE 24 UR TE 24 Searching MPS tte ee UT NEM 25 SCAN LISIS Em 26 Searching DEE 27 ONES E 27 Holding On An Active Frequency mirta IE ES od OR b ba pa 27 Setting Data Skip uti eph tette a e Pte bt e te ba ie ta dns elects 28 Skipping Frequencies essnee aa ea RA REE EARE Ee E E RE 28 Storing Found e ENEE 28 Automatical
38. ions do not transmit continuously Your BC898T 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 BC898T can search each of its 17 bands and up to ten bands together to find active frequencies This is different from scanning because you are searching for frequencies that have not been programmed into the scanner When you select frequency bands to search the scanner searches for any active frequency within the lower and upper limits you specify When the scanner finds an active frequency it stops on that frequency as long as the transmission lasts If you think the frequency is interesting you can program it into one of the banks If not you can continue to search What is CTCSS DCS Your scanner can monitor systems using a Continuous Tone Control Squelch CTCSS and Digital Coded Squelch DCS system which allow squelch to open only when the tone you have programmed with a specific frequency is received along with a transmission CTCSS and DCS are subaudible tone signaling systems sometimes referred to as PL Motorola s trademarked term for Private Line CTCSS and DCS are used only for FM signals and are usually associated with both amateur and commercial two way repeaters These systems make use of a special
39. ission before searching resumes This slows searching but helps you prevent missing replies on a frequency To turn on this option for all search ranges select the channel where you want to add a delay then press DELAY Searching a Trunked Bank Before you search a trunked bank with your scanner consider the following You can only trunk track one bank at a time Repeatedly press TRUNK to toggle between the conventional and the trunk tracking modes Press DATA while in the trunk tracking mode to review which bank is currently in use The appropriate bank icon flashes at the top of the display Press DATA again to turn off review If you have programmed frequencies for a trunked system in one or more of the 10 available banks and you are in conventional mode follow these steps to begin trunk searching Press TRUNK then press SCAN 2 Press a bank key A J to select the trunked bank you want For example press B Note You will see the frequencies appear quickly as your scanner looks for the data channel which controls the system 3 Once the data channel is acquired the scanner starts to trunk track Talk group ID s which represent different service groups appear 4 Press TRUNK again to return to conventional mode While searching you won t know exactly to whom the ID s are assigned until you listen awhile or until ID lists are available in frequency guides or on internet sites However it usually only takes a few minute
40. ize Code 4 Size Code 4 Size Code 0 Size Code 4 Size Code 0 Size Code 4 zl O3 01 A ON AO Size Code 0 Size Code 12 Preset Map 15 Tl O3 01 PN ON A OH Size Code 12 Block Size Code Preset Map 16 Size Code 4 Block Size Code Size Code 4 Size Code 3 Size Code 4 Size Code 10 Size Code T1 Size Code 10 Size Code 11 Size Code T1 Size Code 0 Size Code 0 Size Code 12 Size Code 0 zl OO Pa GO AC Size Code 12 Size Code 12 SORON AC Size Code 12 User Defined Fleet Maps Type I Programming Information When a Type I system is designed the address information for all the ID s is divided into 8 equal sized blocks numbered 0 7 When you program your scanner to track a Type system you must select a size code for each of these blocks When you have assigned a size code to all 8 blocks you ll have defined the fleet map for the system you are tracking Each size code determines the number of fleets subfleets and ID s each block will have For example a size code of S 4 has one fleet which is divided into 16 separate subfleets and it has a total of 512 individual ID s When a block is assigned a size code the fleet or fleets created within the block are assigned a Type I ID The way these ID s display on your scanner depend on the block number and the block
41. ked out ID s appear during ID monitor mode Scan Lists You can program conventional or trunking frequencies into any of your scanner s banks When you designate a bank as a trunk tracking bank your scanner sets up 10 scan lists A J which are simply lists used to store your favorite ID s Each list can contain up to 10 ID s so you can store a total of 100 ID s for each trunk tracking bank 1000 if you use all banks as trunking banks Scan lists help you organize the trunking system users into categories For example you might use List A for police ID s List B for fire department ID s List C for emergency medical service ID s etc Once ID s are stored in lists you can scan them like you scan conventional frequencies You can program your scan lists either manually or during trunking search mode You can use the rotary tuner to scroll through the ID s in your scan lists Searching Chain Search Your scanner s chain search feature lets you discover new active frequencies in your area To use chain search first program one or more chain search ranges see Setting and Saving a Chain Search Range below Then select one or more chain search ranges to search see Selecting Chain Search Ranges below Then press SRC see Using Chain Search below The scanner searches all frequencies within the chain search range or ranges you selected Setting and Saving a Chain Search Range You can save up to 10 chain search ranges in y
42. le channels in the selected bank s have been programmed A 5 Press MANUAL to exit AutoStore and return to the manual mode Notes To exit AutoStore before all the available channels in the selected bank s are pro grammed press MANUAL twice To ensure that you catch most active frequencies for the band you should allow AutoStore to continue through at least a few complete sweeps of the band Depending on the types of services some occasionally active frequencies might not have activity for minutes or hours at a time Setting Subaudible Tones for Searching You can set the scanner to only stop on transmissions that either have no subaudible tone or include a specified CTCSS or DCS tone during searches This setting affects all search ranges For this feature to work you need to turn on the tone mode see Setting the Squelch on Page 20 Press PRI to turn off priority scan N Hold down CTCSS DCS for about 2 seconds cTCSS and DCS blink and the scanner searches for CTCSS or DCS tones When the scanner finds a CTCSS or DCS tone the frequency blinks Attenuating All Search Ranges If you are near a strong RF source you might need to attenuate the input signal in order to search properly Repeatedly press ATT until ATT appears to turn on attenuation or until ATT disappears to turn off attenuation Setting Delay For All Search Ranges You can set the scanner to have a 2 second delay after the end of a transm
43. ly Storing Frequencies 29 Setting Subaudible Tones for Searching ooooooooccccccnncccnonananccnonononnnanancncnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnos 29 Attenuating All Search Ranges geduet EENS ert eee x piede 30 Setting Delay For All Search Ranges AAA 30 Searching a Trunked Bank 3 eee dd 30 Searching for CTCSS DCS Tones sse nennen nennen 31 Using Weather Alert SAME ett hene rn ipo te adea dete dna 32 Turning Weather Alert On Off att p tr essct Rea eue cote ie n Eu eee eus 32 Searching for a Weather Broadcast Hee 32 Programming a FIPS Code uci pede e e eec d cibo op seket 33 a A PEE 35 Transferring a Programmed Frequency cccccccccnnncnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnns 35 Duplicate Frequency Alert 36 Deleting a Stored Frequency iustior t dite get uta cen every dit 36 Programming a Channel With a CTCSS DCS Tone esses 36 Programming TIPS rre ai ie 37 Setting the Delay MOS O tepido seis caede rad 37 Recording BE EE TEE 38 Data eel Torr 38 Frequency Skip hiene 38 Programming Conventional Channels oooooooocconccnnccnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnns 39 Changing the Frequency Step EE 39 Setting the Modulation Mode 002 1 rro det cauce ie 39 Setting Priority le E 40 Programming Trunked Systems sesssssssssssssssssssssessene eren nnne nnne nennt nns 41 Setting the Scanner to Trunking Programming Mode 41
44. mode try the following steps Problem Possible Cause Suggestion Scanner won t track a trunked system The system might not be one your scanner can scan Scan another system The data frequency might be missing Enter the data frequency The scanner might need to be changed to a Type 1 scanner setup Change to a Type 1 scanner setup Review Programming Motorola Systems on Page 41 The system you are trying to scan might be LTR or EDACS Set the scanner to scan LTR or EDACS systems Review Programming EDACS Systems on Page 44 and Programming LTR Systems on Page 45 Scanner won t stop scanning during Scan List mode No ID s have been programmed Program one or more ID s The ID s you have stored are not active Wait for the ID s to become active or scan another system Scanner won t acquire the data channel The squelch might need to be adjusted Adjust the squelch threshold See Setting the Squelch on Page 20 The frequency used for the data channel might be missing Check your frequency list for the data channel Missing replies to conversations The scanner might need to be changed to a Type 1 scanner setup Change to a Type 1 scanner setup Review Programming Motorola Systems on Page 41 The fleet map might be incorrect Try another preset fleet map or program your own fleet map
45. n PRI for about 2 seconds The scanner beeps twice and the priority channel changes to the one you selected Using the Dimmer Hold down DIM for about two seconds to change the display s brightness Trunk Scanning Options When you are scanning a trunked system there are several trunking only options available to you This section outlines these options Searching for Active Talk Groups ID Search If you want to hear all activity on a trunked system use the ID search mode by pressing SCAN then SRC SEARCH appears and the BC898T stops on every active talk group regardless of whether you have programmed it into your scanner This makes it easy to find unknown talk groups Note If you have not yet programmed any talk group ID s into the scanner this is the only trunk scanning mode available Searching Only Stored Talk Groups ID Scan To scan only those talk groups you have stored into your scanner press SCAN When one of the talk groups you have stored becomes active the scanner switches to that transmission and displays the ID number for that talk group Note You must store at least 2 talk group ID s in the system for ID scanning to work Monitoring Talk Group ID s To see all the talk group ID s that are active on the system while monitoring a trunked system press SCAN The scanner stops trunking the system and instead holds on the system s control channel You hear the control data and the scanner displays every talk grou
46. nce some discomfort or possible hearing damage if the volume suddenly becomes too loud because of the volume control or squelch control setting This might be particularly true of the type of earphone that is placed in the ear canal WARNING Uniden does not represent this unit to be waterproof To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock do not expose this unit to rain or moisture Motorola SMARTNETS PL Private Line8 and PRIVACY PLUSS are registered trademarks of Motorola Inc LTR is a registered trademark of E F Johnson Co EDACSS is a registered trademark of M A COM Private Radio Systems Inc Uniden and Bearcat are registered trademarks of Uniden America Corporation TrunkTracker and Trunk Tracking are proprietary trademarks of Uniden America Corporation Other trademarks used throughout this manual are the property of their respective holders BC898T Controls and Display 2 3 4 Uniden Beancat sesgst DIM ATT E BA W TR NK ABC DEFGHIJ X 12 5KHz AM FM UNK SCAN PRIORI AUTO SEARCH DAA ol Dije i nE wran M LOCK 1 Sue SEND P388 888 88 B e 888 8 d e re rees s HOLD Luo UNE DELAY WX ALERT CTCSS TRUNKTRACKER III MANUAL KH WIC TRUNK DELAY DATA 4 5 4 CTCSS DCS CJ E E 4 E
47. ncies within the specified bank s Weather Alert Lets your scanner alert you when a SAME weather alert is transmitted on a NOAA weather channel The scanner also displays information about the SAME alert This helps you quickly find out about severe weather in your area and lets you avoid false alarms Weather Search Lets your scanner receive your local NOAA weather transmission Chain Search Lets your scanner search up to 10 ranges by selecting specific banks into which you have programmed search ranges Frequency Step Lets you select a frequency step 5 6 25 12 5 or 25 kHz for manual mode and chain search mode Unique Data Skip Allows your scanner to skip unwanted data transmissions and reduces birdies Memory Backup If power is lost or disconnected the scanner retains the frequencies you programmed in its memory LCD Back Light Makes the display easy to see in dim light You can adjust the back light and even turn it off Auto Recording Automatically record transmissions onto an optional tape recorder not included Scan Search Delay You can set the scanner so it remains on a frequency two seconds after the last transmission to wait for a possible reply 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 ID s for your area and the settings you select you m
48. nnot track ID s in this system it can eliminate the control data so that all you hear is the voice transmissions when you monitor this type of system LTR Trunking LTR Logic Trunked Radio systems are trunking systems used primarily by business or private communications service providers such as taxicabs delivery trucks and repair services These systems encode all control information as digital subaudible data that accompanies each transmission so there is no separate control channel Users on an LTR system are assigned to specific talk groups which are identified by the radio as six digit numbers These numbers are in the form AHHUUU where A Area code 0 or 1 H Home repeater 01 through 20 U User ID 000 through 254 When the scanner receives a transmission on a channel set to the LTR mode it first decodes the LTR data included with the transmission In the ID search mode the scanner stops on the transmission and displays the talk group ID on the display In the ID scan mode the scanner only stops on the transmission if the LTR data matches a talk group ID that you have stored in the bank s talk group ID list and have not locked out LTR systems are frequently programmed so that each radio has a unique user ID LTR systems also need to be programmed into your scanner in channel order Since many LTR systems use only odd numbered channel slots you would program these systems using only the corresponding odd numbered chann
49. ocked out talk group ID s hold down L O for about 2 seconds EDACS Blockout This is a powerful form of lockout that is only available for EDACS systems EDACS Blockout lets you lock out entire agencies or fleets not just individual talk groups To use blockout while scanning an EDACS system press HOLD A Setting the Attenuator If you are near a very strong signal source the signal can overload the scanner s RF front end causing poor audio quality or missed reception Repeatedly press ATT until ATT appears to turn the attenuator on or until ATT disappears to turn the attenuator off ID Lockout Like conventional scanning it s possible to lock out unwanted traffic This is particularly important in trunked systems because in many areas water meters door alarms traffic signals and other mechanical devices are assigned ID s just like other users Also some 24 departments scramble or encrypt their communications and you might want to lock out these unintelligible transmissions To lock out an ID press L O when the ID appears The ID is locked out and the next active ID appears You can lock out up to 200 ID s Note If you lock out an ID in search mode it is also locked out in scan list mode Conversely if you lock out an ID while in scan list mode it is locked out in search mode Restoring a Single ID Follow these steps to unlock a single ID 1 Hold down L O until you hear two short beeps 2 Use either the
50. or move or reposition the antenna Move the scanner You might be in a remote area that could require an optional multi band antenna Check with your dealer or local electronics store Scan won t stop The squelch might need to be adjusted Adjust the squelch threshold See Setting the Squelch on Page 20 The antenna might need to be adjusted Check the antenna connection One or more channels might be locked out Make sure the channels you want to scan are not locked out The channels frequency might not be stored in memory Make sure the channel s frequency is stored in the scanner s memory The channel might not be active Wait for a transmission on the channel Scan won t start You must press SCAN to scan Press SCAN The squelch might need to be adjusted Adjust the squelch threshold See Setting the Squelch on Page 20 One or more channels might be locked out Make sure the channels you want to scan are not locked out 47 Scan won t start continued The antenna might need to be adjusted Check the antenna connection Weather scan doesn t work The squelch might need to be adjusted Adjust the squelch threshold See Setting the Squelch on Page 20 The antenna might need to be adjusted Check the antenna connection If you experience difficulty while in TrunkTracker
51. ou want to program Note When you set the scanner to its trunking programming mode you cannot select channels in other banks Programming Motorola Systems Programming Channels and Entering Trunking Frequencies 1 Hold down TRUNK for about 2 seconds The scanner beeps and BANK TRUNK and the bank letters A J blink Press a bank key to select the bank where you want to store the frequencies wo Select Motorola scanning by turning the rotary tuner or repeatedly pressing HOLD A or LIMIT V to select one of the following Motorola scanning choices E2 800 Motorola Type Il 800 MHz E2 900 Motorola Type Il 900 MHz e E2 HI Motorola Type II VHF e E2 UHF Motorola Type II UHF e El Motorola Type I Then press E on the keypad 4 f necessary repeatedly press HOLD or LIMIT V until PRO9 F appears Then press E on the keypad 5 Toenter trunking frequencies use the keypad to enter the first frequency then press E on the keypad Press to enter the decimal point Note To clear a mistake while entering a frequency press twice then enter the frequency again e For each additional frequency select the next channel by turning the rotary tuner or pressing HOLD A Then use the keypad to enter the next frequency then press E on the keypad Press to enter the decimal point If you selected E2 800 E2 900 or El in Step 3 stop here Otherwise if you selected E2 HI or E2 UHF in Step 3 follow these step
52. ounterclockwise lowers the gate so that everything can get through noise weak signals and strong signals To set the squelch you must first set the scanner to its manual mode and the scanner must not be receiving a signal Follow these steps to set the scanner s squelch Adjust VOLUME to a comfortable listening level Repeatedly press MANUAL until you do not hear a signal Turn SQUELCH fully clockwise Turn SQUELCH counterclockwise until you hear a hiss QI PS Sn IE em Turn SQUELCH back clockwise just until the hiss stops This sets the squelch so that only clearer signals can get through You can change the squelch setting if necessary to provide better performance in your area Using the Rotary Tuner Use the rotary tuner to Rapidly and precisely select frequencies or channels in the conventional or trunking mode Select a CTCSS tone during CTCSS programming in the conventional or trunking mode Scroll through scan and lockout lists in the trunking mode To use the rotary tuner press MANUAL to stop scanning if necessary Then if the green LOCK LED is on press LOCK to unlock the rotary tuner Then turn the rotary tuner to select frequencies channels or CTCSS tones or scroll through scan and lockout lists To program a channel repeatedly press FREQ CHAN until the CHAN LED lights Then turn the rotary tuner to select the channel To program a frequency repeatedly press FREQ CHAN until the FREQ LED l
53. our scanner 1 Press MANUAL to stop scanning 2 Press SRC 3 Press HOLD HOLD appears 4 Select the memory location where you want to save a chain search range by pressing its bank key A J If there is a chain search range already stored in that memory loca tion the lower and upper frequencies of that chain search range flash 5 Use the keypad to enter the lower frequency of the chain search range then press E on the keypad or LIMIT V Press to enter the decimal point 6 Use the keypad to enter the upper frequency of the chain search range then press E on the keypad or LIMIT V Press to enter the decimal point Selecting Chain Search Ranges By default your scanner only searches one chain search range at a time However you can select more than one chain search range and the scanner will search each range you select To select chain search ranges press the bank keys A J associated with the ranges you want to select When you turn on chain search each time you press a bank button that chain search range is turned on or off and its letter appears or disappears from the display Using Chain Search To use chain search press SRC then press the bank keys A J for the chain search range or ranges you want to search To change the step increment during a chain search repeatedly press STEP to select the increment you want The step increment you selected flashes If you select the default step increment for that
54. p ID as it becomes active in the system To resume trunk tracking press SCAN again Holding On a Single Talk Group To hold on an active talk group when scanning or searching press HOLD The BC898T stops scanning and holds on the current trunking system It only receives transmissions on the talk group that was active when you pressed HOLD A To select a talk group to hold on when that group is not active while ID scanning or ID searching the system press HOLD Then either enter the ID or if you have stored the ID scroll to the ID you want to hold on Locking Out Talk Groups Like conventional scanning you can lock out unwanted talk group traffic on trunking systems This is particularly important if you are ID searching a trunking system as many systems share both voice traffic that you usually want to hear with some data traffic from water meter systems door alarms traffic signals and other data sources that you don t want to hear You can lock out up to 200 talk group ID s at the same time To lock out a talk group press L O when the scanner stops on that group Or if you have stored the talk group in an ID list select that ID and press L O Reviewing Locked Out Talk Group ID s You can confirm which talk group ID s are locked out in the scanner To review locked out talk group ID s hold down L O for about 2 seconds The locked out talk group ID s appear Restoring All Locked Out Talk Group ID s To restore all l
55. pears Press on the keypad to start again or press E again to store the frequency in both channels Deleting a Stored Frequency To delete a stored frequency press 0 then press E Channels with no frequencies are automatically locked out Programming a Channel With a CTCSS DCS Tone 1 2 3 p Press MANUAL Press CTCSS DCS Select the channel you want to program then press E If you have already programmed a CTCSS or DCS tone the frequency for the tone blinks Otherwise 000 0 HZ blinks Enter a CTCSS tone a Use the keypad rotary tuner or HOLD or LIMIT V to select the tone b Then press E Notes f you make a mistake while entering a tone with the keypad press on the keypad twice and enter the tone again Make sure FREQ is lit before turning the rotary tuner to select a frequency To cancel CTCSS mode press CTCSS DCS or MANUAL The CTCSS indicator and displayed tones are turned off but not deleted Programming Tips Since weather transmissions are continuous do not program a weather frequency into any of the scanner s channels To listen to a weather transmission press WX to select the weather information band instead Group similar frequencies into adjacent channels For example program police fre quencies in channels 1 through 50 and fire emergency into channels 51 through 100 and so on Put the frequency you listen to the most or the most important frequency into a priority ch
56. r private listening or for listening in a noisy area you can plug a e inch 3 5mm mini plug earphone s or headphone s or monitor speaker s not included cable into the EXT SP jack on the front of the scanner This automatically disconnects the scanner s internal speaker Listening Safely To protect your hearing follow these guidelines when you use an earphone or headphones Do not use an earphone to listen to the WX alert siren or when in SAME alert mode The alert tone s volume is not adjustable and damage to your hearing could occur Do not listen at extremely high volume levels Extended high volume listening can lead to permanent hearing loss Set VOLUME to the lowest setting before you begin listening After you begin listening adjust VOLUME to a comfortable level Once you set VOLUME do not increase it Over time your ears adapt to the volume level so a volume level that does not cause discomfort might still damage your hearing Using An Optional Tape Recorder You can use a standard tape recorder or a VOX Voice Operated Control tape recorder with the scanner The tape recorder you use must have a remote jack You need a cable with a 1 8 inch 3 5 mm plug not included to connect the tape recorder to the scanner You can get a cable from your local electronics store 16 Connect one end of the cable to the tape recorder s remote jack then connect the other end of the cable to LINE on the fron
57. r vehicle s dealer for advice on proper installation before completing the steps below Installing a Temporary Power Cord Use an optional cigarette lighter power cord for an easy temporary installation Plug one end of the cigarette lighter power cord into your vehicle s cigarette lighter jack then plug the other end into the DC 12V jack on the back of the scanner 18 Installing a Permanent Power Cord 1 Check the vehicles battery connections to determine which battery terminal positive or negative is grounded to the engine block or chassis Most of today s vehicles use a negative ground If your vehicle has a negative ground follow the steps below Otherwise consult your vehicle s dealer for advice on installing negative ground acces sories in your vehicle 2 Connect an optional DC power cord s RED wire to the accessory contact in your vehicle s 12 VDC fuse box 3 Connect the DC power cord s BLACK wire to the negative side of the vehicle usually the chassis 4 Insert the DC plug into the DC 12V jack on the back of the scanner Basic Operation Turning On the Scanner Turn VOLUME clockwise to turn on the scanner or counterclockwise until it clicks to turn it off Setting the Squelch Your scanner s squelch control acts like a gate to reduce or eliminate noise from received signals Turning SQUELCH clockwise raises the gate so high that only very strong signals can get through while turning SQUELCH c
58. ransmissions Business Industrial radio Utilities Marine and amateur ham radio bands Air band This table lists the frequency ranges default frequency step default mode AM FM or Narrowband FM and type of transmissions you can hear for each range Frequency Range Steps Mode Transmission 25 0 27 995 MHz 5 kHz AM Citizens Band Business Band 28 0 29 995 MHz 5 kHz FM 10 Meter Amateur Band 30 0 49 995 MHz 5 kHz FM VHF Low Band 50 0 54 0 MHz 5 kHz FM 6 Meter Amateur Band 108 0 136 9875 MHz 12 5 kHz AM Aircraft Band 137 0 143 995 MHz 5 kHz FM Military Band 144 0 147 995 MHz 5 kHz FM 2 Meter Amateur Band 148 0 161 995 MHz 5 kHz FM VHF High Band 162 0 174 0 MHz 12 5 kHz FM VHF High Band 216 0 224 9875 MHz 12 5 kHz FM VHF High Band 225 0 399 9875 MHz 12 5 kHz AM UHF Aircraft Band 400 0 419 9875 MHz 12 5 kHz NFM Federal Land Mobile 420 0 449 9875 MHz 12 5 kHz NFM 70cm Amateur Band 450 0 469 9875 MHz 12 5 kHz NFM UHF Standard Band 470 0 512 0 MHz 12 5 kHz NFM UHF TV Band 806 0 823 9875 MHz 12 5 kHz NFM Public Service 8007 Band 849 0125 868 9875 MHz 12 5 kHz NFM Public Service 8007 Band 894 0125 956 MHz 12 5 kHz NFM Public Service 8007 Band Feature Highlights Trunk Tracker Ill Operation Follows conversations on analog Motorola EDACS and LTR trunked radio systems 500 Channels Program one frequency into each channel Yo
59. s twice then enter the frequency again For each additional frequency select the next channel by turning the rotary tuner or pressing HOLD Then use the keypad to enter the next frequency then press E on the keypad Press to enter the decimal point Follow these steps to enter the talk group ID agency fleet and subfleet for the system you want to scan a Press DATA b If necessary turn the rotary tuner or repeatedly press HOLD or LIMIT V until PROO ID appears Then press E on the keypad c Turn the rotary tuner or repeatedly press HOLD A or LIMIT V until the talk group ID memory location where you want to store an ID appears d Use the keypad to enter the agency fleet and subfleet then press E Press to enter the hyphen e To enter additional IDs repeat Steps c d 45 Care and Maintenance General Use Turn the scanner off before disconnecting the power Always write down the programmed frequencies in the event of memory loss If memory is lost simply reprogram each channel The display shows 000 0000 in all channels when there has been a memory loss Always press each button firmly until you hear the entry tone for that key entry Location Do not use the scanner in high moisture environments such as the kitchen or bath room Avoid placing the unit in direct sunlight or near heating elements or vents If the scanner receives strong interference or electrical noise move i
60. s size code When a Type ID appears the leftmost digit represents the block which contains the ID The next two digits identify which fleet is active and the last digit s identifies the subfleet The details concerning how the size codes are selected by a Type I System designer are highly dependent on the specific needs of the system s users Some organizations might want many subfleets with only a few radios each while another organization might want only a few subfleets with many radios each Your task is to program your fleet map with the same size code assignments as the trunked system If you do this accurately you ll track all the Fleet Subfleet combinations used by the system In other words you ll hear complete communications while monitoring a trunked system If you don t already know the size codes used you ll have to guess at them But since you don t have to figure out all the blocks at once this isn t as hard as it seems Select a size code for a block and then press SCAN Now listen to the communications If you decide you are receiving most of the replies to the conversations with ID s assigned to the block you just programmed then you ve probably selected the right size code and can work on the next block of the map Finally for most public safety systems there are some size codes which are more common S 3 and S 4 are probably the most common followed by S 10 S 11 and S 12 Size Code Restrictions If you selec
61. s stopped on that frequency All the bank indica tors flash N Select the bank where you want to send the frequency The display alternates between the frequency you are sending and the lowest available channel in the bank If there is no free channel in the bank the scanner automatically selects the first channel in the bank you selected 3 Press E Note If you have already stored this frequency the scanner displays a warning and the channel where the frequency is stored To store the frequency anyway press E again 28 Automatically Storing Frequencies During searching you can have the scanner automatically store active frequencies into a bank you choose Once the search begins AutoStore will automatically program active frequencies into the available channels of the bank s you select For more information about your scanner s search feature see Searching on Page 27 Note You must program a chain search range for auto store to work Press MANUAL to stop scanning Press AUTO All the bank letters flash and AUTO appears Press the bank keys A J where you want to store the frequencies the scanner finds The bank letter s you select stop flashing If the bank you selected has no empty channels FULL appears for about 3 seconds and the scanner sounds an error tone You must either delete frequencies in the bank or select another bank Press SRC to start AutoStore AutoStore stops automatically when all availab
62. s to enter the band plan base frequency spacing frequency and offset channel for the system you want to scan a Press DATA b Turn the rotary tuner or repeatedly press HOLD or LIMIT V until BASE appears Then press E N c Select the band plan by pressing A B or C d Use the keypad to enter the base frequency then press E and press HOLD A e Use the keypad to enter the step frequency then press E and press HOLD A f Use the keypad to enter the channel offset then press E and press HOLD A g If the system uses more than one band plan press DATA then repeat Steps c f Programming Fleet Maps If you programmed a trunk tracking bank and press SRC talk group ID s appear Since your scanner defaults to monitor Type II systems most if not all ID s appear as even numbers However if you notice an even mix of odd and even talk group ID s for example 6477 2560 6481 6144 1167 etc then you are probably monitoring either a Type or Hybrid system You might also notice that you are missing responses when you hold on an active ID Unlike Type II systems Type I Ili systems require a fleet map that sets specific fleet subfleet parameters Its easy to select a fleet map for your scanner what isn t always easy is selecting or programming a map that matches your particular area There are 16 preset fleet maps listed in the appendix that you can choose and these are usually a good place to start when setting up a Type I
63. s to figure out police fire and emergency medical personnel Other ID s might take some time but determining who each ID represents is half the fun of trunk scanning Searching for CTCSS DCS Tones You can use the CTCSS DCS tone search mode to determine if the frequencies in your area are transmitted with associated tones If the scanner finds a CTCSS or DCS tone the type of tone and the frequency flash on the display Then if you store that frequency into a channel the tone is also stored in the channel Notes You can search for CTCSS DCS tones in scan mode manual mode or chain search mode You cannot search for CTCSS DCS tones while the scanner is scanning a priority channel You might find frequencies that do not have a tone associated with them This might be because CTCSS or DCS tones are not being transmitted If necessary press PRI to turn off priority scan N Hold down CTCSS DCS until you hear two short beeps CTCSS and DCS appear and begin to flash If there is a break before a tone is identified your scanner searches where it left off when the transmission begins again If a CTCSS or DCS tone is found the type of tone CTCSS or DCS and the frequency flash To exit tone search press CTCSS DCS Using Weather Alert SAME Important Your scanner has been primarily designed to be a radio scanner While it incorporates weather alert as one feature we strongly recommend that you not use the scann
64. skip frequencies additional frequencies you program cause the first skipped frequency to unlock Programming Conventional Channels Each of the scanner s banks can hold a mix of conventional channels plus one trunked system This section describes how to store known frequencies into conventional channels You might want to gather all information about the systems you want to monitor before you start to program the scanner The Conventional Scanning Worksheet included in the help file included in the demo software download at http www uniden com makes this easy The first few sections are intended to be performed in the order indicated if you are entering information the first time If you are editing existing information manually select the channel then follow the steps in the appropriate section to access the information you want to change Programming conventional channels is easy just select a channel to program enter the frequency then press E Important Do not use this method to program trunked systems They require additional information to scan correctly See Programming Trunked Systems on Page 41 for more information Changing the Frequency Step The channel frequency step option controls the frequency step size used when you manually tune up or down from the frequency stored in the channel Your BC898T is preprogrammed with the most common step sizes for each band so you seldom need to change t
65. ss the display right to left When the scanner receives a signal on a programmed channel it stops on that channel and displays the channel information The bank indicators A J selected for scanning appear and the bank you are currently monitoring flashes You can deselect banks from active scanning by pressing that bank s key A J The indicator for each deselected bank turns off and the scanner does not scan that bank s channels Note One bank must always be active You cannot deselect all ten banks at the same time If you try to turn off all the banks the scanner automatically selects the first bank To restore a bank to active scanning press the bank s letter The bank s indicator appears 21 Press MANUAL to stop on a channel while scanning Press SCAN to resume scanning Locking Unlocking Banks When you are scanning conventional banks the scanner displays the digit corresponding to all unlocked banks To lock out a bank so that the scanner does not scan its channels press the letter that corresponds to the bank The bank s letter disappears from the display To unlock locked out banks simply press that bank s letter again The bank s letter appears on the display and the scanner includes that bank when scanning Note You cannot lock out all banks One bank must be unlocked at all times Locking Unlocking Channels To lock out a channel so that the scanner does not stop on it while scanning press L O when
66. t of the scanner Remember You must program a channel for tape recording before you can record it See Recording Transmissions on Page 38 for more information Using the Demo Software You can operate your scanner using a personal computer and the free demo software available at http www uniden com If you have installed the software and it is running select Help by right clicking anywhere on the opening screen A selection popup appears Move the cursor to Help BC898TSS Help appears Then click on BC898TSS Help F7Bcs9sT ss E XI Uniden About Registration Help To turn on the computer control feature and set the baud rate hold down RMT on the front of the scanner until you hear two short beeps turn the rotary tuner until the baud rate you want to select appears then press E To cancel computer control hold down RMT until you hear two short beeps turn the rotary tuner until OFF appears then press E Installing The Software Download the software then double click on the install package to begin installation The BC898T SS Install program installs the software You must install the software to use the scanner with your computer After you install the BC898T SS Install program start it by double clicking on the desktop icon or by selecting it in the Start Programs list You can upgrade the included software to a full version by purchasing a registration key at http www uniden com 17 Installing The S
67. t or its antenna away from the source of the noise If possible a higher elevation might provide better reception Also try changing the height or angle of the antenna Cleaning Disconnect the power to the unit before cleaning Clean the outside of the scanner with a mild detergent To prevent scratches do not use abrasive cleaners or solvents Be careful not to rub the LCD window Do not use excessive amounts of water Repairs Do not attempt any repair The scanner contains no user serviceable parts Contact the Uniden Customer Service Center or take it to a qualified repair technician Birdies All radios can receive birdies undesired signals If your scanner stops during Scan mode and no sound is heard it might be receiving a birdie Birdies are internally generated signals inherent in the electronics of the receiver Press L O to lock out the channel then press SCAN to resume scanning Troubleshooting If your BC898T is not performing properly try the following steps Problem Possible Cause Suggestion The scanner doesn t work The scanner might not be receiving any power Make sure the AC adapter is connected to an AC outlet and the scanner If there is a wall switch that controls power to the AC outlet where you connected the AC adapter make sure it is on Improper reception The scanner s antenna might need to be adjusted Check the antenna connection
68. t size code S 12 S 13 or S 14 there are some restrictions as to which blocks can be used for these codes S 12 can only be assigned to Blocks 0 2 4 or 6 S 13 can only be assigned to Blocks 0 and 4 S 14 can only be assigned to Block 0 Since these size codes require multiple blocks you will be prompted for the next available block when programming a fleet map For example if you assign Block 0 as an S 12 you will be prompted for b2 the next block available instead of b1 And if you assign Block 0 as an S 14 you would not see another prompt because it uses all available blocks One Year Limited Warranty Important Evidence of original purchase is required for warranty service WARRANTOR UNIDEN AMERICA CORPORATION Uniden ELEMENTS OF WARRANTY Uniden warrants for one year to the original retail owner this Uniden Product to be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship with only the limitations or exclusions set out below WARRANTY DURATION This warranty to the original user shall terminate and be of no further effect 12 months after the date of original retail sale The warranty is invalid if the Product is A damaged or not maintained as reasonable or necessary B modified altered or used as part of any conversion kits subassemblies or any configurations not sold by Uniden C improperly installed D serviced or repaired by someone other than an authorized Uniden service center for a
69. the US Census bureau called FIPS The format of a FIPS code is DSSCCC Where D area subdivision O entire area SS State code 00 all states CCC County code 000 all counties For example the FIPS code for Tarrant County Texas is 048439 48 Texas 439 Tarrant County Some counties are further subdivided in which cases the first digit will be O for all subdivisions in the county and each subdivision will be labeled 1 9 To program your scanner to alert you when the weather service issues an alert you must set the scanner to the alert mode and then leave the scanner monitoring the weather service You cannot scan and monitor for weather alerts at the same time To limit alerts to a specific area you must also program in the FIPS code s for the area s you want to receive alerts for The scanner can be set to either alert for all areas or only the areas you have programmed You can get FIPS codes for your area by calling the National Weather Service at 1 888 NWR SAME or visit their web site at http Avww nws noaa gov nwr indexnw htm 1 Hold down WX for about 2 seconds to turn on weather alert 2 Hold down E for about 2 seconds If the scanner has not been set to alert for any FIPS code appears If the scanner is set to alert for all FIPS codes ALLrIPS appears If the scanner is set to alert only for the area you programmed F1 appears w Turn the rotary tuner or repeatedly press HOLD or LIMIT V to
70. the scanner is stopped on that channel or manually select the channel and press L O To unlock the channel manually select it and press L O again Restoring All Locked Out Channels You can restore all locked out channels in a bank only when the bank is selected for scan Follow these steps to restore all locked out channels in a bank If you de selected the bank press SCAN then press the bank s letter Press MANUAL Hold down L O for about 2 seconds The scanner beeps twice and unlocks all channels Priority Scanning When priority scan is turned on the scanner checks the priority channels in the unlocked banks every 2 seconds between transmissions If a signal is present on a priority channel the scanner switches to monitor that transmission even if it had been stopped on another channel One channel in each bank is designated as the priority channel To turn priority scan on or off press PRI PRIORITY appears if priority scan is on or disappears if priority scan is off Note If all priority channels in unlocked banks are locked out P CH LOCOuT appears when you try to turn on the priority scan mode Changing the Priority Channel You cannot eliminate the priority channel but you can change it to any of the 50 available channels in each bank Follow these steps to change the priority channel 1 Press MANUAL 2 Usethe keypad to enter the channel number for the new priority channel 3 Press MANUAL 4 Hold dow
71. tility 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 and this frequency selection is made each time a user transmits So while on a conventional system queries replies and follow ups are all on a single frequency they could each be on completely different frequencies on a trunked system This semi random frequency assignment made monitoring such a system impossible prior to Uniden s invention of the Trunktracking scanner Not only does your BC898T scan channels like a conventional scanner it actually follows the users of a trunked radio system Once you know a talk group s ID you won t miss any of the action If you are a new scanner enthusiast you might want to read the first part of this manual and use your scanner in conventional mode before you begin trunk tracking Understanding scanning fundamentals
72. trunking frequency guide contact your local dealer or Uniden Parts Department 800 554 3988 Hours are from 8 00 a m to 5 00 p m Central Time Monday through Friday For more information about Uniden and our other products visit http www uniden com Using a Computer to Control Your BC898T You can operate your scanner using software and a personal computer and cable not included Free demo software is available at http www uniden com You can also purchase a registration key to upgrade the demo software to full functionality Included With Your Scanner uniden IAE EEE e Antenna AC Adapter National Public Safety Owners Manual Trunked System Frequency Guide Frequency Guide If any of these items are missing or damaged immediately contact your place of purchase or Uniden Customer Service at 800 297 1023 8 00 a m to 5 00 p m Central Monday through Friday 14 Installing Your Scanner These guidelines will help you install and use your new scanner If your scanner receives interference or electrical noise move the scanner or its antenna away from the source You might also try changing the height or angle of the telescoping antenna 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 electronics store If the optional antenna has
73. u must have at least one channel programmed to use the scan mode 10 Banks Each bank contains 50 channels large enough for even the largest trunked systems or useful for storing similar frequencies to maintain faster scanning cycles Signal Strength Meter Your scanner s signal strength meter y displays the relative strength of an active transmission using up to E BANK ABCDEF e s E TRUNK SCAN PRIC five separate indicators gem CTCSS and DCS Squelch Modes prevent interference from Pag ag 88 stations not using the mode you select Subaudible Tone Search Lets the scanner search for and identify agencies transmitting CTCSS or DCS tones You can identify up to 50 CTCSS tones and 104 DCS tones This helps you find stations using these tones 17 Bands Includes 17 bands with Aircraft and 800 MHz 25 MHz 956 MHz Your scanner covers an extensive frequency range so you can monitor most of the transmissions in your area Note The scanner s frequency coverage is not continuous and does not include the cellular telephone band 10 Priority Channels You can assign one priority channel in each bank Assigning a priority channel lets you keep track of activity on your most important channel s while monitoring other channels for transmissions VFO Variable Frequency Oscillator Control Turn the large rotary tuner to select a desired frequency or channel AutoStore Automatically stores all active freque
74. ypes of systems you might want to remember these important points e Your scanner defaults to monitor Type II systems however you can change this if the system in your area is different The types of systems are discussed below Your scanner can track more than one trunking system at a time and scan conventional and trunked systems at the same time The frequencies for many of the 800 MHz public safety systems are listed in the National Public Safety Trunked System Frequency Guide included with your BC898T scanner Conventional scanning is a simple concept You enter a frequency used by someone you want to monitor into your scanner s memory For example the police in your area might transmit on 460 500 MHz the fire department on 154 445 MHz the highway department on 37 900 MHz etc So when your scanner stops on a frequency you usually know who it is and more importantly you can stop on a channel and listen to an entire conversation This type of scanning is easy and fun However as the demand for public communications has increased many public radio users do not have enough frequencies to meet their needs creating a serious problem Trunking radio systems help solve this problem Trunked Scanning While conventional scanning worked great while there were only a few groups wanting to use the frequencies with the advent of smaller lower cost radios more and more agencies and businesses wanted to take advantage of the u

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