Uniden BC 278CLT manual

BC 278C LT • FULL Y PROGRAMMABLE • FULL FREQUENCY LCD READOUT • ALARM CLOCK • AM/FM RADIO • SERVICE SCAN • CHANNEL LOCKOUT • PRIORITY CHANNEL • SCAN DELAY • MEMORY BACKUP • EMERGENCY WEATHER ALERT WITH S.A.M.E. 10 BAND, 100 CHANNEL SCANNER R efer e nce Gui d e BC278clt.qxd 3/8/00 7:34 PM Page 101[...]

P r ecautions Bef ore you read anything else , please obser ve the f ollowing: Uniden ® and Bearcat ® are registered trademarks of Uniden America Corporation. 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 jurisdiction. Y our [...]

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 About Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Taking Proper Care of Y our Scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Getti[...]

1 About Scanning Scanning Options Scanning is easy and fun with the BC278CL T 100-Channel Base Scanner with AM/FM Radio. ■ Scan channels you have programmed ■ Scan pre-programmed service and weather channels. What is Scanning? Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most 2-way communications do not transmit continuously (see T ypes of Communic[...]

2 ■ Many more in the 29-54MHz, 108-137MHz, 137-174MHz, 406-512, 108-137MHz, and 806-956MHz ranges ■ AM/FM radio Y ou must program a frequency into each channel you want to use. If you do not have any known local frequencies to program, a Uniden representative should be able to provide you with a few sample frequencies. Where to Obtain More Info[...]

Installing the BC278CL T 1. Insert the small plug at the end of the AC Adapter cord into the AC 10V jack on the scanner . 2. Plug the AC Adapter into any standard 120V AC wall outlet. Do not plug into an outlet controlled by a wall switch; it could cause clock reset. 3. Plug the T elescoping Antenna into the ANT . jack. Extend the antenna to its fu[...]

4 Controls and Functions 1. LCD Display Displays time, channel, frequency , and functions. (Page 6) 2. Numeric Keys Press to program a frequency into each channel for scanning. Also, press for time entries and direct channel access with MANU AL key . And press for channel presets in Radio mode. 3. Decimal Key Press to enter the decimal point in the[...]

5 10. WX/ALERT Key Selects Weather Mode. Also Selects Weather Alert ON/OFF in WX Scan mode and WX Hold Mode and S.A.M.E.mode. 11. ALARM Key T urns on the T one Alarm. T urns the Radio Alarm ON/OFF by pressing the key more than 2 seconds. 12. ALARM SET/D A T A Key Press and hold for 2 seconds to enter the Alarm T ime Set mode. Press less than 2 seco[...]

6 23. ALARM Appears when Alarm function is active. Flashes in the snooze function mode. 24. BANK Appears when in Scan mode, Manual mode and W eather mode. 25. 1-5 In Scan Mode, displays the bank being scanned. In Manual Mode, displays the bank number associated with the channel. 26. SCAN Appears when in Scan mode. 27. PRI Displays when priority fun[...]

7 40. AM,FM Appears when receiving band is AM or FM in Radio mode. 41. P Appears next to the channel that has been assigned as the current priority channel. 42. Channel Represents the current channel 1 through 100. 43. Frequency/Time 7-digit display that shows the current frequency and time. Last digit shows A for a.m. P for p.m. Scanning Overview [...]

8 Initial Clock Set-up 1. When power is initially applied, the display flashes I2:00 P press and hold the TIME SET key until you hear 2 short beeps. 2. Then enter the time directly by pressing the numeric keys. OR Enter the time by pressing the ▼ / ▲ keys. T o scroll through more quickly , press and hold ▼ / ▲ . 3. Press AM/PM to select the[...]

Set the Squelch 1. T urn SQUELCH fully clockwise to the highest setting. 2. Press SCANNER to turn on the scanner . 3. Adjust the V OLUME control until you can hear a steady noise. WEATHER ALERT USING THE SCANNER 9 BC278clt.qxd 3/8/00 7:34 PM Page 9[...]

10 4. T o set the SQUELCH control to AU TO turn fully counterclockwise until control clicks into place. Or , manually set squelch as follows: ■ Think of squelch as a gate. T urn SQUELCH fully counter clockwise. This raises the “ Squelch Gate ” so high that only very strong signals can get through. ■ T urn SQUELCH fully clockwise until you h[...]

11 5. The scanner automatically starts scanning. But if you have not programmed any channels yet, press WX to hear your local weather broadcast. 6. Adjust V OLUME to a comfortable listening level. Programming T ips for scanner ■ Program one frequency per channel. ■ Channel 1 is the location of the default priority channel. Program the most impo[...]

12 Programming Scanner Frequencies Before you can use your BC278CL T scanner , you must program the channels (except weather and service frequencies). Follow these steps: Example: Program 420.150 MHz into Channel 12. 1. Press MANU AL to stop scanning. 2. T o select the channel (12), press 1 , then 2 on the numeric keypad. Then press MANU AL again. [...]

4. Press E to complete the entry . The channel . digits stop flashing. Deleting a Scanner Frequency If you want to delete a stored frequency , follow these steps: Example: Delete the frequency in Channel 12. 1. Press MANU AL to stop scanning. 2. T o select the channel (12), press 1 , then 2 on the numeric keypad. Then press MANU AL again. OR Press [...]

14 . The following screen appears. About Memory Back-up Y our BC278CL T has a convenient memory back-up system. In the event of a power failure, the scanner will retain channel information for an indefinite amount of time. Channel information is stored in non-volatile memory . Scanning Mode Press SCAN . (When the scanner is first turned on, it is a[...]

T o restore the bank number , press the number on the keypad. The bank number appears in the display . . The bank number associated with channel currently being monitored flashes. Manual Mode Press MANU AL any time to stop scanning. The scanner remains on the displayed channel. Press MANU AL to step up to the next channel. If desired, you can press[...]

16 Direct Channel Access This feature allows you to instantly access a specific channel you want to monitor . Example: Select Channel 4. 1. Press MANU AL to exit scan mode. 2. Press 4 . 3. Press MANU AL again to s uccessfully complete the direct access to Channel 4. Priority Scanning Priority Scan works like a dual watch function. When you activate[...]

17 T o Set the Priority Channel Y our BC278CL T has one default Priority Channel per bank. Each priority channel is set at the first channel in the bank. T o change the priority channel, determine the frequency most important to you and program it into the desired channel location. Example: T o set Channel 5 as the priority channel. 1. Press MANU A[...]

18 Channel Lockout Y ou can lock out a channel so it is not scanned. Channel Lockout does not erase the frequency from the channel. Y ou can lock out up to 100 channels, including the Priority channel. Lockout information is retained in the memory when the scanner is turned off. T o Lock out a Channel Example : Suppose you want to lock out Channel [...]

2. Press LOCKOUT again to unlock the displayed channel. L/O no longer appears in the display . Restore All Locked Out Channels T o unlock all channels, you must be in the Manual Mode. 1. Press MANU AL. 2. Press and hold LOCK OUT to unlock all channels. The L/O indicator goes out on any channel previously locked out. Delay In the Scan mode, the dela[...]

20 T o Set Delay in Scan Mode 1. Press SCAN . 2. When your scanner stops on a channel, press DELA Y . DL Y appears in the display and scanning resume 2 seconds after the transmission ends. T o Set Delay in Manual Mode 1. Press MANUAL . 2. Select the channel you want using your keypad. 3. Press MANUAL again. 4. Press DELA Y . DL Y appears in the dis[...]

21 Searching The BC278CL T can search a specific frequency range to find frequencies. T o use the search function, set a search range first. T o set the frequency range Y ou can set the frequency range in Manual mode, Service Scan mode, WX mode, and Search Mode. When you wish to set the frequency range for the first time, you cannot enter Search mo[...]

22 Search Hold mode 1. Press HOLD ▲ or ▼ LIMIT at any time to stop the search. 2. Press HOLD ▲ to move to the next higher frequency , or press ▼ LIMIT to move down to the previous frequency . 3. Press SEARCH to resume searching . Storing Search Frequencies Y ou can quickly store any frequencies you find during search. In Search Hold mode, o[...]

23 Search Skip A scanner normally stops on any transmission it receives. Y ou can set unwanted data signals or transmissions to skip during search (up to 10 frequencies). Press LOCKOUT when the search stops on an unwanted frequency . T o cancel this function, press HOLD ▲ to hold the search and select the frequency by using HOLD ▲ or ▼ LIMIT [...]

24 Press WX/ALERT to find the active weather channel in your area. WX icon appears in the display . It is possible that your area is covered by more than one weather station. When you press WX/ALERT , the BC278CL T immediately finds an active broadcast. If the broadcast sounds weak and distant, press SCAN to look for a closer station. T o exit Weat[...]

25 Weather Alert with S.A.M.E. In Weather Alert with S.A.M.E. 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 whenever your local NOAA weather station broadcasts a sever[...]

About S.A.M.E. Specific Area Message Encoding (S.A.M.E.) are NOAA's coded emergency weather signals that identify a specific geographic area affected by an emergency . The BC278CL T receives the emergency weather alert broadcasts that notify you of weather warnings, watches and statements. When you receive S.A.M.E. for your area, your scanner [...]

27 LCD Backlight The LCD backlight comes on when the power is applied. In Scan mode, Manual mode, and Weather mode, the backlight stays on bright continuously . In the other modes, the backlight stays bright for ten seconds and then switches to dim. Press any key and the display switches back to bright for ten seconds. Programming Radio AM/FM Frequ[...]

28 3. Press ▼ or ▲ to set the desired frequency . The channel number flashes. Continue to press ▼ or ▲ to step through the frequencies in 100kHz steps. Or , press and hold ▼ or ▲ to step through the frequencies more quickly until 92.5000MHz appears in the display . 4. Press E to complete the entry . The channel digits stop flashing. 5. [...]

29 Deleting a Stored Radio Frequency If you want to delete a stored frequency , follow these steps: Example: Delete the frequency in Channel 9. 1. Press RADIO AM/FM to enter into the Radio mode. 2. T o select the channel (9), press 9 on the numeric keypad. 3. Press the ▼ or ▲ keys until 000.0000 appears in the display . (In FM 000.0000 is betwe[...]

30 Reset the Clock T ime 1. T o reset the clock time, simply press and hold the TIME SET key . The display digits flash. 2. Enter the time directly by pressing the numeric keys. OR Enter the time by pressing the ▼ / ▲ keys. 3. Press AM/PM to select the desired setting either a.m. or p.m. 4. Press E to complete the entry . The display stops flas[...]

31 Set the Alarm T ime There are two types of alarm sounds with this scanner , T one Alarm and Radio Alarm. Alarm time is set in the same manner for both types of alarm. 1. After the clock time has been entered, press and hold ALARM SET until the time indicated and ALARM indicator flashes in the display . 2. Enter the alarm time directly by pressin[...]

32 4. Press E to complete the entry . 5. ALARM indicator and time stop flashing, but remain on. 6. The alarm time remains in the display for five seconds, then returns to current time. Set Alarm to T one Mode Press ALARM to turn on the alarm function. The ALARM indicator and current alarm time are displayed. When the alarm goes off, it will sound a[...]

33 T urn the Alarm Off Press ALARM to deactivate the alarm function. When the alarm is off, the ALARM indicator and current alarm time are no longer displayed. Only the current time displays. If you find the T one Alarm too loud, select the Radio Mode instead. The volume is adjustable. If you would like to listen to the scanner while waking up, tur[...]

34 Set Alarm to Radio Mode Before you set the Radio Alarm, make sure an AM or FM channel has been selected and the VOLUME control is set to the desired level. Y ou must be in Clock mode(scanner off) to be woken up by the radio alarm. 1. Press OFF . 2. Press and hold ALARM for more than 2 seconds. When the alarm is on, the ALARM and RADIO icons flas[...]

35 Helpful Hints General Use ■ T urn the scanner off before disconnecting the power . ■ Always write down the programmed frequencies in the event of scanner memory loss. ■ If scanner memory is lost, simply reprogram each channel. The display shows when there has been a memory loss. ■ Always press each keypad button firmly until you hear the[...]

36 Problem Solution ■ Check the connections at both ends of the AC Adapter . ■ T urn on the wall switch of your room. Y ou could be using an outlet controlled by the wall switch. ■ Move the AC Adapter to another wall outlet. ■ Scanner won ’ t power up. ■ Poor reception. ■ Check antenna connection. ■ Move the antenna. ■ If the prog[...]

37 Problem Solution ■ Scan won ’ t stop. ■ Adjust squelch to the threshold (Page 9). ■ Check the antenna connection. ■ Check to see if many of the channels are locked out. If so, the scanner has less chance of finding an active channel. ■ Review each channel ’ s frequency to see if it is correct and no memory has been lost. ■ It is [...]

38 Certified in accordance with FCC Rules and Regulations Part 15 Sub-part C as of date of manufacture. Band Coverage: 12 bands plus Weather Channel and AM/FM Radio Frequency Coverage: Scanner 29.0000-29.6950 MHz 10 Meter Amateur Band 29.7000-49.9950 MHz VHF Low Band 50.0000-54.0000 MHz 6 Meter Amateur Band Above bands in 5 kHz steps 108.0000-136.9[...]

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40 W ARRANTOR: UNIDEN AMERICA CORPORA TION (“Uniden”) ELEMENTS OF W ARRANTY: 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. W ARRANTY DURA TION: This warranty to the original user shall terminate and b[...]

THANK YOU FOR PURCHASING THIS UNIDEN PRODUCT! © 1999 Uniden America Corporation UBZZ01304ZZ All rights reserved • Printed in Philippines Covered under one or more of the following U.S. patents: 4,219,821 4,270,217 4,398,304 4,409,688 4,455,679 4,461,036 4,521,915 4,597,104 4,627,100 4,841,302 4,888,815 4,932,074 4,947,456 5,014,348 5,199,109 5,4[...]