Uniden BC246T manual

BC246T OWNER’S MANUAL OW N E R ’S M A N UA L BC2 46T Paper O M 06 2405 .fm Pag e 1 Tues day , Jun e 2 8, 2005 10 :12 AM[...]

2 Precautions Precauti ons Before you use this scanner , please read and observe the follo wing . IMP ORT ANT! This scanning radio has b een m anufac tured so that it will not tune to the r adio f requ encies assigned by the F CC for cellular telephon e usage. T he Electronic Commun icat ions Privacy Act of 1986, as amended, makes i t a federal cri[...]

3 Precautions W ARNING! Uniden doe s not represent this unit to be waterproof. T o reduce the risk of fire o r el e ctrical shock, do n ot expose th is unit to rain or moi sture. Moto rol a ® , SM ARTNET ® , PL ® , Private Line ® , DPL ® , Di gi t al Pr iv at e L i ne ® , and PRIV ACY PLUS ® are registered tradema rks of Motorola, Inc. LT R [...]

4 Contents Contents The FC C Wan ts You to Know .. ... .... .... .... .... .... ... .... .... .... .... ... .... .... ..... 8 Scan ning Le gall y .... .... .... .... .... ... .... .... .... .... .... ... .... .... .... .... ... ........ .... . 8 Int rodu cti on .... .... .... ... ........ .... .... ... .... .... .... .... .... ... .... .... .... ..[...]

5 Contents Lockin g/ Unl ocki ng Ch anne ls ....... .... .... .... .... ... .... .... .... .... ... .... .... .... . 4 3 ID Sca n/I D Se arc h Mo d e .. .... ... .... .... .... .... .... ... .... .... ........ ... .... .... .... . 4 4 Temp ora ril y Hol di ng O n a S yste m ... ........ .... ... .... .... .... .... ... .... .... .... . 4 4 Holdin g[...]

6 Contents Editi ng the Fl ee t Map (M otoro la Sys tems O nly ) ...... .... ... .... .... ... 6 7 Setti ng the Mo tor ola S ta tus Bi t (M o torol a S yste ms O nly ) .... .... ... 6 7 Setti ng the End Code Operatio n (Mo tor ola Syste m s Only) .. .... ... 68 Setti ng I-Ca ll (Mot oro la a nd EDACS Sy stem s O nly) ... ... .... ....... 6 8 Setti [...]

7 Contents Settin g Data Skip . .... .... .... ....... .... .... .... .... .... ... .... .... .... .... ... .... .... .... . 92 Settin g the Delay Tim e .... .... ... .... .... .... .... ....... .... .... .... .... ... .... .... .... . 9 2 Settin g the Se ar ch Fr equ en cy Ste p ........ .... ... .... .... .... .... ... .... .... .... . 9 3 Using [...]

8 The FCC Wants You to Know The FCC W ants Y ou to Know This scanne r has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a s canning rece iver , p ursuant to P art 1 5 of the FCC Rule s . T hese limits a re de signed to provide reasona ble p rotect ion agai nst har mful inter fer ence in a resi denti al i nstal lat ion. T his s canner generat [...]

9 The FCC Wants You to Know According to the E l ectronic Comm unications Privacy Act (ECP A), you are subject t o fines and possib le imprisonment for intentionally listening to, u sing, or divulging the con tents of suc h a c on versation unl ess you have the conse nt of a p arty to the conversation (unless such activity is otherwise illegal). T [...]

10 Introduction Intro duc tion Y our B C246T scanner is a state-of-the-art sc anne r radio with T runkTr a cking™ and aut omatic scannin g capabilities. Y ou can store f requen cies suc h as po lice, fire/eme rgency , marine, air , am ateur , and other commu nications into the scanner . Y ou can carry it wi th you wherever you go, use it at home [...]

11 Introduction 29.7-49.990 10 NFM VHF Low Band 50.0-54.0 20 NFM 6 Meter Amateur Band 108.0- 136.9750 25 AM Air craf t Ba nd 137.0- 143.9875 12. 5 NFM Milita ry B an d 144.0- 147.995 5N F M 2 M e t e r Amateur Band 148.0- 150.7875 12.5 NFM M ilita ry Land Mobile 150.800- 161.995 5 NF M V HF High Band 162.0-174.0 12.5 NFM Fe deral Go vernmen t 216.0[...]

12 Feature Highlights Feature Highlight s Genera l Close Call TM R F C aptu r e T ech nolo gy - you c an s et the scanner so it detects and provides information about nearby radio transmissi ons. See “Using the Close Cal l Featu re” on Page 86 for more information. Dynamica lly Allo cated Ch annel M emory - y our scan ner ’s memo ry is orga n[...]

13 Feature Highlights Dr opou t D el ay – Y ou c an set whether the scanner pauses a t the end of a trans mission to wait f or a rep ly . Y ou can set the d elay time for each system you scan, and while searching and using the Close Call feature. Att enu ator – Y ou can set the scanner ’s attenuator to reduce the input strength of strong sign[...]

14 Feature Highlights 21 Ban ds – I nclude s 21 band s, wit h Air craft and 800 MHz. Not e : The scanner’ s frequ ency cov erage is n ot cont inuous and doe s not i nclude the cel lular te lephone b and. T runk T rackin g T runk T ra cker ™ O peration – F ollows c onversations on analog Mo torola, EDACS, EDACS SCA T , and L T R trunked radi[...]

15 Feature Highlights Auto Sto r e Fre que n cy Aut oS to re – A utoma tically stores all active frequencie s within a sy st em you select. T a lk Group ID Aut oSt ore – A utom atically stores all new talk group ID’s into a sy stem you select . Pri ori ty Prio rity Sc an – Priority channels let you keep track of activity on your most i m po[...]

16 Feature Highlights Clone M ode – Y o u can clone all prog rammed data, including the con tents of the scan ner ’s mem ory , menu settings, and other parameters from one BC 246T scanner to another BC246T scanne r . Ab ou t Th is Manu al The screen displ ays used in this manual are representations of what m ight a ppear wh en you use your scan[...]

17 Feature Highlights Entering Text T o enter a letter , turn the s croll cont rol u ntil the cha racter y ou w ant app ears, T o ente r a num ber , press a number key . T o enter a decimal point, press . T o move the cursor to the lef t, hold then press /4 or rotate the sc roll control to the lef t . T o m o ve th e c ur s o r to th e r ig ht , h [...]

18 Understanding Scanning Und erst a ndin g Scan ning This sec tion provides you with backgroun d on ho w scannin g wo rks. Y ou don ’t reall y need to kno w al l o f this to use your scanner , but some background knowledg e will help you g et t he mos t from your BC 246T . Un de rstandi ng th e S cann er ’ s Me mo ry Y o ur s cann er ’s mem [...]

19 Understanding Scanning cycle r e sumes until t he scanner receives another transmi ssion. Wh at is S ear chin g ? The BC24 6T can search each of its 21 bands and up to 10 band s together t o find a ctive frequ encies. This i s different from s canni ng b ecause you are searc hing f or frequencie s t hat have not be en p rogrammed into the scanne[...]

20 Understanding Scanning frequency . The s tations m ight even in terfere w ith each other to the p oint whe re it is im possib le to clearly rec eive any o f the stations. A sca nner equ ipped with CTCSS and DCS (like you r scanner) can c ode ea ch received frequency with a specific CTCSS or DCS frequenc y . Then, when you receive multiple signal[...]

21 Understanding Scanning Co nv en ti on al Scan n ing Conventional sc anning is a relativel y s imple concept. Each group of users in a conventional s ystem is assi gned a singl e fr equenc y (for s imple x sys tems) or t wo fre quen cies ( for r epea ter systems). Any t ime one of them transmi ts , their t ransmissi on a lways go es out on the sa[...]

22 Understanding Scanning Repeater Operation Repeat er sy stems use two f requenci es: one t rans mit s from the rad io to a cent ral repea ter; the ot her transmi t s from the re peate r to othe r ra dios i n the sy stem. With a r epeate r- based system , the re peate r is l ocated on top of a tal l building or on a radio tow er that provides grea[...]

23 Understanding Scanning you usually know wh o it is, a nd more imp ortantly , you can stop o n a channe l a nd l isten to an e ntire c onversat ion. This t ype of s canning is eas y a nd fun. Howeve r , as the de mand f or p ublic com munications ha s increased , ma ny pub lic radio us ers do not h av e en ough frequencie s to meet their needs, c[...]

24 Understanding Scanning trunked radio system . Once you know a tal k 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 conventiona l mode before you begin trunk tracking. Understanding scanning fundam entals and t erminolog y will mak[...]

25 Understanding Scanning maps are include d in “P reset F leet M aps” on Page 105. Y ou c an also find fleet map resources on the web. Motorola T ype II – t he rad ios o nly sen d the radio ID and radio channel code to the control channel. The central comput er keeps a data base o f radio ID’s and w hich ta lk group is assigned to which ch[...]

26 Understanding Scanning For example , 01 might be used by the police, 02 by ambula nce serv ice, 03 by the f ire departmen t, and so on. Each agen cy is then subdi vided up to 16 t imes to provid e fleet identification, and then 8 more times to identify subfleets. For exam ple , the com plete AFS f or the Police Department West Dis trict ’ s di[...]

27 Understanding Scanning H = Home repeater (01 through 20) U = Us er ID (00 0 through 254 ) When th e scan ner rec eives a transmi ssio n on a chan nel set to th e L TR m ode, it fi rst decodes the L TR dat a in clud ed with the transm ission . In the ID search mode, the sc anner st ops on th e tra nsmissi on a nd dis plays the t alk grou p ID on [...]

28 Understanding Scanning Y ou c an also call them at 1 800 SCANNER (hou rs a re from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p .m. Easte rn Ti m e Mo nday through Friday). • http://www .radioreference.com * - the Internet's premier sourc e for u ser-su pported radio syste m information. • http://www .bearcat1.com - frequency information from National Comm uni[...]

29 Included With Your Scanner Included With Y our Scanner If any of t h ese items are missing or dama ged, immediately c ontact your place of purchas e or Uniden Custom er Service at: (80 0) 29 7-1023, 8 :00 a. m. to 5:00 p.m., Cen tral, Monday t hrough Friday . Setting Up Your Scanner Own er s Sc anne r AC Ad apt er and ot he r Belt Cli p V o l S [...]

30 Setting Up Your Scanner These g uidelines will help y ou install and set up your new scanner: • If your s cann er receives interference or electrical noise, mov e the sc anner or its antenna away f rom the source. • T o improve the scanner ’s recep tion, use an o ptional external antenna designe d for multi-band coverage. (Y ou ca n p urch[...]

31 Setting Up Your Scanner Be for e i ns tallin g b att erie s, se t t he sw itch in t he batt ery compartment to m atch t he type of b atteries you wi ll use. Sel ect REG . ALK. BA TT . for non-rechargeab le battery types an d NI -MH. BA TT . for rechargeable battery types. See also “Using Rechargeable Batteries” on Page 32 when you use rechar[...]

32 Setting Up Your Scanner 3. Replace t he cover . When flashes and the scanner beeps every 15 seconds, rep lace both batteries. Us ing R e char g eable B atte rie s Y ou c an also use two rechargeable batteries to power your scanner . Be fore you us e rechargeab le batteries, you must charge them. The sc ann er has a built-in circuit t hat le ts y[...]

33 Setting Up Your Scanner Rem ov ing th e Di sp lay S tic ker Before you use the scanne r , use your thumb and forefinger to rem ove the protective pl astic sticker over t he display . Using AC Power Y ou c an power the scanner using the supplied 6V , 500 m A AC adapter. T o use the scanner on AC power , plug the AC adapter into a st a ndard AC ou[...]

34 Setting Up Your Scanner Co nn ec ti ng an E a rpho n e/ He adpho n e For private listening, you can plug a 1 / 8 -inch (3.5 mm) mini-plug earph one or h eadphones (not supplied) i nto the headphone j ack on top o f y our scanne r . This au tomat ically disconne cts th e interna l speak er . See “Earphone Warning” at the front of the manual f[...]

35 Setting Up Your Scanner At t ach in g th e Wrist Strap T o keep your scanner safe ly close at ha nd, use the supplied wrist strap. Push the small loop on one end of the wrist s trap through the lug on t he right side of the scanner , then thread the ot her end of the wrist strap bac k through the sm all loo p to secu re it. Installin g th e De m[...]

36 Setting Up Your Scanner A L o ok A t Th e K eypad Y our s canner's key s h ave vario us f unctions l abeled on the key tops and below the keys . T o select the function labeled on a key , simply press the key . T o sel ect the func tion labeled bel ow a key , h old down on t he left side of the scanner the n p ress th e key . appears on the[...]

37 Setting Up Your Scanner L/ O L/O – Lets you l ock out a sele cted chan nel or sk ip a specified frequency . Press and h old for more than 2 seconds to lock al l g roups and ch annels i n a system. + L/ O – Press quickl y to l ock and un lock a selected syst em in Scan or Scan Hold mode and review search lockout frequenci es in Search or Sear[...]

38 Setting Up Your Scanner 2/ Wx 2 – Enters a 2 . + WX – S elects the weather funct ion in t he menu in t h e Hold mode. /4 4 – E nte rs a 4. + – Mov es the active character to the lef t whil e editing dat a. 6/ 6 – E nte rs a 6. + – Mov es the active character t o the righ t while editing data. 7/ Rc l 7 – Enters a 7. + Rc l – Disp[...]

39 Setting Up Your Scanner A Lo ok At Th e Display The d isplay has i ndicators t hat show the s canne r's current op erating status. The d isplay informa tion he lp s you understand how y our scanner o perates. The dark area shown abov e the icons in th is illus tr ation is the text display area. Information about the currently tuned frequenc[...]

40 Setting Up Your Scanner Using M enu Press on the left side of the s canner to ent er the menu. See “Using the Menu” on Page 46 for more informat ion about the scanner ’s menu option s. Usin g Fun c T o select t he fun ctio n labe led bel ow a key on t he fr ont of the scanner , hold down on t he left side of the scanner , then press that k[...]

41 Basic Operation Basic Op eration T urnin g O n the S can ner an d Sett ing t he Sque lch Note: Make sure the scanner's antenna i s c onnected before you turn it on. 1. Turn Sql fully count erclockw ise. 2. P ress and hold fo r about 2 s econds t o turn on the scanner , t hen turn Vo l clockwise until you hear a hissing s oun d. 3. Turn Sql [...]

42 Basic Operation operat e simi larly , but all unlock ed cha nne ls are scann ed at l east one time regardles s of t he hold t ime set ting. Preprogrammed System Tips All systems preprogramm ed into the scanner are assigne d to quick key 9. T o turn the preprogram med syste ms o n or off , sim ply press 9 while s canning. Notes: • The syst ems [...]

43 Basic Operation continue to h old and press L/O to either l ock out or unlock the system . Sel ect in g Syst em Ch an ne l G rou ps Within a system, you can assign groups of channels to a group quick key (see “Setting the G roup Quick Key ” on Page 72). Follow these st eps to ac tivate o r deac tivate a c hann el group within a system wh ile[...]

44 Basic Operation Y ou c an also lock out an active channel by pressing L/O while the sc anner is stopped on t he cha nnel. ID Scan /ID S earch Mo de While you a re sc anning a t runked system , the scanner can be in either ID Scan or I D Searc h mode: • ID Scan – the scanner only stops on talk group ID’s that you ha ve prog rammed into t he[...]

45 Basic Operation 3. T o quick -store th e chan nel or talk group ID, press E . Otherwise , press No . If you enter a f req uency then press E , the s canner stores it in t he Q ck Sa ve Grp group in a system called Qck Sa ve Cnv Sy s . Thes e a re creat ed if they do no t exist. Then, the scanner p ro mpts you to s ave other chan nel settings. If[...]

46 Using the Menu Using the Menu The scann er ’s menu lets y ou select options that let you set up and use th e scanne r . T o use the menu, press on the lef t side of the scanner . I n mos t cas es, t he current menu position appears on the u pper line of the menu. Menu items and a place to input information appe ar on the lower line of the menu[...]

47 Using the Menu Set up priority options. “Priority Scan” on Page 48. Set up weath er opti ons. “Using Weather Ale rt (SAM E)” o n Page 94. Set up bac klight opti ons. “Using the Ba ck ligh t” o n Page 49. Set up key beep opti ons. “Adjusting the Key B eep” on Page 48. Set up battery sa ve opti ons. “T urning Power Save O n o r O[...]

48 Other Settings Othe r Se tt ing s Di sp lay ing S yst em I nfo rm ati on V iewing Memory Used   See S ca nne r Info  E  % Memo ry Us ed  E A bar showing the percent of memory used appears. Press any key t o return to t he p revious menu , then press Scan or Hold . V iewing the Firmware V e rsion   See S ca nne r Info  E ?[...]

49 Other Settings Or , while holding on a ny chann el, press + 1/Pri to select o ne o f th ese priority modes: • Pr ior ity Of f : Normal scanning • Pr ior ity On : Whi l e scanning a conventional system , the scanner interrupts every 2 seconds and checks the p riority channe ls in each unl ocked c onven tional system. P riority chann els in lo[...]

50 Other Settings T o initialize the sca nner ’s mem ory , turn off the s canner . Then, press 2 , 9 , and Ho ld wh ile tu rn ing it on. Using the PC Co ntr ol an d Cl onin g Opti ons Use the included connect ion cable to connect your scanner to another BC246T scanne r or y o ur personal comput er .   Xfer In fo rmat ion  E • PC Co nt [...]

51 Other Settings • 1920 0 bp s T he baud rate is set to 19,200 bps. • 3840 0 bp s T he baud rate is s e t to 38,400 bps. • 5760 0 bp s T he baud rate is s e t to 57,600 bps. Cloning the Scanner T o clone (cop y) da ta from on e BC2 46T sca nner t o ano ther BC246T scanner , you must firs t co nnect the scanners to each other using the includ[...]

52 Programming Radio Systems Programming Radio Syst ems Y our B C246T c omes pre program med with the m ajor analog system s used in the 25 most populous count ies in the US. However , to get the mos t enjoyment from your scanner (espec ially if you do not live near one of thes e cou nti es) , y ou m ust cus tomi z e the p r ogr ammin g for y our a[...]

53 Programming Radio Systems Pr og r amm ing C o nve nti on al Sys t ems  Pr ogr am Sys teM  E  Ne w Syste m  E  Conve nti onal  E  Conf irm ?  E The sc anner creat es an empty conventional system, wi th a def ault n ame of Syst em nnn C . nnn i nc r eme nts as you add new systems. C indicates that t his is a conven tional s[...]

54 Programming Radio Systems Refer to the ap propriate sect ion t o set g roup-wide option s: • See “E n tering/Editing t he Group Name” o n Page 71 • See “Setting the Group Quick Key ” on Page 72 • See “Deleting Grou ps” on Page 73 • See “Setting System Lockou t” on Pag e 64 • See “E n tering/Editing Con ventional Chann[...]

55 Programming Radio Systems • 80 0MHz St an da rd - Use for 8 00 M Hz systems that use the standa rd ban d p lan • 800M Hz S plinte r - Use for 8 00 MHz systems tha t use the spl inter ba nd p lan (typically ne ar in ternational borders) • 900M Hz Ba nd - Us e for 9 00 MHz systems • VHF B and - Use for VHF systems • UHF Ba nd - U se for [...]

56 Programming Radio Systems • See “Reviewing Lo cked O ut Frequ encies” o n Page 89 • See “Setting System Attenuation (T runked Systems Only)” on P age 70 • See “Deleting Systems ” on Page 71 • See “Copying Systems ” on Page 71 • See “Setting System Frequencies ” on Page 56 • See “Entering/Edit ing Motorola Channe[...]

57 Programming Radio Systems Next, refer to the appropri ate section to set group-wide option s: • See “Entering/Editing the Group Name” on Page 71 • See “Setting the Group Quick Key ” on Page 72 • See “Deleting Groups” o n Page 73 • See “Copying Systems ” on Page 71 • See “E n tering/Editing Motorola Channe ls” on Pag[...]

58 Programming Radio Systems T o program ano ther channel within the s ame group, pres s , then re peat the above. T o create anot her channel grou p and en ter more chann els, press three times, then proceed from “Entering/Editing Motorola Channel Groups” on Page 56. Progra mming ED ACS Systems  Pr ogr am Sys teM  E  Ne w Syste m  [...]

59 Programming Radio Systems • See “Set ting the EDA CS ID Form at (EDACS S ystems Only)” on P age 69 • See “Reviewing Lo cked O ut Frequ encies” o n Page 89 • See “Setting Channel Attenuation (Convent ional Channels O nly)” o n Page 77 • See “Deleting Systems ” on Page 71 • See “Copying Systems ” on Page 71 • See ?[...]

60 Programming Radio Systems • See “E n tering/Editing t he Group Name” o n Page 71 • See “Setting the Group Quick Key ” on Page 72 • See “Deleting Grou ps” on Page 73 • See “Editing the Channel Name” on Page 73 • See “S e tting Group Loc kout” o n P age 72 Entering/Editing EDACS Ch annels   Edit Ch an nel  E [...]

61 Programming Radio Systems When the scanner promp ts Confi rm? , press E to accept the setti ngs. The scanner cre ates an empty L TR system, with a default name of System nn N L . nNn incr ements as you add new systems. L indicates that this is an L TR system. Next, refer to the appropri ate section to set sys tem -wide options. For most settings[...]

62 Programming Radio Systems Sett ing Up a Channel G roup   E D IT GR OUP  E    N E W GROU P  E The sc ann er creates a group with a defau lt name of GROU P nn . nn increments by one for each new group you create with in a system. Next, refer to the appropri ate section to set group-wi de option s: • See “E n tering/Editing[...]

63 Programming/Editing Optional Settings Programming/Editing Opti onal Settings This section details the instructions for each of the optional program ming steps referr e d to in “ Programm ing Radio Systems” on Pag e 52. Use the inst ructions in the appro priate section to enter or ed it a s etting. Sy stem -Le vel Se ttin gs These setti ngs a[...]

64 Programming/Editing Optional Settings Edit Sy s Op tion  E  Set Qui ck Key  E Afte r s el e c tin g th i s op tio n, p re s s 0 - 9 to assign the system to a quick key or press No to a ssign the system t o no qu ic k ke y , t hen pr es s E . Hints : • Y ou c an assign as many syst ems to the same quick key as you want. • Preprogram [...]

65 Programming/Editing Optional Settings Notes: • If you select 0, the scanner stays on the syst e m f o r a minimal time (onl y lon g en ough to check curren t sys tem a cti vity). • The default sett ing is 2 s e conds for ea ch syst em. • For convention al systems, all unlocked channels wi l l be scanned at least once regardless of t h is s[...]

66 Programming/Editing Optional Settings ID S e arch - the scanner stops o n an y transmi ssion for unlocke d talk group ID 's. Note: Y ou c an also change this setting by pressing Scan while s canning t he syst em. Setting th e Base Frequency/Step/Offset (Motorola UHF/VHF System s Only)  pr ogr am sys tem  E  Sel ect the system  E[...]

67 Programming/Editing Optional Settings Notes: • This setting is ignored for AM channels. • The d efault s etting for t his fe ature is On . Editing the Fleet Map (Motorola Systems Only)  pr ogr am sys tem  E  Sel ect the system  E  Edit Sy s Op tion  E  Edit Flee t Ma p  E For Moto rola T ype I syste ms, y o u must ent[...]

68 Programming/Editing Optional Settings Motorola system s use talk g roup ID's in multiples of 16. ID nu mbe rs that fall bet ween these I D's in dicate s pecial sta tus fl ags f or the system. This s etting determin es how the scanner wi ll handl e ID's that are not multiples o f 16. Select y our setting t hen press E . Ignor e - t[...]

69 Programming/Editing Optional Settings On - th e scanne r tr acks I-calls. Press E to select. Of f - the sc ann er ignores I-calls. P ress E to se lect. Only - th e scanner only t racks I-call s and ignores other radio traf fi c on the syste m. Press E to se lect. Note: T he default s etting i s Of f . Setting Emergency Alert (Motorola and EDACS [...]

70 Programming/Editing Optional Settings Notes: • The sc ann er defaul ts to A FS (agency , fleet, subfleet) format - the form at used in most EDACS system s. • See “E DACS T runking” on P ag e 25 f or more information about t he AFS f ormat. Setting Control-Channel On ly (Motorola Systems Only)  pr ogr am sys tem  E  Sel ect the s[...]

71 Programming/Editing Optional Settings Deleting Systems  pr ogr am sys tem  E  Sel ect the system  E  Delet e S ystem  E The sc anner prompts you t o confirm deletio n. T o c on firm, press E . T o canc el, p ress No . Notes: • Delet ed syst ems cannot be rest ored. Y ou m u st re-enter them . • Y ou cannot restor e preloade[...]

72 Programming/Editing Optional Settings 3. Repe at St eps 1 and 2 until you have e ntere d the syste m name. T hen pr ess E or press down on the scroll control to accept the setting. Hints : • Each group nam e can be up t o 16 characters. Abbreviate as necessary to fit. • The g roup a nd system nam e alternate i n the top l ine of the display [...]

73 Programming/Editing Optional Settings Locko ut - the group is not s canned . Unlo cked - the gro up i s sc anned. Note: T he default set ting i s Unlocked . Deleting Groups  pr ogr am sys tem  E  Sel ect the system  E  Edit Gr oup  E  Select t he group  E  Delet e G roup  E The sc anner prompts you t o confirm delet[...]

74 Programming/Editing Optional Settings Hints : • Each channel nam e can be up to 16 cha racters. Abbreviate as necessary to fit. • The c hannel nam e app ears on the s econd line of the display whe n t he scanner st ops on a channel. • If you do not enter a channel nam e, t h e scanne r displays the frequen cy (for conventional systems) o r[...]

75 Programming/Editing Optional Settings Setting Channel Alert  pr ogr am sys tem  E  Sel ect the system  E  Edit Gr oup  E  Select t he group  E  Edit Ch an nel  E  Select t he channel  E  Set A ler t  E This setting controls whether the scanner will alert you when the channel becomes active. Select your s[...]

76 Programming/Editing Optional Settings CTCSS - t he s canner onl y op ens s quelch if t he C TCSS tone you select is also present with t h e signal. The scanner then prompts you to enter or sc roll to the des ired tone. DCS - the scann er only opens squelch if the DCS tone you select is also present with the s i gnal. The scanner then prompts you[...]

77 Programming/Editing Optional Settings Note: T he default s etting i s AUT O . Setting Channel Attenuatio n (Conventional Channels O nly)  pr ogr am sys tem  E  Sel ect the system  E  Edit Gr oup  E  Select t he group  E  Edit Ch an nel  E  Select t he channel  E  Se t At ten uator  E This setting control[...]

78 Programming/Editing Optional Settings This set ting selects the frequenc y ste p use d for set ting the channel's. Select your setting, then press E . Aut o - the ste p is based on the band (see t he table at the front of the manual) 5.0 k Hz, 6.2 5 kHz, 7.5 kHz , 10.0 kHz, 12.5 kHz, 15 .0 kHz, 20.0 kHz , 25.0 kHz, 50 .0 kHz, 10 0.0 kHz - T[...]

79 Programming/Editing Optional Settings Edit Ch an nel  E  Select t he channel  E  Delet e C hann el  E The sc anner prompts you t o confirm deletio n. T o c on firm, press E . T o canc el, p ress No . Note: Deleted chan nels cannot be restored. Y ou mu st re-enter them . Copying/Pasting Channels T o copy a c hannel i ncluding al l [...]

80 Searching and Storing Sea r ching an d S t oring Se rv ice S ea rch Service Search lets you quickly select and search the scanner ’s preprogrammed search ranges. During service search, t he scanner sea rche s starting w ith the lowest frequency in the search r a nge you select to the highest frequency in the range. 1. P ress t hen turn the scr[...]

81 Searching and Storing • If the service you select uses c hannels (such as CB radio or m arine), the scanner d isplays t he service chann el number . Quic k S ear ch Quick Search let s you search from the currently-tuned frequency if you are scann ing a conventional system or sets the system to ID search i f you are scanni ng a trunked syst em.[...]

82 Searching and Storing with the lowes t frequenc y in t he search rang e you s elect to the high est frequency in t he range. Notes: • Search ranges a r e preset. S ee “E d iting a Cu stom Search R ange ” on P age 82 t o change the range . • Y ou c annot turn off all custom search ra nges. 1. P ress t hen turn the scroll con trol until Se[...]

83 Searching and Storing 1. P ress t hen turn the scroll con trol until Se arch Fo r ... appears. Then press E . Or press and Sr ch , then No . On e of the search feature options appear . 2. Turn t he scroll control until E DIT C UST OM appears , then press E to sele ct it. 3. Turn t he scroll control until the nam e of the custom search range you [...]

84 Searching and Storing Selecting a System T o store frequencies or talk group ID ’ s you find during Auto S tore , you must f irst selec t a syst em where the frequencie s or talk group I D’s will be stored. 1. P ress t hen turn the scroll con trol until Se ar ch For ... appea rs. T hen press E . O ne o f th e search feature op tions appear. [...]

85 Searching and Storing searching . The scanner creates this group if i t does not already ex ist. Storing a T runked System Y ou can st ore t alk g roup ID’ s into t h e system you selecte d in “Selecting a System”. Otherwise, the scanner stores talk group ID’s in a ne w group it crea tes. Note: T runked sy stem search and store does not [...]

86 Using the Close Call Feature Using t he Close Cal l Feature Y our s canner's Cl ose Ca ll TM feature lets you set the scanner so it detects, displays the frequency of, and lets you he ar a nearby stron g radio transm ission. Y ou can set the scanner so the Close Call f eature work s "in t h e backgroun d" whi le you are scanning o[...]

87 Using the Close Call Feature Set ting Close Cal l Op ti ons 1. Press the n tu rn the scr oll c ontrol until Close Call appe ar s. T he n pre ss E . Clo se C al l fe atur e o pt ion s ap pear. 2. Turn t he scroll control to select an option . • Close Ca ll O nly : Le ts you set the scanne r only f or Close Call searching. The scanner does not s[...]

88 Using the Close Call Feature appear for about 3 sec on ds. Press E when t his appears to jump to and hold on the f req uency . If this opt ion is turned on, the scanner overrides the current chann el and goes to the Close Call hit. The scanner displays CC Fo und ! Pre ss A ny Key . When you press a key , the frequency is displayed. T urn the scr[...]

89 Search and Close Call Options Search and Clos e C all Option s The setting s in thi s secti on af fect custom se arches, service searches, and Close Call operation. Mana ging Lock ed-O ut Fre quenc ies While searching or during Close Call operation, i f you press L/O w hile the s cann er is stopped on a f requency , that freq uency is lo cked ou[...]

90 Search and Close Call Options Note: This feature does not operate when the scanne r i s in A M m odulatio n mode . Scre ening Ou t Paging Systems   Srch/ Clo Call Op t  E  Pag e r Sc ree n  E This set ting determin es whe ther the s canne r automat ically ignores transmission s found during searching or Close Call ope ration that [...]

91 Search and Close Call Options On The sc anner au tomatically applie s repeater rev erse to detect ed transm issions. If th e scanne r det ects the transmi ssion o n the out put fr equency , it b eeps, REPE ATE R FIND ap pears , and it remains on the output freque ncy un til transmi ssions end. If it does not detec t a t ransmissio n on the outpu[...]

92 Search and Close Call Options Se tti ng At tenu at ion   Srch/ Clo Call Op t  E  Se t At ten uatio n  E This setting controls the attenuator for quick search and Close Cal l operati on. Sele ct you r setting, then press E . Of f Th e att enuator i s off. On Rec eption is a ttenuated by a bout 18 dB . Note: Turn on this set ting if[...]

93 Search and Close Call Options This set ting determines how long t he scanner waits after a tran smission end s before resu ming q uick search or Close Cal l operati on. Sele ct you r setting, then press E . Of f The scanner resume s immediately when the transmi ssion e nds. 1 - 5 sec The scanner waits the set am oun t of tim e af ter the transmi[...]

94 Using Weather Alert (SAME) Using W e ather Alert (SAME ) Y our s canner h as be en p rimarily de signed to be a radio scanner . While it i n corporates weather alert as one of it s features , we s trongly recom men d that you not use the scanner as your sole means for receiving emergenc y alerts. Y o ur loca l electronics retailer carries sev er[...]

95 Using Weather Alert (SAME)   WX Opera tio n  E  Weat h er A ler t   This set ting determin es whi ch t ypes of signal s will tri gger an ale rt. S elect you r s etting, th en p ress E . Aler t O nl y - the scanner al erts when it detects the 1050 Hz tone that accompanies all weather alerts. ALL FIPS - the sc anner alerts and di[...]

96 Using Weather Alert (SAME) For exampl e, T arrant County in T exas is assigned to FIPS code 0484 39. 0 indicates the entire county 48 indicates the state of T ex as 439 in dicates T arrant Cou nty T o get the FIPS code for your coun ty , visit the National Weather Service web site at h ttp://www .nws.noaa. gov and search for “FIPS Listing”. [...]

97 Care and Maintenance Care and Maintena nce Gene ral U se • T urn the scanner off before disconnecting the power . • Always write down the programme d frequencies i n the e vent of mem ory loss. • If memory is lost, simply reprogram each channel. • Always pres s each button firmly un til you hear t h e entry tone for t h at key entry . Lo[...]

98 Care and Maintenance Repairs Do not a ttempt any repair . T he scanner c ontains n o user serviceable parts. Contact t he Uniden Cu stomer S ervice Center or t ake it to a qualified repair technician. Bird ies All radios can rec eive “birdies” (undes ired signals). If yo ur scanner stops during Scan mode and no sound is heard, it might be re[...]

99 Troubleshooting T r ou bl esh oo t ing If your BC246T i s not pe rfor ming pr operl y , t ry these step s. Pr oble m Po ssi bl e Ca use Su gge st ion The scann er doesn’ t work. The scanner might not be rec eiving any po wer . Make sure th e AC adap t er is conne cted to an AC outl et and the scan ner . If th ere is a wall sw itch that contr o[...]

100 Troubleshooting If you experience difficulty while in T run kT racker™ mode, try the following steps. Scan won’ t sta rt (con tinued ) One or more channel s might be locke d o ut. Make sur e the chan nels you wa nt to sca n are not locke d o ut. The ant enna might nee d to be adjus ted. Check t he ant enna connect ion. W eather scan doe sn?[...]

101 Troubleshooting If you still cann ot get satisfactory results while using your scanner or if you want additional information, please call or write t he Uniden P arts and Service Division . The a ddress an d ph one number a re l isted in the W a rranty at the end of this manual. If you would l i ke immediate assistance, please call Customer Serv[...]

102 Specifications S pecifica tion s Certified in accordanc e with F CC Ru les an d Re gulations Part 15, Subpart C, as of date of manufacture. Dynamic Allocation Capacity (with Name As signed T o Each S ystem, Gro up, and Channel): System s: . ......................................................... 200 m ax Groups: ..............................[...]

103 Specifications Operati ng T e mpe rature: Norm al .......... .. .......... .......................... –20°C to +60° C Cl ose Cal l ............. .. .......... .. .......... ....... –10° C to +60°C Scan Rate : .................... .. ......... 100 cha nnels per second (conventiona l mode ) Search Rate: ...... 300 step s per s econd (5 kH[...]

104 Optional Accessories Optiona l Accessories Contact your local Uniden Dealer or call the Uniden Parts Center at: (800) 554-3988, 8:00AM to 5:00PM EST , Monday th rough Friday , for information about ordering these optional acces sories. fi Exter nal A m p lified Speak er Earp ho ne Optional A ccessories BC2 46T Paper O M 06 2405 .fm Pag e 104 T[...]

105 Appendix Appendix Pr ese t Fle et Maps Preset Map 1 Preset Map 2 Preset Map 3 Preset Map 4 Preset Map 5 Preset Map 6 Preset Map 7 Preset Map 8 Block Size Code Block Size Code 0 Size Code 1 1 0 Size Code 4 1 Size Code 1 1 1 Size Code 4 2 Size Code 1 1 2 Size Code 4 3 Size Code 1 1 3 Size Code 4 4 Size Code 1 1 4 Size Code 4 5 Size Code 1 1 5 Siz[...]

106 Appendix Preset Map 9 Preset Map 10 Preset Map 1 1 Preset Map 12 Preset Map 13 Preset Map 14 Preset Map 15 Preset Map 16 Block Size Code Block Size Code 0 Size Code 4 0 Size Code 0 1 Size Code 4 1 Size Code 0 2 Size Code 0 2 Size Code 0 3 Size Code 0 3 Size Code 0 4 Size Code 0 4 Size Code 0 5 Size Code 0 5 Size Code 0 6 Size Code 0 6 Size Code[...]

107 Appendix User Defin ed Flee t Map s T ype I Programming Infor mation When a T ype I system is de signed, the address informat ion for al l the ID’s is divided i n to 8 equal sized blocks, nu mbe red 0– 7. Whe n you program your sc anner to track a T ype I system , you must select a s i ze code for each of these blo cks. Whe n you have assi [...]

108 Appendix the block you just p rogrammed, the n you’ ve prob ably selected the righ t size c od e and c an work on the next block of the map. Finally , for most p ublic safe ty systems th ere are s ome size codes wh ich a re m ore common. S -3 and S-4 are probably t he mos t comm on, foll owed by S-10, S-1 1, and S-12. Size Code Restrictions I[...]

109 Planning Planning Colle cti ng Info rm ati on Getting your scann er programmed and sc anning takes a few st eps. This helps gu ide y ou throug h thes e s teps that will make it ea sier for you to s tart scann ing. 1. Col lect inform ation a bout the s ystem(s) y ou w ant t o monitor . Do you want to listen to yo ur l o cal police and fire depar[...]

11 0 Planning geogra phic location (eas t, north , south, west , central, etc), while others are best org anized by agency (police, sheriff, ambulance, fire, etc.). Y ou migh t even find it easier to o rganize a mixture of frequencies (north, southeast, and west for police but fire all in one group for example). 2. Organi ze th e syste m inform ati[...]

111 Planning F ill in th e key you wan t to pre ss to quic kly ac ti vate/ deactivat e the system. Y ou c an assign the same quick key to mult iple sy stems. Group Name and Quick K ey Each worksheet docum ents the settings f or on e cha nnel group within a system. If you h ave fewer c h annel s i n the group t han fit s on the page, you can sk ip a[...]

11 2 Planning • T ype 2 UHF . The supplied frequencies are between 406 MHz and 512 MHz. No f l eet map is supplied for this type of system. • T ype 2 VHF . The supplied freque ncies are between 136 MHz and 174 MHz. No f l eet map is supplied for this type of system. System Frequencies Enter the fre quencies us e d by the syst em. Motorola syste[...]

11 3 Planning T alk Group ID-Alpha T ag-A lert Fill i n the details f o r each chann el you w an t to store in th is chann el group. Filli ng Out th e L TR an d EDAC S Worksh ee t System Name and Quick Key F ill in a na m e that desc rib e s the sy st em y ou w ant to create. For example, you can enter "Dallas Police" or "Amateur Rad[...]

11 4 Planning Co nv enti onal Sy st em W o rksh ee t S y s t em Nam e G roup Nam e S y s t em Q uic k K ey G roup Quic k K ey F requenc y A lpha T ag P ri or ity CT CS S /D CS C onv e nt ion al Sy s t e m W or k s he e t BC2 46T Paper O M 06 2405 .fm Pag e 114 Tue sday , Jun e 28, 20 05 10 :12 AM[...]

11 5 Planning Syste m N a me Syste m Qu i ck Ke y Syste m F requenc ies Flee t M ap Bl o ck 0 Bl o ck 1 Bl o ck 2 Bl o ck 3 Bl o ck 4 Bl o ck 5 Bl o ck 6 Bl o ck 7 B an d P lan A B as e Frequenc y S t ep F requenc y O ffs e t B an d P lan B B as e Frequenc y S t ep F requenc y O ffs e t B an d P lan C B as e Frequenc y S t ep F requenc y O ffs e t [...]

11 6 Planning S y s t e m Nam e Gr ou p Nam e Gr ou p Qui c k K e y T alk Group I D A l pha T ag A l ert M o t o ro la S y s tem W o rk s h eet 2 BC2 46T Paper O M 06 2405 .fm Pag e 116 Tue sday , Jun e 28, 20 05 10 :12 AM[...]

11 7 Planning Sy s tem N a me Sy s t e m Qu ic k Key Sy s tem Freq uen c y Logi c al Cha nne l L T R/ ED AC S S y s te m W o r k s he e t 1 L TR /E DACS S yst em Wo rksh ee t BC2 46T Paper O M 06 2405 .fm Pag e 117 Tue sday , Jun e 28, 20 05 10 :12 AM[...]

11 8 Planning S y s t e m Nam e G roup Nam e Syste m Q u i ck Ke y G r ou p Qu ick Ke y T alk Grou p I D A lp ha T ag A ler t L TR/ EDACS S y s te m W or ks he e t 2 BC2 46T Paper O M 06 2405 .fm Pag e 118 Tue sday , Jun e 28, 20 05 10 :12 AM[...]

11 9 Preprogrammed Systems Prepr ogramme d Systems Y our s canner is preprog rammed with over 400 chann els covering police, fire, and ambulanc e operations in the 25 most popu lated counties in the US. The f o llowing list details the preprogram m ed information. By defau lt, all of the preprog rammed syste ms are unlocke d, and your scanner begin[...]

120 Preprogrammed Systems . State Cou nty City Sy ste m Arizona Ar iz on a M ari co pa Av o nd al e Mar i copa C on v Ar iz on a M ari co pa Cap it ol Mari co pa Con v Ar iz on a M ari co pa C ha nd le r Ch an dle r M O T Ar iz on a M ari co pa C ha nd le r Mar i copa C on v Ar iz on a M ari co pa El Mi rag e M ari co pa C on v Ar iz on a M ari co [...]

121 Preprogrammed Systems State Cou nty City Sy ste m Ca li for nia Los An ge les Herm o sa Be ac h Lo s An ge le s Con v Ca li forn ia Los An ge les H un ti ng ton Pa r k Los An ge le s C on v Ca li forn ia Lo s An ge les In du str y Lo s An ge le s Con v Ca li forn ia Los An ge les In gle w o od Los An ge le s C on v Ca li forn ia Los An ge les I[...]

122 Preprogrammed Systems Sta t e C ount y City Sy stem California Riversi de Murri etta River side Co nv California Riverside Palm S pring s Pa lm Sp ri ngs MOT California Riversi de Palm S prings Ri ver side Conv California Riverside Riverside Riverside Co nv Ca li forn ia River s i de San J ac in to Riv er si de C o nv Ca li forn ia San Ber na d[...]

123 Preprogrammed Systems State Cou nty City Sy ste m Ca li forn ia S a n Di eg o In lan d Sa n D ieg o M OT Ca li for nia San D i eg o Mon te Vi sta Sa n D ieg o MOT California San Diego National City National City MOT Ca li forn ia S a n Di eg o Nor t h C ou nty Sa n D ieg o MOT Ca li forn ia S a n Di eg o Ran c ho Sa n D ieg o M OT Ca li forn ia[...]

124 Preprogrammed Systems State Cou nty City Sy ste m Ill inoi s Co ok En glew ood Coo k Con v Il li no is Cook Ever g ree n Par k Co ok Co nv Illinois Cook Franklin P ark Cook Conv Illinois Cook Hoffman NW Central MOT Illinois Cook Hometown Cook Conv Il li no is Coo k Me rr ion t Pa rk Co ok Co nv Il li no is Cook Nort hl ak e Co ok Co nv Il li no[...]

125 Preprogrammed Systems State Cou nty City Sy ste m New Y ork Suf folk Bri dge hamp ton Eas t Hampt on MO T New Y o rk Suff olk East Hampton East Hampton MOT New Y o rk Suff olk East Hampton East Hampton MOT New Y o rk Suff o lk East Hamp ton Vill ag e Ea st Ham p to n M OT New Y o rk Suff olk Islip T owns hip Su f f olkCounty MOT New Y ork Suffo[...]

126 Preprogrammed Systems State Cou nty City Sy ste m Ohi o Cuyah og a Mor elan d Hi lls Cuy ahog a Con v Oh io Cuy a ho ga Newb ur g He ig hts Cu ya ho ga Co nv Ohi o Cuyah oga Nor th Olms ted Cuy ah oga Con v Ohi o Cuyah og a Nor th Ra ndal l Cuyah og a Conv Oh io Cuy a ho ga Nort h R oy al ton Br o ok P a rk M OT Oh io Cuy a ho ga Nor t h R oy a[...]

127 Preprogrammed Systems State Cou nty City Sy ste m T ex a s Dal la s D unc an vi lle Da lla s C on v T exas Dallas Farme rs Bra nch Ca rrolton M OT T ex a s Dal la s Flo w e r M ou nd Le wis v il le MO T T ex a s Dal la s G arl an d Gar l and MO T T exas Dalla s Grand Prairie Grand Pra irie M OT T ex a s Dal la s H ig hl an d P ark D a llas C on[...]

128 Preprogrammed Systems State Cou nty City Sy ste m T exas T arran t Bu rles on T arr ant Co nv T exas T a rrant Co l leyville NE T a rrant MO T T ex a s T a r ra nt Crowl ey T arr a nt Con v T exas T arra nt Da lwo rth ingt o n Gardens T arrant Conv T exas T arran t Ea gle Mo unt T ar ran t Conv T exas T a rrant Eu l ess NE T a rrant MO T T exas[...]

129 One-Year Limited Warranty One- Y e ar Lim ited W ar - rant y Imp or tan t : Evidence of original purchase is required for warranty service. W ARRANTO R: UNIDEN AMERICA CORPORA TION (“Uniden”) ELEMENTS O F W ARRANTY : Uniden warrants, for one year , to the ori g inal retai l owner , t h is Uniden Product to be free from def ects in materials[...]

130 One-Year Limited Warranty BURSEMENT OR P A Y MENT OF INCIDENT AL OR CON- SEQUENTIA L DAM AGES . Some st a tes do not allow this exclusio n or limitation of i ncidental or conseque ntial d am- ages 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 o[...]

131 One-Year Limited Warranty BC2 46T Paper O M 06 2405 .fm Pag e 131 Tue sday , Jun e 28, 20 05 10 :12 AM[...]

RE GISTE R ON LI NE TODA Y! THA NK Y OU F OR BUYING A UNIDEN PROD UCT . May be c overed und er one or m ore of the followi ng U.S. pat ents. 4,3 98 ,3 04 4, 4 09 ,688 4,45 5, 67 9 4,4 61 ,0 36 4 ,5 21 ,91 5 4 ,5 97 ,104 4, 627 ,100 4 ,84 1,30 2 4,8 88,8 15 4,93 2,0 74 4,94 7, 456 5,01 4, 348 5, 199, 109 5 ,40 8,69 2 5,4 28,8 26 5,43 8,68 8 5,44 8,2[...]