Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Front and Rear View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 BC785D SHORTCUTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Important Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 What is Scanning? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 What is Searching? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 What is Trunk Tracking? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 What is APCO Project 25 Digital Communications ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Feature Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Where to Obtain More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Information on the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Included with Your Scanner Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Connecting an Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Mounting an Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Optional Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Typical Mounting Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Mounting the Scanner in Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Applying Power for Vehicle Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Desktop Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Applying Power Using Standard AC Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Connecting an External Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Connecting an Earphone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Listening Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Connecting the Clone Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Connecting the Tape Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Basic Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Turn the Scanner On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Setting the Squelch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Understanding the Menu System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Menu Description and Numeric Keypad Equivalents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Storing Frequencies into Channels in Menu Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Deleting a Stored Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Editing a Stored Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Duplicate Frequency Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Transfer Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Storing Text Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Beep Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Programming Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Scan Hold Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Storing Frequency During Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 RF Attenuation Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Setting the Delay Mode for Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Channel Lockout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Restoring a Locked-out Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Restoring All Locked-out Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Priority Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Changing the Priority Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Prioroty Channel Plus Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Searching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Setting a Search Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Starting Chain Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Search Hold Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Data Skip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Frequency Skip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Storing Search Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Auto Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 iii Squelch (SQ) Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Additional Menu Options for Searching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Service Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Service Search Skip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 NWR-SAME Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Testing the Alert Siren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Programming FIPS Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Digital and Trunked Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Programming and Receiving Digital and Trunked Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 STEP 1: Selecting or Changing Trunking System Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 STEP 2: Programming Trunking Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 STEP 3: Programming ID Scan Lists Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Scan Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Setting the Squelch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Receiving Trunked Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 ID Scan Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 ID Scan Hold Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Trunked Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 ID Monitor Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 ID Search Hold and Direct Entry ID Hold Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 ID Lockout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Review ID Lockout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Restoring Locked-out IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Setting the Delay Mode for Trunking Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Setting Priority in Trunking Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Programming Scan Lists During Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Deleting a Stored ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Moving between Scan List Memories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 I-Call (Motorola/EDACS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Multi-Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 EDACS Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 EDACS Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Programming EDACS System Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 An EDACS Trunked system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Special EDACS Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 EDACS SCAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 LTR Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 LTR Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Motorola Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Motorola Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Fleet Map Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Selecting Preset Fleet Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Programming a Fleet Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Programming a Hybrid System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Setting the Base, Spacing Frequencies and Offset Channel for Motorola VHF/UHF Trunked Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Toggling the Status Bit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Control Channel Only Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Disconnect Tone Detect Option (End Code) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 APCO Project 25 Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Installing the APCO P-25 Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Precautions for Iistalling the BCi25D Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Turn ON/OFF the APCO P-25 Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 APCO P-25 Sound Quality Fine Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Remote Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 PC Control Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Clone Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Additional Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 One Year Limited Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 iv Introduction The BC785D is a state-of-the-art Digital Capable radio with TrunkTracker III and automatic scanning capabilities. It can store frequencies such as police, fire/emergency, marine, railroad, air, amateur, and other communications into 10 banks of 100 channels for a total of 1000 channels. With the optional BCi25D, APCO P-25 Digital Card installed you can monitor Public Safety Organizations who currently use conventional, Trunked at 3600 and Mixed Mode APCO 25 systems. Use your new scanner to monitor: · Police and Fire Departments (including rescue and paramedics) · Trunking for: Motorola Type I Type II Type I & II: (Hybrid) EDACS Wide band Narrow band Scat LTR Digital Communication for: APCO Project 25 Conventional Tranked at 3600 Mixed Mode at 3600 · NOAA Weather Broadcasts · Business/Industrial Radio · Utilities · Marine and Amateur (ham radio) Bands · Air Band · And much more... The chart below identifies the scanner band numbers, the frequency range, the modulation mode and the default step size settings. Band No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Frequency Range (MHz) 25.0000 - 26.9600 26.9650 - 27.4050 27.4100 - 27.9950 28.0000 - 29.6900 29.7000 - 49.9900 50.0000 - 53.9900 54.0000 - 71.9500 72.0000 - 75.9950 76.0000 - 87.9500 88.0000 - 107.9000 108.0000 - 136.9750 137.0000 - 143.9950 144.0000 - 147.9950 148.0000 - 161.9950 Mode Step Band Frequency Range (kHz) No. (MHz) AM 5 15 162.0000 - 173.9875 AM AM FM FM FM 5 5 10 10 10 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 174.0000 - 215.9500 216.0000 - 224.9950 225.0000 - 399.9500 400.0000 - 405.9875 406.0000 - 419.9875 420.0000 - 449.9875 450.0000 - 469.9875 470.0000 - 512.0000 806.0000 - 823.9875 849.0125 - 868.9875 894.0125 - 956.0000 Mode Step (kHz) FM 12.5 WFM 50 FM AM 5 50 NFM 12.5 NFM 12.5 NFM 12.5 NFM 12.5 NFM 12.5 NFM 12.5 NFM 12.5 NFM 12.5 WFM 50 FM 5 WFM 50 WFM 100 24 AM FM FM FM 25 5 5 5 25 26 27 1240.0000 - 1300.0000 NFM 12.5 1 Front and Rear View 34 5 6 7 8 VOLUME MANUAL 1-100 101-200 201-300 SCAN HOLD MODE 1 301-400 2 401-500 3 501-600 1 SQUELCH CHAN/FREQ SRVC SRCH MENU RSM LIMIT 4 601-700 5 701-800 6 801-900 7 RVRS 8 901-1000 9 SELECT 0 E TRNFR MUTE 2 VFO/SELECT PUSH BACK BC785D digital ready 1000 CHANNEL TRUNK L/O PRI 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1. Volume/Squelch Control 2. VFO/Select Channel/Frequency Control 3. Scan Key (SCAN) 4. Service Key (SRVC) 5. Display 6. Resume Key ( RSM ) 7. Hold/Up/Manual Key (L/HOLD) 8. Numeric Keypad 9. Menu/Bank Key (MENU) 33 34 35 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. Search Key (SRCH) Limit/Down Key (LIMIT/M) Trunk Key (TRUNK) Decimal/Reverse Key () Lockout Key (L/O) Priority Key (PRI) Transfer/Mute Key (TRNFR) Enter/Select Key (E) 36 37 EXPANSION SLOT 38 33. Antenna Connector 34. Tape Recorder Output Jack 35. 36. 37. 38. External Speaker Jack DC Power Jack Remote Control Terminal Expansion Slot 2 ICON P L DESCRIPTION Priority Channel Indicator Lock Out Mode Indicator Scan/Search Direction Indicator Chain Search Mode Indicator Service Search Mode Indicator Scan Mode Indicator ID Scan Mode Indicator ID Search Mode Indicator Channel Type Indicator Conventional Type Trunk Type Morola Tracking Type LTR Tracking Type EDACS Tracking Type Digital Communications P25: APCO Project 25 Receiving Mode Indicators Signal Meter /O SRCH SRVC SCAN ID SCAN ID SEARCH C M L E P25 AM,FM WFM,NFM Uniden® and Bearcat® are registered trademarks of Uniden America Corporation. TrunkTracker is a proprietary trademark of Uniden America Corporation. 3 BC785D SHORTCUTS MENU 3 2 1 MENU 3 3 2 MENU 3 1 1 MENU 3 1 2 neat entry programming. MENU 3 4 1 MENU 3 9 1 reenter then by rotating the VFO control to enter the text and using L/HOLD or LIMIT/M to the move cursor. After the text is entered, press E SCAN L/HOLD 5 5 L/HOLD 1 E 5 . MENU E E 2 3 4 2 select ID MEMORY 1 MENU E 2 4 1 1 This shortcut card is designed to assist you in getting through the menu screens using the direct entry mode for commonly used features. Please read the manual thoroughly before using this card. Be sure to back out of the menu screen after each shortcut by repeatedly pressing MENU or by pressing SCAN or SRCH keys. 4 BC785D SHORTCUTS To set up a system for trunk tracking, select a bank, then enter the trunk type. MENU 1 1 CHAIN SEARCH E SRCH MENU E 2 1 2 7 select bank Then enter the trunk type you want to track. Press E . MENU E 1 2 CHAIN SEARCH select range E MENU 1 select range CHAIN SEARCH E 1 E 2 after each Frequency E 4 entered. To begin Searching between the Range, press SRCH . Rotate the VFO control to enter the tag and use L/HOLD or LIMIT/M to move the cursor forward or back and then press E. MENU MENU E 2 1 1 E 2 5 1 1 E Rotate the VFO control to enter the tag and use L/HOLD or LIMIT/M to move the cursor and then press E. To silence the scanner's audio output, set the scanner to "Mute On". Press and hold MUTE . To program and control your scanner remotely from a PC using Uniden's E-Scanner third party software, do the following: Press MENU 3 5 select speed If you need any assistance with this product, please call our Customer Service Hotline at 1-800-297-1023. A Uniden representative will be happy to help you with any matters regarding the operation of this unit, available accessories, or any other related matters. Hours: M-F 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Central time. Also please check out our website at scanner.uniden.com 5 Important Notice · This scanning radio has been manufactured so that it will not tune 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 are strictly prohibited or operation of this product in any way other than as detailed by this Owner's manual. Could void your authority to operate this product. · The screen displays used in this manual are representations of what might appear when you use your scanner. 6 Terminology What is Scanning? Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most two-way communications do not transmit continuously. The BC785D scans the Frequencies you have programmed into the Scanner's channels you program until it finds an active frequency. Scanning stops on an active frequency and remains on that channel as long as the transmission continues. When the transmission ends, the scanning cycle resumes until another transmission is received. What is Searching? The BC785D can search each of its 27 bands to find active frequencies. This is different from scanning because you are searching for frequencies that have not been programmed into your Scanner's channels. The scanner automatically chooses between two speeds while searching. Turbo Search, can search the VHF FM bands at up to 300 steps per second. What is Trunk Tracking? Conventional scanning is a simple concept. You enter a radio frequency in your scanner's memory which is used by someone you want to monitor. For example, the police in your area may broadcast 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. As the demand for public communications has increased, many public radio users don't have enough frequencies to meet their needs, and this has created a serious problem. Trunking radio systems solve this problem. In a trunked radio system, which contains up to 28 different frequencies, radio users are divided into groups, often called talkgroups, and these talkgroups are assigned specific IDs. When someone in a talkgroup uses their radio, a brief burst of data is broadcasted before each transmission. The trunking system computer uses this data to temporarily assign each radio in a talkgroup to an available frequency. If the group using a frequency stops broadcasting or pauses between replies for a few seconds, they are removed from the frequency so another talkgroup can use it. Sharing of the available public service frequencies, or trunking, allows cities, counties, or other agencies to accommodate hundreds of users with relatively few frequencies. Following a conversation on a trunked system using a scanner is difficult, if not impossible. Because when there's a short break during the conversation you're monitoring, it's possible that the talkgroup will be assigned to a completely different frequency in the trunked system. This type of scanning is difficult and frustrating. 7 TrunkTracker III changes this! Not only does your new BC785D scan channels like a conventional scanner, it actually follows the users of a trunked radio system. Once you know a talkgroups ID, you won't miss any of the action. If you're a new scanner enthusiast, you may want to read the first part of this manual and use your scanner in conventional mode before you begin trunk tracking. Understanding scanning fundamentals and its terminology will make trunk tracking much easier. A glossary of other commonly used terms is provided in the back. (Refer to the "Glossary of Terms" section.) But if you're already an experienced scanner operator, you may want to skip to Programming and Receiving Digital and Trunked Systems on page 46. What is APCO Project 25 Digital Communications? APCO Project 25 is a modulation process where voice communications are converted into digital communications. This conversion is similar to the technology used with digital mobile phones. There are several types of project 25 systems available! - Conventional ­ one frequency with digital voice. - Trunked with analog control channel and digital voice ­ control channel operates at 3600 Baud. - Mixed Mode ­ trunked system with an analog control channel alternating/mixing analog and digital voice communications. - Trunked with digital control channel and digital voice. Control channel operates at 9600 Baud. (This type of APCO P-25 System is not supported with this radio.) 8 Feature Highlights · Trunk Tracking ­ Follow VHF High Band UHF 800/900MHz trunked public safety and public service systems just as if conventional two-way communications were used. · Digital Capable ­ With the APCO 25 Digital card (BCi25D) installed, you can monitor supported project 25 systems. · Multi-Track ­ Track more than one trunking system at a time. Scan conventional and trunked systems at the same time. · 1000 Channels ­ Program one frequency into each channel. You must have at least one channel programmed to use the Scan mode. · 27 Bands ­ Includes 27 bands, with aircraft and 800 MHz. · 10 Banks ­ 10 banks with 100 channels each are useful for storing similar frequencies to maintain faster scanning cycles or for storing all the frequencies of a trunked system. · 25 MHz-1300 MHz ­ Indicates the range of frequencies that can be searched within the bands of your scanner. Note: The frequency coverage is not continuous and excludes the cellular band, 512-806MHz. · 10 Priority Channels ­ You can assign one priority channel in each bank. Assigning a priority channel allows you to keep track of activity on your most important channel(s) while monitoring other channels for transmissions. You can also assign trunking priority talkgroups. · Priority Plus Scan ­ Allows you to scan only priority channels. · Preprogrammed Service ­ Allows you to toggle through preprogrammed public safety, news media, TV broadcast audio, Ham, CB, FRS, special low power, railroad, aircraft, marine, racing, and weather frequencies. · Unique Data Skip ­ Allows your scanner to skip unwanted data transmissions and reduces birdies. · Memory Backup ­ If power is disconnected, the frequencies programmed in your scanner are retained in memory. · Direct Channel Access ­ Go directly to any channel without entering the Menu mode. · Attenuator ­ Reduces the signal strength on a per frequency basis. · PC Programmable ­ Allows you to easily program all frequencies and Trunking Talk Groups into your BC785D through Uniden E-Scanner software running on your PC. ­ For more information on E-Scanner Programming software visit our website at scanner.uniden.com. · Turbo Search ­ Increases the search speed to 300 steps per second. This applies only to transmission bands with 5 kHz steps. · Text Tags ­ You can customize your scanner by storing text tags (up to 16 characters). · Auto Store ­ The scanner automatically stores found active frequencies into an assigned bank. · CTCSS/DCS ­ The scanner can receive and search for subaudible tones. · NWR-SAME Alert ­ The scanner is compatible with warning siren and message transmissions. · FIPS Code ­ Six digit FIPS Code (emergency and geographic area code) programmable. 9 Where to Obtain More Information Before using your scanner, you must program frequencies into available channels. The Betty Bearcat Frequency Guide lists typical frequencies used around the U.S.A. and Canada that you may program into your new scanner. To obtain frequency information for your area, contact one of the following: · Bearcat Frequency Hotline (937) 299-0414 (Hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday.) · Bearcat Radio Club (800) 423-1331 (Hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday.) · Scanner Master (800) 722-6701 (Hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday.) To obtain another copy of the frequency guide, contact one of the following: · Uniden Parts Department (800) 554-3988 (Hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time Monday through Friday.) · Local Dealer Information on the Internet If you have access to the internet, you may want to visit one of the following websites for additional information: scanner.uniden.com www.bearcat1.com 10 Included with Your Scanner Package 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 Time, Monday through Friday. · BC785D Scanner · AC Adapter (AD 580D) · Cigarette Cord · DC Cord · Mounting Bracket · Telescopic Antenna · Operating Guide · Trunk Tracker Frequency Guide · Other Printed Material · E-Scanner Programming Software CD-ROM · Screwdriver 11 Setup Connecting an Antenna You must install an antenna before you can operate the scanner. You have been provided a standard telescopic antenna that works well with this scanner, but you may want to purchases another type to increase the range. To connect the telescopic antenna, simply connect it to the BNC type ANT. connector on the rear of the scanner. You can purchase a variety of scanner antennas for both mobile and base station available at a local electronics store. Choose the one that best meets your needs. When deciding on a mobile or base station antenna and its location, consider these points. · The antenna should be as high as possible on a vehicle or a house. · The antenna and its cable should be as far as possible from sources of electrical noise (ignition systems, gauges, and so on). · The antenna should be vertical for the best performance. Mounting an Antenna Once you choose an antenna, follow the mounting instructions supplied with the antenna. Then route the antenna cable to the scanner. The antenna connector on your scanner makes it easy to use the scanner with a variety of antennas, such as an external mobile antenna or an outdoor base station antenna. Always use 50 ohm coaxial cable, such as RG-58 or RG-8, to connect an outdoor antenna. For lengths over 50 feet, use RG-8 low-loss dielectric coaxial cable If your antenna's cable does not have a BNC connector, you will also need a BNC adapter (available at a local electronics store). Follow the Installation instructions supplied with the antenna, route the antenna cable to the scanner, then connect it to the ANT. jack. Warning: Use extreme caution when you install or remove an outdoor antenna. If the antenna starts to fall, let it go! It could contact overhead power lines. If the antenna touches a power line, contact with the antenna, mast, cable, or guy wires can cause electrocution and death. Call the power company to remove the antenna. DO NOT attempt to do it yourself. Optional Antenna If you have chosen an optional mobile antenna, connect the antenna plug into the ANT. connector on the rear of the scanner. (For more information on antenna installation, please refer to the instruction guide that came with your antenna.) 12 Typical Mounting Methods The BC785D can be conveniently mounted on a table, bulkhead, overhead, or any other desired location (refer to figure below for typical mounting methods). Caution: Make sure there are no hidden electrical wires or other items behind the desired location before proceeding. Check that free access for mounting and cabling is available. · Table top mount · Bulkhead mount · Overhead mount Mounting the Scanner in Your Vehicle Before you mount the scanner, make sure you have all the necessary materials. Then confirm that the scanner fits your vehicle's mounting area. This unit requires a mounting area of 2-3/8 inch high by 6-15/16 inch wide by 6-9/16 inch deep (61 x 176.5 x 167 mm). Caution: Be sure to avoid obstructions behind the mounting surface. Follow these steps to mount the scanner in your vehicle. 1. Choose a mounting location, then use the supplied mounting bracket as a template to mark the positions for the mounting screw holes. 2. In the marked positions, drill holes slightly smaller than the supplied screws. 3. Attach the mounting bracket to the mounting location using the supplied screws and lock washers. 4. Attach the scanner to the mounting bracket using the supplied mounting knobs. 5. Connect the antenna's cable to the ANT. connector on the back of the scanner. Note: If the antenna cable's connector does not fit in the ANT. connector, you might also need a Motorola-to BNC antenna plug adapter (available at a local electronics store). 13 Applying Power for Vehicle Installation You can power your scanner using either the supplied DC power cord or your vehicle's cigarette lighter socket using DC cigarette lighter power cord. Caution: You must use a power source that supplies 13.8 V DC and delivers at least 700 mA. Your standard 12 V car battery should be sufficient. The cord connector's center tip must be set to positive and its plug must fit the scanner's DC 13.8 V jack. The supplied DC power cord meets these specifications. Using a power cord that does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or the adapter. · Always connect the adapter or DC power cord to the scanner before you connect it to the power source. When you finish, disconnect the adapter or DC power cord from the power source before you disconnect it from the scanner. · For added safety and to protect your scanner, disconnect the cable from your vehicle battery's negative (-) terminal before you begin. Follow these steps to connect the supplied DC power cord. 1. Connect the power cord's black wire to a chassis ground, such as a metal screw attached to a metal part of the vehicle's frame. Be sure that the screw is not insulated from the frame by a plastic part. 2. Connect the power cord's red wire (with in-line fuse) to a source of voltage that turns on and off with the ignition switch, such as a spare accessory terminal in your vehicle's fuse box. 3. Insert the power cord's barrel plug into the DC 13.8 V jack on the back of the scanner. 4. Reconnect the cable to the vehicle battery's negative (-) terminal. To power the scanner from a vehicle's 12 V power source (such as a cigarette-lighter socket), you need a cigarette-lighter adapter. To connect an optional DC cigarette-lighter power cable, insert its barrel plug into the DC 13.8 V jack on the back of the scanner, then plug the power cable into your vehicle's cigarette lighter socket. Note: If you use a cigarette-lighter power cable and your vehicle's engine is running, you might hear electrical noise from the engine while scanning. This is normal. 14 Desktop Installation You can place this scanner on a desk, shelf, or table to use it as a base station. 1. Flip up the feet for desk installation. 2. Extend the antenna to full vertical position. Adjust the angle for best reception. Applying Power Using Standard AC Power To power the scanner from an AC outlet, use the provided AC adapter with a 5.5 mm outer diameter/2.1mm inner diameter tip. Caution: You must use a Class 2 power source that supplies 13.8 V DC and delivers at least 700 mA. The cord connector's center tip must be set to positive and its plug must fit the scanner's DC 13.8 V jack. Using an adapter that does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or the adapter. · Always connect the AC adapter to the scanner before you connect it to AC power. When you finish, disconnect the adapter from the AC power before you disconnect it from the scanner. 1. Insert the adapter's barrel plug into the DC 13.8 V jack on the back of the scanner. 2. Plug the adapter into a standard AC outlet. Note: Use only the AC adapter supplied with your scanner. 13.8 V Connecting an External Speaker In a noisy area, an external speaker (available at a local electronics store) positioned in the right place might provide more comfortable listening. Plug the speaker cable's 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) plug into your scanner's EXT. SP. jack. Note: Connecting an external speaker disconnects the scanner's internal speaker. Connecting an Earphone For private listening, you can connect an earphone with a 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) plug to the EXT. SP. jack on the back of the scanner. Be very careful as damage to your hearing can result if the VOLUME control is not set to the lowest level first. See below for "Listening Safely" instructions. (Your local electronics store should carry a wide selection of earphones.) Once the earphone is connected, it will automatically disconnects the internal speaker. 15 Listening Safely To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when you use an earphone or headphones. · Do not use the earphone to listen to the WX alert siren test. The 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 the VOLUME to the lowest setting before you begin listening. After you begin listening, adjust the VOLUME to a comfortable level. · Once you set the 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. Connecting the Clone Cable You can transfer the programmed data to and from another BC785D scanner using a RS232C Cable (9 pin to 9 pin) (not supplied). Connect the cable between each scanner's REMOTE jacks. See "Clone Mode" on page 73. You can also upload or download the programmed data to or from a PC using an optional PC interface kit available through your local electronics store. Connecting the Tape Recorder You can use a standard tape recorder or a VOX (Voice Operated Control) recorder. To connect the recorder to the scanner, connect a cable with a 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) plug from the tape recorder's remote jack to the TAPE OUT jack on the back of the scanner. (Your local electronics store should carry a wide selection of cables and tape recorders.) Refer to the "Record" section under "Additional Features" in the manual. Remember! · You must mark a channel, ID, talkgroup, or bank for Recording in order for this feature to work. · This feature does not work if your scanner is set with MUTE ON. · The VOLUME control affects the Audio output. Do not set the volume on minimum. Make a trial taping to be certain the volume levels are set correctly. 16 Basic Operation Turn the Scanner On Turn the VOLUME control clockwise out of the detent position. The scanner automatically starts scanning. Since there are no frequencies programmed in your scanner initially, you may not receive any signals. Once you set the squelch and program some frequencies, you will be hearing conversations regularly. Note: If you turn the Scanner on when the optional APCO Cord is not installed, APCO P25 CARD NOT INSTALLED appears on the display. To delete the message, select 2:DISABLE in the Menu mode (see page 69). Setting the Squelch To set the squelch, you must be in the hold mode, and you should not be receiving a signal on your scanner. 1. Press L/HOLD until you do not hear a signal. STRONG SIGNALS 2. Make sure that the VOLUME is set to a comfortable listening level. 3. Think of the Squelch Control as a gate. Turn the SQUELCH control fully counter-clockwise. This raises the "Squelch Gate" so high that only very strong signals can get through. 4. Turn SQUELCH clockwise until you hear a hiss. This lowers the "Squelch Gate" so that everything gets through ­ noise, weak signals, medium signals and strong signals. MEDIUM SIGNALS WEAK SIGNALS NOISE STRONG SIGNALS MEDIUM SIGNALS WEAK SIGNALS NOISE 5. Turn SQUELCH back counter-clockwise just until the hiss stops. Now the "Squelch Gate" allows only clear signals through. STRONG SIGNALS MEDIUM SIGNALS WEAK SIGNALS NOISE 17 Next you must program some frequencies (page 26). It is recommended that you read the next part "Understanding the Menu System" because it will assist you in accessing and understanding many of the features. Later in a section called "Additional Features", you will find explanations on how to disable the keypad acknowledgement tones, to mute the audio, to change the appearance of the display and other general features. Understanding the Menu System It is very important for you to understand the Menu screen. To navigate through the Menu screen is really quite simple. Many of the features of this scanner, can only be accessed by the Menu screens. There are several ways to get through the screens. First of all, press MENU to get started. Anytime you want to exit this mode or simply quit from where you are, repeatedly press MENU until the scanner returns to the original state or you can press SCAN or SRCH to exit directly MENU MODE. Anytime you are in the Menu mode, the audio will be muted. To assist you in understanding the Menu screen, flow charts are provided towards the back of the manual so you can follow along. Two things to remember are rotate the through the menu and press E or VFO to execute the command. For simplicity, we have chosen to rotate the VFO control up or down in order to scroll through the menu and the E key for entering or executing a command. Once you have pressed the E key and executed the final choice (for instance, ON or OFF), the display backs up to the previous level of options. Also direct entry of the numbers in the flow chart will get you through the screens, but the other screen options are not visible. This method should be used only after you have gone through the manual at least once. Tearout shortcut cards (see pages 4 and 5) are provided to assist you in the direct entry method for commonly used features. The illustration below shows the first level of the Menu screen. These levels are then provided in a flow chart on pages 92 to 94. You will find a description section to explain the meanings of these functions on the next pages. Then, you will be walked through all the steps of programming, scanning, searching, and trunktracking. Hint: You can check the options you programmed on the display when you press and hold MENU for 2 seconds in the following modes. · Scan mode/Scan Hold mode (as well as Trunk). · Chain Search mode/Chain Search Hold mode · ID Search mode/ID Search Hold mode MENU MODE 1:SERVICE OPTION 2:SCAN OPTION 3:SYSTEM OPTION 18 Menu Description and Numeric Keypad Equivalents Below are the Menu screens and a brief description or purpose of the feature. 1:SERVICE OPTION Service Search menus are preprogrammed services used around the U.S. 1:WEATHER 1:MONITOR When you select this mode, the preprogrammed NOAA weather channel begins to activate. 2:ALERT You can set NWR-SAME weather alert to 1:ON or 2:OFF. With ALERT ON you can enter the mode to program your FIPS code. 2:PUBLIC SAFETY 3:NEWS 4:TV BROADCAST 5:HAM RADIO 6:MARINE 7:RAILROAD 8:AIR 9:CB RADIO 0:FRS :RACING :SPECIAL :CHAIN SEARCH You can program up to 10 search ranges. The first time you program a range you will need to do so through the Menu. After the first time you can program a range as you do on most any other scanner, using the numeric keypad, L, M VFO control. Use this Menu item to select the search range that you want to program. You can program range 1 through 10, one at a time. For each of the ranges, the following options can be modified. 1:CHAIN SEARCH You must turn Chain Search feature ON, in order to use the Chain Search feature. 2:SEARCH RANGE 1:RANGE Enter the upper and lower frequency limits of the Search Range. 2:STEPS You can assign a variety of step sizes to the search range. Note: The default step is usually acceptable and is listed on page 1. 3:MODE You can change the Auto receive mode to AM, FM, WFM and NFM. 19 4:ALPHA TAG You can enter an Alpha Tag for any or all of the search ranges. 5:TRUNK During Chain Search mode, when the scanner finds an active frequency, the trunk tracking system will be active. Four frequency plans apply to the Control Channel Only feature (for details see page 66). 3:DELAY Set the delay for the search ranges. This applies to Search mode, and Service Search mode. The delay time for Service Search mode can be changed. (See 2:SCAN OPTION / 1:CONVENTIONAL / 2:DELAY for details). 4:ATTENUATOR Set attenuation for all search ranges. (See 2:SCAN OPTION / 1:CONVENTIONAL/ 5:ATTENUATOR for details). 5:TONE DATA The default mode is OFF. This means that you will receive all transmissions on any frequencies that are active within your search range(s). By selecting CTCSS or DCS you can set the radio to receive only a particular subaudible tone to be received during your search. You can also lockout a particular CTCSS or DCS tone. You may wish to do this if you want to search a range but not hear transmissions on any frequency that has a particular subaudible tone. Note: Through the System Menu you can set the radio to operate in Tone Search mode during Search as well. In this mode, the radio will automatically determine the active subaudible tone on any frequency received during the search. Set a delay for the search ranges. This applies to all ranges (See CHANNEL DATA-STEPS for details). 6:RECORD With Record set to on, any frequency that is active, during the search, can be recorded to an external tape recorder. 7:AUTO STORE You can automatically store active frequencies found during a search into the memory. You can select which bank you want to program the found frequencies. The audio will be muted during Auto Store. 2:SCAN OPTION 1:CONVENTIONAL Choose the channel number. The following options are available for the selected channel only. Repeat using a different channel number, if necessary. 1:FREQUENCY. Allows you to edit or enter a frequency in each channel you select. Also you can set an alphanumeric text tag for each programmed frequency. 20 2:DELAY You can set delay for a trunk system on a bank by bank basis. If you've set delay for 1 second, then there will be a one second delay in Trunk Search for that bank and a one second delay for all the talkgroups you have programmed into Scan List memory. You cannot set delay individually by talkgroup. The default delay is two seconds. 3:TONE DATA You can set a CTCSS (analog) or DCS (digital) subaudible tone for a frequency. To do so you must have the SQ Mode in the System Menu set to Tone SQ. You can also program a subaudible tone easily by pressing the E key in Scan Hold mode after programming a frequency. This will bring up the Tone Data menu without having to navigate the Menu. By doing this you will receive all transmissions on the frequency, regardless of the subaudible tone, except the one which you have locked. Any transmissions with that tone will not be received. 4:BEEP ALERT You can set a Beep Alert on a per-channel basis to alert you when specific frequencies are active. For example, you may wish to be alerted anytime a mutual aid fire frequency is active. With Beep Alert, you will hear three beeps at the start of each transmission that you have flagged as such. You will also notice that as you scroll pass the flagged channel(s), you will hear three beeps. 5:ATTENUATOR The BC785D comes with an RF Attenuation feature. If you are near an unusually strong signal source, the signal may overload the scanner. The scanner may stop repeatedly on that signal and miss other transmissions. The RF Attenuation feature works in all modes and attenuates (reduces) the incoming signal strength to prevent stronger signals from overloading the scanner. 6:STEPS Your BC785D is programmed with default step sizes for each frequency range (see page 1). Steps are important if you are interested in using the VFO to tune off from a frequency programmed into memory or if you wish to program a frequency that the default step size will not accept. For example, in VHF Hi-band mode, the default step size between 148 and 162 MHz is 5 KHz. However, the FCC has recently instituted 7.5 KHz channel intervals. If you wish to enter 155.4075 into the scanner without changing the default step, the scanner will change the programmed frequency to 155.4100. Use the Menu to change the default step size to 7.5 KHz and then you will be able to enter 155.4075. 7:MODE Default Auto receive modes are also programmed into memory. AM for aircraft and CB bands, for example. All frequencies (other than audio TV broadcast) above 400 MHz are received in NFM mode which helps prevent adjacent channel interference. You can change the default settings on a per-channel basis with this Menu item. 21 8:RECORD You can flag any channel for recording using this menu function. Use your own recording device plugged into the jack on the back of the scanner. 2:TRUNK Choose the Trunk bank. The following options are available for the selected trunk bank only. Repeat using a different trunk bank, if necessary. 1:TRUNK TYPE You will need to assign the correct trunking type for the bank you are about to program. If you want to listen to a Motorola Type I system, you will need to use this Menu option to assign the same. If you do not know the type of trunking system you are about to monitor, refer to the guide included with the scanner or check out www.bearcat1.com. Note: Some trunking systems require that you know the channel order. In these cases you will also need to start programming the trunked system at the start of the bank. The scanner defaults to the most common type of trunking system, Motorola Type II 800. 2:TRUNK CHANNEL 1:FREQUENCY To use Trunk Tracking, you need to program a frequency for at least one channel. Also you can enter an alpha tag for each channel in this Menu. 2:STEPS You can assign a variety of step sizes to the channel. 3:TALK GROUP You can program IDs into the Scan List memory either during Trunk Scan or Search without going into the Menu. However, you can also use the Menu to program IDs. This is particularly helpful when you are not near the trunked system you wish to later monitor. You can set it up and have it ready to go at some later time. After you have selected the Scan List location (1-10), you can then do the following: 1. Program ID number 2. Set an alpha tag 3. Set Record to ON/OFF. 4. Assign a Beep Alert to the ID. Whenever that ID is active, you will hear three beeps at the start of the transmission. 4:DELAY You can set delay for a trunk system on a bank by bank basis. If you've set delay for 1 second, then there will be a 1 second delay in Trunk Search for that bank and a 1 second delay for all the talkgroups you have programmed into Scan List memory. You cannot set delay individually by talkgroup. The default delay is 2 seconds. 5:RECORD This Record option applies to Trunk Search. All talkgroups received during Trunk Search will be recordable through the TAPE OUT jack on the back of the scanner. To record individual talkgroups during Scan, see Item 5 on the next page. The default is off. 22 6:ID LIST TAG Assign an alphanumeric tag to any or all of the 10 Scan Lists for the system. During ID Scan Mode, you will see the ID List Tag (on the bottom text line) along with any alpha tag you may have set for an ID. In Search mode, you will see any Bank Tag you have set. 7:L/O ID REVIEW Use this menu item to review the IDs that you have locked out during Search and Scan. Rotate the VFO up or down to view the IDs that have been locked out. To leave the lockout IDs unchanged, press MENU to back out of the menu. To unlock an ID, press the L/O key. To unlock all the IDs that have been locked out, press and hold the L/O key for about 2 seconds. 8: ACTIVITY ID When activity ID is set to ON, your scanner receives any transmissions on the ID every 0.5 seconds while scanning. 9:I-CALL (MOTOROLA/EDACS) Most communications within a trunked system are group calls where one unit (such as a dispatcher) communicates with all the units within his/her group (all the patrol vehicles on the east side of town, for example). The units within this group comprise what is typically known as a talkgroup. There are some communications which are direct unit-to-unit conversations where one individual converses with another individual. The call is initiated by a radio and is directed to another single radio. Within the system, no one outside of these two users hears the conversation. Your BC785D defaults to I-CALL OFF mode. You can hear these conversations by using this Menu item to turn the I-CALL function to ON. In Search mode, with I-CALL ON, you will hear both talkgroup calls and I-CALLs. You can also set I-CALLs to I-CALL ONLY during which you will monitor only I-CALLs in Search mode. You can also program I-CALL IDs into Scan List memory. OR 9:ID SCAN LIST (LTR) When scanning an LTR system you can only turn Scan Lists OFF and ON when an LTR talk group that you have entered into memory is active. To provide you with another method to turn Scan Lists ON and OFF, you can use this Menu item which only appears when you have selected LTR in Trunk Type. OR 0:EMERGENCY ALT (EDACS) In EDACS trunked systems, you can set an alert for an EDASC transmission received. Set Emergency Alert to ON, EMERGENCY flashes on the display and you will hear beep alerts when you receive an EDASC emergency transmission. 23 0:STATUS BIT (MOTOROLA) On Type 2 trunking systems there is a method by which specialized types of communications utilize unique talkgroup numbers. An emergency call will occur on a unique talkgroup from its primary assignment, for example. Because the BC785D defaults to Status-Bit On mode, you never need to worry about missing these transmissions. If you've programmed talkgroup 33264 into Scan List memory, for example, and there is an emergency call within the group, you will hear it on 33264. EDCS ID FORM (EDACS) You can change to display the talkgroups in decimal mode, but this mode does not provide you with the flexibility that you get with AFS. The BC785D defaults to show the talkgroup number in AFS mode (Agency-FleetSubfleet). For details on AFS see pages 59~60. OR :END CODE (MOTOROLA) When this function is disabled, the radio looks for squelch before returning to the control channel instead of waiting for the disconnect tone. Only in rare instances will you need to adjust the default settings. The condition to return to control channels depends on whether a signal is present or not. :CNTRL CH ONLY (TYPE 1/TYPE 2 800, 900) With this mode you will be able to track Motorola Type I and II 800 and 900 MHz trunked systems by simply entering the control channel which manages the trunked system. You will not have to program the voice channels. There are 4 channel plans which you can select from. 3:SYSTEM OPTION 1:DIMMER Allows you to change the brightness of the display. 2:SCREEN MASK Screen Mask allows you to limit what appears on the display to the alpha tags that you have set for a channel along with a few function icons. Screen Mask removes the frequency, receiving mode tone data and signal strength bars. This mode is particularly useful in public safety vehicles where "information overload" is already a problem. Screen Mask does not work in Search mode. 3:KEY BEEP Use this function to turn OFF the keypad acknowledgement beep. The default setting is ON. 4:ENTER LOCK Use Enter Lock to prevent accidental re-programming of channels, tone (CTCSS/DCS) and talkgroups entered into memory. The default setting is OFF. 5:PC CONTROL Use this function to set the transfer speed (baud rate) at which your personal computer (PC) communicates with the scanner when downloading information into your scanner using Uniden E-Scanner software. See page 72 for details. 24 6:CLONE You can clone all the programming, including frequencies, talkgroups and alpha tags as well as bank settings and other parameters from one BC785D to a BC250D or another BC785D. 7:DATA SKIP A scanner will normally stop on any transmission it receives. This means the BC785D will occasionally stop on data signals and unmodulated transmissions. You can automatically skip many of these types of transmissions during search. 8:SQ MODE The SQ Mode allows you to set at your option, whether the scanner will stop on all active transmissions on a particular frequency or it will only respond to transmissions with a pre-set subaudible tone. This applies to both Conventional Search and Scan modes. The options are as follows: 1. CSQ - The default setting is CSQ (carrier squelch). In this mode the scanner will stop on any transmission on a programmed frequency (Squelch mode does not apply to trunking). 2. TONE SQ - In Tone Squelch mode, if you have set a subaudible tone (CTCSS or DCS) for a frequency, the scanner will only stop on that frequency if the transmission includes the prescribed tone. 3. TONE SEARCH - In this mode, as soon as the scanner stops on any (nontrunked) channel, the scanner will begin to search for any subaudible tone that is being used on a transmitted frequency. The scanner will check each CTCSS tone sequentially and it will find DCS tones instantly. 9:BANK TAG Allows you to set an alphanumeric text tag for individual banks in the scanner (110). (The "0" key represents Bank number 10.) For example, you may wish to set the Bank one text tag as Law Enforcement, the second bank as Fire, etc. 0:P-25 CARD When you insert the optional card (BCi25D) and select 1:ENABLE in this mode, you can monitor APCO P-25 digital communications. See page 68 for details. 25 Programming Before the BC785D can begin conventional scanning, you must program a frequency into at least one channel. Repeat this procedure for each channel you want to program. Storing Frequencies into Channels in Menu Mode 1. Select frequencies you received from your dealer, from various sources on the internet, or from one of the guides listed on page 10. Here is a list of sample frequencies you should try: 156.800 Marine Calling channel 155.340 Ambulance operations 155.280 Ambulance operations 155.160 Ambulance operations 462.950 Ambulance operations 462.5625 Family Radio Services (channel one) 2. Press MENU. 3. Select 2:SCAN OPTION / 1:CONVENTIONAL by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 4. Select a channel. a. Enter the channel number using the keypad. b. Then press E. 5. Select 1:FREQUENCY and enter the frequency. a. Enter the frequency number using the keypad. b. Then press E. 6. Enter the alpha tag and press E. (See page 28.) 7. The following display appears, select the location you want.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. C 001 1:FREQUENCY 2:DELAY 3:TONE DATA . (decimal key) and C 001 0000.0000 NFM ALPHA TAG ¡ 1:OTHER CHANNEL 2:CHANNEL OPTION 3:DONE 26 Note: · You can also L or M when selecting a channel. Press and hold L or M for 1second to move up/down more quickly. · To clear a mistake while entering the frequency, press until the display is cleared. · If you enter a channel or frequency which is out of the scanner's range, a beep will sound and ERROR appears on the display. · For each channel, you can also change the step size or the mode. (See page 93).  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. . (decimal key) repeatedly C 010 512.0000 NFM ERROR OUT OF CHANNEL C 010 512.0000 NFM OUT OF BAND C1000 Deleting a Stored Frequency To delete a stored frequency: a. Select a channel. b. Press 0. c. Then press E. Note: Channels with no frequencies are automatically locked out. 0000.0000 Editing a Stored Frequency 1. Press MENU. 2. Select 2:SCAN OPTION / 1:CONVENTIONAL by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 3. Select the channel number you want to edit by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 4. Select 1:FREQUENCY by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 5. Edit the frequency by using . (decimal key) and the keypad and pressing E.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. Duplicate Frequency Alert If you enter a frequency which has been stored in another channel, you will hear a beep and the channel stored displays WARNING. Press . (decimal key) to clear and start again. ­­­ OR ­­­ Press E again to store the frequency in both channels. C 010 512.0000 NFM WARNING DUPLICATE 017 27 Transfer Frequencies You can transfer a frequency that has been stored in a channel to another channel. 1. Press L/HOLD. 2. Press TRNFR, and the smallest empty channel number along with the frequency will flash on the display. 3. Press E and the frequency can be stored in this channel. 4. If you want to enter it into another channel, select another channel by rotating the VFO or using L or M and pressing E. Note: When the frequency is transferred, channel data along with the frequency is also transferred. For trunked frequency, data related to trunking, such as Trunk Type or Fleet Map will not be transferred. You will need to input the data manually. Storing Text Tags You can customize your scanner by storing text tags for easy identification of banks, channel transmissions, trunking talkgroup IDs, etc. The text tags can be set at the Menu mode. (Refer to "Understanding the Menu System" on page 18.) For programming text tags for trunked talk group ID's, please refer to page 49. Assigning a Bank Tag to a Bank 1. Press MENU. 2. Select 3:SYSTEM OPTION / 9:BANK TAG by rotating the VFO or using L or M and pressing E. 3. Select the bank number by rotating the VFO or using L or M and pressing E. 4. The cursor appears on the display. Scroll the VFO to change the letters, and then press L or M to move right or left. Both capital and lower case letters are available, as well as numbers and punctuation marks. 5. After entering the desired text, press E. Assigning a Text Tag to a Channel 1. Press MENU. 2. Select 2:SCAN OPTION / 1:CONVENTIONAL by rotating the VFO or using L or M and pressing E. 3. Select the channel number by rotating the VFO and pressing E. You can also enter the channel number by using the keypad and then press E. 4. Select 1:FREQUENCY and ALPHA TAG by rotating the VFO and pressing E. Note: You can only assign a text tag to the channel where the frequency is stored. BANK TAG 1 BANK TAG 1 Uniden Group C 001 855.0000 NFM ALPHA TAG ¡ 5. The cursor appears on the display. Rotate the VFO to change letters, and press L or M to move right or left. Both capital and lower case letters are available, as well as 28 numbers and punctuation marks. 6. After entering the desired text, press E.  Remember! To clear a mistake while entering the letters, press repeatedly until the display is cleared. . (decimal key) Beep Alert The scanner can alert you with three beeps at the beginning of a transmission on an assigned frequency. Assigning the Beep Alert to a Channel This alert can be set ON/OFF for every channel in Conventional mode. In conventional mode 1. Press MENU. 2. Select 2:SCAN OPTION / 1:CONVENTIONAL by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 3. Select the channel number by rotating the VFO and pressing E. (You can also enter the channel number by using the keypad and then press E.) 4. Select 4:BEEP ALERT by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 5. Select 1:ON or 2:OFF by rotating the VFO and pressing E. Note: If NOT REGISTERED appears, make sure a frequency is stored in the channel.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. Programming Tips · Do not program a weather frequency into one of the channels, since weather channels transmit continuously. Use the Weather Search feature to select the weather information band. · Group similar services into a bank. For example, program police frequencies in channels 1 through 10 and fire/emergency into channels 51 through 60, and so on. · Put the frequency that you listen to the most or the most important frequency into a Priority channel. · 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, rotate the VFO up or press L to go to the next higher channel. · Write down your programmed channels and frequencies and put them in a convenient place in case of accidental reprogramming. · Frequencies are rounded off according to the step of each channel. · When you are overwriting a tagged channel with a new frequency, the previous alpha tag will be deleted. You must re-enter the alpha tag. · When programming frequencies, a 2 second delay is set automatically but can be changed in the menu mode. 29 Scanning 1. After programming frequencies, simply press SCAN to begin scanning. During scanning, when you rotate the VFO, you can select the direction ( or ) you want to scan. 2. The bank indicators selected for scanning appear on the display, and the bank being currently monitored flashes. You can deselect banks from active scanning by entering their number on your keypad. The indicator for each deselected bank disappears, and the bank's channels are not scanned. Note: One bank must always be active. You cannot deactivate all ten banks at the same time. If you try to disappear all the banks, the first bank is automatically selected. To restore a bank to active scanning, enter the bank's number on your keypad. The bank's indicator will display again. 3. During normal scanning the scanner skips unprogrammed or locked out channels. 4. When a transmission is received, the scanner stops on that channel. When the transmission ends, scanning resumes automatically. SCAN SCAN Bank 1234567890 C 001 CHANNELS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Frequency not entered Scan Hold Feature If you want to stop on a channel during scanning, press L/HOLD. Frequency Locked Out (L/O) Note: When you press and hold SCAN for 2 seconds, the scanner will move to the smallest empty channel. If you want to resume scanning, press RSM. To directly access a specific channel: There are several ways to access a specific channel quickly. 1. Press L/HOLD. 2. Using the keypad, enter the channel number. 3. Press L/HOLD again. Another method is as follows: 1. Press L/HOLD. 2. When the VFO setting is in the channel mode, rotate the VFO until the desired channel is displayed. The scanner will automatically go to Hold mode. C 001 1300.0000 NFM 25cm Amateur 1 UNIDEN Group A 0000.0000 Bank 10 C1000 30 Note: When in Hold mode, you can use the VFO to step up or down through the channels. You can also switch from stepping up/down through channels to stepping up/down through frequencies by pressing the VFO. Storing Frequencies During Scanning During Scanning 1. Press L/HOLD. 2. Press TRNFR, and the empty channel number appears on the display. 3. Press E. Note: · If you want to change the channel, rotate the VFO. · If the frequency you want to store exists already, and WARNING appears on the display and you will hear a beep. (See "Duplicate Frequency Alert" on page 27). RF Attenuation Feature The BC785D comes with an RF Attenuation feature. If you're near an unusually strong signal source, the signal may overload the scanner. The scanner may stop repeatedly on that signal and miss other transmissions. The RF Attenuation feature works in all modes and attenuates (reduces) the incoming signal strength to prevent stronger signals from overloading the scanner. The RF attenuation is set at the Menu mode. 1. Press MENU. 2. For Search mode, select 1:SERVICE OPTION / :CHAIN SEARCH / 1:CHAIN SEARCH / 1:ON / 4:ATTENUATOR / 1:ON by rotating the VFO and pressing E. OR For Scan mode, select 2:SCAN OPTION / 1:CONVENTIONAL by rotating the VFO and pressing E. Then select the channel number by rotating the VFO and pressing E. Select 4:ATTENUATOR (Search mode) or 5:ATTENUATOR (Scan mode) by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 3. Select 1:ON by rotating the VFO and pressing E. Note: Attenuation will only be active for the specified channel. In Search mode, it is applied to the Search ranges in all banks.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. Setting the Delay Mode for Frequency A default delay of 2 seconds is automatically set for each frequency or talkgroup. A different 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. To set the delay feature, enter into the menu mode. 31 1. Press MENU. 2. For Scan mode, select 2:SCAN OPTION / 1:CONVENTIONAL by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 3. Select the channel number of the stored frequency to be delayed by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 4. Select 2:DELAY and press E. 5. Rotate the VFO to select one of the delay periods and press E. 6. For Search mode, select 1:SERVICE OPTION / :CHAIN SEARCH / 3:DELAY by rotating the VFO and pressing E, then set to a delay period the same way as the Scan mode setting. Note: The delay periods are as follows: · None: Delay feature off · 1 sec.: Delays for 1 sec. before re-scanning · 2 sec.: Delays for 2 sec. before re-scanning · 4 sec.: Delays for 4 sec. before re-scanning · Infinite: Stays on until RSM is pressed · -2 sec.: Stays for 2 sec. only before re-scanning * · -5 sec.: Stays for 5 sec. only before re-scanning * · -10 sec.: Stays for 10 sec. only before re-scanning * * Setting negative delay periods are useful if you are only interested in small segments of conversations. For example: If you set a -5 second delay, you will only hear 5 seconds of the conversation and then the scanner will resume scanning, whether or not the conversation is finished.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. Channel Lockout You can lockout any channel so it is not checked during normal scanning. You can restore the channel to scanning when you wish. Lockout in Hold Mode 1. Press L/HOLD. 2. Select a channel. a. Enter the channel number using the keypad. b. Press L/HOLD again. ­­­ OR ­­­ Rotate the VFO up or down to change the channel. 3. Press L/O to lockout the channel. L/O appears on the display. C 001 141.5000 NFM UNIDEN Group A 32 Lockout in Scanning Mode If the scanner keeps stopping on a particular channel due to noise or frequent transmissions, you may want to keep that channel from scanning. 1. Wait until the scanner stops on the channel. 2. Then press L/O. 3. The scanner immediately resumes scanning because the locked out channel is no longer in the scanning sequence. Lockout Tips Write down your locked-out channels and put in a convenient place in case you need to restore them. Restoring a Locked-out Channel 1. Press L/HOLD. 2. Select a locked out channel. a. Enter the channel number using the keypad. b. Then press L/HOLD again. 3. Press L/O to unlock the channel. The L/O disappears. Restoring All Locked-out Channels You can restore all locked-out channels in a bank only when a bank is selected for scan. If you have deselected a bank and you want to restore all of its locked-out channels using the steps below, you must press SCAN and then enter the number of the bank on your keypad. 1. Press L/HOLD. Note: You must be in Hold mode before restoring all locked-out channels. 2. Press and hold L/O for about 2 seconds. You will hear two beeps when all the channels have been restored. 33 Priority Scan When Priority Scan is turned ON, your scanner checks the priority channel in the banks you selected every 2 seconds for activity. If a signal is present on the priority channel, your scanner monitors the channel until the transmission ends, then resumes normal scanning. You can designate one channel in each bank as a Priority Channel. By default, the first channel in each bank is the Priority Channel, but you can change this. To activate Priority Scan (in either the Hold or Scan Mode): 1. Press PRI to select PRIORITY ON. Note: If you have locked out the priority channel, ERROR appears when you select Priority mode. 2. Press PRI to select PRIORITY OFF to deactivate Priority Scan. PRIORITY ON C 010 1240.0000 NFM ERROR PRI CH LOCKOUT Changing the Priority Channel You cannot eliminate the Priority Channel, but you can change it to any one of the 100 available channels in each bank. 1. Press L/HOLD. 2. Select a new Priority Channel: a. Enter the channel number using the keypad. b .Then press L/HOLD again. 3. Press and hold PRI for 2 seconds to designate this channel as your new Priority Channel. Two beeps indicates that the Priority Channel has been changed. The P icon appears on the display. Note: · Priority in Trunking mode works just the same, except you set them for talkgroup IDs instead of setting priorities for channels. The scanner only checks priority talkgroups between transmission, in 4 second intervals. C 001 512.0000 NFM UHF TV 1 UNIDEN Group A · Priority Scan is disabled while M, E or L (Trunking type) icons are illuminated (a beep will sound if you try to scan). To make it possible, turn OFF each function then press PRI to select PRIORITY ON. 34 Priority Channel Plus Scan You can scan only the Priority Channels (except for the locked out channels) in the banks you selected. To activate Priority Channel Plus (Only in Scan mode): 1. Press PRI to select PRIORITY PLUS. 2. Press PRI to select PRIORITY ON or PRIORITY OFF on the display to deactivate Priority Channel Plus Scan. Note: Priority or Priority Plus Scan are disabled while Search mode is selected. 35 Searching Setting a Search Range Note: First you must set the search ranges through the Menu screen prior to any searching. The BC785D can search up to 10 separate frequency ranges to help you discover new stations in your area. To set a Search Range, enter into the Menu mode. 1. Press MENU. 2. Select 1:SERVICE OPTION / :CHAIN SEARCH / 2:SEARCH RANGE by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 3. Select a range number by rotating VFO and pressing E. 4. Select 1:RANGE by rotating the VFO and pressing E. Enter the lowest frequency using the keypad and then press E, then repeat the same for the highest frequency. Then press SRCH. ­­­ OR ­­­ 1. Press and hold SRCH for 2 seconds. 2. Select - range number - 1:RANGE and program the lowest and highest frequencies by the same way as step 3 and 4 above.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. Note: · In the search hold mode, when you enter the lowest and highest frequencies as above using the keypad and then press LIMIT/M, you can also set a search range. · The scanner can continuously search up to 10 ranges. (Chain Search) · You can select or deselect the search range freely by pressing the corresponding number with the keypad. · The scanner automatically increases its search speed from 100 to 300 steps per second for the bands having 5 kHz steps. (Turbo Search) · After you have set the search range through the Menu the first time for a range, you will be able to set new ranges for the same range by using the keypad and the standard direct entry method. · Searching feature is applied to Control Channel Only mode (see page 66). Caution: After you have entered the search range while still in the Menu mode, you can set your alpha tag (see page 28), change the step size of the search, or change the mode or change the trunk set. Once the lower and upper parameters of your search are edited, the Menu screen backs up one level to allow you to modify the step size, receive mode, and alpha tag. Select 2:STEPS for your step size choices and then press E or VFO. Select 36 SRCH 12.5k 1240.0000 NFM Range 1234567890 3:MODE for the receiver mode choices and then press E or VFO. Select 4:ALPHA TAG to enter an alpha tag using the VFO and then press E. Select 5:TRUNK to switch ON or OFF for Trunk Search. Starting Chain Search 1. After setting the search ranges, select 1:SERVICE OPTION / :CHAIN SEARCH / 1:CHAIN SEARCH by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 2. Select 1:ON by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 3. Press SRCH to search up to 10 ranges continuously.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. Note: · If CHAIN SEARCH is OFF, only 1 range can be searched. · When searching stops, press RSM to resume searching. · When you rotate the VFO while searching, you can change the search direction to up or down. · When searching in WFM, it will stop before reaching the desired frequency if the step is other than 50 kHz or 100 kHz. Search Hold Feature 1. Press L/HOLD or LIMIT/M at anytime to stop the search. 2. Press RSM or SRCH to resume searching. SRCH 12.5k 1240.0000 NFM Range 1 25cm Amateur Grp Data Skip A scanner will normally stop on any transmission it receives. This means the BC785D will occasionally stop on data signals and unmodulated transmissions. You can automatically skip many of these types SYSTEM OPTION of transmissions during search. To activate the Data Skip 5:PC CONTROL feature, enter into the Menu mode. 1. Press MENU. 6:CLONE 7:DATA SKIP 2. Select 3:SYSTEM OPTION / 7:DATA SKIP by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 3. Select 1:ON by rotating the VFO and pressing E.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. When Data Skip is active, your scanner may pause momentarily on an unwanted signal but will resume searching in 2 or 3 seconds. The Data Skip feature is active as well as Scan mode and Service Search mode. Data Skip does not function during AM/WFM band Scan, Chain Search for AM/WFM band, or WX Search, Priority Scan, and Trunking mode. 37 Frequency Skip If a particular frequency continues to interrupt search scanning, it is possible to set your scanner to skip the frequency. To skip over a frequency, press L/O when stopping at the frequency you want to skip or when in Search Hold mode. Note: · You can program up to 200 skip frequencies. The 201st skip frequency entered causes the first skipped frequency to unlock. · If all frequencies in the search range are set to skip, a beep sounds and it moves to Search Hold mode. To resume searching. 1) Cancel the Frequency Skip set. ­­­ OR ­­­ 2) Reset the Search Frequency range. To cancel all skipped frequencies, press and hold L/O for 2 seconds in Search Hold mode. Storing Search Frequencies You can quickly store any frequency you find during Search. 1. During Search, press L/HOLD or LIMIT/M to store or when the scanner stops on the frequency you want to store. 2. Press TRNFR to store the frequency in the channel you selected. The smallest empty channel number flashes on the display. If necessary, you can also change the channel by scrolling the VFO or using L or M. 3. Press E. SRCH 12.5k 1240.0000 NFM Range 1 C004 0000.0000 Note: · If the frequency you want to store exists already, WARNING appears on the display and you will hear a beep. (See "Duplicate Frequency Alert" on page 27.) · After storing the frequency, it moves to the Search Hold mode. · In case there is not a free channel, the frequency you want to store will automatically be stored in the previous channel before you entered into Chain Search mode. 4. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 after starting the search for all the Search Frequencies you want to store. 38 Auto Storing The scanner automatically stores active frequencies if its Auto Store feature is turned ON. But the frequencies already stored can not be stored. To make use of this feature, set a search range first (see page 36), then enter into the Menu mode. If you start this feature without setting a search range, NO LIMIT DATA appears on the display. 1. Press MENU. 2. Select 1:SERVICE OPTION / :CHAIN SEARCH / 7:AUTO STORE by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 3. Select 1:ON by rotating the VFO and pressing E.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. 4. Select the bank number you want to use with the keypad. The selected bank number appears on the display. Note: If the selected bank has no free channels to store, CH DATA FULL will appear on the display and you will hear a beep. 6. Press SRCH to start auto storing. 7. After the search has gone through the search range, press L/HOLD to stop this feature. STORE END appears on the display. You may want to let it run through the search range several times again because during the first pass there may not have been any transmissions at that particular time on that frequency. AUTO STORE SELECT BANK 12--56---AUTO STORE ERROR CH DATA FULL C 001 1245.8500 NFM Bank 12--56---AUTO STORE Squelch (SQ) Mode The scanner can be set to the following SQ modes. · Carrier SQ mode (default setting) The scanner will stop on any transmission or squelch opening, regardless of whether any subaudible tone has been programmed for the channel or search range. · Tone SQ mode The scanner will stop on any active frequency for which either no subaudible tone has been programmed or for which the user-programmed subaudible tone is also active. · Tone Search mode During any transmission, the scanner will begin searching all possible subaudible tones, one of which may also be in use. The scanner counts up through the CTCSS tones and instantly determines any possible DCS tone. See Page 91 for a listing of the tones that the BC785D decodes. Note: When Tone Search is active in Scan mode, once the CTCSS or DCS display flashes a tone repeatedly (meaning that it has found the tone match), you can press E to program that frequency with the captured tone. When you change the mode to Tone SQ from Tone Search that frequency and tone will be programmed. 39 · Tone Lock (out) mode For either a Memory channel or a Search Range, you can lock a particular subaudible tone by pressing L/O after scrolling to the desired tone. The scanner will stop on any transmission except those which may be using the locked subaudible tone. To set your scanner, enter into the Menu mode. 1. Press MENU. 2. Select 3:SYSTEM OPTION / 8:SQ MODE by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 3. Rotate the VFO to select one type (1:CSQ, 2:TONE SQ, 3:TONE SEARCH) and press E. 4. To set Tone Lock mode, do the following first, then select 2:TONE SQ in step 3. 1) For Scan mode, select 2:SCAN OPTION / 1:CONVENTIONAL - select the channel number - / 3:TONE DATA / 1:CTCSS or 2:DCS by rotating the VFO and pressing E. With CTCSS or DCS, Tone Lock ON is set by pressing L/O. 2) For Search mode, select 1:SERVICE OPTION / :CHAIN SEARCH / 5:TONE DATA / 1:CTCSS or 2:DCS by rotating the VFO and pressing E. With CTCSS or DCS Tone Lock ON is set by pressing L/O.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. Note: · To set Tone Lock OFF for either Scan mode or Search mode, press E instead of pressing L/O on step 1) or 2) above. · CTCSS: Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System. · DCS: Digital Coded Squelch. · For example, the scanner shows the following displays. When Search mode and Tone Search are selected, the display shows the frequency and tone data alternately. · If the delay feature (-2 sec/-5 sec/-10 sec) has been set while in Tone search mode, it resumes scanning according to the delay setting. 40 C 001 512.0000 NFM CTCSS 250.3 Bank 1 Tone SQ ON, CTCSS 250.3 Hz setting C 001 512.0000 NFM DCS 025 Bank 1 Tone SQ ON, DCS 025 setting C 001 512.0000 NFM Bank 1 Tone SQ ON, CTCSS & DCS non-setting C 003 512.0000 NFM CTCSS 250.3 UNIDEN Group A Tone Search, CTCSS 250.3 Hz detecting C 003 512.0000 NFM DCS 025 UNIDEN Group A Tone Search, DCS 023 detecting C 003 512.0000 NFM UNIDEN Group A Tone Search, no signal received Additional Menu Options for Searching Each of these additional menu options applys to all search ranges entered. If there is a range that you do not want an option to apply, then simply enter the range number on the numerical keypad. You will see the range number that you have selected disappears from the display. (For more information on these options refer to the "Menu Descriptions" section and "Additional Features" section.) Options: RECORD (for more information see page 16). 1. Press MENU. 2. Select 1:SERVICE OPTION / :CHAIN SEARCH / 6:RECORD by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 3. Select 1:ON by rotating the VFO and pressing E. ATTENUATOR (for more information see page 31). 1. Press MENU. 2. Select 1:SERVICE OPTION / :CHAIN SEARCH / 4:ATTENUATOR by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 3. Select 1:ON by rotating the VFO and pressing E.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. DELAY Refer to page 31. 41 Service Search The Service Search feature allows you to scroll through the following twelve preprogrammed services. The frequencies selected for these services are the most commonly used around the U.S. · 1:WEATHER · 2:PUBLIC SAFETY · 3:NEWS · 4:TV BROADCAST · 5:HAM RADIO · 6:MARINE 1. Press SRVC. ­­­ OR ­­­ Another method is as follows: To set Service Search, enter into the Menu mode. 1. Press MENU. 2. Select 1:SERVICE OPTION by rotating the VFO and pressing E. · 7:RAILROAD · 8:AIR · 9:CB RADIO · 0:FRS · :RACING · :SPECIAL SERVICE OPTION 1:WEATHER 2:PUBLIC SAFETY 3:NEWS 2. To select the Service Search, select one Service Search menu you want from the lists above by rotating the VFO and press E or directly enter the number listed above. Note: When you start Service Search by pressing SRVC, you can start Service Search without pressing E. 3. After a 3 second delay, searching begins for the selected service. If you want to start searching immediately, press RSM. 4. To change the searched service, rotate the VFO or directly enter the number listed above after pressing SRVC.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. Note: · When you start searching, select :RACING or :SPECIAL by rotating the VFO and pressing E. · You can not change such settings as Auto Delay, during a Service Search. · You can enter one of the Service Search frequencies into Channel Memory by pressing TRNFR when holding on one of the frequencies and pressing E. · Special Frequencies are low-power, itinerant, FRS, "splinters" and other frequencies which are commonly used at special events and other locations and may or may not be licensed. · When you rotate the VFO while the Service Search is active, you can change the search direction to up or down. 42 During the search of one of the preprogrammed services, the lowest display line will indicate the service that you are searching. To stop the search, press L /HOLD or LIMIT /M. Rotate the VFO or using L or M to move up or down one programmed frequency or press RSM to resume searching. Service Search Skip You can set the scanner to skip the unwanted frequencies during Service Search. 100 skipped frequencies are programmable. 1. To skip over a frequency, press L/O when stopping at the frequency you want to skip. 2. To cancel a skip during search, press L/HOLD or LIMIT /M, select the desired frequency by rotating the VFO or using L or M, then press L/O. To restore all skipped frequencies, press and hold L/O for 2 seconds. Note: · You can not skip set frequency in WEATHER Service mode. SRVC --CH 453.6000 NFM SERVICE SEARCH PUBLIC SAFETY · If you start the Service Searching while all frequencies in Service Search menu are set to skipped the frequencies, you hear a beep and the scanner moves to the Hold mode. NWR-SAME Alert In addition to the conventional weather broadcasts, your BC785D is compatible with NWRSAME weather alert. When the scanner receives NOAA's Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) coded weather emergency signal, it sounds the alert siren with a specified message. You must program your FIPS code to identify the specific area where you are located. 1. Press MENU. 2. Select 1:SERVICE OPTION / 1:WEATHER / 2:ALERT by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 3. Select 1:ON by rotating the VFO or using L or M and pressing E.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. SRVC 2CH 162.6000 FM SERVICE SEARCH WX ALERT ON Note: You can also set Alert mode to OFF by pressing RSM without entering the Menu mode. 4. When the unit receives a warning signal, it shows a message with the alert siren defined. (For NWR-SAME EVENT CODE, see the table on page 89.) 5. To deactivate, just press any key or it is automatically canceled and the alert siren stops. 43 Testing the Alert Siren To test and recognize the difference between the types of alert sirens, perform the following steps: 1. During WX Hold mode and when the WX ALT is OFF, press and hold the PRI key for 2 seconds until you hear the statement alert siren. SIREN TEST appears on the display and the statement, watch and warning sirens sound alternately. Note: The samples of each alert siren only last for a few seconds. You may need to listen to each siren several times to be sure you recognize the different sirens. The sirens continue to sound rotating through the samples until you silence the test. 2. To stop the test, press any key. Make sure you can hear the siren in all areas that you would need to. If not, optional accessories can be purchased to ensure that you are alerted for emergency broadcasts. See your dealer or local electronics store for accessories. DO NOT USE EARPHONES TO LISTEN TO THE TEST. DAMAGE TO YOUR HEARING COULD OCCUR. Programming FIPS Code The 6-digit Federal Information Processing System (FIPS) codes established by the National Weather Service (NWS) must be programmed in your scanner. These codes specify an emergency and the specific geographic area (such as county) affected by the emergency. 1. Press MENU. 2. Select 1:SERVICE OPTION / 1:WEATHER / 2:ALERT by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 3. Select 1:ON by rotating the VFO and pressing E. WEATHER ALERT SELECT CODE No. FIPS CODE 1 ----------- 4. Select the desired memory number (FIPS CODE 1~15) by rotating the VFO and pressing E. When you rotate the VFO or use M to move down when FIPS CODE 1 is displayed or the VFO or use L to move up when FIPS CODE 15 is displayed, ALL FIPS appears on the display. 5. Press E.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. Note: · To cancel the entry, press . (decimal key). · To clear a stored FIPS code, press 0 and E successively. · To obtain the FIPS code for your area, contact the NWS toll free at 1-888-697-7263.(1-888-NWR-SAME) or visit their web site http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm 44 Digital and Trunked Systems Your BC785D is designed to monitor APCO Project 25 digital communication systems (using optional BCi25D) and tracks three major types of trunked radio systems. These systems are described here. APCO Project 25 Systems - Digital systems which support the APCO Project 25 protocol developed by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA). Systems can operate in conventional, trunked and mixedmodes (analog and digital) in any frequency band including UHF, VHF and 800 MHz. MOTOROLA - Including Type I, Type II, Hybrid, SMARTNET, and Privacy Plus. Motorola systems are widely used by public safety and business users. Most are on the 800 MHz band, and recent systems are appearing on other bands. (See page 63). EDACS - Including "Wideband" 9600 baud, and "Narrowband" 4800 baud systems. "Wideband" systems are mostly on the 800 MHz band, and are used by public safety, utilities, and business users. Some systems are used on the VHF and UHF bands. "Narrowband" systems are used in the 935-940 MHz band, many by utilities. (See page 58). EDACS SCAT - These systems are mainly used in the Midwestern United States and are one-channel trunking sites using the EDACS format. LTR - These systems are mostly for business users, and found on the UHF, 800 and 900 MHz bands. (See page 62). For details on the operation and programming for all of these systems, see pages 45-71. When tracking these types of systems, remember these important points: · Your scanner defaults to monitor Motorola Type II systems; however, you can change this if the system in your area is different. (The types of systems are discussed below.) · The frequencies for many of the trunked public safety systems are listed in the TrunkTracker National Public Safety Trunked System Frequency Guide included with your BC785D scanner. Frequencies sometimes change, check with www.bearcat1.com/free.htm. · If you have internet access, you can visit scanner.uniden.com or www.bearcat1.com/free.htm for additional information, for current news and frequency information, about Trunk Tracking Scanning. * Motorola, SMARTNET, and PRIVACY PLUS are trademarks of Motorola Inc. EDACS is a registered trademark of the M/A - COM Inc. LTR is a registered trademark of E.F. Johnson Company. 45 Programming and Receiving Digital and Trunked Systems There are three steps for programming a trunked sytem: 1. Program the Trunk Type ­ What type of system will the scanner be tracking, Motorola Type II, Type I, EDACS, LTR, etc. 2. Program the Trunked Frequencies ­ Within a trunked system, the frequencies are shared among all the users, called "Talk Groups". · Within the bank you decide which channels to program the trunked frequencies. 3. Program the Talk Groups ­ Within the trunked system, each agency or department is assigned a Talk Group ID. This ID must be programmed into the scanner in order for it to monitor that specific agency or department. · When programming you decide which "Location" to program the "Talk Groups". This is similar to how you program frequencies into channels. Here you need to program Talk Group ID's into Locations. STEP 1: Selecting or Changing Trunking System Type Before using the Trunk Tracking system, you must select the bank and trunk type. You can only track one trunked system per bank, total of 10 trunked systems. 1 Press MENU.  Remember! You can also enter the Trunk Tracking programming mode by pressing TRUNK. 2. Select 2:SCAN OPTION / 2:TRUNK by rotating the VFO and pressing E. 3 Select the bank number using the keypad or the VFO and pressing E. C 001 OOOO.0000 1:TRUNK TYPE 2:TRUNK CHANNEL C 001 OOOO.0000 1:TYPE2 800 2:TYPE1 4. Select 1:TRUNK TYPE / 1:ON and the system type you want to track by rotating the VFO and pressing E. For Type 1 System, you must enter the block and fleet numbers. Please refer to "Programming a Fleet Map" on page 64 for instructions.  Remember! You can also use L or M instead of rotating the VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO control. STEP 1 is complete. 46