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Special Report

The Uniden-Bearcat BCT15X Digital Scanner

Features, Operation and Competition

A Scanner Master Ultimate Review

Introduction

The Uniden Bearcat BCT15X is the follow-up to Uniden's premier analog mobile scanner, the BCT15, which has been discontinued. The 'XT

has more memories (up to 9,000 channels!) and many new features while retaining the BCT15's DIN form factor and price. The BCT15X

directly competes with the GRE PSR400 and RadioShack Pro163.

The BCT15X adds such new features as allowing up to 500 talkgroups per trunked system (compared to 200 for the BCT15), Fire Toneout

Search and GPS Support. Some of these features have never been available on any scanner before. In addition to all this the latest firmware

version even allows individual Unit ID's for identifying specific radios in trunked systems.

The BCT15X uses Uniden's Dynamic Memory Architecture (DMA) instead of fixed Banks and Channels. This method of programming was

introduced a few years back with the BC246T and is also used on such scanners as the BCD396T and BCD996T. While it has a similar effect

as the GRE "Memory Object" system, the Uniden method is somewhat easier to fathom and program for many people. DMA allows you to

program as many Channels, Systems and Groups as you can until the memory runs out instead of locking you into a fixed amount of banks and

channels.

The radio resembles the older BCT15 and retains the black faceplate. Otherwise the general layout is identical, with a single multi-function

control knob on the right, 17 button keypad on the front and 2 side buttons alongside the multifunction knob. The front panel has the same

computer interface jack and earphone jack, the earphone jack is on the bottom next to the multi-function knob. The back of the radio has a RS-

232 serial port that is intended for GPS units, but it could also be used for programming if used with a null-modem adaptor. (It is much simpler

to use the front port for programming.) Also on the back of the radio is separate external speaker and record jacks as well as a BNC connector

for the antenna.

Also in the box is the same antenna, serial programming cable and DIN sleeve as the older radios. The radio includes a cigar cord and special

power cord to allow connection into the vehicle dash light wiring to allow dimming of the display with the car's interior lights. The owner's

manual for the radio is contained on a CD-ROM, in PDF format. There is no printed manual.

The BCT15X also continues the BCT15’s feature set of State By State preprogrammed frequencies. You can select to monitor common State

Police/Highway or DOT channels across the USA by selecting the type and state. The BearTracker feature in addition checks for Mobile

Extenders often used by state law agencies, kind of like a radar detector without the radar.

Features & Functions

System, Group & Channel Memory Architecture

The BCT15X allows you to program up to 9,000 channels. (Remember the days when 20 channels were plenty?) While few would ever need

this many available channels, it leaves a nice cushion to allow you to program in all your local and travel scanner frequencies and still have

plenty of room left over to explore new channels. The actual total channel capacity is based on total memory usage, so the amount of alpha tags

and other items you have programmed will affect the total number of channels you have available.

Average users will likely never fill up the radio but you can have many systems kept in the radio for future use without worry that you will run

out of memory space. You can see what percentage of available memory you have by using the menu system. Go to the Settings menu and

select "%Memory Used" to see how much memory the radio has in a percentage basis. If you are running low you can delete unused Systems.

With the DMA style programming you do not waste memory on unused channels since bank sizes are not fixed. Instead, Systems only use the

amount of memory needed, space is not wasted on unused channels. On older scanners if you had a bank reserved for railroads in your area and

they only used 10 channels the rest of the 40 or 90 channels would have been unused and the memory space wasted.

Summary of content (16 pages)

PAGE 1
Special Report The Uniden-Bearcat BCT15X Digital Scanner Features, Operation and Competition A Scanner Master Ultimate Review Copyright 2009, Richard Carlson/Scanner Master Corporation Introduction The Uniden Bearcat BCT15X is the follow-up to Uniden's premier analog mobile scanner, the BCT15, which has been discontinued. The 'XT has more memories (up to 9,000 channels!) and many new features while retaining the BCT15's DIN form factor and price.
PAGE 2
The BCT15X uses two special buttons, labeled as "Function" and "Menu". (The Function button is actually the Multi-Function knob that you press.) The Menu button starts various programming tasks, and will bring you to the various menus pretty much no matter what the radio is doing. When in the Menus the Menu button acts as a Back button.
PAGE 3
FM is the standard 2-way communications mode for most older Public Safety and business systems as well as ham radio operations. WFM is used on low band (30 thru 50 MHz.) and some specialized operations. FMB is used on FM Broadcast and TV audio channels. The Auto mode selects the mode that is most often used on that range of frequencies, due to new rules, many operations will be converting to narrower bandwidths over the next few years so you may need to change the mode.
PAGE 4
Another variation on Motorola trunking is digital. This combines the use of P25 digital voice on a standard Motorola Type II trunked system. These systems can thus use both digital and analog radios. Since the BCT15X is an analog only radio you will not be able to monitor the digital conversations with this radio. EDACS EDACS(r) Trunking, formerly sold by G.E., is now sold by Harris Communications and may be used by business or government users.
PAGE 5
talkgroup assignments, but are hearing odd car-car communications on a new talkgroup. Now that you have upgraded your radio to the latest firmware you can see the Unit ID's and see that the cars talking have Unit IDs of 214 and 251. It is safe to assume then that the talkgroup is likely a Police Car to Car assignment. To upgrade the firmware on your scanner you need to download the actual firmware itself as well as the firmware updater program. Both are free downloads from the above web address at Uniden.
PAGE 6
This will affect scanner users in various ways. Scanners of EDACS, LTR and conventional 800 MHz. systems will only need to change the frequencies assigned to the System and scanners of P25 systems only need to change the Control Channels listed for the system. The very item that made Motorola systems easy to monitor in the past makes it more difficult to deal with now. Motorola handles frequency assignments differently than other systems.
PAGE 7
expensive, Hex allowed programmers to save memory by using less characters to represent larger numbers. For example, it takes 4 characters to represent the number 1234 in Decimal yet only 3 in Hex (4D2). While scanners in the past converted the Hex to a more easily understood Decimal number purists and programmers would prefer the Hex version. For EDACS systems scanners give you the option of using AFS, short for Agency-Fleet-Subfleet or Decimal. Decimal mode uses regular numbers, up to 2047.
PAGE 8
You can set the radio to search for digital signals only, analog only or both. You can also set the radio to find CTCSS or DCS codes during CloseCall. CloseCall may be set up to run at the same time as other scanning or search occurs, with "Do Not Disturb" (DND) so that it only check for Close Call when there is no other traffic being heard, or with CloseCall Only. When you set the radio to "Close Call Only" mode the display shows the numbers 1 thru 7, and relative signal strength bars.
PAGE 9
Public Safety* News Media (broadcast channels including IFB audio feeds) Ham Radio (10-meter, 6-meter, 2-meter-, 220, 440, etc.) Marine Railroad Air CB Radio FRS/GMRS Racing FM Broadcast Military Air Special (all low-power walkie-talkie frequencies) * This is a general search through the popular public safety bands which does include what is now UHF TV in some areas and public safety in others between 470-512 MHz, this can cause the search to lock up in areas where TV signals are used in this band.
PAGE 10
Other Parameters When setting up Search or CloseCall you can turn on other options, including delay times, auto-store limits and whether the attenuator is on. These are set thru the Menu system. Band Scope The BCT15X also has a bandscope that allows you to view active band segments during searches. Bars on the screen display the active frequencies relative to the current channel. This allows you to see if there is an active frequency above or below the current one.
PAGE 11
Fire Tone Out Like other Uniden radios introduced in the last few years the BCT15X has the popular Fire Tone Out feature. This allows you to set up the radio to act as a pager like those carried by firefighters. The radio will remain silent until there is a fire call preceded by tow-tone codes. While in this mode the radio cannot be used for other purposes. Fire Tone Out Search The biggest problem with the Fire Tone Out feature is figuring out the tones used.
PAGE 12
This allows you to set a tag to any channel or system and quickly send your radio to it by pressing a couple buttons. For example, your police department uses 4 channels, called "Channel 1" and so on. Set these channels with these Channel Tags and you can then quickly go to these channels just by pressing Hold, the number and then the Menu button. There are 1000 (0 thru 999) Channel tags you can program. Individual channel volume offset You can set individual volume levels for different channels.
PAGE 13
Included in the Box: • BCT15X Scanner • 12 VDC AC Adapter • Telescoping Antenna • 4' PC Serial Cable • DIN Sleeve • Mounting Bracket and hardware • Cigar lighter socket Power cord • 3-wire power cord • Manual on CDROM Antenna The BCT15X uses the same BNC antenna mount as the other Uniden mobile scanners recently and the included antenna works well for casual use. You will likely want to use an external antenna at home or in a vehicle for more serious listening.
PAGE 14
The obvious competitor to the BCT15X is the GRE PSR-600 and Radio Shack PRO-197. The PSR-600 and PRO-197 are both made by GRE. The PRO-197 is sold by Radio Shack and has a slightly different faceplate but otherwise they are identical. Size, fit and finish The BCT15X is a DIN sized radio, by removing the black metal outer case you will see a second metal interior case. Using the included DIN sleeve you can mount the radio in the dash of some vehicles. Otherwise you can use the included under-dash bracket.
PAGE 15
Both radios have impressive feature sets. The features the Uniden has that the GRE doesn't include Fire Tone Out, GPS connection, Multi-Site, and IF Exchange. The GRE has a couple features the BCT15X lacks, including "V-Scanners" (virtual scanners where you can load complete radio memories for future use), a programmable Alert LED and on-screen help. Display The GRE display is a bit smaller than the Uniden and the main portion of the Uniden display (frequency and text tags) use larger characters.
PAGE 16
I would also have liked a printed manual to be included or at least as a low cost option. Since the radio will often be used mobile or in the field, the ability to have a quick resource will be missed. The last batch of Uniden scanners had manuals that you could tuck in your back pocket or in your glove box, this would have been ideal for this radio. Perhaps an enterprising individual will produce a manual like this.