Table of Contents Welcome! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Types of Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Included With Your Scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Fast Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Power ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 How Squelch Works. . . . . . . .
Welcome! Congratulations on your purchase of the BCT7 Highway Communications System & Scanning Radio! State-of-the-art engineering and advanced electronics provide you with a preprogrammed information radio designed for easy operation and dependability. With the BCT7 Scanning Radio, you can listen to thousands of Highway Patrol, police, and DOT frequencies, as well as Fire, News, Weather, CB and Private frequencies you program.
What is Scanning? Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most two-way communications (listed on the page 5) do not transmit continuously. The BCT7 scans programmed channels at the rate of nearly 100 channels per second 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. While the BCT7 scans channels, it is in Scan mode.
Features Pre-programmed frequencies specific to each state (except Hawaii).
Types of Communications Monitor communications such as: Highway Patrol, police and fire department (including paramedics) Aircraft NOAA weather broadcasts Business/industrial radio Motion picture and press relay Utility Land transportation frequencies, such as trucking firms, buses, taxis, tow trucks, and railroads Marine and amateur (ham radio) bands And many more in the following 12 Bands: Frequency Range 29.0-30.0 MHz 30.0-50.
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Fast Start Note: Fold out the illustration from the front cover to see the controls and LCD display while reading this guide. Power ON 1. Turn the volume knob clockwise. VOL The scanner performs a self-test: the Warning Light flashes and the Alert Tone beeps loudly. 2.The currently selected state (e.g., TX for Texas) appears and scanning starts.
How Squelch Works Think of “SQUELCH” as a gate. If the gate is too low (squelch too low), everything (all noise as well as signals) gets through. If the gate is set too high (squelch too high), nothing gets through. If the gate is set just right (squelch set properly), just the desired signals get through. Setting the Squelch No signal should be present when setting Squelch. Press H to stop scanning. If needed, press < or > until you do not hear a signal. until hiss heard.
Scanning the Alert Monitor Frequency Banks The Alert Monitor works with the Highway Patrol, Police, and Department of Transportation (DOT) frequency banks. Frequencies are preprogrammed at the factory on a state-by-state basis. Selecting the State Press S to select the state you are operating in. Press and hold S to scroll rapidly. ➪ scroll rapidly, press S and ➪ To hold > or <. To step forward through the states (A - W), press S and, within two seconds, press < repeatedly.
When the BCT7 receives communications, scanning stops, the active bank type replaces the state code, and the frequency displays. Active Bank indicators: HP - Highway Patrol PO - Police DT - DOT When the transmission ends, a built-in two second delay feature holds the scanner on that frequency for a response. If there is no response, scanning resumes. Scan Hold When scanning stops on a desired frequency, press H to hold on that frequency as long as you like. Note: 10 ➪ To resume scanning, press H.
Warning Alert The BCT7 alerts you when Highway Patrol/State Police units using mobile extenders are within an approximate three mile radius. 1. The Warning Light flashes and the Alert Tone beeps five times when a signal is received. Warning Light Flashes WARNING ➪ 2. The active bank indicator replaces the state name, and the frequency displays until the transmission ends. Warning Light glows steadily ➪ 3.The for approximately three minutes.
Muting the Alert Tone One Moment Mute Press M during the Warning Alert. The Alert Tone stops and the Mute LED flashes until the alarm cycle is finished. Mute LED Flashes ➪ Continuous Mute Press and hold M for two seconds to turn Continuous Mute on whenever you wish. You hear two beeps and the Mute LED lights continuously. No Alert Tones will sound. ➪ Canceling Mute To cancel Mute, 1. Press and hold M for two seconds. You hear two beeps and the MUTE LED goes out. 2.
Power On Settings When you turn the BCT7 off and then on again, the BCT7 will return to the last settings that were active. When you have chosen the state you will be driving in, and the mode (HIGHWAY PATROL, DOT, etc.), the BCT7 always returns to these settings. Priority Channels Each state preprogrammed in the BCT7 contains a number of Priority channels. The BCT7 automatically checks a state’s Priority channels every two seconds for activity.
Scanning Fire, News, Weather, and Private Frequency Banks Note: The Warning Alert does not work while scanning these banks. To scan Fire frequencies, To scan News frequencies, press F again. press F. ➪ FIRE appears in the display and scanning begins two seconds later. To scan your Private frequencies you have programmed, press W again. NEWS appears in the display and scanning begins two seconds later. ➪ To scan Weather Frequencies, press W.
Scan Hold Note: Warning Alert does not work in this mode. When scanning stops on a desired To resume scanning, press H. frequency, press H to hold on that frequency as long as you like. ➪ the BCT7 stops on an undesired ➪ Iffrequency, press H twice to force the unit to start scanning before the end of that transmission.. Or, lock out that frequency (see Frequency Lock Out) Frequency Lock Out You can lock out a frequency so it is not scanned. Lock out does not erase the frequency.
In Hold Mode Press L. ➪ LOCKOUT appears on the display. Scanning doesn’t resume until you press H. Lockout Tips After you have locked out the 50th preprogrammed frequency (or 100th user programmed frequency), you may lock out a new frequency. However, the first frequency you locked out becomes unlocked to make room for the new frequency. You can lock out all the frequencies in a bank, if desired. However, if you do, pressing that bank key will emit an error tone and the scanner will not scan.
Restore a Locked Out Frequency 1. Select the frequency bank. ➪ 2. Press H to enter Manual Mode. 4. Press L to unlock the frequency. ➪ 5. Press H to resume scanning. ➪ 3. Press > or < to find the desired frequency. Press and hold > or < to scroll rapidly. Restore All Locked-Out Frequencies Press and hold L for two seconds. hear two beeps when all ➪ You’ll frequencies are restored. OR In the Alert Monitor Frequency Banks, press S to change the state code.
Search You can use the SEARCH feature to find active frequencies in your area. Many frequencies have already have been pre-programmed into one of the SCAN MODES (Highway, Police, DOT, etc.). You can search for any frequencies between 29.000 and 956.000 MHz, as well as CB channels 1 through 40, as long as they are within the 12 Bands covered by the BCT7. See the table on page 5, or the Specifications at the back of this Guide. 1. Press B to enter Band Search Mode. ➪ 2.
CB Channel Search The 40 Citizen’s Band (CB) channels comprise one of the 12 search bands available in the BCT7. 1. Press B repeatedly until the CB band is active ➪ 2. After 2 seconds, the search begins through the 40 CB channels. Press < or > to change the channel search direction. ➪ 3. When the BCT7 finds CB communications, the CB channel and frequency displays. CB SRCH Notes: In the SEARCH function, you can turn the Data Skip feature on and off. (See “Data Skip,” page 20.
Data Skip Your BCT7 automatically skips certain data channels which broadcast non-voice communications (primarily pagers). An icon in the display shows when Data Skip is on. This feature works in all modes except CB, AIR and Weather. To turn Data Skip OFF or ON: 1. Press Bkey repeatedly until SKIP appears. 20 ➪ 2. Press Q within two seconds to turn Data Skip off (or on). The data icon appears in the display.
Programming Your BCT7 contains 100 programmable memory channels available in the following frequency banks: Highway 25 programmable channels (+ pre-programmed channels) Police 25 programmable channels (+ pre-programmed channels) DOT 10 programmable channels (+ pre-programmed channels) News 5 programmable channels (+ pre-programmed channels) Fire 10 programmable channels (+ pre-programmed channels) Private 25 programmable channels ONLY You can add frequencies to the pre-programmed frequency banks
Programming Frequencies 1. Press B to find a frequency band you wish to search. ➪ 2. When the BCT7 begins searching, press H. 4. Press Q . ➪ 5. Select the bank where you want to program the frequency (Highway, Police, DOT, News, Fire or Private). The unprogrammed channel number and 000.0000 flash on and off over the frequency you chose. ➪ 8. Press H to begin scanning 7.Press Q again to enter the frequency. ➪ 3. Press < or > to find the desired frequency. ➪ 6.
Clearing a User-Programmed Frequency To erase a user-programmed frequency: 1. Press B. ➪ 2. Press H twice to start search and hold on any frequency. ➪ 3. Press Q . HOLD ➪ 4. Press and hold > until 000.0000 appears in the display. 5. Press the frequency bank key desired (G, P, etc.) ➪ 6. Press < or > to select the Channel you want to clear. HOLD 7. Press Q to program 000.0000 into memory.
Memory Lock To avoid accidental programming of your BCT7 after you have programmed all the frequencies to your satisfaction, slide the MEMOLOCK switch on the back panel of the radio to ON. Memory Lock Off/On MEMOLOCK OFF ON ANT. If you attempt to enter frequencies after you have locked the program, the display will show PRG-LOC. Slide the switch back to OFF to enter frequencies once again.
Installation Mobile Installation Before starting installation, select a location for the radio bracket that is convenient for operation and does not interfere with the driver or passenger in the vehicle. 1. Secure the bracket to a solid surface using the self tapping screws provided. 2. Mount the scanner to the bracket with the thumb screws. Knob 3. Adjust the angle of the radio.
Connecting the Power The BCT7 is designed to be used in any vehicle which has a 12-volt DC negative ground electrical system. If you cannot determine the polarity of your vehicle, consult your vehicle dealer for information. 1. Connect the BCT7 power cord directly to the fuse block or battery of your car. - OR Plug one end of the cigarette lighter power cord into your vehicle’s cigarette lighter. 2. Connect the power cord to the jack marked “DC 13.8V” on the back of the radio. 3.
Base Installation In addition to mobile installation, you can operate the BCT7 as a base unit with the included AC Adapter and Telescoping Antenna. Note: Use only the AC Adapter supplied with this unit. 1. Plug the telescoping antenna into the antenna jack on the rear of the unit. 2. Plug the AC Adapter into the jack marked “DC 13.8V.” 3. Plug the adapter into a 120V AC 60 Hz wall outlet. Operation of the scanner is the same as for mobile use.
Tips & Techniques Leave the Band Search set for CB (CB follows 806-956 MHz and precedes 29-30 MHz). This way, whenever you wish to monitor CB radio traffic, you simply press the BAND button once. Another suggestion for highway driving would be to program CB channel 19 into one of the available HIGHWAY programmable channels in the BCT7. Truckers and other motorists also use other CB frequencies (such as 11 at times) for highway communications, but 19 is the most common channel.
If your scanner receives strong interference or electrical noise, move the scanner or its antenna away from the source. If you are operating the scanner in a fringe area or need to improve reception, use an optional antenna designed for multi-band coverage. (You can purchase this type of antenna at a local electronics store.) If the plug at the end of the cable does not match the antenna jack, you may need to purchase an adapter.
To complicate matters, trunking radios are computer controlled. To effect the computer operation, data bursts and tones are broadcast over trunking frequencies. In the most common type of trunking system, a data frequency is selected for a 12 or 24 hour period. Scanner users are advised to LOCKOUT this frequency (so that the scanner doesn’t stop each time it scans by the channel). The next time you turn the scanner on, another frequency, in the same system, may be used as the data channel.
Troubleshooting If your BCT7 is not performing properly, try the steps listed below. PROBLEM Scanner is not giving Warning Alerts. Scanner is not working properly. Signal is weak or distorted. Improper reception. Scan won’t stop. Incomplete reception. Weather Search (WX) won’t work. Radio transmissions (conversations) are cutting in and out. SUGGESTION Check to see if Mute and Flash are both turned off. The Squelch threshold may be set too high. Check antenna connections.
Going by patrol cars and not receiving alarms. The radio keeps locking-up on frequencies filled with strange noises or transmissions (aircraft communications, weather, etc.) Make sure you are scanning one of the Warning Alert Frequency Banks - Highway, Police, or DOT. Check antenna connections. Conditions to activate the alarm are variable and depend upon the timing of the dispatcher transmissions and proximity of patrol car to your vehicle. Also, terrain and other factors may be involved.
Optional Accessories and Replacement Parts Operating Guide (OMBCT7) Betty Bearcat Starter Frequency Guide Hard Wire Cord (PS001) Flexible Mobile Antenna (ANT002) SQ WARNING BCT 7 MUTE LOCKOUT FIRE/NEWS WX/PVT HIGHWAY POL/DOT HOLD/RESUME PUSH FLASH VOL STATE SEARCH BAND PROG PUSH ALERT Highway Communications System & Preprogrammed Warning Scanner OPERATING GUIDE Mobile Mounting Bracket Assembly Kit (MB007) Telescoping Antenna (AT124) AC Adapter (AD140U) External Speaker (ESP25, 8W) ®
SPECIFICATIONS Receiver Type: Triple Conversion Superheterodyne Banks: Total 7 banks: 6 Service banks and 1 programmable bank HIGHWAY PATROL 1,142 programmed plus 25 programmable channels POLICE: 5,185 programmed plus 25 programmable channels DOT: 459 programmed plus 10 programmable channels FIRE 160 programmed plus 10 programmable channels NEWS: 178 programmed plus 5 programmable channels WX: 9 programmed.
BCT 7 SQ BCT 7 WARNING MUTE LOCKOUT FIRE/NEWS WX/PVT HIGHWAY POL/DOT HIGHWAY HOLD/RESUME PUSH FLASH VOL STATE SEARCH BAND PROG PUSH ALERT Highway Communications System & Preprogrammed Warning Scanner UBUD01250ZZ OPERATING GUIDE
Precautions Before you use this scanner, please observe the following: WARNING! Uniden America Corporation does not represent this unit to be waterproof. To reduce the risk of fire, electrical shock, or damage to the unit, do not expose this unit to rain or moisture. IMPORTANT! The installation, possession, or use of this scanning radio in a motor vehicle may be prohibited, regulated, or require a permit in certain states, cities, and/or local jurisdiction.
BCT7 Controls 1. Alert Light 2. Mute LED 3. Mute Key 4. Fire/News Frequency Key 1 3 4 2 7 5 6 6. Weather/Private Frequencies Key BCT 7 WARNING MUTE LOCKOUT FIRE/NEWS WX/PVT 7. Squelch Control/Flash Brightness Selector SQ 8. Hold/Scan Resume Key HOLD/RESUME PUSH FLASH VOL STATE HIGHWAY POL/DOT 5. Lockout Key SEARCH BAND 9. State Selector Key PROG PUSH ALERT 10. Highway Frequencies Key 11. Police/D.O.T. Frequencies Key 12. Search Direction Keys 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 13.
BCT7 Liquid Crystal Display 1. Highway Patrol Frequencies 2. Police Frequencies 3. Department of Transportation Frequencies 1 3 2 5 4 7 6 4. NOAA Weather Frequencies 5. Private Frequencies 8 6. Fire Frequencies HIGHWAY POLICE DOT WX PRIVATE FIRE 7. News Frequencies NEWS AIR 8. Aircraft Frequencies HOLD s SRCH t LOCKOUT DATA 9. State/Active Frequency Bank/Channel Indicator FLASH 10. Scan Hold Indicator 11. Search Up Indicator 9 11 10 13 12 15 14 12.
One Year Limited Warranty Important: Evidence of original purchase is required for warranty service. WARRANTOR: UNIDEN AMERICA CORPORATION (“Uniden”) ELEMENTS OF WARRANTY: Uniden warrants, for one year, to the original retail owner, this Uniden Product to be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship with only the limitations or exclusions set out below. WARRANTY DURATION: This warranty to the original user shall terminate and be of no further effect 12 months after the date of original retail sale.
