BC75XLT Owner’s Manual © 2012 Uniden America Corporation Fort Worth, Texas BC Printed in Vietnam U01UB372ZZZ(0)
PRECAUTIONS Before you use this scanner, please read and observe the following. IMPORTANT This scanning radio has been manufactured so that it will not tune to the 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.
Set the volume to a comfortable audio level coming from the speaker before plugging in the monaural earphone or headset. Otherwise, you might experience some discomfort or possible hearing damage if the volume suddenly becomes too loud because of the volume control or squelch control setting. This might be particularly true of the type of earphone that is placed in the ear canal.
Contents PRECAUTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The FCC Wants You to Know. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Scanning Legally. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 BC75XLT Feature Highlights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Rechargeable Ni-MH Batteries. . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Charging the Ni-MH Batteries through USB Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Low Battery Alert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Turn On The Scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Adjust Squelch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Adjusting for Interference. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unlock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Priority. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Delay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Keylock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Backlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The FCC Wants You to Know WARNING! Uniden does not represent this unit to be waterproof. To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock, do not expose this unit to rain or moisture. Uniden® and Close Call® are registered trademarks of Uniden America Corporation. Other trademarks used throughout this manual are the property of their respective holders. This scanner has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a scanning receiver, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Scanning Legally Your scanner covers frequencies used by many different groups, including police and fire departments, ambulance services, government agencies, private companies, amateur radio services, military operations, pager services, and wireline (telephone and telegraph) service providers. It is legal to listen to almost every transmission your scanner can receive.
components or using it in a way other than as described in this manual could invalidate your warranty and void your FCC authorization to operate it. In some areas, mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires a permit. Check the laws in your area. It is also illegal in many areas (and a bad idea everywhere) to interfere with the duties of public safety officials by traveling to the scene of an incident without authorization.
INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing a Uniden BC75XLT handheld scanner. The scanner is versatile, compact, and easy to use. In addition to its standard scanning features, your scanner also includes Close Call® RF capture technology designed to help you detect and identify strong local radio signals in your area. You can program up to 300 frequencies into the scanner’s memory. The scanner lets you scan transmissions and is preprogrammed with service bands for your convenience.
PC Programming - lets you program your scanner using your PC. Custom Search - lets you program up to 10 custom search ranges and search any or all of those ranges. Quick Search - allows you to enter a frequency and start searching up or down from that frequency. Turbo Search - increases the search speed from 100 to 300 steps per second automatically for bands with 5 kHz steps.
Priority Scan with Do Not Disturb - lets you set the Priority feature to check each channel every 2 seconds as long as the scanner is not receiving transmissions. Duplicate Channel Alert - lets you know when you have entered a frequency that is already registered on another channel. Channel Storage Banks - the scanner has 10 banks. You can store up to 30 frequencies into each bank (for a total of 300 frequencies), so you can more easily identify calls.
Memory Backup - keeps the frequencies stored in memory for an extended time if the scanner loses power. Three Power Options - Use the supplied USB cable to charge the BC75XLT through your computer or other USB charging port. You can also power the scanner using two AA rechargeable Ni-MH batteries (not included) or optional alkaline batteries. Key Confirmation Tones - the scanner sounds a tone when you perform an operation correctly, and an error tone if you make an error.
Select the band plan (USA or Canada) when you turn on the scanner (default = USA). Press and hold the key for 2-3 seconds to turn on the scanner while pressing and holding 1 for USA or 2 for Canada. The band plan will remain until you change it again. USA Band Plan Frequency Range (MHz) 25.00000-27.99500 Step Mode Transmission (kHz) 5.0 AM Citizens Band/ Business Band 28.00000-54.00000 5.0 NFM 10 Meter Amateur Band 108.00000-136.99166 8.33 AM Aircraft Band 137.00000-150.77000 5.
Frequency Range Step Mode (MHz) (kHz) 150.77500-150.81250 7.5 NFM 150.81500-154.45250 7.5 NFM 154.45625-154.47875 154.48250-154.51250 154.51500-154.52500 154.52750-154.53500 154.54000-154.60750 7.5 7.5 5.0 7.5 7.5 NFM NFM NFM NFM NFM 154.61000-154.64750 154.65000-157.44750 157.45000-157.46500 157.47000-163.24500 163.25000-173.20000 173.20375-173.21000 173.21500-173.22000 173.22500-173.38750 173.39000-173.39625 173.40000-174.00000 406.00000-512.00000 7.5 7.5 5.0 7.5 12.5 6.25 5.0 12.5 6.25 5.0 6.
Canada Band Plan Frequency Range (MHz) 25.00000-27.99500 Step Mode Transmission (kHz) 5.0 AM Citizens Band/ Business Band 28.00000-54.00000 5.0 NFM 10 Meter Amateur Band 108.00000-136.99166 8.33 AM Aircraft Band 137.00000-174.00000 5.0 NFM Military Band 406.00000-512.00000 6.
Scanning basics This section provides a background on how scanning works. You don’t really need to know all of this to use your scanner, but some background knowledge will help you get the most from your BC75XLT. What is Scanning? Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most two-way communications do not transmit continuously. Your BC75XLT scans programmed channels until it finds an active frequency, then stops on that frequency and remains on that channel as long as the transmission continues.
Conventional Scanning Conventional scanning is a relatively simple concept. Each group of users in a conventional system is assigned a single frequency (for simplex systems) or two frequencies (for repeater systems). Any time one of them transmits, their transmission always goes out on the same frequency. Up until the late 1980’s this was the primary way that radio systems operated.
Repeater Operation Repeater systems use two frequencies: one transmits from the radio to a central repeater; the other transmits from the repeater to other radios in the system. With a repeater-based system, the repeater is located on top of a tall building or on a radio tower that provides great visibility to the area of operation. When a user transmits (on an input frequency), the signal is picked up by the repeater and retransmitted (on an output frequency).
these service searches just like the channel storage banks, searching the frequencies using Service Search mode (see page 37). Custom Search Ranges Custom Search mode lets you program the upper and lower limits of search ranges. You can then search these 10 custom search ranges starting from the lowest frequency to the highest frequency in the search range you entered. You can turn off ranges you don’t want to search just like turning off (disabling) channel storage banks in Scan mode.
Setup What’s In The Box? BC75XLT Scanner Antenna Belt Clip (attached) Not shown: • USB cable • Strap • Owner’s Manual 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, Monday through Friday.
Setting Up the Scanner Connect the Antenna 1. Align the slots around the antenna’s connector with the tabs on the scanner’s BNC connector. 2. Slide the antenna’s connector down over the scanner’s connector. 3. Rotate the antenna connector’s outer ring clockwise until it locks into place. The scanner’s BNC connector makes it easy to connect a variety of optional antennas, including an external mobile antenna or outdoor base station antenna.
Connect an Optional Earphone/Headphone For private listening, you can plug a 1/8-inch (3.5 mm) miniplug earphone or stereo headphones (not supplied) into the headphone jack on top of your scanner. This automatically disconnects the internal speaker. Connecting an Optional Extension Speaker In a noisy area, an optional extension speaker, positioned in the right place, might provide more comfortable listening. Plug the speaker cable’s 1/8-inch (3.5-mm) mini-plug into your scanner’s jack.
Inside the battery compartment is a switch; set the unit to either ALK or Ni-MH to match the type of battery you’re using. Warning! Non-rechargeable batteries can get hot or burst if you try to charge them. Cautions: flashes in the display and the scanner • When beeps every 15 seconds, recharge or replace the batteries. • Use only fresh batteries of the required size and recommended type. • Always remove old or weak batteries. Batteries can leak chemicals that destroy electronic circuits.
1. Make sure the power is turned off. 2. Slide the battery compartment cover off. 3. Use a pointed object such as a ballpoint pen to set the battery selection switch inside the compartment to Ni-MH. 4. Install two batteries in the compartment as indicated by the polarity symbols (+ and -) marked inside the battery compartment. 5. Replace the battery compartment cover.
3. Connect the other end of the USB cable to the computer’s USB port or to an AC or DC adapter that provides USB charging power. Note: If you connect to a computer’s USB port, the PC will prompt you for the drivers for your scanner. To download and install these drivers, go to http://info.uniden.com/UnidenMan4/ BC75XLT. 4. The scanner displays CHArg and the low battery icon while it charges the batteries. The screen goes blank after the scanner is completely charged.
determine if the batteries are good and can be charged, it checks them and displays the battery icon. If the scanner judges the batteries are good, the scanner starts charging and the battery icon disappears. If it cannot regard the batteries as good in 60 seconds, the scanner stops checking and the battery icon blinks. Low Battery Alert The Low Battery Alert tone sounds every 15 seconds and the battery icon flashes when the battery voltage is low.
Adjust Squelch The scanner recognizes signals as transmissions if they exceed a signal strength threshold. Adjusting the squelch sets this threshold level. Increasing squelch requires a signal to be stronger to be seen as a transmission. If you set the squelch too high, you will risk not receiving transmissions that are lower than that threshold. Reducing the squelch allows weaker signals to be accepted. However, if you lower the squelch too much, you will hear white noise all the time. 1.
BC75XLT Controls and Display Hardware Description Keypad Priority Hold/ Close Call Scan Delay PSrc Search/ Service Clear Lockout/ Keypad Lock Function Power/ Backlight Program/ Enter Your scanner’s keys have various functions labeled on the key tops. To select the function labeled on a key, simply press the key. To select the function labeled in smaller text on a key, first press Func then release it. F appears on the display. Press the next key in the function key sequence while F displays.
Key/Icon Primary Function Key Scan Cycles through channels looking for transmissions on stored frequencies (see page 39). NA Srch/Svc Searches through frequencies looking for transmissions (see page 35). Service Search cycles through preprogrammed service bands (see page 37). L/O / Temporarily or permanently lockout a channel or frequency (see page 44). Locks the keypad (see page 48). / Turn scanner on and off. Turns display backlight on and off (see page 49). 1/Pri Enter a numeric 1.
Key/Icon Primary Function Key 6/PSrc Enter a numeric 6. Pgm/E Sets Channel Program Enter. mode. . Clr Press once: enters a NA decimal. Press twice: cancels a numeric key input. Func Sets scanner in Function mode. Sets the Program Custom Search limits (see page 36). Cancels Function mode. Scroll Control Knob Audio output Scroll control knob Antenna The scroll control knob has three uses: • • • Sel - Turn the knob to cycle through selections; press down on the knob to select.
LCD Display Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 Line 4 Line 5 The display has indicators that show the scanner’s current operating status. The display information helps you understand how your scanner operates. Line Display 1 Description B:1 - 10 Search mode: Custom Search range. Scan mode: Channel bank. PGM Displays while you store a frequency into a channel. Displays when keypad is locked.
Line Display Description F Displays when the Function mode is on. ▲SEARCH▼ Displays during Search mode. DLY Displays when a 2-second delay at the end of a transmission is on. 2 / Displays when the scanner is set to Close Call mode: - Close Call Priority - Close Call Do Not Disturb Displays and blinks when the battery power gets low. Displays when the rechargeable batteries are charging. 3 T L/O L/O Indicates a locked out frequency.
Line Display 4, 5 Description Scan Displays when you scan channels. Hold Displays during Scan Hold and Search Hold modes. WX, AIR, FIRE, HAM, POL, RAIL, MRN, CB, RACE, OTHER Service bands. These will display with an indicator for the current service band during a Service search.
Operation SearchING The BC75XLT has 10 preset search ranges that display as 1 10 across the top of the screen when you press Srch. It also has 10 preset service bands that display in two rows across the bottom of the screen when you press Func + Svc. Note: Service Search is discussed on page 37. When you press Srch, the BC75XLT begins searching the search ranges until it finds activity. The search range number flashes and it remains on that frequency until activity ends. Press Srch at any time to continue.
to the nearest valid frequency. For example, if you enter 151.473 (MHz), your scanner accepts it as 151.475. However, if you enter a frequency that is out of range, the scanner sounds an error tone and Error appears. Enter another frequency. 3. Press Srch. The scanner searches, starting from the frequency you just entered. (Turn the scroll control knob to change the search direction.) The scanner also automatically turns on the Delay function; DLY displays.
5. Press Srch to start searching your custom search range or turn the scroll control knob to a different search range and enter another frequency. Service Search You can search for Weather, Police, Fire/Emergency, Marine, Racing, Civil Air, HAM Radio, Railroad, CB radio, and Other (Other = FRS/GMRS/MURS) transmissions without knowing the specific frequencies used in your area. The scanner is preprogrammed with all the frequencies allocated to these services. To use this feature, press Func + Svc.
Storing Frequencies To store frequencies in the first available channel: 1. Press Hold. 2. Enter the frequency and press Hold and Func + Pgm. 3. The scanner alternates between the frequency you are stopped on and the first available channel number with no frequency stored. Press E. 4. The scanner is now on that frequency, on Hold with the Delay function automatically turned on (see page 47). Press Srch or Scan again to continue. Note: Refer to www.radioreference.
If you entered a frequency that has already been entered elsewhere, the scanner sounds an error tone and displays the channel that was duplicated. If you entered the frequency by mistake, press .Clr twice to clear the frequency and enter a different one. To enter the frequency anyway, press E to accept. Erasing a Stored Frequency 1. Find the frequency you want to erase. Press Hold. 2. Press Func + Pgm. 3. Press 0 and then press E. 4. The displayed frequency changes to all 0s.
displays at (or disappears from) the top of the screen, showing the currently enabled banks. The scanner scans all the channels within the displayed banks that are not locked out. The bank number flashes when the scanner scans a channel that belongs to that bank. You can manually select any channel within a bank, even if that bank is disabled. You cannot, however, disable all banks. One bank must always be enabled. Scan the Stored Channels Press Scan.
To manually select a channel when in Scan mode, press Hold, enter the channel number, and press Hold again.The scanner moves to the frequency stored in that channel. During scanning, if the radio stops at a channel you want to listen to, press Hold once. (Rotate the scroll control knob to step through stored channels.) Press Hold again or Scan to resume automatic scanning.
SPECIAL FEATURES Close Call® RF Capture Your scanner’s Close Call feature lets you set the scanner to detect then display the frequency of a nearby strong radio transmission such as mobile and handheld two-way radios in areas with no other strong transmission sources. However, if you are in an area with many transmission sources (such as pager radio transmitters, multi-use radio towers, traffic control devices, etc.
For the Close Call mode, frequencies are divided into 4 Close Call bands. Turn these bands on and off by pressing 1 - 4 as indicated: 2. Band Range (MHz) Low High To turn a Close Call band on/off, press... VHF Low 25.00000 54.00000 1 AIR 108.00000 136.99166 2 VHF High 137.00000 174.00000 3 UHF 512.00000 4 406.00000 You can set the scanner so it alerts you when the Close Call feature detects a frequency. Program alert tones through your PC (see page 49).
• Close Call DND. Close Call Do Not Disturb only checks for close calls if it is not stopped on a transmission. The icon displays. • Close Call Priority. The scanner checks for close calls regardless of whether it is stopped on a transmission. The icon displays. • Close Call Off. The scanner does not check for close calls. No icon displays. Pressing Fnc + cycles through the Close Call functions in this order: Close Call Off/Close Call DND/ Close Call Priority.
Temporary Lock Out To temporarily lock out a channel in Scan mode or a frequency in Search and Close Call modes, manually select the channel or frequency (see page 40) and then press L/O. TL/O appears. You have TEMPORARILY locked out the channel/frequency. Permanent Lock Out To permenantly lock out a frequency or channel, press L/O twice while on that frequency. L/O displays. Note: You can still manually select locked-out channels. Unlock Unlock Temporary Lock Out 1.
scanner beeps twice and CLEAr displays. Press E to unlock all. Notes: • • • • • You cannot lock out frequencies during WX service search. Locked out frequencies are shared between Service Search, Custom Search, Quick Search, and Close Call modes. If locked out frequencies are set in a specific mode, those frequencies are also skipped in other Search (except WX Service Search) and Close Call modes.
every 2 seconds only when it is not receiving transmissions. • Priority Scan ( PRI displays) : The scanner checks Priority channels every 2 seconds regardless of whether or not it is receiving a transmission. You can designate one channel in each bank as a priority channel (10 total). The first channel in each bank is the default Priority channel. Follow these steps to select a different channel in a bank as the priority channel. 1. Manually select the channel you want for the Priority channel. 2.
Mode Search Delay Specification Custom Search: If one range is set, all ranges are set. Service Search: Each band can be set as a unit. Quick Search Changes made to Delay assignment in one and Close Call mode are reflected in the other mode. When the delay feature is on, DLY displays. If it is off, follow one of these procedures to program a delay depending on how the scanner is operating.
. To turn on keylock, press Func + off keylock, press Func + again. appears. To turn no longer displays. Note: Using keylock does not prevent the scanner from scanning channels. Backlight Pressing turns the display light on and off. It remains on for 15 seconds and then turn off automatically.
TROUBLESHOOTING If your BC75XLT is not performing properly, try the following steps. Problem Possible Cause Suggestion The scanner doesn’t work. The scanner might not be receiving any power. Check the batteries or make sure the USB cable is connected to the PC and to the scanner. Improper reception. The scanner’s antenna might need to be adjusted. Check the antenna connection or move or reposition the antenna. Move the scanner.
Problem Possible Cause Scan won’t stop (continued) The antenna might need to be adjusted. Check the antenna connection. One or more channels might be locked out. Make sure the channels you want to scan are not locked out. The channel’s frequency might not be stored in memory. Make sure the channel’s frequency is stored in the scanner’s memory. The channel might not be active. Wait for a transmission on the channel.
Problem Scan won’t start. Weather scan doesn’t work. Possible Cause Suggestion You must press Scan to scan. Press Scan. The squelch might need to be adjusted. Adjust the squelch threshold. See page 28. One or more channels might be locked out. Make sure the channels you want to scan are not locked out. The antenna might need to be adjusted. Check the antenna connection. The squelch might need to be adjusted. Adjust the squelch threshold. See page 28. The antenna might need to be adjusted.
Care and Maintenance Resetting the Scanner If the scanner’s display locks up or stops operating properly, you might need to reset the scanner. CAUTION: This procedure clears all the information you have stored in the scanner. Before you reset the scanner, try turning it off and back on to see if it begins working properly. Reset the scanner only when you are sure it is not working properly. 1. Turn off the scanner. 2. While holding down 2, 9, and Hold, turn on the scanner.
• If the scanner receives strong interference or electrical noise, move it away from the source of the noise. If possible, a higher elevation might provide better reception. Cleaning Keep the scanner dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. Use and store the scanner only in normal temperature environments. Handle the scanner carefully: do not drop it. Keep the scanner away from dust and dirt, and wipe it with a damp cloth occasionally. • • • • Disconnect the power to the unit before cleaning.
If you still cannot get satisfactory results while using your scanner or if you want additional information, please call or write the Uniden Parts and Service Division. The address and phone number are listed in the Warranty at the end of this manual. If you would like immediate assistance, please call Customer Service at (800) 297-1023. If you have Internet access, you can visit http://www.uniden.com for additional information.
Specifications Certified in accordance with FCC Rules and Regulations Part 15, Subpart C, as of date of manufacture. Channels: . .................................................................................. 300 Banks: ...................................................... 10 (30 channels each) Sensitivity (SINAD 12 dB) 25.005 MHz (AM) .............................................................. 0.3 µV 40.840 MHz (NFM) ........................................................... 0.2 µV 53.
Hyper.......................................... 270 steps per second (max) Priority Sampling ....................................................... 2 seconds Scan Delay .....................................................................2 seconds IF Rejection (at 453.25 MHz) ........................................... 80 dB IF Frequencies 1st IF (25-512 MHz)........................ 265.5050-265.6000 MHz 2nd IF . ............................................................................ 21.3 MHz 3rd IF .
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.
LEGAL REMEDIES: This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you might also have other rights which vary from state to state. This warranty is void outside the United States of America. PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING PERFORMANCE OF WARRANTY: If, after following the instructions in this Operating Guide you are certain that the Product is defective, pack the Product carefully (preferably in its original packaging).
