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300-Channel Trunk Tracking Scanner

BC 245XLT

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Operating Guide
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Precautions
Before you use this scanner, please read and observe the following: EARPHONE WARNING! Be sure to use only the recommended optional monaural earphone earphone or stereo headset may be potentially hazardous to your hearing. The output of the phone jack is monaural, but you will hear it in both headphones of a stereo headset. Set the volume to a comfortable audio level coming from the speaker before plugging in the monaural earphone or a stereo headset of the proper impedance (32 (EP009). You may also use a 32 stereo headset. Use of an incorrect

). 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 may be particularly true of the type of earphone that is placed in the ear canal. 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. GENERAL BATTERY WARNING! Do not short-circuit any Battery. Do not discard Batteries in a fire; they may explode. Rechargeable Nickel-Cadmium Batteries Must Be Recycled or Disposed of Properly. Uniden voluntarily participates in an RBRCindustry program to collect and recycle nickel-cadmium batteries at the end of their useful life, when taken out of service within the United States. The RBRC program provides a convenient alternative to placing used nickel-cadmium batteries into the trash or municipal waste stream, which is illegal in some areas. Through the RBRC program, Uniden makes it easy for you to drop off the used battery at local retailers of replacement nickel-cadmium batteries. You may also contact your local recycling center for information on where to return the used battery. Please call 1-800-8-BATTERY for information on Ni-Cd battery recycling in your area. Unidens involvement in this program is part of its commitment to protecting our environment and conserving natural resources. RBRC is a registered trademark of the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation.

Uniden and Bearcat are registered trademarks of Uniden America Corporation.

Top View and Display

20

21

22

23

20. 21. 22. 23.

Antenna Connector Earphone Jack Squelch Control On/Off Volume Control

24 32 33 31
BANK TRUNK
1 2 3 4

25
5 6 7 8 9 10

DATA POLICE .14E RR AIR MRN W X SCAN SEARCH PRI HOLD DLY L /O

888 888.8888

ATT
BATT

26 27 28

30
24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.

29

Channel Display Frequency Display Bank/Activity Indicators Attenuate Indicator Battery Low Indicator Keypad Lockout Indicator Mode Indicators Priority Channel Indicator Bank/Trunk Indicators Trunk System Indicators

Front View

11 1

BANK TRUNK

10

888 888.8888

ATT
BATT

DATA POLICE FIRE RR AIR MRN W X SCAN SEARCH PRI HOLD DLY L /O

12 13

2 3 14 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 15 16 17 18 19

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

DC Power Jack Scan Key Manual Key Trunking Key Decimal Key Service Key

10.Light 11.Speaker 12.Display 13.Remote jack 14.Keypad 15.Enter Key 16.Search Key 17.Hold Key/Up Key 18.Lockout Key 19.Data Key

7. Limit Key/Down Key 8. Priority Key/Turbo Key 9. Delay Key / Lock Key

CONTENTS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Important Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Terminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 What is Scanning? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 What is Searching? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 What is Trunk Tracking? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Feature Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Where to Obtain More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Information on the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Included with Your Scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Installing the Battery Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Charging the Battery Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Low Battery Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Adapter Safety Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Flexible Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Belt Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Basic Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Turn the Scanner On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Setting the Squelch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Keylock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 LCD Back Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Auto Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Programming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Duplicate Frequency Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Programming Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Deleting a Stored Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 RF Attenuation Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Setting the Delay Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Channel Lockout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Lockout Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Restore a Locked Out Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Restore All Locked-Out Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Priority Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Changing the Priority Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Searching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Setting a Search Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Turbo Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Search Hold Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Data Skip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Frequency Skip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Storing Search Frequencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 SVC Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 SVC Scan Lockout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Programming with SVC Scan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Trunk Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Types of Trunking Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 EDACS Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Setting the Squelch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Programming Trunking Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Searching a Trunked Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Frequency Find Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Direct Entry ID Hold Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 ID Lockout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Restore a Single ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Restore all IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Searching Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Channel Activity Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Scan Lists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Programming ID Scan Lists Manually . . . . . . . . . . . 48 ID Scan Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Setting Priority in Trunking Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Programming Scan Lists During Search . . . . . . . . . 54 Deleting a Stored ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Moving between Scan List Memories . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Multi-Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Fleet Map Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Selecting Trunking Programming Mode . . . . . . . . . . 56 Selecting a Preset Fleet Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Programming a Fleet Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Programming a Hybrid System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Setting the Base and Offset frequencies for Motorola VHF/UHF trunked systems . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Toggling the Status Bit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Remote Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Connecting the scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 SmartScan Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Remote (PC Control) Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Clone Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 General Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Birdies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Preset Fleet Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 User Defined Fleet Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 One Year Limited Warranty . . . . . . . . . . inside back cover

Introduction
The BC 245XLT is a state-of-the-art radio with TrunkTracking and automatic scanning capabilities. It can store frequencies such as police, fire/emergency, marine, railroad, air, amateur, and other communications into 10 banks of 30 channels each. With the new SmartScanner feature, you can also automatically program your scanner by downloading directly from our Uniden/Bearcat national frequency database via a PC or external modem. Use your new scanner to monitor:

n UHF High Band UHF 800/900 MHz Trunked Public Safety Systems n Police and Fire Departments (including rescue and paramedics) n Trunking for Motorola and EDACS systems n NOAA Weather Broadcasts n Business/Industrial Radio n Utilities n Marine and amateur (ham radio) bands n Air band

Frequency Range
29.0-29.7 MHz 29.7-50.0 MHz 50.0-54.0 MHz 108-137 MHz 137-144 MHz 144-148 MHz 148-174 MHz 406-420 MHz 420-450 MHz 450-470 MHz 470-512 MHz 806-956 MHz

Steps
5 kHz 5 kHz 5 kHz 12.5 kHz 5 kHz 5 kHz 5 kHz 12.5 kHz 12.5 kHz 12.5 kHz 12.5 kHz 12.5 kHz

Transmission
10 Meter Amateur Band VHF Low Band 6 Meter Amateur Band Aircraft Band Military Land Mobile 2 Meter Amateur Band VHF High Band Federal Govt. 70cm Amateur Band UHF Standard Band UHF T Band Public Service 800 Band

Important Notice
n 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. n 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. n Changes or modifications to this product not expressly approved by Uniden, or operation of this product in any way other than as detailed by this Operating Guide, could void your authority to operate this product. n The screen displays used in this manual are representations of what might appear when you use your scanner.

Terminology
What is Scanning?
Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most two-way communications do not transmit continuously. The BC 245XLT scans the 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 BC 245XLT can search each of its 12 bands to find active frequencies. This is different from scanning because you are searching for frequencies that have not been programmed into your scanner. You can choose between two speeds while searching. Turbo Search, a new feature for Uniden scanners, can search the VHF FM bands at up to 300 channels per second.

What is Trunk Tracking?

Conventional scanning is a simple concept. You enter a radio frequency in your scanners 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 dont 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 talk groups, and these talk groups are assigned specific IDs. When someone in a talk group uses their radio, a brief burst of data is broadcast before each transmission. The trunking system computer uses this data to temporarily assign each radio in a talk group 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 talk group 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 theres a short break during the conversation youre monitoring, its possible that the talk group will be assigned to a completely different frequency in the trunked system. This type of scanning is difficult and frustrating. TrunkTracker changes this! Not only does your new BC 245XLT scan channels like a conventional scanner, it actually follows the users of a trunked radio system. Once you know a talk groups ID, you wont miss any of the action. If youre 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. But if youre already an experienced scanner operator, you may want to go to Trunk Tracking on page 36 now.

Feature Highlights
n Trunk Tracking Follow UHF High Band UHF 800/900 MHz trunked public safety and public service systems just as if conventional two-way communications were used. n Multi-Track Track more than one trunking system at a time and scan conventional and trunked systems at the same time. n 300 Channels Program one frequency into each channel. You must have at least one channel programmed to use the Scan mode. n 12 Bands, 10 Banks Includes 12 bands, with Aircraft and 800 MHz. 10 banks with 30 channels each are useful for storing similar frequencies to maintain faster scanning cycles or for storing all the frequencies of a trunked system. n 29 MHz-956 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. n 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. n Preprogrammed Service (SVC) Search Allows you to toggle through preprogrammed police, fire/emergency, railroad, aircraft, marine, and weather frequencies. n Unique Data Skip Allows your scanner to skip unwanted data transmissions and reduces birdies. n Memory Backup If the battery completely discharges or if power is disconnected, the frequencies programmed in your scanner are retained in memory. n Manual Channel Access Go directly to any channel. n LCD Back Light An LCD light remains on for 15 seconds when is pressed. n Autolight Automatically turns the light on when it finds a transmission.
7

n Battery Save In manual mode, your scanner automatically reduces its power requirements to extend the batterys charge. n Attenuator Reduces the signal strength. n SmartScanner Automatically program your BC 245XLT with all the frequencies and trunking talk groups for your local area by accessing our national database with your PC or just an external modem. (No PC required) n Turbo Search Increases the search speed to 300 steps per second. This applies only to transmission bands with 5 kHz steps.

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 a copy of the frequency guide, contact one of the following:

n Uniden Parts Department (800) 554-3988 (Hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time Monday through Friday.) n Bearcat Frequency Hotline (937) 299-0414 (Hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday.) n Local Dealer

Information on the Internet

If you have access to the Internet, you may want to visit www.trunktracker.com or www.bearcat1.com/free.htm For more information about Uniden and our other products, visit www.uniden.com

Included with Your Scanner

If any of these items are missing or damaged, immediately contact your place of purchase or Uniden Customer Service at: (800) 297-1023, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Central, Monday through Friday.

Antenna

Belt Clip

AC Adapter

Battery Pack

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CHA NN EL 1 2 BAND 800 MH z SCANN ING R ADIO BC 8 6 0 XLT

Program BC mable 860XLT 100-Cha nnel Base Scanne r

TWIN

TURBO

DATA

BANK

SCAN

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
SRCH HOLD

PRIORITY

WX

AIR

1-10

DELAY

L/O

SQUELCH

2 11-20

4 31-40

3 21-30

5 41-50

TURBO/ PRIORITY LIMIT

7 61-70

6 51-60

DATA

WEATHER HOLD

AUTO

8 71-80

9 81-90

SEARCH

0 91-100

DELAY

VOLUME

LOCKOUT

SCAN

MANUAL

OFF

TrunkTracker Frequency Guide and Other Printed Material RS232C

10

Setup
These are helpful guidelines when using your new scanner:

n If your scanner receives interference or electrical noise, move the scanner or its antenna away from the source. n If you 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.) n Use the included earphone or an optional stereo headset with proper impedance for private listening. Read the precautions on the inside front cover of this Guide.

Installing the Battery Pack

1. Open the cover.

2.

Insert the battery pack.

3.

Replace cover and press down until it clicks into place.

11

Charging the Battery Pack

Use the AC Adapter/Charger to power the BC 245XLT from an AC outlet.

Use only the supplied AC Adapter (AD70U) or one of the optional power cords (WZ1015 or WZ1017). You can use your scanner while the battery charges. To fully charge the battery, leave the AC Adapter/Charger connected for 14 16 hours. Note: Disconnect the AC Adapter/Charger from the unit when charging is complete.

Low Battery Indicator

When the Battery Pack is low and needs to be charged, the battery icon appears in the display. You will also hear a beep every 15 seconds as an audible alert.

Adapter Safety Feature

The AC Adapter included with this scanner may be equipped with a polarized line plug a plug with one blade wider than the other. This plug will fit into a power outlet only one way. If you are unable to insert the adapters plug into an outlet, try reversing the plug.

12

Flexible Antenna

Attach the flexible antenna to the BNC connector.

Belt Clip

Do not tighten the screws too tight. You can damage the case or clip.

13

Basic Operation
Note: Fold out the Front Cover to see the Controls and Indicators while reading this Guide.

Turn the Scanner On

Turn the VOLUME control clockwise out of the detent position. bc245 flashes twice in the display. The scanner automatically starts scanning.

Setting the Squelch

To set the squelch, you must be in the Manual mode, and you should not be receiving a signal on your scanner. 1. 2. Press until you do not hear a signal. Make sure that the VOLUME is set to a comfortable listening level. Think of the Squelch Control as a gate. Turn SQUELCH fully counter-clockwise. This raises the Squelch Gate so high that only very strong signals can get through.

3.

4.

Turn SQUELCH fully clockwise until you hear a hiss. This lowers the Squelch Gate so that everything gets throughnoise, weak signals, and strong signals.
STRONG SIGNALS

MEDIUM SIGNALS

WEAK SIGNALS

NOISE

14

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

Keylock
Key Lock prevents accidental key entries during conventional scanning or while in trunk tracking mode. 1. To lock the keypad, press and hold until the symbol appears in the lower right of the display. To unlock the keypad, press and hold until the symbol in the lower right of the display turns off.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2.

10

LCD Back Light

Press and release to turn the LCD light on. It remains on for 15 seconds and then goes out.

Auto Light
Press and hold until you hear 2 short beeps. The scanner will automatically turn the light on for 5 seconds, whenever a transmission is found.

15

Programming
Before the BC 245XLT can begin conventional scanning, you must program a frequency into at least one channel. Repeat this procedure for each channel you want to program. 1. Select frequencies from your dealer, from various sources on the internet, or from one of the guides listed on page 9. Heres 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. 3. Press . Select a channel. a. Enter the channel number. b. Then press .

10

16

4.

Enter the frequency. a. Enter the frequency number. b. Then press .

10

Note: To clear a mistake while entering the frequency, press repeatedly until the display is cleared. If you enter a frequency which is outside the scanners frequency bands, a distinctive beep sounds and Error appears in the display. Press and go back to Step 4. (See the Table on page 3 or the Band List on the back of the scanner).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

17

Duplicate Frequency Alert

If you enter a frequency which is stored in another channel, you hear a beep and the other channel displays. Press to clear and start again.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

OR
Press again to store the frequency in both channels.

Programming Tips
n Do not program a weather frequency into one of the channels, since weather channels transmit continuously. Use Service Scan feature to select the weather information band. n Group similar frequencies into adjacent channels.
For example, program police frequencies in channels 1 through 10 and fire/emergency into channels 11 through 20, and so on.

n Put the frequency that you listen to the most or the most important frequency into a Priority channel. n 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, press or to go to the next higher channel.

n Write down your programmed channels and frequencies in some convenient place in case the scanner memory is lost. n If you want to download frequencies using SmartScan feature, go to that section in this manual.

18

Deleting a Stored Frequency

To delete a stored frequency: a. Select a channel. b. Press . c. Then press
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Note:

Channels with no frequencies are automatically locked out.

19

Scanning
1. After programming frequencies, simply press to begin scanning.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2.

The bank indicators selected for scanning appear in the display, and the bank being currently monitored flashes. You can deselect banks from active scanning by pressing their number on your keypad. The indicator for each deselected bank turns off, and the banks 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 turn all the banks off, the first bank is automatically selected. To restore a bank to active scanning, press the banks number on your keypad. The banks indicator will display again.

3.

During normal scanning the scanner skips unprogrammed or locked out channels.

SCAN

CHANNELS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Frequency not entered

Frequency Locked Out (L/O)

4.

When a transmission is received, the LCD back light comes on for five seconds and the scanner stops on that channel, provided that you have selected the Auto Light feature. When the transmission ends, scanning resumes automatically.

10

20

If you want to stop on a channel during scanning, press .

10

If you want to resume scanning, press .

10

To directly access a specific channel:

1. 2. Press .

Enter the channel number you want using the keypad. Press again.

3.

RF Attenuation Feature
The BC 245XLT comes with an RF Attenuation feature. If youre 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 by about 15 dB, preventing stronger signals from overloading the scanner. To turn RF Attenuation on: 1. Press ATT.

21

2.

You hear a beep, and ATT appears in the display begins flashing. Now all incoming signal strength is reduced.

To turn RF Attenuation off, just press ATT again. The ATT icon goes out.

Setting the Delay Mode

A 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. Delay must be set for each programmed channel and it can be set when your scanner pauses during a scan or when manual mode is selected.

Delay in Scan or Search Mode

1. Press or set a search range and press . When your scanner stops on a channel that you want to delay, press . DLY displays and scanning resumes two seconds after the transmission ends.

2.

22

Delay in Manual Mode

1. 2. Press .

Select the channel that you want by entering the number and press . Press and DLY displays indicating the scanner will pause on the channel when a transmission is received.

Channel Lockout
You can lockout any channel so it is not reviewed during normal scanning. You can restore the channel to scanning whenever you wish.

Lockout in Manual Mode

1. 2. Press .

Select a channel. Enter the channel numbers. Press again.

OR

Press or to change higher, or to lower the channel.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3.

Press to lockout the channel. L/O appears in display.

10

23

Lockout in Scanning Mode

If the scanner keeps stopping on a particular channel due to noise or too frequent transmissions, you may want to keep that channel from scanning. 1. Wait until the scanner stops at the channel.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. 3.

Then press

.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The scanner immediately resumes scanning because the locked out channel is no longer in the scanning sequence.

Lockout Tips
n To quickly lockout a series of channels, start with the lowest number channel.
For example, if you are locking out channels 4, 7, 8, 12, and 15, start with Channel 4. After selecting channel 4, press . Then press one or more times to step up to the next channel to be locked out.

n Record the locked-out channels in some convenient place so you can restore them.

24

Restore a Locked Out Channel

1. 2. Press .

Select a locked out channel. a. Enter the channel number. b. Then press again.

10

3.

Press to unlock the channel. The L/O icon goes out.

10

Restore 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 and then press the number of the bank on your keypad. 1. Press .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Note: You must be in Manual mode before restoring all locked-out channels.

25

2.

Press and hold for about two seconds. You will hear two beeps when all the channels have been restored.

Priority Scan
When Priority Scan is turned on, your scanner checks the priority channel every two 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. To activate Priority Scan (in either the Manual or Scan Mode): 1. Press .

Note: If you have locked out the priority channel, this message appears when you select Priority mode. 2. Press again at anytime to deactivate Priority Scan.

10

26

Changing the Priority Channel

You cannot eliminate the Priority Channel, but you can change it to any of the 30 available channels in each bank. 1. 2. Press .

Select a new Priority Channel. a. Enter the channel number. b. Then press again.

10

3.

Press and hold for two seconds to designate this channel as your new Priority Channel.

Two beeps indicate that the Priority channel has changed.

Note:

Priority in Trunking mode works just the same, except instead of setting priorities for channels, you set them for talk group IDs.

27

Searching
Setting a Search Range
The BC 245XLT can search a specific frequency range to find frequencies if you dont have a frequency guide available or if new stations have been added since your guide was published. 1. 2. Press to stop scanning. Using your keypad, enter the lowest frequency of your search range. For example, enter 155.000 MHz. Press .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3. 4.

Using your keypad, enter the highest frequency of your search range. For example, enter 157.000 MHz. Press Press . .

5. 6.

Turbo Search
To increase the search speed from 100 to 300 steps per second, press when the Search mode is active. This only applies to the transmission bands which have 5 kHz steps. (Refer to the table on page 3 for the frequency bands.) Search flashes in the display when Turbo search is active. To cancel Turbo Search, press again.

28

Search Hold Feature

1. Press at anytime to stop the search. Press to move to the next higher frequency.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2.

10

OR
Press to move down to the previous frequency. 3. Press to resume searching.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Data Skip
A scanner will normally stop on any transmission it receives. This means the BC 245XLT will stop on data signals and unmodulated transmissions. You can automatically skip many of these types of transmissions during searches. 1. Press to activate the data skip feature. The indicator appears on the display. 2. Press again to cancel the data skip feature. The indicator disappears from the display. When data skip is active, your scanner may pause momentarily on an unwanted signal but will resume searching in 2 or 3 seconds. Data Skip does not function when the AIR Band is selected. 29
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Frequency Skip
If a particular frequency continues to interrupt search scanning, it is possible to set your scanner to skip the frequency. To skip a frequency, press . Note: You can program up to 50 skip frequencies. The 51st skip frequency entered causes the first skipped frequency to unlock. To cancel all skipped frequencies, press for 2 seconds.

Storing Search Frequencies

You can quickly store any frequency you find during Search. Caution: You must select the channel in which you will store the frequency before entering the search mode. Otherwise, you may erase a stored frequency that you want to keep. 1. 2. Press .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Using your keypad, enter the lowest frequency of your search range. For example, enter 155.000 MHz. Press . Using your keypad, enter the highest frequency of your search range. For example, enter 157.000 MHz.

3. 4.

10

30

5. 6. 7.

Press Press .

Press when the scanner stops at the frequency you want to store. Press to store the frequency in the channel you selected. Note: After this step you are in manual mode.

8.

10

9.

To store another frequency, select another channel for the new frequency by pressing or or .

10. Repeat steps 6 through 8 for all the Search frequencies you want to store.

31

SVC Scanning
The Service Scan feature allows you to toggle through six bands preprogrammed for police, fire/emergency, railroad aircraft, marine, and weather. The frequencies selected for these bands are the most commonly used around the U.S. 1. Press .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

POLICE appears beneath the blinking channel number, and a frequency displays. 2. After a two second delay, scanning begins. Press to start scanning immediately or to continue scanning if you want to skip a frequency. 3. Press to scan the FIRE bank.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4.

Press to scan the RR bank. When an active channel is displayed, the scanner will alternate between the frequency and the Railroad channel number. Press to scan the AIR bank.

10

5.

10

32

6.

Press to scan the MRN bank.

10

When an active channel is displayed, the scanner will alternate between the frequency and the Marine channel number. 7. Press to scan the WX band. Note: Its possible to receive more than one weather broadcast in your area. If the broadcast sounds weak or distant, press again to look for a closer station. 8. To exit SVC Scan mode, press .

10

During search of one of the preprogrammed service bands, press to stop the scan on a frequency. HOLD appears in the display. Press or to move up or down one programmed frequency, or press to resume scanning. Note: If you want to remain on a channel until a responding transmission is received, press activate the two second delay feature. to

33

SVC Scan Lockout

Follow these steps to lockout frequencies during Service scanning: Note: You cannot lockout weather frequencies. 1. Press to stop the Service Scan.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2.

Press

10

3.

Press to resume scanning.

10

Note: You can lockout up to 20 frequencies in SVC Scan mode. The 21st locked out frequency entered causes the first locked out frequency to unlock. To cancel the lockout press again.

To restore all lockout frequencies, press and hold for about two seconds. You will hear two beeps when all frequencies have been restored.

34

Programming with SVC Scan

Follow these steps to program frequencies into a channel during Service scanning: 1. Select a channel you want to program. Note: If a frequency is already stored in the channel you select it will be erased when you save the new frequency. 2. Press repeatedly to select Service Scan mode you want. Press to begin scanning. When SVC Scan stops on a frequency you want, press . Press to store the frequency in the channel you selected.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3. 4.

5.

10

35

Trunk Tracking
Your BC 245XLT is designed to track Motorola Type I, Type II, Hybrid, SMARTNET, PRIVACY PLUS, and EDACS analog trunking systems* on any band. When tracking these types of systems, you may want to remember these important points:

n 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.) n 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 BC 245XLT scanner. n If you have internet access, you can visit www.trunktracker.com or www.bearcat1.com/free.htm for current news and frequency information about Trunk Tracking Scanning. n You may experience slight interference in some 900 MHz frequencies, which may be reduced by moving away from strong transmission sources.

Motorola, SMARTNET, and PRIVACY PLUS are trademarks of Motorola Inc. EDACS is a registered trademark of the Ericsson Corporation.

Types of Trunking Systems

Trunking systems divide a few frequencies among many different users, but the way that each system does this is slightly different. There are really two types of trunking systems (other than EDACS) which are important when using your TrunkTracker scanner. These are usually referred to as Type I and Type II systems. Type I only occurs on some 800 MHz systems. All VHF, UHF and 900 MHz trunking systems (other than EDACS) use Type II. One important distinction between these two systems is the amount of data transmitted by each radio when its push-to-talk button (PTT) is pressed. Every radio in a trunked system is assigned a unique ID so the central site computer can identify it when its used. Both Type I and Type II systems place radios (or radio users) into groups, called talk groups, and these talk groups are also assigned unique IDs. Some radios have access to only one talk 36

group, while others have access to many talk groups. The talk group (s) each radio can access is called the radios affiliation (s). In a Type II system, when someone uses their radio, only the radio ID is transmitted when PTT is pressed, whereas in a Type I system the radio ID and its current affiliation are both transmitted when PTT is pressed. Why the difference? Type II systems are slightly more advanced because the central computer maintains a database which is used to determine each radios affiliation (s). Changes to a Type II system are easier than Type I because the system manager only need update the database instead of reprogramming individual radios. Another difference between the systems is that Type I systems are arranged in a Fleet-Subfleet hierarchy. For example, its possible for a city using a Type I system to designate 4 Fleets, each with 8 Subfleets. Their fleets might be the Police Department, the Fire Department, Utilities, and Administration. The Police may decide to further divide their fleet into subfleets such as Dispatch, Tactical Operations, Detectives, North, South, East and West Side Patrols, and Supervisors. All the available police radios would then be assigned to one of the police subfleets. Determining the exact Fleet-Subfleet hierarchy for a particular area is referred to as Fleet Map Programming, which is discussed further in this manual. The disadvantage of a Type I system is that when PTT is pressed, the brief burst of data must contain the radios ID and its Fleet and Subfleet. This is three times the amount of data a Type II system radio sends, and as a result Type I systems usually accommodate fewer users than Type II systems. Even though there are many Type II systems, Type I systems are still in use. There are also Hybrid systems which are a combination of both Type I and Type II. Your scanner defaults to monitor Type II systems, but its possible to select a Preprogrammed Fleet Map or create a Custom Fleet Map for your area. For VHF and UHF Type II trunking systems, you will need to know the base and offset frequency. See page 60 for details.

37

EDACS Tracking
TrunkTracker II now allows tracking of EDACS trunked systems. Until now these widely used systems have been almost impossible to monitor with a conventional scanner. With your TrunkTracker II listening to EDACS is remarkably easy, and perhaps even easier than conventional scanning. EDACS systems use Transmission Trunking, which means that each transmission is assigned a new frequency. As the conversation moves through the systems frequencies, your TrunkTracker II automatically follows it. This graph depicts a 30 second sample of transmission in an EDACS trunked system, showing the frequency transitions that a particular radio conversation might use.

Note:

Many 900 MHz EDACS trunking systems (such as those used by some utilities) utilize a control channel that cannot be tracked with the BC 245XLT.

38

Setting the Squelch

Since Squelch is automatically adjusted in trunking mode, it isnt necessary to manually adjust the squelch control while trunk tracking. However, the squelch setting you select before you begin trunk tracking can affect how fast your scanner acquires the data channel, and, in some instances, the squelch setting can prevent your scanner from acquiring the data channel at all. Set SQUELCH in this position before selecting a trunking bank. Note: You can change this recommended setting, if necessary, to provide better performance in your area.

Programming Trunking Frequencies

Before you start programming your scanner to track a trunked system, consider the following:

n You can only program one trunking system in each bank of your scanner. n Trunking frequencies must be entered while in the Trunking Programming mode. n If youre in the Trunking Programming mode, you cannot select channels in other banks. For example, if you are programming Bank 4, you can only select channels 91-120 with the or keys. n IMPORTANT: If you are programming an EDACS trunked system, you must enter the frequencies in a specific order. Check the frequency guide included with the radio and the listed web sites for details.

39

The first step in tracking a trunked system is storing the frequencies in one of the 10 available banks in your scanner. 1. Press second. for 1.5

You will hear two beeps, and BANK and TRUNK will begin to flash in the display.

2.

Select the Bank you want to store the frequency, by pressing 1 through 0. Choose the system you want to track. Use or to choose the system, and press .

3.

List of trunking options as follows: E2 800 (Type II 800 MHz) E2 900 (Type II 900 MHz) E2 Hi (Type II VHF 137-174 MHz) * E2 UHF (Type II UHF 406-512 MHz) * Ed (EDACS )*** E1 (Type I 800 MHz) ** * Requires programming of a base and an offset frequency. See appropriate section. ** Requires programming of a fleet map. See section on Programming a Fleet Map. *** Requires programming of frequencies in exact order and location.

40

4.

Use the keypad to enter a frequency for the trunked system. For example, enter 856.2625 (Type 1), or enter a frequency of the system youre going to track. Note: To clear a mistake while entering a frequency, press twice, and start over. Then press .

If the frequency is out of the range of the system chosen in this step, an error message displays. Press and go back to Step 3. 5. Press either or to select the next channel in the bank. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all frequencies have been entered. Press to begin searching the bank youve programmed. Note: You will see the frequencies quickly displaying as your scanner looks for the data channel which controls the system.

6.

7.

BANK TRUNK

10

SCAN

41

Searching a Trunked Bank

If programming a Type I system, you cannot Scan the trunking bank you just programmed unless you enter talk groups into memory. See ahead for details. With the search function, youll be able to find all the active talk groups within the trunked system. Once the data channel is acquired, the scanner begins trunk tracking. Talk group IDs, which represent different service groups, begin to display.

While searching, you wont know exactly who the IDs are assigned to unless you listen awhile or until ID lists are available in frequency guides or on internet sites. However, it usually only takes a few minutes to figure out police, fire, and emergency medical personnel. Other IDs may take some time, but determining who each ID represents is half the fun of TrunkTracker.

42

Frequency Find Mode

n Press the while a talk group ID is active and the display will flash the frequency on which that talk group is transmitting. n Press and hold for two seconds and the display will automatically flash the ID and the frequency alternately until you set the condition by pressing the key again.

Direct Entry ID Hold Mode

During Search mode, you can hold on an ID without entering it into memory. 1. When a talk group is active, press to stop the search mode. Use the keypad to enter the ID you want. Channel number flashes in the display. Press again.

2.

3.

HOLD flashes in the display. 4. Press to return to Search mode.

Note: The ID Hold mode works in Scan List mode, and the steps are the same; however, SEARCH doesnt appear in the display.

43

ID Lockout
Like conventional scanning, its possible to lockout unwanted traffic. This is particularly important in trunked systems because in many areas, water meters, door alarms, traffic signals, and other mechanical devices are assigned IDs just like other users. Also some departments scramble or encrypt their communications, and you may want to lock out these unintelligible broadcasts. To lockout an ID, press when the ID displays. The ID is locked out, and the next active ID displays. You can lockout up to 200 IDs. Note: If you lockout an ID in Search mode, it is also locked out in Scan List mode. Conversely, if you lockout an ID while in Scan List mode, it is locked out in Search mode. For information about Scan Lists see page 48.

Restore a Single ID
To unlock a single ID, follow these steps: 1. Press and hold until you hear two short beeps. Use or to select the ID you want to unlock. Press .

2.

3.

The ID is unlocked and the next locked ID displays. 4. Press to return to the Search mode. 44

Restore all IDs

To unlock all locked out IDs at once, follow these steps: 1. Press and hold until you hear two short beeps. Press to unlock all the IDs at once.

2.

Note: If you unlock all the IDs, then the Scan List Memory mode displays. Press to scan the IDs stored in your Scan Lists or press to return to the Search mode. For information about Scan Lists see page 48. 3. Press to return to the Search mode.

Searching Tips
ID Delay Mode

n Use the key to select the Delay mode if its not active. This mode holds an ID for 5 seconds while you wait for a reply. Other groups may use the system, but your scanner will only look for the ID in the display.

Note: If you consistently miss responses while in ID Delay mode, you may need to change the default system type or change the fleet map youre using if youre trying to track a Motorola Type I system. For Motorola Type II or EDACS, if youre missing pieces of conversations, youve likely left out one or more of the frequencies used by the system.

45

Hold Mode

n Press to hold on a particular ID in the display. You can hold a specific talk group, such as fire department on-scene operations, no matter which frequency the group uses.

n Press to continue searching the entire trunked system.

ID Monitor Mode

n If you press and hold for 2 seconds, until you hear two short beeps, you will select the ID Monitor mode. SEARCH begins flashing in the display, and all active talk group IDs begin to display in succession. You wont hear conversations in this mode, but this is an excellent way to determine which talk groups are the most active.

Note: Locked out IDs display during ID Monitor mode with the L/0 icon turned on.

n Press to continue searching the entire trunked system.

Channel Activity Indicators

The BC 245XLT has 20 Channel Activity Indicators to visually display a trunked systems activity when you select delay, hold, scan etc. Youll always know which frequencies are in use and how much communication traffic is occurring.

46

Each frequency you program in a trunking bank corresponds to an activity indicator at the top of your scanners display. The way in which the Activity Indicators display provide you with information about the system youre tracking.
n

The indicator which remains on, even if when there is no traffic, represents the frequency being used as the data channel. If an indicator turns on and you dont hear a conversation, then the channel is probably being used for a telephone interconnect call or a private call. These calls are not monitored by your scanner. The Scanner does not show activity bars for private or phone interconnect calls for EDACS systems. The indicator which flashes when an ID displays represents the frequency being used by the talk group. If youre holding on an ID which isnt active, the activity indicators will turn on and off as other groups use the system.

Note:
n

Note: If more than 20 channels are stored in a bank, then the indicators represent multiple channels. For example, if 28 channels are programmed, the first 8 activity indicators each represent two channels.
n

The display may change from showing channel activity indicators to Scan List memory positions. To restore to the previous setting, press . 47

Scan Lists
Each bank of your BC 245XLT can be a trunk tracking bank or it can be a conventional scanning bank. When you designate a bank as a trunking bank, your scanner sets up 10 Scan Lists, which are simply lists used to store your favorite IDs. Each list can contain up to 10 IDs, so you can store a total of 100 IDs for each trunk tracking bank. (1000 if you use all banks as trunking banks!) Scan Lists help you organize the trunking system users into categories. For example, you might use List 1 for police IDs, List 2 for fire department IDs, List 3 for emergency medical service IDs, etc. Once IDs are stored in lists, you can scan them like you scan conventional frequencies. You can program your scan lists either manually or during trunking search mode. Check the web site www.trunktracker.com or www.bearcat1.com/free.htm for a complete list of talk groups for your area that you can program into your Scan Lists.

Programming ID Scan Lists Manually

1. Select the Trunking bank you want.
BANK TRUNK
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

SCAN

2. 3.

After tracking is started, press . Use and to select the Scan List location you want to program. For example, select the second memory location in the first scan list.

48

4.

Enter the Type II ID you want to store, and press . OR To enter a Type I ID: a. Enter the fleet number. b. Press . c. Enter the subfleet number, and press . OR To enter an EDACS ID: a. Enter ID you want to store. Use the for the dash. b. Press . If you wish to store Decimal style ID, press and hold until you hear 2 short beeps before step a.

10

TRUNK

Note: To clear a mistake while entering an ID, press twice, and start over. 5. Press or to select the next Scan List location.

49

An icon will show an E in the display when you have programmed an EDACS system. Note: The BC 245XLT defaults to AFS talk group displays for EDACS only. AFS describes most systems in the following manner:

Using the sample talk group 01-011: 01 is the Agency Level (such as police) 01-01 describes the Agency and fleet level (such as police patrol) 01-011 describes the Agency, fleet and subfleet level (such as police patrol east side) of a particular talk group EDACS systems are organized in a logical way that keeps related talk groups together. Your scanner is designed to use this organization to make your scanning easy. It has two new features, AFS and XPAND, to let you zero in on just the part of the system you want to hear, whether it is an individual channel or an entire department or city. AFS Display AFS (Agency-Fleet-Subfleet) is the numbering system used in the TrunkTracker II to display and enter EDACS talk groups. Systems differ, but AFS will help you recognize and program them all. And AFS works together with XPAND to provide a new kind of scanning flexibility.

XPAND XPAND lets you expand or narrow searching and scanning to one of 4 levels. By entering only the desired part of a talk group, you can select 2048 talk groups, 128 talk groups, 8 talk groups, or a single talk group. For example, you might program every talk group in a police department with just 4 key presses.

50

You can also enter or display EDACS talk groups in decimal format (0-2047). Just press and hold to switch the scanner between AFS and decimal mode. But you cannot use XPAND when in decimal mode. You can program a specific talk group such as 01-011 into Scan List memory, or, with AFS mode, you can program the talk groups for an entire agency (there may be hundreds) by pressing, for example: 01, , (all 01 groups will be scanned)

Or you can program all the talk groups within one fleet of an Agency by pressing, for example: 01, , 01, (all 01 talk groups within the 01 Agency will be scanned) You can also Blockout a large number of talk groups by pressing after entering an Agency or an Agency and Fleet into memory. This is a very powerful feature! Note: In AFS mode, Agency numbers range from 00 through 15. If you prefer to view and program talk groups in decimal mode, press and hold for two seconds while in an EDACS trunking bank and the display method will change. It will stay changed until you press and hold again for two seconds while in EDACS operation. Decimal mode will not work with partial talk groups entered in AFS mode into Scan List memory. For further details and examples, please see the Appendix.

51

ID Scan Mode
1. Press to begin scanning the lists you have programmed. If you havent programmed any IDs, SCAN displays but your scanner cannot stop on an active conversation. 2. To remove a Scan List from active scanning, press the number of the Scan List on your keypad. The Scan List indicator turns off, and the IDs in that list are not scanned. Note: One Scan List must always be active. If you try and deactivate all the Scan Lists, Scan List 1 will automatically be active.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

TRUNK

SCAN

3.

To restore a Scan List to active scanning, press its number again. Press to return to Trunk Tracking Search mode. To alternate your display between the trunking repeater indicators and the Scan List indicators, press .

4.

52

Note: Once you press or in one bank, all trunking banks will change to that mode.

Setting Priority in Trunking Mode

You can set priority in your trunking banks, just as you do in your conventional ones. After youve set up your Scan List, press to activate it. The radio will default to setting the first channel in each of your Scan List as a priority. Since each trunking bank holds 10 Scan Lists of 10 memory channels each, channel 1, 11, 21, through 91 are all default priorities. You can adjust which talk group in each List is the priority by pressing and holding . Its very similar to conventional priority although there is no interrupt during the transmissions. Priorities are checked in between transmissions. With Priority on, you can hold on an ID in your Scan List, such as Scan List 6, memory position 7, and the scanner will check all the priorities in all the active Scan Lists every few seconds and in between any transmissions on the ID on which youre holding. The lowest numbered priority will be checked first. For example, the priority channel in List 1 will be checked before the priority in List 2, etc.

53

Programming Scan Lists During Search

To select a Scan List location and store an ID during Search mode, follow these steps: 1. When your scanner stops on an ID you want to store, press . Use or to select the Scan List memory location you want, then press . Press to return to Trunk Tracking Search mode.

2.

3.

To let your scanner automatically store an ID in an available Scan List location, follow these steps: 1. Press when your scanner stops on an ID you want to store. Press to return to Trunk Tracking Search mode.

2.

Deleting a Stored ID
To delete a stored ID: a. Press . b. Then press .

54

Moving between Scan List Memories

There are a number of ways to step and move through your Scan List memories: 1. Press 2. Or, Press repeatedly. , then press or .

3. Or, Press , Next press 0-9 (scan list number), then press 0-9 (memory position). For example. To move to Scan List 4, memory position 10, press: , 4, 0,

Multi-Track
The BC 245XLT allows you to track more than one system at a time. Here are some highlights of this new feature: 1.You can actually track up to 10 trunking systems at one time! 2.You can trunk scan or search and scan conventional frequencies at the same time. 3.You can program conventional frequencies in the same bank as trunking systems. After the radio finishes checking a trunked system for activity, it will conventionally scan the other frequencies in the bank (remember, only trunking frequencies are programmed in TRUNK mode). To scan a mix of trunking and conventional banks, select the banks you wish to be active with trunking off, then press . The radio will instantly begin scanning. If you have not programmed a trunking bank with talk group IDs, you will receive an ERROR message for that bank. You can switch to SEARCH mode and the scanner will search for any active IDs on the system.

55

Fleet Map Programming

If you have programmed a trunk tracking bank and select , you will see user IDs display on your screen. Since the BC 245XLT defaults to Type II systems, all the IDs will appear as numbers. However, if you notice a mix of odd and even user IDs, for example 6477, 2560, 6481, 6144, 1167, etc., then you are probably monitoring either a Type I or EDACS system. You may also notice that youre missing responses when you hold on an active ID. Unlike Type II and EDACS systems, Type I/Hybrid systems require a Fleet Map that sets specific Fleet-Subfleet parameters. Its easy to select a Fleet Map for your scanner; what isnt always easy is selecting or programming a map that matches your particular area. There are 16 preset Fleet Maps listed in the appendix that you can choose, and these are usually a good place to start when setting up a Type I/Hybrid trunk tracking bank. If you choose a preset map and still have difficulty following complete conversations, then youll have to program your own Fleet Map.

Selecting Trunking Programming Mode

To change the system type which your scanner monitors, you must be in the Trunking Programming mode. To select this mode, follow these steps: If you are in Conventional Scan mode: 1. Press and hold .

Youll hear two short beeps and BANK and TRUNK will begin to flash in the display. 2. Select the trunking bank you want to program.

56

If you are in Trunking Scan mode: 1. Press to return to conventional mode if you have been monitoring a trunking bank. TRUNK icon goes out. Press and hold until you hear two short beeps. Youll hear two short beeps and BANK and TRUNK will begin to flash in the display. 3. Select the trunking bank you want to program.

2.

Selecting a Preset Fleet Map

1. Select the Trunking Programming mode and the bank you want to change. Use or to select E1. Then press . Press .

2.

3. 4.

Use or to choose the map you want. For example, E1P2. Note: It is required that the trunked frequency has been programmed before selecting a preset fleet map.

57

5.

Press

The scanner returns to Programming Bank selecting mode. Note: You will now begin to see Type I Fleet-Subfleet IDs. For example, 100-12, 100-9, 000-12, 400-8, etc. See User Defined Fleet Maps in the Appendix for more information about Type I IDs. How do you know if the preset map is correct? Youll have to listen to see if youre following complete conversations. If not, you should try another preset map.

Programming a Fleet Map

You may want to read User Defined Fleet Maps in the Appendix before programming a fleet map. It contains a detailed explanation of Scanner Fleet Map Programming, as well as a table listing the Fleet Map Size Codes. 1. Select the Trunking Programming mode and the bank you want to change. Use or, to choose E1, and press . Press .

2.

3.

4.

Use or to choose USr.

5. 6.

Press

Use or to select the size code for the first block.

58

7.

Press

The next available block displays. 8. Repeat Steps 8 and 9 until you have selected a size code for each block. For specifics about each size code, see Fleet Map Size Codes in the Appendix. 9. Press .

The scanner exits the Trunking Programming mode, acquires the data channel, and begins searching using the map youve programmed. Note: It is required that the trunked frequency has been programmed before programming a fleet map.

Programming a Hybrid System

A Hybrid system is simply a Type I system with some blocks designated as Type II blocks. To program a Hybrid system, follow the steps listed in Programming a Fleet Map in the previous section. However, if you want a block to be Type II, select Size Code S-0. When you begin searching a trunking bank with a Hybrid Fleet Map, you will see both types of system Ids. That is, Type II Ids usually appear as an even number without a dash; Type I Ids appear as a three or four digit number, followed by a hyphen, followed by a one or two digit number. See page 68 for more information.

59

Setting the Base and Offset frequencies for Motorola VHF/UHF trunked systems
To properly track Motorola VHF and UHF trunked systems you must enter what is known as the base and the offset frequencies for each system. To find these out, check the www.trunktracker.com or www.bearcat1.com/free.htm and other web sites and frequency resources. To enter the base and offset frequency: 1. Select the bank into which you want to program the trunking system. 2. Select the system type (Type II VHF or Type II UHF) by scrolling through the system selector. 3. Enter the frequencies for the system. . (406.000 is the default bAS frequency . Or, enter a new base frequency and

4. Press for UHF) 5. Press press .

6. Press . The screen will show the OFS (offset) frequency default of 50 kHz. 7. Press 50 or 100. 8. Press . Or, enter another offset including: 12.5, 25, to begin trunking.

Note:

If the system is not tracking properly, you may need to try a new base or offset frequency or you may be missing frequencies from the system.

60

Toggling the Status Bit

On Type II trunking systems there is a method by which specialized types of communications utilize unique talk group numbers. An emergency call will occur on a unique talk group from its primary assignment, for example. Because the BC 245XLT defaults to Status-Bit On mode, you never need to worry about missing these transmissions. If youve programmed talk group 33264 into Scan List memory, for example, and there is an emergency call within the group, you will hear it on 33264. The only time you may wish to turn Status Bits off is if youre trying to figure out the proper fleet map of a Type 1 trunking system. To turn Status Bits off, press and hold for two seconds while in the Motorola system you wish to adjust. (This feature does not apply to EDACS operation within the scanner.) Then use or to change the setting (on to off) and press to program your change.

61

Remote Interface
You can communicate and program your BC 245XLT in numerous ways with peripheral devices using the RS232C port. This radio offers the following modes:

n SMARTSCAN MODE Automatically load frequencies, trunking talk groups and fleetmaps from the Uniden National Frequency Database server into your scanner using an external modem or an internal modem included with a PC. n REMOTE (PC Control) MODE Program and control your scanner remotely from a PC using third party software (see the flyer included in the box). n CLONE MODE Clone all the frequencies and trunking talk groups and fleet maps programmed into your scanner to another BC 245XLT.

Connecting the scanner

Scanner to PC

BANK TRUNK

10

888 888.8888

ATT
BATT

DATA POLICE FIRE RR AIR MRN W X SCAN SEARCH PRI HOLD DLY L /O

Plug the smaller end of the supplied RS232C cable into the remote port which is on the right side of the scanner. Plug the other end of the cable (DB-9 serial connector) into a personal computers serial port. A few PCs may require an adapter, most will not. You may need a DB-9 to DB-25 null modem adapter, available at most computer stores. Of course, make sure your PC is turned on. To use SmartScan mode with an internal modem, you will need a small custom software program to allow the serial port to talk with the internal modem and act as a simple pass through device. To download this free program, go to Unidens website, look up under Scanners SmartScanner or the BC 245XLT scanner, for the 62

SmartScanner software. Run this program and it should automatically set the port setting for you (although you can override the settings). Make sure that you have a phone line plugged into the modem jack on the back of your PC and your scanner is connected to the serial port of the PC using the supplied cable. To use the Remote (PC Control) mode, you must purchase third party software and use as directed. Make sure that your scanner is connected to the serial port of the PC using the supplied cable.

Scanner to External Modem

Plug the smaller end of the supplied RS232C cable into the remote port which is on the right side of the scanner. Plug the other end of the cable (DB-9 serial connector) into the external modem. You may need a DB-9 to DB-25 null modem adapter, available at most computer stores. Of course, make sure your external modem is turned on. Make sure that you have a phone line plugged into the modem jack on the back.

Scanner to Scanner

Plug the smaller end of each of the supplied RS232C cables into the remote ports which are on the right sides of each of the two scanners. Plug the other ends of the cables (DB-9 serial connector) together using a DB-9 to DB-9 null modem adapter, available at most computer stores. 63

SmartScan Mode
You can automatically download frequencies, talk groups, and fleetmaps from the Uniden National Frequency Database server. After connecting the scanner to a modem using the Scanner to PC or Scanner to External Modem steps (see page 62), turn the radio off. Press and hold REMOTE key and turn the radio on. Then release the key. bc245 will flash on the display. 1. The following screen appears. (SmartScan Mode) To select SmartScan mode, press or . The following screen appears. Before starting the frequency download, you must enter your zip code. Using the keypad, enter the ZIP code for the area you will be using your scanner. For example if your ZIP code is 02135. 4. Press key, the ZIP code is stored into memory. The dial-in telephone number appears in the display. If you want to prevent some banks from being overwritten by the frequency download, go to Program Lock. (See page 66) Press key. The scanner dials to the database server.

2.

3.

Note: 5.

64

6.

If the connection is successful, the scanner starts frequency downloading. donE will be displayed when your downloading is completed. To start the scanner, you must turn the unit off/on.

7.

8.

If downloading is not successful, one of the following error messages will appear. Err01: MODEM ACCESS ERROR Err02: NO CARRIER Err03: TELEPHONE LINE BUSY Err04: NO ANSWER Err05: SERVER CONNECT ERROR Err06: DATA IDLE TIME OUT NOTE: If the scanner does not display LoAd (see step 6), disconnect the access by pressing Then, make sure the modem is connected properly, and try again. .

NOTE: The number preprogrammed into your scanner for downloading frequencies is 1-900-225-4822. There is a $0.99 per minute charge for using the SmartScan database. The frequencies in the SmartScan database are updated, at a minimum, every 6 to 12 months. To get current frequencies, as well as special /sporting event frequencies, regularly update your scanner by using SmartScan. NOTE: If you are unable to dial a 900 number, check with your local phone company to find out if you have a 900 block on your phone line. This will prevent you from dialing to the server.

65

Program Lock
SmartScanner will overwrite frequencies that you have already programmed into your scanner. To save the previously programmed frequencies, you can lock out specific banks prior to calling the database as follows: 1. 2. After you enter your zip code, press . With the phone number on the display, press

PrgLoc appears in the display. 3. Press the bank numbers using the 1-9 and 0 key (for bank 10) that you wish to lock out from programming so that they will not be overwritten during the download. Press again. The zip code is displayed. Press . The phone number appears. Press the call. to place

4. 5. 6.

66

Menu for SmartScan

Press key and you can change several parameters used for SmartScan. Transfer speed 300, 1200, 2400, (9600) bps Flow control setting (Xon/Xoff), RTS/CTS, Off Dial type (TONE), PULSE

Transfer Speed
You can choose the following transfer speeds. 300,1200,2400,(9600),14400 bps 9600 is the default. Press to exit.

Flow Control
You can choose the following flow control settings. Xon/Xoff is the default. The initial display appears.

Press

for RTS/CTS,

Press flow control.

again for non

Press

when desired setting is displayed.

Dial Type
You can choose the Dial Type setting. Tone is set as a default. You can change it to PULSE by pressing .

67

SMARTSCANNER TIPS
There are literally hundreds of thousands of public safety radio licenses in the United States. The editors of the Uniden National Frequency Database have poured over these records to provide you with the most accurate possible download of frequencies for whichever area of the country you desire. Because of the volume of data, and because some systems operate on expired licenses or digital radio systems (which are not included in the dataset as they cannot be monitored), we cannot guarantee that you will receive every active public safety frequency in your area. If you find any flaws in your data and you would like to offer suggestions, please e-mail them to us at smartscanner@aol.com or mail them to us at SmartScanner National Database, P.O. Box 610428, Newton Highlands, MA 02468. Due to the volume of mail we receive, you may not receive a reply. The SmartScanner database downloads frequency and trunking talk groups (if applicable for your area) to the scanner using the following order: 1. All licenses within your zip code. 2. All licenses within your community (with more than one zip code) 3. All your county licenses (such as County Sheriff) 4. All the licenses for all the communities within your county (in random order). 5. Statewide licenses (such as Highway Patrol, state forestry, DOT, but not trunking) 6. National licenses (such as common ambulance, marine, and Family Radio Service channels). Look at the web sites Uniden.com and Trunktracker.com for further information. The downloads are not available through the Internet at this time.

68

A few notes about the frequency download order: 1. The scanner fills up less than its allotted 300 channels if there are not more than 300 of the above types of licenses in your area. 2. If there are more than 300 of the above listed types of licenses, or you have locked-out some banks prior to the download using the Program Lock feature, the scanner may run out of memory locations and you may not, for example, receive part or all of your county, state or nationwide data. 3. If you wish to also receive a download of frequencies and talk groups from an adjacent county, lock those banks you wish to keep, shut the scanner off, turn it back on again and enter the SmartScanner download mode. Then enter a zip code from a community within the adjacent county. 4. The SmartScanner editors used their best efforts to delete digital and MDT (mobile data terminal) computer records from the database; however, it would be impossible to delete them all. Therefore, you may hear some non-voice transmissions on the frequencies downloaded into your scanner. Make sure you have TRUNK mode on to see if these are control channels for a trunking system. If not, then you should lock these frequencies out or delete them by entering a new frequency or entering 0, . 5. Important: After the download, be sure to press the trunk key to see if you have trunk systems now loaded for your area. The BC 245XLT cannot track such systems unless the trunking mode is on. Performance of the scanner is not hindered if you have TRUNK mode on and you do not have a trunk system programmed. 6. If you have a trunk system programmed (you can tell by seeing if the display shows Id SCAN at any time), be sure to put the radio into Trunk Search mode at some point to discover new talk groups within the trunk system that have not been pre-programmed into the SmartScanner database. 7. The database will be updated every 6 to 12 months at a minimum.

69

Remote (PC Control) Mode

You can program and control your scanner remotely from a PC using third party software. After connecting the scanner to a PC using the Scanner to PC steps (see page 62), turn the radio off. Press and hold REMOTE key and turn the radio on. Then release the key. bc245 will flash on the display. 1. 2. The following screen appears. To control your scanner using a PC, press . Or, press or until this screen is displayed. Then press to select the Remote mode. Use the third party software as directed.

3.

Start Remote Mode

Turn off the power, then turn it on again. Press REMOTE key, until you hear two short beeps. REMOTE mode is selected. To distinguish from Normal operation mode, KEYLOCK icon flashes. During REMOTE Control mode, the scanner will ignore any key (except REMOTE key). For information on purchasing third party software to program and control your BC 245XLT, see the flyer included in the box with this radio.

BANK

10

DATA SCAN

PRI

70

PC Control Parameter
For your information: BPS rate Start/Stop Data Length Parity bit Code Flow Control Return Code : 2400/4800/9600/19200 bps : 1 bit, 1 bit : 8 bit : None : ASCII code : None : Carriage Return only

Change Transfer Speed

1. While pressing REMOTE key, turn the power on. bc245 flashes on the display, then changes to SCANr. Press . Or, press or until this screen appears. Then press to display Transfer Speed. To change the transfer speed, press and . Then press to select.

2.

3.

71

Clone Mode
You can clone the frequency data of one BC 245XLT scanner to another. After connecting the two scanners, using the Scanner to Scanner steps (See page 63), make sure the scanners are turned off. On each scanner, press and hold REMOTE key and turn the radio on. Then release the key. bc245 will appear on the display. 1. On each scanner, press . Or press or until this screen is displayed on both scanners. Then press . (Clone Mode) Determine the scanner that has the frequency data that you want to transfer. This one must be set up as the Master Unit, and the other must be set as the Slave Unit. On the scanner that is the Master Unit, press the key until FirSt appears in the display. On the scanner that is the Slave Unit, press the key until ClonE appears in the display. Press the key on both scanners. The data transfer is started from the Master Unit to the Slave Unit.

2.

3.

4.

5.

72

During the data transfer, FirSt and CLONE characters will continue to flash. When the data transfer is completed, donE displays. If the data transfer is not successful, the following error message will appear.

73

Care and Maintenance

General Use
n Turn the scanner off before disconnecting the power or replacing the batteries. n Always write down the programmed frequencies in the event of memory loss. n If memory is lost, simply reprogram each channel. The display shows 000.000 in all channels when there has been a memory loss. n Always press each button firmly until you hear the entry tone for that key entry.

Location
n Do not use the scanner in high-moisture environments such as the kitchen or bathroom. n Avoid placing the unit in direct sunlight or near heating elements or vents. n If the scanner receives strong interference or electrical noise, move it or its antenna away from the source of the noise. If possible, a higher elevation, may provide better reception. Also try changing the height or angle of the antenna.

Cleaning
n Disconnect the power to the unit before cleaning. n Clean the outside of the scanner with a mild detergent. To prevent scratches, do not use abrasive cleaners or solvents. Be careful not to rub the LCD window. n Do not use excessive amounts of water.

74

Repairs
n Do not attempt any repair. The scanner contains no user serviceable parts. Contact the Uniden Customer Service Center or take it to a qualified repair technician.

Birdies
n All radios can receive birdies (undesired signals). If your scanner stops during Scan mode and no sound is heard, it may be receiving a birdie. Birdies are internally generated signals inherent in the electronics of the receiver. Press to lockout the channel, and then press to resume scanning.

75

Troubleshooting
If your BC 245XLT is not performing properly, try the following steps.
Problem
Scanner wont work. 1. the AC Adapter. 2. Turn on the wall switch of your room. You could be using an outlet controlled by the wall switch. 3. Move the AC Adapter to another wall outlet or replace the battery pack. Improper reception. 1. Check the antenna connection or move and reposition the antenna. 2. 3. Move the scanner. You may be in a remote area which could require an optional multi-band antenna. Check with your dealer or local electronics store. Scan wont stop. 1. Adjust squelch threshold - refer to page 14, Setting the Squelch. 2. 3. Check the antenna connection. Check to see if many of the channels are locked out. If so, the scanner has less chance of finding an active channel. 4. Review each channels frequency to see if it is still stored in memory and is correct. 5. Its possible that none of the programmed frequencies are currently active. Scan wont start. 1. 2. 3. Press the Adjust the key again.

Suggestion
Check the connections at both ends of

SQUELCH control.

Check to see if all channels are locked out.

Weather Scan wont work.

1.

Adjust squelch threshold - refer to page 14, Setting the Squelch.

2.

Check the antenna.

76

If you experience difficulty while in TrunkTracker mode, try the following steps.
Problem
Scanner wont track the trunked system. 2. 3. 1. your scanner. Missing the data frequency. Change to a Type 1 Scanner setup. Review Fleet Map Programming on page 56. Scanner wont stop during Scan List mode. 1. 2. 1. No IDs have been programmed. The IDs you have stored are not active. Adjust the squelch for trunking mode. See page 39. 2. Missing the frequency used for the data channel. Check your frequency list. Missing replies to conversations. 1. Change to a Type 1 Scanner setup. Review Fleet Map Programming on page 56. 2. Try another Preset Fleet Map or Program your own Fleet Map. 3. Check to see that all of the systems frequencies have been entered. Channel Activity Indicators are flashing but no sound is heard. 1. May be a private or telephone interconnect call, which are intentionally blocked by your scanner. 2. Scanner not tracking an EDACS system properly. 1. The ID in your display is not active. Logical channel numbers ( frequencies) for the system are not programmed in the correct order. Check frequency resources and reprogram. 2. Not all frequencies for the system are programmed. Check frequency resources.

Suggestion
May not be a system which can be tracked by

Scanner will not acquire data channel.

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 www.uniden.com or www.trunktracker.com or www.bearcat1.com/free.htm for additional information.

77

Specification
Certified in accordance with FCC Rules and Regulations Part 15, Subpart C, as of date of manufacture.
Channel: Banks 300 10 (30 channels each)

Service Bands: 5-preprogrammed search bands (including the NOAA Weather Service band) Frequency Range: 29.0-29.7 Mhz 10 Meter Amateur Band 29.7-50.0 Mhz VHF Low Band 50.0-54.0 MHz 6 Meter Amateur Band 137-144 Mhz Military Land Mobile 144-148 MHz 2 Meter Amateur Band 148-174 MHz VHF High Band Above bands in 5 kHz steps 108-137 MHz Aircraft Band 406-420 MHz Federal Government 420-450 MHz 70 cm Amateur Band 450-470 MHz UHF Standard Band 470-512 MHz UHF T Band 806-956 MHz 800 Band Above bands in 12.5 kHz steps -20C to +60C 100 channels per second (conventional mode) 100 steps per second (Normal Search) 300 steps per second (Turbo Search) 2 seconds 210 mW nominal into 8 internal speaker 39 mW nominal into 32 stereo headphone 8 mW nominal into 64 earphone

Operating Temperature: Scan Rate: Search Rate: Scan Delay Audio Output

Power 4.8 VDC 800mAh (internal battery or Requirements: AD70U AC Adapter Antenna: External Jacks: Size: Weight: Rubber Antenna (included) External earphone, DC 12V power jack 2 in. (W) x 1 in. (D) x 6 in. (H) 11 oz.

Features, specifications, and availability of optional accessories are all subject to change without notice. 78

Appendix
Preset Fleet Maps
Preset Map E1P1 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S11 S11 S11 S11 S11 S11 S11 S11 Preset Map E1P2 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4

Preset Map E1P3 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S12 --

Preset Map E1P4 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S12 -S4 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4

Preset Map E1P5 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S4 S4 S12 -S4 S4 S4 S4

Preset Map E1P6 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S3 S10 S4 S4 S12 -S12 --

Preset Map E1P7 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S10 S10 S11 S4 S4 S4 S4 S4

Preset Map E1P8 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S1 S1 S2 S2 S3 S3 S4 S4

79

Preset Map E1P9 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S4 S4 S0 S0 S0 S0 S0 S0

Preset Map E1P10 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S0 S0 S0 S0 S0 S0 S4 S4

Preset Map E1P11 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S4 S0 S0 S0 S0 S0 S0 S0

Preset Map E1P12 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S0 S0 S0 S0 S0 S0 S0 S4

Preset Map E1P13 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S3 S3 S11 S4 S4 S0 S0 S0

Preset Map E1P14 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S4 S3 S10 S4 S4 S4 S12 --

Preset Map E1P15 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S4 S4 S4 S11 S11 S0 S12 --

Preset Map E1P16 Block 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Size Code S3 S10 S10 S11 S0 S0 S12 --

80

User Defined Fleet Maps

Type I Programming Information
When a Type I system is designed, the address information for all the IDs is divided into 8 equal sized blocks, numbered 07. When you program your scanner to track a Type I system, you must select a size code for each of these blocks. When you have assigned a size code to all 8 blocks, youll have defined the Fleet Map for the system youre tracking. Each size code determines the number of Fleets, Subfleets, and IDs each block will have. For example, a size code of S-4 has one Fleet, which is divided into 16 separate Subfleets, and it has a total of 512 individual IDs. When a block is assigned a size code, the Fleet or Fleets created within the block are assigned a Type I ID. The way these IDs display on your scanner depend on the block number and the blocks size code. When a Type I ID displays, the leftmost digit represents the block which contains the ID. The next two digits identify which Fleet is active, and the last digit(s) identifies the Subfleet.

4 05-12
Block (1 digit) Subfleet (1 or 2 digits) Which Fleet within the Block (2 digits)

The details concerning how the size codes are selected by a Type I System designer are highly dependent on the specific needs of the systems users. Some organizations may want many subfleets with only a few radios each, while another organization may want only a few subfleets with many radios each. Your task is to program your fleet map with the same size code assignments as the trunked system. If you do this accurately, youll track all the Fleet-Subfleet combinations used by the system. In other words, youll hear complete communications while monitoring a trunked system.

81

If you dont already know the size codes used, youll have to guess at them. But since you dont have to figure out all the blocks at once, this isnt as hard as it seems. Select a size code for a block, and then press . Now listen to the communications. If you decide you are receiving most of the replies to the conversations with IDs assigned to the block you just programmed, then youve probably selected the right size code and can work on the next block of the map. Finally, for most public safety systems there are some size codes which are more common. S-3 and S-4 are probably the most common, followed by S-10, S-11, and S-12.

Fleet Map Size Codes

Size S0 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 Fleets Subfleets IDs Blocks Used + 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 4 8

Reserves block for Type II IDs 128 16 8 1 64 32 32 16 8 4 2 1 1 1 4 8 8 16 4 8 4 4 4 8 16 16 16 16 16 64 128 512 32 32 64 128 256 256 256 1024 2048 4096

82

Size Code Restrictions

If you select size code S-12, S-13, or S-14, there are some restrictions as to which blocks can be used for these codes.

n S-12 can only be assigned to Blocks 0, 2, 4, or 6. n S-13 can only be assigned to Blocks 0 and 4. n S-14 can only be assigned to Block 0.
Since these size codes require multiple blocks, you will be prompted for the next available block when programming a Fleet Map. For example, if you assign Block 0 as an S-12, you will be prompted for b2, the next block available, instead of b1. And if you assign Block 0 as an S-14, you would not see another prompt because it uses all available blocks.

83

An EDACS Trunked System

This chart shows how talk groups may organized within an EDACS system at the AGENCY level. The FLEETS and SUBFLEETS cannot be shown at this scale because there are 2048 possibilities. The system is logical and easy to understand. System users are given blocks of talk groups. Sizes vary but most large cities and other agencies have blocks of 128 channels. Smaller cities have only 64 or 32 channels. In this example, the County Sheriff is Agency 01. The city of Sullivan is Agency 03. Adams Hill and Matthew Junction share Agency 08. Your scanner shows EDACS talk groups in AFS (Agency-Fleet-Subfleet) format. This helps you see, at a glance, who you are monitoring. And with the XPAND feature (see page 50) you can easily include nearby, related channels in the same Fleet or Agency.

Assuming that you have the system frequencies programmed, and your scanner is locked to the control channel, you can select a desired city by simply searching on the AGENCY part of the AFS talk group number. For example, you can select the entire city of Sullivan with 4 key presses zero, three, dot, SRCH. If you hear an interesting talk group, capture it to your scan list by pressing E during the transmission. If you want to monitor the Sullivan Police Dispatch channel (which is talk group 03-062), you key in zero, three, dot, zero, six, two, SRCH. Your scanner can switch between AFS and DECIMAL display. This channel, in decimal format, is 434. But decimal format does not give you any information about the system hierarchy. For example Sullivan, in decimal, uses channels from 384 to 511. This is not as easy to remember as Agency 03. But it will help you if you need to use decimal talk group lists.

84

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. The warranty is invalid if the Product is (A) damaged or not maintained as reasonable or necessary, (B) modified, altered, or used as part of any conversion kits, subassemblies, or any configurations not sold by Uniden, (C) improperly installed, (D) serviced or repaired by someone other than an authorized Uniden service center for a defect or malfunction covered by this warranty, (E) used in any conjunction with equipment or parts or as part of any system not manufactured by Uniden, or (F) installed or programmed by anyone other than as detailed by the owners manual for this product. STATEMENT OF REMEDY: In the event that the product does not conform to this warranty at any time while this warranty is in effect, warrantor will either, at its option, repair or replace the defective unit and return it to you without charge for parts, service, or any other cost (except shipping and handling) incurred by warrantor or its representatives in connection with the performance of this warranty. Warrantor, at its option, may replace the unit with a new or refurbished unit. THE LIMITED WARRANTY SET FORTH ABOVE IS THE SOLE AND ENTIRE WARRANTY PERTAINING TO THE PRODUCT AND IS IN LIEU OF AND EXCLUDES ALL OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY NATURE WHATSOEVER, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR ARISING BY OPERATION OF LAW, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER OR PROVIDE FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT OR PAYMENT OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. Some states do not allow this exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. LEGAL REMEDIES: This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may 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 the owners manual you are certain that the product is defective, pack the Product carefully (preferably in its original packaging). The product should include all parts and accessories originally packaged with the Product. Include evidence of original purchase and a note describing the defect that has caused you to return it. The Product should be shipped freight prepaid, by traceable means, to warrantor at: UNIDEN AMERICA CORPORATION 4700 Amon Carter Boulevard Fort Worth, TX 76155 (800) 297-1023, 8a.m. To 5p.m. Central, Monday through Friday

Covered under one or more of the following U.S. patents: 5,530,296 4,398,304 4,597,104 4,947,456 5,438,688 5,548,832 5,557,995 4,409,688 4,627,100 5,014,348 5,448,256 5,551,071 5,577,076 4,455,679 4,841,302 5,199,109 5,465,402 5,598,430 4,219,821 4,461,036 4,888,815 5,408,692 5,471,660 5,600,223 4,270,217 4,521,915 4,932,074 5,428,826 5,483,684

and other patents pending.

1999 Uniden America Corporation. All rights reserved. UBZZ01301ZZ Printed in the Philippines