Uniden BC898T - Manual

3 The FCC Wants You To Know This scanner has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a scanning receiver, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules . These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This scanner generates, ...

4 Introduction Your BC898T scanner is a state-of-the-art scanner radio with TrunkTracking™ and automatic scanning capabilities. You can store frequencies such as police, fire/emergency, marine, air, amateur, and other communications into 10 banks of 50 channels each. Use it at home as a base unit, o...

5 Feature Highlights Trunk Tracker ™ III Operation – Follows conversations on analog Motorola, EDACS, and LTR trunked radio systems. 500 Channels – Program one frequency into each channel. You must have at least one channel programmed to use the scan mode. 10 Banks – Each bank contains 50 channels, ...

6 Unique Data Skip – Allows your scanner to skip unwanted data transmissions and reduces birdies. Memory Backup – If power is lost or disconnected, the scanner retains the frequencies you programmed in its memory. LCD Back Light – Makes the display easy to see in dim light. You can adjust the back l...

7 Understanding Scanning This section provides you with 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 BC898T. Understanding Banks and Channels The memory in your scanner is organized...

8 other to the point where it is impossible to clearly receive any of the stations. A scanner equipped with CTCSS and DCS (like your scanner) can code each received frequency with a specific CTCSS or DCS frequency. Then, when you receive multiple signals, you only hear the transmission with the CTCS...

9 • Aircraft • Amateur radio • FRS/GMRS users • Broadcast AM/FM/TV stations • Many business radio users When you want to store a conventional system, all you need to know is the frequencies they operate on. When you are scanning a conventional system, the scanner stops very briefly on each channel t...

10 • The frequencies for many of the 800 MHz public safety systems are listed in the National Public Safety Trunked System Frequency Guide included with your BC898T scanner. Conventional scanning is a simple concept. You enter a frequency used by someone you want to monitor into your scanner’s memor...

11 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. This section describes some of the technical data behind Motorola, EDACS, and LTR trunked radio systems. Motorola Trunking While there are ...

12 know both the frequencies used by the system and the LCN for each frequency so that you can program the frequencies in LCN order. Agency-Fleet-Subfleet – talk group ID’s for EDACS systems are assigned in a way that makes it easy to see at a glance the affiliation of the user. Each radio is assign...

13 you would program a system with channels at 1, 3, 5, and 9 into Trunk 2 channels 51, 53, 55, and 59). Where To Obtain More Information By itself, this manual really only provides part of what you need to know to have fun scanning – how to program and use the scanner. The two included conventional...

14 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, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Central, Monday through Friday. Installing Your Scanner Owners Manual Scanner Antenna AC Adapter Frequency Gui...

15 These guidelines will help you install and use your new scanner: • If your scanner receives interference or electrical noise, move the scanner or its antenna away from the source. You might also try changing the height or angle of the telescoping antenna. • To improve the scanner’s reception, use...

16 Adapter Safety Feature The AC adapter included with the scanner might be equipped with a polarized line plug — a plug with one blade wider than the other. This plug fits into a power outlet only one way. If you are unable to insert the adapter’s plug into an AC outlet, try reversing the plug. Usi...

17 Connect one end of the cable to the tape recorder’s remote jack, then connect the other end of the cable to LINE on the front of the scanner. Remember! You must program a channel for tape recording before you can record it. See “Recording Transmissions” on Page 38 for more information. Using the ...

18 Installing The Scanner In a Vehicle Mounting the Scanner 1. Select a location in your vehicle to mount the scanner. Avoid a location that could inter- fere with your driving. In a passenger car, the ideal location is underneath the dash-board on the passenger side. Warning : Make sure there are n...

19 Installing a Permanent Power Cord 1. Check the vehicle’s battery connections to determine which battery terminal (positive or negative) is grounded to the engine block or chassis. Most of today’s vehicles use a negative ground. If your vehicle has a negative ground, follow the steps below. Otherw...

20 Basic Operation Basic Operation Turning On the Scanner Turn VOLUME clockwise to turn on the scanner, or counterclockwise until it clicks to turn it off. Setting the Squelch Your scanner’s squelch control acts like a gate to reduce or eliminate noise from received signals. Turning SQUELCH clockwis...

23 Changing the Priority Channel You cannot eliminate the priority channel, but you can change it to any of the 50 available channels in each bank. Follow these steps to change the priority channel. 1. Press MANUAL . 2. Use the keypad to enter the channel number for the new priority channel.3. Press...

24 Holding On a Single Talk Group To hold on an active talk group when scanning or searching, press HOLD U . The BC898T stops scanning and holds on the current trunking system. It only receives transmissions on the talk group that was active when you pressed HOLD U . To select a talk group to hold o...

25 departments scramble or encrypt their communications, and you might want to lock out these unintelligible transmissions. To lock out an ID, press L/O when the ID appears. The ID is locked out, and the next active ID appears. You can lock out up to 200 ID’s. Note : If you lock out an ID in search ...

26 ID Monitor Mode To enter manual mode for a conventional system in a bank selected for a trunked system, press MANUAL . All active talk group ID’s appear in succession. Note : Locked out ID’s appear during ID monitor mode. Scan Lists You can program conventional or trunking frequencies into any of...

27 Searching Chain Search Your scanner’s chain search feature lets you discover new active frequencies in your area. To use chain search, first program one or more chain search ranges (see “Setting and Saving a Chain Search Range” below). Then, select one or more chain search ranges to search (see “...

29 Automatically Storing Frequencies During searching, you can have the scanner automatically store active frequencies into a bank you choose. Once the search begins, AutoStore will automatically program active frequencies into the available channels of the bank(s) you select. For more information a...

30 Attenuating All Search Ranges If you are near a strong RF source, you might need to attenuate the input signal in order to search properly. Repeatedly press ATT until ATT appears (to turn on attenuation) or until ATT disappears (to turn off attenuation). Setting Delay For All Search Ranges You ca...

31 Searching for CTCSS/DCS Tones You can use the CTCSS/DCS tone search mode to determine if the frequencies in your area are transmitted with associated tones. If the scanner finds a CTCSS or DCS tone, the type of tone and the frequency flash on the display. Then, if you store that frequency into a ...

32 Using Weather Alert (SAME) Important : Your scanner has been primarily designed to be a radio scanner. While it incorporates weather alert as one feature, we strongly recommend that you not use the scanner as your sole means for receiving emergency alerts. Your local electronics retailer carries ...

33 You might receive more than one weather station in your area. When you press WX , your scanner finds the first active transmission. If a transmission seems weak or distant, press WX again to find a clearer station. Notes : • Weather scan does not resume automatically. You must press WX again to s...

35 Programming The BC898T has 500 memory channels, each of which can be programmed to store one frequency. The channels are divided into ten 50-channel banks, useful for storing similar frequencies in order to maintain faster scanning cycles. You can use the keypad and rotary tuner to program your s...

37 Programming Tips • Since weather transmissions are continuous, do not program a weather frequency into any of the scanner’s channels. To listen to a weather transmission, press WX to select the weather information band instead. • Group similar frequencies into adjacent channels. For example, prog...

38 Recording Transmissions You can set any channel for recording while scanning. Then, if your scanner stops on a channel you have designated for recording, the connected tape recorder begins to record the audio. However, before you can use this feature, you must connect a tape recorder to your scan...

39 Programming Conventional Channels Each of the scanner’s banks can hold a mix of conventional channels plus one trunked system. This section describes how to store known frequencies into conventional channels. You might want to gather all information about the systems you want to monitor before yo...

40 Setting Priority Channels You can set one conventional channel in each bank as a priority channel. When you turn on the priority scan option (see “Priority Scanning” on Page 22), the scanner automatically checks these channels every 2 seconds to see if there is activity. If there is, the scanner ...

41 Programming Trunked Systems Before you start programming your scanner to track a trunked system, consider the following: • You might want to gather all information about the systems you want to monitor before you start to program the scanner. The “Motorola Trunking Worksheet”, “LTR Trunking Works...

42 4. If necessary, repeatedly press HOLD U or LIMIT V until PRO9 F appears. Then press E on the keypad. 5. To enter trunking frequencies, use the keypad to enter the first frequency, then press E on the keypad. (Press . to enter the decimal point). Note : To clear a mistake while entering a frequen...

44 Programming Talk Group ID’s Enter the talk group ID for each group you entered: 1. If you are still in the programming mode, press DATA . Otherwise, hold TRUNK for 2 seconds, then select the bank and system type and press E . 2. Repeatedly press HOLD U or LIMIT V until PRO9 ID appears. Then press...

45 7. If you selected ED-SCT in Step 3, stop here. Otherwise, if you selected ED-HI or ED-LO in Step 3, follow these steps to enter the talk group ID (agency, fleet, and subfleet) for the system you want to scan. a. Press DATA . b. If necessary, turn the rotary tuner or repeatedly press HOLD U or LI...

46 Care and Maintenance General Use • Turn the scanner off before disconnecting the power. • Always write down the programmed frequencies in the event of memory loss. • If memory is lost, simply reprogram each channel. The display shows 000.0000 in all channels when there has been a memory loss. • A...

47 Troubleshooting If your BC898T 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. Make sure the AC adapter is connected to an AC outlet and the scanner.If there is a wall switch that contro...

50 Specifications Certified in accordance with FCC Rules and Regulations Part 15, Subpart C, as of date of manufacture. Channels: 500 Banks: 10 (50 channels each) Frequency Range: 25.0-27.995 MHz Citizens Band/Business Band28.0–29.995 MHz 10 Meter Amateur Band 30.0–49.995 MHz VHF Low Band 50.0–54.0 ...

52 Optional Accessories Contact your local Uniden Dealer or call the Uniden Parts Center at: (800)554-3988, 8:00AM to 5:00PM EST, Monday through Friday, for information about ordering these optional accessories. Betty Bearcat Frequency Directory/ Local Directories Mobile Mounting Bracket with Hardwa...

53 Appendix Preset Fleet Maps Preset Map 1 Preset Map 2 Preset Map 3 Preset Map 4 Preset Map 5 Preset Map 6 Preset Map 7 Preset Map 8 Block Size Code Block Size Code 0 Size Code 11 0 Size Code 4 1 Size Code 11 1 Size Code 4 2 Size Code 11 2 Size Code 4 3 Size Code 11 3 Size Code 4 4 Size Code 11 4 S...

54 Preset Map 9 Preset Map 10 Preset Map 11 Preset Map 12 Preset Map 13 Preset Map 14 Preset Map 15 Preset Map 16 Block Size Code Block Size Code 0 Size Code 4 0 Size Code 0 1 Size Code 4 1 Size Code 0 2 Size Code 0 2 Size Code 0 3 Size Code 0 3 Size Code 0 4 Size Code 0 4 Size Code 0 5 Size Code 0 ...

55 User Defined Fleet Maps Type I Programming Information When a Type I system is designed, the address information for all the ID’s is divided into 8 equal sized blocks, numbered 0–7. When you program your scanner to track a Type I system, you must select a size code for each of these blocks. When ...

57 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 ...