BCT15

Overview

Uniden's analog-only Base/Mobile Trunktracker scanner with Dynamic Memory Architecture and GPS Support.

Shipping started Summer 2006.

Specifications

Limits

• Channels: 1600 typical, 2500 maximum
• Systems: 500 maximum
• Sites: 1000 maximum, 256 maximum per system
• Groups per system: 20 maximum
• Talkgroups per trunked system: 250 maximum
• Scan Rate: 100 channels per second (conventional mode)
• System Quick Key range: 0-99
• Group Quick Key range: 0-9
• Custom Search Ranges: 10
• Preprogrammed Service Search Bands: 13

Frequency Coverage

• 25 - 512 MHz
• 764 - 776 MHz
• 794 - 956 MHz
• 1240 - 1300 MHz

Power requirements

• 11.0V to 16.6V DC

Antenna Connector

• BNC

Features

• Close Call, with CCDND and CCPriority
• Fire Tone Out Alert
• AGC
• SAME Weather Alert
• DCS/CTCSS Rapid Decode
• BearTracker Scanning
• Compatible with BC-RH96 Remote Head
• TrunkTracker III
• LCD and Keypad Backlight

Feature Summary

• Rebanding Supported? YES
• Scanner Programming: Man-Machine Interface
  • 'Getting the Most from the new Uniden Scanners' by Paul Opitz
• BearTracker™ Warning System — alerts you when channels normally used by public safety systems are in use nearby.
• State-by-State Preprogrammed Channels — let you easily keep up with activity on local police, Department of Transportation, and Highway Patrol frequencies when you travel, without having to program any channels.
• Search with Scan
• Temporary Lockout
• Startup Configuration – lets you set systems to be automatically locked or unlocked during power-up.
• Single-Handed Function Operation
• Priority Scan
• Priority Plus
• Channel Alert
• Alert + -- sets the scanner to be silent except for "alert" channels or events.
• Dropout Delay
• Attenuator
• Repeater Reverse
• Quick Recall – quickly navigates to a specific Channel by choosing the System, Group, and Channel.
• Frequency Autostore
• ID Autostore
• Quick Search
• “SOFT Search Keys – let you assign search ranges to front-panel keys.
• 500 (250 Temporary + 250 Permanent) Search Lockouts
• Alpha Tagging – For System, Group, Channel, Talkgroup ID, Custom Search Range and SAME Group. The scanner allows up to 16 characters for each name.
• Duplicate Input Alert
• Data Skip
• Broadcast Screen – sets the scanner to ignore hits on Pager, FM, UHF TV, VHF TV, NOAA WX and custom band frequencies.
• Trunk Tracking – supports the following systems:
  • Motorola: Type I 800 / Type II 800, 900, UHF, VHF
  • EDACS: WIDE, NARROW, SCAT
  • LTR
• Multi-Site Trunking – allows independent system sites to share common talk group channel lists.
• Control Channel Only mode
• Independent Alert Tone Volume – lets you set the volume level of the following tones: Key Beep, Emergency Alert, Channel Alert, and Close Call Alert.
• Key Lock
• PC Control
• Wired Cloning
• On-Air Programming
• Memory Back Up
• Trunking Activity Indicators
• Location-Based Scanning – Each system can include latitude, longitude, and range information and can be automatically enabled/disabled when a GPS is connected and the unit is within the defined range of the system.
• Non-Radio Location-Based Features – the scanner can include location alerts (that sound alert tones when the unit approaches a defined latitude/longitude) and speed-trap alerts (that sound alert tones if the unit is traveling at > than a set speed limit while it is within a grid area).
• GPS Display Mode – displays location and travel information based on the GPS input.

GPS Features

The scanner will not include a GPS Receiver, an add-on GPS receiver will be required. Users will be able to define a LAT/LONG centerpoint for any system (conventional or trunked) and a range (in miles) that specifies the radius of a circle that specifies where to turn the system on/off.

With the release of the scanner, the radioreference.com database (RRDB) will have the ability to store the Lat/Long/Range settings for conventional subcategories and trunked system sites.

Press Release

Uniden Press Release

Advanced (and much requested) Features

Multi-Site Trunking

See Uniden Multi-Site Trunking.

Temporary Lockout

Pressing L/O one time while on a channel temporarily locks out that channel. Pressing F+L/O one time while on a system temporarily locks out that system.

Pressing L/O or F+L/O two times results in a permanent lockout. Pressing L/O for more than 3 seconds unlocks all channels in the current system (or all search lockouts if in a search). F+L/O for more than 3 seconds unlocks all systems.

Temporary lockouts are removed when power is cycled.

Startup Configuration

Pressing a number button while powering on the scanner automatically unlocks all systems assigned to that startup key and automatically locks all systems assigned to a different startup key (unassigned systems are not affected).

Location-Based Scanning (GPS)

(also see Population Area Centerpoint)

If you connect a GPS unit to the scanner, it can automatically enable/disable systems based on the geographic information you provide:

• Latitude (center of the range)
• Longitude (center of the range)
• Range (radius of a circle around the Latitude/Longitude) which can be selected from .5/1/3/5/10/20/30/50 miles

Rather than center the lat/lon on the antenna site for the system and set the range to the receivable range for the system, it makes more sense to center these settings on the geopolitical center of the system, and bound the range to encircle that entity. That is, while I can technically hear the Arlington TRS from west Fort Worth, I don’t really want to. Instead, I’d set the lat/lon/range values to approximate a circle around the Arlington city limits so that I would not hear Arlington until I approached/entered Arlington.

Also, not all geopolitical areas are perfect circles. You can modify the shape of the system by entering multiple sites for the system (even though the system might have only one site) and use different location settings for each site. For example, stack two circles to make a tall, narrow scan area for the system.

Non-Radio Location-Based Features (GPS)

There are non-radio type systems that hold other location based information:

(also see DRD DXG POI)

• Dangerous Xing (DXG): Stores location, range, direction of travel. If you are within range, traveling in the specified direction, you receive an alert.
• Dangerous Road (DRD): Stores location, range, speed. If you are traveling at a speed greater than the one specified, and are within the range of the specified location, you receive an alert.
• Points of Interest (POI): Stores location and range. If you approach the specified location, you receive an alert.

In general, a location alert can have:

• Latitude
• Longitude
• Speed (optional)
• Alpha (optional)
• Alert Type and Level (optional)
• Vector (optional)
• Heading

Alerts are based on:

• Speed setting > 0 and no vector entered, non-directional speed alert
• Speed setting > 0 and a vector is entered, directional speed alert
• Speed = 0 and vector is entered, dangerous intersection alert
• Speed = 0 and no vector entered, point-of-interest alert

The user can quickly save a location by pressing GPS. Scanner prompts for the type of location to store (Speed, Intersection, or POI).

Close Call Do-Not-Disturb

When set in this mode, the scanner will periodically make Close Call checks whenever the scanner is not receiving audio in another mode. This eliminates the annoying breaks in conversation while still allowing for the Close Call functionality.

“Soft Search Keys

Let you program the keypad’s secondary functions to turn on/off specified search ranges.

Three-Level Backlighting

Lets you set the display/keypad backlight to any of three levels (or off).

Single-Handed Function Operation

Tap Function to access F+ key presses. 5 seconds after your last key press, the scanner reverts to non F+ entry (or press Function again to revert sooner).

Close Call Temporary Store

When this option is turned on, when the scanner gets a Close Call “hit", it temporarily saves the hit and includes that frequency when scanning. The scanner keeps the last 10 hits (older hits are erased by newer ones). Hits are lost when power is cycled. You can store a hit into memory by pressing “E" when on that frequency.

Alert +

Sets the scanner for "wife and girlfriend" mode. Silences all channels and audio except for those channels and events that have an assigned alert.

GPS Display Mode

Lets you display extended GPS information like:

• Distance to POI
• Heading to POI
• Time to POI
• Speed
• Position
• And so on

Dual Serial Ports

Front-set serial port using the same connector as BC246T/BCD396T/BR330T/SC230. Rear DB9 Male connector (for convenient direct plug-in of GPS Serial cable).

Either port can be configured to be PC interface or GPS interface.

Related pages

• Uniden scanner test modes

Reviews and User Opinions

• Scanning Arkansas: BCT-15 review

PC Programming and Control

• BuTel Software
  • ARC-15 LiTe
  • ARC-15 Basic
  • ARC-15 PRO
  • ARC-EazyStream
• ID Tracker II
• Scan Control
• Scancat Lite Plus
• UASD Software and Firmware Updates
  • Purchase BCT15UASD Software Registration

Yahoo Groups and Message Boards

• BCT15 Yahoo group
• Scancat Yahoo group
• Scan Control Yahoo group

Problems/Issues

See Uniden Dynamic Memory Scanner Problems

eBay Listings

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