Uniden Bc246t Trunk Tracker Scanner Owners Manual

							41
Basic Operation
Basic OperationTurning On the Scanner and 
Setting the Squelch
Note: Make sure the scanners antenna is connected 
before you turn it on.
1. Turn Sql fully counterclockwise.
2. Press and hold   for about 2 seconds to turn on the 
scanner, then turn Vo l clockwise until you hear a 
hissing sound.
3. Turn Sql clockwise until the hissing stops.
Scanning Systems
To begin scanning programmed systems, press Scan. 
The BC246T scans all unlocked systems in all activated 
quick-key groups.
Notes: 
• If no systems are programmed, or all systems are 
locked out, an error message appears. Program a 
system or select a system to scan.
• When scanning multiple systems, the BC246T scans 
systems according to the assigned quick key. 
Systems assigned to quick key 1 are scanned first, 
then 2, 3, 4, etc. Systems not assigned to a quick key 
are scanned last. Within a quick key, systems are 
scanned in the order they were assigned.
• Within a system, channels are scanned according to 
the assigned channel group, with the same priority as 
described above for systems.
• The BC246T scans a system for the duration you set 
using the System Hold Time option (see “Setting the 
System Hold Time” on Page 64). For trunked 
systems, the scanner moves to the next system after 
the hold time expires, the current transmission ends, 
and the channel delay expires. Conventional systems 
Vol
Sql
SqlVo l
Scroll
Control
Basic Operation
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Basic Operation
operate similarly, but all unlocked channels are scanned 
at least one time regardless of the hold time setting.
Preprogrammed System Tips
All systems preprogrammed into the scanner are 
assigned to quick key 9. To turn the preprogrammed 
systems on or off, simply press 9 while scanning.
Notes: 
• The systems preprogrammed into the scanner are 
located primarily in major metropolitan areas. You 
might not be able to receive one or more of these 
preprogrammed systems.
• You might hear transmissions on frequencies assigned 
to very distant stations. This will happen if a local 
system also uses the same frequency. 
You can scan preprogrammed systems more efficiently 
by preventing the BC246T from scanning systems that 
are not in your area. There are three ways to do this:
• Lock out the faraway systems (see “Locking/Unlock-
ing Systems” on Page 43).
• Reassign your local systems to another quick key 
(see “Editing the System Quick Key” on Page 63).
• Delete the faraway systems (see “Deleting Systems” 
on Page 71).
Important! You cannot restore preprogrammed 
systems if you delete them.
Selecting Systems to Scan
To select systems to scan, press Scan then press the 
number button corresponding to the quick key assigned 
to the system or systems. To stop scanning the 
system(s), press the number button again.
The SYS indicators on the display show the systems that 
are currently selected.
To select or lock out a system that is not assigned to a 
key, press and hold   while you rotate the scroll 
control until the desired system is selected. Then, 
FUNC
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Basic Operation
continue to hold   and press L/O to either lock out or 
unlock the system.
Selecting System Channel Groups
Within a system, you can assign groups of channels to a 
group quick key (see “Setting the Group Quick Key” on 
Page 72). 
Follow these steps to activate or deactivate a channel 
group within a system while scanning.
1. Press   to hold on the system (or hold   and 
rotate the scroll control to select the system). 
2. Continue to hold   and press the number key 
corresponding to the channel group you want to 
activate or deactivate.
Locking/Unlocking Systems
Follow these steps to lock out a system so that it does not 
scan even if its quick key is selected.
1. While holding down  , rotate the scroll control to 
select the system.
2. Continue to hold down   and press L/O to lock 
out the system.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to unlock a system you have 
previously locked.
Locking/Unlocking Channels
Follow these steps to lock out a channel so that it does 
not scan even if its system and channel group are 
selected.
1. While holding down  , rotate the scroll control to 
select the system where the channel is stored.
2. Release  then press Hold within 2 seconds to 
hold on the system.
3. Rotate the scroll control to select the channel you 
want to lock or unlock.
4. Press L/O to lock or unlock the channel.
FUNC
FuncFunc
Func
Func
Func
Func
Func
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Basic Operation
You can also lock out an active channel by pressing L/O 
while the scanner is stopped on the channel.
ID Scan/ID Search Mode
While you are scanning a trunked system, the scanner 
can be in either ID Scan or ID Search mode:
• ID Scan – the scanner only stops on talk group ID’s 
that you have programmed into the system
• ID Search – the scanner stops on any unlocked talk 
group that becomes active.
To toggle between ID Scan and ID Search, press Scan 
while the scanner is scanning the system.
Temporarily Holding On a System
To temporarily hold on a system, press and hold  . 
To hold on a different system, continue to hold   and 
rotate the scroll control to select the system. Normal 
scanning resumes 2 seconds after you release  .
Holding On a Channel
To hold on a channel, press Hold while the channel is 
active. To select a different channel, rotate the scroll 
control. If you scroll past the beginning or end of the 
current system, the scanner selects channels in the 
previous or next system. To resume scanning, press Scan.
Quickly Storing an ID During ID Search
To quickly store an active talk group ID during ID search, 
press E. You see:
Quick TGID Save?
4128
To save the ID into a channel, press E. Otherwise, press 
No. If you press E, the scanner stores the ID into a 
channel group called Qck Save Grp in the current system.
Quick-Storing Channels or
Talk Group ID’s
1. Hold on an existing channel in any system.
2. Enter the frequency or talk group ID you want to store 
(press   twice to enter hyphens in talk group ID’s). 
Func
Func
Func
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Basic Operation
3. To quick-store the channel or talk group ID, press E. 
Otherwise, press No.
If you enter a frequency then press E, the scanner 
stores it in the Qck Save Grp group in a system called 
Qck Save Cnv Sys. These are created if they do not 
exist. Then, the scanner prompts you to save other 
channel settings.
If you enter a talk group ID then press E, the scanner 
prompts you to rotate the scroll control to select the 
system where you want to store the ID. The ID is 
stored into a channel group named Qck Save Grp in 
the selected system. Only systems that match the ID 
type are shown.
If you pressed No in Step 3, the scanner prompts you 
to select the system and the group where you want to 
store the frequency or talk group ID.
Quickly Recalling Channels
1. Press Hold to hold on any channel.
2. Press  + Rcl. The scanner prompts you to select 
the system where the channel is stored.
3. Rotate the scroll control to select the system, then 
press E. The scanner prompts you to select the 
channel group where the channel is stored.
4. Rotate the scroll control to select the group, then 
press E. The scanner prompts you to select a 
channel.
5. Rotate the scroll control to select the channel, then 
press E to hold on that channel.
Monitoring Trunking Activity
To monitor trunking activity, press Hold then turn the 
scroll control to select the control channel frequency (for a 
Motorola or EDACS system) or any system frequency (for 
an LTR system). Active talk group ID’s appear on the sec-
ond line of the display.
Func
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Using the Menu
Using the MenuThe scanner’s menu lets you select options that let you 
set up and use the scanner. 
To use the menu, press   on the left side of the 
scanner. In most cases, the current menu position 
appears on the upper line of the menu. Menu items and a 
place to input information appear on the lower line of the 
menu. To select a menu item, turn the scroll control on top 
of the scanner clockwise or counterclockwise. When the 
menu item you want to select appears, press E or press 
the scroll control down to select it. To back up a level or 
return to the previous level, press  . To exit the menu 
mode, press Scan.
This table shows the available menu options and where 
you can find more information about how to use them.
Menu Item Lets You ... See ...
Set up the 
scanner’s 
scan options.“Programming 
Radio 
Systems” on 
Page 52.
Set up the 
scanner’s 
Close Call 
option.“Using the 
Close Call 
Feature” on 
Page 86.
Set up the 
scanner’s 
search option.“Searching 
and Storing” 
on Page 80.
Set up the 
scanner’s 
Close Call 
operation.“Setting Close 
Call Options” 
on Page 87.
Menu
Menu
-- M E N U --
Program System
-- M E N U --
Srch/CloCall Opt
-- M E N U --
Search for ...
-- M E N U --
Close Call
Using the Menu
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Using the Menu
Set up 
priority options.“Priority Scan” 
on Page 48.
Set up 
weather 
options.“Using 
Weather Alert 
(SAME)” on 
Page 94.
Set up 
backlight 
options.“Using the 
Backlight” on 
Page 49.
Set up 
key beep 
options.“Adjusting the 
Key Beep” on 
Page 48.
Set up 
battery save 
options.“Turning 
Power Save 
On or Off” on 
Page 48.
View 
information 
about your 
scanner.“Displaying 
System 
Information” 
on Page 48.
Transfer 
information 
between it and 
your personal 
computer.“Installing the 
Demo 
Software” on 
Page 35. Menu Item Lets You ... See ...
-- M E N U --
Set Priority
-- M E N U --
WX Operation
-- M E N U --
Set Backlight
-- M E N U --
Adjust Key Beep
-- M E N U --
Set Battery Save
-- M E N U --
See Scanner Info
-- M E N U --
Xfer Information
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Other Settings
Other Settings
Displaying System Information
Viewing Memory Used
 J 4 See Scanner Info J E 4 
% Memory Used J E
A bar showing the percent of memory used appears. 
Press any key to return to the previous menu, then press 
Scan or Hold.
Viewing the Firmware Version
 J 4 See Scanner Info J E 4 
Firmware Version J E
Press any key to return to the previous menu, then press 
Scan or Hold.
Adjusting the Key Beep
 J 4 Adjust Key Beep J E J 4 J E
•Off: The scanner is silent when you press a key.
•On: The scanner beeps when you press a key.
Locking/Unlocking the Keypad
Press and hold down   then  / to lock or unlock 
the keypad.
Turning Power Save On or Off
 J 4 Set Battery Save J E 4 J E
•On: The scanner goes into low-power mode when you 
monitor a conventional channel that has no activity.
•Off: Power save is off.
Priority Scan
 J 4 SeT Priority J E
Menu
Menu
Menu
Func
Menu
Menu
Other Settings
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Other Settings
Or, while holding on any channel, press   + 1/Pri to 
select one of these priority modes:
•Priority Off: Normal scanning
•Priority On: While scanning a conventional system, 
the scanner interrupts every 2 seconds and checks 
the priority channels in each unlocked conventional 
system. Priority channels in lower priority key 
numbered systems (starting from 1) have highest 
priority. Pri appears when you select this mode.
•Priority Plus: The scanner only scans priority 
channels in unlocked conventional systems. 
Pri flashes when you select this mode.
Other Settings
Using the Backlight
 J 4 Set Backlight J E
•10 sec  The backlight stays on for 10 seconds after 
you press  . 
•30 sec  The backlight stays on for 30 seconds after 
you press  . 
•Squelch The backlight turns on when the squelch 
opens then stays on for 5 seconds.
•Keypress  The backlight turns on when any key is 
pressed then stays on for 10 seconds.
•Infinite  The backlight turns on when you press   
then stays on until you press  again.
Pressing any key while the backlight is on extends the 
backlight period. Pressing  while the backlight is on 
turns off the backlight.
Initializing the Scanner’s Memory
Important! This deletes all preprogrammed data. 
You cannot restore preprogrammed data that has 
been deleted.
Func
Menu
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Other Settings
To initialize the scanner’s memory, turn off the scanner. 
Then, press 2, 9, and Hold while turning it on.
Using the PC Control and 
Cloning Options
Use the included connection cable to connect your 
scanner to another BC246T scanner or your personal 
computer. 
 
J 4 Xfer Information J E
•PC Control  Lets you set the baud rate your scanner 
uses to communicate with a personal computer. See 
“Connecting Your Scanner to a Personal Computer”.
•Clone  Lets you set your scanner as a master or a 
slave, letting you transfer programming to or from 
another BC246T scanner. See “Cloning the Scanner” 
on Page 51.
Connecting Your 
Scanner to a 
Personal Computer
To connect your scanner to a 
personal computer, you must 
first set the scanner ’s baud rate 
(the rate at which data is 
transferred between the 
scanner and the computer, in 
bits per second (bps)). 
Hint: If you have trouble 
transferring data between your scanner and your 
computer, try setting the baud rate to a slower setting.
 
J 4 Xfer Information J E J
PC Control J E J 4 
•Off  The baud rate is not set.
•9600 bps  The baud rate is set to 9600 bps.
Menu
Menu
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