Uniden Bct 7 Radio Scanner Owners Manual

							Highway Communications
System & Preprogrammed
Warning Scanner
UBUD01250ZZ
OPERATING GUIDE 
						

							Precautions
Before you use this scanner, please observe the following:
WARNING!Uniden America Corporation does not represent this unit to be waterproof. To reduce the risk of
fire, electrical shock, or damage to the unit, do not expose this unit to rain or moisture.IMPORTANT!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 jurisdiction.  Your local law
enforcement officials should be able to provide you with information regarding the laws in your
community.
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.
Covered under one or more of the following patents:
RE 31,523 4,027,251 4,057,760 4,092,594 4,100,497
4,114,103 4,123,715 4,156,193 4,157,505 4,179662
4,219,821 4,270,217 4,398,304 4,409,688 4,455,679
4,461,036 4,521,915 4,587,104 4,627,100 4,481,302
4,888,815 4,932,074 4,947,456 5,014,348 5,199,109
Uniden
®
and Bearcat
®
are registered trad
emarks of Uniden America Corporation.
©1994 Uniden America Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in the Phillippines. 
						

							BCT7 Controls
MUTE
FIRE/NEWS
STATE HIGHWAY HOLD/RESUME
POL/DOT
SEARCH
BAND
PROG
PUSH
ALERT PUSH
FLASHSQ
VO L
WX/PVTLOCKOUT
WARNING
BCT7
1
23
45
6
8
91011
1213
14 157
1.Alert Light
2.Mute LED
3.Mute Key
4.Fire/News Frequency Key
5.Lockout Key
6.Weather/Private Frequencies Key
7.Squelch Control/Flash Brightness
Selector
8.Hold/Scan Resume Key
9.State Selector Key
10.Highway Frequencies Key
11.Police/D.O.T. Frequencies Key
12.Search Direction Keys
13.Search Band Selector Key
14.Program Frequency Key
15.ON-OFF-Volume Control/Alert
Tone Selector 
						

							BCT7 Liquid Crystal Display
1
23
45
68
9
1011
1213
1415
16 7
HIGHWAY POLICE DOT WX PRIVATE FIRE NEWS AIRHOLD SRCH LOCKOUT
st
DATA
FLASH
1.Highway Patrol Frequencies
2.Police Frequencies
3.Department of Transportation
Frequencies
4.NOAA Weather Frequencies
5.Private Frequencies
6.Fire Frequencies
7.News Frequencies
8.Aircraft Frequencies
9.State/Active Frequency
Bank/Channel Indicator
10.Scan Hold Indicator
11.Search Up Indicator
12.Search Down Indicator
13.Frequency Lockout Indicator
14.Data Skip ON Indicator
15.Warning Flash OFF Indicator
16.Frequency Display 
						

							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, sub- assemblies, or any configurations not sold by Uniden, (C) improperly installed, (D) serviced or repaired by someone otherthan 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, programmed, by anyone other than as detailed by the operating guide 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
repair the defect and return it to you without charge for parts, service, or any other cost (except shipping and handling) incurred by warrantor orits
representatives in connection with the performance of this warranty. 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 this Operating Guide 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 or delivered freight prepaid by traceable means, or delivered to warrantor at:
Uniden America CorporationUniden offers 30 days of toll free support and you can call
Parts and Service (800) 297-1023, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central, Monday though
4700 Amon Carter Blvd. Friday. Beyond that period, you can obtain assistance by
Ft. Worth, TX 76155 calling (900) 224-4UAC.
(800)-297-1023, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Central, Monday through Friday 
						

							Table of Contents
Welcome!... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Types of Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Included With Your Scanner.. ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Fast Start... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
Power ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
How Squelch Works. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Setting the Squelch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Scanning the Alert Monitor Frequency Banks . . . . . . . 9
Selecting the State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Selecting a Frequency Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Scan Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Warning Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Alert Tone Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Muting the Alert Tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
One Moment Mute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Continuous Mute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Canceling Mute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Warning Light Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Power On Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Priority Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Scanning Fire, News, Weather and Private
Frequency Banks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Scan Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Frequency Lockout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Lockout Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Restore a Locked Out Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Restore All Locked-Out Frequencies . . . . . . . . 17
Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
CB Channel Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Hold/Resume While Searching . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Data Skip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Programming Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Clearing a User-Programmed Frequency . . . . . 23
Memory Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Memory Back-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Mobile Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Connecting the Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Base Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Tips and Techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Trunking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Scanner Care & Maintenance Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Optional Accessories and Replacement Parts... .. 33
Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
1 
						

							Welcome!
Congratulations on your purchase of theBCT7Highway
Communications System & Scanning Radio! State-of-the-art
engineering and advanced electronics provide you with a
preprogrammed information radio designed for easy operation and
dependability.
With theBCT7Scanning Radio, you can listen to thousands of
Highway Patrol, police, and DOT frequencies, as well as Fire, News,
Weather, CB and Private frequencies you program.Plus, the new built-in technology sounds an alarm when you are
within an approximate 3 mile radius of a Highway Patrol unit!Best of all, you don’t have to program any frequencies. Just set the
BCT7for your state, and the scanner will do the rest. Please read this
Operating Guide thoroughly before attempting to operate the unit.
What are Highway Patrol Warning Alerts?
Most highway patrol vehicles on the road today are equipped with a
secondary radio system known as a “mobile extender” or “vehicular
repeater.”  Whenever the dispatcher transmits to any vehicle in the
district,
every
“mobile extender” in every car within the district is
activated.
Using a constant PRIORITY check of specific frequencies in each
state, theBCT7recognizes and alerts you to transmissions from
“mobile extender” radios as well as from car-to-car, aircraft-to-car and
other special-purpose frequencies.  You receive an audible (beep
tone) and visual (flash of warning light) alert whenever you are within
an approximate three mile radius of many Highway Patrol/State Police
units.
2 
						

							What is Scanning?
Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most two-way
communications (listed on the page 5) do not transmit continuously.
TheBCT7scans
programmed
channels at the rate of nearly 100
channels per second 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.
While theBCT7scans channels, it is in Scan mode.  When you stop
scanning withH, it is in Manual mode.
What is Searching?
TheBCT7can search 12 bands to find active frequencies. This gives
you the opportunity to find new frequencies that have not been
programmed.
While theBCT7searches for active frequencies, it is in Search
mode.  When you stop the search withH, it is in Search Hold mode.
Where to Get More Information
Because yourBCT7is fully pre-programmed, you do not need to
enter frequencies into the radio. However, should you desire to enter
specific frequencies which have not been factory pre-programmed, the
BCT7provides this capability.
For publications which list frequencies around the United States, call
the enclosed Mr. Scanner 800 number.
The Bearcat Radio Club and other similar hobby clubs have
publications, information on computer bulletin boards, and even
contests for the radio enthusiast. Also, your local library has more
information.
3 
						

							Features
Pre-programmed frequencies specific to each state (except Hawaii).Pre-programming by the following categories:
-Highway Patrol/State Police
-Local Police and County Sheriffs
-State Departments of Transportation (DOT)
-Fire and Emergency Medical Services
-News Media
-Weather (continuous NOAA weather and Canadian Coast Guard broadcasts)100 channels of user-programmable frequencies available
-Program frequencies into each of the above banks, or
-Program your own bank of 25 Private frequenciesHighway Patrol Priority Alert
-Receive audible and visual alert when within three miles of many Highway Patrol/State unitsCB Search - Search all 40 CB channelsBand Search  Search through 12 bands of radio spectrum for frequencies.26 MHz - 956 MHz - Scan these frequency ranges with yourBCT7. (Note: the
frequency coverage is not totally continuous.)Data Skip - Skip certain data signals and unmodulated transmissions.Memory Backup - In case of a power failure, user-programmed frequencies are retained
in memory for approximately 30 days.
4 
						

							Types of CommunicationsMonitor communications such as:
Highway Patrol, police and fire department (including paramedics)AircraftNOAA weather broadcastsBusiness/industrial radioMotion picture and press relayUtilityLand transportation frequencies, such as trucking firms, buses, taxis, tow trucks, and
railroadsMarine and amateur (ham radio) bandsAnd many more in the following 12 Bands:
Frequency Range Transmission
29.0-30.0 MHz
10 Meter Amateur Band
30.0-50.0 MHz
VHF Low band
118-137 MHz
AM Aircraft
137-144 MHz
Military Land mobile
144-148 MHz
2 Meter Amateur Band
148-174 MHz
VHF High Band
406-420 MHz
Federal Govt. Land Mobile
420-450 MHz
70 cm Amateur Band
450-470 MHz
UHF Standard Band
470-512 MHz
UHF “T” Band
806-956 MHz
Public Service Band except Cellular Band
26.965-27.405 MHz
Citizens Band
5