Uniden Bct 7 Radio Scanner Owners Manual

							Fast Start
Note:Fold out the illustration from the front cover to see the controls and LCD display while reading this guide.
Power ON
1. Turn the volume knob clockwise. The scanner performs a self-test:
the Warning Light flashes and
the Alert Tone beeps loudly.2. The currently selected state
(
e.g., TX for Texas
) appears and
scanning starts.
Tu r n
PUSH
ALERTVO L
MUTE
FIRE/NEWS
STATE HOLD/RESUME
HIGHWAY
WARNING
Warning
Light
7 
						

							How Squelch Works
Think of “SQUELCH” as a gate.  If
the gate is too low (squelch too
low), everything (all noise as well
as signals) gets through.If the gate is set too high (squelch
too high), nothing gets through.If the gate is set just right (squelch
set properly), just the desired
signals get through.
Setting the SquelchNo signal should be present when
setting Squelch.
Press
H
to stop scanning.
If needed, press
until youdo nothear a signal.
ê
Turn until hiss heard.
This lowers the “squelch gate,”
allowing all signals and noise to get
through.
ê
Turn just until hiss stops.
This raises the “squelch gate,”
allowing only strong signals to get
through.
In the city, you may want to adjust Squelch even further counterclockwise to decrease the range of the Warning Alert.
This prevents the alert from sounding unnecessarily due to farther, less important sources.
PUSH
FLASHSQ
Tu r n
PUSH
FLASHSQ
Tu r n
8 
						

							Scanning the Alert Monitor Frequency BanksThe Alert Monitor works with the Highway Patrol, Police, and Department of Transportation (DOT) frequency banks.
Frequencies are preprogrammed at the factory on a state-by-state basis.Selecting the State
PressSto select the state you
are operating in. Press and hold
Sto scroll rapidly.
ê
To step forward through the states
(A - W), pressSand, within two
seconds, press
<
repeatedly. To
step backward through the states
(W -A), press
S
and, within
two seconds, press
>
repeatedly.
ê
To scroll rapidly, press
S
and
hold
>
or
<
.
ê
Selecting a Frequency Bank
PressG
to monitor Highway
Patrol frequencies.
ê
Press
P
to monitor Police
frequencies.
ê
Press
P
again to monitor DOT
frequencies.
HIGHWAYappears in the display
and scanning begins two seconds
later.POLICEflashes in the display and
scanning begins two seconds later.
HIGHWAYflashes, because those
frequencies are scanned, too.DOTflashes in the display and
scanning begins two seconds later.
HIGHWAYflashes because those
frequencies are scanned, too.
HIGHWAY
9 
						

							When theBCT7receives
communications, scanning stops, the
active bank type replaces the state
code,and the frequency displays.Active Bank indicators:
HP- Highway Patrol
PO- Police
DT- DOTWhen the transmission ends, a
built-in two second delay feature
holds the scanner on that
frequency for a response. If there
is no response, scanning resumes.
Scan Hold
When scanning stops on a desired
frequency, pressHto hold on that
frequency as long as you like.
ê
To resume scanning, press
H
. To scan the other frequency banks,
see “Scanning the Fire, News,
Weather, and Private Frequency
Banks,” page 14.
Note:While in the HOLD mode, the alarm circuit is inactive.10 
						

							Warning AlertTheBCT7alerts you when Highway Patrol/State Police units using mobile extenders are within an
approximate three mile radius.
1. The Warning Light flashes and
the Alert Tone beeps five times
when a signal is received.
ê
2. The active bank indicator
replaces the state name, and
the frequency displays until the
transmission ends.
ê
3. The Warning Light glows steadily
for approximately three minutes.
Then, if no other mobile extender
transmissions are received, the
light goes out.
4. If more transmissions are
received before three minutes have
passed, the Warning Light flashes
and the Alert Tone sounds twice.
Alert Tone VolumePush theVOLUMEcontrol knob to
select Loud, Medium, or Soft.
The Alert Tone beeps to confirm
your choice.
Push In
PUSH
ALERTVO L
MUTE
FIRE/NEWS
STATE HOLD/RESUME
HIGHWAY
WARNING
Warning
Light
Flashes
11 
						

							Muting the Alert ToneOne Moment Mute Continuous Mute Canceling Mute
PressMduring the Warning
Alert. The Alert Tone stops and
the Mute LED flashes until the
alarm cycle is finished.
ê
Press and hold
M
for two
seconds to turn Continuous Mute
on whenever you wish. You hear
two beeps and the Mute LED lights
continuously. No Alert Tones will
sound.
ê
To cancel Mute,
1. Press and hold
M
for two
seconds.  You hear two
beeps and the MUTE LED
goes out.
2. Change states or frequency
banks. The Mute LED goes
out after scanning starts.
3. Turn the scanner off and on.
Note:
Mute only works in the Highway, Police, and DOT frequency bands.
Warning Light AdjustmentThe Warning Light has three settings: Bright, Dim, and Off.
PressSQUELCHto select Bright,
Dim or Off. The WARNING light
flashes and the alert tone beeps.
ê
If you select OFF, theFLASHicon
in the display reminds you the
Warning Light is off.WARNING:
You can turn off the
Warning Light and completely mute
the Alert Tone at the same time.
This deactivates the Warning Alert.
PUSH
FLASHSQ
Press In
Mute LED
Flashes
MUTE
FIRE/NEWS
STATE HOLD/RESUME
HIGHWAY
WARNING
12 
						

							Power On Settings
When you turn theBCT7off and then on again, theBCT7will return
to the last settings that were active.  When you have chosen the state
you will be driving in, and the mode (HIGHWAY PATROL, DOT, etc.),
theBCT7always returns to these settings.
Priority Channels
Each state preprogrammed in theBCT7contains a number of Priority
channels. TheBCT7automatically checks a state’s Priority channels
every two seconds for activity.  If there is activity on one of the Priority
channels, the warning light will flash and the alarm tone will sound
(see “Warning Alert,” page 11).
You will experience a slight in the conversations you hear as the
BCT7checks the Priority channels. You can cancel the priority check
and the interruptions in the conversations by pressing the
H
key to
hold on the frequency.
Note:
The Warning Alert is inoperative while the scanner is on Hold.
Remember to press the key again to return to normal priority-scan
operation.
Priority cannot be changed, but you can lock-out priority channels
using the
L
key. Priority channels have been pre-determined by
the manufacturer as those Highway Patrol frequencies most
commonly used for mobile extenders and for car-to-car and
aircraft-to-car operations.  Mobile extenders re-transmit every radio
broadcast received on the patrol car radio to the officer’s walkie-talkie
at low-power.  Every time any officer or dispatcher talks (transmits),
the signal is broadcast like a beacon at  low-power whether or not the
officer is out of the car.
13 
						

							Scanning Fire, News, Weather, and Private Frequency Banks
Note:
The Warning Alert does not work while scanning these banks.
To scan Fire frequencies,
pressF.
ê
To scan News frequencies, pressF
again.
ê
To scan Weather Frequencies,
press
W
.
FIREappears in the display and
scanning begins two seconds later.NEWSappears in the display and
scanning begins two seconds later.WXappears in the display and
scanning begins two seconds later.
To scan your Private frequencies
you have programmed, press
Wagain.When theBCT7receives Fire,
News, Weather, or  Private
frequencies, scanning stops and
the active frequency is displayed.
The State Code/Active Bank
Indicatorsdo notappear in these
frequency banks.
PRIVATEappears in the display
and scanning begins two seconds
later.
When a transmission is received, the scanner stops on that frequency. When the transmission ends, a built-in two second
delay feature holds the scanner on that frequency for a response.  If there is no response, scanning resumes.
14 
						

							Scan Hold
Note:
Warning Alert does not work in this mode.
When scanning stops on a desired
frequency, pressHto hold on that
frequency as long as you like.
ê
To resume scanning, press
H
.
ê
If theBCT7stops on an undesired
frequency, press
H
twice to force
the unit to start scanning before the
end of that transmission..
Or, lock out that frequency (see
Frequency Lock Out)
Frequency Lock OutYou can lock out a frequency so it is not scanned.
Lock out does not erase the frequency.
You can restore the frequency to scanning whenever you wish.
Note:You can lock out up to 50 preprogrammed frequencies and 100 user-programmed frequencies.
In Scan Mode
When the scanner stops on a
frequency you don’t want to hear,
pressL.
ê
Scanning resumes immediately
because that frequency is no
longer in the scanning sequence.
HIGHWAY POLICEDOT WX PRIVATE FIRE NEWS AIR
15