Uniden Bc246t Trunk Tracker Scanner Owners Manual

21
Understanding Scanning
Conventional Scanning
Conventional scanning is a relatively simple concept. 
Each group of users in a conventional system is assigned 
a single frequency (for simplex systems) or two 
frequencies (for repeater systems). Any time one of them 
transmits, their transmission always goes out on the 
same frequency. Up until the late 1980s, this was the 
primary way that radio systems operated. 
Even today, there are many 2-way radio users who 
operate using a conventional system:...

22
Understanding Scanning
Repeater Operation
Repeater systems use two frequencies: one transmits from 
the radio to a central repeater; the other transmits from the 
repeater to other radios in the system. With a repeater-
based system, the repeater is located on top of a tall 
building or on a radio tower that provides great visibility to 
the area of operation. When a user transmits (on an input 
frequency), the signal is picked up by the repeater and 
retransmitted (on an output frequency). The user’s...

23
Understanding Scanning
you usually know who it is, and more importantly, you can 
stop on a channel and listen to an entire conversation. 
This type of scanning is easy and fun. 
However, as the demand for public communications has 
increased, many public radio users do not have enough 
frequencies to meet their needs, creating a serious 
problem. Trunking radio systems help solve this problem. 
Trunked Scanning
While conventional scanning worked great while there 
were only a few groups wanting to...

24
Understanding Scanning
trunked radio system. Once you know a talk group’s ID, 
you won’t miss any of the action. 
If you are a new scanner enthusiast, you might want to 
read the first part of this manual and use your scanner in 
conventional mode before you begin trunk tracking. 
Understanding scanning fundamentals and terminology 
will make trunk tracking much easier. If you are already 
an experienced scanner operator, you might want to go to 
“Programming Motorola Systems” on Page 54, “Program-...

25
Understanding Scanning
maps are included in “Preset Fleet Maps” on Page 105. 
You can also find fleet map resources on the web. 
Motorola Type II – the radios only send the radio ID and 
radio channel code to the control channel. The central 
computer keeps a database of radio ID’s and which talk 
group is assigned to which channel code for each radio, 
so with this system the user’s radio sends only about 
1/3 
the data as a Type I system with each transmission. 
Type II systems do not use...

26
Understanding Scanning
For example, 01 might be used by the police, 02 by 
ambulance service, 03 by the fire department, and so on. 
Each agency is then subdivided up to 16 times to provide 
fleet identification, and then 8 more times to identify 
subfleets. 
For example, the complete AFS for the Police 
Department West District’s dispatch channel might be 
01-062. 01 identifies the agency as the police 
department, 06 identifies the fleet as the West district, 
and 2 identifies the subfleet as the...

27
Understanding Scanning
H = Home repeater (01 through 20) 
U = User ID (000 through 254) 
When the scanner receives a transmission on a channel 
set to the LTR mode, it first decodes the LTR data included 
with the transmission. In the ID search mode, the scanner 
stops on the transmission and displays the talk group ID on 
the display. In the ID scan mode, the scanner only stops 
on the transmission if the LTR data matches a talk group 
ID that you have stored in the talk group ID list and have 
not...

28
Understanding Scanning
You can also call them at 1 800 SCANNER (hours are 
from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time Monday 
through Friday).
•http://www.radioreference.com 
* - the Internets 
premier source for user-supported radio system
information.
•http://www.bearcat1.com - frequency information 
from National Communications.
•http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/reports/index.cfm 
*
 - 
conventional frequency information on file with the US 
Government
•http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BC246T 
* - a group...

29
Included With Your Scanner
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. 
Setting Up Your Scanner
Owners  ScannerAC Adapter
and other
Belt Clip
V
o
lS
q
l
ManualAntenna
Wrist Strap
BatteriesConnection
Cable
printed material
Included With Your Scanner
BC246T Paper OM 062405.fm  Page 29  Tuesday, June 28, 2005  10:12 AM 

30
Setting Up Your Scanner
These guidelines will help you install and set up your new 
scanner: 
• If your scanner receives interference or electrical 
noise, move the scanner or its antenna away from the 
source.
• To improve the scanner’s reception, use an optional 
external antenna designed for multi-band coverage. 
(You can purchase this type of antenna at a local 
electronics store). If the optional antenna has no 
cable, use 50-70 Ω coaxial cable for lead-in. 
A mating plug might be necessary for...