Uniden Bc785d Trunk Tracker Scanner Owners Manual

							Basic Operation
Turn the Scanner On
Turn the VOLUMEcontrol clockwise out of the detent position. The scanner automatically
starts scanning. Since there are no frequencies programmed in your scanner initially, you
may not receive any signals. Once you set the squelch and program some frequencies, you
will be hearing conversations regularly.
Note: If you turn the Scanner on when the optional APCO Cord is not installed, APCO
P25  CARD  NOT  INSTALLEDappears on the display. To delete the message,
select 2:DISABLEin the Menu mode (see page 69).
Setting the Squelch
To set the squelch, you must be in the hold mode, and you should not be receiving a signal
on your scanner.
1. Press /HOLDuntil you do not hear a signal.
2. Make sure that the VOLUMEis set to a comfortable 
listening level.
3. Think of the Squelch Control as a gate. 
Turn the SQUELCHcontrol fully counter-clockwise. 
This raises the Squelch Gate so high that only very strong
signals can get through.
4. Turn SQUELCHclockwise until you hear a hiss. This lowers the
Squelch Gate so that everything gets through – noise, weak
signals, medium signals and strong signals.
5. Turn SQUELCHback counter-clockwise just until the hiss stops.
Now the Squelch Gate allows only clear signals through.
17
STRONG SIGNALS
MEDIUM SIGNALS
WEAK SIGNALS
NOISE
STRONG SIGNALS
MEDIUM SIGNALS
WEAK SIGNALS
NOISE
STRONG SIGNALS
MEDIUM SIGNALS
WEAK SIGNALS
NOISE
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							18
Next you must program some frequencies (page 26). It is recommended that you read the
next part Understanding the Menu System because it will assist you in accessing and
understanding many of the features. Later in a section called Additional Features, you will
find explanations on how to disable the keypad acknowledgement tones, to mute the audio,
to change the appearance of the display and other general features.
Understanding the Menu System
It is very important for you to understand the Menu screen. To navigate through the Menu
screen is really quite simple. Many of the features of this scanner, can only be accessed by
the Menu screens. There are several ways to get through the screens. First of all, press
MENUto get started. Anytime you want to exit this mode or simply quit from where you are,
repeatedly press MENUuntil the scanner returns to the original state or you can press
SCANor SRCHto exit directly MENU MODE. Anytime you are in the Menu mode, the audio
will be muted.
To assist you in understanding the Menu screen, flow charts are provided towards the back
of the manual so you can follow along. Two things to remember are rotate the through the
menu and press Eor VFOto executethe command. For simplicity, we have chosen to
rotate the VFOcontrol up or down in order to scrollthrough the menu and the Ekey for
enteringor executinga command. Once you have pressed the Ekey and executed the final
choice (for instance, ONor OFF), the display backs up to the previous level of options.
Also direct entry of the numbers in the flow chart will get you through the screens, but the
other screen options are not visible. This method should be used only after you have gone
through the manual at least once. Tearout shortcut cards (see pages 4 and 5) are provided
to assist you in the direct entry method for commonly used features.
The illustration below shows the first level of the Menu screen. These levels are then
provided in a flow chart on pages 92 to 94. You will find a description section to explain the
meanings of these functions on the next pages. Then, you will be walked through all the
steps of programming, scanning, searching, and trunktracking.
Hint: You can check the options you programmed on the display when you press and
hold MENUfor 2 seconds in the following modes.
•Scan mode/Scan Hold mode (as well as Trunk).
•Chain Search mode/Chain Search Hold mode
•ID Search mode/ID Search Hold mode
1:SERVICE OPTION
2:SCAN OPTION
3:SYSTEM OPTIONMENU MODE
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							Menu Description and Numeric Keypad Equivalents
Below are the Menu screens and a brief description or purpose of the feature.
1:SERVICE  OPTION
Service Search menus are preprogrammed services used around the U.S.
1:WEATHER
1:MONITOR
When you select this mode, the preprogrammed NOAA weather channel
begins to activate.
2:ALERT
You can set NWR-SAME weather alert to 1:ONor 2:OFF. With ALERT
ON you can enter the mode to program your FIPS code.
2:PUBLIC  SAFETY
3:NEWS
4:TV  BROADCAST
5:HAM  RADIO
6:MARINE
7:RAILROAD
8:AIR
9:CB  RADIO
0:FRS
:RACING
:SPECIAL
:CHAIN SEARCH
You can program up to 10 search ranges. The first time you program a range you
will need to do so through the Menu. After the first time you can program a range
as you do on most any other scanner, using the numeric keypad, , VFO
control.Use this Menu item to select the search range that you want to program.
You can program range 1 through 10, one at a time. For each of the ranges, the
following options can be modified.
1:CHAIN  SEARCH
You must turn Chain Search feature ON, in order to use the Chain Search
feature.
2:SEARCH  RANGE
1:RANGE
Enter the upper and lower frequency limits of the Search Range.
2:STEPS
You can assign a variety of step sizes to the search range. 
Note: The default step is usually acceptable and is listed on page 1.
3:MODE
You can change the Auto receive mode to AM, FM, WFM and NFM.
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							4:ALPHA  TAG
You can enter an Alpha Tag for any or all of the search ranges.
5:TRUNK
During Chain Search mode, when the scanner finds an active
frequency, the trunk tracking system will be active. Four frequency
plans apply to the Control Channel Only feature (for details see
page 66).
3:DELAY
Set the delay for the search ranges. This applies to Search mode, and
Service Search mode. The delay time for Service Search mode can be
changed. (See 2:SCAN  OPTION/ 1:CONVENTIONAL/ 2:DELAY
for details).
4:ATTENUATOR
Set attenuation for all search ranges. 
(See 2:SCAN  OPTION/ 1:CONVENTIONAL/ 5:ATTENUATORfor
details).
5:TONE  DATA
The default mode is OFF. This means that you will receive all transmissions
on any frequencies that are active within your search range(s). By selecting
CTCSS or DCS you can set the radio to receive only a particular subaudible
tone to be received during your search. You can also lockout a particular
CTCSS or DCS tone. You may wish to do this if you want to search a range
but not hear transmissions on any frequency that has a particular
subaudible tone.
Note: Through the System Menu you can set the radio to operate in Tone
Search mode during Search as well. In this mode, the radio will
automatically determine the active subaudible tone on any frequency
received during the search.
Set a delay for the search ranges. This applies to all ranges (See
CHANNEL DATA-STEPS for details).
6:RECORD
With Record set to on, any frequency that is active, during the search, can
be recorded to an external tape recorder.
7:AUTO  STORE
You can automatically store active frequencies found during a search into
the memory. You can select which bank you want to program the found
frequencies. The audio will be muted during Auto Store.
2:SCAN  OPTION
1:CONVENTIONAL
Choose the channel number. The following options are available for the selected
channel only. Repeat using a different channel number, if necessary.
1:FREQUENCY.
Allows you to edit or enter a frequency in each channel you select.
Also you can set an alphanumeric text tag for each programmed frequency.
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							2:DELAY
You can set delay for a trunk system on a bank by bank basis. If you’ve set
delay for 1 second, then there will be a one second delay in Trunk Search
for that bank and a one second delay for all the talkgroups you have
programmed into Scan List memory. You cannot set delay individually by
talkgroup. The default delay is two seconds.
3:TONE  DATA
You can set a CTCSS (analog) or DCS (digital) subaudible tone for a
frequency. To do so you must have the SQ Mode in the System Menu set to
Tone SQ. You can also program a subaudible tone easily by pressing the E
key in Scan Hold mode after programming a frequency. This will bring up
the Tone Data menu without having to navigate the Menu. By doing this you
will receive all transmissions on the frequency, regardless of the subaudible
tone, except the one which you have locked. Any transmissions with that
tone will not be received.
4:BEEP  ALERT
You can set a Beep Alert on a per-channel basis to alert you when specific
frequencies are active. For example, you may wish to be alerted anytime a
mutual aid fire frequency is active. With Beep Alert, you will hear three
beeps at the start of each transmission that you have flagged as such. You
will also notice that as you scroll pass the flagged channel(s), you will hear
three beeps.
5:ATTENUATOR
The BC785D comes with an RF Attenuation feature. If you are near an
unusually strong signal source, the signal may overload the scanner. The
scanner may stop repeatedly on that signal and miss other transmissions. 
The RF Attenuation feature works in all modes and attenuates (reduces) the
incoming signal strength to prevent stronger signals from overloading the
scanner.
6:STEPS
Your BC785D is programmed with default step sizes for each frequency
range (see page 1). Steps are important if you are interested in using the
VFOto tune off from a frequency programmed into memory or if you wish to
program a frequency that the default step size will not accept. 
For example, in VHF Hi-band mode, the default step size between 148 and
162 MHz is 5 KHz. However, the FCC has recently instituted 7.5 KHz
channel intervals. If you wish to enter 155.4075 into the scanner without
changing the default step, the scanner will change the programmed
frequency to 155.4100. Use the Menu to change the default step size to 7.5
KHz and then you will be able to enter 155.4075.
7:MODE
Default Auto receive modes are also programmed into memory. AM for
aircraft and CB bands, for example. All frequencies (other than audio TV
broadcast) above 400 MHz are received in NFM mode which helps prevent
adjacent channel interference. You can change the default settings on a
per-channel basis with this Menu item.
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							8:RECORD
You can flag any channel for recording using this menu function. Use your
own recording device plugged into the jack on the back of the scanner.
2:TRUNK
Choose the Trunk bank. The following options are available for the selected trunk
bank only. Repeat using a different trunk bank, if necessary.
1:TRUNK  TYPE
You will need to assign the correct trunking type for the bank you are about
to program. If you want to listen to a Motorola Type I system, you will need
to use this Menu option to assign the same. If you do not know the type of
trunking system you are about to monitor, refer to the guide included with
the scanner or check out www.bearcat1.com.
Note: Some trunking systems require that you know the channel order. In
these cases you will also need to start programming the trunked
system at the start of the bank. The scanner defaults to the most
common type of trunking system, Motorola Type II 800.
2:TRUNK  CHANNEL
1:FREQUENCY
To use Trunk Tracking, you need to program a frequency for at least
one channel. Also you can enter an alpha tag for each channel in
this Menu.
2:STEPS
You can assign a variety of step sizes to the channel.
3:TALK  GROUP
You can program IDs into the Scan List memory either during Trunk Scan or
Search without going into the Menu. However, you can also use the Menu
to program IDs. This is particularly helpful when you are not near the
trunked system you wish to later monitor. You can set it up and have it
ready to go at some later time. After you have selected the Scan List
location (1-10), you can then do the following:
1. Program ID number
2. Set an alpha tag
3. Set Record to ON/OFF.
4. Assign a Beep Alert to the ID. Whenever that ID is active, you will hear
three beeps at the start of the transmission.
4:DELAY
You can set delay for a trunk system on a bank by bank basis. If youve set
delay for 1 second, then there will be a 1 second delay in Trunk Search for
that bank and a 1 second delay for all the talkgroups you have programmed
into Scan List memory. You cannot set delay individually by talkgroup. The
default delay is 2 seconds.
5:RECORD
This Record option applies to Trunk Search. All talkgroups received during
Trunk Search will be recordable through the TAPE OUTjack on the back of
the scanner. To record individual talkgroups during Scan, see Item 5 on the
next page. The default is off.
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							6:ID  LIST  TAG
Assign an alphanumeric tag to any or all of the 10 Scan Lists for the system.
During ID Scan Mode, you will see the ID List Tag (on the bottom text line)
along with any alpha tag you may have set for an ID. In Search mode, you
will see any Bank Tag you have set.
7:L/O  ID  REVIEW
Use this menu item to review the IDs that you have locked out during
Search and Scan. Rotate the VFOup or down to view the IDs that have
been locked out. To leave the lockout IDs unchanged, press MENUto back
out of the menu. To unlock an ID, press the L/Okey. To unlock all the IDs
that have been locked out, press and hold the L/Okey for about 2 seconds.
8:  ACTIVITY  ID
When activity ID is set to ON, your scanner receives any transmissions on
the ID every 0.5 seconds while scanning.
9:I-CALL(MOTOROLA/EDACS)
Most communications within a trunked system are group calls where one
unit (such as a dispatcher) communicates with all the units within his/her
group (all the patrol vehicles on the east side of town, for example). The
units within this group comprise what is typically known as a talkgroup.
There are some communications which are direct unit-to-unit conversations
where one individual converses with another individual. The call is initiated
by a radio and is directed to another single radio. Within the system, no one
outside of these two users hears the conversation. Your BC785D defaults to
I-CALL OFF mode. You can hear these conversations by using this Menu
item to turn the I-CALL function to ON. In Search mode, with I-CALL ON,
you will hear both talkgroup calls and I-CALLs. You can also set I-CALLs to
I-CALL ONLY during which you will monitor only I-CALLs in Search mode.
You can also program I-CALL IDs into Scan List memory.
OR
9:ID  SCAN  LIST(LTR)
When scanning an LTR system you can only turn Scan Lists OFF and ON
when an LTR talk group that you have entered into memory is active. To
provide you with another method to turn Scan Lists ON and OFF, you can
use this Menu item which only appears when you have selected LTR in
Trunk Type.
OR
0:EMERGENCY  ALT(EDACS)
In EDACS trunked systems, you can set an alert for an EDASC
transmission received. Set Emergency Alert to ON, EMERGENCYflashes
on the display and you will hear beep alerts when you receive an EDASC
emergency transmission.
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							0:STATUS  BIT(MOTOROLA)
On Type 2 trunking systems there is a method by which specialized types of
communications utilize unique talkgroup numbers. An emergency call will
occur on a unique talkgroup from its primary assignment, for example.
Because the BC785D defaults to Status-Bit On mode, you never need to
worry about missing these transmissions. If youve programmed talkgroup
33264 into Scan List memory, for example, and there is an emergency call
within the group, you will hear it on 33264.
EDCS  ID  FORM(EDACS)
You can change to display the talkgroups in decimal mode, but this mode
does not provide you with the flexibility that you get with AFS. The BC785D
defaults to show the talkgroup number in AFS mode (Agency-Fleet-
Subfleet). For details on AFS see pages 59~60.
OR
:END  CODE(MOTOROLA)
When this function is disabled, the radio looks for squelch before returning
to the control channel instead of waiting for the disconnect tone. Only in rare
instances will you need to adjust the default settings. The condition to return
to control channels depends on whether a signal is present or not.
:CNTRL  CH  ONLY 
(TYPE 1/TYPE 2 800, 900)
With this mode you will be able to track Motorola Type I and II 800 and 900
MHz trunked systems by simply entering the control channel which manages
the trunked system. You will not have to program the voice channels. There
are 4 channel plans which you can select from.
3:SYSTEM  OPTION
1:DIMMER
Allows you to change the brightness of the display. 
2:SCREEN  MASK
Screen Mask allows you to limit what appears on the display to the alpha tags that
you have set for a channel along with a few function icons. Screen Mask removes
the frequency, receiving mode tone data and signal strength bars. This mode is
particularly useful in public safety vehicles where information overload is already a
problem. Screen Mask does not work in Search mode.
3:KEY  BEEP
Use this function to turn OFFthe keypad acknowledgement beep. The default
setting is ON.
4:ENTER  LOCK
Use Enter Lock to prevent accidental re-programming of channels, tone
(CTCSS/DCS) and talkgroups entered into memory. The default setting is OFF.
5:PC  CONTROL
Use this function to set the transfer speed (baud rate) at which your personal
computer (PC) communicates with the scanner when downloading information into
your scanner using Uniden E-Scanner software. See page 72 for details.
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							25
6:CLONE
You can clone all the programming, including frequencies, talkgroups and alpha
tags as well as bank settings and other parameters from one BC785D to a BC250D
or another BC785D.
7:DATA  SKIP
A scanner will normally stop on any transmission it receives. This means the
BC785D will occasionally stop on data signals and unmodulated transmissions.
You can automatically skip many of these types of transmissions during search.
8:SQ  MODE
The SQ Mode allows you to set at your option, whether the scanner will stop on all
active transmissions on a particular frequency or it will only respond to
transmissions with a pre-set subaudible tone. This applies to both Conventional
Search and Scan modes. The options are as follows:
1. CSQ - The default setting is CSQ (carrier squelch). In this mode the scanner will
stop on any transmission on a programmed frequency (Squelch mode does not
apply to trunking).
2. TONE SQ - In Tone Squelch mode, if you have set a subaudible tone (CTCSS
or DCS) for a frequency, the scanner will only stop on that frequency if the
transmission includes the prescribed tone.
3. TONE SEARCH - In this mode, as soon as the scanner stops on any (non-
trunked) channel, the scanner will begin to search for any subaudible tone that is
being used on a transmitted frequency. The scanner will check each CTCSS
tone sequentially and it will find DCS tones instantly.
9:BANK  TAG
Allows you to set an alphanumeric text tag for individual banks in the scanner (1-
10). (The 0 key represents Bank number 10.) For example, you may wish to set
the Bank one text tag as Law Enforcement, the second bank as Fire, etc.
0:P-25  CARD
When you insert the optional card (BCi25D) and select 1:ENABLEin this mode,
you can monitor APCO P-25 digital communications. See page 68 for details.
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							Programming
Before the BC785D can begin conventional scanning, you must program a frequency into at
least one channel. 
Repeat this procedure for each channel you want to program.
Storing Frequencies into Channels in Menu Mode
1. Select frequencies you received from your dealer, from various sources on the internet,
or from one of the guides listed on page 10.
Here is a list of sample 
frequencies you should try:
156.800 Marine Calling channel 
155.340 Ambulance operations
155.280 Ambulance operations
155.160 Ambulance operations
462.950 Ambulance operations
462.5625 Family Radio Services (channel one)
2. Press MENU.
3. Select 2:SCAN  OPTION/ 1:CONVENTIONALby rotating the VFO and pressing
E.
4. Select a channel.
a. Enter the channel number using
the keypad.
b. Then press E.
5. Select 1:FREQUENCYand 
enter the frequency.
a. Enter the frequency number using  (decimal key) and
the keypad.
b. Then press E.
6. Enter the alpha tag and press E. 
(See page 28.)
7. The following display appears, select the location you want.
Remember! You can also use or instead of rotating the
VFO.
Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFOcontrol.
.
26
1:OTHER CHANNEL
2:CHANNEL OPTION
3:DONE
 
         C 001
0000.0000 NFM
ALPHA TAG
¡
         C 001
1:FREQUENCY
2:DELAY
3:TONE DATA
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