Uniden Bc785d Trunk Tracker Scanner Owners Manual

							3:MODEfor the receiver mode choices and then press Eor VFO. 
Select 4:ALPHA  TAGto enter an alpha tag using the VFOand then press E. 
Select 5:TRUNKto switch ON or OFF for Trunk Search.
Starting Chain Search 
1. After setting the search ranges, select 1:SERVICE  OPTION/ :CHAIN  SEARCH
/ 1:CHAIN  SEARCHby rotating the VFOand pressing E.
2. Select 1:ONby rotating the VFOand pressing E.
3. Press SRCHto search up to 10 ranges continuously.
Remember! You can also use or instead of rotating the VFO.
Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFOcontrol.
Note:•If CHAIN  SEARCHis OFF, only 1 range can be searched.
•When searching stops, press RSMto resume searching.
•When you rotate the VFOwhile searching, you can change the search direction to
up or down.
•When searching in WFM, it will stop before reaching
the desired frequency if the step is other than 50 kHz
or 100 kHz.
Search Hold Feature
1. Press /HOLDor LIMIT/at anytime to stop the search.
2. Press RSMor SRCH to resume searching.
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. To activate the Data Skip
feature, enter into the Menu mode.
1. Press MENU.
2. Select 3:SYSTEM  OPTION/ 7:DATA  SKIPby rotating the VFOand pressing E.
3. Select 1:ONby rotating the VFOand pressing E.
Remember! You can also use or instead of rotating the VFO.
Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFOcontrol.
When Data Skip is active, your scanner may pause momentarily on an unwanted signal
but will resume searching in 2 or 3 seconds. The Data Skip feature is active as well as
Scan mode and Service Search mode. Data Skip does not function during AM/WFM
band Scan, Chain Search for AM/WFM band, or WX Search, Priority Scan, and Trunking
mode.
37
SRCH   12.5k
1240.0000 NFM
Range 1
25cm Amateur Grp 
SYSTEM OPTION
 5:PC CONTROL
 6:CLONE
 7:DATA SKIP
BC785D  11/8/2 1:01 PM  Page 37 
						

							Frequency Skip
If a particular frequency continues to interrupt search scanning, it is possible to set your
scanner to skip the frequency.
To skip over a frequency, press L/Owhen stopping at the frequency you want to skip or
when in Search Hold mode.
Note:•You can program up to 200 skip frequencies.
The 201st skip frequency entered causes the first
skipped frequency to unlock.
•If all frequencies in the search range are set to skip, a
beep sounds and it moves to Search Hold mode.
To resume searching.
1) Cancel the Frequency Skip set. 
––– OR –––
2) Reset the Search Frequency range.
To cancel all skipped frequencies, press and hold L/Ofor 2 seconds in Search Hold
mode.
Storing Search Frequencies
You can quickly store any frequency you find during Search.
1. During Search, press /HOLDor LIMIT/to store or when the scanner stops on the
frequency you want to store.
2. Press TRNFRto store the frequency in the channel you 
selected. The smallest empty channel number flashes on the
display. If necessary, you can also change the channel by
scrolling the VFO or using or . 
3. Press E.
Note:•If the frequency you want to store exists already, WARNINGappears on the
display and you will hear a beep. (See “Duplicate Frequency Alert” on page 27.)
•After storing the frequency, it moves to the Search Hold mode.
•In case there is not a free channel, the frequency you want to store will
automatically be stored in the previous channel before you entered into Chain
Search mode. 
4. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 after starting the search for all the Search Frequencies you want
to store.
38
SRCH   12.5k
1240.0000 NFM
Range 1
C004 0000.0000 
BC785D  11/8/2 1:01 PM  Page 38 
						

							39
Auto Storing
The scanner automatically stores active frequencies if its Auto Store feature is turned ON.
But the frequencies already stored can not be stored. To make use of this feature, set a
search range first (see page 36), then enter into the Menu mode. If you start this feature
without setting a search range, NO  LIMIT  DATAappears on the display.
1. Press MENU.
2. Select 1:SERVICE  OPTION/ :CHAIN  SEARCH/ 7:AUTO  STORE by
rotating the VFOand pressing E.
3. Select 1:ONby rotating the VFOand pressing E.
Remember! You can also use or instead of rotating the
VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO
control.
4. Select the bank number you want to use with the keypad.
The selected bank number appears on the display.
Note: If the selected bank has no free channels to store, CH
DATA  FULLwill appear on the display and you will
hear a beep.
6. Press SRCHto start auto storing. 
7. After the search has gone through the search range, press
/HOLDto stop this feature. STORE  ENDappears on the
display. You may want to let it run through the search range
several times again because during the first pass there may
not have been any transmissions at that particular time on
that frequency.
Squelch (SQ) Mode
The scanner can be set to the following SQ modes.
•Carrier SQ mode (default setting)
The scanner will stop on any transmission or squelch opening, regardless of whether any
subaudible tone has been programmed for the channel or search range.
•Tone SQ mode
The scanner will stop on any active frequency for which either no subaudible tone has
been programmed or for which the user-programmed subaudible tone is also active.
•Tone Search mode
During any transmission, the scanner will begin searching all possible subaudible tones,
one of which may also be in use. The scanner counts up through the CTCSS tones and
instantly determines any possible DCS tone. See Page 91 for a listing of the tones that the
BC785D decodes.
Note: When Tone Search is active in Scan mode, once the CTCSSor DCSdisplay
flashes a tone repeatedly (meaning that it has found the tone match), you can
press Eto program that frequency with the captured tone. When you change the
mode to Tone SQ from Tone Search that frequency and tone will be programmed.
AUTO STORE
SELECT BANK
12--56----
AUTO STORE
ERROR
CH DATA FULL
          C 001
1245.8500 NFM
Bank  12--56----
AUTO STORE
BC785D  11/8/2 1:01 PM  Page 39 
						

							•Tone Lock (out) mode
For either a Memory channel or a Search Range, you can lock a particular subaudible
tone by pressing L/Oafter scrolling to the desired tone. The scanner will stop on any
transmission except those which may be using the locked subaudible tone.
To set your scanner, enter into the Menu mode.
1. Press MENU.
2. Select 3:SYSTEM  OPTION/ 8:SQ  MODEby rotating the VFOand pressing E.
3. Rotate the VFOto select one type (1:CSQ,2:TONE  SQ,3:TONE  SEARCH)
and press E.
4. To set Tone Lock mode, do the following first, then select 2:TONE  SQin step 3.
1) For Scan mode, select 2:SCAN  OPTION/ 1:CONVENTIONAL- select the
channel number - / 3:TONE  DATA/ 1:CTCSSor 2:DCS by rotating the VFO
and pressing E. With CTCSS or DCS, Tone Lock ON is set by pressing L/O.
2) For Search mode, select 1:SERVICE  OPTION/ :CHAIN  SEARCH/
5:TONE  DATA/ 1:CTCSSor 2:DCS by rotating the VFOand pressing E. With
CTCSSor DCS Tone Lock ON is set by pressing L/O.
Remember! You can also use or instead of rotating the VFO.
Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFOcontrol.
Note:•To set Tone Lock OFF for either Scan mode or Search mode, press Einstead of
pressing L/Oon step 1) or 2) above.
•CTCSS: Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System.
•DCS: Digital Coded Squelch.
•For example, the scanner shows the following displays. When Search mode and
Tone Search are selected, the display shows the frequency and tone data
alternately.
•If the delay feature (-2 sec/-5 sec/-10 sec) has been set while in Tone search
mode, it resumes scanning according to the delay setting.
40
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							41
Additional Menu Options for Searching
Each of these additional menu options applys to all search ranges entered. If there is a
range that you do not want an option to apply, then simply enter the range number on the
numerical keypad. You will see the range number that you have selected disappears from
the display. (For more information on these options refer to the Menu Descriptions section
and Additional Features section.)
Options:
RECORD(for more information see page 16).
1. Press MENU.
2. Select 1:SERVICE  OPTION/ :CHAIN  SEARCH/ 6:RECORDby rotating the
VFOand pressing E.
3. Select 1:ONby rotating the VFOand pressing E.
ATTENUATOR(for more information see page 31).
1. Press MENU.
2. Select 1:SERVICE  OPTION/ :CHAIN  SEARCH/ 4:ATTENUATORby rotating
the VFOand pressing E.
3. Select 1:ONby rotating the VFOand pressing E.
Remember! You can also use or instead of rotating the VFO.
Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFOcontrol.
DELAY
Refer to page 31.
Tone SQ ON, 
CTCSS 250.3 Hz setting
Tone Search, 
CTCSS 250.3 Hz detect-
ingTone Search, 
DCS 023 detectingTone Search, 
no signal received Tone SQ ON, 
DCS 025 settingTone SQ ON, 
CTCSS & DCS 
non-setting
         C 001
 512.0000 NFM
  CTCSS 250.3
Bank 1          C 001
 512.0000 NFM
  DCS   025
Bank 1          C 001
 512.0000 NFM
Bank 1 
        C 003
 512.0000 NFM
  CTCSS 250.3
UNIDEN Group A         C 003
 512.0000 NFM
  DCS   025
UNIDEN Group A         C 003
 512.0000 NFM
  
UNIDEN Group A 
BC785D  11/8/2 1:01 PM  Page 41 
						

							Service Search
The Service Search feature allows you to scroll through the following twelve preprogrammed
services. The frequencies selected for these services are the most commonly used around
the U.S.
• 1:WEATHER• 7:RAILROAD
• 2:PUBLIC  SAFETY• 8:AIR
• 3:NEWS• 9:CB  RADIO
• 4:TV  BROADCAST• 0:FRS
• 5:HAM  RADIO• :RACING
• 6:MARINE• :SPECIAL
1. Press SRVC.
––– OR –––
Another method is as follows:
To set Service Search, enter into the Menu mode.
1. Press MENU.
2. Select 1:SERVICE  OPTIONby rotating the VFOand
pressing E.
2. To select the Service Search, select one Service Search
menu you want from the lists above by rotating the VFOand press Eor directly enter the
number listed above.
Note:When you start Service Search by pressing SRVC, you can start Service Search
without pressing E.
3. After a 3 second delay, searching begins for the selected service. If you want to start
searching immediately, press RSM.
4. To change the searched service, rotate the VFOor directly enter the number listed
above after pressing SRVC.
Remember! You can also use or instead of rotating the VFO.
Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFOcontrol.
Note:•When you start searching, select :RACINGor :SPECIALby rotating the VFO
and pressing E.
•You can not change such settings as Auto Delay, during a Service Search.
•You can enter one of the Service Search frequencies into Channel Memory by
pressing TRNFRwhen holding on one of the frequencies and pressing E.
•Special Frequencies are low-power, itinerant, FRS, splinters and other
frequencies which are commonly used at special events and other locations and
may or may not be licensed.
•When you rotate the VFOwhile the Service Search is active, you can change the
search direction to up or down.
42
SERVICE OPTION
1:WEATHER
2:PUBLIC SAFETY
3:NEWS
BC785D  11/8/2 1:01 PM  Page 42 
						

							43
During the search of one of the preprogrammed services, the lowest display line will indicate
the service that you are searching. To stop the search, press /HOLD or LIMIT/. Rotate
the VFO or using or to move up or down one programmed frequency or press RSMto
resume searching.
Service Search Skip
You can set the scanner to skip the unwanted frequencies during Service Search. 100
skipped frequencies are programmable.
1. To skip over a frequency, press L/Owhen stopping at the frequency you want to skip.
2. To cancel a skip during search, press /HOLD or LIMIT/, select the desired
frequency by rotating the VFO or using or , then press L/O.
To restore all skipped frequencies, press and hold L/Ofor 
2 seconds.
Note:•You can not skip set frequency in WEATHERService
mode.
•If you start the Service Searching while all frequencies in Service Search menu are
set to skipped the frequencies, you hear a beep and the scanner moves to the
Hold mode.
NWR-SAME Alert
In addition to the conventional weather broadcasts, your BC785D is compatible with NWR-
SAME weather alert. When the scanner receives NOAA’s Specific Area Message Encoding
(SAME) coded weather emergency signal, it sounds the alert siren with a specified
message. You must program your FIPS code to identify the specific area where you are
located.
1. Press MENU.
2. Select 1:SERVICE  OPTION/ 1:WEATHER/ 2:ALERTby rotating the VFOand
pressing E.
3. Select 1:ONby rotating the VFO or using or and
pressing E.
Remember! You can also use or instead of rotating the
VFO. Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFO
control.
Note: You can also set Alert mode to OFF by pressing RSMwithout entering the Menu
mode.
4. When the unit receives a warning signal, it shows a message with the alert siren defined.
(For NWR-SAME EVENT CODE, see the table on page 89.)
5. To deactivate, just press any key or it is automatically canceled and the alert siren stops.
SRVC     --CH   
 453.6000 NFM
SERVICE SEARCH
PUBLIC SAFETY
SRVC      2CH
 162.6000  FM
SERVICE SEARCH
WX ALERT ON
BC785D  11/8/2 1:01 PM  Page 43 
						

							Testing the Alert Siren
To test and recognize the difference between the types of alert sirens, perform the following
steps:
1. During WX Hold mode and when the WX ALT is OFF, press and hold the PRIkey for 2
seconds until you hear the statement alert siren. SIREN  TESTappears on the display
and the statement, watch and warning sirens sound alternately.
Note: The samples of each alert siren only last for a few seconds. You may need to listen
to each siren several times to be sure you recognize the different sirens. 
The sirens continue to sound rotating through the samples until you silence the test.
2. To stop the test, press any key.
Make sure you can hear the siren in all areas that you would need to. If not, optional
accessories can be purchased to ensure that you are alerted for emergency broadcasts.
See your dealer or local electronics store for accessories. 
DO NOT USE EARPHONES TO LISTEN TO THE TEST. DAMAGE TO YOUR HEARING
COULD OCCUR.
Programming FIPS Code
The 6-digit Federal Information Processing System (FIPS) codes established by the National
Weather Service (NWS) must be programmed in your scanner. These codes specify an
emergency and the specific geographic area (such as county) affected by the emergency.
1. Press MENU.
2. Select 1:SERVICE  OPTION/ 1:WEATHER/
2:ALERTby rotating the VFOand pressing E.
3. Select 1:ONby rotating the VFOand pressing E.
4. Select the desired memory number (FIPS  CODE  1~15) by rotating the VFOand
pressing E. When you rotate the VFO or use to move down when FIPS  CODE  1
is displayed or the VFO or use to move up when FIPS  CODE  15is displayed,
ALL  FIPSappears on the display.
5. Press E.
Remember! You can also use or instead of rotating the VFO.
Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFOcontrol.
Note:•To cancel the entry, press  (decimal key).
•To clear a stored FIPS code, press 0and Esuccessively.
•To obtain the FIPS code for your area, contact the NWS toll free at 
1-888-697-7263.(1-888-NWR-SAME) or visit their web site
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm
.
44
WEATHER ALERT
SELECT CODE No.
FIPS CODE 1
-----------
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							45
Digital and Trunked Systems
Your BC785D is designed to monitor APCO Project 25 digital communication systems (using
optional BCi25D) and tracks three major types of trunked radio systems. These systems are
described here.
❖APCO Project 25 Systems - Digital systems which support the APCO  Project 25 protocol
developed by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and Electronic
Industries Alliance (EIA). Systems can operate in conventional, trunked and mixed-
modes (analog and digital) in any frequency band including UHF, VHF and 800 MHz.
❖MOTOROLA - Including Type I, Type II, Hybrid, SMARTNET, and Privacy Plus.
Motorola systems are widely used by public safety and business users. Most are on
the 800 MHz band, and recent systems are appearing on other bands. (See page
63).
❖EDACS - Including Wideband 9600 baud, and Narrowband 4800 baud systems.
Wideband systems are mostly on the 800 MHz band, and are used by public safety,
utilities, and business users. Some systems are used on the VHF and UHF bands.
Narrowband systems are used in the 935-940 MHz band, many by utilities.
(See page 58).
❖EDACS SCAT - These systems are mainly used in the Midwestern United States and are
one-channel trunking sites using the EDACS format.
❖LTR - These systems are mostly for business users, and found on the UHF, 800 and 900
MHz bands. (See page 62).
For details on the operation and programming for all of these systems, see pages 45-71.
When tracking these types of systems, remember these important points:
•Your scanner defaults to monitor Motorola Type II systems; however, you can change this
if the system in your area is different. (The types of systems are discussed below.)
•The frequencies for many of the trunked public safety systems are listed in the TrunkTracker
National Public Safety Trunked System Frequency Guide included with your BC785D
scanner. Frequencies sometimes change, check with www.bearcat1.com/free.htm.
•If you have internet access, you can visit scanner.uniden.comor
www.bearcat1.com/free.htmfor additional information, for current news and frequency
information, about Trunk Tracking Scanning.
* Motorola, SMARTNET, and PRIVACY PLUS are trademarks of Motorola Inc. EDACS is a
registered trademark of the M/A - COM Inc. LTR is a registered trademark of E.F. Johnson
Company.
BC785D  11/8/2 1:01 PM  Page 45 
						

							Programming and Receiving
Digital and Trunked Systems
There are three steps for programming a trunked sytem:
1. Program the Trunk Type – What type of system will the scanner be tracking, Motorola
Type II, Type I, EDACS, LTR, etc.
2. Program the Trunked Frequencies – Within a trunked system, the frequencies are
shared among all the users, called “Talk Groups”.
•Within the bank you decide which channels to program the trunked frequencies.
3. Program the Talk Groups – Within the trunked system, each agency or department is
assigned a Talk Group ID. This ID must be programmed into the scanner in order for it to
monitor that specific agency or department.
•When programming you decide which “Location” to program the “Talk Groups”. This is
similar to how you program frequencies into channels. Here you need to program Talk
Group ID’s into Locations.
STEP 1: Selecting or Changing Trunking System Type
Before using the Trunk Tracking system, you must select the bank and trunk type. You can
only track one trunked system per bank, total of 10 trunked systems.
1 Press MENU.
Remember! You can also enter the Trunk Tracking
programming mode by pressing TRUNK.
2. Select 2:SCAN  OPTION/ 2:TRUNKby rotating the
VFOand pressing E.
3 Select the bank number using the 
keypad or the VFOand pressing E.
4. Select 1:TRUNK  TYPE/ 1:ONand the system type you
want to track by rotating the VFOand pressing E.
For Type 1 System, you must enter the block and fleet numbers.
Please refer to “Programming a Fleet Map” on page 64 for instructions.
Remember! You can also use or instead of rotating the VFO.
Also instead of pressing E, you can press the VFOcontrol.
STEP 1 is complete.
46
         C 001
 OOOO.0000
1:TRUNK TYPE
2:TRUNK CHANNEL
         C 001
 OOOO.0000
1:TYPE2 800
2:TYPE1
BC785D  11/8/2 1:01 PM  Page 46