BCT15X: Having trouble with BCT15X

[adeck57]

I programmed all my New York Allegany County frequency’s and I’m not getting any feedback from the scanner. It’s up to date and I’ve went through the manual troubleshooting everything. My biggest complaint is that I’ve had it working once and now it’s not working at all. What do I do? I also feel like I wasted my money on this website for access of frequency’s when it’s not even working. Very frustrated. Thank you.

 

[ka3aaa]

the BCD15X is an analogue only scanner and will not decode digital comms.

What exactly are you trying to listen to..

 

[adeck57]

I am trying to program channels so I can be able to use this scanner as a temporary pager

 

[adeck57]

Fire a fire b police ems are the channels

 

[frazpo]

I programmed all my New York Allegany County frequency’s and I’m not getting any feedback from the scanner. It’s up to date and I’ve went through the manual troubleshooting everything. My biggest complaint is that I’ve had it working once and now it’s not working at all. What do I do? I also feel like I wasted my money on this website for access of frequency’s when it’s not even working. Very frustrated. Thank you.

Are you using software to program? Have you ever owned a scanner before?

 

[adeck57]

This is the only scanner I have owned. Yes I have I’ve programmed it updated the software and now it’s not working at all. I’ve done it through the pc and manually put the information in the scanner after resetting the scanner. So who knows.

 

[adeck57]

the BCD15X is an analogue only scanner and will not decode digital comms.

What exactly are you trying to listen to..

Just FYI it’s a BCT15X

 

[frazpo]

This is the only scanner I have owned. Yes I have I’ve programmed it updated the software and now it’s not working at all. I’ve done it through the pc and manually put the information in the scanner after resetting the scanner. So who knows.

"Not working at all" What does screen say? or just not hearing radio traffic?

 

[adeck57]

"Not working at all" What does screen say? or just not hearing radio traffic?

There’s absolutely no radio traffic and I’ve tried fm the fm works. I’ve googled the trouble shooting for not getting radio traffic and I’ve tried about everything. Fm works. Just when I have it tuned into the channels I need it doesn’t pick anything up.

 

[frazpo]

Is there a chance that there is no radio traffic to hear? What do you mean you can hear FM?

 

[Movieman990]

Just manually put a weather frequency

If you manually put in one of the 8 weather frequencies that will tell you if the radio is working. Beyond that you must have done something wrong when loading frequencies into the software, either a setting or they are just not getting to the scanner. You would see error messages indicating that. Watch the upload (computer to scanner) as it is happening.

Re the WX. I think if you manage to put in one WX frequency....probably the lowest one is a good start. then you should be able to scan from that one UP and when it finds a signal it can receive (WX) it will lock on and you'll hear it. Trust me on this.

As to what the WX frequencies are...do a search here in RR and you will find them.

99.9 times it's not the software or the cable (though the cable can be an issue)....it's operator error.

Keep trying. Maybe take a break (even a day) and look at it anew and calmly.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

While I was typing my note above you mentioned you had gotten FM...I assume by that you mean broadcast FM (commercial or NPR). That say's the radio's working at least. Now you need to take a better look at what you've done with the software. I also believe that radio is analog, and if that is true you would only hear static on a frequency that was digital instead of analog.

 

[adeck57]

Is there a chance that there is no radio traffic to hear? What do you mean you can hear FM?

There is plenty because if I got right down to my local fire department they’re scanners just like mine are picking up everything. Also I live half mile away from them so makes no sence why I’m not getting traffic and the fm channels like radio on your car radio I’m getting through my scanner.

 

[ka3jjz]

Unfortunately it's not quite just plug in the frequencies and go. The 15X uses a technology called Dynamic Memory Allocation which requires more than this. We'll get to that in a moment.

Let's start by getting a handle on your county's listings...

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=1826

The trunked systems at the bottom of this page are incompatible with that scanner, so ignore them. Your police, fire and EMS are all analog; however anything marked with 'M' are mobiles, and you would need to be pretty close to hear them. A better antenna is required for these, but that's another topic entirely.

We have a lot of things in our wiki that will help you along; you should start here...

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Program_your_DMA_Scanner

For your purposes, a freeware program known as FreeScan will do the job of programming very easily. There's a link (always in blue) for this in the above article. You will also need a USB cable (I'd recommend the USB-1 from Uniden, and available from Scanner Master). Also at the very bottom of this article are links to the Easier to Read guides, including the one for the 15X. This will take you through all the new terminology, including setting up systems and groups (which is all you need in your case). It is possible to program these scanners manually, but be prepared for LOTS of knob pushing. You may also find someone in your area in the NY forum that can give you a FreeScan file.

Mike

 

[adeck57]

Unfortunately it's not quite just plug in the frequencies and go. The 15X uses a technology called Dynamic Memory Allocation which requires more than this. We'll get to that in a moment.

Let's start by getting a handle on your county's listings...

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=1826

The trunked systems at the bottom of this page are incompatible with that scanner, so ignore them. Your police, fire and EMS are all analog; however anything marked with 'M' are mobiles, and you would need to be pretty close to hear them. A better antenna is required for these, but that's another topic entirely.

We have a lot of things in our wiki that will help you along; you should start here...

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Program_your_DMA_Scanner

For your purposes, a freeware program known as FreeScan will do the job of programming very easily. There's a link (always in blue) for this in the above article. You will also need a USB cable (I'd recommend the USB-1 from Uniden, and available from Scanner Master). Also at the very bottom of this article are links to the Easier to Read guides, including the one for the 15X. This will take you through all the new terminology, including setting up systems and groups (which is all you need in your case). It is possible to program these scanners manually, but be prepared for LOTS of knob pushing. You may also find someone in your area in the NY forum that can give you a FreeScan file.

Mike

Yes sir. I’ve used free scan to program this scanner that’s why I’m so lost.

 

[ka3jjz]

I would start with the Easier to Read manual. You can ignore anything that has to do with trunking or talkgroups - concentrate on only the conventional stuff. FreeScan has its own user guide which is also linked in the article I gave the link earlier, or you can get it from the Help pulldown from within FS

Mike

 

[hiegtx]

I am trying to program channels so I can be able to use this scanner as a temporary pager

There’s absolutely no radio traffic and I’ve tried fm the fm works. I’ve googled the trouble shooting for not getting radio traffic and I’ve tried about everything. Fm works. Just when I have it tuned into the channels I need it doesn’t pick anything up.

adeck,

For the two channels you mention, are you programming them into a system?

Or, as you're saying that you are trying to use the scanner as a 'temporary pager', are you actually programming them in the fire tone out mode? If using fire tone out mode, you would not hear normal radio traffic, only a tone out that matches the frequency selected, and the tone(s( entered.

 

[wtp]

to answer some questions.

about 10 minutes after the last post he sent me a PM that it is working now.
he did not say how it was fixed.