Is the beartracker alert on my BCT7 and BCT12 now worthless?

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JB740i

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I found out about the beartracker alert features that Uniden offers a few weeks ago and found that my dad had a BCT7 lying in a box upstairs and I ordered a BCT12 off of Ebay last week due to it's smaller size.
I took the BCT12 on a trip to Orlando this weekend and realized I must be missing something since I'd never gotten an alert. And I figured since it was discontinued there must be a reason.

After reading through the threads in this forum and finding nothing encouraging but nothing that really mentioned it either, I thought I'd ask. Does the switch to the digital/encripted systems in the FHP make the beartracker alert obsolete? Should I put both scanners up on Ebay?

I've had a ham license since I was 15 or so but never really got into it. The interest in a scanner now is mainly to keep me from getting a speeding ticket :twisted: and then being able to listen to whatever I could find as a secondary benefit.

So if someone could help me out on the availability of the beartracker alert in Florida I'd appreciate it. :lol:
 

W4KRR

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As I understand it, The Beartracker line of scanners works by receiving signals from portable radios that police use to talk back to the mobile repeaters installed in some police vehicles (sometimes called a "Pac-Rat"). If the Beartracker detects the frequency from this portable radio, it sounds an alert to let you know that the police are near. Trouble is, FHP doesn't use this type of system. So, yes, the Beartracker alert feature is useless in Florida.

With more and more agencies switching to 800 MHz trunking, I believe that technology is on its way out.
 

JB740i

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I don't know if I should feel suprised or not that Uniden doesn't mention this on their website on the info for the BCT7 or BCT8 that are still listed as having the frequencies for the 50 states preprogramed.

With the 800mhz system and trunking, is there not still a need for them to have a repeater in their vehicle trunk or is a similar system there but the signal it uses can't be received as it was before?
 

W4KRR

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JB740i said:
I don't know if I should feel suprised or not that Uniden doesn't mention this on their website on the info for the BCT7 or BCT8 that are still listed as having the frequencies for the 50 states preprogramed.

With the 800mhz system and trunking, is there not still a need for them to have a repeater in their vehicle trunk or is a similar system there but the signal it uses can't be received as it was before?

In Florida, most of FHP is now using Motorola Astro 800 MHz trunking, or the newer EDACS ProVoice trunking, which will replace the older Motorola stuff in time. Either way, they use portable radios for most all communications.

To listen to the Motorola stuff, you will need a digital scanner like the PRO-96 or BC296d. No scanner made can listen to the newer EDACS ProVoice system, as this a proprietary format and uses full time encryption.

FHP has no mobile repeaters in their vehicles, AFAIK. In fact, I don't know of any agency in Florida that uses vehicular repeaters; maybe someone else can tell of any they know of. So, the BCT 7 and other such scanners are outdated, at least in Florida, because they don't do trunking or digital, if for no other reason. I can't speak as to how these scanners work in other states.
 

brandonruley

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Your BCT 12

If you decide to sale your BCT 12, I would be interested in buying it from you..I want it for the weather alert ability...I drive a 18 wheeler....Brandon..... ruley@cox.net
 

SCPD

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BCT7 Usefulness?

I am in the Great state of SC and the same would apply anywhere. The best use of the BCT7 is for a 800 MHZ Conventional and VHF,UHF,AIR and CB monitoring. If you want to concentrate ON A SMALL COUNTY OR AREA the BCT7 is a good 25 channel scanner. You can monitor trunking systems (obviously everything the system transmits) and lock out the data channel. My local system rotates data channels daily so i have to lock out and unlock the channel each day. It has 11 channels and If i were blind I would not know it was not a trunker MOST of the time..

The thing I would like to kill is the highway beeps when you turn it on. The other day i was working out of my vehicle 80 miles from home and placed the unit on FIRE scan and was amazed at how much activity I heard in the Columbia SC Area. Hear a train wreck and a bunch of other things. On the road I can search a band or listen to CB. (Better CB receiver than some CBs using an 800mhz gain antenna)

So its intended purpose is dead but its still fun to use for search or on the 25 channel private bank! The size also makes it very attractive!
 

webley445

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JMHO, you would do better using a radar detector if you're trying to avoid a ticket (aside from driving the speed limit). Scanner gives no real advantage to avoid getting caught.
 

kvfd36

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BCT-7 use in TEXAS

I realize this is a Florida discussion, but I think someone is giving me a BCT-7 and was trying to do some research on its capabilities and came across this discussion regarding the "obsoleteness" of this unit. I was wondering if anyone is familiar with this unit and knows if it would work in Texas. Texas DPS is primarily on VHF frequencies and a P25 format. I am not aware of encryption on dispatch channels. Is anyone familiar with this or could someone pass this along to someone who might be for me?

Thank you.
 

tampabaynews

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Woah, 6 year stale thread...

The BCT-7 is not a P25 capable scanner so no, you won't be able to monitor Texas DPS.
 
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kvfd36

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Thank you for your help. This radio was given to me last night by a fellow firefighter who knew I had a radio hobby and had no use for it. It was free, so no big loss it being obsolete. Shame it is in perfect condition with all the accessories.
 
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