Any Hope for Bearcat BC 200XLT??

[SLIM79]

Bought a BC 200xlt at yard sale other day, powers on but doesnt scan when i push scan or search...am in process of reprogramming my own frequencies/limits in....any help is appreciated.

Thx, SLIM

 

[hiegtx]

Hi, new to scanners here...Umm bought this BC 200XLT at yard sale other day, brought it home and plugged it up..powers up and cuts on,all buttons work except for the scan button..and when i push search it says "error". I dont guess having a rubber handheld cb ant. instead of scanner ant. makes a diff?? Also couple of buttons dont respond to push....WX scan works...Do i jus need to take it to be repaired or is it worth fixing?? Any help is aprreciated.
Thx, SLIM

It's a conventional scanner, not a trunk-tracking scanner, though it does have 800Mhz coverage (but not mil-air). Without knowing your location, don't know whether it's worth the trouble to you. The manual, which has frequency coverage, can be found on Uniden's website.

Uniden's base repair rate for that model starts at $49.50. Someone else may have an alternate repair shop suggestion.
You might try taking the cover off the back first, and use some canned air (like used for pc's) to see if you can blow any dust accumulation out from under the keys. Tuner cleaner, like often used on volume controls, might damage the buttons if they are a rubberized material, so be careful if you try that. You're probably getting an error when you press 'search' because the memory has lost any stored search limits.

By the way, welcome to the site.

 

[SLIM79]

Thx, I have downloaded the manual from Uniden site, I live in S.Carolina...I have took scanner apart and cleaned somewhat...I am in process of getting frequencies for my county(i guess thats what i need)and programming those in(off of RadioReference.com). I also done the Test Mode I found on Google..it did start scanning the first 25 afterwards...Do you know if it capable of being hooked to a PC? Mainly bought scanner for listening to local police,fire..etc

THX for info...SLIM

 

[steve_eg]

Unfortunately, you can't hook it up to a PC. You have to program it the old fashioned way (if you program all 200 channels, get ready for some sore thumbs-haha).

The 200 was my first 800Mhz scanner, and I've still got it. I've had it since sometime in the late 80s early 90s, I don't remember when exactly for certain-I just know that I've had it a looonggg time.

My power supply and battery pack have long since died. I ordered a battery pack that allows you to use AA batteries from Racing Electronics here's the address. It still works like a champ.

I also ordered a new power supply from Uniden, so I can still use the old battery pack when I want to just power it off the wall-wart, even though the battery itself won't hold a charge. FWIW, you can buy those too, both in NiCad and NiMH, though the NiMH are a little pricey. NiCad is available from Uniden, and I've seen NiMH from various third party vendors. If you're handy with a soldering gun (I'm not) you can even make your own NiMH battery pack.

All in all, it's still a great scanner for monitoring conventional systems.

Enjoy-

Steve

 

[SLIM79]

Thx for the info steve_eg! I have gotten about 50 frequencies in so far for my county and surrounding...Do you what the range is on this model is by chance...I have programmed some frequencies for a city that is bout 45-1hr away and they are coming in....or could it be something other?? I am also thinking bout a outside antenna for this handheld to boost reception for surrounding areas...Any ideas for this Bearcat or should i invest in newer model that is not handheld?

Luckily, this battery on this one still holds a charge...There was also a DC adapter that came with it when i bought it, but it is not made for this scanner...long as it works i guess it will be alright. Only problem i have now is i cant get the #8 and the backlight to work....

Thx again,
SLIM

 

[steve_eg]

SLIM,

The range you get is going to depend on a lot of different variables-most notably your antenna (I'm guessing the stock rubber-ducky?), terrain, and the power output of the system that you're trying to scan.

As for an outside antenna, it couldn't hurt, though I'd be a little hesitant to invest too much money just for supporting a 200XLT. On the other hand, an outside antenna is an outside antenna, and if you plan on getting another scanner in the not-too-distant future, it might be a worthwhile investment, to have one.

Take it easy-

Steve