BC200XLT - Not Pulling Any Traffic In

[Hoosier78]

Hello

A few weeks ago I pulled my BC200XLT out of storage. It had not been used probably since around 2005. The charger is long gone. The only one I could find around the house was a 12v 1.5a from a t-Mobile signal booster unit which got the scanner working. After finding some local frequencies that were programmed in, I heard some traffic (local fire and street department) but since then I have heard nothing, There is no law, railroad, public service or even weather. Does anyone have any idea what might have happened? I am using the stock antenna and also have rubber duck that is cut to the railroad band and also have another longer center loaded antenna that looks like a TRRS 0222. Thanks in advance for any advice here.

Hoosier78

 

[eaf1956]

My guess is they all moved to digital P25 systems as things are much different than 2005.

 

[mule1075]

Hello

A few weeks ago I pulled my BC200XLT out of storage. It had not been used probably since around 2005. The charger is long gone. The only one I could find around the house was a 12v 1.5a from a t-Mobile signal booster unit which got the scanner working. After finding some local frequencies that were programmed in, I heard some traffic (local fire and street department) but since then I have heard nothing, There is no law, railroad, public service or even weather. Does anyone have any idea what might have happened? I am using the stock antenna and also have rubber duck that is cut to the railroad band and also have another longer center loaded antenna that looks like a TRRS 0222. Thanks in advance for any advice here.
Hoosier78. Check the link below to see if the frequencies match if they do and you don't here anything they switched to the statewide system.

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=756

 

[UPMan]

Well, NOAA weather would not have moved. If that is not being received, even when tuned manually, then something has gone hinky (technical description) in the receiver.

 

[eaf1956]

NOAA may be down due to government shutdown.

 

[mule1075]

NOAA may be down due to government shutdown.

It would be nationwide if it was and it is not.

 

[eaf1956]

It would be nationwide if it was and it is not.

I never listen to NOAA so thanks for the info

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[Hoosier78]

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=756

Thank you. I have a few f those. I will program more of them and see what happens.

 

[dispatch235]

I am assuming it still has audio, but not receiving? Those old radios are pretty sturdy the only problem I had is the pin in the bnc connector got intermittent one time and had to bend the socket back together with a fine tip tool. I had a bad plug on a mobile antenna that fit really tight and had a time getting it off the scanner

 

[Nasby]

Could be broken. Its only a 30 year old scanner though so that's just a guess...

 

[N4ANJ]

I still have two of these workhorse handheld scanners. They are bad about the little wire that goes from the antenna center pin to the board breaking or getting loose. You have to take the scanner apart. Unsolder the copper strip at multiple spots and lift it up to see if this is the problem. Sometimes the little ring around the bnc connector needs tightening too while you have everything open. This is the cause of the wire breaking. Hope this helps.

 

[TailGator911]

I still have one of those in a box somewhere in the barn out back. I almost went looking for it when I decided to get a dedicated scanner for air band, but it was easier to fork out under a hundred bucks for the BC125AT lol. Sheeesh.

JD
kf4anc

 

[marlin39a]

I have had my BC200XLT on the charger in my office, unused, for about the last 10 years. I had replaced the battery pack back then. I just turned it on, and it still works great. Everything is still analog here. I remember purchasing it new, back in the early 90's. It has a date of manufacture code on the back of- OKIB. Anybody know what that translates to?

 

[pro92b]

OKIB = November 1992

 

[marlin39a]

Thanks much. That sounds right.

 

[cherubim]

I still use my BC-200XLT for civil airband monitoring and it does a great job. Sensitivity is excellent on VHF-Hi.

OP, have you tried resetting your scanner using these instructions ?

How to reset the bearcat bc200xlt