There is a pretty steep learing curve with todays DMA type Unidens!
The HP-1 is about as easy as they come but the 15X is also a great scanner.
Ok, on ID Scan mode, you will only hear that is programeed to the current system quick key. It will not search and tune any new talkgroups.
If you want it to find new ones that you may have not entered or maybe are not in the databast, then you need ID Search mode. I think you switch modes by hitting the hold/rresume button and then pressing the scroll wheel (function knob) and the pressing the scan.search button until it shows ID Scan or ID Search.
If you only want to listen to one thing only, you should be able to just hit the hold/resume button and then rotate the function knob until you see what you want and then sit back and listen. It will stay on that frequency only.
The ID Scn or Search may not work exacly as I said when held on a non trunked system like a normal analog channel. I forget exactly.
Your scenario should allow the radio to only hear the single channel or channels that you programmed under that qroup quick key in ID Scan mode. Switch to ID Search mode and it should also get unprogrammed talkgroups that are not also programmed under another group quick key.
So a set of freqs (talkgroups) programmed under a turned off group quick key should be skipped over in either ID scan or search mode.
So yes, you should only hear the traffic programmed under the active group quick key.
The simplest way to just hear one frequency or talkgroup is to hit the hold/resume button so it stops scanning or searching and then trotate the function knob until what you want is shown in the display. That way you don't need to lockout anything. If you want to say scan two talkgroups under a groupd quick key, then it would be easier to press lockout one time on the other 8 that you do not want to listen too. If you press lockout a 2nd time right after pressing LO the 1st time, It will lockout the channel or talkgroupd until you manually unlock it. Only 1 push of the LO key will temp lockout that freq or talkgroup but as soon as you turn the radio off and back on, those with the temp lockouts will be automatically unlocked for you. This comes in handy if say something is going on on two or so talkgroups but you normally like to monitor them all. Just hit the LO button on all tht you don't want one time and then hit the scan/resume button and you should only get the two or so that you did not lockout. The next time you turn the radio off and back on, all the temp lockouts will be removed and you will be scanning the entire system again as long as the group quick keys are enabled and you are in ID Scan mode. Remember that ID Search mode will also find and scan any new talkgroups that are not entered under any groups quick keys. If you have some talkgroups that you do monitor every now and then but not always and also want to search for new talkgroups, put the infrequent ones under an unused groups quick key and turn that off. That will allow the scanner to find new talkgroups but not scan the infrequent talkgroups that are programmed into the turned off groups quick key. You also need to be in ID Search mode for the scanner to find new talkgroups that have not been entered anywhere for the current system.
So you have it pretty close it seems and a little bit of experimenting should get you where you want to be! The easy way though is to just hit hold on the system you are monitoring and the rotated the scroll wheel until it shows that frequency or talkgroup in the display and then you will only hear that single channel or talkgroup.
You must also have the other searches turned off like the POL, HP and any state searches that may be setup under those two buttons. I think pushing those two buttons may cycle the radio through three different modes but you would want them all off if you really only want to monitor a single frequency or talkgroup.
I hope I called the Group Quick Keys by the correct names to not further confuse you! I often get system and group quick keys reversed in my head and when I'm trying to explain things!
I've also only owned a 15X for a short time so I'm also still learning it. I've had a 396T and XT as well as a 996T and XT for a long time but the 15X threw me for a loop with the state searches and things like that that it does compared to the digital models I listed. I really figured it would be really easy after using the digital models for so long but it proved me wrong! I bought it because we still have a lot of analog only stuff here and I figured it would be super easy as Im really good with programming and using the digital models. That idea did not work out near as east as I was expecting! I think it was those state search modes that are turned on by default that were what messed up my thinking. Once I figured out how to turn them off, I started getting pretty good at making the 15X work they way I wanted and not the way it wanted. It drove me crazy several times though. Then I finally figured out how to copy my programming of all my non digital systems from my 996XT over to the 15X. I had to basically delete all digital systems from the 996XT after I saved a copy of its contents first. Then I deleted to digital systems from the 996XT and was able to save that to a file and then load it into the 15X. I still had a few changes to make to the 15X like those state searches. Once I did all that, I now have pretty much a mirror image of my 996XT minus the digital systems and I've rarely had to touch the 15X othet than doing things like you are doing like holding on a single channel or talkgroup.
I've owned the 396T and 996T since they both came out and they still both mess with my head to this day! Then I bought the XT versions of both when they were released but operating them was almost the same as the older T models.
They can be confusing at times that is for sure!
Have you found the link to the "easier to read manual" at marks scanners?
It can really help understand things that the stupid Uniden manual skips or you miss. It is at the URL below in case you have never seen it.
I hope this info helped answer some of your questions!
Here is the link to the easier to read manual for the 15X.
Easier to Read BCT15-X Scanner Manual
Good Luck and don't give up! You will get the hang of it!
