BCT15X: Bct15x programming

[sallen07]

Yes squelch has noise. I don’t have an S meter

The S-meter is 5 graduated bars at the top of the display, about 3/4 inch from the right side.

 

[Rickplummer56]

There is nothing showing there. I know what you mean but there’s nothing there

 

[sallen07]

There is nothing showing there. I know what you mean but there’s nothing there

LOL. So you meant "the S-meter isn't displaying anything". Got it.

Is that the case even if you open the squelch to 0, when you are hearing static?

 

[Rickplummer56]

Have taken radio apart. All connections are good
I have had scanners for years and never had an issue programming them. This one definitely has me stumped

 

[Rickplummer56]

Yes it’s not showing at all even with open squelch

 

[tvengr]

Did you try reloading the firmware. Which systems are you trying to monitor?

 

[tvengr]

Please attach your FreeSCAN programming file so that I can take a look at at. You will need to right click on the file and Send to Compressed (zipped) folder to be able to attach it. Click on Attach files and Open the zipped file.

 

[wtp]

transmitting near the radio could have reied the front end.
i also sent a personal message about the headphone jack if you look at the top right of this page.

 

[StaticDischarge]

Reading all of this I have a gut feeling somehow, somewhere this radio was subject to high power RF which would lead me to check the front end receiver diodes. It appears that it has all of the symptoms...

 

[wtp]

my last post should have read,'fried the front end'.

 

[JoeBearcat]

If you are seeing nothing on the S-meter then it is a reception issue - perhaps a broken antenna connection.

Of course, if it is stopping on the channels then it might be a tuning issue, but I would not expect it to be able to see activity at all.

Regardless, it appears a trip to the repair center is in order.

 

[tvengr]

It could still be a corrupted firmware problem. The weather frequencies reside in the firmware. If the proper frequencies are not being applied to the mixer, you will not see any signal strength. Look at the center pin on your antenna BNC connector (not the connector on the scanner) to see if it has broken off.

 

[StaticDischarge]

Haven’t used this scanner in a while but worked fine before I reprogrammed it

AND

Well I have reset and reprogrammed it twice and nothing

AND

And I plugged my other scanner into antenna and it works fine

AND

Yes squelch has noise.

So lets see here...

A) The scanner worked previously.
B) You have reset and reprogrammed and assuming there were no errors (no mention of that).
C) The antenna and connectors are just fine because your other radio works on it.
D) And you have audio... Static, but audio just the same....

Your front end diodes are gone... Just like my BCT15X died of... Stupid me and my amateur radio equipment anyway...

Or you can simply chase your own tail with everybody's suggestions...

Your call...

 

[hiegtx]

Well I have reset and reprogrammed it twice and nothing. I have a UHF portable two way and tried it right near it not even that comes over. ?? Got me baffled

Had you transmitted near the scanner before noticing you were no longer getting any reception?

transmitting near the radio could have reied the front end.
i also sent a personal message about the headphone jack if you look at the top right of this page.

AND

AND

AND


So lets see here...

A) The scanner worked previously.
B) You have reset and reprogrammed and assuming there were no errors (no mention of that).
C) The antenna and connectors are just fine because your other radio works on it.
D) And you have audio... Static, but audio just the same....

Your front end diodes are gone... Just like my BCT15X died of... Stupid me and my amateur radio equipment anyway...

Or you can simply chase your own tail with everybody's suggestions...

Your call...

Staitc, I think you & WTP are on target. Transmitting near the scanner, even if it was turned off, could still cause damage to the front end.

 

[tvengr]

Which systems are you trying to receive on the BCT15X?

 

[Ubbe]

The two protection diodes are D51 and D52 at the antenna connector and are not covered in epoxi and should be easily checked for shortage. There's a 1000 ohm R20 resistor in parallell.

/Ubbe

 

[Rickplummer56]

I looked at the diode on the antenna connection. What would a good reading be ? On a meter

 

[Ubbe]

I looked at the diode on the antenna connection. What would a good reading be ? On a meter

Most meters have a diode test mode that should show that it conducts at 0,7 volt or something in that region. If you only have an ohm meter then 500 ohms are good, as long as it isn't 10 ohm or lower. Test in both polarities.

There are some more diodes that are free and not covered in epoxi that you could also check, that they conduct in at least one direction, but could be a bit harder to do as any components in parallell could give misleading results. Most of the other diodes are supposed to let the signal pass thru it but if one have blown it will not read that 0,7 volt or not show 500 -2000 ohm in one direction and higher value in the other direction.

/Ubbe

 

[tvengr]

but if one have blown it will not read that 0,7 volt or not show 500 -2000 ohm in one direction and higher value in the other direction.

The diodes will show a maximum of 1,000 ohms in either direction with the 1K resistor in parallel. If you see close to 0 ohms across the diodes, one or both diodes are shorted.

 

[StaticDischarge]

The diodes are in parallel with a resistor according to that diagram Ubbe shared so rather than guess or do a bunch of math, I recommend removing the diodes from the circuit and testing them with a multi meter with either ohms or a diode check feature. In ohms it should be around 600~700 or so ohms in one direction only and an open(no connection or like with my Fluke "OL") in the other. The diode feature should show the turn on voltage around .6~.7 volts or so and again nothing in the other direction.
If the diodes show that there is the same or similar in both directions they are junk.