Help with Uniden BCT 8

[fireman_dude]

I am having trouble getting a bank on the BCT 8 to trunk scan. I have it set up as a Motorola Type II smartzone for Atlantic City, NJ with all of the TG's for the Fire dept programmed in the 1st scan list. However, when I start scanning the list, it acts as though it is scanning in conventional mode despite that I have it in trunk mode. Went through all programming again and verified it is correct. Any ideas ????

 

[bigreddawg76]

Possibly you're out of range of the TRS. I have the same problem with my BC796D.

 

[baddandy23]

Did you verify that the scanner is set to do trunk tracking? If it is not, when it is scanning "conventionally", you will here the control channel data. Make sure that you press "trunk" (and that when you do, it displays "trunk" in the upper left of the screen). Just a thought... :idea:

 

[fireman_dude]

Yes, it is trunking capable. I have the Ocean COunty System (NJ) programmed in it. Popular opinion suggests that I am too far away from the TX to receive the data. That's probably the assumption I will stick with being that Ocean COunty & NJSP come in loud and clear.
Thanks for the help

 

[thumbtrap]

Is it scanning other frequencies not in the trunked system, or is it hopping "at random" among the frequencies listed? If you entered all the frequencies of the system, you could get something like this - if it locks on something besides the control channel first.

In order to do control channel only though, you'll want to make sure it's set (I think it's page 46 on the manual). Also, if you have non trunked frequencies in the bank it might be searching them too. Get any non system frequencies out of that bank. Unfortunately the 8 doesn't follow mixed banks well - the trunked system hogs the radio.

 

[twolf816]

yeah, its definitally becuase its not tracking the data channel. lock it on the data channel in conventional mode, and move the scanner till u hear data sounds. then try trunking mode. i promise this will work if u have it programed correctly.

 

[ILbandit]

My BCT8 is doing the exact same thing.
It acts like it's doing a normal scan, and doesn't show "id scan" scrolling across the screen when I'm scanning in trunk mode. But every once in a while it will start to work normally. (showing ID SCAN on the display)

So are you saying that being out of range of the CC, or not getting a strong signal will cause this?????

 

[twolf816]

yeah from personal experience, its definatly the control channel reception is what is causing the problem. try doing what i said to do in my last post

 

[ILbandit]

Thank You, I have been going nuts trying to figure out what was wrong!
I thought my scanner was having problems.

 

[fireman_dude]

Ward8vfd, I have an external rooftop antenna, so moving the scanner isn't going to do me any good. I guess I'll just have to live without Atlantic City. Oh well, not too big of a loss. Thanks to all who responded.

 

[twolf816]

Ward8vfd, I have an external rooftop antenna, so moving the scanner isn't going to do me any good. I guess I'll just have to live without Atlantic City. Oh well, not too big of a loss. Thanks to all who responded.

i have that problem in my vehicle, my antenna is awesome on 25-512mhz, but i have to be close to the tx site with 800mhz or i cant pick up the data channel, its hard to find a good 800mhz antenna that will do good on the other bands as well. when i said to move your scanner around, i thought u were using it as a base, not mobile. what kind of antenna do you have?

 

[fireman_dude]

It's a discontinued Radio Shack All Band omni directional as pictured below.

 

[oregontreehugger]

That looks an awful lot like the "Scantenna" I used to have:

http://www.grove-ent.com/ANT7.html

Worked pretty good but a little big and unsightly.

 

[fireman_dude]

Yep, That's it. Scantenna ANT 07

 

[Handset_King]

To everyone who has posted. I'm also in the same boat as the others. For no appeareant reason, sometimes ID trunk scan (BCT-8) works and sometimes it doesn't.

To review, it seems I have more than enough signal. Also, I have programmed in all my trunk frequencies into Bank 1 (no mixing trunked and conventional in a bank). I have ID's set for each user (not fleet map, as this is a Motorola Type II 800 analog system).

Tonight I was scanning along just fine. I then went and entered all of the GMRS/FRS reequencies into another bank, I tried to go back and ID scan and no go. It would lock on the control channel. I don't think it needs to go into CC only mode, as when it works it works great. One observation I have made is that when this happens, the display shows TRUNK, PVT and M; but not LIST. You need all four to make it ID scan properly. Without LIST active, you get the CC lock. I believe that when it is really scanning in the ID mode, the trunk information is being taken from the voice channel, not the CC.

It seems that a lot of folks are encountering the same thing. I like this unit but I would have to give the "thumbs up" to my PRO-93 over this for this reason. Any suggestions would help. Mounted as a mobile with the "wire" antenna (supplied with the unit) on the windshield. I can put on a better antenna but this doesn't seem to be the problem. Any and all suggestions are appreciated (probally by more than just me)!

Thanks - Handset King