BC785D: HI I've gotten a BC-785 D Scanner HELP !!

[KE6BQG]

HI Ive bought an BC 785- D Scanner off E-bay, it has the cables software everything.

and will be looking for an ADD on card for P-25 .

many many years ago Glen Cohen custom programmed a 780 for e. was working my first real job
And had it on Lay-away with glen over 3 pay checks
about 5 years gave to my brother and he tossed it out. it had the software cables a tower computer
and most of Bob Kelty's Govermemt radio systems Books in a wooden crate


I Live in Hayward California.
my main scanner is a uniden SDS 200
this one is going to do my Analog scanning stuff.

Can this scanner be opened up frequency wise,
and does the add on card need to be updated to be used.

if this is in the wrong thread or place can
someone forward to the proper place


Thanks Darryl KE6BQG. 73's
Everyone have a Fantastic day !

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Can this scanner be opened up frequency wise,

As in no gaps in coverage? No. Welcome to the RR forums

 

[n1chu]

What frequencies were you looking for? The SDS200 has all the legal bands available. (There are tunable receivers that will allow everything, DC to daylight, with the same restrictions as I mention below but they aren’t a scanning radio that scans as rapidly as a purpose-built scanner.) no receiver will receive cell phone frequencies as the govt won’t allow a scanner to be offerred with the cell phone band to the general public. These restrictions apply to receiving encrypted frequencies or systems also.

 

[hiegtx]

No update needed for the card itself (if you can find one). It either works, or it doesn’t.

Remember, though, that even with the card, that scanner cannot handle P25 systems. It cannot decode the control channel data, It also cannot be remanded if you still have an old Moto Type 2 system in your area. With a working card, it can receive conventional digital channels, but there’s no way to utilize a NAC code.

I have its handheld sibling, a 250D, with the card, collecting dust on the shelf. Have not turned it on in several years.

 

[ka3jjz]

That's a shame, because the 250d and 785D are reportedly terrific milair scanners....Mike

 

[trentbob]

No update needed for the card itself (if you can find one). It either works, or it doesn’t.

Remember, though, that even with the card, that scanner cannot handle P25 systems. It cannot decode the control channel data, It also cannot be remanded if you still have an old Moto Type 2 system in your area. With a working card, it can receive conventional digital channels, but there’s no way to utilize a NAC code.

I have its handheld sibling, a 250D, with the card, collecting dust on the shelf. Have not turned it on in several years.

That's a shame, because the 250d and 785D are reportedly terrific milair scanners....Mike

Yep both were introduced in 2003 at the same time the GRE Pro 96 was introduced branded By Radio shack.

Finding that digital card is not going to be easy but my understanding is it's the same card between the portable and the base mobile.

I still have my BC 250 d in pristine condition with the card. Wouldn't sell it as it was the first consumer digital portable scanner along with the GRE Pro 96.

The GRE offering blew the doors off of Uniden as far as audio and modulation, but the unidens did work well on Aviation, I would have to agree on that.

 

[KE6BQG]

Yep both were introduced in 2003 at the same time the GRE Pro 96 was introduced branded By Radio shack.

Finding that digital card is not going to be easy but my understanding is it's the same card between the portable and the base mobile.

I still have my BC 250 d in pristine condition with the card. Wouldn't sell it as it was the first consumer digital portable scanner along with the GRE Pro 96.

The GRE offering blew the doors off of Uniden as far as audio and modulation, but the unidens did work well on Aviation, I would have to agree on that.

Hi
Thanks for the note back
we have a few non P-25 System around the area
so I'm going to put analog frequencies for city county state agencys.

after the fires all over the state the last many years
some of the Stakeholders are looking at the analog radios
for back up use. and they have been talking to us ham's
to help getting them back up.

I'm in races locally and active in my ham club anyway
Time with the local fire rescue explorer post mid 1970's
been ripping stuff since Age 10-11
had 3 of the Elmers that showed me lot with electronics
Within 3 Blocks from home
And one of the best shop teachers in electronics
across town in high school.



You and yours have a fantastic rest of your day
Family and critters too,
73's

 

[KE6BQG]

HI

My plan is to have this rig at my House ,with most of the analog
fire , public safety Ems ham a little bit of everything.
my really good P-25 scanner is at Home.

the radio is going into my man cave or shack desk.

I'm a Ham active in Races and my local club

and some of our stakeholder agency
are looking at having analog Equipment
that are still licensed.
and the local hams are going to help with
this when asked to help out.

any thought 's on where to get the card this radio needs !
And we have a bunch of non P-25 users around the area too,
And i;ve been ripping radios up since age 10-12
and had 4 of the best Elmer's within 3 Blocks of my house
my high school Electronics shop teacher was a Saint
anyway , he gave me open book exams and had the shop open on his lunch
and after school most afternoons.

i've got to dash
You and yours have a fantastic
rest of your day, Critters too they are special too.

thanks much.

73's

Darryl

 

[KE6BQG]

As in no gaps in coverage? No. Welcome to the RR forums

Thanks for your message Back
I like being back in the RR Family anyway !

you have a fantastic rest of your day
family and critters too!

thanks
Darryl
73's

 

[trentbob]

Hi
Thanks for the note back
we have a few non P-25 System around the area
so I'm going to put analog frequencies for city county state agencys.

after the fires all over the state the last many years
some of the Stakeholders are looking at the analog radios
for back up use. and they have been talking to us ham's
to help getting them back up.

I'm in races locally and active in my ham club anyway
Time with the local fire rescue explorer post mid 1970's
been ripping stuff since Age 10-11
had 3 of the Elmers that showed me lot with electronics
Within 3 Blocks from home
And one of the best shop teachers in electronics
across town in high school.



You and yours have a fantastic rest of your day
Family and critters too,
73's

Why thank you very much! There's no reason the radio won't work very well on analog conventional frequencies without the digital card.

You might find that the batteries are not working so well, trying to remember the model numbers but the 180 was the yellow pack and the 250 was the white pack?, big drawback for the radio but keep it plugged in, regardless of what battery pack you have.

Regards to you and yours also!
de W3BUX.. Bob.. 73

 

[trentbob]

HI

My plan is to have this rig at my House ,with most of the analog
fire , public safety Ems ham a little bit of everything.
my really good P-25 scanner is at Home.

the radio is going into my man cave or shack desk.

I'm a Ham active in Races and my local club

and some of our stakeholder agency
are looking at having analog Equipment
that are still licensed.
and the local hams are going to help with
this when asked to help out.

any thought 's on where to get the card this radio needs !
And we have a bunch of non P-25 users around the area too,
And i;ve been ripping radios up since age 10-12
and had 4 of the best Elmer's within 3 Blocks of my house
my high school Electronics shop teacher was a Saint
anyway , he gave me open book exams and had the shop open on his lunch
and after school most afternoons.

i've got to dash
You and yours have a fantastic
rest of your day, Critters too they are special too.

thanks much.

73's

Darryl

Well to answer your question about getting the card, that's going to be pretty tough, use Google and word in many different ways but you know what you're looking for..

There may be a non-functioning unit out there somewhere that a family member doesn't understand after the passing of a individual.

I would think very few people bought this radio at the very high cost unless they were trying to pick up a digital Motorola type ll smart zone system. They were the new systems that went about two and a half three years without a consumer scanner and unable to receive.. I luckily, was issued a RX only Motorola radio from the mayor of my city in 2000 where I worked as a newspaper man.

Stay with the search, although the card may not work for you in your local area anyway, but it is going to come from cannibalizing a working or non-working scanner.👍

 

[tvengr]

The BC785D can only decode 3600 baud control channels such as Motorola Type 2 systems. It cannot decode a P25 9600 baud control channel. It does not support 700 MHz frequencies. or rebanding. You can use Butel ARC250 ARC 250 BASIC software or ProScan ProScan software for programming.

 

[ka3jjz]

or even better, ProScan....Mike

 

[trentbob]

As I say Darryl, even if you were to find the digital card it probably would not work for your area, but enjoy the conventional stuff.

 

[tvengr]

ka3jjz, the BC785D wiki is incorrect. It says the 785 covers 758.000-823.9875. The owner's manual says 800 MHz only. Like the later BC796D, which also supports 800 MHz only, both scanners were manufactured before the 700 MH band became available. I updated my previous post to include ProScan.

 

[DVINTHEHOUSEMAN]

The BCi25D card is definitely a tough one to find and when it does come up, it's usually a pretty penny ($100-200). It does decent on analog, PL/DPL decode is fast on the Uniden models, but there's no tone display on them like there was on the PRO-96. In my experience they seem to have a little less sensitivity than the PRO-96 but if you're only using it for local channels it shouldn't matter much.

 

[KE6BQG]

The BCi25D card is definitely a tough one to find and when it does come up, it's usually a pretty penny ($100-200). It does decent on analog, PL/DPL decode is fast on the Uniden models, but there's no tone display on them like there was on the PRO-96. In my experience they seem to have a little less sensitivity than the PRO-96 but if you're only using it for local channels it shouldn't matter much.

Hi

My plan is for analog transmissions
and my p-25 stuff will be on my good scanner
and that type stuff.

if you hear of a card let me know,
my plan is to restore this radio with all the options
like the radio was sold with, and i'll be looking for a 780 Too.
years ago i had 780 with most of the departments
in the sf bay area in it till someone walked off with it
i had out on top of my car, 1982 when i bought it new
it took me working overtime nights and weekends
i worked nights in facility's for a major school dist
and my base week was 40 Hrs, and Took Extra call
weekends and holidays too.
the HAM GEAR is ICOM.
public safety stuff Motorola
I'm involved with my local ham club, And member of my local fire dept, and another stakeholder too
on call or drill or callup we have the radios for all the stakeholders
state federal local And others.
MY next rig high end Icom HF
And one ic-8600 or the super good one for listening to everything else.
it the one with the amber display or the color display !

years and years Ago i was working with a broadcast network.
in engineering support had an R-71 R-5000 Or 9000
Uhf /Vhf ham radios These were all special ordered
in our shop. weekends i was able to have them at home, the job has them
at my house part of my job was listening to the rec side of our transmission
from our Far EAST stakeholders transmit product.

And our florida shortwave facility WYFR

thanks for you post, and have a fantastic day !
And have fun listening to your radios

Darryl
73's

 

[ka3jjz]

ka3jjz, the BC785D wiki is incorrect. It says the 785 covers 758.000-823.9875. The owner's manual says 800 MHz only. Like the later BC796D, which also supports 800 MHz only, both scanners were manufactured before the 700 MH band became available. I updated my previous post to include ProScan.

So go ahead and fix it. The wiki is open to all RR members. Thanks for pointing this out

Mike

 

[KE6BQG]

Hi Mike

Thanks for the intel about the frequency range for the radio.
In Question.

You and yours have a fantastic rest of your day and week,
Critters too.

Darryl