I have no idea what I'm doing...

[radionooby]

Hello, I just bought a Uniden BCT15X. It will be here tomorrow. I have never even touched a scanner before and I have absolutely no radio experience. Can anybody give me some pointers on how to set it up when it gets here? I will use it for listening to the Orange County Fire Authority and CHP. Thank you very much.

 

[HopperD]

Hi and welcome to the forum and welcome to the world of scanning.

It's easier than you might think. Your radio will come with a manual, I recommend reading it first so you get the basic understanding of how it works and how to program it.

Although I haven't used the type of scanner you ordered, you should be able to program it via a computer with software. For the frequencies, you can download them for your area from the database here on RR. You will have to purchase a premium account which is very cheap.

Once you get the scanner, read through the manual and if you still have questions, there are many members here who will be more than willing to help you out.

Good luck and happy scanning.

 

[ILtriker]

I also just got my BCT15X last week after not doing any scanning since the early nineties. I suggest reading this manual also: Easier to Read BCT15-X Scanner Manual

At the suggestion of other users on the site I also tried the software Freescan to use with the scanner. I enjoyed manually programming the scanner but it's slow to do it that way. It's a hundred times faster to program with Freescan!

Don't expect to get anything out of the scanner right away except for the Bear Scan stuff. It took me a couple of hours to program my first system when I got it. There's a learning curve but there's also information and this forum to help you along the way. Have fun!

 

[W8RMH]

There is a ton of information in the Wiki here. Below is the link for that scanner. Scroll down to "Related Pages" for even more links to pages which will help educate you. Get a Premium Membership and it is easy to download from the RadioReference database and program to your scanner using FreeScan.

BCT15X - The RadioReference Wiki

The Easier to Read Manual linked in the post above mine is a great help too. Don't get overwhelmed most of it's features you will probably never even use. Just go slow and one system at a time.

Read up on Programming, Operating, and especially Quick Keys. In the Wiki read the first 4 links in Trunking, as your fire agencies use this trunked system Countywide Coordinated Communications System (CCCS).

CHP is conventional and is easier to program.

Orange County CA Frequencies is the link to your county page. Take note of the mode columns. Anything P25 or (D) is digital and your scanner can not decode it. Also anything (E) encrypted can not be decoded on any scanner.

And there is always help here. I had a BCT15 and a BCT15X until my area started to go digital.

 

[buddrousa]

There is also the use of a a remote control pc tool called teamviewer that can be used as a one time use or always on for anytime remote connections. I just did my new BCD992P2 that programs a little different than my BCDx36HP's and are different than my GRE/RS scanners.

 

[radionooby]

There is a ton of information in the Wiki here. Below is the link for that scanner. Scroll down to "Related Pages" for even more links to pages which will help educate you. Get a Premium Membership and it is easy to download from the RadioReference database and program to your scanner using FreeScan.

BCT15X - The RadioReference Wiki

The Easier to Read Manual linked in the post above mine is a great help too. Don't get overwhelmed most of it's features you will probably never even use. Just go slow and one system at a time.

Read up on Programming, Operating, and especially Quick Keys. In the Wiki read the first 4 links in Trunking, as your fire agencies use this trunked system Countywide Coordinated Communications System (CCCS).

CHP is conventional and is easier to program.

Orange County CA Frequencies is the link to your county page. Take note of the mode columns. Anything P25 or (D) is digital and your scanner can not decode it. Also anything (E) encrypted can not be decoded on any scanner.

And there is always help here. I had a BCT15 and a BCT15X until my area started to go digital.

Thank you. I set up the CHP frequencies and it is working perfectly. But, I am having immense trouble with getting the fire tone outs working. I want to hear the alert and dispatch. I have tried for 5 hours straight doing everything I could think of. I would love it if I could get the fire tone out aspect to work.