Need Help with programming Bct-8 Trunk Frequencys

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JimiB111

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I would like any help some could give Im trying to enter Edacs and Motorala Trunk freqs to no avail. Thanks for any you can much appreciated. JB
 

ka3jjz

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It's very hard to help unless folks know which system(s) you are trying to program. You might be trying to program a system the BCT8 cannot handle, and we'd never know it. Go to the Database link in the blue toolbar upper left under the Scanner Master logo, and follow the pulldowns. Supply the URLs in your reply.

This question has come up so often, this would be a good wiki article (hint hint) 73 Mike
 

kayi4cle

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Here's a link to the Radio Reference BCT-8 Wiki page, and if you scroll down you will see a link to the owner's manual.

BCT8 - The RadioReference Wiki

Before I sold my BCT-8, I successfully programmed in a couple Motorola Type II systems by following the manual step by step. So I can tell you that it CAN be done, and I wish you luck with it!
 

Bullmax

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Hope this helps:

Following is an example for programming the Uniden Bearcat BCT8 TrunkTracker scanner.


1. Press and hold TRUNK for a couple of seconds to enter Trunk Programming mode.

2. Use the number pad to choose a bank number (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) where you want to store this trunk. If you haven't done any trunk programming before, use bank 1 (press the 1 key). If you already have something programmed into your other banks, choose a new bank number. Remember you can only store one trunk per bank.

3. Press the up arrow to find the system you want to use. Then press the E button.

* System Types:
o Motorola Type I
o Motorola Type II
o Motorola Type IIi Hybrid
o Motorola Type II Smartnet
o Motorola Type II Smartzone
o Motorola Type II Smartzone Omnilink
o EDACS Standard (Wide)
o EDACS Standard Networked
o EDACS Narrowband (Narrow)
o EDACS Narrowband Networked
o EDACS SCAT
o LTR Standard

* System Voices:
o Analog

4. "Prog F" will appear on the scanner display. Press the E button again. The display will show 1 000.0000.

*** You MUST enter the frequencies in the order listed. The frequencies are ordered as Logical Channel Numbers. This is imperative due to the EDACS system. ***

An example taken from RR database would be:

System Frequencies
Red (c) are primary control channels | Blue (a) are alternate control channels | Site Map(s): RR Locations
Site Hex Name
001 1 Site 1 01 866.08750c 02 866.21250a 03 866.33750a 04 866.58750 05 866.71250

5. Using the keypad, type in the first frequency, then press E.

6. Press the up-arrow button. The display will show 2 000.0000.

7. Using the keypad, type in the next frequency, then press E.

8. Continue these steps until all frequencies are programmed in.

You are now done entering the control frequencies. You now need to enter the talk groups AFS's for these frequencies.

9. Press HOLD/RESUME. "Prog F" appears on the display. Press the up arrow until "Prog id" appears on the display. Press the "E" button.

...begin entering talkgroup IDs you're interested in the same way you entered the system frequencies. For example:

Fire Analog Talkgroups

DEC AFS Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
401 03-021 A LFD Dispatch Fire Dept Dispatch Fire Dispatch
402 03-022 A LFD Tac 1 Fire Dept Tac 1 Fire-Tac


...punch: 03 dot 021, for Primary Dispatch. Press E to set the talkgroup. Press the Up arrow.
...punch: 03 dot 022, for Car-to-Car. Press E to set the talkgroup. Press the Up arrow.
...repeat until you have entered all the talkgroup IDs you are interested in.

10. To begin scanning, press the SRCH button.

11. If you see "Bx SCAN id" scrolling across the display, where 'x' is the bank number you used, you are NOT in the proper scan mode, you are instead searching for random talkgroups on this trunk and you will not be able to follow conversations. If the TRUNK indicator does not display, press TRUNK. Press the PVT then SRCH buttons, in that order, until you see a display that resembles N-N -- ---, where N and N are numbers from 1 to 9. The N-N should be flashing. Congratulations, you are now scanning the trunk.
 

ka3jjz

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If someone with a BCT8 would use these instructions and get back to me, that would be appreciated. This question comes up enough that it warrants a wiki article to save these instructions. I don't have a BCT8 to test them

My email is ka3jjz (at) netscape (dot) com 73 Mike
 

saleen49

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Can anyone advise whether or not the BCT8 will scan Motorola Type II Smartnet 900 system channels? I'm running latest software updates but the radio gives an error when entering 900 frequencies.
 

coloradomom

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I am working on this also .
I put the new firmware in my BCT8 yesterday .
I have 1 truck system i can try 80 miles away
 

coloradomom

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I am working on this also .
I put the new firmware in my BCT8 yesterday .
I have 1 truck system i can try 80 miles away
 

ka3jjz

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If that system is on 800 mhz, you're WAY out of range if you think you can hear a trunk (not 'truck' ) regularly from 80 miles away, unless you have an outdoor antenna and preamp mounted nice and high - and even then it might a bit iffy. It would help more if we knew precisely *which system* you are trying to hear. Use the database link in the blue toolbar under the site title...best regards...Mike
 

coloradomom

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I also thought about this long mile range ,but i have a discone on my roof .and its 22' in the air .
I will try it and see what happens .


Thank you,
 

W2PMX

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If that system is on 800 mhz, you're WAY out of range if you think you can hear a trunk (not 'truck' ) regularly from 80 miles away, unless you have an outdoor antenna and preamp mounted nice and high - and even then it might a bit iffy.
Only for ridiculous values of 'iffy'. Distance to the horizon for a 1,000 foot altitude is only 38.7 miles, so unless the transmitting antenna was also around 1,000 feet up, that would be depending on refractive scattering, and that doesn't happen very often on 800 MHz. Aurora might be more reliable (if a little less intelligible).

The maximum range anyone should expect on 800MHz is line of sight. (The calculator at Distance to the Horizon Calculator makes it easy to figure out the height you need for any "you to horizon" distance.)
 

ka3jjz

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I was trying to be polite (hi) - and as for the aurora, well, maybe, but usually voice comms are pretty badly scrambled up (as I have been told) if you reflect off one of those...

ColoradoMom, please pick a closer target...best regards...Mike
 

W2PMX

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Remembering back to the winter of IIRC '57-'58 on 6 meters, there's a distinctive sound to aurora skip that you can't mistake for anything else (other than maybe being in an empty boxcar doing 75mph), but nothing like scrambled. And being able to get from the east coast to KH6-land with less than 10 watts to a 3 element beam at 20 feet on 6 is worth a little listening.
 

coloradomom

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I have tried this countys,Baca ,El paso ,Aurora ,Pueblo,
NO LUCK on the TRUNK system

So that answers my question .

Thank you,
 
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