Official BCT-15 Post Release Thread

[DaveIN]

Rigs,bcd396 does a lot better than the BCT15 my Icom 706,Kenwood 707, little to nothing concerning intermod in those bands.

I live in Phoenix AZ

Would a an inline filter for the 162 band work without to much loss throughout the rest of the 163-174 band or should I just stick with the Att on and miss any of the weaker signals.

Mike

Strange that you say the 396 does not have the problem. If you put the 396 on the same antenna does it exibit the problem?

An inline filter should work. Do you have specific frequencies in the federal band you listening to?

 

[Ubbe]

No, a GPS with USB doesn't work with the BCT15 and you can not convert USB to serial, only the other way around when you have a computer that can supply the interface with the configurations to set it up for the correct speed on the serial port and so on.

Ubbe.

I found this NMEA outputting GPS reciever online:

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=UT-41&cat=GPS&cpc=GPSbsc

Would this work with the BCT-15? I guess it would need some way of getting power and the USB converted to serial.

Could be cheaper than using a standard reciever

 

[ThunderBritches]

This thread seems to have come to a standstill. I just bought the BCT15, and it's my first Uniden. So far I love this thing! I'm still getting used to the difference in programming and use though. After driving around with it mounted in my dash for a day and a half, it is a huge improvement over the PRO2055 that it replaced. Much less intermod, great reception. I also like the fact that I can listen to the local TV news while inching along stuck in rush hour traffic. The looks of this radio also make the 2055 look like a toy. I will use the 2055 at home now as a base because I am out away from the city where intermod is not an issue. But for driving around town with a good through the roof antenna, this is the radio for me now. I can't wait to get my hands on a GPS now!

Rich

 

[DaveIN]

This thread seems to have come to a standstill. I just bought the BCT15, and it's my first Uniden. So far I love this thing! I'm still getting used to the difference in programming and use though. After driving around with it mounted in my dash for a day and a half, it is a huge improvement over the PRO2055 that it replaced. Much less intermod, great reception. I also like the fact that I can listen to the local TV news while inching along stuck in rush hour traffic. The looks of this radio also make the 2055 look like a toy. I will use the 2055 at home now as a base because I am out away from the city where intermod is not an issue. But for driving around town with a good through the roof antenna, this is the radio for me now. I can't wait to get my hands on a GPS now!

Rich

Thanks for the report, glad your enjoying the BCT15.

 

[joshuadenny]

Being another RS to Uniden convert, Im a bit curious about this:

Montana uses a county numbering system that is part of the unit IDs for local sheriff deputies. Would it be reasonable and easy to move around the state programming this way:

System 01: Silver Bow
Group A: Butte-Silver Bow Police
Group B: Butte Fire/EMS
Group C: Silver Bow Business

System 02: Cascade
Group A: Cascade County Sheriff
Group B: Great Falls PD/Belt PD
Group C: Cascade Business

System 03: Yellowstone
Group A: Yellowstone County Sheriff
Group B: Billings PD Trunked
Group C: Billings Fire Trunked
Group D: Laurel PD
Group E: Yellowstone County Fire
Group F: Yellowstone Business

and so on...?

I realize that there are a few systems in the state that are digital, which is why Im considering just going directly to the 996, but that aside, would this work? Can I be in Gallatin County using System 06, and State System 00, and Aviation System 60, and Amateur System 70?

I hope that comes across as clear as it is to me.

 

[DaveIN]

Sure, your talking about setting a Startup Configuration: http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/BCT15#Startup_Configuration

or location based scanning with GPS.

 

[tede911]

Thread...thread

Hi all,

Does anyone have the specs on the screws that are supplied by Uniden for mounting the radio to a bracket? The screws with the large plastic slotted knobs attached to them. I am mounting three BCT-15s in a console and the plastic knobs make them slightly too wide to fit inside the console. I need to buy replacement screws but don't know what size to get.

Thanks in advance!

 

[joshuadenny]

so creating a different system for each county, then one for statewide, then for rail, air, etc is reasonable? forgive me, but the switch from rs radios to uniden is like a mac to a pc sometimes
i guess what i mean is can i program in the fashion of bank/channels, but have probably 60 of them?

 

[UPMan]

You can have up to 400 of them. The 400 systems share 100 System Quick Keys, SQK, (like pressing a button to turn a bank on/off, but you have 0-99 instead of just 0-9). You can put a conventional and a trunked system on the same SQK...actually you can put any combination of system types on the same SQK...so that they turn on/off with a single SQK press (akin to mixing conventional/trunked in the same bank). So, in answer to your first question a few posts up, "Yes." To expand on Dave's reply, using startup configurations could make it easier to quickly set up the systems you want to hear for a particular area. Or, if you connect a GPS (and enter geocoordinates for each of your systems), the scanner will automatically turn on/off systems as you enter/exit their programmed geographic areas.

 

[joshuadenny]

excellent. i dont know why this is so hard for me to grasp.

 

[ThunderBritches]

Believe me, I feel your pain. This is my first modern Uniden and it has been slow learning the differences. I am so used to RS. I am getting much better at dealing with it now though (as several here said I would). I do really like this radio. I can't say enough about the reception ability versus intermod rejection. It is great at Civil and Military Aviation which I listen to a lot. There really aren't too many trunked systems in my area that I care to listen to. The public service is all ESK, so I listen to some local public works trunked from time to time. The radio seems great at it. My GPS-18 should arrive on Thursday, so I will be able to play with that feature next.

 

[ThunderBritches]

BTW, thanks Uniden for a great product!! The BCT15 converted me from decades of RS. I only wish someone had taken me by the shirt front and shook some sense into me years ago!

 

[dstarvish]

anyone here of any firmware updates coming? would be nice if the scanner reported talk groups to the computer so i can use talkgroup alpha tags for my online stream....just reports gid,,,,,, unlike the 246 which will report gid1-04-101 for example

 

[Signal3and2]

I just ordered a BCT15, I can't wait for it to get here. A couple questions. I just downloaded the UASD demo, and went through and programmed some stuff. For instance, in my hometown, I have the following: State patrol conventional. This is programmed in one system. In another system, I have a 2 site EDACS system set up. Under the EDACS system, I have a couple different groups per tower site. When I am scanning through state patrol AND my EDACS systems, can I easily turn on/off either of those systems? Can I easily turn on/off some of the different groups under my EDACS system? Can I turn on/off either tower site in my EDACS system?

Im sure I'll get this more when it gets here. Again, like alot of guys, I'm a radioshack transplant. I had a 396t for awhile and didn't like the digital audio so i sold it.

Also, does the UASD software demo allow you to program your radio?

Last question, is the GPS portion of this scanner compatible with Microsoft Streets and Trips running on a PC? Say I have my laptop in my truck with my scanner, can the 15 read off the laptop for GPS?

 

[DaveIN]

I just ordered a BCT15, I can't wait for it to get here. A couple questions. I just downloaded the UASD demo, and went through and programmed some stuff. For instance, in my hometown, I have the following: State patrol conventional. This is programmed in one system. In another system, I have a 2 site EDACS system set up. Under the EDACS system, I have a couple different groups per tower site. When I am scanning through state patrol AND my EDACS systems, can I easily turn on/off either of those systems? Can I easily turn on/off some of the different groups under my EDACS system? Can I turn on/off either tower site in my EDACS system?

Im sure I'll get this more when it gets here. Again, like alot of guys, I'm a radioshack transplant. I had a 396t for awhile and didn't like the digital audio so i sold it.

Sure, the dynamic memory works just like the 396 you had. System and Group Quick Keys.
http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/BCT15
http://www.grove-ent.com/SCANNERPROGRAMMING.htm

Also, does the UASD software demo allow you to program your radio?

Yes, but the names sent to the radio in demo mode will be Conventional, EDACS, LTR, or Motorola.

Last question, is the GPS portion of this scanner compatible with Microsoft Streets and Trips running on a PC? Say I have my laptop in my truck with my scanner, can the 15 read off the laptop for GPS?

No, and make sure you are using a serial version GPS vs. USB. Your GPS will need NMEA output:
http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/BCD996T#GPS_Features

 

[barefootdipole]

AM/FM mode manually switchable on BCT-15 ????

hey all..

just a quick question that i can't seem to get answered in wiki or elsewhere about
the BCT-15.....

i'm a milair listener and love that it covers the milair UHF band.....but i need to know if you can manually change modes between AM/FM with the BCT-15 ???? this is a mandatory need in the 136-144 Mhz band to listen to tactical flights in AM -- not the default FM mode for this band segment.

i don't see a button on the face with any such markings as MODE or AM/FM etc.....unless it's under a MENU ????

thanks all !!!!

Barefootdipole

 

[DaveIN]

hey all..

just a quick question that i can't seem to get answered in wiki or elsewhere about
the BCT-15.....

i'm a milair listener and love that it covers the milair UHF band.....but i need to know if you can manually change modes between AM/FM with the BCT-15 ???? this is a mandatory need in the 136-144 Mhz band to listen to tactical flights in AM -- not the default FM mode for this band segment.

i don't see a button on the face with any such markings as MODE or AM/FM etc.....unless it's under a MENU ????

thanks all !!!!

Barefootdipole

Yes, under MENU you can change it in the modulation setting, you can also change the default step size.

 

[Eng74]

I think I got a bad BCT 15. It will not let me use quick keys for 6, 7, 8, or 9. I am using ACR 15 lite to program it and I have tried puting differnet systems into those QK's and nothing will work. Anyone ever hear anything like this with a with one of the new Unidens?

 

[Dubbin]

I think I got a bad BCT 15. It will not let me use quick keys for 6, 7, 8, or 9. I am using ACR 15 lite to program it and I have tried puting differnet systems into those QK's and nothing will work. Anyone ever hear anything like this with a with one of the new Unidens?

Have you tried setting them up in the radio and not through software?

 

[Eng74]

Have you tried setting them up in the radio and not through software?

Yes if I set the QK by hand all it shows on is still 12345 - - - - 0