Uniden BCT15X hardwire question

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williamcarr03

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Hi,
I would like to hardwire my BCT15x in my vehicle. Can someone tell me what the 3 wires connect to? I assume black is ground, red is power, but what does the orange connect to?

Thanks,
Bill
 

celsasser

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Yes, black is ground and red is power. Connect the orange lead to the switched side of the headlamp switch, so that when you turn on the headlights the LCD display changes intensity.

Be sure all the wiring is routed away from any places that will pinch or can slice into the insulation (brackets inside the dash, around seat braces, etc.).
 

williamcarr03

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Hi Celsasser,
Thank you for the quick response. Does the orange wire need to be connected? If so, where is the best place to tap into? I have a chevy silverado.

Thank you again,
Bill
 

kruser

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Hi Celsasser,
Thank you for the quick response. Does the orange wire need to be connected? If so, where is the best place to tap into? I have a chevy silverado.

Thank you again,
Bill

You can just leave the orange wire floating but I would still cap it with a wire nut or a hunk of heat shrink tubing so it cannot contact anything if not needed. If used, the wire can also be setup via the radios menu so a ground on the orange wire will dim the display or reversed so the display dims if it sees 12 volts.
I read somewhere that if you are not going to use the auto dim feature, you should go into the menu and find the backlight control and set it to manual and then select a default level.
I've always left mine set on auto and the display has never changed on me when leaving the orange wire floating. I think the manual setting is really there so you can override the auto control if you did hookup the orange wire and later decide you don't want the display dimming with the light switch.
You can still control the backlight level in the manual mode via the front panel volume knob by pressing it in. Each press will run it through its four intensity levels. It's really three levels as one level is off.
 
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davidmc36

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Because it wastes a receptacle....

why not just use the cigarette plug and make things easier ?
....and you don't get to take advantage of the auto dimming feature and it is a cleaner install when you are able to route all the wires under and out of site and you don't have the cig lighter thing wiggling out of the socket (which they seem to be notorious for doing) right in the middle of listening to something interesting and ....
 

kruser

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....and you don't get to take advantage of the auto dimming feature and it is a cleaner install when you are able to route all the wires under and out of site and you don't have the cig lighter thing wiggling out of the socket (which they seem to be notorious for doing) right in the middle of listening to something interesting and ....

Exactly! The three wire connector is a much better and mnd more secure connector.
The cig lighter jack is more for doing temp hookups.
 

Danny6569

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Hard wire

Exactly! The three wire connector is a much better and mnd more secure connector.
The cig lighter jack is more for doing temp hookups.
Id rather just plug mine into the cigarette lighter plug though, i bought one of those cigarette lighter plugs that has a red led light built into it, and it also has 4 holes in it from radio shack that you can plug 4 things into it, and i just take the wires and wrap them up neatly until it reaches the main outlet, i would rather do this because i dont like the idea of leaving a 500 dollar radio in the car for someone to steal! and the plug never got loose on me or anything it works pretty good!
 

Colton25

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Yes, black is ground and red is power. Connect the orange lead to the switched side of the headlamp switch, so that when you turn on the headlights the LCD display changes intensity.

Be sure all the wiring is routed away from any places that will pinch or can slice into the insulation (brackets inside the dash, around seat braces, etc.).

I have a 94 Chevy, i hook all my wiring right into the fuse box. My question is where do i put the orange wire (which fuse port). Also if i do want it to be on the trucks dimmer what setting should it be set to on the scanner?
 

davidmc36

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I have a 94 Chevy, i hook all my wiring right into the fuse box. My question is where do i put the orange wire (which fuse port)?
You probably don't want to hook it to the fuse box. It would have power all the time. You want to find something that comes out of the light switch, like any of the back lights for the dash, and paralle it in there. Then when you turn on the lights that wire is now powered and will dim your scanner automatically.

Also if i do want it to be on the trucks dimmer what setting should it be set to on the scanner?
If I did not use the auto dimmer I would have it on the lowest setting. I find anything more than that is too bright for night.
 

Colton25

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You probably don't want to hook it to the fuse box. It would have power all the time. You want to find something that comes out of the light switch, like any of the back lights for the dash, and paralle it in there. Then when you turn on the lights that wire is now powered and will dim your scanner automatically.

If I did not use the auto dimmer I would have it on the lowest setting. I find anything more than that is too bright for night.

The reason i have the scanner wired to the fuse box is because i have it hooked into the ignition so it comes on with the key, it seems to me that trying to find the wires to the dash lights would be quite the task.
 

davidmc36

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The reason i have the scanner wired to the fuse box is because i have it hooked into the ignition so it comes on with the key, it seems to me that trying to find the wires to the dash lights would be quite the task.
Yes, power wire to the scanner switched with the ignition, but you want the lights off the headlight switch. Is there a light for the Cig lighter/ashtray? Those are often not buried too deep.
 
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