Unit ID's...?

[AK4FD]

I have a question I hope someone can answer... I've looked up and down and can't seem to find anything on the topic but on the BCT-15X when you have Unit ID's enabled and they show up, is there a way to program the Unit ID's using FreeScan or whatever software that when a Unit ID shows up I can make it display the actual Unit name instead of the Unit ID # or do I just have to memorize all the ID #'s? Thanks...

 

[W8RMH]

Create another group within that system for radio IDs.
Enter the ID number beginning with an "i", press the (.NO button). Then assign the text tag.

Unit IDs can add up quickly and remember you can only have 500 IDs total in each group.

Our county uses an ID Structure System which allows identification at a glance once you know the system:

Radio ID Structure

IDs are 7xxxyz where:

xxx = Station number (ex. 192)
y = equipment type where:

1 = Engine
2 = Ladder
3 = Rescue
4 = Squad/ EMS Supervisor
5 = Medic
6 = Chief
7 = Tanker
8 = Bomb Squad
9 = Haz-Mat
0 = Other

z = radio type where:

0 = mobile
1 = 1st portable
2 = 2nd portable
3 = 3rd portable
4 = Base station or 4th portable
5 = Station Car
6 = Hose Wagon/Telesquirt
7 = Foam Truck
8 = Personnel Transporter
9 = Extra apparatus.

Example: 719250 is the mobile radio in Medic 192.
Example: 700812 is the 2nd portable on Engine 8.
Example: 701429 is Extra Ladder 14

Police IDs

Columbus Police officers are issued their own portable radios.

Portable IDs are 74xxxx where:

xxxx is the officer's badge number.
Badge numbers in the 5000 range are sergeants.

Mobile IDs are 75xxxy where:

xxx is the cruiser number.
y is the cruiser type

0 is a regular car
1 is a relief (spare) car

Example: 751760 is car 176
Example: 751701 is car R-170 (a relief car)

 

[AK4FD]

Re: Unit ID's?

Create another group within that system for radio IDs.
Enter the ID number beginning with an "i", press the (.NO button). Then assign the text tag.

Unit IDs can add up quickly and remember you can only have 500 IDs total in each group.

Our county uses an ID Structure System which allows identification at a glance once you know the system:

I wish my county did it that way, I've written down about 50 or so ID's already and from what I can see the ID #'s have no correlation at all to the Unit or Station #'s, I think they just assigned radio ID's per radio as they were bought or something... Anywho, as far as programming them in I use programming software (FreeScan) so would I program the Unit ID beginning with "i" in the TalkGroup ID column and Text Tag the Unit name, basically? Also when it scans and finds a unit ID does it just display the Unit ID instead of the TalkGrp name or does it display the TalkGrp name and unit ID under it? Thanks for your help!

 

[doctordialtone]

Uid

I've tried the method described above, but as stated, if you have more than 500 UID's, it won't work and isn't practical.

I use ID Tracker III to accomplish the same thing, but you'll need to be connected to your PC to see the display.

The program captures the UID from the scanner, and you can translate it to your own display by 1) checking "Translate Unit ID" in "Settings" and 2) Clicking on the "Trunking" tab under the specific trunk group and entering your label.

Still, it's a lot of work!

Baton Rouge Area Scanning - ID Tracker

 

[N0WEF]

"so would I program the Unit ID beginning with "i" in the TalkGroup ID column and Text Tag the Unit name"

Correct.
In freescan it would look like:
Text--------TGID
Engine1 i307432

'Unit ID instead of the TalkGrp name or does it display the TalkGrp name and unit ID under it"

I don't own the 15, but on the 396xt it will toggle back and forth. (I believe you can change it though)

 

[AK4FD]

Re: Unit ID's?

I'll try it out, thanks both for ur help!

 

[AK4FD]

Re: Unit ID's?

"so would I program the Unit ID beginning with "i" in the TalkGroup ID column and Text Tag the Unit name"

Correct.
In freescan it would look like:
Text--------TGID
Engine1 i307432

'Unit ID instead of the TalkGrp name or does it display the TalkGrp name and unit ID under it"

I don't own the 15, but on the 396xt it will toggle back and forth. (I believe you can change it though)

1 more thing, do I HAVE to start another seperate group for Unit ID text tagging or can I use some space in another group?

 

[N0WEF]

You can use the space in an already used group

 

[N0WEF]

Oh, and you may want to watch/log ID's for 2 weeks, some radios will go through lots of hands.

 

[AK4FD]

Re: Unit ID's?

Oh, and you may want to watch/log ID's for 2 weeks, some radios will go through lots of hands.

Awesome, it works!! I LOVE this scanner, best one out of my last 17 yrs scanning! LOL Thanks for your help!

 

[AK4FD]

1 more question...

I know this is off-topic but I had 1 more quick question... My other scanners I've had, like RadioShack Pro-164, had a "Closed bank" feature where it only scanned the TalkGrps that were in the bank/group and locked out all other TalkGrps, does this BCT-15X have that "Closed" feature anywhere because I can't find it and I'm noticing occasionally I'm getting bleedover from another TalkGrp I don't even have programmed in my scanner anywhere so maybe it's a frequency interference of some sort, but I was wondering if I had a "Closed" feature on this scanner or maybe if it's called something other than Closed on this scanner. Thanks again!

 

[N0WEF]

Does it read ID Search? if so, change it to ID SCAN.

 

[N0WEF]

Oh, and for ease, you can change it in freescan under "ID Mode"

(EDIT: It's found by clicking the system name in freescan)

 

[KE4ZNR]

Does it read ID Search? if so, change it to ID SCAN.

Yep. N0WEF is 100% correct.
Radio Shack/GRE and Uniden use different terms to mean the same thing.

Radio Shack/GRE=
Open Mode = Scan all IDs not locked out that are observed coming off the CC.
Closed Mode= Scan only the IDs that you have programmed into memory.

Uniden=
ID Search= Scan all IDs not locked out that are observed coming off the CC.
ID Scan= Scan only the IDs that you have programmed into memory.

Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[N0WEF]

I may have been right, but you said it better

Have a great day Marshall, and David.

If I can ever be of more assistance, David, don't hesitate to PM if you don't get a reply quickly enough in the forums.

 

[AK4FD]

Re: 1 more question...

I may have been right, but you said it better

Have a great day Marshall, and David.

If I can ever be of more assistance, David, don't hesitate to PM if you don't get a reply quickly enough in the forums.

Thanks, and yes I have it set to ID Scan, it doesn't happen often only once in a while.

 

[N0WEF]

Thanks, and yes I have it set to ID Scan, it doesn't happen often only once in a while.

Without asking a lot of questions to narrow something down, I can say a couple things:

1-My 396t(but not my xt) does this every so often for no reason.
2-There's a patch with another agency, so it sounds like you're hearing another TG.
3-A neighboring agency has the ability to transmit on the TG so it sounds like you're hearing others.

but those are just guesses.

Maybe someone else will have a better idea, as I've never used the 15.(and we monitor very different systems)

 

[W6KRU]

Thanks, and yes I have it set to ID Scan, it doesn't happen often only once in a while.

If you are listening to a Motorola system and you don't have your endcode set, it can cause exactly what you are describing. See this link for details.
Easier to Read BCT15-X Scanner Manual

 

[AK4FD]

Re: Unit ID's?

If you are listening to a Motorola system and you don't have your endcode set, it can cause exactly what you are describing. See this link for details.
Easier to Read BCT15-X Scanner Manual

I read the link and still am kinda confused, the TalkGroup bleedover isn't digital, they're both analog, it's just sometimes once in a while when I'm listening to a particular TalkGroup once the transmission is done another talkgroup will bleed into it randomly... But they're both analog so how would setting an End Code help any?

 

[W6KRU]

There are two types of endcodes, digital and analog. The endcode signals the scanner that the current voice transmission has ended. The scanner should then return to the control channel to monitor for the next channel grant for a voice transmission.