Precautions

Before you use this scanner, please observe the following: WARNING! Uniden America Corporation does not represent this unit to be waterproof. To reduce the risk of fire, electrical shock, or damage to the unit, do not expose this unit to rain or moisture. IMPORTANT! This scanning radio has been manufactured so that it will not tune radio frequencies assigned by the FCC for cellular telephone usage. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, as amended, makes it a federal crime to intentionally intercept cellular or cordless telephone transmissions or to market this radio when altered to receive them. The installation, possession, or use of this scanning radio in a motor vehicle may be prohibited, regulated, or require a permit in certain states, cities, and/or local jurisdictions. Your local law enforcement officials should be able to provide you with information regarding the laws in your community. Changes or modifications to this product not expressly approved by Uniden, or operation of this product in any way other than as detailed by this Operating Guide, could void your authority to operate this product. The screen displays used in this manual are representations of what might appear when you use your scanner.
May be covered under one 4,627,100 4,841,302 5,014,348 5,199,109 5,448,256 5,465,402 5,548,832 5,551,071 5,600,223 5,642,424 5,991,603 6,012,158 6,266,521 or more of the 4,888,815 5,408,692 5,471,660 5,574,995 5,710,992 6,025,758 following U.S. 4,932,074 5,428,826 5,483,684 5,577,076 5,896,422 6,034,573 patent: 4,947,456 5,438,688 5,530,296 5,598,430 5,991,346 6,064,270
** U.S. Patent Number 4,841,302 is licensed from Gray Electronics, Inc. ** These products contain Uniden proprietary information. Software, control codes, protocols and other such related matter may be the copyrighted work of Uniden America Corporation. Copyright 2002-2003, Uniden America Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 2003 Uniden. This product contains Uniden proprietary information. Software, control codes, protocols and other such related matter may be the copyrighted work of Uniden America Corporation. Uniden is a registered trademark of Uniden America Corporation. Bearcat is a registered trademark of Uniden America Corporation.

Contents

Introduction.1 Front and Rear Views.2 Icon Display.3 Terminology.4 What are Highway Patrol Alerts?.4 What is Scanning?.4 What is Searching?.4 What is Trunk Tracking?.4 Feature Highlights.6 Where to Obtain More Information.7 Information on the Internet.7 Included with Your Scanner Package.8 Optional Accessories.8 Installing the BCT8.9 For Home Use (Desktop Installation).9 For Mobile Use (In-Car Installation).9 Typical Mounting Methods.11 Mounting the Scanner in Your Vehicle.11 Applying Power for Vehicle Installation.12 DC power Installation.12 Applying Power Using Standard AC Power.13 Connecting an External Speaker.13 Listening Safely.13 Connecting the Clone Cable.13 Scanning Overview.14 Turn the Scanner On.14 How Squelch Works.15 Setting the Squelch.15 Highway Patrol Scanning.16 Selecting the State.16 Scanning Highway Patrol Frequency.16 Highway Patrol Scan Hold.17 Highway Warning Alert.17 Alert Tone Volume.17 Muting the Alert Tone.17 Alert Light Adjustment.18 Skip Frequencies.18 Priority Channels.18 Trunked Highway Frequency.20 Private Bank Scanning.21 Programming Frequencies into Channels.21 Deleting a Stored Frequency.21 Duplicate Frequency Alert.22 Memory Lock.22 Scanning Private Bank.22 Hold/Resume.23 Channel Lockout.23 Restoring a Locked-out Channel in Hold Mode.23 Restoring All Locked-out Channels.24 Priority Scan.24 Changing the Priority Channel.24 Service Scanning.25 Band Search.26 Setting a Search Band.26 Search Hold Feature.27 Data Skip.27 Frequency Skip.27 Storing Search Frequencies.28 Delay.28
Trunk Tracking. Setting the Squelch. Programming Trunking Frequencies. STEP 1: Selecting Trunking System Type. STEP 2: Programming Trunking Frequencies. Programming Talk Group ID/Scan Lists. Scan Lists. Receiving Trunked Systems. ID Scan Mode. ID Scan Hold Feature. ID Search Mode. ID Monitor Mode. ID Search Hold and Direct Entry ID in Hold Mode. Programming Scan Lists During Search. Deleting a Stored ID. ID Lockout. Review ID Lockout. Restoring Locked-out IDs. Setting the Delay Mode for Trunking Mode. Trunking Frequency Confirmation. Setting Priority in Trunking Mode. Moving between Scan List Memories. Multi-Track. EDACS Reception. EDACS Tracking. Programming EDACS System Frequencies. An EDACS Trunked system. Special EDACS Features. EDACS ID Range Search. EDACS SCAT. LTR Reception. LTR Tracking. Motorola Reception. Motorola Tracking. Fleet Map Programming. Selecting Preset Fleet Map. Programming a User Fleet Map. Programming a Hybrid System. Setting the Base, Spacing Frequencies and Offset Channel for Motorola VHF/UHF Trunked Systems. Toggling the Status Bit. Control Channel Only Mode. Disconnect Tone Detect Option (End Code). Remote Interface. PC Control Mode. Clone Mode. Care and Maintenance. Troubleshooting. Specifications. Appendix. One Year Limited Warranty.

News scan mode (NEWS) Citizen Band scan mode (CB) Aircraft band scan mode (AIR) Railroad scan mode (RR) Marine scan mode (MRN) Scan hold and Search hold mode (HOLD) Search direction (L, M) Band and ID search mode (SRCH) Priority function option (PRI) Lockout channel and talk group (L/O) Delay option (DLY) DATA Skip option ( ) While Alert Light is off ( ) Priority channel and talk group (P)
Uniden, BearTracker and Bearcat are registered trademarks of Uniden America Corporation. TrunkTracker is a proprietary trademark of Uniden America Corporation.

Terminology

What are Highway Patrol Alerts?
Most highway patrol vehicles on the road today are equipped with a secondary radio system known as a mobile extender or vehicular repeater. Whenever the dispatcher transmits to any vehicle in the district, mobile extender in every car within the district is activated. Using a constant PRIORITY check of specific frequencies in each state, the BCT8 recognizes and alerts you to transmissions from mobile extender radios as well as from car-to-car, aircraft-to-car and other special-purpose frequencies. You receive an audible (beep tone) and visual (flashing Alert light) alert whenever you are within an approximate three-mile radius of Highway Patrol/ State Police units using a mobile extender unit.

What is Scanning?

Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most two-way communications do not transmit continuously. The BCT8 scans the Frequencies you have programmed into the Scanners channels until it finds an active frequency. Scanning stops on an active frequency and remains on that channel as long as the transmission continues. When the transmission ends, the scanning cycle resumes until another transmission is received.

What is Searching?

The BCT8 can search each of its 13 bands to find active frequencies. This is different from scanning because you are searching for frequencies that have not been programmed into your Scanners channels. The scanner automatically chooses between two speeds while searching. During search mode the scanner will search 100 frequencies per second for band with 12.5 kHz steps and during Turbo SEARCH mode the scanner can achieve up to 300 frequencies per second for bands with 5 kHz steps.

What is Trunk Tracking?

Conventional scanning is a simple concept. You enter a radio frequency in your scanners memory which is used by someone you want to monitor. For example, the police in your area may broadcast on 460.500 MHz, the fire department on 154.445 MHz, the highway department on 37.900 MHz, etc. So when your scanner stops on a frequency, you usually know who it is, and more importantly, you can stop on a channel and listen to an entire conversation. This type of scanning is easy and fun. As the demand for public communications has increased, many public radio users don't have enough frequencies to meet their needs, and this has created a serious problem. Trunking radio systems have been implemented to solve this problem.

OTE REM EXT. SP. DC 12V

Applying Power for Vehicle Installation
You can power your scanner using the supplied DC cigarette lighter power cord or an DC power cord.

DC power Installation

To power the scanner from a vehicles 12V power source (such as a cigarette-lighter socket), you need a cigarette-lighter adapter. To connect an DC cigarette-lighter power cable, insert its barrel plug into the DC 12V jack on the rear of the scanner, then plug the power cable into your vehicles cigarette lighter socket. Note: If you use a cigarette-lighter power cable and your vehicles engine is running, you might hear electrical noise from the engine while scanning. This is normal. Caution: DC 12 V Jack can use a power source that supplies 12V DC at least 500 mA. You must use a power source that supplies 12V DC and delivers at least 500 mA. Your standard 12V car battery should be sufficient. The cord connectors center tip must be set to positive and its plug must fit the scanners DC 12V jack. The supplied DC power cord meets these specifications. Using a power cord that does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or the adapter. Always connect the adapter or DC power cord to the scanner before you connect it to the power source. When you finish, disconnect the adapter or DC power cord from the power source before you disconnect it from the scanner. For added safety and to protect your scanner, disconnect the cable from your vehicle batterys negative (-) terminal before you begin.
Follow these steps to connect the DC power cord. 1. Connect the power cords black wire to a chassis ground, such as a metal screw attached to a metal part of the vehicles frame. Be sure that the screw is not insulated from the frame by a plastic part. 2. Connect the power cords red wire (with in-line fuse) to a source of voltage that turns on and off with the ignition switch, such as a spare accessory terminal in your vehicles fuse box.
3. Insert the power cords barrel plug into the DC 12V jack on the rear of the scanner.

4. Reconnect the cable to the vehicle batterys negative (-) terminal.
OTE REM EXT. SP. DC 12V ANT.
Applying Power Using Standard AC Power
To power the scanner from an AC outlet, use the provided AC adapter with a 5.5 mm outer diameter/2.1mm inner diameter tip. Caution: You must use a Class 2 power source that supplies 12V DC and delivers at least 500 mA. The cord connectors center tip must be set to positive and its plug must fit the scanners DC 12V jack. Using an adapter that does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or the adapter. Always connect the AC adapter to the scanner before you connect it to AC power. When you finish, disconnect the adapter from the AC power before you disconnect it from the scanner. 1. Insert the adapters barrel plug into the DC 12V jack on the rear of the scanner. 2. Plug the adapter into a standard AC outlet.
Note: Use only the AC adapter supplied with your scanner.
Connecting an External Speaker
In a noisy area, an external speaker (available at a local electronics store) positioned in the right place might provide more comfortable listening. Plug the speaker cables 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) plug into your scanners EXT. SP. jack. Note: Connecting an external speaker disconnects the scanners internal speaker.

Listening Safely

Do not use the earphone. The volume is not adjustable for the Warning Alert and damage to your hearing could occur.
Connecting the Clone Cable
You can transfer the programmed data to and from another BCT8 scanner using a RS232C Straight Cable (9 pin to 9 pin) (not supplied). Connect the cable between each scanners REMOTE jacks. See "Clone Mode" on page 49. You can also upload or download the programmed data to or from a PC using optional programming software available through your local electronics store.

Scanning Overview

You can scan in one of four ways: 1. Highway Patrol Scanning When you select a state you want to scan in Highway Patrol mode, you can scan pre-programmed Highway Patrol frequencies. 2. Service Scanning Press SVC to select one of the nine services to find an active frequency. 3. Band Search Select a frequency band to search. The Search function is different from scanning. It searches for any active frequency step by step within the lower and upper limits of the band. When an active frequency is found, the scanner will stop and stay on that frequency as long as that transmission lasts. If that frequency is interesting to you, press HOLD/RESUME to hold the frequency on the display. Then program it into the private bank you want to store. If you do not want to program that frequency, press HOLD/RESUME or just wait until the transmission ends. The search resumes automatically 2 seconds after the last transmission and looks for more active frequencies. 4. Private Scanning If you have programmed frequencies into this bank, press PVT to scan only those that you have programmed in this bank. Note: Before you can scan the Private Bank, you must program frequencies into the channels. To program frequencies, see Programming Frequencies into Channels on page 21. When scanning stops on an active frequency, it remains on that channel as long as the transmission continues. When the transmission ends, the scanner will remain on the same channel for 2 more seconds, waiting for a responding transmission. If there is no responding transmission within 2 seconds, the scanning cycle resumes.

Highway Patrol Scan Hold

1. When scanning stops on a desired frequency, press HOLD/RESUME to hold on that frequency as long as you like. When in the HOLD mode, press the L or M key to step up or down the frequency. To step up or down rapidly, press and hold the L or M key. If you change into a frequency which is a control channel, the scanner may display the Active ID (When TRUNK mode is active). 2. To resume scanning, press HOLD/RESUME. Note: Highway Warning Alert does not work while in the HOLD mode.

Highway Warning Alert

The scanner alerts you when Highway Patrol/State Police units using mobile extenders are within an approximate three mile radius. SQL
1. The ALERT Light flashes and the Alert Tone beeps twice when a signal is received. 2. The ALERT Light glows steadily for approximately three minutes. Then, if no other mobile extender transmissions are received, the light goes out.

Alert Light Flashes

3. If more transmissions are received before three minutes have passed, the ALERT Light flashes and the Alert Tone beeps once.

Alert Tone Volume

Push VOL to select Loud, Medium, or Soft. The Alert Tone beeps and the ALERT Light flashes to your choice.

Push In

Muting the Alert Tone
Temporary Mute Press MUTE during the Highway Warning Alert. The Alert Tone stops and the MUTE LED flashes until the alarm cycle (three minutes) is finished. Continuous Mute

MUTE LED Flashes

Press and hold MUTE for two seconds to turn Continuous Mute on whenever you wish. You hear two beeps and the MUTE LED lights continuously. No Alert Tones will beep. Canceling Mute To cancel Mute, 17
Press MUTE to cancel One Moment Mute. Press and hold MUTE for two seconds to cancel Continuous Mute. You hear two beeps and the MUTE LED goes out. Change states. The MUTE LED goes out after scanning starts. Turn the scanner off and on. Note: If MUTE is pressed for less than 2 seconds during the Continuous Mute mode, nothing will be changed.

Alert Light Adjustment

(decimal key)

If you enter a invalid frequency, an error tone will sound and appears on the display. To clear the Error message immediately, press. (decimal key). Even if you don't enter full numbers as a frequency number, the scanner will automatically select the nearest valid frequency.
Deleting a Stored Frequency
To delete a stored frequency: a. Select a channel. b. Press 0. c. Then press E. Note: Channels with no frequencies are automatically locked out.
Duplicate Frequency Alert
If you enter a frequency which has been stored in another channel, you will hear an error tone and the other channel displays. Press
(decimal key) to clear and start again.
OR Press E again to store the frequency in both channels. Note: The smallest channel appears on the display when you store same frequency in two or more channels.

Memory Lock

To avoid the accidental programming frequencies and talk group IDs, you can lock the memory with Memory Lock. Press and hold M-LOCK for 2 seconds to activate this feature ,and M-LOCK appears on the display. If you press E to program memory, you will hear two beeps. To deactivate Memory Lock, press and hold M-LOCK for 2 seconds again.

Scanning Private Bank

1. After programming frequencies, simply press HOLD/RESUME to begin scanning. Or pressing PVT repeatedly until PVT appears on the display, you can start Private Bank Scanning. The scanner scans only upward all the channels. 2. The bank indicators selected for scanning appear on the display, and the bank being currently monitored flashes. You can deselect banks from active scanning by entering their numbers on your keypad. The indicator for each deselected bank disappears, and the banks channels are not scanned. Note: One bank must always be active. You cannot deactivate all five banks at the same time. If you try to deselect all the banks, the first bank is automatically selected. To restore a bank to active scanning, enter the banks number on your keypad. The banks indicator will display again. 3. During normal scanning the scanner skips unprogrammed or locked out channels. 4. When a transmission is received, the scanner stops on that channel. When the transmission ends, scanning resumes automatically. Note: You can set the scanner to hold for two seconds on the frequency for a response. For more information on Delay feature, please see page 28.
Frequency not entered or Locked Out (L/O)

Hold/Resume

If you want to stop on a channel during scanning, press HOLD/RESUME. If you want to resume scanning, press HOLD/RESUME. Direct channel access: There are several ways to access a specific channel quickly. 1. Press HOLD/RESUME. 2. Using the keypad, enter the channel number. 3. Press HOLD/RESUME again. Note: You can also use the PVT, L or M key instead of pressing HOLD/RESUME.

Changing the Priority Channel
You cannot eliminate the Priority Channel, but you can change it to any one of the 50 available channels in each bank. 1. Press HOLD/RESUME. 2. Select a new Priority Channel: a. Enter the channel number using the keypad. b. Then press HOLD/RESUME. 3. Press and hold PRI for 2 seconds to designate this channel as your new Priority Channel. When you hear two beeps, the Priority Channel has been changed. P appears on the display. Note: Priority in Trunking mode works just the same, except you set them for talkgroup IDs instead of setting priorities for channels. The scanner only checks priority talkgroups between transmission.

Service Scanning

The service scan feature allows you to rotate through the following nine service banks. Local Police and County Sheriffs *1 Fire and Emergency Medical Service News Media Weather (NOAA, weather and Canadian Coast Guard broadcasts) CB Band Aircraft *2 Railroads Marine Band Department of Transportation *1 *1) Frequencies are pre-programmed on every U.S. state. *2) Except Aeronautic Radio Navigation (108-117.9875 MHz)
1. Press SVC to select a Service. The current service bank icon appears on the display.
2. Continue pressing SVC until your desired Service is displayed.
3. After a three second delay scanning begins. If you want to start scanning immediately, press HOLD/RESUME.
Notes: Press HOLD/RESUME at any time to hold the frequency. Press the L or M key to move up or down the frequency. If you find the frequency you want to store, while in Hold mode you can store the frequency (see page 21). If you want to remain on a frequency until a responding transmission is received, press DELAY to activate the delay feature (See page 28). To skip a frequency, press L/O. You can program up to 100 skip frequencies for Local Police, County Sheriffs and Department of transportation. And you can program up to 50 skip frequencies for other services (See page 27). If you select POLICE or DOT, press STATE to select the desired state.

Band Search

Setting a Search Band
The BCT8 can search up to 13 separate frequency ranges to help you discover new stations in your area. To set a Search Bands, enter into the Band Search mode. Band 13 Frequncy Range (MHz) 25.0000 - 27.9950 28.0000 - 29.7000 30.0000 - 49.9950 50.0000 - 54.0000 108.0000 - 136.9875 137.0000 - 143.9950 144.0000 - 147.9950 148.0000 - 174.0000 400.0000 - 419.9875 420.0000 - 449.9875 450.0000 - 469.9875 470.0000 - 512.0000 806.0000 - 823.9875 849.0125 - 868.9875 894.0125 - 956.0000 1. Press SRCH. The upper and lower limits of the Bands currently selected are on the display. FM 12.5kHz 806-956 Mode AM FM FM FM AM FM FM FM FM FM FM FM Step 5kHz 5kHz 5kHz 5kHz 12.5kHz 5kHz 5kHz 5kHz 12.5kHz 12.5kHz 12.5kHz 12.5kHz Display 25-28 28-30 30-50 50-54 108-137 137-144 144-148 148-174 400-420 420-450 450-470 470-512

STEP 2: Programming Trunking Frequencies
1. Select and press E. Use the keypad and for the trunked system. For example, enter.
(decimal key) to enter a frequency
Note: To clear a mistake while entering a frequency, press (decimal key) twice, and start over. 2. Then press E.
The E (EDACS), M (Motorola) or L (LTR) appears depending on the trunked system selected. If the frequency is out of the range of the system chosen in this step, you will hear an error tone, the channel number flashes and an error message appears on the display. 3. Use the L or M key to select the next channel in the bank and press E. 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all frequencies have been entered. 5. Press SRCH to begin searching the bank youve programmed. Then select the programmed bank by using the keypad. Remember! To lockout the keypad to prevent re-programming of talkgroups, you can use Memory Lock (Refer to Memory Lock on page 22). Hint: If you want to return to the previous menu screen, press HOLD/RESUME in the Trunk Programming mode.
Programming Talk Group ID/Scan Lists Scan Lists
Each bank of your BCT8 can be a trunk tracking bank and it can be a conventional scanning bank. When you designate a bank as a trunking bank, your scanner sets up 5 Scan Lists, which are simply lists used to store your favorite Talk Group IDs. Each list can contain up to 10 IDs, so you can store a total of 50 IDs for each trunk tracking bank. (250 IDs if you use all the banks as trunking banks!) Scan Lists help you organize the trunking system users into categories. For example, you might use List#1 for police IDs, List#2 for fire department IDs, List#3 for emergency medical service IDs, etc. Once IDs are stored in lists, you can scan them as you scan conventional frequencies and you can lockout any one (up to 4) of the 5 Scan Lists by pressing the corresponding numeric key. When an ID is active, the Scan List number will appear on the display. You can program your Scan Lists either manually or during Trunking Search mode. Check the web site www.trunktracker.com for a complete list of talkgroups for your area that you can program into your Scan Lists.

EDACS Reception

EDACS Tracking
TrunkTracker III now allows tracking of EDACS trunked systems. Until now these widely used systems have been almost impossible to monitor with a conventional scanner. With your TrunkTracker III listening to EDACS(s) is remarkably easy, and perhaps even easier than conventional scanning. EDACS systems use 'Transmission Trunking', which means that each transmission is assigned a new frequency. As the conversation moves through the system's frequencies, your TrunkTracker III automatically follows it. This chart shows a 30 second sample of EDACS transmissions. Eight different talkgroups are using the system as their transmissions switch between the thirteen system frequencies. Notice how the dotted line shows talkgroup 02-023 moving from channel to channel. Your BCT8 can clearly and automatically follow this talkgroup, or any other, as you select.
EDACS systems are organized in a logical way that keeps related talkgroups together. Your scanner is designed to take maximum advantage of this organization to make your scanning easy. It lets you zero in on just the part of the system you want to hear, whether it is an individual channel, an entire department or city.
Programming EDACS System Frequencies
When you program EDACS frequencies, it is critical that you store each one in the CORRECT LOCATION. By the nature of EDACS systems this is necessary for tracking. This often is not the frequency order, so you must be sure you have the right sequence. Sources for this information can be found at scanner.uniden.com.

An EDACS Trunked system

This chart shows how talkgroups are organized within an EDACS system at the Agency level. The individual talkgroups cannot be shown at this scale because there are over 2000. However the chart can show the 16 Agencies in this example. The system is logical and easy to understand. EDACS systems are typically arranged in an outline structure. The system users are given blocks of talkgroups. Sizes vary but most large cities and other agencies have blocks of 128 channels. Smaller cities have only 64 or 32 channels. In this example, the County Sheriff is agency 01. The city of Sullivan is Agency 03. Adams Hill and Matthew Junction share Agency 08. Your scanner shows EDACS talkgroups in AFS (AgencyFleet-Subfleet) format. This helps you see, at a glance, who you are monitoring. And with the partial-entry feature you can easily include nearby, related channels in the same Fleet or Agency. You can just as easily exclude entire unwanted Fleets and Agencies. When in Search mode, with the system frequencies programmed, and your scanner locked to the control channel, you can select a desired city by keying in the Agency part of the AFS talkgroup. For example, in Hold mode you can select the entire city of Sullivan with 4 key presses 0, 3,. (decimal key), SRCH key. When you hear an interesting talkgroup, in Hold mode capture it to your Scan List by pressing E during the transmission. Or hold on it by pressing HOLD/RESUME. If you want to monitor the Sullivan Police Dispatch channel (which is talk group 03-062), press 0, 3,. (decimal key), 0, 6, 2, the M key. Your scanner can also work in decimal format. Talkgroup 03-62 in decimal format is 402. But decimal format does not give you any information about the system hierarchy. For example Sullivan, in decimal, uses channels from 384 to 511. This is not as easy to remember as Agency 03. But decimal is useful if you need to work from decimal talkgroup lists.

Special EDACS Features

AFS Partial Entry Feature
AFS is Uniden's method of encoding EDACS talkgroups. AFS stands for 'Agency-Fleet-Subfleet'. AFS talkgroups are used in all EDACS reception -- in ID Search, ID Lockout and ID Scan. The powerful AFS Partial Entry feature designed into the BCT8 lets you use either a complete talkgroup code, or just the most significant part. This feature lets you expand or narrow searching and scanning to one of 4 levels. By entering only the desired part of an AFS talkgroup, you can select 128 talkgroups, 8 talkgroups, or a single talkgroup. For example, you could program every talkgroup in a police department with just 4 key presses. You can use the AFS Partial Entry feature anywhere you need to specify EDACS talkgroup. Your BCT8 can also enter or display EDACS talkgroups in decimal format (0-2047). 1. Press and hold TRUNK for 1.5 seconds and select the bank you want to change. 2. Use the L or M key to select 3. Use the L or M key to select 4. Use the L or M key to select E. , then press E. , then press E. or , then press
You can use this feature to translate decimal talkgroups lists to the much more powerful AFS format. Examples of how you might use AFS are shown above in the description of an EDACS trunked system, and elsewhere in this manual. It is very easy to use. Be sure to become familiar with AFS Partial Entry, and your scanning will become far more flexible and efficient.

EDACS ID Range Search

When the scanner searches EDACS talk group IDs, the scanner can search within a range you set for Agency or Fleet listings. For example if you want to search within the 01 agency, while in Hold mode press 0, 1,. (decimal key) then SRCH. Or if you want to search within the 01 agency and 01 fleet, while trunking press 0, 1,. (decimal key), 0, 1, then SRCH. To stop the ID range search, press SRCH.

EDACS SCAT

With the EDACS SCAT feature, the data stream transmissions will be eliminated allowing you to clearly monitor the voice communications on EDACS SCAT systems. To monitor EDACS SCAT systems you only need to program the frequency in the Trunk Tracking Programming mode. You do not need to enter group IDs. Note: As EDACS SCAT is different from the other tracking feature, and it is not a feature which the scanner tracks any ID, you do not need to program Talk Group IDs. 41

LTR Reception

LTR Tracking
LTR (Logic Trunked Radio) systems are trunking systems used primarily by business or private communications service providers, such as taxicabs, delivery trucks, and repair services. These systems encode all trunking information as digital subaudible data that accompanies each transmission. Users on an LTR system are assigned to specific talkgroups, which are identified by the radio as six digit numbers. These numbers are in the form AHHUUU, where: A= Area code (0 or 1) H= Home repeater (01 through 20) U= User ID (000 through 254) When the scanner receives a transmission on a channel set to the LTR mode, it first decodes the LTR data included with the transmission. In the ID Search mode, the scanner stops on the transmission and displays the talkgroup ID on the display. In the ID Scan mode, the scanner only stops on the transmission if the LTR data matches a talkgroup ID that you have stored in the banks talkgroup ID list and have not locked out. LTR systems are frequently programmed so that each radio has a unique ID code.

Setting the Base, Spacing Frequencies and Offset Channel for Motorola VHF/UHF Trunked Systems
To properly track Motorola VHF and UHF trunked systems, you must enter what is known as the Base, Spacing Frequencies and Offset Channels for each system. To find these out, check the scanner.uniden.com or www.trunktracker.com and other web sites and frequency resources. To enter the Base, Spacing Frequencies and Offset Channel: (You can set up to three sets of these, but almost all systems only use one set) 1. Press and hold TRUNK for 1.5 seconds and select the bank you want to change. 2. Use the L or M key to select UHF), then press E. 3. Use the L or M key to select (Motorola Type2 VHF) or , then press E. (Motorola Type2
4. Use the keypad to enter Configuration Block Number(1-3). 5. Use the keypad to enter a new Base Frequency, then press E. 6. Press the L key and select Frequency. for entering the Spacing
7. Use the keypad to enter a new Spacing Frequency, then press E. Note: You can only enter within a range of 5-100 kHz, and 5 or 12.5 kHz multiples. 8. Press the L key and select Channel. for entering the Offset
9. Use the keypad to enter a new Offset Channel, then press E. Note: You can only input within a range of 380-759. If the system is not tracking properly, you may need to try a new Base Frequency or Offset Channel, or you may be missing frequencies from the system. You can set up to three Base, Spacing and Offsets for Motorola VHF/UHF trunked systems.

Toggling the Status Bit

On Type II trunking systems there is a method by which specialized types of communications utilize unique talkgroup numbers. An emergency call will occur on a unique talkgroup from its primary assignment, for example. Because the BCT8 defaults to Status-Bit ON mode, you never need to worry about missing these transmissions. If you have programmed talkgroup 33264 into Scan List memory, for example, and there is an emergency call within the group, you will hear it on 33264. The only time you may wish to turn Status Bits OFF is if you're trying to figure out the proper Fleet Map of a Type I trunking system. 1. Press and hold TRUNK for 1.5 seconds and select the bank you want to change. 2. Use the L or M key to select (Motorola TYPE2 800MHz), VHF) or (Motorola Type2 UHF), then press E. 3. Use the L or M key to select 4. Use the L or M key to select Status Bit list item. , then press E. or , then press E. The scanner returns to (Motorola Type2

E1P10 Block Size Code SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 4 SIZE CODE 4
E1P11 Block Size Code SIZE CODE 4 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0
E1P12 Block Size Code SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 4
E1P13 Block Size Code SIZE CODE 3 SIZE CODE 3 SIZE CODE 11 SIZE CODE 4 SIZE CODE 4 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0
E1P14 Block Size Code SIZE CODE 4 SIZE CODE 3 SIZE CODE 10 SIZE CODE 4 SIZE CODE 4 SIZE CODE 4 SIZE CODE 12 (SIZE CODE 12)
E1P15 Block Size Code SIZE CODE 4 SIZE CODE 4 SIZE CODE 4 SIZE CODE 11 SIZE CODE 11 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 12 (SIZE CODE 12)
E1P16 Block Size Code SIZE CODE 3 SIZE CODE 10 SIZE CODE 10 SIZE CODE 11 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 0 SIZE CODE 12 (SIZE CODE 12)

User Defined Fleet Maps

Type I Programming Information When a Type I system is designed, the address information for all the IDs are divided into 8 equal sized blocks. When you program your scanner to track a Type I system, you must select a size code for each of these blocks. When you have assigned a size code to all 8 blocks, you have defined the Fleet Map for the system you're tracking. Each size code determines the number of Fleets, Subfleets, and IDs each block will have. For example, a size code of "4" has one Fleet, which is divided into 16 separate Subfleets, and it has a total of 512 individual IDs. When a block is assigned a size code, the Fleet or Fleets created within the block are assigned a Type I ID. The way these IDs display on your scanner depends on the block number and the blocks size code. When a Type I ID displays, the left most digit represents the block which contains the ID. The next two or three digits identify which Fleet is active, and the last digit(s) identifies the Subfleet.

Block (1 digit)

Subfleet (1 or 2 digits) Which Fleet within the Block (2 or 3 digits)
Your task is to program your fleet map with the same size code assignments as the trunked system. If you do this accurately, you'll track all the Fleet-Subfleet combinations used by the system. In other words, you'll hear complete communications while monitoring a trunked system. If you don't already know the size codes used, you'll have to guess at them. But since you don't have to figure out all the blocks at once, this isn't as hard as it seems. Select a size code for a block, and then press SRCH. Now listen to the communications. If you decide you are receiving most of the replies to the conversations with IDs assigned to the block you just programmed, then you've probably selected the right size code and can work on the next block of the map. Finally, for most public safety systems there are some size codes which are more common. SIZE CODE 3 and SIZE CODE 4 are probably the most common, followed by SIZE CODE 10, SIZE CODE 11, and SIZE CODE 12.

Fleet Map Size Codes

Size 14 Fleets Subfleets IDs Blocks Used 4 8
Reserves block for Type II IDs 2048 4096

Size Code Restrictions

If you select SIZE CODE 12, 13, or 14, there are some restrictions as to which blocks can be used for these codes. SIZE CODE 12 can only be assigned to Blocks 0, 2, 4, or 6. SIZE CODE 13 can only be assigned to Blocks 0 and 4. SIZE CODE 14 can only be assigned to Block 0. Since these SIZE CODES require multiple blocks, you will be prompted for the next available block when programming a Fleet Map. For example, if you assign Block 0 as an SIZE CODE 12, you will be prompted for Block 2, the next block available, instead of Block 1. And if you assign Block 0 as SIZE CODE 14, you would not see another prompt because all available blocks have been used.
One Year Limited Warranty
Important: Evidence of original purchase is required for warranty service. WARRANTOR: UNIDEN AMERICA CORPORATION (Uniden) ELEMENTS OF WARRANTY: Uniden warrants, for one year, to the original retail owner, this Uniden product to be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship with only the limitations or exclusions set out below. WARRANTY DURATION: This warranty to the original user shall terminate and be of no further effect 12 months after the date of original retail sale. The warranty is invalid if the Product is (A) damaged or not maintained as reasonable or necessary, (B) modified, altered, or used as part of any conversion kits, subassemblies, or any configurations not sold by Uniden, (C) improperly installed, (D) serviced or repaired by someone other than an authorized Uniden service center for a defect or malfunction covered by this warranty, (E) used in any conjunction with equipment or parts or as part of any system not manufactured by Uniden, or (F) installed or programmed by anyone other than as detailed by the owners manual for this product. STATEMENT OF REMEDY: In the event that the product does not conform to this warranty at any time while this warranty is in effect, warrantor will either, at its option, repair or replace the defective unit and return it to you without charge for parts, service, or any other cost (except shipping and handling) incurred by warrantor or its representatives in connection with the performance of this warranty. Warrantor, at its option, may replace the unit with a new or refurbished unit. THE LIMITED WARRANTY SET FORTH ABOVE IS THE SOLE AND ENTIRE WARRANTY PERTAINING TO THE PRODUCT AND IS IN LIEU OF AND EXCLUDES ALL OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY NATURE WHATSOEVER, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR ARISING BY OPERATION OF LAW INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER OR PROVIDE FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT OR PAYMENT OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. Some states do not allow this exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. LEGAL REMEDIES: This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. This warranty is void outside the United States of America. PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING PERFORMANCE OF WARRANTY: If, after following the instructions in the owners manual you are certain that the product is defective, pack the Product carefully (preferably in its original packaging). The product should include all parts and accessories originally packaged with the Product. Include evidence of original purchase and a note describing the defect that has caused you to return it. The Product should be shipped freight prepaid, by traceable means, to warrantor at: UNIDEN AMERICA CORPORATION Parts and Service Division 4700 Amon Carter Boulevard Fort Worth, TX 76155 (800) 554-3988, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday

ARC8 for Uniden BCT8 Trunktracker User Manual

Version 0.90

<C> 2004 BuTel software The Netherlands all rights reserved www.butelsoftware.com
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Contents: 1 Introduction and quick start reference 1.1 Software Installation 1.2 Enter registration information 1.3 Connecting the scanner to your PC 1.4 RS232 port setup 1.5 USB information 2 Using the memory channel editor 2.1 Reading data from the scanner 2.2 General hints and tips for using the editor 2.3 Programming conventional frequencies 2.4 Programming trunk frequencies 2.5 Sort data 2.6 Easy Fill 2.7 Using the clipboard 2.8 Copy/Move/Swap banks/channels 2.8.1 Copy/Move/Swap memory channels 2.8.2 Copy/Move/Swap memory banks 2.9 Fill Down / Fill Series 2.10 Other editor options 2.11 Importing frequencies from a website using WebCatcher 2.12 Priority Channels 2.13 Active Banks 2.14 Sending data to the scanner 2.15 Import/Export data 3 Programming trunk systems 3.1 Motorola Type 2 - 800 MHz 3.2 Motorola Type 1 3.3 Motorola Type 2 - UHF 3.4 Motorola Type 2 - VHF 3.5 Edacs Wide/Narrow 3.6 LT 4 Programming trunk system id's and tags 5 Software and scanner setup 5.1 General software setup 5.2 Tags 5.3 Trunk 5.4 Virtual Control 5.5 Automatic MEM file backup 5.6 Scanner general parameters 6 Using virtual control 6.1 Keyboard tab 7 Misc. items 7.1 Software ini files 7.2 Troubleshooting RS232 communication problems 7.2.1 Set/Check communication settings 7.2.2 Check your cable 7.2.3 Other serial devices 7.2.4 Serial/USB drivers 7.2.5 Use ARC8 autodetect 7.2.6 Comm error 8018 7.2.7 Delay 7.4 Software support 7.5 revision history
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1: INTRODUCTION:

ARC8 is a windows software package for easy programming and controlling the Uniden BCT8 scanner. System requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/XP/Win2000/NT minimum display resolution settings: VGA 800x600 SMALL Fonts Free serial port com1-com16 ARC8 is available in 1 version: ARC8basic: - Enhanced editor for memory channels, trunk ids and search range data - Virtual Control screen, control your scanner from a PC. The PC displays a near 100% copy of the scanner display. ARC8 Quick Start Reference: Install the software (1.1) Enter the registration information (1.2) Connect the scanner to the PC (1.3) Setup the scanner model and rs232 serial communication port number and baudrate using auto detect (1.4)
IMPORTANT: YOU MUST ENTER A VALID REGISTRATION CODE TO MAKE FULL USE OF THE SOFTWARE. THE REGISTRATION CODE IS SEND TO YOU BY E_MAIL (IF YOU PURCHASED ONLINE) OR IS IN THE CD BOX. DO NOT LOSE THIS INFORMATION; YOU NEED IT FOR FREE UPDATES! Use USB converter devices AT YOUR OWN RISK
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1.1 Software installation: The ARC8 is available as Internet download or on CD-ROM. Important: we advise our customers to uninstall previous versions before installing new versions. The uninstall process will not remove any data files created with the software. Win2000/XP users: You must be logged on as administrator to install and use ARC8. Internet download: The downloaded file contains all the necessary files for installation. Run the exe file and the installer will automatically start. CD ROM: Insert the CDROM; the CDROM has an auto start option that will automatically start the installation process. If the installation process does not start, simply run setup.exe During the installation process you can set the installation directory. We suggest using the default directory. You cannot install the software on a network drive. Software un installation: ARC8 will automatically add an uninstall option. Use the Windows Control panel for uninstalling the software. Backup your work before using the uninstall option. 1.2 Registration: After installation of the software, the program runs in DEMO mode. You must enter a valid registration code to activate the software. For your convenience the software will work for a limited period of time including uploading to the scanner (BASIC version only). After the demo time has expired you cannot upload data to the scanner until you enter a valid registration code. Internet download: customers that purchased using the Internet download option, received a registration code by e-mail. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you store the registration code in a safe place. If you loose the registration information you must buy a new registration code. CDROM: in the jewel case of the CDROM you find the registration information. Store the case of the CDROM in a safe place.

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Enter registration: Start the software by selecting START _ PROGRAMS _ ARC8 _ ARC8 for Uniden BCCT8. After the start screen, select HELP _ REGISTER in the menu. Enter the name and key information: the name is case sensitive! No spaces are allowed. The key only contains numbers. The name may contain 0 (=zero) or capital O. 1.3 Connect you scanner: The scanner must be connected to a free serial port. This is normally a 9-pin connector at the back of your PC. Refer to your PC and scanner manual for information. The BCT8 does not come with a serial cable; you need to purchase a standard straight thru RS232 cable for connecting the scanner to you PC. ARC8 does not support USB devices, use USB devices at your own risk.
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1.4: Getting started: RS232 communication setup After installation of the software you must check and set the software settings for RS232 communication. Start the software and select: BCT8 _ RS232 communication setup from the menu.
If you know the settings for the serial communications port and baud-rate you can manually set them. Select OK and the software will store your settings. The software remembers these settings. If you do not know the correct settings you can use the software auto-detect option: Connect your scanner to a free serial comport (normally this is a 9 pin connector) using a serial cable. (ARC8 does NOT include any cables for connecting your scanner, refer to scanner manual for information about the serial cables) Switch on your scanner, verify the scanner is enabled for RS232 serial communication: Press and hold. (decimal button) and select a baudrate with up/down buttons, confirm with the E button. In the software press the auto-detect button, the software will scan all available serial ports and detect the scanner baud-rate. This autodetect process may take several minutes. If the software successfully detects the scanner, a message is shown, if the software does not detect the scanner check your cable and the scanner settings. Refer to section 8.2 for troubleshooting tips from our customer support department. The 19200/38400/57600 baud-rate setting is the preferred setting. Only use lower baud-rates in case of erratic communications. Choosing a lower baud-rate then 19200 will decrease overall performance of the software.
USB devices: The Uniden digital scanners use the RS232 serial port standards. They do not support USB connections. BuTel does not provide any support for USB <> serial converters, use at your own risk. Any questions about a USB converter must be send to the supplier of that device not to BuTel.
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After setting up the serial communication you can check the connection. From the main menu select: BCT8 _ Virtual Control. After a few seconds the Virtual control panel should show the contents of the scanner display. Below is an example:

1.5: USB information Uniden scanners use a standard Rs232 port for computer programming and control. Uniden scanners do not have a USB port available. Therefor ARC8 is developed to support standard serial comports. For laptop PC's that do not have a serial port we advise to use a PCMCIA serial port extender card. Several manufacturers also sell serial<>USB converters. These converters create a virtual software rs232 port and can work very unreliable. Because USB is not the standard computer interface port for Uniden scanners, BuTel does not support communication problems when a USB converter device is used. For support in case of communication problem customer should contact the supplier/manufacturer of the usb device. For laptops BuTel has approved usb<>serial converters available at http://www.butelsoftware.com
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2: Using the memory channel editor:
ARC8 includes the most versatile memory editor available on the market. Unlike other software packages you can use ARC8 without a scanner connected. This section describes most options available in the memory editor; in order to use the full power of the editor it is important that you read this section carefully. The editor does not require that a scanner is connected.
The memory editor has a clear layout: The top section has a standard Windows MENU bar and a Toolbar. Most options found in the menu also have a shortcut in the toolbar. If the mouse is moved over a toolbar button a help text is shown giving a brief description of that button. The editor bar changes as you move the mouse in the editor grid, if you click on a column the editor bar will show the right edit options. You can edit data both in the editor bar or directly in the editor grid. Using the memory bank selection tab you can set the active memory bank that you want to edit.
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2.1 Reading data from the scanner: After setting up the communication you can start to use the memory editor. Because there is probably already some data in your scanner it is a good start to first read the data from your scanner. From the main menu select: BCT8 _ Read Data from Scanner. Tip: you can also use the toolbar button or press F5. A new window is shown:
First select whether you want to read data from all banks or a single bank. Next select what data you want to read. For your convenience you do not need to read all data from the scanner. Example: if you want to change frequencies in bank 5, you only need to read the frequency data from bank 5. Data options: Frequencies: the frequency data that is stored in your memory channels. Trunk Ids: the talkgroups and talkgroup tags that are stored in the trunk scan lists. Trunk settings: the trunk parameters that are used to setup a trunk system.

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All button: the All button will automatically select all the above options. After you made your selection, press Read Data. The software will start to read data from the scanner. Once reading data is complete the window is closed and data is transferred to the memory editor grid. DELAY: This parameters defines the delay the software uses during serial communication. You can adjust this delay to improve communication speed but using delays other then the default value may give communication errors. In case of communication problems always use the default delay of 100mS. See also chapter 8 for more information about communication speed and solving communication problems. 2.2: Hints and Tips Once data is transferred to the memory channel grid you can use many options to edit your data. ARC8 is the most versatile editor available on the market. Using the menu or toolbar you can easily move/copy/sort data. All options also have a toolbar button available. Moving the mouse pointer over a toolbar button will show a small popup help text. General information about using the memory channel editor grid: You can edit data directly in the grid or you can use the editor bar. The editor bar will automatically change if you click on a column. In the grid there is no cursor shows. In the frequency and tag columns you can directly type data, to edit existing data use the editor bar above the grid. Most columns support double click for easy data toggle. The space bar has the same effect as using the mouse double click. Keyboard shortcuts: In some columns you can also use keyboard shortcuts: On/Off columns: 0 = OFF, 1=ON, F=OFF, N=ON.
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2.3 Programming conventional frequencies: You can enter frequencies directly in the grid. In the grid there is no cursor shown. You can use BACKSPACE to make corrections in the grid. If you click on a cell the current data is copied to the editor bar, in the editor bar a cursor is shown (frequency and tag column only). When you enter a frequency and you press ENTER the other cells of that line are automatically programmed depending on your custom settings (default channel data). You can customize the default data: select SETUP _ SETUP DEFAULT DATA. A new window is shown:

In this window you set the default data that is put in the grid if you press enter. All parameters that have the check box selected will be put in the grid. By using this option the software will take care of programming default data. Tip: programming your personal preferences in the default data will save you time while programming new frequencies. When you press <enter> the software will automatically go to the next cell. 2.4 Programming Trunk frequencies: In ARC8 there is no difference between programming conventional and trunk frequencies. A frequency is defined as a trunk frequency by setting the trunk parameter to ON in the trunk column. IMPORTANT: before you start programming trunk frequencies, make sure that the correct trunk system type is selected. The software uses the information from the trunk type settings to auto-correct data in the memory bank. Additional information about trunk frequencies: For an Edacs system it is very important that frequencies are programmed in the right order. If you try to sort an Edacs system a warning is shown. To setup your scanner for receiving trunk systems:
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Use internet/frequency lists to obtain the correct information about trunk system settings, trunk frequencies and trunk ids. First setup the trunk system type (Select TRUNK _ SYSTEM SETTINGS) Second program the frequencies in the memory editor grid and make sure the trunk parameter for these channels are set to ON Now you can use trunk search mode to discover trunk ids (refer to scanner manual) or you can program known ids in your scanner by selecting TRUNK _ TRUNK IDs. For your convenience you can program a tag for every trunk ids. The trunk ids are divided in 10 groups; you can scan these groups just like normal banks. ARC8PRO will log new trunk ids when you use the trunk search mode option.
2.5 Sort channels Memory channels can be sorted. You can either sort ascending or descending. You can only sort within a single bank. In general scanners will scan faster when channels in a bank are sorted. Sorting entire bank: make sure that only one channel line in the grid has the focus, now you can use the sort ascending/descending options. Sort a range of channels: highlight the range of channels you want to sort, and then select the sort option. Only the selected range of channels will be sorted.
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2.6 EasyFill

EasyFill is a simple but powerful option that lets you program data in a range of channels with only a few mouse clicks. Additionally you can use EasyFill for quickly program a range of frequencies in a memory bank so you can use a memory as a search bank. Select EasyFill from the Options menu or use the EasyFill toolbar button to display the EasyFill window:

Memory channels or entire memory banks can be easily copied, moved or swapped.
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2.8.1 Copy/Move/Swap Memory Channels:
The from and to list boxes will automatically display the channel number, frequency and tag. Channels that are empty (no frequency programmed) are indicated as Empty. Current Bank: copy/move/swap channels in the active bank All Banks: copy/move/swap channels in all Banks 2.8.2 Copy/Move/Swap Memory Banks:
Use this window to copy/move/swap entire memory banks. You can select the data that you want to copy/move/swap (frequencies, trunk ids and trunk settings). To avoid problems with trunk ids you must double-check the trunk settings while trunk ids are copied/moved/swapped. The Include Bank Tag options will also copy/move/swap the bankname.
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2.9 Fill Down / Fill Series The Fill down and fill series options are used to copy the same data into a range of channels. Fill series will auto calculate ascending numbers in text tags (see examples below) This example will show fill down: Channel 10 contains Trunk=OFF, Delay Time = 4 seconds and Record =ON
We want to copy this data to channels 11-20; first you must highlight the channel range:
Now select the FILL DOWN option:
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The software will automatically fill the selected range, using the data at the top of the selected range. Fill Series: Fill series only works in the tag column. It will look for number information in the tag and auto increase the number in ascending channels. Example: Channel 10 contains the tag UHF Channel 431:
Highlight the channels where you want to copy the data to:
Now select the FILL SERIES option and ARC8 auto calculates the new tags:
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2.10 Other Options: DUMMY BANK: The dummy bank is a virtual bank. You can use this bank for temporary storage of data. The data in the dummy bank is not send to your scanner nor stored in a file. You can also consider the dummy bank as a large clipboard. You can use the cut/copy/paste options to move data between the dummy and memory banks. The EASY TAG dropdown list: If this option is selected the memory editor will show a dropdown box while the Tag column is active. All tags that are programmed are available in the dropdown combo. This makes it easy to select a tag that was already programmed. To use the easy tag list: Select the tag from the list The tag is copied into the tag edit box Place the mouse in the tag edit box and press enter This will copy the selected tag into the selected cells of the grid

DIRECT TUNE: When direct tune is selected, the software will tune you scanner to the memory channel that you click on in the editor grid.
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2.11 Using Webcatcher for importing frequencies from internet website: ARC8 can very easily import frequencies from any website. Start the ARC8 software Open you internet browser and open a website displaying frequencies you want to import (example: http://www.trunktracker.com) In your browser highlight the area you want to import:
Now you must press CTRL - C in your browser (or select EDIT _ COPY from the menu) Now go to ARC8 and select FILE _ ADVANCED DATA IMPORT A new window is shown (see below) Now press the "IMPORT FROM CLIPBOARD" button. The software will now show the frequencies it found in the highlighted part of the website.
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ARC automatically removes duplicate frequencies:
For import into the memory table you must transfer the frequencies to the right list. Finally you select in what bank and at what channel you like to import the data.
Press "EXPORT TO TABLE" button and frequencies are ready for upload!
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Webcatcher works with ANY website, the website shown above is only an example.
Here is the result of WebCatcher (screenshot was taken from ARC250 software):
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2.12 Priority Channels: You can set the priority channels, select BCT8 _ Priority Channels:
Priority channels are stored in your mem file. You can directly read and send the priority channels, priority channels are also read/send when you use the read/send data window.
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2.14 Set Active Banks: You can set the active banks for scan and search mode. Active bank settings are stored in a mem file.
The active bank settings are send to the scanner when you upload data using the 'Send Data' window.
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2.15: Uploading data into the scanner: From the main menu select: BCT8 _ Send Data to Scanner. Tip: you can also use the toolbar button or press F6.
A new window is shown: First select whether you want to send data to all banks or a single bank. Next select what data you want to upload. For your convenience you do not need to send all data from the scanner. Example: if you want to change frequencies in bank 5, you only need to send the frequency data from bank 5. Data options: Frequencies: the frequency data that is stored in your memory channels. Trunk Ids: the trunk ids and tags that are stored in the trunk scan lists. Trunk settings: the trunk parameters that identify a specific trunk system. All button: the All button will automatically select all the above options. After you made your selection, press Send Data. The software will start to upload data to the scanner.

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2.16 Import/Export data: ARC8 can import data from various sources: - import using the clipboard: you can easily copy/paste data from Excel or other database software that supports the clipboard - import frequencies from text/html/csv files. Use the webcatcher option to import from these files. ARC8 can export data: - CSV format: Select FILE _ Export CSV data , then select the data you want to export and ARC8 will create a CSV file - ARC8 fully supports the clipboard so you can copy/paste data from ARC8 into many other applications.
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3 TRUNK SYSTEM SETTINGS:

From the menu select TRUNK _ SYSTEM SETTINGS. A new window is shown; in this window you will find tabs where you can set the trunk bank settings. Depending on the selected trunk type the trunk settings for that system are shown. For information about these parameters please refer to the scanner Operating Manual. General: IMPORTANT: before you program trunk ids you must first setup the correct trunk type to avoid problems during data upload. 3.1 MOTOROLA TYPE MHz:
For control channel only mode, you must select a plan.
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3.2 MOTOROLA TYPE1:

For a TYPE 1 system it is very important that the trunk system is setup correctly before any trunk ids are uploaded to your scanner. Depending on the fleetmap settings the scanner may not accept some trunk ids. ARC8 will always use a custom fleetmap even if you selected a predefined fleetmap. The correct settings for the custom plan are automatically programmed. So a predefined fleetmap will be programmed as a custom fleetmap due to limitations in the remote controls for BCT8. The software automatically fills in the size codes. Some size codes require more then one block. If you enter size code 12 in block 0 the software will automatically set block 1 to size 12. You can only program size 12 ids in block 0,2,4 and 6. Size Code 14 Required blocks 8 Blocks 0,2,4,6 0,4 0

For information about fleetmap programming refer to the scanner manual. For a type 1 the fleetmap must be correct else the wrong trunk ids are shown.
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3,4 MOTOROLA TYPE 2 UHF:

You must program at least one base configuration for a type 2 UHF system. See next page for more information about frequency/step/offset. 3.5 MOTOROLA TYPE 2 VHF
You must program at least one base configuration for a type 2 VHF system. See next page for more information about frequency/step/offset.
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Explanation of base/step/offset parameters: For a type 2 VHF or type 2 UHF you must program base/step/offset parameters. For properly tracking a type 2 VHF/UHF system, the scanner needs channel number information. The tracking process is controlled by sending channel numbers instead of frequencies. Once the scanner knows one combination of frequency and channel number it will track the system because it can calculate all other frequencies using the step setting and the channel number it receives from the traffic channel. You must know at least one frequency used in the trunk systems AND the channel number assigned to that frequency. The step is normally predefined for the frequency range. Example: If the system you want to program uses a frequency 425.250 (step 25 kHz) and the channel number assigned to that frequency is 402 then you must program: Base: 425.250 Step: 25 Offset: 402 Because you know the step and channel number you can also use different settings, in the table below all given examples of base/step/offset will have the same effect: Example 1 425.402 Example 2 425.400 Example 3 420.380 Example 4 430.600

Frequency Step Offset

The offset channel has a range of 380-600.
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3.6 EDACS WIDE/NARROW:

You can use either AFS or decimal trunk id format. ARC8 will accept both AFS and decimal trunk ids in the trunk id editor. When you program EDACS frequencies, it is critical that you store each frequency in the correct location. This often is not the frequency order, so you must be sure you have the right sequence. It is normal that during Edacs trunk scanning or trunk searching the mode of the memory channels assigned to Edacs systems changes. Edacs Wide always uses FM mode, Edacs narrow always use NFM mode.
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3.7 LT system:

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4 TRUNK ID editor:

Every bank can store a maximum of 50 trunk ids (also known as talkgroups). You can also program a tag for every trunk id but this is only used by the ARC8 software.
IMPORTANT: before you program trunk ids you must set the correct trunk system type (select TRUNK _ SYSTEM SETTINGS. The trunk id editor will show the active trunk type, the software uses this information to check and correct new ids that are entered. You can edit an id directly in the grid or you can use the editor bar above the grid. For your convenience the software shows the number of characters for the trunk id and the trunk id tag in blue. Toolbar Buttons:

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CUT/COPY/PASTE: in the grid you can cut/copy/paste data. You can also use the CTRL C / X / V keyboard shortcuts or use right mouse click. DELETE: clear the selected cells in the grid. Align left / center: align the trunk tags in the grid. MOVE UP/DOWN: select a line in the grid, and then use the up/down buttons to move the data in the grid. INSERT: insert an id in the list REMOVE: remove selected ID from list REPLACE: find and replace text in tag column Sort Buttons: you can software trunk id's using either the id or the tag column.
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5 Software Settings

5.1 General:
Reverse Channel Shift Option Buttons: In the memory editor grid two toolbar buttons are used to shift channels up/down. You can reverse the direction of these buttons. Load last used file: Automatically loads the last mem file during startup of the software. Hide leading zeros: Hide leading zeros in the memory editor grid. Save Window position: stores the size and position of the main editor screen. Save width of tabs: You can change the width of the columns in the main editor grid. This option remembers the width of the columns. Grid text alignment: sets the alignment of text in the main editor grid (left, right, center). Note: this option only sets alignment in the editor grid. For centering memory channel tags there is a separate option. Upload Active Bank Settings: you can set the active banks and store this in a MEM file (in main menu select SETUP _ ACTIVE BANKS). When this option is selected, the active banks are programmed during a data upload.
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5.2 Software settings: Tags
Save memory banks tags: stores the tags of memory banks in mem files. Automatically clear bank tags: selecting FILE NEW clears the bank tags. If this option is not selected, ARC8 will show the most recent bank tags stored in your scanner. Software remembers last used bank tags: If this option is selected the software will store and remember the latest memory bank tags. Read/Send memory bank tags: this option defines whether you want to synchronize the tags while reading/sending data to/from scanner. Show Easy Tag dropdown menu: If the tag column is active an extra dropdown list is shown. All programmed tags are added to this list. This makes is easy to reprogram memory channel tags without re-typing the tag. To use this option you first select the tag you want to program, then go to the editor box left of the dropdown list and press enter to store the data in the grid. For your convenience there is a dropdown list that contains all tags programmed and a list only containing the tags programmed in the active bank.

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5.3 Software settings: Trunk
Delete empty trunk ids: select whether you want to clear trunk ids. If this option is not selected the software will not delete any trunk ids that are stored in your scanner.
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5.4 Software settings: Virtual Control
Always start with VC: after starting the software, virtual is automatically loaded. VC always on top: Puts the VC window on top. Store VC position: stores and remembers the virtual control window position. Do not close editor: while running VC you can still access the memory editor. IMPORTANT: while Virtual Control is active you can not use other options in the software that communicate with the scanner, only one window can have access to the serial communications port.
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5.5 Software settings: Backup
ARC8 can generate automatic backups of your work. Backups are stored in C:\PROGRAM FILES\ARC8\BACKUP or C:\PROGRAM FILES\ARC8PRO\BACKUP. The backup file contains time and date so you can easily find backup files. The backup process does not work while Virtual Control is active and during data read/send operation. You can set the interval in minutes. IMPORTANT: ARC8 does not delete any backup files, you must check the contents of the BACKUP directory at regular intervals and remove old backup data.
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6 Virtual Control

ARC8 includes a virtual control option. 6.1 Virtual Control: Keyboard
The keyboard tab gives you direct control over the BCT8. The display includes a status option where you can directly check the current status of you scanner. Some buttons support the right mouse button click: PRI: right click for setting a priority L/Oock Out: right click for clearing all lockout channels / frequencies / id's (depends on scanner status mode). ENTER: M-lock On/Offlways set you scanner back to manual mode. TRUNK: enter trunk setup menu.
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7 General information and troubleshooting
7.1 INI file settings: The setup.ini file contains some additional options you can set. You can open and edit setup.ini with notepad. Do NOT change any other parameters then the parameters shown in this section! expert=0 : software will ask confirmation before uploading/deleting data expert=1 : software will not ask conformation option4=0 : enable software exit message option4=1 : disable software exit message option6=0 : Display warning before sorting an Edacs systems option6=1 : Disable Edacs sort warning All other parameters in setup.ini should not be changed! If you want to restore the default setup.ini, delete the setup.ini file and start the software, this will create a new setup.ini file.

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7.3 Support: The latest versions of ARC8 are available for download at www.butelsoftware.com In case of problems contact BuTel customer support at support@butel.nl , support is only available by e-mail, BuTel does not provide telephone support.
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7.4 Revision history: ARC8 V1.00: initial release July 2004
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