How to program a bearcat bct15

Control Channel Data Output - allows the analysis of control channel data without the need to perform invasive modifications to the scanner.

Private Systems - lets you flag a system so that it cannot be read out of the scanner or modified only with optional software. Key Safe Mode - lets you hand the scanner to a novice user and prevent programming from being modified. Location-Based Scanning - using an optional GPS unit you can scan your systems based on a set range from your current location.

GPS Location-Based Alerts - notifies you when you are near an area you have programmed as a dangerous road, dangerous intersection, or a general point of interest. Close Call RF Capture Technology - lets you set the scanner so it detects and provides information about nearby radio transmissions. Close Call 'Do-not-Disturb' checks for Close Call activity in between channel reception so active channels are not interrupted.

You can set up to 10 settings transmit frequency, tone frequencies then select one for standby monitoring. The scanner will also search and display unknown tones. For each alert in the scanner, you can select from 9 different tone patterns, 15 volume settings, and 2 blink patterns. Repeater Reverse - allows the scanner to try to switch to the repeater if an input frequency is found. Broadcast Screen - allows the scanner to ignore hits on known broadcast frequencies including pager frequencies in search and Close Call modes.

You can also program up to 10 custom frequency ranges that the scanner will ignore. Text Tagging - you can name each system, site, group, channel, talk group ID, custom search range, location, Tone-Out, and SAME group, using up to 16 characters per name. The scanner also displays the alert type. Dimmer Circuit - a special wire lets you connect to the dimmer circuit of your vehicle so the vehicle's dimmer also dims the scanner's lighting. Multi-Level Display and Keypad light - makes the display and keypad easy to see with three light levels.

Signal Strength Meter - shows the signal strength for the more powerful transmissions. Quick Search - lets you search from the currently-tuned frequency or channel or enter a frequency and start searching. Automatic Channel Setup - accepts frequencies on any valid channel step, even if it does not fall within the band plan's default steps. Configurable Band Defaults - allows you to set the step 5, 6. Attenuator - you can set the scanner's attenuator to reduce the input strength of strong signals by about 20 dB per channel, search band, close call band, or trunked system.

Duplicate Frequency Alert - alerts you if you try to enter a duplicate name or frequency already stored in the scanner. Search Lockouts - you can lock out up to frequencies temporary, permanent in search or close call search. Channel- a programmed frequency or talk group ID location. Scanning- the process of stepping through conventional channels in groups, which are in programmed 'systems'.

Searching- the process of searching for active frequencies in quick search, service, custom search, Close Call search, Search and Store, or Close Call Auto Store. Function Mode- the mode the radio is in when it's waiting for another key press or scroll. Hold Mode- used for monitoring a single system, site, channel, frequency, or Close Call Hit. Band Scope Mode- the mode the radio is in while doing a Band Scope search. Tone-Out Mode- the mode the radio is in when it's monitoring paging tones.

The scanner's memory is organized in an architecture called Dynamic Allocated Channel memory. Dynamic Allocated design matches how radio systems actually work much more closely and make it easier to determine how much memory you have used and how much you have left.

No memory space is wasted. Since you can only program one trunking system per bank in a traditional scanner, and let's say you only have 10 banks, you can only store 10 trunking systems. Also, since some trunked systems might have hundreds of talk groups you wish to monitor, you might have to enter those systems into multiple banks in order to monitor all the ID's. Instead of being organized into separate banks and channels, the scanner's memory is contained in a pool. You build the systems and groups then use as much memory as you need in the pool to store frequencies, talk group ID's, and alpha tags.

With all previous scanners, you selected banks to scan that had channels stored in them. With this scanner, you select conventional 'Systems' or trunking 'Sites' to scan that have channel 'Groups' stored within the 'Systems'.

Conventional systems have frequency groups and trunking systems have ID groups. For trunking systems, you have to create at least 1 'Site' Motorola and EDACS only or multiple sites first that hold the trunking frequencies for each site. The ID channel 'Groups' stored within the trunking systems can be used with all the sites.

You can have total channels per conventional system and up to 'Sites' if you have enough memory. You can have a maximum of Systems, Sites, and 9, Channels. Simplex systems use a single frequency for both transmit and receive. Most radios using this type of operation are limited to line-of-sight operation.

The range is typically miles, depending upon the terrain and many other factors. Repeater systems use two frequencies: one transmits from the radio to a central repeater; the other transmits from the repeater to other radios in the system.

With a repeater based system, the repeater is located on top of a tall building or on a radio tower that provides great visibility to the area of operation. When a user transmits on an input frequency , the signal is picked up by the repeater and retransmitted on an output frequency. The user's radios always listen for activity on the output frequency and transmit on the input frequency. Since the repeater is located very high, there is a very large line of sight. Typical repeater systems provide coverage out to about a mile radius from the repeater location.

Your scanner can receive transmissions that use these codes or more commonly referred to as tone codes. Some Motorola and EDACS systems covering a very large geographic area use multiple antenna sites that each operate on different frequencies and use the same talkgroup IDs for traffic.

Each site will have its own set of trunking frequencies and is monitored like a single system. Each site can have its own quick key, so you can turn each individual site on or off while you scan. Program your talkgroups into channel groups within that system and all talkgroups in the system are available to every site so they don't have to be reprogrammed for each site.

Since all sites share all the talkgroups within the system, multi-site trunking is much more efficient than programming each site as a separate system. Radio Reference. IDs are what you see instead of frequencies when you monitor a trunking system. Each format displays and uses talk group IDs in slightly different ways. Type I systems are usually organized with different IDs assigned to different fleets. To properly trunk a Type I system, you have to program the fleet map for the system.

Type II IDs are identified by a 5-digit number. Decimal IDs are shown as a decimal number from 0 to I-call IDs are usually 6-digit IDs ex: Note: To view unit IDs you have to turn the option on in the ' Settings ' menu.

Note: this applies to a fresh scanner right out of the box or one that has been reset with the preprogrammed systems reloaded. Rotate VOL clockwise to turn on the scanner and set the volume to around The scanner should start scanning one of the preprogrammed states after the welcome screen disappears. Press Hold. Find a comfortable volume level.

Rotate the SQ knob counter-clockwise all the way then clockwise until the noise stops, then one notch more. Press Hold to resume scanning. Right away you may want to check these settings in the ' Settings ' menu.

See also turning off the Bear Tracker features to disable some of the default Bear Tracker features and alerts. The only things you will be able to scan right out of the box are the preprogrammed states in the scanner. You will, however, be able to use the Bear Tracker Warning System and do a service search , custom search , weather scan , search and store , close call search , or close call auto store.

The scanner's menu lets you select options that let you set up and use the scanner using the MENU key. To select a menu item, rotate the scroll control clockwise or counterclockwise. The currently-selected menu item is highlighted with a bar on the display.

To back up a level, press MENU. Each of the knobs and keys on the BCTX produce several different results depending upon how you activate them. You can, for example, rotate the knobs as well as press them. Some keys provide one operation when briefly pressed while pressing and holding a key or knob gives a different result.

Many controls and keys behave differently depending on the mode your radio is in when you use the key or control. Turn to adjust the squelch. Press to toggle temporary Alert Mute on or off in Any Mode. The blue light flashes with a Close Call hit.

The red light flashes once then stays on for a weather or Bear Tracker alert. Press to toggle through the backlight intensities in Any Mode. Press to toggle selected State frequencies or Dept. Of Transportation frequencies or both, on or off in Scan Mode.

Press to go to Scan Mode in Any Mode. HP ALT. GPS WX. Press to e nter Menu Mode. Press to return to previous menu. Press to toggle the lockout status of a channel in Scan Mode. Press to toggle the lockout status of a frequency in Search Mode. Press and hold to unlock and enable all groups and channels in a system in Scan Hold Mode.

Press to exit Menu Mode or return to the last mode. Number Keys. Enter any 3-digit system number tag then. Press to toggle custom searches on or off in Search Mode. Press 4 to move the cursor to the left when editing text. Press 6 to move the cursor to the right when editing text.

Press to cancel an error or warning message. Press to enter a decimal point after a system number tag. Press to enter a decimal point for a frequency while programming. Press to enter a hyphen when entering an ID while programming.

Press to enter an 'i' when entering an 'I-Call' ID while programming. Press once to delete current character when editing text.

Press twice to delete all characters when editing text. E Yes. Press to select a menu item or save an entry in Menu Mode. Press to store found tones in Tone-Out Search Mode.

Press to enter the Menu mode for a displayed channel in Scan Mode. Press to enter Function Mode for 4 seconds. Press and hold to lock Function Mode. Press again to unlock. Turn to scroll to a menu item in Menu Mode. Turn to select characters when editing text. Press to hold on a channel, frequency, search, Close Call hit, or Tone-Out search. Press again to resume. Press to hold in Band Scope Mode. Press and hold to hold on a system in Scan mode.

Press and hold to resume. Conventional Display Mode 1 Function Mode. Conventional Display Mode 2. Trunking Display Mode 1. Trunking Display Mode 2. Trunking Display Mode 3 Hold Mode. Close Call Auto Store. The display has indicators that show the scanner's current operating status. The display information helps you understand how your scanner operates.

Top Line. PRI appears in priority mode and blinks in priority plus mode in Scan Mode. DOT appears if Dept. Band Defaults. Frequency Range. Step kHz. Military Trunked. Federal Trunked. UHF Standard. Public Service, 33 cm Ham. Although TV bands are listed, the scanner cannot decode digital TV audio. Settings Menu. Set Backlight. Adjust Contrast.

Set Serial Port. See Scanner Info. Adjust Key Beep. Set C-CH Output. Set Upside-Down. Set GPS Format. Unit ID. Firmware Version and Serial Number. Set the dimmer to Auto if you are going to hard-wire your scanner inside your vehicle. Adjust Key Beep this setting turns the key beep on or off and adjusts the volume level. Set Upside-Down this setting allows you to reverse the display so you can mount the scanner upside-down and hear the speaker from the top.

Adjusting the Display Contrast this setting controls the display's contrast how light or dark it appears. Set C-CH Output allows you to choose how you want the scanner to handle control channel data output.

Off - The scanner will not output the control channel data. On - The scanner will output the control channel data. Extend - The scanner will output the control channel data along with any description. Set Serial Port allows you to set the baud rate for the front and rear serial ports. You typically set the front port to match the speed used to communicate with your PC default bps and the back port to the speed used to communicate with an attached GPS device default bps.

Note that the back port is male. You may need a gender changer and a null modem adapter to use a typical DB9 serial cable from the rear port. Press MENU twice to return. Band Defaults basically, this setting allows you change the ' Auto ' values you can select while programming frequencies, searches, etc. Since all of the step and modulation settings default to 'Auto', this allows you to skip those settings when programming.

Note: This setting has no effect on service searches. Refer to Auto Step Size chart to help find the bands in the menu. At ' Set Step ' scroll to Auto , 5 , 6. Scroll to any other bands you wish to edit and repeat.

Unit ID Requires firmware 1. Scroll to ' Disp. Press MENU twice to exit. Firmware Version and Serial Number allows you to view the firmware version, the serial number, and the checksum and version.

It is recommended that you download and install the latest firmware upgrade for the scanner if you don't already have it. Check the Wiki to find all the information necessary to upgrade your firmware. Cloning to clone copy data from one same scanner to another, use one of the included data cables to connect the two scanners. Plug the DB9 end into the rear port of one scanner and the other end into the front port of the other scanner. Then set up both scanners:.

For each scanner, press MENU. At ' Select Comm Port ' scroll to the port the Slave scanner is using. At ' Select Comm Port ' scroll to the port the Master scanner is using. The master scanner checks to make sure the slave is properly connected and ready to receive, then begins the data transfer. When the transfer is finished, both scanners display a ' Complete ' message.

Reboot the slave scanner to load the new settings. Note: All settings and data saved on the Slave scanner will be erased. Scanner Reset to initialize the scanner's memory, turn off the scanner.

Then press 2 , 9 , and Hold while turning it on remember the game called Twister? The scanner will give you the option ' Restore Preprogram List? This deletes all programmed data. The most frustrating thing about this radio is right out of the box, all Bear Tracker features are on by default which makes no sense at all if you don't know how to turn them off. My advice is to disable everything and start from there.

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, a mobile extender in every car within the district is activated.

The Bear Tracker Warning System monitors these frequencies used by mobile extender radios as well as car-to-car, aircraft-to-car, and other special-purpose frequencies. When enabled, the scanner checks for activity on these frequencies for your state every 2 seconds. The scanner scans all the channels of the Bear Tracker system. Bear Tracker Scanning. The BCT15 includes state-by-state preprogrammed frequencies designed to provide you with good general radio coverage targeted to the state you are in.

When you have selected a state and then one or more of the pre-programmed services, each enabled service's icon is displayed on the lower part of the display. When they are disabled, the icons disappears from the display. When the scanner detects a signal in an enabled service, the icon blinks. After scanning your programmed systems, the scanner will scan the enabled state-by-state agencies, then resume scanning your programmed systems.

Normal reception will be interrupted periodically as set by the Set Interval setting in the Priority Scan menu to search for signals in the enabled searches. The more channels you have the scanner check during a priority check, the longer the audio dropout during reception of other channels.

Set Hold Time. Set Alert. Set Delay Time. Set Record. Set Delay Time selects in seconds the amount of time the scanner stays on a channel after the transmission has ended before moving to the next channel. The default setting is 2 seconds. Set Alert This setting controls when and how the scanner alerts you for the Bear Tracker warning system. Planning your systems will be very important even if you do have the software.

Organizing your quick keys will be the hardest part of the planning. You can assign quick keys and copy and paste most of the freqs, alpha tags, and IDs easily into the software. Most people can get everything they scan into the scanner. Use the worksheets below to help you plan your systems and groups. Number Tags Numbers for system and channel tags can range from 0 to Systems can have the same number tag but you will get a warning.

Same warning applies to channels. You can assign number tags to channels even if the system does not have a number tag but, without a system number tag, you can only navigate to these channels while holding or scanning in that system. For more info visit the Wiki alerts page. See also Using Startup Keys. I have put together complete worksheets ready to print to help you plan your systems, Close Call, and Fire Tone-Out, etc.

Even if you don't fill them out, they are a good check list for programming. Entering Text. To program text you must first program the system, site, group, channel, location, custom search, Tone-Out, or SAME group. There are links to refer you back here while you are programming. To enter a letter , turn the scroll control until the character you want appears. To enter a decimal point , press. To move the cursor to the right , press 6. To move the cursor to the left , press 4.

To clear a character or enter a space , press. To clear all characters , press. No twice. Press the 'Back' button in your browser to return to programming. Programming Systems. You have to create systems first, create sites in the trunking systems where the trunking frequencies now go , create groups in the systems, create channels in the groups, then program the frequencies or IDs into the channels.

Or, you can Quick store freqs or Quick store IDs only after you program the trunking system and site. Trunking IDs only go into trunking system groups and conventional frequencies only go into conventional system groups. You can only store one trunking system per 'system'. You can store up to systems, up to 20 groups per system, and up to frequencies or IDs per group. Total channels are limited to about 9, Also, remember that conventional frequencies and IDs are considered channels.

Note: Once a system has been created, the system type cannot be changed. See also Deciphering Trunked Systems a t the Wiki. Use the worksheets to help you program your systems, sites, and groups. Private Systems You can flag a system only in the software so that it cannot be read out of the scanner, modified, or deleted. There are no settings in the scanner to do this.

Also, you can't even upload the system back to the scanner and have to delete it with the software too. At ' New Sys Name? Copying a system will copy all sites, groups, channels, and settings including quick key assignments. Programming Conventional Systems. At ' Confirm? Continue at ' Set Quick Key ' below. Then see Creating Groups. Set Quick Key. Set Lockout. Set State.

Set Start-up Key. Set Number Tag. Set Quick Key assigns a system to a quick key and will be scanned when the key is turned on. The default setting is no quick key. Scroll to the quick key number or. Note: Pressing the first number of a 2-digit quick key will get you closer, 1 for 10, 2 for 20, etc.

Set Start-up Key allows you to turn on the scanner with the system enabled for scan using the Startup Configuration. The default setting is no startup key. Scroll to or enter the startup key number or. Set Number Tag allows you to number a system. The default setting is no number tag blank.

Enter the number tag Press. Set Lockout determines whether a system will be scanned or not even if the quick key for the system is turned on. The default setting is unlocked. Set Hold Time sets in seconds the amount of time the scanner will scan the system before moving on to the next system. All unlocked channels will be scanned at least once regardless of this setting.

The scanner moves to the next system after the hold time expires, any current transmission ends, and the channel delay time expires. The default setting is 2 seconds for each system. Tip : set your systems to 0. Set Delay Time sets the delay in seconds the amount of time the scanner stays on a channel after the transmission has ended before moving to the next channel.

A negative delay will force a resume after that number of seconds. This setting applies to all channels in the system. You cannot set the delay on a 'per channel' basis. Scroll to the desired delay time , -5, -2, 0, 1, 2, 5, 10, or 30 secs. Set State allows you to add the system to the Bear Tracker system so you can listen to it when you select your 'State'.

The default setting is off. Set Record enables the REC jack for marked channels, no channels, or all channels in the system. Marked Channel - The scanner only sends the audio for channels that have the record option turned on to the REC jack.

Off - The scanner does not send any audio from any channel in the system to the REC jack, even if the record option is turned on for a channel. Programming Trunking Systems. Continue at ' Set Number Tag ' below. Then see Creating Sites. Then see Edit Site Options. Set Status Bit Motorola only. The default setting is ID search. You must program a system fleet map in order for the scanner to properly track and display talk group ID's.

Since it is rather lengthy, I will just give you the link. Set Status Bit Motorola only sets how your scanner works with status bits also called S-bits , letting you control how the scanner interprets and displays Motorola talk group IDs.

The default setting is ignore. Yes - the scanner treats all received ID's as unique ID's. Ignore - the scanner rounds all received ID's down to the next interval of Set End Code Motorola only sets how the scanner handles the transmission end code sent by most Motorola systems. The default setting is Yes. Yes - the scanner immediately returns to the control channel when it detects the end code. Ignore - the scanner does not return to the control channel until the carrier drops.

Set Record enables the REC jack for all channels or marked channels in the system or off. At ' Unlock? Once you have your trunking Systems Created and Systems Options configured you can create your sites.

All trunked systems need at least one site to enter trunking frequencies. Set Frequencies. Set Modulation. Set Location Info. Edit Frequency. Set Attenuator. Delete Frequency. New Frequency. Set Quick Key assigns quick key to a site and will be scanned when the key is turned on. Set Start-up Key allows you to turn on the scanner with the site enabled for scan using the Startup Configuration. The scanner will use the regular old Motorola band plan and return to the menu.

Custom band plans require that you enter both a lower and an upper base frequency value. The l ower base frequency or base is always the base frequency as provided in the Radio Reference Database. Use this Excel spreadsheet to calculate the upper base frequency value. If you don't have Excel you can download and install a viewer here. The upper base frequency can also be found using the Band Plan Calculator at the online Wiki. Press MENU to return and repeat for each band plan as needed.

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When you order your ARC15 programming software here, you will also receive absolutely free:. Forums New posts Search forums. Media New media Search media. Classifieds New listings. Log in. Search titles only. Search Advanced search…. New posts. Search forums. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Thread starter Jeffdpsm Start date Mar 3, Tags bct15x. Status Not open for further replies.