BridgeComSystems BCH -270 User manual

BCH-270 Owner’s Manual
By BridgeCom Systems, Inc.

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Copyright  2016 BY
Bridge Embedded Systems, Inc
Version 1.0, Oct 2016
All rights reserved.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation
For Technical Support, please contact:
BridgeCom Systems, Inc.
102 NE State Route 92 Highway, Suite C
Smithville, MO 64089
Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 5
WELCOME ........................................................................................................................... 5
SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER 2: UNPACKING AND PREPARATION................................................................... 6
PARTS LIST ......................................................................................................................... 6
CHARGING THE BATTERY.......................................................................................................... 7
BATTERY CHARGER INDICATOR .................................................................................................. 7
LCD ICONS ......................................................................................................................... 8
CHAPTER 3: FEATURES AND OPERATION.......................................................................... 9
KEYPAD OVERVIEW: ............................................................................................................... 9
CHAPTER 4: QUICK START – GET ME ON THE AIR! .......................................................... 10
SETTING 2M RX AND TX FREQUENCY FOR USE WITH A REPEATER. ....................................................... 10
SETTING 70CM RX AND TX FREQUENCY FOR USE WITH A REPEATER. .................................................... 11
CHAPTER 5: BASIC OPERATION ...................................................................................... 12
WORKING MODES ............................................................................................................... 12
1）FREQUENCY MODE (VFO) / MEMORY MODE ......................................................................... 12
2）MEMORY MODE .............................................................................................................. 12
3）FM MODE .................................................................................................................... 12
4）MENU MODE ................................................................................................................. 12
CHAPTER 6: HOW-TO FUNCTION GUIDE: ........................................................................ 13
● CHANGE BANDS FROM 2M (GROUP A) TO 70CM (GROUP B) OR 70CM TO 2M. ................................ 13
● MEMORY MODE CHANNEL RECALL / VFO FREQUENCY ENTRY .......................................................... 13
● STORING A CHANNEL TO MEMORY ......................................................................................... 13
● DELETING A CHANNEL FROM MEMORY ..................................................................................... 13
● SETTING SQUELCH (SQL) ................................................................................................ 14
● CHANGING POWER LEVEL HIGH/LOW POWER ............................................................................. 14
● CHANGING FREQUENCY STEP SIZE ......................................................................................... 14
● PROGRAMMING FREQUENCY OFFSET AND SHIFT FOR DUPLEX OPERATION ........................................ 14
● PROGRAMMING THE SIDE KEYS PF1 AND PF2 .......................................................................... 15
● START CHANNEL SCAN ....................................................................................................... 15
● RX AND TX CTCSS/DCS ................................................................................................... 15
CHAPTER 7: MENU ITEMS ............................................................................................... 16
00 – ANI (AUTOMATIC NUMBER IDENTIFICATION) ......................................................................... 16
01 – SQL (SQUELCH LEVEL) ................................................................................................ 16
02 – POWER (HIGH OR LOW) ............................................................................................. 16
03 – REV T*R (REVERSE FREQUENCY) ..................................................................................... 16
04 – VOX.SWI (VOX SWITCH) ........................................................................................... 16
05 – SQT.RX / SQT.TX ...................................................................................................... 17
06 – SCAN ...................................................................................................................... 17
07 – DTMF IN (ONE-TIME DTMF INPUT TO BE TX) .................................................................. 18
08 – FM RADIO ................................................................................................................ 18
09 – STEP ....................................................................................................................... 18
10 – LED ........................................................................................................................ 18
11 – BEEP ....................................................................................................................... 18
12 – TX. SEL (SELECT TX CHANNEL) ....................................................................................... 18
13 - D. WAIT (DUAL WAIT) ............................................................................................... 18

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14 – TOT (TIMER-TIME OUT) ................................................................................................ 18
15 – APO (AUTO POWER OFF) ............................................................................................ 19
16 – AUTO LK (LOCK KEYPAD) ........................................................................................... 19
17 – PON.MSG (POWER ON MESSAGE) ............................................................................... 19
18 – W/N (WIDE OR NARROW BAND) ....................................................................................... 19
19 - SFT-D (SHIFT DIRECTION) ............................................................................................. 19
20 – OFFSET ................................................................................................................... 19
21 - DIS.NM (DISPLAY NAME)............................................................................................ 19
22 - MEM CH? (STORE CHANNEL TO MEMORY)............................................................................ 20
23 - DEL CH? (DELETE CHANNEL FROM MEMORY) ........................................................................ 20
24 – VOX (VOX LEVEL)..................................................................................................... 20
25 – ROGER .................................................................................................................... 20
26 - SCAN AD (SCAN LIST ADD)......................................................................................... 20
27 - DC VOLT .................................................................................................................. 20
28 – DW (DUAL WATCH) ................................................................................................... 20
29 - MDF-A (DISPLAY METHOD GROUP A) ................................................................................. 21
30 - MDF-B (DISPLAY METHOD GROUP B) ................................................................................. 21
31 - CA TONE (CALLING TONE) ............................................................................................. 21
32 – VOICE PROMPTS (VOICE LANGUAGE SELECTION) ......................................................... 21
33 - VOX DLY (VOX DELAY) ............................................................................................... 21
34 - PTT.ID ..................................................................................................................... 21
35 - DT DIAL (DTMF DIAL LIST SELECTION).............................................................................. 22
36 - DT.MR (DTMF MEMORY) ............................................................................................... 22
37 - SP MUTE (SPEAKER UN-MUTE) ........................................................................................ 22
38 - SIG.OPT (PTT ID SIGNALING OPTION) ............................................................................ 22
39 - PF1.S_K (PF1 KEY ASSIGNMENT – SHORT PRESS) ................................................................. 23
40 - PF1.L_K (PF1 KEY ASSIGNMENT – LONG PRESS) ................................................................... 23
41 - PF2.S_K (PF2 KEY ASSIGNMENT – SHORT PRESS) ................................................................. 23
42 - PF2.L_K (PF2 KEY ASSIGNMENT – LONG PRESS) ................................................................... 23
43 - FIR.TMR ................................................................................................................... 23
44 - FIR.CHA ................................................................................................................... 23
45 - FIR.CHB ................................................................................................................... 23
46 - SOS SOR (EMERGENCY ALARM TYPE) ........................................................................... 24
47 - SOS SEL (EMERGENCY CHANNEL SELECT) .................................................................... 24
48 - SOS ACH (EMERGENCY A GROUP CHANNEL) ................................................................. 24
49 - SOS BCH (EMERGENCY B GROUP CHANNEL) ................................................................. 24
50 – MORSE .................................................................................................................... 24
51 – RESET ..................................................................................................................... 24
APPENDIX A: CTCSS AND DCS TABLES ........................................................................... 25
AVAILABLE STANDARD /NON-STANDARD CTCSS TONES ................................................................... 25
WARRANTY AND SERVICE .............................................................................................. 26
FCC STATEMENTS ........................................................................................................... 27

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Welcome
Thank you for purchasing the BCH-270 dual-band hand-held two way radio. The goal of the BCH-
270 is to provide a cost-effective, feature rich hand held radio for users of the 2m and 70cm bands
of the amateur radio spectrum. This Owner’s Manual will acquaint you with the features and
operation of the BCH-270. Every effort has been made in the preparation of this manual to ensure
the accuracy of its contents. Carefully read this manual in order to properly operate the radio
before use.
SPECIFICATIONS
General BCH-270
Number of Channels: 128 x 2
Working Voltage: 7.4 V DC
Channel Spacing: 25kHz/12.5kHz
Weight w/Battery & Ant ~260g
Frequency Range: 2m(VHF): RX 134-174 MHz / TX 144-147.995
70cm(UHF): RX: 400-520 MHz / TX 430-449.995
Dimensions (W x H x D): 61 mm x 124 mm x 36 mm
Frequency Stability: +/- 1.5 ppm
Operating Temperature: -4 F to +122 F (-20 C to +50 C)
Battery Type: Li-Ion
Antenna Connector: SMA Male
Antenna Impedance: 50
TRANSMITTER
RF Output High Power: 5 Watts / Low Power: 2 Watts
Maximum Deviation:
+/
-
5kHz (25 kHz) +/
-
2.5
kHz (12.5 kHz)
Antenna Connector: SMA Male
Antenna Impedance: 50
In our on-going commitment to quality, specifications are subject to change without notice.

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CHAPTER 2: Unpacking and Preparation
We recommend that you identify the items listed in the following packing list. If you find that all
the items are not present, please contact us.
Parts List
Item
Quantity
Rubber Antenna
1
Li
-
ion Battery Pack
1
Desktop Charger
1
Power Adapter
1
Belt Clip
1
This user’s Manual
1
Hand Strap
1

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Charging the Battery
The battery is not completely charged at the factory, therefore the battery will need to be charged before
using the radio. After two to three charge / discharge cycles, the operating capacity will
increase to its normal capacity. To charge the battery:
1. Fasten the battery pack to the back of the radio. Note: Before charging, it is advised the radio
is powered OFF.
2. Using the supplied power adaptor, plug the output terminal of the power adapter in the DC jack
behind the charger base. The charger LED will indicate ORANGE for about 2 seconds then go out.
3. Place the radio into the charger cradle. When charging, the LED indicator will light RED. Once the
battery is fully charged the charger LED will turn GREEN. It normally takes about 5 hours to
completely charge an empty battery.
Battery Charger Indicator
Operation
Indicator
Power Connected
Orange LED on 2 seconds then
goes
out
No battery
NONE
Charging
RED
solid
Full
y
charged
GREEN solid
Fault Condition (Over temp,
short circuit, or over discharge)
R
ed LED flash
es

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LCD Icons
Icon
Description
Key Lock
ANI
Minus/Plus Offset Frequency
Direction
Remote Emergency
IVOX
VOX
Battery Save
APO(Automatically Power OFF)
Battery Gauge Indicator
FM Radio
Dual
Watch
SOS
Narrow Band
MORSE Code
Priority Scan
Reverse Frequency
Scan
Group A/B
DTMF
DCS
CTCSS
Last Digits At Frequency
High Power
Low Power
2 Tone
Channel Number
TX/RX Signal
I
ndicator

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CHAPTER 3: FEATURES AND OPERATION
FEATURE OVERVIEW:
● HIGH and LOW power (5W and 2W)
● Dual watch Frequency operation
● 2 x 128 Memory channels (GROUP A and B)
● LCD Dot Matrix display
● CTCSS and DCS encode / decode – Standard and non-standard
● DTMF Encode/Decode
● VOX
● Very long battery life
● Windows based PC Programmer
Switching Power On/Off and adjusting the audio volume level
1. With a fully charged battery, connect the antenna to the top of the radio’s antenna jack.
2. Rotate the POWER/VOL knob clockwise to turn on the radio. A power up alert will be heard
and the current DC supply voltage will be indicated. After about 2 seconds, the display will
resume normal operation and display the current operating frequency.
3. To increase/decrease the audio volume level, rotate the POWER/VOL knob.
4. To power down the radio, rotate the POWER/VOL knob fully counter clockwise until clicked
and the display goes dark.
After powering up, for its first use, the radio defaults to VFO operating mode and the default
receive (RX) frequency is displayed for both 2m and 70cm. Once the radio has been used, it will
power up to the mode it was in prior to being turned off.
Keypad Overview:
The BCH-270 has a 16 button keypad for operating the radio. From the keypad, you will be able to
program the radio for how you want it to operate.

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CHAPTER 4: QUICK START – GET ME ON THE AIR!
When the radio is powered on for the first time, it will display the measured battery voltage and
emit a power on alert. The powered on alert will be followed by the voice message: “Power On.”
On the top line of the radio display will be the 2m RX frequency (GROUP A) and the bottom line will
display the 70cm RX frequency (GROUP B).
In this example, we instruct you on how to program the BCH-270 to work with a 2 meter repeater
and a 70cm repeater.
Our example 2m repeater transmits on 147.38 MHz and receives with a +600 KHz offset on 147.98
MHz. The 2m repeater encodes/decodes a CTCSS tone of 100.0 Hz. Our 70cm repeater example
transmits on 443.750 and receives with a +5 MHz offset on 448.750. The repeater will have a
110.9 CTCSS tone for encode/decode.
Setting 2m RX and TX Frequency for use with a repeater.
By default, the radio will power up to receive on the 2m frequency (GROUP A). This is
noted by observing the right arrow icon with an ‘A’ in the center to the left of the 2m
frequency.
Change the frequency step size to 10 kHz. This is done by pressing the F button and
then 9. Press the F button again to access the step size. Press the UP / DOWN button
to arrive at 10.0 kHz. Press the F button to store the setting. Press the *A/B button to
exit the function menu.
To enter the desired RX frequency, simply key the frequency into the radio using the
keypad. To enter 147.380 MHz:
Key in 1 4 7 3 8 0 and the radio will confirm programming with a ‘good’ long beep after
keying in the ‘0’.
Programming the 600 kHz TX Offset:
Press-and-release the F key. Quickly Key in 2 0 to bring up the OFFSET menu item.
Press-and-release the F key. This will bring the arrow to the 2nd line of the display to
where you can enter the offset. Key in 0 0 0 6 0 0 - This will be followed be a confirm
beep and 0.600 will be displayed. Press-and-release the *A/B button to exit the OFFSET
menu item.
Setting the Positive Duplex Shift (+)
Now, we need to cause the radio to have a + 600 kHz shift when the radio is keyed.
Once again, press-and-release the F key. Key in 1 9 to bring up the SFT-D menu item.
SFT-D will be displayed on the top line and the SHIFT setting will be displayed on the
bottom line. Press-and-release the F key to bring the arrow to 2nd line of the display
indicating focus. Press-and-release the Up or Down keys to cycle through +, OFF, -.
You will keep the setting on ‘+’. Press the F button to store the setting. Exit the SHIFT
menu item by pressing the *A/B button. You’ll note the + icon being illuminated on the
top most line of the display.

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Programming the TX and RX CTCSS tone:
Press-and-release the F key to enter menu mode. Key in 5 to bring up the SQT.RX
menu item. SQT.RX will be displayed on the top line of the display. Press-and-release
the F key to bring the bottom line into focus. Key in 1 0 0 0 to put 100.0 Hz as the RX
tone. Press the F key to store the tone and bring up the TX tone. Key in 1 0 0 0 and
press the F key to store 100.0 Hz. Press-and-release the *A/B button to exit the SQT
menu item. The radio should now be ready to talk through a 2m repeater.
Setting 70cm RX and TX Frequency for use with a repeater.
To change to the 70cm radio operation, press-and-release the *A/B button. The active
band arrow will drop down to the 2nd line and point to the 70cm RX frequency.
To enter the desired RX frequency, simply key the frequency into the radio using the
keypad. To enter 443.750 MHz:
Key in 4 4 3 7 5 0 and the radio will confirm programming with a ‘good’ long beep after
keying in the ‘0’.
Programming the 5.0 MHz TX Offset:
Press-and-release the F key. Key in 2 0 to bring up the OFFSET menu item. Press-and-
release the F key. This will bring the arrow to the 2nd line of the display to where you
can enter the offset. Key in 0 0 5 0 0 0 - This will be followed be a confirm beep and
5.000 will be displayed. Press-and-release the *A/B button to exit the OFFSET menu
item.
Setting the Positive Duplex Shift (+)
Now, we need to cause the radio to have a + 5 MHz shift when the radio is keyed. Once
again, press-and-release the F key. Key in 1 9 to bring up the SFT-D menu item. SFT-D
will be displayed on the top line and the SHIFT setting will be displayed on the bottom
line. Press-and-release the F key to bring the arrow to 2nd line of the display indicating
focus. Press-and-release the Up or Down keys to cycle through +, OFF, -. You will keep
the setting on ‘+’. Press the F button to store the setting. Exit the SHIFT menu item by
pressing the *A/B button. You’ll note the + icon being illuminated on the top most line
of the display.
Programming the TX and RX CTCSS tone:
Press-and-release the F key to enter menu mode. Key in 5 to bring up the SQT.RX
menu item. SQT.RX will be displayed on the top line of the display. Press-and-release
the F key to bring the bottom line into focus. Key in 1 1 0 9 to put 110.9 Hz as the RX
tone. Press the F key to store the tone and bring up the TX tone. Key in 1 1 0 9 and
press the F key to store 110.9 Hz. Press-and-release the *A/B button to exit the SQT
menu item. The radio should now be ready to talk through a 70cm repeater. Enjoy!

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CHAPTER 5: Basic Operation
 TX
1. Using the monitor button on the left side of the radio, monitor the radio to ensure there is no
one transmitting on the chosen channel.
2. Press PTT and face the microphone before talking. The LED should turn RED indicating TX.
To ensure good voice quality, the distance between your mouth and the microphone should
be between 2.5 and 5 cm.
3. Release PTT to put radio back in receive (RX).
4. When using the earphone and VOX active, users can enjoy hands-free talking.
 RX
1. Upon power up, the radio defaults to a pre-programmed or default RX Frequency.
2. When radio is receiving a valid call, the speaker un-mutes and the green LED lights.
3. Certain conditions may be required for the radio to un-mute and receive. For example,
proper CTCSS/DCS signal decode might be required in order for the radio to un-mute. In
addition, the receiving signal must be strong enough to break the squelch (SQL) setting.
4. CTCSS/DCS signaling is a special squelch protocol and can help to ignore unwanted calls on
the channel. CTCSS/DCS is programmed on a per channel basis. To communicate using
CTCSS/DCS, other radios must have the same signaling in their radios.
Working Modes
1）Frequency Mode (VFO) / MEMORY MODE
To toggle between VFO mode and memory mode, press the V/M key. To indicate the radio
is in memory mode for the respective band, there will be a channel number to the left of the
frequency. Pressing the A/B button switches between each band. While in VFO mode, you
can press the V/M key and this will convert to a quasi VFO/MEMORY mode where you can
step up/down through the memory channels and the channel frequencies are displayed. In
VFO mode, you can then step up/down in frequency by pressing the UP/DOWN keys. The
up/down step size is determined by the STEP size programming.
2）Memory Mode
To change to exclusive MEMORY mode where the ALPHA channel names are displayed, hold
down the V/M key and cycle radio power. In this mode you can press the UP/DOWN keys to
step through the pre-programmed channels. The names of the channels will be displayed.
To go back to VFO / MEMORY mode, turn the radio off and then power up the radio holding
the V/M key.
3）FM Mode
The BCH-270 supports an FM radio. To change to FM Radio mode press the F key followed
by the 8 key. While in this mode, you can press the UP/DOWN keys to change the FM radio
frequency.
4）Menu Mode
To enter Menu mode, press the F key. Press the UP/DOWN arrow keys to choose desired
item. For more details please refer to “Menu Operations”.

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Chapter 6: HOW-TO Function GUIDE:
● Change BANDS from 2m (GROUP A) to 70cm (GROUP B) or 70cm to 2m.
1. To change operating bands, simply press the *A/B button.
● Memory Mode Channel recall / VFO Frequency Entry
1. In Memory mode or Memory/VFO mode, you can input three numbers to change
channels. If the radio has pre-programmed channel numbers assigned then it’s a
matter of entering the 3-digit channel number to recall the channel. If the channel
does not exist, then the current channel is maintained. The following examples
illustrate:
To recall: CH1 (KEY 0 0 1), CH98 (KEY 0 9 8), CH123 (KEY 1 2 3)
2. In VFO mode, simply key in the desired RX Frequency. After keying in the 6 digit
frequency, if it’s a valid RX Frequency, the radio will begin receiving. If the
frequency is invalid, the radio will revert back to the previous working frequency.
To enter 145.450 MHz – Use the *A/B button to select the 2m band. Then KEY IN:
1 4 5 4 5 0 – A long key beep will indicate success.
● Storing a Channel to Memory
Channel frequencies are stored using the radio programmer or by using the radio in VFO
mode only. The following instructions are for VFO mode radio operation.
1. While the RX frequency is displayed and the desired TX and RX signaling is set, press F and
then press 2 2 to bring up the MEM CH? Menu option. Press the F key again to
confirm.
2. Press the UP/DOWN keys to choose or input the channel number where you want the
channel stored. For example key in 0 0 6. The word SAVE will be displayed and flash on
the screen.
3. Press F key to display YES? Press the F key again to confirm. The channel is now stored.
● Deleting a Channel from Memory
Deleting a channel is done in Memory mode.
1. Press A/B to Select the band where the channel you’d like to delete is located.
2. Press the F key followed by 2 3 to bring up DEL CH?
3. Press the F key again to bring focus to the channel name line. Press the UP/DOWN
buttons or the key in the channel number you would like to delete.
4. Once the channel name is displayed, press the F key, YES will be display. Press the F key
gain and the channel will be deleted.

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● Setting SQUELCH (SQL)
The purpose of the squelch control is to mute the speaker when no signals are present. With the
squelch level (0-9) correctly set, the speaker will only un-mute when there is a strong signal
present. The higher the squelch level, the stronger the signals must be to un-mute the speaker.
The appropriate squelch level depends on the ambient RF noise conditions.
1. Press the F key and then press the 1 SQL button. The LCD will display the current SQUELCH
level.
2. Press the F key to move the cursor to the squelch line and press the UP/DOWN keys to
choose desired SQL level.
3. Press the F key to confirm the setting. Press the A/B button to exit menu mode.
● Changing Power Level High/Low Power
1. Press F and then KEY 2 POW. The LCD will display the current TX Power Level.
2. Press F to cause the cursor to move the power setting line. Press the UP/DOWN buttons to
select the power setting of HIGH or LOW. HIGH being 5W and LOW being 2W.
3. Press F to confirm the setting. Press *A/B setting to store the setting and go back to the
previous operating mode. Note the current power level icon will be displayed. L or H. See
LCD layout.
● Changing Frequency Step Size
1. Press F and then KEY 9 STEP. The LCD will display the current step size. Press the F key
again to go the step size option line. The step size options are: 2.5K, 5K, 6.25K, 10K,
12.5K, 15K, 20K, 25K, 30K, 50K, and 100K.
2. Press UP/DOWN keys to choose desired step size.
3. Press F to confirm the setting. Then press the *A/B button to store the setting and go back
to the previous operating mode.
● Programming Frequency OFFSET and SHIFT for DUPLEX operation
1. Select the band you want to program the offset and shift. Press F and then 2 0 to access
the OFFSET Menu item.
2. Press the F key to move the cursor to the second line. Key in the desired offset. For
example: 600 kHz would be 0 0 0 6 0 0.
3. Press the *A/B button to store and exit the OFFSET setting.
4. To program the SHIFT, press the F key and then 1 9.
5. Press the F key to move the cursor to the second line. Press the UP / DOWN button to
select OFF, +, or -. Press the F key and then the *A/B button to store and exit.

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● Programming the SIDE KEYS PF1 and PF2
The side keys can be programmed using the Windows BASED programming software or using
MENU ITEMS 39 through 42. See MENU ITEMS Chapter 7.
● Start Channel Scan
1. Press F and then press the numeric KEY 6 SCN. Then press the F key once again to start
scanning.
2. Press UP/DOWN key to change scanning direction during scanning.
When scanning in VFO mode, the radio will scan by stepping through the channels as
determined by the programmed frequency step. Scanning in Channel mode will step
through all the programmed channels. Scanning in FM Mode, the radio will scan all valid FM
Radio frequencies. In Channel mode, scanning will not activate if radio has less than two
channels.
● RX and TX CTCSS/DCS
1. Press F, then press 5 SQT. The LCD will display SQT.RX on the top line of the display.
2. Press F again to move the pointer to the second line. The SQUELCH type can be selected
by pressing the *A/B button. OFF, CTCSS, and DCS
3. Once the squelch type is selected, the UP/DOWN buttons can be used to step to the desired
CTCSS tone or DCS code. You may also key in the desired tone.
4. For example: 102.5Hz for CTCSS.
a. If necessary press the *A/B to switch to CTCSS.
b. Key in: 1，0，2，5
5. Press the F key to store the setting and switch to selecting the TX SQUELCH type.
6. The TX CTCSS/DCS Entry will automatically be set to the same RX CTCSS/DCS Entry. If the
TX CTCSS/DCS entry needs to be different, simply select the encode type and the
tone/code. Press the *A/B key to revert back the previous operating mode and begin using
the programmed settings.
If at any time there’s an entry error, press the # key to cancel the entry and the radio will
revert back to displaying the previous CTCSS/DCS tone. To completely cancel the entry
process, press-and-release V/M button. You cannot set the RX signaling when the radio is
in MEMORY mode.
In addition, the BCH-270 can encode/decode any non-standard CTCSS tone and
DCS code. Simply key in the desired tone/code.

16
CHAPTER 7: MENU Items
The BCH-270 supports 51 menu items for setting various parameters that determine the operation
of the radio. This chapter details each of these items and how each item works. KEEP IN MIND,
MANY OF THESE FEATURES CAN BE ADJUSTED USING THE WINDOWS BASED PC PROGRAMMER.
To access the menu list:
Press F and then quickly key the menu item number or press the UP/DOWN button to find the
menu item. If the menu list has not been accessed since power up, item 00 – ANI is displayed.
Once the menu item is found, press the F button to begin setting the item function. Press the
UP/DOWN button to select the item function. Press the F button to confirm the item function
setting. Press the *V/M button to exit the menu list and revert back to the previous operating
mode.
During operation, the current menu item displayed will be the last menu item that was displayed
when the menu list was exited.
00 – ANI (Automatic Number Identification)
The ANI menu item allows for turning ON/OFF ANI RX decode operation of the radio.
If decoded, the calling radio’s unique ID is displayed.
01 – SQL (SQUELCH Level)
The purpose of the squelch control is to mute the speaker when no signals of sufficient
strength are present. With the squelch level (0-9) correctly set, the speaker will only un-
mute when there is a strong signal present. The higher the squelch level, the stronger
the signals must be to un-mute the speaker. The appropriate squelch level depends on
the ambient RF noise conditions.
02 – POWER (HIGH or LOW)
This menu item allows for changing the radio’s power level. The two options are HIGH (5W)
and LOW (2W) Power. Each channel group, A or B, has its own setting.
03 – REV T*R (Reverse Frequency)
The reverse frequency menu item allows for quick reversal (SWAP) of the programmed TX
and RX frequencies. In VFO mode this reversal is governed by the programmed OFFSET.
When the radio is set for reverse, the REV icon will be illuminated.
04 – VOX.SWI (VOX SWITCH)
This menu item allows for turning ON/OFF the VOX feature. VOX stands for voice activated
transmit. VOX.SWI works with the VOX Level menu item 24. When VOX is active, the VOX
level determines what mic level (1-10) will PTT the radio. Level 1 requires a loud voice,
whereas Level 10 requires softer voice. When VOX is on, the IVOX icon is illuminated.

17
05 – SQT.RX / SQT.TX
This menu item allows for changing the radio SQUELCH option for receive and transmit.
While in this option, pressing the *A/B button switches from OFF, CTCSS, and DCS. Once
the desired RX or TX option is chosen, key in the tone/code you want to use. When done
and the ARROW icon is pointing to SQT.RX, press the *A/B button to exit. See RX and TX
CTCSS/DCS in the HOW-TO section.
06 – SCAN
The Scan menu item allows for turning SCAN ON/OFF. The type of scan and how it operates
is set up using the BCH-270 programming software.
Press F and 6 to select SCAN. To turn on SCAN, press the F key and the radio will revert
back to the previous operating mode and start scanning. The SCN icon will illuminate. To
exit SCAN, press any key on the radio.
Additional scan settings can be adjusted using the programming software function
parameter1 tab sheet. See below:
The radio scans through the frequencies in the programmed step size. See menu item 9
STEP.
The scanning modes used by the BCH-270 are as follows:
Time Mode (TO): The radio stops scanning after detecting a signal for approximately 5
seconds. Prior to the 5 seconds expiration, the radio will remember the channel and
continue to scan. When the 5 seconds has expired and the signal is still present, the radio
will stop and rest on the scanned channel.
Carrier Mode (CO): The radio stops scanning when a signal is detected and remains on the
same frequency until the signal drops out.
Search Mode (SE): The radio stops at the pre-programmed frequency or channel when
detecting a signal.
The PC based programmer allows for setting the delay time between RX and Scanning. This
timer sets how long the radio remains on a channel prior to resuming scan.
The PC based programmer allows for setting the delay time between the end of TX and
resuming Scan
The PC based programmer also allows for setting the Scan Start Beep on/off, Scan Exit
Beep ON/OFF, and Scan Light on/off.
Also, the programmer allows for one memory channel in each group (2m or 70cm) to be
designated as a SCAN-to MEMORY Priority Channel. This is for use in memory mode.

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07 – DTMF IN (ONE-TIME DTMF INPUT to be TX)
DTMF IN allows for sending a ONE-TIME unique DTMF sequence when PTT is pressed. This
is useful in the event you want to access a telephone interconnect, remotely program a
repeater, or remotely program a repeater controller. For DTMF A, B, C, and D: the F key =
A, the UP key = B, the DOWN key = C, the V/M key = D. The DTMF encode timing
parameters are set using the radio programmer. To use this feature, press F 7. Then press
F to access the second line. Key in the DTMF sequence followed by PTT to send.
08 – FM RADIO
This menu item is used to turn ON/OFF the built-in FM Radio.
09 – STEP
This menu item is used to adjust the frequency step size used when stepping through
channels. It is used in VFO mode and SCAN. The step size options are: 2.5K, 5K, 6.25K,
10K, 12.5K, 15K, 20K, 25K, 30K, 50K, and 100K. See: Changing Freq Step size in the
HOW- TO section of this manual.
10 – LED
This menu item allows for you to program how you would like the LCD backlight display to
work. You can turn the LCD backlight OFF, or you can set the illumination time for how long
it remains lit after there has been any activity with the radio. The time options are: OFF,
ON, AUTO OFF in seconds – 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25.
11 – BEEP
This menu item is used to turn ON/OFF all radio beeps.
12 – TX. SEL (Select TX Channel)
This menu item sets the TX channel option for when PTT is pressed. The options are:
EDIT: TX on the current channel
BUSY: TX on the previous communication channel
A: TX on 2m (GROUP A) selected TX Frequency
B: TX on 70cm (GROUP B) selected TX Frequency
AUTO: Change to and TX on the channel which just received signal.
13 - D. WAIT (DUAL WAIT)
This menu item is an ON/OFF feature that sets how the radio receives. If D.WAIT is ON, the
radio will monitor and receive on the displayed 2m (A) and 70cm (B) channels. If D.WAIT is
OFF, the radio will only receive on the selected GROUP.
14 – TOT (Timer-Time Out)
This function limits how long the user is allowed to PTT before the radio stops transmitting.
In the programming software an alarm can be set to emit an alert prior to time-out-timer
expiration.
Options are OFF, 30/…/600 seconds.

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15 – APO (AUTO POWER OFF)
The APO setting will cause the radio to automatically turn off power if there’s no operation
during the programmed interval. The radio can be powered up by simply pressing any key.
The programmed time interval is OFF, and 1 to 24 hours.
16 – AUTO LK (LOCK KEYPAD)
This feature programs the KEY LOCK feature. The KEY LOCK feature allows for locking out
the key pad. The options are: MANU where the #LOCK key is held until the keypad locks,
and AUTO 5, 10, 20, 30 where the keypad automatically locks after 5, 10, 20, or 30
seconds. To indicate locked, the LOCK icon will be displayed in the upper left corner of the
display. Once the keypad is locked it remains locked until the #LOCK key is pressed-and-
held with UNLOCK displayed. The radio will not remember the key pad is locked upon
power cycle.
ATS 5, ATS 10, ATS 20, ATS 30 locks the key pad after 5, 10, 20, 30 and STORES the
setting so the radio remembers the KEY LOCK status upon power cycle.
17 – PON.MSG (POWER ON MESSAGE)
This menu item allows for customizing a Power On Message. The options are: NO MSG, DC
Voltage, or MSG indicating Custom Message created using the programming software.
18 – W/N (Wide or Narrow Band)
The W/N setting is used for setting the 2m (A) or 70cm (B) sides of the radio to either WIDE
or NARROW band operation. Each band has its own setting and the channel group selected
is what will be adjusted when this menu item is entered.
19 - SFT-D (Shift Direction)
This menu item is used for setting the 2m (A) or 70cm (B) transmit shift direction. The
options are OFF, +, and -. The amount of shift is determined by the OFFSET. OFFSET is
programmed using menu item 20.
20 – OFFSET
OFFSET is used to program the difference from the RX and TX frequency when the radio is
used to communicate through a repeater. This is an individual group setting for either
GROUP A (2m) or GROUP B (70cm).
To program OFFSET, manually enter the frequency. For example, to enter 5.0 MHz, simply
key 0 0 5 0 0 0. The value will automatically be entered. Also, see: Programming
Frequency OFFSET and SHIFT for DUPLEX operation in the HOW-TO section.
21 - DIS.NM (DISPLAY NAME)
When the radio is used in strict MEMORY mode. (POWER ON holding the V/M button), this
menu item allows for turning ON/OFF the pre-programmed custom name of the channel.

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22 - MEM CH? (Store Channel to Memory)
When in VFO mode, this menu item allows allows for storing the current channel contents
into memory. See: Storing a Channel to Memory in the HOW-TO section.
23 - DEL CH? (Delete Channel from Memory)
This menu item allows for deleting a memory channel. See: Deleting a Channel from
Memory in the HOW-TO section.
24 – VOX (VOX LEVEL)
This menu item allows for setting the audible voice level required to initiate a VOX
transmission. The setting is 1 through 10. Where 1 requires loud voice and 10 is for soft
voice. If checked box checked, VOX transmit inhibited while receiving. The programming
software allows for programming VOX Level Compare Value and VOX Delay Time. VOX
Delay time helps provide for proper flow of RX/TX communication. Experiment with this
feature to determine optimum value.
25 – ROGER
This menu item allows for turning on/off the ‘ROGER’ beep after transmitting. The volume
level of the ‘ROGER’ beep is determined by the setting of the volume control knob.
26 - SCAN AD (SCAN LIST ADD)
This menu item is for use in MEMORY mode. The SCAN ADD feature allows you to add or
delete memory channels from the scan list. This feature does not work in VFO mode.
You must be in MEMORY Mode and on the specific memory channel when using SCAN ADD.
When on the channel you would like to add or delete, press the F key and 2 6. Then press
the F key to move to the second line of the display. Press the UP / DOWN button to select
DEL or ADD. Press the F key to confirm. Press the *A/B to exit the menu item.
27 - DC VOLT
This menu item allows for you to check the radio’s battery voltage.
28 – DW (DUAL WATCH)
This menu item allows for monitoring the receiver of the selected band or bands while
listening to the FM Radio. When this feature is active, the DW icon is illuminated on the
display.