Uniden UBCT-8 User manual

250 Channels
12 Bands
Programmable
Trunk Tracker lll
with Close Call RF Capture
OWNER'S MANUAL
UBCT8 Scanner

Precautions
Before you use this scanner, please observe the following:
Uniden 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.
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.
WARNING!
IMPORTANT!
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Introduction.................................................................................................................................................1
Front and Rear Views.................................................................................................................................2
Icon Display.................................................................................................................................................3
Terminology.................................................................................................................................................4
What is Scanning?..................................................................................................................................4
What is Searching?.................................................................................................................................4
What is Trunk Tracking?..........................................................................................................................4
Feature Highlights.......................................................................................................................................6
Included with Your Scanner Package...........................................................................................................7
Optional Accessories..............................................................................................................................7
Installing the UBCT8....................................................................................................................................8
For Home Use (Desktop Installation).......................................................................................................8
For Mobile Use (In-Car Installation).........................................................................................................8
Typical Mounting Methods....................................................................................................................10
Mounting the Scanner in Your Vehicle....................................................................................................10
Applying Power for Vehicle Installation..................................................................................................11
Applying Power Using Standard AC Power............................................................................................12
Connecting an External Speaker...........................................................................................................12
Listening Safely.....................................................................................................................................12
Connecting the Clone Cable..................................................................................................................12
Scanning Overview...................................................................................................................................13
Turn the Scanner On.............................................................................................................................13
How Squelch Works..............................................................................................................................14
Setting the Squelch...............................................................................................................................14
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
State Scanning..........................................................................................................................................15
Selecting the State.................................................................................................................................15
State Scan Hold.....................................................................................................................................16
Storing State Scan Frequency................................................................................................................16
Skip a Frequency...................................................................................................................................16
Close Call RF Capture...............................................................................................................................17
Set Close Call Mode..............................................................................................................................17
Close Call Operation.............................................................................................................................18
Set Close Call Option.............................................................................................................................19
Select Close Call Bands........................................................................................................................19
Set Close Call Alert................................................................................................................................20
Setting of Pager screen.........................................................................................................................20
Alert Tone Volume.................................................................................................................................20
Alert Light Adjustment............................................................................................................................20
Contents

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...........................................................................................................................................29
Setting the Squelch 29
Programming Trunking Frequencies 30
STEP 1: Selecting Trunking System Type 30
STEP 2: Programming Trunking Frequencies 31
Programming Talk Group ID/Scan Lists 31
Scan Lists 31
Receiving Trunked Systems 33
ID Scan Mode 33
ID Scan Hold Feature 34
ID Search Mode 34
ID Monitor Mode 35
ID Search Hold and Direct Entry ID in Hold Mode 35
Programming Scan Lists During Search 35
Deleting a Stored ID 35
ID Lockout 36
Review ID Lockout 36
Restoring Locked-out ID's 36
Setting the Delay Mode for Trunking Mode 37
Trunking Frequency Confirmation 37
Setting Priority in Trunking Mode 37
Moving between Scan List Memories 37
Multi-Track 38
Motorola Reception 43
Motorola Tracking 43
Fleet Map Programming 44
Selecting Preset Fleet Map 44
Programming a User Fleet Map 44
Programming a Hybrid System 45
Setting the Base, Spacing Frequencies and Offset Channel for Motorola VHF/UHF
Trunked Systems......................................... 45
Toggling the Status Bit 46
Control Channel Only Mode 46
Disconnect Tone Detect Option (End Code) 47
Remote Interface 48
PC Control Mode 48
Clone Mode 49
Care and Maintenance 52
Troubleshooting 53
Specifications 55
Appendix 56
One Year Limited Warranty 63
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EDACS Reception...................................................................................................................................39
EDACS Tracking..................................................................................................................................39
Programming EDACS System Frequencies .........................................................................................39
An EDACS Trunked system..................................................................................................................40
Special EDACS Features......................................................................................................................41
EDACS ID Range Search.....................................................................................................................41
EDACS SCAT.......................................................................................................................................41
LTR Reception..........................................................................................................................................42
LTR Tracking.........................................................................................................................................42
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Introduction
The UBCT8 is a state-of-the-art Trunk Tracking Scanner with BearTracker technology which.
It can store 250 frequencies such as police, fire/emergency, marine, railroad, air, amateur,
and other communications into 5 banks of 50 channels for a total of 250 channels.
Use your new scanner to monitor:
Police
Trunking for:
Motorola
Type I
Type II
Type II: (Hybrid)
EDACS
Wide band
Scat
LTR
Business/Industrial Radio
Utilities
Marine Band
Aircraft Band
And much more...
The chart below identifies the scanner band numbers, the frequency range, the modulation
mode and the default step size settings.
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Close Call RF Capture™
No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Mode
AM
FM
FM
WFM
AM
FM
FM
WFM
AM
FM
FM
FM
Step
5kHz
10kHz
12.5kHz
100kHz
12.5kHz
5kHz
12.5kHz
50kHz
50kHz
6.25kHz
12.5kHz
12.5kHz
Range (Mhz)
0025.0000 - 0027.9950
0028.0000 - 0069.9900
0070.0000 - 0087.9875
0088.0000 - 0107.9000
0108.0000 - 0136.9875
0137.0000 - 0147.9950
0148.0000 - 0173.9875
0174.0000 - 0224.9500
0225.0000 - 0399.9500
0400.0000 - 0512.0000
0806.0000 - 0956.0000
1240.0000 - 1300.0000

E
1. Squelch Control / Flash Brightness
Selector
2. Alerting Light
3. Volume Control / Alert Tone Selector
4. Close Call RF Capture
5. Display
6. Lockout Key
7. Delay Key
8. Service Key
9. State Scan or Private Scan Key
10. State Key
11. Numeric Keypad
12. Up Key
13. Down Key
14. Data Key
15. Priority Key
16. Search Key
17. Trunk Key
18. Decimal/Remote Key
19. Enter / Program Enable - Disable Key
20. Hold/Resume Key
(SQL, FLASH)
(ALERT)
(VOL)
(C.C.)
(L/O)
(DELAY)
(SVC)
(SCAN)
(STATE)
()
()
(DATA)
(PRI)
(SRCH)
(TRUNK)
( , RMT)
( , PROG)
(HOLD/RESUME)
Front and Rear Views
21. Antenna Connector
22. External Speaker Jack
23. DC Power Jack
24. Remote Control Terminal
(ANT.)
(EXT. SP.)
(DC 12V)
(REMOTE)

1. Trunk Tracking Mode
2. Motorola trunking channel
3. EDACS trunking channel
4. LTR trunking channel
5. Scan list
6. Scan bank
7. Bank's number and ID's list number
8. Remote control mode
9. Programming is locked
10. State scanning and Private scanning
mode
11. Service scanning mode
12. Band searching mode
13. POLICE Bank included with State
scanning
14. FIRE Bank included with State
scanning
15. AMBULANCE Bank included with
State scanning
16. Scanning or the searching is on hold
17. Search direction
18. Priority function option
19. Lockout channel and talk group
20. Delay option
21. DATA Skip option
22. Warning Light disabled
23. Priority channel and talk group
(TRUNK)
(M)
(E)
(L)
(LIST)
(BANK)
(12345)
(RMT)
(PROG)
(SCAN)
(SERVICE)
(SRCH)
(POLICE)
(FIRE)
(AMBULANCE)
(HOLD)
()
(PRI)
(L/O)
(DLY)
(DATA)
(FLASH)
P)(
Icon Display

Terminology
What is Scanning?
What is Searching?
What is Trunk Tracking?
Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most two-way communications do not transmit
continuously. The UBCT8 scans the Frequencies you have programmed into the Scanner’s
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.
The UBCT8 can search each of its 12 bands to find active frequencies. This is different from
scanning because you are searching for frequencies that have not been programmed into
your Scanner’s 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.
Conventional scanning is a simple concept. You enter a radio frequency in your scanner’s
memory which is used by someone you want to monitor. For example, the police in your
area may broadcast on MHz, the fire department on 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.
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.
467.850 161.250
In a trunked radio system the frequencies are shared among the police and fire departments
and a computer systematically assigns available frequencies when they are needed for
communications.

Sharing of the available public service frequencies, or trunking, allows cities, counties, or
other agencies to accommodate hundreds of users with relatively few frequencies. Following
a conversation on a trunked system using a scanner is difficult, if not impossible. Because
when there's a short break during the conversation you're monitoring, it’s possible that the
talkgroup will be assigned to a completely different frequency in the trunked system. This
type of scanning is difficult and frustrating.
changes this! Not only does your new UBCT8 scan channels like
a conventional scanner, it actually follows the users of a trunked radio system. Once you
know a talkgroups ID, you won’t miss any of the action.
If you're a new scanner enthusiast, you may want to read the first part of this manual and
use your scanner in conventional mode before you begin trunk tracking. Understanding
scanning fundamentals and its terminology will make trunk tracking much easier.
TrunkTracker Technology

Feature Highlights
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Pre-programmed frequencies specific to each
Pre-programmed Trunked frequencies
– Follow VHF High Band UHF 800MHz trunked public safety and public
service systems just as if conventional two-way communications were used.
– Track more than one trunking system at a time. Scan conventional and
trunked systems at the same time.
– Program one frequency into each channel. You must have at least one
channel programmed to use the Scan mode.
– Includes 12 bands, with aircraft and 800 MHz.
– 5 banks with 50 channels each are useful for storing similar frequencies to
maintain faster scanning cycles or for storing all the frequencies of a trunked system.
– Indicates the range of frequencies that can be searched within the
bands of your scanner.
Note: The frequency coverage is not continuous.
– You can assign one priority channel in each bank. Assigning a
priority channel allows you to track activity on your most important channel(s) while
monitoring other channels for transmissions. You can also assign trunking priority
talkgroups.
– Allows your scanner to skip unwanted data transmissions and reduces
birdies.
– Go directly to any channel without entering programming
mode.
– Increases the search speed to 300 steps per second. This applies only to
transmission bands with 5 kHz steps.
– Allows you to easily program all frequencies and Trunking Talk
Groups into your BCT8 through Uniden UBCT8 Scanning software running on your PC.
– For more information on UBCT8 SS Programming software visit our website at
Australian state and New Zealand
Close Cal RF Capture Technology
You can set the scanner so it detects and provides information about nearby radio
transmissions.
Pre-programmed Service Scanning by the following service banks;
- Police
- Rail Roads
- Aircraft (except Aeronautic radio Navigation (108-117.9875MHz)
- Marine Band
- UHF CB Radio
- AM CB Radio
™
Trunk Tracking
Multi-Track
250 Channels
12 Bands
5 Banks
25 MHz-1300 MHz
5 Priority Channels
Data Skip
Direct Channel Access
Turbo Search
PC Programmable
www.uniden.com.au, www.uniden.co.nz