Uniden UBCT-8 Owner'S Manual Download

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250 Channels
12 Bands
Programmable
Trunk Tracker lll
with Close Call RF Capture

OWNER'S

MANUAL

UBCT8 Scanner

Summary of Contents for UBCT-8

Page 1: ...250 Channels 12 Bands Programmable Trunk Tracker lll with Close Call RF Capture OWNER S MANUAL UBCT8 Scanner ...

Page 2: ...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 ...

Page 3: ...3 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 ...

Page 4: ... 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 ...

Page 5: ...o 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 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 000...

Page 6: ...0 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 1...

Page 7: ...rching 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 1 2 3 4 5 RMT ...

Page 8: ...h 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 S...

Page 9: ... 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 a...

Page 10: ...mportant 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 freq...

Page 11: ...a Operating Guide Other Printed Materials Mobile Mounting Bracket If any of these items are missing or damaged immediately contact your place of purchase The following optional accessories for your UBCT8 are available from your local Uniden Retailer Use only if your antenna has a Motorola type plug Optional Accessories Motorola Antenna Adapter ...

Page 12: ...g may be necessary for the optional antennas A Cigarette Lighter Power Cord is provided for easy temporary installation Do not use the cigarette lighter power cord in a positive ground vehicle Plug one end of the Cigarette Lighter Power Cord into the cigarette lighter jack and the other end into the DC 12V jack on the back of the scanner Connect the mobile antenna plug into the ANT connector on th...

Page 13: ...gine block or chassis Most of today s vehicles use a negative ground If your vehicle has a negative ground follow Steps 2 and 3 Otherwise skip to the note following Step 3 2 Connect the RED wire of the DC power cord to the accessory contact in your vehicle s 12V DC fuse box 3 Connect the BLACK wire of the DC power cord to the negative side of the vehicle usually the chassis In vehicles with a posi...

Page 14: ...hind the mounting surface Follow these steps to mount the scanner in your vehicle 1 Choose a mounting location then use the supplied mounting bracket as a template to mark the positions for the mounting screw holes 2 In the marked positions drill holes slightly smaller than the supplied screws 3 Attach the mounting bracket to the mounting location using the supplied screws and lock washers 4 Attac...

Page 15: ...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 scann...

Page 16: ...the jack on the rear of the scanner 2 Plug the adapter into a standard AC outlet Use only the AC adapter supplied with your scanner 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 cable s 1 8 inch 3 5 mm plug into your scanner s jack Connecting an external speaker disconnects the scan...

Page 17: ...erent 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 to hold the frequency on the display Then program it into the private bank you want to store If you do not want to progr...

Page 18: ...nothing gets through If the gate is set just right squelch set properly just the desired signals get through 1 To set the squelch press to stop scanning 2 Turn fully counterclockwise until hiss heard This lowers the squelch gate allowing all signals and noise to get through 3 Turn fully clockwise just until hiss stops This raises the squelch gate allowing only strong signals to get through HOLD RE...

Page 19: ... in the display When the scanner finds a signal scanning stops the state code and the frequency displays When the transmission ends the two seconds delay feature if you set on holds the scanner on that frequency for a response If there is no response scanning resumes See Delay page 28 1 While State scanning press The menu of states will appear See State Code Order Appendix page 56 2 Press and hold...

Page 20: ...quency step 2 If you have found the frequency you want to store press 3 Select the private bank where you want to store the frequency the smallest empty channel number and 000 0000 flashes on and off over the frequency you want to store Press if the frequency you want to store exists already in a bank you will hear an error tone and the other channel displays Press again to store the frequency in ...

Page 21: ...r or it might find a transmission other than the one you are searching for Close Call RF capture cannot detect satellite dishes or any transmitter with a frequency above or below the frequency ranges listed in Select Close Call Bands on Page 19 Close Call works better with some types of transmissions than others It might not correctly display frequency information for transmitters using a highly d...

Page 22: ...OTE Even if a signal is lost the scanner stops at this frequency for 10 seconds if delay is on After 10 seconds the scanner resumes previous scanning 2 If you press during the transmission or the delay time the Scanner enters Close Call Hold mode and stays on the frequency During the hold mode the scanner does not check any other signal 3 Press to resume the signal searching 4 a If you press while...

Page 23: ...hold for 2seconds to display the Close Call option menu C C bnd Selecting Close Call Bands C C ALt Close Call alert option C C PS Setting of pager screen 2 Press or to select the menu and then press This setting controls the band filtering used during Close Call operation Each of the following bands can be selected for Close Call operation 25 88 MHz Band 88 108 MHzBand 108 137 MHz Band 137 174 MHz...

Page 24: ...ress E Pager Screen On The scanner ignores hits on common pager frequencies Pager Screen OFF The scanner does not screen for common pager frequencies Pager screen affects the following frequency range 148 0000 149 2500 MHz 2 To return to previous mode press Push to select Loud Medium or Soft The Alert Tone beeps and the alert light flashes to confirm your choice The Alert Light has three settings ...

Page 25: ...y into the channel 4 If you want to program another frequencies into the channel select another channel by using the or key To clear a mistake while entering the frequency press decimal key repeatedly until the display is cleared 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...

Page 26: ...vate 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 bank s channels are not scanned One bank must always be active You cannot deac...

Page 27: ...l appears on the display If the scanner keeps stopping on a particular channel due to noise or frequent transmissions you may want to keep that channel from scanning 1 Wait until the scanner stops on the channel 2 Then press 3 The scanner immediately resumes scanning because the locked out channel is no longer in the scanning sequence Write down your locked out channels and put in a convenient pla...

Page 28: ...signate one channel in each bank as a Priority Channel By default the first channel in each bank is the Priority Channel but you can change this To activate Priority Scan in either the Hold or Scan mode 1 Press appears If you have locked out the priority channel error message appears when you select Priority mode 2 Press again to deactivate Priority Scan disappears You cannot eliminate the Priorit...

Page 29: ...ou can store the frequency see page 21 If you want to remain on a frequency until a responding transmission is received press to activate the delay feature See page 28 To skip a frequency press You can program up to 100 skip frequencies from the service frequencies SVC SVC HOLD RESUME Notes HOLD RESUME DELAY L O 1 Police 2 Rail Roads 3 Aircraft 4 Marine Band 5 UHF CB Band 6 AM CB BAND appears on t...

Page 30: ...ed up to 300 steps per second for bands having 5 kHz steps Turbo Search While searching you can change the search direction by using the or key Make sure which of icon or appears on the display SRCH HOLD RESUME Notes SRCH SRCH 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 00...

Page 31: ...anner may pause momentarily on an unwanted signal but will resume searching in two or three seconds The Data Skip feature is active as well as Scan mode and Service Search mode Data Skip does not function during Service Scanning band for Priority Scan and Trunking mode If a particular frequency continues to interrupt search scanning it is possible to set the scanner to skip the frequency To skip o...

Page 32: ...the frequency it moves to the Search Hold mode If there is no free channel the frequency you want to store will automatically be stored in the first channel in the selected bank 4 Press to resume searching To help prevent missing a reply on a specific channel or frequency you can program a two second delay into any channel frequency service band or band search When scan or search stops on a channe...

Page 33: ... programming for all of these systems see pages 29 47 When tracking these types of systems remember these important points Your scanner defaults to monitor Motorola Type II 800 however you can change this if the system in your area is different The types of systems are discussed below Motorola SMARTNET and PRIVACY PLUS are trademarks of Motorola Inc EDACS is a registered trademark of the M A COM I...

Page 34: ...mple if you are programming Bank 4 you can only select channels 151 200 with the or key If you are programming an EDACS trunked system you must enter the frequencies in a specific order Check the frequency guide included with the radio and the listed web sites for details The first step in a Trunk Tracking system is storing the frequencies in one of the five available banks in your scanner 1 Press...

Page 35: ...evious menu screen press in the Trunk Programming mode Each bank of your UBCT8 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 I...

Page 36: ... number 2 Press 1 Enter the Agency number 2 Press decimal key for the dash 3 Enter the Fleet number and Subfleet number 4 Press 1 Enter the Agency number you want to store Use the decimal key for the dash 2 Press Or you can program all the Talk Group numbers within one fleet of an Agency 1 Enter the Agency number 2 Press decimal key for the dash 3 Enter the Fleet number 4 Press Remember that Unide...

Page 37: ...when the communication ends When receiving EDACS systems remember that Uniden s AFS talkgroups give you powerful flexibility In a few key presses you can specify a single talkgroup a fleet or an entire agency in all the above modes Read the section EDACS Reception to understand how this works If the scanner is not in the Trunking mode you can enter the Trunk mode by pressing Pressing in the Trunki...

Page 38: ...ogrammed all the frequencies for a trunked system Search will let you immediately start hearing transmissions When in the Trunking mode press and the scanner begins to find any active IDs When the scanner finds any ID you will hear it Talkgroups display differently in Motorola EDACS and LTR systems You should read the appropriate parts of this guide to understand the formats The display indicates ...

Page 39: ...esting ID during Search mode and want to continue listening to it Press to stop the search If you want to listen to a specific ID while in Hold mode Use the keypad to enter the ID you want and press the key If you want to resume searching Press to return to Search mode ID Hold feature is also applied to ID Scan mode To select a Scan List location and store an ID during Search mode follow these ste...

Page 40: ...kgroups in the Utilities agency You can do this with just a few key presses To use this mode just enter the Agency part or the Agency Fleet part of the talkgroup code and press For example to Blockout Agency 4 in Trunk Search press decimal key and then For other ways to use partial AFS entry be sure to read the section EDACS Reception You can check all IDs already locked out 1 Press and hold for 1...

Page 41: ...g and holding for 2 seconds in ID Scan Hold mode After you ve set up your Scan List press to activate it It s very similar to conventional priority although there is no interrupt during the transmissions Priorities are checked in between transmissions With Priority ON you can hold on an ID in your Scan List such as Scan List 3 memory location 7 and the scanner will check all the priorities in all ...

Page 42: ...alkgroups it moves on to conventional channels in the same bank or to the next active bank If the scanner finds a talkgroup in one of your active Scan Lists you will begin to hear that communication and the scanner will of course display the proper talkgroup number When the communication ends the scanner will wait for 2 seconds for any further replies and if none the scanner will move to the conve...

Page 43: ...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 UBCT8 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 ad...

Page 44: ...de 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 decim...

Page 45: ...o select 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 When the scanner ...

Page 46: ...umbers 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 onl...

Page 47: ...ead of reprogramming individual radios Another difference between the systems is that Type I systems are arranged in a Fleet Subfleet hierarchy For example its possible for a city using a Type I system to designate 4 Fleets each with 8 Subfleets Their fleets might be the Police Department the Fire Department Utilities and Administration The Police may decide to further divide their fleet into subf...

Page 48: ...ollowing complete conversations then you ll have to program your own Fleet Map 1 Press and hold for 1 5 seconds and select the bank you want to change 2 Use the or key to select Type 1 system then press 3 Use the or key to select then press 4 Use the or key to select the map you want then press The scanner returns to FLEET Map list item You will now begin to see Type I Fleet Subfleet IDs For examp...

Page 49: ...s known as the Base Spacing Frequencies and Offset Channels for each system To find these out check 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 for 1 5 seconds and select the bank you want to change 2 Use the or key to select Motorola Type2 VHF or ...

Page 50: ...for 1 5 seconds and select the bank you want to change 2 Use the or key to select Motorola TYPE2 800MHz Motorola Type2 VHF or Motorola Type2 UHF then press 3 Use the or key to select then press 4 Use the or key to select or then press The scanner returns to Status Bit list item When this function is activated trunking is performed using Control Channel data only Voice channel also known as DATA ch...

Page 51: ...th may have added new frequencies or you can use it to discover new systems by simply finding active control channels using Search and then programming them for Control Channel operation only Remember that this feature only applies to Motorola 800 systems that you do have to set the proper system type 800 MHz of Type 1 or Type 2 and you do have to program the Control Channel frequency into memory ...

Page 52: ...e scanner end of the RS232C straight cable into the remote port which is on the rear of the scanner Plug the other end of the cable DB 9 serial connector into a personal computer s serial port A few PC s may require an adapter most will not Of course make sure your PC is turned ON You can program and control your scanner remotely from a PC using Uniden s UBCT8 Scanner software After connecting the...

Page 53: ...nformation on purchasing UBCT8 Scanner software to program and control your UBCT8 you can contact the following PC Control Parameter For your information Transfer speed 9600 19200 38400 57600 bps adjustable Start Stop bit 1 bit 1 bit Data Length 8 bit Parity Check None Code ASCII code Flow Control None Return Code Carriage Return only You will need to purchase a RS232C straight cable a null modem ...

Page 54: ...ng frequencies talkgroup IDs delay settings etc After connecting the two scanners turn the radios ON Prepare each scanner for clone mode as follows After connecting the two scanners make sure the scanners are turned off 1 While you press and hold turn the radio on for each scanner 2 Determine the scanner which has the frequency data that you want to transfer This one must be set up as the First Un...

Page 55: ...a transfer is complete displays If the data transfer is not successful the following error message will appear To clear press decimal key Once you have completed the cloning of the scanners reset the scanners by turning the scanners OFF and then ON again This is particularly important to know if you wish to clone another scanner right away Note ...

Page 56: ... the source of the noise If possible a higher elevation may provide better reception Disconnect the power to the unit before cleaning Clean the outside of the scanner with a mild detergent To prevent scratches do not use abrasive cleaners or solvents Be careful not to rub the LCD window Do not use excessive amounts of water Do not attempt any repair The scanner contains no user serviceable parts A...

Page 57: ... multi band antenna Check with your dealer or local electronics store 1 Adjust squelch threshold refer to page 14 Setting the Squelch 2 Check the antenna connection 3 Check to see if many of the channels are Locked Out If so the scanner has less chance of finding an active channel 4 Review each channel s frequency to see if it is still stored in Memory and is correct 5 It s possible that none of t...

Page 58: ... frequency used for the data channel Check your frequency list 1 Change a Type 1 scanner setup Review Fleet Map Programming on page 44 2 Try another Preset Fleet Map or Program your own Fleet Map 3 Check to see that all of the system s frequencies have been entered 1 May be a telephone interconnect call which are intentionally blocked by your scanner 2 The ID on your display is not active 1 Logica...

Page 59: ... diameter Power Requirements AC Adapter 12V DC 500mA Antenna Telescopic Antenna included Window Mount Antenna included Antenna Jack BNC type External Jacks External Speaker EXT SP 3 5 mm DC 12 V Power Jack center is positive Remote Control REMOTE Jack DB 9 Size 7 06 in W x 6 10 in D x 2 44 in H 176 5mm W x 153 6 D x 50 8mm H Weight 1 1 kg 2 lbs 7 oz Features and specifications are all subject to c...

Page 60: ...e 1 ACT Australian Central Territories 2 NSW New South Wales 3 NT Northern Territory 4 NZ New Zealand 5 QLD Queensland 6 SA South Australia 7 TAS Tasmania 8 VIC Victoria 9 WA Western Australia State Code Order Appendix ...

Page 61: ...Preset Fleet Maps ...

Page 62: ......

Page 63: ... which contains the ID The next two or three digits identify which Fleet is active and the last digit s identifies the Subfleet 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 sys...

Page 64: ...ned 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 be...

Page 65: ...MEMO ...

Page 66: ...MEMO ...

Page 67: ...nty E Used in conjunction with any equipment or parts or as part of a system not manufactured by Uniden or F Where the Serial Number label of the product has been removed or damaged beyond recognition Warranty only valid in the country of original retail sale This warranty covers for one 1 year the Product and included accessories In the event that the Product does not conform to this warranty at ...

Page 68: ...THANKYOU FOR BUYING A UNIDEN PRODUCT 2007 Uniden Australia Pty Limited Uniden New Zealand Limited Printed and custom manufactured in China UBZZ01332ZA 0 ...

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