A versatile all-in-one scanner/warning system that keeps you informed of
nearby police, fire, and other emergency activities, the Uniden BCT8 is
a must for truckers and other mileage-heavy drivers. The foundation of
the BCT8 is its BearTracker technology, which scans for "mobile
extenders"--used by virtually all highway patrol vehicles to communicate
with dispatchers--and alerts the driver when a patrol is within a
three-mile radius. The technology is far more efficient than a radar
detector, as it doesn't wait until you're under surveillance before
alerting you to the highway patrol's presence. The remainder of the time,
the BCT8 scans its 250 user-programmable channels (five banks of 50
channel each) for active transmissions and switches to the channel once
it detects a broadcast. The unit's scannable frequency coverage includes
all of the most interesting "action" bands, including police,
fire/emergency, business/industrial, amateur radio, utilities, weather,
marine, aircraft, and more. In addition to scanning for active frequencies, the BCT8 can also
search for the same frequencies. The difference is simple: scannable
frequencies have been programmed into the BCT8's channel bank, whereas
searchable frequencies have not. Thus a comprehensive search can find a
host of transmissions from unknown or rarely used frequencies--a nice
bonus for the radio enthusiast. During search mode, the scanner reviews
100 frequencies per second (with 12.5 kHz steps) at normal speeds or up
to 300 frequencies per second (with 5 kHz steps) at turbo speed.
Perhaps the BCT8's most valuable function, however, is its TrunkTracker
technology. TrunkTrackers follow "trunked" radio systems, which are used
by many public service agencies to accommodate a large volume of
emergency radio users. Rather than assign a specific frequency to each
group of users, "trunked" systems let groups share frequencies--a must
for many larger markets. The problem for scanners is that trunking
systems often assign users to different frequencies after a
conversational pause, making it difficult to track a single discussion.
The TrunkTracker overcomes this by determining the users' "talkgroup ID,
" which remains constant throughout the process. Thus, whenever a group
is assigned a new frequency, you can jump to that frequency as well. No
more losing track of an emergency situation just because the radio
transmissions have dried up for a bit.
The BCT8 even makes it possible to track several trunking systems at
once, or to scan conventional and trunking systems at the same time. And
drivers who maintain favorite frequencies can designate them as priority
channels (one per bank). The scanner will then check your priority
channels every two seconds while it scans each bank, so you'll never
miss an important transmission. Additional features include search
lockouts, which lets you lock out frequencies that have continuous or
uninteresting communications; preprogrammed highway patrol frequencies
by state (except Hawaii); and an easy-to-read backlit display that
excels in low-light situations.
Finally, the BCT8 is PC programmable, letting you easily program all
essential frequencies and talkgroup IDS into the scanner through
Uniden's BCT8 scanning software. The BCT8 measures 7.06 by 2.44 by 6.1
inches (W x H x D) and is backed by a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box
BCT8 scanner, AC adapter, DC power cord, cigarette
lighter adapter plug, telescopic antenna, window-mount antenna,
TrunkTracker frequency guide, other printed materials, remote
programming software demo CD-ROM, mobile mounting bracket, user's manual.
