BCT15X System, Site, Group & Channel Options Reference

Summary: A reference to the options found under Edit Sys Option, Edit Site, Edit Group, Edit Channel and Set Frequencies on the BCT15X.

Global System Options (all system types)

• Set Number Tag – a number from 0 to 999 you can use to jump straight to this system.
• Set Delay Time – seconds to wait after a transmission ends before moving on: 0, 1, 2 (default), 5, 10 or 30. Negative values (-2, -5, -10) make the scanner leave after that many seconds even if the transmission is still going.
• Set Record – whether audio goes to the RECORD OUT jack: All Channel, Marked Channel (only channels with Record on) or Off.
• Set State – the US state or Canadian province for this system. The system unlocks when you select that state and locks out when you select a different one.

Conventional System Options

• Set Quick Key – 0 to 99, or tap NO for none.
• Set Startup Key – 0 to 9, or tap NO for none.
• Set Lockout – Unlocked, Temporary L/O (until you next turn the scanner off and on) or Lockout (permanent).
• Set Hold Time – the minimum seconds to stay on this system or site even if nothing is active, 0 to 255 (default 0). The scanner always checks each channel once regardless.

Trunked System Options

• ID Scan/Search – hear only programmed talk groups, or everything not locked out.
• Priority ID Scan – check priority talk groups in this system during priority scanning.
• Emergency Alert – tone and light on an emergency-flagged active talk group.
• Set ID Format – Dec, Hex or AFS.
• Rvw ID:Srch L/O and Clr All L/O IDs – view and clear locked-out talk groups.
• Motorola only: Edit Fleet Map, Set Status Bit (check the status bit in each TGID, or ignore it) and Set End Code (Yes to recognise end-of-transmission codes when leaving a channel, or Ignore to wait for the carrier to drop).

Site Options

• Edit Name, Set Quick Key, Set Startup Key and Set Frequencies
• Set Modulation – Auto, NFM or FM
• Set Attenuator – reduces signal strength by 20 dB for all frequencies in the site
• Set Lockout, Set Hold Time, Set LocationInfo, Set State
• Delete Site and New Site
• Motorola: Edit Band Plan
• EDACS: Set Site Type (Wide or Narrow) and, for SCAT, Volume Offset

Frequency Options (Set Frequencies)

• Edit Frequency, Set Lockout (Temporary Lockout, Lockout or Unlocked), Delete Frequency and New Frequency
• LCN for LTR and EDACS Wide/Narrow
• For EDACS SCAT: Set Number Tag, Volume Offset and Set Record

Group Options

New groups get default names like Group 01 to Group 20.

• Edit Name – up to 16 characters, including upper and lower case letters, punctuation and spaces
• Set Quick Key – 0 to 9 (a Group Quick Key)
• Edit Channel – program the channels in the group
• Set LocationInfo – GPS location for the group
• Set Lockout – locking a group ignores every channel in it
• Delete Group and New Group

Channel Options

Available for every channel (frequency in conventional systems, Talk Group ID in trunked ones):

• Edit Name, Set Number Tag (0 to 999), Set Priority
• Set Alert – alert tone and light when the channel becomes active
• Set Record – send the channel’s audio to RECORD OUT (the system’s Record option must be set to Marked Channel for this to take effect)
• Set Lockout
• Volume Offset – -3 to +3 (0 default) to make quieter or louder channels match
• Copy Channel, Delete Channel, New Channel

Conventional channels also have Set CTCSS/DCS, Set Modulation and Set Attenuator.

System-Level Actions

• Copy System – duplicates a system including its sites, groups, channels and frequencies, and prompts for a new name.
• Delete System – removes the system and everything in it.
• New System – creates another.

Set LocationInfo

Used by location-based scanning. Enter the latitude and longitude of the centre of the system, site or group, then the range (0.5 to 125.0 miles or km, in 0.5 steps, depending on your Set Unit GPS setting), and turn Set GPS Enable on. The scanner uses degrees, minutes and seconds (for example 44 58′ 12.79″ N). See BCT15X GPS, Location-Based Scanning & Programming Locations.

Volume Offset

Sets automatic volume adjustment when the scanner tunes to a channel: -3, -2, -1 (softer), 0 (default, no change), or +1, +2, +3 (louder). The current offset shows as V+0 and can be adjusted from Hold mode with FUNCTION + 5.