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23
Understanding Scanning and the BCT15
the channels, then press the GQK within 2 seconds. Systems can have up to 20
channel gr oups, and m ul tiple c hannel gr oups can be assigned to the sam e GQK.
What is Scanning?
Unlike standard AM or FM radio stati ons, m ost two-way communications do not
tr ansm it con ti nu ously. You r BC T15 scan s pr og ra m me d chan ne ls until it fi nds an
acti ve frequency, then s tops on that frequency and r emains on that c hannel as
long as the transmission continues. When the transmission ends, the scanning
cycle resumes un til th e scanner rece ive s anot her t ra nsmissio n.
What is Searching?
The BCT15 can search each of its 13 service search ranges and up to 10 custom
search ran g es to fin d active freq u en cies. Th is is different fro m sca nn in g because
you ar e searching for fr equencies that have not been progr ammed into the
scanner ’s channels. You set the upper and the lower values of the range and then
the scanner searches for any active frequency within the limits you speci fy. W hen
the scan ne r find s an active fr eq ue ncy, it stops o n that freq u ency a s lo ng as the
tra nsmissio n la sts. If you think the frequ en cy is interest in g, you can pr og ra m it int o
the scanner’s memory. If not, you can continue to search.
What is CTCSS/DCS?
You r scanner ca n monitor syst ems using a Continuous Tone Co ded Sq ue lch
Syst em (CTCSS ) and Dig ita l Coded S que lch (DCS ) system, wh ich allo w squelch
to open only when the tone you have pr ogrammed with a specific frequency is
received along with a tr ansmission.
CTCSS an d DCS are sub-a udib le tone signa ling syst ems some time s ref erred t o
as PL or D PL (Motor ola’s tr adem ar ked term s for Private Line and D igi tal Pr ivate
Line respecti vely). C TCSS and D CS ar e used only for FM s ignals and are us ually
associated w ith both amateur and commercial two-way frequencies. These
systems m ake use o f a spe cia l sub-audib le t one that acco mp anies a transmit t ed
signal.
CTCSS and DCS are used for many purposes. In many cases, CTCSS and DCS
are used to restr ic t access to a c om m er ci al r epeater, so that only those units which
transmi t the correct tone along with their signal can “talk” to the repeater.
CTCSS and DCS are also used in areas that receive interfer ence where there are
se v er al stations w ith ou tpu t fr equ enci es close to e ach other. When this occ ur s, y ou
might hear multiple communi cations on the same frequency. The stations might