Another variation on Motorola trunking is digital. This combines the use of P25 digital voice on a standard Motorola Type II trunked system.
These systems can thus use both digital and analog radios. Since the BCT15X is an analog only radio you will not be able to monitor the digital
conversations with this radio.
EDACS
EDACS(r) Trunking, formerly sold by G.E., is now sold by Harris Communications and may be used by business or government users. There
are a few variations that the BCT15X supports, including "Wide" (most 800 MHz. systems) "Narrow" (most UHF and 900 MHz. systems),
SCAT (Single channel sites) and ESK (EDACS Security Key). EDACS systems can be set up as a single site or networked.
The ESK feature allows managers of trunking systems to control what radios operate on the system and changed the data format that scanners
use to track the system. Older EDACS scanners would not track ESK systems, the BCD396XT was the first Uniden to do so, the BCT15X
continues.
LTR
Logic Trunked Radio is used mostly by businesses, often on UHF. It is different from Motorola, APCO25 and EDACS in that it does not used
dedicated control channels, but sends system information on the voice channels. You can tell when an LTR system is in use by the occasional
silent transmissions sent on an otherwise unused channel.
Trunking Notes
Trunked System Search
The BCT15X and some other Uniden scanners have a Search feature that allows you to look for Motorola trunked system control channels and
then track the systems it finds. Since Motorola systems control channels transmit the information needed to track the system in most instances
the radio will automatically track the trunked system and display active talkgroups. When editing a Custom Search set the "C-CH Only" option
in the Search Options menu to make this feature work.
The radio will also work in a similar method with LTR systems. It will not work on EDACS systems.
Automatic System Identification
One feature that Motorola trunked systems has is an identification number for each trunked system. These are called System ID's, or SysID for
short. Each Motorola trunked system has a unique 4-digit ID code that is in a Hex format. This ID code is used to allow only radios with the
correct programming from accessing the system. For scanner users it can act as a type of Trunked System fingerprint. Several scanners and
software applications can decode this 4-digit ID code, you then look it up in your files or by searching the Internet to see who it is.
The BCT15X and some other Uniden scanners (including the BC346XT, BC330, BCD396XT and BCD996XT) take this a step further. Set up
a "Custom Search" and select the "C-CH Only" option and set the radio to search a band segment. The radio will search for Motorola trunked
control channels and when it finds one will look into its internal database for that systems SysID. If it is listed (and it probably is!) it will
display the System's name while the system is tracked.
This feature only works on Motorola 3600 Baud trunked systems, it does not work on EDACS or LTR systems.
Unit ID's: Look Who's talking now
The BCT15X now allows one to view trunked Unit ID's. With Firmware version 1.03.00 or later, available from Uniden at
http://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/BCT15XFirmwareUpdate
you can turn on the Unit ID feature by going to the Settings menu and selecting "Disp Unit ID". This allows you to view the individual radio
ID's when listening to trunked systems using EDACS and Motorola protocols. Every radio on a trunked system has a unique number assigned
to it that allows the system to determine if it is allowed to use the system, what talkgroups it is authorized to use and, in some larger systems,
what towers it will work on. They are also used to set up Private Call conversations.
You can use Unit ID's to help figure out what talkgroups are used for by comparing known ID's and the talkgroups they use. For example, lets
say that you know that radio ID's 1 thru 100 are fire units, 200-300 are police and 500-600 are Street department. You know the regular
