Included in the Box:
• BCT15X Scanner
• 12 VDC AC Adapter
• Telescoping Antenna
• 4' PC Serial Cable
• DIN Sleeve
• Mounting Bracket and hardware
• Cigar lighter socket Power cord
• 3-wire power cord
• Manual on CDROM
Antenna
The BCT15X uses the same BNC antenna mount as the other Uniden mobile scanners recently and the included antenna works well for casual
use. You will likely want to use an external antenna at home or in a vehicle for more serious listening.
Power Adaptor
The included AC adaptor has changed to a 750 mAh switching wall-wart style (the older 996 and BCT15 had larger non-switching supplies).
The advantage of the switching supply is that it is lighter and smaller and generates less heat as well as drawing less AC power to generate the
same DC power.
Serial Cable
The BCT15X comes with the same RS232 serial cable as other Uniden scanners. Since most computers these days do not have the venerable
Serial Port anymore you must use a USB solution. You have 2 main alternatives. One is the USB-1 cable made by Uniden
(http://www.scannermaster.com/USB_Cable_p/01-551038.htm). This cable will connect directly to a USB port and may be used to program
and control any of the Uniden models it fits, including the BCT15X. The Uniden USB cable is available through Scanner Master.
Software
So far the Uniden UASD software for the BCT15X has not been released, it should be available soon. For previous digital scanners (BCD396T
and BCD996T) UASD has been a free download or included on a CD with the radio, while the analog radios the software has been an extra
cost option. It is expected that Uniden will continue to do so eventually for the BCT15X. While the UASD software performs its functions, it
has never been seen as an elegant solution. There are other software packages available for the BCT15X. These include ARC-XT from Butel
(http://www.scannermaster.com/ARCXT_346XT_396XT_s/397.htm) and others.
The BCT15X supports not only computer programming like most scanners these days but also computer control. Control allows one to log
activity over a period of time, remote access and viewing of scanner activity on a computer rather than the radio display. It also allows use of
the Uniden RH-96 Remote Scanner Head.
The BCT15X supports firmware upgrades, done via the programming cable. This allows updates to features and bug fixes. So far all updates
and fixes have been free, but Uniden has hinted at using this ability to add new features for a fee while keeping fixes and minor updates for
free. Updates to prior radios have included digital decoding fixes, changing parameters for the Fire Tone Out mode and setting up the radio for
rebanded trunked systems. One firmware update has already been released for the BCT15X, this allows Unit ID's to be displayed on trunked
radio systems.
Owner's Manual (on CD-ROM only)
What's NOT in the box is a paper owner's manual. There is a CD that contains a PDF version of the manual. The PDF manual is well
bookmarked with web style links that make it pretty easy to find what you are looking for. Some people will miss the printed manual, the older
radios' manuals were compact and fit the glove box well. Buyers of the BCT15X will have to deal with viewing on a computer or printing the
manual themselves. The manual however has not been optimized for printing, at least not yet.
Comparisons and Observations
