Edit Channel

To determine whether the information on this page applies to your scanner, see the tags at the bottom of the page.

This menu lets you create channels and edit existing channels. All existing channels are listed in alphabetical order: select the channel you want to edit, or select New Channel to create a new one. You can have up to 1000 channels in a conventional system and 500 channels in a trunked system.

When you create a new channel, the scanner prompts you to enter the frequency (in a conventional system) or the Talk Group ID (in a trunked system) for the channel: you can edit these at any time through this menu.

Edit Frequency (conventional systems)

Enter a valid frequency for this band. If the frequency is invalid or if it already exists, the scanner sounds an error tone and prompts you enter the frequency again.

Edit Talk Group ID (trunked systems)

Options available for all channels:

You have the following options for channels (click on any setting for an explanation):

Edit Name

Enter a name or edit the existing one. Names can be 16 characters long, and they can contain upper and lower case letters, punctuation, and spaces. Turn the SELECT-VOLUME-SQUELCH knob on the handheld scanners or the SCROLL / FUNCTION knob on mobile scanners to choose the character you want, then press 6 (right cursor) to move the cursor to the next character.

Set Audio Type

Select the type of audio signal contained on this channel. Choose Digital Only or Analog Only according to the signal type; select All if this channel might contain both digital and analog signals.

Set Number Tag

Assign a number to this system or channel that you can use to tune directly to a specific channel. Choose a number from 0 to 999. (For more information, see Number Tags.)

Set Modulation

Select what type of modulation the scanner should use for this frequency or channel. (Only the modulation types available for this frequency or channel are displayed.)

Auto The scanner uses the default modulation type for this frequency. You can change the default by editing the Band Tables (BCD396XT/BC346XT Band Defaults, BCD996XT Band Defaults, BCT15X Band Defaults).
AM The scanner treats the frequency as AM modulation.
NFM The scanner treats the frequency as Narrowband FM modulation (about 7.5 kHz deviation; also referred to as SNFM in some references).
FM The scanner treats the frequency as FM modulation (about 15 kHz deviation; also referred to as NFM in some references).
WFM The scanner treats the frequency as Wideband FM modulation (over 100 kHz deviation; used for pre-digital conversion TV broadcast reception and similar).
FMB The scanner treats the frequency as FM broadcast modulation (about 75 kHz deviation; used for FM radio station reception and similar).

It is important that you correctly set the modulation type for the channel you are programming. If you program a channel as NFM that is transmitting in FM mode, the audio will sound too loud as compared to correctly programmed channels. Similarly, if you program a channel as FM that is transmitting in NFM mode, the audio will be too quiet as compared to correctly programmed channels. Incorrectly matching the modulation setting to the actual modulation used is the biggest reason for unbalanced audio between channels.

Set Attenuator

Turn on attenuation to reduce the signal strength by 20 dB. This can help to reduce interference and improve reception if you are in an area with high RF levels.

You can turn on attentuation for individual frequencies and channels or for entire sites. If you turn on attenuation for a site, all frequencies within that site will be attenuated.

Set Priority

Choose whether this channel should be flagged as a priority channel so the scanner checks it during priority scans and searches.

Set Alert

This menu lets you configure whether the scanner triggers an alert tone and light whenever this channel or frequency becomes active. (Compare this to the system setting Emergency Alert, which triggers a tone and light when a Talk Group contains an emergency flag.) The available options for Set Alert Tone and Set Alert Light are common to both types of alerts.

Set Record (BCD996XT and BCT15X only)

This item lets you select whether the channel's audio is output from the RECORD OUT jack on the back of the scanner. Note that you must also set the RECORD --> Marked Channel System Option to fully enable this function.

Set Lockout

Decide whether you want to lock out the channel so the scanner will ignore it during Scan and Search modes. Choose one of the following options:

Volume Offset

The scanner can automatically adjust the volume when it tunes to this channel or frequency. Enter one of the following options:

Softer No Change Louder
-3, -2, -1 0 (default) +1, +2, +3

Copy Channel

Copy this channel and all its settings into the buffer. When a channel is stored in the buffer, the scanner adds Paste Channel to the bottom of the Program Channel menu whenever you are editing a compatible system (that is, a system that is the same type as the one you copied the channel from).

Delete Channel

Delete this frequency or channel and all associated settings.

New Channel

Create a new channel.

Analog channel options

The following options are available only when the Audio Type is set to Analog .

Set CTCSS/DCS

(Conventional systems only) Choose one of the following CTCSS/DCS options for this channel:

Off The scanner ignores all CTCSS and DCS tones and opens squelch on any signal.
Search The scanner displays any received CTCSS and DCS tones, but it opens squelch on any signal.
CTCSS The scanner prompts you to enter a CTCSS code; it will only open squelch if the received signal contains a CTCSS tone that matches the one you enter here.
DCS The scanner prompts you to enter a DCS code; it will only open squelch if the received signal contains a DCS tone that matches the one you enter here.
Set Lockout The scanner prompts you to enter a CTCSS or DCS code that you want to lockout for this channel. The scanner will not open squelch if the received signal contains a matching CTCSS or DCS tone.

Digital channel options

The following options are available only when the Audio Type is set to Digital .

P25 NAC Option

Choose whether the scanner limits reception to transmissions that include a specific Network Access Code (NAC) for this system or frequency.

This page applies to the following scanner(s): BCD996XT BCD396XT Users Guide