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Sometimes the best ideas are sitting right in front of your face and you don't
even realize it. They are so close that you look past them and see the same
picture as everyone else. That's when you're walking the dog or driving to work
when the little light bulb goes off in your head!
While most manufacturers are continuing to fill the scanner market with more and more models with extended receive coverage and "kitchen sink" features, it's when a fresh approach comes along. And that's what we have with the new line of AM/FM alarm clock radio scanners from Uniden. The BC244CLT, BC248CLT, and BC278CLT are three of their latest innovations. While it's an interesting idea on paper, what's the final result? How well do they work in the real world? Let's delve under the surface and find out! What follows are my personal impressions regarding the features and performance of this receiver. This, in no way, should be viewed as an endorsement to purchase this radio nor is it intended to discourage anyone from buying it. I have no personal nor business relations with Uniden. These are simply thoughts offered to my fellow hobbyists who may be interested in purchasing this particular radio or simply knowing more about it. A lot of hard work and effort has gone into the testing and writing of this review. I would appreciate it if every effort is made to keep this document whole with me as the original author. Of course, it doesn't hurt that this document is copyrighted and therefore protected by US law and international treaties governing intellectual property. Except for personal use, and for the sake of brief passages quoted in reviews and given appropriate credit, no part of this work may be reproduced in any forms or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the author. And if you want to share your thoughts about this review with me or have further questions, feel free to send e-mail. Thank you and enjoy!
Rich Wells |
| Channels | 100 |
|---|---|
| Banks | 5 |
| Coverage | 0.52-1.72 29-54 88-174 406-512 806-956 MHz |
| Scan | 22 chan/sec |
| Search | 22 steps/sec |
| Steps | 5/10/12.5/100 kHz |
| Modes | AM, FM & WFM |
| Sensitivity | As listed in the manual : |
| Conversion | Double |
| Priority | 5 channels |
| Search limits | 1 |
| Search skip | 10 frequencies |
| Auto-store | No |
| S-meter | No |
| Delay | Yes |
| Lockout | Yes |
| Attenuator | No |
| Lock | No |
| Tone codes | No |
| Computer intf | No |
| Rotary control | No |
| Channel count | No |
| Data skip | Yes |
| Clock | Yes |
| Timers | Alarm |
| Weather | Yes |
| Weather Alert | Yes |
| Light | Display |
| Power | AC: 10V, 300mA |
| Audio | 0.6-0.7 W at 10% THD |
| Size | 205(W) x 139(D) x 73(H) mm 8.1(W) x 5.4(D) x 2.9(H) in |
| Weight | 653g/1.4 lbs |
| Memory | non-volatile |
The section title Getting Started explains how to connect to power, set up the VHF/UHF and AM antennas, and use of an external speaker. Nice to see them mention that an optional multiband antenna may be needed if signal reception is weak.
The Operation section details the functionality of all the controls, keys, and LCD indicators making it a handy reference for those not already familiar with Uniden models or scanners in general.
When you come to the first "real" section which explains how to set the clock, you know you're not dealing with a run-of-the-mill model!
The next section is on Scanning and explains how the memory banks work. Programming and deletion of frequency data is covered as well as how to directly access individual memory channels. Programming of the priority channel is covered followed by individual channel lockout and delay settings.
The section on Searching covers how to make use of the lower and upper search limits to hunt for new signals in the specified frequency range.
Service scan is discussed next which includes a number of pre-programmed frequencies for the police, fire/emergency, aircraft, and marine services.
Weather scanning allows reception on any of the 7 pre-programmed NOAA weather frequencies. Not only can the BC278 make use of the new, digital SAME weather alerts, reception of such alerts can be tailored for individual users through the use of FIPS codes.
The section titled Additional Features covers the LCD backlight, storing AM and FM radio frequencies, and use of the alarm clock.
About The Unit covers helpful hints for using the radio as well as details on where to inquire about problems or send the unit for service. This is the only section where I detected a typographical error.
The Technical Specifications section is the most detailed I have seen on a Uniden model in quite some time! Sensitivity figures are actually listed for five VHF/UHF reception bands but unfortunately not for AM/FM broadcast reception.
The included Frequency guide is the same one Uniden has been supplying for I don't know how many years. While targeted at the new listener who has no idea of where to tune for the action, its age is making even this limited reference less and less useful.
For example, in my area, the Wilmington, Charlotte and Durham areas listings show older frequencies which have very limited use due to the migration to the large 800 MHz trunked radio systems now in use.
Construction and Physical
While advertising photos make this radio look quite attractive in black, the
radio is actually is dark gray in color. A quick glance might even fool you
into thinking you're in the company of the previous generation BC860XLT due to
the radio's overall size, configuration, and large VOLUME and SQUELCH controls
in the right hand corner.
The top panel slopes upward for easier visibility and accessibility, and can be roughly divided into four quadrants. In the upper left quadrant is the display and major mode keys (off, scanner, radio, weather & alarm). The speaker grill occupies the upper right. The rest of the operational keys are in the lower left while the previously mentioned VOLUME and SQUELCH controls dominate the lower right.
The back panel contains the AC power jack, 1/8" external speaker jack, two AM antenna spring clip terminals, and BNC antenna jack.
Did you catch that? An AC power jack! The AC adapter is plugged into your household outlet and delivers 10 volts of AC to the scanner. Anyone out there have an idea of why this is? I sure hope it's more than Uniden's attempt to corner the market on 10 volt AC adapters so that owners have to come to them instead of being able to run down to the local RadioShack and pick up a replacement. Surely it won't take RadioShack too long to offer their own version of this AC adapter?
The bottom panel holds the expected FCC ID sticker along with six rubber feet to help prevent the radio from sliding around. Interestingly, four of these feet are large and occupy the outside corners. Two very small rubber feet are found just in front of the two larger feet along the front edge.
The right, left and front panels are barren.
Antenna
The stock antenna is the typical "cheapy" unit Uniden supplies with all their
other base models. It is a 4-section telescoping whip that measures roughly 22"
when fully extended. The "cheesy" part is the BNC connector which is made of
plastic and is designed to simply be pressed onto the rear panel BNC antenna
jack. Unlike past versions, I was surprised that the whip portion attached
securely to the base lug via a screw. Previous versions of this type antenna
simply pressed the whip into a socket in the metal lug and I've had more than
one come loose.
For the beginners or those who do keep this radio on a night stand next to the bed, this antenna will do the job for your most casual VHF/UHF listening. To get the most performance out of this radio, you'll want to look into purchasing a better after market model from a local RadioShack or scanner dealer.
The BC278 also comes with an AM loop antenna for better reception of the AM broadcast or mediumwave (MW) band. This type of antenna is nothing more than a length of wire which runs along the perimeter of a plastic frame. This frame is about 7 inches wide and 6 inches high, and mounts to a provided stand which allows it to site upright. Once connected to the two spring terminals on the back panel, it allows you to position this antenna for best AM broadcast reception.
Without this antenna installed I picked up only one AM station. After attaching it, I was able to easily receive over a dozen stations in the late afternoon.
And yes, the FM broadcast band uses the antenna connected to the BNC jack and not one integrated into the power cord like most clock radios.
Features
All of the keys are the typical rubber compound you find in Uniden models. All
are colored in black and label text can be found on them as well as above them
on some.
Each keypress is accompanied by a beep which does change in accordance with the VOLUME setting. Key feedback is OK, but nothing great. Presses require quite a bit of pressure and they are a bit "spongy" feeling. Most of the keys are well sized and generously spaced.
Since there is an independent OFF key, that means you can pick a good volume setting and just leave it there between listening sessions. Of course this is a must since many will use this as an alarm clock and will set the loudness of the wake up radio station using the VOLUME control.
The LCD is large and contains "meaty" numerics for both time and frequencies. That, coupled with its readability from various angles make it easy on the eyes. Even the LCD indicators are large in size.
The LCD does have a constant backlight generated by two green LEDs located on both ends. The resultant illumination is well distributed and makes for easy nighttime viewing. During the day you can't even tell it's on.
After turning it on in any of the modes, the backlight goes into "bright" mode. When turned off, "normal" illumination resumes after 10 seconds. The radio also does this if you sit on an AM or FM radio station. Once off, any key pressed turns on the "bright" setting for an additional 10 seconds. There is no way to turn the backlight off but I did not find it to bother me sitting right next to the bed at night.
Audio power is respectable and can be cranked up nearly all the way before some distortion sets in. Fidelity on VHF/UHF is OK. Commercial aircraft signals are a bit more muffled than I'd like though. Fidelity on FM broadcast is pretty decent.
Output power via the external speaker jack on the rear panel appears to be a bit more powerful. Unfortunately, when I hooked up a pair of headphones, it revealed its monaural nature with output coming out of only one side. There is a very slight bit of noise when scanning. Luckily there is no "thumping" sound on squelch opening/closing which makes it easy on the ears when using an earphone.
Squelch tails on VHF/UHF signals are a bit longer than I care for.
Speaking of squelch, the BC278 comes with an auto squelch feature designed to remove the "hassles" of having to manually set this control. Most of the time I left it in the auto mode. Occasionally I would take it off automatic and set it at its minimum setting but I did not see that I was missing any signals which is good.
What sets the BC278CLT apart from the competition is the inclusion of an AM/FM radio with alarm clock! There are 10 presets for each band which, once set, are accessible from the numeric keypad. Tuning your favorite frequencies so that they can be stored is the hardest part since you have to press and hold the up arrow key until you reached the desired frequency.
There is one alarm time which you can configure it to use either a simple tone or a selected radio station when it goes off. While the alarm tone volume is not adjustable, those who find it annoying can use the radio mode instead which allows use of the volume control.
Once the alarm goes off, you have three options: let the alarm sound, press any key to enter "snooze" mode, or turn the alarm off. If left alone, the alarm will continue to sound for 15 minutes. Snooze mode silences the alarm for 9 minutes after which it goes off again.
A big problem I have with this radio is this alarm function. Unlike all other typical alarm clocks, there is no way to turn off the alarm but leave it set to go off again the next day (without letting it run for the 15 minutes mentioned above which might tend to annoy your spouse!)
Of all the alarm clocks I have used, there is usually one button to go into snooze mode, and another to silence the alarm but leave it set to go off the next day. This second function is not available on the BC278CLT, meaning that you have to turn off the alarm when it goes off (usually when you get up), and then remember to turn it back on (usually when you go to bed). Hello? Do the Uniden designers live in a test tube? Have they never used a "real" alarm clock before? I had previously thought that alarm clock functions were a pretty universal constant.
Granted, most of us already have AM/FM alarm clocks on our night stand but why should we need to clutter it up with two devices? If Uniden truly means for this radio to be integrated into people's lives as a useful device, then the alarm clock feature needs to fall in line with the rest of the industry. Until then, this should be classified as a scanner with a AM/FM pseudo-alarm clock.
One item which is bound to cause some confusion is manual's lack of verbiage concerning the DATA key. While it is mentioned in the controls and LCD section of the manual, there is no coverage given to using this key in any other part of the manual!
The DATA key enables and disables use of the data skip feature designed to skip over frequencies with no modulation on them. These are typically birdie frequencies. Unlike some Uniden models, the BC278CLT supports this feature while scanning or searching and even when using Service Scan.
Memory
On the VHF/UHF scanning side, the BC278CLT comes with 5 banks of 20 channels
each. Like most other Uniden models, each channel can be individually locked
out or have its delay setting enabled to help catch replies when scanning.
Channel contents are erased, as usual, by programming a frequency value of 0.
Memory can be "navigated" by using the MANUAL, arrow, and numerical keys. Successive presses of MANUAL increment to the next memory channel. This is the same as pressing the up arrow key. Pressing the down arrow key goes in the opposite direction. And, as expected, keying in a memory channel number using the numeric keypad followed by MANUAL goes directly to that channel.
When using the AM/FM broadcast radio bands, there are 10 presets for each. The biggest pain here is that you have to scroll to the desired frequency starting from either end of the respective band by pressing and holding down one of the arrow key buttons. In other words, you can't directly input the desired frequency like you can when programming VHF/UHF frequencies.
Once they are programmed, accessing each of the presets is as easy as pressing the respective number on the keypad.
Scanning
Once memory has been programmed to your liking, a simple press of the SCAN key
is all that's needed to put the radio into action. While scanning, the SCAN
indicator appears at the top of the display and when receiving no signal, the
word 'SCAN' scrolls across the display.
The five scan banks are toggled on and off for scanning by simply pressing the respective bank number key. Numerals along the top of the display next to the BANK indicator show which banks are currently in the scanning sequence.
When activity is detected, the scanner stops on that frequency to monitor the transmission. While doing so, the display shows the active frequency and memory channel number while the associated bank numeral blinks.
Scanning can be forced to resume by pressing the SCAN key and undesired signals can be locked out of the scanning sequence by press LOCKOUT. When stopped on a frequency, its delay setting can be toggled on and off via the DELAY key.
As mentioned earlier, the data skip feature can be enabled while scanning as long as there is at least one FM mode frequency and priority is not enabled.
My measurements of the scanning speed using all five banks programmed up as I normally have them place it at 22 channels/second.
Related to scanning is the Service Scan feature which is designed to scan one of the preprogrammed banks of service frequencies. The BC278CLT contains preprogrammed banks for the police, fire/EMS, aircraft, and weather services. Successive presses of the SERVICE key toggles through each of these banks as indicated on the display.
Once a service bank has been selected, scanning starts automatically. Just like "normal" scanning, 'SCAN' scrolls across the display until an active frequency is detected. At this point, the active frequency is displayed on the LCD while listening to the transmission. The delay feature can be used and each bank has its own delay setting.
It's also nice to be able to press HOLD to stop this scan and then use the arrow keys to examine the contents of the scan banks for the actual frequencies being used.
You also have the ability to lock out individual frequencies during the Service Scan. While I did not see any mention of it in the manual, it appears that up to 20 frequencies (a VERY paltry number when you consider that some of the banks can hold over 2,000 frequencies) can be locked out in this manner. Trying to lock out more than this number simply removes the oldest locked out frequency to make room for the latest one.
Searching
The BC278CLT comes with a single search limit which can be programmed to search
between any pair of receivable frequencies of your choosing. Once programmed,
the SEARCH key is pressed, the SEARCH indicator appears on the LCD, and the
display shows the frequencies as they are being checked for activity. Searches
proceed in a numerically increasing direction (upward) but unfortunately can
not be made to search in the downward direction.
The search is stopped to listen to activity and then resumes when the transmission goes away. Like scanning, a delay can be enabled to wait for a response before searching resumes. Up to 10 bothersome frequencies can be locked out thereby preventing them from being checked in successive passes.
To stay "parked" on an active frequency, the HOLD key can be pressed. At this point, the ENTER key can be pressed to store the displayed frequency into the memory channel designated by the flashing numeral along the left hand side of the LCD. The arrow keys can also be used to step about the frequency spectrum at will (but within the frequency limits being searched).
As mentioned earlier, the data skip feature can be enabled while searching as long as AM receive mode frequencies are not being searched.
My measurements place the search speed at 22 steps/second.
Priority
Like most Uniden models, the BC278CLT comes with five priority channels; one
for each memory bank. By default, the first channel of each memory bank is
designated as the priority channel for that bank. Priority channels are
designated while in memory mode by the appearance of a large P next to the
memory channel number.
When priority is enabled (indicated by the PRI indicator on the LCD), the frequencies in each priority memory channel for the banks being scanned (or where being scanned if in manual mode) are checked every 2 seconds for activity. And it's easy to change the priority channel to any channel within a memory bank.
Priority operation can be enabled via the PRIORITY key while scanning but no can do while searching. And if data skip is active, priority will automatically turn it off, and prevent it from being turned back on while it's active.
Weather Alert
Pressing the WX key puts the radio into weather scan mode where it looks for
activity on one of the 7 pre-programmed NOAA weather frequencies used
throughout the US. If one is located, it stops on the frequency thereby
allowing you to monitor weather details.
The BC278CLT comes with a weather alert feature designed to alert you to severe weather broadcasts which usually warn of potentially life threatening situations such as flooding, severe thunderstorms, tornados, etc. Once you've used the above procedure to locate the NOAA weather frequency in your area, the WX key is pressed again to enable the alert feature.
Once done, the audio is muted, the ALERT indicator appears on the LCD, and the radio is in "standby" mode, waiting for the emergency tone to be transmitted on the NOAA weather frequency. When it is detected, a LOUD siren is sounded to alert you which is then followed by monitoring of the NOAA frequency for details on the threat. The system is usually tested once per week at the same time so be sure to look at the display to determine the type of alert that was just broadcast.
The BC278CLT also employs the SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) weather "technology" which is a new digital system designed to provide severe weather details to residents in specific areas, and not to just anyone within reception distance of the weather frequency.
This signal is targeted by using what are called FIPS (Federal Information Processing System) codes. If you visit the NOAA web site (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm) and look at the FIPS codes for your area, you're likely to find that they are divided up and specified by counties.
The BC278CLT allows up to 15 FIPS codes to be stored. If you program any FIPS codes, then the severe weather alert will only sound when a broadcast is made with a FIPS code that matches one you've programmed. A good idea here would most likely be to program not only the FIPS code for your county, but also for all counties which surround yours (but you'll want to check the coverage area for the NOAA frequencies in your area to be sure).
As mentioned earlier, once the radio is in weather alert, it is helpless to perform any other task. I tried pressing the ALARM key to enable it but no luck. For grins I decided to set the alarm first, then enter weather alert mode. Sure enough, this worked. But not without problems.
First, once I pressed the ALARM key to silence the alarm and turn it off, I could no longer use any other key (since it was still in weather alert mode). So to have both the alarm and weather alert enabled (I would like to feel safe while I'm sleeping), I would have to turn off weather alert, enable the alarm, go back into weather scan mode, and enable weather alert mode.
Secondly, even though I enabled the alarm to wake up in radio mode, it used tone mode instead. Sometimes you just can't win...
VHF/UHF Performance
I always start with a birdie test and true to its nature, this Uniden model
has very few: 12. Gotta like that!
I then attached the antenna, extended it fully, and swept the entire receive range looking for signs of image or intermodulation interference. Not a peep!
I decided to get nasty and connect it up to my 7 foot ground plane which is one of the ultimate tests for home monitoring. I once again swept the entire receive range and only really noticed three TV images in the mid-400s. I also noticed what might have been a couple of weak 800 or cell data channel images in the low part of the civil aero band.
An overall outstanding performance thus far! This radio seems to be devoid of most forms of interference, even when put to the hard tests! But perhaps the BC278CLT is simply quite deaf and that's why it is so immune to signal overload?
I put the stock antenna back on and let all five scan banks rip. These are programmed with the usual frequencies for the first five banks you can find in almost all of my radios. These cover everything from State Highway Patrol on VHF-lo and 400 MHz, to the county Sheriff on VHF-hi, to Fire/EMS on VHF-hi and 400 MHz, to the local police on 800 MHz, to the international airport on my back doorstep.
Let's just say that I was VERY pleased to hear everything loud and clear. It was even pulling in some of the signals that other radios have problems with. These include highway patrol and EMS dispatch frequencies from neighboring counties on VHF-lo and VHF-hi. I was very pleased to have this kind of reception from a stock antenna while sitting on my night stand.
One small nit was reception on 800 MHz which was a tad bit weak. Signals weren't as clear as I would like; a bit too much "scratchiness."
MW Performance
While not what one would call a great AM radio, the BC278CLT does a decent
enough job while using the loop antenna. The secret here is to rotate the
antenna for best signal reception. And you'd be surprised what you pick up at
night if you listen closely!
| Category | Score | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Sensitivity | 15 | 25 |
| Selectivity | 5 | 15 |
| Interference rejection | 20 | 20 |
| Coverage | 40 | 90 |
| Channels | 0 | 15 |
| Channels per bank | 15 | 15 |
| Ease of use | 20 | 20 |
| Scan/Search speed | 0 | 10 |
| Receive modes | 5 | 15 |
| Step sizes | 0 | 25 |
| Conversion | 0 | 10 |
| Audio | 10 | 20 |
| Antenna | 5 | 20 |
| Construction | 5 | 20 |
| Size | 10 | 15 |
| Search | 15 | 35 |
| Attenuator | 0 | 20 |
| Auto-store | 0 | 20 |
| Search frequency lockout | 5 | 15 |
| Backlight | 15 | 30 |
| Alpha-tagging | 0 | 20 |
| VFO | 0 | 10 |
| Squelch tail | 5 | 10 |
| Priority | 10 | 20 |
| Delay | 10 | 15 |
| Hold | 0 | 10 |
| Rotary Control | 0 | 10 |
| S-meter | 0 | 10 |
| Power-on resume | 0 | 10 |
| Computer Interface | 0 | 20 |
| Tone Decode | 0 | 15 |
| Battery indicator | 0 | 10 |
| Channel count | 0 | 5 |
| Tape record control | 0 | 5 |
| Clock | 5 | 5 |
| Timers | 5 | 5 |
| Weather programmed | 5 | 5 |
| Weather alert | 5 | 5 |
| Data skip | 5 | 5 |
| Bank delete | 0 | 5 |
| Bank sort | 0 | 5 |
| Total | 235 | 670 |
| Total | 35 | 100 |
It will appeal to beginners on the basis of ease of use along with its great value. Considering all that you get, its price tag from most dealers at well under the $200 mark makes it very hard to resist!
For us old, grizzled veterans, this radio fills a void that has been around for quite a while. By integrating a decent scanner with weather alert and AM/FM radio alarm clock into a small package, it will allow many of us to put all these capabilities into use on the desk or night stand.
That's not to say the BC278CLT is not without its quirks. It is a bit of pain to use and the Uniden designers could definitely use some training in the area of ergonomics as far as the alarm clock and weather alert features go. Luckily, I find this radio so useful that I'm willing to overlook these minor character flaws.
Recommendations
Seeing as how this radio is in a class of its own, it doesn't really have any
competition to speak of. While many scanners can take its place in the VHF/UHF
realm, they will most certainly lack the AM/FM coverage with alarm clock and
you can be sure they won't be able to measure up in terms of the SAME weather
alert with FIPS codes.
This radio should serve as an excellent model for those who are new to the hobby. Combining all these features into one small package that is easily accessible from the night stand will make it easier to justify its purchase.
Consider the large, easy to read display, large, well spaced and legible keys, frequency coverage, alarm clock, weather alert, ease of use, and performance, you've got a number of good reasons to start saving your pennies!
If money is tight, you might also consider the BC244CLT and BC248CLT radios which are of a similar heritage. Stepping down to the BC248CLT looses 800 MHz and aircraft coverage, 50 channels, weather alert, and Service Scan. The BC244CLT is similar to the 248 but only supplies 30 channels.
For many of us who have tried various radios on the night stand and come away frustrated, this may be just the ticket. While its price is much to high to justify it as a dedicated weather alert radio, it would make a great second receiver for the garage or basement.
What I can say is that I've had number of radios at my bedside and all have been too large and bulky to cut the mustard. The BC278CLT will not only fit the bill in this regard, it also has the performance and features to make this one a keeper!
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If you are interested in purchasing one of these radios or simply want more information, please stop by their web site or write Lee at lee@leeselect.com.
| Copyright © 2010 by Richard J. Wells |
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