Home >> Hobbies >> Ham Radio

Electra Bearcat 300 Operating Instructions

The Electra Bearcat 300, also known as the "BC-300," is a radio scanner used for listening to police and other frequencies. The BC-300 was produced during the 1980s as a joint venture of Uniden's "Bearcat" and Masco's "Electra" consumer electronics brands. The scanner had many features that were advanced for its time, including an automatic squelch control, 50 channels and an auxiliary tape recorder control. While the Electra Bearcat 300 is no longer produced, it remains popular with hobbyists due to its many features and easy home repair.

Instructions

- 1
  Insert the power cord, located on the back of the BC-300, into a standard 120-volt AC power outlet. Connect the antenna to the scanner by placing it into the mounting hole on the top of the BC-300 and screwing it counter-clockwise. Extend the antenna completely.
- 2
  Turn the scanner on by rotating the volume control, located on the front of the scanner, clockwise. Adjust the volume knob clockwise or counter-clockwise to raise or lower the sound level. To turn the scanner back off, simply rotate the volume control all the way counter-clockwise.
- 3
  Rotate the squelch knob, which is next to the volume control, counter-clockwise until the marker indicates "Automatic." The scanner will automatically tune out irrelevant background noise while receiving relevant transmissions.
- 4
  Adjust the squelch knob clockwise or counter-clockwise for precise sensitivity control, if desired. The clockwise direction makes the scanner more sensitive to distant broadcasts while the counter-clockwise direction tunes out static. This adjustment is useful for bypassing the automatic squelch filter.
- 5
  Check the numeric display on the front of the scanner. If the numbers are cycling rapidly, the BC-300 is scanning through available radio frequencies. If the numbers are not cycling, press the "SCAN" button to begin scanning. The BC-300 will automatically pause when a radio signal is detected. To stop the scan and to listen to a frequency, press "MANUAL."

Ham Radio