I have recently released a program for generating Bearcat 101 switch codes.
It has a few other goodies as well. Details are at
http://members.aol.com/xfire905/bcprog.htm.

And now, to prove that I'm actually here to have a conversation, not just
to plug my little program [which, I absolutely swear, I will NOT do forty
times a week]... Who else in here has a BC101? I was given one back in
February by the original owner, who bought it just after it was first
introduced in the mid-1970's. Said he didn't need it any more. Well, I'm
sure having fun with it! Interesting old unit, this one... I got a
photocopy of the manual and code book, but you BC101 owners know how
incomplete that book is, so I went to work on writing a code generator for
myself because I knew I'd need it.

I'd like to know if any of you have any real experience with programming
out-of-band frequencies. I'm sure the receive sensitivity is going to drop
off outside of the published bands, but how sharply? Just how far
out-of-band can the BC101 go? I REALLY doubt it would actually go all the
way down to 10.745 MHz, but that's the lowest frequency represented by the
lowest possible switch sequence [all switches UP in the low band]. Might
it be possible to pick up, say, the 10m ham band - assuming, of course,
there are FM signals? That's not too far below the 30 MHz given in the
specs.

I have a BC101 that has been in storage for about
5yrs now. A while back I wrote a Visual Basic version
that would calculate the switch combos using the
instructions from the manual.

I was never able to get the programming to "take"
when attempting an out of band frequency. In cases
like this, reception on an image frequency was always
quite good.

Beware, there's a voltage regulator bolted to the inside
of the chassis that gets quite hot and has a tendency of
failing. I presume because no heatsink compound was
used during manufacture. You might want to add some to
yours.

-N3KCT

"N3KCT" wrote in message
...
I have a BC101 that has been in storage for about
5yrs now. A while back I wrote a Visual Basic version
that would calculate the switch combos using the
instructions from the manual.

Did you ever distribute it?

I have VB6 here, but I never use it, and I don't really know how to code
for Windows. What I need is a really basic [pardon the pun] started
guide - "Visual Basic 6 for Dummies" or something like that. Older
dialects like PDS, though, which I used for BCPROG... I can usually
accomplish what I'm trying to do with that. I started out on TRS BASIC in
1978, but the first computer I owned was a Timex/Sinclair 1000. So, I've
been using dinosaur dialects for a long time, but I've just never learned
"visual" programming. I wouldn't mind being able to do a version of BCPROG
for Windows, though!

BCPROG works just fine in a DOS box. I compiled it so it should run on
just about any class of PC all the way back to 8088-based XT's.

I was never able to get the programming to "take"
when attempting an out of band frequency. In cases
like this, reception on an image frequency was always
quite good.

I've tried a few CB channels - of course, I wouldn't expect to be able to
pick up anything intelligible, but I hoped I might get SOMETHING, however
garbled. I can't say I've had any luck. I just wondered if maybe my BC101
might at least be able to detect whether a signal was present.

You're a ham, so tell me - is FM ever used on 10 meters? And if so, what
sub-band?

Beware, there's a voltage regulator bolted to the inside
of the chassis that gets quite hot and has a tendency of
failing. I presume because no heatsink compound was
used during manufacture. You might want to add some to
yours.

I've never opened mine up - I used to have a bad habit of taking things
apart, or at least just opening them up to see what's inside, but I learned
through hard experience to stop doing that. grin I got the schematics
off the web, but that doesn't mean I have the slightest idea what I'm
looking at.

I didn't distribute my VB version because I wrote it as
an assignment for a VB class taught by another amateur
who was fascinated by my little "Beastie101."
The assignment was to convert decimal to binary.
The code for the BC101 does this in a roundabout way
during it's calculation.

CB being AM, probably wouldn't sound very good if it
could be programmed. You would at least be able to tell
there was a transmission on a particular channel.

FM on 10M is generally used above 29.500MHz

29.510 to 29.590 Repeater inputs.
29.600 National Simplex Freq
29.610 to 29.690 Repeater outputs.

Generally, repeaters are paired this way:

29.520/29.620
29.540/29.640
29.560/29.660
29.580/29.680

You wont hear much unless the ionosphere co-operates.
Generally, If you hear a ton of CB skip, then 10M could
be open. Check 29.660 often. It seems to be the
most reliable repeater output.

Have Fun! -N3KCT

Well someone did indeed get such a program to work. Here's the URL
where it can be had;

http://members.aol.com/xfire905/bcprog.htm

If anyone's interested.....

73s Mike Strong Signals Software page editor

N3KCT wrote:
I have a BC101 that has been in storage for about
5yrs now. A while back I wrote a Visual Basic version
that would calculate the switch combos using the
instructions from the manual.

I was never able to get the programming to "take"
when attempting an out of band frequency. In cases
like this, reception on an image frequency was always
quite good.

Beware, there's a voltage regulator bolted to the inside
of the chassis that gets quite hot and has a tendency of
failing. I presume because no heatsink compound was
used during manufacture. You might want to add some to
yours.

-N3KCT

"N3KCT" wrote in message
...
I didn't distribute my VB version because I wrote it as
an assignment for a VB class taught by another amateur
who was fascinated by my little "Beastie101."

Beastie 101? chuckle

Yeah, they really are interesting units, no doubt about that. At least
it's still possible to reprogram one of these oldies - how difficult is it
to find unused cards for a Sears Cardomatic or combs for a Regency Whamo-10
these days?

CB being AM, probably wouldn't sound very good if it
could be programmed. You would at least be able to tell
there was a transmission on a particular channel.

At least. I know that FM receivers generally ignore any AM'ing in a
signal, and I doubt I'd be able to understand anything that was being said,
but I'd probably hear some telltale noise. I'm close to a major freeway -
hell, here in L.A., they're ALL major freeways - so there are plenty of
good strong signals on, say, channel 19 [27.185 MHz]. I can't think of any
better candidate for a test frequency.

FM on 10M is generally used above 29.500MHz

I also have a BC245XLT, but that only tunes down to 29.7 MHz. [I'm writing
software for that too, but it's a LONG way from release, or even beta
testing. I might never release it - there are Windows packages already
available to control that scanner.]

29.510 to 29.590 Repeater inputs.
29.600 National Simplex Freq
29.610 to 29.690 Repeater outputs.

Generally, repeaters are paired this way:

29.520/29.620
29.540/29.640
29.560/29.660
29.580/29.680

Saved for future reference. Thanks.

be open. Check 29.660 often. It seems to be the
most reliable repeater output.

What I'd really like to have is an Alinco DJ-X10. :-) My BC245 definitely
won't tune down there, the BC101 might not, but I assume you know what that
Alinco can do.

"michael agner" wrote in message
...
Well someone did indeed get such a program to work. Here's the URL
where it can be had;

http://members.aol.com/xfire905/bcprog.htm

Hiya, Mike! We were just talking about my program. ;-)

Since that page already has the details, I won't go into them here - unless
anyone asks g - but suffice it to say that my BC101 encoder doesn't have
any rounding errors and is, as far as anyone has been able to tell so far,
absolutely accurate. I "did indeed get such a program to work."

I'm working on the next version now, with some major enhancements to the
CTRL+P "View Programming" list. It will have full editing capabilities and
a couple other goodies. Originally, I was going to put all that into a
"TALK mode" function which was an interactive command line, but I decided
to remove that module - much wasted work, but what the hey - and tweak up
the CTRL+P list instead. Those of us who use BCPROG for keeping track of
our programming, not just for looking up codes, will find it all VERY
useful. You won't need an external text editor to modify BCPROG.INI.

*boink!* I just got an idea for another new feature. What if the CTRL+S
"save last frequency" key gave you the option of putting that frequency
into the first available empty channel, assuming one exists? :-) I could
add that in a few minutes.