REMOTE HEAD ADAPTER INSTALLATION GUIDE

Transcription

1 REMOTE HEAD ADAPTER INSTALLATION GUIDE The Remote Head adapter is a valuable accessory for the Uniden BC-780, 785 and 796 scanners. It allows the scanner's control panel to be removed from the radio and used remotely. This lets lets you locate the control panel in a limited space with custom mounting. The separated control panel provides fully normal control and display, and the radio chassis can be located conveniently out of the way. The adapter works by multiplexing the 25 bidirectional signal and data lines between radio chassis and control panel unit onto a single circuit. These 25 lines provide all of the control panel functions, including keypad, tuning, squelch, volume, and LCD display. The adapter uses a standard CAT-5 8-conductor LAN cable. This is because several wires are needed to support other functions. The additional wires are used for power, LED lighting, grounds, and optionally, speaker audio. LAN is used because it is widely available, inexpensive, reasonably thin, and comes in many lengths and colors. Either 'straight-thru' or 'crossover' cables will work. End-to-end couplers can be used to join lengths. This provides considerable wiring flexibility. 1

2 INSTALLATION SUMMARY Installing the Remote Head Adapter is simple and straightforward. The only tool needed is a Philips head screwdriver. There is no soldering and the radio is not changed. If desired later, the adapter can be uninstalled and the radio will be in original condition. The installation is so simple that it can be described in just a few lines. Here is a quick summary of the steps required. WARNING - Turn off the radio and disconnect power before installing. RADIO 1 Remove the radio covers. (remove 8 screws) 2 Remove the control panel. (remove 5 screws, unplug 4 cables) 3 Install panel assembly on radio chassis (secure 4 screws, connect 4 cables) 4 Replace radio covers (secure 8 screws) CONTROL HEAD 5 Install circuit board in control head (press board in place, plug in 4 cables) 6 Attach RJ45 connector to control head shell (secure 2 screws and nuts) 7 Attach control head shell to control panel (secure with 4 screws) USE 8 Connect panel to radio with a CAT-5 cable and the system is ready to use. WARNING - DO NOT plug the Remote Head cables into a computer LAN. The wire assignments are completely different. Damage is unlikely but possible. The rest of this booklet shows the installation steps in detail with closeup photos. The Remote Head kit, and the scanners, vary slightly for the BC780, 785 and 796 models. Some photos here show one model, and some show another. Installation is essentially identical in all models. Only some socket locations and choices differ. 2

3 RADIO These four steps separate the control panel from the radio chassis, and replace it with a new circuit assembly. This new circuit board provides communications with the separated control panel. 1 Remove the covers. (remove 8 screws) Remove 8 screws. Open covers carefully. Unplug the speaker wire from radio chassis. The covers are now separate from the radio. 3

4 2 Remove the control panel. (remove 5 screws, unplug 4 cables) Remove 5 screws. (See the 5th screw's location in the second photo). Unplug the 2 flat "flex" cables from the front panel. Leave them in place at radio end. Unplug the 2 multiwire cables from the radio chassis sockets. The control panel is now separated from the radio chassis. 4

5 STEP 3 Install panel assembly on radio chassis (4 screws, 5 cables) Connect the 3 multi-wire cables supplied to the circuit board assembly: If BC Plug the 8-wire cable into the jack marked "780". If BC785 or Plug the 8-wire cable into the jack marked "785". Note - It is an option to use a remote speaker jack at the control panel. If you do not want to use this option, then you do not need to connect the 2-wire cable. In that case, simply plug the radio speaker in to the jack on the Uniden circuit board. Secure the new panel with the 4 of the screws removed in Step 2 earlier. There is a 5th screw left over. Save it in case of later uninstallation. 5

6 Plug the 3 multiwire cables into the sockets on the Uniden circuit board. The location of the 8-pin socket differs between the BC780 and the 785/796. Plug in the 2 flex cables. Note that the wide flex cable connector has a blue tab that must be 'out' before the flex cable can be inserted. Then you must press it 'in' to lock the cable in place. Examine this closely. 6

7 STEP 4 Replace radio covers (secure 8 screws) Plug in the speaker cable. Close and secure the covers. The radio unit is now reassembled. Now move on to installing the PC board in the control head... 7

8 CONTROL HEAD Installing the PC board to the control panel is more complicated than the earlier steps. But it is not hard to do, there are just more parts. STEP 5 Install circuit board in control head (mount board, plug in 4 cables) The parts kit includes the PC board, hardware, and enclosure. 8

9 The PC board will be mounted with special 1/8" thick foam tape. You should examine and practice the following step before exposing the adhesive. When you are ready, peel the protective layer to expose the adhesive. Try to do this step correctly the first time. Practice first before exposing adhesive. Position the board while watching the thin black flex cable connectors. They are visible through the slot in the PC board. When they are evenly positioned between the white bands on the PC board, then press the board down to secure it to the control panel. Because the adhesive will immediately stick, it is hard to redo this step. The PC board can be uninstalled, and the adhesive can be removed cleanly. However, if this is done, contact Scanner Master for the correct foam tape before reinstalling. The foam tape must adequately thick to prevent short circuits between the PC board and the control panel. 9

10 Plug the multi-wire cables into the appropriate connectors. If BC Plug the 8-wire cable into the jack marked "780". If BC785 or Plug the 8-wire cable into the jack marked "785". Plug the flex cables into the black connectors in the slot. Be sure the text side is facing as shown in this photo. Gently arc the flex cables and plug them into the PC board. Note the action of the blue tab on the wide connector. It must be 'out' to insert the cable. When the cable is in place, then push the tabs 'in' to lock it. 10

11 STEP 6 Attach RJ45 connector to control head shell (secure 2 screws and nuts) Decide which openings you want the RJ45 jack, and optional audio jack to be in. Then mount it with the supplied hardware. This step is simple, but requires dexterity. Be careful not to damage wiring or parts with excessive force. Use the black hole plate shown below to cover the unused opening. If you use the supplied audio jack panel, plug it into the 2 pin socket on the PC Board. STEP 7 Attach control head shell to control panel (secure with 4 screws and plates) Peel the protective strip to expose the adhesive on the metal mounting plates. Position one at each end of the control panel, so that both holes are visible through the holes in the plastic. The light adhesive is only to keep the plates in place temporarily. Secure the cover with 4 the supplied /4" screws into the mounting plates. The control head is assembled and ready for use with the radio. 11

12 USE THE REMOTE HEAD STEP 8 Plug in a CAT-5 cable and the system is ready to use. Connect power to the radio. The LED on the radio will be RED when the radio is off, and GREEN when it is on. The communications link is active all the time, even when the radio is off. The first time you apply power, the display may be blank or scrambled. If this happens, turn the radio off, and then on to initialize the system and clear the display. Future versions of this document may be available on the Scanner Master website. Scanner Master 40 Freeman Place Needham, MA SCANNER scannermaster.com 12