RadioShack Pro 2048 Home Scanner Owners Manual
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Owner’s ManualCat. No. 20-417 PRO-2048 200-Channel Programmable Home Scanner Please read before using this equipment. 20-417.fm Page 1 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:33 AM
2 FEATURES Selectable Scan/Search Speeds — let you select normal or Hyper Scan speeds, and normal, high, or HyperSearch speeds. H yperScanä — scans 50 channels per second. H yperSearchä — searches through frequencies at 300 steps per second in bands that have 5 kHz steps to help you find interesting broadcasts. Ten 20-Channel Stora ge Banks — let you store 20 channels in each of 10 banks to group frequencies so you can easily identify calls. Ten Priorit y Channels — let you set the scanner to check up to 10 chan- nels every 2 seconds so you do not miss important calls. Data Si gnal Skip — lets you set the scanner to skip non-modulated sig- nals or data signals during a limit or direct search so it can automatically continue searching. Monitor Memories — let you store up to 10 frequencies you locate dur- ing a frequency search which you can then transfer into channels. Search Skip — lets you select up to 20 frequencies for the scanner to skip during a limit or direct search, so you can avoid unwanted frequencies such as those with a continuous transmission. © 1997 Tandy Corporation. All Rights Reserved. HyperScan and HyperSearch are trademarks and RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation. Your RadioShack PRO-2048 200- Channel Programmable Home Scan- ner lets you in on all the action! This scanner gives you direct access to over 30,000 exciting frequencies that include police and fire departments, ambulance and transportation ser- vices, and amateur radio. You can select up to 200 channels to scan, and you can change your selections at any time. The secret to your scanner’s ability to scan so many frequencies is its cus- tom-designed microprocessor — a ti- ny, built-in computer. Your scanner also has these fea- tures: Manual or Scan Channel Select — lets you manually specify a single channel or set the scanner to auto- matically scan all the stored chan- nels. Triple Conversion Superhetero- d yne Receiver — virtually elimi- nates any interference from intermediate frequency (IF) images, so you hear only the frequency you select. Search Function — searches for new and unlisted frequencies using a designated frequency range (limit search) or starting from a specified frequency (direct search). 20-417.fm Page 2 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:33 AM
3 Adjustable Tone — lets you turn on or off the beep you hear when you press a key. Two-Second Scan Delay — delays scanning for 2 seconds before mov- ing to another channel, so you can hear more replies. Weather Band Key — scans the preprogrammed weather frequen- cies so you can stay informed about current weather conditions. Memory Backup — keeps the chan- nel frequencies stored in your scan- ner’s memory for up to 3 days during a power loss. Squelch Control — lets you adjust the receiver’s sensitivity low enough to receive weak signals or high enough to eliminate receiver noise when not receiving a signal. Lock-Out Function — prevents channels you select from being scanned. Backlit Liquid Crystal Display — lets you easily see the indicators on the scanner’s display, even at night. Audio Output Jack — lets you con- nect an earphone or headphones for private listening, or an external speaker for listening in a remote or noisy area. Optional Antenna Terminals — let you connect the supplied telescopingantenna to the screw-in terminal, or an external antenna to the BNC con- nector. Optional Power Sources — you can power your scanner using the supplied AC adapter or an optional DC cigarette-lighter power cable. Warning: To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose this system to rain or moisture. This symbol is intended to alert you to the presence of uninsulat- ed dangerous voltage within the scanner’s enclosure that might be of sufficient magnitude to consti- tute a risk of electric shock. Do not open the scanner’s case. This symbol is intended to inform you that important operating and maintenance instructions are in- cluded in the literature accompa- nying this scanner. We recommend you record your scanner’s serial number here. The number is on the back panel. Serial Number: ________________ RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK. DO NOT OPEN. CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER OR BACK. NO USER-SERVICE- ABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVIC- ING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. CAUTION ! ! 20-417.fm Page 3 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:33 AM
4 Your PRO-2048 can receive these bands: FCC NOTICE Your scanner might cause radio or TV interference even when it is operating properly. To determine if your scanner is causing the interference, turn off your scanner. If the interference goes away, your scanner was causing it. Try to elim- inate the interference by: • Moving your scanner away from the receiver • Connecting your scanner to an outlet that is on a different electrical circuit from the receiver • Contacting your local RadioShack store for help If you cannot eliminate the interference, the FCC requires that you stop using your scanner.Band Frequency Range (MHz) 10-Meter Ham Band 29.00 –29.7 VHF-Lo 29.7 –50.00 6-Meter Ham Band 50.00 –54.00 Aircraft 108 –136.975 Government/Ham 137 –148 VHF-Hi 148 –174 Ham/Government 406 –450 UHF-Lo 450 –470 UHF-T (TV) 470 –512 UHF-Hi 806 –823.9375 851 –868.9375 896.1125 –956 20-417.fm Page 4 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:33 AM
5 This device complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the fol- lowing two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. SCANNING LEGALLY Your scanner covers frequencies used by many different groups including police and fire departments, ambulance services, government agencies, private com- panies, amateur radio services, military operations, pager services, and wireline (telephone and telegraph) service providers. It is legal to listen to almost every transmission your scanner can receive. However, there are some transmissions you should never intentionally listen to. These include: • Telephone conversations (either cellular, cordless, or other private means of telephone signal transmission) • Pager transmissions • Any scrambled or encrypted transmissions According to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), you are sub- ject to fines and possible imprisonment for intentionally listening to, using, or di- vulging the contents of such a transmission unless you have the consent of a party to the conversation (unless such activity is otherwise illegal). We encour- age responsible, legal scanner use. Note: Mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires a permit in some areas. Check the laws in your area. 20-417.fm Page 5 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:33 AM
6 CONTENTS Preparation ..................................................................................................... 8 Connecting Power ..................................................................................... 8 Using Standard AC Power .................................................................. 8 Using Vehicle Battery Power ............................................................... 8 Connecting the Antenna ............................................................................ 9 Connecting an Optional Antenna ...................................................... 10 Resetting the Scanner’s Display .............................................................. 10 Initializing the Scanner ............................................................................ 11 Connecting an Earphone/Headphones/External Speaker ....................... 12 Listening Safely ................................................................................. 12 Traffic Safety ..................................................................................... 12 Understandin g Your Scanner ...................................................................... 13 A Look at the Front Panel ........................................................................ 13 A Look at the Display ............................................................................... 15 Understanding the Scanner ’s Memory .................................................... 17 Channel-Storage Banks .................................................................... 17 Monitor Memories ............................................................................. 17 Operation ...................................................................................................... 18 Turning On the Scanner/Setting the Volume and Squelch ...................... 18 Manually Storing Frequencies in Channels ............................................. 19 Searching For and Temporarily Storing Active Frequencies .................... 20 Limit Search ...................................................................................... 20 Direct Search .................................................................................... 21 Search Skip Memory ......................................................................... 22 Listening to Monitor Memories ................................................................. 23 Moving a Frequency from a Monitor Memory to a Channel ..................... 23 Scanning the Stored Channels ................................................................ 24 Turning Channel-Storage Banks On and Off ........................................... 24 Manually Selecting a Channel ................................................................. 24 Listening to the Weather Band ................................................................ 25 Special Features ........................................................................................... 26 Using Priority Channels ........................................................................... 26 Using the 2-Second Delay ....................................................................... 27 Locking Out Channels ............................................................................. 27 Changing Scanning and Search Speeds ................................................. 28 Skipping Data Signals ............................................................................. 28 Turning the Key Tone On or Off ............................................................... 29 20-417.fm Page 6 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:33 AM
7 A General Guide To Scanning ..................................................................... 30 Guide to Frequencies ............................................................................... 30 US Weather Frequencies .................................................................. 30 Canadian Weather Frequencies ......................................................... 30 Ham Radio Frequencies .................................................................... 30 Birdie Frequencies ............................................................................. 30 Guide to the Action Bands ....................................................................... 31 United States Broadcast Bands ........................................................ 31 Typical Band Usage .......................................................................... 31 Primary Usage ................................................................................... 33 Specified Intervals .................................................................................... 33 Band Allocation ........................................................................................ 34 Frequency Conversion ............................................................................. 39 Troubleshooting ........................................................................................... 40 Care and Maintenance ................................................................................. 41 Specifications ............................................................................................... 42 20-417.fm Page 7 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:33 AM
8 PREPARATION Your scanner’s display is protected during shipment by a piece of blue film. Peel off this film before you use the scanner. CONNECTING POWER Note: If a power failure occurs or if the DC cigarette-lighter power cable or AC adapter is disconnected, the scanner’s memory backup circuit keeps information in memory for up to 3 days. Using Standard AC Power You can power your scanner from a standard AC outlet using the sup- plied AC adapter. Warnin g: Do not use the AC adapt- er’s polarized plug with an extension cord receptacle unless the blades can be fully inserted to prevent blade exposure. Cautions: • The supplied AC adapter sup- plies 12 volts and delivers 500 milliamps. Its center tip is set to positive, and its plug properly fits the scanner ’s DC 12V jack. Using an AC adapter that does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or the adapter. • Be sure you connect the AC adapter to the scanner before you connect it to a standard AC outlet. Then disconnect the adapter from the AC outlet before you disconnect it from the scanner. • If you have difficulty inserting the AC adapter’s polarized plug, do not force it. Turn it over and rein- sert it. 1. Insert the supplied AC adapter’s barrel plug into the scanner ’s DC 12V jack. 2. Plug the adapter’s power mod- ule into a standard AC outlet. Using Vehicle Battery Power To power your scanner from your ve- hicle’s cigarette-lighter socket, you need a DC cigarette-lighter power cable such as Cat. No. 270-1533). RESET DC 12VEXT SP DC 12V ANTEXT SP 20-417.fm Page 8 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:33 AM
9 Cautions: • The DC cigarette-lighter power cable must be capable of deliv- ering 12 volts and 500 milli- amps, its center tip must be set to positive, and its barrel plug must correctly fit the scanners DC 12V jack. The recommended power cable meets these speci- fications. Using a power cable that does not meet these specifi- cations could damage the scan- ner or the power cable. • Always plug the power cable into the scanner before you plug it into your vehicles cigarette- lighter socket. Always unplug the power cable from the vehi- cles cigarette-lighter socket before you unplug it from the scanner. Follow these steps to use vehicle battery power. 1. Insert the power cable’s barrel plug into the scanner ’s DC 12V jack. 2. Plug the other end of the power cable into the vehicle’s cigarette- lighter socket.Note: If the scanner does not oper- ate properly when you use a ciga- rette-lighter power cable, unplug the power cable from the cigarette- lighter socket and clean the socket to remove ashes and other debris. CONNECTING THE ANTENNA To attach the supplied telescoping antenna to your scanner, simply screw it into the hole on top of your scanner. The antenna’s length controls its sensitivity. Adjust the length of the telescoping antenna as follows for the best reception. RESET DC 12V ANTEXT SP 29–54 MHz Extend all 3 segments 108 –174 MHzExtend only 2 segments 406 –956 MHzCollapse fully (only 1 segment extended) 20-417.fm Page 9 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:33 AM
10 Connecting an Optional Antenna The supplied telescoping antenna re- ceives strong, local signals. Howev- er, to receive weaker, more distant signals in all bands, you can attach an optional antenna, such as an ex- ternal mobile antenna or outdoor base station antenna. Your local Ra- dioShack store sells a variety of an- tennas. Note: If you connect an external an- tenna, remove the telescoping an- tenna from the top of the scanner. Always use 50-ohm coaxial cable, such as RG-58 or RG-8, to connect an outdoor antenna. For lengths over 50 feet, use RG-8 low-loss dielectric coaxial cable. If your antenna’s cable does not have a BNC connector, use a BNC adapter available at your local RadioShack store. Follow the installation instructions supplied with the antenna, route the antenna cable to the scanner, then connect it to the ANT jack on the back of the scanner. Warnin g: Use extreme caution when installing or removing an outdoor an- tenna. If the antenna starts to fall, let it go! It could contact overhead power lines. If the antenna touches a power line, contact with the antenna, mast, cable or guy wires can cause electro- cution and death! Call the power company to remove the antenna. Do not attempt to do so yourself. Cautions: • Do not run the cable over sharp edges or moving parts. • Do not run the cable next to power cables or other antenna cables. • Do not run the cable through areas that produce extreme heat. • Follow all cautions and warnings included with the antenna. RESETTING THE SCANNER ’S DISPLAY If the scanner’s display stops work- ing after you connect a power source, follow these steps to reset it. 1. If the scanner is off, press POWER to turn it on.ANTEXT SP 20-417.fm Page 10 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:33 AM