RadioShack Pro 2050 Trunk Track Home Scanner Owners Manual

							Owner’s ManualCat. No. 20-430
PRO-2050
VHF/UHF/Air/800MHz
300-Channel TrunkTracker Home Scanner
Please read before using this equipment.
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FEATURES
Your new RadioShack PRO-2050
VHF/UHF/Air/800MHz 300-Channel
TrunkTracker Home Scanner is one of
a new generation of scanners de-
signed to track Motorolaä Type I,
Type II (such as Smartnetä and Priva-
cy Plusä), and hybrid analog trunking
systems, which are extensively used
in many 800 MHz communication sys-
tems. 
Trunking communications systems let
a large group of 2-way radio users (or
even different groups of 2-way radio
users) efficiently use a group of fre-
quencies. Instead of selecting a spe-
cific frequency for a transmission, the
2-way radio user simply selects a talk
group. The trunking system automati-
cally transmits the call on the first
available frequency, and also sends a
code that uniquely identifies that 2-
way radio user’s transmission on a dif-
ferent frequency called a data chan-
nel.
Since the trunking system might send
individual 2-way radio user’s calls and
response transmissions on different
frequencies, it is difficult to listen to
trunked communications using a regu-
lar scanner. The PRO-2050 monitors
the data channel frequency sent with
a 2-way radio user’s transmission and
instantly switches to an active fre-
quency, so you can hear the call andresponse for that 2-way radio user
and easily “follow” the conversation.
The scanner also lets you scan con-
ventional transmissions, and is pre-
programmed with service-search
banks for convenience. By pressing a
single button, you can quickly search
those frequencies most commonly
used by public service and other
agencies without tedious and compli-
cated programming.
This scanner gives you direct access
to over 30,000 exciting frequencies,
including those used by police and fire
departments, ambulance services,
and amateur radio services, and you
can change your selection at any time. 
Your scanner also has these special
features:
Ten Channel-Stora
ge Banks — let
you store 30 channels in each bank to
group channels so you can more easi-
ly identify calls.
Five Scan Lists — let you store up to
50 IDs in each tracking bank (up to a
total of 500).
Triple-Conversion Circuitr
y — virtu-
ally eliminates any interference from
IF (intermediate frequency) images,
so you hear only the selected frequen-
cy.
©
 1997 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
HyperSearch and HyperScan are trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.
Motorola, Smartnet, and Privacy Plus are trademarks of Motorola, Inc.
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Scan Delay — delays scanning for
about 2 seconds before moving to an-
other channel in conventional mode,
so you can hear more replies that are
made on the same channel. In trunk
tracking mode, it delays for about 5
seconds before moving to another ID.
Lock-Out Function — lets you set
your scanner to skip over specified
channels or frequencies when scan-
ning or searching, and skip over IDs
when tracking trunked systems.
Priority Channels — lets you pro-
gram one channel in each bank (10 in
all). As the scanner scans a bank, it
checks the bank’s priority channel ev-
ery 2 seconds so you dont miss trans-
missions on that channel.
Five Service-Search Banks — lets
you search preset frequencies in sep-
arate public service, police, fire/emer-
gency, aircraft, and weather banks, to
make it easy to locate specific types of
calls.
HyperSearchä and HyperScanä —
let you set the scanner to search at up
to 300 steps per second (in frequency
bands with 5 kHz steps) and scan at
up to 50 channels per second, to help
you quickly find interesting broad-
casts. (The normal search speed is
100 steps per second).
Data Signal Skip — lets you set the
scanner to skip non-modulated or data
signals during scanning and searches.
This lets the scanner avoid non-voicesignals, making a scan or search fast-
er.
Manual Access — lets you directly
access any stored channel.
Liquid-Crystal Display — makes it
easy to view and change program-
ming information.
Display Backlight — makes the
scanner easy to read in low-light situa-
tions.
Supplied Telescoping Antenna —
provides good reception of strong lo-
cal signals.
External Antenna Terminal — lets
you connect an external antenna with
a BNC connector to the scanner for
improved reception of distant/weaker
signals.
Memory Backup — keeps the chan-
nel frequencies stored in memory for
an extended time.
Key Confirmation Tones — the
scanner sounds a tone when you per-
form an operation correctly, and an er-
ror tone if you make an error.
Duplicate Channel Alert — warns
you when the frequency you are stor-
ing already exists in memory.
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Your PRO-2050 scanner can receive
all of these bands:
Note: See “Specifications” on Page 51
for more information about the scan-
ner’s frequency steps.FCC NOTICE
Your scanner might cause TV or radio
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 is causing it. Try
to eliminate the interference by:
• Moving your scanner away from
the receiver
• Connecting your scanner to an
outlet that is on a different electri-
cal circuit from the receiver
• Contacting your local Ra-
dioShack store for help
If you cannot eliminate the interfer-
ence, the FCC requires that you stop
using your scanner.
This device complies with Part 15 of
the 
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions: (1) This
device may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and (2) this device must accept
any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired
operation.
We recommend you record your scan-
ner’s serial number here. The number
is on the scanner’s back panel.
Serial Number _________________ 
Frequency 
RangeTypes of 
Transmissions
29–29.7 MHz 10-Meter Amateur 
Radio
29.7–50 MHz VHF Lo
50–54 MHz 6-Meter Ham Band
108–136.975 
MHzAircraft
137–144 MHz Military Land Mobile
144–148 MHz 2-Meter Ham Band
148–174 MHz VHF Hi
406–420 MHz Federal 
Government
420–450 MHz 70-cm Ham Band
450–470 MHz UHF Standard Band
470–512 MHz UHF “T” Band
806–824 MHz
851–869 MHz
896–956 MHzPublic Service “800” 
except
Cellular Band
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SCANNING LEGALLY
Scanning is a fun and interesting hob-
by. You can hear police and fire de-
partments, ambulance services,
government agencies, private compa-
nies, amateur radio services, aircraft,
and military operations. It is legal to
listen to almost every transmission
your scanner can receive. However,
there are some electronic and wire
communications that are illegal to in-
tentionally intercept. These include:
• Telephone conversations (cellu-
lar, cordless, or other private
means of telephone signal trans-
mission)
• Pager transmissions
• Scrambled or encrypted transmis-
sions
According to the Federal Electronic
Communications Privacy Act (ECPA),
as amended, you could be fined and
possibly imprisoned for intentionally
intercepting, using, or disclosing the
contents of such a transmission un-
less you have the consent of a party to
the communication (unless such activ-
ity is otherwise illegal). These laws
change from time to time and there
might be state or local laws that also
affect legal scanner usage.
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CONTENTS
Preparation  ........................................................................................................... 8
Connecting an Antenna  ...................................................................................  8
Connecting the Supplied Antenna  ............................................................... 8
Connecting an Outdoor Antenna  ................................................................. 8
Connecting Power  ........................................................................................... 9
Using AC Power  .......................................................................................... 9
Using Your Vehicle’s Battery Power  .......................................................... 10
Connecting an Extension Speaker  ................................................................  10
Connecting an Earphone/Headphones  .........................................................  11
Listening Safely  ......................................................................................... 11
Understandin
g Your Scanner ............................................................................ 12
A Look at the Front Panel  .............................................................................. 12
A Look at the Display ..................................................................................... 14
Understanding Banks  .................................................................................... 16
Channel Storage Banks ............................................................................. 16
Service Banks ............................................................................................ 16
Understanding Trunking  ................................................................................ 16
Operation  ............................................................................................................ 17
Turning On the Scanner and Setting Squelch  ............................................... 17
Storing Known Frequencies into Channels  ................................................... 17
Searching Service Banks  .............................................................................. 18
Limit Search ................................................................................................... 19
Scanning the Stored Channels  ...................................................................... 20
Manually Selecting a Channel  .......................................................................  20
Clearing a Frequency from a Channel ........................................................... 21
 Special Features  ............................................................................................... 22
Delay  ............................................................................................................. 22
Turning Channel-Storage Banks On and Off  ................................................. 22
Locking Out Channels and Frequencies  ....................................................... 23
Locking Out Channels  ............................................................................... 23
Locking Out Frequencies ........................................................................... 23
Priority  ........................................................................................................... 24
Turning the Key Tone On/Off  ......................................................................... 25
Changing Search Speeds ..............................................................................  25
Skipping Data Signals  ...................................................................................  25
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Trunk Tracking  ...................................................................................................  26
Types of Trunking Systems  ...........................................................................  26
Setting the Scanner to the Trunk Tracking Mode  ..........................................  27
Setting Squelch for the Trunk Tracking Mode  ...............................................  27
Programming Trunked Frequencies ..............................................................  28
Scanning a Trunked Bank  .............................................................................  29
Monitoring an Active ID  .............................................................................  30
Locking Out IDs .........................................................................................  30
Unlocking a Single ID  ................................................................................  31
Unlocking All IDs  .......................................................................................  31
Using Trunk Tracking Scan Delay .............................................................  31
Monitoring IDs  ...........................................................................................  32
Channel Activity Indicators  ............................................................................  32
Scan Lists  .....................................................................................................  33
Manually Storing IDs into Scan Lists .........................................................  33
Storing IDs Into Scan Lists While Searching .............................................  34
Automatically Storing an ID in a Scan List Location ..................................  34
Deleting a Stored ID  ..................................................................................  34
Scanning the Scan Lists  ...............................................................................  34
Scanning Type I and Hybrid Trunked Systems  .............................................  35
Selecting a Preset Fleet Map  ....................................................................  38
Programming a Fleet Map .........................................................................  39
Programming a Hybrid System  .................................................................  40
A General Guide to Scanning  ...........................................................................  41
Guide to Frequencies ....................................................................................  41
National Weather Frequencies ..................................................................  41
Canadian Weather Frequencies  ...............................................................  41
Birdie Frequencies  ....................................................................................  41
Guide to the Action Bands  ............................................................................  42
Typical Band Usage  ..................................................................................  42
Primary Usage  ..........................................................................................  43
Band Allocation  .............................................................................................  43
Frequency Conversion  ..................................................................................  48
Troubleshooting  ................................................................................................  49
Resetting the Scanner  ..................................................................................  52
Care and Maintenance  ......................................................................................  53
Specifications  ....................................................................................................  54
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PREPARATION
This scanner is designed primarily for
use in the home as a base station.
You can place it on a desk, shelf, or
table.
Your scanner’s front feet fold up or
down. Adjust them to give you the
best view of the display.
Your scanner’s display is protected
during shipment by a piece of blue
film. Peel off this film before you use
the scanner.
CONNECTING AN 
ANTENNA
Connecting the Supplied 
Antenna
You must install an antenna before
you can operate the scanner. 
The supplied telescoping antenna
helps your scanner receive strong lo-
cal signals. To install the antenna,
screw it clockwise into the hole on the
scanner’s top.The scanner’s sensitivity depends on
the antenna’s length and various envi-
ronmental conditions. For the best re-
ception of the transmissions you want
to hear, adjust the antenna’s length.Connecting an Outdoor 
Antenna
Instead of the supplied antenna, you
can connect an outdoor base-station
or mobile antenna (not supplied) to
your scanner using a BNC connector.
Your local RadioShack store sells a
variety of antennas. Choose the one
that best meets your needs.
When deciding on a mobile or base-
station antenna and its location, con-
sider these points:
Frequency Antenna Length
29–54 MHz Extend fully
108–174 MHz Collapse one
se
gment
406–956 MHz Collapse both
se
gments
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• The antenna should be as high as
possible on the vehicle or building.
• The antenna and its cable should
be as far as possible from sources
of electrical noise (appliances,
other radios, etc.).
• The antenna should be vertical for
the best performance.
To connect an optional base-station or
mobile antenna, first remove the sup-
plied antenna from the scanner. Al-
ways use 50-ohm coaxial cable, such
as RG-58 or RG-8, to connect the
base-station or mobile antenna. For
lengths over 50 feet, use RG-8 low-
loss dielectric coaxial cable. If the an-
tenna cable’s connector does not fit in
the 
ANT. jack, you might also need a
Motorola-to-BNC antenna plug adapt-
er, such as RadioShack Cat. No. 278-
117. Your local RadioShack store car-
ries a wide variety of coaxial antenna
cable and connectors.
Once you choose an antenna, follow
the mounting instructions supplied
with the antenna. Then route the an-
tenna’s cable to the scanner and con-
nect the cable to the 
ANT. jack on the
back of the scanner.
DC 12V ANT
Cautions:
• Do not run the cable over sharp
edges or moving parts that might
damage it.
• Do not run the cable next to power
cables or other antenna cables.
Warnin
g: Use extreme caution
when you install or remove an out-
door antenna. If the antenna starts
to fall, let it go! It could contact
overhead power lines. If the anten-
na touches a power line, contact
with the antenna, mast, cable, or
guy wires can cause electrocution
and death. Call the power compa-
ny to remove the antenna. DO
NOT attempt to do so yourself.
CONNECTING POWER
Using AC Power
The scanner’s supplied AC adapter
lets you power the scanner from a
standard AC outlet. To connect power
to the scanner, insert the AC adapter’s
barrel plug into the 
DC 12V jack on the
back of the scanner, then plug the AC
adapter into a standard AC outlet.
ANT
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Cautions: 
• The supplied AC adapter supplies
12 volts DC power and delivers
500 milliamps. Its center tip is set
to positive, and its plug properly
fits the scanner’s 
DC 12V jack.
Using an adapter that does not
meet these specifications could
damage the scanner or the
adapter.
• Be sure to connect the AC
adapter to the scanner before you
connect it to an AC outlet, and dis-
connect the AC adapter from the
AC outlet before you disconnect it
from the scanner.
Warning: 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 ex-
posure.
Using Your Vehicle’s Battery 
Power
If your AC power fails (during an
emergency, for example), you can
power your scanner from your vehi-
cle’s cigarette lighter socket with an
optional DC cigarette lighter power ca-
ble, such as Cat. No. 270-1533 (not
supplied).
To connect an optional DC cigarette
lighter power cable, insert its barrel
plug into the 
DC 12V jack on the back
of the scanner, then plug the power
cable into your vehicle’s cigarette
lighter socket.Cautions:
• If you use a DC cigarette lighter
power cable with the scanner, it
must supply 12 volts and at least
500 milliamps of DC automotive
power. Its center tip must be set to
positive, and its plug must cor-
rectly fit the 
DC 12V jack on the
back of the scanner. The recom-
mended power cable meets these
specifications. Using a power
cable that does not meet these
specifications could damage the
scanner or the power cable.
• If you use a cigarette lighter power
cable and your vehicle’s engine is
running, you might hear electrical
noise from the engine while scan-
ning. This is normal.
Note: Mobile use of this scanner is
unlawful or requires a permit in some
areas. Check the laws in your area.
CONNECTING AN 
EXTENSION SPEAKER
In a noisy area, an amplified extension
speaker (such as Cat. No. 21-541),
positioned in the right place, might
provide more comfortable listening.
Plug the speaker cable’s 
1/8-inch plug
into your scanner’s   jack.
DC 12V ANT
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