RadioShack Pro 76 Vhf Uhf Hanfheld Scanner Reciever Owners Manual

							11
Warning:
 Never use the
CHARGE jack when you have
installed non-rechargeable
batteries. If you try to re-
charge non-rechargeable
batteries, they become very
hot and could explode.
Remove the plastic plug
from the 
CHARGE jack before
you use it, then replace the
plug when you finish.
USING AC POWER
You can power the scanner
using a 9V, 300-mA AC
adapter and a size H
Adaptaplug
® adapter (nei-
ther supplied). Both are
available at your local Ra-
dioShack store.Cautions:
You must use a
Class 2 power
source that
supplies 9V DC and de-
livers at least 300 mA.
Its center tip must be set
to positive and its plug
must fit the scanners
POWER jack. Using an
adapter that does not
meet these specifica-
tions could damage the
scanner or the adapter.
• Always connect the AC
adapter to the scanner
before you connect it to
AC power. When you
finish, disconnect the
adapter from AC power
before you disconnect it
from the scanner.
To power the scanner using
an AC adapter, attach the
Adaptaplug adapter to the
AC adapter so the tip reads
positive (+), then insert the
Adaptaplug adapter into the
scanner’s 
POWER jack.
Then connect the other end
of the adapter to a standard
AC outlet.
CHARGE POWER
!
20-313.fm  Page 11  Friday, January 7, 2000  3:09 PM 
						

							12
USING VEHICLE 
BATTERY POWER
You can power the scanner
from a vehicle’s 12V power
source (such as cigarette-
lighter socket) using a 9V,
300-mA DC adapter and a
size H Adaptaplug adapter
(neither supplied). Both are
available at your local Ra-
dioShack store.
Cautions:
You must use a
power source
that supplies
regulated 9V DC and
delivers at least 300 mA.
Its center tip must be set
to positive and its plug
must fit the scanners
POWER jack. Using an
adapter that does not
meet these specifica-
tions could damage the
scanner or the adapter.
• Always connect the DC
adapter to the scanner
before you connect it to
the power source. When
you finish, disconnect
the adapter from the
power source before you
disconnect it from the
scanner.To power the scanner using
a DC adapter, attach the
Adaptaplug adapter to the
DC adapter so the tip reads
positive (+). Set the adapt-
er’s voltage switch to 9V and
insert the Adaptaplug adapt-
er into the scanner’s 
POWER
jack, then plug the DC
adapter into your vehicle’s
cigarette lighter socket.
Note:
 If you use a cigarette
lighter power cable and your
vehicle’s engine is running,
you might hear electrical
noise from the engine while
scanning. This is normal.
CHARGING 
RECHARGEABLE 
BATTERIES
Your scanner has a built-in
charging circuit that lets you
charge Ni-Cd rechargeable
batteries while they are in
the scanner. 
Important:
 The scanner’s
built-in charging circuit takes
a  lo n g  tim e  to  re ch a rg e
nickel-metal hydride batter-
ies while they are installed in
the scanner. You must use
an external battery charger
to charge them.
!
20-313.fm  Page 12  Friday, January 7, 2000  3:09 PM 
						

							13
To charge Ni-Cd batteries,
remove the plug from the
scanner’s 
CHARGE jack and
connect an AC adapter to
the jack.
Warning:
 Do not connect an
adapter to the scanner’s
CHARGE jack if you installed
non-rechargeable batteries
(standard, extra-life, or alka-
line). Non-rechargeable bat-
teries become hot and could
explode if you try to re-
charge them.
It takes between 14 and 16
hours to recharge Ni-Cd re-
chargeable batteries that are
fully discharged. You can
operate the scanner while
recharging the batteries, but
charging takes longer.
Note:
 Ni-Cd batteries last
longer and deliver more
power if you occasionally let
them fully discharge. To do
this, simply use the scanner
until 
BATT.Lo flashes and
the scanner beeps every 15
seconds. Then fully charge
the batteries.Important:
This scanner
can use Ni-
Cd recharge-
able batter-
ies. At the
end of a Ni-Cd batterys use-
ful life, it must be recycled or
disposed of properly. Con-
tact your local, county, or
state hazardous waste man-
agement authorities for infor-
mation on recycling or
disposal programs in your
area or call 1-800-843-7422.
Some options that might be
available are: municipal
curbside collection, drop-off
boxes at retailers such as
your local RadioShack store,
recycling collection centers,
and mail-back programs.
CONNECTING AN 
ANTENNA
Connecting the 
Supplied Antenna
You must install an antenna
before you can operate the
scanner. 
The supplied flexible anten-
na helps your scanner re-
ceive strong local signals.
Follow these steps to install
the antenna.
1-800-843-7422
20-313.fm  Page 13  Friday, January 7, 2000  3:09 PM 
						

							14
1. Align the slots around
the antenna’s connector
with the tabs on the
antenna jack.
2. Press the antenna down
over the jack and turn
the antenna’s base
clockwise until it locks
into place.
The scanner’s sensitivity de-
pends on the antenna’s
length and various environ-
mental conditions.
Connecting an 
Outdoor Antenna
Instead of the supplied an-
tenna, you can connect an
outdoor base-station or mo-
bile antenna (not supplied)
to your scanner using a BNC
connector. Your local Ra-
dioShack store sells a vari-
ety of antennas. Choose the
one that best meets your
needs.When deciding on a mobile
or base-station antenna and
its location, consider these
points:
• 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, such as appli-
ances or other radios.
• The antenna should be
vertical for the best per-
formance.
Always 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 co-
axial cable. If the antenna
cable’s connector does not
fit in the scanner’s antenna
jack, you might also need an
antenna plug adapter. Your
local RadioShack store car-
ries a wide variety of coaxial
antenna cable and connec-
tors.
Once you choose an anten-
na, follow the mounting in-
structions supplied with the
antenna, after removing the
20-313.fm  Page 14  Friday, January 7, 2000  3:09 PM 
						

							15 supplied antenna. Then
route the antenna’s cable to
the scanner and connect the
cable to the scanner’s anten-
na jack.
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.
Warning: 
Use extreme
caution when you install or
remove an outdoor anten-
na. If the antenna starts to
fall, let it go! It could con-
tact overhead power lines.
If the antenna touches a
power line, contact with the
antenna, mast, cable, or
guy wires can cause elec-
trocution and death. Call
the power company to re-
move the antenna. DO
NOT attempt to do so your-
self.
CONNECTING AN 
EARPHONE/
HEADPHONES
For private listening, you can
connect an earphone or
headphones with a 
1/8-inch
(3.5-mm) plug to the   jack
on top of the scanner. (Your
local RadioShack store car-
ries a wide selection of ear-
phones and headphones).
Connecting an earphone or
headphones automatically
disconnects the internal
speaker.
Listening Safely
To protect your hearing, fol-
low these guidelines when
you use an earphone or
headphones.
• Set the volume to the
lowest setting before
you begin listening. After
you begin listening,
adjust the volume to a
comfortable level.
• Do not listen at
extremely high volume
20-313.fm  Page 15  Friday, January 7, 2000  3:09 PM 
						

							16levels. Extended high-
volume listening can
lead to permanent hear-
ing loss.
• Once you set the vol-
ume, do not increase it.
Over time, your ears
adapt to the volume
level, so a volume level
that does not cause dis-
comfort might still dam-
age your hearing. 
Traffic Safety
• Do not use an earphone/
headphones with your
scanner when operating
a motor vehicle or riding
a bicycle in or near traf-
fic. Doing so can create
a traffic hazard and
could be illegal in some
areas.
• If you use an earphone/
headphones with your
scanner while riding a
bicycle, be very careful.
Do not listen to a contin-
uous broadcast. Even
though some ear-
phones/headphones let
you hear some outside
sounds when listening at
normal volume levels,
they still can present a
traffic hazard.
CONNECTING AN 
EXTENSION 
SPEAKER
In a noisy area, an amplified
extension speaker (avail-
able at your local Ra-
dioShack store) positioned
in the right place might pro-
vide more comfortable lis-
tening. 
Plug the speaker cable’s 
1/8-
inch (3.5-mm) plug into your
scanner’s  jack.
Note: 
Connecting an exter-
nal speaker disconnects the
scanner’s internal speaker.
USING THE BELT 
CLIP
You can attach the supplied
belt clip to make the scanner
easier to use when you are
on the go. Use a Phillips
screwdriver and the two sup-
plied screws to attach the
belt clip to the scanner.
20-313.fm  Page 16  Friday, January 7, 2000  3:09 PM 
						

							17
UNDERSTANDING YOUR SCANNER
Once you understand a few simple terms we use in this manual
and familiarize yourself with your scanner’s features, you can
put the scanner to work for you. You simply determine the type
of communications you want to receive, then set the scanner to
scan them.
A frequency
 is the tuning location of a station (expressed in kHz
or MHz). To find active frequencies, you can use the search
function. 
When you find a frequency, you can store it into a programma-
ble memory location called a channel
, which is grouped with
your other channels in a channel-storage bank
. You can then
scan
 the channel-storage banks to see if there is activity on the
frequencies stored there. Each time the scanner finds an active
frequency, it stays on that channel until the transmission ends.
A LOOK AT THE KEYPAD
Your scanner’s keys might seem confusing at first, but this infor-
mation should help you understand each key’s function.
20-313.fm  Page 17  Friday, January 7, 2000  3:09 PM 
						

							18
Note: 
Some of the scanner’s keys perform more than one func-
tion and are marked with more than one label. The steps in this
Owner’s Manual show only the label appropriate to the action
being performed.
SCANScans programmed channels.
MANUAL Stops scanning and lets you directly enter a
channel number.
S/S-L/OUT Skips a specified frequency during limit or direct
search; lets you lock out selected channels.
PRI Turns the priority feature on and off.
MON Accesses one of the ten monitor memories.
DELAY Programs a 2-second delay for the selected
channel; sets a delay for all active frequencies
during a search.
ALERT Turns the weather alert feature on or off.
HOLD Holds the frequency search.
CLEAR
/• Clears an incorrect entry; enters a decimal point.
WX/E (Enter) Scans the seven preprogrammed weather chan-
nels; enters frequencies into channels.
KEYLOCK/  Locks/unlocks the keypad to prevent accidental
entries; turns on the display light for about 15
seconds.
PROG Programs frequencies into channels.
t
/LIMIT/s
Searches up or down for active frequencies; pro-
grams the limit search frequency range.
20-313.fm  Page 18  Friday, January 7, 2000  3:09 PM 
						

							19
Number E
nters a single-digit (0 to 9) or a range of numbers.
Keys
  Use the range of numbers above the key (21–40 for
example) when selecting the number for a desired
channel-storage bank. See “Understanding Banks”
on Page 21. Use the single digits to enter a channel
or frequency.
A LOOK AT THE DISPLAY
The display has indicators that show the scanner’s current oper-
ating status. This quick look at the display will help you under-
stand how your scanner operates.
 Appears when you listen to the priority channel.
t
/s
Indicates the search direction.
ALT Appears when weather alert mode is active. ALT
flashes when the scanner detects the weather
alert signal.
BANK Shows which banks are turned on for scanning
(see “Understanding Banks” on Page 21).
BATT.Lo Appears when the batteries are low.
CH Appears with digits (1–200) to show which chan-
nel the scanner is tuned to.
P
20-313.fm  Page 19  Friday, January 7, 2000  3:09 PM 
						

							20
d Appears instead of the channel number during a
direct search.
DLY Appears when you program a delay.
ErrorAppears when you make an entry error.
H Appears during a limit search hold.
h Appears during a direct search hold.
Hi Appears with a selected frequency to show the
search range’s upper limit.
KEYLOCK Appears when you lock the keypad.
L Appears instead of the channel number during a
limit search.
Lo Appears with a selected frequency to show the
search range’s lower limit.
L/O (lockout) 
Appears when you manually select a channel
that was previously locked out or when you man-
ually select a frequency that was previously
stored in search skip memory.
MON Appears when you listen to a monitor memory. A
number (1–10) appears to the right of 
MON indi-
cating which monitor memory you are listening
to.
MHz Digits that precede this indicator show which fre-
quency the scanner is tuned to.
MANAppears when you manually select a channel.
PGM Appears when you program frequencies into the
scanner’s channels.
20-313.fm  Page 20  Friday, January 7, 2000  3:09 PM