RadioShack Pro 83 Compact Scanner Reciever Owners Manual

							51  Beyond the Basics
To turn off the priority feature, press FUNC + 
PRIORITY. PRI disappears.
Using Keylock
Use the scanners keylock to protect it from 
accidental program changes. When the scanners 
keys are locked, the only controls that operate are 
SCAN, FUNC, HOLD, , KEYLOCK, and  .
To turn on keylock, press FUNC + KEYLOCK. 
 appears. To turn off keylock, press FUNC + 
KEYLOCK.  disappears.
Note: Using keylock does not prevent the scanner 
from scanning channels.
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							Beyond the Basics 52
Wired Programming
You can transfer programming data to your scanner 
using your PC and an optional interface cable (Cat. 
No. 20-289, available at your local RadioShack store) 
and software (available at your local RadioShack or 
www.radioshack.com).
Note: If the scanner receives no data from the PC 
for more than 20 seconds, T- E r r appears and wired 
programming stops.
X Make sure your scanner is turned off.
Y Connect the interface cable to your computer 
then connect the other end of the cable to PC/IF 
on the side of the scanner.
Z Install the software to your computer and run the 
program.
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							53  Beyond the Basics
[ To set up the program, click on Tools, select 
Configuration, and select PRO-83 (if necessary).
\ Turn on the scanner. The scanner automatically 
goes into the wired programming mode. PGM 
and WirEd appear. Then send the data from the 
PC.
Data frame numbers being received appear.
] When the scanner has successfully received all 
data, End appears. If the scanner received an 
error while receiving data, End, d-Err, and its 
frame number appear. If the scanner received a 
communication error while receiving data, C-Err 
indicates the packet number where the error 
occurred. If the scanner received a checksum 
error while receiving data, S-Err indicates the 
packet number where the error occurred. If the 
scanner received a length field error while 
receiving data, L-Err indicates the packet number 
where the error occurred.
Using the Display/Key Backlight
To turn on the display/key light for easy viewing at 
night, press  . The display lights for 15 seconds. 
To turn off the light sooner, press   again.
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							Beyond the Basics 54
Resetting the Scanner
If the scanner’s display locks up or stops operating 
properly, you might need to reset the scanner.
Caution: This procedure clears all the information 
you have stored in the scanner. Before you reset the 
scanner, try turning it off and on to see if it begins 
working properly. Reset the scanner only when you 
are sure it is not working properly.
X Make sure your scanner is turned off.
Y While holding down 2, 9, and HOLD, turn on the 
scanner. After about 3 seconds, the scanner 
initializes and CLEAr appears.
Follow these steps to restore the 150 
preprogrammed frequencies stored in the 
scanner.
X Make sure your scanner is turned off.
Y While holding down 3 and E, turn on the scanner. 
After several seconds, the scanner restores the 
frequencies and -LoAd- appears.
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							55  Beyond the Basics
frequently asked questions
Q: My scanner isn’t working at all. How do I turn it on?
A: The scanner might not be receiving power. 
Make sure the batteries are installed correctly and 
are good (if you installed alkaline batteries) or fully 
charged (if you installed rechargeable batteries). See 
“powering your scanner” on Page 5 for more 
information.
If the batteries are good, make sure the AC adapter’s 
or DC adapter’s barrel plug is fully inserted into the 
scanner’s 6V 300 mA jack.     See “Using AC Power” 
on Page 10 for more information.
If the scanner is receiving power, make sure it is 
turned on. See “Turning On The Scanner and  Set-
ting Squelch” on Page 25 for more information.
Q: My scanner is on but won’t scan. How do I get it
 to scan?
A: Make sure the squelch is adjusted correctly. See 
“Turning On The Scanner and  Setting Squelch” on 
Page 25 for more information.
If the squelch is set correctly, you might not have 
stored frequencies into any channels or only one 
channel. You must store at least two frequencies for 
the scanner to scan. See “Storing Known Frequen-
cies Into Channels” on Page 25 for more
information.
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							Beyond the Basics 56
Q: The scanner’s display is dim and hard to see. The 
scanner also beeps once every 15 to 30 seconds. 
What’s wrong?
A: The scanner might not be receiving enough 
power or the batteries might not be correctly 
installed. Make sure the batteries are installed 
correctly and are good (if you installed alkaline 
batteries) or fully charged (if you installed 
rechargeable batteries). See “powering your scan-
ner” on Page 5 for more information.
Q: Nothing happens when I press the scanner’s 
keys. How do I get the keys to work?
A: The scanner’s keylock might be turned on. To 
turn off keylock, press FUNC and KEYLOCK until 
 disappears. See “Using Keylock ” on Page 51 for 
more information.
Q:  flashes on the display. What is it?
A: The batteries might be weak. Make sure the 
batteries are good (if you installed alkaline batteries) 
or fully charged (if you installed rechargeable 
batteries). See “powering your scanner” on Page 5 
for more information.
Q: My scanner is not receiving anything or 
reception is weak. What’s wrong?
A: The batteries might be weak. Make sure the 
batteries are good (if you installed alkaline batteries) 
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							57  Beyond the Basics
or fully charged (if you installed rechargeable 
batteries. Also make sure the AC adapter’s or DC 
adapter’s barrel plug is fully inserted into the 
scanner’s 6V 300 mA jack. See “Using AC Power” on 
Page 10 for more information.
If the batteries are OK, the antenna might not be 
connected or is connected incorrectly. See “Con-
n e ct i n g  t h e  A n t e nn a”  o n  Pa g e 1 3  for more information.
Q: My scanner is not receiving weather channels. 
How do I set it so I can receive weather channels?
A: The scanner might be set to weather alert mode. 
If this happens, it cannot receive weather channels 
until it receives a weather alert. To hear a weather 
channel at any time, make sure weather alert is 
turned off. See “WX Alert” on Page 38 for more 
information.
Q: Error appears on the display. What does it mean?
A: If you were trying to enter a frequency, you might 
have made a programming error. Re-enter the 
frequency correctly, including the decimal point. 
See “Storing Known Frequencies Into Channels” on 
Page 25 for more information.
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							Beyond the Basics 58
Specifications
Frequency Coverage:
 25.0000-27.9950 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
 28.0000-29.9950 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
 30.0000-49.9950 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
 50.0000-54.0000 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
108.0000-136.9875 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
137.0000-143.9950 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
144.0000-147.9950 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
148.0000-174.0000 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
406.0000-419.99375 MHz (in 6.25 kHz steps)
420.0000-449.99375 MHz (in 6.25 kHz steps)
450.0000-469.99375 MHz (in 6.25 kHz steps)
470.0000-512.0000 MHz (in 6.25 kHz steps)
806.0000-823.9875 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
849.0125-868.9875 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
894.0125-956.0000 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
Operating Temperature:
Normal  -4° to 140°F (-20° to 60°C)
Signal Stalker  14° to 122°F (-10° to 50°C)
IF Frequencies
1st (25-174 MHz) 380.6050-380.7000 MHz
1st (406-512 MHz)  380.6125-380.7000 MHz
1st (806-956 MHz)  380.7000-380.7875 MHz
2nd 21.3 MHz
3rd 450 kHz
Specifications are typical; individual units might vary. 
Specifications are subject to change and improvement 
without notice.
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							59  Beyond the Basics
glossary
ALKALINE/RECHARGEABLE Switch - Lets you select 
the type of batteries you want to use in the scanner 
(alkaline or rechargeable) ........................................  5
Channel - a programmable memory location. 
Channels are grouped into channel-storage banks. 
Your scanner has 10 channel-storage banks and 
each bank has 20 channels.  ..................................  17
Channel-Storage Banks - Groups of channels, used 
for frequency storage.  ...........................................  24
Service Banks - preset groups of frequencies 
categorized by the type of services that use those 
frequencies. .....................................................  17, 24
Signal Stalker - lets you set the scanner so it detects 
then displays the frequency of a nearby strong radio 
transmission. .........................................................  31
Skywarn - lets you jump directly to the last channel 
in memory (Channel 200) from any transmission. 
You can program this channel with the frequency of 
your local Skywarn broadcaster.  ..........................  36
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							Beyond the Basics 60
index
Accessories ...........................................................  64
ALKALINE/RECHARGEABLE Switch   .....................  5
Antenna
Connecting ........................................................  13
Using an Optional Antenna  ..............................  13
Attaching a belt clip  ...............................................  16
Backlight .................................................................  53
Batteries
Charging   ............................................................. 5
Installing .............................................................. 5
Belt Clip
Attaching ...........................................................  16
Chain Search ..........................................................  38
Mode .................................................................  39
Hold Mode .........................................................  40
Storing Frequencies  ..........................................  41
Channel-Storage Banks   .................................  24, 48
Connecting an antenna  ......................................... 13
Connecting an earphone  ....................................... 14
Connecting an extension speaker .........................  15
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