RadioShack Pro 90 TrunkTracker Scanner Owners Manual
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Owner’s ManualCat. No. 20-520 PRO-90 300-Channel TrunkTracker Scanner Please read before using this equipment. 20-520.fm Page 1 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:06 PM
2 FEATURES Your new RadioShack PRO-90 300-Channel Trunk- Tracker Scanner is the first of a new generation of scan- ners designed to track Motorolaä Type I and Type II (such as Smartnetä, and Privacy Plusä) and hybrid an- alog trunking systems, which are extensively used in many 800 MHz communication systems. Trunking communications systems let a large group of 2- way radio users (or even different groups of 2-way radio users) efficiently use a large range of frequencies. Instead of selecting a specific frequency for a transmission, the 2- way radio user simply selects a talk group. The trunking system automatically transmits the call on the first avail- able frequency, and also sends a code that uniquely iden- tifies that 2-way radio user’s transmission on a different frequency called a data channel. Since the trunking system might send individual 2-way ra- dio user’s calls and response transmissions on different frequencies, it is difficult to listen to trunked communica- tions using a regular scanner. The PRO-90 lets you select and monitor the data channel frequency sent with a 2-way radio user’s transmission, so you can hear the call and re- sponse for that 2-way radio user and easily “follow” the conversation. The scanner also lets you scan conventional transmis- sions, and is preprogrammed 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 complicated programming. This scanner gives you direct access to over 31,000 excit- ing frequencies, including 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: Triple-Conversion Circuitry — virtually eliminates any interference from IF (intermediate frequency) images, so you hear only the selected frequency. © 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. 20-520.fm Page 2 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:06 PM
3 Ten Channel-Storage Banks — let you store 30 chan- nels in each bank to group channels so you can more easily identify calls. Five Scan Lists — let you store up to 50 IDs in each tracking bank (up to a total of 500). Two-Second Scan Delay — delays scanning for about 2 seconds before moving to another channel, so you can hear more replies that are made on the same channel. Lock-Out Function — lets you set your scanner to skip over specified channels or frequencies when scanning or searching, and skip over IDs when tracking trunked systems. Priority Channels — lets you program one channel in each bank (10 in all) and then have the scanner check it every 2 seconds so you dont miss transmissions on those channels. Five Service-Search Banks — lets you search preset frequencies in separate police, fire/emergency, aircraft, marine, and weather banks, to make it easy to locate specific types of calls. HyperSearchä and HyperScanä — lets you set the scanner to search at up to 300 steps per second and scan at up to 100 frequencies per second in frequency bands with 5 kHz steps, to help you quickly find interest- ing broadcasts. 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 searches. This lets the scanner avoid non-voice signals, making a search faster. Key Lock — lets you lock the scanners keys to help prevent accidental changes to the scanners program- ming. Manual Access — lets you directly access any channel. Liquid-Crystal Display — makes it easy to view and change programming information. Display Backlight — makes the scanner easy to read in low-light situations. 20-520.fm Page 3 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:06 PM
4 Flexible Antenna with BNC Connector — provides ex- cellent reception and is designed to help prevent anten- na breakage. Or, you can connect an external antenna. Memory Backup — keeps the frequencies stored in memory for an extended time. Three Power Options — let you power the scanner us- ing the built-in rechargeable battery pack, external AC power using the supplied AC adapter/charger, or DC power using an optional DC cigarette-lighter power ca- ble. Key Confirmation Tones — the scanner sounds a tone when you perform an operation correctly, and an error tone if you make an error. Battery Low Alert — warns you when battery power gets low. Battery Save — saves battery power when the scanner does not detect any transmissions for more than 1 minute when a channel is manually selected. Your scanner can receive these bands: Frequency Range Step Transmission 29–29.7 MHz 5 kHz 10-Meter Ham Band 29.7–50 MHz 5 kHz VHF Lo 50–54 MHz 5 kHz 6-Meter Ham Band 108–136.9875 MHz 12.5 kHz Aircraft 137–144 MHz 5 kHz Military Land Mobile 144–148 MHz 5 kHz 2-Meter Ham Band 148–174 MHz 5 kHz VHF Hi 406–420 MHz 12.5 kHz Federal Govern- ment 420–450 MHz 12.5 kHz 70-cm Ham Band 450–470 MHz 12.5 kHz UHF Standard Band 470–512 MHz 12.5 kHz UHF “T” Band 806–956 MHz 12.5 kHz Public Service “800” Band, except cellular band 20-520.fm Page 4 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:06 PM
5 We recommend you record your scanner’s serial num- ber here. The number is on the bottom panel. Serial Number: ___________________________ FCC NOTICE Your scanner might cause radio or TV interference even when it is operating properly. To determine whether your scanner is causing the interference, turn off your scanner. If the interference goes away, your scanner is causing it. Try the following methods to eliminate the interference: • Move your scanner away from the receiver • Connect your scanner to an outlet that is on a differ- ent electrical circuit from the receiver • Contact your local RadioShack store for help Note: Mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires a permit in some areas. Check the laws in your area. SCANNING LEGALLY Your scanner covers frequencies used by many different groups including police and fire departments, ambulance services, government agencies, private companies, am- ateur radio services, military operations, pager services, and wireline (telephone and telegraph) service providers. It is legal to listen to almost every transmission your scan- ner 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 transmis- sion) • Pager transmissions • Any scrambled or encrypted transmissions According to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), you are subject to fines and possible imprison- ment for intentionally listening to, using, or divulging the contents of such a transmission unless you have the consent of a party to the conversation (unless such ac- tivity is otherwise illegal). We encourage responsible, le- gal scanner use. 20-520.fm Page 5 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:06 PM
6 CONTENTS Preparation ................................................................ 8 Power Sources ..................................................... 8 Using the Rechargeable Battery Pack .......... 8 Using Standard AC Power ............................ 9 Using Vehicle Battery Power ....................... 10 Connecting the Antenna ..................................... 11 Connecting an Optional Antenna ................ 12 Connecting an Earphone/Headphones .............. 13 Listening Safely .......................................... 13 Traffic Safety ............................................... 13 Connecting an Extension Speaker ..................... 14 Attaching the Belt Clip ........................................ 14 Understanding Your Scanner ................................. 15 A Look at the Keypad ......................................... 15 A Look at the Display ......................................... 17 Understanding Banks ......................................... 19 Channel Storage Banks .............................. 19 Service Banks ............................................. 19 Understanding Trunking ..................................... 19 Operation ................................................................. 20 Turning On the Scanner and Setting Squelch .... 20 Storing Known Frequencies into Channels ........ 21 Limit Search ....................................................... 22 Scanning Service Banks .................................... 23 Scanning the Stored Channels .......................... 25 Manually Selecting a Channel ............................ 25 Deleting a Stored Frequency ............................. 25 Special Features ...................................................... 26 Delay .................................................................. 26 Turning Channel-Storage Banks On and Off ..... 27 Locking Out Channels and Frequencies ............ 27 Locking Out Channels ................................ 27 Locking Out Frequencies ............................ 28 Priority ................................................................ 28 Using the Keylock .............................................. 30 Using the Display Backlight ................................ 30 Changing Search Speeds .................................. 30 Battery Save ...................................................... 31 Skipping Data Signals ........................................ 31 20-520.fm Page 6 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:06 PM
7 Trunk Tracking ......................................................... 32 Types of Trunked Systems ................................. 32 Setting the Scanner to the Trunk Tracking Mode 33 Setting Squelch for the Trunk Tracking Mode .... 34 Programming Trunked Frequencies ................... 34 Scanning a Trunked Bank .................................. 36 Monitoring an Active ID ............................... 37 Locking Out IDs ........................................... 38 Unlocking a Single ID .................................. 38 Unlocking All IDs ......................................... 38 Using Trunk Tracking Scan Delay ............... 39 Monitoring IDs ............................................. 39 Channel Activity Indicators ................................. 40 Scan Lists ........................................................... 41 Manually Storing IDs into Scan Lists ........... 41 Storing IDs Into Scan Lists While Searching .......................................... 42 Automatically Storing an ID in a Scan List Location ................................ 42 Deleting a Stored ID .................................... 43 Scanning the Scan Lists ..................................... 43 Scanning Type I and Hybrid Trunked Systems ... 44 Selecting a Preset Fleet Map ..................... 48 Programming a Fleet Map .......................... 49 Programming a Hybrid System .................. 50 A General Guide to Scanning ................................. 51 Guide to Frequencies ......................................... 51 National Weather Frequencies .................... 51 Canadian Weather Frequencies .................. 51 Birdie Frequencies ...................................... 51 Guide to the Action Bands ................................. 52 Typical Band Usage .................................... 52 Primary Usage ............................................. 52 Band Allocation ................................................. 53 Frequency Conversion ...................................... 57 Troubleshooting ....................................................... 58 Care and Maintenance ............................................. 61 Specifications .......................................................... 62 20-520.fm Page 7 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:06 PM
8 PREPARATION POWER SOURCES You can power your scanner from any of three sources: • Built-in rechargeable battery pack • Standard AC power using the supplied AC adapter/ charger • Vehicle battery power using an optional DC ciga- rette-lighter power cable Using the Rechargeable Battery Pack You must charge your scanner’s built-in rechargeable battery pack before you can use it to power the scanner. Your scanner has a built-in charging circuit that lets you charge the rechargeable battery pack while it is in the scanner. To charge the battery pack, simply connect the supplied AC adapter/charger or an optional DC cigarette-lighter power cable to the scanner’s EXT. PWR jack. See “Using Standard AC Power” on Page 9 or “Using Vehicle Bat- tery Power” on Page 10. It takes about 14–16 hours to recharge a battery pack that is fully discharged. (You can operate the scanner while recharging the battery pack, but charging takes longer). Notes: • The scanner automatically stops charging the bat- tery pack when it is fully charged, even if the sup- plied AC adapter/charger or a DC cigarette-lighter power cable is still connected to the scanner. • A rechargeable battery pack lasts longer and deliv- ers more power if you occasionally let it fully dis- charge. To do this, simply use the scanner until the low battery indicator appears. Then fully charge the battery pack. If the battery pack doesn’t power the scanner even after you charge it, you must replace it. You can order a re- placement battery pack from your local RadioShack store. 20-520.fm Page 8 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:06 PM
9 1. Press down on the battery compartment cover and slide the cover in the direction of the arrow to remove it. 2. Disconnect the battery pack’s connector from the scanner’s connector. Then remove the battery pack from the battery compartment. 3. Attach the new battery packs connector to the bat- tery socket inside the battery compartment. Then put the battery pack into the compartment. 4. Replace the cover. When the scanner’s battery gets low, blinks and the scanner beeps about every 15 seconds. Important: At the end of a rechargeable battery packs useful life, it must be recycled or disposed of properly. Contact your local, county, or state hazardous waste management authorities for information on recycling or disposal programs in your area. Some options that might be available are: municipal curb-side collection, drop-off boxes at retailers such as your local RadioShack store, recycling collection centers, and mailback programs. Using Standard AC Power To power the scanner from AC power, use the supplied AC adapter/charger. Plug the adapter/chargers barrel plug into the scanners EXT. PWR jack. Then plug the AC adapter/chargers power module into a standard AC out- let. 20-520.fm Page 9 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:06 PM
10 Warning: Do not use the AC adapter/chargers polarized plug with an extension cord, receptacle, or other outlet unless the blades can be fully inserted to prevent blade exposure. Caution: Use only the supplied AC adapter/charger. It is specifically designed for this scanner. Using Vehicle Battery Power To power the scanner from your vehicles cigarette-light- er socket, you need a DC cigarette-lighter power cable, such as Cat. No. 270-031. Cautions: • The DC cigarette-lighter power cable must be capa- ble of delivering 12 volts, its center tip must be set to positive, and its barrel plug must correctly fit the scanners EXT. PWR jack. The recommended power cable meets these specifications. Using a power cable that does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or the power cable. • To protect your vehicles electrical system, 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 vehicles cigarette-lighter socket before you unplug it from the scanner. • Insert the DC cigarette-lighter power cables barrel plug into the EXT. PWR jack, then plug the power EXT. PWR Jack cables other end into your vehicles cigarette-lighter .socket. 20-520.fm Page 10 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:06 PM