RadioShack Pro 92 Handheld Trunking Scanner Owners Manual

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Warning: Never install non-rechargeable batteries in the
rechargeable yellow battery holder. Non-rechargeable
batteries can get hot or explode if you try to recharge
them.
Note: You must charge rechargeable batteries before
you use them the first time. See “Charging Rechargeable
Batteries” on Page 13.
Follow these steps to install the batteries.
1. Press down on the battery compartment cover on the
bottom of the scanner and slide the cover in the
direction of the arrow to remove it.
2. Pull out and slide the battery holder out of the battery
compartment.
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3. Insert six AA batteries in the battery holder as indi-
cated by the polarity symbols (+ and –) marked on
the holder.
Cautions:
• Use only fresh batteries of the required size and
recommended type.
• Always remove old or weak batteries. Batteries
can leak chemicals that destroy electronic circuits.
• Do not mix old and new batteries, different types
of batteries (alkaline or rechargeable), or
rechargeable batteries of different capacities.
4. Slide the battery holder into the compartment.
Caution: The battery holder fits only one way. Do
not force it.
5. Replace the cover.
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When battery power is low, Low Battery! appears
and the scanner beeps continuously. When battery pow-
er is depleted, the scanner turns itself off. Replace all six
non-rechargeable batteries, or recharge the rechargeable
batteries. See “Charging Rechargeable Batteries”.
Warning: Always dispose of old batteries promptly and
properly. Do not bury or burn them.
Caution: If you do not plan to use the scanner with bat-
teries for a month or longer, remove the batteries. Batter-
ies can leak chemicals that can destroy electronic parts.
Charging Rechargeable Batteries
Your scanner has a built-in charging circuit that lets you
charge rechargeable batteries (not supplied) while it is in
the scanner. To charge rechargeable batteries connect
an appropriate AC or DC adapter to the 
PWR DC 9V jack.
We recommend RadioShack rechargeable batteries.
Note: To charge batteries with a DC adapter from a DC
power source, you must use RadioShack Cat. No. 273-
1825 and a size H Adaptaplug
® (neither supplied) avail-
able at your local RadioShack store. Make sure the
adapter’s voltage is set to 10V.
It takes between 14–16 hours to recharge rechargeable
batteries that are fully discharged. You can operate the
scanner while recharging the rechargeable batteries, but
charging takes longer.
Notes: 
• The scanner can charge Ni-MH batteries, however,
these batteries require more than 24-hours to
charge. We recommend using an external quick
charger for Ni-MH batteries.
• Additional charging time is required for high-capacity
rechargeable batteries.
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• Rechargeable batteries last longer and deliver more
power if you let them fully discharge once a month.
To do this, use the scanner until 
Low Battery!
appears on the display. Then fully charge the
rechargeable batteries.
Important: This scanner can use nickel-
cadmium rechargeable batteries. At the
end of a nickel-cadmium batterys useful
life, it must be recycled or disposed of
properly. Contact your local, county, or
state hazardous waste management au-
thorities for information on recycling or
disposal programs in your area or call 1-800-843-7422.
Some options that might be available are: municipal curb-
side collection, drop-off boxes at retailers such as your lo-
cal RadioShack store, recycling collection centers, and
mail-back programs.
Using AC Power
You can power the scanner using an 9V, 300 mA AC
adapter and a size H Adaptaplug (neither supplied). We
recommend RadioShack Cat. No. 273-1767 (available at
your local RadioShack store).
Cautions:
You must use a Class 2 power source that
supplies 9V DC and delivers at least 300
mA. Its center tip must be set to negative
and its plug must fit the scanners 
PWR DC 9V 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.
Follow these steps to connect the adapter.
1. Connect the Adaptaplug to the adapter’s cord with
the tip set to negative.
!
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2. Plug the adapter’s barrel plug into the scanner’s
PWR DC 9V jack.
3. Plug the adapter into a standard AC outlet.
Using Vehicle Power
You can power the scanner from a vehicle’s 12V power
source (such as a cigarette-lighter socket) using a 9V,
300 mA DC adapter and a size H Adaptaplug (neither
supplied). We recommend RadioShack Cat. No. 273-
1810 (available at your local RadioShack store). 
Note: For charging batteries with an optional DC adapter
from a DC power source, use RadioShack Cat. No. 273-
1825 and a size H Adaptaplug (available at your local Ra-
dioShack store). Make sure the adapter’s voltage is set to
10V.
Cautions:
You must use a power source that supplies
9V DC and delivers at least 300 mA. Its
center tip must be set to negative and its
plug must fit the scanners 
PWR DC 9V jack. Using an
adapter that does not meet these specifications
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.
Follow these steps to connect the adapter.
1. Connect the Adaptaplug to the adapter’s cord with
the tip set to negative. 
2. Plug the adapter’s barrel plug into the scanner’s
PWR DC 9V jack.
!
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3. Plug the adapter’s cigarette-lighter plug into your
vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket.
Note: If the scanner does not operate properly when you
connect a DC adapter, unplug the DC adapter from the
cigarette-lighter socket and clean the socket to remove
ashes and other debris.
CONNECTING THE ANTENNA
Follow these steps to attach the supplied flexible antenna
to the 
ANT jack on the top of your scanner.
1. Align the slots around the antenna’s connector with
the tabs on the 
ANT jack.
2. Press the antenna down over the jack and turn the
antenna’s base clockwise until it locks into place.
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Connecting an Optional Antenna
The antenna connector on your scanner makes it easy to
use the scanner with a variety of antennas, such as an
external mobile antenna or outdoor base station antenna.
Your local RadioShack store sells a variety of antennas.
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, you will
also need a BNC adapter (also available at your local Ra-
dioShack store).
Follow the installation instructions supplied with the an-
tenna, route the antenna cable to the scanner, then con-
nect it to the 
ANT jack.
Warning: Use extreme caution when installing or remov-
ing an outdoor antenna. 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, ca-
ble or guy wires can cause electrocution and death! Call
the power company to remove the antenna. Do not at-
tempt to do so yourself.
CONNECTING AN EARPHONE/
HEADPHONES
For private listening, you can plug an earphone or mono/
stereo headphones (not supplied), available at your local
RadioShack store, into the   jack on top of your scan-
ner. This automatically disconnects the internal speaker.
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Listening Safely
To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when you
use an earphone or headphones:
• Do not listen at extremely high volume levels.
Extended high-volume listening can lead to perma-
nent hearing loss.
• Set the volume to the lowest setting before you begin
listening. After you begin listening, adjust the volume
to a comfortable level.
• Once you set the volume, do not increase it. Over
time, your ears adapt to the volume level, so a vol-
ume level that does not cause discomfort might still
damage your hearing.
Traffic Safety
Do not wear an earphone or headphones while you drive
a vehicle or ride a bicycle. This can create a traffic hazard
and can be illegal in some areas.
Even though some earphones and headphones let you
hear some outside sounds when you listen at normal lev-
els, they still can present a traffic hazard.
CONNECTING AN EXTENSION 
SPEAKER
In a noisy area, an amplified speaker (not supplied),
available at your local RadioShack store, might provide
more comfortable listening. Plug the speaker cable’s 
1/8-
inch (3.5-mm) mini-plug into your scanner’s   jack.
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USING THE BELT CLIP
You can use the belt clip attached to the back of the
scanner for hands-free carrying when you are on the go.
Slide the belt clip over your belt or waistband.
CONNECTING THE CLONE CABLE
You can transfer the programmed data to and from an-
other PRO-92 using the supplied clone cable. Connect
the cable between each scanner’s PC/IF jacks. See
“Cloning the Programmed Data from Scanner to Scan-
ner” on Page 56. You can also upload or download the
programmed data to or from a PC using an optional PC
interface kit available by special order from your local Ra-
dioShack store.
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ABOUT YOUR SCANNER
Once you understand a few simple terms used in this
manual and familiarize yourself with your scanner’s fea-
tures, you can put the scanner to work for you. You sim-
ply determine the type of communications you want to
receive, then set the scanner to scan them.
A 
frequency is the receiving signal location (expressed in
kHz or MHz). To find active frequencies, you can use the
search function. 
You can also search the SEARCH banks, which are pre-
programmed frequencies in the scanner’s memory (see
“Searching a Preprogrammed Frequency Range” on
Page 41 for the frequency list). You can change the
SEARCH frequency ranges.
When you find a frequency, you can store it into a pro-
grammable 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. See “Trunk-
ing Operation” on Page 57 for terms related to trunking
systems.
A LOOK AT THE KEYPAD
Your scanner’s keys might seem confusing at first, but
this information should help you understand each key’s
function.
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