RadioShack Pro 92b Handheld Scanner Owners Manual

							11Preparation
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 cir-
cuits.
• 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.
20-522b.fm  Page 11  Thursday, September 7, 2000  9:41 AM 
						

							12
Preparation
Caution:
 The battery holder fits only one way. Do
not force it.
5. Replace the cover.
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 recharge-
able 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.
20-522b.fm  Page 12  Thursday, September 7, 2000  9:41 AM 
						

							13Preparation
• 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. Then fully charge the rechargeable batter-
ies.
Important:
 .The EPA certified RBRC
® Bat-
tery Recycling Seal on the nickel-cadmium
(Ni-Cd) battery indicates RadioShack is
voluntarily participating in an industry pro-
gram to collect and recycle these batteries
at the end of their useful life, when taken out of service in
the United States or Canada.  The RBRC program pro-
vides a convenient alternative to placing used Ni-Cd bat-
teries into the trash or the municipal waste stream, which
may be illegal in your area.  Please call 1-800-THE-
SHACK (1-800-843-7422) for information on Ni-Cd bat-
tery recycling and disposal bans/restrictions in your ar-
ea. RadioShack’s involvement in this program is part of
the company’s commitment to preserving our environ-
ment and conserving our natural resources.
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 specifi-
cations 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.
!
20-522b.fm  Page 13  Thursday, September 7, 2000  9:41 AM 
						

							14
Preparation
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
RadioShack store). Make sure the adapter’s voltage is
set to 10V.
Cautions:
You must use a power source that sup-
plies 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. Us-
ing 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.
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.
!
20-522b.fm  Page 14  Thursday, September 7, 2000  9:41 AM 
						

							15Preparation
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 anten-
na 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.
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 anten-
na. Your local RadioShack store sells a variety of anten-
nas.
20-522b.fm  Page 15  Thursday, September 7, 2000  9:41 AM 
						

							16
Preparation
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 RadioShack 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 re-
moving an outdoor antenna. If the antenna starts to fall,
let it go! It could contact overhead power lines. If the an-
tenna touches a power line, contact with the antenna,
mast, cable or guy wires can cause electrocution and
death! Call the power company to remove the antenna.
Do not attempt 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.
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.
20-522b.fm  Page 16  Thursday, September 7, 2000  9:41 AM 
						

							17Preparation
• 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 haz-
ard and can be illegal in some areas.
Even though some earphones and headphones let you
hear some outside sounds when you listen at normal
levels, 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.
Note:
 You must use an amplified speaker with this scan-
ner. Non-amplified speakers do not provide sufficient
volume for comfortable listening.
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.
20-522b.fm  Page 17  Thursday, September 7, 2000  9:41 AM 
						

							18
About Your Scanner
CONNECTING THE CLONE CABLE
You can transfer the programmed data to and from an-
other PRO-92 or PRO-2067 using the supplied clone ca-
ble. Connect the cable between each scanner’s PC/IF
jacks. See “Cloning the Programmed Data from Scanner
to Scanner” on Page 48. You can also upload or down-
load the programmed data to or from a PC using an op-
tional PC interface kit available by special order from
your local RadioShack store.
ˆAbout 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 34 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 48 for terms related to trunking
systems.
20-522b.fm  Page 18  Thursday, September 7, 2000  9:41 AM 
						

							19About Your Scanner
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.
FUNC (function)
 — lets you use various functions by
pressing this key along with other keys.
SCAN — scans through the programmed channels.
MANUAL — stops scanning and lets you directly enter a
channel number.
TRUNK — stores the trunking ID code or holds the trunk-
ing ID while scanning.
WX — scans through the 7 preprogrammed weather
channels.
PRI (Priority)
 — sets and turns the priority function on or
off.
TEXT — lets you input text.
STEP — changes the frequency step or displays step fre-
quency during search, or selects PL or DPL codes when
programming.
MODE — changes the receive mode (AM, FM, PL, DL,
LT, MO, ED). See “Changing the Receive Mode” on
Page 45.
/
LIT (Light)
 — turns on/off the display’s backlight or
locks/unlocks the keypad to prevent accidental entries.
20-522b.fm  Page 19  Thursday, September 7, 2000  9:41 AM 
						

							20
About Your Scanner
TUNE — lets you input a frequency and allows you to
fine tune a frequency along with   or  .
AT T (Attenuate)
 — turns attenuation on to reduce the
scanner’s sensitivity, or turns it off to increase it.
 or   — selects the search direction during frequency
search or tuning.
SEARCH — lets you search the ten search banks.
L/OUT (Lock Out)
 — lets you lock out a selected chan-
nel, skip a specified frequency during search, or lock out
a selected ID code.
PGM — programs frequencies into channels.
ENTER — lets you complete the entry of frequencies and
text.
1/DELAY — enters a 1, or programs a 2-second delay for
the selected channel/search bank, or inputs characters 0
through 9.
2/ABC — enters a 2, or inputs characters A, B, or C.
3/DEF — enters a 3, or inputs characters D, E, or F.
4/GHI — enters a 4, or inputs characters G, H, or I.
5/JKL — enters a 5, or inputs characters J, K, or L.
6/MNO — enters a 6, or inputs characters M, N, or O.
7/PQRS — enters a 7, or inputs characters P, Q, R, or S.
8/TUV — enters a 8, or inputs characters T, U, or V.
9/WXYZ — enters a 9, or inputs characters W, X, Y, or Z.
0 — enters a zero, or inputs characters., -, #, _, @, +,
*, &, /, , $,%,!, ^, (,
), ?, , `, and ^.
• — enters a decimal point (necessary when program-
ming frequencies), space, or hyphen (in Motorola type I
code setting).
CL — clears an incorrect entry.
20-522b.fm  Page 20  Thursday, September 7, 2000  9:41 AM