RadioShack Pro 95 Handheld Scanner Owners Manual
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Preparation 11 Charging Rechargeable Batteries Your scanner has a built-in charging circuit that lets you charge nickel-metal hydride (Ni- MH) or nickel cadmium (Ni-CD) rechargeable batteries (not supplied) while they are in the scanner. To charge rechargeable batteries, connect an appropriate AC or DC adapter to the PWR DC 9V jack. For best results we recommend RadioShack rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) 1600mAh batteries. ! To charge batteries with a DC adapter from a DC power source, youmustusea9V,300mADC adapter such as RadioShack Cat. No. 273-1810 or 273-1815 and a size B Adaptaplug™ (neither supplied). Both are available at your local RadioShack store. Make sure the adapters voltage is set to 9V. Ô It takes about 16 hours to recharge fully discharged 1600mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries. You can operate the scanner while recharging the rechargeable batteries, but charging takes longer. USING AC POWER You can power the scanner using a 9V, 300 mA AC adapter and a size B Adaptaplug (neither supplied). Both are available at your local RadioShack store. CAUTION If you do not plan to use the scanner with batteries for a month or longer, remove the batteries. Batteries can leak chemicals that can destroy electronic parts. o WARNING o Always dispose of old batteries promptly and properly. Do not bury or burn them. Ô NOTE Ô The scanner can also charge Ni-Cd batteries. 600mAh batteries require 6 hours and 850mAh batteries require 8 hours to charge. When you charge Ni-Cd batteries, do not overcharge them. Overchar- ging shortens battery life. 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 batteries.
Preparation 121. Connect the Adaptaplug to the adapters cord with the tip set to positive. 2. Plug the adapters barrel plug into the scanners PWRDC9V jack. 3. Plug the adapters two-prong plug into an AC outlet. 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 B Adaptaplug™ adapter (neither supplied). Both are available at your local RadioShack store. 1. Connect the Adaptaplug to the adapters cord with the tip set to positive. 2. Plug the adapters barrel plug into the scanners PWRDC9V jack. 3. Plug the adapters cigarette- lighter plug into your 12V power source. Ô CONNECTING THE A NTENNA To attach the supplied flexible antenna to the antenna jack on the top of your scanner, align the slots around the antennas connector with the tabs on the antenna jack. Press the antenna down over the jack and turn the antennas base clockwise until it locks into place. CAUTION Yo u must use a Class 2 power source that supplies 9V DC and delivers at least 300 mA. Its center tip must be set to positive and its plug must fit the scanners PWRDC9Vjack . Using an adapter that does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or the adapter. Always connect the AC or DC adapter to the scanner before you connect it to AC power or power source. When you finish, disconnect the adapter from AC power or the power source before you disconnect it from the scanner. ! Ô NOTE Ô If the scanner does not operate properly when you connect a DC adapter, unplug the DC adapter from the power source and clean the socket, or check the adapter’s internal fuse.
Preparation 13 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 RadioShackstoresellsavarietyof 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 antennas cable does not have a BNC connector, you will also need a BNC adapter (not supplied, available at your local RadioShack store). Follow the installation instructions supplied with the antenna, route the antenna cable to the scanner, then connect it to the antenna jack. o CONNECTING AN E ARPHONE/HEADPHONES For private listening, you can plug an1/8-inch(3.5mm)mini-plug earphone or headphones (not supplied), available at your local RadioShack store, into the jack on top of your scanner. This automatically disconnects the internal speaker. Listening SafelyTo protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when you use headphones. o WARNING o Use extreme caution when installing or removing an outdoor antenna. If the antenna starts to fall ,letitgo!Itcould contact overhead power lines. If the antenna touches a power line, touching the antenna, mast, cable, or guy wires can cause electrocution and death. Call the powe rcompany to remove the antenna. DO NOT attempt to do so yourself.
Preparation 14 Set the volume to zero before putting on the headphones. With the headphones on, adjust the volume to a comfortable level. Avoid increasing the volume once you set it. Over time, your sensitivity to a volume level decreases, so volume levels that do not cause discomfort might damage your hearing. Avoid or limit listening at high volume levels. Prolonged exposure to high volume levels can cause permanent hearing loss. Traffic SafetyWearing headphones while operating a motor vehicle or riding a bicycle can create a traffic hazard and could be illegal in some areas. Even though some headphones let you hear some outside sounds when listening at normal volume levels, they still can present a traffic hazard. Exercise extreme caution! CONNECTING AN E XTENSION SPEAKER In a noisy area, an amplified speaker (not supplied), available at your local RadioShack store, might provide more comfortable listening. Plug the speaker cables 1/8-inch(3.5mm)mini-pluginto your scanners jack. Ô ! IMPORTANT !The EPA certified RBRC® Battery Recycling Seal on the nickel- cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery indicates RadioShack is voluntarily participating in an industry program 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 provides a convenient alter- native to placing used Ni-Cd batteries 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) fo rinformation on Ni-Cd battery recycling and disposal bans/ restrictions in your area. RadioShack’s involvement in this program is part of the company’s commitment to preserving our environment and conserving our natural resources. Ô NOTE Ô You must use an amplified speaker with this scanner. Non-amplified speakers do not provide sufficient volume for comfortable listening.
About Your Scanner 15 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. TRANSFERRING DATA TO AND FROM ANOTHER S CANNER OR A PC You can transfer the programmed data to and from another PRO-95 scanner using a connecting cable which has 1/8-inch phone plugs on both ends (not supplied). Connect the cable between each scanners PC/IFjacks. See “Cloning the Programmed Data” on Page 53. You can also upload or download theprogrammeddatatoorfroma PC using an optional PC interface cable (available through your local RadioShack store) and optional PC interface software (available at www.radioshack.com). ABOUT YOUR SCANNER Once you understand a few simple terms used in this manual and familiarize yourself with your scanners 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. Afrequencyis the receiving signal location (expressed in kHz or MHz). To find active frequencies, you can use the search function.
About the Keypad 16You can also search the SEARCH banks, which are preprogrammed frequencies in the scanners memory (see “Searching a Preprogrammed Frequency Range” on Page 32 for the frequency list). You can even change the frequency range on one of the SEARCH banks (SR5) to limit the search. When you find a frequency, you can store it into a programmable memory location called achannel, which is grouped with 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. ABOUT THE KEYPAD Here is a brief overview of your scanners keys and their functions. SCAN— scans through the programmed channels. FUNC(function) — lets you use various functions by pressing this key in combination with other keys. MANUAL— stops scanning and lets you directly enter a channel number. WX— scans through the seven preprogrammed weather channels.
About the Keypad 17 TRUNK— stores the trunking ID code or holds the trunking ID while scanning. PRI(Priority) — sets and turns the priority function on or off. TEXT— lets you input text. PAUSE— stops search. MODE— changes the receive mode (AM, FM, MOT, ED). / — turns on/off the displays backlight, or when used with FUNClocks/unlocks the keypad to prevent accidental entries. 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 scanners sensitivity and block extremely strong signals, or turns it off to increase sensitivity. or— selects the scan or search direction. SEARCH— lets you search the six search banks. L/OUT(Lock Out) — lets you lock out a selected channel, skip a specified frequency during search, or lock out a selected ID code. PGM— programs frequencies into channels. ENTER— completes the entry of frequencies and text.
About the Keypad 18 1— enters a 1, or inputs characters 0 through 9 in text mode. 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 an 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 ., -, #, _, @, +, *, &, /, , $, %, !, ^, (, ), ?, ->, ` or
Quick Start 19 QUICK START To help familiarize yourself with the scanner’s functions, keypad, and available frequencies, you can utilize one of these three features before you begin programming the scanner. Preprogrammed Search Banks — allow you to listen to frequencies and decide which frequencies you want to store when you are ready to program thescanner.See“Searchinga Preprogrammed Frequency Range” on Page 32. Manual Tuning— allows you to manually scan through the entire range of available frequencies without programming. (See “Specifications” on Page 84 for a list of the available frequency ranges.) Also, see “Deleting Frequencies from Channels” on Page 44. Weather Radio— allows you to listen to NOAA weather broadcasts without programming. See “Listening to the Weather Band” on Page 39. UNDERSTANDING BANKS CHANNEL STORAGE B ANKS A bank is a storage area for a group of channels. Channels are storage areas for frequencies. Whereas a channel can only contain one frequency, a bank can hold numerous channels.
Understanding Your Scanners Modes 20To make it easier to identify and select the channels you want to listen to, your scanner divides the channels into 10 banks ( 0to 9)of 100 ( 00to99) channels each, a total of 1,000 channels. You can use each channel-storage bank to group frequencies, such as those used by Motorola trunking, EDACS trunking, Marine, CB, Police, Fire, Aircraft and Ham (see “Typical Band Usage (in MHz)” on Page 71). For example, a police department might use four frequencies, one foreachsideoftown.Youcould program the police frequencies starting with 000(the first channel in bank 0) and program the fire department frequencies starting with 100(the first channel in bank 1). The first digit identifies the bank ( 0to9). The second and third digits identify the channel within the bank ( 00to99). SEARCH BANKS Your scanner has five preprogrammed search banks and one limit search bank. You can set the lower and higher frequency limit in the limit search bank. Ô For the default setting, see “Searching a Preprogrammed Frequency Range” on Page 32). UNDERSTANDING YOUR SCANNERS MODES You can program each channel with any of four receive modes (AM,FM,MOT,andED). Ô NOTE Ô Forexample,ifyou wanted to find active frequencies between a range of 150.1000 and 150.5000, you would put both of those frequencies in the limit search bank.