RadioShack Pro 99 Compact Race Scanner Owners Manual
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11 CONNECTING AN A NTENNA Connecting a Supplied Antenna You must install an antenna before you can operate the scanner. The supplied stub antenna helps your scanner receive most strong transmissions at events and makes the scanner easier to carry and use. The supplied flexible antenna provides slightly better reception and helps your scanner receive strong local signals. 1. Align the slots around the antenna’s connector with the tabs on the antenna jack. 2. Press the antenna down over the jack and turn the antenna’s base clockwise until it locks into place. Connecting an Outdoor Antenna Instead of a supplied antenna, you can connect an outdoor base- station or mobile antenna (not supplied) to your scanner using a BNC connector. Your local RadioShack store sells a variety of antennas. Choose the one that best meets your needs. o When deciding on a mobile or base-station antenna and its location, consider these points. The antenna should be as high as possible on the vehicle or building. o WARNING o Use extreme caution when you install or remove 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, cable, or guy wires can cause electrocution and death. Call the power company to remove the antenna. DO NOT attempt to do so yourself. 20-515Change01_04.fm Page 11 Friday, January 16, 2004 1:14 PM
12 The antenna and its cable should be as far as possible from sources of electrical noise, such as appliances or other radios. The antenna should be vertical for the best performance. Always use 50 Ohm coaxial cable, such as RG-58 or RG-8, to connect the base-station or mobile antenna. For lengths over 50 feet, use RG-8 low-loss dielectric coaxial cable. If the antenna cable’s connector does not fit in the scanner’s antenna jack, you might also need a PL-259-to-BNC antenna plug adapter. Your local RadioShack store carries a wide variety of coaxial antenna cable and connectors. Once you choose an antenna, follow the mounting instructions supplied with the antenna, after removing a supplied antenna. Then route the antenna’s cable to the scanner and connect the cable to the scanner’s antenna jack. CONNECTING AN E ARPHONE/HEADPHONES For private listening, you can connect an earphone or headphones with a 1/8-inch (3.5 mm) plug to the * jack on the top of the scanner. (Your local RadioShack store carries a wide selection of earphones and headphones). Connecting an earphone or headphones automatically disconnects the internal speaker. CAUTION Do not run the cable over sharp edges or moving parts that might damage it. Do not run the cable next to power cables or other antenna cables. 20-515Change01_04.fm Page 12 Friday, January 16, 2004 1:14 PM
13 Listening SafelyTo protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when you use an earphone or headphones. Set the volume to the lowest setting before you begin listening. After you begin listening, adjust the volume to a comfortable level. Do not listen at extremely high volume levels. Extended high-volume listening can lead to permanent hearing loss. Once you set the volume, do not increase it. Over time, your ears adapt to the volume level, so a volume level that does not cause discomfort might still damage your hearing. Traffic Safety Do not use an earphone or headphones with your scanner when operating a motor vehicle or riding a bicycle in or near traffic. Doing so can create a traffic hazard and could be illegal in some areas. If you use an earphone or headphones with your scanner while riding a bicycle, be very careful. Do not listen to a continuous transmission. Even though some earphones or headphones let you hear some outside sounds when listening at normal volume levels, they still can present a traffic hazard. 20-515Change01_04.fm Page 13 Friday, January 16, 2004 1:14 PM
14 CONNECTING AN E XTENSION SPEAKER In a noisy area, an amplified extension speaker (available at your local RadioShack store) might provide more comfortable listening. Plug the speaker cable’s 1/8-inch (3.5 mm) plug into your scanner’s * jack. Connecting an external speaker disconnects the scanner’s internal speaker. o ATTACHING THE BELT C LIP You can attach the supplied belt clip to make your scanner easier to carry when you are on the go. Attach the belt clip to the back of the scanner, then slide it downward until it clicks. To remove the belt clip, pull up the hook then slide the belt clip. UNDERSTANDING THE SCANNER Once you understand a few simple terms used in this manual and familiarize yourself with your scanner’s 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. Your scanner comes pre-loaded with recent frequencies for race drivers. o WARNING o Never connect the audio output line of the headphone jack and a power supply (and GND ) line when you use the headphone jack to connect an external speaker. If connected, over current flows to the audio IC of the scanner which causes abnormal high temperature and the scanner might break down. 20-515Change01_04.fm Page 14 Friday, January 16, 2004 1:14 PM
15 A LOOK AT THE KEYPAD If your scanner’s keys seem confusing at first, the following information should help you understand each key’s function.Ô FUNC — Lets you use various functions by pressing this key in combination with other keys. When using the FUNC key, press FUNC first, then release it, then quickly press the next key in the function key sequence. Hold down for about 2 seconds, the scanner enters function menu mode. õ/î — Locks and unlocks the keypad to prevent accidental entries; turns the backlight on and off. ^ — Moves through car numbers or channels. Or, enters the tune mode (from channel display mode). v — Moves through car numbers or channels. Or, enters the tune mode (from channel display mode). > — Moves through frequencies in the same car number. Or, you can change the car number. < — Enters the text input mode or CTCSS setting mode. CAR/CAR/CH — Enter the car number you want to listen. Or, changes between car number display mode and channel number display mode. Ô NOTE Ô Some of the scanner’s keys perform more than one function and are marked with more than one label. The steps in this Owner’s Manual show only the label on the key appropriate to the action being performed. 20-515Change01_04.fm Page 15 Friday, January 16, 2004 1:14 PM
16SCAN — Scans any programmed channels (channel display mode only), or lets you directly enter a channel number. SRCH/PAUSE — Lets you search the seven search banks, or pauses search or tune operation. WX/ALERT — Scans the scanner’s preprogrammed weather channels, or turns the WX alert mode on and off. 1/PRI — Enters a 1, or inputs characters 0 through 9 in text mode. Or, sets and turns the priority function on or off. 2/DLY — Enters a 2, inputs characters A through C in text mode, or programs a 2-second delay for the selected channel. 3/L/OUT — Enters a 3, inputs characters D through F in text mode, or lets you lock out selected channels or frequencies. 4/CTCSS — Enters a 4, inputs characters G through I in text mode, or turns the CTCSS operation on/off. 5 — Enters a 5, or inputs characters J through L in text mode. 6 — Enters a 6, or inputs characters M through O in text mode. 7 — Enters a 7,or inputs characters P through S in text mode. 20-515Change01_04.fm Page 16 Friday, January 16, 2004 1:14 PM
17 8 — Enters a 8, or inputs characters T through V in text mode. 9 — Enters a 9, or inputs characters W through Z in text mode. ./CLEAR — Enters a decimal point (necessary when programming frequencies), spaces in text mode, clears an incorrect entry, or returns to the previous menu. 0 — Enters a 0, or inputs characters . - # _ @ + * & / , $ % ! ^ ( ) ? ~ ’ ∆. ENT (enter) — Completes the entry of frequencies and text. UNDERSTANDING BANKS Channel Storage BanksTo make it easier to identify and select the channels you want to listen to, channels are divided into 10 banks of 50 channels each. Use each channel-storage bank to group frequencies, such as those used by the police department, fire department, ambulance services, or aircraft (see “Guide To The Action Bands” on Page 61). For example, the police department might use four frequencies, one for each side of town. You could program the police frequencies starting with Channel 00 (the first channel) in Bank 1 and program the fire department frequencies starting with Channel 00 (the first channel) in Bank 2. 20-515Change01_04.fm Page 17 Friday, January 16, 2004 1:14 PM
18 Service BanksThe scanner is preprogrammed with the frequencies allocated by car, marine, FRS/GMRS/MURS, police/fire, aircraft, and ham radio bands. This is handy for quickly finding active frequencies instead of searching through an entire band (see “Searching a Preprogrammed Frequency Range” on Page 40).Ô OPERATING YOUR SCANNER TURNING ON THE S CANNER 1. To turn on the scanner, turn VOL clockwise. RadioSahck Race Track PRO appears. After 3 seconds, Input Car# appears. 2. To turn off the scanner, turn VOL counterclockwise to OFF.Ô FUNCTION MENU When you press FUNC for about 2 seconds, the menu screen appears. Various operations can be done from this menu. The structure of the menu is as shown below: 1:Pre-Load CAR(Pre-load car number frequency) 1:NASCAR Nextel 2:Busch Series 3:Craftman Truck 4:INDY Ô NOTE Ô The frequencies in the scanner’s service banks are preset. You cannot change them. See “Search Band Charts” on Page 42. 20-515Change01_04.fm Page 18 Friday, January 16, 2004 1:14 PM
19 5:ARCA 2:Display 1:Car# Display (Car number mode) 2:Channel Disp. (Channel number mode) 3:PGM Car# (Program car number) The following sub menu appears after you input the car number and frequency (or press ENT). 1:Program Freq. 2:Program Text 3:Set Tone Code 4:Tone SQ 1. On 2. Off 5:Delay 1. On 2. Off 6:Lockout 1. On 2. Off 7:Continuous Car (To add a frequeny to the selected car number) 8:New Car# (Program a new car number and frequency) 20-515Change01_04.fm Page 19 Friday, January 16, 2004 1:14 PM
20 4:PGM CH (Program channel) The following sub menu appears after you input the channel number). 1:Program Freq. 2:Program Text 3:Program Car# 4:Set Tone Code 5:Tone SQ 1. On 2. Off 6:Delay 1. On 2. Off 7:Lockout 1. On 2. Off 8:Next Channel 5:PGM PRI CH (Program priority channel) 1:Program Freq. 2:Program Text 3:Set Tone Code 4:Tone SQ 1. On 2. Off 5:Delay 1. On 20-515Change01_04.fm Page 20 Friday, January 16, 2004 1:14 PM