PSR-295
Portable Scanner
OWNER’S MANUAL
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Contents
FEATURES ............................................................................... 3
PREPARATION ......................................................................... 5
Power Sources .................................................................. 5
Connecting the Supplied Antenna .................................... 8
Connecting an Earphone/Headphones ............................ 8
Connecting an Extension Speaker ................................... 9
Using the Belt Clip............................................................. 9
ABOUT YOUR SCANNER ...................................................... 10
About the Keypad ........................................................... 10
Understanting Banks ....................................................... 12
Understanding Your Scanners Modes ............................ 12
OPERATION........................................................................... 14
Turning on the Scanner and Setting Squelch ................. 14
Storing Known Frequencies into Channels .................... 14
Programmimg Channels for CTCSS and DCS Operation ........... 15
Storing Text Tags ............................................................. 17
Finding and Storing Active Frequencies ......................... 19
Listening to the Ham Band ............................................. 25
Using Frequency Copy ................................................... 25
Scanning the Channels ................................................... 27
Deleting Frequencies from Channels ............................. 28
SPECIAL FEATURES ............................................................. 28
Using CYCSS and DCS .................................................. 28
Using the Delay Function ................................................ 29
Locking Out Channels or Frequencies ........................... 29
Priority ............................................................................. 31
Changing the Receive Mode ........................................... 31
Using the Attenuator ....................................................... 32
Turning the Key Tone On and Off .................................... 33
Using the Display Backlight ............................................ 33
Using the Keylock ........................................................... 33
Changing the Display Contrast ....................................... 34
Cloning the Programmed Data ....................................... 34
RESETTING/INITIALIZING THE SCANNER ........................... 34
Resetting the Scanner ..................................................... 35
Initializing the Scanner .................................................... 35
GENERAL HINTS ................................................................... 35
Birdie Frequencies .......................................................... 35
CARE ..................................................................................... 37
IN CASE OF FAULT ............................................................... 37
SPECIFICATIONS .................................................................. 37
© 2004 General Research of Electronics, Inc.
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FEATURE
Your PSR-295 Portable Scanner also lets you scan transmissions, and is preprogrammed with service search
banks for convenience.
This scanner gives you direct access to over 61,000 frequencies including those used by police and fire departments, ambulance services, government agencies, air,
and amateur radio services.
Your scanner includes these features:
10 Channel-Storage Banks — let you store 100 channels in each bank (1,000 channels) to group channels so
calls are easier to identify.
Data Cloning — lets you transfer the programmed data
to another PSR-295 scanner.
CTCSS and DCS Subaudible Encoded Squelch Modes
— restricts conventional channel reception to transmissions using specified subaudible CTCSS tone or DCS
data code when scanning or parked on a single channel.
Code Search feature displays the tone or code in use.
Takes advantage of subaudible squelch tail elimination
turn off codes when they are present.
16-Character, 4-Line, Alphanumeric Display — shows
you detailed operating information clearly.
Triple Conversion Superheterodyne Receiver — virtually eliminates any interference from intermediate frequency (IF) images, so you hear only the frequency you
select.
Preprogrammed Frequency Ranges — lets you search
for transmissions within preset frequency ranges or within
ranges you set, to reduce search time and select interesting frequencies more quickly.
High-Speed Scan and High-Speed Search — the scanner scans at up to 60 channels per second and searches
up to 75 frequencies per second, to help you quickly find
transmissions.
Scan Delay — delays scanning for about 2 seconds before moving to another channel in conventional mode,
so you can hear more replies that are made on the same
channel.
Priority Channel — lets you set the scanner to check
one channel every 2 seconds so you do not miss transmissions.
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Attenuate — lets you program your scanner to reduce
the scanner’s sensitivity to strong local signals, to reduce
interference or noise caused by these signals.
Text Input — lets you input a text label for each channel,
or other memory location so you can easily identify the
transmission.
Lock Out Function — lets you set your scanner to skip
over specified channels or frequencies when scanning
or searching.
Key Lock — lets you lock the scanner’s keys to prevent
accidentally changing the scanner’s programming.
Flexible Antenna with BNC Connector — provides excellent reception and is designed to help prevent antenna
breakage.
Memory Backup — keeps the frequencies stored in
memory for an extended time even without internal batteries.
Three Power Options — let you power the scanner with
internal batteries (non-rechargeable batteries or rechargeable batteries, not supplied). You can also use an AC
adapter (not supplied) or power the scanner in a vehicle
using a DC adapter (not supplied).
Your scanner can receive these frequencies:
• 25 — 88 MHz
• 118 — 136.99166 MHz
• 137 — 174 MHz
• 216 — 225 MHz
• 225.0125 — 400 MHz
• 400.0125 — 512 MHz
• 806 — 824 MHz
• 824.01 — 894 MHz
• 894.0125 — 960 MHz
• 1,240 — 1,300 MHz
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PREPARATION
Power Sources
You can power your scanner from any of three sources:
• internal non-rechargeable batteries or rechargeable
batteries (not supplied — see “Using Batteries”)
• standard AC power (with an optional AC adapter —
see “Using AC Power” on Page 7)
• vehicle power (with an optional DC adapter — see
“Using Vehicle Battery Power” on Page 7)
Notes:
• Connecting an AC or DC adapter to the scanner disconnects internal batteries when you use the supplied
non-rechargeable battery holder, but it does not disconnect internal batteries when you use the supplied
rechargeable battery holder.
• If you install the rechargeable battery holder, you can
operate the scanner and recharge the rechargeable
batteries at the same time. See “Using Batteries” and
“Charging Rechargeable Batteries” on Page 6.
• If the scanner stops working properly after connecting it to power, try resetting it. See “Resetting/Initializing the Scanner” on Page 34.
• You must charge rechargeable batteries before you
use them the first time. See “Charging Rechargeable
Batteries” on Page 6.
Using Batteries
You can power the scanner with four AA batteries (not
supplied). For the longest operation and best performance, we recommend alkaline batteries.
You can use either the supplied non-rechargeable battery holder (black), or the supplied rechargeable battery
holder (yellow).
You must charge rechargeable batteries before you use
them the first time. See “Charging Rechargeable Batteries” on Page 6.
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.
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CAUTIONS:
• The battery holder fits only one way. Do not force it.
• 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.
• 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.
Follow these steps to install the batteries:
1. Press in on the battery compartment cover on the back
of the scanner and slide the cover down to remove it.
2. Pull the battery holder out of the battery compartment.
3. If you are using non-rechargeable batteries, place them
into the black holder, as indicated by the polarity symbols (+ and —) marked on the holder.
If you are using rechargeable batteries, place them
into the yellow holder as indicated by the polarity symbols (+ and —) marked on the holder.
4. Place the battery holder into the battery compartment.
5. Replace the cover.
When battery power is low, Low battery! appears and the
scanner beeps continuously. When battery power is depleted, the scanner turns itself off. Replace all four nonrechargeable batteries, or recharge the rechargeable
batteries. See “Charging Rechargeable Batteries”.
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.
WARNING: Always dispose of old batteries promptly and
properly. Do not bury or burn them.
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To charge batteries with a DC adapter from a DC power
source, you must use a 9V, 300mA DC adapter with
4.75mm outer/1.7mm inner plug.
It takes about 16 hours to recharge fully discharged
1600mAh Ni-MH rechargeable batteries. You can operate the scanner while recharging the rechargeable batteries, but charging takes longer.
Notes:
• 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. Overcharging 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.
Using AC Power
You can power the scanner using a 9V, 300mA AC adapter
with 4.75mm outer/1.7mm inner plug.
CAUTIONS:
• You must use an adapter that supplies 9V DC and delivers at least 300mA. Its center tip must be set to positive and its plug must fit the scanner’s PWR DC 9V
jack. Using an adapter that does not meet these specifications 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.
To power the scanner using an AC adapter, insert the
plug (4.75mm outer/1.7mm inner plug) into the scanner’s
PWR DC 9V jack. Then connect the other end of the
adapter to a standard AC outlet.
Using Vehicle Battery Power
You can also power the scanner from a vehicle’s 12V
power source (such as a cigarette-lighter socket) using a
9V, 300mA adapter with 4.75mm outer/1.7mm inner plug.
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CAUTION: 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.
To power the scanner using a DC adapter, set the
adapter’s voltage switch to 9V. Next, insert the plug
(4.75mm outer/1.7mm inner plug) into the scanner’s PWR
DC 9V jack. Plug the other end of the DC adapter into
your vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket.
Note: If you use a cigarette-lighter power cable and your
vehicle’s engine is running, you might hear electrical noise
from the engine while scanning. This is normal.
Connecting the Supplied Antenna
To attach the supplied flexible antenna to the antenna
jack on top of your scanner, align the slots around the
antenna’s connector with the tabs on the antenna jack.
Press the antenna down over the jack and turn the
antenna’s base clockwise until it locks into place.
Connecting an Outdoor 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.
Always use 50 Ohm coaxial cable, such as RG-58 or RG8, to connect an outdoor antenna. For lengths over 50
feet, use RG-8 low-loss dielectric coaxial cable. If the antenna cable’s connector does not have a BNC connector, you will also need a BNC adapter.
Follow the installation instructions supplied with the antenna, route the antenna cable to the scanner, then connect it to the antenna jack.
Connecting an Earphone/Headphones
For private listening, you can plug a 3.5 mm mini-plug
earphone or headphones (not supplied), into headphone
jack on the top of the scanner. This automatically disconnects the internal speaker.
Listening Safely
To protect your hearing, follow these guideline when you
use an earphone or headphones.
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• 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 broadcast. Even though some earphones/
headphones let you hear some outside sounds when listening at normal volume levels, they still can present a
traffic hazard.
Connecting an Extension Speaker
In a noisy area, an amplified extension speaker (not supplied), might provide more comfortable listening. Plug
the speaker cable’s 3.5mm mini-plug into headphone
jack.
Note: You must use an amplified speaker with this scanner. 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.
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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 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.
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
preprogrammed frequencies in the scanner’s memory
(see “Searching a Preprogrammed Frequency Range”
on Page 20 for the frequency list.) You can even change
the frequency range on one of the SEARCH banks (Limit)
to limit the search.
When you find a frequency, you can store it into a programmable memory location called a channel, 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 scanner’s 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.
HAM — searches through the six preprogrammed ham
band.
S
C
A
N
F
U
N
C
MANUAL
T
H
I
G
L
M
A
H
10
PRI
TEXT A TT
PAUSE
MODE
SEARCH
TUNE
123
GHI JKL MNO
4
PQRS TUV WXYZ
78
0
L/OUT
ABC DEF
5
DELAY
PGM
6
9
CL
ENT
LIGHT — turns on/off the display’s backlight.
PRI (priority) — sets and turns the priority function on or
off.
TEXT — lets you input text.
PAUSE — stops/restarts search/tune.
MODE — changes the receive mode (AM, FM, CTCSS,
DCS)
KEY mark — locks/unlocks the keypad to prevent accidental entries when this key press and hold about three
seconds.
TUNE — lets you input a frequency and allows you to
fine tune a frequency along with /\ or \/.
ATT (attenuate) — turns attenuation on to reduce the
scanner’s 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 chan-
nel, skip a specified frequency during search.
PGM — programs frequencies into channels.
ENTER — completes the entry of frequencies and text.
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 <-.
•/DELAY — enters a decimal point (necessary when pro-
gramming frequencies), space, or programs delay time
for the selected channel/search bank.
CL — clears an incorrect entry.
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UNDERSTANDING BANKS
Channel Storage Banks
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.
To make it easier to identify and select the channels you
want to listen to, your scanner divides the channels into
10 banks (0 to 9) of 100 (00 to 99) channels each, a total
of 1,000 channels. You can use each channel-storage
bank to group frequencies.
Search Banks
Your scanner has six preprogrammed search banks and
one limit search bank. You can set the lower and higher
frequency limit in the limit search bank.
Note: For example, if you 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.
For the default setting, see “Searching a Preprogrammed
Frequency Range” on Page 20.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR SCANNER’S
MODES
You can program each channel with any of four receive
modes (AM, FM, CTCSS, and DCS). Each receive mode
affects how your scanner operates when scanning and
receiving transmissions.
AM Mode
The AM mode sets the scanner to receive transmissions
using amplitude modulation (AM), primarily used for aircraft, or some amateur radio transmissions. When the
scanner receives a transmission on a channel set to the
AM mode, it always stops on the transmission.
FM Mode
The FM mode sets the scanner to receive transmissions
using frequency modulation (FM), used for most public
safety transmissions, as well as broadcast, business, and
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