Radio Shack 2000424 Users manual

20-424 Owner’s Manual

RadioShack LOGO

PRO-2018
200 Channel Deskto p Scanner

Owner’s Manual
Please read before using thi s equipment

The FCC Want You to Know

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a scanning receiver
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions,
may cause harmful interfer ence t o radio communications.

However, there is no guarantee that in terference will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiv er.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:

1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and

2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.

Note: Mobile use of this sc ann er is u nlaw fu l or requ ires a per mit i n so me areas. Chec k the laws i n
your area.

Page 1

20-424 Owner’s Manual

WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or shock hazard, do not expose this product to rain or
moisture.

© 2002 RadioShack Corporation.
All Rights Rese r ved.
RadioShack is a registered t r ademark used by Tandy Corporation.
Hyperscan, Hypersearch, and Adaptaplug are trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.

CONTENTS

will add

FEATURES

Your RadioShack 200-Channel VHF/AIR/UHF Desktop Scanner lets you in on all the action! This
scanner gives you direct access to over 25,000 frequencies, including those used by police and
fire departments, ambulance services, gov ernment agencie s, air, and amateur radio services. You
can select up to 200 channels to scan, and you can change your select i on at any time.

The secret to your scanner’s ability to scan so many frequencies is its built-in microprocessor.
Your scanner also has these special features:

One Touch Search Banks – let you search preset frequencies in separate ham radio,
police/fire/emergency, aircraft, weather, and marine ban ks, to make it easy to locate spec ific ty pes
of calls.
Two-Second Scan Del ay – delays scanning for 2 seconds before moving to another channel, so
you can hear more replies.
Ten Channel-Storage Banks – let you store up to 20 channels in each of 10 different banks, to
group channels so you can mor e easily identify calls.
Memory Backup – keeps the channel frequencies stored in memory for about 1 hour during a
power loss.
HyperSearch TM and HyperScan TM – let you set the scanner to search at up to 50 steps per

Page 2

20-424 Owner’s Manual

second and to scan at up to 25 chan nel per second, to help quic kly find interesting tr ansmissions.
Duplicate Frequency Check – automatically notifies you if you are about to store a frequency
you have already stored, to help avoid wasting storage space.

Tune – lets you search for new and unlisted frequencies starting from a specified frequency.
Priority Channel – lets you program a frequency in the priority channel to be scanned every 2

seconds so you do not miss importa nt cal ls.
Weather Alert – automatically sounds the alarm tone to advise of hazardous weather conditions
when the scanner detects an alert signal on the local NOAA w eat her channel.
Lock-Out Function – lets you set your scanner to skip over specified channels or frequencies
when scanning or searchin g.
Liquid Crystal Display – makes it easy to view and change programming information at any
time.

Display Backlight – makes the scanner easy to read in low light situations.
Supplied Telescoping Antenna – lets the scanner receive strong local signa ls.
External Antenna Terminal – lets you connect an ext ernal ante nna (not supp lie d) t o t he sca nner.

Your scanner can receive these bands:

Frequency Range (MHz) Ty pe of Transmissions
29-54 10-Meter Ham Band, VHF Lo, 6-Meter Ham Band
108-136.9875 Aircraft
137-174 Military Land Mobile, 2-Meter H am Band, VHF Hi
380-512 MHz UHF Aircraft, FGovernment, 70-cm Ham Band,

UHF Standard Band, UH F “T” Band

SCANNING LEGALLY

Scanning is a fun and interesting hobby. You can hear police and fire departments, ambulance
services, government agencies, private companies, amateur radio services, aircraft, and military
operations. It is legal to listen to almost every transmission your scanner can receive. However,
there are some electronic and w ire co mmunications that are illegal to intenti onally intercept.
These include:

• telephone conversations (cellular, cordless, or other private means of telephone signal
transmission)

• pager transmissions

• any scrambled or encrypted trans missi ons

According to the Federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), and amended, you could

Page 3

20-424 Owner’s Manual

be fined and possibly imprisoned for intentionally listening to, using, or disclosing the contents of
such a transmission unless you have the consent of a party to the communication (unless such
activity is otherwise illegal). These laws change from time to time and there might be state or local
laws that also affect l egal scanner usage.

PREPARATION

POWER SOURCES

USING AC POWER

You can power the scanner using the supplied 12V, 300mA AC adapter.

Cautions:

! You must use a Class 2 power source that supplies 12V DC and delivers at least 300 mA. Its
center tip must be set to positive and its plug must fit the scanner’s DC 12V jack. The supplied
adapter meets these specifications. Using an adapter that does not meet these specifications
could damage the scanner or the adapt er.

• Always connect the AC power to the scanner before you connect it 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 .

Warning: To prevent electric shock, do not use the AC adapter’s polarized plug with an extension
cord, receptacle, or other outlet unless you can fully insert the blades t o prevent blade exposure.

Follow these steps to power the scanner from a standard AC outlet.

1. Insert the AC adapter’s barre l pl ug into the DC 12V jack on the back of the sc anner.

2. Plug the adapter into a sta ndard 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 12V, 300-mA DC cord and a size M AdaptaplugTM (neither supplied) Both are avail able at
your local RadioShac k store.

Cautions:

! You must use a power cord that can carry 12V DC and at least 300 mA. Its center tip must be

Page 4

20-424 Owner’s Manual

set to positive and its plug must fit the scanner’s DC 12V jack. Using an cord that does not meet
these specifications could damage the scanner or the cord.

• Always connect the DC cord to the sca nner b efore you conn ect it t o the pow er source. When you
finish, disconnect the cord fr om the power source before you disconnect it from the scanner.

Follow these steps to power the scanner from a vehicle’s cigarette-li ghter socket.

1. Connect the adaptaplug c onnector to the DC cord so the tip reads posit iv e (+ ).

2. Insert the DC cord’s barre l plug into the DC 12V jack on the back of the scanner.

3. Plug the cord into the vehic le’s cigarette-lighter socket.

Notes:

• If you use a 12V DC cord and your vehic le’s engin e is running, you might h ear electric al nois e on
the scanner caused by the engine. This is normal.

• Mobile use of this sc anner is un law fu l or requ ires a p er mit in so me areas. C hec k the laws i n y our
area.

CONNECTING AN ANTENNA

CONNECTING THE SUPPLIED ANTENNA

You must install an antenna before you can operate the scanner.

The supplied telescoping antenna helps your scanner receive strong local signals. To install the
antenna, thread it clockw ise into the hole on top of the scan ner.

The scanner’s sensitivit y depends on its location and the antenna’s length. For the best reception
of the transmissions you w ant to hear, adjust the antenna’s length according to the chart below.

Frequency Antenna Length

29-174 MHz Extend fully
380-512 MHz Extend 2 segments

CONNECTING AN OUTDOOR ANTENNA

Instead of the supplied antenna, you can connect an outdoor base-station or mobile antenna
(neither supplied) to your scanner. Your local RadioShack store sells a variety of antennas.
Choose the one that best meet s your needs.

When deciding on an outdoor antenna and its location, consider t hese points.

Page 5

20-424 Owner’s Manual

When deciding on an outdoor antenna and its location, consider t hese points:

• The antenna should be lo cat ed as high as possible.

• The antenna and antenna cable should be as far as possible from sources of electrical noise
(appliances, other radios, and s o on).

• The antenna should be vertical for the best performance.

To connect an optional base-station or mobile antenna, first remove the supp lied ante nna from the
scanner. Always use 50 Ohm coaxial cable, such as RG-58 or RG-8, to connect an outdoor
antenna. For length over 50 feet, use RG-8 low -loss die lectric coa xial cabl e. If the antenna cab le’s
connector does not have a BNC connector, you will also need a BNC adapter (not supplied,
available at your local RadioShack store). Your local RadiShack store carries a wide variety of
coaxial cable and connect ors.

Once you choose an antenna, follow the mounting instructions supplied with the antenna. Then
route the antenna’s cable to the scanner and connect the cable to the

Warning: Use extreme caution when you installing or removing 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.

Caution: Do not run t he cable over sharp edges or moving parts that might damage it.

ANT connector.

CONNECTING AN EARPHONE/HEADPHONES

For private listening, you can plug an 1/8-inch (3.5 mm) mini-plug earphone or headphones (not
supplied), available at your local RadioShack store, into the (headphone symbol)/PC jack on the
rear of your scanner. This automatic al ly disconnects the internal s peaker.

Listening Safely

To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when you u se an earphone or headphones.

• Do not listen at extremely high volume levels. Extended high-volume listening can lead to
permanent hearing loss.

• Set the volume to the lowest setting before you begin listening. After you begin listening, adjust
the volume to a comfortable level.

Page 6

20-424 Owner’s Manual

• Once you set the volu me, do n ot incre ase it. Ov er time, your ears ad apt to t he v olume lev el, so a
volume 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 levels, they still can
present a traffic hazard.

CONNECTING AN EXTENSION SPEAKER

In a noisy area, an extension 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 (headphone symbol)/PC jack.

Note: You must use an amplified speaker with this scanner. Non-amplified speakers do not
provide sufficient volume for comfortable listening.

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 w ant t o receive, then set the scanner to scan the m.

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 One Touch Search Bands, which are preset groups of frequencies
categorized by ty pe of serv ice.

When you find a frequency, you can store it into a programmable memory loc ation cal led 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 activ ity on the frequencies stored there. Each time the scanner finds
an active frequency, it stays on that channel until the trans mission ends.

A LOOK AT THE KEYPAD

Here is a brief overview of your scann er’s keys and their functions.

Page 7

20-424 Owner’s Manual

MAR Lets you seearch the scanner’s pre programmed marine band.
FD/PD Lets you search the scanner’s prepro grammed fire/police band.
AIR Lets you search the scanner’s prepro grammed aircraft band.
HAM Lets you search the scanner’s preprogrammed a mate ur radio band.
WX Lets you search the scanner’s preprogrammed 7 weather channe ls.
PRI/ALERT Turns on and off the priority feature; turns the WX ale rt mo de on and off.
SCAN/MAN Scans any preprogrammed channels or stops scanning and lets you directly

enter a channel number.
^/v Searches up or down for active frequencies or selects the direction when scanning

channels.

TUNE/CL Lets you tune a frequency along with ^ or v or, clears an incorrect entry.
L/O RVW/L/O Reviews locked-out frequencies; lets you lock out selected channels or

frequencies.

PGM Programs frequencies into channels.

Number Keys Each key has single-digit (0 to 9) and a range of numbers. Use the range of

numbers above the key (21–40 for example) to select the channel in a channel-storage bank. See
“Understanding Ban ks” on Page 9.

DELAY /• Programs a 2-second delay for the selected channel; ent ers a decimal point.
ENT (enter) Enters frequencies into channels.

A LOOK AT THE DISPLAY

The display has indicators that show the scanner’s current operating status. This quick look at the
display will help you un derst and how your scanner operates.

BANK

them show which banks are turned on for sca nning (see “Understanding Banks” on Page 9).

MAR
WX
FD/PD
AIR
HAM

^/v Indicates the search or scan direction.

Appears with numbers (1–10) to indicate the scan bank. Bank numbers with a bar under

Indicates that the scanner is se arching the marine bank.
Indicates that the scanner is searching the weather channels.
Indicates that the scanner is searching the fire/police bank.
Indicates that the scanner is se arching the aircraft bank.
Indicates that the scanner is se arching the amateur radio ban k.

CH
B

L/O (lockout) Appears when you manually select a channel that was previously locked out

Appears with digits (1–200) or P to show which channel the scanner is tuned to.
Appears when the batteries are low .

during scanning or when y ou review a locked-out frequency.

Page 8

20-424 Owner’s Manual

SRCH
SCAN
MAN
PGM
PRI
DLY

b X -FULL

banks channels are full.

-dUPL-
DEFA ULt

frequencies.

D-Error
End
Error
FLo ALL-CL

or HAM bank or tune.

FLo-FULL

are already locked out.

Appears during service bank and direct frequency searches.
Appears when the scanner scans channels.
Appears when you manually select a channel.
Appears when you program fre quencies into the scanner’s channels.
Appears when the priority feature is turned on.
Appears when you program a 2-sec ond delay.

Appears when you try to enter a frequency during a search when all displayed

Appears when you try t o st ore a frequency that is already stored in anot her channel.

Appears when you remove all the lock-outs from the FD/PD, AIR, or HAM bank

Appears when the scanner rece ives a data error during wired programming.
Appears when the scanner has finished wired programming.
Appears when you make an entry error.

Appears when you remove all the locked-out frequencies during a FD/PD, AIR,

Appears when you try t o lock out a fr equency during a tune wh en 50 frequencies

F L-out
L-r
oFF tonE
on tonE
P
StArt

-t-
WirEd

into it.

Appears when you start a tune fro m a locked-out frequency.
Appears when you review the locked-out frequencies.

Appears when you turn the key t one off.

Appears when you turn the key t one on.
Appears when the scanner is t uned to the priority channel.
Appears when the scanner start s w ired pro gramming.
Appears during a direct frequency search.

Appears when you set the scanner t o its wired progra mming mode to program freq uencies

UNDERSTANDING BANKS

Channel Storage Banks

A bank is a storage area for a group of channels. Channels are storage areas for freequencies.
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 (1 to 10) of 20 channels each, a total of 200 channels. You can use each
channel-storage bank to group frequencies, such as those used by the police department, fire

Page 9

20-424 Owner’s Manual

department, ambulance services, or aircraft (see “Guide to the Action Bands” on Page 24).

For example, a police department might use four frequencies, one for each side of town. You could
program the police frequencies start ing with Chann el 1 (the first chann el in bank 1) and progra m the
fire department frequencies startin g w ith C hannel 21 (the first channel in ban k 2).

One Touch Banks

The scanner is preprogrammed with the frequencies allocated by marine, fire/police, aircraft, ham
radio, and weather services. This is handy for quickly findin g active fre quenc ies instead of search ing
through an entire band (see “Searching the One Touch Banks” on Page 14).

Note: The frequencies in the scanner’s service banks are preset. You cannot change them.

Fire/Police

Group Frequency Range (MHz) Step

(kHz)

1 33.420–33.980 20

37.020–37.420 20

39.020–39.980 20

42.020–42.940 20

44.620–45.860 40

45.880 –

45.900 –

45.940–46.060 40

46.080–46.500 20

2 153.770–154.130 60

154.145–154.445 15

154.650–154.950 15

155.010–155.370 60

155.415–155.700 15

155.730–156.210 60

158.730–159.210 60

166.250 –

170.150 –

3 453.0375–453.9625 12.5

458.0375–458.9625 12.5

460.0125–460.6375 12.5

Page 10

465.0125–465.6375 12.5

Air

Frequency Range (MHz) Step (kHz)

108.000–136.9875 12.5

Amateur Radio

Group Frequency Range (MHz) Step

(kHz)

1 29.000–29.700 5
2 50.000–54.000 5
3 144.000–148.000 5
4 420.000–450.000 12.5

Marine

Channel Frequency (MHz)

20-424 Owner’s Manual

01 156.0500
02 156.2500
06 156.3000
07 156.3500
08 156.4000
09 156.4500
10 156.5000
11 156.5500
12 156.6000
13 156.6500
14 156.7000
15 156.7500
16 156.8000
17 156.8500
18 156.9000
19 156.9500
20 157.0000/161.6000
21 157.0500
22 157.1000
23 157.1500
24 157.2000/161.8000

Page 1 1

25 157.2500/161.8500
26 157.3000/161.9000
27 157.3500/161.9500
28 157.4000/162.0000
63 156.1750
64 156.2250/160.8250
65 156.2750
66 156.3250
67 156.3750
68 156.4250
69 156.4750
70 156.5250
71 156.5750
72 156.6250
73 156.6750
74 156.7250
77 156.8750
78 156.9250
79 156.9750
80 157.0250
81 157.0750
82 157.1250
83 157.1750
84 157.2250/161.8250
85 157.2750/161.8750
86 157.3250/161.9250
87 157.3750/161.9750
88 157.4250

20-424 Owner’s Manual

Note: Both frequenc ies (transmis sion and recept ion) are shown for marine chann els used for du plex
transmission.

OPERATION

TURNING ON THE SCANNER/SETTING VOLUME AND SQUELCH

1. Turn SQUELCH until the indicator points to MIN before y ou t urn on t he scanner.

Page 12

20-424 Owner’s Manual

2. Slide

3. To turn

4. Turn

POWER to ON to turn on the scanner.

VOLUME clockwise until you hear a hiss ing sound.

SQUELCH clockwise, just until the hissing sound stops.

Notes:

• To listen to a weak or distant station, turn

SQUELCH clockwise to cut out weak transmissions.

• If

SQUELCH is adjusted so you always hear a hissing sound, the scanner will not scan or search

SQUELCH counterclockwise. If reception is poor, turn

properly.

5. To turn off the scanner when you finish, slide

POWER to OFF.

STORING KNOWN FREQUENCIES INTO CHANNELS

Good references for active frequencies are the RadioShack Police Call Guide including Fire and
Emergency Services, Official Aeronautical Frequency Directory, and Maritime Frequency Directory.
We update these directories every year, so be sure to get a current copy.

Follow these steps to store frequencies into channels.

1. Press PGM, then PGM appears. Enter the channel number (1–200) where you want to store a
frequency, then press

PGM again.

2. Use the number keys and • to ent er t he frequency (including t he decimal point) you want to store.

3. Press

ENT to store the frequency into the channel.

Notes:

• If you made a mistake in Step 2,

ENT. Simply start again from St ep 2.

press

Error

appears and the scanner beeps three times when you

• Your scanner automatically rounds the entered frequency down to the closest valid frequency. For
example, if you enter a frequency of 15 1. 473, your scanner accepts it as 151.470.

• If you entered a frequency that is already stored in anoth er channe l, the scanner beeps t hree times
and displays the lowest channel number where the frequency is already stored, and
the frequency flashes. If you want to store the frequency anyway, press

TUNE/CLEAR to clear the frequency.

• Press

DELAY if you want the scanner to pause 2 seconds on this channel before it proceeds to the

ENT again. Press

–dUPL–

then

next channel after a transmission ends (see “Delay” on Page 20). The scanner also stores this
setting in the channel.

4. To program the next channel in sequence, press

PGM and repeat Steps 2 and 3.

Page 13

20-424 Owner’s Manual

FINDING AND STORING ACTIVE FREQUENCIES

Searching the One Touch Banks

Your scanner contains groups of preset frequencies called One Touch banks. Each one touch bank
is associated with a specific activity (see “One Touch Banks” on Page 10). You can search for
marine, fire/police, air, ham, and weather transmissions even if you do not know the specific
frequencies that are used in your area. Then you can store the frequencies you found into the
scanner’s channels (except weat her and marine banks).

Notes:

• You can use the scanner’s delay feature while searching the banks, see “Delay” on Page 20.

• To listen to the marine bank, see “Listening to the Marine Bank” on Page 17.

• To listen to the weather bank, see “Listening to the Weather Band” on Page 18.

1. Press
scanner starts search.

Notes:

• To reverse the search direction at any time, hold down ^ or v for about 1 second.

• To search up or down the band in small increments, repeatedly press ^ or v . (See “One Touch
Search Banks” on Page 10 for freque ncy steps).

• To pause the search while receiving a signal, press ^ or v. To resume searching, hold down ^ or v.

• To quickly move up or down through the frequencies, hold down ^ or v. The scanner tunes through
the frequencies until you release ^ or v.

• If necessary, you can select sear ch groups using the number keys.

2. When the scanner finds an active frequency, it stops searching and displays the frequency’s
number. To store the displayed frequency in the lowest available banks channel, press
“Special Function” on Page 19”). The channel and frequency flash twice, and the scanner displays
channel number and frequency. Press
cancel the operation.

FD/PD or AIR or HAM.

FIrE POLICE

or

ENT again to store the frequency, or press TUNE/CLEAR to

AIr

or

appears. After about 2 seconds, the

HAM

ENT (see

Notes:

• If there is no empty channel at available bank,
press
Channel” on Page 17. To continue searching after

• If you entered a frequency that is already stored in another channel,
lowest-numbered channel containing the duplicate frequency flash for about 3 seconds. If you want

ENT. To store more frequencies, you must clear some channels. See “Clearing a Stored

Page 14

b X -FULL

b X -FULL

(X: bank number) appears after you

appears, hold down ^ or v.

-dUPL-

(duplicate) and the

20-424 Owner’s Manual

to store the frequency anyway, press

ENT again. You can then delete the frequency later. See

“Clearing a Stored Channe l” on Page 17.

3. To search for another active frequency in the selected band, hold down ^ or v for about 1 second.
To select a different band and search for another activ e frequency, repeat Steps 1–2.

Using Tune

During a tune, the scanner tunes up or down, starting from a frequency you specify. Follow these
steps to use tune.

Note: You can use the scanner’s delay fe at ure while using tune.

1. Press

2. Enter the desired channel number you want to use as a starting point for the tune. Then press

SCAN/MAN again.

3. Press TUNE/CLEAR to start tune.

4. Hold down ^ or v for about 1 second to tune up or down. The scanner displays ^ or v and start
tune.

SCAN/MAN, until

MAN

appears.

appears on the display.

-t-

Notes:

• To reverse the tune direction at any time, hold down ^ or v for about 1 second.

• To tune up or down the selected band in small increments (5 or 12.5 kHz steps), repeatedly press
^ or v.

• To pause the tune, press ^ or v. To resume tune, hold down ^ or v.

• To quickly move up or down through the frequencies, hold down ^ or v. The scanner tunes through
the frequencies until you release ^ or v.

5. When the scanner finds an active frequency, it stops searching and displays the frequency’s
number. To store the displayed frequency in the lowest available banks channel, press

ENT. The

channel and frequency flash twice. and the scanner stores the displayed frequency. The scanner
continues to search for frequenc ies. Press

ENT again to store the frequency, or press TUNE/CLEAR to

cancel the operation.

Notes:

• If there is no empty channel at available bank,

b X -FULL

appears after you press ENT. To store
more frequencies, you must clear some channels. See “Clearing a Stored Channel” on Page 17. To
continue tune after

b X -FULL

appears, hold down ^ or v.

Page 15

20-424 Owner’s Manual

• If you entered a frequency that is already stored in another channel,
lowest-numbered channel containing the duplicate frequency flash for about 3 seconds. If you want
to store the frequency anyway, press
“Clearing a Stored Channe l” on Page 17.

6. To tune for another active frequency, hold down ^ or v for about 1 second.

ENT again. You can then delete the frequency later. See

-dUPL-

(duplicate) and the

SCANNING THE STORED CHANNELS

To set the scanner to continuously scan through all channels with stored frequencies, simply
pressing

active frequency.

If the scanner finds an active frequency, it stops and displays that channel and frequency number,
then it automatically begins scanning again when t he t r ansmission on that frequency ends.

Notes:

• To reverse the scanning direction, press ^ or v.

• To set the scanner to remain on the current channel for 2 seconds a fter the tr ansmiss io n ends, see
“Delay” on Page 20.

• To set the scanner to remain on the current channel, even after the transmission stops, press

SCAN until

SCAN

and ^ appear, then the scanner begins to rapidly scan until it finds an

SCAN/MAN at any time during the transmission so

“Monitoring a Stored Channel”).

• To lock out channels so the scanner does not stop for a transmission on those channels, see
“Locking Out Channels or Fre quencies” on Page 20.

MAN

appears and

SCAN

disappears (see

TURNING CHANNEL-STORAGE BANKS OFF AND ON

Channel-storage banks (1–10) are on when they have a bar underneath them and off when no bar
appears underneath them. To turn off a channel-storage bank, press the bank’s number key during
scanning. The bar under the ban k’s number disappears.

Note: The scanner does not scan any of the channels within the banks you have t urned off.

To turn on a channel-storage bank (1–10) during scanning, press the bank’s number key. A bar
appears under the bank’s number.

Notes:

• You cannot turn off all banks. There must be at least one active bank.

Page 16

20-424 Owner’s Manual

• You can manually select any channel in a bank, even if the bank is turned of f.

• When you turn on a bank during scanning, the scanner moves to the selected bank and scan it. If
no transmission is foun d, t he scanner continues scanning to sca n t hrough all selected banks.

MONITORING A STORED CHANNEL

You can continuously monitor a specific channel without scanning. This is useful if you hear an
emergency transmission on a channel and do not want to miss any details — even though there
might be periods of silence — or if you simply want to monitor that channel.

Follow these steps to manually select a channel.

1. Pressing

2. Enter the channel number (1–2 00).

3. Press

SCAN/MAN until MAN appears.

SCAN/MAN again.

CLEARING A STORED CHANNEL

If you no longer want a frequency stored in a chan nel (and y ou do not want to repl ace that frequ ency
with a different one), follow t hese st eps to clear the stored frequency.

1. Pressing

2. To select the desired channel number, use the number keys to enter that channel number (1–

200).

3. Press

4. Press

5. To clear another channel, use the number keys to enter that channel nu mb er (1–200), then press

PGM again. Or repeatedly press PGM u ntil the desired c hannel nu mber appears. The n repeat St ep 4.

SCAN/MAN to stop scanning.

PGM.
0 then ENT. The frequ ency numb er changes t o

PGM

appears.

000.0000

to indicate the channe l is cleare d.

LISTENING TO THE MARINE BANK

To listen to the marine bank, press MAR.
channel 16.

To change the channel manually, press ^ or v.

To scan through the marine bank, hold down ^ or v for about 2 seconds.

SRCH

To stop scanning the channels, hold down ^ or v for about 2 seconds.

appears. To change the scanning direction, press ^ or v.

appears about 2 seconds, then you hear the marine

MRN

disappears and

MAN

Page 17

20-424 Owner’s Manual

You can select a marine channel directly. When the scanner stops scanning the marine bank, use
the number keys to enter the tw o-digit channel number.

LISTENING TO THE WEATHER BAND

To hear your local forecast and regional weath er informat ion, press WX. Your scanner begins to scan
through the weather band.

Your scanner should stop within a few seconds on your local weather broadcast. If the broadcast is
weak, you can press WX again to res ume scanning.

Channel Frequency

(MHz)

1 162.400
2 162.425
3 162.450
4 162.475
5 162.500
6 162.525
7 162.550

WX Alert

Your scanner’s WX alert warns you of serio us w eather c ondit ions by soun ding an a lar m if a Nati onal
Weather Service broadcaster in your area broadcasts a weather alert tone.

To set the scanner so it sounds an alarm when a weather alert tone is broadcast, press
while you are listening to t he WX channel.

ALErt

appears.

If the scanner detects the weather alert, it sounds an alarm. The scanner sounds the alert for five
minutes when it receives the weather alert signal. After five minutes the alert stops and the scanner
beeps every ten seconds. Press any key to turn of f the alar m. To cancel the weather alert operation,

PRI/ALERT again.

press

Notes:

• WX alert is only for receiving a weather alert.

• When the scanner detects a 105 0 Hz alert tone, WX alert activates and y ou hear a w eather alert.

PRI/ALERT

Page 18

WIRED PROGRAMMING

1. Turn of f the scanner.

2. Connect the scanner to the PC using a PC cable.

20-424 Owner’s Manual

3. While pressing
the PC.

Notes:

• If the scanner receives no data from the PC for more than 20 seconds or if you press any key,
wired programming stops.

• If the scanner did not receive a start bit from the PC,

4. When the scanner success fully receives al l data,
an error while receiving data,
receiving data,
error occurred.

Notes:

• If the scanner did not receive an en d bit from the PC,

• Wired programming stops if the scanner receives an empty channe l number .

StArt

ENT and 9, turn on the scanner.

and the data being received by the scanner appears in the order it is received.

and

End

and a number shown next to

C-Err

appear . I f the scanner rece ived a che cksum error w hile

d-Err

PGM

End

C-Err

and

WirEd

StArt

and

indicates the packet number where the

does not appear.

End

appear . Then s end the d ata fro m

does not appear.

FiniSh

appear . I f the scanner receiv ed

SPECIAL FEATURES

SPECIAL FUNCTION

Each search band (FD/PD, AIR, and HAM) and tune has one or two corresponding channel banks.
The following table shows t he search bands and their correspondi ng channel banks.

Search Band Channel Bank

Fire/Polic e 4, 5
Aircraft 6
Ham 7, 8
Tune 9, 10

While searching any search band (FD/PD, AIR, or HAM), when you find a transmission and if you
want to program it into the corresponding channel bank, the scanner programs it into a channel in
the corresponding channel bank by pressing

If you want to scan the fire/police, air, or ham channels, press one touch search key (

ENT key.

FD/PD, AIR, or

Page 19

20-424 Owner’s Manual

HAM) then press SCAN/MAN while

you press
appears on the display.

HAM then press SCAN/MAN, the scanner scans only channel bank 7 and 8 and

FIrE/POliCE, AIr

, or

appears on the display. For example,

HAM

HAM

DELAY

Many agencies use a two-way radio system that has a period of several seconds between a query
and a reply. To avoid missing a reply, you can program a 2-second delay into any channel or
frequency. When your scanner stops on a channel or frequency with a programmed delay,
appears and the scanner continues to monitor that channel or frequency for 2 seconds after the
transmission stops before resuming scanning, searching, or tun ing.

You can program a 2-second delay in any of these ways:

• If the scanner is scanning and stops on an active channel, qu ickly press
scanning.

• If the desired channel is not selected, manually select t he channel, then press

• If the scanner is searching or tuning, press DELAY /• .
adds a 2-second delay to ev ery transmission it stops on in that band.

appears and the scanner automatically

DLY

DELAY /• before it resumes

DELAY /• .

DLY

To turn off the 2-second delay in a channel or for all frequency, press
monitoring that channel or frequency.

DLY

disappears.

DELAY /• while the scanner is

LOCKING OUT CHANNELS OR FREQUENCIES

You can increase the effective scanning or search speed by locking out individual channels or
frequencies that have a continuous transmission, such as a weather channel (see “National
Weather Frequencies” on Page 24) or a birdie frequency (see “Birdie Frequencies” on Page 24).

Locking Out Channels

To lock out a channel during scanning, press L/O/L/O RVW when the scanner stops on the channel.

To manually lock out a channel, select t he channel then press

To remove the lockout from a channel, manually select that channel again, then press
until

Notes:

• Your scanner automatically locks out empty channel s.

• You can still manually select locked-out chann el s.

disappears.

L/O

L/O/L/O RVW until

L/O

appears.

L/O/L/O RVW

Page 20

20-424 Owner’s Manual

Locking Out Frequencies

To lock out a frequency during a one touch search or tune, press L/O/L/O RVW when the scanner
stops on that frequency. The scanner locks out the frequency then continues searching. You can
lock out frequencies in both tune and one touch bank searches.

Note: You can lock out as many as 50 frequencies during a search. If you try to lock out more,

-FULL

appears (see “Reviewing Locked-Out Frequencies” and “Removing Lockouts From All

FLo

Frequencies”).

Reviewing Locked-Out Frequencies

To review the frequencies you locked out, hold down L/O/L/O RVW for about 2 seconds during a
search, then repeatedly press ^ or v. The scanner beeps if there are no locked-out frequencies, or

appears and the scanner displays all locked out frequencies as you press ^ or v. When you

L-r

reach the highest locked-out frequency, the scanner beeps twice and returns to the lowest locked­out frequency.

Removing Lockouts Form All Frequencies in a One Touch Search Bank

Notes:

• These steps do not clear any loc kout s i n t he marine and weather bank.

• If you locked out frequencies which are within the range of any of the one touch search banks
during tune, the scanner also removes those locked-out frequencies when you use these steps. For
example, if you lockout 29.000 MHz during tun e, the scanner re moves it s ince 29.000 MHz is on e of
the frequencies in the ham rad io service bank.

1. Hold down

2. While holding down

dEFAULt

3. Press
touch bank. Or, if you do not want to clear the l ockouts, press

L/O/L/O RVW for about 2 seconds during a search or tune.

TUNE/CLEAR, press one touch search key that you want to clear the lockout.

appears.

ENT.

L-r 000.000

appears. The scanner clears any lockouts from all frequencies in a one

TUNE/CLEAR.

Removing Lockouts From All Frequencies

1. Hold down L/O L/O RVW for a bout 2 seconds during a search of tune.

2. While holding down

3. Press

ENT. The scanner clears any lockouts from all frequencies (except in the marine bank). Or,

TUNE/CLEAR, press L/O L/O RVW.

if you do not want to clear the lockouts, press

Page 21

Flo ALL-CL

TUNE/CLEAR.

appears.

appears.

L-r

appears.

L-r

20-424 Owner’s Manual

USING PRIORITY

The priority feature lets you scan t hrough channels an d still not mis s important or inter esting cal ls on
a frequency you select. You can program one frequency into the priority channel. As the scanner
scans, if the priority feature is turned on, the scanner checks the priority channel for activity every 2
seconds.

1. Press

2. Enter the frequency you want to enter into the priority channel, then press
flashes twice.

To turn on the priority feature, press
scanner checks the priority channel every 2 seconds and stays on the channel if there is activity.

PCH

To turn off the priority feature, press

Note: If you program a weather frequency into the priority channel and the scanner detects a WX
alert tone on that frequency (see “WX Alert” on Page 18), the scanner sounds the alert tone and

ALErt

PGM, then press PRI/ALERT.

and the frequency appear whenever the scanner is set to the priority channel.

flashes. Press any key to turn of f the alarm.

and

PCH

PRI/ALERT during scanning or searching.

PRI/ALERT.

000.0000

PRI

or the previously-stored freque ncy appe ar.

disappears.

ENT. The display

appears. T he

PRI

TURNING THE KEY TONE ON AND OFF

The scanner is preset to soun d a tone ea ch ti me you press one of its keys. You can turn the key tone
off or back on.

1. If the scanner is on, slide

2. While you hold down

3. When

oFF tonE

or

POWER to turn it OFF.

2 and ENT, turn on the scanner .

on tonE

appear, release 2 and ENT.

AVOIDING IMAGE FREQUENCIES

You might discover one of your regular stations on another frequency that is not listed. It might be
what is known as an image frequency. For example, you might find a service that regularly uses a
frequency of 453.275 also on 474.675 MHz.

To see if it is an image, do a little math.
Note the new frequency 474.675
Double the intermed iat e frequency of 10.7 MHz (21.400)
and subtract it from the new freq uency –21.400

Page 22

20-424 Owner’s Manual

If the answer is the regular frequency 453.275
then you have tuned to an image.

Occasionally, you might get interference on a weak or distant channel from a strong transmission

21.4 MHz above or below the tuned frequency. This is rare, and the image signal is usually cleared
whenever there is a transmission on t he actual frequency.

RESETTING/INITIALIZING THE SCANNER

If the scanner’s display locks up or does not work properly after you connect a power source, you
might need to reset or initialize the scanner.

Important: If you have problems, first try to reset the scanner (see “Resetting the Scanner.” If that
does not work, you can initialize the scanner (see “Initializing the Scanner”); however, this cl ears all
information stored in your scanner’s memory.

Resetting the Scanner

1. Turn of f the scanner, then turn it on again.

2. Insert a pointed object, such as a st raight ened pap er clip, int o the res et ope nin g on t he rear of the
scanner. Then gently press the reset butt on inside the opening.

Note: If the scanner still does not work properly, you might need to initialize the scanner (see
“Initializing the Scanner”).

Initializing the Scanner

Important: This procedure clears all information you stored in the scanner’s memory. Initialize the

scanner only when you are sure the scanner is not working properly.

1. Turn of f the scanner, then turn it on again.

2. Hold down

3. While holding down
the reset opening on the rear of the scanner, then gently press the reset button inside the opening.
The display should turn off.

4. When the display turns on agai n, release

TUNE/CLEAR.

TUNE/CLEAR, insert a pointed object (such as a straightened paper clip) into

TUNE/CLEAR.

Page 23

20-424 Owner’s Manual

Note: You must release the reset button before releasing
not clear.

TUNE/CLEAR; otherwise the memory might

A GENERAL GUIDE TO SCANNING

Reception of the frequencies covered by your scanner is mainly “line-of-sight.” That means you
usually cannot hear stations t hat are beyond the horizon.

GUIDE TO FREQUENCIES

National Weather Frequencies

162.400 162.425 162.450 162.475

162.500 162.525 162.550

Birdie Frequencies

Every scanner has birdie frequencies. Birdies are signals created inside the scanner’s receiver.
These operating frequencies might interfere with transmissions on the same frequencies. If you
program one of these frequencies, you hear only noise on that frequency. If the interference is not
severe, you might be able to turn
frequencies (in MHz) are:

SQUELCH clockwise to cut out the birdie. This scanner’s birdie

Wil l add

To find the birdies in your individual scanner, begin by disconnecting the antenna and moving it
away from the scanner. Make sure that no other nearby radio or TV sets are turned on near the
scanner . Use the s earch fun ctio n and search ev ery frequency rang e fro m its low est fr equency to t he
highest. Occasionally, the searching will stop as if it had found a signal, often without any sound.
That is a birdie. Make a list of all the birdies in your scanner for future reference.

GUIDE TO THE ACTION BANDS

Typical Band Usage (MHz)

VHF Band

Low Range
6-Meter Amateur 50.00–54.00
Aircraft 108.00–136.00
U.S. Government 137.00–144.00
2-Meter Amateur 144.00–148.00

29.00–50.00

Page 24

20-424 Owner’s Manual

High Range

148.00–174.00

UHF Band

Military Aircraft

380.00–384.00

U.S. Government 406.00–420.00
70-Centimeter Amateur 420.00–450.00
Low Range 450.00–470.00
FM-TV Audio Broadcast, Wide Band 470.00–512.00

Primary Usage

As a general rule, most of the radio activity is concentrated on the follow ing frequencies:

VHF Band
Activities Frequencies (MHz)

2-Meter Amateur Band 144.000–148.000
Government, Police, and Fire 153.785–155.980
Emergency Services 158.730–159.460
Railroad 160.000–161.900

UHF Band
Activities Frequencies (MHz)

70-Centimeter Amateur Band 420.000–450.000
FM Repeaters
Land-Mobile “Paired” Frequencies 450.000–470.000
Base Stations 451.025–454.950
Mobile Units 456.025–459.950
Repeater Units 460.025–464.975
Control Stations 465.025–469.975

Note: Remote control stations and mobile units operate at 5 MHz higher than their associated base
stations and relay repeater units.

BAND ALLOCATION

To help decide which frequency ranges to scan, use the following listing of the typical services that
use the frequencies your scanner receives. These frequencies are subject to change, and might
vary from area to area. For a more complete listing, refer to the Police Call Radio Guide including
Fire and Emergency Services, available at your local Ra dioShack store.

Page 25

Abbreviations Services

AIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aircraft

BIFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boise (ID) Interagency Fire Cache

BUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Business

CAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Civil Air Patrol

CCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Common Carrier

CSB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conventional Systems

CTSB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conventional/Trunked Systems

FIRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fire Department

HAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amateur (Ham) Radio

GOVT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Federal Government

GMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Mobile Radio

GTR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Trunked

IND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Industrial Services

(Manufacturing, Construction, Farming, Forest Products)

MAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Military Amateur Radio

MARI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maritime Limited Coast

(Coast Guard, Marine Telephone,
Shipboard Radio, Private Stations)

MARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Military Affiliate Radio System

MED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emergency/Medical Services

MIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . U.S. Military

MOV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Motion Picture/Video Industry

NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Mobile Narrow

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Relay Press (Newspaper Reporters)

OIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oil/Petroleum Industry

POL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Police Department

PUB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public Services

(Public Safety, Local Government, Forestry Conservation)

PSB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public Safety

PTR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Private Trunked

ROAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Road & Highway Maintenance

RTV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Radio/TV Remote Broadcast Pickup

TAXI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taxi Services

TELM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Telephone Maintenance

TOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tow Trucks

20-424 Owner’s Manual

Page 26

TRAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transportation Services

(Trucks, Tow Trucks, Buses, Railroad, Other)

TSB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trunked Systems

TVn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FM-TV Audio Broadcast

USXX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Government Classified

UTIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Power & Water Utilities

WTHR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weather

HIGH FREQUENCY (HF) — (3 MHz–30 MHz)
10-Meter Amateur Band (28.0–29. 7 MHz)

29.000–29.700 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HAM

VERY HIGH FREQUENCY (VHF) — (30 MHz–300 MHz)
VHF Low Band (29.7–50 MHz—in 5 kHz steps)

29.700–29.790 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND

29.900–30.550 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL

30.580–31.980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, PUB

32.000–32.990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL

33.020–33.980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUS, IND, PUB

34.010–34.990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL

35.020–35.980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUS, PUB, IND, TELM

36.000–36.230 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL

36.230–36.990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oil Spill Cleanup, GOVT, MIL

37.020–37.980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PUB, IND

38.000–39.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL

39.020–39.980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PUB

40.000–42.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL, MARI

42.020–42.940 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . POL

42.960–43.180 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND

43.220–43.680 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TELM, IND, PUB

43.700–44.600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TRAN

44.620–46.580 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . POL, PUB

46.600–46.990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT

47.020–47.400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PUB

47.420 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American Red Cross

47.440–49.580 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, PUB

49.610–49.990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MIL

20-424 Owner’s Manual

6-Meter Amateur Band (50–54 MHz)

50.00–54.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HAM

Page 27

Aircraft Band (108–136 MHz)

108.000–121.490 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AIR

121.500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AIR Emergency

121.510–136.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AIR

U.S. Government Ban d (137–144 MHz)

137.000–144.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL

2-Meter Amateur Band (144–148 MHz)

144.000–148.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HAM

VHF High Band (148–174 MHz)

148.050–150.345 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CAP, MAR, MIL

150.775–150.790 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED

150.815–150.980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TOW, Oil Spill Cleanup

150.995–151.475 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ROAD, POL

151.490–151.955 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, BUS

151.985 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TELM

152.0075 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED

152.270–152.480 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, TAXI, BUS

152.870–153.020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, MOV

153.035–153.725 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, OIL, UTIL

153.740–154.445 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PUB, FIRE

154.490–154.570 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, BUS

154.585 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oil Spill Cleanup

154.600–154.625 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUS

154.655–156.240 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED, ROAD, POL, PUB

156.255–157.425 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OIL, MARI

157.450 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED

157.470–157.515 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TOW

157.530–157.725 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, TAXI

157.740 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUS

158.130–158.460 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUS, IND, OIL, TELM, UTIL

158.730–159.465 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . POL, PUB, ROAD

159.480 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OIL

159.495–161.565 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TRAN

161.580–162.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OIL, MARI, RTV

162.0125–162.35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL, USXX

162.400–162.550 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WTHR

162.5625–162.6375 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL, USXX

20-424 Owner’s Manual

Page 28

162.6625 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED

162.6875–163.225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL, USXX

163.250 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED

163.275–166.225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL, USXX

166.250 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, RTV, FIRE

166.275–169.400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, BIFC

169.445–169.505 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wireless Mikes, GOVT

169.55–169.9875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL, USXX

170.000–170.150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BIFC, GOVT, RTV, FIRE

170.175–170.225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT

170.245–170.305 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wireless Mikes

170.350–170.400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL

170.425–170.450 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BIFC

170.475 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PUB

170.4875–173.175 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, PUB, Wireless Mikes

173.225–173.5375 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MOV, NEWS, UTIL, MIL

173.5625–173.5875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MIL Medical/Crash Crews

173.60–173.9875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT

20-424 Owner’s Manual

ULTRA HIGH FREQUENCY (UHF) — (300 MHz–3 GHz)
U. S. Government Band (406–420 MHz)

406.125–419.975 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, USXX

70-Centimeter Amateur Band (420–450 MHz)

420.000–450.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HAM

Low Band (450–470 MHz)

450.050–450.925 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RTV

451.025–452.025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, OIL, TELM, UTIL

452.0375–453.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, TAXI, TRAN TOW, NEWS

453.0125–454.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PUB, OIL

455.050–455.925 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RTV

457.525–457.600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUS

458.025–458.175 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED

460.0125–460.6375 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIRE, POL, PUB

460.650–462.175 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUS

462.1875–462.450 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUS, IND

462.4625–462.525 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, OIL, TELM, UTIL

462.550–462.925 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GMR, BUS

462.9375–463.1875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED

Page 29

20-424 Owner’s Manual

463.200–467.925 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUS

FM-TV Audio Broadcast, U HF Wide Band (470–512 MHz)
(Channels 14 through 20 in 6 MHz steps)

475.750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 14

481.750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 15

487.750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 16

493.750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 17

499.750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 18

505.750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 19

511.750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 20

Note: Some cit ies use the 470–512 MHz band for land/mobile service.

FREQUENCY CONVERSION

The tuning location of a station can be expressed in frequency (kHz or MHz) or in wavelength
(meters). The following information can help you make the necessary conv ersions.

1 MHz (million) = 1,000 kHz (thous and)

• To convert MHz to kHz, multiply the number of megahertz by 1,000:

30.62 (MHz) × 1000 = 30,620 kHz

• To convert from kHz to MHz, divide the number of kilohert z by 1,000:
127,800 (kHz) ÷ 1000 = 127.8 M Hz

• To convert MHz to meters, divide 300 by the number of megahertz:
300 ÷ 50 MHz = 6 meters

TROUBLESHOOTING

If your scanner is not working as it should, these suggestions might help you eliminate the problem.
If the scanner still does not operat e properly, take it to your local Ra dioShack store for assistance.

___________________________________________________________________________________

PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSE REMEDY

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Scanner is The AC or DC adapter Be sure the adapter’s barrel plug is properly
totally inoperative. is not connected. connected to the

DC 12V

jack.

Page 30

20-424 Owner’s Manual

___________________________________________________________________________________
Poor or no An antenna is not connected Make sure an antenna is properly
reception or is connected incorrectly. connected to the scanner.
__________________________________________________________________

Programmed frequencies are Avoid programming frequencies listed
the same as “birdie” under “Birdie Frequencies” on Page 24

frequencies. or only listen to them manually.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Keypad does not The scanner might need to be Turn the scanner off then on again, or reset/
work. reset or initialized. initialize the scanner (see “Resetting/Initializing

the Scanner” on Page 23.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Scanner is on but SQUELCH is not correctly Adjust SQUELCH clockwise.
will not scan. adjusted.
___________________________________________________________________________________
During scanning, Programmed frequencies are Avoid programming frequencies listed under
the scanner locks the same as “birdie” “Birdie Frequencies” on Page 24, or only
on frequencies that frequencies. listen to them manually.
have an unclear
transmission.
___________________________________________________________________________________

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Your RadioShack PRO-2018 200 Channel VH F/A ir/UHF Des kt op Scan ner is a n exam ple of s uper ior
design and craftsmansh ip. The following suggestions will help you care for your scanner so you can
enjoy it for years.

Keep the scanner dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. Liquids might contain minerals that can
corrode the electronic circuits.

Use and store the scanner only in normal temperature environments. Temperature extremes can
shorten the life of electronic devices and distort or melt plastic parts.

Keep the scanner away from dust and dirt, which can cause premature wear of parts.

Handle the scanner gently and carefully. Dropping it can damage circuit boards and cases and can

Page 31

20-424 Owner’s Manual

cause the scanner to work impr operly.

Wipe the scanner with a damp cloth occ asion ally to keep it loo king new. Do not use harsh chemicals,
cleaning solvents, or strong det ergents to clean the scanner.

Modifying or tampering with the scanner’s internal components can cause a malfunction and might
invalidate its warranty and void your FCC authorization to operate it. If your scanner is not
performing as it should, take it to your local RadioShack store for assistance.

SPECIFICATIONS

Frequency Coverage (MHz):

10 Meter Amateur Radio ..................... 29–30 (in 5 kHz steps)

VHF Lo ................................................ 30–50 (in 5 kHz steps)

6 Meter Amateur Radio ....................... 50–54 (in 5 kHz steps)

Aircraft ............................... 108–136.9875 (in 12.5 kHz steps)

Government .................................... 137–144 (in 5 kHz steps)

2 Meter Amateur Radio ................... 144–148 (in 5 kHz steps)

VHF Hi ............................................ 148–174 (in 5 kHz steps)

Amateur Radio/Government ...... 380–450 (in 12.5 kHz steps)

UHF Standard ............................ 450–470 (in 12.5 kHz steps)

UHF “T” ...................................... 470–512 (in 12.5 kHz steps)

Channels of Operation ...... 200 channels

Sensitivity ( 20 dB S/N):

29–54 MHz .................................................................... 0.5 µV

108–136.9875 MHz ....................................................... 1.0 µV

137–174 MHz ................................................................ 0.5 µV

380–512 MHz ................................................................ 0.7 µV

Spurious Rejection (FM @154 MHz) ............................... 50 dB

Selectivity:

±10 kHz .......................................................................... –6 dB

±18 kHz ........................................................................ –50 dB

Search Speed ............................................. Up to 50 Steps/Sec

Scan Speed ......................................... Up to 25 Channels/Sec

Delay Time ............................................................... 2 Seconds

IF Frequencies:

1st IF .......................................................................... 10.7 MHz

Page 32

2nd IF ........................................................................... 455 kHz

IF Interference Ratio (10.7 MHz) .................. 70 dB at 150 MHz

Squelch Sensitivity:

Threshold ..................................................... Less than 0.5 µV

Tight (FM) ....................................................... (S + N)/N 25 dB

Tight (AM) ...................................................... (S + N)/N 20 dB

Antenna Impedance .................................................... 50 Ohms

Audio Output Power (10% THD) .................... 0.8 W Nominal

Inches (77 mm), 8 Ohms

Built-In Speaker ........................... 3

Operating Temperature ...........................................32

(0

° to 110°F

° to 43°C)

Power Requirements ....................... 120V AC, 60Hz, 8W

Current Drain (Squelched) .............................................300 mA

20-424 Owner’s Manual

Dimensions (HWD) .............................. 2 1/16

× 8 1/4 × 6 7/8

Inches
(52 × 210 × 175 mm)

Weight (without antenna) ............................................approx. 25 oz

(700 g)

Supplied Accessories ........................Telescoing Antenna,

AC Adapter

Specifications are typical; individual units might vary. Specifications are subject to change and
improvement without notice.

Limited One-Year Warranty

RadioShack
A Division of Tandy Corporation
Fort Worth, Texas 76102

GE-02D-6900
06A02 Printed in China

Page 33