RadioShack PRO-160 Owners Manual
FCCPART15.21
USERMANAUL-DRAFT
20-160
PRO-160 1,000 ch Trunking
Desktop/Mobile Scanner
Thank you for purchasing your PRO-160 1,000 Channel Trunking Desktop/Mobile Scanner from
RadioShack. Your scanner is one of a new generation of scanners designed to track Motorola® Type
I, Type II, hybrid analog, and many other systems.
what’s included
Scanner
AC adapter
DC cable with fuse
Antenna
DIN sleeve
Removal keys (2)
Mounting bracket
Knobs (2)
Lock washers (2)
Screws (2)
Rubber feet (4)
User’s guide
Preprogrammed frequency sheet
Quick Start
step 1: installing your scanner
You can mount your scanner as a base station or in your vehicle. If you are unsure how to install our
scanner in your vehicle, consult your automobile manufacturer, dealer, or a qualified installer.
base station
Attach the four protective rubber feet to the mounting bracket when you use the scanner as a base
station on a flat surface such as a desk, shelf, or table. Because the speaker is on the bottom of the
scanner, you can use the mounting bracket to elevate your scanner off the surface for better sound.
vehicle mounting
To mount your scanner under or over the dashboard, use the mounting bracket. Before installing,
confirm that your scanner fits in the desired mounting area and you have all the necessary materials
to complete the task.
IMPORTANT: AVOID AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT ZONES. This can prevent the airbag from
performing properly and result in injury.
1. Use the supplied mounting bracket as a template to mark positions for the two mounting screws.
2. At the marked positions, drill holes slightly smaller than the screws. When drilling holes, be sure to
avoid obstructions and wires behind the mounting surface.
3. Attach the mounting bracket to the surface using the supplied screws.
4. Slide the scanner into the bracket, aligning the scanner’s holes with the holes in the bracket, and
then screw the mounting knobs into the scanner.
Note:Wordingrequiredfor
isshowninpage35/36.
Your scanner requires a 2 x 7-1/8 x 5-5/16 inch (50 x 180 x 135mm) mounting area. Allow an
additional 2-3/8 inch (60 mm) space behind the scanner for connectors and wires.
1. Remove the four rear screws that secure the outer metal case and pull off the case with care.
2. Insert the DIN sleeve into the opening in your dashboard, lip facing out.
. Push out the top and bottom tabs to hold the sleeve firmly in place.
3
4. Slowly slide the scanner into the sleeve until it locks in place.
Note:
• When mounting in your dashboard, you will need to connect an external antenna and an external
speaker.
To remove your scanner from the DIN sleeve, insert the two removal keys straight into the
•
scanner’s front panel and pull the scanner out.
step 2: power your scanner
You can power your scanner from a wall outlet, through your vehicle’s ignition, or from your vehicle’s
cigarette lighter or power port. You must use a Class 2 power source that supplies 12V DC and
delivers at least 500mA. Its center tip must be set to positive and its plug must fit the scanner’s DC
12V jack. Using an adapter that does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or the
adapter.
wall outlet
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.
1. Connect the tip of the supplied AC adapter to the DC 12V jack.
2. Plug the AC adapter into your wall outlet.
DC 12V
Power source connection.
vehicle cigarette lighter or power port
To power your scanner from your vehicle’s 12V power source, use a 12V DC cigarette-lighter
adapter (not supplied, available at RadioShack).
Note:
If you use a cigarette-lighter adapter, you might hear some electrical interference from your engine
while scanning. This is normal.
vehicle ignition (negative ground only)
Note:
If you are not experienced in connecting accessories to the vehicle fuse box, use a certified installer.
1. Disconnect the cable from the negative (-) terminal of your vehicle’s battery.
2. Ground the black wire of the supplied DC power cord to your vehicle’s chassis. The grounding
screw must make complete contact with the metal frame of your vehicle.
3. Connect the red wire of the supplied DC power cord to a voltage source that turns on and off with
the ignition switch, such as a spare accessory terminal in your vehicle’s fuse box.
. Insert the adapter’s barrel plug into the scanner’s DC 12V jack.
4
5. Reconnect the cable to the negative (-) terminal of your vehicle’s battery.
step 3: connect your scanner
antenna
Expand the antenna according to the frequencies you want to monitor:
Frequency ..................................... Antenna Length
25-174 MHz .....................Extend fully (4 segments)
320-512 MHz ................... Extend half (2 segments)
806-1300 MHz ................Collapse fully (1 segment)
The scanner’s ANT jack supports a variety of antennae (available at RadioShack).
Note:
• An external antenna is optional if you use your scanner as a base station. If you mount your
scanner in your vehicle, you will need to connect an external antenna.
• The antenna should be as high as possible and vertical for best performance.
• Keep the antenna and cable as far as possible from sources of electrical noise, such as appliances
or other radios.
Always use 50-ohm coaxial cable, such as RG-58 or RG-8, to connect an outdoor antenna. For
lengths over 50 feet, use RG-8 low-loss dielectric coaxial cable. You also may need a BNC adapter
(not supplied).
external speaker
To use an external speaker (available at your local RadioShack store), plug the speaker’s 1/8 inch
(3.5 mm) plug into the scanner’s EXT SP jack.
Note:
Connecting an external speaker mutes the scanner’s internal speaker.
ANT
Match the antenna connector arrow to the ANT jack’s upper projection.
CAUTION:
Use extreme caution when installing or removing an outdoor antenna. If the antenna starts to fall, let
it go! If the antenna touches a power line, touching 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.
step 4: setting up your scanner
turning on your scanner
To turn on your scanner, turn the VOLUME knob clockwise until it clicks. To set the squelch, turn the
SQUELCH knob fully counterclockwise, and then rotate it clockwise until the hissing sound stops.
storing frequencies in channels
You can locate and store specific frequencies into channels for later use.
Note: To store trunked system frequencies, see “programming trunked frequencies.”
Follow these steps to store frequencies into channels.
1. Press ENT/PGM to put the scanner in programming mode. PGM appears.
2. Use the number keys to enter the channel number you want to assign to a frequency.
3. Press MAN.
• If you entered an in valid channel number, “Invalid Channel.” appears and the scanner
beeps error tones. Enter a valid channel.
4. Press
channel with 0 MHz in next bank (or previous bank).
FUNC
, then press
/BANK
or (Press FUNC, then press ) to advance the
• If the channel with 0MHz is not, the first channel of the bank is selected.
5. Use the number keys and •/DELAY to enter the frequency, including the decimal point
you want to store.
6. Press ENT/PGM to store the frequency into the channel.
Notes:
• If you entered an invalid frequency in Step 5, “Invalid Freq.” appears and the scanner
beeps error tones. Enter a valid frequency.
• If you entered a frequency in Step 5, which already exists on another channel, the
scanner beeps an error tone and displays that channel. Press CL to clear the display, or
press ENT/PGM to store the frequency in both channels.
• The scanner automatically rounds the entered number to the nearest valid frequency.
For example, if you enter 151.473 (MHz), your scanner accepts it as 151.475.
• After a transmission, the scanner automatically pauses for 2 seconds on this channel
before proceeding to the next active transmission. Press •/DELAY to turn the delay
function off or on. See “delay”). The scanner stores this setting in the channel.
7. To program the next channel in sequence, press or and repeat Steps 5 and 6.
copying / moving frequencies
If you want to copy/move a frequency to a channel, follow the steps below:
1. Press ENT/PGM to put the scanner in programming mode. Enter the channel which
contains the frequency you want to copy or move.
2. Press MAN to advance the channel.
3. Press and hold ENT/PGM during program mode.
4. Select the bank where you want to copy or move the frequency.
5. Press ENT/PGM. The smallest empty channel number and “0.0000” appear. If there is
no empty channel, the scanner automatically selects the first channel of the bank.
6. Press
ENT/PGM
to enter the frequency, “Delete Source Channel?” appears.
7. To moving a frequency, press ENT/PGM. Or to copying a frequency, press CL.
searching for frequencies
You can search for frequencies up or down using chain search.
. Press
1
SRCH
until
appears in the display.
SRCH
2. (Optional) Press 0 – 9 to enable or disable the search bank number being searched.
3. Press or to begin searching up or down the frequencies.
4. (Optional) To avoid unwanted frequencies, you can skip up to
200 specified frequencies during a search. To skip a frequency,
press L/O when the scanner finds the frequency.
• If you skip all frequencies within the search range, the scanner cannot search.
• If you try to skip more than 200 frequencies, the scanner will stop skipping the earliest skipped
frequencies.
To clear a skipped frequency, complete the following steps:
1. Press PSE/TEXT to stop the search.
2. Select the frequency. L/O appears.
3. Press L/O. L/O disappears.
4. (Optional) To clear all the skipped frequencies, press MAN/MENU, and then press and hold L/O
until the scanner beeps twice.
step 5: monitoring and scanning
monitoring
To monitor a channel, press MAN/MENU while the scanner is pausing on the channel, stop the
scanning by pressing MANMENU, or enter the channel number, then press MAN/MENU.
scanning
To scan, press SCAN/ . When the scanner finds a transmission, it monitors the transmission until
it ends.
Note:
• If you have not stored frequencies into any channels, the scanner cannot scan.
• If the scanner picks up weak transmissions, turn SQUELCH clockwise to decrease the scanner’s
sensitivity to these signals. To listen to a weak or distant station, turn SQUELCH counterclockwise.
Press MAN/MENU to stop scanning, or press PSE/TEXT to pause the scan without losing your
position.
earphones / headphones
For private listening, you can plug earphones or headphones into your scanner’s headphone jack.
Do not use headphones with your scanner when operating a motor vehicle in or near traffic. Doing so
can create a traffic hazard and could be illegal in some areas. Some headphones let you hear some
outside sounds when listening at normal volume levels, but they still can present a traffic hazard. To
protect your hearing, follow these guidelines for 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, and then adjust the volume to a
comfortable level.
• After 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.
the basics
A frequency is the tuning location of a station. A channel is a programmable memory location for
storing frequencies that you can scan for activity. Channels are grouped into 20 channel storage
banks, each of which contains 50-channels. Service banks are preset channel-storage banks of
frequencies used by the marine, CB band, FRS/GMRS/MURS, police (fire/emergency),
aircraft and HAM band services. For example, many amateur radio frequencies are located in the
HAM service bank.
Your scanner provides many features that help you locate, monitor, and organize useful
transmissions in your area, including frequencies used by police and fire departments, ambulance
services, government agencies, private companies, amateur radio services, military operations,
pager services, and wireline (telephone and telegraph) service providers.
This scanner is designed to prevent reception of illegal transmissions, in compliance with laws that
require that scanners be manufactured to not be easily modifiable to pick up those transmissions. Do
not open your scanner’s case to make any modifications that could allow it to pick up transmissions
that it is not legal to listen to. Doing so could subject you to legal penalties.
It is legal to listen to almost every transmission your scanner can receive. However, there are some
transmissions you should never intentionally listen to. These include:
telephone conversations (cellular, cordless, or other private means of telephone signal
•
transmission)
• pager transmissions
• any scrambled or encrypted transmissions
According to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), as amended, you are subject to
fines and possible imprisonment for intentionally listening to, using, or divulging the contents of such
a transmission unless you have the consent of a party to the communication (unless such activity is
otherwise illegal).
We encourage responsible, legal scanner use.
your scanner’s controls
SCAN/ — Scan the stored channels; scan an active ID while trunking. Press and hold SCAN/ to turn
Signal Stalker on and off.
MAN(Manual)/MENU — manually enter a channel; enter the menu mode.
SRCH(Search)/TUNE— start a chain search, start a service search. search a specified frequency range; enter
the fine tune mode.
TRUNK/MODE — enter the Talk Group ID program mode; select the modulation for trunking system.
WX/ — starts weather search; activates Skywarn function.
FUNC(Function)/A/a — let you use to various functions by pressing this key in combination with other keys; let
you use to switch the small letter and capital letter.
(Priority)
PRI
L/O — lockout selected channels or skip specified frequencies during a search; lock out a selected ID while
trunking.
CL/CTCSS/DCS — Press CL to clear an entry; let use to turn on and off the CTCSS/DCS.
DIM/M-LOCK
/ALERT
Lets you set the display brightness, or locks the memory. To set the brightness of the display
backlight selects BRIGHT, DIMMER or OFF.
BANK — enter the select bank menu.
—Search and scan up and down a selected frequency range; selects options during programming;
changes the ID location number while trunking.
PSE(Pause)/TEXT — stops and resumes searching; change from Program mode to Program Text Tag mode.
1-9/WXYZ, 0 — input a number or characters.
•/DELAY — enter a decimal point, space, or programs delay time for the selected channel/search bank, or
enters a hyphen (in trunking ID setting). Programs a 2-second delay for a selected channel or service; programs
a 2-second delay while trunking.
OPEN/CLOSE — let you use to change the open mode and close mode.
— sets and turns the priority function on or off; SAME weather alert on and off.
ENT/PGM (Program) — programs frequencies into channels.
SQUELCH — adjust the squelch.
VOLUME — turn the scanner on or off and adjust the volume.
— connect an optional PC interface cable here to use the scanner with your computer.
PC/IF
— connect an earphone or headphone here.
replacing the fuse
To replace your scanner’s fuse, turn off the scanner and your vehicle’s ignition, then replace the fuse
only with another fuse of the same type and rating (1-amp, fast-acting glass fuse).
Beyond the Basics
transferring data to or from another scanner or pc
You can transfer the programmed data to and from another PRO-160 scanner using a
connecting cable which has 1/8-inch phone plugs on both ends (not supplied). Connect the
cable between each scanner’s PC/IF jacks. See “cloning your scanner”. You can also
upload or download the programmed data to or from a PC using an optional PC interface
cable and software available through your local RadioShack store. See “wired
programming.”
about your scanner
We use a few simple terms in this manual to explain the features of the scanner. Familiarize
yourself with these terms and the scanner’s features, and you can put the scanner to work
for you right away. Simply determine the type of communications you want to receive, and
then set the scanner to scan those communications.
The scanner scans conventional frequencies and trunked systems. For more information
about trunked transmissions (see “trunking operation”).
A frequency, expressed in kHz or MHz, is the tuning location of a station. To find active
frequencies, you use the search function.
Besides searching within a selected frequency range, you can also search your scanner’s
service banks. Service banks are preset groups of frequencies categorized by the type of
services that use those frequencies. For example, many amateur radio frequencies are
located in the HAM service bank.
When you search and find a desired frequency, you can store it into a programmable
memory location called a channel. Channels are grouped into channel-storage banks. The
scanner has 20 channel-storage banks. Each bank contains 50-channel sets. So the
scanner has 1,000 channels. You can scan the channel-storage banks to see if there is
activity on the frequencies stored there.
Note: You search frequencies when you want to find your local frequencies and scan
channels after you programmed your found frequencies.
understanding banks
service banks
The scanner is preprogrammed with all the frequencies allocated to the marine, CB band,
FRS/GMRS/MURS, police (fire/emergency), aircraft and HAM band services. This helps
you quickly find active frequencies instead of doing a chain search (see “service bank
search”).
channel storage banks
To make it easier to identify and select the channels you want to listen to, all the channels
are divided into 20 banks of 50 channels. Use each channel-storage bank to group
frequencies, such as those for the police department, fire department, ambulance services,
or aircraft.
For example, the police department might use four frequencies in your town while the fire
department uses an additional four. You could program the four police frequencies starting
with Channel 1 (the first channel in bank 1), and program the fire department frequencies
starting with Channel 51 (the first channel in bank 2).
turning on the scanner and setting squelch
Note: Make sure the scanner’s antenna is connected before you turn it on.
1. Turn SQUELCH fully counterclockwise.
2. Turn VOLUME/OFF clockwise until it clicks and you hear a hissing sound.
3. Turn SQUELCH clockwise until the hissing stops.
Programming channels text tag
You can customize your scanner by storing text tags (up to 16 characters) for easy
identification of channel.
1. Press ENT/PGM to put the scanner in programming mode.
2. Enter the channel number where you want to store a text tag. If you make a mistake,
press CL repeatedly until the display is cleared.
3. Press MAN to advance the channel.
4. Press TEXT to put the scanner in program channel text tag edit mode. The cursor
appears.
5. Press ?or ? to move the cursor in the right or the left. Press the number key and
decimal key to enter the letter. (See “text input chart”).
6. Input the word and press ENT/PGM to store.
Programming bank text tag
You can customize your scanner by storing text tags (up to 16 characters) for easy
identification of bank.
1. Press ENT/PGM to put the scanner in programming channel mode.
2. Enter the channel number where you want to store a text tag. If you make a mistake,
press CL repeatedly until the display is cleared.
3. Press MAN to advance the channel.
4. Press FUNC, and then press TEXT to put the scanner in program bank text tag edit
mode. The cursor appears.
5. You can store same as channel text tag.
text input chart
User can use the number keypad on scanner to enter text by referring to the alphabet
printed on each number key. When user presses the number key in the text entry field, the
scanner displays the first alphabet printed on the number key. Press the number key twice
to display the second alphabet and three times to display the third. When user wants to
input the small letter, press [A/a] to switch the capital letter and small letter.
For example, to enter "Scanner":
1. Press [7/PQRS] 4 times to enter "S".
2. Press [A/a] to switch the capital letter and small letter.
3. Then press [2/ABC] 3 times to enter "c".
4. Press [?] to move cursor.
5. Press [2/ABC] 1 times to enter "a".
6. Press [6/MNO] 2 times to enter "n".
7. Press [?] to move cursor.
8. Press [6/MNO] 2 times to enter "n".
9. Press [3/DEF] 2 times to enter "e".
10. Press [7/PQRS] 3 times to enter "r".
11. Press [ENT] to end your text entry.
Number of times key is pressed
Keys 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
1 . ( ) - + * / @ ^ & 1
2/ABC A B C 2
3/DEF D E F 3
4/GHI G H I 4
5/JKL J K L 5
6/MNO M N O 6
7/PQRS
8/TUV T U V 8
9/WXYZ
0
Press A/a to choose the input mode. (Capital letter, Small letter, Numeric)
P Q R S 7
W X Y Z 9
Space
# ? _ , $ % ! ~ ' 0
programming channel CTCSS/DCS code
Your scanner can monitor systems using a Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System
(CTCSS) and Digital Coded Squelch (DCS) system, which allow squelch to open only when
the tone you have programmed with a specific frequency is received along with a
transmission.
1. Press ENT/PGM to put the scanner in programming mode.
2. Enter the channel number where you want to store a CTCSS/DCS code. If you make a
mistake, press CL repeatedly until the display is cleared.
3. Press
4. Press FUNC, and then press CL/CTCSS/DCS to put the scanner in program
CTCSS/DCS CODE mode.
5. Press ? or ? to select a CTCSS/DCS code. CTCSS/DCS code flashes.
The CTCSS/DCS code is changed below:
NO TONE -> CT 67.0 -> ... -> CT 254.1 -> DCS 023 -> ... -> DCS 754 -> CODE SRCH
-> NO TONE -> CT 67.0 -> ...
6. Press ENT/PGM to store the CTCSS/DCS code.
to advance the channel.
MAN
about CTCSS/DCS
CTCSS and DCS are subaudible tone signaling systems sometimes referred to as PL or
DPL (Motorola’s trademarked terms for Private Line and Digital Private Line respectively).
CTCSS and DCS are used only for FM signals and are usually associated with both
amateur and commercial two-way frequencies. These systems make use of a special
subaudible tone that accompanies a transmitted signal.
CTCSS and DCS are used for many purposes. In many cases, CTCSS and DCS are used
to restrict access to a commercial repeater, so that only those units which transmit the
correct tone along with their signal can “talk” to the repeater.
CTCSS and DCS are also used in areas that receive interference where there are several
stations with output frequencies close to each other. When this occurs, you might hear
multiple communications on the same frequency. The stations might even interfere with
each other to the point where it is impossible to clearly receive any of the stations. A
scanner equipped with CTCSS and DCS (like your scanner) can code each received
frequency with a specific CTCSS or DCS frequency. Then, when you receive multiple
signals, you only hear the transmission with the CTCSS or DCS tone you programmed. If
you do not receive the correct tone with a signal, the scanner’s squelch remains closed and
you hear nothing.
You can search for the following CTCSS frequencies and DCS codes.
CTCSS Frequencies (Hz)
67.0
82.5
100.0
123.0
151.4
171.3
189.9
210.7
250.3
DCS Codes (Octal)
69.3
85.4
103.5
127.3
156.7
173.8
192.8
218.1
254.1
107.2
131.8
159.8
177.3
196.6
225.7
71.9
88.5
110.9
136.5
162.2
179.9
199.5
229.1
74.4
91.5
114.8
141.3
165.5
183.5
203.5
233.6
77.0
94.8
79.7
97.4
118.8
146.2
167.9
186.2
206.5
241.8
023
051
114
143
174
245
266
332
411
452
506
612
703
025
053
115
145
205
246
271
343
412
454
516
624
712
026
054
116
152
212
251
274
346
413
455
523
627
723
031
065
122
155
223
252
306
351
423
462
526
631
731
032
071
125
156
225
255
311
356
431
464
532
632
732
036
072
131
162
226
261
315
364
432
465
546
654
734
043
073
132
165
243
263
325
365
445
466
565
662
743
047
074
134
172
244
265
331
371
446
503
606
664
754
searching for and storing active frequencies
If you do not have a reference to frequencies in your area, use a chain, fine tune, or service
search (except weather search) to find a transmission.
Beyond the Basics
Notes:
• While doing a chain, fine tune, or service bank search, press • /DELAY if you want to turn
the delay on or off (see “delay”).
• While doing a chain, fine tune, or service bank search, press FUNC, then MENU if you
want the scanner to skip data signals (such as fax or modem signals) and search only for
audio (voice) signals to enter the menu mode and turn Data Skip Option to on (see
“skipping data signals”).
chain search
This feature lets you search through preset frequency ranges. You can also preset a range.
There are three modes within this feature: chain search mode, chain search pause mode,
and program band select mode.
The preset frequency ranges are:
Bank No. Frequency (MHz) Step (kHz)
0 25.0000-54.0000 5
1 137.0000-174.0000 5
2 179.7500-215.7500 6000
3 216.0000-224.9950 5
4 225.0000-399.9875 12.5
5 400.0000-512.0000 6.25
6 764.0000-775.9875 12.5
7 794.0000-805.9875 12.5
8 806.0000-956.0000 12.5
9 1240.0000-1300.0000 12.5
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