Radio Shack PRO-2050 User Manual

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Owner’s Manual
300-Channel TrunkTracker Home Scanner
Please read before using this equipment.
Cat. No. 20-430
PRO-2050
VHF/UHF/Air/800MHz
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Your new RadioShack PRO-2050 VHF/UHF/Air/800MHz 300-Channel TrunkTracker Home Scanner is one of a new generation of scanners de­signed to track Motorola Type I, Type II (such as Smartnet and Priva­cy Plus), and hybrid analog trunking systems, which are extensively used in many 800 MHz communication sys­tems.
Trunking communications systems let a large group of 2-way radio users (or even different groups of 2-way radio users) efficiently use a group of fre­quencies. Instead of selecting a spe­cific frequency for a transmission, the 2-way radio user simply selects a talk group. The trunking system automati­cally transmits the call on the first available frequency, an d also sends a code that uniquely identifies that 2­way radio user’s transmission on a dif­ferent frequency called a data chan­nel.
Since the trunking sy stem might send individual 2-way radio user’s calls and response transmissions on different frequencies, it is difficult to listen to trunked communications using a regu­lar scanner. The PRO-2050 monitors the data channel frequency sent with a 2-way radio user’s transmission and instantly switches to an active fre­quency, so you c an hear the call and
response for that 2-way radio user and easily “follow” the conversation.
The scanner also lets you scan con­ventional transmissions, and is pre­programmed with service-search banks for convenience. B y pressing a single button, you can quickly search those frequencies most commonly used by public service and other agencies without tedious and compli­cated programming.
This scanner gives you direct access to over 30,000 exciting frequencies, including those used by police and fire departments, ambulance services, and amateur radio services, and you can change your selection at any time.
Your scanner also has these special features:
Ten Channel-Stora
e Banks
— let you store 30 channels in each bank to group channels so you can more easi­ly identify calls.
Five Scan Lists
— let you st ore u p t o 50 IDs in each tracking bank (up to a total of 500).
Triple-Co nversion Circ uitr
— virtu­ally eliminates any interference from IF (intermediate frequency) images, so you hear only the selected frequen­cy.
©
1997 Tandy Corporation.
RadioShack i s a regist ered t rademark used by Tandy Co rporation.
HyperSearch and HyperScan are trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.
Motorola, Smartnet, and Privacy Plus are trademarks of Motorola, Inc.
All Rights Reserv ed .
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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. In trunk tracking mode, it delays for about 5 seconds before moving to another ID.
Lock-Out Function — lets you set your scanner to skip over specified channels or frequencies when scan­ning or searching, and skip over IDs when tracking trunked systems.
Priority Channels — lets you pro­gram one channel in each bank (10 in all). As the scanner scans a bank, it checks the bank’s priority channel ev­ery 2 seconds so you don't miss trans­missions on that channel.
Five Service-Search Banks — lets you search preset frequencies in sep­arate public service, police, fire/emer­gency, aircraft, and weather banks, to make it easy to locate specific types of calls.
signals, making a scan or search fast­er.
Manual Access — lets you directly access any stored channel.
Liquid-Crystal Display — makes it easy to view and change program­ming information.
Display Backlight — makes the scanner easy to read in low-light situa­tions.
Supplied Telescoping Antenna — provides good reception of strong lo­cal signals.
External Antenna Terminal — lets you connect an external antenna with a BNC connector to the scanner for improved reception of distant/weaker signals.
Memory Backup — k eeps the chan­nel frequencies stored in memory for an extended time.
HyperSearchand HyperScan  — let you set the scanner to search at up to 300 steps per second (in frequ ency bands with 5 kHz steps) and scan at up to 50 channels per s econd, to help you quickly find interesting broad­casts. (The normal search speed is 100 steps per second).
Data Signal Skip — lets yo u set the scanner to skip non-modulated or data signals during scanning and searches. This lets the scanner avoi d non-voice
Key Confirmation Tones — the scanner sounds a tone when you per­form an operation correctly, and an er­ror tone if you make an error.
Duplicate Channel Alert — warns you when the frequency you are stor­ing already exists in memory.
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Your PRO-2050 scanner can receive all of these bands:
Frequency
Range
29–29.7 MHz 10-Meter Amateur
29.7–50 MHz VHF Lo 50–54 MHz 6-Meter Ham Band
108–136.975
MHz 137–144 MHz Military Land Mobile 144–148 MHz 2-Meter Ham Band 148–174 MHz VHF Hi 406–420 MHz Federal
420–450 MHz 70-cm Ham Band 450–470 MHz UHF Standard Band 470–512 MHz UHF “T” Band 806–824 MHz
851–869 MHz 896–956 MHz
T ypes of
Tr ansm issions
Radio
Aircraft
Government
Public Service “800 ”
except
Cellular Band
FCC NOTICE
Your scanner might caus e T V or radi o interference even when it is operating properly. To determine if your scan ner is causing the interference, turn off your scanner. If the interference goes away, your scanner is causing it. Try to eliminate the interference by:
• Moving your scanner away from the receiver
• Connecting your scanner to an outlet that is on a different electr i­cal circuit from the receiver
• Contacting your local Ra­dioShack store for help
If you cannot eliminate the interfer­ence, the FCC requires that you stop using your scanner.
This device complie s with Part 15 of
FCC Rules
the 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.
. Operation is subject to
Note: See “Specifications” on Page 51 for more information about the scan­ner’s frequency steps.
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We recommend you record your scan­ner’s serial number here. The number is on the scanner’s back panel.
Serial Number _________________
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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 wire communications that are illegal to in­tentionally intercept. These include:
• Telephone conversations (cellu­lar, cordless, or other private means of telephone signal trans­mission)
• Pager transmissions
• Scrambled or encrypted transm is­sions
According to the Federal Electronic Communications Privacy Ac t (ECPA), as amended, you c ould be fined and possibly imprisoned for intentionally intercepting, 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 lo cal laws that also affect legal scanner usage.
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CONTENTS
Preparation ........................................................................................................... 8
Connecting an Antenna ................................................................................... 8
Connecting the Supplied Antenna ............................................................... 8
Connecting an Outdoor Antenna ................................................................. 8
Connecting Power ........................................................................................... 9
Using AC Power .......................................................................................... 9
Using Your Vehicle’s Battery Power .......................................................... 10
Connecting an Extension Speaker ................................................................ 10
Connecting an Earphone/Headphones ......................................................... 11
Listening Safely ......................................................................................... 11
Understandin
A Look at the Front Panel .............................................................................. 12
A Look at the Display ..................................................................................... 14
Understanding Banks ............................................................. ....... .. .......... .... 16
Channel Storage Banks . ............................................................................ 16
Service Banks ............................................................................................ 16
Understanding Trunking ........................................................... ....... ..... ....... .. 16
Operation ............................................................................................................ 17
Turning On the Scanner and Setting Squelch ............................................... 17
Storing Known Frequencies into Channels ................................................... 17
Searching Service Banks .............................................................................. 18
Limit Search ................................................................................................... 19
Scanning the Stored Channels ...................................................................... 20
Manually Selecting a Channel ....................................................................... 20
Clearing a Frequency from a Channel ........................................................... 21
Special Features ............................................................................................... 22
Delay ............................................................................................................. 22
Turning Channel-Storage Banks On and Off . ................................................ 22
Locking Out Channels and Frequencies ....................................................... 23
Locking Out Channels ............................................................................... 23
Locking Out Frequencies ........................................................................... 23
Priority ........................................................................................................... 24
Turning the Key Tone On/Off . . ....................................................................... 25
Changing Search Speeds .............................................................................. 25
Skipping Data Signals ................................................................................... 25
Your Scanner ............................................................................ 12
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Trunk Tracking ................................................................................................... 26
Types of Trunking Systems ........................................................................... 26
Setting the Scanner to the Trunk Tracking Mode .......................................... 27
Setting Squelch for the Trunk Tracking Mode ............................................... 27
Programming Trunked Frequencies .... .......................................................... 28
Scanning a Trunked Bank ............................................................................. 29
Monitoring an Active ID ............................................................................. 30
Locking Out IDs ......................................................................................... 30
Unlocking a Single ID ................................................................................ 31
Unlocking All IDs ....................................................................................... 31
Using Trunk Tracking Scan Delay ............................................................. 31
Monitoring IDs ........................................................................................... 32
Channel Activity Indicators . ........................................................................... 32
Scan Lists ..................................................................................................... 33
Manually Storing IDs into Scan Lists ......................................................... 33
Storing IDs Into Scan Lists While Searching ............................................. 34
Automatically Storing an ID in a Scan List Location .................................. 34
Deleting a Stored ID .................................................................................. 34
Scanning the Scan Lists ............................................................................... 34
Scanning Type I and Hybrid Trunked Systems ............................................. 35
Selecting a Preset Fleet Map .................................................................... 38
Programming a Fleet Map ......................................................................... 39
Programming a Hybrid System ................................................................. 40
A General Guide to Scanning ........................................................................... 41
Guide to Frequencies .................................................................................... 41
National Weather Frequencies .................................................................. 41
Canadian Weather Frequencies ............................................................... 41
Birdie Frequencies .................................................................................... 41
Guide to the Action Bands ............................................................................ 42
Typical Band Usage .................................................................................. 42
Primary Usage .......................................................................................... 43
Band Allocation ............................................................................................. 43
Frequency Conversion .................................................................................. 48
Troubleshooting ................................................................................................ 49
Resetting the Scanner .................................................................................. 52
Care and Maintenance ...................................................................................... 53
Specifications .................................................................................................... 54
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PREPARATION
This scanner is designed primarily for use in the home as a base station. You can place it on a desk, shelf, or table.
Your scanner’s front feet fold up or down. Adjust them to give you the best view of the display.
Your scanner’s display is protected during shipment by a piece of blue film . Peel off th is film be fore you u se the scanner.
The scanner’s sens itivity depends on the antenna’s length and vario us env i­ronmental conditions. For the best re­ception of the transmissions you want to hear, adjust the antenna’s length.
Frequency Antenna Length
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 st rong lo­cal signals. To install the antenna, screw it clockwise into the hole on the scanner’s top.
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29–54 MHz Extend fully
108–174 MHz Collapse one
se
ment
406–956 MHz Collapse both
se
ments
Connecting an Outdoor Antenna
Instead of the supplied antenna, you can connect an outdoor base-station or mobile antenna (not supplied) to your scanner using a B NC connector. Your local RadioShack store sells a variety of antennas. Choose the one that best meets your needs.
When deciding on a mobile or base­station antenna and its locat ion, con­sider these points:
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• The antenna should be as high as possible on the vehicle or building.
• The antenna and its cable should be as far as possible from sources of electrical noise (appliances, other radios, etc.).
• The antenna should be vertical for the best performance.
To connect an optional base-station or mobile antenna, first remove the sup­plied antenna from the scanner. Al­ways use 50-ohm coaxial cable, such as RG-58 or RG-8, to connect the base-station or mobile antenna. For lengths over 50 feet, use RG-8 low­loss dielectric coaxial cab le. If the an­tenna cable’s connector does not fit in
ANT.
the
jack, you might also need a Motorola-to-BNC antenna plug a dapt­er, such as RadioShack Cat. No. 278-
117. Your local RadioShack store car­ries a wide variety of coaxial antenna cable and connectors.
Once you choose an antenna, follow the mounting instructions supplied with the antenna. Then rout e the an­tenna’s cable to the scanner and con­nect the cable to t he
ANT.
jack on the
back of the scanner.
Cautions:
• Do not run the cable over sharp edges or moving parts that might damage it.
• Do not run the cable next to power cables or other antenna cables.
Use extreme caution
Warnin
:
when you install or remove an out­door antenna. If the antenna starts to fall, let it go! It could contact overhead power lines. If the anten­na touches a power line, contact with the antenna, mast, cable, or guy wires can cause electrocution and death. Call the power compa­ny to remove the antenna. DO NOT attempt to do so yourself.
CONNECTING POWER
Using AC Power
The scanner’s supplied AC adapter lets you power the scanner from a standard AC outlet. To connect power to the scanner, insert the AC adapter’s barrel plug into the back of the scanner, then plug the AC adapter into a standard AC outlet.
DC 12V
jack on the
ANT
DC 12V
ANT
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Cautions:
• The supplied AC adapter supplies 12 volts DC power and delivers 500 milliamps. Its center tip is set to positive, and its plug properly fits the scanner’s
DC 12V
jack. Using an adapter that does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or the adapter.
• Be sure to connect the AC adapter to the scanner before you connect it to an AC outlet, and dis­connect the AC a dapter from the AC outlet before you d isconnect it from the scanner.
Warning: Do not use the AC adapt­er’s polarized plug with an extension cord receptacle unless the blades can be fully inserted to preven t blade ex­posure.
Using Your Vehicle’s Battery Power
ANT
DC 12V
Cautions:
• If you use a DC cigarette lighter power cable with the scanner, it must supply 12 volts and at least 500 milliamps of DC automotive power. Its center tip must be set to positive, and its plug must cor­rectly fit the
DC 12V
jack on the back of the scanner. The recom­mended power cable mee ts these specifications. Using a power cable that does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or the power cable.
• If you use a cigarette lighter power cable and your vehicl e’s engine is running, you might hear electrical noise from the engine w hile s can­ning. This is normal.
If your AC power fails (during an emergency, for example), you can power your scanner from your vehi­cle’s cigarette lighter socket with an optional DC cigarette lighter power ca­ble, such as Cat. No. 270-1533 (not supplied).
To connect an optional DC cigarette lighter power cable, insert its barrel plug into the
DC 12V
jack on the back of the scanner, then plug the power cable into your vehicle’s cigarette lighter socket.
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Note: Mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires a perm it in some areas. Check the laws in your area.
CONNECTING AN EXTENSION SPEAKER
In a noisy area, an amplified extension speaker (such as Cat. No. 21-541), positioned in the right place, might provide more comfortable listening. Plug the speaker cable’s into your scanner’s jack.
1
-inch plug
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Listening Safely
To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when you use an earpho ne or headphones.
• Do not listen at extremely high volume levels. Extended high­volume listening can lead to per­manent hearing loss.
Note: Connecting an external speaker disconnects the scanner’s internal speaker.
CONNECTING AN EARPHONE/ HEADPHONES
For private listening, you can connect an earphone or headphones with a inch plug (such as Cat. No. 33-175 or 20-210) to the jack on the front of the scanner. This automatically dis­connects the internal speaker.
1
/
•Set
VOLUME
to the lowest setting before you begin listening. After you begin listening, adjust
UME
to a comfortable level.
• Once you set
VOLUME
VOL-
, 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.
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR SCANNER
Once you understand a few simple terms we use 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
frequenc
active frequencies, you can use the You can also search the
quencies categorized by type of service. When you find a f requenc y, you can store it into a programmable mem ory l ocati on
called a
. You can then
bank
the frequencies stored there. Each time the s canner finds an active frequency, it stays on that channel until the transmission ends.
is the tuning location of a station (expresse d in kHz o r MHz). To find
func ti on.
, which are preset groups of fre-
channel-stora
channel
search
service-search banks
, which is grouped with your other channels in a
the channel-storage banks to see if there is activity on
scan
A LOOK AT THE FRONT PANEL
Your scanner’s keys migh t seem confusing at first, but this inform ati on shoul d hel p you understand each key’s function.
Some of the scanner’s keys perform more than one function and are marked
Note:
with more than one label. The s teps in this Owner’s Manual show onl y the l abel on the key appropriate to the action being performed.
e
VOLUME
SQUELCH
12
Turns the scanner on or off and adjusts the volume. Adjusts the scanner’s squelch.
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SCAN
MANUAL
Scans through the stored channels. Stops scanning and lets you directly enter a channel
number or frequency.
TRUNK
Switches between conventional and trunk tracking
modes.
SVC
(service)
PRIORITY/SPEED
Selects a service bank. Sets and turns on and off the priority feature; turns the
HyperSearch mode on and off.
Number Keys Each key has a single-digit label and a range of num-
bers. The single digits are used to enter a channel, frequency, or ID number. The range of numbers (31– 60, for example) indicates the channels that m ake up a memory bank.
CLEAR
E
(enter)
Enters a decimal point. Clears an entry. Enters frequencies into channels or enters IDs into a
scan list.
LIMIT/
t Sets the frequency range; sets the search direction
and holds a frequency search.
DELAY
Programs a 2-second delay for the sele cted channel, a limit search, or each service scan. Also programs a 5-second delay in the trunk tracking mode.
SEARCH
Searches a specified frequency range to find frequen­cies; searches for another active ID in the trunk track­ing mode.
L/O/SKIP
(lock out/skip)
Lets you lock out selected channels or frequencies; lets you lock out a selected ID in the trunk tracking mode.
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HOLD/
s Holds on the current ID in the trunk tracking mode;
sets the search direction and holds the frequency search.
DATA
Turns the data signal skip feature on or off or checks
the current trunking bank in the trunk tracking mode.
A LOOK AT THE DISPLAY
The display has indicators that show the scanner’s current operating status. A good look at the display will help you understand how your scann er operates.
LIST
BANK
Appears with numbers (1–10) to indicate the scan
PUB
Appears with a number (1 –5) to indicate the list num ­ber.
bank.
Appears when you search the public safety service bank.
POLICE
FIRE/EMG
AIR
WX
TRUNK
14
Appears when you search the police service bank. Appears when you se arch the fire/emerg ency service
bank. Appears when you search the air service bank. Appears when you search the weather service bank. Appears when the scanner is in trunk tracking mode.
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(channel activity indicator) active.
P
SCAN
MANUAL
PRI
HOLD
DELAY
DATA
L/O
(lockout) Appear s when you manuall y select a chan nel , frequen-
SEARCH
t
s Lights steadily during a limit search, service search,
Shows whic h cont rol/voi ce ch annel s are cu rrent ly
Appears when a priority channel is selected.
Appears when you scan channels.
Appears when you set the scanner to its manual
mode. Appears when the priority feature is turned on. Appears when the scanner i s in the hold mode during
a search. Appears when you program a delay. Appears when the data skip function is active.
cy, or ID you locked out.
and ID search, and blinks while HyperSearch is active and when you monitor IDs. The arrow indicates the search direction.
Error
Appears when you make an entry error.
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UNDERSTANDING BANKS
Channel Storage Banks
To make it easier to identify and select the channels you want to listen to, channels are divided into 10 banks of 30 channels each. Use each channel­storage bank to group frequencies, such as those used by the police de­partment, fire department, am bulance services, or aircraft (see “Guide to the Action Bands” on Page 39). For exam­ple, the police department might use four frequencies, one for each side of town. You could program the police frequencies starting with Channel 1 (the first channel in bank 1) and pro­gram the fire department f requencies starting with Channel 31 (the first channel in bank 2).
Service Banks
The scanner is preprogrammed with the frequencies allocated by public safety, police, fire/emergency, aircraft, and weather services. This is handy for quickly finding active frequencies instead of searching through an entire band (see “Searching Service Banks” on Page 18).
UNDERSTANDING TRUNKING
In the past, gro ups that broad cast fre­quently, such as police departments, were restricted to transmitting on just a few frequencies. This resulted in heavy traffic and often required 2-way radio users to wait for a specific fre­quency to clear before transmitting.
Trunked systems allow more groups of 2-way radio users to use fewer f re­quencies. Instead of selecting a spe­cific frequency to transmit on, a trunked system chooses one of sever­al frequencies when the 2-way radio user presses PTT (push to talk). The system automatically transmits the call on that f requency, and also sends a code that identifies that 2-way radio user’s transmission on a data channel.
You can set this scanner to monitor the data channel frequency, so you can hear both the call and response transmissions for that 2-way radio user and therefore follow the conver­sation. (You cannot listen to the data channel itself in the trunk mode.)
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OPERATION
TURNING ON THE SCANNER AND SETTING SQUELCH
1. Turn
2. Turn
3. Turn
Notes:
• If the scanner will not scan, turn
• If the scanner picks up unwanted,
SQUELCH
counterclockwise.
VOLUME
you hear a hissing sound.
SQUELCH
leave it set to a p oint j us t after the hissing sound stops.
SQUELCH
partial, or very weak transmis­sions, turn decrease the scanner ’s sensitivity to these signals. If you want to lis­ten to a weak or distant station,
SQUELCH
turn
back clockwise un ti l
further clockwise.
SQUELCH
VOLUME
and
clockwise, then
clockwise to
counterclockwise.
fully
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.
Note:
quencies, see “Programming Trunked Frequencies” on Page 26.
Follow these steps to store frequen­cies into channels.
To store trunking system fre-
1. Press nel number (1–300) where you want to store a frequency, then press nel number appears.
2. Use the number keys and enter the frequency (including the decimal point) you want to store.
MANUAL
MANUAL
, enter the chan-
again. The chan-
to
SQUELCH
•If always hear a hissing sound, the scanner does not scan properly.
is adjusted so you
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