Radio Shack PRO-2056 User Manual

OWNER’S MANUAL

Cat. No.

20-147

PRO-2056 50-Channel

Home/Mobile Scanner

Please read before using this equipment.

FEATURES

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Your new RadioShack PRO-2056 5 0­Channel Home/Mobile Scanner lets
you in on all the action. You can quick­ly tune to over 2 ,000 preprogrammed
frequencies and search over 20,000
frequencies that include those used by
police and fire departments, ambu­lance services, aircraft communica­tions, amateur radio services, and
transportation services. The se­cret to your scanner’s ability to
scan so many frequencies is its
cus to m- designed microprocessor —
a tiny, built-in computer.

Your scanner is preprogrammed for
convenience. By pressing a single but­ton, you can quickly scan those fre­quencies most widely used by public
service an d other agenc ies. The sca n­ner even lets you group speci al or i nt er­esting freq uencies into their o wn bank.

The scanner is com pact and v ersatile.
You can use it in your home o r mount
it in your vehicle.

Your scanner has these special fea­tures:

H

perScan

™

and HyperSearch

™

—
so you can scan up to 100 channels
per second and search up to 100 steps
(frequency intervals) per second, pro­viding faster scan and search speed
than many other scanners.

Service Search

— at the press of a
button, lets you scan preset frequen­cies in separate police, fire/emergen­cy, marine, and air service search
banks, to make it easy to quickly iden­tify calls. You can also add frequen­cies to channels in the police and fire/
emergency service search banks.

Band Search

— lets you search for
transmissions within 11 preset fre­quency ranges, so you can quickly
find interesting frequencies.

PRIVATE Bank

— lets you store up to
20 frequencies that you find while
scanning or searching, so you can
group unusual or special frequencies
together for fast access.

One-Touch Weather Scannin

—
quickly tunes to National Weather Ser­vice broadcasts, so you can keep cur­rent on important weather information.

Lock-Out Function

— lets you lock
out specif i ed channels, so you can skip
over those channels whi l e s canning.

Memor

Backup

— keeps the fre­quencies stored in m em ory f or up t o 5
days during a power loss.

Backlit Displa

— makes the display

easy to read in low light conditions.

© 1997 Tandy Corporation.

RadioShack, HyperScan, and HyperSearch are trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.

InstaClear is a registered t rademark used by Ford Mo tor Company.

ElectriClear is a registered trademark used by Libbey, Owens, Ford, and Delco-Remy.

All Rights Reserv ed .

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External Speaker Jack — makes it
easy to connect an optional external
speaker or headphones to the scanner.

We recommend you record your scan­ner’s serial number here. The number
is on the scanner’s back panel.

Two Powe r Options — you can pow­er the scanner from standard AC pow­er with the supplied AC adapter or
your vehicle’s battery with the sup­plied DC power cord or DC cigarette­lighter power cord.

Frequency Guide — this manual lists
currently known frequencies by state
and local area, so you can quickly
tune to local frequencies.

Your PRO-2056 scanner can receive
all of these frequencies:

• 29–54 MHz (10-Meter Amateur
Radio, VHF Lo, 6-Meter Amateur
Radio)

• 108–136.975 MHz (Aircraft)

• 137–174 MHz (Government, 2­Meter Amateur Radio, VHF Hi)

• 406–512 MHz (70-Centimeter
Amateur Radio, UHF “T” Band,
Government)

Serial Number:_______________

FCC NOTICE

Your scanner might caus e T V or radi o
interference even when it is operating
properly. To determine whether your
scanner 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 TV or radio

• Connecting your scanner to an
outlet that is on a different electr i­cal circuit from the TV or radio

• Contacting your local Ra­dioShack store for help

In addition, your scanner is prepro­grammed with these weather service
frequencies:

• 162.4000 MHz

• 162.4250 MHz

• 162.4500 MHz

• 162.4750 MHz

• 162.5000 MHz

• 162.5250 MHz

• 162.5500 MHz

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SCANNING LEGALLY

Your scanner covers frequencies
used by many different groups includ­ing police and fire departments, ambu­lance services, government agencies,
private companies, amateur radio ser­vices, military operations, pager ser­vices, and wireline (telephone and
telegraph) service providers. It is legal
to listen to almost every tran smission
your scanner can receive. However,
there are some transmissions you
should never intentionally listen to.
These include:

• Telephone conversations (either
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), 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 responsibl e, legal
scanner use.

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CONTENTS

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Preparation............................................................................................................ 7

Connecting an Antenna ................................................................................... 7

Connecting the Telescoping Antenna........................................................ 7

Connecting the Window-Mount Anten na................................................... 7

Connecting an External Antenna............................................................... 8

Mounting the Scanner in Your Vehicle ............................................................. 9

Connecting Power from Your Vehicle’s Battery....................................... 10

Using the Scanner as a Base Station ............................................................ 11

Using the Supplied AC Adapter............................................................... 11

Memory Backup............................................................................................. 11

Connecting an External Speaker or Headphones.......................................... 12

Listening Safely........................................................................................12

Understandin

Banks............................................................................................................. 13

Service Search Banks............................................................................. 13

PRIVATE Bank......................................................................................... 14

Channels........................................................................................................ 14

Search Bands ................................................................................................ 15

A Look at the Front Panel.............................................................................. 17

A Look at the Display......................................................................................18

Operation............................................................................................................. 19

Turning On the Scanner/

Setting Volume and Squelch.......................................................................... 19

Using Service Search .................................................................................... 19

Using Band Search........................................................................................ 20

Monitoring a Frequency ................................................................................. 20

Storing Frequencies into Channels................................................................ 21

Clearing Frequencies from Channels ............................................. ....... ....... . 22

Special Features................................................................................................. 23

Using Memolock ............................................................................................ 23

Delay .............................................................................................................. 23

Locking Out Channels and Frequencies........................................................ 23

Removing a Lockout from All Channels and Frequencies

within a Bank .......................................................................................... 24

Listening to Weather Broadcasts................................................................... 24

Your Scanner............................................................................ 13

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A General Guide to Scanning............................................................................ 25

Guide to Frequencies..................................................................................... 25

US Weather Frequencies ................................................. .. ....... .......... .... 25

Other Weather Frequencies .................................................................... 25

Ham Radio Frequencies ......................................................................... 25

Birdie Frequencies .................................................................................. 25

Guide to the Action Bands.............................................................................. 26

United States Broadcast Bands ............................................................ .. 26

Typical Band Usage .. .............................................................................. 26

Primary Usage ........................................................................................ 27

Specified Intervals.......................................................................................... 28

Band Allocation............................................................................................... 28

Frequency Conversion................................................................................... 32

Troubleshooting.................................................................................................. 33

Care and Maintenance........................................................................................ 34

Replacing the Fuses....................................................................................... 35

Replacing the Fuse in the DC Power Cord ............................................. 35

Replacing the Fuse in the DC Cigarette-Lighter Power Cord ................. 35

Specifications...................................................................................................... 36

Notes.................................................................................................................... 38

Frequency Guide................................................................................................. 39

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PREPARATION

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CONNECTING AN
ANTENNA

Connecting the Telescoping
Antenna

The supplied telescoping antenna
helps your scanner receive st rong lo­cal signals. To install this antenna,
hold the antenna so it stands straight
up, then gently push the antenna’s
plug onto the
ner’s back panel.

The scanner’s sensitivity dep ends on
the antenna’s length and various en vi­ronmental conditions. Based on the
frequencies of the transmissions you
want to hear, adjust the antenna’s
length.

Frequenc

(MHz)

29–108 Extend fully
108–174 Extend three

174–512 Extend two

ANT

ANT Jack

segments

segments

jack on the scan-

Antenna Len

th

Connecting the Window­Mount Antenna

You can install the supplied window­mount antenna on the inside of your ve­hicle’s windshi eld. Foll ow these steps to
install the window -mount antenna .

Caution:

mount antenna on a windshield that
has a plastic coating designed to pro­tect passengers during an accident. If
you use the antenna on this type of
windshield, you might permanently
damage the windshield’s surface.

1. Select a location for the window-

Do not use the window-

mount antenna. Follow these
mounting guidelines when se­lecting a location.

• The antenna’s clear wire re­ceives signals. Mount it verti­cally against the far right (pas­senger) side of the windshield.

• Choose a location that does not
block the driver’s view of the
road.

• Some vehicles have Insta-

®

Clear

or ElectriClear® defog­ging windshields, which have
metal coatings that interfere
with signals. General Motor’s
APV vans have a solar shield
that keeps the vehicle cooler
during the summer, which also
interferes with signals. If you
install a window-mount an ten na
in a vehicle with any of these
features, the scanner probably
will not detect weak signals.

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2. Clean the selected windshield
area, position the antenna’s clear
wire on the windshield, then press
firmly on both suction cups to
secure it in place.

3. Route the antenna’s black cable
down the edge of t he windshield,
around the edge of the dash, and
underneath it. Be sure the cable
does not interfere with the vehi­cle’s pedals or other moving parts.

4. Align the slots around the
antenna’s connector with the ta bs
on the
antenna’s connector and turn it
clockwise until it locks int o place.

ANT

jack. Then push the

Connecting an External
Antenna

ANT

The
ner makes it easy to use the scanner
with a variety of antennas. Instead of
one of the supplied antennas, you can
attac h a diff er en t one, suc h as an ex te r­nal mobi l e ant enn a o r ou t door ba se s ta­tion antenna. Your local RadioShack
store sells a variety of antennas.

When deciding on an antenna and its
location, consider the following:

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. If the coaxial cable’s
connector does not fit in the
you might also need a PL-259-to-B NC
antenna plug adapter, such as Cat.
No. 278-120. Your local RadioShack
store carries a wide variety of coaxial
antenna cable and connectors.

jack on the back of the scan-

• The location of the antenna
should be as high as possible.

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

• The antenna should be vertical for
the best performance.

ANT

jack,

Follow the installation instructions sup­plied with the antenna, route the anten­na cable to the s canner, then connect
it to the
back of the scanner.

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ANT

BNC-type jack on the

Warning : Use extreme caution when
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 the cable over
sharp edges or objects that move.

MOUNTING THE
SCANNER IN YOUR
VEHICLE

The most common m ounting location
for this scanner is under your vehicle’s
dashboard. If you use this scanner in
a vehicle, mount it securely to avoid
damage to the scanner or vehicle, or
injury to anyone in the vehicle during
sudden starts or stops.

Note: Mobile use of this scanner is
unlawful or requires a perm it in some
areas. Check the laws in your area.

• Wires and cables will not interf ere
with vehicle’s pedals or other
moving parts

• The scanner is not directly in front
of any heating vents

Follow these steps to mount the scan­ner in your vehicle.

1. Choose a mounting location, then
use the mounting bracket as a
template to mark the positions for
the mounting screw holes.

(add corrected illus F6)

2. In the m ar k ed loc ations, dr ill h oles
slightly smaller than the supplied
screws. Take care not to drill into
or damage objects behind the
mounting surface.

3. Attach the mounting bracket to the
mounting location using the sup­plied screws and lock washers.

When you choose a mounting loca­tion, be sure:

• You can easily reach the scanner

• All wires and cables will reach
their connection points

(add correc t ed illus F7)

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4. Attach the scanner to the mount­ing bracket using the supplied
mounting knobs.

(add corrected illus F8)

Connecting Power from Your
Vehicle’s Battery

3. Insert the power cord’s barrel plug
into the
of the scanner.

To connect the supplied DC cigarette­lighter power cord, insert its barrel
plug into the
of the scanner, then plug the power
cord into your vehicle’s cigarette­lighter socket.

DC 13.8V

DC 13.8V

jack on the back

jack on the back

Depending on if your scanner is per­manently installed in y our v ehicle, you
can power it using either the DC po w­er cord or the DC cigarette-lighter
power cable (both supplied).

Follow these steps to connect the sup­plied DC power cord.

(add corrected illus F9. Add
callouts ‘Positive (+)’ and
‘Negative (-)’ to respective

wires)

1. Connect the power cord’s black
wire to your vehicle battery’s neg­ative (
of the vehicle’s frame that is not
insulated from the frame by a
plastic part.

2. Connect the power cord’s red wire
(with in-line fuse) to a source of
voltage that turns on and off with
the ignition switch, such as a
spare accessory terminal in your
vehicle’s fuse box.

) terminal or to a metal part

–

(add corrected illus F10)

Cautions:

• Unplug the power cord from your
vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket
when you turn off the ignition. This
prevents vehicle battery drain if
you leave the scanner on when
you turn off the ignition.

• Always unplug the power cord
from your vehicle’s cigarette­lighter socket before you unplug
its barrel plug from the scanner.

If the scanner does not operate

Note:

when you turn it on, remove the power
cord from your vehicle’s cigarette­lighter socket and check the socket for
debris. Also, check the fuse in the
power cord you are using (see “Re­placing the Fuses” on Page 35) and
your vehicle’s fuse block.

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USING THE SCANNER
AS A BASE STATION

You can place this scanner on a desk,
shelf, or table to use i t as a base s ta­tion.

Your scanner’s front feet f old up and
down. Adjust them to give you the
best view of the display.

Plug the adapter’s barrel plug into the
scanner’s
the adapter’s power module into a
standard AC outlet.

DC 13.8V

jack. Then plug

Using the Supplied AC
Adapter

Cautions:

• Use only the supplied AC adapter.
Using a different adapter can
damage your scanner and could
present a safety hazard.

• To prevent electric shock, the
plug’s blades are polarized and fit
only one way. If the plug does not
fit easily, turn it over and try again.
Do not force it into the AC outlet.

• When you finish using the AC
adapter, disconnect it from the AC
outlet first. Then disconnect it from
the scanner.

Warning:

er’s polarized plug with an extension
cord, receptacle, or other outlet unless
the blades can be fully inserted to pre­vent blade exposure.

Do not use the AC adapt-

MEMORY BACKUP

When you first power the scanner,

MEMO LOSS

until you program the scanner. The
memory backup circuit begins to func­tion a few minutes after you supply
power to the scanner. How long the
scanner will maintain channels stored
in memory depends on how long pow­er has been supplied to the scanner.

(memory loss) appears

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If power is continuously supplied to
the scanner for at least 24 hours, the
memory backup circuit maintains the
channels stored in m em ory f or up t o 5
days. If power is disconnected and the
memory backup circuit becomes too
weak to save the scanne r’s program­ming,
when power is reconnected until you
reprogram the scanner.

MEMO LOSS

appears again

Caution:

volume all the way up while using
headphones. The headphones could
be damaged.

Note:

or headphones disconnec ts the scan­ner’s internal speaker.

Do not turn the scanner’s

Plugging in an external speaker

Listening Safely

CONNECTING AN
EXTERNAL SPEAKER
OR HEADPHONES

In a noisy area, an extension speaker
or pair of monaural headp hones (Cat.
No. 21-549 or 20-210) might provide
more comfortable listening . Use an 8­ohm external speaker capable of ha n­dling 3 watts of power.

Plug the speaker cable’s or head­phones’
jack on the back of the scanner.

1

/8-inch plug into the

(add corrected illus F13. Add
external speaker and callout
EXT SP and arrow to jack)

EXT SP

To protect your hearing, follow these
guidelines when you use 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.

• Once you set the volume, do not
increase it. Over time, your ears
adapt to the volume level, so a
volume level that does not cause
discomfort might still damage your
hearing.

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