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

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:

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.

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 .

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

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.

CONTENTS

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

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

PREPARATION

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

jack on the scan-

Antenna Len

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.

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.

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)

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

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.

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

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.

/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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