Radio Shack PRO-29 User Manual
OWNER’S MANUAL
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Direct Entry Programmable Scanner
Please read before using this equipment.
Cat. No.
20-509
PRO-29
60-Channel
FEATURES
Your new Radio Shack PRO-29 60-Channel Direct Entry Programmable Scanner lets you in on all the action! This scanner gives you direct
access to 30,000 exciting frequencies that include police department,
fire depar tment, ambul ance, amateur radio, a nd transpor tation servi ces.
You can select up to 60 channels for your scanner to scan and you can
change your select ion at any time.
The sec ret t o you r sc an ner’s ab ility to sca n s o ma ny f requencies is its
custom-designed microprocessor — a tiny, built-in computer. Your
scanner also has th ese special features:
Frequency Search
Six Channel-St orage Bank s
banks to group freq uencies. This helps you identify calls.
Monitor Memories
locate during a frequency search.
Two-Second Automatic Scan Dela y
before moving to anot her channel, so you can hea r more replies.
Memory Backup
for up to 1 hour during a power lo ss.
Lock-Out Function
Priority Channel
onds so you don’t miss important calls on a channel you specify.
Weather Band Key
cies so you can hear about current weather conditions.
Display Backlight
ations.
Search Skip
skip during a limit or direct search to avoid unwanted frequenci es.
— scans through every available frequency.
— let yo u stor e 10 cha nnels in each of six
— let you temporarily save up to six channels you
— delays scan ning f or 2 sec onds
— keeps the channel frequencies stored in memory
— keeps channels you sel ect fr om bein g scanned.
— checks your most important channel every 2 sec-
— scans seven preprogrammed weather frequen-
— makes the scanner easy to read in low light situ-
— lets you select up to 30 frequencies for the scanner to
1995 Tandy Corporation.
Radio Shack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
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All Rights Reserved.
Your scanner can recei ve all of these bands:
• 29–29.7 MHz (10-Meter Amateur Radio)
• 29.7–50 MHz (VHF Lo)
• 50–54 MHz (6-Meter Amateur Radio)
• 108–136.975 MHz (Aircraft)
• 137–144 MHz (Government)
• 144–148 MHz (2-Meter Amateur Radio)
• 148–174 MHz (VHF Hi)
• 406–420 MHz (Government)
• 420–450 (70-cm Amateu r Radi o)
• 450–470 MHz (UHF Standard)
• 470–512 MHz (UHF “T” Band)
• 806–823.9375 MHz (Public Service)
• 851–868.9375 MHz (UHF Hi)
• 896.1125–956 MHz (UHF Hi)
In addition, your scanner is preprogrammed with the following weather
service channels:
• 162.400 MHz (NFM)
• 162.425 MHz (NFM)
• 162.450 MHz (NFM)
• 162.475 MHz (NFM)
• 162.500 MHz (NFM)
• 162.525 MHz (NFM)
• 162.550 MHz (NFM)
This owner’s manual also includes the section “A Guide to the Action
Bands,” which lets you target services in your area by giving you frequency ranges to search. You can then store any of these frequencies
into memory for easy scanning.
For your reco rds, we re commend you record your s canne r’s s erial number in the space provided. The serial number is on the scanner’s back
panel.
Serial Number __________________
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FCC NOTICE
Your scanner might cause TV or radio 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 causi ng the in terference. Try the following methods to elimi nate the interference.
• Move your scanner away from the receiver
• Connect your scanner to an outlet that is on a different electrical
circuit from the receiver
• Contact your loc al Radio Shack store for help
If you cannot eliminate t he interference, the FCC requires that you stop
using your scanner.
Note:
Mobile use of th is scanner is unlawful or requires a permit i n some
areas. Check the laws in your area.
SCANNING LEGALLY
Your scanner cove rs fre quenc ies used by many di fferent g roup s incl uding police and fire department s, ambulance se rvices, gov ernment 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 transmission 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 transmi ssion)
• Pager transmissions
• Any scrambled or encrypted transmissions
According to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), you
are subject to fines and poss ible impri son ment for inte ntiona lly li steni ng
to, using, or divulging the contents of such a transmission unless you
have the consent of a party to the conversation (unless such activity is
otherwise illegal). Radio Shack encourages responsible, legal scanner
use.
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CONTENTS
Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Power Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Using Internal Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Important Information About the External Power Jacks . . . . . . 7
Using Standard AC Power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Using Vehicle Battery Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Charging Nickel-Cadmium Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Connecting the Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connecting an Earphone/ Headphones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Connecting an Extension Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Using the Belt Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Understanding Your Scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
A Look at the Keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
A Look at the Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Banks and Memories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Channel-Storage Banks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Monitor Memories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Turning on the Scanner and Setting Squel ch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Storing Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Searching For and Temporarily Storing Active Frequencies . . 19
Listening to Monitor Memories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Moving a Frequency from a Monitor Memory to a Channel . . 22
Manually Selecting a Channel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Special Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Using the Keylock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Locking Out Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Turning Channel-Storage Banks On and Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Search Skip Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Using the Display Backlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Listening to the Weather Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
A General Guide to Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Guide to Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Guide to the Action Bands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Band Allocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Avoiding Image Fr equencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Frequency Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Trou bleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Resetting the Scanner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
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PREPARATION
POWER SOURCES
You can power your scanner from any of three sources:
• Internal batteries
• Standard AC power (usi ng an optional AC adapter)
• Vehicle battery power (using an optional DC adapter)
USING INTERNAL BATTERIES
You can power your scanner with four AA batteries. For the longest operation and best performanc e, we recommen d alkaline bat teri es (Rad io
Shack Cat. No. 23-552). Or, you can use rechargeable nickel-cadmium
batteries (Cat. No. 23-125).
Warning:
el-cadmium batteries inside the battery compartment. However, you
must never use this circuit when you have installed non-rechargeable
batteries in the scanner. Be sure to read “Important Information about
the External Power Jacks” and “Charging Nickel-Cadmium Batteri es.”
Follow these steps to install or replace batteries.
1. Press down the tab on the battery compartment cover, and lift
2. Remove any old batteries from the compartment and cover.
The scanner has a built -i n circuit that lets you recharge nick-
open the compartment.
Caution:
promptly and properly. Do not bury or burn them.
Always dispose of old non-rechargeable batteries
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3. Install two batteries in the compartment and two in the cover as
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indicated by the polarity symbols (+ and –) mark ed inside.
Caution: Use only fresh, AA alkaline, nickel-cadmium, or general
purpose batteries of the required size. Never mix fresh and old
batteries or different types of batt eries.
4. Replace the cover.
If
BATT.Lo
flashes on the display and the scanner beeps every 15
seconds, immediately replace or recharge all four batteries.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE
EXTERNAL POWER JACKS
The scanner has two external power jacks —
POWER
is important that you understand the purpose of each jack before you
connect any adapter to the scanner.
POWER
CHARGE
POWER
jack powers the scanner and disconnects the internal bat-
The
teries. You can use this jack to connect an external power source (AC
or DC adapter) regardless of the type of batterie s you install.
and
CHARGE
. It
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CHARGE
The
charges the internal batteries. Use the
jack supplies power to operate the scanner and also
CHARGE
stall rechar geable nickel-cadmium batteries.
jack only when you in-
Warning:
Never use the
CHARGE
jack with non- rechar geable b atter ie s.
If you try to recharge non-r echargeable bat teries, they become very hot
and could ex plode.
USING STANDARD AC POWER
To power the scanne r from AC powe r, you need an AC ad apte r such as
Radio Shack Cat. No. 20-188. Plug the adapter’s barrel plug into the
scanner’s
into a standard AC outlet.
Warning:
cord, receptacle, or other outlet unless the blades can be fully inserted
to prevent blad e exposure.
Cautions:
• You m ust use an AC adapter that supplies 9 volts and delivers at
• When you finish using the AC adapter, disconnect it from the AC
DC 9V POWER
jack. Then plug the adapter’s power module
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POWER
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Do not use an AC adapter’s polari zed plug with an extension
least 300 milliamps. Its center tip must be set to negative, and its
plug must correctly fit the scanner’s
DC 9V POWER
jack. The recommended adapter meets these specifications. Using an adapter
that does not meet these specifications could seriously damage
the scanner or the adapter.
outlet first . Then disconnect it from the scanner.
Note:
If you installed rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries in the
scanner, remove the cap from the
CHARGE
jack and connect the AC
adapter to it. Thi s powers the sc anner and rechar ges the batte ries at the
same time. See “Charging Ni ckel-Cadmium Batteri es.”
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USING VEHICLE BATTERY POWER
You can power the scanner f rom your vehicle’s batt ery power, if the vehicle has a 12-volt, negative ground electrical system. To do so, you
need a Radio Shack DC Universal Adapter, Cat. No. 270-1560.
Cautions:
• You must use a DC adapter that supplies (regulated) 9-volt power
and delivers at least 300 milliamps. Its center tip must be set to
negative, and its plug must correctly fit the scanner’s
POWER
tions. Using an adapter that does not meet these specifications
could seriousl y dam age your scanner or the adapter.
• To protect your vehicle’s electrical system, always plug the adapter into the sc anner before you plug it into your vehicle’s cigarettelighter socket. Always unplug the adapter from the vehicle’s
cigarette-li ghter socket before you unplug it from the scanner.
jack. The recommended adapter meets these specifica-
DC 9V
1. Connect the DC adapter’s orange barrel-plug to the adapter’s
cable, with the tip set to –.
2. Set the adapter’s voltage switch to 9V.
3. Insert the barrel plug into the scanner’s
4. Plug the other end of the adapter into your vehicle’s cigarettelighter socket.
Notes:
• If you installed rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries in the scanner, remove the cap from the
adapter to it. This powers the scanner and recharges the batteries
at the same time. See “Charg ing Nickel-Cadmium Batt eries.”
CHARGE
DC 9V POWER
jack and connect the AC
jack.
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• If the scanner does not operate properly when you use a DC
adapter, unplug the adapt er from the cigarette-lighter socket and
clean the socket to r emove ashes and other debris.
CHARGING NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERIES
The scanner has a buil t-in charging circuit t hat let s you rechar ge nickel cadmium batteries while they are in the scanner. To charge the batteries, remove the plug from the scanner’s
nect an AC adapter or a DC Universal Adapter to the jack (see “Using
Standard AC Power” or “Using Vehicl e Battery Power”).
CHARGE
jack and simply con-
Warning:
if you installed non-rechargeable batteries (standard, extra-li fe, or alkaline). Non-rechargeable batteries become hot and can even explode if
you try to rechar ge them.
It takes about 14 to 16 hours to recharge batteries that are fully discharged. You can operate the scanner while recharging the nickelcadmium batteri es, but the charging ti m e is l engthened.
Note:
you occasionally let them fully discharge. To do this, simply use the
scanner until it begins beeping every 15 seconds and
pears on the display. Then fully charge t he batteries.
Important!
recycled or disposed of properly. Contact your local, county, or state
hazardous waste management authorities for information on recycling
or disposal pro gra ms in your area. Some o ptions that might be av ailab le
are: municipal cur b-side collection, dr op-off boxes at retailers, recycling
collection centers, and mail-back programs.
Do not connect either adapter to the scanner’s
Nickel-cadmium batteries last longer and deliver more power if
At the end of a rechargeable battery’s usef ul life, it must be
CHARGE
BATT.LO
jack
ap-
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CONNECTING THE ANTENNA
Follow these st eps to atta ch the supplied f lexibl e antenna to t he connector on the top of your scanner.
1. Align th e slots around the antenna’s connector with the tabs on the
jack.
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2. Press the antenna down over the jack and rotate the antenna’s
base clockwise unti l it locks into pl ace.
Connecting an Optional Antenna
The antenna connector on y our scanner makes it easy to use the s canner with a variety of antennas. Instea d of the suppl ied ant enna , you can
attach a different one, such as an external mobile antenna or outdoor
base antenna. Your l ocal Radi o Shack st ore sell s a vari ety of antennas.
Always use 50-ohm coaxial cable, such as RG-58 or RG-8, to connect
an outdoor ante nna. For lengt hs o ver 50 f eet, use RG-8 low- loss di electric coaxial cabl e. If your anten na’s cabl e does not hav e a BNC connector, you will also need a BNC adapter (available at your local Radio
Shack store).
Warning:
Use extreme caution when in stalling or removing an outdoor
antenna. If the antenna starts to fall, let it go! It could contact overhead
power lines. If the a nte nna touc hes a power l ine, contact wi th th e antenna, mast, cable or guy wires can cause electro cution and death! Cal l the
power company to remove the ant enna. Do not attempt to do so yourself.
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CONNECTING AN EARPHONE/
HEADPHONES
For private listening, you can plug an earphone or mono headphones
(such as Radio Shack Cat. No. 33-175 or 20-210) into the jack on top
of your scanner. This automatically disconnects the internal speaker.
Listening Safely
To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when you use an earphone or headphones:
• Do not listen at extremely high volume levels. Extended high-volume listening can lead to permanent hearing loss.
• Set the volume to the lowest setting before you begin listening.
After you begin listening, adjust the vol um e 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 you r hearing.
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