Radio Shack PRO-528 User Manual

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20-528

PRO-528 1,000-Channel

Handheld

Trunking Scanner

Please read this user’s guide before installing, setting up and using your new product

www.radioshack.com

Contents

Thank you for purchasing your RadioShack 1000-Channel Handheld

Trunking Scanner from RadioShack.

Your handheld scanner is one of a new generation of scanners designed to track Motorola® Type I, Type II, hybrid analog systems, (such as Smartnet® and Privacy Plus®) plus M/A-COM EDACS® and EF Johnson LTR. Those systems are extensively used in many 800 MHz, 900 MHz, and UHF communication systems.

• scanner

• antenna

• belt clip (2) screws

• user’s guide

• quick start guide

• preprogrammed frequency guide

Contents

The Basics

your scanner’s features 8 supplying power to your scanner 14 battery cautions 15 connecting the antenna 16 connecting an earphone/ headphone 16 listening safely 17 attaching the belt clip 17 transferring data to or from another

scanner or pc 18 about your scanner 18 understanding banks 19 service banks 19 channel storage banks 20 turning on the scanner and setting

squelch 20 storing known frequencies

into channels 21

Beyond the Basics

copying/moving a frequency 22 searching for and temporarily storing

active frequencies 23 chain search 24 starting chain search 25 storing found frequencies during

chain search 26 programming search ranges 26 direct search 27 service bank search 27 weather search 28

Contents

search skip memory 28

scanning the stored channels 30

manually selecting a channel 31

special features 32

delay 32

turning channel-storage banks

on and off 33 locking out channels 33 priority 34 using the keylock 35 wired programming 36 cloning your scanner 37 using the display backlight 38 using the auto backlight display 38 search speeds 39 turning the keytone off/on 39 turning the battery save

function off/on 40 skipping data signals 40 receiving nwr-same and weather

alert signals 41

turning on the digital weather

alert feature 42 testing digital weather alert tone programming a FIPS code 43 programming FIPS 44 Skywarn 45 about Skywarn 45 Signal Stalker I 47

setting the Signal Stalker I options 48

Contents

using Signal Stalker I 51 trunking operation 51 setting the scanner to the

trunking mode 52 simultaneous trunking 52

setting squelch for the trunking mode 52

programming trunked frequencies 53 searching a trunked bank 56 turning a trunked bank on or off 57 skipping a trunked bank 58 turning the status bit ignore

(s-bit) on or off 58 identifying a trunked frequency 59 selecting the EDACS (Ed) talk

group ID format 60 EDACS (Ed) talk group ID

range search 60 using HOLD to monitor an

active talk group ID 61 locking out talk group IDs 61 unlocking a single talk group ID 62 unlocking all talk group IDs 62 using trunk scanning Scan Delay 63 monitoring talk group IDs 63 using talk group ID lists 64 manually storing talk group IDs

in talk group ID lists 64 Motorola talk groups 65

To enter a Type 2 Talk Group ID: 65

To enter a Type 1 ID: 65

Contents

EDACS (Ed) talk groups 66 entering EDACS partial talk groups 66 LTR talk groups 67 scanning the talk group ID lists priority talk group ID scanning 69 scanning type I and hybrid trunked

systems 70 preset ﬂ eet maps table 71 selecting a preset ﬂ eet map 74 programming a ﬂ eet map 74 programming a hybrid system 76 programming the Base and Offset

frequencies 76 turning the Motorola disconnect tone

detect function On/Off 78

frequently asked questions 80

My scanner is on but will not

scan, why? 80 Why won’t my scanner work at all? 80 Why doesn’t my keypad work? 81 Why is ﬂ ashing? 81 Why am I getting poor or no

reception? 81 Why does Error appear? 81 Why won’t my scanner track a

trunked system? 81 Why isn’t my scanner acquiring a

data channel? 82 Why is the frequency used for the

data channel missing? 82

Contents

Why am I missing replies to

conversations? 82 How do I reset my scanner? FCC notice

scanning legally 85 care 86 service and repair 86 speciﬁ cations 87

Hypersearch, Hyperscan, and Adaptaplug are trademarks used by RadioShack Corporation.

Motorola, Smartnet, and Privacy Plus are registered trademarks of Motorla Inc.

EDACS is a registered trademark of MA-COM Inc.

LTR is a registered trademark of EF Johnson.

The Basics

your scanner’s features

SCAN/MANUAL — scans the stored channels

and scan lists, or manually enter a channel or frequency. Manually stores talk group IDs in scan lists

SRCH (search)

— start a chain

search, search

a speciﬁ ed

frequency

range , or

search another

active ID while

trunking.

SVC — starts a

service.

TRUNK — stores

the trunking ID code or holds the trunking ID while scanning.

WX/ —

starts weather search; activates Skywarn function.

HOLD/RESUME

— Stops and resumes searching.

ST—Search and scan up and down a selected frequency range; selects options during programming; changes the ID location number while trunking.

The Basics

MENU — enter the

menu mode.

PRI (Priority)

— sets and

turns the priority

function on or

off.

L/O — lockout

selected channels or skip speciﬁ ed frequencies during a search; lock out a selected ID while trunking.

— turn Signal Stalker I on and off.

E/PGM (Program) — programs

frequencies into channels.

1/HAM — select the

HAM band in service mode.

2/MRN (Marine)

— select the marine band in service mode.

3/AIR — select

the air band in service mode.

4/POL — select

the police band in service mode.

The Basics

6/ALERT — turns

NWR - SAME weather alert on and off.

The Basics

0-9 — input

a number or characters.

•/CLR/DELAY — enter

a decimal point, space, or programs delay time for the selected channel/ search bank, or enters a hyphen (in trunking ID setting). Press CLR to clear an entry. Programs a 2second delay for a selected channel or service; programs a 2-second delay while trunking.

/KEYLOCK — locks

the keypad to prevent changes; turns the display and key backlight on and off.

PC/IF — connect an

optional PC interface cable here to use the scanner with your computer.

The Basics

POWER DC 9V —

connect an external power source here (not included).

VOLUME — turn

the scanner on or off and adjust the volume.

SQUELCH — adjust the

squelch.

— connect an earphone or headphone here.

The Basics

supplying power to your scanner

You can power your scanner with batteries, DC adapter, or an AC adapter.

Warning: Only set the ALKALINE e JACK f NiMH switch to NiMH for use with

nickel metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries. Never use non-rechargeable

batteries when the switch is set to NiMH.

1. Set the ALKALINE e JACK f NiMH

switch inside the battery compartment to the appropriate setting.

• ALKALINE when using alkaline

batteries (not included).

Caution: You must use a Class 2 power

source that supplies 9V DC and delivers at least 300mA. Its center tip must be set to positive and its plug must ﬁ t the scanner’s DC 9V 300mA jack. Using an adapter that does not meet these speciﬁ cations could damage the scanner or the adapter.

• NiMH when using rechargeable (NiMH)

AA batteries (not included). The

The Basics

scanner stops charging automatically after 14 hours when the DC jack is connected to power.

battery cautions

• Use only fresh batteries of the required size and recommended type.

• Always remove old or weak batteries. Batteries can leak chemicals that damage electronic circuits.

• Do not mix old and new batteries, different types of batteries (standard, alkaline, or rechargeable), or rechargeable batteries of different capacities.

• When the battery icon and the scanner beeps every 15 seconds, replace all four batteries.

• Always dispose of old batteries promptly and properly. Do not bury or burn them.

Warning: Do not connect a charging

adapter to the scanner if non-rechargeable batteries (such as alkaline batteries) are

installed in the scanner and ALKALINE e JACK f NiMH is set to NiMH, or if you

are unsure of the switch’s position. Nonrechargeable batteries will get hot and can even explode if you try to recharge them.

ﬂ ashes

The Basics

• Always connect the AC adapter to the scanner before you connect it to AC power. When you ﬁ nish, disconnect the adapter from AC power before you disconnect it from the scanner.

connecting the antenna

Attach the supplied antenna to the scanner by align the slots around its base with the tabs on the scanner, then slide into place.

When using an external antenna, always use 50-ohm, RG-58, or RG-8, coaxial cable to connect to it. If the antenna is over 50 feet from the scanner, use RG-8 low-loss dielectric coaxial cable. If your antenna’s cable does not have a BNC connector, your local RadioShack store carries a variety of BNC adapters.

connecting an earphone/ headphone

For private listening, you can plug headphones (not included) into the headphone jack on top of your scanner. This automatically disconnects the internal speaker. Note that the sound is “mono” and not stereo.

The Basics

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 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.

If you use an earphone or headphones with your scanner, be very careful. Do not listen to a continuous broadcast. Even though some earphones/headphones let you hear some outside sounds when listening at normal volume levels, they still can present a trafﬁ c hazard.

attaching the belt clip

Use a Phillips-head screwdriver and the supplied screws to attach the clip to the scanner.

The Basics

transferring data to or from another scanner or pc

You can transfer the programmed data to and from another PRO-528 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, 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 ﬁ nd active frequencies, you use the search function.

The Basics

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 ﬁ nd 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 10 channel-storage banks. Each bank contains 100-channel sets. So the scanner has 1,000 channels. You can scan the channelstorage banks to see if there is activity on the frequencies stored there.

Note: You search frequencies when you want to ﬁ nd your local

Notes

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 ham, marine, aircraft, and police (ﬁ re/emergency) services. This helps you quickly ﬁ nd active frequencies instead of doing a chain search (see “service bank search”).

The Basics

channel storage banks

To make it easier to identify and select the channels you want to listen to, all the channels are divided into 10 banks of 100 channels. Use each channel-storage bank to group frequencies, such as those for the police department, ﬁ re department, ambulance services, or aircraft.

For example, the police department might use four frequencies in your town while the ﬁ re department uses an additional four. You could program the four police frequencies starting with Channel 1 (the

ﬁ rst channel in bank 1), and program the ﬁ re department frequencies starting with Channel 101 (the ﬁ rst channel in bank 2).

turning on the scanner and setting squelch

Note: Make sure the scanner’s

Notes

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.

The Basics

storing known frequencies into channels

You can locate and store speciﬁ c frequencies into channels for later use.

Note: To store trunked system

Notes

frequencies, see “programming trunked frequencies.”

Follow these steps to store frequencies into channels.

1. Press E/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 SCAN/MANUAL.

4. Use the number keys and •/CLR / DELAY to enter the frequency, including

the decimal point you want to store.

5. Press E/PGM to store the frequency

into the channel.

Notes:

• If you entered an invalid frequency in Step 4, Error appears and the

Notes

scanner beeps error tones.

Enter a valid frequency.

Beyond the Basics

• If you entered a frequency in Step 4, which already exists on another channel, the scanner beeps an error tone and displays that

channel. Press •/CLR /DELAY to clear the display, or press E/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 •/CLR /DELAY to turn the

delay function off or on. See “delay”). The scanner stores this setting in the channel.

6. To program the next channel in sequence, press S or T and repeat Steps 4 and 5.

copying/moving a frequency

If you want to copy/move a frequency to a channel, follow the steps below:

1. Manually select the channel which contains the frequency you want to copy or move.

Beyond the Basics

2. Press E/PGM.

3. Press and hold E/PGM during program

mode. Scanner displays the copy/move menu.

4. Press S or T to select the copy/move

function, then press E/PGM to decide

on copy or move.

5. Select the bank where you want to copy or move the frequency. The smallest empty channel number and “000.0000” ﬂ ashes on and off over the frequency you want to store.

6. Press S or T to move to the channel where you wish to store the frequency.

7. Press E/PGM to enter the frequency,

and return to the program mode. To

cancel the copy or move, press •/CLR /DELAY. If there is no empty channel,

the scanner automatically selects the ﬁ rst channel of the bank.

searching for and temporarily storing active frequencies

If you do not have a reference to frequencies in your area, use a chain, direct, or service search (except weather search) to ﬁ nd a transmission.

Beyond the Basics

Notes:

• While doing a chain, direct, or service bank search, press • /CLR / DELAY if you want to turn the delay on or off (see “delay”).

• While doing a chain, direct, or

Notes

service bank search, press 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 off (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 hold mode, and program band select mode.

The preset frequency ranges are:

Bank No. Frequency

(MHz)

1 29.0000

– 49.9950

2 50.0000

– 54.0000

3 137.0000

– 147.9950

Step (kHz)

Beyond the Basics

4 216.0000

– 224.9950

5 400.0000

– 419.99375

6 420.0000

– 449.99375

7 450.0000

– 469.99375

8 470.0000

– 512.0000

9 806.0000

– 956.0000

10 1240.0000

– 1300.0000

6.25

12.5

starting chain search

1. Press SRCH. SRCH appears.

2. Press 0 – 9 to enable or disable the

search bank number being searched.

Note: At least one bank needs to be

Notes

entered. If you disable all the banks, the error tone beeps.

3. Press T to search down or S to search up.

4. When the scanner stops on a

transmission, quickly press HOLD/ RESUME to stop searching to listen to the transmission. HOLD appears.

Beyond the Basics

5. To release the hold and continue

searching, press HOLD/RESUME.

Note: To step through the

Notes

frequencies while HOLD appears, press T or S.

storing found frequencies during chain search

You can store frequencies you ﬁ nd in chain search mode or chain search hold mode.

1. Press E/PGM when you ﬁ nd a

frequency. The bank numbers ﬂ ash.

2. Press the bank number you want to store the frequency. The smallest empty channel number and “000.0000” ﬂ ashes on and off over the frequency you want to store.

3. Press S or T to move to the channel where you wish to store the frequency.

4. Press E/PGM to enter the frequency.

programming search ranges

You can deﬁ ne the search range during a chain search in each search bank.

1. Press and hold E/PGM in chain search

or chain search hold mode. The lowest and the highest frequencies of Bank 1 appear alternately.

Beyond the Basics

2. Press the bank number you want to change the range. The lower frequency range appears.

3. Using the number keys, enter the lower

limit frequency, and then press E/PGM.

4. Press S or T to change the frequency to an upper limit frequency.

5. Using the number keys, enter the upper

limit frequency, and then press E/PGM.

6. When you ﬁ nish programming

frequency ranges, press SRCH.

direct search

You can search up or down from the currently displayed frequency using direct search. SRCH appears during searching.

Press and hold SRCH when the frequency you want to start from appears. Or, enter the frequency you want to start from using the number keys in search hold mode, then press S or T.

Note: If you enter an invalid

Notes

frequency, the scanner displays Error. Press •/CLR /DELAY.

service bank search

You can search for ham, marine, aircraft, or police (ﬁ re/emergency) transmissions without knowing the speciﬁ c frequencies used in your area. The scanner is

Beyond the Basics

preprogrammed with all the frequencies allocated to these services. To use this

feature, press SVC. The current service

symbol appears and the scanner starts searching. To select a different service

bank, press 1/HAM, 2/MRN, 3/AIR or 4/POL.

The newly selected service symbol appears. Press S or T to search.

Note: Because there are many different frequencies allocated to

Notes

ﬁ re and police departments, it can take several minutes to search all the service frequencies.

weather search

You can also search for weather transmissions. To start weather search:

1. Press WX/

change the search direction by using S or T.

2. If you want to stop the search, press

HOLD/RESUME. HOLD appears.

. WX appears. You can

search skip memory

You can skip up to 200 speciﬁ ed frequencies during a chain, direct and service search and Signal Stalker I. This lets you avoid unwanted frequencies or those already stored in a channel.

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