Radio Shack PRO-70 User Manual
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OWNER’S MANUAL
50-Channel Portable Scanner
Please read before using this equipment.
PRO-70
Cat. No. 20-310
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INTRODUCTION
Your new RadioShack PRO-70 50-Channel Portable
Scanner lets you in on all the action. This scanner gives
you direct access to over 22,000 exciting frequencies, including police and fire departments, ambulance services,
and amateur radio ser vices. You can select up to 50 channels to scan, and you can change your selection at any
time.
The secret to your scanner’s ability to scan so many frequencies is it s custom-d esi gned micro pro cessor — a tiny,
built-in computer. Your scanner also has these special
features:
Ten Preprogrammed Search Bands
— let you search
for transmissions within preset frequency ranges, so you
can find intere sting frequencies more quickly.
Ten Preprogrammed Weather Frequencies
— keep
you informed about cur rent weather conditions.
Two-Second Automatic Scan Delay
— delays scanning
for 2 seconds before moving to another channel, so you
can hear more replies .
50 Channels
— let you st ore up to 50 of your favorite fr e-
quencies for easy recall and scanning.
Monitor Memory
— lets you temporarily save an active
frequency you locate during a direct search, until you decide whether or not you want to save it into a channel.
Memory Backup
— keeps the channel frequencies
stored in memory for abou t 1 hour during a power loss.
©
1997 Tandy Corporation.
RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
U.S. Patent No’s. 3,794,925: 3,801,914: 3,961,261: 3,962,644:
4,027,251: 4,092,594: 4,123,715: 4,245,348.
All Rights Reserved.
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Channel Lockout — k eeps channels you select from being scanned.
Key Lock — lets you lock the scanner’s keys to help prevent accidental ly changing the scanner ’s programming.
Flexible Antenna with BNC Connector — provides excellent reception and is designed to help prevent antenna
breakage.
Liquid Crystal Display — makes it easy to view and
change programming information.
Display Backlight — makes the scanner easy to read in
low light situations.
Three Power Options — let you power the scanner from
internal batteries (non-rechargeable batteries or a rechargeable scanner battery pack) or external AC or DC
power (using optional adapters).
We recommend you record your scanner’s serial number
here. This number is on the scanner’s back panel.
Serial Number:
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Your PRO-70 scanner contains the following preprogrammed frequencies (divided into search bands). See
“Using Band Search” on Page 25.
Frequency
Band
Search
Range
Description
(in MHz)
0 29-30 10-Meter Amateur Radio
1 30-50 VHF Low
2 50-54 6-Meter Amateur Radio
3 137- 144 Aircraf t/ A ir Sho w s ,
Government
4 144-148 2-Meter Amateur Radio
5 148- 174 VHF Hi
6 380- 420 U.S . G over n m ent
7 420-450 70-Centimeter Amateur Radi o
8 450- 470 UHF Low
9 470- 512 UHF “ T ” Band
In addition, your scanner is preprogrammed with the following weather service frequencies:
161.650 161.775 162.400 162.425
162.525 162.450 162.475
162.500 162.550 163.275
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This owner’s m anual also incl udes the section “A General
Guide to Scanning,” which helps you target frequency
ranges in your service area so you can search for a wide
variety of broadcasts.
FCC NOTICE
Your scanner might cause TV or radio interference even
when it is operating properly. To determine whether your
scanner is causin g the inte rfere nce, turn off your scanne r.
If the interference goes away, your scanner is causing
the interference. Try the following methods to eliminate
the interference.
• Move your scanner away from the TV or radio
• Connect your scanner to an outlet that is on a different electrical circuit from the TV or radio
• Contact your loca l Radi oShack store for help
If you cannot eliminate the interference, the FCC requires
that you stop using yo ur scanner.
This device complies with Part 15 of the
eration is subject to the following conditions: (1) This device must not cause harmful interference, and (2) This
device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
Note:
Mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires a
permit in some areas. Check the laws in your area.
FCC Rules
. Op-
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SCANNING LEGALLY
Scanning is a fun and interesting hobby. You can hear
police and f ire departments, am bulance services, government agencies, private companies, amateur radio services, air craft , and milit ary o peratio ns. 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 transmi ssion)
• Pager transmissions
• Scrambled or encrypted transmissions
According to the
vacy Act
possibly imprisoned for intentionally listening to, using, or
disclosing t he contents of such a transmission unless you
have the consent of a party to the communication (unless
such activity i s o therwi se il legal ). Thes e laws ch ange f rom
time to time and there might be state or local laws tha t also
affect legal scanner usage.
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(ECPA), as amended, you could be fined and
Federal Electronic Communications Pri-
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CONTENTS
Preparation ...... ... .............. ... .. ............... .. ... ....... .. ... ...... 9
Power S ou r ce s ..................... .. ... ....... ... .. ....... ... .. .... 9
Using Batteries ............................................... 9
Using Standard AC Power .......... .................. 11
Using Vehicle Battery Power ........................ 12
Charging a Rechargeabl e Battery Pack ...... . 13
Connecting the Antenna ...................................... 14
Connecting an Optio nal Antenna .................. 15
Connecting an Earphone/Headphones ................ 16
Listening Safely ........................................... 16
Traffic Safety ................................................. 16
Connecting an Extension Speaker ...................... 17
Using the Belt Clip ............................................... 17
Understanding the PRO-70 ...................................... 18
A Look at the Keypad .............. ............................ 18
A Look at the Display ........... .. .......... .. .................. 19
Operation ....... .. ...................... ... .. ....... ... .. ........ .. .. ....... 21
Turning On the Scanner and Setting SQUELCH . 21
Searching For and Storing Active Frequencies ... 22
Active Frequency References ...................... 22
Storing Frequenc ies ..................................... 23
Using Band Search ......... .......... .. .................. 25
Using Direct Search ...................................... 27
Using the Monitor Memory ................................... 28
Listening to the Monitor Memory .................. 28
Moving a Frequency from the Monitor
Memory to a Channel ................................... 28
Scanning the Stored Channels ............................ 29
Monitoring a Stored Channel ......................... ...... 30
Clearing a Stored Channel .................................. 31
Spec ia l F eatures ................. .. ... ....... .. ... ....... ... .. ......... 32
Using the Keylock ................................................ 32
Locking Out Channels ......................................... 32
Using a 2-Second Delay ........ .. .......... ............ ...... 33
Using the Display Backlight ................................. 34
Listening to a Weat her Band ............................... 34
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A Gener a l S ca n n in g Gu id e ................ .. ... ....... ... .. ..... 36
Guide to Frequencies .......................................... 36
National Weather Frequencies ..................... 36
Ham Radio Frequencies ............................... 36
Birdie Frequencies ....................................... 37
Guide to the Action Bands ................................... 37
United States Broadcast Bands ........ ........... 37
Typical Band Usage ..................................... 38
Primary Usage .............................................. 38
Spec ifi ed In te r va ls .................. .. ... ....... ... .. ..... 39
Band Allocation ................................. ........... .. ...... 40
Avoiding Image Frequencies ............................... 45
Frequency Conversion ........................................ 46
Troubleshooting ........................................................ 47
Resetting/Initializing the Scanner ........................ 49
Resetting the Scanner .................................. 49
Initializing the Scanner ................................. 50
Care and Maintenance .............................................. 51
Spec if ic a ti on s ..... ............... .. ... .............. ... .. ........ .. .. ... 52
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PREPARATION
POWER SOURCES
You can power your scanner from any of three sources:
• Internal batteries or a rechargeable scanner battery
pack (not supplied — see “Using Batteries”)
• Standard AC power (with an optional AC adapter —
see “Using Standard AC Power” on Page 11)
• Vehicle battery power (with an optional DC adapter
— see “Using Vehicle Battery Power” on Page 12)
Notes:
• Connecting an AC or DC adapter to the scanner dis-
connects any internal batteries, but it does not disconnect a rechargeable battery pack. If you install a
rechargeable battery pack, you can operate the
scanner and recharge the battery pack at the same
time. See “Using Batteries” and “Charging a
Rechargeable Battery Pack” on Page 13.
• If the scanner stops working properly after connect-
ing it to power, try resetting it. See “Resetting/Initializing the Scanner” on Page 49.
Using Batteries
You can power your s canner fro m six AA batte ries. For the
longest operation and best performance, we recommend
alkaline batteries, such as RadioShack Cat. No. 23-552.
You can also power the scanner from a rechargeable
scanner battery pack, such as Cat. No. 23-288.
Note:
You can also use six rechargeable nickel-cadmium
batteries (such as Cat. No. 23-125) to power the scanner.
To charge or recharge nickel-cadmium batteries, however, you must remove them from the scanner and use an
external charg er (s uch as Cat. No. 23-134).
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Follow these steps to install batteries or a battery pack.
1. Press down on the battery com partment cover on the
bottom of the scanner and slide the cover in the
direction of the arr ow to r em ove it.
2. Pull up and slide the battery holder or battery pack
out of the battery compartment.
3. If you are installing individual batte ri es, insert six batteries in the battery holder as indicated by the polarity symbols (+ and –) mark ed on the bat tery holder.
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4. Slide the battery holder or battery pack into the compartment.
Caution: The battery holder or battery pack fits only
one way inside the battery compartment. Do not
force it.
5. Replace the cover.
If
flashes on the disp lay, immediat el y repla ce all s ix
BATT
non-rechargeable batteries, remove and recharge all six
rechargeable batteries, or rec harge the battery pac k. See
“Charging a Rechargeable Battery Pack” on Page 13.
Caution: Always dispose of old batteries promptly and
properly. Do not bury or burn them.
Using Standard AC Power
To power the scanner from AC power, you need an AC
adapter such as RadioShack Cat. No. 273-1665. Plug the
adapter’s barrel plug into the scanner’s
PWR/DC 9V
Then plug the adapt er’s power mo dule in to a stan dard AC
outlet.
PWR/DC 9V
jack.
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Warning: Do not use an AC adapter’s polarized plug with
an extension cord, receptacle, or other outlet unless the
blades can be fully inserted to prevent blade exposure.
Cautions:
• You must use an AC adapter that supplies 9 volts
and delivers at least 300 milliamps. Its center tip
must be set to negative, and i ts plug must correctly fit
the scanner’s
PWR/DC 9V
jack. The recommended
adapter meets these specifications. Using an
adapter that does not meet these specifications
could damage the scanner or the adapter.
• When you finish using the AC adapter, disconnect it
from the AC outlet first. Then disconnect it from the
scanner.
Using Vehicle B attery Power
To power the scanner from your vehi cle’s cigarette lighter
socket, you need a DC Adapter, such as Cat. No. 270-
1560.
Cautions:
• You must use a DC adapter that supplies (regulated)
9-volt power and de livers at lea st 300 millia mps. Its
center tip must be set to negative, and its plug must
correctly fit the scanner’s
PWR/DC 9V
jack. The recommended adapter meets these specifications.
Using an adapter that does not meet these specific ations could damage the scanner or the adapter.
• To protect your vehicle’s electrical system, always
plug the adapter into the scanner before you plug it
into your vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket. Always
unplug the adapter from the vehicle’s cigarettelighter socket before you unplug it from the scanner.
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2
3
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1. Connect the DC adapter’s orange barrel plug to the
adapter’s cable, wit h the tip set to – (negative).
2. Set the adapter’s volta ge switch to 9V.
3. Insert the barrel plug into the scanner’s
PWR/DC 9V
jack.
4. Plug the other end of the adapter into your vehicle’s
cigarette-lighter socket.
Note:
If the scanner does not operate properly when you
connect a DC adapter, unplug the adapter from the cigarette-lighter socket and clean the socket to remove ashes
and other debris.
Charging a Rechargeable Battery Pack
Your scanner has a built-in charging circuit that lets you
charge a recharge able scan ner ba tter y pack (Cat . No. 23288, not supplied) while it is in the scanner. To charge a
battery pack, simply connect an appropriate AC or DC
adapter to the
PWR/DC 9V
jack.
Note:
If you want to take the battery pack out of the scanner to charge it, follow the instructions provided with the
battery pack.
It takes about 14-16 hours to recharge a battery pac k that
is fully discharged. You can operate the scanner while recharging the battery pack, but the charging time is l engthened.
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Note: A rechargeable battery pack lasts longer and delivers more power i f y ou occasio nally let it f ully disc harge. To
do this, sim ply us e the sc anner unti l
display. Then fully charge the battery pack.
Important! At the end of a rechargeable battery pack’s
useful life, it must be recycled or disposed of properly.
Contact your lo cal, county, or state hazar dous waste m anagement authorit ies for inf ormation on r ecycling or disposal programs in your area. Some options that might be
available are: muni cipal cu rb-si de coll ecti on, drop- off bo xes at retailers, recycling collection centers, and mail -back
programs.
appears on the
BATT
CONNECTING THE ANTENNA
Follow these steps to attach the supplied flexible antenna
to the
jack on the top of your sca nner.
ANT
1. Align the slots around the antenna’s connector with
the tabs on the
2. Press the antenna down over the jack and turn the
antenna’s base clockwise until it locks into place.
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ANT
jack.
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Connecting an Optional Antenna
The antenna connector on your sca nner makes it easy to
use the scanner wit h a variety of antennas. Instead of the
supplied anten na, you can attach a different one, such as
an external mobile antenna or outdoor base station ant enna. Your local RadioShack store sells a variety of antennas.
Always use 50-ohm coaxial cable, such as RG-58 or RG8, to connect an outdoor antenna. For lengths over 50
feet, use RG- 8 low- loss die lectr ic c oaxial ca ble. If yo ur antenna’s cable does not have a BNC connector, you will
also need a BNC adapter (also available at your local RadioShack store).
Follow the instal lation instructi ons supplied with the antenna, route the antenna cable to the scanner, then connect
it to the
ANT
jack.
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.
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CONNECTING AN EARPHONE/
HEADPHONES
For private listening, you can plug an earphone or mono
headphones (such as Cat. No. 33-175 or 20-210) into the
jack on top of your scanner. This automatically dis-
connects the internal speaker.
Listening Safely
To protect your hearing , foll ow these gui deli nes 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. Aft er 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.
Traffic Safety
Do not wear an earphone or headphones while you drive
a vehicle or ride a bicycl e. This can create a traffic hazard
and can be illegal in some areas.
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Even though some earphones and headphones let you
hear some outside sounds when you listen at normal levels, they still can present a traffic hazard.
CONNECTING AN EXTENSION
SPEAKER
In a noisy area, an extension speaker (such as Cat. No.
21-549) or an amplified speaker (such as Cat. No. 21-
541), positioned in the right place, might provide more
comfortable listening. Plug the speaker cable’s
mini-plug int o your scanner’s jack.
1
/8-inch
USING THE BELT CLIP
You can use the belt cl ip at tached to the back of the scanner for hands-free carrying when you are on the go. Simply slide the belt clip over your belt or waistband.
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