Radio Shack PRO-72 User Manual
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OWNER’S MANUAL
50-Channel Portable Scanner
Cat. No. 20-566
PRO-72
Please read before using this equipment.
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FEATURES
Your new RadioShack PRO-72 50-Channel Portable
Scanner gives you direct access to over 32,000 exciting
frequencies, including police and fire depa rtments, ambulance services, and amateur radio services. 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 has these spec ial 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.
HyperScan
and HyperSearch
™
™
—
so you can scan up
to 25 channels per second and search up to 50 steps per
second.
Fifty Channels
— let you store up to 50 of your favorite
frequencies for easy recall and scanning.
Duplicate Frequenc y Check
— automatically warns you
if you try to store a frequency you’ve already stored, to
help you use the scanner’ s mem ory more efficiently.
Monitor Memory
— lets you temporarily save a frequency located during a direct search, so you can move it to
channel storage later.
©
1997 Tandy Corporation.
RadioShack, HyperScan, and HyperSearch are trademarks
All Rights Reserved.
used by Tandy Corporation.
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Channel Lockout — k eeps channels you select from being scanned.
Memory Backup — keeps the channel frequencies
stored in memory for about 1 hour during a power loss.
Two-Second Scan Delay — delays scanning for 2 seconds before moving to another channel, so you can hear
more replies.
Key Lock — lets you lock the keys to help prevent accidentally changing the scanner’s program ming.
Flexible Antenna with BNC Connector — provides excellent rece ption. The BNC conne cto r makes it easy to attach and remove the antenna or a variety of optional
antennas.
Liquid Crystal Display — clearly displays how the scanner is set and makes it easy to change those settings.
Display Backlight — makes the scanner’s display easy
to read in low-light situations.
Three Power Options — you can power the scanner
from int ernal b atter ies (n ot suppl ied – including n onrechargeable batteries, 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-72 scanner can receive all of these frequencies:
• 29–54 MHz (10-Meter Amateur Radio, VHF Lo, 6-
Meter Amateur Radio)
• 137–174 MHz (Aircraft/Air Shows, Government, 2-
Meter Amateur Radio, VHF Hi)
• 380–512 MHz (Military Aircraft, UHF Lo, 70-Centime-
ter Amateur Radio, UHF “T” Band, Government)
• 806–824 MHz (UHF Public Service, Trunked Ser-
vices)
• 849–869 MHz (UHF Hi, Trunked Services)
• 894–960 MHz (UHF Hi, 33-Centimeter Amateur
Radio, Trunked Services)
For a list of the frequency ranges in the ten preprogrammed search ba nds, see “Sea rch Bands” on Pa ge 24.
In addition, your scanner is preprogrammed with the following weather service frequencies:
• 161.6500 MHz
• 161.7750 MHz
• 162.4000 MHz
• 162.4250 MHz
• 162.4500 MHz
• 162.4750 MHz
• 162.5000 MHz
• 162.5250 MHz
• 162.5500 MHz
• 163.2750 MHz
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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 causin g the inte rfere nce, turn off your scanne r.
If the interference goes away, your scanner is causing
the interference. 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 electrical circuit from the TV or radio
• Contacting your local RadioShack store for hel p
This device complies with Part 15 of the
eration is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This
device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this
device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired oper ation.
FCC Rules
. Op-
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SCANNING LEGALLY
Your scanner covers frequencies used by many different
groups including police and fire departments, ambulance
services, gover nment agencies, private companies, amateur radio services, military operations, pager services,
and wireline (telephone and telegraph) service providers.
It is legal to listen to almost ever y trans missio n your scanner can receive. However, there are some transmissions
you should never intentionally lis ten to. These include:
• Telephone conversations (either cellular, cordless, or
other private mean s of t elephone signal transm ission)
• 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 t he consent of a party to the communication (unless such activi ty
is otherwise illegal). We encourage responsible, legal
scanner use.
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CONTENTS
Preparation ....................... ... .. ....... ... .. ........ .. ... ............. 9
Power S ou r ce s .... .. ........ .. ... ....... .. ... ....... ... .. ....... ... . 9
Using Batteries ............................................... 9
Using Standard AC Power .......... .................. 12
Using Vehicle Battery Power ........................ 13
Charging a Rechargeabl e Battery Pack ....... 14
Connecting the Antenna ...................................... 15
Connecting an Optio nal Antenna .................. 16
Connecting an Earphone/Headphones ................ 16
Listening Safely ............................................ 17
Traffic Safety ................................................. 17
Connecting an Extension Speaker ...................... 18
Using the Belt Clip ............................................... 18
Your Scanner ............................................................. 19
A Look at the Keypad ........ .. ...................... .......... 20
A Look at the Display ........... .. ...................... ........ 22
Understanding Bands/Monitor Memory ............... 24
Search Bands ........................ ....................... 24
Monitor Memory ............................................ 25
Operation ............................... ... .. ....... ... .. ........ .. .. ....... 26
Turning On the Scanner/
Setting Volume and Squelch ......... ...................... . 26
Storing Active Frequencies .................................. 27
Manually Storing Frequencies .............. .. ...... 27
Band Search ............... .. ...................... .......... 29
Direct Search ................................................ 31
Moving a Frequency from the Monitor Memory
to a Channel ........................................................ 32
Monitoring a Stored Channel .............. ................. 32
Scanning the Channels ........................................ 33
Listening to the Monitor Memory ......................... 34
Clearing a Channel ......... .. ....................................34
Listening to a Weat her Band ............. ............ ...... 35
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Spec ia l F e at u re s .................. ... .. ....... ... .. ........ .. ... ....... 36
Delay ...... .. ... ....... ... .. ............... .. .. ........ .. ... ....... .. ... 36
Locking Out a Channel . ....................................... 36
Using the Display Backlight ................................. 37
Turning the Key Tone On and Off ........................ 38
Using the Keylock ................................................ 38
A General Guide to Scanning ................................... 39
Guide to Frequencies .......................................... 39
US Weather Frequencies ............................. 39
Other Weather Frequencies ......................... 39
Ham Radio Frequencies ............................... 39
Birdie Frequencies ............. ...................... .... 40
Guide to the Action Bands ................................... 41
United States Broadcast Bands ............. ...... 41
Typical Band Usage ......... ............ ............ .....41
Primary Usage .............................................. 42
Spec ifi ed In te r va ls ... ...................... .. ... ....... ... .. ..... 43
Band Allocation .................................................... 43
Frequency Conversion ........................................ 47
Troubleshooting ........................................................ 48
Resetting/Initializing the Scanner ........................ 50
Resetting the Scanner .................................. 50
Initializing the Scanner ................................. 51
Care and Maintenance .............................................. 52
Spec if ic a ti on s ........ .. ............... .. ... ....... .. ... ....... ... .. ..... 54
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PREPARATION
POWER SOURCES
You can power your scanner from any of four sources:
• Internal batteries (not supplied) with the provided
battery holder
• A rechargeable scanner battery pack (not suppl ied)
• Standard AC power (using an optional AC adapter)
• Vehicle battery power (using an optional DC cigarette-
lighter adapter)
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” below and “Charging a
Rechargeable Battery Pack” on Page 14.
• If the scanner stops working properly after you con-
nect it to p ower, try resetting it. See “Resetting/Initializing the Scanner” on Page50.
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 using a rechargeable
scanner battery pack, such as Cat. No. 23-288, and recharge it as you use the scanner.
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You can also use six rechar geable nick el-cadmium bat teries (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 charger (such as Cat. No. 23-134).
Note: If you are using a rechargeable scanner battery
pack, you must char ge it bef ore you ca n use y our scan ner
(see “Charging a Rechargeable Battery Pack” on
Page 14).
Caution: Do not mi x old and new batt erie s, differ ent types
of batteries (standard, alkaline, or rechargeable), or rechargeable batt eri es of different capacit ies.
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. Slide the battery holder out of the battery compartment.
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3. If you are installing individual batteries, insert six AA
batteries in the battery holder as indicated by the
polarity symbols (+ and –) marked on the battery
holder.
4. Slide the battery holder or battery pack into the compartment as shown.
Caution: The battery holder or battery pack fits only
one way inside the battery compartment. Do not
force it.
5. Replace the cover.
When battery power is l ow,
flashes and t he scanner
BATT
beeps about every 3 seconds. Immediat ely replace all six
non-rechargeable batteries, remove and recharge all six
rechargeable bat teries, or recharge the battery pack.
Caution: Always dispose of old batteries promptly and
properly. Do not bury or burn them.
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Using Standard AC Power
To power the scanner from AC power, you need an AC
adapter (Cat. No. 273-1665).
Cautions:
• You must use an AC adapter tha t supplies 9 volts and
delivers at least 200 milliamps. Its center tip must be
set to negative, and its barrel plug must correctly fit
the scanner’s
adapter meets these specifications. Using an adapter
that does not meet these speci fications cou ld 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.
Plug the adapter ’s 1.3 mm in ner diameter /3.4 mm o uter diameter barrel plug into the scanner’s
Then plug the adapt er’s p ower mod ule into a s tand ard AC
outlet.
PWR/DC 9V
jack. The recommended
PWR/DC 9V
jack.
PWR/DC 9V
Warning:
Do not use an AC adapter’s po lar ized plug with
an extension cord, receptacle, or other outlet unless the
blades can be fully inserted to prevent blade exposure.
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Using Vehicle B attery Power
To power the scanner from your vehicle’s cigarette-li ghter
socket, you need a DC adapter (Cat. No. 270-1560).
Cautions:
• You must use a DC adapter that supplies 9 volts and
delivers at least 200 milliamps. Its center tip must be
set to negative, and its plug must correctly fit the
scanner’s
adapter meets these specifications. Using an
adapter that does not meet these specifications
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 sca nner.
PWR/DC 9V
jack. The recommended
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3
2
1
1. Connect the DC adapter’s supplied 1.3 mm inner
diameter/3.4 mm outer diameter barrel plug to the
cable, with the tip set to – (negative).
2. Set the adapter’s volta ge switch to
3. Insert the barrel plug into the scanner’s
9V
.
PWR/DC 9V
jack.
4. Plug the other end of the adapter into your vehicle’s
cigarette-lighter socket.
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Notes:
• Mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires a
permit in some areas. Check the laws in your area.
• 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.
Charg ing a R echarge ab l e B attery Pac k
Your scanner has a built-in charging circuit that lets you
charge a rechargeable battery pack (Cat. No. 23-288)
while it is in the scanner . To charge the battery pack, simply connect an AC or DC adapt er to the sc anner’s
jack.
9V
It takes about 14–1 6 hour s to re char ge a batt ery pac k t hat
is fully discharged. You can oper ate the scanner whil e recharging the batt ery pack, but charging t akes longer.
PWR/DC
Notes:
• If you want to take the battery pack out of the scanner to charge it, follow the instructions in “Using Batteries” on Page 9 to remove it, then follow the
instructions provided with the battery pack to charge
it.
• A rechargeable battery pack lasts longer if you let it
fully discharge once a month. To do this, simply use
the scanner until
flashes and the scanner
BATT
beeps about every 3 seconds. Then fully charge the
battery pack.
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Important! At the end of a rechargeabl e battery pack’s
useful life, it must be recycled or dis posed of properly.
Contact your local, county, or state hazardous waste
management authori ties for information on recycl ing or
disposal programs in your area. Some options that might
be available are: mun icipa l cu rb-side colle ction, dro p- off
boxes at retailers such as your local RadioSha ck store,
recycling col lection centers, and m a il back programs.
CONNECTING THE ANTENNA
Follow these steps to attach the supplied flexible antenna
to your scanner.
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 lock s into place.
ANT
jack.
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Connecting an Optional Antenna
ANT
The
use the scanner wit h a variety of antennas. Instead of the
supplied antenn a, 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 d ielec tric co axial cable. If you r antenna’s cable does not have a BNC connector, you will
also need a BNC adapter (also ava il able at your local RadioShack store).
Follow the ins tallation ins tructio ns supplied wi th the ant enna, route the antenna cable to the scanner, then connect
it to the
jack on the top of the scanner makes it easy to
ANT
jack.
Warning:
ing an outdoor base station antenna. If the antenna starts
to fall, let it go ! It could contact over head 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 p ower company to remove th e antenna . Do
not attempt to do so yourself.
Use extreme caution when installing or remov-
CONNECTING AN EARPHONE/
HEADPHONES
For private listening, you can plug an earphone or mono
headphones (available at your local RadioShack store)
1
with a
ner. This disconnects the internal speaker.
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/8-inch plug into the jack on top of your scan-
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Listening Safely
To protect your hearin g, 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. 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.
Traffic Safety
Do not use an earphone or headph ones with your sca nner
when operating a motor vehicle or riding a bicycle in or
near traffic. Doing s o can c reate a traff ic haz ard and could
be illegal in some areas.
If you use an earphone or headp hones with your scanner
while riding a bicycle, 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
traffic hazard.
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