Radio Shack PRO-90 User Manual
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Owner’s Manual
Cat. No. 20-520
PRO-90 300-Channel
TrunkTracker Scanner
Please read before using this equipment.
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FEATURES
Your new RadioShack PRO-90 300-Channel TrunkTracker Scanner is the first of a new generation of scanners designed to track Motorola Type I and Type II
(such as Smartnet, and Privacy Plus) and hybrid analog trunking systems, which are extensively used in
many 800 MHz communication systems.
Trunking communications systems let a large group of 2way rad io user s (or e ven dif ferent g roups of 2-way radio
users ) e ffi ci e ntl y us e a l arg e rang e of fr eq ue nci e s. I nst e ad
of selecting a specific frequency for a transmission, the 2way radio u ser simply se lects a talk group. The tru nking
system automatica lly transmits the call o n the first available frequency, and also sends a code that uniquely identifies that 2-way radio user’s transmission on a different
frequency called a data channel.
Since the tr unkin g system might send individual 2-way radio user’ s calls and re sponse trans missions on d ifferent
frequencies, it is difficult to lis ten to trunk ed commun ications using a regular scanner. The PRO-90 lets you select
and monitor the data channel frequency sent with a 2-way
radio user’s transmission, so you can hear the call and response for that 2-wa y radio user and easily “ follow” the
conversa tion.
The scanner also lets you scan conventional transmissions, and is preprogrammed with service-search banks
for convenience. By pressing a single button, you can
quickly search those frequencies most commonly used
by public service and other agencies without tedious and
complicated pr ogramming.
This scanner gives you direct access to over 31,000 exciting frequencies, including police and fire departments,
ambul ance services, and amateur radio s ervic es, and you
can change your selection at any time.
Your scanner also has these special features:
Triple-Conversion Circuitry
— virtually eliminates any
interference from IF (intermedi ate frequency) images, so
you hear only the sel ected frequency.
©
1997 Tandy Corporation.
RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
HyperSearch and HyperScan are trademarks used by
Motorola, Smartnet, and Privacy Plus are trademarks of
All Rights Reserved.
Tandy Corporation.
Motorola, Inc.
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Ten Channel-Storage Banks — let you store 30 channels in each bank to group channels so you can more
easily identify calls.
Five Scan Lists — let you store up to 50 IDs in each
tracking bank (up to a total of 500).
Two-Second Scan Delay — delays scanning for about
2 seconds before moving to another channel , so you can
hear more replies that are made on the same channel.
Lock-Out Function — lets you set your scanner to skip
over specified channels or frequencies when scanning
or searching, and skip over IDs when tracking trunked
systems.
Priority Channels — lets you program one channel in
each bank (10 in all) and then have the scanner check it
every 2 seconds so you don't miss transmissions on
those channels.
Five Service-Search Banks — lets you search preset
frequencies in separate police, fire/emergency, aircraft,
marine, and weather banks, to make it easy to locate
specific typ es of calls.
HyperSearch and HyperScan — lets you set the
scanner to search at up to 300 steps per second and
scan at up to 100 frequencies per second in frequency
bands with 5 kHz steps, to help you quickly find interesting broadcasts. The normal search speed is 100 steps
per second.
Data Signal Skip — lets you set the scanner to skip
non-modulated or data signals during searches. This lets
the scanner avoid non-voice signals, making a search
faster.
Key Lock — lets you lock the scanner's keys to help
prevent accidental changes to the scanner's programming.
Manual Access — lets you directly access any channel.
Liquid-Crystal Display — makes it easy to view and
change programming information.
Display Backlight — makes the scanner easy to read in
low-light situations.
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Flexible Antenna wit h BNC Connector — provides excellent reception and is designed to help prevent antenna breakage. Or, you can connect an external antenna.
Memory Backup — keeps the frequencies stored in
memory for an extended time.
Three Power Options — let you power the scanner using the built-in rechargeable battery pack, external AC
power using the supplied AC adapter/charger, or DC
power using an optional DC cigarette-lighter power cable.
Key Confirmation Tones — the scanner sounds a tone
when you perform an operation correctly, and an error
tone if you make an error.
Battery Low Alert — warns you when battery power
gets low.
Battery Save — saves battery power when the scanner
does not detect any transmissions for more than 1
minute when a channel is manually selected.
Your scanner can receive these bands:
Frequency Range Step Transmission
29–29.7 MHz 5 kHz 10-Meter Ham
Band
29.7–50 MHz 5 kHz VHF Lo
50–54 MHz 5 kHz 6-Meter Ham Band
108–136.9875 MHz 12.5 kHz Aircraft
137–144 MHz 5 kHz Military Land
Mobile
144–148 MHz 5 kHz 2-Meter Ham Band
148–174 MHz 5 kHz VHF Hi
406–420 MHz 12.5 kHz Federal Govern-
ment
420–450 MHz 12.5 kHz 70-cm Ham Band
450–470 MHz 12.5 kHz UHF Standard
Band
470–512 MHz 12.5 kHz UHF “T” Band
806–956 MHz 12.5 kHz Public Service
“800” Band, except
cellular band
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We recommend you record your scanner’s serial number here. The number is on the bottom panel.
Serial Number: _____ ______________________
FCC NOTICE
Your scanner might cause radio or TV interference even
when it is op erating pro perly . To determ ine whet her your
scanner is causing the interference, turn off your scanner.
If the i nter feren ce goes awa y, y our s can ner i s ca usin g it .
Try the following methods to eliminate 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 local RadioShack store for hel p
Note:
Mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires
a permit in some areas. Chec k the l aws in your area.
SCANNING LEGALLY
Your scanner covers frequencies used by many different
groups including poli ce and fire departmen ts, ambu lance
services, government agencies, private companies, amateur radio services, military operations, pager services,
and wireline (te lephone a nd te legrap h) servi ce prov id ers.
It is legal to l isten to al most every t ransmis sion your scan ner can receive. However, there are some transmissions
you should never intentionally l isten to. These inclu de:
• Telephone conversations (either cellular, cordless,
or other private means of t elephone signal transmission)
• Pager transmissions
• Any scrambled or encrypted transmis sions
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 conversation (unless such activity is otherwise illegal). We encourage responsible, legal scanner use.
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CONTENTS
Preparation ................................................................ 8
Power Sources ..................................................... 8
Using the Rechargeable Battery Pack .......... 8
Using Standard AC Power ............................ 9
Using Vehicle Battery Power ....................... 10
Connecting the Ant enna .......... ........... .......... ...... 11
Connecting an Optional Ant enna ................ 12
Connecting an Earphone/Headphones . ............. 13
Listening Safely .......................................... 13
Traffic Safety ............................................... 13
Connecting an Extension Speaker ..................... 14
Attaching the Belt Clip ........................................ 14
Understanding Your Scanner ................................. 15
A Look at the Keypad ......................................... 15
A Look at t he Display ......................................... 17
Understandi ng Ban k s ... ... .. ........ .. ............... .. ... ... 19
Channel Storage Banks .............................. 19
Service Banks ............................................. 19
Understandi ng Trunk in g ....... .. ... ....... .. ... ....... ... .. . 19
Operation . .. ....... ... .. ........ .. .. ........ .. ... ....... .. ............... . 20
Turn ing On the Scanner and Setting Squelch .... 20
Storing Known Frequencies into Channels ........ 21
Limit Search ....................................................... 22
Scanning Service Banks .................................... 23
Scanning the Stor ed Channels .......................... 25
Manually Select ing a Channel ........ .......... .......... 25
Deleting a Stored Frequency ............................. 25
Special Features ...................................................... 26
Delay .. ............ ............ .......... ............ ............ ...... 26
Turn ing Channel-Storage Banks On and Off ..... 27
Locking Out Channels and Frequencies ............ 27
Locking Out Channels ................. .......... ..... 27
Locking Out Frequencies ........... .......... ....... 28
Priorit y ........................ .. ... ....... ... .. ....... ... .. ........ .. . 28
Using the Keylock .............................................. 30
Using the Display Backlight ................................ 30
Changing Search Speeds ..... .......... .......... ......... 30
Batter y S a ve ..................... ... .. ....... ... ............... .. . 31
Skipping Data Signals ........................................ 31
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Trunk Tracking ......................................................... 32
Types of Trunked Systems ................................. 32
Setting the Scanner to th e Trunk Tr acking Mode 33
Setting Squelch for t he Trunk Tr acking Mode .... 34
Programming Trunked Frequenci es .......... ......... 34
Scanning a Trunked Bank .................................. 36
Monitoring an Active ID ............................... 37
Locking Out IDs ........................................... 38
Unlocking a Single ID .................................. 38
Unlocking All IDs ......................................... 38
Using Trunk Tracking Scan Delay ............... 39
Monitoring IDs ............................................. 39
Channel Activity In dicators ......................... ........ 40
Scan Lists ........................................................... 41
Manually Storing IDs into Scan Lists ........... 41
Storing IDs Into Scan Lists
While Searching .......................................... 42
Automatically Storing an ID
in a Scan List Location ................................ 42
Deleting a Stored ID .................................... 43
Scanning the Scan Lists ..................................... 43
Scanning Type I and Hybrid Tru nked Systems ...44
Selecting a Preset Fleet Map ..................... 48
Programming a Fleet Map .......................... 49
Programming a Hybrid System .................. 50
A General Guide to Scanning ................................. 51
Guide to Frequencies ................................ ......... 51
National Weather Frequencies .................... 51
Canadian Weather Frequencies .................. 51
Birdie Frequencies .......... .. .......... .......... ...... 51
Guide to the Action Bands ................................. 52
Typical Band Usage .................. .......... ........ 52
Primary Usage ....... ................................ ...... 52
Band Allocation ................................................. 53
Frequency Conversion ...................................... 57
Trou bleshooting ................... ............ ...................... .. 58
Care and Maintenance ............................................. 61
Specifications .......................................................... 62
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PREPARATION
POWER SOURCES
You can power your scanner from any of three sources:
• Built-in rechargeable battery pack
• Standard AC power using the supplied AC adapter/
charger
• Vehicle battery power using an optional DC cigarette-lighter power cable
Using the Rechargeable Battery Pack
You must charge your scanner’s built-in rechargeable
battery pack befo re you can use it to power the scanner.
Your scanner has a built-in charging circuit that lets you
charge the rechargeable battery pack while it is in the
scanner.
To charge the battery pack, simply connect the supplied
AC adapter/charger or an optional DC cigarette-lighter
power cable to the scanner’s
Standard AC Power” on Page 9 or “Using Vehicle Battery Power” on Page 10.
EXT. PWR
jack. See “Using
It takes about 14–16 hours to recharge a battery pack
that is fully discharged. (You can operate the scanner
while recharging the battery pack, but charging takes
longer).
Notes:
• The scanner automatically stops charging the battery pack when it is fully charged, even if the supplied AC adapter/charger or a DC cigarette-lighter
power cable is stil l connected to the scanner.
• A rechargeable bat tery pack lasts longer and delivers more power if you occasionally let it fully discharge. To do this, simply use the scanner until the
low battery indicator appears. Then fully charge the
battery pack.
If the battery pack doesn’t power the scanner even after
you charge it, you must replace it. You can order a replacement battery pack from your local RadioShack
store.
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1. Press down on the battery compartment cover and
slide the cover in the direction of the arrow to
remove it.
2. Disconnect the battery pack’s connector from the
scanner’s connector. Then remove the battery pack
from the battery comp artment.
3. Attach the new battery pack's connector to the battery socket inside the battery compartment. Then
put the battery pack int o the compartment.
4. Replace the cover.
When the scanner’s battery gets low, blinks and
the scanner beeps about every 15 seconds.
Important: At the end of a rechargeable battery pack's
useful life, it must be recycled or disposed of properly.
Contact your local, county, or state hazardous waste
management authorities for information on recycling or
disposal prog rams in your area. Some options t hat might
be available are: municipal curb-side collection, drop-off
boxes at retailers such as your local RadioShack store,
recycling collection centers, and mailback programs.
Using Standard AC Power
To power the scanner from AC power, use the supplied
AC adapter/charger. Plug the adapter/charger's barrel
plug into the scanner's
EXT. PWR
adapter/charger's power module into a standard AC outlet.
jack. Then plug the AC
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EXT. PWR Jack
Warning: Do not use t he AC adapter/charger's polarized
plug with an extension cord, receptacle, or other outlet
unless the blades can be fully inserted to prevent blade
exposure.
Caution: Use only the supplied AC adapt er/charger. It is
specifica ll y designed for this scan ner.
Using Vehicle Battery Power
To power the scanner from your vehicle's cigarette-lighter socket, you need a DC cigarette-lighter power cable,
such as Cat. No. 270-031 .
Cautions:
• The DC cigarette-lighter power cable must be capable of delivering 12 volts, its center tip must be set to
positive, and its barrel plug must correctly fit the
scanner's
EXT. PWR
jack. The recommended power
cable meets these specifications. Using a power
cable that does not meet these specifications could
damage the scanner or the power cable.
• To protect your vehicle's electrical system, always
plug the power cable into the scanner before you
plug it into your vehicle's cigarette-lighter socket.
Always unplug the power cable from the vehicle's
cigarette -l ighter socket before you un plug it from the
scanner.
• Insert the DC cigarette-lighter power cable's barrel
plug into the
EXT. PWR
jack, then plug the power
cable's othe r end into your vehicle' s cigarette-li ghter
socket.
.
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When you finish usi ng the DC cigarette-lighter power cable, disconnect it from the cigarette-lighter socket, then
disconnect it from your scanner.
Note: If the scanner does not operate properly when you
connect a DC cigarette-lighter power cable, unplug the
power cable from the cigarette-lighter socket and clean
the socket to remove ashes and other debris.
CONNECTING THE ANTENNA
Follow these steps to attach the supplied flexible antenna to the connector on the top of your scanner.
1. Align the slots around the antenna’s connector with
the tabs on the scanner’s BNC connector.
2. Slide the antenna’s connector down over the scanner’s connector and rotate the antenna connector’s
outer ring clockwise until it locks into place.
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Connecting an Optional Antenna
The scanner’s antenna jack makes it easy to use the
scanner with a variety of antennas. Instead of the supplied ante nna, you can att ach a different one, such as an
external mobile antenna or outdoor base station antenna. Your local RadioShack store sells a variety of antennas.
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
your antenna’s cable does not have a BNC connector,
use a BNC adapter available at your local RadioShack
store.
Follow the installation instructions supplied with the antenna, route the antenna cable to the scanner, then connect it to the antenna
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.
Cautions
:
• Do not run the cable over sharp edges or moving
parts.
• Do not run the cable next to power cables or other
antenna cables.
• Do not run the cable through a vehicle’s engine
compartment or other areas that produce extreme
heat.
• Follow all cautions and warnings included with the
antenna.
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CONNECTING AN EARPHONE/
HEADPHONES
For private listening, you can plug an earphone or headphones with a
175 or 20-210) into the jack on top of your scanner.
This automatically disconnects the i nternal speaker.
1
/8-inch mini-plug (such as Cat. No. 33-
Listening Safely
To protect you r hearing, follow these guide lines when you
use an earphone or headphones.
• Do not listen at extremely high volume levels.
Exten ded hig h-volume listening can l ead to permanent hearing loss.
• Set the volume to the lowest setting before you
begin listening. After you begin listening, adjust the
volume to a comfortabl e 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/headphones with your scanner
when operating a motor vehicle or riding a bicycle in or
near traffic. Doing so can create a traffic hazard and
could be illegal in some areas.
If you use an earphone/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 tra ffic hazard.
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CONNECTING AN EXTENSION
SPEAKER
In a noisy area, an extension speaker (such as Cat. No.
21-549), positioned in the right place, might provide
more comfortable listening. Plug the speaker cable’s
inch mini-pl ug into your scanner ’s jack.
1
/8-
ATTACHING THE BELT CLIP
You can attach the supplied belt clip to make your scanner easier to carry when you are on the go. Use a Phillips screwdriver and the two supplied screws to attach
the belt clip to the scanner. Then slide the belt clip over
your belt or waistband.
Belt Clip
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR SCANNER
Once you understand a few simple terms we use in this
manual and familiarize yourself with your scanner’s
features, you c an put th e scanner to work for you. Yo u
simply find the communications you want to receive,
then set the scanner to scan them .
frequency
A
pressed in kHz or MHz). To find active frequencies, you
can use the
You can also search the service-search banks, w hich
are preset groups of frequencies catego rized by type of
service.
When you find a frequency, you can store it into a programmable memory location called a
with your other channels in a
can then
activity on the frequencies stored there. Each time the
scanner finds an active frequency, it stays on that channel
until the transmission ends.
is the tuning location of a station (ex-
search
function.
channel
channel-storage bank
scan
the channel-storage banks to see if there is
, which is grouped
. You
A LOOK AT THE KEYPAD
Your scanner’s keys might seem confusing at first, but
this information should help you understand each key’s
function.
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SCAN
— scans through the stored channels.
MANUAL
— stops scanning and lets you directly enter a
channel number or fr equency.
TRUNK —
switches between conventional and trunk
tracking modes.
SVC (service)
SPEED/PRI (speed/priority) —
— selects a service bank.
turns on and off the Hypersearch mode; sets and turns on and off the priority feature.
LOCK/
— locks the keypad to prevent acc idental program changes. Also turns on the display light for 15 seconds.
Number Keys — each key has a single-digit label and a
range of numbers. The single digits are used to enter a
channel, frequency, or ID number. The range of numbers (31–60, for example) indicates the channels that
make up a memory bank.
— enters a decimal point or clears an incorrect entry.
•
E (enter)
t
— enters frequencies into channels.
/LIMIT
— sets th e search direction and hol ds the frequen-
cy search; sets t he frequency range.
DLY (delay)
— programs a 2-second del ay for the selected
channel, a limit search, or each service scan. Also programs a 5–second delay in the trunk tracking mode.
SRCH
— searches a specified frequency range to find frequencies; searches for another active ID in the trunk
tracking mode.
L/O (lock out) —
lets you lock out selected channels or frequencies; lets you lock out a selected ID in the trunk
tracking mode.
s
/HOLD
— sets the search direction and holds the frequency sea rch; holds o n the current ID in th e trunk tra cking mode.
DATA
— turns on or off the data signal skip feature or
checks the current trunking bank in the trunk tracking
mode.
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A LOOK AT THE DISPLAY
The display has indicators that show the scanner’s current operating status. A good look at the display will help
you understand how your scanner operates.
— appears with numbers (1–10). Numbers with a
BANK
bar under them show which channel-storage banks are
turned on for scanning.
— appears when the scanner is in the trunk
TRUNK
tracking mode.
(channel activity indicators) — each represents a received trunking frequency or a data frequency in the
trunk trac king mode (see “Channel Acti vity Indicators” on
Page 40).
— appears when a priority channel is selected.
P
— blinks when the scanner’s battery is low.
— appears when the data skip function is act ive.
DATA
POLICE
bank.
FIRE/EMG
gency service bank.
AIR
MRN
bank.
WX
bank.
SCAN
— appears when you sear ch the police servi ce
— appears when you search the fire/emer-
— appears when you search the air ser vice bank.
— appears when you search the marine service
— appears when you search the weather service
— appears when you scan channels.
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— lights steadily during a limit search and ID
SRCH
search, and blinks while HyperSearch is active and
when you monitor IDs (see “Monitoring IDs” on
Page 39).
— appears when the priority feature is turned on.
PRI
— appears when you manually select a channel
HOLD
or when the scanner is in the hold mode during a search
or service bank scan or during a limit se arch.
— appears when you program a delay.
DLY
— appears when you manually select a channel or
L/O
frequency you loc ked out.
— appears when you lock the keypad.
— appears when you make an entry error.
Error
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UNDERSTANDING BANKS
Channel Storage Banks
To make it easier to identify and select the channels you
want to listen to, channels are divided into 10 banks of
30 channels each. Use each channel-storage bank to
group frequencies, such as the police department, fire
department, ambulance services, or aircraft (see “Guide
to the Action Bands” on Page52). For example, the police department might use four frequencies, one for each
side of town. You could program the police frequencies
starting with Channel 1 (the first channel in bank 1) and
program the fire department frequencies starting with
Channel 31 (the first channel in bank 2).
Service Banks
The scanner is preprogrammed with the frequencies allocated by police, fire/emergency, aircraft, marine, and
weather services. This is handy for quickly finding active
frequencies instead of searching through an entire band
(see “Scanning Service Banks” on Page 23).
UNDERSTANDING TRUNKING
In the past, groups that broadcast frequentl y, such as police departments, were restricted to transmitting on just a
few frequencies. This resul ted in heavy traffic and often
required 2-way radio users to wait for a specific frequency to clear befor e transmit ting.
Trunke d systems al low more gr oup s of 2-way ra di o u ser s
to use few er frequencies. Instead of selecti ng a specific
frequency to transmit on, a trunked system chooses one
of several frequencies when the 2-way radio user presses
PTT (push to talk). The system automatically transmits
the call on that frequency, and also sends a code that
identi fies that 2-way radio us er’s transmissio n on a data
channe l.
This scanner lets you select the data channel frequency
that you want it to monitor, so you can hear both the call
and response transmissions for that 2-way radio user
and therefore follow the conversation. (You cannot listen
to the data channel itself).
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OPERATION
TURNING ON THE SCANNER
AND SETTING SQUELCH
Note:
Make sure the scanner's antenna is connected
before you turn it on.
1. Turn
2. Turn
3. Press
SQUELCH
VOLUME/OFF
hear a hissing sound.
then leave it set to a point just after the hissing
sound stops.
MANUAL
fully clock wise.
clockwise until it clicks and you
and turn
SQUELCH
counterclockwise,
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