20-521 .fm Page 1 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
Owner’s Manual
Cat. No. 20-521
PRO-91 150-Channel
Handheld Trunking Scanner
Please read before using this equipment.
20-521 .fm Page 2 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
FEATURES
Your RadioShack PRO-91 150-Channel Handheld
Trunking Scanner is one 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 communicat ion systems.
Trunking communications systems let a large group of
2-way radio users (or even different groups of 2-way radio users) efficiently use a large range of frequencies.
Instead of selecting a specific frequency for a transmission, the user sim ply selec ts a talk g r ou p. The t run ki ng
system automatically transmits the call on the first available frequency, and also sen ds (on a dif ferent frequency called a data channel) a code that uniquely identifies
that transmission.
Since the trun king sys tem m ight send a c all an d its re sponse on di fferent fr eq ue ncies, it is difficult to l ist e n t o
trunked co mmunicat ions using a reg ular scanne r. The
PRO-91 l ets you select and mo nitor the data channe l
frequency se nt w it h a 2-w ay rad io transmission, so you
can he ar the ca ll and res ponse for that u se r and more
easily “follow” the conversation.
The scanner also lets you scan conventional transmissions, and is preprogrammed with service 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 complicat ed programming.
This sc an n er gives y o u d ir ec t ac c es s to ov er 30 ,00 0 e xciting frequencies, including police and fire departments, ambulance services, and amateur radio
services, and you can change your selection at any
time.
Your scanner also has th ese special features:
Triple-Conversion Circuitry
— virtually eliminates
any interference from IF (intermediate frequency) images, so you hear only the selected frequency.
RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
Hypersearch and Hyperscan are trademarks used by
All Rights Reserved.
Tandy Corporation.
2
20-521 .fm Page 3 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
Five Channel-Storage Banks — you can store up to
30 channels in each of 5 different banks to group channels so you can more easily identify calls.
Five Scan Lists — you can store up to 50 trunking IDs
in each trunk tracking bank.
Two-Second Scan Delay — delay s scanning for about
2 seconds before moving to another channel, so you
can hear mor e replies that are made on the same channel.
Lock-Out Functi on — lets you set your scanner to sk ip
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 (5 in all) and then have the scanner check
that channel every 2 seconds while it scans the bank,
so you don't miss transmissions on those channels.
Five Service Banks — frequencies are preset in separate police (fire/emergency), aircraft, ham, marine, and
weather banks, to make it easy to locate specific types
of calls.
Hypersearch — lets you set the scanner to search at
up to 300 steps per second. The normal search speed
is 100 steps per second.
Hyperscan — the scanner automatically scans up to
50 channels per second in frequency bands with 5 kHz
steps, to help you quickly find interesting broadcasts.
Key Lock — lets you lock the scanner's keys to help
prevent accidental changes to the scanner's programming.
Data Signal Skip — lets you set the scanner to skip
non-modulated or data signals (such as fax or modem
transmissions) during searches. This lets the scanner
avoid non-voice signals, making a search faster.
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 si tuations.
3
20-521 .fm Page 4 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
Flexible Antenna with BNC Connector — provides
excellent reception and is designed to help prevent antenna breakage. Or, you can connect an external antenna.
Moni tor Memori es — let y o u tem p orarily st ore up t o 5
frequencies or IDs.
Memory Backup — keeps the frequencies stored in
memory for an extended time if the PRO-91 loses power.
Three Power Options — let you power the scanner
using internal batteries, external AC power using an
optional AC a dapter/charger, or DC power using an optional DC cigarette-l ighter 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 Save — saves battery power when the scanner does not detect any transmissions for more than 5
seconds when a channel is manually selected.
Battery Low Alert — warns you when battery power
gets low.
Your scanner can recei ve these bands:
Frequency
Range (MHz)
Step
(kHz)
Transmission
29–29.7510-Meter Ham Band
29.7–505VHF Lo
50–5456-Meter Ham Band
108–136.975012.5Aircraft
137–1445Military Land Mobile
144–14852-Meter Ham Band
148–1745VHF Hi
406–42012.5Federal Government
420–45012.570-cm Ham Band
450–47012.5UHF Standard Band
470–51212.5UHF “T” Band
806–95612.5Public Service
“800” Band, except
cellular band
4
20-521 .fm Page 5 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
We recommend you record your scanner’s serial number here. The number is on the back panel.
Serial Number: ____ _______________________
FCC NOTICE
Your scanner might cause radio or TV interference
even when it is operating properly. To deter mine whether your scanner is causing the interference, turn off
your scanner. If the interference goes away, your scanner is causing 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 loca l RadioShack store for hel p
Note:
Mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires
a permit in some areas. Check the laws in your area.
SCANNING LEGALLY
Your scanner covers frequencies used by many different groups includin g police and fire depar tmen ts, ambulance services, government 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 (cellular, cordless, or
other private means of telephone signal transmission)
• Pager transmissions
• Any scrambled or encrypted transmissions
According to the Electronic Communications Privacy
Act (ECPA), you are subject to fines and possible imprisonment f or intentionally listen ing to, using, or divulging the contents of such a transmission unless you
have the consent of a party to the communication (unless such activ ity is otherwise ill egal).
This scanner is designed to prevent reception of illegal
transmissions, in compliance with the law which re-
5
20-521 .fm Page 6 Wed ne sday, August 4, 199 9 3:32 PM
quires that scanners be manufact ured in such a way as
to not be easily modifiable to pick up those transmissions. Do not open your scanner's case to make any
modifications that could allow it to pick up transmissions that it is not legal to listen to. Doing so could subject you to legal penal ties.
20-521 .fm Page 9 Wed ne sday, August 4, 199 9 3:32 PM
PREPARATION
POWER SOURCES
You can power your scann er fr om any of thre e sou rces:
• Internal batteries (not suppli ed)
• Standard AC power (usin g an opti onal AC adapt er)
• Vehicle battery power (using an optional DC
adapter)
Using Internal Batteries
You can power your scanner using four AA batteries.
For the longest operation and best performance, we
recommend alkaline batteries (such as Cat. No. 23-
552).
You can also use four rechargeable nickel-cadmium
batteries (Cat. No. 23-125). Before you use nickel-cadmium batteries, you must charge them (see “Charging
Nick el-Ca d mium Batt eries ” on P age 11).
Follow these steps to install batteries.
1. Turn
2. Slide up and hold the tab on the back of the scan-
VOLUME /OFF
to make sure the power is turned off.
ner, then pull up the battery compartment cover.
counterclockwise until it clicks
9
20-521 .fm Page 10 We dnesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
3. If you are installing alkaline batteries, use a
pointed object such as a pencil to set
JACK NI-CD
ALKALINE
. Or, if you are inst alling nickel-cadmium
batteries, s et i t to
inside the compartment to
NI-CD
.
ALKALINE
Warning:
NI-CD
to
Never set
if you are install ing non-rechar geable bat-
ALKALINE JACK NI-CD
teries. Non-rechar geable batteries can get hot or
explode if you try to rec harge them.
4. Install two batteries in the compartment and two in
the cover as indicated by the polarity symbols (+
and –) marked inside those locations.
Cautions:
• Use only fresh bat teries of the required size and
recommended type.
• Always remove old or weak batteries. Batteries
can leak chemicals that destroy electronic circuits.
• Do not mix old and new batteries, different
types of batteries (standard, alkaline, or
rechargeable), or rechargeable batteries of different capacit ies.
5. Replace the cover.
10
20-521 .fm Page 11 We dnesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
If
BATT.Lo
flashes and the scanner beeps every 15
seconds, replace (standard/alkaline) or recharge (rechargeable nickel-cadmium) the batteries.
Caution: Always dispose of old batteries promptly and
properly. Do not bury or burn them.
Charging Nickel-Cadmium Batteries
The scanner has a built-in circuit that lets you recharge
nickel-cadmium batteries while they are in the scanner.
To charge the batteries, set
CD
to
, install the nickel-cadmium batteries in the
NI-CD
scanner, and connect an external AC or DC adapter to
the scanner’s
POWER
Page 12 or “Using Vehicle Battery Power” on Page 13).
Warning: Do not connect either adapter to the scanner
if non-rechargeable batteries (such as alkaline batteries) are ins tal led in the scan ner and
is set to
NI-CD
NI-CD
switch’s position. Non-rechargeable batteries will get
hot and can even explode if you try to recharge them.
Before you use nickel-cadmium batteries for the first
time, charge them at least 24 hour s to bring them to a
full charge.
ALKALINE JACK NI-
jack (see “Using AC Power” on
ALKALINE JACK
, or you are unsure of the
Discharged batteries take about 10 to 18 hours to fully
recharge. If you use the scanner while the batteries are
charging, char ging takes longer.
Notes:
• Nickel-cadmium batteries last longer and deliver
more power if you occasionally let them fully discharge. To do this, simply use the scanner until it
beeps every 15 seco nds and
BATT.Lo
flashes.
• To prevent damage to nickel-cadmium batteries,
never charge them in an area where the temperature is above 113°F or below 40°F.
11
20-521 .fm Page 12 We dnesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
Important: At the end of a rechargeable battery’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 programs in your area. Some options that
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 AC Power
You can power the scanner from a standard AC outlet
using an optional AC adapter (such as Cat. No. 273-
1665).
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:
• The recommended AC adapter supplies 9 volts
and delivers at least 300 milliamps. It has a barrel
plug with a c enter negative tip that correctly fits the
scanner’s
POWER
jack. Using an adapter that
does not meet these specifications could dam age
the scanner or the adapter.
• To protect your scanner and AC adapter, always
plug the adapter into the scanner before you plug
it into the AC outlet, and always unplug the
adapter from the AC outlet before you unplug it
from the scanner.
• If batteries are installed, make sure the battery
switch inside the battery compartment is set to the
correct position (see “Using Internal Batteries” on
Page 9).
12
20-521 .fm Page 13 We dnesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
1. Turn
VOLUME/OFF
counterclockwise until it clicks
to make sure the power is turned off.
2. Plug the adapter’s 3.4 mm outside diameter/1.3
mm inside diameter barrel plug into your scanner’s
POWER
jack.
3. Plug the other end of the adapter into a standard
AC outlet.
If rechargeable batteries are installed and
JACK NI-CD
is set to
NI-CD
, the adapter powers the
ALKALINE
scanner and recharges the batteries at the same time.
Using Vehicle Battery Power
You can power the scanner from your vehicle’s battery
power using an optional DC adapter such as Cat. No.
270-1560.
Cautions:
• The recommended DC adapter supplies 9 volts
and delivers at least 300 milliamps. It has a barrel
plug with a center negati ve tip that correctly fits the
scanner’s
POWER
jack. Using an ad apter that does
not meet these specifications could damage the
scanner or t he adapter.
• To protect your vehicle’s electrical system, always
plug the adapter into the scanner before you plug it
into your vehicle’s ci garette-lighter socket. Alwa ys
unplug the adapter from the vehicle’s cigarettelighter socket before you unplug it from the scanner.
• If batteries are installed, make sure the battery
switch inside the battery compartment is set to the
correct position (see “Using Internal Batteries” on
Page 9).
13
20-521 .fm Page 14 We dnesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
1. Turn
VOLUME/OFF
counterclockwise until it clicks
to make sure the power is turned off.
2. Set the adapter’s voltage switch to 9V.
3. Connect the 3. 4 mm outer diameter/1.3 mm inner
diameter tip to the adapter cord, matching TIP to –.
4. Plug the adapter’s barrel plug into your scanner’s
POWER
jack.
5. Plug the other end of the adapter into your vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket.
If you have installed rechargeable batteries and
ALKALINE JACK NI-CD
set
to
NI-CD
, the
adapter powers the scanner and recharges the
batteries at the same time.
Note:
If the scanner does not operate properly when
you use a DC adap ter, unplug the adapter from the cigarette-lighter socket and clean the socket to remove
ashes and debris.
14
20-521 .fm Page 15 We dnesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
CONNECTING THE ANTENNA
Follow these st eps to attach the supplied flexible antenna to the connector on the top of your scanner.
1. Align the slots around the antenna’s c onnector 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.
Connecting an Optional Antenna
The scanner’s BNC connector makes it easy to connect
a variety of optional antennas (such as an external mobile antenna or outdoor base station antenna). Your local RadioShack sto re sel ls a variety of antennas.
Note:
Always use 50-ohm coaxial cable, such as RG58 or RG-8, to connect an outdoor antenna. If the distance from the scanner to the antenna is over 50 feet,
use RG-8 low-loss dielectric coax ial cable. If your antenna’s cable does not have a BNC connector, your local RadioShack store carries a variety of BNC
adapters.
15
20-521 .fm Page 16 We dnesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
CONNECTING AN EARPHONE/
HEADPHONES
For private listening, you can plug an earphone or
mono headphones (such as Cat. No. 33-178 or 20-
210) into the jack on top of your scanner. This automatically disconnects the internal spea ker.
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.
Traffic Safety
Do not use an earphone or headphones with your
scanner when operating a motor vehicle in or near traffic. Doing so can create a traffi c hazard and could be illegal in some areas.
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 traffic
hazard.
16
20-521 .fm Page 17 We dnesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
CONNECTING AN EXTENSION
SPEAKER
In a noisy area, an extension speaker (suc h as Cat. No.
21-549), positioned in the right place, might provide
more comfortable listening. Plug the speaker cable’s
1
/8-inch mini-plug into your scanner’s jack.
ATTACHING THE BELT CLIP
You can attach the supplied belt clip to make your
scanner easier to use when you are on the go. Use a
Phillips screwdriver and the supplied screws to attach
the belt clip to the scanner. Then sl ide the clip over your
belt or waistband.
17
20-521 .fm Page 18 We dnesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
ABOUT YOUR SCANNER
Once you under stand a few simple term s we use in this
manual and familiarize yourself with your scanner’s
features, you can put the scanner to work for you. You
simply determin e the ty pe of comm unications you want
to receive, then set the scanner to scan those communications.
frequency
A
pressed in kHz or MHz). To find active frequencies,
you use the
Besides searching within a frequency range you determine, you can also search your scanner’s
banks
categorized by type of service. For example, many amateur radio frequencies ar e located in the
bank.
When you find a frequency, you can store it into a programmable memory location called a
nels are grouped into
scanner has 5 channel-storage banks of 30 channels
each). You can then
to see if there is activity on the frequencies stored
there.
is the tuning location of a station (ex-
search
functio n.
service
. Service banks are preset gr oups of frequencie s
HAM2
service
channel
channel-storage banks
scan
the channel-storage banks
. Chan-
. (This
Or, when you f ind a frequency, you can store it into a
temporary memory location called a monitor memory
until you decide whether or not to move it to a channel.
Just keep in mind — you
channels.
You can also use your scanner to track trunked transmissions (see “Trunk Tracking” on Page 39).
18
search
frequencies and
scan
20-521 .fm Page 19 We dnesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
A LOOK AT THE KEYPAD
Your scanner’s keys might seem confusing at first, but
this information should help you under stand each key’s
function.
HOLD
— holds the frequency search; holds on the cur-
rent ID in the trunk tracking mode.
SCAN
— scans through the st ored channels.
MAN (ma nual)
— stops scanning and lets you directly
enter a channel number or frequency.
PROG (program)
— stores frequencies into channels;
programs the trunking frequency, fleet map, and ID
memories.
TRUNK
—
switches between conventional and trunk
tracking.
LIMIT/SRC (search)
— starts a limit search; searches a
specified f requency range to find frequencies; searches
for another active ID while trunk tracking.
DATA
— turns on or off the data signal skip feature;
moves through menu settings while trunk tracking.
PRIORITY/H/S (Hypersearch)
;
the priority fe ature
L-OUT/S/S (search skip)
turns on and off Hypersearch.
—
sets and turns on and off
— lets you lock out selected
channels or skip specified frequencies during a search;
lets you lock out a selected ID while trunk tracking.
KEYLOCK/
— locks the keypad to prevent accidental program changes; turns on the display light for 15
seconds.
19
20-521 .fm Page 20 We dnesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
DELAY
— programs a 2-second delay for the selected
channel, a l imit search, or each service scan; programs
a 5-second del ay while trunk tracking.
t — searches down through a selected frequency
range during a frequency search; selects options during program operation; c hanges the ID location number
while trunk tracking.
s — searches up through a selected frequency range
during a frequency search; selects options during program operation; changes the ID location number while
trunk tracking.
Number Keys — each key has a single-digit label and a
range of numbers. The single digits are used to enter a
channel, frequency, service bank, or ID number. The
range of numbers (31–60, for example) are use d to enter the channels that make up a memory bank.
MON/CLEAR/
ories during a search; recalls frequencies from monitor
memories when programming a channel; stores
searched IDs into monitor memories or selects options
while trunk tracking; enters a decimal point or clears an
incorrect entry.
SVC (service)/E (enter )
enters frequencies into channels.
— stores frequencies into monitor mem-
•
— starts a service bank search;
A LOOK AT THE DISPLAY
The display has in dicators 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 (1–5). The numbers
BANK
show which channel-storage banks are turned on for
scanning.
TRUNK
tracking.
20
— appears when the scanner is set for trunk
20-521 .fm Page 21 We dnesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
(trunking channe l activi ty bars) — each repres ents a
received trunking frequency or a data frequency while
trunk tracking (s ee “Chann el Acti vity Bars” on Page47).
— appears when the weather service band is se-
-1-
lected.
— appears when the amateur radio service band
-2-
is selected.
— appears when the marine service band is se-
-3-
lected.
— appears when the air service band is sel ected.
-4-
— appears when the police service band is sel ect-
-5-
ed.
— appears when a priority channel is selected.
P
BATT. Lo
DATA
SCAN
LIST
tracking. Numbers with a bar under them show which
ID scan list banks are turned on for scanni ng.
SVC
SEARCH
search, and blinks when you monitor IDs (see “Monitoring IDs” on Page 46).
PRI
HOLD
or when the scanner is holding during a sear ch.
DLY
L/O
frequency you locked out.
K/L
— blinks when the scanner’s battery is low.
— appears when the data skip fun cti on is active.
— appears when you scan channels.
— appears with numbers (1–5) during trunk
— appears during a servi ce search.
— appears during a limit search and ID
— appears when the priority feature is turned on.
— appears when you manually select a channel
— appears when you program a delay.
— appears when you manuall y select a channel or
(keylock) — appea rs when you lock the keypad.
Error
— appears when you make an entry error.
21
20-521 .fm Page 22 We dnesday, August 4, 1999 3:32 PM
— appears during sear ch modes or when you
MON
select a monitor memory. The number to the right of
this indicator shows the current monitor memory number.
— appears when you press
MAN
— appears while you store a frequency into a
PGM
channel, while you enter a frequency range during a
limit search, or when you program trunking frequencies, fleet maps, or ID memories while trunk tracking.
HYPER
is active during a direct or limit search.
t and s
search, indicating the search direction.
S
(during convent ional scanning only) .
— appears while Hyper scan or Hyper search
— appears during a limit, direct, or service
— appears when the battery save function is active
MAN
.
UNDERSTANDING BANKS
Service Banks
The scanner is preprogrammed wi th all the fr equencies
allocated to the weather, ham, marine, air craft, and police (fire/emergency) services. This is handy for quickly
finding active frequencies instead of doing a limit
search (see “Servi ce Bank Search” on Page 28).
Channel Storage Banks
To make it easier to identify and select the channels
you want to listen to, channels are divided into 5 banks
of 30 channels each. Use each channel-storage bank
to group frequencies, such as those for the police department, fire department, ambulance services, or aircraft (see “Guide to t he Acti on Bands” on Page 58).
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).
22
Loading...
+ 50 hidden pages
You need points to download manuals.
1 point = 1 manual.
You can buy points or you can get point for every manual you upload.