Radio Shack PRO-83 manual

20-501 PRO -83 200 Channe l compact sca nne r w/signal stalke r search an d li g hted k eypa d Read this user ’s guide completely before using your scanner[...]

The Basic s 2 Contents The Basics The FCC wants you to know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 powering your scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 using rechargeable batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 using AC power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 using vehicle battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1[...]

3 The Basic s service search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 storing frequencies into channels during service search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 scanning the stored channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 manually selecting a channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 signal stalker . . . . . . . [...]

The Basic s 4 resetting the scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 frequently asked questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]

5 The Basic s powering you r scanner Y ou can power your scanner from any of three sources: • internal batteries (not supplied) • standard AC power (using an optional AC adapter) • vehicle battery power (using an optional DC adapter) Before installi ng batteries, set the sw itch in the battery compartment to match t he type of batteries you w[...]

The Basic s 6 Y Install 2 AA batteries, matching the polarity symbols (+ -). Z Replace the cover .[...]

7 The Basic s Wa r n i n g : Set ALK ALINE/RECHARGEABLE to RECHARGEABLE for use only with nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd) or nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) rechargeable batteries. Never att empt to recharge non- rechargeable batteries . Non-rechargeable bat teries can get hot or explode if you try to recharg e them. Cauti ons : • Use only fresh batteries of[...]

The Basic s 8 The scanner has a built- in circuit that lets you recharge Ni-Cd or Ni-MH batteries while they are in the scanner . T o charge the batteries, set ALK A LINE/ RECHARGEABLE inside the b attery co mpartmen t to RECHARGEABLE , install the batteries in the scanner , and connect an external A C or DC adapter to the scanner's DC 6V jack[...]

9 The Basic s until it beeps every 15 seconds and flashes. • T o prevent damage to Ni-Cd and Ni-MH batteries, never charge them in an area where the temperature is above 113°F (40°C) or below 40°F (4°C). • If you connect an external power source to the scanner with ALK ALINE/RECHARGEABLE set to ALK ALINE , CHArg appe ars but the scan ner do[...]

The Basic s 1 0 and recycle these bat teries at the end of t heir useful life, when taken out of service in the United States or Canada. The RBRC program provides a conv enient alternative to placing used rechargeable batteries into the trash or the municipal was te stream, which may be illegal in your area. Please call 1-800- THE -SHACK (1-800-843[...]

11 The Basic s F ollow these st eps to use the scanner on AC power . X Make sure the power is tur ned off . Y Insert th e Adapta plug into t he AC adapter's cord so it reads TIP +. Then, insert the Adaptaplug into the scanner's DC 6V jack. Z Plug the AC adapter into a standard AC outlet. Using V ehicle Batter y P ower Y ou can power the s[...]

The Basic s 1 2 X Make sure the power is turned off . Y If the adapter has a voltage switch, set the switch to 6V . Z Insert th e Adapta plug into t he DC adap ter's cord so it reads TIP +. Then, insert the Adapta plug into the scanner's DC 6V jack. [ Plug the other end of the adapte r into your vehicle's cigarette-lighter sock et. I[...]

13 The Basic s setting u p your scanner Connecting the A ntenna T o a ttach th e supplied fle xible anten na to the connector on the top of your scanner , align the slots around the antenna's connector with the tabs on the scanner's BNC connector . Then slide the antenna's connector down over the scanner's connector and rotate t[...]

The Basic s 1 4 Note: Alway s use 50-ohm, RG -58, or RG -8, coaxial cable to connect an outdoor antenna. 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/Hea[...]

15 The Basic s • 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. T raffic 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 traffic haza[...]

The Basic s 1 6 Attaching the Belt Clip T o mak e your scanner easier to carry when you are on the go, use the supplied belt clip. Use a Phillips screwdriver and the supplied screws to attach the clip to the scanner .[...]

17 The Basic s About Y our Scan ner W e use a few simple terms in thi s manual to explain the features of the scanner . F amiliarize yourself with these terms and the scanner's feature s, 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 t hose[...]

The Basic s 1 8 A Look At the K eypad Y our scanner's keys have various functions labeled on the key tops and bel ow the keys. T o select the function labeled on a k ey , simply press the key . T o select the function labeled below a key , first press FUNC t hen release it. appears on the display . Then quickly press the next key in the functi[...]

19 The Basic s SCAN/SRCH : SCAN Scans the stored channels. FUNC + SRCH Starts chain search or resumes searching . / KEYLOC K : T urns t he display and key ba cklight on or off . FUNC + KEYLOCK Locks and unlocks the keypad. FUNC Lets you use various functions by pressing this key in combination with other keys. Press and hold for more than 2 seconds[...]

The Basic s 2 0 3/SVC : 3 Enters a 3. FUNC + SVC Lets you search the five service sea rch b an ks. 4/AL T : 4 Enters a 4. FUNC + AL T T urns the WX alert function on or off . 5/DL Y : 5 Enters a 5. FUNC + DL Y T urns the delay function on or off. 6/B.SLCT : 6 Enters a 6. FUNC + B.SLCT Goes to program band select mod e. 7 Enters a 7. 8/ : 8 Enters a[...]

21 The Basic s 9 Enters a 9. . /CLR /: . /CLR Enters a decimal point or clears an incorrect entry . FUNC + Jumps d irectly to t he last channel in memory (Ch#200) from any mode. 0/L/O : 0 Enters a 0. FUNC + L/O Lets you lock out a selected channel or skip a specified frequency . E/PGM : E Enters frequencies into channels. FUNC + PGM Programs freque[...]

The Basic s 2 2 A Look at the Display The display has indicators that show the scanner's current operating stat us. The display information helps you understand how your scanner operates. BANK - appears with numbers (1-10). P - appears when you select a priority channel. SCN - appears w hen you scan channels. SRCH - app ear s du rin g s ear ch[...]

23 The Basic s L/O - appears when you manually select a channel you locked out or a skip frequency . - appears when you lock the k eypad. - alerts you when the battery power gets low . - appears while you store a frequency into a channel. or - appears during search mode. - appears only when the function mode is on. WX , POL FIRE , AIR , MRN , or HA[...]

The Basic s 2 4 Understandin g Banks Ser vice Ban ks The scanner is preprogrammed with all the frequencies allocated to the weather , ham, marine, aircraft, and police (fire/emergency) services. Channel S torage Banks T o make it easier to identify and select the channels you want to listen to, the 200 channels are divided into 10 channel-storage b[...]

25 Beyond the Bas ic s operating your scanner T urning On The Scanne r and Setting Sq uelch Y our scanner is preprogrammed at the factory with 150 of the most frequently used frequencies in Channels 1 to 150. Y ou can scan these frequencies as soon as you turn on the scanner . Note: Make sure the scanner's antenna is connected before you turn [...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 2 6 Excellent refer ences for active frequencies are the RadioShack P olice Call Guide including Fire and Emergency Services , and Offic ial Aero nauti cal Fre q ue n c y D ir e ct o ry . W e update these directories every year , so be sure to get a current copy . F ollow these st eps to store frequencies into channels. X Pre s[...]

27 Beyond the Bas ic s •When you enter a frequency into a channel, the scanner automatically turns on the delay function and DL Y appears. When delay is turned on, the scanner automatically pauses scanning 2 seconds after the end of a transmission before scanning proceeds to the next channel. T o t urn the function off or on, press FUNC + DL Y . [...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 2 8 Searching For and T emporarily Storing Active Frequencies If you do not have a reference to frequencies in your area, use a search (except weather service search) to find a transmission. Note: When the scanner starts searching, it automa tically tur ns on the delay functi on. T o turn delay on or off , press FUNC + DL Y . S[...]

29 Beyond the Bas ic s T o release the hold and continue searching, press HOLD . Or , if you did not press HOLD , simply press FUNC + or FUNC + to continue searching. Note: Because there are many different frequencies allocated to fire and police departments, it can take several minutes to search all t he service frequencies. Sto ring F requen cies[...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 3 0 Scanning the St ored Channels T o begi n scanning channels, pre ss SCAN . The scanner scans through all non-locked channels in the activated banks. (See “Locking Out Channels” on P age 48 an d “T urning Channel- Storage Banks On and Off ” on P age 48). When the scanner finds a transmission, it stops on it. When the [...]

31 Beyond the Bas ic s T o manually select a channel, press HOLD , ente r the channel number then press HOLD ag ai n. Or , during scanning, if the radio stops at a channel you want to l isten to, press HOLD once. (Repeatedly pressing HOLD at this time causes the scanner to step through the channels.) P ress SCA N to resume automatic scanning. Signa[...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 3 2 Signal Stalker m ight not f ind the t ransmissi on you are searchin g for , or it might find a transmission other than the one you are searching for . Y ou can screen unwanted transmissions by pressing FUNC + L/O to lock them out. See “L ocking Out F requencies” on P age 49 for more information. • Signal Stalker canno[...]

33 Beyond the Bas ic s Y Repeatedly press or to select the option you want, then press E . If you selected S-S . b n d , one of the followi ng band names appears. bnd Lo : VHF Low Band (25.0000 - 54.0000 M Hz) bnd Air : AIR Band (108.0000 - 136.9875 M Hz) bnd H i : VHF High Band (137.0000 - 174.0000 MHz) bnd U HF : UHF Band (406.0000 - 512.0000 MHz[...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 3 4 [ Repeatedly press or until the option you want appears, then press E to select it. Otherwise, press . /CLR if you do not want to select it. Then skip to Step ^ . Pr ess E while S-S . A l t appears. One of the following alert options appears. ALt bE EP : The scanner beeps when a signal stalker signal is detected. ALt Ligh[...]

35 Beyond the Bas ic s Using Signal Stalk er T o turn on Sig nal Stalke r , tur n SQUELCH fully clockwise, then press FUNC + o nce except in WX search, band select, or program mode. appears. Every 2 seconds, the scanner searches for frequencies in t he range you specified i n “Setting the Signal Stalker Options” on P age 32. Note: T o continue [...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 3 6 Sk ywarn The Skywarn function lets you jump directly to the last channel in memory (Channel 200) from any mode by pressing FUNC + . The scanner goes into scan hold mode and starts receiving transmissions in the last channel. If no fr equency is programmed in the last channel, No Prg appears and the scanner sounds an error t[...]

37 Beyond the Bas ic s • high water areas • downed power lines • other emergency conditi ons that affect life or property Listening to Skywarn broadca sts makes it easy to quickly find out about and prepare for inclement weather conditions in your immediate area, even before your local NOAA weather broadcast and local TV or radio station can [...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 3 8 broadcast by NOAA and as much as 5 or 10 minutes sooner than you will hear them on local TV or radio! Those few minutes can be worth a lot when it c om e s to d ec i d in g if y o ur f a mi l y n e e ds t o ta k e c o v e r . WX Alert T urning On the W ea ther Alert F eature T urn on the WX alert function by pressing FUNC +[...]

39 Beyond the Bas ic s The preset frequency ranges are: Bank No. Frequency (MHz) Step (kHz) 1 25.0000-27.9950 5 2 28.0000-29.6950 5 3 29.7000-49.9950 5 4 50.0000-54.0000 5 5 137.0000-143.9950 5 6 144.0000-147.9950 5 7 406.0000-419.99375 6.25 8 420.0000-449.99375 6.25 9 450.0000-469.99375 6.25 10 806.0000-956.0000 12.5 Chain Search Mode P ress FUNC [...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 4 0 At least one search bank must be enabled. (The scanner sounds an error tone if you try to disable all the search banks). The search bank and the frequency where chain search starts depends on how the scanner was set before you selected chain search mode. Chain Search Ho ld Mode T o start chain search hold mode, press HOLD i[...]

41 Beyond the Bas ic s Sto ring Frequ enci es Found During Chain Search in to Channel Memor y Y ou can store frequencies you find in chain search mode or chain search hold mode. X Pre ss FUNC + PGM in chain search mode or chain search hold mode. The lowest blank channel and bank appear . Y Pre ss E to store the frequency into the blank channel. T o[...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 4 2 When you select the search bank, the lower limi t and upper limit frequency assigned in the search bank alternate on the display . T o select another search bank, press FUNC + B.SLCT or FUNC to increase the search bank number or FUNC + t o decrease it. Hold down FUNC + or FUNC + for abo ut 1 sec ond to quickly move through [...]

43 Beyond the Bas ic s Y Enter the frequency you want to start from by using the number keys. (Press . /CLR to enter a decimal point). Z Pre ss FUNC + or . The scanner searches, starting from the f requency you entered in Step Y . If you enter a frequency that is out of range , the scanner sounds an error tone and Error appears. P ress FUNC + to ch[...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 4 4 P ress FUNC + to decrease the frequency by one step or FUNC + to increase it by one step. H old down or for about 1 second to quickly decrease or increase the frequency . T o resume direct search, press FUNC + SEARC H or HOLD . ( or appears on the display , showing the search direction). Storin g Frequenci es Foun d Durin g[...]

45 Beyond the Bas ic s . /CLR . T o enter the frequency anyway , press E to accept. The scanner moves to program mode after you stored the frequency . Search Skip Memor y Y ou can skip up to 50 specified frequenci es during a search. This lets you av oid unwanted frequencies or those already stored in a channel. Notes: • Y ou cannot skip frequenc[...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 4 6 F ollow these steps to clear a sing le frequency from skip memory so the scanner stops on it during a search. X Pre ss HOLD to stop the searc h. Y Pre ss FUNC + or FUNC + to select the frequency . L/O appears. Z Pre ss FUNC + L/O . L/O disappears. T o clear all the skip frequencies at once while searching or search hold, pr[...]

47 Beyond the Bas ic s Delay Sometimes a user might pause before r eplying to a transmission. T o avoid missing a reply on a specific channel, you can program a 2-second delay into any channel or frequency . The scanner continues to monitor the channel frequency for an additional 2 seconds after the transmission st ops before resuming scanning or s[...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 4 8 T urning Channe l-Storage Banks On and Off Y ou can turn each channel-storage bank on and off. When you turn off a bank, the scanner does not scan any of the 20 channels in that b ank. While scanning , press the number key that corresponds to the bank you want to turn on or off . Numbers appear at the top of the display , s[...]

49 Beyond the Bas ic s Notes: • The scanner does not skip locked-out channels when you use Signal Stalker . Y ou must lock out frequencies instead. See “L ocking Out Frequencie s.” • Y ou can still manually select locked-out channels. T o remove the lockout from a channel, manuall y select the channel, then press FU NC + L/ O . L/O disappea[...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 5 0 Priority The priority feature lets you scan through the channels and still not miss important or interesting calls on specific channels. Y ou can program one stored channel in each bank as a priority channel (10 for the banks). If the priority f eature is turned on, as the scanner scans the bank, i t checks that bank's[...]

51 Beyond the Bas ic s T o turn off the priority feature, press FUNC + PRIORITY . PRI disappears. Using K eylock Use the scanner 's keylock to protect it f rom accidental program changes. When the scanner's keys are locked, the only controls that operate are SCAN , FUNC , HOLD , , KEYLOCK , and . T o t urn on keylock, press FUNC + KEYLOCK[...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 5 2 Wired Programming Y ou can transfe r programming data to your scanner using your PC and an optional interface cable (Cat. No. 20-289, available at your local RadioShack store) and software (available at yo ur local RadioShack or www .radioshack.com). Note: If the scanner receives no data from the PC for m ore tha n 20 s eco[...]

53 Beyond the Bas ic s [ T o set up the program, click on T o ols, select Configuration, and select PRO -83 (if necessary). T urn on the scanner . The scanner automatically goes into the wired programming mode. PGM and Wir E d appear . Then send the data from the PC. Data frame numbers being received appear . ] When the scanner has successfully r[...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 5 4 Resetting the Scan ner If the scanner ’s display locks up or stops operating properly , you might need to reset the scanner . Cauti on: This procedure clears all the information you have stored in the scanner . Before you reset the scanner , try turning it off and on to see if it begins working properly . Reset the scanne[...]

55 Beyond the Bas ic s frequently ask ed questio ns Q : My scanner is n ’t wo rking at a ll. How do I t urn it on? A : The scanner might not be receivi ng power . Make sure the batteries are installed correctl y and are good (if you installed alkaline batteries) or fully charged (if you installed rechargeable batteries). See “powering your scan[...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 5 6 Q : The scanner’ s display is dim and hard to see. The scanner also beeps once every 15 to 30 seconds. What ’s wr ong? A : The scanner might not be receivi ng enough power or the batteries mig ht not be correctly installed. Make sure the batteries are in stalled correctly and are good (if you installed alkaline batterie[...]

57 Beyond the Bas ic s or fully charged (if you installed rechargeable batteries. Also make sure the A C adapter ’s or DC adapter ’s barrel plug is fully inserted into t he scanner ’s 6V 300 mA jack. See “Using AC P ower ” on P age 10 for more information. If the batteri es are OK, the antenna might not be connected or is connected incorr[...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 5 8 Specifications Frequency Coverage: 25.0000 -27.9950 MHz (in 5 kH z steps) 28.0000 -29.9950 MHz (in 5 kH z steps) 30.0000 -49.9950 MHz (in 5 kH z steps) 50.0000 -54.0000 MHz (in 5 kH z steps) 108.00 00-136. 9875 MHz (i n 12. 5 kHz steps) 137.00 00-143.9 950 MHz (i n 5 kHz steps ) 144.00 00-147.9 950 MHz (i n 5 kHz steps ) 14[...]

59 Beyond the Bas ic s glossar y ALK ALINE/RECHARGE ABLE Switch - Lets you select the type of batteries you want to use in the scanner (alkaline or rechargeable) ....................................... . 5 Channel - a programmable memory location. Channels are grouped into channel-storage b anks. Y our scanner has 10 channel-storage banks and each [...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 6 0 inde x ALK ALINE/RECHARGE ABLE Switch ..................... 5 Antenna Connecting .................... .................................... 13 Using an Optional Antenna .............................. 13 Attaching a belt clip ......................... ...................... 16 Backlight . .....................................[...]

61 Beyond the Bas ic s Direct Entry Search .................................. ............. 42 Earphone Connecting ............... ......................................... 14 Extension Speaker Connecting ............... ......................................... 15 Frequently Asked Questions .................... ............. 55 FUNC K ey .........[...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 6 2 Service Banks ............................................... ........ 24 Service Search ................................. ...................... 28 Squ elch Setting ........................... .................................... 25 Storing frequencies ........... .................................... 25 During Service Sear[...]

63 Beyond the Bas ic s warranty This product is warranted by RadioSha ck against manufacturing defects in mate rial and workmanship under normal use for 90 (ninety) days from the date of purchase from RadioShack company-owned stores and authorized RadioShack franchisees and dealers. F o r complete warranty det ails and exclu- sions, check with your[...]

Beyon d the Ba sic s 6 4 Lightweight, a nd loaded with the frequencies you want! This compact scann er fits in your palm and has an orange backlit display and keypad for eas y use at night. Store up to 200 f requenc ies into me mory . Scann er enthu siasts wi ll appreciate the Signal Stalker feature that instantly “ locks on ” to rad io bein g [...]