Albrecht AE180H User manual

AE180H
100-Channel
Programmable
Twin Turbo
Hand-Held
Sports
Scanner
OPERATING GUIDE
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Precautions
Before you use this scanner, please read and observe the following:
nWARNING!
Albrecht DOES NOT represent this unit to be waterproof.
To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock, DO NOT
expose this unit to rain or moisture.
nIMPORTANT!
Be sure to use only the supplied earphone, or a stereo
headset of the proper impedance (32W). Use of an
incorrect earphone or other impedance may be
potentially hazardous to your hearing.
nWARNING:
Set the Volume to a comfortable audio level coming
from the speaker before plugging in the supplied
earphone or a stereo headset of the proper impedance
(32W). Otherwise you might experience some
discomfort or possible hearing damage if the Volume
suddenly becomes too loud because of the Volume
Control or Squelch Control setting. This may be
particularly true of the type of earphone that is placed in
the ear canal.
nNICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERY WARNING
·This equipment contains a Nickel-Cadmium Battery.
·Cadmium is a chemical known to cause cancer.
·The Nickel-Cadmium Battery contained in this
equipment may explode if disposed of in a fire.
·Do not short circuit the battery.
·Do not charge the Nickel-Cadmium Battery used in
this equipment with any other AC Adapter/Charger
other than the one designed to charge this battery
(AD-235). Using another charger may damage the
battery, or cause the battery to explode.
nNICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERY DISPOSAL
Nickel-Cadmium Batteries Must Be Disposed Of Properly.
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iii
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Contents
About Your New AE180H ........................2
What is Scanning?.............................2
What is Searching? ............................2
Types of Communication........................3
Where to Obtain More Information ................3
Unpacking ...................................4
Feature Highlights ..............................5
Controls and Indicators .........................6
Top View ....................................6
Front View ...................................6
Setup........................................10
Charging the Battery Pack......................10
Mounting the Flexible Antenna ..................10
Installing the Belt Clip .........................11
Using the Earphone...........................11
Operation Overview............................12
Programming Channels ........................14
Programming By Manual Entry ..................14
Deleting a Stored Frequency....................15
Programming SEARCH .......................15
Programming Channels with Alpha Characters......16
Alert Beep Setting ............................17
Scanning ....................................18
Bank Scanning ..............................18
Priority Scan ................................19
Delay ......................................19
Locking Out Channels .........................20
Looking for “Locked Out” Channels...............20
Searching ....................................21
Band Search ................................21
Limit Search.................................21
Search Skip Frequency ........................22
Care and Maintenance .........................23
Replacing the Battery Pack .....................23
Location....................................24
Cleaning ...................................24
Birdies .....................................25
Proper Care of Your Scanner ...................25
Optional Accessories and Replacement Parts ......26
Troubleshooting ..............................27
Technical Specifications........................28
Declaration of Confomity .......................30
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About Your New AE180H
The AE180H is a brand new state-of-the-art information
radio with automatic scanning capabilities. It can store
frequencies such as sporting events, police,
fire/emergency, and other communications into 10 banks of
10 channels each. Please be aware that restrictions apply
on monitoring of non-public services. Respect national laws
protecting privacy!
With the AE180H, you can do a fast search for active
frequencies on all 13 preprogrammed bands. In the VHF
bands with 5 kHz spacing and on all 100 stored channels
you can also use the super fast Turbo Search Mode!
What is Scanning?
Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most two-way
communications do not transmit continuously. The AE180H
scans programmed channels at the rate of nearly 100
channels per second until it finds an active frequency.
Scanning stops on an active frequency, and remains on
that channel as long as the transmission continues. When
the transmission ends, the scanning cycle resumes until
another transmission is received. Or, you can select an
optional Delay so the scanner stays on the channel for 2
more seconds after the transmission stops, waiting for
another transmission, before resuming scanning.
While the AE180H is scanning channels it is in “SCAN
Mode”. When you stop the scanning with , it is in
“MANUAL Mode”.
What is Searching?
The AE180H can search each of 13 preprogrammed bands
to find active frequencies. This is different from scanning,
because you can search for frequencies that have not been
programmed into your AE180H. You can also search
within the range of frequencies you have programmed
before. You can set the direction of searching as well as
the speed. The Turbo Search feature, new for Albrecht
scanners, can search VHF bands at up to 3 times the
normal speed.
When the AE180H is searching for active frequencies, it is
in “SEARCH Mode” or “TURBO SEARCH Mode”. When
you stop the search with , it is in “SEARCH HOLD
Mode”. With both Turbo Scan and Turbo Search, your
AE180H is truly a Twin Turbo Scanner.
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Types of Communication
You will be able to monitor communication such as:
»Automobile, boat, and marathon races
»Sports and cultural events (e.g. Security staff)
»Traffic information
»Police and fire department (including rescue, in most
countries monitoring not allowed!)
»Land transportation, such as trucking firms, buses,
taxis, tow trucks, and railroads
»Marine and amateur radio.
»Aircraft
»Analogue cordless phones (in most countries listening
not allowed)
And many more in the following 13 Bands:
RANGE
(MHz)
STEP
(kHz)
BAND SUBJECT
25.0000-84.0100 5 FM VHF Low PMR Band
84.0150-87.2550 20 with 15
kHz offset FM VHF Low PMR &
Police Band
108.0000-136.9916 12.5/8.33
selectable AM Aircraft
137.0000-143.9950 5 FM Military Land Mobile
144.0000-145.9875 12.5 FM 2 Meter Amateur Band
146.0000-155.9900 10 FM VHF High Band
156.0000-162.0250 12.5 FM VHF Marine Band
162.0300-173.9900 10 FM VHF High PMR &
Police Band
406.0000-439.9875 12.5 FMUHF Low Band
440.0000-449.9875 12.5 FMUHF Pager &PMR Band
450.0000-469.9900 10 FM UHF Standard
PMR Band
470.0000-512.0000 12.5 FM UHF “T” Band
(non-Europe)
806.0000-960.0000 12.5 FM SRD and Cordless
Phone Band
Where to Obtain More Information
Detailed information about frequency tables can be
obtained from various scanner magazines, internet and
book stores, as well as from contents for the radio
enthusiasts. See also information on
www.hobbyradio.de
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Unpacking
Carefully check the contents against this list:
nAE180H Twin Turbo Sports Scanner
nRubber Antenna
nAC Adapter/Charger (AD-235)
nEarphone
nBelt Clip with 2 Screws
nBattery (BP-180)
nThis Operating Guide
nNickel-Cadmium Battery Disposal Notice
Please read this Operating Guide thoroughly before
operating the scanner.
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Feature Highlights
◆Twin Turbo Scan & Search —This lightning-fast
technology enables the AE180H to scan nearly 100
channels per second. Search speed is selectable
between 100 and 300 steps per second. (300 steps
per second only in bands with 5 kHz steps.) Because
the frequency coverage is so large (see previous
section for band listing), very fast scanning and
searching are essential. That is why we combined our
latest technology — Twin Turbo — into the AE180H.
◆100 Channels You can program each of these
memory channels to store one frequency.
◆13 Bands, 10 Banks Includes 13 Bands, with
Aircraft and 800 MHz. 10 Banks of 10 channels each
are useful for storing similar frequencies in order to
maintain faster scanning cycles.
◆25 MHz - 960 MHz Indicates the range of
frequencies that can be searched within the bands of
your scanner.
(
Note: The frequency coverage is not totally
continuous from 25.0 MHz to 960 MHz.)
◆10 Priority Channels You can assign
one Priority
Channel in each Bank. Assigning priority channels
allows you to keep track of activity on your most
important channel(s) while monitoring other channels
for transmissions. (Priority Channels are initially set in
the first channel in each Bank.)
◆Memory Backup The stored channels are retained
in memory permanently.
◆Programmable Alpha Characters You can program
up to 100 channels with alphabetical characters for
easy reference.
◆Band Search You can search within the
preprogrammed bands.
◆Limit Search You can search within a specific range
of frequencies.
◆VFO Search You can search by using the
VFO control.
◆Alert Beep If the AE180H finds a transmission on a
channel you have preset, it beeps twice.
◆Auto Light The AE180H can turn on its backlight
automatically when it finds a transmission if this
function is activated.
◆Attenuator You can attenuate the strength of the
strong signal inputted.
◆Air Band Step You can select the AIR Band step
from 12.5 kHz to 8.33 kHz.
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Controls and Indicators
Top View
Antenna
Connector
Connect the rubber antenna to the BNC
connector and turn clockwise until it locks.
Earphone
Jack
Plug the supplied earphone into this jack
for private listening. When the earphone is
connected, the internal speaker is
disconnected.
Note the warning on the Inside Front Cover
and on page 11.
SQUELCH
Control
Adjust this control to set the scan threshold
and to eliminate the background rushing
noise heard in the absence of an incoming
signal. See the Operation Overview
section for adjustment procedures.
ON-OFF/
VOLUME
Control
Use this control to turn the scanner on or
off, and to adjust the volume.
VFO Control Use this control to select channels in
Manual mode, select the band for Band
Search, and select frequencies in
Band/Limit Search mode. You can also
use this to program Alpha
Name characters.
Front View
(Refer to the illustration on page iii)
1. LCD DISPLAY — The liquid crystal display (LCD)
shows the current channel and frequency. It also
displays the mode, status, and bank indicators.
A. Priority Channel Indicator —
P appears when
the scanner stops on a Priority Channel.
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B. Channel Number — Indicates the current
channel that the scanner is on.
C. Memory Bank Numbers — Each Memory Bank
consists of 10 channels that you can select or
deselect during scanning operation, using the
numeric keypad. When you select a Bank, its
number appears on the display. When you
deselect a Bank, its number disappears from the
display. When you press to stop
scanning, only the Bank of the current
channel appears.
D. Bank Indicator — Appears with the Bank
Numbers (1~10).
E. Frequency Indicator — Indicates the frequency
being received by the scanner, or Alpha
Name, etc.
G. Mode/Function Indicators —
(Only the active
mode(s)/function(s) are displayed during
operation.)
SCAN Indicates SCAN Mode.
SEARCH Indicates SEARCH Mode. Flashes
when in TURBO SEARCH Mode.
PRIORITY Indicates PRIORITY SCAN
is activated.
HOLD Indicates SCAN HOLD or SEARCH
HOLD Mode.
DELAY Indicates DELAY is activated.
L/O In SCAN Mode, indicates the
channel shown is “Locked Out”.
In SEARCH Mode, indicates the
frequency shown is “Locked Out”.
ATT Appears when the Attenuator
function is set.
Indicates the keypad is locked.
Appears when the display mode is
Alpha Name mode.
2. Press to start scanning all programmed
channels that are not locked out. (
SCAN moves
across the display during scanning.)
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3. In SCAN or SEARCH Mode, press to stop
scanning. (
HOLD appears on the display.)
In Manual mode, press to step up
the channel.
4. NUMERIC KEYPAD — Use these keys to program a
channel for scanning. Also use to access a channel
directly with . During SCAN Mode, use these
keys to select or deselect any of the 10 memory
banks. (Only the selected bank indicator(s) appear
on the display.)
Note:
You cannot deactivate all 10 banks at the
same time.
Key Bank Channel
1 1-10
2 11-20
3 21-30
4 31-40
5 41-50
6 51-60
7 61-70
8 71-80
9 81-90
10 91 - 100
5. Press /
BAND to start Limit search.
Press and hold /
BAND to select the band for
band search. Then press /
BAND again to start
band search.
6. Press to stop Band serch and Limit search.
Also, press it to move to next higher channel or
frequency. Press and hold to change the
search direction to upper side.
7. In Limit search, input the frequency and press
to program the lower/higher frequency. Press
to stop Band search and Limit search. Also, press it
to move to next lower channel or frequency. Press
and hold to change the search direction to
lower side.
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8. Press / ALERT to change the display mode when
you program frequency or Alpha characters. Press and
hold /
ALERT to set the Alert Beep function in
Manual mode.
9. Use /
CLR to enter the decimal point when
programming a frequency into a channel. If you
make an entry error, press /
CLR before the
key to erase the entry, and start over. Also, use
/
CLR to clear the error message display.
10. Press to store a displayed frequency and Alpha
characters into any displayed channel.
11. Press to “Lock Out” or prevent scanning of the
displayed channel, including Priority Channels. (
L/O
appears on the display.) To unlock a channel, press
again. can be used in Scan or
SEARCH Modes.
12. There are two AIR BAND STEPs in the AIRCRAFT
Range. Press /
ATT to switch the AIR BAND
STEPs to find the appropriate range in your area.
If you want to set or reset the Attenuator function,
press and hold /
ATT .
13. Press to turn ON or OFF the automatic 2-second
delay during scanning or searching for active
frequencies. (When delay is activated,
DELAY appears
on the display.) In this mode, when the scanner
monitors an active frequency, searching or scanning will
not resume until transmission stops for 2 seconds.
14. While Scanning, press /
TURBO to activate the
PRIORITY SCAN function. (
PRIORITY appears on the
display.) While Searching, press /
TURBO to
toggle between 100 steps and 300 steps per second.
(When in TURBO SEARCH is activated. SEARCH
flashes on the display.)
15. Press and hold until
appears on the
display. This disables the keypad and VFO control
and prevents any accidental key entries. To enable
the keypad, press and hold
until
disappears from the display.
16. Press to turn the LCD Back light on and off.
Press and hold for 2 seconds to make the
scanner turn the LCD Back Light on when a
transmission is found (Auto Light function).
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Setup
The AE180H comes with a rechargeable Nickel-Cadmium
Battery Pack. When fully charged, this Battery Pack will
supply up to 12 hours of dependable use. (With the
Squelch control in “closed” position.)
Before using the AE180H for the first time, or whenever the
LOW BATTERY Indicator appears on the LCD display, you
should fully charge the Battery Pack.
Note:
When the Battery Pack is low, the Low Battery
Indicator will start to blink. After about 10 minutes, the
scanner will shut itself off to prevent the battery from
becoming completely discharged.
Before charging, you must first install the Battery Pack
according to the steps below.
Charging the Battery Pack
1. Plug the AC Adapter/Charger (AD-235) into the
Charging Jack located on the left side of the AE180H.
You can use the scanner while it is charging.
WARNING! Use only the supplied AC
Adapter/ Charger. Any other AC adapter or
external power plug having over-voltage or
reversed polarity can cause overheating or
damage to the circuitry.
2. Plug the AC Adapter/Charger into a standard AC outlet.
To fully charge the battery, leave the Adapter/Charger
connected for 14 to 16 hours.
3. When charging is complete, disconnect the Adapter/
Charger from the AC outlet.
Note: Disconnect the AC Adapter/Charger from the
unit during a power failure.
Mounting the Flexible Antenna
Place the end of the antenna onto the BNC connector on
top of the scanner and turn clockwise until tight.
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Installing the Belt Clip
1. Place the Belt Clip on
the mounting area on
the back of the scanner,
making sure the holes in
the clip line up with the
threads in the back of
the scanner.
2. Insert the 2 screws into the corresponding holes
and tighten.
CAUTION: Do not tighten the screws too tight. You could
damage the case or clip.
Using the Earphone
The PHONE jack at the top of the AE180H is a standard
3.5mm stereo phone jack. You can use either the supplied
earphone, or a stereo headset of the proper impedance
(32W). The output of this jack is monaural audio, but you
will hear it in both headphones of a stereo headset.
IMPORTANT!
Be sure to use only the supplied earphone, or stereo
headset of the proper impedance (32W). Use of an
incorrect earphone or other impedance headset may be
potentially hazardous to your hearing.
WARNING: To avoid discomfort or possible
hearing damage, be sure to set the Volume
Control before plugging in the earphone or
proper headphones. A sudden opening of
the Squelch may cause unexpected
loud audio.
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Operation Overview
Note: Before operating the AE180H for the first time,
make sure you have fully charged the
Battery Pack.
1. Before turning on the scanner, rotate the Squelch
Control fully clockwise.
2. Turn the scanner on by rotating the On-Off/Volume
Control clockwise until you hear a click. Turn the
Volume Control a small amount clockwise to a low
listening level.
3. You should hear either a “rushing” noise or some
communications. If you are monitoring a transmission,
wait until it stops before adjusting the Squelch Control.
4. Readjust the volume to a comfortable listening level.
5. Turn the Squelch Control counterclockwise just until the
rushing noise disappears. At the squelch threshold, any
incoming signal just slightly stronger than the noise will
open the squelch. Any communication that is received
will open the Squelch, and stop scanning or Searching.
Note: If squelch is set too tight, that is, too far
counterclockwise from the threshold point, a much
stronger signal is required to open the squelch. If
squelch is set on a point clockwise from the threshold,
you will hear a constant sound (noise, if no signal is
present.) The scanner will not scan.
The AE180H has 100 memory channels, each of which can
be programmed to store one frequency. The channels are
divided into ten 10-channel banks, useful for storing similar
frequencies in order to maintain faster scanning cycles.
You can monitor communication in one of two ways:
nBANK SCAN If you have programmed channels, you
can scan all programmed channels in the selected
bank(s), except locked out channels. When the scanner
stops on an active frequency, it remains on that channel
as long as the transmission continues. When the
transmission stops, the AE180H resumes scanning. If
the Delay Function is on, the scanner remains on the
same channel for 2 more seconds, waiting for a
responding transmission. If there is no responding
transmission within 2 seconds, the scanning
cycle resumes.
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Any channels that are not programmed (000.0000) are
skipped during scan.
When the AE180H is in SCAN Mode, the display will look
something like this:
nSEARCH The Search function is
different from Scan.
When you select a frequency band to search, the
scanner searches for any active frequency within the
lower and upper limits of the band. Also, when you
program frequency range, you can search within the
frequency range. When an active frequency is found, the
scanner stops on that frequency as long as the
transmission lasts. If the Delay Function is on, the
scanner remains on the same channel for 2 more
seconds, waiting for a responding transmission. If there
is no responding transmission within 2 seconds, the
search cycle resumes.
When the AE180H is on SEARCH Mode, the display will
look something like this:
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Programming Channels
Before you can scan, you must program the channels
within a bank. You can store one frequency per channel, up
to 100 channels.
Note: If appears on the display (keypad Locked),
unlock the keypad by pressing and holding until
disappears
.
There are two ways to program a channel:
nManually select a channel and frequency, using the
numeric keypad.
nSearch a band to find an active frequency, and then
directly store it into a channel.
A. Programming By Manual Entry
1. Select a frequency from the appropriate
Frequency Directory.
Example: Program 125.2500 MHz into Channel 18.
2. Make sure the scanner is in the SCAN Mode. If it is in
the SEARCH Mode, press .
3. Press to stop scanning.
4. Press to go to Channel 18.
5. Enter the frequency number using the numeric keypad.
(Be sure to include the decimal point.)
.
If you make a mistake and want to clear the entry,
press twice and re-enter the frequency.
6. Press to store the entry. The frequency on the
display will blink twice to confirm the programming.
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7. If that frequency is already stored in another channel,
you will hear a “beep”, and the other channel number will
appear on the display. If you want to store the frequency
in the selected channel (18) as well, press again.
The frequency will blink twice to confirm the
programming. Or, you can press and enter another
frequency for the currently selected channel.
Note: Any frequency already stored in any channel will
automatically be replaced by the new one.
8. If you try to enter a frequency that is outside one of the
13 Bands, you will hear a “beep”, and the word “
Error ”
appears on the display.
Press and re-enter the correct frequency.
9. To program another channel, repeat the
above procedures.
Deleting a Stored Frequency
To delete a frequency from a channel:
1. Display the channel and frequency that is to be deleted.
2. Press on the numeric keypad.
3. Press . The current channel is erased, and the
display shows
000.0000 .
Note: That channel will be skipped during scanning.
B. Programming SEARCH
The Search feature enables you to rapidly search for active
frequencies within the specified band limits. When an
interesting frequency is found, you can store it into a
channel using the procedure below. For more information
about SEARCH Mode, see the section titled “Searching”.
1. Press and hold / BAND to enter the BAND
SEARCH Mode.
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2. Press and hold the / BAND key to display the
preprogrammed Search Bands. Use the and
keys or VFO control until you see the Band you want.
3. Wait for at least 2 seconds or press / BAND for
Search to begin. If you wish to change the search
direction, press and hold or to search in an
up or down direction.
4. When Search stops on a desired frequency, press
to stay on that frequency. The next available empty
channel to store the frequency will be blinking on
the display.
5. To store the displayed frequency into that channel,
press . The frequency will blink twice to confirm
the programming.
6. To store the displayed frequency into another channel:
a. Select the channel number with the numeric keys,
and press . The selected channel will appear
on the display. The frequency currently stored in the
channel will appear for 2 seconds and then will be
replaced by the frequency located from the search.
b. Press . The frequency will blink twice to
confirm the programming.
Note: If all channels have already been programmed and
key is pressed, “Full” is displayed. To program the
frequency, press key again. To cancel the
programming, press key.
Programming Channels with Alpha Characters
Use this feature to name channels (up to 100 channels) for
easy reference.
1. Select the channel.
2. Press / ALERT to go to the Alpha Name display,
“ ” appears on the display.
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3. Press . The Edit cursor flashes.
Note:
If the frequency of the channel has not been
programmed, you cannot program the Alpha Name on
the channel.
4. To select the edit position, press to move the Edit
cursor to the right or to move it to the left.
5. Select the character using VFO Control. Turn clockwise
tomove0-9,A-zandother characters and stop the
control at the letter you wish to store.
6. Repeat the steps 4 and 5 for all the characters you want
to program.
7. When you complete the input, press . The words
you have programmed flash twice.
Alert Beep Setting
When a transmission occurs on a channel on which you
have set the Alert Beep function, 2 beeps will let you know
that your “favorite” channel has been received.
You can set this function for each channel. Select a
channel, then press and hold /
ALERT to set this
function on a channel in Manual mode.
appears on the display. (Except Alpha Name display)
You cannot set this function for the channels which have
not programmed before.
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