Radio Shack PRO-433 User manual

Please read this user’s guide before installing,
setting up and using your new scanner.
www.radioshack.com
20-433
PRO-433 1,000 ch Trunking
Desktop/Mobile Scanner
Scanner AC adapter
DC cable with fuse Antenna
DIN sleeve Removal keys (2)
Mounting bracket Knobs (2)
Lock washers (2) Screws (2)
Rubber feet (4) User’s guide
Preprogrammed frequency sheet
Thank you for purchasing your PRO-433 1,000 Channel Trunking
Desktop/Mobile Scanner from RadioShack. Your scanner is one of
a new generation of scanners designed to track Motorola®Type I,
Type II, hybrid analog, and many other systems.
Quick Start
p. 4- 10

2
Contents
quick start 4
step 1: installing your scanner 4
step 2: power your scanner 5
step 3: connect your scanner 6
step 4: setting up your scanner 8
step 5: monitoring and scanning 10
the basics 11
your scanner’s controls 12
your scanner’s display 13
replacing the fuse 15
beyond the basics 16
channel-storage banks 16
priority channels 16
chain search 17
service bank search 18
weather search and alert 18
FIPS codes 19
Skywarn 20
Signal Stalker I 21
data skip 22
keytones 23
delay 23
memory lock 23
trunking operations 24
programming trunked frequencies 24
talk group ID 25
AFS Format 28
talk group ID search range (EDACS) 28
Status Bit (S-Bit) Ignore 29
trunk search and scan 30

3
Contents
type I and hybrid trunked systems 30
programming base and offset frequencies 33
Motorola disconnect tone detect function 34
special features 35
PC programming 35
scanner cloning 35
care 37
troubleshooting 37
resetting the scanner 38
service and repair 38
specifications 39
RF emissions information 40
limited one-year warranty 40

4
Quick Start
quick start
step 1: installing your scanner
You can mount your scanner as a base station or in your vehicle. If
you are unsure how to install your scanner in your vehicle, consult
your automobile manufacturer, dealer, or a qualified installer.
base station
Attach the four protective rubber feet to the mounting bracket
when you use the scanner as a base station on a flat surface such
as a desk, shelf, or table. Because the speaker is on the bottom
of the scanner, you can use the mounting bracket to elevate your
scanner off the surface for better sound.
vehicle mounting
To mount your scanner under or over the dashboard, use the
mounting bracket. Before installing, confirm that your scanner
fits in the desired mounting area and you have all the necessary
materials to complete the task.
IMPORTANT: AVOID AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT ZONES. This can
prevent the airbag from performing properly and result in injury.
1. Use the supplied mounting bracket as a template to mark
positions for the two mounting screws.
2. At the marked positions, drill holes slightly smaller than the
screws. When drilling holes, be sure to avoid obstructions and
wires behind the mounting surface.
3. Attach the mounting bracket to the surface using the supplied
screws.
4. Slide the scanner into the bracket, aligning the scanner’s holes
with the holes in the bracket, and then screw the mounting
knobs into the scanner.
4

5
Quick Start
Your scanner requires a 2 x 7-1/8 x 5-5/16 inch (50 x 180 x 135
mm) mounting area. Allow an additional 2-3/8 inch (60 mm) space
behind the scanner for connectors and wires.
1. Remove the four rear screws that secure the outer metal case
and pull off the case with care.
2. Insert the DIN sleeve into the opening in your dashboard, lip
facing out.
3. Push out the top and bottom tabs to hold the sleeve firmly in
place.
4. Slowly slide the scanner into the sleeve until it locks in place.
•When mounting in your dashboard, you will need to
connect an external antenna and an external speaker.
•To remove your scanner from the DIN sleeve, insert the
two removal keys straight into the scanner’s front panel
and pull the scanner out.
step 2: power your scanner
You can power your scanner from a wall outlet, through your
vehicle’s ignition, or from your vehicle’s cigarette lighter or power
port. You must use a Class 2 power source that supplies 12V DC
and delivers at least 500mA. Its center tip must be set to positive
and its plug must fit the scanner’s DC 12V jack. Using an adapter
that does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner
or the adapter.
wall outlet
To prevent electric shock,
do not use the AC adapter’s
polarized plug with an
extension cord, receptacle,
or other outlet unless you
can fully insert the blades.
1. Connect the tip of the supplied AC adapter to the DC 12V jack.
2. Plug the AC adapter into your wall outlet.
5
DC 12V
Power source connection.
NOTES

6
Quick Start
vehicle cigarette lighter or power port
To power your scanner from your vehicle’s 12V power source,
use a 12V DC cigarette-lighter adapter (not supplied, available at
RadioShack).
If you use a cigarette-lighter adapter, you might hear some
electrical interference from your engine while scanning.
This is normal.
vehicle ignition (negative ground only)
If you are not experienced in connecting accessories to
the vehicle fuse box, use a certified installer.
1. Disconnect the cable from the negative (-) terminal of your
vehicle’s battery.
2. Ground the black wire of the supplied DC power cord to your
vehicle’s chassis. The grounding screw must make complete
contact with the metal frame of your vehicle.
3. Connect the red wire of the supplied DC power cord to a
voltage source that turns on and off with the ignition switch,
such as a spare accessory terminal in your vehicle’s fuse box.
4. Insert the adapter’s barrel plug into the scanner’s DC 12V jack.
5. Reconnect the cable to the negative (-) terminal of your
vehicle’s battery.
step 3: connect your scanner
ANT
Antenna connection.
EXT SP
External speaker connection.
NOTE
NOTE

7
Quick Start
antenna
Expand the antenna according to the
frequencies you want to montitor:
Frequency..................................... Antenna Length
25-174 MHz .....................Extend fully (4 segments)
400-512 MHz ................... Extend half (2 segments)
806-1300 MHz ................Collapse fully (1 segment)
The scanner’s ANT jack supports a variety of
antennae (available at RadioShack).
•An external antenna is optional if
you use your scanner as a base
station. If you mount your scanner
in your vehicle, you will need to
connect an external antenna.
•The antenna should be as high
as possible and vertical for best
performance.
•Keep the antenna and cable as far as possible from
sources of electrical noise, such as appliances or other
radios.
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. You also may need a BNC adapter
(not supplied).
external speaker
To use an external speaker (available at your local RadioShack
store), plug the speaker’s 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) plug into the scanner’s
EXT SP jack.
Connecting an external speaker mutes the scanner’s
internal speaker.
ANT
Match the
antenna
connector
arrow to
the ANT
jack’s upper
projection.
CAUTION: Use extreme caution when installing or removing
an outdoor antenna. If the antenna starts to fall, let it go! If the
antenna touches a power line, touching 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.
NOTES
NOTE

8
Quick Start
step 4: setting up your scanner
turning on your scanner
To turn on your scanner, turn the VOLUME knob clockwise
until it clicks. To set the squelch, turn the SQUELCH knob fully
counterclockwise, then rotate it clockwise until the hissing sound
stops.
storing frequencies in channels
Your scanner comes with 150 preprogrammed frequencies. You
can manually store frequencies using a frequency guide such as
the “RadioShack Police Call Guide including Fire and Emergency
Services, and Official Aeronautical Frequency Directory.”
1. Press E/PGM. PGM appears in the display.
2Enter the channel number where you want to store a frequency.
3. Press SCAN/MANUAL.
4. Enter the frequency including the decimal point.
5. Press E/PGM to store the frequency. The scanner automatically
rounds the entered number to the nearest valid frequency. For
example, 151.473 (MHz) becomes 151.475.
If you entered a frequency that is already saved on
another channel, the scanner beeps and displays the
channel. Press . /CLR /DELAY to exit, or press E/PGM to
store the frequency on both channels.
copying / moving frequencies
To copy or move a frequency, complete the following steps:
1. Press or to select the channel that contains the frequency,
and press E/PGM.
2. Press and hold E/PGM. The scanner copy/move menu appears.
3. Press or to select Copy or Move, then press E/PGM.
NOTE

9
Quick Start
4. Select the target bank. The smallest empty channel number
flashes over the frequency.
5. Press or to access the target channel.
6. Press E/PGM. If there is no empty channel, the scanner
automatically selects the first channel of the bank.
To cancel the copy or move, press . /CLR /DELAY.
searching for frequencies
You can search for frequencies up or down using direct search.
1. Press and hold SRCH. SRCH appears in the display.
2. (Optional) To set a starting frequency, press HOLD and enter
the frequency.
3. Press or to begin searching up or down the frequencies.
4. (Optional) To avoid unwanted frequencies, you can skip up to
200 specified frequencies during a search. To skip a frequency,
press L/O when the scanner finds the frequency.
•You cannot skip frequencies during a weather service
search.
•If you skip all frequencies within the search range, the
scanner cannot search.
•If you try to skip more than 200 frequencies, the
scanner will stop skipping the earliest skipped
frequencies.
To clear a skipped frequency, complete the following steps:
1. Press HOLD/RESUME to stop the search.
2. Select the frequency. L/O appears.
3. Press L/O. L/O disappears.
4. (Optional) To clear all the skipped frequencies, press HOLD/
RESUME, then hold down L/O until the scanner beeps twice.
NOTES

10
Quick Start
step 5: monitoring and scanning
monitoring
To monitor a channel, press SCAN/MANUAL while the scanner is
pausing on the channel, or stop the scanning by pressing SCAN/
MANUAL, enter the channel number, and press SCAN/MANUAL.
scanning
To scan, press SCAN/MANUAL. When the scanner finds a
transmission, it monitors the transmission until it ends.
•If you have not stored frequencies into any channels,
the scanner cannot scan.
•If the scanner picks up weak transmissions, turn
SQUELCH clockwise to decrease the scanner’s
sensitivity to these signals. To listen to a weak or
distant station, turn SQUELCH counterclockwise.
Press SCAN/MANUAL to stop scanning, or press HOLD/RESUME
to pause the scan without losing your position.
earphones / headphones
For private listening, you can plug earphones or headphones into
your scanner’s headphone jack. Do not use headphones with your
scanner when operating a motor vehicle in or near traffic. Doing so
can create a traffic hazard and could be illegal in some areas. Some
headphones let you hear some outside sounds when listening at
normal volume levels, but they still can present a traffic hazard.
To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines for 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,
then adjust the volume to a comfortable level.
•After 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.
NOTES

11
The Basics
the basics
A frequency is the tuning location of a station. A channel is a
programmable memory location for storing frequencies that
you can scan for activity. Channels are grouped into 10 channel-
storage banks, each of which contains 100-channels. Service banks
are preset channel-storage banks of frequencies used by HAM
operators, marine, aircraft, and police (fire/emergency) services.
For example, many amateur radio frequencies are located in the
HAM service bank.
Your scanner provides many features that help you locate,
monitor, and organize useful transmissions in your area, including
frequencies used by police and fire departments, ambulance
services, government agencies, private companies, amateur
radio services, military operations, pager services, and wireline
(telephone and telegraph) service providers.
This scanner is designed to prevent reception of illegal
transmissions, in compliance with laws that require that scanners
be manufactured 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 penalties.
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),
as amended, 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
communication (unless such activity is otherwise illegal).
We encourage responsible, legal scanner use.

12
The Basics
your scanner’s controls
SCAN/MANUAL
Starts and stops channel scans, or lets you
directly enter a frequency or channel number.
SRCH
Searches for frequencies, or active talk group IDs.
SVC
Starts a service bank search.
TRUNK
Accesses trunk tracking and stores trunked frequencies.
WX /
Controls weather searches and activates the Skywarn function.
MENU
Accesses the scanner menu, which appears in the display.
PRI
Activates and sets the priority features.
L/O
Locks out selected channels, skips specified talk group IDs and
frequencies during a search.
Accesses the Signal Stalker I function.
SQUELCH
Adjusts the squelch.
VOLUME
Turns on the scanner and
adjusts the volume.
PC/IF
PC interface cable connection.
Headphone connection.

13
The Basics
Number keys
Enter a channel, a frequency, or an ID number.
HAM
Selects the ham band when in service mode.
MRN
Selects the marine band when in service mode.
AIR
Selects the air band when in service mode.
POL
Selects the police band when in service mode.
ALERT
Activates the NWR-SAME weather alert.
CLR /DELAY
Clears error messages, or accesses the delay feature.
E/PGM
Stores frequencies into channels, and programs the trunking
frequency, fleet map, and ID memories.
DM/M-LOCK
Lets you set the display brightness, or locks the
memory. To set the brightness of the display
backlight select BRIGHT, DIMMER or OFF.
or
Searches or scans up and down, or selects options.
HOLD /RESUME
Stops and resumes searching.
your scanner’s display
BANK
Indicates active channel-storage banks
(1–10) or talk group ID lists (trunking).
TRUNK
Appears during trunking operations.
P
Indicates priority channels and talk
groups.

14
The Basics
DATA
Appears when the data skip function is active, and in the trunking
mode when the dis connect tone detect function is off.
Appears when Signal Stalker I is active.
SCAN
Appears during channel scan.
LIST
Appears with numbers (1–5) during trunking. A bar indicates which
ID scan list banks are turned on for scanning.
SRCH
Appears during chain, direct, and ID searches.
SVC
Appears during Service Search mode.
PRI
Appears when the priority feature is turned on.
HOLD
Appears during chain, direct, service, and ID searches, and ID
monitor holds, and flashes while the scanner is temporarily
monitoring a programmed ID.
DLY
Appears when you select a Delay option.
L/O
Appears when you manually select a locked out channel and talk
group.
M-LOCK
Appears when you select a memory lock option.
Appears when you select a Skywarn channel.
PGM
Appears while you store a frequency into a channel, enter a
frequency range during a chain search, or program trunking
frequencies, fleet maps, or ID memories while trunking.

15
The Basics
or
Indicates the search direction during a chain, direct, or service
search, and normal and weather scan.
ALERT
Appears when the weather alert is turned on, or flashes when the
scanner detects an alert coded signal.
M, E or L
Indicates the trunking system: Motorola (M), EDACS (E), or LTR (L).
CH
Indicates the current channel.
replacing the fuse
To replace your scanner’s fuse, turn off the scanner and your
vehicle’s ignition, then replace the fuse only with another fuse of
the same type and rating (1-amp, fast-acting glass fuse).

16
Beyond the Basics
beyond the basics
channel-storage banks
The scanner displays the channel-storage bank number while
scanning a channel. You can turn off a bank by pressing the bank’s
number, but one bank must always be active. To increase scanning
speed, you can lock out channels with continuous transmission,
such as weather channels or birdies. Birdies are internally
generated signals inherent in the electronics of the receiver. If your
scanner stops during scan mode and no sound is heard, it may be
receiving a birdie.
To lock out a channel, manually select the channel, then press L/O.
L/O appears in the display. To unlock a channel, press L/O when the
scanner stops on the channel or manually select the channel and
press L/O. L/O disappears. To unlock all channels in the banks that
are turned on, press HOLD/RESUME to stop scanning, then hold
down L/O until the scanner beeps twice.
You can manually select locked-out channels.
priority channels
You can set one priority channel for each bank. The scanner checks
the current priority channel every 2 seconds. To activate the priority
feature, press PRI. PRI appears in the display. To turn off the priority
feature, press PRI again.
If you have locked out all priority channels, CH Loc Out
appears when you activate the priority feature.
Each bank’s first channel is the priority channel by default. To
change a priority channel, complete the following steps:
1. Press E/PGM.
2. Enter the number for the priority channel, and press PRI. P
appears to the right of the selected channel number. Press PRI
to review all priority channels.
NOTE
NOTE

17
Beyond the Basics
chain search
Chain search lets you search through preset frequency ranges and
store found frequencies. You can also modify each range.
At least one bank must be active. If you disable all the
banks, the error tone beeps.
1. Press SRCH. SRCH appears.
2. (Optional) Press 0 – 9 to enable / disable search banks:
Bank No. Frequency (MHz) Step (kHz)
1...................................................29.0000 – 54.0000..............................5
2 ..................................................137.0000 – 147.9950..........................5
3...................................................179.7500 – 215.7500....................6000
4...................................................216.0000 – 224.9950..........................5
5...................................................225.0000 – 399.9875.....................12.5
6...................................................400.0000 – 449.99375...................6.25
7...................................................450.0000 – 469.99375...................6.25
8...................................................470.0000 – 512.0000.....................6.25
9...................................................806.0000 – 956.0000.....................12.5
10.................................................1240.0000 – 1300.0000.................12.5
3. Press or to search up or down.
4. When the scan pauses, press HOLD/RESUME. To step through
the frequencies, press or .
5. To save a frequency, press E/PGM. The bank numbers flash.
6. Enter the target bank number. The smallest empty channel
number flashes over the frequency.
7. Press or to select to target channel.
8. Press E/PGM.
To program a search range, complete the following steps:
1. During a chain search, press and hold E/PGM. The lowest and
the highest frequencies of Bank 1 appear alternately.
2. Press the number of the bank you want to change. The lower
frequency range appears.
NOTE

18
Beyond the Basics
3. Enter the lower limit frequency, and then press E/PGM.
4. Press or to change to the upper limit frequency.
5. Enter the upper limit frequency, and then press E/PGM.
6. When you finish programming frequency ranges, press SRCH.
service bank search
You can search preprogrammed frequencies allocated to HAM,
marine, aircraft, or police (fire/emergency) transmissions. To use
service bank search, complete the following steps:
1. Press SVC. The most recently used service symbol appears
and the scanner starts searching.
2. To select a different service bank, press 1/HAM, 2/MRN, 3/AIR
or 4/POL. The selected service symbol appears.
3. Press or to search up or down.
It can take several minutes to search all the service
frequencies.
weather search and alert
The National Oceanic and Aerospace Administration (NOAA)
broadcasts Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) alerts with
digitally-encoded data, including the alert severity. This scanner
detects SAME signals and displays the alert severity.
You cannot scan frequencies and monitor for weather alerts at the
same time. To start weather scan, complete the following steps:
1. Press WX. WX appears in the display.
2. Press or to change the search direction.
3. To stop the search, press HOLD/RESUME. HOLD appears.
4. To set the weather alert, press 6/ALERT. ALERT appears. This
mutes the audio until the scanner receives a SAME alert.
NOTE

19
Beyond the Basics
When the scanner receives a SAME-coded signal, ALERT flashes
one of the following codes to indicate the alert level:
L1.................................................................................................... Warning
L2........................................................................................................ Watch
L3................................................................................................... Advisory
WXA ...................................................................... Weather Alert (1050 Hz)
To activate tones for the alert levels, press WX to activate the
weather service, then hold down ALERT for about 1 second. Each
alert code appears as its tone sounds. Press any key to end the test
sequence.
FIPS codes
To limit weather alerts to specific areas, you can program FIPS
codes for those areas. The scanner can be set to either, alert for all
areas, or only the areas you have programmed.
SAME uses a standard established by the US Census bureau, called
FIPS. The format of a FIPS code is PSSCCC, where:
P......................................................... area subdivision (0=entire area)
SS .................................................................State code (00=all states)
CCC..................................................... County code (000=all counties)
For example, the FIPS code for Tarrant County, Texas is:
048439 (48=Texas; 439=Tarrant County)
1. During weather scan, press HOLD.
2. Press E/PGM. The scanner enters FIPS programming mode.
If the scanner is set to alert for all FIPS, ALLFIPS appears on
the display. If the scanner is set to alert only the area you have
programmed, F1 appears.
3. To set the scanner to scan all FIPS codes, press or to move
ALLFIPS. Then press E/PGM. Then go to WX hold mode.
4. To program a FIPS code, press or to select a displayed FIPS
code (F1 to F15), and enter the FIPS code using the numbered
keypad.
5. Press E/PGM to store the FIPS code. If an invalid value has
been inputted, the FIPS code is cleared.

20
Beyond the Basics
Skywarn
Skywarn jumps directly to the last channel in memory from any
mode. The scanner pauses any active scans and starts receiving
transmissions in the last channel. If no frequency is programmed in
the last channel, No Prog appears and the scanner sounds an error
tone.
During inclement weather, reports made by Skywarn observers
include information about:
•pea-sized and larger hail
•wind and wind gusts 40 MPH and greater
•heavy rainfall
•lightning (cloud-to-cloud and especially cloud-to-ground)
•wall clouds (which can spawn tornadoes)
•severe lowering of a wall cloud
•turbulence in a wall cloud
•funnel clouds
•tornadoes
•high water areas
•downed power lines
•other emergency conditions that affect life or property
Skywarn broadcasts can help you prepare for inclement weather
conditions in your immediate area, even before your local NOAA
weather broadcast and local TV or radio station can announce
them. Enter the local Skywarn frequency for your area into Channel
1000 on your scanner. Then, listen to Skywarn first when severe
weather threatens. Listen to NOAA for weather alerts and warnings,
watch box notices, and weather-forecasts. Listen to Skywarn to
hear trained observers in your vicinity call in official reports to a
net control station which relays those reports to NOAA and other
emergency agencies.
If you tune to a Skywarn frequency when the Skywarn
net is not active, you may hear nothing, or you may
hear amateur radio operators talking on a local repeater
system.
NOTE