Radio Shack PRO-528 User manual

Please read this user’s guide before installing,
setting up and using your new product
www.radioshack.com
20-528
PRO-528 1,000-Channel
Handheld
Trunking Scanner

2
Contents
Thank you for purchasing your
RadioShack 1000-Channel Handheld
Trunking Scanner from RadioShack.
Your handheld scanner is one of a new
generation of scanners designed to
track Motorola® Type I, Type II, hybrid
analog systems, (such as Smartnet® and
Privacy Plus®) plus M/A-COM EDACS®
and EF Johnson LTR. Those systems are
extensively used in many 800 MHz, 900
MHz, and UHF communication systems.
• scanner • antenna
• belt clip (2) screws
• user’s guide
• quick start guide
• preprogrammed frequency guide

3
Contents
The Basics
your scanner’s features 8
supplying power to your scanner 14
battery cautions 15
connecting the antenna 16
connecting an earphone/ headphone 16
listening safely 17
attaching the belt clip 17
transferring data to or from another
scanner or pc 18
about your scanner 18
understanding banks 19
service banks 19
channel storage banks 20
turning on the scanner and setting
squelch 20
storing known frequencies
into channels 21
Beyond the Basics
copying/moving a frequency 22
searching for and temporarily storing
active frequencies 23
chain search 24
starting chain search 25
storing found frequencies during
chain search 26
programming search ranges 26
direct search 27
service bank search 27
weather search 28

4
Contents
search skip memory 28
scanning the stored channels 30
manually selecting a channel 31
special features 32
delay 32
turning channel-storage banks
on and off 33
locking out channels 33
priority 34
using the keylock 35
wired programming 36
cloning your scanner 37
using the display backlight 38
using the auto backlight display 38
search speeds 39
turning the keytone off/on 39
turning the battery save
function off/on 40
skipping data signals 40
receiving nwr-same and weather
alert signals 41
turning on the digital weather
alert feature 42
testing digital weather alert tone 42
programming a FIPS code 43
programming FIPS 44
Skywarn 45
about Skywarn 45
Signal Stalker I 47
setting the Signal Stalker I options 48

5
Contents
using Signal Stalker I 51
trunking operation 51
setting the scanner to the
trunking mode 52
simultaneous trunking 52
setting squelch for the trunking
mode 52
programming trunked frequencies 53
searching a trunked bank 56
turning a trunked bank on or off 57
skipping a trunked bank 58
turning the status bit ignore
(s-bit) on or off 58
identifying a trunked frequency 59
selecting the EDACS (Ed) talk
group ID format 60
EDACS (Ed) talk group ID
range search 60
using HOLD to monitor an
active talk group ID 61
locking out talk group IDs 61
unlocking a single talk group ID 62
unlocking all talk group IDs 62
using trunk scanning Scan Delay 63
monitoring talk group IDs 63
using talk group ID lists 64
manually storing talk group IDs
in talk group ID lists 64
Motorola talk groups 65
To enter a Type 2 Talk Group ID: 65
To enter a Type 1 ID: 65

6
Contents
EDACS (Ed) talk groups 66
entering EDACS partial talk groups 66
LTR talk groups 67
scanning the talk group ID lists 68
priority talk group ID scanning 69
scanning type I and hybrid trunked
systems 70
preset fleet maps table 71
selecting a preset fleet map 74
programming a fleet map 74
programming a hybrid system 76
programming the Base and Offset
frequencies 76
turning the Motorola disconnect tone
detect function On/Off 78
frequently asked questions 80
My scanner is on but will not
scan, why? 80
Why won’t my scanner work at all? 80
Why doesn’t my keypad work? 81
Why is flashing? 81
Why am I getting poor or no
reception? 81
Why does Error appear? 81
Why won’t my scanner track a
trunked system? 81
Why isn’t my scanner acquiring a
data channel? 82
Why is the frequency used for the
data channel missing? 82

7
Contents
Why am I missing replies to
conversations? 82
How do I reset my scanner? 83
FCC notice 84
scanning legally 85
care 86
service and repair 86
specifications 87
Hypersearch, Hyperscan, and Adaptaplug
are trademarks used by RadioShack
Corporation.
Motorola, Smartnet, and Privacy Plus are
registered trademarks of Motorla Inc.
EDACS is a registered trademark of
MA-COM Inc.
LTR is a registered trademark of EF
Johnson.

8
The Basics
SCAN/MANUAL — scans the stored channels
and scan lists, or manually enter a channel
or frequency. Manually stores talk group
IDs in scan lists
SRCH (search)
— start a chain
search, search
a specified
frequency
range , or
search another
active ID while
trunking.
SVC — starts a
service.
TRUNK — stores
the trunking ID
code or holds
the trunking ID
while scanning.
your scanner’s features

9
The Basics
WX/ —
starts weather
search;
activates
Skywarn
function.
HOLD/RESUME
— Stops and
resumes
searching.
ST—Search
and scan up
and down
a selected
frequency
range; selects
options during
programming;
changes the
ID location
number while
trunking.

10
The Basics
PRI (Priority)
— sets and
turns the priority
function on or
off.
MENU — enter the
menu mode.
L/O — lockout
selected
channels or
skip specified
frequencies
during a search;
lock out a
selected ID
while trunking.
— turn
Signal Stalker I
on and off.
E/PGM (Program) — programs
frequencies into channels.

11
The Basics
2/MRN (Marine)
— select the
marine band in
service mode.
1/HAM — select the
HAM band in service
mode.
3/AIR — select
the air band in
service mode.
4/POL — select
the police band
in service mode.
6/ALERT — turns
NWR - SAME
weather alert on
and off.

12
The Basics
•/CLR/DELAY — enter
a decimal point,
space, or programs
delay time for the
selected channel/
search bank, or
enters a hyphen
(in trunking ID
setting). Press CLR
to clear an entry.
Programs a 2-
second delay for a
selected channel or
service; programs
a 2-second delay
while trunking.
0-9 — input
a number or
characters.
/KEYLOCK — locks
the keypad to prevent
changes; turns the
display and key
backlight on and off.

13
The Basics
POWER DC 9V —
connect an external
power source here
(not included).
PC/IF — connect an
optional PC interface
cable here to use the
scanner with your
computer.
VOLUME — turn
the scanner
on or off and
adjust the
volume.
— connect
an earphone or
headphone here.
SQUELCH — adjust the
squelch.

14
The Basics
supplying power to your
scanner
You can power your scanner with batteries,
DC adapter, or an AC adapter.
Warning: Only set the ALKALINE eJACK
fNiMH switch to NiMH for use with
nickel metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable
batteries. Never use non-rechargeable
batteries when the switch is set to NiMH.
1. Set the ALKALINE eJACK fNiMH
switch inside the battery compartment
to the appropriate setting.
• ALKALINE when using alkaline
batteries (not included).
Caution: You must use a Class 2 power
source that supplies 9V DC and delivers at
least 300mA. Its center tip must be set to
positive and its plug must fit the scanner’s
DC 9V 300mA jack. Using an adapter that
does not meet these specifications could
damage the scanner or the adapter.
• NiMH when using rechargeable (NiMH)
AA batteries (not included). The

15
The Basics
scanner stops charging automatically
after 14 hours when the DC jack is
connected to power.
battery cautions
• Use only fresh batteries of the required
size and recommended type.
• Always remove old or weak batteries.
Batteries can leak chemicals that
damage electronic circuits.
• Do not mix old and new batteries,
different types of batteries (standard,
alkaline, or rechargeable), or
rechargeable batteries of different
capacities.
• When the battery icon flashes
and the scanner beeps every 15
seconds, replace all four batteries.
• Always dispose of old batteries
promptly and properly. Do not bury or
burn them.
Warning: Do not connect a charging
adapter to the scanner if non-rechargeable
batteries (such as alkaline batteries) are
installed in the scanner and ALKALINE e
JACK fNiMH is set to NiMH, or if you
are unsure of the switch’s position. Non-
rechargeable batteries will get hot and can
even explode if you try to recharge them.

16
The Basics
• Always connect the AC adapter to the
scanner before you connect it to AC
power. When you finish, disconnect
the adapter from AC power before you
disconnect it from the scanner.
connecting the antenna
Attach the supplied
antenna to the
scanner by align
the slots around its
base with the tabs
on the scanner,
then slide into
place.
When using an external antenna, always
use 50-ohm, RG-58, or RG-8, coaxial cable
to connect to it. 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/
headphone
For private listening, you can plug
headphones (not included) into the
headphone jack on top of your scanner.
This automatically disconnects the internal
speaker. Note that the sound is “mono” and
not stereo.

17
The Basics
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.
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.
attaching the belt clip
Use a Phillips-head
screwdriver and the
supplied screws to
attach the clip to the
scanner.

18
The Basics
transferring data to or from
another scanner or pc
You can transfer the programmed data to
and from another PRO-528 scanner using a
connecting cable which has 1/8-inch phone
plugs on both ends (not supplied). Connect
the cable between each scanner’s PC/IF
jacks. See “cloning your scanner”. You can
also upload or download the programmed
data to or from a PC using an optional
PC interface cable and software available
through your local RadioShack store. See
“wired programming.”
about your scanner
We use a few simple terms in this manual
to explain the features of the scanner.
Familiarize yourself with these terms and
the scanner’s features, 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 those communications.
The scanner scans conventional
frequencies and trunked systems. For more
information about trunked transmissions
(see “trunking operation”).
A frequency, expressed in kHz or MHz,
is the tuning location of a station. To find
active frequencies, you use the search
function.

19
The Basics
Besides searching within a selected
frequency range, you can also search your
scanner’s service banks. Service banks are
preset groups of frequencies categorized
by the type of services that use those
frequencies. For example, many amateur
radio frequencies are located in the HAM
service bank.
When you search and find a desired
frequency, you can store it into a
programmable memory location called
a channel. Channels are grouped into
channel-storage banks. The scanner has 10
channel-storage banks. Each bank contains
100-channel sets. So the scanner has
1,000 channels. You can scan the channel-
storage banks to see if there is activity on
the frequencies stored there.
Note: You search frequencies
when you want to find your local
frequencies and scan channels
after you programmed your found
frequencies.
understanding banks
service banks
The scanner is preprogrammed with all the
frequencies allocated to the ham, marine,
aircraft, and police (fire/emergency)
services. This helps you quickly find active
frequencies instead of doing a chain
search (see “service bank search”).
Notes

20
The Basics
channel storage banks
To make it easier to identify and select
the channels you want to listen to, all the
channels are divided into 10 banks of 100
channels. Use each channel-storage bank
to group frequencies, such as those for
the police department, fire department,
ambulance services, or aircraft.
For example, the police department might
use four frequencies in your town while
the fire department uses an additional
four. You could program the four police
frequencies starting with Channel 1 (the
first channel in bank 1), and program the
fire department frequencies starting with
Channel 101 (the first channel in bank 2).
turning on the scanner and
setting squelch
Note: Make sure the scanner’s
antenna is connected before you turn
it on.
1. Turn SQUELCH fully counterclockwise.
2. Turn VOLUME/OFF clockwise until it
clicks and you hear a hissing sound.
3. Turn SQUELCH clockwise until the
hissing stops.
Notes