Radio Shack PRO-650 User manual

2000650 / PRO-650
User’s Guide
This user’s guide is available in Spanish at
www.radioshack.com.
Esta guía del usuario está disponible en español en
www.radioshack.com.
Desktop
RaDio scanneR
Thank you for purchasing your
Desktop Radio Scanner from
RadioShack. Please read this user’s
guide before setting up and using
your new scanner

2 3
Contents
Package Contents ..................................................... 3
Scanning Legally........................................................ 3
Features..................................................................... 4
Scanner Basics........................................................... 5
Setup ......................................................................... 6
Connecting the Antenna ..................................................6
Connecting a Speaker or Headphones ............................6
Powering Your Scanner ....................................................7
Turning on the Scanner ....................................................7
Turning Off the Key Tone .................................................7
Understanding the Display...............................................8
Understanding the Keypad ............................................10
Configuring Your Scanner ....................................... 12
Preprogrammed Frequencies.........................................12
Programming Channels..................................................12
Programming with a Computer......................................13
Cloning Programmed Data ............................................13
Searching for Frequencies....................................... 14
Service Bank Search .......................................................14
Storing Found Frequencies ............................................15
Birdie Frequencies..........................................................15
Scanning Stored Channels .............................................16
Monitoring a Channel.....................................................17
Locking Out Channels ....................................................18
Clearing a Stored Channel .............................................19
Weather Features .................................................... 20
Receiving All Weather Alerts......................................... 20
Receiving Alerts for Specific Areas ............................... 20
Skywarn™...................................................................... 22
Additional Information ............................................ 23
Care ............................................................................... 23
Initializing the Scanner .................................................. 23
Service and Repair......................................................... 23
Preprogrammed Frequency List.................................... 24
Service Banks ................................................................ 26
Specifications................................................................. 29
FCC Notice.................................................................... 30
Limited Warranty ........................................................... 30
Package Contents
• Scanner
• Antenna
• ACAdapter
• User’sGuide
• QuickStartGuide
Scanning Legally
Yourscannercoversfrequenciesusedbymanydierent
groupsincludingpoliceandredepartments,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),asamended,youaresubjecttones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).
This scanner is designed to prevent reception of illegal
transmissions,incompliancewiththelawwhichrequires
that scanners be manufactured in such a way as to not be
easilymodiabletopickupthosetransmissions.Donot
openyourscanner’scasetomakeanymodicationsthat
could allow it to pick up transmissions that are not legal to
listento.Doingsocouldsubjectyoutolegalpenalties.
Insomeareas,mobileuseofthisscannerisunlawful
orrequiresapermit.Checkthelawsinyourarea.We
encourageresponsible,legalscanneruse.

4 5
Features
Your new PRO-650 Desktop Scanner lets you scan
conventionaltransmissions,andispreprogrammedwith
search banks for convenience. By pressing a one touch
searchkey,youcanquicklysearchthosefrequencies
most commonly used by public service and other
agencies without tedious and complicated programming.
Thisscannergivesyoudirectaccesstoover26,000
excitingfrequencies,includingthoseusedbyambulance
services,aircraft,andamateurradioservices,marine,
civilairpatrol,VHFandUHFbusinessbands,government
frequenciesandsomepoliceandredepartments.
Your scanner also has these special features:
One-Touch Service Search Banks –Lets you search
presetfrequenciesinseparatemarine,re/police,
aircraft,ham,FMRadioandweatherbands.
Display Backlight –Easytoreadinlow-lightsituations.
Lockout Function –Letsyouskipspeciedchannelsor
frequencies when scanning or searching.
Ten Channel-Storage Banks – You can store 20
channelsineachbank(200totalchannels),lettingyou
group channels so you can more easily identify calls.
SAME/FIPS Weather Alert – Displays weather events for
the county or counties that you choose.
Memory Backup – Keeps the frequencies stored in
memory for an extended time.
Scan Delay –Delaysscanningforabout2seconds,so
that you can hear replies on the same channel.
Priority Channel – Lets you set the scanner to check
one channel every 2 seconds so that you do not miss
transmissions on that channel.
Data Cloning – Lets you transfer the programmed data
to another PRO-650 scanner.
External Antenna Connector – Lets you connect an
externalantenna(notsupplied)withaBNCconnectorfor
improvedreceptionofdistant/weakersignals.
Scanner Basics
Afteryoufamiliarizeyourselfwithyourscanner’sfeatures
you can then set up your scanner.
Frequencies
Afrequencyisthewavebandofthetransmittingsignal
(expressedinkHzorMHz).YourPro-650receivesarange
of analog frequencies; the best resource for your local
frequencies is www.radioreference.com.
Also,youcanuseyourscanner’ssearchfunctionstond
active frequencies in your area.
Your PRO-650 scanner can receive these bands:
Frequency Range Types of Transmissions
29–54MHz 10-MeterHam,VHFLo,6-MeterHam
87.3–107.9MHz FMBroadcast
108–136.99166MHz Aircraft
137–174MHz MilitaryLandMobile,2-MeterHam,
VHFHi
380–512MHz UHFAircraft,FederalGovernment,
70-cmHam,UHFStandard,UHF“T”
n Note: See “Specications” on page 29 for more
information about frequency steps.
Channels
Channelsarestorageareasforfrequenciessavedinyour
scanner’smemory.Eachsavedfrequencyisassigneda
channel.
Banks
Abankisastorageareaforagroupofchannels.Your
scannerprovides10banks(1to10)thatcaneachstore
upto20channels,foratotalof200channels.Youcanuse
thebankstogroupandorganizefrequencies.
Forexample,youcouldprogramthefrequenciesusedby
yourlocalpolicedepartmentstartingwithChannel1(the
rstchannelinbank1)andprogramtheredepartment
frequenciesstartingwithChannel21(therstchannelin
bank2).

6 7
Setup
Connecting the Antenna
Toattachthesuppliedtelescopicantenna,insertthe
antenna in the hole on the top of the scanner and turn
the antenna clockwise to tighten.
Connecting an Outdoor Antenna
To connect an externalantenna,followtheinstallation
instructionssuppliedwiththeantenna.Use50Ohm
coaxialcable,suchasRG-58orRG-8.Forlengthsover
50feet,useRG-8low-lossdielectriccoaxialcable.If
theantennacable’sconnectordoesnothaveaBNC
connector,youwillalsoneedaBNCadapter(availableat
your local RadioShackstore).
wWarning: Use extreme caution when installing or removing
an outdoor antenna. If the antenna starts to fall, let it go! It could
contact overhead power lines. 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.
Connecting a Speaker or Headphones
Youcanpluganampliedspeakerorheadphones
(notsupplied)withÇinch(3.5mm)mini-plugintothe
HEADPHONEjackonthebackofthescanner.This
automatically disconnects the internal speaker.
Note:Useanampliedspeakerwiththisscanner.Non-
ampliedspeakersdonotprovidesucientvolumefor
comfortable listening.
Listening Safely
Toprotectyourhearing,followtheseguidelines:
• Donotlistenathighvolumelevels.Extendedhigh-
volume listening can lead to permanent hearing loss.
• Setthevolumetothelowestsetting.Thenturn
onyouraudiodeviceandadjustthevolumetoa
comfortable level.
• Avoidincreasingthevolume.Yourearswilladapt
tothevolumelevel,soalevelthatdoesnotcause
discomfort could still damage your hearing.
Powering Your Scanner
1. Connectthesuppliedadaptertothescanner’sDC
9Vjackandastandardpoweroutlet.
2. Todisconnect,unplugtheadapterfromthepower
sourcerst.
Caution: YoumustuseaClass2powersourcethat
supplies9VDCanddeliversatleast400mA.Itscentertip
mustbesettopositiveanditsplugmusttthescanner’s
DC 9Vjack.Usinganadapterthatdoesnotmeetthese
specicationscoulddamagethescannerortheadapter.
Turning on the Scanner
1. Turn the SQUELCH all the way down before you turn
on the scanner.
2. Slide POWER to ON.Awelcomemessageappears.
Afterabout3seconds,adjustVOLUME to a
comfortable level.
3. Turn SQUELCHclockwise,justuntilthehissing
soundstops.Ifyoualwayshearahissingsound,the
scanner will not scan or search properly.
• Tolistentoaweakordistantstation,turnSQUELCH
counterclockwise.
• Ifreceptionispoor,turnSQUELCH clockwise to cut
out weak transmissions.
Turning O the Key Tone
The scanner is preset to sound a tone each time you
press one of its keys.
To turn the key tone on and o:
1. Turn on the scanner. WELCOME SCAnnInG rECEIVEr
appears.
2. Whilethewelcomemessageisonthescreen,press1
to turn on the key tone or press 2 toturnito.

8 9
Understanding the Display
Row 1
– Skywarn channel active.
FD/PD – Searchingthere/policebank.
BANK –Indicatesthescanbank(s).Abarappearsunder
the numbers for banks that are turned on.
AIR – Searching the aircraft bank.
HAM – Searching the amateur radio bank.
Row 2
WX – Searching weather channels.
FM radio –SearchingforFMradiostations.
000 –Channelnumberthescanneristunedto.
CH –Appearswithchannelnumber(1–200)orP
(prioritychannel).
000.0000– Frequency the scanner is tuned to.
MAR – Searching the marine bank.
L/0 –Alockedoutchannel/frequencyismanually
selected or reviewed.
Row 3
ed (Up/Down) – Search or scan direction.
PRI – Priority feature is active.
S–Signal meter; bars indicate strength of signal.
MAN – Manualmode.
SCAN – Scan mode.
SRCH – Searching a service bank.
PGM – Program mode.
DLY – Two-second delay is active.
Row 1
Row 2
Row 3
Display Messages
ALL CH L-out –Allchannelslockedoutduringscanor
marine band search.
b X Ch-FULL –Alldisplayedbankchannelsarefull.
b X StorE –Frequencyprogrammedintodisplayed
bank’s channel.
CLOnE –Clonemode.
-dUPL- –Frequencyisalreadystoredinanotherchannel.
Error –Entryerror.
FLo ALL- CL –Allthelocked-outfrequencies
removedduringaFD/PD,AIRCRAFT,orHAMbank
search.
L-r–Review the locked-out frequencies.
L-O Fr-FULL –Maximumof50frequenciesalready
locked out.
oFF tonE –Key tone deactivated.
On tonE –Key tone activated.
P–Scanner is tuned to the priority channel.
-t- –Tune mode.
Sub Bank Messages
Lo VHF –Sub-bank1ofthere/policebank.
Hi VHF –Sub-bank2ofthere/policebank.
UHF –Sub-bank3ofthere/policebank.
10 M –Sub-bank1oftheHAMbank.
6 M –Sub-bank2oftheHAMbank.
2 M –Sub-bank3oftheHAMbank.
70CM –Sub-bank4oftheHAMbank.

10 11
MAR – Search the preprogrammed marine bank.
FD/PD–Searchthepreprogrammedre/policebank.
–Searchthepreprogrammedweatherbank,orpress
andholdtojumptotheSkywarnchannel.Youmustrst
program your local Skywarn frequency into channel 200
(seepage22).
HAM – Search the preprogrammed amateur radio bank.
AIR – Search the preprogrammed aircraft bank.
FM–SearchFMradiostations.
SCAN / MAN (Manual)–EnterScanmodetoscan
programmedchannels.EnterManualmodetostop
scanning,directlyenterachannelnumber,ormonitora
single channel.
  – Select the direction for searching and scanning.
PRI / ALERT–Enableanddisablethepriorityfeature.
EnableanddisableSAMEstandbymodewhen
monitoring a weather channel.
PSE (Pause) – Stop and restart a search or tune.
0–9 – Input numbers when entering frequencies and
selectingbanks(0selectsbank10).Thenumberrange
abovethekeys(1–20,21–40,41-60,etc.)indicatesthe
channels stored in that bank.
• / DELAY – Input a decimal point when entering
frequencies. Set a two-second delay for a selected
channel.
ENT (Enter)–Completetheentryofafrequency.
L/O
/
L/O RV W – Lock-out selected channels or
frequencies. Review locked-out frequencies.
TUNE / CLEAR–EnterTunesearch.Clearanincorrect
entry.
PGM – Program frequencies into channels.
Understanding the Keypad

12 13
Conguring Your Scanner
Preprogrammed Frequencies
Yourscannerincludes153preprogrammedfrequencies,
whichyoucanloadintoChannels1to153.Foralistof
thesefrequencies,see“PreprogrammedFrequencyList”
on page 24.
To load the pregprogrammed frequencies:
1. Turnothescannerandthenturnitonagain.
2. WhileWELCOMEmessageappears,pressPGM.
3. Load –Fr–appears,thenYES––Ent and No––CLEAr
appear alternately.
4. Press ENT to load frequencies or CLEAR to cancel.
Programming Channels
Ifyoudonothavealistoffrequenciesinyourarea,referto
www.radioreference.com.
1. Press PGM. PGM appears.
2. Enterthechannelnumber(1–200)whereyouwantto
storeafrequency,thenpressPGM again.
3. Usethenumberkeysand•toenterthefrequency
(includingthedecimalpoint),thenpressENT.
4. Toprogramthenextchannelinsequence,pressPGM
and repeat Step3.Toprogramaspecicchannel
repeat Steps 2 and 3..
• Your scanner automatically rounds down to the
closest valid frequency. For example, if you enter
151.473, your scanner rounds it to 151.470.
• If Error appears and the scanner beeps three times
when you press ENT, start again from Step 2.
• If the frequency is already stored in another channel,
the scanner beeps three times and displays - d U P L-
(duplicate) and the lowest channel number where
the frequency is already stored. Press
TUNE/CLEAR to cancel. Press ENT if you still want
to store the frequency.
Programming with a Computer
You can upload or download programmed data to or
fromaPCusingaUSBcableavailablefromyourlocal
RadioShack store or www.RadioShack.com.
Theapplicationsoftwareisavailableonline.Useasearch
enginetond“scannerprogrammingsoftware.”Follow
instructions in the software package to upload and
download data.
Cloning Programmed Data
You can transfer the programmed data to and from a
PRO-650 scanner using an optional connecting cable
with Ç-inch(3.5mm)stereophoneplugsonbothends
(availablefromyourlocalRadioShack store or
www.RadioShack.com).
1. Turn on both scanners.
2. Connecttheconnectingcabletoeachscanner’sPC/
IFjack.CLOnE and UP to SEnd appears.
3. Press eon the host scanner.
4. SEndInG appears at the host scanner.
Toexitclonemodeafterthedatatransferiscomplete,
remove the cable.
No ConnEct appears if you try to connect to another
model scanner. The PRO-650 does not clone with other
scanner models.

14 15
Searching for Frequencies
Duringatunesearch,thescannertunesupordown
starting from a frequency you specify.
1. Press TUNE. The display alternates between PSE
and –t–.
2. Ifyouwanttochangethestartingfrequency,entera
new frequency and press ENT.
3. Press PSE to start tune search. –t–appears on the
display.
Service Bank Search
Your scanner contains groups of preset frequencies
calledServiceBanks.Youcansearchformarine,re/
police,aircraft,ham,FM,andweathertransmissionseven
ifyoudonotknowthespecicfrequenciesthatareused
in your area.
Thenyoucanstorethefrequenciesyoundintothe
scanner’schannels(exceptforweatherandmarine
banks,whicharealreadystoredaschannels).Tostarta
search,pressthebuttonoftheServiceBankyouwould
liketosearch(Marine,Fire/Police,Aircraft,Ham,FM,or
Weather).
Storing Found Frequencies
OnceyoundinterestingfrequenciesduringaTuneor
ServiceBanksearch,youcanstoretheminthescanner’s
channel-storage banks.
1. Press ENTwhenyoundafrequency.Thebank
number and StorE appear.
2. Tochangebanks,enterthenewbanknumber.
3. Press ENT to store the frequency. The channel and
frequencyashtwice.Tocanceltheoperation,press
TUNE/CLEAR.
• The frequency is automatically stored in the rst empty
channel of the selected bank.
• If the scanner displays - d U P L-, the frequency is already
stored in another channel. Press ENT if you want to
continue storing the frequency. Press TUNE/CLEAR
to cancel.
• If there are no empty channels in the bank, Ch-FULL
appears. You can select another bank or clear some
channels in the current bank (see “Clearing a Stored
Channel” on page 19).
• If the scanner displays - d U P L- or CH-FULL, you can
store another channel location by pressing PGM. The
channel number ashes and 000.0000 (or previous
frequency) appears. Press the desired channel number
then press ENT. Repeat if needed. Press ENT again
when an empty channel is found.
Birdie Frequencies
Allscannershavebirdiefrequencies,whicharesignals
created inside a scanner that can cause interference.
To nd the birdies in your scanner:
1. Disconnecttheantenna,andmakesurethatno
othernearbyradioorTVsetsareturnedonnearthe
scanner.
2. Search every frequency range from its lowest
frequencytothehighest.Occasionally,the
searchingwillstopasifithasfoundasignal,often
without any sound. This is a birdie.
3. Makealistofallthebirdiesinyourscannerfor
future reference.
Search Commands
• PressPSE to pause searching. Press PSE again to
resume.
• Press•/Delay to turn the two-second delay
featureonando.
• PressL/Otolock-outafrequency(except
Weatherband).
• Toreversethesearchdirectionatanytime,press
 or .
• Ifnecessary,youcanselectsearchgroupsusing
the number keys.

16 17
Scanning Stored Channels
Press SCAN/MAN until SCAN appears to continuously
scan through all channels with stored frequencies.
Ifthescannerndsanactivefrequency,itstopsand
displaysthatchannelandfrequencynumber,then
it automatically begins scanning again when the
transmission on that frequency ends.
• Press or  to reverse the scanning direction.
• To monitor a channel, press SCAN/MAN at any time
during the transmission so MAN appears.
The scanner does not scan channels in banks that are
turnedo.
Toturnachannel-storagebankonoro,pressthe
bank’snumberkey(1–0, using 0forbank10)during
scanning. The channel-storage banks are on when they
haveabarunderneaththemandowhennobarappears
underneath them.
• You cannot turn o all banks; there must be at least one
active bank.
• You can manually select any channel in a bank, even if
the bank is turned o.
Setting Delay
Toavoidmissingareplyinconversations,atwo-second
delay is automatically set for each channel. The scanner
stops for two seconds after a transmission ends before
it resumes scanning or searching. DLY appears on the
display when the delay function is active.
To turn delay on:
• Ifthescannerisscanningandstopsonanactive
channel,quicklypress•/DELAY before it resumes.
• Ifthedesiredchannelisnotselected,manuallyselect
thechannel,thenpress•/DELAY.
• Ifthescannerissearching,press•/DELAY. DLY
appears and the scanner adds a two-second delay to
every transmission it stops on in that bank.
To turn delay o:
Press •/DELAY while the scanner is monitoring a channel
or frequency. DLY disappears.
Using the Priority Channel
The priority feature sets the scanner to check one
specicchanneleverytwosecondswhilescanning.You
can only program one frequency into the priority channel.
1. Press PGM, then press PRI/ALERT. PCH and
000.0000(orthepreviouslystoredfrequency)
appear.
2. Enterthefrequencyyouwantstoredinthepriority
channel,thenpressENT.
3. Toturnonthepriorityfeature,pressPRI/ALERT
during scanning or searching. PRI appears. The
scanner checks the priority channel every two
seconds and stays on the channel if there is activity.
 Toturnothepriorityfeature,pressPRI/ALERT.
PRI disappears.
Monitoring a Channel
Youcancontinuouslymonitoraspecicchannelwithout
scanning.
1. Press SCAN/MAN until MAN appears.
2. Enterthechannelnumber(1–200).
3. Press SCAN/MAN again.

18 19
Locking Out Channels
You can increase the scanning or search speed by locking
out channels or frequencies that have a continuous
transmission,suchascontrolchannels,weather
channels,orbirdiefrequencies.
Press L/O when the scanner stops on a channel or
frequency while scanning or searching. The scanner
locksoutthechannel/frequencythencontinues
scanning/searching.
Tomanuallylock-outachannel,selectthechannelthen
press L/O. L/0 appears in the display.
• Your scanner automatically locks out empty channels.
• You can still manually select locked-out channels.
• You can lock-out a maximum of 50 frequencies during
a search. If you try to lock-out more, L- O Fr - F U L L
appears.
Managing Lock-outs
1. SetthescannertoManualbypressingtheSCAN/
MANbuttonuntilMANappears.
2. Hold down L/O
/
L/O RV W for about two seconds.
The scanner pulls up a locked out channel.
3. Press and hold L/O
/
L/O RV W to show the next
lockedoutchannel.Ifanerrorbeepsounds,thereare
no locked out channels.
4. Toremovethelock-out,pressL/O
/
L/O RVW until
L/0 disappears.
Managing Service Bank Lock-outs
1. Hold down L/O
/
L/O RV W for about two seconds
during a Service Bank search.
2. Press  or repeatedly to scroll through the list
of locked-out frequencies. L- r and L/0 appear in the
display.
3. Press L/O
/
L/O RV W to remove the lock-out. The list
scrolls to the next locked-out frequency.
• When you reach the highest locked-out frequency, the
scanner beeps twice and rolls to the lowest locked-out
frequency.
• If the Service Bank has no locked-out frequencies,
EMPty appears.
Unlocking All Service Bank Frequencies
1. Hold down L/O
/
L/O RV W for about two seconds
during a Service Bank search. L- r appears.
2. WhileholdingdownTUNE/CLEAR, press
L/O
/
L/O RV W. FLo ALL–CL appears for about two
seconds. Then the display alternates with YES ---
Ent and No --CLEAr.
3. Press ENT. L- r E M P t y appears. The scanner clears
lock-outs from all frequencies in the Service Bank.
Clearing a Stored Channel
To remove a frequency stored in a channel.
1. Press SCAN/MAN to stop scanning.
2. Press the number keys to enter the channel number
(1–200).
3. Press PGM. PGM appears.
4. Press 0then ENT. The frequency number changes to
000.0000to indicate the channel is cleared.
5. Toclearanotherchannel,usethenumberkeysto
enter that channel number then press PGM again.
Or,repeatedlypressPGM until the desired channel
number appears. Repeat Step 4.