Radio Shack PRO-76 User manual

Owner’s Manual Cat. No. 20-313
PRO-76
200-Channel VHF/UHF/Air
Handheld Scanner
Please read before using this equipment.
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2
FEATURES
Your new RadioShack VHF/
UHF/Air Handheld Scanner
lets you in on all the action!
This scanner gives you di-
rect access to over 23,000
exciting frequencies, includ-
ing those used by police and
fire departments, ambu-
lance services, aircraft,
transportation services, and
amateur radio. You can se-
lect up to 200 channels for
your scanner to scan and
you can change your selec-
tion at any time.
Your scanner also has these
special features:
Weather Alert — the scan-
ner automatically sounds an
alert when it receives a
weather emergency signal.
Weather Band Key —
scans seven prepro-
grammed weather frequen-
cies to keep you informed
about current weather condi-
tions.
Wired Programming — you
can connect your scanner to
a personal computer and
program frequencies into the
scanner from the computer
using an optional cable and
software.
Note: The necessary cable
and software, and additional
information about using your
personal computer to pro-
gram your scanner, are
available at your local Ra-
dioShack store.
Liquid Crystal Display —
makes it easy to view and
change programming infor-
mation.
Search Skip — lets you se-
lect up to 20 frequencies for
the scanner to skip during a
limit or direct search to avoid
unwanted frequencies.
Direct Search — lets you
search for a transmission
starting from a specified fre-
quency.
Ten Channel-Storage Banks
— you can store 20 chan-
nels in each bank (200 total
channels), letting you group
channels so you can more
easily identify calls.
©1999 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
RadioShack and Adaptaplug are registered trademarks
used by Tandy Corporation.
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Ten Monitor Memories —
let you temporarily save up
to ten frequencies you locate
during a search, so you can
move selected frequencies
to channel storage later.
Scan Delay — delays scan-
ning for about 2 seconds be-
fore moving to another
channel, so you can hear
more replies that are trans-
mitted on the same channel.
You can also set the scan-
ner to delay on all active fre-
quencies during a search.
Memory Backup — keeps
the channel frequencies
stored in memory for an ex-
tended time even if the scan-
ner loses power.
Three Power Options —
you can power the scanner
from internal (rechargeable
or non-rechargeable) batter-
ies or external AC or DC
power (using an optional AC
or DC adapter).
Low Battery Alert — warns
you when the battery power
gets low.
Key Lock — lets you lock
the scanner’s keys to help
prevent accidentally chang-
ing the scanner’s program-
ming.
Key Confirmation Tones
— the scanner sounds a
confirmation tone when you
perform an operation cor-
rectly and an error tone if
you make an error.
Lockout Function — lets
you set the scanner to ig-
nore specified channels
when scanning.
Ten Priority Channels —
let you set the scanner to
check up to ten channels ev-
ery 2 seconds so you do not
miss important calls.
Display Backlight —
makes the scanner easy to
read in low-light situations.
Supplied Flexible Antenna
with BNC Connector —
provides good reception of
strong local signals. You can
connect an external anten-
na with a BNC connector to
the scanner for improved re-
ception of distant/weaker
signals.
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Your scanner can receive these bands:
Note: See “Specifications” on Page 44 for more information
about the scanner’s frequency steps.
Frequency
Range (MHz) Types of Transmissions
29–54 10-Meter Ham Band, VHF Lo, 6-Meter Ham Band
108–136.975 Aircraft
137–174 Military Land Mobile, 2-Meter Ham Band, VHF Hi
406–512 Federal Government, 70-cm Ham Band, UHF
Standard Band, UHF “T” Band
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FCC NOTICE
Your scanner might cause
radio or TV interference
even when it is operating
properly. To determine
whether your scanner is
causing the interference,
turn off your scanner. If the
interference goes away,
your scanner is causing it.
Try the following methods to
eliminate the interference:
• Move your scanner
away from the receiver.
• Connect your scanner to
an outlet that is on a dif-
ferent electrical circuit
from the receiver.
• Contact your local
RadioShack store for
help.
Note: Mobile use of this
scanner is unlawful or re-
quires a permit in some ar-
eas. Check the laws in your
area.
SCANNING
LEGALLY
Your scanner covers fre-
quencies used by many dif-
ferent groups including
police and fire departments,
ambulance services, govern-
ment agencies, private com-
panies, amateur radio
services, military opera-
tions, pager services, and
wireline (telephone and tele-
graph) service providers. It is
legal to listen to almost ev-
ery transmission your scan-
ner can receive. However,
there are some transmis-
sions you should never in-
tentionally listen to. These
include:
• telephone conversa-
tions (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), you are subject to
fines and possible imprison-
ment for intentionally listen-
ing to, using, or divulging the
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6
contents of such a transmis-
sion 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 manufac-
tured in such a way as to not
be easily modifiable to pick
up those transmissions. Do
not open your scanner's
case to make any modifica-
tions that could allow it to
pick up transmissions that it
is not legal to listen to. Doing
so could subject you to legal
penalties.
We encourage responsible,
legal scanner use.
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CONTENTS
Preparation ............................................................................. 9
Installing Batteries ............................................................. 9
Important Information About the External Power Jacks .. 10
Using AC Power .............................................................. 11
Using Vehicle Battery Power ........................................... 12
Charging Rechargeable Batteries ................................... 12
Connecting an Antenna ................................................... 13
Connecting the Supplied Antenna ............................... 13
Connecting an Outdoor Antenna ................................. 14
Connecting an Earphone/Headphones ........................... 15
Listening Safely ........................................................... 15
Traffic Safety ............................................................... 16
Connecting an Extension Speaker .................................. 16
Using the Belt Clip ........................................................... 16
Understanding Your Scanner ............................................. 17
A Look at the Keypad ...................................................... 17
A Look at the Display ...................................................... 19
Understanding Banks ...................................................... 21
Channel Storage Banks .............................................. 21
Monitor Memories ........................................................... 21
Operation .............................................................................. 22
Turning On the Scanner/Setting Volume and Squelch .... 22
Storing Known Frequencies into Channels ..................... 22
Finding and Storing Active Frequencies .......................... 23
Using Limit Search ...................................................... 23
Using Direct Search .................................................... 24
Using Monitor Memory .................................................... 25
Listening to a Monitor Memory .................................... 25
Moving a Frequency from a Monitor Memory
to a Channel ................................................................ 26
Scanning Channels ......................................................... 26
Manually Selecting a Channel ......................................... 27
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Special Features .................................................................. 28
Using the Keylock ........................................................... 28
Locking Out Channels .................................................... 28
Delay ............................................................................... 29
Turning Channel-Storage Banks On and Off .................. 29
Using Search Skip Memory ............................................ 30
Using Priority .................................................................. 30
Using the Display Backlight ............................................ 31
Turning the Key Tone On or Off ...................................... 32
Listening to the Weather Band ....................................... 32
WX Alert ...................................................................... 32
Avoiding Image Frequencies ........................................... 33
Resetting the Scanner .................................................... 33
A General Guide to Scanning ............................................ 34
Guide to Frequencies ...................................................... 34
Ham Radio Frequencies ............................................. 34
National Weather Frequencies ................................... 34
Birdie Frequencies ...................................................... 34
Guide to the Action Bands .............................................. 35
Typical Band Usage (MHz) ......................................... 35
Primary Usage ............................................................ 35
Band Allocation ............................................................... 36
Frequency Conversion .................................................... 40
Troubleshooting .................................................................. 41
Care and Maintenance ........................................................ 43
Specifications ...................................................................... 44
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PREPARATION
INSTALLING
BATTERIES
You can power your scanner
with four AA batteries (not
supplied). For the best per-
formance and longest life, we
recommend RadioShack al-
kaline batteries. Or, you can
use rechargeable nickel-
cadmium or nickel-metal hy-
dride batteries. Both types of
batteries are available at
your local RadioShack store.
Cautions:
• The scanner has a built-
in circuit that lets you
recharge nickel-
cadmium batteries in-
side the battery com-
partment. However, you
must never use this cir-
cuit when you have
installed non-
rechargeable batteries
in the scanner. Be sure
to read “Important Infor-
mation About the Exter-
nal Power Jacks” on
Page 10 and “Charging
Rechargeable Batter-
ies” on Page 12.
• Use only fresh batteries
of the required size and
recommended type.
• Do not mix old and new
batteries, different types
of batteries (standard,
alkaline, or recharge-
able), or rechargeable
batteries of different
capacities.
Follow these steps to install
batteries.
1. While pressing down on
the tab on the bottom of
the battery compart-
ment cover, pull it away
from the scanner to
remove it.
2. Install two batteries in
the battery compart-
ment and two in the
cover as indicated by
the polarity symbols (+
and –) marked on the
inside of the battery
compartment and inside
the cover.
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10
3. Replace the cover.
When BATT.Lo flashes and
the scanner beeps every 15
seconds, or if the scanner
stops operating properly, re-
place or recharge the batter-
ies.
Warning: Dispose of old bat-
teries promptly and properly.
Do not burn or bury them.
Caution: If you do not plan to
use the scanner with batter-
ies for a month or more, re-
move the batteries. Batteries
can leak chemicals that can
destroy electronic parts.
IMPORTANT
INFORMATION
ABOUT THE
EXTERNAL
POWER JACKS
The scanner has two exter-
nal power jacks — POWER
and CHARGE. It is important
that you understand the pur-
pose of each jack before you
connect any adapter to the
scanner.
The POWER jack lets you
power the scanner using an
external power source (AC
or DC adapter). Connecting
an adapter also disconnects
the internal batteries.
The CHARGE jack supplies
power to operate the scan-
ner and also charges the in-
ternal batteries. Use the
CHARGE jack only when you
have installed rechargeable
nickel-cadmium batteries.
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11
Warning: Never use the
CHARGE jack when you have
installed non-rechargeable
batteries. If you try to re-
charge non-rechargeable
batteries, they become very
hot and could explode.
Remove the plastic plug
from the CHARGE jack before
you use it, then replace the
plug when you finish.
USING AC POWER
You can power the scanner
using a 9V, 300-mA AC
adapter and a size H
Adaptaplug®adapter (nei-
ther supplied). Both are
available at your local Ra-
dioShack store.
Cautions:
You must use a
Class 2 power
source that
supplies 9V DC and de-
livers at least 300 mA.
Its center tip must be set
to positive and its plug
must fit the scanner's
POWER jack. Using an
adapter that does not
meet these specifica-
tions could damage the
scanner or the adapter.
• 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.
To power the scanner using
an AC adapter, attach the
Adaptaplug adapter to the
AC adapter so the tip reads
positive (+), then insert the
Adaptaplug adapter into the
scanner’s POWER jack.
Then connect the other end
of the adapter to a standard
AC outlet.
CHARGE
POWER
!
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USING VEHICLE
BATTERY POWER
You can power the scanner
from a vehicle’s 12V power
source (such as cigarette-
lighter socket) using a 9V,
300-mA DC adapter and a
size H Adaptaplug adapter
(neither supplied). Both are
available at your local Ra-
dioShack store.
Cautions:
You must use a
power source
that supplies
regulated 9V DC and
delivers at least 300 mA.
Its center tip must be set
to positive and its plug
must fit the scanner's
POWER jack. Using an
adapter that does not
meet these specifica-
tions could damage the
scanner or the adapter.
• Always connect the DC
adapter to the scanner
before you connect it to
the power source. When
you finish, disconnect
the adapter from the
power source before you
disconnect it from the
scanner.
To power the scanner using
a DC adapter, attach the
Adaptaplug adapter to the
DC adapter so the tip reads
positive (+). Set the adapt-
er’s voltage switch to 9V and
insert the Adaptaplug adapt-
er into the scanner’s POWER
jack, then plug the DC
adapter into your vehicle’s
cigarette lighter socket.
Note: If you use a cigarette
lighter power cable and your
vehicle’s engine is running,
you might hear electrical
noise from the engine while
scanning. This is normal.
CHARGING
RECHARGEABLE
BATTERIES
Your scanner has a built-in
charging circuit that lets you
charge Ni-Cd rechargeable
batteries while they are in
the scanner.
Important: The scanner’s
built-in charging circuit takes
a long time to recharge
nickel-metal hydride batter-
ies while they are installed in
the scanner. You must use
an external battery charger
to charge them.
!
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13
To charge Ni-Cd batteries,
remove the plug from the
scanner’s
CHARGE jack and
connect an AC adapter to
the jack.
Warning: Do not connect an
adapter to the scanner’s
CHARGE jack if you installed
non-rechargeable batteries
(standard, extra-life, or alka-
line). Non-rechargeable bat-
teries become hot and could
explode if you try to re-
charge them.
It takes between 14 and 16
hours to recharge Ni-Cd re-
chargeable batteries that are
fully discharged. You can
operate the scanner while
recharging the batteries, but
charging takes longer.
Note: Ni-Cd batteries last
longer and deliver more
power if you occasionally let
them fully discharge. To do
this, simply use the scanner
until BATT.Lo flashes and
the scanner beeps every 15
seconds. Then fully charge
the batteries.
Important:
This scanner
can use Ni-
Cd recharge-
able batter-
ies. At the
end of a Ni-Cd battery's use-
ful life, it must be recycled or
disposed of properly. Con-
tact your local, county, or
state hazardous waste man-
agement authorities for infor-
mation on recycling or
disposal programs in your
area or call 1-800-843-7422.
Some options that might be
available are: municipal
curbside collection, drop-off
boxes at retailers such as
your local RadioShack store,
recycling collection centers,
and mail-back programs.
CONNECTING AN
ANTENNA
Connecting the
Supplied Antenna
You must install an antenna
before you can operate the
scanner.
The supplied flexible anten-
na helps your scanner re-
ceive strong local signals.
Follow these steps to install
the antenna.
1
-
8
0
0
-
8
4
3
-
7
4
2
2
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1. Align the slots around
the antenna’s connector
with the tabs on the
antenna jack.
2. Press the antenna down
over the jack and turn
the antenna’s base
clockwise until it locks
into place.
The scanner’s sensitivity de-
pends on the antenna’s
length and various environ-
mental conditions.
Connecting an
Outdoor Antenna
Instead of the supplied an-
tenna, you can connect an
outdoor base-station or mo-
bile antenna (not supplied)
to your scanner using a BNC
connector. Your local Ra-
dioShack store sells a vari-
ety of antennas. Choose the
one that best meets your
needs.
When deciding on a mobile
or base-station antenna and
its location, consider these
points:
• The antenna should be
as high as possible on
the vehicle or building.
• The antenna and its
cable should be as far
as possible from
sources of electrical
noise, such as appli-
ances or other radios.
• The antenna should be
vertical for the best per-
formance.
Always use 50 Ohm coaxial
cable, such as RG-58 or
RG-8, to connect the base-
station or mobile antenna.
For lengths over 50 feet, use
RG-8 low-loss dielectric co-
axial cable. If the antenna
cable’s connector does not
fit in the scanner’s antenna
jack, you might also need an
antenna plug adapter. Your
local RadioShack store car-
ries a wide variety of coaxial
antenna cable and connec-
tors.
Once you choose an anten-
na, follow the mounting in-
structions supplied with the
antenna, after removing the
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15
supplied antenna. Then
route the antenna’s cable to
the scanner and connect the
cable to the scanner’s anten-
na jack.
Cautions:
• Do not run the cable
over sharp edges or
moving parts that might
damage it.
• Do not run the cable
next to power cables or
other antenna cables.
Warning: Use extreme
caution when you install or
remove an outdoor anten-
na. If the antenna starts to
fall, let it go! It could con-
tact overhead power lines.
If the antenna touches a
power line, contact with the
antenna, mast, cable, or
guy wires can cause elec-
trocution and death. Call
the power company to re-
move the antenna. DO
NOT attempt to do so your-
self.
CONNECTING AN
EARPHONE/
HEADPHONES
For private listening, you can
connect an earphone or
headphones with a 1/8-inch
(3.5-mm) plug to the jack
on top of the scanner. (Your
local RadioShack store car-
ries a wide selection of ear-
phones and headphones).
Connecting an earphone or
headphones automatically
disconnects the internal
speaker.
Listening Safely
To protect your hearing, fol-
low these guidelines when
you use an earphone or
headphones.
• Set the volume to the
lowest setting before
you begin listening. After
you begin listening,
adjust the volume to a
comfortable level.
• Do not listen at
extremely high volume
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16
levels. Extended high-
volume listening can
lead to permanent hear-
ing loss.
• Once you set the vol-
ume, do not increase it.
Over time, your ears
adapt to the volume
level, so a volume level
that does not cause dis-
comfort might still dam-
age your hearing.
Traffic Safety
• Do not use an earphone/
headphones with your
scanner when operating
a motor vehicle or riding
a bicycle in or near traf-
fic. Doing so can create
a traffic hazard and
could be illegal in some
areas.
• If you use an earphone/
headphones with your
scanner while riding a
bicycle, be very careful.
Do not listen to a contin-
uous broadcast. Even
though some ear-
phones/headphones let
you hear some outside
sounds when listening at
normal volume levels,
they still can present a
traffic hazard.
CONNECTING AN
EXTENSION
SPEAKER
In a noisy area, an amplified
extension speaker (avail-
able at your local Ra-
dioShack store) positioned
in the right place might pro-
vide more comfortable lis-
tening.
Plug the speaker cable’s 1/8-
inch (3.5-mm) plug into your
scanner’s jack.
Note:
Connecting an exter-
nal speaker disconnects the
scanner’s internal speaker.
USING THE BELT
CLIP
You can attach the supplied
belt clip to make the scanner
easier to use when you are
on the go. Use a Phillips
screwdriver and the two sup-
plied screws to attach the
belt clip to the scanner.
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR SCANNER
Once you understand a few simple terms we use in this manual
and familiarize yourself with your scanner’s features, you can
put the scanner to work for you. You simply determine the type
of communications you want to receive, then set the scanner to
scan them.
A frequency is the tuning location of a station (expressed in kHz
or MHz). To find active frequencies, you can use the search
function.
When you find a frequency, you can store it into a programma-
ble memory location called a channel, which is grouped with
your other channels in a channel-storage bank. You can then
scan the channel-storage banks to see if there is activity on the
frequencies stored there. Each time the scanner finds an active
frequency, it stays on that channel until the transmission ends.
A LOOK AT THE KEYPAD
Your scanner’s keys might seem confusing at first, but this infor-
mation should help you understand each key’s function.
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18
Note: Some of the scanner’s keys perform more than one func-
tion and are marked with more than one label. The steps in this
Owner’s Manual show only the label appropriate to the action
being performed.
SCAN Scans programmed channels.
MANUAL Stops scanning and lets you directly enter a
channel number.
S/S-L/OUT Skips a specified frequency during limit or direct
search; lets you lock out selected channels.
PRI Turns the priority feature on and off.
MON Accesses one of the ten monitor memories.
DELAY Programs a 2-second delay for the selected
channel; sets a delay for all active frequencies
during a search.
ALERT Turns the weather alert feature on or off.
HOLD Holds the frequency search.
CLEAR/•Clears an incorrect entry; enters a decimal point.
WX/E (Enter) Scans the seven preprogrammed weather chan-
nels; enters frequencies into channels.
KEYLOCK/ Locks/unlocks the keypad to prevent accidental
entries; turns on the display light for about 15
seconds.
PROG Programs frequencies into channels.
▼/LIMIT/▲Searches up or down for active frequencies; pro-
grams the limit search frequency range.
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19
Number Enters a single-digit (0 to 9) or a range of numbers.
Keys Use the range of numbers above the key (21–40 for
example) when selecting the number for a desired
channel-storage bank. See “Understanding Banks”
on Page 21. Use the single digits to enter a channel
or frequency.
A LOOK AT THE DISPLAY
The display has indicators that show the scanner’s current oper-
ating status. This quick look at the display will help you under-
stand how your scanner operates.
Appears when you listen to the priority channel.
▼/▲Indicates the search direction.
ALT Appears when weather alert mode is active. ALT
flashes when the scanner detects the weather
alert signal.
BANK Shows which banks are turned on for scanning
(see “Understanding Banks” on Page 21).
BATT.Lo Appears when the batteries are low.
CH Appears with digits (1–200) to show which chan-
nel the scanner is tuned to.
P
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dAppears instead of the channel number during a
direct search.
DLY Appears when you program a delay.
Error Appears when you make an entry error.
H Appears during a limit search hold.
h Appears during a direct search hold.
Hi Appears with a selected frequency to show the
search range’s upper limit.
KEYLOCK Appears when you lock the keypad.
LAppears instead of the channel number during a
limit search.
Lo Appears with a selected frequency to show the
search range’s lower limit.
L/O (lockout) Appears when you manually select a channel
that was previously locked out or when you man-
ually select a frequency that was previously
stored in search skip memory.
MON Appears when you listen to a monitor memory. A
number (1–10) appears to the right of MON indi-
cating which monitor memory you are listening
to.
MHz Digits that precede this indicator show which fre-
quency the scanner is tuned to.
MAN Appears when you manually select a channel.
PGM Appears when you program frequencies into the
scanner’s channels.
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