Radio Shack RPO-137 User manual

Thank you for purchasing your Racing
Scanner from RadioShack. Your handheld
scanner is one of a new generation of
race scanners.
PRO-137
20-137
RACING SCANNER
www.radioshack.com
What’s Included
Scanner
Antenna: 1 Long, 1 Short
Belt Clip
Preprogrammed Race
Frequency List
User’s Guide
Quick Start Guide

2
Contents
About Your Scanner .......................................4
Connecting the Antenna....................................6
Attaching the Belt Clip.......................................6
Powering Your Scanner ......................................6
Batteries...............................................................7
Battery Notes ..........................................................8
External Power ........................................................9
Turning on the Scanner ......................................9
Setting the Volume .............................................9
Setting the Squelch ............................................9
Headphones and Speakers..............................10
Listening Safely .....................................................10
Understanding Your Scanner .......................10
Understanding Banks .......................................11
Service Banks.........................................................11
Channel Storage Banks ........................................11
Transferring Data from Another Scanner or PC.12
Cloning Your Scanner ...........................................12
Wired Programming .............................................12
Settings........................................................13
Delay ..................................................................13
Using the Keylock .............................................14
Turning the Keytone On and Off .....................14
Using the Backlight Display .............................15
Using the Auto Backlight Display....................15
Using Power-On Light ......................................15
Using the Battery Save Function .....................16
Adjusting the LCD Contrast.............................16
Using the Scanner at the Racetrack .............16
Before You Get to the Track.............................17
When You Get to the Track ..............................17
Loading the Preset Race Frequency List.............18
Programming Driver Frequencies .......................18
Monitoring a Car...................................................19
Select the Car’s Primary Frequency.....................19

3
Contents
Overwriting the Preset Race Frequency List.......19
Storing Known Frequencies Into Channels ....20
Editing a Tag .....................................................21
Copying a Frequency .......................................22
Searching .....................................................23
Fine Tune ...........................................................23
Service Bank Search..........................................23
Chain Search .....................................................24
Search Speeds...................................................25
Storing Found Frequencies..............................25
Programming Search Ranges ..........................25
Search Skip Memory.........................................26
Signal Stalker I...................................................27
Setting the Signal Stalker I Options ....................27
Signal Stalker I Options........................................28
Using Signal Stalker I ............................................29
Band Meter for Signal Stalker I............................30
Scanning ......................................................31
Manually Selecting a Channel .........................31
Turning Channel Storage Banks On and Off..32
Locking Out Channels......................................32
Priority................................................................33
Weather Scan ....................................................34
Turning on the Weather Alert Feature ...............34
Skywarn..............................................................34
About Skywarn ......................................................34
Troubleshooting...........................................36
Resetting the Scanner ..........................................37
Additional Information.................................37
FCC Notice........................................................37
Scanning Legally ...............................................38
Care....................................................................39
Service and Repair ................................................39
Specifications ...................................................40

4
About Your Scanner
Headphones
Func
Various functions in
combination with other
keys.
Press and release, then
press the next key.
Menu
Enters Menu mode.
Press to return to the
previous menu.
Press and hold to exit
Menu mode.
SEL / VOL / SQL
Rotate to select next or
previous, and to change
scan or search direction.
Push to enter Volume
Control mode, or to
complete the entry of
frequencies and text in
Menu mode.
Push after Func to enter
squelch control mode.
PC / IF
Connect an optional PC
interface cable here to
use the scanner with your
computer.
6V 800mA
Connect an external
power source here (not
included).

5
CAR
Selects cars manually
and inputs car
information.
SCAN / MAN
Scans the stored
channels or manually
enter a channel.
SRCH / PSE
Displays search menu.
Pauses or resumes
search or fine tune
operation.
// KEYLOCK
Press to turn the backlight on. Press and hold to turn the
radio on or off.
•CLR / L/OUT
Enters a decimal point, clears an incorrect entry, locks out
selected channels or skips specified frequencies during a
search.
0 /
Press after Func to activate Signal Stalker I.
EPGM /
Programs frequencies into channels. Press after Func to
turn on SkyWarn.
1 / PRI
Press after Func to turn priority on or off.
2 ABC / DLY
Press after Func to program a 2-second delay for a
selected channel or service.
3 DEF / WX
Press after Func to start weather scan.
1- 0 / A - Z
Press to enter numbers and letters.

6
Connecting the Antenna
Attach the supplied antenna
to the scanner by screwing it
tightly onto the anchor post at
the top of the scanner.
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
an SMA connector, your local
RadioShack store carries a
variety of SMA adapters.
Attaching the Belt Clip
1. Align the belt clip so that
the finger indentation is
towards the top of the
scanner.
2. Align the center of the clip with the anchor
post.
3. Place the clip on the post and slide the clip
upwards until it clicks into place.
To remove the belt clip:
1. Rotate the clip so that the finger indentation
is towards the bottom of the scanner.
2. Slide the clip up until it comes free of the
anchor post.
Powering Your Scanner
You can power your scanner with three AAthree AA
batteries (not supplied) or an external poweror an external power
source (not supplied).(not supplied)..

7
Batteries
For the longest operation and best performance,
use alkaline batteries, available at your local
RadioShack store, or use RadioShack nickel-
metal hydride (Ni-MH) rechargeable batteries.
To install batteries:
1. Slide open the battery compartment cover on
the back of the scanner.
2. Set the switch according to the type of
batteries you are installing: ALKALINE
or Ni-MH.
3. Place 3AA batteries into
the battery comparment.
4. Replace the cover.
To charge batteries:
1. Set the switch to Ni-MH.
2. Install rechargeable batteries.
3. Connect an external power source to the
6V 800mA jack.
The scanner stops charging automatically after a
maximum of 14 hours.
Warning: Only set the switch inside the
battery compartment to Ni-MH for use with
Ni-MH rechargeable batteries. Never use non-
rechargeable batteries when the switch is set to
Ni-MH.
Alkaline / Ni-MH
Switch

8
Battery Notes
• When battery power is low, BATTERY Symbol
flashes and the scanner beeps every 15
seconds. When battery power is depleted,
the scanner turns itself off.
• Rechargeable batteries last longer and
deliver more power if you let them fully
discharge once a month. To do this, use the
scanner until BATTERY Symbol flashes.
• Use only fresh batteries of the required size
and recommended type. Do not mix old and
new batteries, different types (alkaline or
rechargeable), or rechargeable batteries of
different capacities.
• Remove old or weak batteries. If you will not
use the scanner with batteries for a month,
remove the batteries. Batteries can leak
chemicals that destroy electronic circuits.
• Always dispose of old batteries promptly and
properly. Do not bury or burn them.
The EPA certified RBRC© Battery
Recycling Seal on the nickel-cadmium
(Ni-Cd) battery indicates RadioShack
voluntarily participates in an industry
program to collect and recycle these
batteries at the end of their useful life, when taken
out of service in the United States or Canada. The
RBRC program provides a convenient alternative
to placing used Ni-Cd batteries into the trash or
the municipal waste stream, which may be illegal
in your area. Please call 1-800-THE-SHACK
(1-800-843-7422) for information on Ni-Cd battery
recycling and disposal band/restrictions in your
area. RadioShack’s involvement in this program is
part of the company’s commitment to preserving
our environment and conserving our natural
resources.

9
External Power
You can power your scanner using a 6V, 800mA
AC/DC adapter (not supplied).
To use an external power source:
1. Always connect the adapter (not supplied) to
the scanner first.
2. Plug the adapter into the power source.
3. To disconnect, unplug the adapter from the
power source first.
Warning: Do not connect a charging adapter to
the scanner if non-rechargeable batteries (such as
alkaline batteries) are installed in the scanner and
the switch is set to Ni-MH, or if you are unsure of
the switch’s position. Non-rechargeable batteries will
get hot and can explode if you try to recharge them.
Caution: You must use a Class 2 power source
that supplies 6V DC and delivers at least 800mA.
Its center tip must be set to positive and its plug
must fit the scanner’s DC 6V 800mA jack. Using
an adapter that does not meet these specifications
could damage the scanner or the adapter.
Turning on the Scanner
Make sure the scanner’s antenna is connected,
then press and hold / / KEYLOCK. The
scanner turns on.
Setting the Volume
1. Push the SEL/VOL/SQL knob.
2. Rotate the knob to select the volume level
from 0 to 15.
Setting the Squelch
1. Press Func, then push the SEL/VOL/SQL knob.
2. Rotate the knob to select the squelch level
from 0 to 15.

10
Headphones and Speakers
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 not
stereo.
Listening Safely
To protect your hearing, follow these earphone or
headphones guidelines:
• 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
listening. Turn on the scanner, and 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.
• Even though some earphones/headphones
let you hear some outside sounds when
listening at normal volume levels, they still
can present a traffic hazard.
Understanding 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.
The scanner scans conventional frequencies and
racing. A frequency, expressed in kHz or MHz,
is the tuning location of a station. To find active
frequencies, use the search function.
Besides searching within a selected frequency

11
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. Your 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: Search for frequencies to find your
local frequencies, after you have programmed
these frequencies, you can scan channels.
Understanding Banks
Service Banks
The scanner is preprogrammed with all the
frequencies allocated to the Car Band, Marine,
CB Band, FRS/GMRS/MURS, Fire/Police, Aircraft,
and Ham Band services. This helps you quickly find
active frequencies instead of doing a chain search.
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 0

12
(the first channel in bank 0), and program the fire
department frequencies starting with Channel 100
(the first channel in bank 1).
Transferring Data from Another Scanner or PC
You can clone your scanner by transferring the
programmed data to and from another PRO-137
scanner using a connecting cable. You can also
upload or download programmed data from a PC
through wired programming.
Cloning Your Scanner
You can clone all the frequencies programmed
in one PRO-137 to another PRO-137 using an
optional interface cable with 1/8-inch stereo
phone plugs on both ends (not supplied).
1. Make sure the scanners are turned off and
then plug the cable into each scanner’s PC/IF
jack.
2. Turn on both scanners, then press EPGM of the
master unit.
3. Press 1/PRI to stat cloning. Sending data…
appears on the master unit and Receiving data…
on the slave unit.
4. When the data transfer is completed, Finished
appears.
5. After the clone operation is complete, turn
the slave unit off, then remove the cable. Turn
the unit on again.
If you want to clone another scanner, press •CLR
/ L/OUT on the master unit, then repeat the steps
from 2.
Wired Programming
You can transfer programming data to your
scanner using your PC and an optional interface

13
cable and software (available at your local
RadioShack store or www.radioshack.com).
1. Make sure your scanner is turned off.
2. Connect the interface cable to your computer
and then connect the other end of the cable
to PC/IF on the side of the scanner.
3. Install the software to your computer and run
the program.
4. Set up the program according to the software
directions.
5. Turn the scanner on. The scanner automatically
goes into the wired programming mode.
6. WIRED PROGRAMMING MODE appears when the
scanner receives data from the PC.
7. After completing the programming, turn the
unit off, then remove the cable. Turn the unit
on again.
Settings
Delay
Sometimes a radio caller might pause before
replying to a transmission. To avoid missing
a reply on a specific channel, the scanner
automatically programs a 2-second delay into
any channel or frequency. You can monitor the
channel frequency for an additional two seconds
after the transmission stops before resuming
scanning or searching.
Depending on the scanner operation, follow one
of these steps to turn on or off a delay.
• To turn off the 2-second delay, press Func +
2ABC/DLY while the scanner is monitoring a
channel or searching. DLY disappears.
• To turn on the 2-second delay to a channel

14
again, select the channel and press Func +
2ABC/DLY. DLY appears.
• To turn on the 2-second delay to search
again, press Func + 2ABC/DLY while the
scanner is searching. DLY appears and the
scanner automatically adds a 2-second delay
to every frequency it stops on in that band.
The Signal Stalker I delay time is 10 seconds.
Using the Keylock
To protect the scanner from accidental program
changes, turn on the keylock feature.
1. To turn on keylock, press Func + KEYLOCK.
Keypad locked appears. When the scanner
is locked, only the knob, Func, and /
/ KEYLOCK are available.
2. To turn off, press Func + KEYLOCK. Keypad
unlocked appears.
Note: Using keylock does not prevent the
scanner from scanning channels.
Turning the Keytone On and Off
Each time you press any of the scanner’s keys, the
scanner sounds a tone. To turn the scanner’s key
tone on or off:
1. Press Menu.
2. Rotate the knob to select 6: Settings, then press
EPGM.
3. Rotate the knob to select 2: Key Tone, then
press EPGM.
4. Rotate the knob to select 1: On or 2: Off, then
press EPGM. Press and hold Menu to exit the
Menu mode.

15
Using the Backlight Display
To turn on the display light for easy viewing at
night, press / . The display lights for 15
seconds. If you press / again during the display,
the scanner continue to light 15 seconds more.
Using the Auto Backlight Display
You can set the scanner so the auto backlight
turns on for about 5 seconds when the scanner
receives signals. If you press a key within 5
seconds, the display remains lighted for more
than 5 seconds.
To turn auto backlight display on or off:
1. Press Menu.
2. Rotate the knob to select 6: Settings, then press
EPGM.
3. Rotate the knob to select 1: Back Light, then
press EPGM.
4. Rotate the knob to select 1: Auto Light, then
press EPGM.
5. Rotate the knob to select 1: On or 2: Off, then
press EPGM. Press and hold Menu to exit the
Menu mode.
Using Power-On Light
You can set the scanner so the auto backlight
turns on for about 5 seconds when the scanner is
turned on.
1. Press Menu.
2. Rotate the knob to select 6: Settings, then press
EPGM.
3. Rotate the knob to select 1: Back Light, then
press EPGM.
4. Rotate the knob to select 2: Power On Light, then
press EPGM.

16
5. Rotate the knob to select 1: On or 2: Off, then
press EPGM. Press and hold Menu to exit the
Menu mode.
Using the Battery Save Function
When the scanner is set to receive (monitor) a
manually selected channel, and it is not actively
scanning, using the battery save feature conserves
energy.
To turn the battery save function on or off:
1. Press Menu.
2. Rotate the knob to select 6: Settings, then press
EPGM.
3. Rotate the knob to select 4: Battery Save, then
press EPGM.
4. Rotate the knob to select 1: On or 2: Off, then
press EPGM. Press and hold Menu to exit the
Menu mode.
Adjusting the LCD Contrast
You can set the LCD contrast from level 1 to 8.
1. Press Menu.
2. Rotate the knob to select 6: Settings, then press
EPGM.
3. Rotate the knob to select 3: LCD Contrast, then
press EPGM.
4. Rotate the knob to select the contrast level
you want to set, then press EPGM. Press and
hold Menu to exit the Menu mode.
Using the Scanner at the Racetrack
You can hear drivers communicating with their pit
crews, officials communicating with drivers and
crews, and track workers communicating with
everybody. Each user at the racetrack transmits

17
and receives on one or more frequencies.
The scanner’s preset racetrack frequencies are
organized by the name of the race and by car
number. For example, you might hear drivers and
their pit crews on the car number frequencies
and officials and the news media on the race
frequencies.
When you are scanning, the scanner stops very
briefly on each channel to see if there is activity. If
there isn’t, the scanner quickly moves to the next
channel. If there is activity, the scanner pauses on
the transmission until it is over.
Before You Get to the Track
Each driver’s team has several different
frequencies they can use during a race. These
frequencies can change depending on local
interference sources or other frequency issues.
Your scanner is preprogrammed with all of the
drivers and the possible frequencies that were
known at the time of manufacture.
Before you leave for the track, check the Internet
to see if there are any frequency updates available
for your race. You can save time at the track by
setting up as much as possible before you leave.
When You Get to the Track
When you arrive at the race, get a list of the
actual frequencies in use that race day. These are
normally available for sale on the way into the
facility. This list will show the actual frequency
being used by each driver that day, as well as
some other useful frequency information.
Follow the steps in the sections below to adjust
the scanner settings.

18
Loading the Preset Race Frequency List
For your convenience, six car race frequencies are
preprogrammed. You can use one of these race
frequencies by loading it to the channel banks.
To load the race frequencies:
1. Press Menu.
2. Rotate the knob to select 1: Preset Race, then
press EPGM.
3. Rotate the knob to select 1: Load Race, then
press EPGM.
4. Rotate the knob to select one of the races,
then press EPGM.
5. If you select races A, B or C, Load Bank X into
Bank 0 Yes=”1” / No=”3” appears.
If you select races D, E, or F, Load Bank X into
Bank 0 and 1 Yes=”1” / No=”3” appears.
6. Press 1 to program the race or press 3to cancel.
Programming Driver Frequencies
To select the appropriate frequency for each
driver:
1. Press CAR, enter the car’s number, then press
EPGM.
2. If the car number is not stored, Car# XX is
not stored. Program new car? Yes = “E” / No = “.”
appears.
3. Press EPGM to edit the tag.
4. Enter the tag you want to assign to the car
number (such as driver’s name), then press
EPGM.
5. Enter the frequency of the car, then press
EPGM.
6. If you want to input another frequency to the
car, press EPGM.

19
Monitoring a Car
To monitor a car.
1. Press CAR, enter the car number, then press
EPGM.
Or
1. Select the car from a list. Press CAR then
press EPGM.
2. Rotating the knob to the desired car, then
press EPGM.
Select the Car’s Primary Frequency
Primary frequency is the frequency which is
selected first when a car has two or more
frequencies. By default, the frequency in the
smallest channel works as the primary frequency.
To change a car’s primary frequency:
1. Show the channel where the car number is
programmed.
2. Press the Func key and rotate the knob to
select the other frequency.
Primary frequency is also changed automatically
in the following situations:
• Selecting car channel by rotating the knob
during manual mode.
• Pressing SCAN when you monitor a car
channel found by scan mode.
Overwriting the Preset Race Frequency List
After programming your updates to a race, you
can overwrite the preprogrammed race frequency
with your changes.
1. Press Menu.
2. Rotate the knob to select 1: Preset Race, then
press EPGM.

20
3. Rotate the knob to select 2: Store Race, then
press EPGM.
4. Rotate the knob to select one of the races,
then press EPGM.
CAUTION: Be sure the race you select is the
same one that is currently loaded into the
scanner’s memory. Otherwise you could overwrite
the wrong race.
5. If you select races A, B, or C, Store Bank 0 into
Bank X Yes=”1” / No=”3” appears.
If you select races D, E, or F, Store Bank 0 and 1
into Bank X Yes=”1”/No=”3” appears.
6. Press 1to overwrite the race or press 3to
cancel.
If you accidentally overwrite the wrong race, it
can be restored by following the steps in “Wired
Programming.”
Storing Known Frequencies Into Channels
To locate and store specific frequencies into
channels for later use.
1. Press SCAN/MAN to enter manual mode.
2. Press EPGM to put the scanner in
programming mode. PGM appears.
3. Use the number keys to enter the channel
number you want to assign to a frequency.
4. Press SCAN.
5. Use the number keys and •CLR to enter the
frequency, including the decimal point you
want to store.
6. Press EPGM to store the frequency.
7. Press EPGM again. The Edit Channel menu
appears.