RadioShack Pro 2040 Home Scanner Owners Manual
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Cat. No. 20-414 OWNER’S MANUAL 100-Channel Programmable Home Scanner Please read before using this equipment. PRO-2040 20-414.fm Page 1 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:12 AM
2 FEATURES © 1995 Tandy Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Radio Shack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation. Your Radio Shack PRO-2040 100- Channel Programmable Home Scan- ner lets you in on all the action! This scanner gives you direct access to over 30,000 exciting frequencies that include police and fire departments, ambulance and transportation ser- vices, and amateur radio. You can select up to 100 channels to scan, and you can change your selections at any time. The secret to your scanner’s ability to scan so many frequencies is its cus- tom-designed microprocessor — a ti- ny, built-in computer. Your scanner also has these fea- tures: H yperscan — scans 50 channels per second. H ypersearch — searches through frequencies at 300 steps per second in bands that have 5 kHz steps to help you find interesting broadcasts. Ten 10-Channel Stora ge Banks — let you store 10 channels in each of 10 banks to group frequencies so you can easily identify calls. Priorit y Channel — checks a speci- fied channel every 2 seconds so you do not miss important calls.Data Detection — you can set it to detect data signals (nonmodulated signals such as preamble signals for pagers) during a limit or a direct search so it can automatically contin- ue searching. Monitor Memories — let you store up to 10 frequencies you locate dur- ing a frequency search which you can then transfer into channels. Search Function — searches for new and unlisted frequencies using a designated frequency range (limit search) or starting from a specified frequency (direct search). Selectable Scan/Search Speeds — let you select normal or hyper scan speeds, and normal, high, or hyper search speeds. Manual or Scan Channel Select — lets you manually specify a single channel or set the scanner to auto- matically scan all the stored chan- nels. Search Skip — lets you select up to 50 frequencies for the scanner to skip during a limit or direct search, so you can avoid unwanted frequen- cies. 20-414.fm Page 2 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:12 AM
3 Two-Second Scan Delay — delays scanning for 2 seconds before mov- ing to another channel, so you can hear more replies. Weather Band Key — scans the preprogrammed weather frequen- cies to keep you informed of the most current weather conditions. Memory Backup — keeps the chan- nel frequencies stored in your scan- ner’s memory for up to 3 days during a power loss. Squelch Control — lets you adjust the receiver’s sensitivity low enough to receive weak signals or high enough to eliminate receiver noise when not receiving a signal. Lock-Out Function — prevents channels you select from being scanned. Backlit LCD Display — lets you easily see the indicators on the scan- ner’s display, even at night. Audio Output Jack — lets you con- nect an earphone or headphones for private listening, or an external speaker for listening in a remote or noisy area. Optional Antenna Terminals — let you connect the supplied telescoping antenna to the screw-in terminal, or an external antenna to the BNC con- nector.Optional Power Sources — let you power your scanner using the sup- plied AC adapter or an optional DC adapter. Warning: To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose this system to rain or moisture. This symbol is intended to alert you to the presence of uninsulat- ed dangerous voltage within the scanner’s enclosure that might be of sufficient magnitude to consti- tute a risk of electric shock. Do not open the scanner’s case. This symbol is intended to inform you that important operating and maintenance instructions are in- cluded in the literature accompa- nying this scanner. For your records, please record your scanner’s serial number in the space provided. The serial number is locat- ed on the back of the scanner. Serial Number: RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK. DO NOT OPEN. CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER OR BACK. NO USER-SERVICE- ABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVIC- ING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. CAUTION ! ! 20-414.fm Page 3 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:12 AM
4 Your PRO-2040 can receive these bands: FCC Notice Your scanner might cause radio or TV interference even when it is operating properly. To determine if your scanner is causing the interference, turn off your scanner. If the interference goes away, your scanner was causing it. Try to elim- inate the interference by: • Moving your scanner away from the receiver • Connecting your scanner to an outlet that is on a different electrical circuit from the receiver • Contacting your local Radio Shack store for help If you cannot eliminate the interference, the FCC requires that you stop using your scanner. Note: Mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires a permit in some areas. Check the laws in your area. This device complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the fol- lowing two conditions: • This device may not cause harmful interference. • This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.Band Modulation Frequency Range Frequency Step 10-Meter Ham Band FM 29.00-29.7 MHz 5.0 kHz VHF-Lo FM 29.7-50.00 MHz 5.0 kHz 6-Meter Ham Band FM 50.00-54.00 MHz 5.0 kHz Aircraft AM 108-136.975 MHz 12.5 kHz Government/Ham FM 137-148 MHz 5.0 kHz VHF-Hi FM 148-174 MHz 5.0 kHz Ham/Government FM 406-450 MHz 12.5 kHz UHF-Lo FM 450-470 MHz 12.5 kHz UHF-T (TV) FM 470-512 MHz 12.5 kHz UHF-Hi FM 806-823.9375 MHz 12.5 kHz UHF-Hi FM 851- 868.9375MHz 12.5 kHz UHF-Hi FM 896.1125-956 MHz 12.5 kHz 20-414.fm Page 4 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:12 AM
5 CONTENTS Preparation ....................................................................................................... 7 Connecting Power ....................................................................................... 7 Using Standard AC Power .................................................................... 7 Memory Backup .................................................................................... 7 Using Vehicle Battery Power ................................................................. 8 Connecting an Antenna ............................................................................... 9 Telescoping Antenna ............................................................................. 9 Optional Outdoor Antenna..................................................................... 9 Resetting the Scanner ’s Display ................................................................ 10 Initializing the Scanner ............................................................................... 11 Connecting an Earphone/Headphones/External Speaker ......................... 11 Listening Safely ................................................................................... 12 Traffic Safety ....................................................................................... 12 Understandin g Your Scanner ........................................................................ 13 A Look at the Front Panel .......................................................................... 13 A Look at the Display ................................................................................. 15 Understanding the Scanner ’s Memory ...................................................... 17 Channel-Storage Banks ...................................................................... 17 Monitor Memories............................................................................... 17 Operation ........................................................................................................ 18 Turning On the Scanner/Setting the Volume and Squelch ........................ 18 Finding Birdie Frequencies ........................................................................ 19 Manually Storing Frequencies in Channels ............................................... 20 Searching For and Temporarily Storing Active Frequencies...................... 21 Limit Search ........................................................................................ 21 Direct Search....................................................................................... 22 Search Skip Memory ........................................................................... 23 Listening to Monitor Memories................................................................... 24 Moving a Frequency from a Monitor Memory to a Channel....................... 25 Scanning the Stored Channels .................................................................. 25 Turning Channel-Storage Banks On and Off....................................... 26 Manually Selecting a Channel ................................................................... 26 Listening to the Weather Band................................................................... 27 Special Features............................................................................................. 28 Designating a Priority Channel .................................................................. 28 Using the 2-second Delay.......................................................................... 28 20-414.fm Page 5 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:12 AM
6 Locking Out Channels ............................................................................... 29 Changing Scanning and Search Speeds................................................... 29 Detecting Data Signals .............................................................................. 30 A General Guide To Scanning....................................................................... 31 Guide to Frequencies ................................................................................ 31 National Weather Frequencies............................................................ 31 Ham Radio Frequencies ..................................................................... 31 Guide to the Action Bands ......................................................................... 31 International Broadcast Bands ............................................................ 31 Typical Band Usage ............................................................................ 32 Primary Usage .................................................................................... 32 Specified Intervals ............................................................................... 33 Band Allocation ................................................................................... 33 Frequency Conversion .............................................................................. 38 Troubleshooting ............................................................................................. 39 Care and Maintenance ................................................................................... 40 Specifications................................................................................................. 41 Scanning Legally Scanning is a fun and interesting hobby. You can hear police and fire depart- ments, ambulance services, government agencies, private companies, amateur radio services, aircraft, and military operations. It is le gal to listen to almost every transmission your scanner can receive. However, there are some electronic and wire communications that are ille gal to intentionally intercept. These include: • Telephone conversations (cellular, cordless, or other private means of tele- phone si gnal transmission) •Pa ger transmissions • Scrambled or encrypted transmissions Accordin g to the Federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), as amended, you could be fined and possibly imprisoned for intentionally listenin g to, using, or disclosing the contents of such a transmission unless you have the consent of a party to the communication (unless such activity is otherwise ille- gal). These laws change from time to time and there might be state or local laws that also affect le gal scanner usage. 20-414.fm Page 6 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:12 AM
7 PREPARATION CONNECTING POWER Using Standard AC Power You can power your scanner from a standard AC outlet using the sup- plied AC adapter. Warnin g: Do not use the AC adapt- er’s polarized plug with an extension cord receptacle unless the blades can be fully inserted to prevent blade exposure. Cautions: • The supplied AC adapter sup- plies 12 volts and delivers 500 milliamps. Its center tip is set to positive, and its plug properly fits the scanner’s DC 12V jack. Using an AC adapter that does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or the adapter. The scanner’s dis- play dims if the AC adapter you use does not provide the required 12 volts DC. • Be sure you connect the AC adapter to the scanner before you connect it to a standard AC outlet. Then disconnect the adapter from the AC outlet before you disconnect it from the scanner.• If you have difficulty inserting the AC adapter ’s polarized plug, do not force it. Turn it over and rein- sert it. 1. Insert the supplied AC adapter’s barrel plug into the scanner’s DC 12V jack. 2. Plug the adapter’s power mod- ule into a standard AC outlet. Memory Backup If a power failure occurs or if the pow- er cord is disconnected, the scan- ner’s memory backup circuit keeps information in memory for up to 3 days. Note: The memory backup circuit begins to protect the contents in memory within a few minutes after you plug in the scanner. 20-414.fm Page 7 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:12 AM
8 Using Vehicle Battery Power To power your scanner from your ve- hicle’s battery power, you need a DC power cord (such as Radio Shack Cat. No. 270-1533). Cautions: • Your vehicle must have a 12-volt DC, negative-ground electrical system. • The recommended DC power cord supplies 12 volts and deliv- ers at least 500 milliamps. The center tip on the barrel plug is set to positive, and the plug properly fits the scanner’s DC 12V jack. Using a DC power cord (or adapter) that does not meet these specifications could dam- age the scanner or the cord (or adapter). The scanner’s display dims if the DC cord (or adapter) you use does not provide the required 12 volts DC.• Be sure you connect the DC cord to the scanner before you connect it to the vehicle’s ciga- rette-lighter plug. Then discon- nect the cord from the vehicle’s cigarette-lighter plug before you disconnect it from the scanner. Follow these steps to use vehicle battery power. 1. Insert the barrel plug into the scanner’s DC 12V jack. 2. Plug the other end of the adapter into your vehicle’s ciga- rette-lighter socket. Note: If the scanner does not oper- ate properly when you use a DC cord (or adapter), unplug the cord (or adapter) from the lighter socket and clean the socket to remove ashes and other debris. DC 12V Jack 20-414.fm Page 8 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:12 AM
9 CONNECTING AN ANTENNA You can connect either the supplied telescoping antenna or an optional antenna. Telescoping Antenna To attach the telescoping antenna, simply screw it into the hole on top of your scanner. The antenna’s length controls its sensitivity. Adjust the length of the telescoping antenna as follows for the best reception. 29-54 MHz Extend all 3 seg- ments 108-174 MHz Extend only 2 seg- ments 406-956 MHz Collapse Fully (only 1 segment extend- ed) Optional Outdoor Antenna The supplied antenna is usually ade- quate for strong, local signals. How- ever, for the best results in receiving weaker, more distant signals on all bands, you can attach an optional outdoor antenna (not supplied), such as a mobile, telescoping, multi-band, or outdoor base antenna. Warning: When installing or remov- ing an outdoor antenna, follow all cautions and warnings included with the antenna. Notes: • This scanner uses a BNC antenna connector. If the coaxial cable’s connector does not fit the ANT jack, you might also need an adapter. Your local Radio Shack store sells a com- plete line of outdoor antennas, adapters, BNC connectors, and mounting hardware. • Always use 50-ohm coaxial cable to connect an outdoor antenna. For lengths under 50 feet, use RG58 (Cat. No. 278- 1314) or RG8/M (Cat. No. 278- 1313). For lengths over 50 feet, use RG-8, low-loss coaxial cable (Cat. No. 278-1312). 20-414.fm Page 9 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:12 AM
10 For the best performance, consider the following when deciding on an outdoor base antenna and its loca- tion: • The location of the external antenna should be as high as possible. • The external antenna and antenna cable should be as far away as possible from sources of electrical noise (appliances, other radios, and so on). • The external antenna should be vertical. Mount the antenna following the in- structions supplied with the antenna and its mounting hardware, then fol- low these steps to connect an exter- nal antenna. 1. Route the antenna cable to the scanner and connect it to the ANT jack on the back of the scanner. Caution: Do not route the cable over sharp edges or moving objects. 2. Remove the supplied antenna from the top of the scanner. RESETTING THE SCANNER’S DISPLAY If the scanner’s display locks up after you connect a power source, follow these steps to reset it. 1. If the scanner is off, press POWER to turn it on. 2. Using a pointed object, such as a straightened paper clip, press RESET on the back of the scan- ner. The display resets, and the scanner turns off. 3. Press POWER to turn on the scanner again. 20-414.fm Page 10 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 11:12 AM