RadioShack Pro 2045 Weather Alert Home Scanner Owners Manual
Have a look at the manual RadioShack Pro 2045 Weather Alert Home Scanner Owners Manual online for free. It’s possible to download the document as PDF or print. UserManuals.tech offer 39 RadioShack manuals and user’s guides for free. Share the user manual or guide on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
Cat. No. 20-418 OWNER’S MANUAL PRO-2045 200-Channel Weather Alert Home Scanner Please read before using this equipment. 20-418.fm Page 1 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 12:42 PM
2 FEATURES Your RadioShack PRO-2045 200- Channel Weather Alert Home Scan- ner lets you in on all the action! This scanner gives you direct access to over 49,500 exciting frequencies used by police and fire departments, ambu- lance and transportation services, am- ateur radio, as well as aircraft communications, Citizen’s Band, and commercial FM and television broad- casts. You can select up to 200 channels for your scanner to scan, and you can change your selections at any time. Its rotary tuning control lets you easily se- lect frequencies and channels. Plus, when you turn on the weather alert function, the scanner sounds an alarm if the weather service transmits a weather alert tone. The secret to your scanner’s ability to scan so many frequencies is its cus- tom-designed microprocessor — a tiny, built-in computer. Your scanner has these features: WX Alert — warns you of serious weather conditions by sounding an alarm if the weather service transmits a weather alert tone. Weather Band Auto Scan — scans the preprogrammed weather frequen- cies so you can stay informed about current weather conditions.Hyperscan — scans programmed channels at up to 50 channels per second. H ypersearch — lets you set the scan- ner to search at up to 300 steps per second. Rotar y Tuner — lets you easily tune and select frequencies or channels. Auto Sort — lets you scan the chan- nels stored in a bank, in order from lowest to highest frequency, to in- crease scanning speed. Auto Store — quickly finds and auto- matically stores active frequencies into the selected banks (but does not store the frequency if it is already stored in another channel). Ten Channel-Stora ge Banks — let you store 20 channels in each of 10 banks to group frequencies so you can easily identify calls. Frequenc y Transfer — lets you easi- ly organize your frequencies by trans- ferring them from one channel to another. Monitor Memories — let you store up to 10 frequencies you locate during a frequency search. Limit Search — lets you search for transmissions within a set range. © 1996 Tandy Corporation. All Rights Reserved. RadioShack is a trademark used by Tandy Corporation. Hyperscan and Hypersearch are registered trademarks used by Tandy Corporation. 20-418.fm Page 2 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 12:42 PM
3 Direct Search — lets you search for transmissions starting from a frequen- cy you specify. Count Feature — lets you keep track of how many times your scanner has stopped on a channel. Search Skip — lets you select up to 50 frequencies for the scanner to skip during a search, so you can avoid fre- quencies you have already discovered or that have a continuous transmis- sion. Two-Second Scan Delay — delays scanning for 2 seconds before moving to another channel, so you can hear more replies. Data Skip — skips data signals (non- modulated signals such as preamble signals for pagers) during scan, limit search, and direct search. Lock-Out Function — prevents channels you select from being scanned. Priority Channels — checks 10 spec- ified channels every 2 seconds so you do not miss important calls. Automatic Modulation Mode — se- lects the modulation method — nar- row-band frequency modulation (NFM) or amplitude modulation (AM) — most often used for each band, and lets you manually override the preset mode.Attenuator — reduces the scanner’s sensitivity to help limit reception to strong, nearby transmitters. Memory Backup — keeps stored channel frequencies in memory for up to 3 days during a power loss. CTCSS Option — with an optional CTCSS tone circuit board, you can use the Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System (CTCSS) to selec- tively listen to some business band and amateur radio transmissions. Backlit Display — lets you easily see the indicators on the scanner’s dis- play, even at night. We recommend you record your scan- ner’s serial number here. The number is on the scanner’s back panel. Serial Number: _________________ Your scanner has the following pre- programmed weather channels: • 162.4000 MHz (NFM) • 162.4250 MHz (NFM) • 162.4500 MHz (NFM) • 162.4750 MHz (NFM) • 162.5000 MHz (NFM) • 162.5250 MHz (NFM) • 162.5500 MHz (NFM) 20-418.fm Page 3 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 12:42 PM
4 Your scanner can receive all of 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 eliminate the interference by: • Moving your scanner away from the receiver • Connecting your scanner to an outlet that is on a different electri- cal circuit from the receiver • Contacting a RadioShack store for help If you cannot eliminate the interfer- ence, the FCC requires that you stop using your scanner. SCANNING LEGALLY Your scanner covers frequencies used by many different groups includ- ing police and fire departments, ambu- lance services, government agencies, private companies, amateur radio ser- vices, military operations, pager ser- vices, 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 (either cellular, cordless, or other private means of telephone signal trans- mission) • Pager transmissions • Any scrambled or encrypted transmissions According to the Electronic Communi- cations Privacy Act (ECPA), you are subject to fines and possible imprison- ment for intentionally listening to, us- ing, or divulging the contents of such a transmission unless you have the con- sent of a party to the conversation (un- less such activity is otherwise illegal). RadioShack encourages responsible, legal scanner use. Range (MHz)Step (kHz)Mode 29–54 5 NFM 108–136.975 12.5 AM 137–174 5 NFM 216–224.9875 12.5 NFM 225–399.9875 12.5 AM 400–512 12.5 NFM 806–823.9375 12.5 NFM 851–868.9375 12.5 NFM 896.1125–1,000 12.5 NFM 20-418.fm Page 4 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 12:42 PM
5 CONTENTS Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Connecting Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Using Standard AC Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Using Vehicle Battery Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Connecting an Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Telescoping Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Optional Outdoor Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Resetting the Scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Using the Feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Testing Alert Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Testing Alert Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Testing the Weather Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Connecting an Earphone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Listening Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Traffic Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Connecting an Amplified Extension Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Installing an Optional CTCSS Tone Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Understandin g Your Scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 A Look at the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 A Look at the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Understanding Channel-Storage Banks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Channel-Storage Banks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Monitor Memories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Turning On the Scanner/Setting Volume and Squelch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Using the Rotary Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Storing Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Searching For and Temporarily Storing Active Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Limit Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Direct Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Search Skip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Automatically Storing Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Listening to Monitor Memories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Moving a Frequency from a Monitor Memory to a Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Scanning Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Turning Channel-Storage Banks On and Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Locking Out Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Manually Selecting a Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Scanning the Weather Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Weather Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Using the Weather Alert Standby Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 20-418.fm Page 5 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 12:42 PM
6 Special Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Changing Search Speeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Using the Programmable Attenuator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Using Auto Sort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Skipping Data Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Turning On or Off the Key Tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Changing the Modulation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Transferring a Frequency to Another Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Transferring to an Empty Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Transferring to a Channel that has a Stored Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Exchanging Frequencies Between Two Programmed Channels . . . . . . 30 Using the Count Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Using CTCSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 CTCSS Tone Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Assigning a CTCSS Tone Frequency to a Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Changing or Deleting a CTCSS Tone Frequency for a Channel . . . . . . . 32 A General Guide to Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Guide to Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 National Weather Service Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Ham Radio Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Birdie Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Guide to the Action Bands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Typical Band Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Primary Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Specified Intervals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Band Allocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Frequency Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 20-418.fm Page 6 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 12:42 PM
7 PREPARATION CONNECTING POWER You can power your scanner from a standard AC outlet using the supplied AC adapter or from your vehicle’s bat- tery using an optional DC power cord. If a power failure occurs or if the pow- er cord is disconnected, the scanner’s memory backup circuit keeps informa- tion in memory for up to 3 days. Note: The memory backup circuit be- gins to protect memory within a few minutes after you plug in the scanner. Using Standard AC Power Warning: Do not use the AC adapter with an extension cord unless the blades can be fully inserted. Cautions: • The supplied AC adapter supplies 12 volts and delivers 500 milli- amps. Its center tip is set to posi- tive, and its plug properly fits the scanner’s DC 12V jack. Using an AC adapter that does not meet these specifications could dam- age the scanner or the adapter. • Connect the adapter to the scan- ner before you connect it to an AC outlet. Disconnect the adapter from the AC outlet before you dis- connect it from the scanner. • If you have difficulty inserting the AC adapter’s plug, do not force it. Turn it over and reinsert it.Follow these steps to use AC power. 1. Insert the supplied AC adapter’s barrel plug into the scanner’s DC 12V jack. 2. Plug the adapter ’s power module into a standard AC outlet. Using Vehicle Battery Power Use a DC power cord (not supplied), such as RadioShack Cat. No. 270- 1533, to power your scanner in your vehicle. Cautions: • The DC power cord you select must supply 12 volts and deliver at least 500 mA. Its center tip must be positive, and its plug must fit the scanner’s DC 12V jack. The recommended power cord meets these specifications. Using a power cord that does not meet these specifications could dam- age the scanner or power cord. • Connect the power cord to the scanner before you plug it into your vehicle. Disconnect the power cord from the vehicle before you disconnect it from the scanner. DC 12V 20-418.fm Page 7 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 12:42 PM
8 • If you use your scanner in your vehicle with the engine running, you might hear electrical noise from the scanner. This is normal. Note: Mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires a permit in some areas. Check the laws in your area. Follow these steps to use vehicle bat- tery power. 1. Insert the DC power cord’s barrel plug into the scanner’s DC 12V jack. 2. Plug the DC power cord’s ciga- rette-lighter plug into your vehi- cle’s cigarette-lighter socket. CONNECTING AN ANTENNA You can connect either the supplied telescoping antenna or an optional an- tenna to your scanner. Telescoping Antenna The supplied telescoping antenna helps your scanner receive strong lo- cal signals. Follow these steps to in- stall the supplied antenna.1. Hold the antenna so it stands straight up. 2. Gently push the antenna’s plug onto the ANT jack on the scan- ner ’s back panel. The antenna’s length affects recep- tion. Adjust the antenna’s length as follows for the best results. Optional Outdoor Antenna The supplied antenna is usually good for strong, local signals. However, for the best results in receiving weaker, more distant signals on all bands, you can attach an optional outdoor anten- na (not supplied), such as a mobile, telescoping, multi-band, or outdoor base antenna. Warning: When installing or removing an outdoor antenna, follow all cautions and warnings included with the anten- na. DC 12V 29–150 MHz Extend fully 150–174 MHz Extend only 3 seg- ments 216–406 MHz Extend only 2 seg- ments 406–1000 MHz Collapse Fully (only 1 segment extended) ANT 20-418.fm Page 8 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 12:42 PM
9 Note: Always use 50-ohm coaxial ca- ble to connect an outdoor antenna to your scanner. For lengths under 50 feet, use RG-58 or RG-8/M coaxial ca- ble. For lengths over 50 feet, use RG- 8, low-loss coaxial cable. If the coaxial cable’s connector does not fit the ANT jack, you might also need an adapter. Your local RadioShack store sells a complete line of outdoor antennas, adapters, BNC connectors, and mounting hardware. For the best performance, consider the following when deciding on an out- door antenna and its location: • The location of the external antenna should be as high as pos- sible. • 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 route the antenna cable to the scanner and connect it to the ANT jack on the back of the scanner. RESETTING THE SCANNER If the scanner’s display locks up or does not work properly after you con- nect power or after a power surge, you might need to reset the scanner. Caution: This procedure clears all the information you have programmed into the scanner. Use this procedure only when you are sure your scanner is not working properly. 1. Turn off the scanner. 2. While you press and hold down 2 and 9, turn on the scanner. USING THE FEET To tilt the display for the best viewing angle and to provide the best traction, pull down on the scanner’s feet so they lock into place. ANT 20-418.fm Page 9 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 12:42 PM
10 TESTING ALERT OPERATION For your scanner’s weather alert func- tion to be effective, you must place the scanner: • Where it can receive an emer- gency alert broadcast (see “Test- ing Alert Reception” on this page) • Where you can hear its alert tone (See “Testing the Weather Alert” on Page 11). Once you determine a location that meets these two conditions, leave the scanner there for the best protection. Testing Alert Reception The fact that you get clear voice re- ception or that the tone sounds when you test the weather alert does not guarantee that an emergency alert broadcast will trigger your scanner’s alert tone. Also, if you are in a fringe area, your scanner might be triggered by a broadcast in one area, but not be triggered if you place it somewhere else (even close by). To test for actual reception, your radio must receive a test or emergency alert broadcast. The National Weather Ser- vice (NWS) broadcasts a test alert ev- ery week on Wednesday between 11 AM and 12 Noon. To find out the spe- cific test schedule in your area, con- tact your local National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or National Weather Service office.These offices are usually listed in the telephone book under “US Govern- ment, Department of Commerce.” To verify that your scanner receives the test alert properly, set the scanner to the weather alert standby mode (see “Using the Weather Alert Stand- by Mode” on Page 25) during the time when the test alert is broadcast in your area. If the test alert broadcast does not trig- ger your scanner’s tone, you are out of range of the broadcast. Note: If you use your scanner’s weather alert feature when you travel, you cannot guarantee that an emer- gency alert broadcast will trigger the scanner in all areas. Notes for Weather Alerts: • To ensure your scanner will sound the alert tone when it receives an emergency signal, keep the antenna fully extended at all times. • If severe weather threatens, do not wait for an alert tone; turn on your scanner and monitor the lat- est weather information. 20-418.fm Page 10 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 12:42 PM