RadioShack Pro 2050 Trunk Track Home Scanner Owners Manual

Owner’s ManualCat. No. 20-430
PRO-2050
VHF/UHF/Air/800MHz
300-Channel TrunkTracker Home Scanner
Please read before using this equipment.
20-430.fm  Page 1  Wednesday, August 4, 1999  1:29 PM 

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FEATURES
Your new RadioShack PRO-2050
VHF/UHF/Air/800MHz 300-Channel
TrunkTracker Home Scanner is one of
a new generation of scanners de-
signed to track Motorolaä Type I,
Type II (such as Smartnetä and Priva-
cy Plusä), and hybrid analog trunking
systems, which are extensively used
in many 800 MHz communication sys-
tems. 
Trunking communications systems let
a large group of 2-way radio users (or
even different groups of 2-way radio
users) efficiently use a group of fre-
quencies. Instead of selecting...

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Scan Delay — delays scanning for
about 2 seconds before moving to an-
other channel in conventional mode,
so you can hear more replies that are
made on the same channel. In trunk
tracking mode, it delays for about 5
seconds before moving to another ID.
Lock-Out Function — lets you set
your scanner to skip over specified
channels or frequencies when scan-
ning or searching, and skip over IDs
when tracking trunked systems.
Priority Channels — lets you pro-
gram one channel in each bank (10 in
all). As...

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Your PRO-2050 scanner can receive
all of these bands:
Note: See “Specifications” on Page 51
for more information about the scan-
ner’s frequency steps.FCC NOTICE
Your scanner might cause TV or radio
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 is causing it. Try
to eliminate the interference by:
• Moving your scanner away from
the receiver
• Connecting your scanner to an...

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SCANNING LEGALLY
Scanning is a fun and interesting hob-
by. You can hear police and fire de-
partments, ambulance services,
government agencies, private compa-
nies, amateur radio services, aircraft,
and military operations. It is legal to
listen to almost every transmission
your scanner can receive. However,
there are some electronic and wire
communications that are illegal to in-
tentionally intercept. These include:
• Telephone conversations (cellu-
lar, cordless, or other private
means of telephone...

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CONTENTS
Preparation  ........................................................................................................... 8
Connecting an Antenna  ...................................................................................  8
Connecting the Supplied Antenna  ............................................................... 8
Connecting an Outdoor Antenna  ................................................................. 8
Connecting Power...

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Trunk Tracking  ...................................................................................................  26
Types of Trunking Systems  ...........................................................................  26
Setting the Scanner to the Trunk Tracking Mode  ..........................................  27
Setting Squelch for the Trunk Tracking Mode  ...............................................  27
Programming Trunked Frequencies...

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PREPARATION
This scanner is designed primarily for
use in the home as a base station.
You can place it on a desk, shelf, or
table.
Your scanner’s front feet fold up or
down. Adjust them to give you the
best view of the display.
Your scanner’s display is protected
during shipment by a piece of blue
film. Peel off this film before you use
the scanner.
CONNECTING AN 
ANTENNA
Connecting the Supplied 
Antenna
You must install an antenna before
you can operate the scanner. 
The supplied telescoping antenna...

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• 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 (appliances,
other radios, etc.).
• The antenna should be vertical for
the best performance.
To connect an optional base-station or
mobile antenna, first remove the sup-
plied antenna from the scanner. Al-
ways 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...

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Cautions: 
• The supplied AC adapter supplies
12 volts DC power and delivers
500 milliamps. Its center tip is set
to positive, and its plug properly
fits the scanner’s 
DC 12V jack.
Using an adapter that does not
meet these specifications could
damage the scanner or the
adapter.
• Be sure to connect the AC
adapter to the scanner before you
connect it to an AC outlet, and dis-
connect the AC adapter from the
AC outlet before you disconnect it
from the scanner.
Warning: Do not use the AC adapt-
er’s...