RadioShack Pro 2050 Trunk Track Home Scanner Owners Manual

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SCAN LISTS
When you program trunked frequen-
cies into a bank (see “Programming
Trunked Frequencies” on Page 26),
your scanner sets up 5 scan lists into
which you can store your favorite IDs.
Each list can contain up to 10 IDs, so
you can store a total of 50 IDs for each
trunk tracking bank (500 IDs if you use
all banks as trunking banks!). 
Scan lists help you organize trunking
system users into categories. For ex-
ample, you might use List 1 for police
IDs, List 2 for fire department IDs, List
3 for emergency medical service IDs,
and so on. Once IDs are stored in
lists, you can scan them like you scan
conventional channels. You can pro-
gram IDs into scan lists manually, dur-
ing a search, or automatically.
Manually Storing IDs into 
Scan Lists
1. Select the trunking bank you want
(see “Scanning a Trunked Bank”
on Page 27).
2. After the scanner begins trunk
tracking, press 
MANUAL. A scan
list number appears at the top of
the display, and a bar shows the
channel activity.3. Repeatedly press s or t to select
the scan list location (shown at the
top of the display) you want to
program.
4. Enter the Type II ID you want to
store, then press 
E.
Or, to enter a Type I ID:
a. Use the number keys to enter
the block number and the fleet
number, then press 
•.
b. Enter the subfleet number, then
press
 E.
Note: 
To clear a mistake while
entering an ID, press 
CLEAR, then
start over at Step 4.
5. Repeatedly press 
MANUAL or s to
select the next scan list location
you want to program. Then repeat
Step 4 to enter another ID.
Scan List Number
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Storing IDs into Scan Lists 
While Searching
Follow these steps to select a scan list
location and store an ID during a
search.
1. When your scanner stops on an
ID you want to store, press 
PRI-
ORITY
. The currently selected
scan list memory location flashes.
2. Press 
E to store the ID in the
selected scan list memory loca-
tion. Or, repeatedly press s or t to
select the scan list memory loca-
tion you want, then press 
E.
3. Press 
SEARCH to resume search-
ing.
Automatically Storing an ID in 
a Scan List Location
To display a scan list location and
store an ID in that location during a
search, press 
PRIORITY to display the
current scan list location, then press 
E
when your scanner stops on an ID you
want to store. 
To store an ID in the first available
scan list location during a search,
press 
E at any time.
Deleting a Stored ID
1. Press MANUAL.
2. Repeatedly press s or t to select
the scan list location (shown at the
top of the display) you want to
delete.
3. Press 
0 then E.
SCANNING THE SCAN 
LISTS
Press SCAN to begin scanning the
lists you have programmed. 
SCAN
scrolls on the display.
Note: If you haven’t programmed any
IDs, 
SCAN scrolls on the display but
your scanner does not stop on an ac-
tive conversation.
Scan List Location 
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To remove a scan list from active
scanning, use the number keys to en-
ter the scan list’s number. The scan
list indicator turns off, and the IDs in
that list are not scanned. 
Note: You cannot remove all the scan
lists. One scan list must always be ac-
tive.
To restore a scan list to active scan-
ning, use the number keys to enter its
number again.
Press 
SEARCH to return to the scan-
ner’s previous function. 
SCANNING TYPE I AND 
HYBRID TRUNKED 
SYSTEMS
Your PRO-2050 is set to scan Type II
user IDs by default. When you scan
trunked frequencies, each Type II user
ID you see appears as an even num-
ber without a dash (such as 2160).
Your PRO-2050 can also scan Type I
trunked systems. Each Type I ID ap-
pears as a three- or four-digit number,
followed by a hyphen, followed by a
one- or two-digit number (such as
200-14).
If you notice a mix of odd- and even-
user IDs (such as 6477, 2160, 6481,
6144, and 1167), then you are proba-
bly monitoring either a Type I or hybrid
(a combination of Type I and Type 2user IDs) system. (See “Types of
Trunking Systems” on Page 25.)
You might also notice that you are
missing responses when you hold on
an active ID. Unlike Type II systems,
Type I and hybrid systems require a
fleet map that sets specific fleet-sub-
fleet parameters. It is easy to select a
fleet map to scan; what is not always
easy is selecting or programming a
map that is being used in your particu-
lar area.
When a Type I system is designed,
the address information for all its user
IDs is divided into 8 equal-size blocks,
numbered 0–7, and each block is as-
signed a size code. When you set up
your scanner to track a Type I system,
you must choose a size code for each
block. When you have chosen a size
code for all 8 blocks, you will have du-
plicated the fleet map for the system
you are tracking. If you have chosen
correctly, you will be able to track
transmissions in that system.
Each size code defines the number of
fleets, subfleets, and IDs each block
has. For example, you can see in the
following table that a size code of S4
has one fleet, which is divided into 16
separate subfleets, and it has a total
of 512 individual IDs.
Size Fleets Sub-
fleetsIDs Block 
Used
S0 Reserved block for Type II IDs
S1 128 4 16 1
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S2 16 8 64 1
S3 8 8 128 1
Each ID in the block is unique. The
left-most digit is the block number in
the ID. The next two digits identify
which fleet is active, and the last dig-
it(s) (after the hyphen) identifies the
subfleet.
The size codes selected by a Type I
system designer depend on the spe-
cific needs of the system’s users.
Some organizations might want many
subfleets with only a few radios each,
while another organization might want
only a few subfleets, with many radios
each. To scan Type I systems, you
must select or program a fleet map
with the same size code assignments
as the trunked system. If you do this
accurately, you will track all the fleet
and subfleet combinations used by the
system. In other words, you will hear
complete communications while moni-
toring a trunked system.
S4 1 16 512 1
S5 64 4 32 1
S6 32 8 32 1
S7 32 4 64 1
S8 16 4 128 1
S9 8 4 256 1
S10 4 8 256 1
S11 2 16 256 1
S12 1 16 1024 2
S13 1 16 2048 4
S14 1 16 4096 8
Note: www.trunkscanner.com plans to
make preset fleet maps available as
they become known.
If you do not already know the size
codes used, you will have to guess
them. But since you do not have to fig-
ure out all the blocks at once, this is
not as hard as it seems. Select a size
code for a block, then press 
SEARCH.
Now listen to the communications. If
you decide you are receiving most of
the replies to the conversations with
IDs assigned to the block you just pro-
grammed, then you have probably se-
lected the right size code and can
work on the next block of the map.
There are 16 preset fleet maps to
choose from, and it is best to start with
these when setting up a Type I or hy-
brid trunk tracking bank. If none of the
following preset fleet maps allow you
to follow complete conversations, then
you probably need to program your
own fleet map (see “Programming a
Fleet Map” on Page 36) 
E1P1 E1P2
Block Size
CodeBlock Size
Code
0S110S4
1S111S4
2S112S4
3S113S4
4S114S4
5S115S4
6S116S4
7S117S4
E1P3 E1P4
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Block Size
CodeBlock Size
Code
0S40S12
1S41
—
2S42S4
3S43S4
4S44S4
5S45S4
6S126S4
7
—7S4
E1P5 E1P6
Block Size
CodeBlock Size
Code
0S40S3
1S41S10
2S122S4
3
—3S4
4 S4 4 S12 
5S45
—
6S46S12
7S47
—
E1P7 E1P8
Block Size
CodeBlock Size
Code
0S100S1
1S101S1
2S112S2
3S43S2
4S44S3
5S45S3
6S46S4
7S47S4
E1P9 E1P10
Block Size
CodeBlock Size
Code
0S40S0
1S41S0
2S02S0
3S03S0
Block Size
CodeBlock Size
Code
4S04S0
5S05S0
6S06S4
7S07S4
E1P11 E1P12
Block Size
CodeBlock Size
Code
0S40S0
1S01S0
2S02S0
3S03S0
4S04S0
5S05S0
6S06S0
7S07S4
E1P13 E1P14
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Block Size
CodeBlock Size
Code
Selecting a Preset Fleet Map
1. Press SCAN, then hold down
TRUNK until the scanner beeps
twice. 
BANK, TRUNK and the
bank numbers flash.
2. Select the bank where you want to
store the preset fleet map by
pressing a number key.3. Press 
DATA.
4. Repeatedly press s or t to select
E1 (Type I and hybrid), then press
DATA again. 
Note: To select Type II, press 
E
when E2 appears.
5. Repeatedly press s or t to select
the name of the map you want
(such as 
E1P7), then press E.
The scanner then searches for trans-
missions using the preset map you
chose.
Note: When the scanner searches for
transmissions, you see Type I fleet
and subfleet IDs such as 
100-12,
100-9, 000-12, or 400-8. 
How do you know if the preset map
you selected is correct? Listen to see
if you are following complete conver-
sations. If not, try another preset map.
Programming a Fleet Map
1. Hold down TRUNK until the scan-
ner beeps twice. 
BANK, TRUNK
and the bank number flash.
2. Select the bank where you want to
program the fleet map by pressing
a number key.
3. Press 
DATA.
4. Repeatedly press s or t until 
E1
appears, then press DATA.
0S30S4
1S31S3
2S112S10
3S43S4
4S44S4
5S05S4
6S06S12
7S07
—
E1P15 E1P16
Block Size
CodeBlock Size
Code
0S40S3
1S41S10
2S42S10
3S113S11
4S114S0
5S05S0
6S126S12
7
—7—
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							37 5. Repeatedly press s or t until 
USr
appears.
6. Press 
DATA. 
7. Repeatedly press s or t to select
the size code for the first block,
then press 
E. The next available
block appears.
8. Repeat Step 7 until you have
selected a size code for each
block you want to work with.
9. Press 
SEARCH. The scanner exits
the trunking programming mode,
tunes the data channel, then
begins to search using the map
you programmed.
Note: If you select size code S12,
S13, or S14, these restrictions apply:
• S12 can only be assigned to
Blocks 0, 2, 4, or 6.
• S13 can only be assigned to
Blocks 0 and 4.
• S14 can only be assigned to Block
0.
Since these size codes require multi-
ple blocks, you will be prompted for
the next available block when pro-
gramming a fleet map. For example, if
you assign Block 0 as an S12, the
scanner prompts you for 
b2, the next
block available, instead of 
b1. And if
you assign Block 0 as an S14, you
would not see another prompt be-
cause it uses all available blocks.
PROGRAMMING A 
HYBRID SYSTEM
A hybrid system is simply a Type I
system with some of its blocks desig-
nated as Type II blocks. To program a
hybrid system, follow the steps listed
in “Programming a Fleet Map.” How-
ever, if you want a block to be Type II,
select size code 
S0 in Step 7.
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Reception of the frequencies covered
by your scanner is mainly “line-of-
sight.” That means you usually cannot
hear stations that are beyond the hori-
zon.GUIDE TO 
FREQUENCIES
National Weather 
Frequencies
Canadian Weather  Frequencies
Note: 
These three frequencies are not
pre-programmed in the weather ser-
vice bank but can be manually pro-
grammed into a channel.
Birdie Frequencies
Every scanner has birdie frequencies.
Birdies are signals created inside the
scanner’s receiver. These operatingfrequencies might interfere with
broadcasts on the same frequencies.
If you program one of these frequen-
cies, you hear only noise on that fre-
quency. If the interference is not
severe, you might be able to turn
SQUELCH clockwise to cut out the
birdie. This scanner’s birdie frequen-
cies (in MHz) are:
To find the birdies in your individual
scanner, begin by disconnecting the
antenna and moving it away from the
scanner. Make sure that no other near-
by radio or TV sets are turned on near
the scanner. Use the search function
and search every frequency range
from its lowest frequency to the high-
est. Occasionally, the searching will
stop as if it had found a signal, often
without any sound. That is a birdie.
Make a list of all the birdies in your
scanner for future reference.
162.400 162.475 162.525 162.425
162.500 162.550 162.450
161.650 161.775 163.275
171.25 406.7625 407.8125 413.175 413.225
A GENERAL GUIDE TO SCANNING 
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GUIDE TO THE ACTION 
BANDS
Typical Band Usage
VHF Band
Low Range 29.00–50.00 MHz
6-Meter Amateur 50.00–54.00 MHz
Aircraft 108.00–136.00 MHz
U.S. Government 137.00–144.00 MHz
2-Meter Amateur 144.00–148.00 MHz
High Range 148.00–174.00 MHz
UHF Band 
U.S. Government 406.00–420.00 MHz
70-cm Amateur 420.00–450.00 MHz
Low Range 450.00–470.00 MHz
FM-TV Audio Broadcast, Wide Band 470.00–512.00 MHz
Public Service 806.00–823.93 MHz
Conventional Systems 851.00–856.00 MHz
Conventional/Trunked Systems 856.00–861.00 MHz
Trunked Systems 861.00–866.00 MHz
Public Safety 866.00–868.93 MHz
High Range 896.11–902.00 MHz
33-Centimeter Amateur 902.00–928.00 MHz
Private Trunked 935.00–940.00 MHz
General Trunked 940.00–941.00 MHz
Fixed Services 941.00–944.00 MHz
Studio-to-Transmitter Broadcast Links 944.00–952.00 MHz
Private Fixed Services, Paging 952.00–960.00 MHz
Aeronautical Navigation 960.00–1000.00 MHz
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Primary Usage
As a general rule, most of the radio ac-
tivity is concentrated on the following
frequencies:VHF Band
UHF Band
Note: Remote control stations and mo-
bile units operate at 5 MHz higher than
their associated base stations and re-
lay repeater units.
BAND ALLOCATION
To help decide which frequency rang-
es to scan, use the following listing of
the typical services that use the fre-
quencies your scanner receives.
These frequencies are subject to
change, and might vary from area to
area. For a more complete listing, re-
fer to the “Police Call Radio Guide in-
cluding Fire and Emergency
Services,” available at your local Ra-
dioShack store.AbbreviationsServices
BIFCBoise (ID) Interagency Fire Cache
BUSBusiness
CAPCivil Air Patrol
CBCitizens Band
CCACommon Carrier
CSBConventional Systems
CTSBConventional/Trunked Systems
Activities Frequencies
Government, Police, and Fire 153.785–155.980 MHz
Emergency Services 158.730–159.460 MHz
Railroad 160.000–161.900 MHz
Activities Frequencies
Land-Mobile “Paired” Frequencies 450.000–470.000 MHz
Base Stations 451.025–454.950 MHz
Mobile Units 456.025–459.950 MHz
Repeater Units 460.025–464.975 MHz
Control Stations 465.025–469.975 MHz
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