Radio Shack Scanner PRO-2052 User manual

Owner’s Manual

Cat. No. 20-432

PRO-2052

1000-Channel Dual Trunking

TrunkTracker Home Scanner

Please read before using this equipment.

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2

INTRODUCTION

Your new RadioShack PRO-2052

1000-Channel Dual Trunking Trunk-

Tracker Home Scanner is one of a

new generation of scanners designed

to track Motorola



Type I, Type II

(such as Smartnet



and Privacy

Plus



), GE/Ericsson EDACS, and hy-

brid analog trunking systems, which

are extensively used in many 800

MHz, 900 MHz and UHF communica-

tion systems.

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 a spe-

cific frequency for a transmission, the

2-way radio user simply selects a talk

group. The trunking system automati-

cally transmits the call on the first

available frequency, and also sends a

code that uniquely identifies that 2-

way radio user’s transmission on a dif-

ferent frequency called a data chan-

nel.

Since the trunking system might send

individual 2-way radio user’s calls and

response transmissions on different

frequencies, it is difficult to listen to

trunked communications using a regu-

lar scanner. The PRO-2052 monitors

the data channel frequency sent with

a 2-way radio user’s transmission and

instantly switches to an active fre-

quency, so you can hear the call and

response for that 2-way radio user

and easily “follow” the conversation.

The scanner also lets you scan con-

ventional transmissions, and is pre-

programmed with service-search

banks for convenience. By pressing a

single button, you can quickly search

those frequencies most commonly

used by public service and other

agencies without tedious and compli-

cated programming.

This scanner gives you direct access

to over 51,000 exciting frequencies,

including those used by police and fire

departments, ambulance services,

and amateur radio services, and you

can change your selection at any time.

FEATURES

Your scanner also has these special

features:

Flexible Operation

— you can track

both Motorola and GE/Ericsson trunk-

ing systems (used by most trunking

communications systems today), let-

ting you hear more calls than many

standard trunking scanners.

Frequency Coverage to 1.3 GHz

—

provides a wide range of frequencies

you can listen to.

Twenty Channel-Storage Banks

—

let you store 50 channels in each bank

(1000 total channels), letting you

group channels so you can more easi-

ly identify calls.

©

1999 Tandy Corporation.

RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.

HyperSearch and HyperScan are trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.

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NWR-SAME/Weather Alert

— you

can set the scanner to sound an alert

when it receives NOAA’s Specific

Area Message Encoding (SAME) cod-

ed weather emergency signal, provid-

ing more complete information about

weather conditions in your immediate

area and letting you avoid hearing

alerts for geographical areas that do

not interest you.

Remote PC Function

— lets you con-

trol the PRO-2052 from your personal

computer.

Five Scan Lists

— let you store up to

50 IDs in each tracking bank (up to a

total of 1000).

Triple-Conversion Circuitry

— virtu-

ally eliminates any interference from

IF (intermediate frequency) images,

so you hear only the selected frequen-

cy.

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

scanning 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 the scanner scans a bank, it

checks the bank’s priority channel ev-

ery 2 seconds so you don't miss trans-

missions on that channel.

Five Service-Search Banks

— let

you search preset frequencies in sep-

arate public service, police, fire/emer-

gency, aircraft, and weather banks, to

make it easy to locate specific types of

calls.

HyperSearch



and HyperScan



—

let you set the scanner to search at up

to 300 steps per second (in frequency

bands with 5 kHz steps) and scan at

up to 50 channels per second, to help

you quickly find interesting broad-

casts. (The normal search speed is

100 steps per second).

Data Signal Skip

— lets you set the

scanner to skip non-modulated or data

signals during scanning and searches.

This lets the scanner avoid non-voice

signals, making a scan or search fast-

er.

Manual Access

— you can directly

access any stored channel by entering

that channel’s number.

Liquid-Crystal Display

— makes it

easy to view and change program-

ming information.

Display Backlight

— makes the

scanner easy to read in low-light situa-

tions.

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Supplied Telescoping Antenna

—

provides good reception of strong lo-

cal signals.

External Antenna Terminal

— lets

you connect an external antenna with

a BNC connector to the scanner for

improved reception of distant/weaker

signals.

Memory Backup

— keeps the chan-

nel frequencies stored in memory in

the event AC power goes out.

Key Confirmation Tones

— the

scanner sounds a tone when you per-

form an operation correctly, and an er-

ror tone if you make an error.

Duplicate Channel Alert

— warns

you when the frequency you are stor-

ing already exists in memory.

Disconnect Tone Detect

— the scan-

ner automatically tunes to the trunking

data channel when it receives a dis-

connect transmission. You can turn

this feature off to continuously monitor

a channel with a weak transmission

during disconnected conversations.

Your PRO-2052 scanner can receive

these bands:

Note:

See “Specifications” on Page 68

for more information about the scan-

ner’s frequency steps.

Frequency

Range (MHz)

Types of

Transmissions

29–29.7 10-Meter Ham Band

29.7–50 VHF Lo

50–54 6-Meter Ham Band

108–136.975 Aircraft

137–144 Military Land Mobile

144–148 2-Meter Ham Band

148–174 VHF Hi

179.75–215.75 VHF TV

216–225 1-Meter Ham Band

225–400 UHF Aircraft

400–420 Federal

Government

420–450 70-cm Ham Band

450–470 UHF Standard Band

470–512 UHF “T” Band

806–824

851–869

896–956

Public Service “800”

except

Cellular Band

1240–1300 25-cm Ham Band

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FCC NOTICE

Your scanner might cause radio or TV

interference even when it is operating

properly. To determine whether your

scanner is causing the interference,

turn off your scanner. If the interfer-

ence goes away, your scanner is

causing it. Try the following methods

to eliminate the interference:

• Move your scanner away from the

receiver.

• Connect your scanner to an outlet

that is on a different electrical cir-

cuit from the receiver.

• Contact your local RadioShack

store for help.

Note:

Mobile use of this scanner is

unlawful or requires a permit in some

areas. Check the laws in your area.

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 (cellular,

cordless, or other private means

of telephone signal transmission)

• pager transmissions

• any scrambled or encrypted trans-

missions

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 communication

(unless such activity is otherwise ille-

gal).

This scanner is designed to prevent

reception of illegal transmissions, in

compliance with the law which re-

quires that scanners be manufactured

in such a way as to not be easily mod-

ifiable to pick up those transmissions.

Do not open your scanner's case to

make any modifications that could al-

low it to pick up transmissions that it is

not legal to listen to. Doing so could

subject you to legal penalties.

We encourage responsible, legal

scanner use.

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CONTENTS

Preparation ........................................................................................................... 8

Connecting an Antenna ................................................................................... 8

Connecting Power ........................................................................................... 9

Connecting an Extension Speaker ................................................................ 10

Connecting an Earphone/Headphones ......................................................... 11

Understanding Your Scanner ............................................................................ 12

A Look at the Front Panel .............................................................................. 12

A Look at the Display ..................................................................................... 14

Understanding Banks .................................................................................... 17

Understanding Trunking ................................................................................. 17

Operation ............................................................................................................ 18

Turning On the Scanner and Setting Squelch ............................................... 18

Storing Known Frequencies into Channels .................................................... 18

Searching Service Banks .............................................................................. 19

Limit Search ................................................................................................... 20

Scanning the Stored Channels ...................................................................... 21

Manually Selecting a Channel ....................................................................... 21

Deleting a Frequency from a Channel ........................................................... 21

Priority ........................................................................................................... 21

Special Features ................................................................................................ 23

Delay ............................................................................................................. 23

Turning Channel-Storage Banks On and Off ................................................. 23

Locking Out Channels and Frequencies ........................................................ 23

Turning the Key Tone On and Off ................................................................... 24

Changing Search Speeds .............................................................................. 25

Skipping Data Signals ................................................................................... 25

Using NWR-SAME and Weather Alert .......................................................... 25

Testing Weather Alert Reception ................................................................... 28

Trunk Scanning .................................................................................................. 30

Types of Trunking Systems ............................................................................ 30

Setting the Scanner to the Trunk Scanning Mode ......................................... 31

Setting Squelch for the Trunk Scanning Mode ............................................... 31

Programming Trunked Frequencies ............................................................... 32

Scanning a Trunked Bank .............................................................................. 33

Monitoring IDs ............................................................................................... 37

Channel Activity Indicators ............................................................................ 37

Scan Lists ...................................................................................................... 37

Scanning the Scan Lists ................................................................................ 39

Scanning Type I and Hybrid Trunked Systems .............................................. 40

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PC Remote Function ......................................................................................... 46

Connecting the Scanner to a Computer ........................................................ 46

Setting the Remote Communication Format ................................................. 46

Turning the Remote Function On and Off ..................................................... 47

PC to Scanner Commands ........................................................................... 47

PC to Scanner Functions List ....................................................................... 48

Scanner to PC Responses ............................................................................ 52

Scanner Mode Codes ................................................................................... 53

A General Guide to Scanning ........................................................................... 55

Guide to Frequencies .................................................................................... 55

Guide to the Action Bands ............................................................................ 56

Band Allocation ............................................................................................. 57

Frequency Conversion .................................................................................. 63

Troubleshooting ................................................................................................. 64

Resetting the Scanner .................................................................................. 66

Care and Maintenance ...................................................................................... 67

Specifications .................................................................................................... 68

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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 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

helps your scanner receive strong lo-

cal signals. To install the antenna,

thread it clockwise into the hole on the

scanner’s top.

The scanner’s sensitivity depends on

the antenna’s length and various envi-

ronmental conditions. For the best re-

ception of the transmissions you want

to hear, adjust the antenna’s length.

Connecting an Outdoor

Antenna

Instead of the supplied antenna, you

can connect an outdoor base-station

or mobile antenna (not supplied) to

your scanner using a BNC connector.

Your local RadioShack store sells a

variety of antennas. Choose the one

that best meets your needs.

When deciding on a mobile or base-

station antenna and its location, con-

sider these points:

Frequency Antenna Length

29–54 MHz Extend fully

108–400 MHz Collapse one

segment

406–1300 MHz Collapse both

segments

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• The antenna should be as high as

possible on the vehicle or build-

ing.

• 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 low-

loss dielectric coaxial cable. If the an-

tenna cable’s connector does not fit in

the

ANT.

jack, you might also need a

Motorola-to-BNC antenna plug adapt-

er, such as RadioShack Cat. No. 278-

117. Your local RadioShack store car-

ries a wide variety of coaxial antenna

cable and connectors.

Once you choose an antenna, follow

the mounting instructions supplied

with the antenna. Then route the an-

tenna’s cable to the scanner and con-

nect the cable to the

ANT.

jack on the

back of the scanner.

Cautions:

• Do not run the cable over sharp

edges or moving parts that might

damage it.

• Do not run the cable next to power

cables or other antenna cables.

Warning:

Use extreme caution

when you install or remove an out-

door antenna. If the antenna starts to

fall, let it go! It could contact over-

head power lines. If the antenna

touches a power line, contact with

the antenna, mast, cable, or guy

wires can cause electrocution and

death. Call the power company to re-

move the antenna. DO NOT attempt

to do so yourself.

CONNECTING POWER

Using AC Power

The scanner’s supplied AC adapter

lets you power the scanner from a

standard AC outlet. To connect power

to the scanner, insert the AC adapter’s

barrel plug into the

DC 12V

jack on the

back of the scanner, then plug the AC

adapter into a standard AC outlet.

ANT

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Cautions:

You must use a Class 2

power source that sup-

plies 12V DC and deliv-

ers at least 500 mA. Its center tip

must be set to positive and its

plug must fit the scanner's

DC 12V

jack. The supplied adapter meets

these specifications. Using an

adapter that does not meet these

specifications could damage the

scanner or the adapter.

• Always connect the AC adapter to

the scanner before you connect it

to AC power. When you finish, dis-

connect the adapter from AC

power before you disconnect it

from the scanner.

Warning:

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 ex-

posure.

Using Your Vehicle’s Battery

Power

If your AC power fails (during an

emergency, for example), you can

power your scanner from your vehi-

cle’s cigarette lighter socket with an

optional DC cigarette lighter power ca-

ble, (not supplied).

To connect an optional DC cigarette

lighter power cable, insert its barrel

plug into the

DC 12V

jack on the back

of the scanner, then plug the power

cable into your vehicle’s cigarette

lighter socket.

Cautions:

You must use a power

source that supplies 12V

DC and delivers at least

500 mA. Its center tip must be set

to positive and its plug must fit the

scanner's

DC 12V

jack. The sup-

plied adapter meets these specifi-

cations. Using an adapter that

does not meet these specifica-

tions could damage the scanner

or the adapter.

• Always connect the adapter to the

scanner before you connect it to

the power source. When you fin-

ish, disconnect the DC adapter

from the power source before you

disconnect it from the scanner.

Note:

If you use a cigarette lighter

power cable and your vehicle’s engine

is running, you might hear electrical

noise from the engine while scanning.

This is normal.

CONNECTING AN

EXTENSION SPEAKER

In a noisy area, an amplified extension

speaker (available at your local Ra-

dioShack store) positioned in the right

place, might provide more comfortable

listening.

!

D C 12V

ANT

!

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Plug the speaker cable’s

1

/

8

-inch (3.5-

mm) plug into your scanner’s jack.

Note:

Connecting an external speaker

disconnects the scanner’s internal

speaker.

CONNECTING AN

EARPHONE/

HEADPHONES

For private listening, you can connect

an earphone or headphones with a

1

/

8

-

inch (3.5-mm) plug to the jack on

the front of the scanner. (Your local

RadioShack store carries a wide se-

lection of earphones and head-

phones). This automatically dis-

connects the internal speaker.

Listening Safely

To protect your hearing, follow these

guidelines when you use an earphone

or headphones.

• Do not listen at extremely high

volume levels. Extended high-

volume listening can lead to per-

manent hearing loss.

•Set

VOLUME

to the lowest setting

before you begin listening. After

you begin listening, adjust

VOL-

UME

to a comfortable level.

• Once you set

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.

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UNDERSTANDING YOUR SCANNER

Once you understand a few simple terms we use in this manual and familiarize

yourself with your scanner’s features, you can put the scanner to work for you. You

simply determine the type of communications you want to receive, then set the

scanner to scan them.

A

frequency

is the tuning location of a station (expressed in kHz or MHz). To find

active frequencies, you can use the

search

function.

You can also search the

service-search banks

, which are preset groups of fre-

quencies categorized by type of service.

When you find a frequency, you can store it into a programmable memory location

called a

channel

, which is grouped with your other channels in a

channel-storage

bank

. You can then

scan

the channel-storage banks to see if there is activity on

the frequencies stored there. Each time the scanner finds an active frequency, it

stays on that channel until the transmission ends.

A LOOK AT THE FRONT PANEL

Your scanner’s keys might seem confusing at first, but this information should help

you understand each key’s function.

Note:

Some of the scanner’s keys perform more than one function and are marked

with more than one label. The steps in this Owner’s Manual show only the label on

the key appropriate to the action being performed.

VOLUME

Turns the scanner on or off and adjusts the volume.

SQUELCH

Adjusts the scanner’s squelch.

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SCAN

In conventional scanning, scans through stored chan-

nels; in trunking mode, scans through the scan lists

and turns on/off the S-bit feature.

MANUAL

Stops scanning and lets you directly enter a channel

number or frequency.

TRUNK

Selects trunk scanning or conventional mode.

SVC

(service) Selects a service bank; turns on/off the disconnect

tone detect feature.

PRIORITY/SPEED

Sets and turns on and off the priority feature; turns the

HyperSearch mode on and off; in Trunking mode, pro-

grams the priority ID.

Number Keys Each key has single-digit (0 to 9) and double-digit (11

to 20) labels. Use single digits to enter a channel, fre-

quency, ID number, or bank numbers 1 to 10. Use

double-digits to enter bank numbers 11 to 20.

CLEAR

/

•

Clears an entry; enters a decimal point; in trunk scan-

ning mode, sets the range between fleet and sub-fleet

for Motorola Type 1 IDs and sets the range between

agency and fleet for Ericsson EDACS IDs.

E

(enter) Enters frequencies into channels; enters IDs into scan

lists.

LIMIT/

▼

Sets the frequency range; sets the search direction

and holds a frequency search.

DELAY

Programs a 2-second delay for the selected channel,

a limit search, or each service scan. Also programs a

5-second delay in trunk scanning mode.

SEARCH

Searches a specified frequency range to find frequen-

cies; searches for active IDs in the trunk scanning

mode.

L/O/SKIP

(lock out/skip) Lets you lock out selected channels or frequencies;

lets you lock out a selected ID in the trunk scanning

mode.

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REMOTE/HOLD/

▲

Turns the remote function on or off;

holds on the cur-

rent ID in trunk scanning mode; sets the search direc-

tion and holds the frequency search.

DATA/ALERT

Turns the data signal skip feature and the SAME alert

features on or off, or checks the current trunking bank

in trunk scanning mode.

SHIFT

Press with number keys to select banks 11 through

20.

A LOOK AT THE DISPLAY

The display has indicators that show the scanner’s current operating status. This

quick look at the display will help you understand how your scanner operates.

LIST

Appears with a number (1–5) to indicate the list num-

ber.

BANK

Appears with numbers (1–20) to indicate the scan

bank.

PUB