20-196a.fm Page 1 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM Owner’s Manual Cat. No. 20-196 A PRO-2067 500-Channel Mobile Trunk-Tracking Scanner Please read before using this equipment.
0-196a.fm Page 2 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM INTRODUCTION Your new RadioShack 500-Channel Mobile Trunk-Tracking 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, E.F. Johnson LTR, and hybrid analog trunking systems, which are extensively used in many 800 MHz, 900 MHz and UHF communication systems.
20-196a.fm Page 3 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM Simultaneous Trunking Operation — you can scan all 3 types of trunking systems, and both trunking and conventional frequencies, at the same time. Text Input — you can manually enter the name of the service you are listening to so the service name appears when you scan it, making it easier to identify transmissions. Digital Weather Alert — displays the weather event text so you can see the reason for the alert.
20-196a.fm Page 4 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM HyperSearch and HyperScan — let you set the scanner to search at up to 50 steps per second and scan at up to 25 channels per second, to help you quickly find interesting transmissions. Your scanner bands: Memory Backup — keeps the channel frequencies stored in memory for an extended time even without battery power.
20-196a.fm Page 5 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM 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 interference goes away, your scanner is causing it. Try the following methods to eliminate the interference: • Move your scanner away from the receiver. vices, military operations, pager services, and wireline (telephone and telegraph) service providers.
20-196a.fm Page 6 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM CONTENTS Preparation ........................................................................................................... 8 Connecting an Antenna ................................................................................... 8 Mounting an Antenna ...................................................................................... 8 Mounting the Scanner In Your Vehicle .............................................................
20-196a.fm Page 7 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM Trunking Operation ............................................................................................ Understanding Trunking ................................................................................ Setting Squelch for the Trunking Mode ......................................................... Programming Trunking Frequencies ............................................................. Programming Fleet Maps ..................................
20-196a.fm Page 8 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM PREPARATION CONNECTING AN ANTENNA You must install an antenna before you can operate the scanner. Your local RadioShack store sells a variety of scanner antennas for both mobile and base-station use. Choose the one that best meets your needs. When deciding on a mobile or basestation antenna and its location, consider these points. • The antenna should be as high as possible on a vehicle or a house.
20-196a.fm Page 9 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM Caution: Be sure to avoid obstructions behind the mounting surface. 6. Connect the antenna’s cable to the ANT jack on the back of the scanner. Follow these steps to mount the scanner in your vehicle. 1. Choose a mounting location, then use the supplied mounting bracket as a template to mark the positions for the mounting screw holes. 2. In the marked positions, drill holes slightly smaller than the supplied screws. 3.
20-196a.fm Page 10 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM • Always connect the adapter or DC power cord to the scanner before you connect it to the power source. When you finish, disconnect the adapter or DC power cord from the power source before you disconnect it from the scanner. • For added safety and to protect your scanner, disconnect the cable from your vehicle battery’s negative (–) terminal before you begin. Follow these steps to connect the supplied DC power cord. 1.
20-196a.fm Page 11 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM Using Standard AC Power To power the scanner from an AC outlet, you need an AC adapter (not supplied) with a 5.5 mm outer diameter/ 2.1 mm inner diameter tip. 3. Plug the adapter into a standard AC outlet. 12V Cautions: You must use a Class 2 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 13.8V jack.
20-196a.fm Page 12 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM CONNECTING AN EARPHONE/ HEADPHONES For private listening, you can connect an earphone or headphones with a 1/8inch (3.5-mm) plug to the EXT SP jack on the back of the scanner. (Your local RadioShack store carries a wide selection of earphones and headphones). This automatically disconnects the internal speaker. Listening Safely To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when you use an earphone or headphones.
20-196a.fm Page 13 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM UNDERSTANDING YOUR SCANNER Once you understand a few simple terms used 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.
20-196a.fm Page 14 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM STEP — changes the frequency step or displays the step frequency during a search. MODE — changes the receive mode. PRI (priority) — sets and turns the priority function on or off. TEXT — lets you input text. TUNE — tunes a frequency along with ▲ or ▼. SEARCH — lets you search the ten search banks. MAN — stops scanning and lets you directly enter a channel number. FUNC — lets you access various functions by pressing this key along with other keys.
20-196a.fm Page 15 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM • — enters a decimal point (necessary when programming frequencies), space, or hyphen (in Motorola type I code setting). ENTER —enters frequencies, text, and so on. TRUNK — stores the trunking ID code or holds the trunking ID while scanning. L/OUT (lockout) — lets you lock out a selected channel, skip a specified frequency during search, or lock out a selected ID code. CLEAR — clears an incorrect entry. PROG (program) — programs frequencies into channels.
20-196a.fm Page 16 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM A LOOK AT THE DISPLAY • Receiving a Signal ( no signal) Priority Freq.
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20-196a.fm Page 18 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM UNDERSTANDING BANKS Channel Storage Banks To make it easier to identify and select the channels you want to listen to, channels are divided into 10 banks (0–9) of 50 channels (00 to 49) each. Use each channel-storage bank to group frequencies, such as those used by the police department, fire department, ambulance services, or aircraft (see “Guide to the Action Bands” on Page 45).
20-196a.fm Page 19 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM UNDERSTANDING YOUR SCANNER’S MODES Open and Closed Modes You can set your scanner to change the way it receives signals. These settings, called open mode and closed mode, affect how the scanner receives signals from communications systems that use some type of closed squelch (such as PL, DPL, LTR, MOT, and ED systems). You can set each of the scanner’s channel storage banks to open or closed mode.
-196a.fm Page 20 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM When the scanner receives a transmission on a channel set to the LTR mode, it first decodes the LTR data included with the transmission. In the open mode, the scanner stops on the transmission and displays the talk group ID on the bottom line of the display. In the closed mode, the scanner only stops on the transmission if the LTR data matches a talk group ID that you have stored in the bank’s talk group ID list and have not locked out.
20-196a.fm Page 21 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM Type II system talk groups are identified by a 5-digit number. Valid talk group IDs are divisible by 16. If you try to enter an invalid talk group ID, the scanner rounds the ID down to the next valid ID. Type I/II hybrid systems use both fleet-subfleet and 5-digit formats for talk group IDs. Note: If the scanner decodes control channel data while receiving transmissions from a Motorola trunking system, CNTRL appears on the bottom line of the display.
20-196a.fm Page 22 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM OPERATION TURNING ON THE SCANNER AND SETTING SQUELCH 1. Turn SQUELCH fully counterclockwise until the indicator points to MIN. 2. To turn on the scanner, turn VOLUME clockwise. Welcome to Multi-System Trunking appears. Then, after about 3 seconds, you hear a hissing sound. 3. Turn SQUELCH clockwise and leave it set to a point just after the hissing sound stops. 4. To turn off the scanner, turn VOLUME counterclockwise to OFF.
20-196a.fm Page 23 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM 4. Press ENTER to store the frequency into the channel. for easy identification of channel transmissions, trunk IDs, or banks. Notes: • If you made a mistake in Step 3, Invalid Freq appears and the scanner beeps when you press ENTER. Simply start again from Step 3. • Your scanner automatically rounds the entered frequency down to the nearest valid frequency. For example, if you enter a frequency of 151.473, your scanner accepts it as 151.470.
20-196a.fm Page 24 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM 3. Enter the desired text using the keypad then press ENTER. Note: If the channel is programmed for PL, DL, LT, MO or ED mode, the scanner displays the ID number from the bank name. Text Input Chart Press 1 To Enter a Character from this Group 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0 To access the numbers, after you press FUNC and 6, press 1 then the desired number. To enter a lowercase character or a character from the second set for key 0, press 0 then FUNC.
20-196a.fm Page 25 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM FINDING AND STORING ACTIVE FREQUENCIES Search Bank Search Range (MHz) Description You can search for transmissions within ten ranges of frequencies, called a search bank. The search bank is divided into ten search bands. You can change the bands with the preprogrammed search bands in the scanner. You can also change the search bank’s search ranges manually. 3 118.000– 136.00 Aircraft 4 156.250– 157.425 Marine 5 866.000– 868.9875 800 MHz 6 50.
20-196a.fm Page 26 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM 3. When the scanner finds an active frequency, it stops searching. To save the frequency into a channel in the channel storage bank (bank 9 only), press FUNC then ENTER. Stored @ 9xx appears on the bottom row of the display (xx is the channel number). Press ▲ or ▼ to continue searching for additional active frequencies. Notes: • During a search, you can manually change the band mode or frequency step.
20-196a.fm Page 27 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM 4. Press ▲ or ▼ to select the preprogrammed search range. 5. Press ENTER search range. to replace the Manually Changing a Search Range 1. Press FUNC then SEARCH to enter search program mode. PSR and a search bank number appear at the display’s upper left corner. 2. Press ▲ or ▼ to select the desired search bank number. 3. Use the number keys to enter the lowest frequency range you want to search, then press ENTER to store the frequency. 4.
20-196a.fm Page 28 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM of the channels within the banks you have turned off. Notes: • You cannot turn off all banks. There must be at least one active bank. • You can manually select any channel in a bank, even if the bank is turned off. To turn on banks while scanning, press the bank’s corresponding number key until the bank’s number appears. MANUALLY TUNING A FREQUENCY 1. Press TUNE. 2. Use the number keys to enter the frequency. 3. Press ENTER. 4.
20-196a.fm Page 29 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM NOAA and your local weather reporting authority broadcast your local forecast and regional weather information on one or more of these channels. Listening to a Weather Channel To hear your local forecast and regional weather information, press WX. Your scanner scans through the weather band then stops within a few seconds on the strongest weather broadcast. Notes: • The scanner does not display the actual location referenced by SAME messages.
20-196a.fm Page 30 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM SPECIAL FEATURES USING DELAY Many agencies use a two-way radio system that might have a period of 2 or more seconds between a transmission and a reply. To keep from missing a reply, the scanner automatically pauses 2 seconds on a channel after a transmission ends before it proceeds to the next channel. To turn delay on or off, press FUNC then DELAY.
20-196a.fm Page 31 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM Reviewing Locked-Out Frequencies L/O list is empty appears. Follow these steps to review the frequencies within a search bank that you locked out. Clearing All Locked-Out Frequencies in a Search Bank frequencies are cleared within a bank, 1. Press SEARCH to start searching. 1. Press FUNC then SEARCH. 2. Press FUNC then L/OUT. The first locked-out frequency in the selected search bank appears.
20-196a.fm Page 32 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM Notes: • The scanner does not stay on the priority channel while the scanner is receiving trunking frequencies. • If you program a weather channel as the priority channel, the scanner stays on that channel only when it detects the weather alert tone. • The scanner cannot set a channel as the priority channel if the channel’s receive mode is LTR, MOT, or ED. Follow these steps to program a channel as the priority channel. 1. Press MAN. 2.
20-196a.fm Page 33 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM ner receives transmissions only when a preset ID code is also transmitted, and the ID code appears. In closed mode, the scanner does not receive transmissions if they do not have an ID code or if the ID code does not match the preset ID code. Note: You can set AM and FM frequencies within banks to open or closed mode. If you want to listen to private line or trunking transmissions in closed mode, you might have to change the receive mode.
20-196a.fm Page 34 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM Range (MHz) Search Step (kHz) 29.000-54.000 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 50, 100 108.000-136.9875 12.5, 25, 50, 100 137.000-174.000 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 50, 100 380.000-512.000 12.5, 25, 50, 100 806.000-823.9875 12.5, 25, 50, 100 849.000-868.9875 12.5, 25, 50, 100 894.000-960.000 12.5, 25, 50, 100 To change the frequency step while moving between frequencies within a search band, repeatedly press STEP.
20-196a.fm Page 35 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM CHANGING THE DISPLAY CONTRAST 1. Press MAN. 2. Press FUNC then 9. Use Up/ Down keys to set contrast. appears on the display. 3. Press ▲ or ▼ to select the desired contrast. 4. Press ENTER to store the setting. CLONING PROGRAMMED DATA FROM SCANNER TO SCANNER You can transfer the programmed data to and from another RadioShack Cat. No. 20-196 or Cat. No. 20-522 scanner using the supplied clone cable. To clone the data, follow these steps. 1.
20-196a.fm Page 36 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM TRUNKING OPERATION The scanner tracks transmissions that use the Motorola® Type I and Type II (such as Smartnet and Privacy Plus) and hybrid analog trunking systems, plus GE/Ericsson (EDACS) and EF Johnson (LTR) type systems, which are extensively used in many communication systems. Trunking systems allocate a few frequencies to many different users.
20-196a.fm Page 37 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM SETTING SQUELCH FOR THE TRUNKING MODE Your scanner automatically mutes the audio during trunk scanning when it decodes control channel data. However, we recommend you turn SQUELCH clockwise and leave it set to a point just after the hissing sound stops. This lets the scanner quickly acquire the data channel.
20-196a.fm Page 38 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM bank (see “Storing a Frequency to a Specified Channel” on Page 26). other www.trunkscanner.com, Internet sources, or locallypublished guidebooks. 5. Repeatedly press MODE to select the trunking mode (LT for EF Johnson, MO for Motorola, or ED for the EDACS (GE/Ericsson) system). • The scanner automatically decodes subaudible data it receives in the VHF band. 6. Press SCAN.
20-196a.fm Page 39 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM 5. Repeatedly press FUNC then 9 to select the offset frequency you want (12.5 kHz, 25.0 kHz, or 50 kHz). Note: Offset frequencies above 50 kHz do not appear and are used only for subaudible decoding mode. 6. Program the trunking frequencies (see “Programming Trunking Frequencies” on Page 37). PROGRAMMING FLEET MAPS If you want to receive a Motorola Type I system, you need to set the fleet map.
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20-196a.fm Page 41 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM TALK GROUP IDS You can program up to 100 talk group IDs in each bank. When the scanner stops on a transmission in the LTR, Motorola, or EDACS mode, it checks to see if the ID has been stored. In the closed mode, the scanner only stops on the transmission and displays its text tag if you have stored and not locked out the ID. In the open mode, the scanner always stops on a transmission, but it displays the ID’s text tag if you have stored the ID.
20-196a.fm Page 42 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM Follow these steps to lock out a talk group ID. 1. Press PROG. 2. Press TRUNK. 3. Repeatedly press FUNC and ▲ or ▼ to move the desired bank. 4. Repeatedly press ▲ or ▼ to select the ID memory. 5. Press L/OUT to lock out the ID. L appears. 6. To remove the lockout from the trunking ID, manually select the ID memory then repeatedly press L/OUT until L disappears.
20-196a.fm Page 43 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM OPEN AND CLOSED MODES When set to the open mode, the scanner only uses the ID list to look up ID text tags and stops on any ID code. Closed Mode When set to the closed mode, the scanner stops only on signals that have an ID code which is found in the ID list for the bank. Note: When you select a channel manually, any transmission opens squelch, regardless of the current mode. The open or closed mode is set in each channel storage bank.
20-196a.fm Page 44 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM A GENERAL GUIDE TO SCANNING Reception of the frequencies covered by your scanner is mainly “line-of-sight.” That means you usually cannot hear stations that are beyond the horizon. GUIDE TO FREQUENCIES National Weather Frequencies 162.400 162.500 162.475 162.550 162.525 162.450 162.425 Birdie Frequencies Every scanner has birdie frequencies. Birdies are signals created inside the scanner’s receiver.
20-196a.fm Page 45 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM GUIDE TO THE ACTION BANDS Typical Band Usage (MHz) VHF Band Low Range 6-Meter Amateur Aircraft U.S. Government 2-Meter Amateur High Range 29.00–50.00 50.00–54.00 108.00–136.00 137.00–144.00 144.00–148.00 148.00–174.00 UHF Band Military Aircraft U.S.
20-196a.fm Page 46 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM Activities Emergency Services Railroad Frequencies (MHz) 158.730–159.460 160.000–161.900 UHF Band Activities 70-Centimeter Amateur Band FM Repeaters Land-Mobile “Paired” Frequencies Base Stations Mobile Units Repeater Units Control Stations Frequencies (MHz) 440.000–450.000 450.000–470.000 451.025–454.950 456.025–459.950 460.025–464.975 465.025–469.
20-196a.fm Page 47 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM MARI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maritime Limited Coast (Coast Guard, Marine Telephone, Shipboard Radio, Private Stations) MARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Military Affiliate Radio System MED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emergency/Medical Services MIL . . . . . . . . . .
20-196a.fm Page 48 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM 43.700–44.600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TRAN 44.620–46.580 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .POL, PUB 46.600–46.990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT 47.020–47.400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20-196a.fm Page 49 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM 162.6875–163.225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL, USXX 163.250 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED 163.275–166.225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL, USXX 166.250 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20-196a.fm Page 50 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM Note: Some cities use the 470–512 MHz band for land/mobile service. Conventional Systems Band – Locally Assigned 851.0125–855.9875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CSB Conventional/Trunked Systems Band – Locally Assigned 856.0125–860.9875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20-196a.fm Page 51 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM TROUBLESHOOTING If your scanner is not working as it should, these suggestions might help you eliminate the problem. If the scanner still does not operate properly, take it to your local RadioShack store for assistance. PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSE REMEDY SQUELCH is not correctly adjusted. Adjust SQUELCH clockwise. Only one channel or no channels are stored. Store frequencies into more than one channel. No power.
20-196a.fm Page 52 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM RESETTING/ INITIALIZING THE SCANNER You might need to reset or initialize the scanner if: • the scanner’s display locks up. • the scanner does not work properly after you connect power. • the scanner is dropped or subjected to a physical or electrical shock. Important: If you have problems, first try to reset the scanner. If that does not work, you can initialize the scanner; however, this clears all information stored in your scanner’s memory.
20-196a.fm Page 53 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM CARE AND MAINTENANCE Your RadioShack 500-Channel Mobile Trunk-Tracking Scanner is an example of superior design and craftsmanship. The following suggestions will help you care for your scanner so you can enjoy it for years. Keep the scanner dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. Liquids might contain minerals that can corrode the electronic circuits. Use and store the scanner only in normal temperature environments.
20-196a.fm Page 54 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM SPECIFICATIONS Frequency Coverage (MHz): 10 Meter Amateur Radio ................................. 29.0000–30.0000 (in 5 kHz steps) VHF Lo ............................................................ 30.0000–50.0000 (in 5 kHz steps) 6 Meter Amateur Radio ................................... 50.0000–54.0000 (in 5 kHz steps) Aircraft .................................................... 108.0000–136.9875 (in 12.5 kHz steps) Government .............................
20-196a.fm Page 55 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM Delay Time ............................................................................................. 2 Seconds IF Rejection: 257.5 MHz at 154 MHz ............................................................................ 60 dB 21.4 MHz at 154 MHz ............................................................................ 100 dB IF Frequencies: 1st IF ................................................................................................ 257.
20-196a.fm Page 56 Friday, June 2, 2000 3:48 PM Limited One-Year Warranty This product is warranted by RadioShack against manufacturing defects in material and workmanship under normal use for one (1) year from the date of purchase from RadioShack company-owned stores and authorized RadioShack franchisees and dealers.
