Radio Shack Scanner Race Scanner User Guide

Cat. No. 20-513  
Owner’s Manual  
PRO-74 100-Channel  
VHF/UHF/Air/800 MHz  
Race Scanner  
Please read before using this equipment.  
 
Hypersearch — lets you set the scanner to search at up to 300 steps  
per second, to help you quickly find interesting broadcasts. (The nor-  
mal search speed is 100 steps per second).  
Two-Second Scan Delay — automatically delays scanning for about 2  
seconds before moving to another channel, so you can hear more re-  
plies.  
Lock-Out Function — lets you set your scanner to skip over specified  
channels.  
Direct Frequency Search — lets you search all frequencies, starting  
directly from a specified frequency.  
Data Signal Skip — lets you set the scanner to skip non-modulated or  
data signals during searches. This lets the scanner avoid non-voice  
signals, making a search faster.  
Search Skip — lets you set the scanner to skip up to 20 frequencies  
you select during searches. This lets the scanner avoid unwanted sig-  
nals.  
Three Power Options — let you power the scanner using alkaline  
or rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries, external AC power using  
an optional AC adapter/charger, or DC power using an optional DC  
adapter.  
Memory Backup — keeps the frequencies stored in memory for up to  
3 days if the PRO-74 loses power.  
Key Confirmation Tones — the scanner sounds a tone when you per-  
form an operation correctly, and an error tone if you make an invalid  
entry. You can turn the key confirmation tones on or off.  
Display Backlight — makes the scanner easy to read in low-light situ-  
ations.  
Battery Low Alert — warns you when battery power gets low.  
Battery Save — saves battery power when the scanner does not de-  
tect any transmissions for more than 5 seconds while a channel is  
manually selected or while you are programming the scanner.  
Key Lock — lets you lock the scanner's keys to help prevent acciden-  
tal changes to the scanner's programming.  
3
 
Resume Start — the scanner saves its settings when you turn the  
power off. This returns you to the function you were using if you acci-  
dentally turn the scanner off or the batteries are weak.  
Triple-Conversion Circuitry — virtually eliminates any interference  
from IF (intermediate frequency) images, so you hear only the selected  
frequency.  
Your scanner can receive these bands:  
Frequency Range  
(MHz)  
Step  
(kHz)  
Transmission  
29–29.7  
29.7–50  
5
5
10-Meter Ham Band  
VHF Lo  
50–54  
5
6-Meter Ham Band  
Aircraft/Air Shows  
108–136.975  
137–144  
12.5  
5
Auto Racing, Aircraft/Air  
Shows, Government, Motion  
Picture/Video Industry, Pro  
Sports Teams, Radio/TV  
Remote Broadcast  
Pickup, Stadiums/Venues  
144–148  
148–174  
406–450  
5
2-Meter Ham Band  
VHF Hi  
5
12.5  
70-cm Ham Band and  
Federal Government  
450–470  
12.5  
12.5  
12.5  
UHF Standard Band  
UHF “T” Band  
470–512  
806–823.9375  
Public Service “800” Band,  
except cellular band  
851–868.9375  
12.5  
12.5  
UHF Hi  
UHF Hi  
896.1125–956.000  
We recommend you record your scanner’s serial number here. The  
number is on the back panel.  
Serial Number: ___________________________  
4
 
FCC NOTICE  
Your scanner might cause radio or TV interference even when it is oper-  
ating properly. To determine whether your scanner is causing the interfer-  
ence, 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  
• Connect your scanner to an outlet that is on a different electrical  
circuit 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 in-  
cluding police and fire departments, ambulance services, government  
agencies, private companies, amateur radio services, military opera-  
tions, pager services, 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 transmissions  
According to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), you  
are subject to fines and possible imprisonment for intentionally listening  
to, using, or divulging the contents of such a transmission unless you  
have the consent of a party to the communication (unless such activity  
is otherwise illegal).  
This scanner has been designed to prevent reception of illegal trans-  
missions. This is done to comply with the legal requirement that scan-  
ners be manufactured so as to not be easily modifiable to pick up those  
transmissions. Do not open your scanner's case to make any modifica-  
tions that could allow it to pick up transmissions that it is not legal to lis-  
ten to. Doing so could subject you to legal penalties. We encourage  
responsible, legal scanner use.  
5
 
CONTENTS  
Preparation ....................................................................................... 9  
Power Sources ............................................................................ 9  
Using Internal Batteries ........................................................ 9  
Charging Nickel-Cadmium Batteries .................................. 11  
Using Standard AC Power ................................................. 12  
Using Vehicle Battery Power .............................................. 13  
Connecting an Antenna ............................................................ 14  
Connecting an Optional Antenna ....................................... 15  
Connecting an Extension Speaker ............................................ 16  
Connecting an Earphone/Headphones ..................................... 16  
Listening Safely ................................................................. 17  
Traffic Safety ...................................................................... 17  
Attaching the Belt Clip ............................................................... 17  
Understanding Your Scanner ........................................................ 18  
A Look at the Keypad ................................................................ 18  
A Look at the Display ................................................................ 20  
Understanding Banks ................................................................ 22  
Memory Banks ................................................................... 22  
Service Banks .................................................................... 22  
Operation ........................................................................................ 24  
Turning On the Scanner and Setting Squelch ........................... 24  
Storing Known Frequencies into Channels ............................... 25  
Finding and Storing Active Frequencies ................................... 26  
Searching the Service Banks ............................................. 26  
Searching from a Selected Frequency ............................... 27  
Storing Active Frequencies ................................................ 28  
Search Skip Memory ................................................................. 28  
Manually Selecting a Channel ................................................... 29  
Scanning Channels ................................................................... 30  
Deleting a Frequency from a Channel ...................................... 30  
Listening to Weather Broadcasts .............................................. 31  
Using the PRO-74 at the Races ..................................................... 32  
Storing a Car Number and Frequency ...................................... 32  
Adding Frequencies to a Car Number ............................... 33  
Viewing Frequencies Associated with a Car Number ........ 34  
Deleting a Frequency from a Car Number ......................... 34  
Scanning by Car Number .......................................................... 34  
Finding What Car Numbers are in What Channels ................... 35  
6
 
Special Features ............................................................................. 36  
Turning Memory Banks On and Off ........................................... 36  
Locking Out Channels ............................................................... 36  
Priority ....................................................................................... 36  
Using the Keylock ...................................................................... 38  
Using the Display Backlight ....................................................... 38  
Changing Search Speeds .......................................................... 38  
Turning the Key Tone Off/On ..................................................... 39  
Turning the Battery Save Function Off/On ................................. 39  
Skipping Data Signals ............................................................... 40  
A General Guide to Scanning ........................................................ 41  
Guide to Frequencies ................................................................ 41  
National Weather Frequencies ........................................... 41  
Canadian Weather Frequencies ......................................... 41  
VHF FM Marine Frequencies ............................................. 41  
Birdie Frequencies ............................................................. 42  
Guide to the Action Bands ......................................................... 43  
Typical Band Usage ........................................................... 43  
Primary Usage .................................................................... 44  
Band Allocation ......................................................................... 44  
Frequency Conversion .............................................................. 48  
Troubleshooting .............................................................................. 49  
Resetting the Scanner ............................................................... 50  
Care and Maintenance .................................................................... 51  
Specifications ................................................................................. 52  
7
 
PREPARATION  
POWER SOURCES  
You can power your scanner from any of three sources:  
• Internal batteries (not supplied)  
• Standard AC power using an optional AC adapter  
• Vehicle battery power using an optional DC adapter  
Using Internal Batteries  
You can power your scanner using four AA batteries. For the longest  
operation and best performance, we recommend you use alkaline bat-  
teries (such as RadioShack Cat. No. 23-552).  
You can also use four rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries (Cat. No.  
23-125). Before you use nickel-cadmium batteries, you must charge  
them (see “Charging Nickel-Cadmium Batteries” on Page 10).  
Follow these steps to install batteries.  
1. While pushing up the tab above the battery compartment cover on  
the back of the scanner, lift open the battery compartment cover to  
remove it.  
2. If you are installing alkaline batteries, use a pointed object such  
ALKALINE  
JACK  
. Or, if you are installing nickel-cadmium bat-  
NI-CD  
NI-CD  
as a pen to set  
ment to  
teries, set it to  
inside the compart-  
ALKALINE  
.
8
 
Warning: Never set ALKALINE JACK NI-CD to NI-CD if you are  
installing non-rechargeable batteries. Non-rechargeable batteries  
can get hot or explode if you try to recharge them.  
3. Install two batteries in the compartment and two in the cover as  
indicated by the polarity symbols (+ and –) marked inside those  
locations.  
Cautions:  
Use only fresh batteries of the required size and recommended  
type.  
Always remove old or weak batteries. Batteries can leak chemi-  
cals that destroy electronic circuits.  
Do not mix old and new batteries, different types of batteries  
(alkaline or rechargeable), or rechargeable batteries of different  
capacities.  
4. Replace the cover.  
If BATT.Loflashes and the scanner beeps every 15 seconds, replace  
(alkaline) or recharge (rechargeable nickel-cadmium) the batteries.  
Caution: Always dispose of old batteries promptly and properly. Do not  
bury or burn them.  
9
 
Charging Nickel-Cadmium Batteries  
The scanner has a built-in circuit that lets you recharge nickel-cadmium  
batteries while they are in the scanner. To charge the batteries, set AL-  
KALINE  
JACK  
NI-CD to NI-CD, install the nickel-cadmium batteries  
in the scanner, and connect an external AC or DC adapter to the scan-  
ner’s POWER jack (see “Using Standard AC Power” on Page 11 or “Us-  
ing Vehicle Battery Power” on Page 12).  
Warning: Do not connect either adapter to the scanner if you have  
non-rechargeable batteries (such as alkaline batteries) installed in the  
scanner and ALKALINE  
JACK  
NI-CD is set to NI-CD, or you are un-  
sure of the switch’s position. Non-rechargeable batteries will get hot  
and can even explode if you try to recharge them.  
Before you use nickel-cadmium batteries for the first time, charge them  
at least 24 hours to bring them to a full charge.  
Discharged batteries take about 10 to 18 hours to fully recharge. It  
takes longer to fully charge them if you operate the scanner while you  
recharge them.  
Notes:  
• Nickel-cadmium batteries last longer and deliver more power if you  
occasionally let them fully discharge. To do this, simply use the  
scanner until it begins beeping every 15 seconds and  
BATT.Loflashes.  
To prevent damaging nickel-cadmium batteries, never charge  
them in an area where the temperature is above 113°F or below  
40°F.  
Important: At the end of a rechargeable battery’s useful life, it must be  
recycled or disposed of properly. Contact your local, county, or state  
hazardous waste management authorities for information on recycling  
or disposal programs in your area. Some options that might be avail-  
able are: municipal curb-side collection, drop-off boxes at retailers such  
as your local RadioShack store, recycling collection centers, and mail-  
back programs.  
10  
 
Using Standard AC Power  
You can power the scanner from a standard AC outlet using an option-  
al AC adapter (such as Cat. No. 273-1665).  
Warning: Do not use an AC adapter’s polarized plug with an extension  
cord, receptacle, or other outlet unless the blades can be fully inserted  
to prevent blade exposure.  
Cautions:  
• The recommended AC adapter supplies 9 volts and delivers at  
least 300 milliamps. It has a barrel plug with a center negative tip  
that correctly fits the scanner’s POWER jack. Using an adapter that  
does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or  
the adapter.  
To protect your scanner and AC adapter, always plug the adapter  
into the scanner before you plug it into the AC outlet, and always  
unplug the adapter from the AC outlet before you unplug it from  
the scanner.  
• If batteries are installed, make sure ALKALINE  
JACK  
NI-CD is  
set to the correct position (see “Using Internal Batteries” on  
Page 8).  
1. Turn VOLUME counterclockwise until it clicks to make sure power  
is turned off.  
2. Plug the adapter’s 3.4 mm outside diameter/1.3 mm inside diame-  
ter barrel plug into your scanner’s POWER jack.  
3. Plug the other end of the adapter into a standard AC outlet.  
11  
 
Using Vehicle Battery Power  
To power the scanner from your vehicle's cigarette-lighter socket, you  
need a DC adapter, such as Cat. No. 270-1560.  
Cautions:  
• The DC adapter must be capable of delivering 9 volts and at least  
300 milliamps, its center tip must be set to negative, and its barrel  
plug must correctly fit the scanner's POWER jack. The recom-  
mended adapter meets these specifications. Using an adapter that  
does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or  
the adapter.  
To protect your vehicle's electrical system, always plug the adapter  
into the scanner before you plug it into your vehicle's cigarette-  
lighter socket. Always unplug the adapter from the vehicle's ciga-  
rette-lighter socket before you unplug it from the scanner.  
• If batteries are installed, make sure ALKALINE  
JACK  
NI-CD is  
set to the correct position (see “Using Internal Batteries” on  
Page 8).  
1. Turn VOLUME counterclockwise until it clicks to make sure power  
is turned off.  
2. Set the DC adapter’s voltage switch to 9V.  
3. Connect the adapter’s 3.4 mm outer diameter/1.3 mm inner diam-  
eter tip to the adapter’s cord, matching TIP to –.  
4. Plug the adapter’s barrel plug into your scanner’s POWER jack.  
5. Plug the other end of the adapter into your vehicle’s cigarette-  
lighter socket.  
12  
 
When you finish using the DC adapter, disconnect it from the cigarette-  
lighter socket, then disconnect it from your scanner.  
Note: If the scanner does not operate properly when you connect a DC  
adapter, unplug the adapter from the cigarette-lighter socket and clean  
the socket to remove ashes and other debris.  
CONNECTING AN ANTENNA  
The supplied stub antenna helps your scanner receive most strong  
transmissions at events and makes the scanner easier to carry and  
use. The supplied flexible antenna provides slightly better reception  
and helps your scanner receive strong local signals. You can attach ei-  
ther of the supplied antennas or an optional antenna to the scanner  
(see “Connecting an Optional Antenna” on Page 14).  
Follow these steps to attach either of the supplied antennas to the con-  
nector on the top of your scanner.  
1. Align the slots around the antenna’s connector with the tabs on the  
scanner’s BNC connector.  
2. Slide the antenna’s connector down over the scanner’s connector  
and rotate the antenna connector’s outer ring clockwise until it  
locks into place.  
13  
 
Connecting an Optional Antenna  
The scanner’s antenna jack makes it easy to use the scanner with a  
variety of antennas. Instead of either of the supplied antennas, you can  
attach a different one, such as an external mobile antenna or outdoor  
base station antenna. Your local RadioShack store sells a variety of  
antennas.  
Always use 50-ohm coaxial cable, such as RG-58 or RG-8, to connect  
an outdoor antenna. For lengths over 50 feet, use RG-8 low-loss di-  
electric coaxial cable. If your antenna’s cable does not have a BNC  
connector, use a BNC adapter, available at your local RadioShack  
store.  
Follow the installation instructions supplied with the antenna, route the  
antenna cable to the scanner, then connect it to the antenna jack fol-  
lowing the steps in “Connecting an Antenna” on Page 13.  
Warning: Use extreme caution when installing or removing an outdoor  
antenna. If the antenna starts to fall, let it go! It could contact overhead  
power lines. If the antenna touches a power line, contact with the an-  
tenna, mast, cable or guy wires can cause electrocution and death!  
Call the power company to remove the antenna. Do not attempt to do  
so yourself.  
Cautions:  
• Do not run the cable over sharp edges or moving parts.  
• Do not run the cable next to power cables or other antenna cables.  
• Do not run the cable through a vehicle’s engine compartment or  
other areas that produce extreme heat.  
• Follow all cautions and warnings included with the antenna.  
14  
 
CONNECTING AN EXTENSION SPEAKER  
In a noisy area, an extension speaker (such as Cat. No. 21-549), posi-  
tioned in the right place, might provide more comfortable listening. Plug  
the speaker cable’s 1/8-inch mini-plug into your scanner’s  
jack.  
CONNECTING AN EARPHONE/  
HEADPHONES  
For private listening, you can plug an earphone or headphones with a  
1/8-inch mini-plug (such as Cat. No. 33-178 or 20-210) into the  
jack  
on top of your scanner. This automatically disconnects the internal  
speaker.  
15  
 
Listening Safely  
To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when you use an ear-  
phone or headphones.  
• Do not listen at extremely high volume levels. Extended high-  
volume listening can lead to permanent hearing loss.  
• Set the volume to the lowest setting before you begin listening.  
After you begin listening, adjust the volume to a comfortable level.  
• Once you set the 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.  
Traffic Safety  
Do not use an earphone/headphones with your scanner when operat-  
ing a motor vehicle or riding a bicycle in or near traffic. Doing so can  
create a traffic hazard and could be illegal in some areas.  
If you use an earphone/headphones with your scanner, be very careful.  
Do not listen to a continuous broadcast. Even though some earphones/  
headphones let you hear some outside sounds when listening at nor-  
mal volume levels, they still can present a traffic hazard.  
ATTACHING THE BELT CLIP  
You can attach the supplied belt clip to make your scanner easier to  
use when you are on the go. Use a Phillips screwdriver and the two  
supplied screws to attach the belt clip to the scanner. Then slide the  
belt clip over your belt or waistband.  
16  
 
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 find the communications you  
want to receive, then set the scanner to scan them.  
frequency  
A
is the tuning location of a station (expressed in kHz or  
search  
MHz). To find active frequencies, you can use the  
function.  
memory banks  
You can also search the  
, which are preset groups of  
frequencies categorized by type of service.  
When you find a frequency, you can store it into a programmable memory  
channel  
, which is grouped with your other channels in a  
location called a  
memory bank. You can then  
scan  
the memory banks to see if there is ac-  
tivity on the frequencies stored there. Each time the scanner finds an ac-  
tive frequency, it stays on that channel until the transmission ends.  
Remember, you search frequencies and scan channels.  
A LOOK AT THE KEYPAD  
Your scanner’s keys might seem confusing at first, but this information  
should help you understand each key’s function.  
PROG  
MAN  
BAND  
RACE  
SCAN  
1-10  
1
21-30  
3
11-20  
2
HOLD  
D A TA  
31-40  
4
41-50 51-60  
PRIORITY  
H/S  
L-OUT  
S/S  
5
6
61-70  
7
71-80 81-90  
DEL  
8
9
91-100  
0
KEYLOCK CLEAR  
W X  
E
17  
 
RACE — lets you store car numbers and frequencies in the scanner’s  
channels, add and delete frequencies from car numbers, display car  
numbers, and listen to the channel where a car number is stored.  
MAN — stops scanning and lets you directly enter a channel number or  
frequency.  
PROG — stores frequencies into channels.  
BAND — lets you search service banks.  
SCAN — scans through stored channels.  
HOLD — holds a frequency search.  
DATA  
— turns on or off the data signal skip feature, and lets you se-  
quentially recall channels where car numbers and frequencies are  
stored during manual operation.  
PRIORITY/H/S — sets and turns on and off priority for a particular chan-  
nel. Also turns Hypersearch on and off.  
L-OUT/S/S — lets you lock out a selected channel and skips a specified  
frequency during a service bank, direct, or weather search.  
t and s — enters the search direction (down or up).  
DEL — deletes the frequencies and car numbers stored in the memory.  
KEYLOCK/  
— locks the keypad to prevent accidental program  
changes. Also turns on the display light for 15 seconds.  
Number Keys — each key is marked with a single digit, and has a  
range of numbers printed above it. The single digits are used to enter a  
channel or frequency. The range of numbers (31–40, for example) indi-  
cates the channels that make up a memory bank.  
CLEAR/ — erases an incorrect entry or an error, and enters a decimal  
point.  
WX/E — selects a weather channel, and enters the frequency when you  
store a frequency into a channel.  
18  
 
A LOOK AT THE DISPLAY  
The display has indicators that show the scanner’s current operating  
status. A good look at the display will help you understand how your  
scanner operates.  
BANK  
1
2 3 4 5 6 7  
8
9 10 BATT.Lo K/L  
HOLD  
RACE PRI DATA  
W X HYPER  
NO.  
P
MRN  
CH  
SCAN MAN PGM L/O  
MHz  
SEARCH  
S
BANK— appears with numbers (1–10) to show which memory banks  
are turned on for scanning.  
Service bank indicators — appear when you select the scanner’s ser-  
vice banks (see “Service Banks” on Page 21).  
BATT.Lo— flashes when the batteries are low.  
K/L— appears when you lock the keypad.  
RACE— appears when you store car numbers and frequencies in the  
scanner’s channels, add and delete frequencies from car numbers, dis-  
play car numbers, and move to the channel where a car number is  
stored.  
PRI— appears when you set the scanner to scan the priority channels  
every 2 seconds.  
— appears when you turn on the data skip function.  
DATA  
HOLD— appears during a search hold.  
WX — appears when you search the preset frequencies in the weather  
band.  
HYPER — appears when you are using Hypersearch during service  
bank and direct search. However, HYPERdisappears when the scan-  
ner searches any frequency bands other than the 5 kHz step bands.  
19  
 
No.— appears when a car number is displayed  
— appears with CHwhen you select the scanner’s marine service  
bank (see “Service Banks” on Page 21).  
MRN  
P — appears when you listen to a priority channel.  
CH— digits that precede this indicator show which of the 100 channels  
the scanner is tuned to.  
MHz — digits that precede this indicator show which frequency the  
scanner is tuned to. 5appears directly above the MHzindicator when  
the displayed frequency is an odd multiple of 12.5 kHz (for frequencies  
between 406–956 MHz, or 108–136.975 MHz).  
SCAN— appears when you scan channels.  
MAN— appears when you manually select a channel.  
PGM— appears while you store (program) frequencies into the scan-  
ner’s channels.  
L/O— appears when you manually select a locked channel or a skip  
frequency.  
— appears when the battery save function is active.  
S
t and s — indicate the search direction.  
SEARCH — appears during a service bank, direct, or weather search.  
-d-— appears during a direct search.  
Error— appears when you make an invalid entry.  
20  
 
UNDERSTANDING BANKS  
Memory Banks  
To make it easier to identify and select the channels you want to listen  
to, the PRO-74’s channels are divided into 10 banks of 10 channels  
each. Use each memory bank to group frequencies, such as the police  
department, fire department, ambulance services, or aircraft (see  
“Guide to the Action Bands” on Page 42). For example, the police de-  
partment might use four frequencies, one for each side of town. You  
could program the police frequencies starting with Channel 1 (the first  
channel in bank 1) and program the fire department frequencies start-  
ing with Channel 11 (the first channel in bank 2).  
Service Banks  
You can search for auto racing, marine, VHF, aircraft, military, amateur  
radio, government, UHF, TV, and 800 MHz transmissions even if you  
do not know the specific frequencies that are used in your area. And,  
you can store any of the frequencies you find into channels.  
This table shows each service bank’s name, what it is used for, and its  
frequencies.  
Name  
Typical Usage  
Frequency Range  
(in MHz)  
Auto Racing  
150.9950–151.9550  
152.8700–153.7250  
154.4900–154.6250  
460.0000–470.0000  
CAr  
CH  
Marine  
Listed in “VHF FM  
Marine Frequencies”  
on Page 40.  
MRN  
VHF Lo  
Air  
29.0000–54.0000  
108.0000–136.9750  
137.0000–144.0000  
LO  
AIr  
MIL  
Military  
21  
 
Name  
Typical Usage  
Frequency Range  
(in MHz)  
2-Meter Ham  
144.0000–148.0000  
148.0000–174.0000  
406.0000–420.0000  
420.0000–450.0000  
450.0000–470.0000  
470.0000–512.0000  
HAM  
HI  
VHF Hi  
Federal Government  
FEd  
HAM  
UHF  
TV  
70-Centimeter Ham  
UHF  
TV  
800 MHz  
806.0000–823.9375  
851.0000–868.9375  
896.1125–956.0000  
800  
Your scanner also has 7 preprogrammed weather frequencies.  
For example, if you wanted to search for transmissions between a driver  
and that driver’s pit crew at an auto race, you could search only the ser-  
vice bank where you are most likely to hear the transmissions (CAr).  
Notes:  
The frequencies in the scanner’s service banks are preset. You  
cannot change them.  
“Band Allocation” on Page 43 lists frequency ranges and the  
broadcasters you are likely to hear on those frequencies.  
22  
 
OPERATION  
TURNING ON THE SCANNER AND  
SETTING SQUELCH  
Note:  
Make sure an antenna is connected to the scanner before you  
turn it on.  
SQUELCH  
1. Turn  
fully counterclockwise.  
PRO-74  
V O L U M E  
S Q U E L C H  
OFF  
VOLUME  
2. Turn  
clockwise until it clicks and you hear a hissing  
sound.  
PRO-74  
VO L U M E  
SQ U EL C H  
OFF  
SQUELCH  
3. Turn  
clockwise, then leave it set to a point just after the  
hissing sound stops.  
Notes:  
• If you have not stored frequencies into any channels, the scanner  
does not scan.  
• If the scanner picks up unwanted, partial, or very weak transmis-  
SQUELCH  
sions, turn  
ity to these signals. If you want to listen to a weak or distant  
SQUELCH  
clockwise to decrease the scanner's sensitiv-  
station, turn  
SQUELCH  
counterclockwise.  
is adjusted so you always hear a hissing sound, the  
• If  
scanner does not scan properly.  
23  
 
STORING KNOWN FREQUENCIES  
INTO CHANNELS  
Good references for active frequencies are the RadioShack “Beyond  
Police Call,” “Aeronautical Frequency Directory,” and “Maritime Fre-  
quency Directory.” We update these directories every year, so be sure  
to get a current copy.  
Follow these steps to store a frequency into a channel.  
1. Press MAN, enter the channel number where you want to store a  
frequency, then press PROG. The channel number appears.  
2. Use the number keys and CLEAR/ to enter the frequency (includ-  
ing the decimal point) you want to store.  
PROG  
MA N  
BAND  
RACE  
SCAN  
1-10  
1
11-20 21-30  
HOLD  
2
DA TA  
3
31-40  
4
41-50 51-60  
PRIORITY  
H/S  
L-O UT  
S/S  
5
6
61-70  
7
71-80 81-90  
DEL  
8
9
KEYLOCK CLEAR  
91-100  
0
W X  
E
3. Press E to store the frequency into the channel.  
PROG  
MA N  
BAND  
RACE  
SCAN  
1-10  
1
11-20 21-30  
HOLD  
2
DA TA  
3
31-40  
4
41-50 51-60  
PRIORITY  
H/S  
L-O UT  
S/S  
5
6
61-70  
7
71-80 81-90  
DEL  
8
9
KEYLOCK CLEAR  
91-100  
0
W X  
E
Notes:  
If you entered an inappropriate frequency in Step 2, Error  
appears and the scanner beeps three times. Simply repeat  
Steps 2 and 3.  
24  
 
Your scanner automatically rounds the entered frequency to the  
nearest valid frequency. For example, if you enter a frequency  
of 151.473, your scanner accepts it as 151.475.  
Your scanner automatically delays scanning for 2 seconds after  
a transmission ends before it proceeds to the next channel.  
4. To program the next channel in sequence, press PROG and repeat  
Steps 2 and 3.  
Note: If you previously stored a car number in a channel (see  
“Storing a Car Number and Frequency” on Page 31), the scanner  
clears the number when you store a new frequency into a channel.  
FINDING AND STORING ACTIVE  
FREQUENCIES  
Searching the Service Banks  
Your scanner contains groups of preset frequencies called service  
banks. Each service bank is associated with a specific activity (see  
“Service Banks” on Page 21). You can search for auto racing, marine,  
VHF, aircraft, military, amateur radio, government, UHF, TV, and 800  
MHz transmissions even if you do not know the specific frequencies  
that are used in your area.  
1. Press BAND. A service bank’s name, SEARCH, and the frequency  
search range appear.  
Note: The frequency search range does not appear if the CARor  
CHservice bank is selected.  
MRN  
2. To select a different service bank, repeatedly press s or t until the  
desired bank name appears.  
3. Press BAND. The scanner starts searching the frequencies within  
that service bank.  
Note: To change the search direction, press s or t.  
4. When the scanner stops on a transmission, quickly press either:  
t or s to continue searching  
HOLD to stop searching so you can listen to the transmission.  
HOLDappears.  
25  
 
To release hold and continue searching, press HOLD or hold  
down t or s for more than 1 second.  
Notes:  
To step through the frequencies while HOLDis displayed, press  
t or s.  
If you tune to a search skip frequency, L/O appears (see  
“Search Skip Memory” on Page 27).  
To store a frequency into a channel while the frequency is  
paused or held, see “Storing Active Frequencies” on Page 27.  
Searching from a Selected Frequency  
If you do not have a reference to frequencies in your area, you can  
search for transmissions starting with a frequency you select.  
1. Press MAN.  
2. To start the search from a frequency, enter it using the number  
keys and CLEAR/ . Or, to start the search from a frequency stored  
in a channel, enter the channel number, then press MAN.  
3. Press t to search downward or s to search upward from the  
selected frequency. -d-, SEARCH, and t or s appear.  
PROG  
M A N  
D ATA  
BAND  
RACE  
SCAN  
1-10  
1
21-30  
3
11-20  
2
HOLD  
31-40  
4
41- 50 51-60  
PRIORITY L-O UT  
MHz  
SEARCH  
H/S  
S/S  
5
6
61-70  
7
71-80 81-90  
DEL  
8
9
91-100  
0
K EYL OC K C L EA R  
W X  
E
4. When the scanner stops on a transmission, quickly press either:  
t or s to continue searching  
HOLD to stop searching so you can listen to the transmission.  
HOLDappears.  
To release hold and continue searching, press HOLD or hold  
down t or s for more than 1 second.  
26  
 
Notes:  
To step through the frequencies while HOLDis displayed, press  
t or s.  
If you tune to a search skip frequency, L/O appears (see  
“Search Skip Memory” on Page 27).  
To store a frequency into a channel while the frequency is  
paused or held, see “Storing Active Frequencies.”  
Storing Active Frequencies  
To store an active frequency into a channel, press PROG while the fre-  
quency is paused or held. The lowest available channel number flash-  
es.  
To enter the frequency into that channel, press E.  
To change the channel, enter the desired channel number, then  
press PROG.  
The frequency currently stored in that channel (if any) appears for  
about 2 seconds, then the new frequency appears. Press E to store the  
new frequency.  
Notes:  
• If you previously stored a car number and frequency in a channel  
(see “Storing a Car Number and Frequency” on Page 31), the  
scanner clears the number and frequency when you store a new  
frequency into that channel.  
• If there are no empty channels, the channel number changes to 1  
and FULLappears. To clear FULLfrom the display, press CLEAR.  
SEARCH SKIP MEMORY  
You can skip up to 20 specified frequencies during a service bank, di-  
rect, or weather search. This lets you avoid unwanted frequencies or  
ones you have already stored in a channel. You can specify all 20 fre-  
quencies to be skipped during one type of search (direct search, for ex-  
ample), or you can divide the frequencies you skip among two or all  
three search types.  
27  
 
To skip a frequency, press S/S when the  
scanner stops on the frequency during a  
search. The scanner stores the frequen-  
cy in memory and automatically resumes  
the search.  
PROG  
MA N  
BAND  
RACE  
HOLD  
SCAN  
1-10  
1
11-20 21-30  
2
3
DA TA  
31-40  
4
41-50 51-60  
PRIORITY  
H/S  
L-O UT  
S/S  
5
6
61-70  
7
71-80 81-90  
DEL  
8
9
KEYLOCK CLEAR  
91-100  
0
W X  
E
To clear a single frequency from search  
skip memory so the scanner can stop on  
it during a search, follow these steps.  
1. Press HOLD to hold the search.  
2. Press ) or ( to select the frequency. L/O appears.  
3. Press S/S. L/O disappears from the display.  
To clear all the search skip frequencies at once, during a search, press  
HOLD, then hold down S/S until the scanner beeps twice (about 3 sec-  
onds).  
Notes:  
• If you skip all the frequencies in the weather band, the scanner will  
not start searching. In this case, the scanner sounds three beeps.  
• If you program more than 20 frequencies to skip, each new fre-  
quency replaces one you already stored, starting from the first fre-  
quency you stored.  
You can manually select a skipped frequency. L/O appears on the  
display when you select a skipped frequency.  
MANUALLY SELECTING A CHANNEL  
You can continuously monitor a single channel without scanning. This  
is useful if you hear an emergency broadcast on a channel and do not  
want to miss any details — even though there might be periods of si-  
lence — or if you want to monitor a specific channel.  
28  
 
Note: You cannot use this procedure to select a car number. See  
“Viewing Frequencies Associated with a Car Number” on Page 33 to  
select a car number.  
To manually select a channel, press MAN, enter the channel number,  
then press MAN again. Or, if your scanner is scanning and stops at the  
desired channel, press MAN once.  
Pressing MAN additional times causes your scanner to step through the  
channels. To resume scanning, press SCAN.  
SCANNING CHANNELS  
To begin scanning channels, press SCAN. The scanner scans through  
all non-locked channels in all banks that are turned on, from the lowest  
to the highest channel number. (See “Turning Memory Banks On and  
Off” and “Locking Out Channels” on Page 35).  
When the scanner finds a transmission, it stops on it. Two seconds af-  
ter the transmission ends, the scanner resumes scanning.  
Note: If SQUELCH is adjusted so you always hear a hissing sound, the  
scanner does not scan properly.  
DELETING A FREQUENCY FROM A  
CHANNEL  
1. Press PROG.  
2. Enter the channel number that contains the frequency you want to  
delete, then press PROG.  
3. Press DEL. The frequency is deleted.  
29  
 
LISTENING TO WEATHER BROADCASTS  
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has allocated fre-  
quencies for use by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-  
tion (NOAA). Regulatory agencies in other countries have also  
allocated frequencies for use by their weather reporting authorities.  
Your local weather reporting authority broadcasts your local forecast  
and regional weather information on one or more of these frequencies.  
If your scanner is within a weather reporting authority’s broadcast  
range, you can scan these frequencies.  
Your scanner has 7 weather service frequencies preprogrammed. See  
“National Weather Frequencies” on Page 40 for a list of these frequen-  
cies.  
To hear your local forecast and regional weather information, simply  
press WX. Your scanner scans through the weather frequencies. Your  
scanner should stop within a few seconds on your local weather broad-  
cast.  
To manually tune to a specific preprogrammed weather frequency,  
press WX, then HOLD. Repeatedly press s or t to move forward or  
backward through the frequencies.  
30  
 
USING THE PRO-74 AT THE RACES  
The PRO-74 is specially designed to help you listen to communications  
at auto races. Drivers and their pit crews and corner watchers, pace  
car drivers, security officers, emergency personnel, track officials, and  
representatives of governing organizations such as NASCAR, SCCA,  
and NHRA all use radios to communicate with each other during a  
race. You might also hear transmissions from the news media and re-  
porters, local police departments, and paramedics and doctors at the  
local hospital. You can even listen to broadcasts by parking lot employ-  
ees at the track, so you can find the best possible parking place when  
you arrive.  
The scanner’s quick-track memory lets you store a car number and fre-  
quency in each of the scanner’s channels, associate one or more fre-  
quencies stored in channels with a car number, and recall any  
frequencies associated with that car number by entering the number.  
You can store one car number by itself, one car number and frequency,  
or one frequency by itself in each channel (for up to 100 car numbers  
and frequencies).  
For example, if you want to listen to communications between the driv-  
er of car number 24 and that driver’s pit crew, find all the frequencies  
used by the driver’s team by using the steps in “Searching the Service  
Banks” on Page 25, using the supplied frequency guide, “Searching  
from a Selected Frequency” on Page 26, or using frequencies you al-  
ready know, then store a car number and the frequencies associated  
with that car number in the scanner’s channels. Then, you can display  
the car number as you scan those frequencies by using the information  
in “Scanning by Car Number” on Page 33.  
STORING A CAR NUMBER AND FREQUENCY  
You can store a car number and frequency in each of the scanner’s  
channels, and you can recall any frequencies associated with the car  
number by entering the number. You can store one car number in each  
channel (for up to 100 car numbers).  
Note:  
After you store a car number and a frequency, you can store ad-  
ditional frequencies then associate those frequencies with the same  
car number. See “Adding Frequencies to a Car Number” on Page 32.  
31  
 
Follow these steps to store a car number and frequency.  
1. Press MAN then RACE. RACEand Car No?---appears.  
2. Enter the car number. If the number is one or two digits, enter the  
number, then press RACE. If the number is three digits, enter the  
.
number only. The car number and --- ---appear.  
Notes:  
If you add one or more leading zeros to a single-digit car num-  
ber, your scanner recognizes them as different car numbers.  
For example, you can enter 5 for one car number, 05 for  
another car number, and 005for another car number.  
To clear the display, press CLEAR/ before you press RACE.  
3. Enter the frequency (including the decimal point) you want to  
associate with the car number by using the number keys and  
CLEAR/ .  
4. Press E to store the frequency. The car number and frequency are  
stored in the first available channel.  
Adding Frequencies to a Car Number  
Follow these steps to select a car number then associate additional fre-  
quencies with that car number.  
1. Press MAN then RACE. RACEand Car No?---appears.  
2. Enter the car number. If the number is one or two digits, enter the  
number, then press RACE. If the number is three digits, just enter  
the number. The car number and the first frequency associated  
with that number appears.  
3. Repeatedly press s or t until ---.---appears.  
4. Enter the frequency (including the decimal point) you want to  
associate with the displayed car number by using the number keys  
and CLEAR/ .  
5. Press E to store the frequency. The frequency is associated with  
the car number you entered.  
32  
 
Viewing Frequencies Associated with a Car Number  
After you store a car number and associate frequencies with that num-  
ber, you can view all frequencies associated with the number.  
1. Press MAN then RACE. RACEand Car No?---appears.  
2. Enter the car number. If the number is one or two digits, enter the  
number, then press RACE. If the number is three digits, just enter  
the number. One of the frequencies associated with the car num-  
ber appears.  
3. Repeatedly press s or t to view each of the frequencies associated  
with the car number you entered. When you have viewed all the  
frequencies, the display shows ---.---.  
Deleting a Frequency from a Car Number  
1. Recall the car number.  
2. Repeatedly press s or t until the frequency you want to delete  
appears.  
3. Hold down DEL for about 1 second. The scanner beeps and the  
frequency disappears.  
SCANNING BY CAR NUMBER  
Once you store car numbers into channels, you can set the scanner so  
it displays the car numbers you assigned to the channels as it scans  
them.  
To scan by car number, repeatedly press RACE until BANKand RACE  
appear, then press SCAN. As the scanner scans channels, the car  
numbers you stored appear in the order you stored them into their  
channels, from the lowest to the highest channel.  
Notes:  
• If no car number is assigned to a channel, ---appears instead of  
the car number.  
• If SQUELCH is adjusted so you always hear a hissing sound, the  
scanner does not scan properly.  
33  
 
FINDING WHAT CAR NUMBERS ARE IN  
WHAT CHANNELS  
If you are listening to a channel and want to know what car number you  
are hearing, simply press RACE twice. If a car number has been asso-  
ciated with this frequency, the car number and frequency appear.  
Press RACE twice to return to normal channel listening.  
To see what car numbers are stored, press MAN then RACE, then re-  
DATA  
peatedly press  
to highest) show.  
. The car numbers (from lowest channel number  
34  
 
SPECIAL FEATURES  
TURNING MEMORY BANKS ON AND OFF  
You can turn each memory bank on and off. When you turn off a bank,  
the scanner does not scan any of the 10 channels in that bank.  
While scanning, press the number key that corresponds to the bank  
you want to turn on or off. When BANKappears, the scanner scans all  
the channels within the displayed banks that are not locked out (see  
“Locking Out Channels”).  
Notes:  
• You can manually select any channel within a bank, even if that  
bank is turned off.  
• You cannot turn off all banks. One bank must always be active.  
LOCKING OUT CHANNELS  
You can increase the scanning speed by locking out channels that  
have a continuous transmission, such as a weather channel. To lock  
L-OUT  
out a channel, manually select the channel, then press  
appears. You can still manually select locked out channels.  
so L/O  
To remove the lockout from a channel, manually select the channel  
L-OUT  
and press  
so L/Odisappears from the display. Or, to unlock all  
MAN  
channels or frequencies in the banks that are turned on, press  
to  
L-OUT  
stop scanning, then hold down  
until the scanner beeps twice.  
Note:  
WX  
and then lock  
If you select a weather frequency by pressing  
out that frequency, the scanner stores the frequency in its search skip  
memory. Follow the steps under “Search Skip Memory” on Page 27 to  
remove the lockout from the weather frequency.  
PRIORITY  
The priority feature lets you scan through channels and still not miss  
important or interesting calls on specific channels. You can program  
one channel in each bank as a priority channel (for up to a total of 10  
priority channels). If the priority feature is turned on, as the scanner  
scans a bank, the scanner checks that bank’s priority channel every 2  
seconds for activity.  
35  
 
The scanner automatically designates each bank's first channel as its  
priority channel. Follow these steps to select a different channel as the  
priority channel.  
1. Press PROG.  
2. Enter the channel number you want to select as the priority chan-  
nel, then press PRIORITY.  
appears to the right of the channel  
P
number.  
PROG  
MAN  
B AN D  
RACE  
SCAN  
1-10  
1
11-20 21-30  
HOLD  
D A TA  
BANK  
5
2
3
31-40  
4
41-50 51-60  
L-OUT  
S/S  
PRIORITY  
H/S  
5
6
P
61-70  
7
71-80 81-90  
CH  
PG M  
MHz  
DEL  
8
91-100  
0
9
CLEAR  
WX  
E
KEYLOCK  
3. Repeat Steps 1–2 for the channel in each bank you want to pro-  
gram as a priority channel.  
To confirm all priority channel numbers, press PROG, then repeatedly  
press PRIORITY to step through the priority channels.  
To turn on the priority feature, press PRIORITY during scanning. PRI  
appears.  
To turn off the priority feature, press PRIORITY again. PRIdisappears.  
Notes:  
• The priority feature must be turned off to use the data skip feature  
(see “Skipping Data Signals” on Page 39).  
BAYNoKu 1 can lock out priority  
channels. If you lock out all  
P
priority channels,  
LOCOUt  
C H  
andMA Nappear when you turn  
P
L/O  
on the priority feature.  
36  
 
USING THE KEYLOCK  
Once you set up and store channels into your scanner, you can protect  
it from accidental changes by turning on the keylock feature. When  
locked, the only controls that operate are SCAN, MAN, KEYLOCK/  
,
VOLUME, and SQUELCH.  
To turn on the keylock, hold down KEYLOCK until K/Lappears. To turn  
it off, hold down KEYLOCK until K/Ldisappears.  
PR OG  
MA N  
BAND  
RACE  
SCAN  
BANK  
1
K/L  
1-10  
1
21-30  
3
11-20  
2
P
HOLD  
D ATA  
C H  
MHz  
31-40  
4
41-50 51-60  
PRIORITY L-O UT  
PG M  
H/S  
S/S  
5
6
61-70  
7
71- 80 81- 90  
DEL  
8
9
91-100  
0
KEYLOCK CLEAR  
W X  
E
USING THE DISPLAY BACKLIGHT  
You can turn on the display backlight for easy viewing at night. Press  
to turn it on for 15 seconds. To turn it off before 15 seconds  
elapse, press the button again.  
CHANGING SEARCH SPEEDS  
The PRO-74 has two search speeds.  
Normal Search  
Hypersearch  
100 steps/second  
300 steps/second  
To switch between normal and Hypersearch speeds, during a service  
bank or direct search, press H/S. HYPERappears during Hypersearch.  
37  
 
Notes:  
You can use Hypersearch only in the 5 kHz step bands (29–54  
MHz and 137–174 MHz.  
• Since the marine service bank is not in one of the 5 kHz step  
bands, you cannot use Hypersearch in the marine service bank.  
TURNING THE KEY TONE OFF/ON  
Your scanner comes set so each time you press a key, you hear a  
tone. To turn off the key tone, follow these steps.  
1. Turn off the scanner.  
2. While holding down L-OUT/S/S, turn on the scanner. OFF bEEP  
appears for about 3 seconds.  
PROG  
MA N  
BAND  
RACE  
SCAN  
1-10  
1
21-30  
3
11-20  
2
HOLD  
D
A TA  
31-40  
4
41-50 51-60  
PRIORITY L-O UT  
H/S  
S/S  
5
6
61-70  
7
71- 80 81-90  
DEL  
8
9
91-100  
0
K EYL OC K C L EA R  
W X  
To turn the key tone back on, repeat these steps so onbEEPappears.  
TURNING THE BATTERY SAVE FUNCTION  
OFF/ON  
To save battery power when a channel is manually selected or when  
you are programming the scanner, the scanner has a battery save  
function which automatically sets the scanner to a standby mode if no  
button is pressed for 5 seconds when no signal is detected, and sets  
the scanner back to full power mode when it detects a button press or  
receives a signal. The battery save function is set to on at the factory,  
but you can change it.  
appears when the function is active.  
S
Note: If priority is turned on, the battery save function does not work  
even if a channel is manually selected.  
To turn the battery save function off or back on, turn off the scanner,  
then hold down PRIORITY/H/S and turn on the scanner. OFFSAVEor  
onSAVEbriefly appears.  
38  
 
SKIPPING DATA SIGNALS  
You can set the scanner so it skips nonmodulated or data signals (such  
as modem transmissions) during a search or scan.  
Note:  
Since data signals are not generally found in the air band, this  
feature does not work in the air band.  
DATA  
To turn on the data skip feature, press  
.
appears. To turn  
DATA  
disappears.  
DATA  
off the feature, press  
again.  
DATA  
39  
 
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  
162.425  
162.450  
162.475  
162.500  
162.525  
162.550  
Canadian Weather Frequencies  
161.650  
161.775  
163.275  
Note:  
The Canadian frequencies are not preprogrammed in this scan-  
ner, but you can manually search or store them.  
VHF FM Marine Frequencies  
Chan-  
nel  
No.  
Frequency  
Chan-  
nel  
No.  
Frequency  
Ship  
Shore  
Ship  
Shore  
6
156.3000  
156.3500  
156.4000  
156.4500  
156.3000  
156.3500  
156.4000  
156.4500  
156.5000  
156.5500  
156.6000  
156.6500  
156.7000  
156.7500  
156.8000  
156.8500  
64 156.2550  
65 156.2750  
66 156.3250  
67 156.3750  
68 156.4250  
69 156.4750  
70 156.5250  
71 156.5750  
72 156.6250  
73 156.6750  
74 156.7250  
77 156.8750  
156.2550  
156.2750  
156.3250  
156.3750  
156.4250  
156.4750  
156.5250  
156.5750  
156.6250  
156.6750  
156.7250  
156.8750  
7
8
9
10 156.5000  
11 156.5500  
12 156.6000  
13 156.6500  
14 156.7000  
15 156.7500  
16 156.8000  
17 156.8500  
40  
 
Chan-  
nel  
No.  
Frequency  
Chan-  
nel  
No.  
Frequency  
Ship  
Shore  
Ship  
Shore  
Chan-  
nel  
No.  
Frequency  
Chan-  
nel  
No.  
Frequency  
Ship  
Shore  
Ship  
Shore  
19 156.9500  
20 157.0000  
21 157.0500  
22 157.1000  
23 157.1500  
24 157.2000  
25 157.2500  
26 157.3000  
27 157.3500  
28 157.4000  
156.9500  
161.6000  
157.0500  
157.1000  
157.1500  
161.8000  
161.8500  
161.9000  
161.9500  
162.0000  
79 156.9750  
80 157.0250  
81 157.0750  
82 157.1250  
83 157.1750  
84 157.2250  
85 157.2750  
86 157.3250  
87 157.3750  
88 157.4250  
156.9750  
157.0250  
157.0750  
157.1250  
157.1750  
161.8250  
161.8750  
161.9250  
161.9750  
157.4250  
Birdie Frequencies  
Every scanner has birdie frequencies. Birdies are signals created in-  
side the scanner’s receiver. These operating frequencies might inter-  
fere with broadcasts on the same frequencies. If you program one of  
these frequencies, you hear only noise on that frequency. If the inter-  
ference is not severe, you might be able to turn SQUELCH clockwise to  
cut out the birdie. The birdie frequencies (in MHz) found in this scanner  
are:  
31.2000  
171.2500  
489.1875  
489.5000  
932.8250  
41.6000  
410.0000  
489.2500  
813.4000  
938.3750  
52.6000  
430.0000  
489.3500  
814.0000  
940.9000  
116.0375  
480.4750  
489.4500  
932.6000  
41  
 
To find the birdies in your particular scanner, begin by disconnecting the  
antenna and moving it away from the scanner. Make sure that no other  
nearby radios or TVs are turned on near the scanner. Use the search  
function to search every frequency range from its lowest to the highest  
frequency. Occasionally, the searching will stop as if it had found a sig-  
nal, often without any sound. That is a birdie. Make a list of all the birdies  
in your scanner for future reference.  
GUIDE TO THE ACTION BANDS  
Typical Band Usage  
VHF Band  
Low Range  
29.00–50.00 MHz  
50.00–54.00 MHz  
137.00–144.00 MHz  
144.00–148.00 MHz  
148.00–174.00 MHz  
6-Meter Amateur  
U.S. Government  
2-Meter Amateur  
High Range  
UHF Band  
U.S. Government  
70-cm Amateur  
Low Range  
FM-TV Audio Broadcast, Wide Band  
Public Service  
Conventional Systems  
Conventional/Trunked Systems  
Trunked Systems  
Public Safety  
High Range  
33-Centimeter Amateur  
Private Trunked  
General Trunked  
Fixed Services  
Studio-to-Transmitter Broadcast Links  
Private Fixed Services, Paging  
406.00–420.00 MHz  
420.00–450.00 MHz  
450.00–470.00 MHz  
470.00–512.00 MHz  
806.00–823.93 MHz  
851.00–856.00 MHz  
856.00–861.00 MHz  
861.00–866.00 MHz  
866.00–868.93 MHz  
896.11–902.00 MHz  
902.00–928.00 MHz  
935.00–940.00 MHz  
940.00–941.00 MHz  
941.00–944.00 MHz  
944.00–952.00 MHz  
952.00–956.00 MHz  
42  
 
Primary Usage  
As a general rule, most of the radio activity is concentrated on the fol-  
lowing frequencies:  
VHF Band  
Activities  
Frequencies  
Government, Police, and Fire  
Emergency Services  
Railroad  
153.785–155.980 MHz  
158.730–159.460 MHz  
160.000–161.900 MHz  
UHF Band  
Activities  
Frequencies  
Land-Mobile “Paired” Frequencies  
Base Stations  
450.000–470.000 MHz  
451.025–454.950 MHz  
456.025–459.950 MHz  
460.025–464.975 MHz  
465.025–469.975 MHz  
Mobile Units  
Repeater Units  
Control Stations  
Note: Remote control stations and mobile units operate at 5 MHz high-  
er than their associated base stations and relay repeater units.  
BAND ALLOCATION  
To help decide which frequency ranges to scan, use the following list-  
ing of the typical services that use the frequencies your scanner re-  
ceives. These frequencies are subject to change, and might vary from  
area to area. For a more complete listing, refer to the book “Beyond  
Police Call,” available at your local RadioShack store.  
Abbreviations  
Services  
BIFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boise (ID) Interagency Fire Cache  
BUS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Business  
CAP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Civil Air Patrol  
CB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Citizens Band  
CCA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Common Carrier  
CSB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conventional Systems  
CTSB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conventional/Trunked Systems  
43  
 
FIRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fire Department  
HAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amateur (Ham) Radio  
GOVT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Federal Government  
GMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Mobile Radio  
GTR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Trunked  
IND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Industrial Services  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . (Manufacturing, Construction, Farming, Forest Products)  
MAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Military Amateur Radio  
MARI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maritime Limited Coast  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Coast Guard, Marine Telephone,  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shipboard Radio, Private Stations)  
MARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Military Affiliate Radio System  
MED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emergency/Medical Services  
MIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .U.S. Military  
MOV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Motion Picture/Video Industry  
NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .New Mobile Narrow  
NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Relay Press (Newspaper Reporters)  
OIL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oil/Petroleum Industry  
POL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Police Department  
PUB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public Services  
. . . . . . . . . . . . (Public Safety, Local Government, Forestry Conservation)  
PSB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public Safety  
PTR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Private Trunked  
ROAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Road & Highway Maintenance  
RTV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Radio/TV Remote Broadcast Pickup  
TAXI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Taxi Services  
TELB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mobile Telephone  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Aircraft, Radio Common Carrier, Landline Companies)  
TELC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cordless Phones  
TELM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Telephone Maintenance  
TOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tow Trucks  
TRAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transportation Services  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Trucks, Tow Trucks, Buses, Railroad, Other)  
TSB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trunked Systems  
TVn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FM-TV Audio Broadcast  
USXX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Government Classified  
UTIL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Power & Water Utilities  
WTHR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weather  
VERY HIGH FREQUENCY (VHF)  
VHF Low Band(29.7–50 MHzin 5 kHz steps)  
29.900–30.550 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL  
30.580–31.980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, PUB  
32.000–32.990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL  
33.020–33.980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUS, IND, PUB  
34.010–34.990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL  
35.020–35.980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUS, PUB, IND, TELM  
36.000–36.230 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL  
36.250 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oil Spill Cleanup  
36.270–36.990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL  
37.020–37.980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PUB, IND  
38.000–39.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL  
39.020–39.980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PUB  
40.000–42.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL, MARI  
42.020–42.940 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .POL  
44  
 
42.960–43.180 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND  
43.220–43.680 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TELM, IND, PUB  
43.700–44.600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TRAN  
44.620–46.580 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . POL, PUB  
46.600–46.990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, TELC  
47.020–47.400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PUB  
47.420 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .American Red Cross  
47.440–49.580 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, PUB  
49.610–49.990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MIL, TELC  
6-Meter Amateur Band(50–54 MHz)  
50.00–54.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HAM  
U.S. Government Band (137–144 MHz)  
137.000–144.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL  
2-Meter Amateur Band (144–148 MHz)  
144.000–148.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HAM  
VHF High Band (148–174 MHz)  
148.050–150.345 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CAP, MAR, MIL  
150.775–150.790 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED  
150.815–150.980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TOW, Oil Spill Cleanup  
150.995–151.475 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ROAD, POL  
151.490–151.955 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, BUS  
151.985 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TELM  
152.0075 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED  
152.030–152.240 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TELB  
152.270–152.480 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IND, TAXI, BUS  
152.510–152.840 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TELB  
152.870–153.020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, MOV  
153.035–153.725 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, OIL, UTIL  
153.740–154.445 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PUB, FIRE  
154.490–154.570 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, BUS  
154.585 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oil Spill Cleanup  
154.600–154.625 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BUS  
154.655–156.240 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MED, ROAD, POL, PUB  
156.255–157.425 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OIL, MARI  
157.450 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED  
157.470–157.515 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TOW  
157.530–157.725 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, TAXI  
157.740 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BUS  
157.770–158.100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TELB  
158.130–158.460 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUS, IND, OIL, TELM, UTIL  
158.490–158.700 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TELB  
158.730–159.465 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .POL, PUB, ROAD  
159.480 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OIL  
159.495–161.565 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TRAN  
161.580–162.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OIL, MARI, RTV  
162.0125–162.35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL, USXX  
162.400–162.550 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WTHR  
162.5625–162.6375 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL, USXX  
162.6625 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED  
162.6875–163.225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL, USXX  
163.250 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED  
163.275–166.225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL, USXX  
45  
 
166.250 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, RTV, FIRE  
166.275–169.400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, BIFC  
169.445–169.505 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wireless Mikes, GOVT  
169.55–169.9875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL, USXX  
170.000–170.150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BIFC, GOVT, RTV, FIRE  
170.175–170.225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT  
170.245–170.305 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wireless Mikes  
170.350–170.400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, MIL  
170.425–170.450 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BIFC  
170.475 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PUB  
170.4875–173.175 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GOVT, PUB, Wireless Mikes  
173.225–173.5375 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MOV, NEWS, UTIL, MIL  
173.5625–173.5875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MIL Medical/Crash Crews  
173.60–173.9875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT  
ULTRA HIGH FREQUENCY (UHF)  
U. S. Government Band (406–420 MHz)  
406.125–419.975 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOVT, USXX  
70-cm Amateur Band (420–450 MHz)  
420.000–450.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HAM  
Low Band (450–470 MHz)  
450.050–450.925 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RTV  
451.025–452.025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IND, OIL, TELM, UTIL  
452.0375–453.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IND, TAXI, TRAN TOW, NEWS  
453.0125–454.000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PUB, OIL  
454.025–454.975 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TELB  
455.050–455.925 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RTV  
457.525–457.600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BUS  
458.025–458.175 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED  
460.0125–460.6375 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIRE, POL, PUB  
460.650–462.175 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BUS  
462.1875–462.450 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUS, IND  
462.4625–462.525 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IND, OIL, TELM, UTIL  
462.550–462.925 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GMR, BUS  
462.9375–463.1875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MED  
463.200–467.925 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BUS  
FM-TV Audio Broadcast, UHF Wide Band (470–512 MHz)  
(Channels 14 through 69 in 6 MHz steps)  
475.750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 14  
481.750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 15  
487.750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 16  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..  
511.750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 20  
Note: Some cities use the 470–512 MHz band for land/mobile service.  
46  
 
Conventional Systems Band – Locally Assigned  
851.0125–855.9875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CSB  
Conventional/Trunked Systems Band – Locally Assigned  
856.0125–860.9875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CTSB  
Trunked Systems Band – Locally Assigned  
861.0125–865.9875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TSB  
Public Safety Band – Locally Assigned  
866.0125–868.9875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PSB  
33-Centimeter Amateur Band (902–928 MHz)  
902.0000–928.0000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HAM  
Private Trunked  
935.0125–939.9875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PTR  
General Trunked  
940.0125–940.9875 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GTR  
FREQUENCY CONVERSION  
The tuning location of a station can be expressed in frequency (kHz or  
MHz) or in wavelength (meters). The following information can help  
you make the necessary conversions.  
1 MHz (million) = 1,000 kHz (thousand)  
To convert MHz to kHz, multiply the number of megahertz by 1,000:  
9.62 (MHz) x 1000 = 9620 kHz  
To convert from kHz to MHz, divide the number of kilohertz by 1,000:  
2780 (kHz) ÷ 1000 = 2.780 MHz  
To convert MHz to meters, divide 300 by the number of megahertz:  
300 ÷ 7.1 MHz = 42.25 meters  
47  
 
TROUBLESHOOTING  
If you have problems, here are some suggestions that might help. If  
none do, take your scanner to your local RadioShack store for as-  
sistance.  
PROBLEM  
POSSIBLE CAUSE  
REMEDY  
Keys do not work or  
display changes at  
random.  
Undetermined error.  
Reset the scanner (see  
“Resetting the Scanner”  
on Page 49).  
Scanner is on but  
will not scan.  
SQUELCH is not  
correctly adjusted.  
Adjust SQUELCH clock-  
wise.  
Only one channel or  
no channels are  
stored.  
Store frequencies into  
more than one channel.  
Scanner is totally  
inoperative.  
No power.  
Check the batteries or  
make sure the scanner  
is plugged into a working  
AC or DC outlet.  
Be sure the adapter’s  
barrel plug is fully  
plugged into the  
POWER jack.  
Recharge the recharge-  
able batteries or replace  
the non-rechargeable  
batteries.  
The scanner’s dis-  
play dims or the  
scanner sounds a  
Batteries are not  
correctly installed.  
Make sure the batteries  
are installed with the  
proper polarity (+ to +  
tone every 15 30  
and to ).  
seconds.  
Batteries are low.  
Recharge the recharge-  
able batteries or replace  
the non-rechargeable  
batteries.  
Keypad does not  
work.  
The keylock func-  
tion is activated.  
To turn off the keylock,  
press KEYLOCK until  
disappears.  
K/L  
48  
 
PROBLEM  
POSSIBLE CAUSE  
REMEDY  
The batteries are  
Recharge rechargeable  
batteries, or replace non-  
rechargeable batteries.  
BATT.Lo  
appears.  
weak.  
PROBLEM  
POSSIBLE CAUSE  
REMEDY  
Poor or no recep-  
tion.  
Batteries are weak  
or dead.  
Check the batteries, or  
make sure the scanner  
is plugged into a working  
AC or DC outlet.  
appears.  
Frequency entered  
incorrectly.  
Re-enter the frequency  
correctly, including the  
decimal point.  
Error  
While scanning, the  
scanner locks on  
frequencies that  
have an unclear  
transmission.  
Stored frequencies  
are the same as  
“birdie” frequencies.  
Avoid storing frequen-  
cies listed under “Birdie  
Frequencies” on  
Page 41, or only listen to  
them manually.  
RESETTING THE SCANNER  
If the scanner’s display locks up or does not work properly after you  
connect power, you might need to reset the scanner.  
Caution: This procedure clears all the information you have stored into  
the scanner (such as frequencies and car numbers). Before you reset  
the scanner, try turning it off and on to see if it begins working properly.  
Reset the scanner only when you are sure it is not working properly.  
1. Turn off the scanner.  
2. While you hold down the 2 and 9 keys, turn on the scanner.  
If you still have problems after resetting the scanner, take it to your lo-  
cal RadioShack store.  
49  
 
CARE AND MAINTENANCE  
Your RadioShack PRO-74 100-Channel VHF/UHF/Air/800 MHz Race  
Scanner is an example of superior design and craftsmanship. The fol-  
lowing suggestions will help you care for your scanner so you can en-  
joy it for years.  
Keep the scanner dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry immedi-  
ately. Liquids can contain minerals that can corrode the  
electronic circuits.  
Use only batteries of the required size and recommended  
type. Always remove old and weak batteries. They can  
leak chemicals that destroy electronic circuits.  
Handle the scanner gently and carefully. Dropping it can  
damage circuit boards and cases and can cause the  
scanner to work improperly.  
Use and store the scanner only in normal temperature  
environments. Temperature extremes can shorten the  
life of electronic devices, damage batteries, and distort or  
melt plastic parts.  
Keep the scanner away from dust and dirt, which can  
cause premature wear of parts.  
Wipe the scanner with a damp cloth occasionally to keep  
it looking new. Do not use harsh chemicals, cleaning sol-  
vents, or strong detergents to clean the scanner.  
Modifying or tampering with your scanner’s internal components can  
cause a malfunction, invalidate the scanner’s warranty, and void your  
FCC authorization to operate it. If your scanner is not operating as it  
should, take it to your local RadioShack store for assistance.  
50  
 
SPECIFICATIONS  
Frequency Coverage ............................... 29–54 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)  
108–136.975 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)  
137–174 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)  
406–512 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)  
806.0000–823.9375 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)  
851.0000–868.9375 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)  
896.1125–956.0000 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)  
Channels ........................................................................................ 100  
Sensitivity: (FM: 20 dB S/N at 3 kHz deviation)  
(AM: 20 dB S/N at 60% modulation)  
29–54 MHz ......................................................................... 0.5 µV  
108–136.975 MHz .............................................................. 1.5 µV  
137–174 MHz ..................................................................... 0.4 µV  
406–512 MHz ..................................................................... 0.3 µV  
806–956 MHz ..................................................................... 0.8 µV  
Scan Speed ............................................................. 50 Channels/Sec.  
Search Speed .............................................................. 100 Steps/Sec.  
Priority Sampling .................................................................. 2 Seconds  
Delay Time ........................................................................... 2 Seconds  
IF Frequencies ........................... 380.7 MHz, 10.85 MHz, and 450 kHz  
Audio Power ........................................................... 330 mW Maximum  
Built-in Speaker ............... 17/16 Inches (36 mm) 8 Ohm, Dynamic Type  
Maximum Current Drain ........................................................... 160 mA  
Power Requirement ................... 4 AA Alkaline Batteries (6.0 VDC), or  
4 AA Rechargeable Ni-Cd Batteries (4.8 VDC), or  
AC Adapter (Cat. No. 273-1665), or  
DC Adapter (Cat. No. 270-1560)  
Dimensions (HWD) ........................................ 61/2 × 25/8 × 111/16 Inches  
(163.9 × 66 × 43.3 mm)  
Weight (w/o batteries and antenna) ............................................ 8.1 oz  
(228.9 g)  
Specifications are typical; individual units might vary. Specifications are  
subject to change and improvement without notice.  
51  
 
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. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, RadioShack MAKES NO EXPRESS  
WARRANTIES AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING THOSE OF MER-  
CHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED IN  
DURATION TO THE DURATION OF THE WRITTEN LIMITED WARRANTIES CON-  
TAINED HEREIN. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, RadioShack SHALL HAVE NO  
LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY TO CUSTOMER OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR  
ENTITY WITH RESPECT TO ANY LIABILITY, LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED DI-  
RECTLY OR INDIRECTLY BY USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE PRODUCT OR  
ARISING OUT OF ANY BREACH OF THIS WARRANTY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT  
LIMITED TO, ANY DAMAGES RESULTING FROM INCONVENIENCE, LOSS OF  
TIME, DATA, PROPERTY, REVENUE, OR PROFIT OR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,  
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF RadioShack HAS BEEN  
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.  
Some states do not allow the limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts or the  
exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations or exclu-  
sions may not apply to you.  
In the event of a product defect during the warranty period, take the product and the  
RadioShack sales receipt as proof of purchase date to any RadioShack store. Ra-  
dioShack will, at its option, unless otherwise provided by law: (a) correct the defect by  
product repair without charge for parts and labor; (b) replace the product with one of  
the same or similar design; or (c) refund the purchase price. All replaced parts and  
products, and products on which a refund is made, become the property of Ra-  
dioShack. New or reconditioned parts and products may be used in the performance  
of warranty service. Repaired or replaced parts and products are warranted for the re-  
mainder of the original warranty period. You will be charged for repair or replacement  
of the product made after the expiration of the warranty period.  
This warranty does not cover: (a) damage or failure caused by or attributable to acts  
of God, abuse, accident, misuse, improper or abnormal usage, failure to follow in-  
structions, improper installation or maintenance, alteration, lightning or other inci-  
dence of excess voltage or current; (b) any repairs other than those provided by a  
RadioShack Authorized Service Facility; (c) consumables such as fuses or batteries;  
(d) cosmetic damage; (e) transportation, shipping or insurance costs; or (f) costs of  
product removal, installation, set-up service adjustment or reinstallation.  
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights  
which vary from state to state.  
RadioShack Customer Relations, Dept. W, 100 Throckmorton St., Suite 600,  
Fort Worth, TX 76102  
We Service What We Sell  
3/97  
RadioShack  
A Division of Tandy Corporation  
Fort Worth, Texas 76102  
UBZZ01292ZZ  
Printed in the Philippines  
6A8  
 

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