Radio Shack Pro-60, User Manual, Page: 31 / 43

P RO-Series Direct Entry Programmable Scanners
General Guide To Scanning
Birdies
Birdies are frequencies your scanner uses when it operates. These
operating frequencies might interfere with broadcasts on the same
frequencies. If you program one of these frequencies, you hear only noise
on that frequency.
If the interference is not severe, you might be able to turn SQUELCH
clockwise to cut out the birdie. The most common birdies to watch for are
listed below.
Birdie Frequencies:
31.05 MHz 124.20 MHz
41.40 MHz 134.55 MHz
51.75 MHz 144.90 MHz
113.85 MHz 155.25 MHz
Reception Notes
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. During the summer months you may be able to hear stations in the
30-50 MHz range located several hundred or even thousand of miles away.
This is because of summer atmospheric conditions. This type of reception
is unpredictable but often very interesting!
One very useful service is the National Weather Service's continuous
weather broadcast. These broadcasts contain weather forecasts and data
for the areas around the station, plus bulletins on any threatening
weather conditions. These stations use three frequencies - 162.40,
162.475 or 162.55 MHz. In most areas of the country, you can receive one
of these frequencies.
A Guide To The Action Bands
With the right frequencies programmed into your PRO-Series Scanner, you
can monitor exciting events. With a little investigation, you can find
active frequencies in your community. We can give you some general
pointers, and you can take it from there. Please use caution and common
sense when you hear an emergency call. Never go to the scene of an
emergency. It could be very dangerous.
Find out if there is a local club that monitors your community's
frequencies. Perhaps a local electronics repair shop that works on
equipment similar to your scanner can give you frequencies used by local
radio services.
A volunteer police department or fire department can also be a good source
for this information.
As a general rule on VHF, most activity is concentrated between 153.785
and 155.98 MHz and then again from 158.73 to 159.46 MHz. Here you find
local government, police, fire and most such emergency services. If you
are near a railroad yard or major railroad tracks, look around 160.0 to
161.9 MHz for signals.
In some larger cities, there has been a move to the UHF bands for