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37 

Beyond the Basics

high water areas

downed power lines

other emergency conditions that affect life or 
property

Listening to Skywarn broadcasts makes it easy to 
quickly find out about and prepare for inclement 
weather conditions in your immediate area, even 
before your local NOAA weather broadcast and 
local TV or radio station can announce them.

Enter the local Skywarn frequency for your area into 
Channel 200 on your scanner, then listen to Skywarn 
first when severe weather threatens.

Listen to NOAA: for weather alerts and warnings, 
watch box notices, and weather forecasts

Listen to Skywarn: to hear trained observers in your 
vicinity call in official reports to a "net control" 
station who relays those reports to NOAA and other 
emergency agencies.

If you tune to a Skywarn frequency when the 
Skywarn net is not active, you may hear nothing or 
you may hear amateur radio operators talking on a 
local repeater system.

Most importantly, you get Skywarn reports directly 
from trained observers - that means you get them 
several minutes before they can be relayed for 

Summary of Contents for PRO-83

Page 1: ...20 501 PRO 83 200 Channel compact scanner w signal stalker search and lighted keypad Read this user s guide completely before using your scanner...

Page 2: ...ty 15 connecting an extension speaker 15 attaching the belt clip 16 about your scanner 17 a look at the keypad 18 a look at the display 22 understanding banks 24 service banks 24 channel storage banks...

Page 3: ...re 38 chain search 38 chain search mode 39 chain search hold mode 40 storing frequencies found during chain search into channel memory 41 program band select mode 41 direct entry search 42 direct entr...

Page 4: ...radio or television reception which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures Reorient or...

Page 5: ...g an optional DC adapter Before installing batteries set the switch in the battery compartment to match the type of batteries you will use Select ALKALINE for non rechargeable battery types and RECHAR...

Page 6: ...The Basics 6 Y Install 2 AA batteries matching the polarity symbols Z Replace the cover...

Page 7: ...Always remove old or weak batteries Batteries can leak chemicals that destroy electronic circuits Do not mix old and new batteries different types of batteries standard alkaline or rechargeable or rec...

Page 8: ...he batteries Warning Do not connect either adapter to the scanner if non rechargeable batteries such as alkaline batteries are installed in the scanner and ALKALINE RECHARGEABLE is set to RECHARGEABLE...

Page 9: ...ze the switch position when you incorrectly connect an external power source Make sure that you use the correct batteries and set ALKALINE RECHARGEABLE to the correct position when you connect an exte...

Page 10: ...s com mitment to preserving our environment and conserving our natural resources Using AC Power You can power the scanner using a 6V 300 mA AC adapter and a size B Adaptaplug adapter neither supplied...

Page 11: ...socket using a 6V 300 mA DC adapter and a size B Adaptaplug neither supplied Both are available at your local RadioShack store Cautions You must use a power source that supplies 6V DC and delivers at...

Page 12: ...ck Plug the other end of the adapter into your vehicle s cigarette lighter socket If rechargeable batteries are installed and ALKALINE RECHARGEABLE is set to RECHARGEABLE the adapter powers the scanne...

Page 13: ...ner s BNC connector Then 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 Connecting an Optional Antenn...

Page 14: ...vate listening you can plug a 1 8 inch 3 5 mm mini plug earphone or mono headphones not supplied into the headphone jack on top of your scanner This automatically disconnects the internal speaker List...

Page 15: ...isten to a continuous broadcast Even though some earphones headphones let you hear some outside sounds when listening at normal volume levels they still can present a traffic hazard Connecting an Exte...

Page 16: ...asics 16 Attaching the Belt Clip To make your scanner easier to carry when you are on the go use the supplied belt clip Use a Phillips screwdriver and the supplied screws to attach the clip to the sca...

Page 17: ...function or refer to a frequency reference Besides searching within a selected frequency range you can also search your scanner s service banks Service banks are preset groups of frequencies categoriz...

Page 18: ...NC then release it appears on the display Then quickly press the next key in the function key sequence while appears appears or disappears as you press FUNC If your scanner s keys seem confusing at fi...

Page 19: ...on or off FUNC KEYLOCK Locks and unlocks the keypad FUNC Lets you use various functions by pressing this key in combination with other keys Press and hold for more than 2 seconds to turn the scanner o...

Page 20: ...arch banks 4 ALT 4 Enters a 4 FUNC ALT Turns the WX alert function on or off 5 DLY 5 Enters a 5 FUNC DLY Turns the delay function on or off 6 B SLCT 6 Enters a 6 FUNC B SLCT Goes to program band selec...

Page 21: ...n incorrect entry FUNC Jumps directly to the last channel in memory Ch 200 from any mode 0 L O 0 Enters a 0 FUNC L O Lets you lock out a selected channel or skip a specified frequency E PGM E Enters f...

Page 22: ...n helps you understand how your scanner operates BANK appears with numbers 1 10 P appears when you select a priority channel SCN appears when you scan channels SRCH appears during search mode PRI appe...

Page 23: ...ears while you store a frequency into a channel or appears during search mode appears only when the function mode is on WX POL FIRE AIR MRN or HAM appears along with an indicator that shows the curren...

Page 24: ...to 10 channel storage banks Each bank has 20 channels Use each channel storage bank to group frequencies such as those for the police department fire department ambulance services or aircraft For exam...

Page 25: ...ected before you turn it on X Turn SQUELCH fully counterclockwise Y Press and hold for about 2 seconds to turn the scanner on then turn VOLUME clockwise until you hear a hissing sound Z Turn SQUELCH c...

Page 26: ...er the channel number where you want to store a frequency then press FUNC PGM The channel number appears Y Use the number keys and CLR to enter the frequency including the decimal point you want to st...

Page 27: ...DLY If you enter a frequency that has already been entered elsewhere the scanner sounds an error tone and displays the channel that was duplicated If you entered the frequency by mistake press CLR th...

Page 28: ...ft or police fire emergency transmissions without knowing the specific frequencies used in your area The scanner is preprogrammed with all the frequencies allocated to these services To use this featu...

Page 29: ...s FUNC PGM during service search or service search hold mode The frequency and the lowest blank channel alternately appear Y Press E to store the frequency into the blank channel If you want to select...

Page 30: ...into any channels the scanner does not scan If the scanner picks up unwanted partial or very weak transmissions turn SQUELCH clockwise to decrease the scanner s sensitivity to these signals To listen...

Page 31: ...scanner so Signal Stalker works in the background while you are scanning other frequencies turn off normal scanning while Signal Stalker is working or turn off Signal Stalker and use the scanner norma...

Page 32: ...Setting the Signal Stalker Options on Page 32 Signal Stalker works better with some types of transmissions than others It might not correctly display frequency information for transmitters using a hig...

Page 33: ...nd Hi VHF High Band 137 0000 174 0000 MHz bnd UHF UHF Band 406 0000 512 0000 MHz bnd 800 800MHz Band 806 0000 956 0000 MHz If you selected S S Alt skip to Step Z Repeatedly press or until the band you...

Page 34: ...the display backlight when a signal stalker signal is detected ALt bP Lt The scanner flashes the display backlight and beeps when a signal stalker signal is detected ALt OFF The scanner does not provi...

Page 35: ...rmally while Signal Stalker is working simply press SCAN When the scanner finds a frequency it sounds the alert you specified in Setting the Signal Stalker Options on Page 32 and Found flashes Press a...

Page 36: ...ror tone About Skywarn Skywarn is an organized group of trained weather observers A Skywarn group exists in virtually every US county with a significant population During inclement weather reports mad...

Page 37: ...then listen to Skywarn first when severe weather threatens Listen to NOAA for weather alerts and warnings watch box notices and weather forecasts Listen to Skywarn to hear trained observers in your vi...

Page 38: ...FUNC ALT in the WX search or WX search hold mode ALT appears When the scanner receives a WX alert signal while the WX alert function is on it goes into WX alert hold mode and generates a WX alert tone...

Page 39: ...9 99375 6 25 8 420 0000 449 99375 6 25 9 450 0000 469 99375 6 25 10 806 0000 956 0000 12 5 Chain Search Mode Press FUNC SRCH to start chain search mode SRCH the enabled search bank number and or indic...

Page 40: ...ode press HOLD in chain search mode The scanner stops searching and HOLD appears In this mode pressing FUNC changes the search direction downward and pressing FUNC changes the search direction upward...

Page 41: ...ncy press FUNC disappears Then press E You can also press 0 9 to select the bank If you try to save a frequency that is already stored the scanner sounds an error tone and displays the channel that wa...

Page 42: ...ve through the search bank numbers After choosing the search bank follow these steps to set the lower limit and upper limit frequency X Enter the lower limit frequency by using the 0 9 and CLR keys Y...

Page 43: ...or FUNC to change the search direction upward Frequencies appear during the search Notes You can set the delay function on or off during the search or while the search stops You can skip a frequency w...

Page 44: ...cies received during direct entry search mode or direct entry search hold mode X Press FUNC PGM in direct entry search mode or direct entry search hold mode The frequency and lowest blank channel alte...

Page 45: ...es You cannot skip frequencies during WX service search Search skip frequencies are shared by service search direct entry search chain search and signal stalker modes If skip frequencies are set in ce...

Page 46: ...at once while searching or search hold press FUNC then press and hold L O until the scanner beeps Notes If you selected all frequencies to be skipped within the search range the scanner beeps 3 times...

Page 47: ...is on DLY appears If it is off follow one of these steps to program a delay depending on how the scanner is operating If the scanner is scanning and stops on an active channel where you want to store...

Page 48: ...The scanner scans all the channels within the displayed banks that are not locked out see Lock ing Out Channels The bank number flashes when the scanner scans a channel that belongs to the bank Notes...

Page 49: ...e channel then press FUNC L O L O disappears To unlock all channels in the banks that are turned on press HOLD to stop scanning then press FUNC and press and hold L O until the scanner beeps twice Loc...

Page 50: ...er automatically designates each bank s first channel as its priority channel Follow these steps to select a different channel in a bank as the priority channel X Manually select the channel you want...

Page 51: ...s keylock to protect it from accidental program changes When the scanner s keys are locked the only controls that operate are SCAN FUNC HOLD KEYLOCK and To turn on keylock press FUNC KEYLOCK appears T...

Page 52: ...are available at your local RadioShack or www radioshack com Note If the scanner receives no data from the PC for more than 20 seconds T Err appears and wired programming stops X Make sure your scanne...

Page 53: ...iving data End d Err and its frame number appear If the scanner received a communication error while receiving data C Err indicates the packet number where the error occurred If the scanner received a...

Page 54: ...ns working properly Reset the scanner only when you are sure it is not working properly X Make sure your scanner is turned off Y While holding down 2 9 and HOLD turn on the scanner After about 3 secon...

Page 55: ...nto the scanner s 6V 300 mA jack See Using AC Power on Page 10 for more information If the scanner is receiving power make sure it is turned on See Turning On The Scanner and Set ting Squelch on Page...

Page 56: ...hing happens when I press the scanner s keys How do I get the keys to work A The scanner s keylock might be turned on To turn off keylock press FUNC and KEYLOCK until disappears See Using Keylock on P...

Page 57: ...not receiving weather channels How do I set it so I can receive weather channels A The scanner might be set to weather alert mode If this happens it cannot receive weather channels until it receives a...

Page 58: ...49 99375 MHz in 6 25 kHz steps 450 0000 469 99375 MHz in 6 25 kHz steps 470 0000 512 0000 MHz in 6 25 kHz steps 806 0000 823 9875 MHz in 12 5 kHz steps 849 0125 868 9875 MHz in 12 5 kHz steps 894 0125...

Page 59: ...20 channels 17 Channel Storage Banks Groups of channels used for frequency storage 24 Service Banks preset groups of frequencies categorized by the type of services that use those frequencies 17 24 S...

Page 60: ...onal Antenna 13 Attaching a belt clip 16 Backlight 53 Batteries Charging 5 Installing 5 Belt Clip Attaching 16 Chain Search 38 Mode 39 Hold Mode 40 Storing Frequencies 41 Channel Storage Banks 24 48 C...

Page 61: ...Asked Questions 55 FUNC Key 18 Keylock 51 Locking Out Channels 48 Locking Out Frequencies 49 Manually Selecting Channels 30 Priority 50 Powering the scanner Using Batteries 5 Using AC Power 10 Using V...

Page 62: ...oring frequencies 25 During Service Search 29 Direct Entry Search Mode 42 Chain Search Mode 41 Signal Stalker 31 Locking Out Frequencies 49 Setting Options 32 Using 35 Skywarn 36 Specifications 58 Tur...

Page 63: ...ship under normal use for 90 ninety days from the date of purchase from RadioShack company owned stores and authorized RadioShack franchisees and dealers For complete warranty details and exclu sions...

Page 64: ...ywarn but ton and you can hear in the field reports from storm spotters in your area hear storm reports before they re broadcast requires 1 time programming PC interface available for downloading Exte...

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