Radio Shack iSCAN PRO-18 User Manual Download

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2000018 / PRO-18

User’s Guide

Thank you for purchasing your iScan Trunking Scanner from

RadioShack

. Please read this user’s

guide before installing, setting up, and using your new scanner.

iSCAN Trunking Scanner

Package Contents

•  iSCAN
•  Antenna
•  USB Cable
•  microSD Card

•  Belt Clip
•  User’s Guide
•  Quick Start
•  CD-ROM

Features

•

Simple keypad and display

•

USA RadioReference database

•  Detects and masks encrypted voice audio
•  Decodes RadioID/TalkgroupID data
•  Upgradeable CPU Firmware, DSP

Firmware and Library

• USB Interface
• PC Software to customize your PRO-18

settings.

• Signal Strength Meter
• 101 Playlists

•

Weather Radio Functions

•

Multi–system Trunking

•

Signal Stalker II

•

Alarms and flash patterns

•

Headphone/speaker jack

2000018.UG.031011.indd 1

3/10/2011 11:06:43 AM

Summary of Contents for iSCAN PRO-18

Page 1: ...ser s Guide Quick Start CD ROM Features Simple keypad and display USA RadioReference database Detects and masks encrypted voice audio Decodes RadioID TalkgroupID data Upgradeable CPU Firmware DSP Firmware and Library USB Interface PC Software to customize your PRO 18 settings Signal Strength Meter 101 Playlists Weather Radio Functions Multi system Trunking Signal Stalker II Alarms and flash patter...

Page 2: ...dating the Library iSCAN 12 Importing Frequencies and Talkgroups PC 13 Importing Frequencies and Talkgroups iSCAN 14 iSCAN Library Notes 14 Searching 15 Signal Stalker II 15 Service Search 16 Limit Search 17 Search Settings 18 Scanning and Monitoring 20 Scanning 20 Monitoring a Frequency or Talkgroup 20 Weather Monitoring 21 Configuration 22 Configuration Settings PC 22 Configuration Settings iSCA...

Page 3: ... Talkgroups PC 30 Editing Frequencies or Talkgroups iSCAN 31 Additional Information 38 Frequency Coverage 38 Specifications 39 Glossary 40 MicroSD Card error messages 41 Birdie Frequencies 43 Care 44 Service and Repair 44 Scanning Legally 44 FCC Notice 45 Library Copyright Notice 45 Limited Warranty 46 2000018 UG 031011 indd 3 3 10 2011 11 06 44 AM ...

Page 4: ...tion Access NOAA weather radio broadcasts Access SAME weather alert receiver mode Select the SKYWARN playlist for monitoring Display Icons Squelch circuit is open Signal strength Trunking control channel data Attenuator is set for Global Mode Attenuator is active Scanning Paused monitoring a single object Battery status indicator External power connected and Battery Type is set to ALKA Recharging ...

Page 5: ...ches a power line touching the antenna 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 Connecting Headphones or an External Speaker You can plug 1 8 inch 3 5 mm headphones not supplied in the HEADPHONE jack Listening Safety Do not wear headphones while operating a motor vehicle or riding a bicycle This can crea...

Page 6: ...ght hear electrical noise from the engine while scanning This is normal Installing Batteries A low battery warning sounds every 30 seconds default setting when the batteries are nearly depleted 1 Turn off iSCAN before opening the battery compartment 2 Set the Battery Type Selector ALKA Alkaline NI MH Rechargeable Ni MH 3 Install four AA batteries matching the polarity symbols and w Warning Never i...

Page 7: ... shortens battery life Recycle Rechargeable Batteries Placing rechargeable batteries in the trash can be harmful to the environment Instead recycle old rechargeable batteries at your local RadioShack store free of charge RadioShack participates in the RBRC battery recycling program and is committed to preserving the environment and conserving natural resources Call 1 800 THE SHACK 1 800 843 7422 f...

Page 8: ...n until it clicks in place microSD Card Contents The microSD card comes formatted for the standard FAT file system with a cluster size of 32k You can purchase additional cards to store different configurations or backups for your iSCAN data The CDAT folder contains your iSCAN programming You can copy the CDAT folder to your computer as a backup w Warning Modifying these directories or their conten...

Page 9: ...d configuration Update iSCAN s firmware for enhancements and bug fixes To install insert the CD into your computer s CD ROM drive the iSCAN Application s installer starts automatically To install click the Install Software button and follow the on screen instructions n Note If the installation does not start automatically navigate to your CD ROM drive and run the iSCANCD exe program 2000018 UG 031...

Page 10: ...Scan Information about the need to update your scanner will appear just below the version information 5 If there are available updates click Update My Scanner 6 When you have finished the update click Done DSP Firmware Updates 1 Turn off the iScan 2 Connect the scanner to your computer using the USB cable supplied The computer should recognize the scanner s microSD card as a new drive If an autoru...

Page 11: ...tes Each state contains three data types Agencies Statewide agencies such as highway patrol emergency mgmt state parks etc Conventional frequencies Counties Cities Local county or independent city Agencies Non government businesses airports attractions etc Conventional frequencies Categories Local government and public safety Conventional frequencies Systems Local coverage for county city and loca...

Page 12: ... latest version n Note The procedure to update the RadioReference library requires an internet connection Updating the Library iSCAN To update the library on the iSCAN to the most recent version In the Main Menu select Update from Lib and press The iSCAN asks if you want to use new Alpha Tag names from the library Press SEL for yes or SKIP for no Browse Library Update from Lib Restore Skipped Sett...

Page 13: ...ry structure described Updating the Firmware on page 1012 4 Make selections 5 Click Back to make additional selections 6 After you make your final channel selections click the Import Selected Channels button The Import Selected Channels screen appears 7 Select the playlist s where the channels will be imported 8 Click Import Channels 9 Select Scanner SD Card Copy Configuration To Scanner Memory SD...

Page 14: ...rt selected items press MENU The Library menu appears 6 Select Import Selected and press SEL A list of playlists appears Import Selected Back Main 7 Press SEL to select a playlist A checkmark indicates an active playlist A square indicates a disabled playlist 8 Press to import the items This may take several minutes Playlist 001 Playlist 002 Playlist 003 Playlist 004 You can press to see available...

Page 15: ... and press to enter the search menu 2 Select Signal Stalker and press 4 When you find a frequency you want to save press MENU Then select Store Channel and press SEL iScan adds the frequency to the first playlist and names it based on the search type To change search settings press MENU while Signal Stalker II is active For more information about settings see Search Settings on page 18 Play Main M...

Page 16: ...to see all available services Select a service and press to start the search Main Menu Main Menu Signal Stalker Search Menu Service Search Public Safety Limit Search Aircraft Lockouts Railroad Service Search Ranges Public Safety MHz Aircraft MHz Amateur MHz 33 4 46 5 VHF Low 151 170 VHF High 453 467 UHF 764 797 700 MHz 851 869 800 MHz 108 118 Navigation 118 137 Civilian Voice 138 150 Military Voic...

Page 17: ...the cursor to another digit Press or to change the value d Press SEL to save the new value and return to the search menu e Press to continue the search 3 When you find a frequency you want to save press MENU Then select Store Channel and press SEL iScan adds the frequency to the first playlist and names it based on the search type To change search settings press MENU while searching For more infor...

Page 18: ...tenuator Limits iSCAN s effective range which may help reduce interference from strong local transmitters Zeromatic Helps iSCAN tune to exact frequencies when searching Delay How long iSCAN waits after a transmission before resuming Signal Stalker II Special Mode Signal Stalker II skips any 1 MHz block where you have skipped five or more frequencies Special Mode is useful when you are close to man...

Page 19: ...e appears 2 Press SEL After the code is stored the scanner will only stop on transmissions that have a matching CTCSS or DCS squelch code present nNote The Settings menu Main Menu Settings Simple Display menu item must be unchecked in order to display and store found CTCSS and DCS codes 2000018 UG 031011 indd 19 3 10 2011 11 06 59 AM ...

Page 20: ...esume scanning press II SEL again Monitoring a Frequency or Talkgroup Monitoring is when you set iSCAN to remain on a single frequency and wait for a transmission To monitor a frequency or talkgroup From the main menu select Browse Objects then press Press II SEL to monitor the displayed frequency Play Press or to change playlists Press or to browse through frequencies within the current playlist ...

Page 21: ...nt code Before you can use SAME Standby Mode you must program at least one FIPS code located at www NWS NOAA gov NWR indexnw htm To activate SAME Standby Mode 1 Press and then press or to select a NOAA channel 2 Press SKIP to enter Standby Mode The speaker silences and SKIP Normal appears at the bottom of the screen 3 To return to Normal Weather Mode press SKIP again Skywarn Amateur radio repeater...

Page 22: ...le copying configurations To copy scanner data to your PC select Scanner SD Card Copy Configuration From Scanner Memory SD Card from the menu bar This will copy your scanner data to your PC configuration After you make your configuration changes select Scanner SD Card Copy Configuration To Scanner Memory SD Card from the menu bar Configuration Settings PC When you launch the iSCAN software the Gen...

Page 23: ...g key tones and volume For more information see Sound and Backlight PC on page 27 Alert Settings Customizes audio and visual alert settings Priority Settings Activates and customizes priority settings Attenuation Settings Attenuation limits the range of radio signals to reduce interference For more information see Attenuation and Trunking PC on page 28 Trunking Options Configures how iSCAN respond...

Page 24: ...ettings G AGC On Activates AGC for all transmissions Sounds Controls all iSCAN beeps and alert sounds Alerts Controls audio alerts Key Beeps Enables or disables key tones Beep Volume Controls the volume of key tones Alert Volume The volume of object and low battery alert sounds Contrast Sets the contrast of the LCD display LModeBAT Backlight modes during battery operation LModeEXT Backlight settin...

Page 25: ...CII Control Channel Dump data to the microSD card for trunking control channels Low Batt Time Interval seconds between low battery alert sounds Charge Time Sets the charge time for the built in radio charger TG Disp Sets the display format for talkgroup IDs M36 Stat Bits Uses status bits to track Motorola 3600 baud trunking talkgroup calls EncMode Selects how the radio treats encrypted voice calls...

Page 26: ...ult Vals Select Simple Display and press or to switch the display mode Simple displays only channel numbers Advanced displays channel and frequency Update from Lib Simple Display Restore Skipped Default PL Settings Priority Mode Set Clock Priority Time Browse Library LiteLevel Select Blink Time 1 2 and press or to change the character Press or to move the cursor to another character Update from Li...

Page 27: ...light iSCAN To set the backlight settings select Settings from the main menu and then press To set the sound settings select Settings from the main menu and then press Browse Library Contrast Select a menu option and press or to change the setting value For LiteTime press to edit the time and then use or to change the character and or to move the cursor Update from Lib LModeBAT Restore Skipped LMo...

Page 28: ... ID Alarm drop down list to display the Radio ID when available Attenuation and Trunking iSCAN To configure the attenuation settings select Settings from the main menu and then press To configure the trunking settings select Settings from the main menu and then press Browse Library G Atten On Press or to change each setting Update from Lib Search Dg AGC Restore Skipped G AGC Mode Settings G AGC On...

Page 29: ...playlists for scanning select Playlist from the main menu and then press To rename a playlist select Playlist from the main menu and then press To select a default playlist select Settings from the main menu and then press Play Playlist 001 Press SEL to enable a playlist A checkmark indicates an active playlist A square indicates a disabled playlist Browse Objects Playlist 002 Playlists Playlist 0...

Page 30: ...k a channel Skip Click to skip a channel Click again to restore the channel Alert Click to select a custom alert sound for a channel PRI Sets the channel as a priority frequency To use the priority feature Priority Mode must be on See Locking Out Frequencies PC on page 32 Dly Click to set a delay time for the channel This sets how long iSCAN will remain on a channel after a transmission ends Bklt ...

Page 31: ...for conventional frequencies Alarm An alarm sounds when activity is found for a frequency or talkgroup Press or to select an alarm sound Light Press or to select the desired light options Leave use default backlight settings On turn the backlight on Flash flash according to the set flash pattern Flash Pattern A light pattern used to identify the channel On Time Off Time The backlight duration for ...

Page 32: ...SCAN To skip unwanted transmissions while scanning wait for iSCAN to stop on the transmission and press SKIP An uppercase S in the display indicates the object will be skipped during future scans To skip a specific frequency or talkgroup you can browse to the object and press SKIP To restore a skipped frequency or talkgroup browse to it and press SKIP To restore all skipped objects in the main men...

Page 33: ...e Priority Interval 4 In the Playlist tab click the checkbox in the PRI column for the desired channel A filled checkbox indicates a priority channel Setting Priority Channels iSCAN In the Channel Status Indicator an uppercase P indicates priority a lowercase p indicates no priority n Note To set priority Priority Mode must be enabled in the Settings menu See Configuration Settings iSCAN on page 2...

Page 34: ... The flash pattern consists of 32 steps divided into 8 four step blocks Each four step block represent a letter or number ON OFF 0 No flashes 1 2 3 4 5 Steady Flashes 6 7 8 9 A Steady Flashes B C D E F Rapid Flashes Examples AAAAAAAA A A A A A A A A 88888888 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 A8A8A8A8 A 8 A 8 A 8 A 8 2000018 UG 031011 indd 34 3 10 2011 11 07 01 AM ...

Page 35: ...attern Value appears automatically Setting Flash Patterns iSCAN To set a flash pattern 1 Browse to an object and press Menu 2 Select Light and press repeatedly until Flash appears Light Flash Pattern On Time Off Time 3 Press to select Flash Pattern and press The flash pattern value appears Press or to change the character Press or to move the cursor to another character Light Flash Pattern On Time...

Page 36: ...her broadcasts while scanning other channels set your local NOAA channel as the Weather Priority channel 1 Press iSCAN begins to scan weather frequencies When iSCAN stops on the strongest NOAA channel press MENU 2 Select Priority and press or to select the channel 3 Scroll to Save Changes and press II SEL or to save Programming FIPS Codes PC Before you can use SAME Standby Mode you must program at...

Page 37: ...teps 3 5 You can program up to ten FIPS code locations 7 When finished select Save Changes and press SEL or Importing Skywarn Frequencies PC 1 Browse for Skywarn frequencies in the iSCAN Library and import them to the Skywarn playlist TIP Browse in agencies within your state and look for Severe Weather subgroups 2 Import the frequencies as you normally would and assign them to the Skywarn playlist...

Page 38: ... kHz FM 154 6500 156 2550 MHz 7 5 kHz FM 156 2750 157 4500 MHz 25 kHz FM 157 4700 161 5725 MHz 7 5 kHz FM 161 6000 161 9750 MHz 5 kHz FM 162 0000 174 0000 MHz 12 5 kHz FM 216 0025 219 9975 MHz 5 kHz FM 220 0000 224 9950 MHz 5 kHz FM 225 0000 397 99375 MHz 6 25 kHz AM 380 0000 419 987500 MHz 12 5 kHz FM 420 0000 450 000000 MHz 5 kHz FM 450 00625 469 99375 MHz 6 25 kHz FM 470 00000 512 00000 MHz 6 2...

Page 39: ... image Signal to noise ratio 35 40 dB typical 100 μV input signal Scanning rate without trunking 138 147 9 MHz 70 ch second in 100 kHz Intervals Search rate 162 25 167 25 MHz 80 steps sec Scan and Search delay time 2 seconds Audio max power RF input 100 μV at 154 1 MHz DEV 3kHz at1kHz 8 Ohms Resistor Load at speaker terminal BTL 500 m Watts Intermediate frequency 1st 380 8 MHz 2nd 21 4 MHz 3rd 455...

Page 40: ...ea Message Encoding system NOAA broadcasts alerts corresponding to specified areas Scan Search to find an active frequency through channels Scanner Wide band radio receiver that can receive Aircraft CB Fire FRS HAM Military Public Safety Railroad Weather broadcast etc Search Search an active frequency though frequency bands Signal Stalker ll Powerful tool for rapidly finding a nearby signal Site A...

Page 41: ...hack Support and provide error code information 01 01 Unable to allocate from heap Contact RadioShack Support and provide error code information 02 00 Unknown object type in data Use PC Application to delete any corrupted objects or create a new configuration 02 01 Unknown TSYS type in data Use PC Application to delete any corrupted TSYS objects or create a new configuration 03 00 No MicroSD Card ...

Page 42: ...m the computer wait a few seconds then reconnect 03 08 Unknown MicroSD card read write error Reinsert the MicroSD card to ensure it is fully inserted in locked in the MicroSD slot If necessary reformat the MicroSD card using the PC Application Prepare SD Card for use option Replace the MicroSD card if the problem persists 04 00 Initialization error Contact RadioShack Support and provide error code...

Page 43: ...ective Check the microSD card Use the iSCAN PC Applica tion to reformat the card Replace with a new microSD card iSCAN does not accept a firmware upgrade USB cable not plugged in correctly Check connections USB cable drivers not installed Use the CD to install the cable drivers Birdie Frequencies All scanners have birdie frequencies signals created inside the scanner s receiver that may interfere ...

Page 44: ...o services It is legal to listen to almost every transmission your scanner can receive However there are some transmissions you should never intentionally listen to 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 as amended you a...

Page 45: ...n iSCAN s library is provided by special arrangement with RadioReference and is Copyright 2011 RadioReference com LLC who retains sole ownership of the database We ask that you respect this copyright by adhering to the following guidelines The library data is intended for your personal use only in conjunction with programming and using your iSCAN As such RadioReference com LLC grants the customer ...

Page 46: ...ts and products may be used in the performance of warranty service Repaired or replaced parts and products are warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period You will be charged for repair or replacement of the product made after the expiration of the warranty period RADIOSHACK EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS NOT STATED IN THIS LIMITED WARRANTY ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES...

Page 47: ...radio communications community RADIOREFERENCE COM IS THE WORLD S LARGEST RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WEBSITE WITHACOMPLETEFREQUENCYANDTRUNKEDRADIOSYSTEMDATABASE COME SEE WHAT FREE SERVICES WE HAVE TO OFFER TO THE COMMUNITY COME SEE WHY WE ARE THE 1 RESOURCE FOR THE RADIO COMMUNICATIONS COMMUNITY The RadioReference comWeb service to allow software applications to program a scanner directly from the RadioR...

Page 48: ...vironment by recycling your used electronics Go to E CyclingCentral com to find an electronic recycling center near you Motorola Smartnet Smartzone Omnilink and Privacy Plus are registered trademarks of Motorola Inc EDACS is a registered trademark of Harris Inc LTR is a registered trademark of E F Johnson Inc GR 10D 3620 2000018 UG 031011 indd 48 3 10 2011 11 07 05 AM ...

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