7
About this Manual
The screen displays used in this manual are representations of
what might appear when you use your scanner. Since what you
see depends on the frequencies for your area and the settings
you select, you might notice some differences between what is
in this manual and what appears on your scanner.
To get the most from this manual, review the contents to become
familiar with the basic functions available. If you are new to
scanning, be sure to read the next chapter for a quick
background on the technology behind the hobby. The first thing
you’ll need to do is install batteries in the scanner. Then you
need to connect the included antenna to the scanner. See
“Using Internal Batteries” on Page 9 and “Connecting the
Antenna” on Page 11 if you need any help doing this.
Understanding Scanning
This section provides you with background on how scanning
works. You don’t really need to know all of this to use your
scanner, but some background knowledge will help you get the
most from your AE92H.
What is Scanning?
Unlike standard AM or FM radio stations, most two way
communications do not transmit continuously. Your AE92H
scans programmed channels until it finds an active frequency,
then stops on that frequency and remains on that channel as
long as the transmission continues. When the transmission ends,
the scanning cycle resumes until the scanner receives another
transmission.
What is Searching?
The AE92H can search for active frequencies. This is different
from scanning because you are searching for frequencies that
have not been programmed into the scanner. W hen you select
frequency bands to search, the scanner searches for any active
frequency within the lower and upper limits you specify. W hen
the scanner finds an active frequency, it stops on that frequency
as long as the transmission lasts. If you think the frequency is
interesting, you can program it into one of the banks. If not, you
can continue to search.
Conventional Scanning
Conventional scanning is a relatively simple concept. Each
group of users in a conventional system is assigned a single
frequency (for simplex systems) or two frequencies (for repeater
systems). Any time one of them transmits, their transmission
always goes out on the same frequency. Up until the late 1980’s
this was the primary way that radio systems operated.
Even today, there are many 2-way radio users who operate
using a conventional system:
