20-426

Pro-2051 1,000-Channel
Triple Trunking Mobile/Base Scanner

Please read this user’s guide before installing,

setting up and using your new product
www.radioshack.com
Contents
Thank you for purchasing your Pro-2051 1,000-channel,
triple-trunking scanner from RadioShack. Signal stalker
allows you to lock on frequencies within 1,000 feet, without
programming. The PC interface lets you program your
scanner using your computer. Support for Motorola, LTR and
EDACS trunked systems permits you to access most any
police, fire and emergency system. With built-in Skywarn,
you will be able to stay up to date with the reports called in
by storm spotters.

user’s guide • quick start guide • preprogrammed frequency addendum

Scanner
Antenna

AC adapter DC cable w/fuse

Knob (2)

Lock washer (2)

Mounting
bracket
Screw (2)

2
The Basics

The Basics
your scanner’s keypad 6
your scanner’s rear view 8
your scanner’s display 9
the FCC wants you to know 10
step 1: install your scanner 11
mounting the scanner in your vehicle 11

step 2: power your scanner 12

from a wall outlet 12
through your vehicle’s ignition (negative ground only) 12
from your vehicle’s cigarrette lighter 13

step 3: connect your scanner 14

connecting the supplied antenna 14
connecting an external antenna 14
connecting an external speaker 15

step 4: set up your scanner 17

turn on your scanner 17
set the squelch 17
listen to preprogrammed frequencies 18
common scanner terms 18
scanning overview 18

3
Contents

Beyond the Basics

advanced scanner features 20
channel storage banks 20
storing known frequencies into channels 20
deleting a stored frequency 22
locking out channels 22
hold/resume 24
direct channel access 24

scanning a private bank 25

priority scan 26
changing the priority channel 26
service scanning 27
band search 28
data skip 29
frequency skip 30
storing search frequencies 30
delay 31

highway patrol alerts 32

highway patrol/local police scanning 32
scanning highway patrol, local police,
and private frequencies 34
scan hold 35
highway warning alert 35
highway patrol priority channels 36
trunked highway frequencies 37

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Contents

Skywarn 38
NWR SAME 39

Signal Stalker 42
setting the signal stalker options 43

trunk tracking 46
EDACS tracking 59
an EDACS trunked system 60
special EDACS features 60
tracking LTR systems 62
tracking Motorola systems 63
fleet map programming 64

wired programming 75
cloning your scanner 76
birdies 77

replacing the fuse in the DC power cord 77

resetting your scanner 78
frequently asked questions (FAQs) 79
specifications 81
glossary 82
care 83
service and repair 83

warranty 84

5
Contents

your scanner’s keypad

Your scanner’s keys have various functions labeled on and
around the keys.

To select the function labeled on a key, simply press the

key.

To select the function labeled above or beside a key, first

press FUNC, then release it. F appears on the display.
Then quickly press the next key in the function key
sequence while F appears. F appears or disappears each
time you press FUNC.

SQL/FLASH — adjusts
squelch volume. Adjusts e or d — press to
scan or search in
brightness of ALERT light..
either direction.
MUTE — mutes the alert
tone HOLD/RESUME/
— holds or resumes
VOL/ALERT —turns the the scan. Also used
power on/off. Adjusts along with FUNC +
volume level. Changes the .
alert tone level.

DATA — turns the data

DELAY — sets/resets the delay skip function on/off.
function for each channel or each
mode (band search, service scan). PRI — turns the priority
scan and priority ID scan
functions on/off.
L/O — locks/unlocks a selected
channel or frequency.

6
Contents

STATE — selects the state code. 0-9/WX ALT — enter

numbers for various
PVT/HWY/POL— Scans the private scan functions. For weather
bank; scans the private scan bank and alert, press FUNC +1.
highway frequencies (or local police) when For M-LOCK, press
pressed in highway scanning mode. Also, FUNC + 9.
used with FUNC + HWY/POL.
./CLR/ — enter a
SRCH/SVC — selects the search band. decimal point or clear
Starts ID search mode. Also, used with an incorrect entry.
FUNC + SVC. Also, used with FUNC
+ .
TRUNK — Turns on trunk tracking.
E/PGM — store the
FUNC— Lets you use various functions frequency. Also, used
by pressing this key in combination with with FUNC + PGM.
other keys. Press and release FUNC. Then
press the next key.

Press These Buttons To Do This

FUNC + SVC Toggle service scan.
FUNC + PGM Program frequencies into channels.
FUNC + M-LOCK Lock or unlock the memory.

FUNC + Jump directly to the last channel in memory

(Ch1000) from any mode.
FUNC + WX ALT Turn the WX alert function on or off.
Switch between the three signal stalker modes.
FUNC +
FUNC + HWY/POL Scan highway frequencies. Scan highway
frequencies and local police bank in highway
mode.

7
Contents

your scanner’s rear view

ANT — connect the supplied

antenna or an external DC 12V — connect a power
antenna here. source here.

PC/IF — connect data cable

for cloning or connecting EXT SP — connect an external
to a PC. speaker here.

8
Contents

your scanner’s display

TRUNK appears during trunk tracking mode
M appears when a Motorola trunking channel is
selected
E appears when an EDACS trunking channel is
selected
L appears when an LTR trunking channel is
selected
LIST indicates a scan list
BANK indicates a scan bank
1 - 10 indicates a bank’s number and ID list number
PGM indicates program mode
HIGHWAY indicates highway patrol scan mode
PRIVATE indicates private bank scan mode
POLICE indicates police scan mode
SERVICE indicates service scan (WX, fire/emergency,
news, CB, air, railroad, marine) mode
M-LOCK indicates the memory is locked
F appears when function mode is on
indicates that signal stalker is active
P appears when you select a priority channel and
talk group
HOLD indicates scan hold or search hold mode
e or d indicate search direction
SRCH indicates band search mode
PRI appears when the priority feature is turned on
L/O indicates lockout channel and talk group
DLY appears when you select a delay
DATA appears when the data skip feature is turned
on
FLASH appears while the ALERT light is off

9
The Basics

the FCC wants you to know

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with
the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and
can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause
harmful interference to 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 relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and

receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different

from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult your local RadioShack store or an experienced

radio/TV technician for help.

Note Mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires a

permit in some areas. Check the laws in your area before
using.

10
 The Basics

step 1: install your scanner

mounting the scanner in your vehicle
Before you mount the scanner, make sure you have all the
necessary materials. Then confirm your vehicle has enough
room to mount: 2.44” high by 7.06”wide by 6.10” deep
(50.8 x 176.5 x 152 mm).

Note Be sure to avoid obstructions behind the mounting

surface.
Follow these steps to mount the scanner in your vehicle.
To mount your scanner on top of the dashboard, rotate the
bracket so the ears point up. To use on a flat surface, flip
down the built-in stand underneath the scanner.
slide scanner into 
bracket



1. Choose a mounting location, then use the supplied
mounting bracket as a template to mark the positions for
the mounting holes.

2. In the marked positions, drill holes slightly smaller than

the supplied screws.

3. Attach the mounting bracket to the mounting location

using the supplied screws and lock washers.

4. Attach the scanner to the mounting bracket using the

supplied mounting knobs.

11
The Basics

step 2: power your scanner

from a wall outlet



Rear View
1. Connect the tip of the supplied AC adapter to the DC 12V
jack at the rear of your scanner.

2. Plug the AC adapter into your wall outlet.

Notes You must use a Class 2 power source that supplies 12V
DC and delivers at least 500mA. Its center tip must be set
to positive and its plug must fit the scanner’s DC 12V jack.
Using an adapter that does not meet these specifications
could damage the scanner or the adapter.

To prevent electric shock, do not use the AC adapter’s

polarized plug with an extension cord, receptacle, or
other outlet unless you can fully insert the blades to
prevent blade exposure.

through your vehicle’s ignition (negative

ground only)
Note If you are not experienced in connecting accessories to
the vehicle fuse box, use a certified installer.

1. Disconnect the cable from the negative (-) terminal of

your vehicle’s battery.

2. Ground the black wire of the

supplied DC power cord to
your vehicle’s chassis.

12
 The Basics

Note Be sure the grounding screw makes complete contact

with the metal frame of your vehicle.

3. Connect the red

wire of the supplied
DC power cord to a
voltage source that Rear View
turns on and off with
the ignition switch, such as a spare accessory terminal in
your vehicle’s fuse box.

4. Insert the power cord’s barrel plug into the scanner’s DC

12V jack.

5. Reconnect the cable to the negative (-) terminal of your

vehicle’s battery.

from your vehicle’s cigarrette lighter

To power your scanner from a 12V power source in your
vehicle, such as a cigarette-lighter socket, you need a 12V,
500 mA DC cigarette-lighter adapter (not supplied), available
at your local RadioShack store.

1. Insert the adapter’s barrel plug into the scanner’s DC 12V

jack.

2. Plug the adapter’s other end into your vehicle’s cigarette

lighter or power socket.

13
The Basics

step 3: connect your scanner

connecting the supplied antenna
Plug the telescoping
antenna into the ANT
connector. The antenna
length should be as shown
below.

Frequency Antenna Length

25-174 MHz Extend fully (4 segments)

400-512 MHz Extend 2 segments

806-1300 MHz Collapse fully (1 segment)

connecting an external antenna

The ANT jack on the back of the scanner makes it easy to use
the scanner with a variety
of antennas.
You will need to connect
an external antenna when
you mount your scanner
in the dashboard of your
vehicle. You may also
want to connect an external antenna if you use
your scanner as a base station.
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 exceeding 50 feet,
use RG-8 low-loss dielectric coaxial cable. If your coaxial
cable does not have a BNC connector, you will also need a
BNC adapter (not supplied).

14
 The Basics
When deciding on an antenna and its location, consider the
following:

• The location of the antenna should be as high as possible.

• The antenna and antenna cable should be as far as

possible from sources of electrical noise (appliances,
other radios, and so on).

• The antenna should be vertical for the best performance.

Note 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, 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 an external speaker

If you mount the scanner in your
dashboard or if you use it in a
noisy area, you may want to add
an external speaker (available at
your local RadioShack store) to
improve your ability to hear. Plug
Connect external
the speaker cable’s 1/8 inch (3.5 speaker here
mm) plug into your scanner’s
EXT SP jack.

Note Connecting an external speaker disconnects the

scanner’s internal speaker.

15
The Basics
Listening Safely
To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines:

• Do not connect an earphone or headphones to the

scanner. The warning alert volume is not adjustable, and
damage to your hearing might result if a warning alert
sounds while an earphone or headphones is connected.

• 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.

16
 The Basics

step 4: set up your scanner

turn on your scanner
Turn VOL clockwise. The scanner turns on and the ALERT
indicator lights for a moment. Then the alert tone beeps and
TEST appears. The last setting you selected before turning
the scanner off appears.

Note The alert tone depends on the currently selected setting

(see “Setting the Alert Tone Volume”).

set the squelch

Think of squelch as a gate. If the gate is too low (squelch too
low), everything (all noise as well as signals) gets through.
If the gate is set too high (squelch too high), nothing gets
through. If the gate is set just right (the squelch is set
properly), just the desired signals get through.
1. To set the squelch, press HOLD/RESUME to stop
scanning. HOLD appears. If needed, adjust VOL until you
do not hear a signal.

2. Turn SQL fully counterclockwise until you hear a hissing

sound. This lowers the “squelch gate,” allowing all signals
and noise to get through.

3. Turn SQL clockwise just until the hiss stops. This raises
the “squelch gate,” allowing only strong signals to get
through. In a city, you may want to adjust the squelch
even further clockwise to decrease the range of the
highway warning alert signal. This prevents the alert from
sounding unnecessarily due to farther, less important
sources.

17
The Basics

listen to preprogrammed frequencies

Your scanner comes preprogrammed from the factory
with 150 of the most frequently used frequencies stored in
Channels 1 to 150 of the private bank. You can scan these
frequencies as soon as you turn on the scanner.

common scanner terms

To find a station, you must tune to a FREQUENCY (expressed
in kHz or MHz). To find active frequencies, use the search
function or purchase a frequency reference.
In addition to searching a selected frequency range, you can
also search your scanner’s service banks. A SERVICE BANK
is a preset groups of frequencies categorized by the type
of services that use those frequencies. Your scanner comes
preprogrammed with all the frequencies allocated to the
weather, marine, aircraft, rail road, CB, news, and police/fire/
emergency services.
When you search and find a desired frequency, you can
store it into a PROGRAMMABLE MEMORY LOCATION called
a CHANNEL. Channels are grouped into channel-storage
banks called a private bank. Your scanner has 10 CHANNEL
STORAGE BANKS and each bank has 100 channels. You can
scan the channel-storage banks to see if there is activity on
the frequencies stored in them.

scanning overview
You can scan in one of four ways:

1. Highway Patrol/Local Police Scanning -- when you select

a state you want to scan in highway patrol/local police
mode, you can scan preprogrammed highway patrol/local
police frequencies.

18
The Basics
2. Service Scanning -- press FUNC + SVC to select one of
the service banks to find an active frequency.

3. Band Search -- select a frequency band to search. The

search function is different from scanning. It searches for
any active frequency step by step within the lower and
upper limits of the band. When an active frequency is
found, the scanner will stop and stay on that frequency
as long as that transmission lasts. If that frequency is
interesting to you, press HOLD/RESUME to hold the
frequency on the display. Then program it into the private
bank you want to store. If you do not want to program
that frequency, press HOLD/RESUME or just wait until the
transmission ends. The search resumes automatically 2
seconds after the last transmission and looks for more
active frequencies.

4. Private Scanning -- the private bank is where you

program frequencies you want to store into channels.
Press PVT to scan frequencies you have programmed in
this bank.
To program frequencies, see “Storing Known Frequencies
into Channels”. When scanning stops on an active frequency,
it remains on that channel as long as the transmission
continues. When the transmission ends, the scanner will
remain on the same channel for 2 more seconds, waiting for
a responding transmission. If no responding transmission
occurs within 2 seconds, the scanning cycle resumes.

19
Beyond the Basics

advanced scanner features

In this section of the user’s guide, you will discover the
wide variety of features that make your scanner flexible and
powerful. As you master these features, you will enhance the
value and enjoyment of owning your scanner.

channel storage banks

To make it easier to identify and select the channels you want
to listen to, you can assign channels to up to 10 channel-
storage banks. Each bank has 100 channels. Use each
channel-storage bank to group frequencies, such as those for
the police department, fire department, ambulance services,
or aircraft. For example, the police department might use
four frequencies in your town while the fire department
uses an additional four. You could program the four police
frequencies starting with Channel 1 (the first channel in bank
1), and program the fire department frequencies starting with
Channel 101 (the first channel in bank 2).

storing known frequencies into channels

You can locate and store specific frequencies into channels
for later use. Frequencies are widely available on the
Internet and from the FCC. To assist you in locating a desired
frequency from the scanner’s wide range, consider using a
frequency guide. Excellent references for active frequencies
are the RadioShack Police Call Guide, including Fire and
Emergency Services, and the Official Aeronautical Frequency
Directory. We update these directories every year, so be sure
to get a current copy.
Follow these steps to store frequencies into channels.

1. Press FUNC + PGM. PRIVATE and PGM appear.

20
 Beyond the Basics
2. Enter the channel number where you want to store
a frequency and press HOLD/RESUME to select the
channel.

3. Enter the frequency you want to store by using the

keypad and ./CLR.

4. Press E to store the frequency into the channel.

5. To store the next channel in sequence, press e and repeat

Steps 3 and 4.

Notes
To clear a mistake while entering the frequency,
repeatedly press ./CLR until the display is cleared.
If you enter an invalid frequency, an error tone
sounds and Error appears. To clear the error message
immediately, press ./CLR.
Your scanner automatically rounds the entered number
to the nearest valid frequency. For example, if you enter
151.473 (MHz), your scanner accepts it as 151.475.
When you enter a frequency into a channel, your scanner
automatically turns on the delay function and DLY
appears on the display. When delay is turned on, the
scanner automatically pauses scanning 2 seconds after
the end of a transmission before scanning proceeds to
the next channel. To turn delay off or on, press DELAY.
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, then enter the
correct frequency. To enter the frequency anyway, press E
to accept.

21
Beyond the Basics

deleting a stored frequency

To delete a stored frequency, select a channel, press 0, and
then press E.

Note
Channels with no frequencies are automatically locked
out.

locking out channels

You can lock out reception of any channel so it is not
scanned during normal scanning. You can also restore the
channel to scanning whenever you wish.
Like conventional scanning, you can lock out reception of
unwanted traffic. You can lock out up to 100 IDs. Press L/O
on the ID you want to lock out.
To restore all locked out IDs, hold down L/O for 2 seconds or
change the state code. If you find an interesting ID you want
to continue listening to, press HOLD/RESUME. Press HOLD/
RESUME to resume scanning.

locking out a channel in hold mode

1. Press HOLD/RESUME and enter the channel number by
using the keypad, then press HOLD/RESUME.

2. Press L/O to lock out the channel. L/O appears on the

display.

locking out a channel in scanning mode

If the scanner keeps stopping on a particular channel due to
noise or frequent transmissions, you may want to keep that
channel from being received.
Wait until the scanner stops on the channel, then press L/O.
The scanner immediately resumes scanning because the
locked out channel is no longer in the scanning sequence.

22
 Beyond the Basics

Note
Write down your locked-out channels and put them in a
convenient place in case you need to restore them.

memory lock
To avoid accidentally programming frequencies and talk
group IDs, you can lock the memory with MEMORY LOCK.
Press FUNC + M-LOCK to activate this feature. M-LOCK
appears on the display. If you press E to program memory,
Prg-Loc appears. To deactivate memory lock, press
FUNC + M-LOCK again.

restoring a locked-out channel in hold mode

1. Press HOLD/RESUME and enter the channel number you
want to restore by using the keypad, then press
HOLD/RESUME.

2. Press L/O to unlock the channel. L/O disappears.

restoring all locked-out channels

You can restore all locked-out channels in a bank only when
a bank is selected for scan. If you have deselected a bank and
you want to restore all of its locked-out channels using the
steps below, you must repeatedly press PVT until PRIVATE
appears and then enter the number of the bank on the
keypad.

Note
Make sure the scanner is set to hold mode before
restoring all locked-out channels.

1. Press HOLD/RESUME.

2. Hold down L/O for about 2 seconds. The scanner beeps

twice when all channels have been restored.

23
Beyond the Basics

hold/resume
To stop on a channel during scanning or to resume scanning,
press HOLD/RESUME.

direct channel access

To access a specific channel directly, press HOLD/RESUME,
use the keypad to enter the channel number, then press
HOLD/RESUME again.

Note
You can also press PVT, e, or d instead of pressing
HOLD/RESUME the second time.

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 Beyond the Basics

scanning a private bank

You can program frequencies into channels of the private
bank. There are 1000 channels in the bank. 150 of the
most frequently used frequencies are preprogrammed into
Channels 1 to 150. You can scan these frequencies as soon
as you turn on the scanner.

1 After programming frequencies, press HOLD/RESUME to

begin scanning. Or repeatedly press PVT until PRIVATE
appears, if the scanner is in another mode. Your scanner
scans all the channels upward.

2. The bank number indicators (1-10) selected for scanning

appear on the display, and the bank being currently
monitored flashes. You can deselect banks from active
scanning by entering their numbers on your keypad. The
indicator for each deselected bank disappears, and the
bank’s channels are not scanned.

Note
One bank must always be active. You cannot deactivate
all ten banks at the same time. If you try to deselect all
the banks, the first bank is automatically selected.
To restore a bank to active scanning, enter the bank’s number
on your keypad. The bank’s indicator will display again.
During normal scanning the scanner skips unprogrammed
or locked out channels. When a transmission is received, the
scanner stops on that channel. When the transmission ends,
scanning resumes automatically.

Notes
You can set the scanner to hold on a frequency for
two seconds allowing time for a response. For more
information on the delay feature, see “Delay”.

During Signal Stalker operation, the delay time is 10

seconds. After 10 seconds have elapsed, or if you press e
or HOLD/RESUME, the scanner resumes search.

25
Beyond the Basics

priority scan
When priority scan is turned on, your scanner checks the
priority channel in the banks you selected every two seconds
for activity. If a signal is present on the priority channel, your
scanner monitors the channel until the transmission ends,
then resumes normal scanning. You can designate one
channel in each bank as a priority channel. By default, the
first channel in each bank is the priority channel, but you can
change this.
To activate Priority Scan (in either the private scan mode or
scan hold mode):

1. Press PRI. PRI appears.

Note
If you have locked out all the priority channels, an error
message appears when you select priority mode.

2. Press PRI again to deactivate priority scan. PRI

disappears.

changing the priority channel

You cannot eliminate the priority channel, but you can
change it to any one of the 100 available channels in each
bank.

1 Turn off the priority function if it is on.

2. Press HOLD/RESUME.

3. Select a new priority channel by entering the channel

number using the keypad. Then, press HOLD/RESUME.

4. Press FUNC + PRI. When the priority channel has been

changed, P appears on the display.

Note
Priority in trunking mode works just the same, except you
set them for talk group IDs instead of setting priorities for

26
 Beyond the Basics
channels. The scanner only checks priority talk groups
between transmissions.

service scanning
The service scan feature allows you to rotate through the
following seven service banks, in addition to the highway patrol
and local police banks.
1 Weather
2 Fire and Emergency Medical Service
3 News Media
4 CB Band
5 Aircraft *
6 Railroads
7 Marine Band
* Except Aeronautic Radio Navigation (108-117.9875 MHz)
1 Press FUNC + SVC to select a service. The current
service bank icon appears on the display.

2. Continue pressing FUNC + SVC until your desired service

is displayed.

3. After a 3 second delay, scanning begins. If you want to

start scanning immediately, press HOLD/ RESUME.

Notes Press HOLD/RESUME at any time to hold the frequency.

Press e or d to move up or down the frequency. If you
find the frequency you want to store, while in hold
mode you can store the frequency (see “Storing Search
Frequencies into Channels”).

If you want to remain on a frequency until a responding

transmission is received, press DELAY to activate the
delay feature (see “Delay”).

To skip a frequency, press L/O. You can program up to 100

skip frequencies for services (see “Frequency Skip”).

27
Beyond the Basics

band search
setting a search band
The scanner can search up to 14 separate frequency ranges
to help you discover new stations in your area. To set up a
search band, enter into the band search mode.
Band Frequency Range (MHz) Mode Step Display
1 25.0000 - 27.9950 AM 5 kHz 25-28
2 28.0000 - 29.7000 FM 5 kHz 28-30
3 30.0000 - 49.9950 FM 5 kHz 30-50
4 50.0000 - 54.0000 FM 5 kHz 50-54
5 108.0000 - 136.9875 AM 12.5 kHz 108-137
6 137.0000 - 143.9950 FM 5 kHz 137-144
7 144.0000 - 147.9950 FM 5 kHz 144-148
8 148.0000 - 174.0000 FM 5 kHz 148-174
9 400.0000 - 419.9875 FM 12.5 kHz 400-420
10 420.0000 - 449.9875 FM 12.5 kHz 420-450
11 450.0000 - 469.9875 FM 12.5 kHz 450-470
12 470.0000 - 512.0000 FM 12.5 kHz 470-512
13 806.0000 - 823.9875 FM 12.5 kHz 806-956
849.0125 - 868.9875
894.0125 - 956.0000
14 1240.000 - 1300.000 FM 12.5 kHz 1240-1300

1. Press SRCH. The upper and lower limits of the bands

currently selected appear.

2. Press e or d to select the band you want to search.

Notes After about 2 seconds, the scanner will begin searching

that band, or press HOLD/RESUME to begin immediately.

You must set the search bands prior to any searching.

28
 Beyond the Basics

Notes
Your scanner automatically increases its search speed
up to 300 steps per second for bands having 5 kHz steps
(Hypersearch).

While searching, you can change the search direction by

pressing e or d.

While private scanning in the trunking banks, press SRCH

to set the scanner to ID search mode.

search hold

1. Press HOLD/RESUME at any time to stop the search. To

move up or down 1 frequency step, press e or d.

2. Press HOLD/RESUME to resume searching.

data skip
A scanner will normally stop on any transmission it receives.
This means the scanner will occasionally stop on data signals
and unmodulated transmissions.
You can automatically skip many of these types of transmissions
during search.
1. To activate the data skip feature, press DATA in scan or
search mode. DATA appears on the display.

2. To deactivate the Data Skip feature, press DATA again.

DATA disappears.
When data skip is active, your scanner may pause
momentarily on an unwanted signal, but will resume
searching in two or three seconds. The data skip feature is
active, as well as scan mode and service search mode. Data
skip does not function while scanning service bands (for AIR,
CB, or Weather band), or while in priority scan and trunking
modes.

29
Beyond the Basics

frequency skip
If a particular frequency continues to interrupt search
scanning, it is possible to set the scanner to skip the
frequency.
To skip over a frequency, press L/O when stopping on the
frequency you want to skip or when in search hold mode.

Note
You can program up to 100 skip frequencies. The 101st
skip frequency entered causes the first skipped frequency
to unlock.
To restore a locked out/skipped channel.
1. Select the desired frequency by pressing e or d in search
hold mode.

2. Press L/O then press HOLD/RESUME. To restore all

skipped frequencies, press and hold L/O for 2 seconds in
search hold mode.

storing search frequencies

You can quickly store any frequency you find during a search.

1 During search, press HOLD/RESUME. If you want to

change the frequency, press e or d to move up or down
one frequency step. Then press E. Or when the scanner
stops on the frequency you want to store, press E.

2. Select a bank you want to store by using the keypad.

The smallest empty channel number and the frequency
alternately appear on the display. If necessary, you can
also change the channel by pressing e or d.

3. Press E.

Notes
If the frequency you want to store already exists in a
bank, you will hear an error tone and the other channel
location appears on the display.

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Beyond the Basics
After storing the frequency, it moves to the search hold
mode.

If there is no free channel, the frequency you want to

store will automatically be stored in the first channel in
the selected bank.

4. Press HOLD/RESUME to resume searching.

delay
To help prevent missing a reply on a specific channel or
frequency, you can program a two second delay into any
channel, frequency, service band or band search. When scan
or search stops on a channel or frequency, there is a two-
second pause before the scanning cycle resumes.
To activate the delay feature (in either scan mode or search
mode):
Scan mode - For highway scan mode or private scan mode,
when in hold mode, select the desired frequency or channel
and then press DELAY. Or when the scanner stops on an
active frequency or channel, quickly press DELAY before it
continues scanning again.
Search mode - while searching press DELAY. DLY appears
on the display.

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Beyond the Basics

highway patrol alerts

Most highway patrol vehicles today come equipped with a
secondary radio system known as a MOBILE EXTENDER or
VEHICULAR REPEATER. Whenever the dispatcher transmits
to any vehicle in the district, the mobile extender in every car
within the district is activated. Using a constant PRIORITY
CHECK of specific frequencies in each state, your scanner
recognizes and alerts you to transmissions from “mobile
extender” radios, as well as from car-to-car, aircraft to-car
and other special-purpose frequencies. You receive an
audible tone and visual alert (flashing light) whenever you are
within approximately three miles of highway patrol or state
police units using a mobile extender unit.

highway patrol/local police scanning

Highway patrol and local police frequencies are
preprogrammed on a state-by-state basis. When highway
patrol scanning, the highway warning alert is activated.

selecting the state

1. Confirm if HIWGHWAY, PRIVATE, or POLICE appears on
the display. If not, press PVT.
2. Press STATE to select the state you are operating in. See
“State Code Order” table on the next page.

3. To step forward through the states (A - W), press STATE

and then repeatedly press e within 3 seconds. To step
backward through the states (W - A), press STATE then
repeatedly press d within three seconds.

4. To scroll rapidly, hold down e or d. The scanner

automatically scans the highway frequencies and
HIGHWAY appears. The highway patrol priority function
is turned on by default. The scanner beeps and the

32
Beyond the Basics
ALERT LED lights when it finds a priority frequency. See
“Highway Patrol Priority Channels”.
State Code Order
Number State Name Number State Name
Code Code
1 AK Alaska 26 MT Montana
2 AL Alabama 27 NC North Carolina
3 AR Arkansas 28 ND North Dakota
4 AZ Arizona 29 NE Nebraska
5 CA California 30 NH New Hampshire
6 CO Colorado 31 NJ New Jersey
7 CT Connecticut 32 NM New Mexico
8 DC District of Columbia 33 NV Nevada
9 DE Delaware 34 NY New York
10 FL Florida 35 OH Ohio
11 GA Georgia 36 OK Oklahoma
12 IA Iowa 37 OR Oregon
13 ID Idaho 38 PA Pennsylvania
14 IL Illinois 39 RI Rhode Island
15 IN Indiana 40 SC South Carolina
16 KS Kansas 41 SD South Dakota
17 KY Kentucky 42 TN Tennessee
18 LA Louisiana 43 TX Texas
19 MA Massachusetts 44 UT Utah
20 MD Maryland 45 VA Virginia
21 ME Maine 46 VT Vermont
22 MI Michigan 47 WA Washington
23 MN Minnesota 48 WI Wisconsin
24 MO Missouri 49 WV West Virginia
25 MS Mississippi 50 WY Wyoming

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Beyond the Basics

scanning highway patrol, local police,

and private frequencies
If the scanner is set to any mode other than the highway
patrol, local police, or private mode, press PVT and then
press STATE to display only HIGHWAY. Once HIGHWAY
appears on the display, use the table below.
Press these buttons Action
FUNC + HWY/POL (1x) Scan highway patrol and local police
FUNC + HWY/POL (2x) Scan only local police
FUNC + HWY/POL (3x) Scan only highway patrol

To scan highway patrol, local police and private frequencies,

press PVT. Once both HIGHWAY and PRIVATE appear on the
display, use the table below.

Press these buttons Action

FUNC + HWY/POL (1x) Scan highway patrol, local police and
private frequencies
FUNC + HWY/POL (2x) Scan local police and private
frequencies
FUNC + HWY/POL (3x) Scan only private frequencies
FUNC + HWY/POL (4x) Scan highway patrol and private
frequencies

If your scanner is in a mode other than highway patrol, local

police, or private, press PVT. The previously selected bank or
banks appear. When the scanner receives a signal, scanning
stops and the state code and frequency appear. When the
transmission ends, the scanner holds for 2 seconds on that
frequency for a response. For more information about the
delay feature, see “Delay”. If there is no response, scanning
resumes.

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 Beyond the Basics

scan hold
1. When scanning stops on a desired frequency, press
HOLD/RESUME to stay on that frequency. When in the
hold mode, press e or d to change the frequency. To
quickly change frequencies, hold down e or d.

Note
If you select a frequency that is a control channel, the
scanner might display the active ID (when trunk mode is
active).

2. To resume scanning, press HOLD/RESUME.

Note Highway warning alert does not work while in the hold
mode.

highway warning alert

The scanner alerts you when highway patrol/state police
units using mobile extenders are within about 3 miles. The
ALERT light flashes and the alert tone beeps twice when
a signal is received. If a highway warning alert signal is
received, ALERT lights steadily for approximately three
minutes. Then, if no other mobile extender transmissions are
received, ALERT turns off. If more transmissions are received
before three minutes have passed, ALERT flashes and the
scanner sounds an alert tone.

setting the alert tone volume

Repeatedly press VOL to select loud, medium, or soft. The
alert tone beeps and ALERT flashes.

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Beyond the Basics
muting the alert tone
To temporarily mute the alert tone, press MUTE during
a highway warning alert. The alert tone stops and MUTE
flashes until the alarm cycle finishes (3 minutes). To mute all
alerts, hold down MUTE for 2 seconds. The scanner beeps
twice and MUTE lights. Mute automatically resets when you
turn your scanner off.

adjusting alert
ALERT has three settings: Bright, Dim, and Off. Repeatedly
press FLASH to select Bright, Dim or Off. ALERT flashes and
the alert tone beeps. If you select Off, FLASH appears to
remind you that ALERT is off.

Note Turning off ALERT and muting the alert tone turns off the
highway warning alert.

skip frequencies
To skip a frequency, press L/O. You can program up to 50
skip frequencies into the highway patrol priority frequency
channel. You can also program up to 100 skip frequencies
for other frequencies (see “Frequency Skip”). If you change
the state code, skipped frequencies are cancelled as soon as
scanning starts.

highway patrol priority channels

Each state preprogrammed in the scanner contains a
number of highway patrol priority channels. Your scanner
automatically checks a state’s priority channels every 2
seconds for activity. If there is activity on one of the priority
channels, ALERT flashes and the alarm tone beeps (see
“Highway Warning Alert”). You will experience a slight
interruption in the conversations you hear as the scanner
checks the priority channels. You can cancel the priority

36
 Beyond the Basics
check and the interruptions in the conversations by pressing
HOLD/RESUME to hold on the desired frequency.

Notes The highway warning alert is inoperative while the

scanner is on hold.

Be sure to press HOLD/RESUME to return to normal

priority scan operation.
You cannot change priority channels, but you can lock out
them out using L/O. You can select priority scanning mode by
pressing PRI. PRI appears.
In normal Priority Scan mode, the scanner checks the
priority frequency every two seconds. Priority only mode
is recommended if you scan Arizona, Delaware, Florida,
Michigan, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. Hold down PRI to select
priority only mode. PRI flashes.
In Priority off mode, the scanner does not check the priority
frequency. PRI will not appear.

trunked highway frequencies

Trunked highway frequencies are preprogrammed for each
state. When the scanner finds the control channel data, the
scanner begins to find any active IDs. If the scanner finds an
ID, it appears on the display and you hear it. If you press e
while monitoring an ID, the scanner will check to see if any
other IDs are active. If none are active, scanning resumes.
When the scanner finds a control channel, it will stay on
that control channel until reception of the control channel is
lost. To force the scanner off the trunking control channel,
press DATA. If you press d while a talk group ID is active,
the frequency where the talk group is active flashes on the
display. If you hold down d for two seconds, the ID and the
frequency alternately appears on the display. To return to the
normal display, press d again.

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Beyond the Basics

Skywarn
The Skywarn function lets you jump directly to the last
channel in memory (Channel 1000) from any mode by
pressing FUNC + . The scanner goes into scan hold mode
and starts receiving transmissions in the last channel. If
no frequency is programmed in the last channel, No Prog
appears and the scanner sounds an error 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
made by Skywarn observers include information about:
• pea-sized and larger hail
• wind and wind gusts 40 MPH and greater
• heavy rainfall
• lightning (cloud-to-cloud and especially cloud-to-
ground)
• wall clouds seen in severe thunderstorms (which
spawn tornadoes)
• severe lowering of a wall cloud
• turbulence in a wall cloud
• funnel clouds
• tornadoes
• 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
1000 on your scanner. Then, listen to Skywarn first when
severe weather threatens. Listen to NOAA: for weather alerts

38
 Beyond the Basics
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 which relays
those reports to NOAA and other emergency agencies.
Most importantly, you get Skywarn reports directly from
trained observers - that means you get them several minutes
before they can be relayed for broadcast by NOAA and as
much as 5 or 10 minutes sooner than you will hear them on
local TV or radio! Those few minutes can be worth a lot when
it comes to deciding if your family needs to take cover.

Note
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.

NWR SAME
During weather mode, press FUNC +WX ALT to enable NWR
SAME alert. When WX alert is on, ALERT lights and the audio
mute is set on.
Press FUNC + WX ALT to turn off the NWR SAME alert.
If the scanner receives a SAME event code from the
local weather service, it sounds an alert and displays the
description for any alert received. Then, audio mute turns off
and ALERT blinks.
The scanner displays the following messages:
Warning : L1
Watch : L2
Advisory : L3
WX alert (1050 Hz): WXA
During an alert, press any key to stop the alert. If you do
not press any key, the scanner continues sounding the alert
beep.

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Beyond the Basics
Although the alert beep (warning beep, watch beep, advisory
beep) sounds at short intervals for 5 minutes. After that, the
emergency beep will sound at intervals of 10 seconds.

programming a FIPS code

To specify a county, SAME uses a standard established by
the US Census bureau, called FIPS.
The format of a FIPS code is:
PSSCCC, where...
P = area subdivision (0=entire area)
SS = State code (00=all states)
CCC = County code (000=all counties)
For example, the FIPS code for Tarrant County, Texas is:
048439 (48=Texas; 439=Tarrant County).
Some counties are further subdivided, in which cases, the
first digit will be 0 for all subdivisions in the county and each
subdivision will be labeled 1-9.
To program your scanner to alert you when the weather
service issues an alert, you must set the scanner to the alert
mode, and then leave the scanner monitoring the weather
service. You cannot scan frequencies and monitor for
weather alerts at the same time.
To limit weather alerts to a specific area, you must also
program in the FIPS code(s) for the area(s) you want to
receive alerts. The scanner can be set to either, alert for all
areas, or only the areas you have programmed.

programming FIPS
During weather scan, hold mode, press FUNC + PGM. The
scanner sends itself into FIPS programming mode. If the
scanner is set to alert for all FIPS, ALLFIPS appears on the
display. If the scanner is set to alert only the area you have

40
Beyond the Basics
programmed, F1 appears.
Press e or d to change the displayed FIPS code from F1 to
F15. If a FIPS code is not programmed, ------- appears.
Use the keypad to enter the FIPS code. Press ./CLR to cancel
an inputted FIPS code. Press E to store the FIPS code. Press
0 then E to clear a FIPS code. ------ appears. If an invalid value
has been inputted, the FIPS code is cleared.
To set the scanner so it alerts you when you receive any FIPS
code, press e or d to move ALLFIPS. Then press E. Then go
to WX hold mode.
To set to alert only the area you have programmed, press e
or d to move F1 to F15. Then press E. Then go to WX hold
with WX alert.
Press FUNC + WX ALT to exit NWR SAME alert mode.

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Beyond the Basics

Signal Stalker
Your scanner’s Signal Stalker feature lets you set the
scanner so it detects and then displays the frequency of a
nearby strong radio transmission. You can set the scanner
so Signal Stalker works “in the background” while you are
scanning other frequencies; turn off normal scanning while
Signal Stalker works; or turn off Signal Stalker and use the
scanner normally. You can set the scanner so it alerts you
when Signal Stalker finds a frequency. You can also set the
frequency band where you want the scanner to look for
transmissions. You can also turn on the pager screening
feature so the scanner ignores common pager frequencies.

Notes
Signal Stalker works well for locating the source of strong
local transmissions, such as mobile and handheld two-
way radios in areas with no other strong transmission
sources; however, if you are in an area with many
transmission sources (such as pager radio transmitters,
multiuse radio towers, traffic control devices, etc.),
Signal Stalker might not find the transmission you are
searching for, or it might find a transmission other than
the one you are searching for. You can screen unwanted
transmissions by pressing L/O to lock them out. See
“Frequency Skip” for more information.

Signal Stalker cannot detect satellite dishes or any

transmitter with a frequency above or below the
frequency ranges listed under “Setting the Signal Stalker
Options”.

Signal Stalker works better with some types of

transmissions than others. It might not correctly display
frequency information for transmitters using a highly
directive antenna (such as an amateur radio beam
antenna), if there are many transmitters operating at

42
Beyond the Basics
the same time in the same area, or if the transmitter is a
broadcast television station.

setting the signal stalker options

1. Press FUNC then press and hold for 2 seconds. One of
the following signal stalker options appears:

• S-S.bnd: Lets you select the signal stalker band.

• S-S.ALt: Lets you select the signal stalker alert
settings.
• S-S.PS: Lets you select the pager screen settings.

2. Repeatedly press e or d to select the option you want,

then press E. If you selected S-S.bnd, one of the following
band names appears:

• Bnd Lo: VHF Low Band (25.0000 - 54.0000 MHz)

• Bnd Air: AIR Band (108.0000 - 136.9875 MHz)
• Bnd Hi: VHF High Band (137.0000 - 174.0000 MHz)
• Bnd UHF: UHF Band (400.0000 - 512.0000 MHz)
• Bnd 800: 800MHz Band (806.0000 - 956.0000 MHz)

If you selected S-S.Alt, skip to Step 5. If you selected S-

S.PS, skip to Step 7.

3. Repeatedly press e or d until the band you want to search

appears, then press E to select it. Otherwise, press ./CLR
if you do not want to select it. The scanner displays the
following options:

• Lo On or Lo OFF
• Air On or Air OFF

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Beyond the Basics
• Hi On or Hi OFF
• UHF On or UHF OFF
• 800 On or 800 OFF

4. Repeatedly press e or d until the option you want

appears, then press E to select it. Otherwise, press ./CLR
if you do not want to select it. Then skip to Step 9.

5. Press E while S-S.ALt appears. One of the following alert

options appears:

• ALT bEEP: The scanner beeps when a signal stalker

signal is detected.

• ALT OFF: The scanner does not provide any alert

when a signal stalker signal is detected.

6. Repeatedly press e or d until the option you want

appears, then press E to select it. Otherwise, press ./CLR
if you do not want to select it. Then skip to Step 9.

7. Press E while S-S.PS appears. One of the following

options appears:

• PS On: The scanner ignores common pager

frequencies.

• PS OFF: The scanner does not screen common pager

frequencies.

8. Repeatedly press e or d until the option you want

appears, then press E to select it. Otherwise, press ./CLR
if you do not want to select it.

9. When you select the option, press ./CLR to exit the option
mode.

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Beyond the Basics
using signal stalker
To turn on Signal Stalker, turn SQL fully clockwise, then
press FUNC + once except in WX search, band select, or
program mode. appears. Every 2 seconds, the scanner
searches for frequencies in the range you specified in
“Setting the Signal Stalker Options”.
When the scanner finds a frequency, it sounds the alert you
specified in “Setting the Signal Stalker Options”, and Found
flashes. Press any key to confirm the displayed frequency.
Press HOLD/RESUME to resume scanning.
To turn on Signal Stalker and turn off normal scanning, press
FUNC + twice. and - - - - - - flash.
To turn off Signal Stalker and turn on normal scanning, press
FUNC + three times. disappears.

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Beyond the Basics

trunk tracking
Your scanner tracks three major types of trunked radio
systems. These systems are described here.

• MOTOROLA - Including Type I, Type II, Hybrid,

SMARTNET, and Privacy Plus. Motorola systems are
widely used by public safety and business users. Most
are on the 800 MHz band. Recent systems appear on
other bands. (See “Tracking Motorola Systems”).

• EDACS - Including “Wideband” 9600 baud and SCAT.

“Wideband” systems are mostly on the 800 MHz band,
and are used by public safety, utilities, and business
users. Some systems use VHF and UHF bands. (See
“EDACS Tracking”). SCAT systems are single channel
EDACS systems, and are mainly used in the midwestern
United States.

• LTR - These systems are mostly for business users,

and found on the UHF, 800 and 900 MHz bands. (See
“Tracking LTR Systems”).
When tracking these types of systems, remember these
important points:

• Your scanner defaults to monitor Motorola Type II 800;

however, you can change this if the system in your area is
different. (The types of systems are discussed below.)

• If you have internet access, you can visit

www.trunkscanner.com for additional information and
for current news and frequency information about trunk
tracking scanning.

setting the squelch

For trunked reception, a good squelch setting is in the center
of the range with the color marker pointing up. If it is set

46
 Beyond the Basics
too high, it could prevent your scanner from locking on the
control channel reliably. If it is set too low, it will slightly delay
finding the control channel. The best setting is the same
as for conventional reception and is critical for monitoring
trunked systems.

programming trunking frequencies

There are three steps for programming a trunked system:
1. Program the Trunk Type - enter the type of trunking
system the scanner will track -- Motorola Type II, Type I,
EDACS, LTR, etc.

2. Program the trunked frequencies - within a trunked

system, the frequencies are shared among all users.
These frequency groups are called talk groups.

3. Program the Talk Groups - Within a trunked system, each

agency or department is assigned a talk group ID. This ID
must be programmed into the scanner in order for it to
monitor that specific agency or department.
Before you start programming your scanner to track a
trunked system, consider the following:

• You can only program one type of trunking system in

each bank of your scanner.

• Trunked frequencies must be entered while in the trunk

programming mode.

• If you’re in the trunk programming mode, you cannot

select channels in other banks. For example, if you are
programming Bank 4, you can only select channels 301-
400 by pressing e or d.

Note
If you are programming an EDACS trunked system, you
must enter the frequencies in a specific order. Check
www.trunkscanner.com for details.

47
Beyond the Basics
STEP 1: Selecting Trunking System Type
The first step in a trunk tracking system is storing the
frequencies in one of the ten available banks in your scanner.

1. Press TRUNK in conventional programming mode. BANK

and TRUNK will begin to flash on the display.

2. Select the bank in which you want to store the frequency

by using the keypad.

3. Select the system you want to track by pressing e or d,

then press E.

List of trunking systems are as follows:

E2-800 (Motorola Type II 800 MHz)
E2-Hi (Motorola Type II VHF 136-174 MHz) *
E2-UHF (Motorola Type II UHF 406-512 MHz) *
E1 (Motorola Type I and Hybrid) **
Ed (EDACS Wide Band: 9600 band)***
Ed-SCt (EDACS Scat)
Lt (LTR)
* Requires programming of a base and spacing frequency offset channel (See
“Setting the Base, Spacing Frequencies and Offset Channel for Motorola VHF/UHF
Trunked Systems”).

** Requires programming of a fleet map (See “Programming a User Fleet Map”).

*** Requires programming of frequencies in exact order and location.

STEP 2: Programming Trunking Frequencies

1. Select Prog F and press E.

2. Use the keypad and ./CLR to enter a frequency for the

trunked system. For example, enter 851.0125.

Note
To clear a mistake while entering a frequency, press ./CLR
twice, and start over.

48
 Beyond the Basics
3. Then, press E. E (EDACS), M (Motorola) or L (LTR)
appears depending on the trunked system selected. If
the frequency is out of the range of the system chosen in
this step, you will hear an error tone, the channel number
flashes and an error message appears on the display.

4. Use the e or d key to select the next channel in the bank.

5. Repeat Steps 2 through 4 until all frequencies have been

entered.

6. Press SRCH to begin searching the bank you’ve

programmed.

Then select the programmed bank by using the keypad.

Notes
To lock out the keypad to prevent reprogramming of talk
groups, you can use memory lock (Refer to “Memory
Lock”).

If you want to return to the previous menu screen, press

HOLD/RESUME in the trunk programming mode.

programming id scan lists manually

When you designate a bank as a trunking bank, your scanner
sets up 10 scan lists, which are simply lists used to store your
favorite talk group IDs. Each list can contain up to 10 IDs, so
you can store a total of 100 IDs for each trunking bank. If you
use all the banks for trunking, 1,000 IDs will be available.
Once IDs are stored in lists, you can scan them like you scan
conventional frequencies.

1. Select the trunking programming mode and the bank you

want to change.

2. Use e or d to choose trunk system, and press E.

3. Use e or d to choose Prog ID, and press E.

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Beyond the Basics
4. Press e or d to select the scan list location.

5. Enter the talk group IDs for each trunk system.

Motorola talk groups

To enter a Type 2 Talk Group ID:

1. Enter the ID you want to store by using the keypad.

2. Press E.

To enter a Type 1 ID:

For a Type I ID, enter the block number, fleet number and
subfleet number to form the talk group ID number. For more
information, see “User Defined Fleet Maps”.

1. Enter the ID you want to store by using the keypad (ID

= Block number + Fleet number + ./CLR + Subfleet
number).

2. Press E.

EDACS talk groups

To enter a Full EDACS ID:

1. Enter the Agency number.

2. Press ./CLR to enter the “dash”.

3. Enter the fleet number and subfleet number.

4. Press E.

To enter a Partial EDACS ID:

1. Enter the agency number you want to store. Press ./CLR

to enter the “dash”.

2. Press E.

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 Beyond the Basics
Or you can program all the talk group numbers for one fleet
of an agency.

1. Enter the agency number.

2. Press ./CLR to enter the “dash”.

3. Enter the fleet number.

4. Press E.

Notes Remember the AFS format allows you to enter full or

partial EDACS IDs for powerful flexibility in all modes. Be
sure to read the section “An EDACS Trunked System” to
learn how this works.

The scanner defaults to “AFS” talk group displays for

EDACS only.

LTR talk groups

To enter an LTR ID:
For a LTR ID, the area code, home repeater number and
ID make up the talk group ID. See “LTR Tracking” for more
information.

1. Enter the area code.

2. Enter the home repeater number.

3. Enter the ID you want to store.

4. Press E.

Note
To clear a stored ID while entering an ID, press 0 and E
successively, and start over.

receiving trunked systems

Before you start receiving trunked systems, you have to
properly program all the frequencies for a trunked system.

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Beyond the Basics
Press TRUNK to start receiving trunked system information.
You can receive the trunked system using the ID Scan Mode.
You can receive those talk groups that you store in a scan list
using ID Search Mode.
You can hear all system talk group activity (except unit-
to-unit calls). This mode lets you find unknown talk groups.
Your scanner defaults to receive the talk groups in ID search
mode. Press SRCH in the ID search mode and the scanner
will move to the ID scan mode. If you press SRCH again, it
will return to the ID search mode.

ID scan mode
When your scanner finds the control channel data, it begins
trunking and id SCAN scrolls on the display until the scanner
finds an ID. If you have not programmed any IDs, the scanner
cannot stop on an active conversation.
To remove a scan list from active scanning, press 1-9, 0 (the
number of the scan list). The scan list indicator turns off, and
the IDs in that list are not scanned.
To restore a scan list to active scanning, press its number
again.

Note One scan list must always be active. If you try and
deactivate all the scan lists, scan list 1 will automatically
be active.

ID scan hold mode

You can press HOLD/RESUME to hold an ID. HOLD and the
ID will appear. To resume scanning, press HOLD/RESUME. To
move the specific location, press e or d or, using 1 through 9,
0 and pressing HOLD/RESUME, you can directly access the
specific location you want to which you want to move. The
first number represents the scan list number and the second
number represents the memory location number. To access
the location number 10, use 0.

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Beyond the Basics
direct entry id hold mode
Enter the ID you want to receive by using 1 through 9, 0 (or ./
CLR) and press d, and you can listen to a specific ID (without
storing ID to the list).

ID search mode
Once you have programmed all the frequencies for a
trunked system, search will let you immediately start hearing
transmissions. When in the trunking mode, press SRCH and
the scanner begins to find any active IDs. When the scanner
finds the control channel data, the scanner begins trunking,
and -- --- appears on the display until the scanner finds an ID.
If the scanner does not find an ID in about 1 second, it moves
on to conventional channels in the same bank or to the next
active bank. This may happen a few times (if the signal is
weak) when the scanner comes around to that bank again.
The scanner will recognize the control channel was lost when
no ID can be found, even if the scanner tries ten times.
The scanner will begin to search for the control data channel.
If it finds any non-locked-out IDs, you will hear it. You will
then hear any replies that follow within the specified periods.
After that, the scanner will move on and not continuously
search the system for additional IDs (on busy systems you
would never leave the system if this were the case). If you
press e while monitoring an ID, the radio will check if any
other IDs are active (it will disregard the ID you just left), and
none are active, the scanner resumes searching.

ID search hold mode

If you hear an interesting ID during search mode and want to
continue listening to it, press HOLD/RESUME. HOLD and the
ID appear.

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Beyond the Basics
programming scan lists during search
To select a scan list location and store an ID during search
mode, follow these steps:

1. When your scanner stops on an ID you want to store,

press HOLD/RESUME.

2. You can change the scan list memory location by using

the e or d key. Then press E.

3. Press SRCH to return to trunk tracking search mode.

deleting a stored ID

1. Press HOLD/RESUME in the ID scan mode.

2. Select the scan list location you want to delete by using

the e or d key.

3. Press 0.

4. Then press E.

direct entry ID hold mode

In hold mode (ID scan hold or search hold), enter the ID you
want to receive by using 1 through 9, 0 (or ./CLR) and press
d, and you can listen to a specific ID (without storing that ID
to a list).

ID monitor mode
If you press and hold SRCH for 2 seconds, until you hear
two short beeps, you will select the ID monitor mode. SRCH
begins flashing and all active talk group IDs appear. When
you monitor IDs, any IDs you have locked out also appear.
You will not hear conversations in this mode, but this is an
excellent way to determine which talk groups are the most

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Beyond the Basics
active. Press e to continue searching the entire trunked
system.

ID lockout
Like conventional scanning, it is possible to lock out
unwanted traffic. This is particularly important in trunked
systems because in many areas, water meters, door alarms,
traffic signals, and other mechanical devices are assigned IDs
just like other users. Also, some departments scramble or
encrypt their communications, and you may want to lock out
these unintelligible broadcasts.
To lock out an ID, press L/O on the ID you want to lock out.
The ID is locked out. You can lock out up to 100 IDs. An error
message (Full) appears when you try to register the 101st
lock out.

reviewing ID lockout
You can check all IDs already locked out.

1. Select the trunking programming mode and the bank you

want to review.

2. When the selected trunked system is displayed, press E.

3. Use e or d to choose Id Lout, and press E.

4. Press L/O, the ID is unlocked and the next locked ID

displays.

5. If you unlocked all locked IDs, the scanner displays Lo

Non.

restoring locked-out IDs

To restore a single ID, while in locked out review mode, select
the locked out ID you want to restore and press L/O. The ID is
restored and L/O disappears. To restore all locked out IDs in a

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Beyond the Basics
bank once, while in locked out review mode, hold down L/O
for 3 seconds. All locked out IDs in a bank are restored.

setting the delay mode for trunking mode

A default delay of 2 seconds is automatically set for each
talk group for ID scan mode and ID search mode. To set the
delay feature on or off, press DELAY while trunking. DLY will
appear or disappear, depending on your setting.

trunking frequency confirmation

You can check the frequency while a talk group ID is active.
Press the d key, and the active frequency on which the talk
group is transmitting will flash on the display. Or press and
hold the d key for 2 seconds. The ID and the frequency
alternately appear on the display. To cancel this mode, press
the d key again.

Note
This feature is applied to ID scan mode and ID search
mode.

setting priority in trunking mode

You can set priority in your scan lists, just as you do in your
conventional ones. The default setting for the priority ID is
the first location in each scan list. You can set the priority by
pressing and holding PRI for 2 seconds in ID scan hold mode.
After you’ve set up your scan list, press PRI to activate it. It
is very similar to conventional priority although there is no
“interrupt” during the transmissions. Priorities are checked in
between transmissions.
With priority on, you can hold on an ID in your scan list, such
as scan list 3, memory location 7, and the scanner will check
all the priorities in all the active scan lists in between any
transmissions on the ID on which you’re holding. The lowest
numbered priority will be checked first. For example, the

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 Beyond the Basics
priority ID in List 1 will be checked before the priority in list 2,
etc.

Note
This function does not work in LTR tracking.
Priority scan does not operate when priority IDs are
locked out.

moving between scan list memories

There are two ways to move through your scan list
memories.

1. Press HOLD/RESUME in the ID scan mode and press e or

d to move up or down.

2. Press HOLD/RESUME in the ID scan mode, press 0-9

(scan list number), then press 0-9 (memory position). For
example, to move to scan list 4, memory position 10,
press: HOLD/RESUME, 4, 0, HOLD/RESUME.

multi-track
Your scanner allows you to track more than one trunking
system at a time. Here are some highlights of this feature:

• You can actually track up to 10 trunking systems at one

time.

• You can trunk scan, or search and scan conventional

frequencies at the same time.

• You can program conventional frequencies in the same

bank as trunking systems.
After the scanner finishes checking a trunked system for
activity, it will conventionally scan the other frequencies
in the bank (remember, only trunking frequencies are
programmed in trunk mode).

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Beyond the Basics
To scan a mix of trunking and conventional banks, select
the banks you wish to be active, and then press TRUNK.
The scanner will instantly begin scanning. You can switch to
search mode and the scanner will search for any active IDs
on the system.

Note To switch ID scan or ID search, press SRCH in the trunked

system.

about multi-track
When more than one trunk system is active (for example two
or more trunked systems or a trunked system and one or
more conventional frequencies), the scanner jumps between
systems/frequencies as follows:
TRUNK SCAN: The scanner moves to a trunked system and
looks for IDs in your scan list(s) for up to 1 second. If it finds
no activity on your programmed talk groups, it moves on to
conventional channels in the same bank or to the next active
bank. If the scanner finds a talk group in one of your active
scan lists, you will begin to hear that communication and the
scanner will display the proper talk group number. When the
communication ends, the scanner will wait for 2 seconds for
any further replies and, if none, the scanner will move to the
conventional channels in the same bank or to the next bank.
The scanner will not look for any other IDs within the same
trunked system (as this would slow the scan process). If you
press the e key while you are listening to one ID, the scanner
will check to see if another ID in your scan list is active. It will
disregard the ID which you were just monitoring.
TRUNK SEARCH: This mode works similarly to trunk scan.
If the scanner finds any (nonlocked-out) ID when it checks
the control channel, you will hear it. You will then hear any
replies that follow within 2 seconds. After that, the scanner
moves on and does not continuously search the system for
additional IDs (on busy systems you would never leave the

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Beyond the Basics
system if this were the case). If you press the e key while
monitoring one ID, the radio will check if any other IDs are
active (it will disregard the ID you just left), and if none are
active, it will move on.

EDACS tracking
Your scanner is now able to track EDACS trunked systems.
Until now, these widely used systems have been almost
impossible to monitor with a conventional scanner. With your
scanner, listening to EDACS is remarkably easy, and perhaps
even easier than conventional scanning.
EDACS systems use “Transmission Trunking”, which means
that each transmission is assigned a new frequency.
As the conversation moves through the system’s
frequencies, your scanner automatically follows it. Your
scanner can clearly and automatically follow this talk group,
or any other, as you select. EDACS systems are organized
in a logical way that keeps related talk groups together. Your
scanner is designed to take maximum advantage of this
organization to make your scanning easy. It lets you zero in
on just the part of the system you want to hear, whether it is
an individual channel, an entire department or city.

programming EDACS system frequencies

When you program EDACS frequencies, it is critical that
you store each one in the correct location. By the nature of
EDACS systems this is necessary for tracking. This often is
not the frequency order, so you must be sure you have the
right sequence. Sources for this information can be found at
www.trunkscanner.com.

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Beyond the Basics

an EDACS trunked system

Your scanner shows EDACS talk groups in AFS (Agency-
Fleet-Subfleet) format. This helps you see, at a glance, who
you are monitoring. And with the partial-entry feature, you
can easily include nearby, related channels in the same fleet
or agency. You can just as easily exclude entire unwanted
fleets and agencies.
When in search mode, with the system frequencies
programmed, and your scanner locked to the control
channel, you can select a desired city by keying in the agency
part of the AFS talk group. When you hear an interesting talk
group, in hold mode capture it to your scan list by pressing E
during the transmission. Or hold on it by pressing
HOLD/RESUME.
Your scanner can also work in decimal format. Talk group 03-
62 in decimal format is 402. But decimal format does not give
you any information about the system hierarchy. Decimal is
useful if you need to work from decimal talk group lists.

special EDACS features

AFS partial entry

AFS is a method of encoding EDACS talk groups. AFS stands
for “Agency-Fleet-Subfleet”. AFS talk groups are used in all
EDACS reception -- in ID search, ID lockout and ID scan. The
powerful AFS partial entry feature designed into the scanner
lets you use either a complete talk group code, or just the
most significant part.
This feature lets you expand or narrow searching and
scanning to one of 4 levels. By entering only the desired
part of an AFS talk group, you can select 2048 talk groups,
128 talk groups, or 8 talk groups. For example, you could
program every talk group in a police department with just
4 key presses. You can use the AFS partial entry feature

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Beyond the Basics
anywhere you need to specify EDACS talk groups.
Your scanner can also enter or display EDACS talk groups in
decimal format (0-2047).

1. Select the trunking programming mode and the bank you

want to change.

2. Press e or d to select EDACS, then press E.

3. Press e or d to select AFS, then press E.

4. Press e or d to select AFS ON or AFS OFF, then press E.

You can use this feature to translate decimal talk group lists
to the much more powerful AFS format. It is very easy to use.
Be sure to become familiar with AFS partial entry, and your
scanning will become far more flexible and efficient.

EDACS ID range search

When your scanner searches EDACS talk group IDs, the
scanner can search within a range you set for agency or fleet
listings. For example, if you want to search within the 01
agency, while in hold mode press 0, 1, ./CLR then SRCH. Or
if you want to search within the 01 agency and 01 fleet, while
trunking press 0, 1, ./CLR, 0, 1, then SRCH.
To stop the ID range search, press e while the talk group is
deactivated.

EDACS ID blockout
EDACS blockout can be used only with AFS and EDACS
systems. This feature lets you lock out entire Agencies or
Fleets, not just individual talk groups. To use this, just enter
the Agency-part, or the Agency-Fleet part, of the talk group
code and press L/O. For example, to block out agency 04 in
trunk search, press HOLD/RESUME, 0, 4, ./CLR, and then L/O.

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Beyond the Basics
EDACS SCAT
With the EDACS SCAT feature, the data stream transmissions
will be eliminated, allowing you to clearly monitor the voice
communications on EDACS SCAT systems.
To monitor EDACS SCAT systems you only need to program
the frequency in the trunk tracking programming mode. You
do not need to enter group IDs.

tracking LTR systems

LTR (Logic Trunked Radio) systems are trunking systems
used primarily by business or private communications
service providers, such as taxicabs, delivery trucks,
and repair services. These systems encode all trunking
information as digital subaudible data that accompanies
each transmission. Users on an LTR system are assigned to
specific talk groups, which are identified by the radio as six
digit numbers.
These numbers are in the form AHHUUU, where:
A= Area code (0 or 1)
H= Home repeater (01 through 20)
U= User ID (000 through 254)
When the scanner receives a transmission on a channel set
to the LTR mode, it first decodes the LTR data included with
the transmission. In the ID Search mode, the scanner stops
on the transmission and displays the talk group ID on the
display. In the ID Scan mode, the scanner only stops on the
transmission if the LTR data matches a talk group ID that
you have stored in the bank’s talk group ID list and have not
locked out.
LTR systems are frequently programmed so that each radio
has a unique ID code.

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Beyond the Basics

tracking Motorola systems

There are really two types of Motorola trunking systems.
These are usually referred to as Type I and Type II systems.
Type I only occurs on some 800 MHz systems. All VHF and
UHF trunking systems use Type II. One important distinction
between these two systems is the amount of data transmitted
by each radio when its push-to-talk button (PTT) is pressed.
Every radio in a trunked system is assigned a unique ID so
the central site computer can identify it when it’s used. Both
Type I and Type II systems place radios (or radio users) into
groups, called talk groups, and these talk groups are also
assigned unique IDs. Some radios have access to only one
talk group, while others have access to many talk groups.
The talk group(s) each radio can access is called the radio’s
affiliation(s). In a Type II system, when someone uses their
radio, only the radio ID is transmitted when PTT is pressed,
whereas in a Type I system the radio ID and its current
affiliation are both transmitted when PTT is pressed.
Why the difference? Type II systems are slightly more
advanced because the central computer maintains
a database which is used to determine each radio’s
affiliation(s).
Changes to a Type II system are easier than Type I because
the system manager only needs to update the database
instead of reprogramming individual radios.
Another difference between the systems is that Type I
systems are arranged in a fleet-subfleet hierarchy. For
example, it is possible for a city using a Type I system to
designate 4 fleets, each with 8 subfleets. Their fleets might
be the police department, the fire department, utilities, and
administration. The police may decide to further divide their
fleet into subfleets such as dispatch, tactical operations,
detectives, north, south, east and west side patrols, and
supervisors. All the available police radios would then be
assigned to one of the police subfleets. Determining the

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Beyond the Basics
exact fleet-subfleet hierarchy for a particular area is referred
to as fleet map programming, which is discussed further in
this manual.
The disadvantage of a Type I system is that when PTT is
pressed, the brief burst of data must contain the radio’s ID
and its fleet and subfleet. This is three times the amount of
data a Type II radio sends, and as a result Type I systems
usually accommodate fewer users than Type II systems.
Even though there are many Type II systems, Type I systems
are still in use. There are also Hybrid systems which are a
combination of both Type I and Type II. Your scanner defaults
to monitor Type II systems, but it is possible to select a
preprogrammed fleet map or create a custom fleet map for
your area. For VHF and UHF Type II trunking systems, you
will need to know the base, spacing frequencies and offset
channels. See “Setting the Base, Spacing Frequencies and
Offset Channel for Motorola VHF/UHF Trunked Systems” for
details.

fleet map programming

If you have programmed a trunk tracking bank for Motorola,
press TRUNK to start multi-track, and you will see user IDs
on the display. Since the scanner defaults to Type II systems,
all the IDs will appear as numbers; however, if you notice a
mix of odd and even user IDs, for example 6477, 2560, 6481,
6144, 1167, etc., then you are probably monitoring either a
Type I or a Hybrid system.
You may also notice that you are missing responses when
you hold on an active ID. Unlike Type II, Type I/Hybrid
systems require a fleet map that sets specific fleet-subfleet
parameters. It is easy to select a fleet map for your scanner;
what is not always easy is selecting or programming a map
that matches your particular area.

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Beyond the Basics
There are 16 preset fleet maps from which you can choose,
and these are usually a good place to start when setting up a
Type I/Hybrid trunk tracking bank. If you choose a preset map
and still have difficulty following complete conversations,
then you’ll have to program your own fleet map.
Preset Fleet Maps

E1P1 E1P2

Block Size Code Block Size Code

0 SIZE CODE 11 0 SIZE CODE 4
1 SIZE CODE 11 1 SIZE CODE 4
2 SIZE CODE 11 2 SIZE CODE 4
3 SIZE CODE 11 3 SIZE CODE 4
4 SIZE CODE 11 4 SIZE CODE 4
5 SIZE CODE 11 5 SIZE CODE 4
6 SIZE CODE 11 6 SIZE CODE 4
7 SIZE CODE 11 7 SIZE CODE 4

E1P3 E1P4

Block Size Code Block Size Code

0 SIZE CODE 4 0 SIZE CODE 12
1 SIZE CODE 4 1 (SIZE CODE 12)
2 SIZE CODE 4 2 SIZE CODE 4
3 SIZE CODE 4 3 SIZE CODE 4
4 SIZE CODE 4 4 SIZE CODE 4
5 SIZE CODE 4 5 SIZE CODE 4
6 SIZE CODE 12 6 SIZE CODE 4
7 (SIZE CODE 12) 7 SIZE CODE 4

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Beyond the Basics
E1P5 E1P6

Block Size Code Block Size Code

0 SIZE CODE 4 0 SIZE CODE 3
1 SIZE CODE 4 1 SIZE CODE 10
2 SIZE CODE 12 2 SIZE CODE 4
3 (SIZE CODE 12) 3 SIZE CODE 4
4 SIZE CODE 4 4 SIZE CODE 12
5 SIZE CODE 4 5 (SIZE CODE 12)
6 SIZE CODE 4 6 SIZE CODE 12
7 SIZE CODE 4 7 (SIZE CODE 12)

E1P7
E1P8
Block Size Code
Block Size Code
0 SIZE CODE 10
0 SIZE CODE 1
1 SIZE CODE 10
1 SIZE CODE 1
2 SIZE CODE 11
2 SIZE CODE 2
3 SIZE CODE 4
3 SIZE CODE 2
4 SIZE CODE 4
4 SIZE CODE 3
5 SIZE CODE 4
5 SIZE CODE 3
6 SIZE CODE 4
6 SIZE CODE 4
7 SIZE CODE 4
7 SIZE CODE 4

E1P9 E1P10

Block Size Code Block Size Code

0 SIZE CODE 4 0 SIZE CODE 0
1 SIZE CODE 4 1 SIZE CODE 0
2 SIZE CODE 0 2 SIZE CODE 0
3 SIZE CODE 0 3 SIZE CODE 0
4 SIZE CODE 0 4 SIZE CODE 0
5 SIZE CODE 0 5 SIZE CODE 0
6 SIZE CODE 0 6 SIZE CODE 4
7 SIZE CODE 0 7 SIZE CODE 4

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Beyond the Basics
E1P11 E1P12

Block Size Code Block Size Code

0 SIZE CODE 4 0 SIZE CODE 0
1 SIZE CODE 0 1 SIZE CODE 0
2 SIZE CODE 0 2 SIZE CODE 0
3 SIZE CODE 0 3 SIZE CODE 0
4 SIZE CODE 0 4 SIZE CODE 0
5 SIZE CODE 0 5 SIZE CODE 0
6 SIZE CODE 0 6 SIZE CODE 0
7 SIZE CODE 0 7 SIZE CODE 4

E1P13 E1P14

Block Size Code Block Size Code

0 SIZE CODE 3 0 SIZE CODE 4
1 SIZE CODE 3 1 SIZE CODE 3
2 SIZE CODE 11 2 SIZE CODE 10
3 SIZE CODE 4 3 SIZE CODE 4
4 SIZE CODE 4 4 SIZE CODE 4
5 SIZE CODE 0 5 SIZE CODE 4
6 SIZE CODE 0 6 SIZE CODE 12
7 SIZE CODE 0 7 (SIZE CODE 12)

E1P15 E1P16

Block Size Code Block Size Code

0 SIZE CODE 4 0 SIZE CODE 3
1 SIZE CODE 4 1 SIZE CODE 10
2 SIZE CODE 4 2 SIZE CODE 10
3 SIZE CODE 11 3 SIZE CODE 11
4 SIZE CODE 11 4 SIZE CODE 0
5 SIZE CODE 0 5 SIZE CODE 0
6 SIZE CODE 12 6 SIZE CODE 12
7 (SIZE CODE 12) 7 (SIZE CODE 12)

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Beyond the Basics
Selecting a Preset Fleet Map
1. Select the trunking programming mode and the bank you
want to change.

2. Press e or d to select E1, then press E.

3. Press e or d to select FLEEt, then press E.

4. Press e or d to select the map you want, then press E.

The scanner returns to fleet map list item.

Note
You will now begin to see Type I fleet-subfleet IDs. For
example, 100-12, 100-9, 000-12, 400-8, etc. See “User-
Defined Fleet Maps” for more information about Type I
IDs.
How do you know if the preset map is correct? You will have
to listen to see if you’re following complete conversations. If
not, try another preset map.

user-defined fleet maps

When a Type I system is designed, the address information
for all the IDs are divided into 8 equal sized blocks. When
you program your scanner to track a Type I system, you
must select a size code for each of these blocks. When you
have assigned a size code to all 8 blocks, you have defined
the fleet map for the system you’re tracking. Each size code
determines the number of fleets, subfleets, and IDs each
block will have. For example, a size code of “4” has one fleet,
which is divided into 16 separate subfleets, and it has a total
of 512 individual IDs.
When a block is assigned a size code, the fleet or fleets
created within the block are assigned a Type I ID. The way
these IDs display on your scanner depends on the block
number and the blocks size code. When a Type I ID displays,
the left most digit represents the block which contains the ID.

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Beyond the Basics
The next two or three digits identify which fleet is active, and
the last digit(s) identifies the subfleet.
Your task is to program your fleet map with the same size
code assignments as the trunked system. If you do this
accurately, you’ll track all the fleet-subfleet combinations
used by the system. In other words, you’ll hear complete
communications while monitoring a trunked system.
If you don’t already know the size codes used, you’ll have to
guess at them. But since you don’t have to figure out all the
blocks at once, this isn’t as hard as it seems. Select a size
code for a block, and then press SRCH. Now listen to the
communications. If you decide you are receiving most of the
replies to the conversations with IDs assigned to the block
you just programmed, then you’ve probably selected the
right size code and can work on the next block of the map.
Finally, for most public safety systems there are some size
codes which are more common. Size code 3 and size code 4
are probably the most common, followed by size codes 10,
11, and 12.
Fleet Map Size Codes

Size Fleets Subfleets IDs Blocks Used

0 Reserves block for Type II IDs
1 128 4 16 1
2 16 8 64 1
3 8 8 128 1
4 1 16 512 1
5 64 4 32 1
6 32 8 32 1
7 32 4 64 1
8 16 4 128 1
9 8 4 256 1
10 4 8 256 1
11 2 16 256 1
12 1 16 1024 2

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Beyond the Basics

13 1 16 2048 4
14 1 16 4096 8

size code restrictions

If you select size code 12, 13, or 14, there are some
restrictions as to which blocks can be used for these codes.

• Size code 12 can only be assigned to blocks 0, 2, 4, or 6.

• Size code 13 can only be assigned to blocks 0 and 4.
• Size code 14 can only be assigned to block 0.
Since these size codes require multiple blocks, you will be
prompted for the next available block when programming a
fleet map. For example, if you assign block 0 as size code 12,
you will be prompted for block 2, the next block available,
instead of block 1. And if you assign block 0 as size code
14, you would not see another prompt because all available
blocks have been used.

programming a user fleet map

1. Select the trunking programming mode and the bank you

want to change.

2. Press e or d to select E1, then press E.

3. Press e or d to select FLEEt, then press E.

4. Press e or d to select USr, then press E.

5. Press e or d to select the size code for the first block, then
press E. The next available block appears on the display.
Then, repeat this step until you have selected a size code
for each block.

programming a Hybrid system

A Hybrid system is simply a Type I system with some blocks
designated as Type II blocks. To program a Hybrid system,

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 Beyond the Basics
follow the steps listed in “Programming a User Fleet Map” in
the previous section; however, if you want a block to be Type
II, select size code S-0.
When you begin searching a trunking bank with a Hybrid
fleet map, you will see both types of system IDs. That is,
Type II IDs usually appear as an even number without a dash;
Type I IDs appear as a three or four digit number, followed by
a hyphen, followed by a one or two digit number.

Setting the Base, Spacing Frequencies, and Offset

Channel for Motorola VHF/UHF Trunked Systems
To properly track Motorola VHF and UHF trunked systems,
you must enter what is known as the base, spacing
frequencies and offset channels for each system.
To find these out, check the www.trunkscanner.com and
other web sites and frequency resources.
Follow these steps to enter the base, spacing frequencies
and offset channel. (You can set up to three sets of these, but
almost all systems only use one set.)

1. Select the trunking programming mode and the bank you

want to change.
2. Press e or d to select E2-Hi or E2-UHF, then press E.
3. Press e or d to select bASE, then press E.
4. Use the keypad to enter configuration block number (1-3).
Then, use the keypad to enter a new base frequency, then
press E.
5. Press e select SPC to enter the spacing frequency. Then
use the keypad to enter a new spacing frequency, then
press E.

Note
You can only enter within a range of 5-100 kHz, and 5 or
12.5 kHz multiples.

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Beyond the Basics
6. Press e and select OFS for entering the offset channel.
Then use the keypad to enter a new offset channel, then
press E. Then press HOLD/RESUME. The scanner returns
to the previous screen.

Notes
You can only input within a range of 380-759.

If the system is not tracking properly, you may need to try

a new base frequency or offset channel, or you may be
missing frequencies from the system.

You can set up to three base, spacing and offsets for

Motorola VHF/UHF trunked systems.

toggling the status bit

On Type II trunking systems, there is a method by which
specialized types of communications use unique talk group
numbers. An emergency call will occur on a unique talk
group from its primary assignment, for example. Because
the scanner defaults to status-bit on mode, you never need
to worry about missing these transmissions. If you have
programmed talk group 33264 into scan list memory, for
example, and there is an emergency call within that group,
you will hear it on 33264.
The only time you may wish to turn status bits off is if you’re
trying to figure out the proper fleet map of a Type I trunking
system.

1. Select the trunking programming mode and the bank you

want to change.

2. Press e or d to select E1, E2-800, E2-Hi or E2-UHF, then

press E.

3. Press e or d to select S-bit, then press E.

4. Press e or d to select Sbt ON or Sbt OFF, then press E.

The scanner returns to status bit list item.

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 Beyond the Basics
control channel only mode
When this function is activated, trunking is performed using
control channel data only. Voice channel (also known as
“DATA channel”) frequencies do not have to be programmed
into memory. This feature only applies to Motorola 800 MHz
systems.

1. Select the trunking programming mode and the bank you

want to change.

2. Press e or d to select E2-800 or E1, then press E.

3. Press e or d to select CC OnLY, then press E.

4. Press e or d to select a frequency plan, then press E. The

scanner returns to control channel only.

Note
You must choose a plan before you begin to control
channel trunk (only when 800 MHz system is selected).
When you deselect control channel only mode, CC OFF
appears on the display. Read the descriptions of the Plan 1~4
for details on which may apply for you.
PL1 (plan 1): This plan is the most common. Use Plan 1 if
the last three digits of ALL the frequencies in use end in one
of the following three digits: 125, 375, 625, or 875 (example:
856.1125, 860.7375, 859.6625, 855.8875).
PL2 (plan 2): If the last three digits of frequencies are less
than 860.000 and end in one of the following three digits
(125, 375, 625, or 875) and if ANY other frequencies end in
(000, 250, 500, or 750) use Plan 2.
PL3 (plan 3): If the last three digits of ALL the frequencies in
use end in one of the following three digits (000, 250, 500, or
750) use Plan 3.

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Beyond the Basics
PL4 (plan 4): If the last three digits of frequencies are less
than 866.0000 and end in one of the following three digits
(000, 250, 500, or 750) and if ANY other frequencies end in
(125, 375, 625, or 875) use Plan 4.
Of course you will know the control channel frequency itself
so that will help you determine the proper plan. If you try one
plan and you receive errors (such as the scanner jumping
to channels that are obviously not part of the system), you
should try an alternate Plan.

Notes
You can assign a fleet map to Type I or Hybrid systems
scanned in control channel only mode by going into the
trunk programming mode. You can also program IDs, set
a delay, and all the other parameters for systems scanned
in this mode. You can then either search the system to
find new IDs or you can program IDs into memory and
then scan them.

The control channel only feature is an extremely powerful

tool. You can use it to determine if systems you are
familiar with may have added new frequencies or you can
use it to discover new systems by simply finding active
control channels (using search), and then programming
them for control channel operation only.
Remember that this feature only applies to Motorola 800
systems, that you do have to set the proper system type
(800 MHz of Type 1 or Type 2) and you do have to program
the control channel frequency into memory and identify the
frequency as trunked in the trunk programming mode.

disconnect tone detect option (end code)

When this function is disabled, the radio looks for squelch
before returning to the control channel instead of waiting for
the disconnect tone. Only in rare instances will you need to
adjust the default settings. The condition to return to control
channels depends on whether the signal is present or not.

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 Beyond the Basics
1. Select the trunking programming mode and the bank you
want to change.

2. Press e or d to select Motorola Type 2 or Motorola Type

1, then press E.

3. Press e or d to select Eot, then press E.

4. Press e or d to select Eot ON or Eot OFF, then press E.

Note
If you set the squelch so you hear a hissing sound, the
scanner will remain on the voice channel, even when a
disconnect tone is transmitted or there is no signal at all.

wired programming
You can transfer programming data to your scanner using
your PC and an optional interface cable and software (available
at your local RadioShack store 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.

1. Make sure your scanner is turned off.

2. Connect the interface cable to your computer. Then

connect the other end of the cable to PC/IF at the rear of
the scanner.

3. Install the software to your computer and run the

program.

4. To set up the program, click on Tools, select

Configuration, and select PRO-2051 (if necessary).

5. Turn on the scanner. The scanner automatically goes into

the wired programming mode. PGM and WirEd appear.
Then send the data from the PC. Data frame numbers
being received appear.

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Beyond the Basics
6. When the scanner has successfully received all data, End
appears. If the scanner received an error while receiving
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 checksum error while
receiving data, S-Err indicates the packet number where
the error occurred. If the scanner received a length field
error while receiving data, L-Err indicates the packet
number where the error occurred.

cloning your scanner

You can clone all the frequencies, trunking talk groups, and
fleet maps programmed in your PRO-2051 to another
PRO-2051 using an optional interface cable and software
(available at your local RadioShack or www.radioshack.com).

1. Make sure the scanners are turned off and then plug the
cable into each scanner’s PC/IF jack.

2. While you press and hold E on both scanners, turn on

both scanners.

3. Determine the scanner which has the frequency data that

you want to transfer. This one must be set up as the “First
Unit”, and the other must be set as the “Clone Unit”.

4. On the scanner that is the “Clone Unit”, press e or d to

select CLONE, then press HOLD/RESUME.

5. On the scanner that is the “First Unit”, press e or d to

select FirSt, then press HOLD/RESUME. The data transfer
begins from the First Unit to the Clone Unit.
During data transfer, SNDFirSt appears when a scanner is
sending data and REC CLONE appears when a scanner is
receiving data. When the data transfer is complete, donE
appears. If the data transfer is not successful, Error appears.

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 Beyond the Basics

Notes To clear Error, press ./CLR.

Once you have finished cloning the scanners, reset them
by turning them off then on again. This is important if you
wish to clone another scanner right away.

birdies
All radios can receive birdies (undesired signals). If your
scanner stops during scan mode and no sound is heard, it
may be receiving a birdie. Birdies are internally generated
signals inherent in the electronics of the receiver.
Press L/O to lockout the channel, and then press
HOLD/RESUME to resume scanning.

replacing the fuse in the DC power cord

The fuse in the DC power cord helps protect your scanner
from power surges and short circuits. If the fuse in the DC
power cord has blown, replace it with a 1-amp, fast-acting
glass fuse.

Notes
Before you begin, turn off the scanner and your vehicle’s
ignition.

Make sure you replace the fuse only with another fuse of
the same type and rating.

1. To open the fuse holder, push the fuse holder ends

together, and then turn either end counterclockwise and
release it.

2. If the fuse is blown, replace it.

3. To close the fuse holder, push the fuse holder ends

together, then turn either end clockwise.

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Beyond the Basics

resetting your scanner

If the scanner’s display locks up or stops operating properly,
you might need to reset the scanner.

Note This procedure clears all the information you have stored
in the scanner. 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. Make sure your scanner is turned off.

2. While holding down 2, 9, and HOLD, turn on the scanner.

After about 2 seconds the scanner initializes and CLEAr
appears.
Follow these steps to restore the 150 preprogrammed
frequencies stored in the private bank.

1. Make sure your scanner is turned off.

2. While holding down 3 and E, turn on the scanner. After

several seconds, the scanner restores the frequencies.

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Beyond the Basics

frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Q: I drive by patrol cars but do not hear alarms?

A: Make sure you are scanning in Highway Mode. Check your

antenna connections. In some cases, the alarm might not
go off depending on the proximity of the patrol car to your
vehicle. Also, terrain or other factors might be involved.
Police officers can turn off the mobile extender when off duty
or when going to court; however, they normally leave them
on when on traffic duty. If you monitor user-programmed
frequencies, switch to one of the preprogrammed frequency
banks. Make sure MUTE and FLASH are both turned off. Some
priority frequencies may be locked out.

Q: My scanner is on but won’t scan or reception is weak. How

do I get it to scan?

A: Make sure the AC adapter is securely connected. If you are

using an AC adapter and the wall socket it is plugged into is
controlled by a wall switch, make sure the wall switch is turned
on. If reception is poor, check the antenna connection or
move the scanner. You might be in a remote area which could
require an optional multi-band antenna. Check with your local
RadioShack store.

Q: My scanner is 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 weather alert. To hear a weather channel at any time, make
sure weather alert is turned off. See “NWR SAME” for more
information.

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Beyond the Basics

Q: Error appears on the display. What does it mean?

A: If you were trying to enter a frequency, you might have made a

programming error. Re-enter the frequency correctly, including
the decimal point.

Q: My scanner does not track EDACS systems properly. What’s

wrong?

A: The logical channel numbers (frequencies) for the system

might not be programmed in the correct order, or all the
frequencies might not be programmed. Check the frequencies
and reprogram them.

Q: I do not hear all the replies to conversations. What’s wrong?

A: Change to a Type 1 scanner setup. See “Fleet Map

Programming” for more information. Try another preset fleet
map or program your own fleet map. Check to see that all the
system’s frequencies have been entered.

Q: The scanner does not acquire the data channel. What’s

wrong?

A: Adjust the squelch for trunking mode. See “Setting the

Squelch”. Also, the frequency used for the data channel might
not have been programmed into the scanner.

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Beyond the Basics

specifications
Frequency Coverage
25.0000-27.9950 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
28.0000-29.9950 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
30.0000-49.9950 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
50.0000-54.0000 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
108.0000-136.9875 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
137.0000-143.9950 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
144.0000-147.9950 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
148.0000-174.0000 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
400.0000-419.9875 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
420.0000-449.9875 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
450.0000-469.9875 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
470.0000-512.0000 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
806.0000-823.9875 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
849.0125-868.9875 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
894.0125-956.0000 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
1240.000-1300.000 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
Operating Temperature
Normal -4° to 140°F (-20° to 60°C)
Signal Stalker 14° to 122°F (-10° to 50°C)
IF Frequencies
1st (25-174 MHz) 380.6050-380.7000 MHz
1st (400-512 MHz) 380.6125-380.7000 MHz
1st (806-1300 MHz) 380.7000-380.7875 MHz
2nd 10.85 MHz
3rd 450 kHz
Specifications are typical; individual units might vary.
Specifications and depctions are subject to change and
improvement without notice.

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Beyond the Basics

glossary
Channel - a programmable memory location. Channels are
grouped into channel-storage banks. Your scanner has 10 channel-
storage banks and each bank has 100 channels.
Channel-Storage Banks - Groups of channels, used for frequency
storage.
Data Skip - allows your scanner to skip unwanted data
transmissions and reduces birdies.
Highway Patrol/State Police Alert - warns you when you are
within about 3 miles of highway patrol/state police units.
Hypersearch - increases the search speed to 300 steps per second
for search ranges with 5 kHz steps.
Multi-Track - tracks more than one trunking system at a time. You
can scan conventional and trunked systems at the same time.
PC Programmable - allows you to easily program all frequencies
and trunking talk groups into your scanner through a software
running on your PC.
SAME Weather Alert - automatically sounds the alarm tone to
advice of the hazardous weather condition and indicate the event
of the weather condition.
Service Banks - preset groups of frequencies categorized by the
type of services that use those frequencies.
Signal Stalker - lets you set the scanner so it detects then displays
the frequency of a nearby strong radio transmission.
Skywarn - lets you jump directly to the last channel in memory
(Channel 1000) from any transmission. You can program this
channel with the frequency of your local Skywarn broadcaster.
Trunk Tracking - lets you follow VHF high band, UHF 800MHz
trunked public safety, and public service systems just as if
conventional two-way communications were used.

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Beyond the Basics

care
Keep the scanner dry; if it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately.
Use and store the scanner only in normal temperature
environments. Handle the scanner carefully; do not drop it.
Keep the scanner away from dust and dirt, and wipe it with a
damp cloth occasionally to keep it looking new.

service and repair

If your scanner is not performing as it should, take it to your
local RadioShack store for assistance. To locate your nearest
RadioShack, use the store locator feature on RadioShack’s
website (www.radioshack.com), or call 1-800-The Shack
(800-843-7422) and follow the menu options. Modifying or
tampering with the scanner’s internal components can cause
a malfunction and might invalidate its warranty and void your
FCC authorization to operate it.

83
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. For complete warranty details and exclusions, check
with your local RadioShack store.

RadioShack Customer Relations

200 Taylor Street, 6th Floor, Fort Worth, TX 76102 04/04

Printed in China
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12A04
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©2005. RadioShack Corporation. All rights reserved.

RadioShack, RadioShack.com, Hypersearch, and Hyperscan
are trademarks used by RadioShack Corporation. Motorola,
Smartnet, and Privacy Plus are registered trademarks of
Motorola Inc. EDACS is a registered trademark of MA-COM Inc.