PRO-2052 1000-Channel Dual Trunking Home Scanner
(200-0432) Special Features Faxback Doc. # 58687
Delay
Many agencies use a two-way radio system that might have a period of 2 or
more seconds between a transmission and a reply. To keep from missing a
reply, you can program a 2-second delay into any channel or frequency.
The scanner continues to monitor the frequency for 2 seconds after the
transmission stops before resuming scanning or searching.
To program a 2-second delay:
If the scanner is scanning channel-storage banks and stops on an active
channel where you want to store a delay, quickly press DELAY before
scanning resumes. DELAY appears.
If the desired channel is not selected, manually select the channel,
then press DELAY. DELAY appears.
If the scanner is searching, press DELAY. DELAY appears and the scanner
automatically adds a 2-second delay to every transmission it stops on in
that band or limit range.
To turn off the 2-second delay press DELAY while the scanner is monitoring
the channel or searching service banks or limit ranges. DELAY disappears.
Turning Channel-Storage Banks On And Off
You can turn each channel-storage bank on and off. When you turn off a
bank, the scanner does not scan any of the 50 channels in that bank.
For banks 1-10, while scanning press the number key that corresponds to
the bank you want to turn on or off. For banks 11-20, press SHIFT, then
press the number key that corresponds to the bank you want to turn on or
off.
Notes: You can manually select any channel within a bank, even if that
bank is turned off.
You cannot turn off all banks. One bank is always active.
Locking Out Channels And Frequencies
You can scan existing channels or search frequencies faster by locking out
channels or frequencies that have a continuous transmission, such as a
weather channel.
Note: If you just want to skip over a lengthy transmission (such as a
modem signal), see "Skipping Data Signals" below.
Locking Out Channels
To lock out a channel while scanning, press L/O when the scanner stops on
the channel. To lock out a channel manually, select the channel and press
L/O until L/O appears.
Note: You can still manually select locked-out channels.
To remove the lockout from a channel, select the channel and press L/O
until L/O. disappears.
To remove the lockout from all channels in the channel-storage banks that
are turned on, press MANUAL to stop scanning, then hold down L/O until the
scanner beeps twice.
Locking Out Frequencies
To lock out a frequency during a limit search or service bank search press
L/O when the scanner stops on the frequency. The scanner locks out the
frequency, then continues searching. To lock out a frequency manually,
select the frequency and press L/O until L/O appears.
Notes: The scanner does not display locked-out frequencies during a search
L/O appears when you select a locked-out frequency.
You can lock out up to 50 frequencies during a limit search and 20
during a service bank search. If you try to lock out more
frequencies, the first locked-out frequency is automatically
unlocked.
To remove the lockout from a frequency, select the frequency then press
L/O. L/O disappears.
To remove the lockout from all frequencies, while searching, press HOLD
then hold down L/O until the scanner beeps twice.
Turning The Key Tone On And Off
The scanner is preset to sound a tone each time you press a key. To turn
off the key tone turn off the scanner. Then, while holding down L/O/SKIP,
turn on the scanner. OFF bEEP briefly appears. To turn the key tone back
on, repeat this procedure. On bEEP briefly appears.
Changing Search Speeds
The PRO-2052 has two search speeds for a limit search.
Normal Search HyperSearch
100 steps/second 300 steps/second
To switch between the normal and HyperSearch speeds during a limit search,
press SPEED. SEARCH flashes during HyperSearch.
Note: You can use HyperSearch only in the 5 kHz step bands (29-54 MHz,
137-174 MHz, and 216-224.995 MHz).
Skipping Data Signals
You can set the scanner so it skips non-modulated or data signals (such as
modem transmissions) during a scan or search.
Note: Since data signals are not generally found in the air, this feature
does not work in the air service bank.
To turn on the data skip feature, be sure the priority feature is turned
off (see "Priority" in Faxback Doc. # 58685), then press DATA. DATA
appears. To turn off the feature, press DATA again. DATA disappears.
Using NWR-SAME And Weather Alert
Traditional weather radios simply receive the NOAA (National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration) weather broadcast (usually within a 50-mile
radius), then sound an alarm if any emergency code was transmitted along
with the broadcast. This means that people who live outside an affected
area are often alerted even when their area is not affected, causing many
of them to ignore potentially real weather warnings that can save lives.
In 1994, NOAA began broadcasting coded signals called FIPS (Federal
Information Processing System) codes along with their standard weather
broadcasts from stations in your area. These codes identify the type of
emergency and the specific geographic area (such as a county) affected by
the emergency. Your scanner receives, interprets and displays information
about the codes so you can determine if the emergency might affect your
area. Only SAME-compatible radios (such as this scanner) are able to take
advantage of this new technology.
Each FIPS code identifies a specific geographic area (defined by the
National Weather Service), so your scanner sounds an alert only when a
weather emergency is declared in that area. This helps you more
efficiently track the weather conditions in and around your area.
When a Weather Alert Occurs
When the scanner receives a weather alert:
It sounds a series of beeps.
An indicator appears.
The scanner also receives other weather-related signals such as test
events (TSt appears) and other events (--- appears).
WARNING: The NWS (National Weather Service) uses sophisticated weather
models to determine an alert's effective time. However, the end
of an alert does not necessarily mean that the related weather
emergency is over.
Note: Once the scanner receives the SAME code, it retains the information
in the scanner's memory. This information stays in memory even if
you change modes, but is erased when you turn the scanner off.
Understanding FIPS Codes
For the purpose of broadcasting weather information, the NWS has divided
the United States into regions by state and county (or parish, where
applicable) then assigned a 6-digit FIPS code to identify each county or
parish. For example, the code for Tarrant County, Texas, is 048439.
The first digit in a FIPS code identifies the county subdivision, the next
two digits identify the state, and the last three digits identify the
county or parish.
Note: Most FIPS codes begin with 0, which means the code represents an
entire county. The NWS, however, plans to eventually subdivide
some large counties. When that happens, each subdivision will be
assigned a digit from 1-9, resulting in codes such as 148439,
248439, and so on.
Your scanner can receive all SAME alert signals broadcast within about a
50-mile radius of where you installed it. To receive SAME alerts and
broadcasts about weather occurring only in particular counties within that
area, you can program up to fifteen FIPS codes into the scanner's memory
(see "Entering Your Area's FIPS Code(s)" below). For example, this lets
you avoid hearing an alert that applies to an area within a 50-mile radius
but not necessarily to your county or parish.
Note: If you do not program any FIPS codes into the scanner's memory, the
scanner sounds an alert if it receives a weather alert with any
FIPS code.
Obtaining Your Area's FIPS Code(s)
To obtain the FIPS code for the location where you installed your scanner,
contact your local RadioShack store or call the NWS toll free at
1-888-NWR-SAME (1-888-697-7263). If you call the NWS, follow the
instructions you hear.
Note: If you are close to a county or parish line, you might want to
obtain the codes for the nearby counties or parishes.
Hint: Since you can program up to fifteen FIPS codes into the scanner's
memory, you might want to obtain the code for other local areas
that you frequently travel through (as long as these areas are
within a 50 mile radius of your location and within an area covered
by your local NWS broadcast station). That way, you can program
those codes into the scanner and receive broadcasts covering those
locations, too.
Turning on the SAME and Weather Alert
1. Repeatedly press SVC until ([]) appears above WX.
2. Press ALERT. ALERT appears and the scanner is set to receive a SAME
coded signal. The scanner's audio is muted until it receives the
signal.
When the scanner receives a SAME-Coded signal, it sounds a series of
beeps, ALERT flashes, and L3 (if the broadcast is a statement), L2 (if the
broadcast is a watch), or L1 (if the broadcast is a warning) appears.
After that, the scanner automatically tunes to the weather channel where
the code was broadcast and you hear the weather broadcast.
To stop the alert, press any key on the scanner. The alert sound stops
and you hear the weather broadcast.
WARNING: If severe weather threatens, do not wait for an alert tone; turn
on the weather broadcast and monitor the weather information.
To detect a SAME-coded signal on a specific weather channel, press HOLD
during weather search to stop on a specific channel, press /\ or \/ to
select the desired weather channel, then press ALERT.
When the scanner detects a SAME-coded signal broadcast on the weather
channel you selected, it sounds a series of beeps and L3 (if the broadcast
is a statement), L2 (if the broadcast is a watch), or L1 (if the broadcast
is a warning) appears.
Once the scanner receives a SAME-coded signal, it retains the information
in its memory. This information stays in memory even if you change modes,
but is erased when you turn off the scanner. You can switch to weather
search mode to check the alert level.
Entering Your Area's FIPS Code(s)
1. Turn on the SAME alert function (see "Turning on the SAME and Weather
Alert" above).
2. Hold down E until F1 appears.
3. Enter the FIPS code using the number keys, then press E.
4. To enter another FIPS code, press /\ or \/, then repeat Steps 2 and 3.
Note: To clear a FIPS code you entered in Step 3 (while the code
appears on the display), press 0 then E.
5. When you finish, press SVC.
Selecting a Programmed FIPS code to Use
After you enter FIPS codes in the scanner's memory, you can choose any of
those codes. That way, your scanner's weather alert will be activated
only when the NWS sends out a SAME alert for the specific code you chose.
For example, this is handy if you plant to travel to a specific county and
want to hear any weather alerts for that county before you leave.
1. Turn on the SAME alert function (see "Turning on the SAME and Weather
Alert" above).
2. Hold down E until F1 appears.
3. Press /\ or \/ to select the desired FIPS code.
4. When you finish, press SVC.
To deselect the FIPS code you selected, turn off your scanner then turn it
back on.
Testing Weather Alert Reception
For your scanner to effectively warn you about weather alert signals, you
must place it where it can receive an emergency alert broadcast and where
you can hear its alert tone.
In the United States, the NWS broadcasts a test alert every week on
Wednesday between 11 AM and 1 PM. To find out the specific test schedule
in your area, contact your local NOAA or NWS office. These offices are
usually listed in the telephone book under "US Government, Department of
Commerce."
IMPORTANT: The fact that you get clear reception of a weather broadcast
signal does not guarantee that an emergency alert broadcast
will trigger your scanner's alert function.
Note: The NWS might not broadcast the test alert if there is bad weather
in any surrounding area.
Testing the Alert Beep
1. If necessary, repeatedly press SVC until ([]) appears above WX.
2. Press SHIFT.
3. Hold down ALERT for about 3 seconds. The scanner sounds a loud series
of beeps.
4. Press any key to stop the alert.
Testing NWR-SAME Code Detection
1. Turn on the SAME alert function (see "Turning on the SAME and Weather
Alert" above).
2. Hold down ALERT for about 3 seconds. The selected frequency number
and TESt alternate on the display. Then, when the scanner receives a
test code, TSt appears.
3. Press ALERT to exit the test mode.
(BR EB 2/22/00)
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