PRO-29 60-Channel Direct Entry Programmable Scanner (200-0509) Guide to Scanning Faxback Doc. # 33548 A GENERAL GUIDE TO SCANNING Reception of the frequencies covered by your scanner is mainly "line-of-sight." That means you usually cannot hear stations that are beyond the horizon. GUIDE TO FREQUENCIES National Weather Frequencies 161.650* 161.775* 162.400 162.425 162.440* 162.450 162.475 162.500 162.525 162.550 163.275* * Not preprogrammed in this scanner, but you can manually program them. Ham Radio Frequencies Ham radio operators often transmit emergency information when other means of communication break down. The following chart shows the frequencies this scanner receives that Hams normally use: Wavelength (meters) Frequency (MHz) 10-meter 28.000-29.700 6-meter 50.000-54.000 2-meter 144.000-148.000 70-cm 420.000-450.000 33-cm 902.000-928.000 NOTE: Your scanner cannot receive some types of transmissions on these bands. Birdie Frequencies Every scanner has birdie frequencies. Birdies are signals created inside the scanner's receiver. These operating frequencies might interfere with broadcasts on the same frequencies. If you program one of these frequen- cies, you hear only noise on that frequency. If the interference is not severe, you might be able to turn SQUELCH clockwise to cut out the birdie. The birdie frequencies on this unit to watch for are: 31.05 41.40 51.75 To find the birdies in your receiver, begin by disconnecting the antenna and moving it away from the receiver. Make sure that no other nearby radio or TV sets are turned on near the receiver. Use the search function and scan every frequency range from its lowest frequency to the highest. Occasionally, the searching will stop as if it had found a signal, often without any sound. That is a birdie. Make a list of all the birdies in your scanner for future reference. GUIDE TO THE ACTION BANDS Typical Band Usage HF Band (3.00-30.0 MHz) 10-meter Amateur........................................29-0029.70 MHz High Range.............................................29.70-29.90 MHz VHF Band (30.00-300.0 MHz) Low Range..............................................30.00-50.00 MHz 6-Meter Amateur........................................50.00-54.00 MHz Aircraft.............................................108.00-136.97 MHz U.S. Government......................................137.00-144.00 MHz 2-Meter Amateur......................................144.00-148.00 MHz High Range...........................................148.00-174.00 MHz UHF Band (300.00 MHz-3.0 GHz) U.S Government.......................................406.00-450.00 MHz 0.6-Meter Amateur....................................420.00-450.00 MHz Low Range............................................450.00-470.00 MHz FM-TV Audio Broadcast, Wide Band.....................470.00-512.00 MHz Public Service.......................................806.00-823.93 MHz Conventional Systems.................................851.00-856.00 MHz Conventional/Trunked Systems.........................856.00-861.00 MHz Trunked Systems......................................861.00-866.00 MHz Public Safety........................................866.00-868.93 MHz High Range...........................................896.11-902.00 MHz 33-Centimeter Amateur................................902.00-928.00 MHz Private Trunked......................................935.00-940.00 MHz General Trunked......................................940.00-941.00 MHz Fixed Services.......................................941.00-944.00 MHz Studio-to-Transmitter Broadcast Links................944.00-952.00 MHz Private Fixed Services Paging........................952.00-956.00 MHz Primary Usage As a general rule, most of the radio activity is concentrated on the following frequencies. VHF Band Activities Frequencies Government, Police, and Fire.......................153.785-155.980 MHz Emergency Services.................................158-730-159.460 MHz Railroad...........................................160.000-161.900 MHz UHF Band Activities Frequencies Land-Mobile "Paired" Frequencies...................450.000-470.000 MHz Base Stations......................................451.025-454.950 MHz Mobile Units.......................................456.025-459.950 MHz Repeater Units.....................................460.025-464.975 MHz Control Stations...................................465.025-469.975 MHz NOTE: Remote control stations and mobile units operate at 5 MHz higher than their associated base stations and relay repeater units. Specified Intervals Frequencies in different bands are accessible only at specific intervals. For example: Band Type Specified Interval VHF, HAM, and Government.....................................5.0 kHz steps All Others..................................................12.5 kHz steps Aircraft....................................................25.0 kHz steps Note: Your scanner rounds the entered frequency to the nearest valid frequency. For example, if you try to enter 151.473, the scanner accepts this as 151.475. BAND ALLOCATION To help decide which frequency ranges to scan, use the following listing of the typical services that use the frequencies your scanner receives. These frequencies are subject to change, and might vary from area to area. For a more complete listing, refer to the "Police Call Radio Guide including Fire and Emergency Services," available at your local Radio Shack store. Abbreviations Services AIR...............................................................Aircraft BIFC.....................................Boise (ID) Interagency Fire Cache BUS...............................................................Business CAP.......................................................Civil Air Patrol CB...........................................................Citizens Band CCA.........................................................Common Carrier CSB...................................................Conventional Systems CTSB..........................................Conventional/Trunked Systems FIRE.......................................................Fire Department HAM....................................................Amateur (Ham) Radio GOVT....................................................Federal Government GMR...................................................General Mobile Radio GTR........................................................General Trunked IND....................................................Industrial Services (Manufacturing, Construction, Farming, Forest Products) MAR.................................................Military Amateur Radio MARI................................................Maritime Limited Coast (Coast Guard, Marine telephone, Shipboard Radio, Private stations) MARS.......................................Military Affiliate Radio System MED.............................................Emergency/Medical Services MIL..........................................................U.S. Military MOV..........................................Motion Picture/Video Industry NEW......................................................New Mobile Narrow NEWS.....................................Relay Press (Newspaper reporters) OIL.................................................Oil/Petroleum Industry POL......................................................Police Department PUB........................................................Public Services Public Safety, Local Government, Forestry Conservation) PSB..........................................................Public Safety PTR........................................................Private Trunked ROAD............................................Road & Highway Maintenance RTV.......................................Radio/TV Remote Broadcast Pickup TAXI.........................................................Taxi Services TELB......................................................Mobile Telephone (Aircraft, Radio Common Carrier, Landline companies) TELC.......................................................Cordless Phones TELM.................................................Telephone Maintenance TOW.............................................................Tow Trucks TRAN...............................................Transportation Services (Trucks, Tow Trucks, Buses, Railroad, Other) TSB........................................................Trunked Systems TVn..................................................FM-TV Audio Broadcast USXX.................................................Government Classified UTIL...............................................Power & Water Utilities WTHR...............................................................Weather High Frequency (HF) Hi - (3 MHz-30 MHz) 10-Meter Amateur Band - (28.0-29.7 MHz) 29.000-29.700..........................................................HAM Very High Frequency (VHF)-(30 MHz-300 MHz) Low Band-(29.7-50 MHz-in 5 kHz steps) 29.700 - 29.790........................................................IND 29.900-30.550....................................................GOVT, MIL 30.580-31.980......................................................IND.PUB 32.000-32.990....................................................GOVT, MIL 33.020-33.980................................................BUS. IND. PUB 34.010-34-990....................................................GOVT. MIL 35.020-35.980..........................................BUS, PUB, IND, TELM 36.000-36.230....................................................GOVT, MIL 36.250..................................................Oil Spill Clean up 36.270-36.990....................................................GOVT, MIL 37.020-37.980.....................................................PUB, IND 38.000-39.000....................................................GOVT, MIL 39.020-39.980..........................................................PUB 40.000-42.000..............................................GOVT, MIL, MARI 42.020-42.940..........................................................POL 42.960-43.180..........................................................IND 43.220-43.680...............................................TELM, IND, PUB 43.700-44.600.........................................................TRAN 44.620-46.580.....................................................POL, PUB 46.600-46.990....................................................GOVT,TELC 47.020-47.400..........................................................PUB 47.420..................................................American Red Cross 47.440-49.580.....................................................IND, PUB 49.610-49.990....................................................MIL, TELC 6-Meter Amateur Band-(50-54 MHz) 50.00-54.00............................................................HAM Aircraft Band (108-136 MHz) 108.000-121.490........................................................AIR 121.500......................................................AIR Emergency 121.510-136.000........................................................AIR U.S. Government Band (138-144 MHz) 137.000-144.000..................................................GOVT, MIL 2-Meter Amateur Band (144-148 MHz) 144.000-148.000........................................................HAM VHF-Hi BAND (148-174 MHz) 148.050-150.345..............................................CAP, MARM MIL 150.775-150.790........................................................MED 150.815-150.965........................................................TOW 150.980.................................................Oil Spill Clean up 150.995-151.130.......................................................ROAD 151.145-151.475........................................................POL 151.490-151.955...................................................IND, BUS 151.985...............................................................TELM 152.0075...............................................................MED 152.030-152.240.......................................................TELB 152.270-152.465..................................................IND, TAXI 152.480................................................................BUS 152.510-152.840.......................................................TELB 152.870-153.020....................................................IND.MOV 153.035-153.725.............................................IND, OIL, UTIL 153.740-154.445..................................................PUB, FIRE 154.490-154.570...................................................IND, BUS 154.585.................................................Oil Spill Clean-Up 154.600-154.625........................................................BUS 154.655-156.240........................................MED, ROAD, POL, PUB 156.255................................................................OIL 156.275-157.425.......................................................MARI 157.450................................................................MED 157.470-157.515........................................................TOW 157.530-157.725...................................................IND.TAXI 157.740................................................................BUS 157.770-158.100.......................................................TELB 158.130-158.460..................................BUS, IND, OIL, TELM, UTIL 158.490-158.700.......................................................TELB 158.730-159.465.............................................POL, PUB, ROAD 159.480................................................................OIL 159.495-161.565.......................................................TRAN 161.580................................................................OIL 161.600-162.000..................................................MARI, RTV 162.0125-162.35............................................GOVT, MIL, USXX 162.400-162.550.......................................................WTHR 162.5625-162.6375..........................................GOVT, MIL, USXX 162.6625...............................................................MED 162.6875-163.225...........................................GOVT, MIL, USXX 163.250................................................................MED 163.275-166.225............................................GOVT, MIL, USXX 166.250....................................................GOVT, RTV, FIRE 166.275-169.400.................................................GOVT, BIFC 169.445.....................................................Wireless Mikes 169.500...............................................................GOVT 169.505.....................................................Wireless Mikes 169.55-169.9875............................................GOVT, MIL. USXX 170.000...............................................................BIFC 170.025-170.150............................................GOVT, RTV, FIRE 170.175-170.225.......................................................GOVT 170.245-170.305.............................................Wireless Mikes 170.350 170.400..................................................GOVT, MIL 170.425-170.450.......................................................BIFC 170.475................................................................PUB 170.4875-173.175.................................GOVT, PUB, Wireless Mikes 173.225-173.375............................................MOV, NEWS, UTIL 173.3875-173.5375......................................................MIL 173.5625-173-5875..................................MIL Medical/Crash Crews 17360-173.9875........................................................GOVT U.S. Government Band (406-450 MHz) 406.125-419.975.................................................GOVT, USXX 70-cm Amateur Band (420-450 MHz) 420.000-450.000........................................................HAM Low Band (450-470 MHz) 450.050-450.925........................................................RTV 451.025-452.025.......................................IND, OIL, TELM, UTIL 452.0375-453.00.................................IND, TAXI, TRAN, TOW, NEWS 453.0125-453.9875......................................................PUB 454.000................................................................OIL 454.025-454.975.......................................................TELB 455.050-455.925........................................................RTV 457.525-457.600........................................................BUS 458.025-458.175........................................................MED 460.0125-460.6375...........................................FIRE, POL, PUB 460.650-462.175........................................................BUS 462.1875-462.450..................................................BUS, IND 462.4625-462.525......................................IND, OIL, TELM, UTIL 462.550-462.725........................................................GMR 462.750-462.925........................................................BUS 462.9375-463.1875......................................................MED 463.200-467.925........................................................BUS FM-TV Audio Broadcast, UHF Wide Band (470-512 MHz) (Channels 14 through 69 in 6 MHz steps) 475.750.........................................................Channel 14 481.750.........................................................Channel 15 487.750.........................................................Channel 16 512.000.........................................................Channel 20 Note: Some cities use the 470-512 MHz band for land/mobile service. Conventional Systems band-Locally Assigned 851.0125-855.9875......................................................CSB Conventional/Trunked Systems Band-Locally Assigned 856.0125-860.9875.....................................................CTSB Trunked Systems Band-Locally Assigned 861.0125-865.9875......................................................TSB Public Safety Band-Locally 866.0125-868.9875......................................................PSB Common Carrier 869-010-894.000........................................................CCA Private Trunked 935.0125-939.9875......................................................PTR General Trunked 940.0125-940.9875......................................................GTR AVOIDING IMAGE FREQUENCIES You might discover one of your regular stations on another frequency that is not listed. It might be what is know as an image frequency. For example, you might find a service that regularly uses a frequency of 453.075 also on 474.675. To see if it is an image, do a little math. 474.675 -21.600 _______ 453.075 Note the new frequency. Double the intermediate frequency of 10.8 MHz (21.600) and subtract it from the new frequency. If the answer is the regular frequency, then you have tuned to an image. Occasionally you might get interference on a weak or distant channel from a strong broadcast 21.6 MHz below the tuned frequency. This is rate, and the image signal is usually cleared whenever there is a broadcast on the actual frequency. FREQUENCY CONVERSION The tuning location of a station can be expressed in frequency (kHz or MHz or in wavelength (meters). The following information can help you make the necessary conversions. 1 MHz (million) = 1,000 kHz (thousand) To convert MHz to kHz, multiply by 1,000: 9:62 MHz x 1000 = 9620 kHz To convert from kHz to MHz, divide by 1,000. 2780 kHz / 1000 = 2.780 MHz To convert MHz to meters, divide 300 by the number of megahertz. 300 / 7.1 MHz = 42.25 meters (BR/EB 6/11/96)