PRO-2056 50-Channel Home/Mobile Scanner
(200-0147) General Guide to Scanning Faxback Doc. # 39990
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
US Weather Frequencies
162.400 162.425 162.450 162.475
162.500 162.525 162.550
Other Weather Frequencies
161.650 161.775 162.440 163.275
Ham Radio Frequencies
Ham radio operators often transmit emergency information when other means
of communication break down. The following chart shows the frequencies
the scanner receives that Ham radio operators normally use.
Wavelength (meters) Frequencies (MHz)
10-Meter 29.000-29.700
6-Meter 50.000-54.000
2-Meter 144.000-148.000
70-cm 420.000-450.000
33-cm 902.000-928.000
Birdies
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
frequencies, 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 most common birdies to watch for are listed below.
Birdie Frequencies:
31.2000 161.8950 446.3000
41.6000 162.2950 508.7000
52.0000 168.3250 511.4000
114.4000 169.5300 511.4125
155.8700 173.1450
To find the birdies in your scanner, begin by disconnecting the antenna
and moving it away from the scanner. Make sure that no other nearby radio
or TV sets are turned on near the scanner. 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
United States Broadcast Bands
In the United States, there are several broadcast bands. The standard AM
and FM bands are probably the most well known. There are also four
television audio broadcast bands - the lower three transmit on the VHF band
and the fourth transmits on the UHF band.
Typical Band Usage
VHF Band
Low range: ............................................. 29.00 - 50.00 MHz
6-Meter Amateur: ....................................... 50.00 - 54.00 MHz
U.S. Government: ..................................... 137.00 - 144.00 MHz
2-Meter Amateur: ..................................... 144.00 - 148.00 MHz
High Range: .......................................... 148.00 - 174.00 MHz
New Mobile Narrow Band: .............................. 220.00 - 222.00 MHz
UHF Band
Military Aircraft: ................................... 380.00 - 384.00 MHz
U.S. Government: ..................................... 406.00 - 420.00 MHz
70-cm Amateur: ....................................... 420.00 - 450.00 MHz
Low Range: ........................................... 450.00 - 470.00 MHz
FM-TV Audio Broadcast, Wide Band: .................... 470.00 - 512.00 MHz
PRIMARY USAGE:
As a general rule, most of the radio activity is concentrated on the
following frequencies:
VHF BAND:
Government, Police, and Fire: ...................... 153.785 - 155.980 MHz
Emergency Services: ................................ 158.730 - 159.460 MHz
Railroad: .......................................... 160.000 - 161.900 MHz
UHF BAND:
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: UHF remote control stations and mobile units typically operate at 5
MHz higher than their associated base and relay repeater units.
SPECIFIED INTERVALS
Frequencies in different bands are accessible only at specific intervals.
For Example:
Frequency Range(s) Specified Interval
29-54 and 137-174 MHz 5.0 kHz steps
380-512 MHz 12.5 kHz steps
BAND ALLOCATION
To help you decide which frequency ranges to search, 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", as well as "Beyond Police Call",
"Aeronautical Directory", "Nautical Directory", and "Now you're Talking"
texts available at your local Radio Shack store.
ABBREVIATIONS
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
MARI: ............................................. Maritime Limited Coast
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
OIL: .............................................. Oil/Petroleum Industry
POL: ................................................... Police Department
PUB: ..................................................... Public Services
PSB: ....................................................... Public Safety
PTR: ..................................................... Private Trunked
ROAD: ......................................... Road & Highway Maintenance
RTV: .................................... Radio/TV Remote Broadcast Pickup
TAXI: ...................................................... Taxi Services
TELBL: .................................................. Mobile Telephone
TELC: ................................................ Cordless Telephones
TELM: .............................................. Telephone Maintenance
TOW: .......................................................... Tow Trucks
TRAN: ............................................ Transportation Services
TSB: ..................................................... Trunked Systems
TVn: ............................................... FM-TV Audio Broadcast
USXX: .............................................. Government Classified
UTIL: ............................................ Power & Water Utilities
WTHR: ............................................................ Weather
Very High Frequency (VHF)
Low Band - (in 5 kHz steps):
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
50.00 - 54.00: ....................................................... HAM
U.S. GOVERNMENT BAND
137.000 - 144.000: ............................................. GOVT, MIL
2-Meter Amateur Band
144.000-148.000: ..................................................... HAM
VHF-Hi BAND
148.050 - 150.345: ........................................ CAP, MARS, MIL
150.775 - 150.790: ................................................... MED
150.815 - 150.980: ................................................... TOW
150.995 - 151.475: .............................................. ROAD,POL
151.490 - 151.955: ............................................... IND,BUS
151.985: ............................................................ TELM
152.0075: ............................................................ MED
152.030 - 152.240: .................................................. TELB
152.270 - 152.480: ......................................... IND, TAXI,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
154.665 - 156.240: ................................... MED, ROAD, POL, PUB
156.255 - 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 - 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 - 169.505.................................... WIRELESS MIKES, GOVT
169.55 - 169.9875: ....................................... GOVT, MIL, USXX
170.000 - 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
173.5625 - 173.5875: ............................. MIL Medical/Crash Crews
173.60 - 173.9875: .................................................. GOVT
ULTRA HIGH FREQUENCY (UHF)
U.S. Government Band
406.125 - 419.975: ............................................ GOVT, USXX
70-cm Amateur Band (420-450 MHz):
420.000 - 450.000: ................................................... HAM
LOW BAND
450.050 - 450.925: ................................................... RTV
451.025 - 452.025: .................................. IND, OIL, TELM, UTIL
452.0375 - 453.00: ............................ IND, TAXI, TRAN, TOW, NEWS
453.0125 - 453.975: .................................................. PUB
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 - 462.925: ................................................... GMR
462.9375 - 463.1875: ................................................. MED
463.200 - 467.925: ................................................... BUS
FM-TV AUDIO BROADCAST, UHF WIDE BAND
(CHANNELS 14-69 IN 6 MHz STEPS):
475.750: ...................................................... Channel 14
481.750: ...................................................... Channel 15
487.750: ...................................................... Channel 16
511.750: ...................................................... Channel 20
NOTE: Some cities use the 470-512 MHz band for land/mobile service.
FREQUENCY CONVERSION
The tuning 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
(km-06/12/1997)
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