PRO-2050 VHF/UHF/Air/800 MHz 300-Channel Trunk Tracker Home Scanner
(200-0430A)                Scanning Guide             Faxback Doc. # 61196

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

    162.400       162.425      162.450        162.475
    162.500       162.525      162.550

Canadian Weather Frequencies

    161.650       161.775      163.275

Note: These three frequencies are not pre-programmed in the weather
      service bank but can be manually programmed into a channel.

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 
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.  This scanner's birdie frequencies (in MHz) are:

    171.25     406.7625     407.8125      413.175      413.225

To find the birdies in your individual scanner, begin by disconnecting the 
antenna and moving it away from the scanner. Make sure that no other radio 
or TV sets nearby are turned on near the scanner.  Use the search function 
and search 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

VHF Band

  Low Range .......................................... 29.000 - 50.000 MHz
  6-Meter Amateur .................................... 50.000 - 54.000 MHz
  Aircraft ........................................... 108.00 - 136.00 MHz
  U.S. Government .................................... 137.00 - 144.00 MHz
  2-Meter Amateur .................................... 144.00 - 148.00 MHz
  High Range ......................................... 148.00 - 174.00 MHz 

UHF Band

  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
  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 - 960.00 MHz
  Aeronautical Navigation ............................ 960.00 - 1000.0 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.

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 RadioShack 
store.

Abbreviations:                                                Services:

BIFC ................................... Boise (ID) Interagency Fire Cache
BUS ............................................................. Business
CAP ..................................................... Civil Air Patrol
CB ........................................................ Citizen's 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) - (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)

VHF 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
36.230 - 36.990 ............................. Oil Spill Cleanup, 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 (137 - 144 MHz)

137.000 - 144.000 .............................................. GOVT, MIL

2-Meter amateur Band (144 - 148 MHz)

144.000 - 148.000 .................................................... HAM

VHF High Band (148 - 174 MHz)

148.050 - 150.345 .......................................... CAP, MAR, MIL
150.775 - 150.790 .................................................... MED
150.815 - 150.980 ................................. TOW, Oil Spill Cleanup
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 Cleanup
154.600 - 154.625 .................................................... BUS
154.655 - 156.240 .................................... MED, ROAD, POL, PUB
156.255 - 157.425 .............................................. OIL, 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 ......................................... OIL, MARI, RTV
162.0125 - 162.35 ........................................ GOVT, MIL, USXX
162.400 - 162.550 ................................................... WTHR
162.5625- 162.6375 ....................................... GOVT, MIL, USXX
162.6624 ............................................................. 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
169.550- 169.9875 ........................................ GOVT, MIL, USXX
170.000 - 170.150 .................................. BIFC, GOVT, TRV, 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 -173.5375 ................................... MOV, NEWS, UTIL, MIL
173.5625-173.5875 ................................ MIL Medical/Crash Crews
173.60 - 173.9875 ................................................... GOVT

Ultra High Frequency (UHF) - (406 MHz - 3 GHz)

U.S. Government Band (406 -420 MHz)

406.125 - 419.975 ............................................. GOVT, USXX

70-Centimeter 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- 453.000 .............................. IND, TAXI, TRAN TOW, NEWS
453.0125- 454.000 ............................................... PUB, 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 - 462.925 ............................................... GMR, 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
 . . .                                                            . . . .
511.750 ....................................................... 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 Assigned

866.0125 - 868.9875 .................................................. PSB

33-Centimeter Amateur Band (902 - 928 MHz)

902.0000 - 928.0000 .................................................. HAM

Private Trunked

935.0125 - 939.9875 .................................................. PTR

General Trunked

940.0125 - 940.9875 .................................................. GTR

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 the number of megahertz by 1,000:

    9.62 (MHz) x 1000 = 9620 kHz

To convert from kHz to MHz, divide the number of kilohertz 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

(EB 8/22/00)

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