Manual / Guide · 2011
RadioShack's owner's manual for the PRO-18 (marketed as "iSCAN Digital"), a GRE-built version of the PSR-800 handheld: programming from the on-board RadioReference library into 101 playlists, P25, Motorola, EDACS and LTR trunking, searching, recording, SAME and weather-priority alerting, and specifications.
200018 User’s Guide Draft RadioShack 2000018/PRO-18 User’s Guide iSCAN Digital Trunking Scanner Thank you for purchasing your iScan Digital Trunking Scanner from RadioShack. Please read this user’s guide before installing, setting up, and using your new scanner. Table of Contents will add Introduction Welcome to iSCAN Digital, an exciting new way to enjoy the hobby of scanning two-way digital and analog radio communications, including police, fire, EMS, amateur, government, and other channels. iSCAN Digital combines the simplicity and ease-of-use of a portable media player with the power and sophistication of a state-of-the-art scanning receiver. iSCAN Digital is easy to use for both beginners and experts. In addition, iSCAN Digital is equipped with the entire USA RadioReference database in a special on-board Library, giving you instant access to the frequencies and systems used by public safety, local government, and business all over the United States! Please take a few moments to read this manual carefully before using iSCAN Digital. iSCAN Digital is unlike any other scanner ever produced, and we want you to fully understand how it can maximize your enjoyment of the scanning hobby. Package Contents iSCAN Digital Antenna USB Cable MicroSD Card (inside the scanner) CD-ROM User’s Guide Quick Start Warning Always protect iSCAN Digital from exposure to extreme heat or cold temperatures iSCAN Digital is not waterproof. Do not expose it to rain, extreme high humidity, or moisture. Page 1 200018 User’s Guide Draft Features Easy to Understand User Interface - A simplified keypad and display with familiar Play (Scan), Pause, Skip and Navigation controls make it easy for you to use your PRO-18. The Complete RadioReference USA Database On MicroSD Card - The entire USA database from www.radioreference.com is stored on a standard MicroSD Card that is included with the PRO-18, giving you access to the most comprehensive radio data available without connecting the PRO-18 to a computer or the Internet! Improved P25 Functionality - The PRO-18 detects and masks encrypted voice audio, and decodes RadioID/TalkgroupID data embedded in voice packets. Upgradeable CPU Firmware, DSP Firmware and Library - Keep your radio’s CPU and DSP firmware current with enhancements and updates as they become available using the included PRO-18 PC Application. Full USB Interface - Industry standard Composite Device USB interface with USB Mass Storage Device (MSD) and Serial Data (CDC) support. Access the MicroSD card without removing it from the radio, stream decoded Control Channel data and upgrade your radio’s firmware over USB. Powerful PRO-18 PC Application Software Included - Customize existing programming or add new objects to scan, and keep your PRO-18 firmware and Library data up to date. SKYWARN Storm Spotter Functionality - Instant access to frequencies used by storm spotter networks. You can monitor storm conditions as they occur, and become aware of dangerous conditions before the media or emergency management officials are able to announce them to the general public. SAME and All Hazards Weather Alerting - The PRO-18 features a SAME Standby Mode, alerting you to severe weather and other hazards in the specific area(s) that you select. The PRO-18 can also check your local NOAA weather frequency periodically, even while scanning, and alert you when an All Hazards alert occurs. Multi-System Trunking - Scans most common digital and analog trunked radio system signaling formats, including P25, Motorola, EDACS and LTR. Both talkgroup and individual call monitoring are supported. Powerful Signal Stalker II - Quickly sweeps the PRO-18’s frequency ranges for transmissions from nearby sources. When a nearby transmission is found, the PRO-18 automatically tunes to that frequency. 101 Playlists - The PRO-18 provides the unprecedented ability to group your stored objects using up to 100 Playlists plus a special Skywarn playlist. Objects can be mapped to as many Playlists as desired, giving you complete flexibility for grouping objects and selecting groups in any combination for Page 2 200018 User’s Guide Draft scanning. Built-in Service Searches - Predefined service search ranges make it easy to find activity in your area. Audible alarms - Programmable audible alarms can be configured to sound when certain objects are active. Signal Strength Meter – Shows relative strength of received signals. Slim, compact case design and large speaker - Designed for durability, one-handed operation and ease of use. The FCC Wants You To Know This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a scanning receiver, 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. 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. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1. This device may not cause harmful interference. 2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Scanning Legally Your scanner covers frequencies used by many different groups including police and fire departments, ambulance services, government agencies, private companies, amateur radio services, military operations, pager services, and wireline (telephone and telegraph) service providers. It is legal to listen to almost every transmission your scanner can receive. However, it is illegal to divulge the contents of any transmissions you receive to a third party and there are some transmissions you should never intentionally listen to. These include: . Telephone conversations (cellular, cordless, or other means of private telephone transmission) . Paging transmissions . Any intentionally scrambled or encrypted transmissions According to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), you are subject to fines and possible imprisonment for intentionally listening to, using, or divulging the contents of such a transmission Page 3 200018 User’s Guide Draft unless you have the consent of a party to the communication (unless such activity is otherwise illegal). This scanner has been designed to prevent illegal reception of protected transmissions. This is done to comply with the legal requirement that scanners be manufactured so as to not be easily modifiable to pick up those transmissions. Do not open your scanner's case to make any modifications that could allow it to pick up transmissions that are illegal to monitor. Doing so could subject you to legal penalties. RadioShack encourages responsible, legal scanner use. In some areas, mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires a permit. Check the laws in your area. It is also illegal in many areas to interfere with the duties of public safety officials by traveling to the scene of an incident without authorization. How the PRO-18 Works Your PRO-18 is designed with an simplified keypad and controls similar to those used by portable media players, including navigation keys, a MENU key, a SKIP key and a ▶/II/SEL key. The PRO-18’s uncluttered keypad gives you instant access to the functions that you need most while using your scanner. The PRO-18 is designed to use high capacity MicroSD Card memory. The PRO-18 uses MicroSD Card memory to hold the entire RadioReference database for the United States, giving you the ability to automatically program your scanner without using an external software application and without connecting to the Internet. We call this special version of the RadioReference database “the Library”. The MicroSD Card also holds PRO-18 playlists and your customized configuration data. For more information about the RadioReference database, please visit http://www.radioreference.com. To use the PRO-18, you first browse the Library to find things that you want to monitor. These things ARE CALLED “scannable objects”, or simply “objects”. As you find objects in the Library that you want to add to the collection of objects that your radio will scan, you import them to the Pro-18’s Playlists. There are 100 regular Playlists in the PRO-18, and a special “Skywarn” Playlist for monitoring objects during severe weather. Included with the PRO-18 is a companion PRO-18 PC Application and USB cable that allow you to add your own objects and edit the objects that are stored in the PRO-18’s Playlists. See “Installing the PRO-18 PC Application” on page XX and the application’s help files for more information about using the PRO-18 PC Application. Library Copyright Notice The data contained in the PRO-18’s Library is provided by special arrangement with RadioReference and is Copyright ©2011 RadioReference.com LLC whom retains sole ownership of the database. We ask that you respect this copyright by adhering to the following guidelines: Page 4 200018 User’s Guide Draft The Library data is intended for your personal use only in conjunction with programming and using your PRO-18. As such RadioReference.com LLC grants the customer a non-exclusive single license to only be used with the PRO-18 radio and its associated PC software. The Library shall not be copied or transferred to any 3rd party in any electronic or physical form or posted on any website. To decompile the RadioReference data base or convert it for use with another scanning receiver is expressly prohibited. The RadioReference database is developed and maintained by unpaid volunteers who are dedicated scanning hobbyists. The accuracy of the Library data is subject to errors in the user-submitted data reported to RadioReference, and also to the system configuration changes that a radio system operator may make from time to time. Field-testing the Library data for accuracy is not feasible. For detailed radio system information worldwide, be sure to visit http://www.radioreference.com frequently. We encourage you to get involved with RadioReference, and submit your own new or updated data to the database, which will result in future updated editions of the Library! RadioShack and RadioReference are not responsible for errors, omissions or outdated Library data. Understanding Objects iSCAN Digital monitors two types of objects while scanning: conventional frequencies and trunking talkgroups. Conventional Frequencies A conventional frequency is a single radio frequency, which is usually broadcast from a radio tower or rooftop radio site. When browsing the PRO-18 Library, you will most often find conventional frequencies in the Categories or Agencies sub levels under States or Counties/Cities. You know you’ve browsed to a conventional frequency when you see the word “Frequencies” on the top of the display. Trunked Radio Systems A trunked radio system is a modern radio network allowing many different groups of radio users to share a small number of channels. Trunked radio systems are more complicated than conventional frequencies. They contain both talkgroups and sites. A talkgroup is the name of a group within the trunked system. A site is a set of control frequencies located throughout the service area of the trunked system. Unlike conventional frequencies, trunking talkgroups have dependency – at least one site from the system must be selected in order for the talkgroups to imported to playlist. There are many different manufacturers and types of trunked radio systems, each with their own special programming requirements. PRO-18 automatically programs the correct requirements whenever you import a talkgroup and site to a Playlist. When browsing the PRO-18 Library, everything you find below the Systems level under States or Page 5 200018 User’s Guide Draft Counties/Cities is a trunked radio system with its associated talkgroups and sites. You know you’ve browsed to a trunked system when you see the word “Talkgroups” on the top line of the display. See “key Terminology” on page XX for more scanning definitions. Understanding Keys and Features BNC Antenna Connector / VOL-UP . Increase volume . Scroll up through objects and menus SKIP . Press while monitoring or paused on an object to skip the object . Press again while the object is selected to resume normal monitoring . Clears all editing text while text editing . Toggles between Normal weather radio mode and SAME Standby mode while weather mode . Resume scanning . Scroll down through playlist . Navigate to previous menu or Library listing MENU . Access additional functions for the current operating mode . Access the Home Menu ATT Press to control the radio’s attenuator function VOL-DOWN . Decrease volume . Scroll down through objects and menus Headphone Jack Squelch Control Power / Backlight . Press and hold for about one second to turn PRO-18 on and off . Press briefly to toggle the backlight on and off / II / SEL . Press to play . Press again to pause Page 6 200018 User’s Guide Draft . In menus: select, enable, or disable options Lift cover USB connector . Resume scanning . Scroll up through playlists . Navigate forward to next menu or Library listing SKYWARN / (Weather) . Access NOAA weather radio broadcasts . Access SAME weather alert receiver mode . Select the SKYWARN playlist for monitoring; temporarily disables all other playlists Speaker Understanding the Display The menu-driven user interface provides access to the settings that control what PRO-18 monitors. The Main Menu display is shown below. -Main Menu- BATT icon Play Browse objects ▶ Playlists Search Browse Library The “Play” display shows a scrolling list of enabled playlists while the PRO-18 is scanning, and displays attenuator and trunking control channel status. Play T G ▶ BATT icon Fire County Police Sheriff City Police State Police The “Individual object display” is shown when the scanner is monitoring activity on an object. The “Display icons” across the top provide status information. The “Channel Status Indicators” show the status of priority, skip, lockout, and delay functions. Display icons SignalMeter G II BATT icon Page 7 200018 User’s Guide Draft County Police Channel: psD Police North Channel Status Indicators Note: To see more information in the Individual Object DIsplay, disable the “Simple Display” option in the Settings Menu. (See “Changing PRO-18’s Settings” on page XX.) Display Icons In the Individual Object Display, the row of icons at the top of the display provides the following status information about the scanner. S PRO-18’s squelch circuit (or “gate”) is open. LEVEL Signal meter indicating strength of the received signal. T The scanner is currently receiving trunking control channel data, or, when monitoring a voice channel, flashes to indicate reception of embedded low-speed trunking data from the voice channel. G Attenuator is set for Global mode. A Attenuator is active. GA Global attenuator is on, and the attenuator is active. AM AM mode FM FM mode NF Narrow FM mode DG The radio is receiving P25 digital audio with AGC. Dg The radio is receiving P25 digital audio without AGC. E Encrypted digital traffic detected. ▶ PRO-18 is in Scan mode (scanning) II PRO-18 is in Pause mode (monitoring a single object) BATT Battery status indicator. All black indicates battery is fully charged. When Battery Type Selection switch is set to Ni-MH and radio is connected to external power, an animated icon is displayed to indicate that battery is being charged. PLUG External power indicator. Indicates that the PRO-18 is being powered by an external power and Battery Type Selection switch is set to ALK, Also present when Battery Type Selection switch is set to Ni-MH and the charge cycle has completed. Channel Status Indicators In the Individual Object Display, three characters on the right-hand side indicate the status of priority, skip, lockout and delay. P: priority on S: skip on L: lockout on D: delay on p: priority off s: skip off -: d: delay off Page 8 200018 User’s Guide Draft Setup Attaching the antenna Align the slots on the antenna’s BNC connector with the posts on the scanner’s BNC connector and slide the antenna in place, then rotate the antenna’s BNC connector 1/4 turn clockwise until it snaps in place. Connecting an Optional External Antenna To connect an external antenna, follow the installation instructions supplied with the antenna. Use 50-ohm coaxial cable, such as RG-58 or RG-8X, to connect an outdoor antenna. . For lengths between 50 and 100 feet, use RG-8X low-loss dielectric coaxial cable. . For lengths over 100 feet, use RG-8. You also may need a BNC adapter (available at your RadioShack store). WARNING: 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. Powering the Scanner Installing batteries Warning: Always power off the PRO-18 by pressing and holding POWER before removing batteries. Failure to power off PRO-18 may cause data loss or memory corruption. Remove the door covering the battery compartment by pressing gently where the door is marked OPEN and sliding the door downwards until it stops, approximately 1/4”. Lift the door away from the radio. Set the battery type selector switch to ALK for non-rechargeable alkaline batteries or Ni-MH for rechargeable Ni-MH batteries. Insert four size AA batteries, taking care to ensure that the batteries are inserted according to the polarity diagram shown inside of the battery compartment. Replace the battery compartment door by placing it back over the batteries and sliding it upward gently until it locks in place. WARNING: Never operate the PRO-18 with alkaline batteries if the Battery Type Selection switch is set to the Ni-MH position. Intentionally or accidentally recharging non-rechargeable batteries will cause them to overheat, leak or explode. Dispose of alkaline batteries promptly and properly. Do not burn or bury them. Dispose of rechargeable batteries properly by taking them to an approved battery recycling facility. Page 9 200018 User’s Guide Draft Recycle Rechargeable Batteries Placing rechargeable batteries in the trash can be harmful to the environment. Instead, recycle old rechargeable batteries at your local RadioShack store free of charge. RadioShack participates in the RBRX© battery recycling program, and is committed to preserving the environment and conserving natural resources. Call 1-800-THE-SHACK (1-800-843-7422) for more information. Battery Warning: Always remove old or weak batteries. Batteries can leak chemicals that destroy electronic circuits. Always turn off the scanner when not in use to prevent deep discharge and possible battery leakage. Do not mix old and new batteries, different types of batteries (alkaline, or rechargeable), batteries of different capacities or rechargeable batteries with different charge states. If you do not plan to use the scanner with batteries for a month or longer, remove the batteries. Using AC Power You can power the scanner using an optional AC USB power adapter and the supplied USB cable. To power the scanner using an AC USB power adapter (not included, available your local RadioShack or RadioShack.com), connect the USB of the supplied USB cable to the AC USB power adapter, and connect the scanner end of the supplied USB cable to the scanner's USB jack. To prevent corruption of MicroSD Card data, always power the PRO-18 off using the front panel POWER button before connecting or disconnecting external power sources. Notes: . A PC or laptop computer equipped with a USB connector can also be used to charge the PRO-18. . Some external USB power supplies or computers may generate RF noise that can interfere with the PRO-18’s reception. If interference occurs, try disconnecting the PRO-18 from the external power source and move the radio away from the PC. add photo to access the USB connector Using Vehicle Power You can power the scanner using a car USB power adapter (not included, available at your local RadioShack or RadioShack.com) and the supplied USB cable. To power the scanner using a car USB power adapter, connect the USB plug end of the supplied USB cable to the car USB power adapter, and connect the scanner data plug end of the supplied USB cable to the scanner’s USB jack. To prevent corruption of MicroSD Card data, always power the PRO-18 off using the front panel POWER button before connecting or disconnecting external power sources. NOTE: If you use a cigarette-lighter USB power cable and your vehicle’s engine is running, you might hear electrical noise from the engine while scanning. This is normal. Some external USB power supplies may generate RF noise that can interfere with the PRO-18’s reception. Charging rechargeable batteries Page 10 200018 User’s Guide Draft The PRO18 features a built-in battery charging circuit that will charge Ni-Cad and Ni-MH batteries. The charger provides a slow rate charge that will fully charge a set of typical Ni-MH AA batteries in approximately 16 hours. The charger is active when the radio is connected to an external USB power source and the radio is powered off. When connected to an external USB power source and powered on, the radio operates using the external power source but does not charge the batteries. Charging is controlled by a timer. Your PRO-18 provides an indication when the internal battery charge circuit is active. An animated battery icon indicates that the PRO-18 is connected to external power and the internal battery charger circuit is active. Warning: The external DC power input is designed to accept external power from the USB data cable and from USB power adapters. Turn the PRO-18 off prior to connecting or disconnecting external power. Warning: Discontinue use of any battery that exhibits leakage, swelling or abnormal generation of heat. When you charge rechargeable batteries, do not over charge them. Overcharging shortens battery life and may cause battery failure. Connecting an Earphone or Headphones For private listening, you can plug an 1/8-inch (3.5 mm) mini-plug earphone or headphones (not supplied) in the HEADPHONE jack on top of the PRO-18. This automatically disconnects the internal speaker. Listening Safety Do not wear headphones, earphones, or earbuds while operating a motor vehicle or riding a bicycle. This can create a traffic hazard and could be illegal in some areas. To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines: . Do not listen at high volume levels. Extended high-volume listening can lead to permanent hearing loss. . Set the volume to the lowest setting. Then turn on your scanner and adjust the volume to a comfortable level. . Avoid increasing the volume. Your ears will adapt to the volume level, so a level that does not cause discomfort could still damage your hearing. Connecting an External Speaker In a noisy area, an amplified speaker (not included, available at your local RadioShack or RadioShack.com) might provide more comfortable listening. Plug the speaker cable’s 1/8-inch (3.5 mm) mini-plug into the scanner’s HEADPHONE jack. Attaching the belt clip Align the belt clip to the belt clip receptacle on the rear of the radio. Slide the belt clip downward until it snaps into place. Ensure that the locking clip on the belt clip is fully engaged with the lock tab on the rear of the radio. To remove the belt clip, squeeze the locking clip on the belt clip to disengage it from the lock tab on the rear of the radio, and slide the belt clip upward. Page 11 200018 User’s Guide Draft Basic Operation Turn on Scanner and Set Squelch 1. Press and hold POWER. 2. Turn SQUELCH to the midpoint (12 o’clock) position. add Photo Squelch . The higher the squelch is set, the stronger the signal required to break the squelch. . To hear weaker signals, turn SQUELCH counterclockwise to increase sensitivity Power Low Battery Warning Your scanner will provide an audible low battery warning every 30 seconds when the batteries are nearly depleted. The radio will shut down automatically to prevent corrupted MicroSD Card data when the battery level is critically low. NOTE: Actual timing of low battery warnings and shutdown will depend on the age and condition of the batteries you are using. Using PRO-18’s Main Menu The heart of PRO-18’s user interface is the Main Menu, where all the major functions are controlled. The following options are available in the Main Menu: Play Begins scanning of imported objects in enabled Playlists. Use the or ▶/II/SEL keys to activate Scan mode. Browse Objects Enters Playlist Browse mode, which allows you to browse the objects that you have imported into Playlists. Use the or ▶/II/SEL keys to activate Playlist Browse mode. Playlists Accesses the Playlists utility to enable, disable or rename Playlists. Use the or ▶/II/SEL keys to proceed to the next step, then use the and keys to scroll select a Playlist to modify. Press the ▶/II/SEL key to toggle enabled/disabled status, or press the and follow the on-screen instructions to rename. Search Accesses the PRO-18’s Signal Stalker II, Service Search and Limit Search modes. See the Search Page 12 200018 User’s Guide Draft section of this manual for more information. Browse Library Accesses the Library, where you can browse and pick objects to import into Playlists. Update from Library Applies current Library data from the MicroSD Card to all of the programmed objects. Restore Skipped Restores all skipped objects so they will be scanned again in Scan mode. Settings Access the Settings Menu. Set Clock Sets the date and time. Use the to set the correct date and time. Use ▶/II/SEL to accept the updated settings, or the SKIP to exit without saving changes. Programming PRO-18 Programming your scanner consists of three easy steps to transfer new objects from the Library to PRO-18’s playlists. After programming, you will need to enable playlists and then you can begin scanning (See page XX). Browse the Library Much like a real library, you’ll browse the PRO-18’s Library to find objects that you want to monitor. The PRO-18’s Library is organized primarily by US States, then by Agencies, Counties/Independent Cities or Systems. You can keep your scanner’s Library current by using the Check for Library Update option in the PRO-18 PC application. Pick objects from the Library When you find an object or group of objects that you want to monitor, you “pick” them by selecting them, which marks them for the Import objects to Playlists step. Import objects to Playlists Finally, when you have picked the objects you want to import, you complete the operation by selecting one or more Playlists where you would like the selected objects to be imported. The PRO-18 will map your objects to the Playlists you have selected. Browsing the Library 1. Press and hold the POWER button for one second to turn the scanner on. The PRO-18 will display the Main Menu, or resume operations in the last mode that was used when the radio was turned off. If Page 13 200018 User’s Guide Draft necessary, press MENU until the Main Menu appears. 2. Use and/or to scroll to the Browse Library menu item, then press to advance to the next step, Select State. 3. Use and/or to scroll to your desired state, then press to advance to the next step. 4. Use and/or to scroll to your desired state/province, then press to advance to the next step. At this point there will typically be three options to choose from, Agencies, Counties/Cities and Systems. Agencies: State level group agencies with statewide responsibilities, such as state troopers or highway patrol agencies, state emergency management agencies, highway departments, state parks and departments of forestry, etc. If you wish to explore Agencies for these types of users, scroll to Agencies and press to proceed to the next step. Counties/Cities: group of radio systems that are used in a local county or independent city. If you wish to explore the radio systems used in counties and independent cities, scroll to Counties/Cities and press to proceed to the next step. Systems: state level group of trunked radio systems that provide statewide coverage, such as consolidated statewide trunked radio systems for use by multiple state agencies, and in some cases, local agency use as well. Many states have consolidated their communications systems to a single statewide trunked radio system, which allows radio users from multiple agencies to share a single sophisticated radio system that provides coverage throughout the entire state. If you wish to explore statewide trunked radio systems, scroll to Systems and press to proceed to the next step. NOTE: When selecting objects below the Systems level from either States or Cities/Counties, keep in mind that one or more Sites must be also be selected along with any individual talkgroup objects that you pick from a System. When in doubt about which Site should be selected, you can select all sites, or even the entire System, and the PRO-18 will automatically find and use the best available site. For more information about Systems, see the Conventional Frequencies and Trunking Talkgroups section below. More often than not, you’ll probably want to explore counties and independent cities for radio systems and users in your immediate area, so for this step by step process, we’ll use Counties/Cities as our example. 5. Scroll to Counties/Cities and press to proceed. You’ll be presented with a list of counties and independent cities for your state, with the counties appearing first at the top of the list. Now, scroll to your county or independent city and press to proceed to the next step. Note: You can also press anytime to navigate backward through the Library menu system. 6. For counties and independent cities, there will typically be three options to choose from: Agencies, Categories and Systems. The association of objects with each of these groups depends a lot on how the RadioReference volunteers decide to group the information they submitted to the RadioReference database. You’ll likely find businesses, airports, attractions, authorities and other non-governmental Page 14 200018 User’s Guide Draft entities under the Agencies group. Government and public safety entities will likely be found under Categories, or, if the county or city operates a trunked radio system, under the Systems grouping. The PRO-18 makes it easy for you to explore all of these groups. Just use and to “drill in” and “drill out” of the Library’s menu system. Picking Objects from the Library 1. As you continue to drill in to each Library grouping using , you’ll eventually see empty checkboxes next to the listings that appear. 2. You can continue to drill in deeper by pressing , or, if desired, press ▶/II/SEL to pick all of the objects associated with the grouping. A checkmark will appear instead the empty checkbox to indicate that the object or group of objects is selected for importing. Press ▶/II/SEL again to unselected selected objects or groupings. Keep in mind that picking an entire grouping for importing may result in a very large number of objects being imported to the PRO-18’s Playlists. The PRO-18’s capacity for objects is limited only by the size of the MicroSD Card memory, meaning that a massive number of objects can potentially be imported and saved in Playlists. We caution that the PRO-18 can only monitor one transmission at a time, and trying to scan too many objects may be frustrating if they are all busy all the time! We suggest that you drill into each grouping that you want to import to see the objects that are beneath it, and only select the entire grouping if you know that you want to monitor everything that it contains. NOTE: As you browse the Library and pick objects for importing into Playlists, keep in mind that all selected objects will be imported into the same Playlist or group of Playlists that you select when you execute the import operation. You can continue to browse the Library and pick as many objects for importing to Playlists as you like. We suggest that first time users start out with small groups of picked objects for importing. This will ultimately help keep your setup manageable and easy to use. Database Checkbox Codes Database checkbox codes are displayed instead of a checkbox to indicate when systems or frequencies are not compatible with the PRO-18. When one of these codes is shown instead of a checkbox, it is not possible to select the checkbox. A “D” in place of a checkbox indicates that the object or system uses an unsupported digital modulation mode and cannot be scanned by the PRO-18. An “S” in place of a checkbox indicates that the system type is not supported and cannot be scanned by the PRO-18. An “F” in place of a checkbox indicates that there are no sites or frequencies in the RadioReference database for the system or category. A gray solid checkbox indicates that some frequencies in a subcategory are selected, but not all. Importing Objects to Playlists Page 15 200018 User’s Guide Draft This last step in the process is very important, as it determines how the objects you’ve picked from the Library will grouped into the PRO-18’s 101 Playlists. Playlists are your way of organizing your picked objects, so you should give some thought as to how you want to your PRO-18 organized. You may want to start with a small and simple group of picked objects and import them all to a single Playlist. As you become more familiar with how the PRO-18 and its Playlists work, you can decide what strategies you want to use for grouping objects into Playlists. You may wish to group your objects into Playlists according to the type of use, for example, Police, Fire, Racing, etc. Or, you may wish to group objects by into Playlists according to geographical area, such as separate Playlists for different counties or cities, or even separate Playlists for different police and fire districts inside of a given county or city. You can even do both - use a Playlist to turn the police and fire channels for an entire county on, and use other Playlists to select only the districts of interest within the county for special situations. 1. Press MENU while browsing the Library to access the Library’s special menu. 2. Scroll to Import Selected and press ▶/II/SEL. The PRO-18 will display a list of Playlists. 3. Use , and ▶/II/SEL to place checkmarks next to each Playlist that you wish to import the selected objects into. 4. After you have marked each desired destination Playlist, press to begin importing your picked objects into the selected Playlists. The PRO-18 will begin the importing process, which may take several minutes depending on the number of objects you have picked. Note: The Default Playlist is always pre-selected for your convenience. If you do not want to import your picked objects into the Default Playlist, be sure to unselect it before importing. You can change the Default Playlist in the Settings Menu or with the PRO-18 PC Application. Note: You can change the names of the Playlists using the “Playlists” option under the Main Menu, or with the PRO-18 PC Application. Conventional Frequencies and Trunking Talkgroups The types of objects that the PRO-18 monitors while scanning can either be conventional frequencies or trunking talkgroups. While the PRO-18 is designed so that you can use it without knowing the difference between a conventional frequency or a trunking talkgroup, you may find it helpful to know more about how these objects work and what you can do to optimize the PRO-18 for best performance. A conventional frequency is nothing more than “plain old radio” consisting of a single radio frequency that is typically broadcast from a single radio tower or building rooftop radio site or directly from mobile or portable radios. When browsing the PRO-18’s library, you will most often find conventional frequencies in the Categories or Agencies sub levels beneath States or Cities/Counties. You’ll know you’ve browsed to a conventional frequency when you see the word “Frequencies” on the top line of the display while you are browsing the library. A conventional frequency stands alone in the radio - it has no dependencies on other Library elements. In other words, feel free to import conventional frequencies individually or as groups without worrying about dependencies. Trunking talkgroups work differently and can potentially be more complicated to deal with. A trunking Page 16 200018 User’s Guide Draft talkgroup is a part of a trunked radio system - a modern and complicated radio network that is managed by sophisticated special purpose computers. Trunking technology allows many different groups of radio users to share a relatively small number of radio channels. You’ll know you’ve browsed to a talkgroup when you see the word “Talkgroups” on the top line of the display while you are browsing the library. When browsing the PRO-18’s library, everything you find below the “Systems” level under States or Counties/Cities will be trunked radio systems and associated sites and talkgroups. Unlike conventional channels, trunking talkgroups have dependencies - at least one site from the system must be selected in order for picked talkgroups to imported to Playlists. There are many different manufacturers and flavors of trunked radio systems, each with their own special programming nuances. Fortunately, the PRO-18 takes the guesswork out of programming talkgroup objects. You simply browse the library to find what you want to hear, and regardless of whether it’s a conventional channel or a trunking talkgroup, most of the time it’s as simple as picking the objects you want and importing them to your desired Playlists. There is one key difference between trunking talkgroups and conventional channels. A conventional frequency typically operates from a single tower or building rooftop site. A few conventional systems may have more than one site, but they still use the same frequency, so there are no special considerations for programming these in the PRO-18. On the other hand, trunked radio systems consist of one or more discrete sites strategically located throughout the service area of the system to provide the desired level of coverage. Each site has its own set of frequencies. One type of trunked radio system technology known as “simulcast” has multiple radio sites that all operate on the same set of frequencies - to the trunked system, a simulcast subsystem appears as a single site. It’s important to understand that at least one Site for a system must be selected when you are importing talkgroups from the Library to Playlists. Many of the talkgroups you pick will be a part of systems that have only one site, and you need only ensure that this one site is also selected when you import. In cases where there is more than one site to choose, you have a few options. In every case, the easiest way to bring in a system’s sites and talkgroups is to simply place a checkbox next to the system’s name a