Pro-197

[cfcseti]

I am new to this site, I am NOT a techie-bless you who are. Now, got a digital scanner for Christmas. I have read it is difficult to program. I do not have software to program it from a computer.

Manual is not that great for newbies.... is there an EASY way to program this scanner for the digital side, I only have about 4 or 5 Counties I want to program in digital. Step by step to understand the tech talk and acronyms and to program would be helpful.

Thank you.

[WJYSTV62]

Actually it is not at all difficult to program. It is however very tedious without the use of software, especially if you enter text elements to everything (which is nice and can be helpful. The scanner uses "object oriented" memory instead of the more familiar "banks and channels". This offers much more flexibility but makes keeping things organized more difficult. Everything entered is an object. It can be used and placed however you like. The old way locks channels into the bank. The new way uses scan lists where you can place any of the scannable objects. This way you can enter a frequency in one place and have it monitored on any of the scan lists. You can include custom searches in your regular scanning.
I highly recommend the use of some software. Most (if not all) offer an evaluation period. You can use it freely and completely for a preset duration. I personally like Win500.
You may find this very useful...

Easier to Read Pro-106/197/PSR500/600 Digital Scanner Manual

I would begin by entering in some conventional frequencies to get familiar with the operation of the buttons and process. But then when you're ready to enter trunked systems I would perform a reset and start fresh. I prefer to enter trunk systems first, then talk groups, then conventional, then custom searches. Ordering things this way is much easier with software.
Remember when you start a new trunk system manually you begin by choosing a new talk group which will automatically ask you to select a trunk system which you then choose one already in or create a new one.

Conventional frequencies are what they've always been, one thing for one frequency. A trunk system which can be analog or digital is one which uses a number of frequencies, shared by the users. The system moves things around for the most efficient use of the frequencies. A talk group is what identifies a group of particular users. A system may have only one or a great many groups of users. With this scanner you can decide which to hear and perhaps most valuable which to not hear.

[Fuzy_GSXR1000]

Congratulations on getting a amazing scanner!! You can program it by hand but if you purchase some software and a premium subscription here, it will make life much easier and you can use the scanner to its potential!!

[gewecke]

Excellent scanner, and not as hard to program by hand as people may tell you! By the time you figure out how to use the software (after paying for it) you would already have your counties of choice programmed.

73,
n9zas

[hiegtx]

Originally Posted by cfcseti

I am new to this site, I am NOT a techie-bless you who are. Now, got a digital scanner for Christmas. I have read it is difficult to program. I do not have software to program it from a computer.

Manual is not that great for newbies.... is there an EASY way to program this scanner for the digital side, I only have about 4 or 5 Counties I want to program in digital. Step by step to understand the tech talk and acronyms and to program would be helpful.

Thank you.

Welcome to RadioReference.

Besides the Easier to Read manual, already linked above by WJYSTV62, you might find this Wiki page useful: Programming Shortcut PSR-500/600 RS Pro-106/197 - The RadioReference Wiki

The scanner definitely can be programmed by hand, using the keyboard. However, there are several advantages to using software, especially for someone new to the hobby, or at least new to that specific style of scanner, whether it's the Object Oriented programming used by by your Radio Shack Pro-197, or the Dynamic Memory Architecture (DMA), used by the newer Uniden scanners. The biggest advantage, for those just getting started, is that when using software, you can see virtually all of the information fields needed to correctly program the radio. This makes it much easier to spot and correct simple errors, omissions, and typos, instead of stepping through one field at a tine directly on the scanner. You can also enter your information much more quickly, especially the text tags. Plus, once you're done, the software can save your programming in a file, making it easy to reload later if necessary. Depending on your area, you may be able to get a 'starter file' from another member, to give you a head start. Or, if you're stumped with a programming problem, upload a copy of your file to the forum, and let someone else take a look. They may be able to spot what was overlooked.

[fredva]

Most counties in WV that have upgraded to digital as well as the state police are using the statewide digital network. If you decide to manually program your scanner, this page may be a good resource: West Virginia Statewide Interoperability Radio Network (SIRN) Trunking System, Statewide, West Virginia - Scanner Frequencies

If you program in the state digital trunking system, here are a couple of tips: When selecting system type, use "P25 Auto". Find out which radio tower sites are in your vicinity using the page link above, and program in the control channel and alternate control channel frequencies for those towers. Those are shown in blue and red on the page. For example, for the Buckhannon site, you would enter 453.48750 and 453.51250.

Programming a digital trunking system into a PRO-197 for local listening isn't terribly difficult. There are just several steps to follow. Take it step by step and if you are confused about a step, come back here and ask for help.