Help With Pro-82 Scanner

[wh0a]

Well I was at a friend of my friends house lastnight and he had a scanner and we were listening to the local PD go crazy with all the fireworks and etc since it's illegal where I live in california. And I wanted to get one and he gave me a Pro-82 Radio Shack handheld scanner. I never used a scanner before and I tried picking up stuff but got nothing. I was wondering if anyone could help. It has a stubby antenna on it don't know if that is the reason or what. But when I push scan it just scans the pre-programmed channels that the old owner put on it which is from a whole diffrent state then where I'm from. If anyone could help that would be awsome.

I'm from Hawthorne California 90250

 

[N4JNW]

Well first, you're gonna have to get a better antenna. Exactly what stubby is it? Is it the little bitty stubby antenna, or is it about 6" long?

Next, you're gonna have to get rid of all those frequencies that are in it, and fill it up with current ones. Figure out how to initialize the scanner. I used to have one, it involves sticing a pin int he little reset hole on the side and pressing a sequence of keys. Google "Pro-82 initialize" and you should get some stuff on it.

Check out the database here for the most current frequency listings in your area. Simply select your state and county, and you'll be greeted with a list full of frequencies that are active in your area.

If your scanner does indeed have the little stubby duck that's about 2" tall, get rid of it. RadioShack has a telescopic antenna that works really good if you're going to be listening to stuff in the 150 and 400 mhz ranges. That's about all that scanner will recieve anyway. It won't go up into the 800's, so the telescopic antenna would be your best bet.

 

[wh0a]

Thanks for the info. I will check it out tonight when I get home on if I can find the reset button. And yes it's the little 2 inch antenna. I'm super new to this stuff. I just listened to my first scanner yesterday and friend gave me one to play with and I'm lost.

 

[N4JNW]

Stop at radioshack on your way home and pick up a telescopic antenna. Even if you have all the frequencies programmed right, you're not gonna hear jack until you get an antenna that has some gain..

 

[wh0a]

I looked on their website and didn't see any telescopic antenna. I seen a rubber one and a metal one.

 

[N4JNW]

The metal one is telescopic. When you see it in the store, it's about 6" tall, with a big black cylinder looking thing in the middle. It extends out really big..

The rubber one will work too though. Just get rid of what you've got.

 

[wh0a]

Is this the one you are talking about?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...Type/Scanner/HAM&fbc=1&parentPage=family

If it is the reviews on it on that site are bad.

What about this one?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...1&support=support&tab=custRatings#showReviews

it has good reviews

 

[sjcscanner]

ive never seen an rs-82, but make sure they have the right connections as the 82.both should work, but dont expect to hear anything with that piece of junk you have now unless you live next to the dispatch center. ps. welcome to scanning, once you learn some stuff, it's really fun.

 

[N4JNW]

Either one of those antennas will work good. The first one will probably work better than the second one though. The second one is somewhat flexible however, where the first one is not. That's something you might want to consider if you're going to be taking the scanner with you often. If you plan on having it clipped to your belt or if you plan to take it in the car with you, go with number two. If you plan on only scanning while at home, on the couch, or sittin goutside in a lawnchair, number one will give you best performance.

They'l bothfit the Pro-82. The Pro-82 has a BNC connector, and those antennas are BNC as well.

I beg to differ with the post claiming the Pro-82 as junk. I've owned one.. Honestly it's one of the better scanners I've ever had..

 

[wh0a]

OK I bought the silver one. And I did the reset on it and it's still not picking anything up. Do you have yahoo Im? If so send me a message. Ageconcepts2004@yahoo.com

 

[N4JNW]

Have you programmed in the right frequencies?

Try it on weather band to see if it recieves anything. It should. It it don't recieve any NWS broadcasts, your buddy gave you a bum scanner.

 

[wh0a]

Can you get on Yahoo Instant Messager real fast so I can chat with ya

 

[N4JNW]

No, I'm at my fiancee's place for the weekend. Sorry.

Check out the databse and program in the right frequencies for your area. The Pro-82 also has a service search. Press the orange button, for Police/Fire and let it search. it's probably going to lock up on some data transmissions, but when you find a frequency that has voice, write it down.

Keep searching until you make you a pretty good little list, and then program them all in. That's what I'd do.

 

[wh0a]

When I push the police/fire button it just scans 154. through 157. and repeats. and on the side is has -6- and bank 2 is flashing. I don't know how to program it lol.

 

[N4JNW]

Ok, with it in the mode you listed above, press #3. This will allow it to scan UHF as well. There's lots of police, fire, and ems freqiencies in this band as well. So, now, 2 and 3 should be flashing, and it should scan 154, to 157, and then jump to 450's and scan those.

Programming is easy. Right now, just work on a list of frequencies. After you've got 10 or 15, go back to the memory mode, and it should show channel 1, having 000.0000. Press the PGM key, to enter programming mode, and then type in your frequency. Don't forget the decimal point.

When you've got a frequency entered, press ENT, or ENTER to store it in that channel.

Press PGM again, to advance to channel 2. Enter the next frequency on your list, Press ENT to store it, and PGM again to advance to channel 3.

Eventually, you'll have the whole list programmed in, and when you do, hit scan.

This is the old school way of doing things, but, it guarantees you've entered frequencies that you KNOW you can hear stuff on. Use the database here too. have you checked it out yet? It's easy to navigate. Just choose your state, then choose your county from the list. Then a list will pop up with all the frequencies in use in your area, and a description of what the frequency is, and who it's used by.

 

[wh0a]

Ok I found the local PD on 3977200 how do I program that so it doesn't keep searching?

 

[wh0a]

OK I programmed it. Hard to tell what it is though. sounds like dispatch. I think I got my self in something way over my head.

 

[N4JNW]

You found them on what frequency? That's a Military Aircraft frequency.. The Pro-82 dosen't even do that range.. 397.7200??

When you find a frequency you want to program in, write it down. Search for awhile, program later. That's the quick way to find frequencies. Search until you've got 10 or so, then take a searching break, and program the ones you have jotted down.

Then, search some more, this time, trying to find one's you don't have already. That's the fun of scanning.. Finding new frequencies that just appeared. When you find one thats NOT in the database, be sure to submit it to help the database grow! That's how it's got so big today, the millions of contributions from people just like YOU, who were scanning and found a new frequency.

 

[wh0a]

Sounds like the CHP it's all freeway stuff. not my local like i thought.

 

[N4JNW]

OK I programmed it. Hard to tell what it is though. sounds like dispatch. I think I got my self in something way over my head.

No you've not... Don't feel overwhelmed by the scanner and all the buttons. It's like anything else, it takes learning. Once you learn and master the scanner, you'll get bored with it and want a "bigger" one.. Trust me..