Realistic PRO-2009 scanner - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

woodchips · 2nd Apr 2019, 5:15 pm

This turned up in a pile of bits and pieces.

Not really certain exactly what it is, scans radio frequencies, walkie-talkies?

Anyway, attached an aerial to it, another aerial to the RF sig gen, output AM modulation at 50% and 0bBm.

Scanner looks at 68-88MHz, 144-174MHz and 410-512MHz, setting sig gen to a frequency within each range and scanner continues searching.

Is it dead? Am I dead? what is it expecting please.

John KC0G · 2nd Apr 2019, 6:05 pm

It is an 8-channel programmable scanner for the bands 30-50 MHz, 144-174 MHz and 410-512 MHz.

You can find basic information from:
https://web.archive.org/web/20170219...oc16/16758.htm
and
https://web.archive.org/web/20020225...oc16/16760.htm
It seems that Radio Shack have now limited direct access to their support pages. These are links via webarchive.org

The radio is looking at narrow band FM modulation. AM modulation will not give any output.

It seems that this scanner dates back to ca. 1995, and possibly earlier. A quick web search suggests that it make have come in two versions: the earlier one with a square case, and the later one with a sloping front.

HTH and 73

John

mole42uk · 2nd Apr 2019, 6:32 pm

I used to get airband on mine, I didn’t know it was only FM.

G6Tanuki · 2nd Apr 2019, 6:57 pm

The versions sold in the US and UK are likely to have had different frequency-coverage and channel-step programming [certainly this was the case with lots of 1970s/1980s bearcat/uniden scanners].

Don't get confused by using a Web-sourced US-model schematic/spec-sheet when yours could be a UK-spec model!

Biggles · 2nd Apr 2019, 8:13 pm

0dBm is a big signal to inject. I would have thought most scanners of that sort would have breakthrough right across the band, if you did that. You could try programming a random frequency (within the spec of the radio) into one of the memories and injecting the appropriate signal into the antenna socket and see if it stops scanning and receives. Try setting the generator at about -80dBm and FM modulated at about 1.5KHz at an audio frequency of 1KHz and if it is working, you should hear a tone. Drop the signal to around -107dBm and it should still be receiving, if a bit noisy. Even with no signal input, backing off the squelch or mute control should create a lot of hiss in the speaker. If no sound at all, it's worth trying an external speaker plugged in as the internal one may be faulty or the earphone jack may be intermittent.

Alan.

SiriusHardware · 3rd Apr 2019, 6:08 pm

My Realistic Pro-34 handheld scanner from the first half of the nineties automatically switched to AM reception mode when the frequency was within the VHF airband. The set didn't have an AM/FM mode setting, it just picked the mode according to the frequency.

2nd Apr 2019, 5:15 pm	#1
woodchips Octode Join Date: May 2010 Location: Grantham, Lincolnshire, UK. Posts: 1,177	Realistic PRO-2009 scanner This turned up in a pile of bits and pieces. Not really certain exactly what it is, scans radio frequencies, walkie-talkies? Anyway, attached an aerial to it, another aerial to the RF sig gen, output AM modulation at 50% and 0bBm. Scanner looks at 68-88MHz, 144-174MHz and 410-512MHz, setting sig gen to a frequency within each range and scanner continues searching. Is it dead? Am I dead? what is it expecting please.

2nd Apr 2019, 6:05 pm	#2
John KC0G Hexode Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Posts: 279	Re: Realistic PRO-2009 scanner It is an 8-channel programmable scanner for the bands 30-50 MHz, 144-174 MHz and 410-512 MHz. You can find basic information from: https://web.archive.org/web/20170219...oc16/16758.htm and https://web.archive.org/web/20020225...oc16/16760.htm It seems that Radio Shack have now limited direct access to their support pages. These are links via webarchive.org The radio is looking at narrow band FM modulation. AM modulation will not give any output. It seems that this scanner dates back to ca. 1995, and possibly earlier. A quick web search suggests that it make have come in two versions: the earlier one with a square case, and the later one with a sloping front. HTH and 73 John

2nd Apr 2019, 6:32 pm	#3
mole42uk Nonode Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Resolven, Wales; and Bristol, England Posts: 2,614	Re: Realistic PRO-2009 scanner I used to get airband on mine, I didn’t know it was only FM. __________________ Richard Index: recursive loop: see recursive loop

2nd Apr 2019, 6:57 pm	#4
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 14,007	Re: Realistic PRO-2009 scanner The versions sold in the US and UK are likely to have had different frequency-coverage and channel-step programming [certainly this was the case with lots of 1970s/1980s bearcat/uniden scanners]. Don't get confused by using a Web-sourced US-model schematic/spec-sheet when yours could be a UK-spec model!

2nd Apr 2019, 8:13 pm	#5
Biggles Rest in Peace Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Hexham, Northumberland, UK. Posts: 2,234	Re: Realistic PRO-2009 scanner 0dBm is a big signal to inject. I would have thought most scanners of that sort would have breakthrough right across the band, if you did that. You could try programming a random frequency (within the spec of the radio) into one of the memories and injecting the appropriate signal into the antenna socket and see if it stops scanning and receives. Try setting the generator at about -80dBm and FM modulated at about 1.5KHz at an audio frequency of 1KHz and if it is working, you should hear a tone. Drop the signal to around -107dBm and it should still be receiving, if a bit noisy. Even with no signal input, backing off the squelch or mute control should create a lot of hiss in the speaker. If no sound at all, it's worth trying an external speaker plugged in as the internal one may be faulty or the earphone jack may be intermittent. Alan.

3rd Apr 2019, 6:08 pm	#6
SiriusHardware Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 11,586	Re: Realistic PRO-2009 scanner My Realistic Pro-34 handheld scanner from the first half of the nineties automatically switched to AM reception mode when the frequency was within the VHF airband. The set didn't have an AM/FM mode setting, it just picked the mode according to the frequency.