The Radio Shack Pro-60
Multi band FM scanner
At one time, Radio Shack was the place to go for ham,
shortwave, and CB equipment. It was also the place to go for police receivers,
and latter for police
scanners. I got my first 40 channel walkie talkies here,
as well as my first CB base, countless antennas, accessories, and cables. This
is also where I got my initial ham radio test guides, and even a short wave or
two. Sadly, it is a far different company today,
concerning itself mostly with cell phones, and consumer electronics.
It is still possible to get police scanners here, as well as CB radios; but most of this kind of stuff is now special order. I was fortunate enough to pick up a neat little hand held scanner, back in the heyday of the hobby. This is a 200 channel scanner, that has coverage from 30Mhz - 512Mhz, and then from 760Mhz - 1000Mhz. This is pretty good coverage, and handles just about everything. Various widths and steps can be programmed in, though the unit does have default settings, which are shown in the spec section at the bottom.
The unit is pretty versatile and pretty nice. I have had it for years, with never a problem. The only real disadvantage of the unit is that is was designed before radio trunking became really common, and is thus unable to follow trunked communications. Still, not everyone trunks, and there is quite a bit that can be heard with a traditional scanner.
The 200 channels are broken up into ten bands of twenty frequencies each. There is also an extra ten channel band used to scan and monitor unknown frequencies. The various bands can be selectively enabled or locked out during scan. These are not bands, in the traditional sense of the word, as the contained frequencies do not have to be adjacent. They are more like work groups.
Frequencies may be acquired by manually inputting them on the keyboard, or by setting a search. The receiver automatically determines whether the signal should be received as AM or as wide or narrow FM. I get great range and clarity on this radio. My only complaint is that the audio can be a little quiet.
I use this as my main
radio for casual scanning. It generally sits clipped to the side of my station.
The BNC connector allows me to connect to my base antennas, and an external
power adapter frees me from worries about dead batteries. With 20 MHz - 1 GHz
coverage, 200 channels, and connection to my big base antennas, this is all the
scanner I usually need.
The unit is nicely
built, almost reminding me of a police or pro grade radio. The rubber antenna
attaches through a BNC connector. Volume and squelch are controlled by a
pair of knobs at the top of the unit, while
everything else is controlled
through a lockable rubber keyed pad on the front face.
The unit takes six AA batteries, which can be charged inside of the unit. Batteries fit into a holder that slips into the bottom of the radio. Battery life is good, and a full charge takes 10 - 12 hours. Radio Shack sells a charger and a nine volt AC power supply. These can be hooked up to a pair of jacks on the side of the unit. The radio can be charged during scanning operation.
I have had this radio for well over a decade, and will probably have it for a long time to come. Technology has given us radios which are far more feature laden and capable; but I still don't consider the old Pro-60 to be obsolete.
Manual
I have searched all over the web, in an attempt to find a copy of the manual, and have been unable to find one. The closest I have come, is the series of linked text files on Radio Shack's site. I have a link to them below.
http://support.radioshack.com/support_electronics/15359.htm
Pro-60 (200-0309)
Specifications
Frequency Coverage:
30.0-87.4950 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
87.5-107.9500 MHz (in 50 kHz steps)
108.0-136.9750 MHz (in 25 kHz steps)
137.0-224.9950 MHz (in 5 kHz steps)
225.0-399.9875 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
400.0-512.0000 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
760.0-824.0000 MHz (in 12.5 MHz steps)
849.0-869.0000 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
894.0-999.9875 MHz (in 12.5 kHz steps)
Total Channels:................................210 (20 channels x 10 banks)
(10 monitor channels)
Sensitivity:
(FM 20 dB (S+N)/N at 3 kHz deviation):
30-512 MHz:......................................................1 microV
760-999.9875 MHz:................................................1 microV
(AM 20 dB (S+N)/N at 60 % modulation):
30-512 MHz:......................................................2 microV
760-999.9875 MHz:................................................2 microV
(WFM 30 dB (S+N)/N at 45 kHz deviation):
30-512 MHz:......................................................3 microV
760-999.9875 MHz:................................................3 microV
Spurious Rejection: (FM at 328 MHz):..................................40 dB
Selectivity:
(FM/AM):
+/-10 kHz,..........................................................-6 dB
+/-15 kHz,.........................................................-30 dB
(WFM):
+/-100 kHz,.........................................................-6 dB
+/-200 kHz,........................................................-50 dB
IF Rejection Ratio:
611.2 MHz at 512 MHz:...............................................50 dB
Scanning Rate:.............................................25 channels/sec.
Search Rate:..................................................50 steps/sec.
Priority Sampling:................................................2 seconds
Delay Time:.......................................................2 seconds
Audio Output Power:..........................................10% THD 180 mW
IF Frequencies:
1st:....................................................608.005-611.2 MHz
2nd:...............................................................45 MHz
3rd (WFM):.......................................................10.7 MHz
3rd (FM/AM):......................................................455 kHz
Squelch Sensitivity:
Threshold (FM/AM):...................................Less than 0.5 microV
Threshold (WFM):.......................................Less than 3 microV
Tight (FM/AM):..............................................(S+N)/N 25 dB
Tight (WFM):................................................(S+N)/N 40 dB
Antenna Impedance:..................................................50 ohms
Built-in Speaker:.............................1 3/8" (36 mm) 8 ohm, dynamic
Power Requirement:....................................+9 VDC, 6AA Batteries
or a suitable adapter (negative ground only)
Current Drain (Squelched):...........................................100 mA
Operating Temperature:....................+ 14 degrees F to + 140 degrees F
(-10 degrees C to +60 degrees C)
Residual Noise:.........................Volume control, set to its minimum,
squelched 3 - 5 mV
Channels of Operation:.............Any 200 channels in any band combination
Channels, frequency, and mode display:...............Liquid Crystal Display
Receiving System:..............Direct key entry digital-control synthesizer
1st IF: 608.005 - 611.2 MHz
2nd IF: 45 MHz
3rd IF: 10.7 MHz (WFM), 455 KHz (NFM/AM)
Power Source:.....................................9VDC negative ground only
6 AA batteries or a suitable adapter
Jacks:.........................Antenna, earphone, external power and charge
Receiving System:..............Direct key entry digital-control synthesizer
1st IF: 608.005-611.2 MHz
2nd IF: 45 MHz
3rd IF: 10.7 MHz (WFM), 455 kHz (NFM/AM)
Dimensions:............................6 5/16 x 2 7/16 x 2 1/8 inches (HWD)
(160 x 62 x 54 mm)
Weight (without antenna and batteries):.....................Approx. 8.8 oz.
(250 g)