Wanted Pro-51 Mods
Nichols Scott
Anybody know anything???
e-mail me at snic...@csc.com
Andy Domonkos
There is an interesting test mode in the PRO-51 that, combined with the
direct
search feature of the scanner, lets you pick up out-of-band frequencies.
You
will have full access to the 66-88 Mhz ranges as well as the cellular base
range of 869-896 Mhz.
Actually, there are several test modes in the PRO-51 (most of these
comments
should be true for any Uniden-made Radio Shack scanner, such as the
PRO-46).
I'll describe them first and then how to take advantage of one of them to
get
the restricted frequencies.
There are three data test modes. These modes completely destroy any
frequencies
you had programmed into your scanner, so it's best to use these techniques
before you program your scanner. If you have already programmed it,
you'll have
to decide if these new capabilities are worth reprogramming.
Test mode 0. Clear the scanner.
A well-known method of clearing the scanner to all zeros is to hold down
the 2
key, the 9 key, and turn on the scanner. All frequencies will be lost.
TEST MODE 1. Fill channels 1-25 with test frequencies.
Press the 2 key, the 9 key, the L/Out key, and turn on the scanner.
This fills channels 1-25 with these frequencies:
1 30.050
2 40.840
3 49.900
4 138.150
5 162.400
6 173.225
7 406.875
8 453.250
9 511.9125
10 108.500
11 118.800
12 127.175
13 135.500
14 66.450*
15 76.825*
16 87.425*
17 157.800
18 482.3625
19 29.000
20 54.000
21 806.000
22 857.200
23 888.96*
24 911.500
25 954.9125
* indicates not within the PRO-51's normal coverage. More on how to use
these
in a minute.
TEST MODE 2. Fill channels 1-17 with test frequencies.
Press 2, 9, Manual
Fills channels 1-17 with these frequencies:
30.00, 40.00, 50.00, 140.00, 155.00, 170.00, 410.00, 460.00, 510.00,
54.00,
109.00, 118.00, 127.00, 135.00, 810.00, 860.00, 950.00.
There is also a display diagnostic mode.
Display Test Mode.
Press 2, 9, Band or 2, 9, Moni.
This put the display in test mode. Every annunciator and every digit
element is
turned on in a scan from the left side of the display to the right. To
keep
this test mode continuous, release the buttons before the first scan
finishes.
This mode does not affect stored memory. Press any key to exit this
display
mode.
Now, if you've decided to try test mode 1, you will find several
out-of-band
frequencies stored in your memory channels. Channels 14-16 hold
frequencies in
the blocked out 66-88 Mhz range, and channel 23 holds a frequency in the
blocked out cellular base range. Once you have these frequencies stored
in a
memory channel, the PRO-51's direct search feature will let you search
though
these ranges. In the cellular band, the scanner searches in the correct
30 Khz
steps.
You don't have to keep these frequencies in these channels. You can move
them
to any channel in the scanner. First move them to a monitor channel.
While on a channel with one of these frequencies, open squelch completely.
Press direct search button, either up or down. The direct search button
puts
the scanner into search mode and the open squelch holds the frequency.
Then
press the Monitor button. The frequency is now in the monitor channel
indicated
in the display.
Now you can move it to any regular memory channel in the scanner.
Enter the channel number
Press PROG
Press Monitor
Press the number of the monitor channel if the proper channel is not
displayed
Press E(nter)
The frequency is now permanently stored in the memory channel. You can do
a
direct search from this memory channel at any time.
The 66-88 Mhz range mainly covers TV audio. However, there is a strange
phenomenon concerning TV audio and the PRO-51. Channels 4, 5, and 6 audio
fall
within the 66-88 Mhz range, yet the PRO-51 will not pick up the audio
frequency
while searching in this range. However, TV channel 2 audio is at 59.75
Mhz.
When you add the intermediate frequency of 21.6 Mhz, you get an image of
the TV
channel 2 audio appearing at 81.35 Mhz. This does come in, although raspy,
since the PRO-51 is receiving in narrow FM mode while TV audio requires
wide
band FM mode for proper reception.
I'd be interested in anyone can verify that any of these test modes work
on the
PRO-46 or any other Uniden-made Radio Shack scanner.
The test modes I've described as modes 0 and 1 (clearing all channels and
plugging in test freqs in the first 20 channels) have been around since
the
BC200XLT (I think also the BC100XLT). They also appear in the BC2500XLT,
although I couldn't find any other test modes in that scanner. The
BC220XLT
allows you to do a display element test mode, but, unlike Jeff, I haven't
confirmed any other modes as I don't want to wipe out all my channels. I
expect
that Uniden-made Radio Shack scanners will have at least these two modes
and
may have the other modes as well. I'm hoping a PRO-46 owner will test
this for
us.
I wish I could take the credit for coming up with this trick, although
it's
ironic that I had all of the relevant info in my head...I just didn't put
it
together.
The basis for this trick came from Glenn Cohen of Scanners Unlimited who
was
told this by someone who walked into his store. Glenn confirmed it with
Larry
Van Horn at Monitoring Times. I independently discovered modes 3 and 4,
which,
to my knowledge, have never been published before.
I did find the display test mode works on the BC220XLT but didn't want to
lose
all my memories to try the others. Thanks for biting the bullet and
seeing what
happens on yours! Of course, without the RS direct search feature, the
test
freqs in the Uniden-label scanners don't do much good.
Jerry Dallal
> Note that the test feature will not work on newer PRO-51's.
*What* new PRO-51? Can you specify a part number, serial number, or
manufacturing date (<mo>A<yr>)? Isn't the point of the current sale
to get rid of the PRO-51 entirely?
Kenneth Lee
Some lady at Rat Shack told me that after implementing the standard mods on
the Pro-51, you can only direct access frequencies and can't scan them
or store them in banks. Is this true? Also, are the mods permanent, i.e.,
if you turn of the unit or take the batteries out, will they still remain?
Thanks,
Ken
--
kv...@cco.caltech.edu | Caltech | GO
kv...@romeo.caltech.edu | MCS #614 | CALTECH
dm...@po.cwru.edu | Pasadena, CA 91126-0001 | BEAVERS
"The actuality of thought is life." --Aristotle
Gary Palmer
>> There is an interesting test mode in the PRO-51 that, combined with the
>> direct
>> search feature of the scanner, lets you pick up out-of-band frequencies.
>Note that the test feature will not work on newer PRO-51's.
Question: how can you tell the difference between an older PRO-51 vs.
the newer PRO-51? Did they append an "A" to the part number, like they
did to the PRO-2006 with the light on/off vs light dummer switch?
If I were interested in a purchase and wanted to know the difference,
would I have to fire up a new unit and actually go through the keystrokes
to find out?
Does anyone have proof that there are two different versions of the PRO-51
out there. It surprises me a bit, seeing how new this unit is.
Finally, does anyone know of any desirable enhancement of the newer unit
that the old one lacked?
Thanks in advance.
Gary Ross
(Andy Domonkos) wrote:
>
Stuff deleted
>
>
> There is an interesting test mode in the PRO-51 that, combined with the
> direct
> search feature of the scanner, lets you pick up out-of-band frequencies.
Note that the test feature will not work on newer PRO-51's.
Gary
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The ramblings expressed above do not reflect the opinions of LLNL.
Gary Ross Ro...@NOVAX.LLNL.GOV
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Ros...@eworld.com
NOVA Laser Operations Ros...@aol.com
P.O. Box 808, L-489
Livermore, CA 94551
Matthew B Cravit
: Some lady at Rat Shack told me that after implementing the standard mods on
: the Pro-51, you can only direct access frequencies and can't scan them
: or store them in banks. Is this true? Also, are the mods permanent, i.e.,
: if you turn of the unit or take the batteries out, will they still remain?
Ken:
1. Standard frequencies can still be accessed normally. The cellular
frequencies can be stored in memory, by putting them into a monitor
memory and then moving them into a bank (see the manual).
2. So far as I can tell with my Pro-51, the mod remains until you
reset the unit again.
/Matthew
--
Matthew Cravit, N9VWG | Finger crav...@cps.msu.edu
Michigan State University | for a random quotation
E-Mail: crav...@cps.msu.edu +-----------------------------
PGP 2.3 public key available from http://web.cps.msu.edu/~cravitma
Chuck Turco
frequencies), and saw the "forbidden" frequency in bank
one.
Now that I'm feeling a bit riskier, and would like to set up
programmed limits (so the scanner automatically loops between
870 and 890).
Is there a more permanent (hardware) mod for the Pro-51
that allows direct entry of cellular freq's?
Thanks,
Chuck
ce...@cec.wustl.edu
--
Chuck Turco
Washington University in St. Louis, School of Engineering
ce...@cec1.wustl.edu
Steve Henderson
: In article <okuIkiub...@access.digex.net>, domo...@access.digex.net
: (Andy Domonkos) wrote:
: >
: Stuff deleted
: >
: >
: > There is an interesting test mode in the PRO-51 that, combined with the
: > direct
: > search feature of the scanner, lets you pick up out-of-band frequencies.
: Note that the test feature will not work on newer PRO-51's.
How do you tell a "newer" PRO-51 ????
: Gary
: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
: The ramblings expressed above do not reflect the opinions of LLNL.
:
:
: