TRX-2E Searching: Spectrum Sweeper, Service & Limit Search

Summary: The three ways the TRX-2E can find active frequencies you haven’t programmed, the UK service search menu and how to put a service search on the WX key.

The Three Searches

• Spectrum Sweeper – sweeps rapidly through frequency ranges in 1 MHz blocks. The guide says it is more sensitive than the frequency-counter method used in some scanners, and lets you lock out and keep searching in the same band.
• Service Search – searches the frequencies used by a list of radio services, which depends on your bandplan.
• Limit Search – searches a range you define.

Service Search Lists

The guide’s UK Service Search menu lists U/VHF AM, Mosque, Amateur, CB UK, VHF Mar and PMR446; the 2022 addendum’s UK list adds Public Safety. Other bandplans have their own lists; for example the Australian one has U/VHF AM, CB UHF, Amateur, CB 27 MHz, VHF Mar AU and FRS/GMRS/MURS. See TRX-2E Bandplans & Frequency Coverage.

Spectrum Sweeper

1. Main Menu, Search, then Spectrum Sweeper.
2. Choose All Bands or Public Safety and press right to start.
3. Press MENU to stop and open the Sweeper menu, where you can choose fewer bands.

Service Search

1. Search, Service Search, choose a service and press right.
2. Press MENU to stop and open the service menu.

Assigning a Service Search to the WX key:

1. Program Menu, Global Settings.
2. Press down three times to show WxK.
3. Use left/right to choose the country-specific service search for the key.
4. Press MENU then SEL to save.

Limit Search

1. Search, Limit Search; the search starts immediately.
2. Press MENU, scroll to Lo, press right, enter the lowest frequency and press SEL. Do the same for Hi.
3. Press right to continue, or MENU to stop.

Saving a Found Frequency

Press MENU and choose Store Channel, then SEL. The frequency is added to the default scanlist and named after the search type.

Search Settings

Press MENU while a search is running:

• All searches: Atten (on/off), Zeromatic (on/off) and Delay (how long to wait after a transmission).
• Spectrum Sweeper: Special Mode skips a 1 MHz block where you have skipped five or more frequencies (useful near many strong transmitters), and Frequency Ranges focuses the search.
• Service Search: Frequency Ranges and Rx Mode (automatic, or forced AM or FM; works in the VHF/UHF (AM) and Amateur searches).
• Limit Search: Lo and Hi.

To display and save found CTCSS, DCS or NAC codes, see TRX-2E Programming Conventional Channels & Editing Objects.