C. Crane CC Skywave SSB User manual

PLEASE READ ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS
COMPLETELY BEFORE USE AND SAVE
THIS MANUAL FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
INSTRUCTION MANUAL

CC Skywave SSB Page 3
The CC Skywave SSB radio opens the door to a fantastic world of information and entertainment at home
or on the go. The standard AM and FM bands allow for listening to local radio stations near your home, or
around the world when traveling. In the USA, Canada and parts of northern Mexico local weather
information, forecasts and warnings are available at the touch of a button on the WX (weather) band. The
AIR band enables reception of both aircraft and air tra󰀩c control (ATC) at or near airports, or just about
anywhere on or near land within about 200 miles. For long distance listening, the Skywave SSB covers
the international shortwave bands (SW). In addition to standard SW broadcast stations such as BBC,
VOA, Radio Japan and many others, the Skywave SSB can, using the special built-in SSB (single
sideband) mode, receive ham radio operators, long-range aviation (commercial and military), maritime,
space and even spy transmissions from all over the world, no satellites or Internet required! Have fun and
enjoy the amazing tool of adventure and discovery you now have in your hands! If you have any
questions about your radio, please give us a call or check out ccrane.com.
Introduction

Page 4 CC Skywave SSB
Owners Record
For your future reference:
Serial No. (Found inside battery compartment) _____________________________________________
Date of purchase ____________________________________________________________________
Name & address of dealer _____________________________________________________________
Unpacking
The box should contain the CC Skywave SSB, CC Buds earphones, Carry Case, Shortwave Antenna,
Warranty card, and this manual. If anything is missing or damaged, please contact your dealer
immediately. We recommend you keep the packaging in the unlikely event your radio will need servicing.

CC Skywave SSB Page 5
Safety Instructions
CAUTION
• Before turning the unit on, set your volume control to a low setting.
• Slowly increase the sound until you can hear it comfortably and clearly without distortion.
• Long-term exposure to loud sounds may cause hearing damage. It is best to avoid high volume levels
when using headphones/earbuds, especially for extended periods.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read and understand all safety and operating instructions before the radio is operated.
2. Heat: Never put the radio in direct sunlight in an unventilated area or behind glass like a car’s interior.
The appliance should be away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
appliances that produce heat.
3. lf the radio is left unattended and unused for long periods of time, remove the batteries. The batteries
may leak and damage furniture or your radio.
4. The user should not attempt to service the appliance beyond that described in the operating
instructions.
5..Although very high quality parts were used in the manufacturing of your radio, buttons, knobs, and dials
should be operated with a light touch for best longevity.
6. All other servicing should be referred to qualied service personnel. WARNING: DO NOT CHARGE
ALKALINE BATTERIES. Use only the recommended power adapter that we supply for recharging
NiMH batteries.

Page 6 CC Skywave SSB
Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................
Owners Record...........................................
Safety Instructions......................................
Radio Operation
lnstalling the Batteries.................................
Radio Identication Display ........................
Quickstart Guide.........................................
Powering Radio/Sleep Timer......................
Up and Down Tuning Buttons.....................
Memory Presets..........................................
AM/FM/NOAA Weather Alert.......................
Frequency Button........................................
Page Button/Changing Tone.......................
Light/ATS Button - Using ATS.....................
Lock Button.................................................
Meter/Stereo-Changing Meter Bands.........
Speaker.......................................................
Activate 9/10 kHz Tuning/Expand FM.........
Bandwidth/Charge Button...........................
Fine Tune/Alarm.........................................
Setting the Alarm........................................
USB/LSB - Time Set Button........................
3
4
5
7
8
10
11
11
11
12
12
12
13
14
14
14
15
15
16
16
17
SSB - 12/24 Hour Button.............................
WX/SW/AIR Button.....................................
About the Weather Band..............................
About the Air Band.......................................
Scanning Airband Presets............................
About the Shortwave Band..........................
Using the CC Portable SW Antenna............
FM/WX/AIR/SW Antenna.............................
Tuning Knob/Squelch Mode.........................
Volume Control.............................................
Earphone Jack.............................................
USB Power/Charging Jack...........................
Back Stand...................................................
Battery Compartment...................................
Reset Hole...................................................
Disable Beep Sound....................................
Designate Frequency or Clock Display........
Reset all Settings.......................................
Troubleshooting Guide..............................
Specications...............................................
Accessories..................................................
Firmware Revisions......................................
18
18
19
19
20
20
20
21
21
22
22
22
23
23
23
24
24
24
25
27
28
29

CC Skywave SSB Page 7
DO NOT USE LITHIUM BATTERIES.
1. Position the radio face down on a soft surface to protect it.
2. Remove the battery cover by applying pressure and sliding downwards towards the bottom of the radio.
3. Insert the two (2) “AA” alkaline or NiMH cell batteries into the compartment as indicated. Be sure the
negative (-) end of the battery is against the spring.
4. Replace the battery cover. You are now ready to operate your radio.
Note: You will have 30 seconds after
batteries are removed before the clock
and alarm settings are lost. We
recommend having your new batteries
ready to insert quickly after removing the
old ones.
In our test, (going slowly) it took us about
15 seconds to add the new batteries
after removing the old ones. The memory
presets and other settings are stored
in permanent memory so they will not
be lost if the radio is unpowered for a
duration of time.
Installing the Batteries
“AA” Batteries (2)

Page 8 CC Skywave SSB
Radio Identication - Display

CC Skywave SSB Page 9
Upper Sideband Activated
Lower Sideband Activated
Fine Tuning for SSB Activated
Alarm Set for Radio Station
Alarm is Activated
Radio is Locked
Tuning Speed with Knob
Sleep Timer is Activated
Squelch
Audio Filter for Music or Voice
Battery Icon/ Charge Indicator
Page Number (for station memories)
Station Memories 0-9
Weather Band Indicator
Weather Alert is Activated
Reception Signal Strength
Band Indicators (AM, SW, AIR, FM)
Frequency/Time
Stereo FM Reception
Single Sideband Activated
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
M.
N.
O.
P.
Q.
R.
S.
T.
Radio Identication - Display
See diagram Page 8.

Page 10 CC Skywave SSB
Here are a few tips for those new to tuning Single Sideband (SSB) voice transmissions:
1. Use the WX/SW/AIR button to switch to the SW (shortwave) bands. On the keypad press the FREQ
button and enter the lower frequency of one of the ham bands like 7125. Press the SSB button. Make
sure the display shows LSB (lower sideband), if it shows USB (upper sideband), then press the USB/
LSB button to go to the LSB mode. LSB is the standard mode on 3600-4000kHz and 7125-7300kHz.
2. It is recommended to fully extend the whip antenna.
3. Go to the slow 1 kHz tuning mode by pressing the main dial inward and releasing. Start tuning up the
band. When you hear an odd sounding duck-like voice, use the main tuning dial to tune the signal until it
sounds as good as possible, then press the FINE TUNE button and tune the main dial in the ne-tuning
mode until the voice sounds normal.
4. Listening suggestions:
a. Daytime - try: 7125-7300kHz (LSB), 14150-14325kHz (USB) or 21200-21450kHz (USB)
b. Nighttime - try: 3600-4000kHz (LSB) or 7125-7300kHz (LSB)
Note: Radio conditions on SW change every day like the weather. Sometimes you may hear many
stations on the air, and sometimes just a few or even none. Evenings and weekends tend to be the best
times to listen. There is more to learn by going to www.ccrane.com or searching the Web.
Quickstart Guide for SSB

CC Skywave SSB Page 11
1. Power Button - Sleep Timer
To turn the radio “ON” press and release the red power button. To activate the Sleep Timer, press and hold
the red power button while the radio is o󰀨. The display will cycle through minutes 120, 90, 60, 45, 30, 15,
and OFF. Release the power button to activate the sleep setting you desire. The radio will remember your
last Sleep Timer setting for the next time you activate it. The Sleep Timer will automatically shut o󰀨 the
radio after the set amount of time expires.
2. Up and Down Tuning Buttons
Press once quickly to tune to the next frequency
increment. Press and hold for 2 seconds to
automatically tune to the next strong station. Hold
continuously to cycle through the whole band.
3. Memory Preset Buttons 0-9
Save your favorite stations to memory buttons. To
save a station, press and hold any memory button
for 2 seconds while the station is playing. To play
a saved station, press the same button once
quickly. Note: The CC Skywave SSB is a “smart”
radio and will remember current settings when a
station is preset into memory. The current settings
that will be saved with your station are: 1. Stereo
or Mono selection on FM. 2. Bandwidth selection
on AM, Shortwave, or Air bands. 3. Tone settings.
1
2
3
Radio Operation

Page 12 CC Skywave SSB
Radio Operation
4. AM/FM/NOAA Weather Alert
Press the AM/FM button once quickly to switch between AM and FM bands. For NOAA Weather Alert:
Press and hold this button to activate the weather alert for 4, 8, or 16 hours. Release button to make
selection. To disable alert, press and hold this button for 2 seconds. Note: While the radio is OFF with
ALERT activated, it will continue to use the same amount of power as if the radio were fully ON. The light
will continue to ash indicating alert is ON and working. Turning the alert OFF when not needed will help
conserve batteries.
5. Frequency Button
When you are in your selected band, this button lets you directly enter the frequency number of your
desired station using the number buttons. For example, to play 1480 kHz in the AM band, quickly press
the FREQ button and then enter 1, 4, 8, O using the number buttons. Note: When manually entering SW
frequencies 2300 to 2610, you must press the FREQ button after entry.
6. Page Button/Changing Tone
Each memory page allows you to save 10 additional stations per band. To change to a di󰀨erent page,
press the PAGE button once quickly, then press any memory button 0-9 to select the Page that you desire.
To change between Music and Voice tones, press and hold this button for two seconds. Display will switch
between ‘Music’ and ‘Voice’.

CC Skywave SSB Page 13
7. Light/ATS Button
When using batteries, if the LIGHT button is
pressed, then the display light will turn on for
20 seconds. When using the AC Adapter (sold
separately), if the LIGHT button is pressed with
radio ON, then the display light will remain on
all the time. Press the LIGHT button again to
turn o󰀨 the display light. If you press any button
thereafter, the light will only turn on for 10
seconds. Note: It is not possible to keep the
display light OFF all the time.
- Automatic Tuning System (ATS).
This feature programs all receivable stations in
the AM, FM, Air and Shortwave bands to
memory buttons. To use ATS, select your
desired band: AM, FM, Air or Shortwave, and
press and hold the ATS button for two seconds.
The CC Skywave SSB will scan the entire band
and automatically set all available stations in
sequence 1-10. If more than 10 stations are
available then the remaining stations will be
preset to the next memory page, and so on.
7
6
5
4
Radio Operation

Page 14 CC Skywave SSB
8. Lock Button
The lock button will disable all buttons and controls, except the volume control. A Key icon will display on
the screen when the radio is locked. To enable the lock, press and hold the lock button for two
seconds. To disable press and hold again for two seconds. If the lock button is pressed one time quickly
then the display screen will toggle between frequency and clock for 10 seconds.
9. Meter - Stereo Button & Changing Meter Bands
In the Shortwave Band, the METER/STEREO button will change between popular Broadcast Meter Bands.
In SSB mode, the METER/STEREO button will change between popular Amateur Radio Bands.
Note: Your last used frequency in each meter band will be automatically remembered for later access.
TIP: To scan only the current meter band for an active frequency, press and hold the METER/STEREO
button for 3 seconds.
-Stereo or Mono Reception
In the FM band the METER/ STEREO button will cycle between stereo and mono FM reception. Typically,
FM Mono will have better reception than FM Stereo.
Note: If a station does not broadcast in stereo or the radio cannot lock onto the stereo signal, the radio will
only receive FM mono and the stereo symbol will not be displayed.
10. Speaker
The speaker will be disabled when headphones are plugged into the headphone jack.
Radio Operation

CC Skywave SSB Page 15
Radio Operation
11. Activate 9 or 10 kHz Tuning Button - Expand
FM Band - Many parts of the world, including Europe,
use 9 kHz tuning steps for the AM band. 10 kHz tuning
steps for AM are used in the USA and other regions.
Switch tuning steps by holding the 9/10 kHz button for
two seconds with the radio turned o󰀨. When tuning,
steps that are set to 9 kHz the FM Band will also be
expanded to cover 76-108 MHz (FM band in Japan).
12. Bandwidth/Charge Button - Bandwidth Filters
(for AM, SW, SSB, and Airband only) On AM, SW,
and AIR bands there are ve bandwidth settings that
can be used to lter out unwanted noise or adjacent
overlapping stations. On SSB there are six bandwidths
available. Quickly press the BAND WIDTH button to
view the current selection. Press it again to choose the
setting that sounds best to you. A narrow bandwidth of
1 kHz may work best when receiving a weak or noisy
signal. For strong local signals 6 kHz is usually best,
especially for music. If the station is changed then the
radio will return to the default bandwidth setting. By
default, the CC Skywave SSB is set to 3 kHz
bandwidth for good audio, noise ltering, and voice
duality. The default bandwidth can be changed by
10 12 11 98

Page 16 CC Skywave SSB
Radio Operation
holding down the bandwidth button for more than ve seconds with the power OFF. Release the button to
choose the displayed selection.
Tip - AM/SW: Scan tuning on AM and Shortwave works best when keeping the default bandwidth setting
of 3 kHz.
Tip - SSB: Best SSB reception is normally achieved with the BAND WIDTH set to 3 kHz. When noise is
low and there is no interference from nearby stations, a BAND WIDTH setting of 4 kHz will provide
higher delity audio.
-Charging: Use the CC Skywave SSB to recharge your NiMH type batteries. Supply power to the CC
Skywave SSB from AC power adapter (not included). With the radio powered OFF, press and release the
CHARGE button one time to begin charging. The battery icon on the display will begin to cycle
indicating that the batteries are charging. Charging will continue for 10 hours or until the batteries are full.
If you turn the radio on during the charge cycle, the battery icon may indicate charging although it is
not. Please be sure to keep the radio turned OFF when charging. WARNING - DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
CHARGE ALKALINE OR OTHER NON-NiMH BATTERIES. SEE PAGE 5 FOR SAFETY
INSTRUCTIONS.
13. Fine Tune/Alarm Button
Fine tune SSB with 10 Hz resolution for better audio/reception. While in SSB mode, press the FINE TUNE
button once quickly, then rotate the tuning knob until the desired resolution is achieved. When nished,
press the FINE TUNE button again to exit.
- Setting the Alarm: With the radio powered o󰀨, press and hold the ALARM button for two seconds. While
the hour is ashing, press the or tuning buttons (or rotate knob) until the hour ALARM and AM/PM
time is correct.

CC Skywave SSB Page 17
14
13
Press the ALARM button again to adjust the minutes.
When nished, press the ALARM button again to
conrm. To disable alarm, press the ALARM
button for three seconds. By default, the alarm will
wake you with a beep. To wake to a radio station, press
the #5 button during alarm setup. A speaker icon
displays on the screen indicating that the alarm will
wake to the previous radio station played. It is best
to check the station frequency and adjust the volume
level to your wake-up preference before going to sleep
to ensure that is just how you want it. When the alarm
sounds, press the power button to turn the alarm o󰀨, or
press any other button to sleep for 10 more minutes.
14. USB - LSB - Time Set Button
Change between Upper (USB) and Lower (LSB)
sideband while in SSB mode. Since there are two
sidebands to each frequency you can choose which
sideband you want. There may be two di󰀨erent
broadcasts on the same frequency with SSB so you
must choose which to listen to with this button. Press
the USB LSB button to cycle between Upper and
Lower sidebands.
Radio Operation

Page 18 CC Skywave SSB
Radio Operation
Setting the Time: With the power o󰀨, press and hold the TIME SET button for two seconds. While the
hour is ashing, press the tuning buttons (or rotate knob) until the hour and AM/PM time is correct. Press
the TIME SET button again to adjust the minutes. When nished, press the TIME SET button again.
15. SSB - 12/24 Hour Button
About SSB
If you have never tried to listen to Single Sideband, you are in the majority. On Single Sideband, you
can listen to hams, long range aviation (commercial and military), maritime, space and even spy
transmissions from all over the world. It is the most e󰀩cient and reliable way to communicate long
range without the Internet or satellites. There is more to learn by going to ccrane.com and searching on
your own.
- To activate SSB mode: Press the WX SW AIR button until the SW band is selected. Enter Single
Sideband (SSB) mode by pressing the SSB button now. A red light will appear on the SSB button to
indicate that SSB mode is active. To return to normal SW broadcast, press the SSB button again.
Switch between 12-hour time and 24-hour time: With the radio OFF, press and hold the 12/24H
button for two seconds to change this setting.
16. WX/SW/AIR
Weather, Shortwave, SSB, and Air bands
Quickly press the “WX/SW/AIR” button to cycle between Weather, Shortwave, and AIR bands.

CC Skywave SSB Page 19
About the Weather Band
The CC Skywave SSB can receive all 7 NOAA weather
band channels. NOAA is short for National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration. It is a network of
stations across the USA and territories that
continuously broadcasts local weather and forecasts.
Emergency Alerts are issued for serious weather
conditions and public safety information. Enable the
ALERT feature to be notied when a warning is issued
in your area (See page 12). Fully extend the whip
antenna for best reception.
About the Air Band
With Air band, you can listen to communications
between pilots and control towers. Basic instructions
for moving the plane and weather and delay updates
can also be heard. Many airports broadcast continuous
feed that updates this information frequently. To nd
station frequencies that are used for your airport, you
can search the internet. One good site is:
www.radioreference.com
15 16
Radio Operation

Page 20 CC Skywave SSB
Scanning Air Band Presets
Tip: It is possible to scan 10 of your favorite aviation frequencies and monitor transmissions. Add each of
the frequencies you want to scan to the rst 10 memory presets on page 1, then press the UP and DOWN
tuning arrows at the same time and release.
About the Shortwave Band
With shortwave you can listen to radio signals from around the world. Signals are usually received best at
night and early morning when the Earth's ionosphere does not cause interference with the bouncing sig-
nals. The CC Skywave SSB has several bandwidth lters to reduce interference. Select which lter sounds
best by pressing "BANDWIDTH" button after a station is tuned in.
Using the CC Portable Shortwave Antenna
1. Attach the clip to the telescoping antenna
of your radio.
2. Fully extend the wire.
3. Place the wire high o󰀨 the oor, next to a
window.
Tip: Sometimes attaching the clip near the bottom
of the telescoping antenna produces the best
results.
Radio Operation