Eton SOLARLINK FR600 RDS User manual

SOLARLINKFR600RDS
Self-powered Digital AM/FM/SW/NOAA/S.A.M.E. Weather Radio
with Flashlight, Siren, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger
Owner’s manual

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SOLARLINKFR600RDS OWNER’S MANUAL
DO YOU NEED HELP?
If you need help, please contact us, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30
p.m., North American Pacic Time. 1-800-872-2228 from the U.S;
1-800-637-1648 from Canada; 650-903-3866, worldwide; FAX:
650-903-3867; web site, www.etoncorp.com; Etón Corporation,
1015 Corporation Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA
WARNING
• Do not expose this appliance to rain or moisture.
• Do not submerge or expose for extended period to water.
• Protect from high humidity and rain.
• Unplug immediately if liquid has been spilled or object have
fallen into the apparatus.
• Clean only with a dry cloth. Do not use detergents or chemical
solvents as this might damage the nish.
• Unplug and disconnect external antennas (not included) during
lightning storms.
• Do not remove cover [or back].
• Refer servicing to qualied service personnel.
Environment
Disposal
According to the European Directive 2002/96/EC all electrical and electronic
products must be collected separately by a local collection system.
Please act according to your local rules and do not dispose of your old
products with your normal household waste.
Please dispose of all types of batteries per your Government,
State or Local rules and/or regulations. If you are unsure,
please call the appropriate local authority to nd out how to
dispose of them safely and help protect the environment.

SOLARLINKFR600RDS OWNER’S MANUAL
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LOCATION OF CONTROLS
1) Snooze: 5 Min Snooze
2) Alarm ON/OFF: activate/deactivate alarm function
3) ALERT ON/OFF:open/close alert bell
4) RDS/Select Button
5) Direction Buttons
6) Flashlight
7) Hand Crank
8) Multifunctional Knob
9) Alert Indicator Light
10) Statement Indicator Light
11) Emergency Indicator Light
12) Watch Indicator Light
13) Warning Indicator Light
1.
3.
4.
5.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
5.
5.
15.
16.
17.
5.
6.
7.
8.
2.

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SOLARLINKFR600RDS OWNER’S MANUAL
14) Power Supply Knob
15) Band Selecting Knob
16) Volume Adjusting Knob
17) Speaker
18) PHONE CHARGER:USB Jack for Charging the Cellphone
19) DC in:USB Jack for charging the Radio(small)
20) DC in Jack (Adaptor)
21) Earphone Jack
22) Audio Jack
23) Battery Compartment
POWERING THE FR600
The FR600 can be powered in a variety of ways including 3 AA
batteries, the internal rechargeable Nickel-Metal-Hydride battery,
the solar panel, an AC adapter/charger and a USB cord with a mini-
USB plug on one end and a regular USB on the other, plugged in to
a computer (turned on) or an AC adapter with a USB socket. These
methods are described below.
18.
19.
23.
20.
21.
22.

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Note: The Power Supply Knob and the Band Selecting Knob are on
the right side of the radio. The Power Supply Knob is on top and the
Band Selecting Knob is on the bottom. The radio is turned OFF with
the Band Selecting Knob placed in the OFF position. Turn the radio
on by positioning this knob to any band.
USING 3 AA BATTERIES
Install 3 AA alkaline batteries using the polarity diagram inside the
battery compartment (on the back of the radio). To turn on the
radio using AA batteries, select BATTERY with the Power Supply
Knob. It will play for about 4 to 5 hours, at low volume.
USING THE INTERNAL RECHARGABLE Ni-MH BATTERY
The Ni-MH battery comes with the radio. It is in the battery compartment
and needs to be plugged into the socket next to it. Once it’s plugged in,
select the DYNAMO position with the Power Supply Knob. To partially
charge the battery, turn OFF the radio with the Band Selecting Knob,
select the DYNAMO position with the power selector switch and turn the
crank at two turns per second, for 90 seconds; the radio will play at low
volume for about 5 minutes, then crank again. Turn the radio on with the
Band Selecting Knob.
USING THE SOLAR PANEL TO RECHARGE THE Ni-MH BATTERY
Charging with solar charges the Ni-MH rechargeable battery. Turn
the radio OFF with the Band Selecting Knob. Select SOLAR with the
Power Supply Knob. Place the radio in direct sunlight (not through a
window or in the shade), with the sun shining directly on the solar
panel. After a few minutes of charging you may be able to play the
radio while it’s charging by turning it on with the Band selection
Knob; if not, give it a little more time to 3 charge. Leave it in direct

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SOLARLINKFR600RDS OWNER’S MANUAL
sunlight for 8 to 10 hours to get a full charge. After charging, if
you take it out of the sunlight, be sure to select DYNAMO with the
Power Supply Knob.
USING AN AC ADAPTER/CHARGER OR USB CORD TO PLAY
THE RADIO OR TO RECHARGE THE Ni-MH BATTERY
To purchase an AC adapter/charger (not included), order part#
FR500-ACA-US by calling 1-800-793-6542. Generically it has
an output of 5 to 6 Volts DC, positive polarity and no more than
300mA current capability.
Turn OFF the radio with the Band Selecting Knob. Plug the AC
adapter/charger (not included) into the left socket, labeled ‘DC IN
5V’, under the right rubber cover on the back of the radio. Select
the DYNAMO position with the Power Supply Knob. Turn on the
radio by selecting a band with the Band Selecting Knob. The red
light above the crank should turn on, noting that the AC adapter
is plugged in. If your rechargeable Ni-MH battery is plugged in,
it starts charging as long as you select DYNAMO. To get a full
charge, charge it for about 8 hours.
If an AC adapter is plugged in with the rechargeable battery connected
and DYNAMO selected, if there is an AC power failure, the radio will
automatically play using the rechargeable battery. If the AC adapter is
plugged in and BATTERY is selected, the rechargeable Ni-MH battery
doesn’t charge. If both types of batteries are disconnected, the AC
adapter will play the radio with DYNAMO or BATTERY selected.
Purchase a USB cord with a mini-USB plug on one end and a regu-
lar USB plug on the other end, from a local electronics store or on
the Internet. If using a USB cord, plug one end into the mini-USB
socket under the left rubber cover on the back of the radio, and

SOLARLINKFR600RDS OWNER’S MANUAL
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the other end into a computer’s USB socket (with the computer
turned on) or an AC adapter with a USB socket. Operating from a
USB cord has the same characteristics as an AC adapter, with the
following exceptions.
If the USB cord is plugged in with the rechargeable battery and/
or AA batteries connected, if there is a failure of the USB power
source, power will be taken from the rechargeable battery if DY-
NAMO is selected or from the AA batteries if BATTERY is selected.
VOLUME CONTROL
Turning the Volume Adjusting Knob (located on the lower right of the
radio) clockwise turns up the volume; counterclockwise turns down
the volume. Always turn down the volume before using earphones.
CHARGING CELL PHONES (cell phone charging cord not included)
If you revolve the Power Supply Knob to the OFF/PHONE CHARGER
position the radio will charge cell phones. Plug the cell phone charging
cord into the USB PHONE CHARGER jack at the rear of the radio. Plug
the cell phone charging adapter tip into the other end of the cord and
then into the jack of the cell phone. Then put the radio in the sun or
revolve the hand crank to charge the cell phone. About 10 minutes of
cranking results in one or two short emergency calls.
To order a cell phone charging cord and tip for your cell phone, please
contact www.igo.com on the web and order a cell phone charging cable
and a cell phone charging tip for your brand and model of cell phone.
NOTE: When charging a cell phone via the USB cell phone charger,
it is important to turn the crank at least 2 revolutions per second, or
until you see the green or orange LED above the crank handle turn on.
This is an indication that the phone is receiving enough power from

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SOLARLINKFR600RDS OWNER’S MANUAL
the radio. Continue to crank at this rate until you are satised that
an appropriate level of charge has been received by your cell phone.
If you decide to stop cranking for whatever reason, please wait at
least 5 seconds before beginning to crank again. Not following these
instructions may cause damage to your cell phone for which Eton
disclaims any liability and will not be held liable for any actual or
consequential damages related to this matter.
SETTING THE DATE
1. Revolve the <Band Selecting Knob> to the “OFF” position.
2. With the radio turned off press the <MENU> button shortly to
enter the setting menu.
3. Press <> or <> shortly to select “SET UP---DATE” option.
4. Press <SELECT> shortly once to enter the date setting mode.
5. Press <> or <> shortly to select “MONTH--DAY--YEAR”
option.
6. Press <> or <> shortly to set “MONTH--DAY--YEAR” option.
7. After setting, press <SELECT> shortly to save.

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SETTING THE CLOCK
1. Revolve the <Band Selecting Knob> to the “OFF” position.
2. With the radio turned off press the <MENU> button shortly to
enter the setting menu.
3. Press <> or <> shortly to select “SET UP---TIME” option.
4. Press <SELECT> shortly once to enter the time setting mode.
5. Press <> or <> shortly to select “HOUR : MINUTE” option.
6. Press <> or <> shortly to set “HOUR : MINUTE” option.
7. After setting, press <SELECT> shortly to save.
Note: The clock is a 12-hour clock, showing “AM” in the display in the
morning, and showing “PM” in the display starting at noon.
SETTING THE BEEPER ALARM
This radio’s alarm beeps when it activates.

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SOLARLINKFR600RDS OWNER’S MANUAL
1. SETTING THE ALARM TIME
1. Revolve the <Band Selecting Knob> to the “OFF” position.
2. With the radio turned off press the <MENU> button shortly to
enter the setting menu.
3. Press <> or <> shortly to select “SET UP ALARM--ALM” option.
4. Press <SELECT> shortly once to enter the date setting mode.
5. Press <> or <> shortly to select “HOUR : MINUTE” option.
6) Press <> or <> shortly to set “HOUR : MINUTE” option.
7) After setting, press <SELECT> shortly to save.
2. ACTIVATING AND DEACTIVATING THE ALARM
Press <ALARM ON/OFF> shortly to activate or deactivate the alarm.
If the alarm function is activated, the alarm symbol “ AL”
and alarm time will appear in the display. When the alarm time is
reached, the unit will beep.
If the alarm function is deactivated, the alarm symbol “AL “
and alarm time will disappear from the display.

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3. SNOOZE BUTTON
When the alarm activates, pressing the <SNOOZE> button
shortly deactivates it for 5 minutes (“
“ appears in the dis-
play), then it starts again.
BROADCAST RECEPTION
1. Select the power supply mode.
2. Select the band:
FM Band: Revolve the <Band Selecting Knob> to “FM” position.
AM Band: Revolve the <Band Selecting Knob> to “AM” position.
SW Band: Revolve the <Band Selecting Knob> to “SW” position.
3. Adjust the volume: Revolve <Volume Adjusting Knob> to
adjust the volume level.
4. Tuning in stations:
Manual Tuning: Press <> or <> shortly to tune.
Auto Tuning: Press and hold <> or <> to tune.
Note: When listening to FM, pull up the telescopic antenna all
the way. When tuning AM stations the telescopic antenna is
not needed and can be lowered.

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SOLARLINKFR600RDS OWNER’S MANUAL
5. Save stations: While receiving the approving station, press
<MENU> shortly once, “MEMORY” appears in the display. Press
<> or <> shortly to select the address for saving. Then
press <SELECT> shortly to save the station. (Note: FM: 20
memories; AM: 10 memories; SW: 10 memories.)
6. Recall stations: When listening to the radio, press <> or <> shortly.
7. Turn off: Revolve the <Band Selecting Knob> to “OFF” position.
FM RDS (Radio Data System) FUNCTION
When listening to FM stations press/release the RDS button
sequentially (front, upper left corner of radio) to see RDS text
messages in the display, if your station sends them. This radio
supports TEXT, PTY (Program Type), PS (Program Service) and DATE.
Many FM stations do not support all of these, may only support
some of them or do not support any of them. RDS appears in the
upper left corner of the display when it’s turned on. If your FR600
lacks this feature, please ignore this section of the instructions.
SHORTWAVE LISTENING
To learn about shortwave we recommend the two publications below,
published yearly and available from major booksellers. Additionally,
the Internet is a great resource for learning about shortwave. Type
‘shortwave reception’ into your favorite search engine.

SOLARLINKFR600RDS OWNER’S MANUAL
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PASSPORT TO WORLD BAND RADIO Published by International
Broadcasting Services (IBS); IBS North America, Box 300, Penn’s
Park PA 18943. Phone: [phone]. www.passband.com.
WORLD RADIO TV HANDBOOK Published in the USA by
Watson-Guptill Publications, 770 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York,
NY 10003-9595. www.watsonguptill.com.
OPTIMIZING SHORTWAVE RECEPTION
Shortwave enables listening to broadcasts over vast distances
including other countries and continents. The following information
will help you get the best results.
• During the day, frequencies above 13 MHz are usually best.
• At night, frequencies below 13 MHz are usually best.
• Around sunset and sunrise, the entire shortwave range may be good.
• Getting very close to a window and holding the radio improves
shortwave reception.
Use the frequency ranges (Bands) below for shortwave
broadcast reception:

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SOLARLINKFR600RDS OWNER’S MANUAL
BANDE MEGAHERTZ (MHz) KILOHERTZ (KHz)
120 m 2.300-2.495 MHz 2300- 2495 KHz
90 m 3.20-3.40 MHz 3200- 3400 KHz
75 m 3.90-4.05 MHz 3900- 4050 KHz
60 m 4.750-5.1 MHz 4750- 5100 KHz
49 m 5.8-6.2 MHz 5730- 6300 KHz
41 m 7.1-7.60 MHz 6890-7600 KHz
31 m 9.4-10 MHz 9250-9995 KHz
25 m 11.5-12.2 MHz 11500-12200 KHz
22 m 13.57-13.87 MHz 13570-13870 KHz
19 m 15.000-15.800 MHz 15005-15825 KHz
16 m 17.55-18 MHz 17480-17900 KHz
15 m 18.9-19.02 MHz 18900-19020 KHz
13 m 21.45-21.85 MHz 21450-21850 KHz
RECEPTION OF WEATHER FREQUENCIES
To hear your local weather station, pull up the antenna, turn
on the radio and select WB with the band selector. Turn up the
volume and press the buttons to hear all 7 weather channels.
You’ll probably only hear one channel, but if you hear a weather
broadcast on more than one, select the strongest. The strongest
one will usually be your local weather station. Below are the
frequencies that correspond to the radio’s channels:
Channel 1 162.400 MHz
Channel 2 162.425 MHz
Channel 3 162.450 MHz
Channel 4 162.475 MHz
Channel 5 162.500 MHz
Channel 6 162.525 MHz
Channel 7 162.550 MHz

SOLARLINKFR600RDS OWNER’S MANUAL
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SETTING TO RECEIVE WEATHER ALERTS
Weather alerts are received in three ways:
1. Alert indicator light is on.
2. Alert forecast appears in the display.
3. Alert bell rings.
To set the channel for receiving alerts, use the method below and
set it to your strongest channel.
1) Revolve the <Band Selecting Knob> to “OFF” position.
2) Press <MENU> button shortly to enter the setting menu.
3) Press <> or <> shortly to select “WEATHER” option.
4) Press <SELECT> shortly once to enter the weather setting mode.
5) Press <> or <> shortly to select the strongest weather
channel (CH1~7).
6) After setting, press <SELECT> shortly to save.
SETTING ALERT MODE
1) Revolve the <Band Selecting Knob> to “OFF” position.
2) Press <MENU> button shortly to enter the setting menu.
3) Press <> or <> shortly to select “ALERT MODE” option.

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SOLARLINKFR600RDS OWNER’S MANUAL
4) Press <SELECT> shortly once to enter the alert mode setting mode.
5) Press <> or <> shortly to select the alert mode (SIREN & VOICE).
Note: The selected alert mode will appear in the display.
6) After setting, press <SELECT> shortly to save.
SETTING COUNTY CODES (CLC CODES IN CANADA)
County code setting is described below.
A county code instructs the radio only to receive an ALERT when
the code is programmed in. Look up a United States county code at
the following web site:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm#sametable
Look up a Canadian CLC code at:
http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/msb/weatheradio/transmitter/
index_e.cfm
Your radio can be set for one (SINGL) to 23 (MULTI) codes, or can be
set to receive ALL coded information sent from any transmitter, if
your within range. When you set codes, it will only pick up alerts
when you’re in that county or within reception distance of the signal.
To set codes:
1) Revolve the <Band Selecting Knob> to the “OFF” position.
2) Press the <MENU> button shortly to enter the setting menu.
3) Press or shortly to select the “COUNTY CODE” option.

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4) Press <SELECT> shortly once to enter the county code setting
mode (MULTI, SINGL or ALL), which blinks in the display.
5) If you don’t know your county code, select ALL with or and
press <SELECT> and then <MENU> TO EXIT. If you know your
code, don’t press SELECT and go to the next section.
6) Press or  shortly to select MULTI or SINGL and press
<SELECT>.
7) Press <SELECT> shortly again to enter the code. CODE 01
XXXXXX appears in the display, with 01 ashing.
8) Press <SELECT> again and the rst digit of six starts ashing.
Press or  to set the rst digit and then press to go to the
second digit, doing this again and again until all six digits are
entered.
9) If you’re in SINGL, press <SELECT> and then <MENU> to exit.
If in MULTI, go to the next step.
10) If you’re in MULTI and wish to enter more codes, press
<SELECT>.
11) 01 ashes. Press or  to go to another code setting number
(1-23 ashes) and press <SELECT>.
12) The rst digit of six ashes, use or to set it and press
to enter the next number, doing this again and again until
all six digits are entered.
13) Press <SELECT> to choose another code number (1-23) and
when your nished press <SELECT> and then MENU to exit.
RECEPTION OF EVENT CODES
Your radio can receive ‘event code’ information during weather
alerts. These codes are identied at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/
eas_codes.shtml.
Canadian Weather Alerts are addressed at: http://www.msc-smc.
ec.gc.ca/cd/brochures/warning_e.cfm#top.

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SOLARLINKFR600RDS OWNER’S MANUAL
SELECTING DISABLE/ENABLE
Alert modes can be selected to not appear by selecting DISABLE
or to appear by selecting ENABLE.
1) Revolve the <Band Selecting Knob> to “OFF” position.
2) Press <MENU> button shortly to enter the setting menu.
3) Press <> or <> shortly to select “DEFEAT” option.
4) Press <SELECT> shortly once to enter the DEFEAT setting
mode.
5) Press <> or <> shortly to select the alert message you
wish to defeat or enable.
6) Press <> or <> to select DISABLE or ENABLE (printed under
the message on right side of display).
7) After setting, press <SELECT> shortly to save.
ALERT
Before using the ALERT function, set the radio to the strongest
weather band station. After setting, revolve the <Band Selecting
Knob> to “ALERT” position. The alert indicator light will be on.
OPEN / CLOSE THE ALERT BELL
While the alert bell is ringing, you can press the <ALERT-ON/OFF>
button (in the space above the display – right side) shortly to shut
off the ringing, then press it shortly again to resume ringing.

SOLARLINKFR600RDS OWNER’S MANUAL
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MULTIFUNCTION KNOB
The function switch has four positions. The top position is the
OFF position, then the FLASHLIGHT, SOS and SIREN position.
All positions except OFF are labeled with an icon.
The OFF position turns the function switch off.
The FLASHLIGHT position “ “ turns the white lights on (left
side of radio) with the radio on or off.
The SOS position “ “ turns the red ashing light on. Can be
used with the radio on or off.
The SIREN position “ “ turns on the siren. Can be used with the
radio on or off.
WARRANTY REGISTRATION
To ensure full warranty coverage or product updates, registration
of your product should be completed as soon as possible after
purchase or receipt. You may use one of the following options to
register your product:
1. By visiting our website at http://www.etoncorp.com.
2. Mail in enclosed warranty card.
3. Mail your registration card or information to following address;
include your name, full mailing address, phone number, email
address, model purchased, date purchased, retail vendor name:
Etón Corporation
1015 Corporation Way
Palo Alto, CA 94303 USA