Midland Syn-Tech III P25 User manual

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041
MIDLAND
Syn-Tech III P25
MOBILE RADIO
OPERATION MANUAL
Ver. 4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 i
OUR THANKS TO YOU AND CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE
PREFACE
Thank you for purchasing a MIDLAND Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio. Properly used,
this product will give you many years of reliable service.
To get the most out of your purchase, be sure to carefully read this manual and keep it
on hand for later reference when needed.
Before installing and using your radio, please read this
operation manual.
CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE
Should you encounter any problems with this product, or not use its features, please
refer to this operation manual. If you require further assistance after reading this
manual, please contact your local dealer.
FOR WARRANTY, PRODUCT SERVICE AND ACCESSORY INFORMATION
Please contact your local dealer or distributor.
Do not attempt to service any internal parts yourself.
This radio should be opened by authorized personnel only.
Otherwise, the warranty VOIDS.
Your radio is packed and labeled according to the commercial packaging standards.
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 ii
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Before installing and using your radio, please read this
operation manual.
GENERAL PRECAUTIONS
Always use only MIDLAND authorized accessories.
Unauthorized accessories have the risk of fire hazard, explosion,
personal injury or damage to the radio.
CAUTION
Changes or modifications to your radio may void its compliance with
government laws/rules and make it illegal to use.
Avoid using the radio at temperatures below -30ºC or above 60ºC.
Avoid storing the radio at temperatures below -40ºC or above 85ºC.
WARNINGS
Your MIDLAND Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio generates
electromagnetic RF energy when it is transmitting. To ensure that you
and those around you are not exposed to excessive amounts of that
energy (beyond recommended allowable limits for occupational use):
DO NOT operate your radio without a proper antenna. Otherwise, you
can seriously damage your radio.
DO NOT touch the antenna when you are transmitting.
NEVER connect the transceiver to any AC mains power sources. This
may cause an electric shock or fire hazard and will damage your radio.
NEVER connect the transceiver to a DC power source either greater than
16 volts or with reverse polarity. Doing so will damage the transceiver.
DO NOT attempt to service any internal parts yourself. Please ask your
dealer to have necessary service. This radio should be opened by
authorized personnel only. Otherwise, the warranty VOIDS.
Please read the installation and operating instructions carefully.
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 i
WARNINGS
The FCC has adopted a safety standard for human exposure to RF energy. Proper operation
of this radio under normal conditions results in user exposure to RF energy below the
Occupational Safety and Health Act and Federal Communication Commission limits.
Mandatory Safety Instructions to Installers and Users:
This radio is NOT approved for use by the general population in an uncontrolled environment.
This radio is restricted to occupational use and work related operations only. Radio operators
must have the knowledge to control their exposure conditions and the exposure conditions of
bystanders and/or passengers to satisfy the lower exposure limit allowed for General
Population.
To comply with FCC RF exposure limits, DO NOT operate the transmitter of this mobile radio
when a person outside the vehicle is within 36 inches (92 centimeters) of the antenna.
The antenna supplied by the manufacturer or radio dealer must be mounted at a location such
that during radio transmission, no person or persons can come closer than the above
indicated minimum safe distance to the antenna, i.e. 36 inches. To comply with current FCC
RF exposure limits, the antenna must be installed at or exceeding the minimum safe distance
stated above, and in accordance with the requirements of the antenna manufacturer or
supplier.
Vehicle Installation Instructions:
The antenna used for this transmitter must be mounted on the center of the roof ONLY and
must be installed in vehicle having the following characteristics in order to prevent bystanders
and passengers from being exposed to levels exceeding the limits for General
Population/Uncontrolled Exposure environment:
1. All passengers must be sitting under a solid metal roof.
2. For rear deck trunk and roof top installations, the antenna must be located at least 56
cm away from rear-seat passengers and bystanders in order to comply with the FCC RF
exposure requirements..
DO NOT operate the radio without the proper antenna installed. Do not substitute any
antenna for the one supplied or recommended by the manufacturer or radio dealer. Antennas
used for this transmitter must not exceed an antenna gain of 5 dBi with a minimum cable loss
of 1dB. By not following the antenna recommendations you may be exposing person(s) to
excess radio frequency radiation. You may contact your radio dealer or the manufacturer for
further instructions.
DO NOT transmit more than 50% of total radio use time (50% duty cycle). Transmitting for
more than 50% of the time can cause FCC RF exposure compliance requirements to be
exceeded. This radio is transmitting whenever the TX/Busy indicator is red or the icon is
displayed. Pressing the PTT switch on the side of the microphone normally causes the radio
to transmit.
The preceding information is provided to make you aware of RF exposure and how to
ensure that this radio is operated within FCC RF exposure limits.
You, as the qualified end-user of this radio device must control the exposure conditions of
bystanders to ensure the minimum separation distance, stated above for satisfying FCC RF
exposure compliance, is maintained between the antenna and nearby persons. Transmit only
when all person(s) are at least the minimum distance from the properly installed, externally
mounted antenna.
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 ii
The AMBE+2™ voice coding Technology embodied in this product is
protected by intellectual property rights including patent rights, copyrights
and trade secrets of Digital Voice Systems, Inc. This voice coding
Technology is licensed solely for use within this Communications
Equipment. The user of this Technology is explicitly prohibited from
attempting to extract, remove, decompile, reverse engineer of
disassemble the Object Code, or in ay other way convert the Object
Code into a human readable form. U.S. Patents Nos. #5,870,405,
#5826,222, #5,754,974, #5,701,390, #5,715,365, #5,649.050,
#5,630,011, #5,581,656, #5,517,511, #5,491,772, #5,247,579,
#5,226,084, and #5,195,166
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 iii
PRODUCT FEATURES
MIDLAND Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio has the following features:
•Synthesized structure,
•Microprocessor controlled structure,
•Surface mount technology use,
•Loading external programs by FLASH EPROM,
•PC controlled full automatic test and adjustment,
•Easy installation and maintenance,
•LCD display (with 3 colors) and keypad,
•High level and high quality audio output,
•Informing user by audible, illuminated and written alerts/warnings,
•User friendly interface,
•DTMF support,
•Various types of accessories,
•Full-band VHF and UHF operation,
•Conformation with TIA/EIA-603-A standard in Analog Mode,
•Conformation with TIA/EIA-102-CAAB standard in Digital Mode,
•Conformation with APCO25 EIA / TIA 102 standards,
•Conformation with MIL-STD-810E standards.
•CTCSS/CDCSS
•2 Tone / 5 Tone signaling
•MIX / MULTIMODE operation
See Specifications and Technical Features on page 48.
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 iv
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
ACK : Acknowledge
AES : Advanced Encryption Standard
ALG : Algorithm
ANI : Automatic Number Identification
dBm : Decibel Milliwatt
CIK : Crypto Ignition Key Identity
CDCSS : Continuous Digital Coded Squelch System
CTCSS : Continuous Tone Controlled Squelch System
DCS : Digital Coded Squelch
DES : Data Encryption Standard
DSP : Digital Signal Processing
GPS : Global Positioning System
ID : Identity
LCD : Liquid Crystal Display
MSG : Message
NAC : Network Access Code
RF : Radio Frequency
RSSI : Received Signal Strength Indicator
Rx : Receive
SC : Selective Call
TCS : Tone Coded Squelch
TBX : Telephone Branch Exchange
Tx : Transmit
WACN : Wide Area Communication Network
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................... 7
1.1. PACKAGE CONTENT .................................................................................... 7
1.2. RADIO CONTROLS and INDICATORS.......................................................... 8
1.2.1. Front and Rear Views ......................................................................... 8
1.3. INSTALLATION............................................................................................... 9
2. OPERATION............................................................................................................ 9
2.1. GETTING STARTED ...................................................................................... 9
2.1.1. Power On-Off.................................................................................... 10
2.1.2. Standby/Receive and Transmit......................................................... 11
2.1.3. Transmit and Output Power.............................................................. 11
2.2. KEYPAD........................................................................................................ 13
2.2.1. Key Lock........................................................................................... 15
2.3. DISPLAY....................................................................................................... 16
2.3.1. Other Backlit LCD Display Menu Icons............................................. 17
3. SET-UP ROUTINES (MENUS).............................................................................. 18
3.1. SETTINGS Menu (1)..................................................................................... 18
3.1.1. TONES Menu (11) ............................................................................ 18
3.1.2. ILLUMINATION Menu (12) ............................................................... 21
3.1.3. DISPLAY Menu (13) ......................................................................... 22
3.1.4. ACCESSORY Menu (14) .................................................................. 24
3.1.5. PASSWORD Menu (15).................................................................... 25
3.1.6. SERIAL PORT Menu (16)................................................................. 27
3.1.7. SQUELCH Menu (17) ....................................................................... 28
3.1.8. GREETING MESSAGE Menu (18) ................................................... 28
3.1.9. FACTORY SETTINGS Menu (19) .................................................... 29
3.2. CALL LOG Menu (2) ..................................................................................... 29
3.2.1. LAST CALLER Menu (21)................................................................. 30
3.2.2. LAST CALLED Menu (22)................................................................. 30
3.3. SMS Menu (3) ............................................................................................... 30
3.3.1. RECEIVED MESSAGES Menu (31) ................................................. 31
3.3.2. SENT MESSAGES Menu (32).......................................................... 31
3.3.3. MESSAGE EDIT Menu (33).............................................................. 32
3.4. PREDEFINED MESSAGES Menu (4)........................................................... 32
3.4.1. RECEIVED MESSAGES Menu (41) ................................................. 33
3.4.2. SENT MESSAGES Menu (42).......................................................... 33
3.4.3. MESSAGE LIST Menu (43) .............................................................. 34
3.5. STATUS Menu (5)......................................................................................... 34
3.5.1. PRESENT STATUS Menu (51) ........................................................ 35
3.5.2. SEND STATUS Menu (52) ............................................................... 35
3.5.3. STATUS REQUEST Menu (53) ........................................................ 36
3.5.4. RECEIVED STATUS Menu (54) ....................................................... 36
3.6. RADIO INFO Menu (6).................................................................................. 36
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com
vi
3.6.1. IDENTS Menu (61) ........................................................................... 36
3.6.2. SOFTWARE Menu (62) .................................................................... 38
3.6.3. HARDWARE Menu (63).................................................................... 38
3.6.4. MEASUREMENT Menu (65)............................................................. 39
3.7. CHANNEL PARAMETERS Menu (7) ............................................................ 40
3.7.1. CHANNEL SCAN Menu (71) ............................................................ 40
3.7.2. GROUPS Menu (72)......................................................................... 41
3.7.3. GROUP SCAN menu (73) ................................................................ 41
3.7.4. CHANNELS Menu (74) ..................................................................... 42
3.7.5. ZONES Menu (75) ............................................................................ 43
3.7.6. CLONER Menu (76) ......................................................................... 43
3.8. ENCRYPTION Menu..................................................................................... 44
3.8.1. ENCRYPTION INFORMATION Menu .............................................. 44
4. ACCESSORIES..................................................................................................... 45
5. MAINTENANCE..................................................................................................... 46
6. TROUBLESHOOTING........................................................................................... 47
7. SPECIFICATIONS................................................................................................. 48
7.1. Receiver Technical Specifications................................................................. 50
7.2. Transmitter Technical Specifications............................................................. 51

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 7
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. PACKAGE CONTENT
You should find all of the following items packaged with your MIDLAND Syn-Tech III
P25 Mobile Radio:
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 8
1.2. RADIO CONTROLS and INDICATORS
1.2.1. Front and Rear Views
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 9
1.3. INSTALLATION
Installation should be performed by an Authorized Midland LMR Dealer only.
2. OPERATION
2.1. GETTING STARTED
Fi
g
ure-21
Radio Controls and Indicators
Refer to the Figure-21 above to identify the various controls and indicators on your
radio.
Throughout this manual you will be instructed to press or to press and hold the
buttons/keys on the radio. Press means a momentary press, then release; press and
hold means to hold the button/key down.
Whenever you press any button/key on your radio, a brief tone (beep) will sound to
confirm the button/key press. With all button/key presses, the appropriate icon will
appear on the display and the backlight will turn on. The backlight will stay on for five
seconds after the button/key is released.
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 10
2.1.1. Power On-Off
The On-Off Power / Volume Knob on the front panel of the radio is pushed to turn on or
off your radio and turned clockwise or counter clockwise to increase or decrease the
volume.
To turn your radio On:
1. Press and hold the On-Off / Power Volume Knob (more
than 2 sec) and wait. When the radio is powered on, your
greeting message will be shown right after your radio’s
logo.
After two seconds, the radio will return to the settings in
effect when it was last powered off, the LCD will show the
appropriate icons, and all controls will be operative.
The radio will then be in Standby mode.
To turn your radio Off:
1. Press and hold the On-Off / Power Volume Knob (more than 2 sec) and wait. After
two seconds, the radio and backlit LCD will turn off.
The On-Off Power / Volume Knob also controls the
loudspeaker volume.
To increase the volume:
1. Turn the On-Off / Volume Knob clockwise.
To decrease the volume:
1. Turn the On-Off / Volume Knob counter clockwise.
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 11
2.1.2. Standby/Receive and Transmit
Standby mode is the usual mode for the radio whenever it is
turned on. From this mode, you can change your settings using
the Left Soft Key on the front of the radio and switch to
Transmit mode using the Talk Button. Signals will be
Received on the selected channel(s) and alerts broadcast and
messages will activate the corresponding routines in your radio.
While in Standby mode, you will receive any messages sent on the
channel to which you are tuned.
If the Talk Button is pressed and held down for fifteen seconds
(this period can be set up to 225 sec. by the programmer), the
radio will automatically cease transmitting to prevent unwanted
signal generation and battery drain. TRANSMIT TIME OUT
message will appear on the LCD.
As soon as the Talk Button is released, it can be pressed again to resume transmission
after a certain period of time. (This period can be set up to 15 sec not to keep the
channel busy).
2.1.3. Transmit and Output Power
Transmit mode gives you the ability to interact with other users and stations.
To transmit a message:
1. Check to see that your radio is set to a proper channel for the type of message and
user you plan to send.
2. With the microphone about 5 cm from your mouth and slightly off to one side, press
and hold the Talk Button and speak into the microphone. Transmit/Receive LED
will glow Red.
3. Release the Talk Button when you have finished speaking.
Transmit/Receive LED will glow Blue when you receive a message.
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 12
Output Power
Your radio can transmit selectively at L (Low), M (Medium) or H
(High) RF power.
We suggest you maintain the L (Low) power setting for short-
range communications to conserve battery life and to minimize
the risk of interference with other nearby stations. Use the H
(High) power setting for long-range communications or when
you do not receive a response to a message sent with L(Low)
or M(Medium) power settings.
To toggle among the High, Medium and Low Power modes:
Press and hold the Power Adjust / Mode Change Button (more than 500msec).
The LCD will show which mode is in effect as L (Low), M (Medium) or H (High).
Press Power Adjust / Mode Change Button to toggle between encrypted
and clear digital mode. Press and hold Power Adjust / Mode Change
Button to toggle among High, Medium and Low Power in either analog or
digital mode.
Press Monitor / Option Button less than 500 msec to change SQUELCH
mode between NORMAL and INDIVIDUAL CALL WAIT in digital mode.
Press and hold Monitor / Option Button more than 500 msec to change
CHANNEL MONITOR between NAC CONTROLLED / ALL TALK
GROUPS and OFF in digital mode. These features must be loaded to
your radio during programming.
Press Monitor / Option Button to change SELECTIVE CALL WAITING
option between ON and OFF in analog mode. Press and hold Monitor /
Option Button to change monitor ON and OFF in analog mode.
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 13
2.2. KEYPAD
Table-2: Characters Appearing on the LCD with the Successive Key Presses
Number of Key Presses
Keys
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
1 Space 1
2 A B C 2 a b c Ç ç
3 D E F 3 d e f
4 G H I 4 g h i ĞğİI
5 J K L 5 j k l
6 M N O 6 m n o Ö ö
7 P Q R S 7 p q r s Şş
8 T U V 8 t u v Ü ü
9 W X Y Z 9 w x y z
0 0 + . , : ; ! ” ’
* / \ - ( ) @
# ? € $ % & < = >
Left Soft Key
Right Soft Key
Up Key
Down Key
Channel Scan / Clear Key
Keypad Lock/ Emergency Call Reset Key
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 14
Table 1: and Keys Function Table
Number of Key Press
Function
Keys 1 2 3 4
Group Call Unaddressed Voice
Call Talk Around Home Zone?
Current Status Individual Call Telephone Call Call Alert
Group Call : Enter group number to address your call in digital mode. Your
message is received by the stations which belong to this group only.
Unaddressed
Voice
: Select from menu and press YES to start Unaddressed Voice Call
by pressing the talk button to transmit all your messages in digital
mode. Keep in mind that each message is received by all the
stations tuned on this channel in this mode. Press left soft key to
pointing to YES to exit Unaddressed Voice Call.
Talk Around : Use duplex channels to communicate directly with nearby stations
when you are out of repeater coverage area.
Home Zone? : Allows you to instantly return to preprogrammed Home Channel of
Home Zone. Press left soft key pointing to OK for rapid recall of
preprogrammed correspondent channel of your current zone.
Current
Status
: Enter your Current Status by relevant two digit number and press
OK. Current status resets when you turn off your radio.
Individual
Call
: Use Left Soft Key to select user from index or enter max 8-digit
individual radio ident to start an Individual Call. If both stations fail to
transmit in 4 sec., individual call ends. Your messages cannot be
received by any other stations.
Telephone
Call
: Enter the telephone number you want to dial and press Left Soft
Key to start a Telephone Call via TBX. Press key to terminate.
Call : Use Left Soft Key to select user from index or enter max 8-digit
radio ident to send Call Alert. Other station will be warned by an
audible alert and caller ident will be shown on the display.
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 15
WARNING
When your radio is in Standby analog mode; key allows you to
enable/disable talk around mode.
On the other hand; if you press once, key allows you to make a
Selective Call. Enter 2-6 digits Selective Call number of the requested
station and press Left Soft Key. Other station will be warned by an
audible/illuminated alert. Keep in mind that your messages can be received
by any station tuned on this channel.
If you press twice, key allows you to send predefined Two Tone Call for
a preprogrammed time period. Enter the two tone code between 1 and 32 to
send a proper preprogrammed two tone call frequency and press Left Soft
Key pointing to OK. Your tones will be received by the stations programmed
to receive this type of tones on the selected channel.
2.2.1. Key Lock
To prevent accidental changes to your settings, you can lock
the keypad.
To lock or unlock the keys:
1. Press the Key Lock button to lock the keypad. “KEY
LOCK ACTIVE!” warning will appear on the display.
2. The key lock icon will appear or your radio will ask you
to UNLOCK. If any key is pressed, “KEY LOCK ACTIVE!”
warning will appear on the display.
3. To unlock the keypad, press Key Lock button. “KEYS
LOCKED” warning will appear on the display and your radio
will ask you to UNLOCK.
4. Press the Left Soft Key to UNLOCK.
Power Adjust / Mode Change Key, Monitor / Option Key and
the Talk Button are active. (You can receive or transmit a
message with key lock on).
WARNING
If you press and hold the Keypad Lock button more than 500 msec,
your radio resets pre-initialized emergency call mode and returns to
Standby mode.
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 16
2.3. DISPLAY
The LCD will be illuminated by the backlight when any key is pressed and will remain
on for five seconds after the key is released.
If you need to turn On the backlight without disturbing any settings:
If you press any key from keypad in the Standby mode, the backlight will remain on for
five seconds.
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com

Syn-Tech III P25 Mobile Radio
OPERATION MANUAL
680-090-2041 17
2.3.1. Other Backlit LCD Display Menu Icons
icon will appear when encrypted signal of first encryption algorithm is
received in digital mode.
icon will appear when encrypted signal of second encryption algorithm is
received in digital mode.
icon will appear when a signal is received in clear digital mode.
icon will appear when a signal is received in analog mode.
icon will appear when an analog signal with TCS tone is received in
analog mode.
icon will appear when a digital signal is received in Talk Around mode.
icon will appear when the radio transmits a signal encrypted by first
encryption algorithm in digital mode.
icon will appear when the radio transmits a signal encrypted by second
encryption algorithm in digital mode.
icon will appear when the radio transmits in clear digital mode.
icon will appear when the radio transmits a signal in analog mode.
icon will appear when the radio transmits a signal with TCS tone in analog
mode.
icon will appear when a digital/analog signal is sent in Talk Around mode.
Ver.4.1
http://www.midlandradio.com