Optimus AM/FM Headset Radio User manual

© 1999 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
Optimus and RadioShack are registered trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.
Cat. No. 12-603A.B
AM•FM Portable Radio
Your Optimus AM•FM Portable Radio
lets you enjoy music, sports, and
news almost anywhere.
Its features include:
Bass and Treble Controls — let you
adjust the sound to suit your tastes.
Bandwidth Switch — lets you im-
prove audio fidelity when listening to
strong stations.
Sensitive Tuned RF Receiver — lets
you receive distant AM stations with
good quality reception.
Built-In 5-Inch Speaker and 11/2-
Inch Tweeter — provide great sound.
Telescoping Antenna — for excel-
lent FM reception.
Built-In AM Antenna — lets you en-
joy great AM reception anywhere.
Switchable Automatic Frequency
Control (AFC) — ensures drift-free
FM reception.
External Antenna Terminals — let
you connect an external antenna for
even better reception.
Earphone Jack — lets you connect
an earphone so you can listen without
disturbing others.
This symbol is intended to alert you
to the presence of uninsulated dan-
gerous voltage within the product’s
enclosure that might be of sufficient
magnitude to constitute a risk of
electric shock. Do not open the
product’s case.
This symbol is intended to inform
you that important operating and
maintenance instructions are in-
cluded in the literature accompany-
ing this product.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK.
DO NOT OPEN.
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF
ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE
COVER OR BACK. NO USER-SERVICE-
ABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVIC-
ING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of
fire or shock hazard, do not ex-
pose this product to rain or mois-
ture.
!
!
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2
CONNECTING POWER
You can power your radio from six D
batteries (not supplied) or from stan-
dard AC power.
Using Batteries
You can use six D batteries to power
the radio. We recommend Ra-
dioShack alkaline batteries. Follow
these steps to install batteries.
1. Remove the battery compartment
cover by pushing in the cover’s
two tabs then pulling the cover in
the direction of the arrows.
2. Install six D batteries in the lower
level of the compartment, as indi-
cated by the polarity symbols (+
and –) marked inside the battery
compartment.
3. Replace the cover.
4. Set AC/DC to DC.
Caution: Remove the batteries if you
do not plan to use batteries in the ra-
dio for a week or more. Batteries can
leak chemicals and damage the radio.
When the sound becomes weak or
distorted, replace the old batteries
with fresh ones.
Using AC Power
Follow these steps to power your ra-
dio using AC power.
1. Remove the battery compartment
cover by pushing in the cover’s
two tabs then pulling the cover in
the direction of the arrows.
2. Pull out the power cord from the
upper level of the compartment.
3. Route the power cord through the
slot on the battery compartment
cover and replace the cover.
4. Set AC/DC to AC.
5. Plug the power cord into any stan-
dard AC outlet.
Caution: To prevent electric
shock, one plug blade is wider
than the other and the plug only
fits one way. If you cannot easily
insert the plug, turn it over and try
again. Do not force it.
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3
CONNECTING AN
EXTERNAL ANTENNA
For Better AM Reception:
Your radio has a built-in AM antenna
for reception of strong, local broad-
casts. For improved reception, you
can connect an external AM antenna.
Your local RadioShack store has a
wide selection of AM antennas.
To connect an external AM antenna to
your radio, use a Phillips screwdriver
to loosen the screw on the external
antenna terminal, slide the external
antenna’s spade lugs underneath the
screw head, then tighten the screw.
For Better FM Reception:
Your radio has a telescoping antenna
for FM reception.
Note: When you use the telescoping
antenna for FM reception, be sure the
metal strap is connected as shown.
For improved reception, you can con-
nect an external FM antenna. Your lo-
cal RadioShack store has a wide
selection of FM antennas.
Follow these steps to connect an ex-
ternal FM antenna to your radio.
1. Use a Phillips screwdriver to
loosen the screws on the external
antenna terminals.
• For an FM 75-ohm cable:
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4
• For an FM 300-ohm cable:
2. Slide the external antenna’s
spade lugs underneath the screw
heads, then tighten the screws.
Note: When you attach an exter-
nal FM antenna, be sure the metal
strap under the screw head con-
necting the telescoping antenna is
positioned correctly.
OPERATING THE RADIO
Warning: To protect your hearing,
turn
VOLUME to its lowest setting be-
fore you turn on the radio.
1. Push in POWER to ON.
2. Set BAND to FM or AM.
3. Rotate the tuning knob to select
the desired station.
Notes:
• To precisely tune to a weak FM
station using automatic fre-
quency control, slide AFC to
OFF
. Rotate the tuning knob to
select the desired station, then
slide AFC to ON for drift-free re-
ception.
• To get better audio fidelity when
selecting a strong station, slide
BANDWIDTH to WIDE. If you
hear whistling noises, slide
BANDWIDTH to NORMAL to get
better selectivity.
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5
• For the best FM reception, ex-
tend the telescoping antenna to
its full length.
• For AM stations, rotate the ra-
dio to the position that provides
the best reception.
4. Adjust VOLUME, BASS, and TRE-
BLE for the best sound.
5. To turn off the radio, push POWER
to OFF .
Using an Earphone
For private listening, plug a monaural
earphone (not supplied) with a 1/8-inch
plug into the EAR jack on the right of
the radio. This automatically discon-
nects the built-in speaker.
Your local RadioShack store carries a
wide selection of earphones.
Listening Safely
To protect your hearing, follow these
guidelines when you use an ear-
phone.
• Set the volume to the lowest level
before you begin listening. After
you begin listening, adjust the vol-
ume to a comfortable listening lev-
el.
• Do not listen at extremely high vol-
ume levels. Extended high-volume
listening can lead to permanent
hearing loss.
• Once you set the volume, do not
increase it. Over time, your ears
adapt to the volume level, so a vol-
ume level that does not cause dis-
comfort might still damage your
hearing.
Traffic Safety
Do not wear an earphone while oper-
ating a motor vehicle or riding a bicy-
cle. This can cause a traffic hazard
and is illegal in some areas.
Even though some earphones let you
hear outside sounds when listening at
normal volume levels, they still can
present a traffic hazard.
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