Oricom ULTRA550 User manual

Keep this user guide for future reference.
Always retain your proof of purchase in case of
warranty service.
AUSTRALIA: www.oricom.com.au
NEW ZEALAND: www.oricom.co.nz
Operating Instructions
ULTRA550 Waterproof 80 Channel UHF
Citizen Band Radio

This unit complies with all relevant Australian and
New Zealand approval requirements
AS/NZS 4365: 2011 including radio communications
(NZS2772.1 for human exposure) standard 2003.
Why has the ACMA increased the number of available UHF CB channels?
To provide additional channel capacity within the UHF CB Band, the ACMA will over
the next 5 years, change the majority of the current wideband 40 channel use to
narrowband 80 channel use.
During this time wideband channel use will be gradually phased out as users
upgrade their existing radios.
This means that the new Oricom narrowband radio you have purchased will have more
channels than older wideband radios. Some of these channels are locked and cannot
be used (see the channel chart for more information).
When did this take place?
Early in 2011, new AS/NZS Standards came into effect allowing operators to use
additional narrowband channels and also use narrowband transmissions on some
current wideband channels. This increased the number of channels up to 80, 75 of
which are usable voice channels.
What issues may users experience during the transition phase?
When a new narrowband radio receives a transmission from an older wideband
radio the speech may sound loud and distorted – simply adjust your radio volume
for the best listening performance.
When an older wideband radio receives a signal from a new narrowband radio
the speech may sound quieter - simply adjust your radio volume for best listening
performance. When operating a narrowband radio or channel 41 - 80 interference is
possible from wideband radios transmitting on high power or an adjacent frequency.
The issues described above are not a fault of the radio but a consequence of mixed
use of wideband and narrowband radios.
It is expected that as older wideband radios are removed from service that this issue
will be resolved.
Most radios in use will be narrowband eliminating this issue.
This information is current at time of printing. For further up to date information
please visit www.acma.gov.au.
Oricom connecting you now.
R-NZ

3
Safety Information and Warnings .....................4
Introduction .....................................................8
Pack Contents................................................10
Installation.....................................................11
Controls and Indicators ..................................13
Operations.....................................................15
UHF CB Channels and Frequencies ................26
Express Warranty...........................................31
Table of Contents
Need Help?
If you need assistance setting up or using your Oricom
product now or in the future, call Oricom Support.
Australia 1300 889 785 or [phone]
www.oricom.com.au
Mon-Fri 8am – 6pm AEST
New Zealand 0800 674 266
www.oricom.co.nz
Mon-Fri 10am – 8pm NZST

4
Safety Information and Warnings
Lithium-ion Battery Pack Warning
• This equipment contains a Lithium-ion Battery pack.
• Do not short circuit the Battery pack.
• Do not charge the Lithium-ion Battery pack used in this equipment in
any other charger.
• Lithium-ion Batteries must be disposed of properly.
• The Lithium-ion Battery pack contained in this equipment may
explode if disposed of in a re.
• Lithium-ion Batteries should not be exposed to high temperature
environments as they may not operate correctly in these conditions.
• Always keep out of direct sunlight in conned environments.
Information on Safe Operation
WARNING
Read This Information Before Using Your Oricom Radio.
The operation of your UHF radio in Australia and New
Zealand is subject to conditions in the following licenses:
In Australia, the ACMA Radio communications (Citizen
Band Radio Stations) and in New Zealand by MED the
General User Radio License for Citizen Band Radio.
Radio Antenna
Do not use any radio that has a damaged antenna. If a
damaged antenna comes in contact with the skin, a minor
burn may result.
Unauthorized antennas, modications, or attachments
could damage the radio and violate compliance. Do Not
change or modify the antenna.
Do not hold the antenna when the radio is "in use". Holding
the antenna reduces range and may cause bodily harm.
Safety and general use whilst in a vehicle
Check the State and Federal laws and regulations
regarding the use of two way radios in the area where you
drive, and always obey them.

5
Safety Information and Warnings
WARNING
For Vehicles tted with Air Bags
Do not place your radio in the area over an air bag or in
the air bag deployment area.
Air bags inate with great force. If a radio is placed in
the air bag deployment area and the air bag inates, the
radio may be propelled with great force and cause serious
injury to the occupants of the vehicle.
Potentially Explosive Atmospheres
Turn your radio OFF when in any area with a potentially
explosive atmosphere.
Sparks in such areas could cause an explosion or re
resulting in injury or even death.
NOTE:
Areas with potentially explosive atmospheres are often,
but not always, clearly marked. They include fuelling areas such
as below deck on boats, fuel or chemical transfer or storage
facilities, areas where the air contains chemicals or particles;
such as grain, dust or metal powder and any other area where
you would normally be advised to turn off your vehicle engine.
Blasting Caps and Areas
To avoid possible interference with blasting operations,
turn your radio Off near electrical blasting caps in a
"blasting area" or in areas posted: "Turn off two way
radios".
Obey all signs and instructions.
Exposure to Radio Frequency Energy
Your Oricom two-way radio complies with Australian
Communication Authority Radio communications
(Electromagnetic Radiation-Human Exposure)
Standard,2003.

6
WARNING
To ensure optimal radio performance and to make sure
human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic
energy is within the guidelines set out in the above
standards, always adhere to the following procedures:
Transmit and Receive Procedure
Your two-way radio contains a transmitter and a receiver.
To control your exposure and ensure compliance with the
general population/uncontrolled environment exposure
limits, always adhere to the following procedures:
• Transmit no more than 50% of the time.
• To receive calls, release the PTT button.
• To transmit (talk), press the Push to Talk (PTT) button.
Transmitting 50% of the time, or less, is important
because the radio generates measurable RF energy
exposure only when transmitting (in terms of measuring
standards compliance).
Always hold the radio approximately 5cm in front of your
mouth with the antenna pointing away from your head.
Radio Operation and EME Exposure
Unauthorized antennas, modications, or attachments
could damage the radio and violate compliance. Do NOT
hold the antenna when the radio is "IN USE."
Holding the antenna reduces the effective range.
Do not use the radio if the antenna is damaged. If a
damaged antenna makes contact with your skin, a minor
burn can result.
If you wear a radio on your body when transmitting,
always t the radio on the belt clip (supplied). Always
ensure the radio and its antenna is at least 5cm from your
body when transmitting.
Electromagnetic Interference/Compatibility
Nearly every electronic device is susceptible to
electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Safety Information and Warnings

7
Safety Information and Warnings
WARNING
To avoid the possibility of electromagnetic interference and/
or compatibility conicts, turn off your radio in any location
where posted notices instruct you to do so such as health care
facilities.
Aircraft
When instructed to do so, turn off your radio when
onboard an aircraft. Any use of a radio must be in
accordance with applicable regulations per airline crew
instructions.
Medical Devices - Pacemakers
The Advanced Medical Technology Association
recommends that a minimum separation of 6 inches
(15cm) be maintained between a handheld wireless radio
and pacemaker.
These recommendations are consistent with the
independent research by and recommendations of the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
People with pacemakers should:
• Always keep the radio more than 15cm from their
pacemaker when the radio is turned ON.
• Not carry the radio in the breast pocket.
• Use the ear opposite the pacemaker to minimize the
potential for interference.
• Turn the radio OFF immediately if there is any reason to
suspect that interference is taking place.
Medical Devices - Hearing Aids
Some radios may interfere with some hearing aids.
In the event of such interference, you may want to consult
your hearing aid manufacturer to discuss alternatives.
General warnings
Never use your radio outdoors during a thunderstorm.
Keep the radio out of reach of babies and your children.

8
Introduction
Introduction
Thank you for choosing the Oricom ULTRA550 5 Watt Handheld Radio.
Water & Dust Proof IP67:
The ULTRA550 meets IP67 standard. This provides protection against
dust and is capable of withstanding water immersion of up to 1m for
30 minutes. (To meet the IP67 waterproof rating, the accessory socket
cover must be in place and the antenna and battery must be tted
correctly).
NOTE: DO NOT submerge the transceiver in water if there is any
reason to suspect the waterproof protection may not be effective. For
example, in cases where the battery cover or external jack cap rubber
seal is detached from the transceiver or damaged, the transceiver/
battery cover/jack cap is cracked or broken, or the transceiver has
been dropped.
Key Features
• 5/1 watt switchable TX power
• Waterproof (meets IP67 dust/waterproof specications)
• Long life batteries : Lithum-Ion rechargeable 2600mAh
• Fast charger POD supplied with 230V and 12V adaptors
• 3 Programmable instant channel buttons
• Die cast metal chassis
• 80 Narrowband channels
• Channel scan (Open/Priority)
• Duplex
• Backlit LCD display
• Signal monitoring
• 38 CTCSS & 104 DCS Privacy codes
• Keypad lock
• Calling 5 tone
• Roger Beep
• Priority channel

9
Introduction
• 5 different Scrambler functions
• Triple watch
• VOX function
• Squelch tail on/off
• Busy channel lockout function
• Key beep
• Memory channel On/Off
• Auto power save mode
• Battery indicator
• Low battery alert function
• Removable exible antenna
• 2.5mm jack for optional headset or speaker mic
Customized multi menu function
1. TX power HI(5W)/LO(1W)
2. Digital Squelch setting (Auto, 1 to 5 levels)
3. User selectable 38 CTCSS and 104 DCS codes
4. Scrambler setting (Off, 1 to 5 different frequencies)
5. Duplex On/Off
6. VOX sensitivity (Off, 1 to 3 levels)
7. Priority channel memory
8. Scan mode (Open or Group scan)
9. Busy channel lockout (On or Off)
10. 5 Selectable call tones (Off, 1 to 5 melody)
11. Key beep tone (On or Off)
12. Roger beep tone (On or Off)
13. Triple watch sub channel 1 setting
14. Triple watch sub channel 2 setting
15. Memory channel (On or Off)
16. Squelch tail (On or Off)

10
Pack Contents
Oricom ULTRA550 Accessories
The following Oricom ULTRA550 accessories can be purchased directly from
Oricom. Visit www.oricom.com.au or call 1300 889 785 or [phone].
Model No. Description
THMIC5000 Throat microphone with voice tube for noisy
environments.
SPKMIC5000 Heavy duty IP54 speaker microphone
EARSET5000 Earbud with 3.5mm jack suits SPKMIC5000 or
any radio with 3.5mm jack
EBVOX5000 Small compact speaker with in-line mic
2U0003 SMA to FME Adaptor to connect ULTRA550 to
an external antenna via an FME connector.
FOR A FULL LIST OF CURRENT PARTS AND ACCESSORIES VISIT
www.oricom.com.au
The following items are included in your ULTRA550 single pack. If you have
purchased a twin pack, you will have two items of each.
ULTRA550 Radio
Lithium-ion Battery pack Belt Clip
AC Adaptor
Charger Pod User Guide
Antenna
12V Charging Plug

11
Installation
The Antenna
Attach the antenna to the ULTRA550 radio
(see diagram).
Be sure the antenna is rmly secured.
The Battery Pack
Install Battery Pack - Place the battery pack onto the back of the radio.
Position four tabs into slots and slide battery into position until you
hear a click (see diagram).
Remove Battery Pack - Push battery catch in direction of arrow and
then slide the battery off.
The Charger Pod
When the battery pack is new, it should be fully charged before being
used for the rst time.
If left unused, your transceiver’s battery pack will discharge itself within
a few months.
If you have not used your ULTRA550 for some time, you will need to
recharge the battery pack before use.
Warning: Use only the supplied charger pod. The use of other types
may be dangerous and will void your warranty.

12
Charging the Radio
Connect the socket of
the wall adaptor to a
mains power outlet and
insert the jack of the
wall adaptor into the
desktop charger plug
(see Fig. 1). It takes
approximately 3 hours
to fully recharge.
Place your transceiver
into the cradle of
the desktop charger.
The RED LED on the
charger will light up.
When charging is complete, take the transceiver out of the cradle and
detach the socket of the wall adaptor from the mains.
The red LED on the mains charger pod will change to green when
charging is complete. It will take approximately 3 hours to fully charge
the battery with the radio turned off.
You can also charge the radio using a 12V adaptor supplied. Plug the
adaptor into the 12V outlet in your car and insert jack into the desktop
charger (see Fig. 2).
Do not transmit when the ULTRA550
is in the charger pod.
The Belt Clip
1. Place the belt clip into the slot on the back of the
radio.
2. Then slide it down.
3. You will hear a click. The belt clip is rmly
installed.
Installation
Fig. 2Fig. 1

13
Controls and Indicators
INS
VOL
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
SC
MENU
ULTRA550
9
10
11
12
13
8
The Speaker Mic (accessory)
To connect the speaker mic, t the plug into the
socket and tighten the retaining screw (nger
tight only).
NOTE: When accessories are tted, the IP rating
may be compromised.
Basic Control
1. Antenna connector
2. Instant channel memory recall
and write
3. Power On/Off and volume adjust
4. Belt Clip
5. Push to talk (PTT)/Melody call
6. Monitor On/Triple Watch
7. External speaker & Microphone
jack
8. RX/TX LED indicator
9. LCD
10. Microphone
11. Channel down
12. Scan/Menu
13. Channel up

14
LCD Display
A. TX indicator H. CTCSS/DCS code
B. Duplex on I. Function
C. Memory J. Scrambler on
D. Channel display K. Tri Watch on
E. Battery indicator L. Key Lock
F. CTCSS on M. Low TX power
G. DCS on N. VOX
O. Roger Beep on
Battery Level Display
The battery icon in the top right hand corner of the LCD shows the
current battery level at all times.
The battery level is displayed in 4 levels as below.
Battery 100% fully charged
Battery approx 70%
Battery approx 30%
Low battery with alert beep tone
Battery life: Typically 15 Hours (This is based on the following duty
cycle TX 5%/RX 5%/Stand by 90%)
Controls and Indicators
O
N
M
G
K J
H
L
A BC DE
F
I

15
When(PTT) is pressed at low battery, an error tone sounds and
transmission is disabled.
Once at low battery the unit will automatically shutdown.
Recharge the battery at any time. When the battery is empty, it will
take approximately 3 hours to fully charge.
Power On/Off
To turn on the transceiver, turn the volume knob clockwise until you
hear a click.
To turn off the transceiver, turn the volume knob fully counter-clockwise.
Volume
Rotate the Volume knob until you reach the desired level.
Channel Selection
Press the channel up or down buttons until you select the desired channel.
Transmission and Reception
To transmit, keep the PTT button rmly pressed and the red LED will
illuminate.
Wait for approximately 1 second and then speak in the direction of the
microphone, and hold the device at a distance of about 5cm from your
mouth.
When you have nished, release the PTT.
When the radio is in reception mode, you will automatically receive
communications and the green LED will illuminate.
MON (Monitor) Function
The Monitor button is used for temporarily opening the squelch,
in order to listen to signals that are too weak to keep the squelch
permanently opened.
For brief listening, press Monitor briey to turn Squelch off, press
briey again to turn Squelch back on.
Operations

16
Triple Watch Function
Pressing and holding the monitor button activates the Triple watch
function. The Triple Watch feature allows for monitoring of 2 or 3
channels, including the currently selected channel and the channels
stored in TRI 1 and TRI 2.
In order to store these channels, they are set on the radio in the same
way you would set normal channels with any additional features set
(CTCSS/DCS/Duplex). This channel is then selected in TRI 1 or TRI 2 via
the menu function. If only one additional channel is required then select
“off” in TRI 2.
Once Watch is activated, by pressing and holding the Monitor button,
the TRI 1 and TRI 2 channels are checked in the following sequence:
Main channel is checked for 0.7 of a second, then TRI 1 for 0.15
seconds, TRI 2 for 0.15 seconds and then back to the Main channel.
The sequence is repeated until turned off, or until a signal is detected.
If there is a signal present on TRI 1 or TRI 2, the radio will wait on that
channel. For 5 seconds after the signal is no longer present, the user
can push and hold the monitor button to activate that as the normal
channel, otherwise the Watch will continue in its normal sequence.
Watch can be disabled by pushing and holding the monitor button.
Instant channel
The Transceiver has 3 instant channel recall and memory function.
Instant recall
1. Press the Instant button, The letters “MR INST” will appear on the LCD.
The 3 instant channels are pre programmed as below.
Button A B C
Default CH 40 20 1
2. You can recall each instant channel by pressing one of the buttons
after recall mode.
If you want to escape from this function, press INS button or press
PTT.
Operations

17
Instant Channel memory change
To change the pre programmed INS CH
1. Select the required channel.
2. Press and hold the instant button until “MW INST” appears on the LCD.
3. Press the INS CH button that you want to change and the new
channel information will be saved.
Instant Channel scanning
1. Press SCAN button to start scanning.
2. Press and hold 2 seconds scan button again. Then scanning will
be changed to 3 INS CH scanning mode.
3. When you want to stop scanning, you can press the SCAN button
or push the PTT button.
Duplex
Duplex can be turned off and on for each channel in Menu mode. The
Display shows DPX only available on channels (1-8) and (41-48).
General
Your radio has a Repeater Access function to allow use of local
repeater stations (if available in your area). Repeaters are a shared
radio system installed by interested parties (clubs,local businesses
etc.) that pick transmissions on specic channels and re-transmit (or
repeat) the received signal to another channel.
Channel
2
Channel
32
Channel
2
Channel 32
Repeater Station
The Repeater Access function can be set (from channel 1 to 8 and
41 - 48) used by local repeater stations. When activated, your radio
will receive the Repeater on its specic channel (all repeater output are
Operations

18
on channel 1 to 8 and 41-48) but transmit to the repeater channel 31
through 38 and 71 to 78.
e.g
CH01 on Duplex mode will receive on CH01 but transmit on CH31.
CH02 on duplex mode will receive on CH02 but transmit on CH32.
If you transmit on CH01 duplex mode, you are actually transmitting on
CH31.
The repeater station down converts your signal and retransmits on CH01.
Your ULTRA550 allows you to pre-select Duplex operation individually
on each channel.
CH and number
Simplex mode Transmit/
Receiver
Duplex Mode Transmit/
Receiver
Frequency (MHz) Frequency (MHz)
1 476.425 477.175 CH31
2 476.450 477.200 CH32
3 476.475 477.225 CH33
4 476.500 477.250 CH34
5 476.525 477.275 CH35
6 476.550 477.300 CH36
7 476.575 477.325 CH37
8 476.600 477.350 CH38
41 476.4375 477.1875 CH71
42 476.4625 477.2125 CH72
43 476.4875 477.2375 CH73
44 476.5125 477.2625 CH74
45 476.5375 477.2875 CH75
46 476.5625 477.3125 CH76
47 476.5875 477.3375 CH77
48 476.6125 477.3625 CH78
CTCSS/DCS
To activate CTCSS or DCS, please select the required tone in menu mode
as this will activate CTCSS or DCS on the current channel only. To turn
CTCSS or DCS off on the current channel, select “off” in menu mode.
The Display shows or when on.
Operations

19
Operations
Menu Function
The Menu function provides a convenient method of customizing some
of the radio’s functions.
The following Menu Options are available.
Note that some items are only available on certain channels.
To access the Menu functions:
1. Press and hold the Menu button, the rst menu function is displayed.
2. Briey press the menu button to cycle through each available function.
After the last function has been selected, the cycle returns to the
beginning.
3. Use the channel up or down buttons to change the parameters of
the selected function.
4. To exit the menu, press PTT button or press and hold the menu
button for 2 seconds.
The following features can be selected by using the “MENU” button:
1. TX power HI(5W)/LO(1W)
2. Digital Squelch setting (Auto, 1 to 5 levels)
3. User selectable 38 CTCSS and 104 DCS codes
4. Scrambler setting (Off, 1 to 5 different frequencies)
5. Duplex On/Off
6. VOX sensitivity (Off, 1 to 3 levels)
7. Priority channel memory
8. Scan mode (Open or Group scan)
9. Busy channel lockout (On or Off)
10. 5 Selectable call tones (Off, 1 to 5 melody)
11. Key beep tone (On or Off)
12. Roger beep tone (On or Off)
13. Triple watch sub channel 1 setting
14. Triple watch sub channel 2 setting
15. Memory channel (On or Off)
16. Squelch tail (On or Off)

20
* Please see below menu modes.
Control Functions Step Display Default
MENU
TX Power High or Low High
SQ level Auto or 1 to 5 Auto
CTCSS or DCS TSQ38 or DCS104 Off
Scrambler Off or 1 to 5 Off
Duplex On or Off On
VOX Off or 1 to 3 Off
Priority Channel On or Off 11
Scan mode OS or GS OS
MENU
Busy channel
lockout On or Off Off
5 Selectable call
tone Off or 1 to 5 Off
Key beep tone On or Off Off
Roger beep tone On or Off Off
Triple watch CH1 One CH memory Off
Triple watch CH2 One CH memory Off
Memory On/Off On or Off On
Squelch tail On or Off Off
Operations