Radio Shack TAD-716 User manual

Cat. No. 43-716
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
TAD-716
Single Microcassette
Answering System

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WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or
shock hazard, do not expose this product to rain
or moisture.
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 SERVICING
TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
This symbol is intended to alert
you to the presence of uninsu-
lated dangerous voltage within
the product’s enclosure that might
be of sufficient magnitude to con-
stitute 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
included in the literature accom-
panying this product.
!
!
©1999 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.

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FEATURES
Your RadioShack TAD-716 Single Microcassette An-
swering System is ideal for your home or office. It is easy
to use and has the following features.
Single Microcassette Operation — lets you store your
messages.
One Button Operation — easy to use.
Remote Operation — lets you use a touch-tone phone
(or rotary phone and pocket tone dialer) to enter a 3-digit
remote operation security code so you can play back or
record messages while you are away from your home or
office.
Remote Answer-On — lets you call from a remote loca-
tion to set the TAD-716 to answer calls.
Call Monitor — lets you listen while a caller leaves a
message so you can decide if you want to answer the
call.
Auto Toll Saver — lets you avoid unnecessary toll
charges when you call long-distance to check your mes-
sages.

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Broken Tape Detection/Indication — sounds a continu-
ous tone to alert you when the tape is broken or not in-
serted properly.
Tape Full Detection — signal caller when the message
capacity is full.
VOX (Voice-Activated Recording) — stops recording
after 7 seconds of silence to conserve tape space for oth-
er messages.
Auto Reset — stops recording when you pick up any
phone on the same phone line and resets to answer the
next call.
Message Indicator — flashes to indicate the number of
incoming calls recorded (up to 4). It flashes continuously
if there are more than 4 calls or if there are messages re-
corded when a power failure occurs.
This answering system is ETL listed and complies with all
applicable FCC standards.

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READ THIS FIRST
We have designed the TAD-716 to conform to federal
regulations, and you can connect it to most telephone
lines. However, each device you connect to the phone
line draws power from the phone line. We refer to this
power draw as the device's Ringer Equivalence Number,
or REN. The REN is on the bottom of the TAD-716.
If you are using more than one device on the line, add up
all the RENs. If the total is more than five (three in rural
areas), your phones might not ring and the TAD-716
might not answer. If ringer operation is impaired, remove
a device from the telephone line.
FCC STATEMENT
The TAD-716 complies with Part 68 of FCC Rules . You
must, upon request, provide the FCC registration number
and the REN to your phone company. Both numbers are
on the bottom of the TAD-716.
Note: You must not connect the TAD-716 to:
• coin-operated systems
• party-line systems
• most electronic key phone systems

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CONTENTS
Preparation .................................................................. 7
Selecting a Location ............................................... 7
Loading the Cassette .............................................. 7
Connecting Power .................................................. 9
Recording the Outgoing Message ........................ 10
Connecting to the Phone Line .............................. 11
Basic Operation ........................................................ 12
Screening Calls .................................................... 13
Playing Messages ................................................ 14
To Pause During Playback ............................. 14
To Fast-Forward During Playback .................. 15
To Rewind During Playback ........................... 15
Saving Messages ................................................. 15
Power Failure Protection ...................................... 16
Resetting the TAD-716 ......................................... 16
Remote Operation ..................................................... 17
Remote Security Code ......................................... 17
Remote Activation ................................................ 17
Remote Message Playback .................................. 18
Remote Message Erase ....................................... 19
Toll Saver .............................................................. 20
Troubleshooting ........................................................ 21
Care and Maintenance .............................................. 24
Cleaning the Tape-Handling Parts ........................ 25
The FCC Wants You to Know ............................... 26
Lightning ............................................................... 26

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PREPARATION
SELECTING A LOCATION
The TAD-716 is designed to rest on a flat surface such as
a desktop or countertop. Select a location that is:
• near an accessible AC outlet
• near a modular telephone line jack
If the phone line jack is not a modular jack, you must up-
date the wiring. You can convert the wiring yourself, us-
ing jacks and adapters available at your local
RadioShack store. Or, you can let the phone company
update the wiring for you. The USOC number of the jack
to be installed is RJ11C.
LOADING THE CASSETTE
The TAD-716 comes with a MC-20 cassette tape (10
minutes of recording time per side). You can buy addi-
tional and different length cassettes at your local Ra-
dioShack store.

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1. Turn the supplied cas-
sette's hub with a pencil to
take up any tape slack.
2. Lift open the cassette
compartment door, then
remove and discard the
tape card from inside the
compartment.
3. Put the cassette in the compartment with its full reel
at the left side and its open edge to the left of the
TAD-716.
4. Close the compartment door.
Notes:
• You can turn the tape over and record on the other
side. This lets you save any messages recorded on
the first side while using the tape to record more
messages.
• Replace the tape at least once a year.

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CONNECTING POWER
1. Plug the supplied AC adapter into a standard AC out-
let.
2. Rotate VOLUME counterclockwise until it clicks to
turn on the TAD-716.
The message indicator turns on while the TAD-716
checks for an outgoing message.
If an outgoing message is already recorded, the TAD-716
automatically plays it back. If there is no outgoing mes-
sage, the TAD-716 sounds a beep every 5 seconds until
you record a message (see “Recording the Outgoing
Message” on Page 10).
Note: If the cassette tape is broken or is not inserted
properly, the TAD-716 sounds a continuous low tone
when it is connected to power. To stop the tone, unplug
the adapter from the AC outlet. Reinsert or replace the
tape, then plug the adapter back into the AC outlet.

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RECORDING THE OUTGOING
MESSAGE
Before you can use the TAD-716, you must record the
outgoing message. The maximum length for your outgo-
ing message is 60 seconds.
Hint: To help protect your home or office, do not tell call-
ers you are away. Instead, say you cannot come to the
phone at this time.
Follow these steps to record an outgoing message.
1. If the TAD-716 is off, rotate VOLUME counterclock-
wise until it clicks to turn it on. The message indicator
turns on.
Note: If the new message indicator is flashing, press
PLAY to play all messages before you record a new
announcement. Recording an outgoing message
erases any stored messages.
2. Lift open the cassette compartment door.
3. Hold down OGM REC.
When the message
indicator begins flash-
ing, speak clearly
towards the built-in
microphone.

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4. When you finish recording, release OGM REC. The
TAD-716 plays back the outgoing message to you.
Then it is ready to receive incoming calls.
5. Adjust VOLUME to a comfortable listening level.
You can press OGM REC at any time to hear the outgoing
message. Your outgoing message plays, then the TAD-
716 resets to answer incoming calls automatically.
CONNECTING TO THE PHONE LINE
To connect a telephone to the TAD-716, plug the TAD-
716’s modular cord into a modular phone jack. Then in-
sert the telephone's modular plug into the phone jack on
the back of the TAD-716.

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BASIC OPERATION
Rotate VOLUME on the side of the TAD-716 counter-
clockwise until it clicks to turn on the TAD-716. When the
message indicator lights steadily and no tones sound, the
TAD-716 is ready to answer calls.
The TAD-716 hangs up and resets to answer the next
call when:
• the caller hangs up
• the maximum message length of about 1 minute is
reached
• there are more than 7 seconds of silence
The TAD-716's supplied tape can record up to about 10
minutes of incoming messages per side. The maximum
length for an incoming message is 60 seconds. Addition-
al and different length cassettes are available at your lo-
cal RadioShack store.
If the tape runs out while a caller is leaving a message,
the TAD-716 beeps and hangs up.
If there are no new messages, the TAD-716 answers af-
ter 4 rings. When there are new message which have not
been reviewed, the TAD-716 answers after 2 rings.

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If the incoming message tape is full, the TAD-716 an-
swers a call after 10 rings, plays back the outgoing mes-
sage, then waits 7 seconds for you to enter the remote
operation security code. If you do not enter the correct
code, the TAD-716 beeps and hangs up.
Rotate VOLUME counterclockwise to increase the vol-
ume, or clockwise to decrease it.
To have the TAD-716 not answer calls, turn it off by rotat-
ing VOLUME clockwise until it clicks. The message indica-
tor turns off.
SCREENING CALLS
To screen calls, let the TAD-716 answer them. Listen to
the caller's message through the TAD-716's speaker. If
you decide to answer the call, pick up any phone on the
same phone line as the TAD-716. The TAD-716 stops re-
cording and resets to answer the next call.
Note: If you pick up the phone just as the TAD-716 an-
swers, the TAD-716 might not stop recording the mes-
sage. If this happens, press the telephone’s switchhook
for about one second. The TAD-716 stops and resets to
answer the next call.

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PLAYING MESSAGES
The maximum length for each message is 60 seconds.
The message indicator flashes when you have messag-
es.
Press PLAY to hear your messages. The TAD-716 plays
back your messages in the order they were received. Af-
ter the last message has played, playback stops and the
message indicator lights steadily.
You must save old messages (see “Saving Messages”
on Page 15) or new messages will record over them.
To Pause During Playback
Rotate VOLUME to OFF to pause or stop during playback.
Rotate VOLUME counterclockwise until it clicks to resume
playing messages.

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To Fast-Forward During Playback
Hold down OGM REC until you reach the message you
want. Playback resumes when you release OGM REC.
Note: If you hold the key down until the end of the tape,
the TAD-716 rewinds and stops.
To Rewind During Playback
Hold down PLAY. When you reach the message you
want, release the key to resume playback.
SAVING MESSAGES
After the last message plays and the tape rewinds to the
beginning, hold down PLAY until the message indicator
goes off. Release the key and the message indicator
flashes, indicating the TAD-716 is ready to answer in-
coming calls and save new messages.
Note: You must follow this procedure each time you lis-
ten to incoming messages, before the TAD-716 answers
a new incoming call.

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POWER FAILURE PROTECTION
If an AC power failure occurs, or the power plug comes
out of the wall, the TAD-716 shuts down until power is re-
stored. When power is restored, any messages recorded
before the power failure will be saved and the message
indicator flashes. If the TAD-716 is still not operating
properly when the power is restored, you must reset it
(see “Resetting the TAD-716”).
RESETTING THE TAD-716
1. Unplug the TAD-716 from the AC outlet and flip the
microcassette to the other side.
2. Plug the machine back into the AC outlet. The TAD-
716 begins searching the tape messages (this might
take 2–3 minutes).
If the message indicator flashes, press PLAY to play
all the messages. Then the message indicator lights
steadily.
3. Record a new outgoing message.

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REMOTE OPERATION
While you are away from your home or office, you can
operate the TAD-716 using a touch-tone phone or a
pulse phone with a pocket tone dialer. Carry the supplied
Remote Operation Card in your wallet or purse for refer-
ence when using the TAD-716 from a remote location.
REMOTE SECURITY CODE
A three-digit security code is located on the bottom of
your TAD-716. You need this number to get your mes-
sages when calling from a remote phone. Write down
your code in the space provided on the enclosed Remote
Operation Card.
REMOTE ACTIVATION
If you forget to turn your TAD-716 on, you can call and
turn it on from a remote phone. Simply call your phone
number. The TAD-716 answers after 12 or 14 rings, then
is set to answer incoming calls.
Note: Be sure to rotate VOLUME counterclockwise when
you get home or you will not hear incoming calls.

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REMOTE MESSAGE PLAYBACK
1. Call your phone number from a touch-tone phone.
After the TAD-716 answers, it plays the outgoing
message, sounds a series of beeps, then one long
tone. The length of the beeps depends on the num-
ber of messages.
You can leave a flag message up to 1 minute long to
remind yourself that you have heard all the recorded
messages up to this point on the tape.
2. Whether or not you have left a flag message, enter
your three-digit security code (see “Remote Security
Code” on Page 17). The TAD-716 sounds a series of
beeps while the tape rewinds. (If there are no beeps,
enter the code again).
The TAD-716 plays back all recorded incoming mes-
sages, with a short beep between each message.
When all incoming messages have played, the TAD-
716 sounds another series of beeps.
Note: If you hang up while messages are playing, the
machine continues playback until all the recorded
messages have played.

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After 5 seconds, the TAD-716 sounds a single long
beep. You can leave a remote memo (up to 1 minute)
or enter your three-digit security code to replay the
incoming messages again.
3. To end playback, simply hang up. All messages are
automatically saved and the TAD-716 resets itself to
answer the next incoming call.
Note: You cannot use this feature when calling in from a
rotary or push-button pulse dial phone without a pocket
tone dialer. Also, some touch-tone phones only output
tones for a fraction of a second. If you have difficulty with
remote operation, try another phone, or use a pocket
tone dialer.
REMOTE MESSAGE ERASE
After playing all messages, the TAD-716 sounds a series
of beeps.
Enter your three-digit security code within 5 seconds after
the beeps. After 2 short beeps sound, hang up. All mes-
sages are automatically erased and the TAD-716 resets
itself to answer the next incoming call.

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TOLL SAVER
The TAD-716 has a built-in automatic toll-saving feature.
It answers in 4 rings if there are no new or saved mes-
sages, or 2 rings if you have messages to review. This
feature lets you know if you have received any messages
before it answers, thus saving long distance costs.
If your phone rings more than twice, you know that you
don’t have any messages, so you can hang up on the
third ring before the TAD-716 answers and save the cost
of the call.
Note: If no messages are received, or if messages have
been saved after playback, the TAD-716 answers after
the fourth ring.
If the TAD-716 answers after 2 rings, you have received
messages. Follow the steps in “Remote Message Play-
back” on Page 18. If messages have been saved after re-
mote playback, the TAD-716 answers after the second
ring.
Note: If the tape is full, the TAD-716 answers after 10
rings.