Radio Shack AM/FM Cassette Car Stereo User manual

Cat. No. 12-2004
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
AM/FM Cassette Car Stereo
with Auto-Stop
AM/FM Stereo Cassette Player
A
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2
FEATURES
Your RadioShack AM/FM Cassette Car
Stereo has an auto-stop cassette deck,
locking fast-forward, and tone and bal-
ance controls designed to make your
stereo’s operation simple and conve-
nient.
Caution: Use common sense. Do not
change your stereo’s settings in heavy
traffic or during hazardous driving condi-
tions.
This stereo’s features include:
Adjustable Shaft Spacing — fits almost
all shaft-type installations.
Auto-Stop —stops the tape when it
reaches the end, to reduce wear on your
tape and the cassette deck.
Locking Fast-Forward —lets you
quickly move the tape forward.
LO/DX Button —lets you adjust the
tuner’s sensitivity.
FM Stereo Indicator—lights when the
radio receives a stereo FM signal.
Backlit Display —lets you easily see
the station the radio is tuned to.
Tone and Balance Controls —let you
adjust high and low sounds and the bal-
ance between the left and right speak-
ers, so you can tailor the sound to suit
your preferences.
Mono/Stereo Control —lets you select
FM reception in stereo on strong sta-
tions or monaural reception on weak
stations.
©2000 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
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CONTENTS
Installation ............................................................................................................... 4
Before You Begin the Installation ........................................................................ 4
Preparing the Mounting Area ....................................................................... 4
Routing Speaker Wires ................................................................................ 4
Making the Connections ..................................................................................... 4
Using an Adapter Harness ........................................................................... 5
Connecting Ground, Power, and Optional Components .............................. 6
Connecting Speakers ................................................................................... 7
Connecting the Antenna .............................................................................. 7
Completing the Connections ........................................................................ 7
Testing the Connections ..................................................................................... 7
Mounting the Stereo ........................................................................................... 8
Setting the Shaft Spacing ............................................................................ 8
Completing the Installation .......................................................................... 8
Operation ............................................................................................................... 11
Turning the Stereo On and Off ......................................................................... 11
Adjusting the Sound/Tuning .............................................................................. 11
Playing a Cassette ........................................................................................... 11
Fast-Forward and Rewind .......................................................................... 12
Care and Maintenance .......................................................................................... 13
The FCC Wants You to Know ........................................................................... 13
Cleaning the Tape-Handling Parts .................................................................... 13
Restoring Tape Tension and Sound Quality ..................................................... 14
Replacing the Fuse .......................................................................................... 14
Specifications ....................................................................................................... 15
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4
INSTALLATION
BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE
INSTALLATION
Before you install your stereo, we rec-
ommend you read through all the in-
structions in this Owner’s Manual. You
should be able to answer all of these
questions about your vehicle’s electrical
and sound systems.
• Which terminal in my vehicle’s fuse
box is for accessories?
• How do I connect a wire to the fuse
box?
• Which of the stereo’s wires is the
power wire and which are speaker
outputs?
Also, be aware that installation in your
vehicle might require cutting or modifying
your vehicle.
Place the stereo as close as possible to
the selected mounting location. We rec-
ommend that you test the connections by
temporarily connecting the ground and
power wires, your speakers, and an an-
tenna. After you test the connections
(see “Testing the Connections” on
Page 7), disconnect the stereo, mount it
in your vehicle, and then reconnect it.
The instructions in this manual are ar-
ranged in this order.
Caution: Be sure your speakers can
handle 7 watts of power (3.5 watts per
channel). Each speaker must have an
impedance of at least 4 ohms. Your lo-
cal RadioShack store carries a full line
of speakers.
Preparing the Mounting Area
Before you mount the stereo, make sure
you have all the necessary materials.
Then confirm that the stereo fits your
vehicle’s mounting area. This auto-
sound stereo system is a shaft-type unit
that requires a 115/16-inch (50 mm) high
by 61/2-inch (164 mm) wide by 43/4-inch
(120 mm) deep mounting area.
Note: If the mounting area is too large,
you might be able to mount the stereo
with an in-dash installation kit, available
at your local RadioShack store. Follow
the installation kit’s instructions to mount
the stereo.
Caution: Be sure to avoid obstructions
behind the mounting surface.
Routing Speaker Wires
If you install speakers, avoid routing the
speaker wires near moving parts or
sharp edges. You can usually route them
along the wiring channel beneath the ve-
hicle’s door facings by carefully remov-
ing the molding that holds the carpet in
place. After you route the speaker wires,
replace the molding.
MAKING THE
CONNECTIONS
The supplied harness with the 14-pin
connector includes all the lead wires you
need to connect the stereo to ground,
power, some optional components, and
speakers.
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5
Important: Do not cut these wires. If you
cut any wire, you cannot obtain a refund
or exchange on this product. However,
your local RadioShack store will provide
warranty service if you cut a wire and find
the product is defective.
You might need additional wire, depend-
ing on your individual autosound system,
to complete the connections. Your local
RadioShack store carries a full line of
wire and wire management accessories.
Cautions:
• For added safety and to protect your
stereo, disconnect the cable from
your vehicle’s negative (–) battery
terminal before you begin.
• You must connect the GROUND (–)
and POWER LEAD (B+) wires first,
then make all other connections as
described in the following sections
before you plug the harness with the
14-pin connector into the stereo. If
you do not make connections in the
order shown, damage to the stereo
is possible if any wire connections
are made incorrectly.
• You must connect a separate wire to
each speaker terminal as described
in the following procedure. Do not
use a common wire or chassis
ground for any speaker connection.
Note: The wires in the wiring harness
have these colors and labels.
Using an Adapter Harness
If you are replacing an existing stereo,
or if your vehicle has been factory-wired
for autosound components, you might
be able to use an adapter harness to
connect the power and speakers. Ra-
dioShack stores carry adapter harness-
es for most vehicles.
Follow the directions that come with the
adapter harness to temporarily connect
the ground and power wires, optional
components, and speakers. Then go to
“Connecting the Antenna” on Page 7.
GROUND (–)
Black
POWER LEAD (B+)
Red
AMP REMOTE TURN ON 500 MA
Blue
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6
Connecting Ground, Power, and Optional Components
Follow these steps to connect the supplied harness with the 14-pin connector to
ground, primary power, and optional components.
1. Disconnect the cable from your vehicle’s negative (–) battery terminal.
2. Connect the black GROUND (–) wire to a chassis ground, such as a metal screw
attached to a metal part of the vehicle’s frame. Be sure that the screw is not insu-
lated from the chassis by a plastic part.
3. Connect the red POWER LEAD (B+) wire (with in-line fuse holder) to a point in your
vehicle’s fuse block that has power only when you turn the vehicle’s key to either
the accessory (ACC) or START position.
This connection turns on the stereo when you turn on the ignition or turn the key
to ACC, and turns off the stereo when you turn off the ignition. This prevents your
vehicle’s battery from being drained if you leave the stereo on when you turn off
the ignition.
4. Cut the loop at the end of the blue AMP REMOTE TURN ON 500MA MAX wire, strip
about 1/2inch of insulation from its end, then connect it to any optional equipment
(designed to run from a switched source) that you want the stereo to turn on and
off (such as a power antenna).
This wire does not provide power to the components. It simply turns them on or
off.
White
White/Black
Gray
Gray/Black
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
LEFT
RIGHT
GROUND (–)
POWER LEAD (B+)
AMP REMOTE TURN ON
Black
Red
Blue 500 MA MAX
Stereo
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7
If you do not use this wire, secure it
with a wire tie and do not let its bare
wire ends touch metal (if you cut it).
Connecting Speakers
1. Connect the gray wire to the right
speaker’s positive terminal. This ter-
minal is usually marked with a plus
(+) sign or red mark.
2. Connect the gray/black wire to the
right speaker’s negative terminal.
This terminal might be marked with
a minus (–) sign or it might not be
marked at all.
3. Connect the white wire to the left
speaker’s positive terminal.
4. Connect the white/black wire to the
left speaker’s negative terminal.
Connecting the Antenna
Connect the vehicle’s antenna cable to
the antenna jack on the back of the ste-
reo.
Completing the Connections
After you have securely made all other
connections, plug the harness’ connec-
tor into the stereo’s 14-pin wiring socket.
Then reconnect the cable to the vehi-
cle’s negative (–) battery terminal.
TESTING THE
CONNECTIONS
Turn on your vehicle’s ignition then turn
OFF/VOL clockwise until it clicks. The
front of the stereo lights.
If the stereo does not work, immediate-
ly disconnect the cable from your ve-
hicle’s negative (–) battery terminal.
Then recheck your connections.
After you verify that the front of the ste-
reo lights, follow the instructions in
“Mounting the Stereo” on Page 8.
Antenna Cable
14-Pin
Wiring Socket
14-Pin
Connector
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8
MOUNTING THE STEREO
Setting the Shaft Spacing
The size of pre-existing openings in the
dash or installation kit determines the
best spacing between the stereo’s shafts
(knobs).
Thespacebetweentheshaftsispresetto
51/8inches (130 mm). If needed, you can
change the spacing to 53/8inches (136
mm),59/16 inches(142 mm), or513/16 inch-
es (148 mm).
Measure the size of the pre-existing
openings in the dash or installation kit.
Then, if you need to change the shaft
spacing, follow these steps.
1. Make sure the ignition is turned off,
then disconnect the cable from your
vehicle’s negative (–) battery termi-
nal.
2. Disconnect the wiring harness and
the antenna.
3. Loosen the shaft nuts on both
shafts. Then move each shaft posi-
tioner to the correct pair of holes as
shown.
Note: If necessary, you can turn one
or both shaft positioners 180° so
they fit the mounting holes.
4. Tighten the shaft nuts on both
shafts.
Completing the Installation
Once you verify that the stereo is con-
nected properly (see “Testing the Con-
nections” on Page 7), follow these steps
to mount the stereo.
1. Make sure the ignition is turned off,
then disconnect the cable from your
vehicle’s negative (–) battery termi-
nal.
2. Make sure the wiring harness and
antenna are disconnected.
Shaft Nut Shaft Positioner
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9
3. Place one of the supplied nuts and washers on each shaft, then tighten the nuts
about halfway up the shafts.
4. From behind the dashboard, insert the shafts through the holes in the mounting
surface.
5. Adjust the nuts on the shafts until the stereo’s front panel lines up properly with
the dashboard. If additional front panel support is needed, you can insert the sup-
plied gasket.
6. Place another supplied washer and nut on each shaft, then tighten the nuts to
secure the stereo against the dashboard.
7. Place the supplied trim plate and one pair of the shaft-spacing adapters over the
shafts. Select the pair of shaft-spacing adapters that fit over the shafts and into
the cutouts in the trim plate.
8. To further secure the stereo, use the supplied self-tapping screw, nut, and washer
to attach one end of the supplied metal strap to the bolt on the back of the stereo.
If necessary, bend the metal strap to fit your vehicle’s mounting area. Then attach
the other end of the strap to a solid metal part of the vehicle, using an existing
bolt or the supplied self-tapping screw. This strap also ensures that the stereo is
properly grounded.
Nut
Washer
Nut
Washer
Stereo
Gasket
Trim Plate
Nut
Washer
Washer
Shaft-Spacing
Adapter
Nut
Inner Knob
Outer
Metal Strap
Self-Tapping Screw
Dashboard
Knob
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10
9. Place another supplied washer and
nut on each shaft, then tighten the
nuts to secure the shaft-spacing
adapters against the stereo.
10. Place the supplied inner and outer
knobs on the shafts.
11. Reconnect the wiring harness and
the antenna.
12. Reconnect the cable to the vehicle’s
negative (–) battery terminal.
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11
OPERATION
TURNING THE STEREO
ON AND OFF
To turn on the stereo, turn OFF/VOL (the
inner knob on the left side of the stereo)
clockwise until it clicks. To turn off the
stereo, turn OFF/VOL counterclockwise
until it clicks.
ADJUSTING THE
SOUND/TUNING
When you listen to your stereo, adjust
these controls to suit your listening pref-
erences and tune the stereo.
OFF/VOL (Off/Volume) — Turn the inner
knob clockwise to increase or counter-
clockwise to decrease the volume.
Warning: To protect your hearing, do
not listen at high volume levels. Slowly
increase the volume to a comfortable lis-
tening level.
MO/ST (Mono/Stereo) — press until it
clicksand stays in to select stereo recep-
tion. Press until it clicks and pops out to
select mono reception.
LO/DX (Local/Distant) — press until it
clicks and stays in to improve reception
of a weak station (AM or FM, monaural
or stereo). Press until it clicks and pops
out for best reception of strong local sta-
tions.
AM/FM — press until it clicks and stays
in to select the FM band. Press until it
clicks and pops out to select the AM
band.
TUNE
— rotate the inner knob to tune to
the desired station.
BALANCE — rotate the outer knob to ad-
just the balance between the right and
left speakers.
TONE — rotate the outer knob (around
OFF/VOL) to increase or decrease high
sounds.
PLAYING A CASSETTE
Caution: Avoid using C-120 cassette
tapes. They are very thin and can easily
become tangled in the tape-handling
parts.
Follow these steps to play a cassette
tape.
1. Take up any slack in the tape by
turning the cassette’s hub with your
finger or a pencil. (Avoid touching
the tape.)
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12
2. If the stereo is off, turn OFF/VOL
clockwise until it clicks to turn it on.
3. Put the tape into the cassette com-
partment with its open edge to the
right and the side you want to hear
facing up. The tape begins to play.
4. Adjust OFF/VOL, BALANCE and
TONE as desired.
5. Press FF/EJ (Fast-Forward/Eject) all
the way in to stop the tape and eject
it. The radio plays.
Caution: We recommend you
press
FF/EJ as soon as you finish
playing a tape or before you leave
your vehicle, to release it from the
tape-handling parts. This reduces
the possibility of a tape being inad-
vertently tangled or damaged.
Note: When a tape reaches the end, the
cassette player automatically stops and
the radio plays, but the cassette player
does not eject the tape.
Fast-Forward and Rewind
To fast-forward the current side, gently
press FF/EJ about halfway in. The tape
quickly winds. To stop fast-forward, gen-
tly press FF/EJ again.
To play the other side of a tape, eject the
tape by pressing FF/EJ all the way in, turn
the tape over, then re-insert the tape into
the cassette compartment.
To rewind a tape, simply eject the tape
by pressing FF/EJ all the way in, turn the
tape over, then fast-forward the other
side.
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13
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Your RadioShack AM/FM Cassette Car
Stereo is an example of superior design
and craftsmanship. The following sug-
gestions will help you care for your ste-
reo so you can enjoy it for years.
Keep the stereo dry. If it
gets wet, wipe it dry im-
mediately. Liquids might
contain minerals that can
corrode the electronic cir-
cuits.
Keep the stereo away
from dust and dirt, which
can cause premature
wear of parts.
Handle the stereo gently
and carefully. Dropping it
can damage circuit
boards and cases and
can cause the stereo to
work improperly.
Wipe the stereo with a
damp cloth occasionally
to keep it looking new. Do
not use harsh chemicals,
cleaning solvents, or
strong detergents to clean
the stereo.
Modifying or tampering with the stereo’s
internal components can cause a mal-
function and might invalidate its warranty
and void your FCC authorization to oper-
ate it. If your stereo is not performing as
it should, take it to your local RadioShack
store for assistance.
THE FCC WANTS YOU TO
KNOW
Your stereo might cause TV or radio in-
terference even when it is operating
properly. To determine whether your ste-
reo is causing the interference, turn off
your stereo. If the interference goes
away, your stereo is causing the interfer-
ence. Try to eliminate the interference
by:
• moving your receiver away from the
stereo
• contacting your local RadioShack
store for help
If you cannot eliminate the interference,
the FCC requires that you stop using
your stereo.
CLEANING THE TAPE-
HANDLING PARTS
Dirt, dust or particles of the tape’s coat-
ing can accumulate on the tape heads
and other parts that the tape touches.
This can greatly reduce the performance
of the cassette player. After every 20
hours of tape player operation, use a
cassette deck cleaning kit (Cat. No. 44-
1202) to clean the tape-handling parts.
Follow the directions provided with the
cleaning kit to use it.
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14
RESTORING TAPE
TENSION AND SOUND
QUALITY
After you play a cassette tape a few
times, the tape might become tightly
wound on the reels. This can cause play-
back sound quality to deteriorate.
To restore the sound quality, fast-
forward the tape from the beginning to
the end of one side, then turn the tape
over and fast-forward it to the end again.
Then loosen the tape reels by gently tap-
ping each side of the cassette’s outer
shell on a flat surface.
Caution: Be careful not to damage the
cassette when tapping it. Do not touch
the exposed tape or allow any sharp ob-
jects near the cassette.
REPLACING THE FUSE
If the light on the front of the stereo does
not turn on or the stereo does not oper-
ate, you might need to replace the red
power wire’s 3-amp fuse with the sup-
plied spare fuse or another fuse such as
Cat. No. 270-1009.
Caution: Do not use a fuse with ratings
other than those specified here. Doing so
might damage your stereo.
Follow these steps to replace your ste-
reo’s fuse.
1. Disconnect the cable from your vehi-
cle’s negative (–) battery terminal.
2. To open the fuse holder, push
together and twist the fuse holder’s
parts until they spring open. Then
remove the fuse.
3. If the fuse is blown, replace it with
the supplied spare fuse. Use only a
standard 11/4-inch fuse with the
proper rating. The fuse must be
rated at 3 amps.
Caution: The supplied spare fuse
has the proper rating. Make sure
you replace the fuse only with
another fuse of the same rating.
4. Reassemble the fuse holder by
pushing together and twisting the
two parts back together.
5. Reconnect the cable to the vehicle’s
negative (–) battery terminal.
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15
SPECIFICATIONS
RADIO FM (Nominal) AM (Nominal)
Frequency Range 88–108 MHz 530–1710 kHz
Signal-to-Noise (S/N) Ratio 50dB 47 dB
Stereo Separation 25dB —
Usable Sensitivity 5.6 µV (30 dB S/N) 30 µV (20 dB S/N)
CASSETTE PLAYER
Cassette Mechanism .................................................................................. Auto Stop
Signal-to-Noise Ratio ......................................................................................... 50 dB
Separation ......................................................................................................... 30 dB
Frequency Response (–2 dB) ............................................................. 125–6,300 Hz
GENERAL
Power Source .................................................................... 12 V DC Negative Ground
Speaker Output Impedance ............................................................................ 4 Ohms
Power Output (10% THD @ 1 kHz) ...................................... 3.5 Watts RMS/Channel
Supplied Fuse ................................................................................................. 3 Amps
Chassis Size (HWD)...............................................................115/16 ×61/2×43/4Inches
(50 ×164 ×120 mm)
Weight.................................................................................................................2.4 lbs
(1.1 kg)
Specifications are typical; individual units might vary. Specifications are subject to
change and improvement without notice.
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RadioShack
A Division of Tandy Corporation
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
4301-4025-2
01A00 Printed in Hong Kong
Limited One-Year Warranty
This product is warranted by RadioShack against manufacturing defects in material and workman-
ship under normal use for one (1) year from the date of purchase from RadioShack company-owned
stores and authorized RadioShack franchisees and dealers. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, Ra-
dioShack MAKES NO EXPRESS WARRANTIES AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING
THOSE OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED
IN DURATION TO THE DURATION OF THE WRITTEN LIMITED WARRANTIES CONTAINED
HEREIN. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, RadioShack SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY OR RE-
SPONSIBILITY TO CUSTOMER OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY WITH RESPECT TO ANY
LIABILITY, LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY BY USE OR PERFOR-
MANCE OF THE PRODUCT OR ARISING OUT OF ANY BREACH OF THIS WARRANTY, IN-
CLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY DAMAGES RESULTING FROM INCONVENIENCE, LOSS
OF TIME, DATA, PROPERTY, REVENUE, OR PROFIT OR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDEN-
TAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF RadioShack HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts or the exclusion or limita-
tion of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to
you.
In the event of a product defect during the warranty period, take the product and the RadioShack
sales receipt as proof of purchase date to any RadioShack store. RadioShack will, at its option, un-
less otherwise provided by law: (a) correct the defect by product repair without charge for parts and
labor; (b) replace the product with one of the same or similar design; or (c) refund the purchase
price. All replaced parts and products, and products on which a refund is made, become the prop-
erty of RadioShack. New or reconditioned parts and products may be used in the performance of
warranty service. Repaired or replaced parts and products are warranted for the remainder of the
original warranty period. You will be charged for repair or replacement of the product made after the
expiration of the warranty period.
This warranty does not cover: (a) damage or failure caused by or attributable to acts of God, abuse,
accident, misuse, improper or abnormal usage, failure to follow instructions, improper installation or
maintenance, alteration, lightning or other incidence of excess voltage or current; (b) any repairs
other than those provided by a RadioShack Authorized Service Facility; (c) consumables such as
fuses or batteries; (d) cosmetic damage; (e) transportation, shipping or insurance costs; or (f) costs
of product removal, installation, set-up service adjustment or reinstallation.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from
state to state.
RadioShack Customer Relations, 200 Taylor Street, 6th Floor, Fort Worth, TX 76102
We Service What We Sell
12/99
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