Radio Shack CTR-102 User manual

Cat. No. 14-1108A
OWNER’S MANUAL
AC•DC Portable
Please read before using this equipment.
CTR-102
Cassette Tape Recorder
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2
FEATURES
© 1996 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
Radio Shack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
Your Radio Shack CTR-102 AC•DC
Portable Cassette Tape Recorder is
a multi-functional recorder. It is easy-
to-use and reliable. You will find it
ideal for both personal and business
use.
Its features include:
Built-in Condenser Microphone —
gives you high sensitivity for record-
ing conferences.
Automatic Level Control (ALC)
Circuit — automatically ensures the
proper recording level.
Record/Batter
y
Indicator — flikers
during recording and lights steadily
when the batteries need replacing.
MIC Jack — lets you connect an op-
tional external microphone.
AUX Jack — lets you record from an
external sound source.
Supplied Earphone — lets you lis-
ten in privacy.
Erase Plu
g
— lets you easily erase
cassette tapes.
Three Power Sources — let you
power the recorder from four C bat-
teries, standard AC power, or vehicle
DC power (with an optional DC
adapter).
Warnin
g
: To prevent fire or shock
hazard, do not expose this recorder
to rain or moisture.
This symbol is intended to alert
you to the presence of uninsulat-
ed dangerous voltage within the
recorder’senclosure that might be
of sufficient magnitude to consti-
tute a risk of electric shock. Do not
open the recorder’s case.
This symbol is intended to inform
you that important operating and
maintenance instructions are in-
cluded in the literature accompa-
nying this recorder.
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.
CAUTION !
!
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CONTENTS
Preparation .......................................................................................................4
Connecting Power .......................................................................................4
Using Internal Batteries.........................................................................4
Using AC Power....................................................................................5
Using Vehicle Battery Power.................................................................5
Using an Earphone......................................................................................6
Listening Safely.....................................................................................6
Traffic Safety .........................................................................................6
Operation ..........................................................................................................7
Loading a Cassette......................................................................................7
Playing a Tape.............................................................................................7
Recording ....................................................................................................8
Using the Built-In Microphone...............................................................8
Using an External Microphone..............................................................8
Recording From an External Audio Source...........................................9
Tape Tips ...................................................................................................10
Recommended Tapes .........................................................................10
Erasing a Cassette Tape.....................................................................10
Preventing Accidental Erasure............................................................11
Restoring Tape Tension and Sound Quality........................................11
Maintenance....................................................................................................12
Cleaning the Tape-Handling Parts.............................................................13
Specifications.................................................................................................14
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4
PREPARATION
CONNECTING POWER
You can power the recorder from any
of three power sources:
• Internal batteries
• Standard AC power
• Your vehicle’s cigarette-lighter
socket (with an optional DC
adapter)
Note:
Connecting an adapter discon-
nects the internal batteries.
Using Internal Batteries
You can power your recorder with
four C batteries (not supplied). For
the best performance, we recom-
mend alkaline batteries, such as
Radio Shack Cat. No. 23-551/651.
1. Press down on the battery com-
partment cover’s grooves and
slide it off in the direction of the
arrow.
2. Install the batteries as indicated
by the polarity symbols (+ and –)
marked inside the compartment.
Cautions:
• Use only fresh batteries of the
required size and type.
• Never mix fresh and old bat-
teries, or different battery
types.
3. Replace the cover.
Cautions:
• Always dispose of old batteries
promptly and properly.
• Never leave dead, old, or weak
batteries in the recorder. They
can leak chemicals and corrode
or damage electronic circuits.
• If you do not plan to use batter-
ies in the CTR-102 for a month
or more, remove the batteries to
protect the CTR-102 from possi-
ble battery leakage.
To check the battery’s condition,
press
PLAY, REWIND, or FAST-F. If
the RECORD/BATTERY indicator
lights steadily, the batteries need re-
placing.
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5
Using AC Power
To power the recorder from standard
AC power, plug the supplied AC pow-
er cord into the AC POWER 120V jack
on the right side of the recorder.
Then plug the other end into a stan-
dard AC outlet.
Caution: Always plug the AC power
cord into the AC POWER 120V jack
before you plug it into an AC outlet,
and always unplug the AC power
cord from the AC outlet before you
unplug it from the AC POWER 120V
jack.
Note: The recorder automatically
disconnects internal batteries when
you connect the AC power cord.
Using Vehicle Battery Power
You can also power the recorder
from your vehicle’s battery using an
auto DC adapter (such as Radio
Shack Cat. No. 14-844, not supplied)
that connects to your vehicle’s ciga-
rette lighter socket.
Cautions:
• The recommended DC adapter
supplies 6 volts and delivers at
least 300 milliamps. Its center tip
is set to negative, and its plug
correctly fits the recorder’s DC
6V jack. Using an adapter that
does not meet these specifica-
tions could seriously damage
the recorder or the adapter.
• Always plug the adapter into the
recorder before you plug it into
the cigarette-lighter socket, and
always unplug the adapter from
the cigarette-lighter socket
before you unplug it from the
recorder.
1. Set the DC adapter’s voltage
switch to 6V.
2. Insert the DC adapter’s black-
tipped barrel plug into the adapter’s
cord so it reads TIP-NEG.
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6
3. Insert the adapter’s barrel plug
into the recorder’s DC 6V jack.
4. Plug the adapter’s larger plug
into the vehicle’s cigarette-
lighter socket.
Note: The recorder automatically
disconnects internal batteries when
you connect the DC adapter.
USING AN EARPHONE
For private listening, you can use the
supplied earphone. Insert the ear-
phone’s 1/8-inch plug into the EAR
jack.
Note: Connecting the earphone au-
tomatically disconnects the built-in
speaker.
Listening Safely
To protect your hearing, follow these
guidelines when you use an ear-
phone.
• Set the volume to the lowest set-
ting before you begin listening.
After you begin listening, adjust
the volume to a comfortable
level.
• Do not listen at extremely high
volume levels. Extended high
volume listening can lead to per-
manent hearing loss.
• Once you set the volume, do not
increase it. Over time, your ears
adapt to the volume level, so a
volume level that does not
cause discomfort might still
damage your hearing.
Traffic Safety
Do not wear earphones while operat-
ing a motor vehicle or riding a bicy-
cle. This can create a traffic hazard
and is illegal in some areas.
Even though some earphones are
designed to let you hear some out-
side sounds when listening at normal
volume levels, they still present a
traffic hazard.
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7
OPERATION
LOADING A CASSETTE
1. Take up any slack in the tape by
turning one of the cassette’s
hubs with a pencil.
Caution: If you do not remove
excess slack, the tape might get
tangled in the record/playback
mechanism.
2. Press STOP/EJECT to open the
cassette compartment door.
3. Slide the cassette into the cas-
sette guides, with its open edge
toward the buttons, the desired
side facing up, and its full reel on
the left.
4. Close the door.
PLAYING A TAPE
Warnin
g
:To protect your hearing, set
VOLUME to its lowest setting before
you begin playing a cassette tape.
1. Load a prerecorded cassette
tape into the compartment.
2. Press PLAY.
Notes:
•Press
PAUSE to temporarily
stop playback. Press PAUSE
again to resume playback.
•Press
FAST-F or REWIND to
rapidly wind the tape forward
or backward. Press STOP/
EJECT, then PLAY again to
resume playback.
3. Adjust VOLUME to the desired
listening level.
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8
4. Press STOP to stop playback
before it automatically stops.
Press STOP/EJECT again to
open the cassette compartment
and remove the cassette tape.
RECORDING
Notes:
• Before you load a cassette tape
for recording, be sure its erase-
protection tabs are in place (see
“Preventing Accidental Era-
sure”).
• The recorder’s Automatic Level
Control (ALC) circuit automati-
cally adjusts the recording level.
VOLUME has no effect on
recording.
Using the Built-In
Microphone
The built-in condenser microphone is
a high-sensitivity microphone that
easily picks up sounds, near or far.
This is handy for recording confer-
ences or lectures.
Follow these steps to record using
the built-in microphone.
1. Load a blank cassette tape, or
one you want to record over, into
the cassette compartment.
2. Place the recorder 2 or 3 feet
from the recording source.
3. Press RECORD to begin record-
ing. Both PLAY and RECORD
lock down.
Note: To temporarily stop record-
ing, press PAUSE. To resume
recording, press PAUSE again.
4. Speak into MIC.
5. Press STOP/EJECT to stop
recording.
Using an External
Microphone
You can connect an external micro-
phone with a 1/8-inch plug to the re-
corder. This is handy for when you
want to record only an individual’s
voice and exclude all other sounds
in the surrounding area. Your local
Radio Shack store carries a wide
variety of external microphones.
Note: Connecting an external micro-
phone automatically disconnects the
built-in microphone.
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9
Follow these steps to record using an
external microphone.
1. Load a blank cassette tape, or
one you want to record over, into
the cassette compartment.
2. Insert the external microphone’s
1/8-inch plug into the recorder’s
MIC jack.
Note: If the external microphone
has a separate, smaller plug for
remote operation, insert that
plug into the REM jack. Be sure
to turn on the microphone’s
remote switch for operation.
3. Press RECORD to begin record-
ing. Both PLAY and RECORD
lock down.
Note: To temporarily stop
recording, press PAUSE. To
resume recording, press PAUSE
again.
4. Speak into the external micro-
phone.
5. Press STOP/EJECT to stop
recording.
Recording from an External
Audio Source
You can directly record from an ex-
ternal audio source, such as a radio,
tape deck, or CD player, using a suit-
able patch cord (not supplied) with a
1/8-inch plug.
Note: Before you connect an exter-
nal audio source to the recorder, be
sure the source’s and the recorder’s
volume controls are set to their mini-
mum setting.
Follow these steps to record from an
external audio source.
1. Load a blank cassette tape, or
one you want to record over, into
the cassette compartment.
2. If you connected an external
microphone, disconnect it.
3. Connect your external audio
source to the recorder by con-
necting the patch cord’s 1/8-inch
plug to the recorder’s AUX jack.
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10
4. Start the external audio source
and set its volume control to a
normal listening level.
Note: During recording, the
recorder’s speaker is muted. If
you want to monitor the record-
ing, use the supplied earphone.
5. Press RECORD to begin record-
ing. Both PLAY and RECORD
lock down.
Note: To temporarily stop
recording, press PAUSE. To
resume recording, press PAUSE
again.
6. Press STOP/EJECT to stop
recording.
Important: Most material on com-
pact disks and prerecorded tapes is
copyrighted. Unauthorized duplica-
tion of copyrighted material is a viola-
tion of the copyright laws of most
countries and such duplication may
result in fines and/or imprisonment.
Note, however, that in the United
States, it is not a violation of U.S.
copyright laws for a consumer to use
an audio recording device to dupli-
cate musical recordings for noncom-
mercial (personal) use.
TAPE TIPS
Recommended Tapes
Tape quality greatly affects the qual-
ity of the recording. We recommend
extended-range or low noise Type 1
regular length (60- or 90-minute) nor-
mal-bias cassette tapes. We do not
recommend long-play cassette tapes
such as C-120s because they are
thin and easily tangle.
Erasing a Cassette Tape
To record over a cassette tape, sim-
ply record as usual. The cassette
deck records over the previous re-
cording.
To erase the entire cassette tape, in-
sert the supplied erasing plug into the
MIC jack and press RECORD.
Note: Be sure you have not connect-
ed anything to the AUX jack.
If you need to erase an entire cas-
sette, you might prefer using a bulk
tape eraser, available from your local
Radio Shack store.
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11
Preventing Accidental
Erasure
Cassette tapes have two erase-pro-
tection tabs — one for each side.
When a tab is in place, you can
record on that side.
To protect a recording from being ac-
cidentally recorded over or erased,
use a screwdriver to remove one or
both of the cassette tape’s erase-
protection tabs. This prevents
RECORD from being pressed.
If you later decide to record on a tape
side after you have removed the
erase-protection tab for that side,
place a piece of strong plastic tape
over that side’s erase-protection
hole. Be sure you cover only the hole
originally covered by the erase-pro-
tection tab.
Caution: Removing the erase-pro-
tection tabs does not prevent a bulk
eraser from erasing a cassette tape.
Restoring Tape Tension and
Sound Quality
After you play a cassette tape sever-
al times, the tape might become
tightly wound on the reels. This can
cause playback sound quality to de-
teriorate.
To restore the sound quality, fast-for-
ward the tape from the beginning to
the end of one side, then completely
rewind it. Then loosen the tape reels
by gently tapping each side of the
cassette’s outer shell on a flat sur-
face.
Caution: Be careful not to damage
the cassette when tapping it. Do not
touch the exposed tape or allow any
sharp objects near the cassette.
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12
MAINTENANCE
Your Radio Shack CTR-102 AC•DC Portable Cassette Tape Recorder is an ex-
ample of superior design and craftsmanship. The following suggestions will help
you care for your recorder so you can enjoy it for years.
Keep the recorder dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. Liq-
uids might contain minerals that can corrode the electronic cir-
cuits.
Handle the recorder gently and carefully. Dropping it can damage
circuit boards and cases and can cause the recorder to work im-
properly.
Use and store the recorder only in normal temperature environ-
ments. Temperature extremes can shorten the life of electronic
devices and distort or melt plastic parts.
Keep the recorder away from dust and dirt, which can cause pre-
mature wear of parts.
Wipe the recorder with a damp cloth occasionally to keep it look-
ing new. Do not use harsh chemicals, cleaning solvents, or strong
detergents to clean the recorder.
Modifying or tampering with the recorder’s internal components can cause a mal-
function and might invalidate your recorder’s warranty. If your recorder is not
performing as it should, take it to your local Radio Shack store for assistance.
CLEANER
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13
CLEANING THE TAPE-
HANDLING PARTS
Dirt, dust, or particles of the tape’s
coating can accumulate on the tape
heads and other parts that the tape
touches. This can greatly reduce the
cassette player’s performance.
To prevent noise and poor high-fre-
quency response, clean the cassette
player’s tape-handling parts after ev-
ery 20 hours of use.
Note: Your local Radio Shack store
sells a complete line of cassette
cleaning supplies.
1. Remove the batteries and dis-
connect any power source.
2. Open the cassette compartment
cover.
3. Press PLAY to expose the tape-
handling parts.
4. Use a cotton swab dipped in
tape head cleaning solution or
denatured alcohol to gently
clean the capstan, pinch roller,
tape guides, and tape head.
5. When you finish cleaning, press
STOP and close the compart-
ment.
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14
SPECIFICATIONS
CASSETTE PLAYER
Track System ......................................................................... 2-Track Monaural
Tape Speed ......................................................................................... 4.75 cm/s
Recording System ................................................................................. AC Bias
Frequency Response (at ±6 dB) .............................................. 125 Hz–6.3 kHz
Signal-to-Noise Ratio ................................................................................ 40dB
Wow and Flutter (WRMS) ...................................................... Less Than 0.35%
GENERAL
Power Requirements ............................................................................... DC 6V
Power Sources ..................................... Four C Batteries (Cat. No. 23-551/651)
AC Adapter (Cat. No. 273-1662)
DC Auto Adapter (Cat. No. 14-844)
Dimensions .................................................... 91/2x 511/16 x 113/16 Inches (HWD)
(241 x 144 x 46 mm)
Weight (without batteries) ........................................................... 2.1 lbs (950 g)
Specifications are typical; individual units might vary. Specifications are subject
to change without notice.
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15
NOTES
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RADIO SHACK
A Division of Tandy Corporation
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
3A6 Printed in Hong Kong
RADIO SHACK LIMITED WARRANTY
This product is warranted a
g
ainst defects for 90 days from date of purchase from
Radio Shack company-owned stores and authorized Radio Shack franchisees
and dealers. Within this period, we will repair it without char
g
e for parts and labor.
Simply bring your Radio Shack sales slip as proof of purchase date to any
Radio Shack store. Warranty does not cover transportation costs. Nor does it
cover a product subjected to misuse or accidental dama
g
e.
EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, RADIO SHACK MAKES NO EXPRESS
WARRANTIES AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARE LIMITED IN DURATION
TO THE DURATION OF THE WRITTEN LIMITED WARRANTIES CONTAINED
HEREIN. Some states do not permit limitation or exclusion of implied warranties;
therefore, the aforesaid limitation(s) or exclusion(s) may not apply to the pur-
chaser.
This warranty
g
ives you specific le
g
al ri
g
hts and you may also have other ri
g
hts which vary from state to
state.
We Service What We Sell
9/94
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