Radio Shack ET-596 User manual

Cat. No. 43-696A
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
ET-596
25-Channel
2-Line Cordless Telephone
with 3-Way Conference Calling
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2
FEATURES
Your RadioShack ET-596 25-Channel
2-Line Cordless Telephone with 3-
Way Conference Calling lets you place
and receive calls on two separate tele-
phone lines. It is designed to exacting
standards that ensure reliability, long
life, and outstanding performance.
Its features include:
Two-Line Telephone S
y
stem — lets
you easily handle two telephone lines
at the same time. You can also make
3-way conference calls.
25 Channels — lets you change to an-
other channel during a call to reduce
interference.
10-Number Memor
y
Dialin
g
— lets
you store up to 10 numbers in memory
for easy dialing.
Super CCT Noise-Reduction Cir-
cuitr
y
— gives you sound clarity com-
parable to corded telephones.
Securit
y
Access-Protection Code —
prevents other cordless phone users
from using your phone line while the
handset is off the base.
COM-LOK®— ensures that other
cordless phone users cannot use your
phone line when the handset is on the
base.
Redial — lets you quickly redial the
last number dialed.
Pa
g
e— sends a signal from the base
to the handset so you can page some-
one or locate the handset if you have
misplaced it.
Flash — sends an electronic switch-
hook signal so you can use the phone
with special phone services, such as
Call Waiting.
Tone/Pulse Dialin
g
— lets you use
your phone with either type of service.
Quick Talk — lets you quickly make or
answer a call by simply lifting the hand-
set from the base.
Hearin
g
-Aid Compatibilit
y
— lets
you use your phone with hearing aids
that have a T (telephone) switch.
This telephone has been tested and
found to comply with all applicable UL
and FCC standards.
We recommend you record your
phone’s serial number here. The num-
ber is on the bottom panel of the base.
Serial Number:
© 1996 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
COM-LOK and RadioShack are registered trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.
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Important Note: Cordless phones
such as your ET-596 require AC pow-
er to operate. When the AC power is
off, you cannot dial out or receive in-
coming calls using this phone. To be
safe, you should also have a phone
that does not need AC power to oper-
ate (not a cordless phone) so you can
still make and receive calls if there is
an AC power failure
Your telephone operates on standard
radio frequencies as allocated by the
FCC. Even though the access protec-
tion code prevents unauthorized use
of your phone line, it is possible for
other radio units operating on similar
frequencies within a certain area to
unintentionally intercept your conver-
sations and/or cause interference.
This lack of privacy can occur with any
cordless phone.
.
This symbol is intended to alert
you to the presence of uninsu-
lated dan
g
erous volta
g
e within
the phone’s enclosure that
mi
g
ht be of sufficient ma
g
nitude
to constitute a risk of electric
shock. Do not open the phone’s
case.
This symbol is intended to in-
form you that important operat-
in
g
and maintenance
instructions are included in the
literature accompanyin
g
this
phone.
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.
Warning: To prevent fire or shock
hazard, do not expose this phone
to rain or moisture.
CAUTION
!
!
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READ THIS BEFORE
INSTALLATION
Each device that 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 for your
ET-596 is located on the bottom of the
base.
If you are using more than one phone
or other device on the line, add up all
the RENs. If the total is more than five,
your phones might not ring. In rural ar-
eas, a total REN of three might impair
ringer operation. If ringer operation is
impaired, remove a device from the
line.
FCC STATEMENT
This telephone complies with Part 68
of
FCC Rules
. Upon request, you must
provide the FCC Registration Number
and the REN to your phone company.
These numbers are located on the bot-
tom of the base.
Note: You must not connect your
phone to any of the following:
• coin-operated systems
• party-line systems
• most electronic key phone sys-
tems
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CONTENTS
Installation ............................................................................................................ 6
Selecting a Location ........................................................................................ 6
Mounting/Connecting the Phone ..................................................................... 6
Placing the Base on a Desk Top ............................................................... 7
Mounting the Base on a Wall Plate ........................................................... 8
Mounting the Base Directly on the Wall .................................................. 10
Connecting and Charging the Battery ........................................................... 12
Setting the Dialing Mode ............................................................................... 14
Operation ............................................................................................................ 15
Making a Call ................................................................................................ 15
Answering a Call ........................................................................................... 15
Changing the Channel .................................................................................. 15
Putting a Call on Hold ................................................................................... 16
Making a Conference Call ............................................................................. 16
Using Redial .................................................................................................. 17
Using Flash ................................................................................................... 17
Using Tone Services on a Pulse Line ........................................................... 18
Paging ........................................................................................................... 18
Memory Dialing ............................................................................................. 18
Storing a Number In Memory ................................................................. 19
Entering a Pause .................................................................................... 19
Dialing a Memory Number ...................................................................... 20
Chain-Dialing Service Numbers ............................................................. 20
Testing Stored Emergency Numbers ...................................................... 20
Troubleshootin
g
................................................................................................ 21
Care and Maintenance ...................................................................................... 23
Replacing the Battery .................................................................................... 24
The FCC Wants You to Know ....................................................................... 25
Lightning ....................................................................................................... 25
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INSTALLATION
SELECTING A LOCATION
You can place the phone on a desk top
or table, or mount it on a wall. Select a
location that is:
• near an AC outlet
• near a telephone line jack
• out of the way of normal activities
• away from electrical machinery,
electrical appliances, metal walls
or filing cabinets, wireless inter-
coms, alarms, and room monitors
• away from other cordless phones
The base’s location affects the hand-
set’s range. If you have a choice of
several locations, try each to see
which provides the best performance.
MOUNTING/CONNECTING
THE PHONE
To use both of the ET-596’s lines, you
must connect it to two separate tele-
phone lines. Each of these lines must
have its own phone number. If you do
not have two telephone lines, contact
your phone company to get a second
line.
You can connect your telephone to a
2-line modular telephone jack using
the supplied 2-line modular cord.
Note: Two-line and single-line modu-
lar cords look alike, but are wired dif-
ferently. To use the ET-596’s two
lines, use only the supplied 2-line
modular cord to connect to a 2-line
modular jack.
Or, you can connect your telephone to
two separate 1-line modular telephone
jacks using the supplied modular cord
and another 1- or 2-line modular cord
(such as RadioShack Cat. No. 279-
356, not supplied).
Note: You can also use the ET-596
with a single 1-line modular jack.
If your phone wiring does not have a
modular phone jack, you can:
• Update the wiring yourself, using
jacks and adapters available at
your local RadioShack store
• Have the phone company update
the wiring for you
Note: The USOC number of the jack
to be installed is RJ14C for a two-line
baseboard jack or RJ14W for a two-
line wall-plate jack.
Caution: The supplied RadioShack
adapter was designed specifically for
your ET-596. Use only the supplied
adapter.
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Placing the Base
on a Desk Top
Follow these steps when you place
the base on a desk, shelf, or table.
1. If you have a single 2-line modular
jack, plug one end of the supplied
modular cord into the TEL LINE 1/2
jack.
Note: When you make this con-
nection, you should not connect
another modular cord to the TEL
LINE 2 jack or phone operation will
be erratic.
If you have two separate 1-line
modular jacks, plug one end of the
supplied modular cord into the
TEL LINE 1/2 jack and plug
another modular cord (not sup-
plied) into the TEL LINE 2 jack.
If you have only one 1-line modu-
lar jack, plug one end of the sup-
plied modular cord into the TEL
LINE 1/2 jack to use line 1, or to
the TEL LINE 2 jack to use line 2.
2. Plug the supplied AC adapter’s
barrel plug into the DC IN 9V jack.
3. Route the adapter’s cord through
the strain relief slot.
4. Plug the adapter into a standard
AC outlet. The POWER indicator
on the base lights.
Strain Relief Slot
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5. Plug the other end(s) of the modu-
lar cord(s) into the modular
jack(s).
6. Raise the base’s antenna to a ver-
tical position and fully extend it.
Mounting the Base
on a Wall Plate
To make this connection, you need a
2-line short modular cord, such as
Cat. No. 279-390, not supplied.
1. If you have a single 2-line modular
jack on the wall plate, plug one
end of a 2-line short modular cord
into the TEL LINE 1/2 jack.
Note: When you make this con-
nection, you should not connect
another modular cord to the TEL
LINE 2 jack or phone operation will
be erratic.
If you have a single 1-line modular
jack on the wall plate and a modu-
lar wall jack close by, plug one
end of a 2-line short modular cord
into the TEL LINE 1/2 jack to use
line 1, then connect the supplied
modular cord into the TEL LINE 2
jack to use line 2.
If you have only one 1-line modu-
lar jack on the wall plate, plug one
end of a 2-line short modular cord
into the TEL LINE 1/2 jack to use
line 1, or to the TEL LINE 2 jack to
use line 2.
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2. Plug the supplied AC adapter’s
barrel plug into the DC IN 9V jack.
3. Route the adapter cord through
both the upper and lower grooves
and the modular cord(s) through
only the upper groove on the bot-
tom of the base.
Note: If you are using two line
cords, route both cords through
the appropriate grooves.
4. Plug the adapter into a standard
AC outlet. The POWER indicator
on the base lights.
5. Plug the other end(s) of the modu-
lar cord(s) into the wall plate jack
(and wall jack, if appropriate), then
align the base’s keyhole slots with
the wall plate studs and slide the
base downward to secure it.
6. Press and lift out the handset
holder, rotate it 180°, then snap it
back into place so it holds the
handset.
Upper
Grooves
Lower
Groove
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7. Raise the base’s antenna to a ver-
tical position and fully extend it.
Mounting the Base
Directly on the Wall
To mount the base directly on the wall,
you need two wood screws (not sup-
plied) with heads that fit into the key-
hole slots on the bottom of the base.
1. Drill two holes 315/16 inches apart.
Then thread a screw into each hole,
letting the heads extend about 5/16
inch from the wall.
2. If you have a single 2-line modular
jack close by, plug one end of the
supplied modular cord into the
TEL LINE 1/2 jack.
Note: When you make this con-
nection, you should not connect
another modular cord to the TEL
LINE 2 jack or phone operation will
be erratic.
If you have two separate 1-line
modular jacks, plug one end of the
supplied modular cord into the
TEL LINE 1/2 jack and plug
another modular cord (not sup-
plied) into the TEL LINE 2 jack.
If you have only one 1-line modu-
lar jack, plug one end of the sup-
plied modular cord into the TEL
LINE 1/2 jack to use line 1, or to
the TEL LINE 2 jack to use line 2.
315/16"
5/16"
5/16"
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3. Plug the supplied AC adapter’s
barrel plug into the DC IN 9V jack.
4. Route the adapter and modular
cords through both the upper and
lower grooves on the bottom of
the base.
Note: If you are using two line
cords, route both through the
appropriate grooves.
5. Plug the adapter into a standard
AC outlet. The POWER indicator
on the base lights.
6. Plug the other end(s) of the
cord(s) into a modular phone line
jack(s).
7. Align the keyhole slots with the
mounting screws and slide the
base downward to secure it.
Lower
Grooves
Upper
Grooves
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8. Press and lift out the handset
holder, rotate it 180°, then snap it
back into place so it holds the
handset.
9. Raise the base’s antenna to a ver-
tical position and fully extend it.
CONNECTING AND
CHARGING THE
BATTERY
The ET-596 comes with a recharge-
able nickel-cadmium battery installed
in the handset. Before using your
phone, you must connect the battery
then charge it for about 14 hours.
1. Remove the screw from the bat-
tery compartment cover on the
bottom of the handset, then press
down and slide off the handset’s
cover.
2. Plug the battery pack’s plastic
connector into the phone’s socket.
The connector fits only one way.
3. Replace the cover and tighten the
screw.
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4. To charge the battery, simply
place the handset on the base.
The CHARGE indicator on the
base lights.
Recharge the battery when the BATT
LOW indicator flashes.
Notes:
• If the CHARGE indicator does not
light when you place the handset
on the base, be sure the battery
and AC adapter are correctly and
securely connected.
• When you first use the phone after
charging or recharging the battery,
the phone might not work and you
might hear an error tone. If this
happens, return the handset to
the base for a few seconds.
• If the BATT LOW indicator does
not light, but the phone does not
work, recharge the battery. (The
battery charge might be too low to
light the indicator.)
• If the battery pack gets weak dur-
ing a call, the handset sounds a
beep every 30 seconds, and the
BATT LOW indicator flashes. If
this happens, you must recharge
the battery before you can make
another call.
• About once a month, fully dis-
charge the battery by keeping the
handset off the base until the
BATT LOW indicator lights. Other-
wise, the battery loses its ability to
fully recharge.
• Using a pencil eraser, clean the
charging contacts on the handset
and the base about once a month
to make sure they are not dirty or
tarnished.
Charge Indicator
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SETTING THE DIALING
MODE
Set P• •T on the back of the base for
the type of service you have. If you
are not sure which type you have,
once the battery is charged, do this
test.
1. Set P• •Tto T (tone).
2. Lift the handset, press LINE 1 and
listen for the dial tone.
3. Press any number other than 0.
Note: If your phone system
requires that you dial an access
code (9, for example) before you
dial an outside number, do not
press the access code either.
If the dial tone stops, that line has
tone service.
If the dial tone continues, that line
has pulse service.
4. Press LINE 2, listen for the dial
tone, and repeat Step 3.
If you have tone service on both lines,
leave P• •Tset to T.
If you have pulse service on either line,
set P• •T to P.
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15
OPERATION
MAKING A CALL
To make a call, lift the handset. Or, if
the handset is away from the base,
press TALK. On the base, the IN USE
indicator lights, and on the handset,
the BATT LOW indicator and a LINE
indicator (1 or 2,whichever line wasdi-
aled the last time) light.
You can also press LINE 1 or LINE 2 to
directly select the line you want to use.
ANSWERING A CALL
To answer a call, simply lift the hand-
set. If the handset is away from the
base, press TALK to answer the flash-
ing line. The TALK/BATT LOW indica-
tor, the LINE 1 or LINE 2 indicator on
the handset, and the IN USE indicator
on the base light.
To help you tell which line is ringing,
each line has a distinctive ring tone.
To end a call, place the handset on
the base or press the handset’s TALK
button.
Notes:
• If you press TALK to hang up and
the phone does not disconnect,
place the handset on the base or
press TALK again while holding
the handset closer to the base.
• When you receive an incoming
call on one line while you are talk-
ing on the other, the handset does
not ring but you hear the phone
sound a tone through the ear-
piece. Place the current call on
hold (see “Putting a Call on Hold”
on Page 16), then press the line
button for the new incoming call.
• If you press the other line’s button
without first pressing HOLD, the
first call is disconnected.
CHANGING THE
CHANNEL
If you notice interference, static, or
noise during a call, you can press CH
(channel) to find a clearer channel.
The ET-596 changes to a different
channel each time you press CH.
Note: If the handset is too far away
from the base, the channel might not
change. Move closer to the base and
try again.
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PUTTING A CALL ON
HOLD
Press HOLD to put a call on hold so you
can temporarily place the handset on
the base or use the other phone line
without disconnecting the current call.
The light over the line’s button flashes
when that call is on hold.
The phone disconnects the call 5 min-
utes after you put it on hold. However,
during those 5 minutes, a series of
beeps reminds you the call is on hold.
After 1 minute, the handset beeps ev-
ery 15 seconds. After 4 minutes, the
handset beeps every 5 seconds. After
5 minutes, the handset sounds a long
tone and disconnects the call.
To release a line from hold and contin-
ue your conversation, press that line’s
button. You can also release a call
from hold by pressing TALK or picking
up the handset from the base.
You can use another phone on the
same line to pick up the call on hold,
but the handset still shows that line on
hold. After 5 minutes the line indicator
turns off.
You can alternate between the two
lines by pressing HOLD then the button
for the desired line.
Notes:
• If you press the other line’s button
without first pressing HOLD, the
first call is disconnected.
• If you place the second line on
hold, the hold time restarts for the
first line. Both lines automatically
disconnect after 5 minutes.
• A call on hold does not automati-
cally disconnect as long as you
are talking on the second line. The
hold time restarts when you hang
up the second line.
• If you place both lines on hold and
then press TALK or pick up the
handset from the base, the line
you dialed last is released from
hold and the line you dialed first
remains on hold.
MAKING A
CONFERENCE CALL
Follow these steps to make a 3-way
conference call.
1. Place the first call on hold.
2. Make or answer a call on the other
line.
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3. Press CONF. The TALK/BATT
LOW indicator briefly flashes and
remains steadily on, and you can
talk with both parties.
To end the conference call, press
TALK or return the handset to the base.
If you want to hang up one line and
continue talking on the other, press the
line button for the line you want to
keep.
USING REDIAL
REDIAL lets you quickly dial the last
number dialed on either LINE 1 or
LINE 2. When you hear a dial tone,
simply press REDIAL.
Notes:
• The redial memory holds up to
32 digits, so you can redial long-
distance as well as local num-
bers.
• The redial memory also holds
pause entries. See “Entering a
Pause” on Page 19.
• The redial memory does not store
a flash entry or any digits you
press after FLASH (see “Using
Flash”).
USING FLASH
FLASH performs the electronic equiva-
lent of a switchhook operation for spe-
cial services, such as Call Waiting.
For example, if you have Call Waiting,
press FLASH to answer an incoming
call without disconnecting the current
call. Press FLASH again to return to
the first call.
Note: If you do not have any special
phone services, pressing FLASH might
disconnect the current call.
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USING TONE SERVICES
ON A PULSE LINE
Some special services, such as bank-
by-phone, require tone signals. If you
have pulse service, you can still use
these special tone services by follow-
ing these steps.
1. Be sure P• •Tis set to P.
2. Dial the service’s main number.
3. When the service answers, press
TONE. Any additional numbers
you dial are sent as tone signals.
4. After you complete the call, return
the handset to the base or press
TALK. The phone automatically
resets to the pulse mode.
PAGING
To page the person who has the hand-
set or to locate the handset when the
phone is not in use, pressPAGE on the
base. The handset beeps five times.
Note: Paging does not work during a
call.
MEMORY DIALING
You can store up to 10 numbers in
memory, then dial a stored number by
pressing a one-digit memory location
number.
Note: Each number you store can be
up to 16 digits long.
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19
Storing a Number in Memory
Note: If you wait more than 20 sec-
onds between each key press, an error
tone sounds and the phone exits the
programming mode.
1. Lift the handset. If you hear a dial
tone, press TALK to turn it off.
2. Press MEMO. The BATT LOW
indicator blinks.
3. Enter the number and any TONE
and PAUSE entries (see “Using
Tone Services on a Pulse Line” on
Page 18 and “Entering a Pause”
on Page 19).
Note: Each TONE or PAUSE entry
uses one digit of memory.
4. Press MEMO, then enter the mem-
ory location number (0-9). A single
tone sounds to indicate that the
number is stored.
If five quick beeps sound, you
have made an entry error and the
number was not stored. Start
again from Step 2.
5. For each stored number, write the
person’s or company’s name next
to the appropriate location number
on the supplied MEMORY direc-
tory sticker. (Use a pencil in case
you want to change the number
later.) Attach the sticker to the
phone.
To erase a stored number, simply
store a new number in its place. Or,
skip Step 3, then press the memory lo-
cation number (0-9) you want to clear.
A tone sounds.
Entering a Pause
In some telephone systems, you must
dial an access code (9, for example)
and wait for a second dial tone before
you can dial an outside number. You
can store the access code with the
phone number. However, you should
also store a pause after the access
code to allow the outside line time to
connect.
To enter a 2-second pause, press
PAUSE. For a longer pause, press
PAUSE additional times.
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20
Dialing a Memory Number
To dial a number stored in memory, lift
the handset from the base or press
TALK.
When you hear a dial tone, press
MEMO and enter the memory location
number for the number you want to
dial.
Chain-Dialing Service
Numbers
When calling special services (such as
alternate long distance or bank-by-
phone), dial the service’s main number
first. Then, at the appropriate place in
the call, press MEMO and the number
for the memory location where the ad-
ditional information is stored.
Testing Stored Emergency
Numbers
If you store an emergency service’s
number (police department, fire de-
partment, ambulance) and you choose
to test the stored number, make the
test call during the late evening or early
morning hours to avoid peak demand
periods. Also, remain on the line to ex-
plain the reason for your call.
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