Radio Shack ET-919 User manual

Cat. No. 43-1089
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
ET-919
9-Memory 900-MHz Cordless Telephone
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2
FEATURES
Redial — lets you quickly redial the last
number dialed.
9-Number Memor
y
Dialin
g
— lets you
store up to 9 numbers in memory for
easy dialing.
Pa
g
e— lets you send a paging signal
from the base to the handset to page
someone or locate the handset if you
misplace it.
Flash — sends an electronic switch-
hook signal for use with special phone
services, such as Call Waiting.
Mute — prevents the person on the
phone from hearing your conversation
with someone in the room.
Volume Control — lets you adjust the
volume you hear through the handset.
Tone/Pulse Dialin
g
— lets you use
your phone with touch-tone or pulse ser-
vice.
Quick Talk — lets you answer a call by
just lifting the handset from the base.
Hearin
g
-Aid Compatibilit
y
— lets you
use your phone with hearing aids that
have a T (telephone) switch.
©1998 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
COM-LOK and RadioShack are registered trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.
Your RadioShack ET-919 9-Memory
900-MHz Cordless Telephone uses the
900 MHz band which means less inter-
ference, clearer sound, and greater
range than 46/49 MHz cordless tele-
phones. Its cordless operation lets you
make or answer calls just about any-
where in your home or office.
And, its headset jack means you can
connect an optional headset for hands-
free convenience while you use the
phone.
The ET-919’s features include:
900 MHz Operation — provides better
sound and less interference than many
other cordless phones.
20 Channels — automatically selects a
clear channel when you make or answer
a call. You can also manually change
channels during a call.
Super CCT Noise-Reduction Circuitr
y
— gives you sound clarity comparable
to that of a corded phone.
Securit
y
Access-Protection Code —
automatically prevents other cordless
phone users from using your phone line
while the handset is off the base.
COM-LOK®— ensures that other cord-
less phone users cannot use your phone
line when the handset is on the base.
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This telephone has been tested and
found to comply with all applicable UL
and FCC standards.
Your telephone operates on standard
radio frequencies as allocated by the
FCC. Even though the security access-
protection code prevents unauthorized
use of your phone line, it is possible for
other radio units operating on similar fre-
quencies within a certain area to unin-
tentionally intercept your conversations
and/or cause interference. This lack of
privacy can occur with any cordless
phone.
Important Note: Cordless phones such
as this one require AC power to operate.
When the AC power is off, you cannot
dial out or receive incoming calls using
your phone. To be safe, you should also
have a phone that does not need AC
power to operate (not a cordless phone)
so you can still make and receive calls if
there is an AC power failure.
We recommend you record your
phone’s serial number here. The num-
ber is on the bottom of the base.
Serial Number:
This symbol is intended to alert you to
the presence of uninsulated danger-
ous voltage within the product’s enclo-
sure that might be of sufficient
magnitude to constitute a risk of elec-
tric shock. Do not open the product’s
case.
This symbol is intended to inform you
that important operating and mainte-
nance instructions are included in the
literature accompanying this product.
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 SERVIC-
ING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of
fire or shock hazard, do not ex-
pose this product to rain or mois-
ture.
!
!
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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 is 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 areas, 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
. You must, upon request,
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 systems
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CONTENTS
Preparation .............................................................................................................. 6
Selecting a Location ........................................................................................... 6
Attaching the Handset’s Antenna ....................................................................... 6
Placing the Base on a Desk Top ........................................................................ 7
Mounting the Base on a Wall Plate .................................................................... 8
Mounting the Base Directly on the Wall ............................................................. 9
Connecting and Charging the Battery Pack ..................................................... 11
Setting the Dialing Mode .................................................................................. 12
Turning the Ringer On/Off ................................................................................ 13
Operation ............................................................................................................... 14
Making and Receiving Calls ............................................................................. 14
Selecting the Channel ...................................................................................... 14
Using Mute ....................................................................................................... 14
Setting the Handset’s Volume .......................................................................... 15
Using Redial ..................................................................................................... 15
Using Flash ...................................................................................................... 15
Using Tone Services on a Pulse Line ............................................................... 16
Using Page ....................................................................................................... 16
Memory Dialing ................................................................................................ 16
Storing a Number in Memory ..................................................................... 16
Entering a Pause ....................................................................................... 17
Dialing a Memory Number ......................................................................... 17
Chain-Dialing Service Numbers ................................................................. 17
Testing Stored Emergency Numbers ......................................................... 18
Using a Headset ............................................................................................... 18
Troubleshootin
g
.................................................................................................... 19
Care and Maintenance .......................................................................................... 21
Replacing the Battery Pack .............................................................................. 22
The FCC Wants You to Know ........................................................................... 23
Lightning ........................................................................................................... 23
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PREPARATION
SELECTING A LOCATION
You can place the phone on a desk top
or table, mount it on a standard wall
plate, or mount it directly on a wall. Se-
lect 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 intercoms,
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 sev-
eral locations, try each to see which
provides the best performance.
Caution: The supplied RadioShack AC
adapter was designed specifically for
your ET-919. Use only the supplied
adapter.
Notes:
• Your telephone connects directly to
a modular telephone line jack. If
your phone line jack is not a modu-
lar jack, you can update the wiring
yourself, using 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 (RJ11W if you
want to mount it on a wall plate).
ATTACHING THE
HANDSET’S ANTENNA
Insert the antenna into the hole on the
top of the handset, then rotate the an-
tenna clockwise until it is secure.
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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. Remove the bracket by holding in
both tabs and gently pulling out the
wide end of the bracket.
2. Plug one end of the supplied long
modular cord into the phone jack on
the back of the base.
3. Insert the supplied AC adapter’s
barrel plug into the DC 12V jack on
the back of the base.
4. Route the adapter’s cord through
the strain relief slot on the bottom of
the base.
5. Insert the tabs on the narrow end of
the bracket into the lower slots on
the bottom of the base and push the
tabs on the wide end of the bracket
into the upper slots on the bottom of
the base.
6. Plug the modular cord’s other end
into a modular phone line jack.
Strain
Relief
Slot
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7. Plug the adapter into a standard AC
outlet.
8. Lift the base’s antenna to a vertical
position.
MOUNTING THE BASE ON
A WALL PLATE
1. Remove the bracket by holding in
both tabs and gently pulling out the
wide end of the bracket.
2. Plug one end of the supplied short
modular cord into the phone jack on
the back of the base. Route the
modular cord through the left slot on
the bottom of the base.
3. Insert the supplied AC adapter’s
barrel plug into the DC 12V jack on
the back of the base. Route the
adapter’s cord through the right slot
on the bottom of the base.
4. Route the other end of the short
modular cord through the center of
the bracket.
Phone Jack
DC 12V
Jack
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5. Insert the tabs on the narrow end of
the bracket into the upper slots on
the bottom of the base, then push
the tabs on the wide end of the
bracket into the lower slots on the
bottom of the base.
6. Plug the short modular cord into the
wall plate jack, align the base’s key-
hole slots with the wall plate studs,
and slide the base downward to
secure it.
7. Plug the adapter into a standard AC
outlet.
8. Lift the base’s antenna to a vertical
position.
MOUNTING THE BASE
DIRECTLY ON THE WALL
For this mounting method, you need two
flat-head screws (not supplied) with
heads that fit into the keyhole slots on
the mounting bracket.
1. Drill two holes 315/16
inches (100 mm) apart.
Then thread a screw
into each hole, letting
the heads extend
about
3/16 inch (5 mm)
from the wall.
2. Remove the bracket by holding in
both tabs and gently pulling out the
wide end of the bracket.
3. Plug one end of the supplied long
modular cord into the phone jack on
the back of the base. Route the
modular cord through the left slot on
the bottom of the base and pull the
cord down to remove any slack on
top.
315/16"
3/16"
Phone Jack
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4. Insert the supplied AC adapter’s
barrel plug into the DC 12V jack on
the back of the base. Route the
adapter’s cord through the right slot
on the bottom of the base.
5. Insert the tabs on the narrow end of
the bracket into the upper slots on
the bottom of the base, guide the
modular and adapter cords through
the cord slots on the bracket, and
push the tabs on the wide end of the
bracket into the slots on the bottom
of the base.
6. Align the keyhole slots with the
mounting screws and slide the base
downward to secure it.
7. Plug the modular cord into a modu-
lar phone line jack.
8. Plug the adapter into a standard AC
outlet.
9. Lift the base’s antenna to a vertical
position.
DC 12V Jack
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CONNECTING AND
CHARGING THE BATTERY
PACK
The ET-919 comes with a rechargeable
nickel-cadmium battery pack in the
handset but not connected. Before using
your phone, you must connect the bat-
tery pack and then charge it for about 24
hours.
1. Press down and slide off the com-
partment cover as shown.
2. Plug the battery pack’s plastic con-
nector into its socket. The connector
fits only one way.
Note: For easier battery pack con-
nection, lift it out of the compart-
ment, insert its connector into the
socket, then replace the battery
pack inside the compartment.
3. Replace the cover.
4. To charge the battery pack, simply
place the handset on the base. The
CHARGE indicator on the base
lights.
Recharge the battery pack 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 pack
and AC adapter are correctly and
securely connected.
Also, check the charging contacts
on the handset and the base. If the
contacts are dirty or tarnished, clean
them with a pencil eraser.
CHARGE
Indicator
BATT LOW
Indicator
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• When you first use the phone after
charging or recharging the battery
pack, 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.
• About once a month, fully discharge
the battery pack by keeping the
handset off the base until the BATT
LOW indicator flashes. Otherwise,
the battery pack loses its ability to
fully recharge.
• If the BATT LOW indicator does not
light but the phone does not work,
recharge the battery pack. (The bat-
tery power might be too low to light
the indicator.)
• If the battery pack becomes weak
during a call, the BATT LOW indica-
tor flashes and you hear three
beeps every 30 seconds. Recharge
the battery pack.
• If the battery pack gets completely
discharged or the base loses power
while the handset is away from it,
the security access-protection code
needs to be reset. To reset the secu-
rity code, place the handset on the
base. If it was the handset that lost
power, leave the handset on the
base to charge the battery pack.
• The supplied battery pack should
last for about a year. When the bat-
tery pack loses its ability to fully
recharge, order a replacement bat-
tery pack from your local
RadioShack store (see “Replacing
the Battery Pack” on Page 22).
SETTING THE DIALING
MODE
Set T/P (Tone/Pulse) 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 T/P to T.
2. Lift the handset, press TALK, 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, you have
touch-tone service. Leave T/P set to
T.
If the dial tone continues, you have
pulse service. Set T/P to P.
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TURNING THE RINGER
ON/OFF
You can turn the ET-919’s ringer on and
off. Set RINGER on the side of the hand-
set to ON to hear an incoming call or a
page from the base. Set RINGER to OFF
to silence the ringer.
Note: With the ringer off, you can still
make or receive calls using this cordless
phone. Telephones on the same line still
ring when there is an incoming call, and
the IN USE indicator on the ET-919’s
base flashes until you answer the call.
IN USE
Indicator
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OPERATION
MAKING AND RECEIVING
CALLS
To make a call, simply lift the handset
and press TALK. When you hear the dial
tone, dial the desired phone number or
memory number (see “Memory Dialing”
on Page 16).
To answer a call if the handset is on the
base, simply lift the handset and begin
your conversation. Or, if the handset is
away from the base, press TALK. The
TALK indicator on the handset and the
IN USE indicator on the base light.
To end a call, place the handset on the
base or press TALK. The TALK and IN
USE indicators turn off.
Note: If you press TALK to hang up the
phone and the phone does not discon-
nect, move closer to the base and press
TALK again or place the handset on the
base.
TALK
Indicator
IN USE
Indicator
SELECTING THE
CHANNEL
The ET-919 scans 20 channels (fre-
quency pairs used between the base
and the handset) and automatically se-
lects a clear channel each time you
make or receive a call.
If you hear other conversations or ex-
cessive noise during a call, press CHAN-
NEL to select a different channel. The
TALK indicator blinks while your phone
searches for a clear channel.
Note: If the handset is too far from the
base, the channel might not change.
Move closer to the base and try again.
USING MUTE
The MUTE button on the handset lets
you talk to someone else in the room
without the person on the other end of
the phone line hearing your conversa-
tion.
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15
Press MUTE during the call. The MUTE
indicator on the handset lights steadily.
Press MUTE again to resume your
phone conversation. The MUTE indica-
tor turns off.
SETTING THE HANDSET’S
VOLUME
You can select one of three different vol-
ume settings (soft, normal, loud) using
VOLUME s or t during a call.
1. Lift the handset and press TALK.
The TALK indicator lights.
2. Repeatedly press VOLUME s to
increase the volume level or VOL-
UME t to decrease it.
Note: Every time you press VOL-
UME s or t, the ET-919 beeps,
except when it is already at the loud-
est or softest volume level.
USING REDIAL
To quickly redial the last number dialed,
press TALK. Then when you hear the
dial tone, simply press REDIAL.
Notes:
• The redial memory holds up to 16
digits, so you can redial long-
distance as well as local numbers.
• The redial memory also holds pause
entries. See “Entering a Pause” on
Page 17.
• 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.
MUTE
Indicator
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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.
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 following
these steps.
1. Be sure T/P is set to P.
2. Dial the service’s main number.
3. When the service answers, press
. 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.
USING PAGE
To page the person who has the hand-
set or to locate the handset when the
phone is not in use, press PAGE on the
base. The handset beeps three times. If
you hold down PAGE for 2–3 seconds,
the handset beeps for 3 minutes to give
you time to locate the handset.
To stop it from beeping before it auto-
matically stops, press TALK.
MEMORY DIALING
You can store up to 9 numbers in mem-
ory, then dial a stored number by press-
ing a one-digit memory location number.
Each number you store can be up to 16
digits long.
Storing a Number in Memory
Notes:
• An error tone sounds and the phone
exits the programming mode if you
wait more than 30 seconds between
each keypress or enter more than
16 digits.
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• To keep your accounts secure, we
recommend you do not store your
personal access code for services
such as bank-by-phone in a memory
location.
1. Press MEM. The TALK indicator
blinks.
2. Enter the number and any tone and
pause entries (see “Entering a
Pause”).
Note: Each tone or pulse entry uses
one digit of memory.
3. Press MEM again, then enter the
memory location number (1–9)
where you want to store the number.
A tone sounds to indicate that the
number is stored.
To replace a stored number, simply
store a new number in its place.
To clear a memory location (leaving it
empty), simply skip Step 2 and select
the memory location you want to clear in
Step 3.
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 do
so, press REDIAL. Each press enters a
2-second pause. For a longer pause,
press
REDIAL additional times.
Dialing a Memory Number
To dial a number stored in memory,
press
TALK. The TALK indicator lights.
When you hear a dial tone, simply press
MEM and enter the memory location
number for the number you want to dial.
Chain-Dialing Service Numbers
For quick recall of numbers for special
services (such as alternate long dis-
tance or bank by phone), store each
group of numbers in its own memory lo-
cation.
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 MEM and the number for
the location where the additional infor-
mation is stored.
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18
Testing Stored Emergency
Numbers
If you store an emergency service’s
number (police department, fire depart-
ment, 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.
USING A HEADSET
You can make or answer calls with
hands-free convenience using an op-
tional headset that has a 3/32-inch (2.5
mm) plug. We recommend RadioShack
Cat. No. 43-194.
To connect the headset, insert the head-
set’s plug into the jack on the top of
the handset.
Notes:
• Connecting a headset disconnects
the handset’s earpiece and micro-
phone.
• If you place the handset on the base
to recharge it while the headset is
connected, be sure the handset
seats properly.
With a headset connected, you make or
answer calls as usual using the keys on
the handset.
RadioShack also sells a leather carrying
case (Cat. No. 43-197) which lets you
hang the handset on your belt for hands-
free conversation when you are working
in the yard or garage.
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19
TROUBLESHOOTING
We do not expect you to have any problems with your phone, but if you do, the follow-
ing suggestions might help.
Problem Su
gg
estion
Low volume or unusual sounds. Someone has picked up another phone
on the same line. Hang up the other
phone.
Severe noise interference. Press CHANNEL to change the channel.
Keep the handset away from computers,
remote control toys, wireless micro-
phones, alarm systems, intercoms, room
monitors, fluorescent lights, and electri-
cal appliances.
Move to another location or turn off the
source of interference.
The phone cannot be operated at a
useful distance from the base
because the signal becomes weak or
noisy (the handset’s range has
decreased).
Lift the base’s antenna to a fully vertical
position.
Be sure neither the handset’s or base’s
antenna is touching a metal surface.
Return the handset to the base to
recharge the battery pack.
The handset battery does not charge. Check the charging contacts on the
handset and base. If they are dirty, clean
them with a pencil eraser.
Be sure the battery pack is connected
correctly.
Handset does not ring or receive a
page. Return the handset to the base to recharge the battery pack.
Lift the base’s antenna to a fully vertical
position.
Move the handset closer to the base.
Move the base away from other electrical
devices.
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20
If you still have problems, disconnect the phone. If other phones on the same line
work properly, the fault is in this phone or its installation. If you cannot find the prob-
lem, take your ET-919 to your local RadioShack store for assistance.
The phone does not work or works
poorly. Be sure the base’s phone line cord and AC adapter are correctly and securely
connected, and the handset’s battery
pack is charged.
The handset stops working or works
poorly during a call. Move the handset closer to the base.
Be sure the handset’s battery pack is
charged. (If the battery pack power is too
low, it does not have enough power to
light the BATT LOW indicator.)
Lift the base’s antenna to a fully vertical
position.
Make sure the charging contacts on the
handset and base are clean.
If the base lost power while the handset
was off of it, the security access-protec-
tion code might have changed. With the
handset removed from the base, restore
power to the base, then place the hand-
set back on the base. The CHARGE indi-
cator lights, indicating that the code is set
again.
Problem Suggestion
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