Radio Shack MICRO User manual

Owner’s Manual Please read before using this equipment.
Micro Cassette Tape
Recorder
with Voice Activation

2The FCC Wants You to Know

The FCC Wants
You to Know
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the fol-
lowing two conditions: (1) this device may
not cause harmful interference, and (2)
this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and
found to comply with the limits for a Class
B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the
FCC Rules . These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference in a residential instal-
lation. This equipment generates, uses
and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accor-
dance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communica-
tions.
However, there is no guarantee that inter-
ference will not occur in a particular instal-
lation. If this equipment does cause
harmful interference to radio or television
©2001 RadioShack Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
RadioShack and RadioShack.com are trademarks used
by RadioShack Corporation.

3
The FCC Wants You to Know
reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user
is encouraged to try to correct the interfer-
ence by one or more of the following mea-
sures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving
antenna.
• Increase the separation between the
equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet
on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is connected.
• Consult your local RadioShack store
or an experienced radio/TV techni-
cian for help.
• If you cannot eliminate the interfer-
ence, the FCC requires that you stop
using your recorder.
Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by RadioShack may cause in-
terference and void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.

4Contents

Contents
The FCC Wants You to Know ............ 2
Contents .............................................. 4
Features .............................................. 6
A Quick Look at Your Recorder ........ 7
Preparation ......................................... 9
Connecting Power ......................... 9
Using Battery Power .............. 9
Using AC or DC Power ........ 10
Connecting an Earphone ............ 11
Listening Safely ................... 12
Traffic Safety ........................ 12
Connecting an External
Microphone ................................. 13
Attaching the Wrist Strap ............ 14
Operation .......................................... 14
Loading a Microcassette Tape .... 14
Recording .................................... 15
Voice Activated (VOX)
Recording ............................ 15
Manual Recording ................ 17
Using Quick Record ............. 18
Playing a Tape ............................ 19
Rewinding/
Fast-Forwarding ................... 19
Using Quick Review ............. 20
Using Index Markers ............ 20

5
Contents
Tape Tips ........................................... 21
Storing Cassette Tapes ............... 21
Restoring Tape Tension and
Sound Quality .............................. 21
Erasing Tapes .............................. 22
Preventing Accidental Erasure .... 22
Care .................................................... 24
Cleaning the
Tape-Handling Parts .................... 24
Specifications ................................... 26

6Features

Features
Your RadioShack Micro Cassette Tape
Recorder is ideal for quick note taking. Its
light weight and ultra-thin size makes it
easy to slip into a pocket, purse, or brief-
case. You can use it at school, at busi-
ness conferences, for dictation in the
office, or anywhere on the go! You can
record manually or set the recorder so
sound activates recording.
Voice-Activated Recording (VOX) —
lets you set the tape recorder so it records
when it picks up sound and stops a few
seconds after the sound stops.
Quick Record — instantly changes from
playback to recording.
Auto Stop — stops the tape when the re-
corder reaches the end of the tape.

7
A Quick Look at Your Recorder

A Quick Look at
Your Recorder
STOP/
EJECT
PLAY
REC
EAR MIC
Cassette
Compartment
Door

8A Quick Look at Your Recorder
VOLUME
INDEX
F-PLAY
VOX
PAUSE/
OFF
REV/REW
/FF/CUE
Tape
Speed
Switch
Battery
Compartment

9
Preparation

Preparation
CONNECTING POWER
Using Battery Power
Your recorder requires one AAA battery
(not supplied) for power. For the best per-
formance and longest life, we recommend
a RadioShack alkaline battery.
Caution: Use only a fresh battery of the
required size and recommended type.
1. Slide the battery compartment cover
in the direction of the arrow.
2. Place the battery in the compartment
as indicated by the polarity symbols
(+ and –) on the case beneath the
opening.
3. Replace the cover.
When the recorder stops operating prop-
erly, replace the battery.
Warning: Dispose of old batteries
promptly and properly. Do not burn or
bury them.

10 Preparation
Caution: If you do not plan to use the re-
corder for several days, remove the bat-
tery. Batteries can leak chemicals that can
destroy electronic parts.
Using AC or DC Power
You can power the recorder from AC pow-
er using the supplied power adapter and
an AC adapter with a size A Adaptaplug™
(not supplied), or from a vehicle’s battery
using the supplied power adapter and a
DC adapter with a size A Adaptaplug.
Both are available at your local Ra-
dioShack store.
Cautions:
You must use a Class 2 (for
AC power) power source
that supplies 3 volts DC
and delivers at least 200 mA. Its cen-
ter tip must be set to positive and its
plug must fit the recorder's power
adapter jack. Using an adapter that
does not meet these specifications
could damage the recorder or the
adapter.
• Always connect the adapter to the
recorder before you connect it to
power. When you finish, disconnect
!

11
Preparation
the adapter from power before you
disconnect it from the recorder.
1. If necessary, set the adapter's volt-
age switch to 3V.
2. Attach the Adaptaplug to the AC
adapter's cord with the tip set to posi-
tive (+).
3. Open the battery compartment and
insert the power adapter so that the
wire attached to the dummy battery
rests in the adjustable groove under
the battery compartment.
4. Close the compartment cover.
5. Insert the adapter’s barrel plug into
the recorder's power adapter jack.
6. Plug the adapter’s other end into the
power source.
CONNECTING AN
EARPHONE
For private listening, you can use an op-
tional mono earphone with a 3/32-inch (2.5
mm) plug. You can also use an earphone
to monitor what the recorder picks up
through the internal or an external micro-

12 Preparation
phone. Your local RadioShack store car-
ries a wide selection of earphones.
Insert the earphone’s plug into the record-
er’s EAR jack. The built-in speaker auto-
matically disconnects.
Listening Safely
To protect your hearing, follow these
guidelines when you use an earphone.
• Set the volume to the lowest setting
before you begin listening. After you
begin listening, adjust the volume to a
comfortable level.
• Do not listen at extremely high vol-
ume levels. Extended high-volume
listening can lead to permanent hear-
ing loss.
• Once you set the volume, do not
increase it. Over time, your ears
adapt to the volume level, so a vol-
ume level that does not cause dis-
comfort might still damage your
hearing.
Traffic Safety
• Do not wear an earphone while oper-
ating a motor vehicle or riding a bicy-

13
Preparation
cle. This can create a traffic hazard
and could be illegal in some areas.
• Even though some earphones let you
hear some outside sounds when lis-
tening at normal volume levels, they
still can present a traffic hazard.
CONNECTING AN
EXTERNAL MICROPHONE
You can use an optional microphone with
a subminiature 3/32-inch (2.5 mm) plug to
extend the recording range. Your local
RadioShack store carries a wide selection
of microphones.
Insert the microphone’s plug into the re-
corder’s MIC jack. The built-in microphone
automatically disconnects.

14 Operation
ATTACHING THE WRIST
STRAP
Thread the strap’s small loop beneath the
metal pin located in the lower right-hand
corner of the recorder. Slip the larger end
of the strap through the smaller loop. Pull
the loop to tighten it around the pin.
Note: Use a straightened paper clip to
hook the smaller loop if you have difficulty
threading the loop beneath the pin.

Operation
LOADING A
MICROCASSETTE TAPE
Note: We recommend MC-60 microcas-
sette tapes for up to two hours of record-
ing/playback time, or MC-90 micro
cassette tapes for up to three hours of re-
cording/playback time. We do not recom-
mend long-playing cassette tapes such
as MC-120s, because they are extremely
thin and can easily tangle in the playback
mechanism.

15
Operation
1. Use a pencil to turn the cassette’s
hub and remove any tape slack.
Avoid touching the tape.
2. Press STOP/EJECT. The cassette
compartment door opens.
3. Insert the microcassette into the
door’s guides with the tape’s open
edge facing out and the full reel posi-
tioned toward the top of the recorder.
4. Close the door.
RECORDING
Cautions:
• Do not change the tape speed while
recording.
• Do not force down REC when a cas-
sette erase-protection tab is not in
place. See “Erasing Tapes” on
Page 22.
Voice Activated (VOX)
Recording
Follow these steps to have the recorder
start and stop recording automatically
based on sound it detects.

16 Operation
1. Slide VOX to ON.
2. Load a tape.
3. Set the tape speed switch on the side
of the recorder as follows:
• To double the tape’s recording/
playback time, slide the tape
speed switch to 1.2. This setting
allows 120 minutes of total record-
ing/playback time on an MC-60
tape, or 180 minutes on an MC-90
tape.
• For better sound quality, slide the
tape speed switch to 2.4. This set-
ting allows 60 minutes of total
recording/playback time on an MC-
60 tape, or 90 minutes on an MC-
90 tape.
4. Press REC to begin recording. Both
REC and PLAY lock down, and the
record indicator next to the MIC jack
lights. Recording begins when the
recorder picks up sound and stops a
few seconds after the sound stops
5. To temporarily stop recording, slide
PAUSE away from OFF. To resume
recording, slide PAUSE back.

17
Operation
Notes:
•The
VOLUME setting determines
the sound level that activates the
VOX circuit and starts recording.
At higher settings, a softer sound
starts VOX recording. At lower set-
tings, a louder sound starts VOX
recording. At extremely low VOL-
UME
settings, VOX might not oper-
ate.
• The built-in automatic level control
(ALC) automatically sets the
recording level once recording
starts.
6. Recording stops when the tape
reaches its end. To stop it sooner,
press
STOP/EJECT.
Note: When the tape reaches the
end, the motor stops automatically.
The tape handling parts, however,
are still engaged. When recording or
play stops, always press STOP/EJECT
to disengage the tape handling parts.
Manual Recording
1. Slide VOX to OFF.

18 Operation
2. Load a tape.
3. Slide the tape speed switch to 1.2 to
double the recording time, or to 2.4 for
better sound quality.
4. Press REC. PLAY also locks down.
Recording starts and the built in auto-
matic level control sets the recording
level.
5. For maximum clarity, place the
recorder as close to the sound source
as possible, with nothing between the
source and the recorder that might
block the sound.
6. To temporarily stop recording, slide
PAUSE away from OFF. To resume
recording, slide PAUSE back.
7. Recording automatically stops when
the tape reaches its end. To stop
recording sooner, press STOP/EJECT.
Using Quick Record
To go directly from playback to recording
while a tape is playing, press REC (without
pressing STOP/EJECT first). This is handy
when you want to add additional com-
ments to an existing recording.

19
Operation
PLAYING A TAPE
1. Load the microcassette tape.
2. Slide the tape speed switch to the
speed (1.2 or 2.4) used when the tape
was recorded.
3. To listen to the tape at normal speed,
press PLAY. To listen to the tape at
about 30% faster than normal speed,
slide F-PLAY to ON.
4. Adjust VOLUME to a comfortable lis-
tening level.
5. Press STOP/EJECT to stop playback.
Rewinding/Fast-Forwarding
Slide REV/REW FF/CUE to REV/REW to
rapidly rewind a tape, or to FF/CUE to fast-
forward a tape.
To hear the tape play at a faster speed as
it fast-forwards or rewinds, slide REV/REW
FF/CUE to REV/REW or FF/CUE during
playback. When you release the switch,
normal playback resumes.
Caution: To protect the tape-handling
parts, press STOP/EJECT or slide REV/

20 Operation
REW FF/CUE to the center when the tape
reaches the end.
Using Quick Review
During recording, slide REV/REW FF/CUE
to REV/REW to hear a portion of what you
have just recorded without first pressing
STOP/EJECT and PLAY. Press REC to re-
sume recording.
Using Index Markers
Use INDEX to add a special tone to a tape
so you can quickly find that point using
Quick Review. See “Using Quick Review”.
1. Press INDEX to mark the beginning of
a recorded section. The record indi-
cator flashes while the recorder-
records an index marker tone on the
tape.
2. Press INDEX to mark each desired
reference point.
3. Press PLAY to begin play.
4. Slide REV/REW FF/CUE to REV/REW
to rapidly review the tape. The tape
rewinds, and at each index marker,
you hear the index tone, letting you
stop at desired points on your tape.