Radio Shack 21-1703 A User manual

Thank you for purchasing your Mini Mobile CB Radio from RadioShack.
Please read this user’s guide before installing, setting up and using your new
product.
21-1703 A
CB Radio
Microphone
Holder
Mounting Bracket
5mm Machine Screw (2)
3mm Machine Screw (2)
5mm Self-tapping Screw (2)
3mm Self-tapping Screw (2)
Spring Washer (2 big + 4 small)
Plain Washer (2 big + 4 small)
Nut (2 big + 2 small)
Mounting Knob (2)
Rubber Washer (2)
User’s Guide
Mini Mobile CB Radio
What’s Included

2
C ontents
Product Features......................................................................... 3
Setup.......................................................................................... 4
Attaching the Microphone Holder.....................................................4
Mounting the Transceiver...................................................................5
Connecting an Antenna......................................................................6
Connecting the Microphone..............................................................7
Connecting an External Speaker......................................................7
Using Vehicle Battery Power..............................................................8
Using the Transceiver...............................................................................8
Operation.................................................................................... 9
Receiving Transmissions and Adjusting Squelch...........................9
Transmitting.........................................................................................9
Selecting the Emergency Channel...................................................9
Operational Hints.............................................................................10
Common Uses for CB Radios.................................................................10
Transmission Courtesy ............................................................................10
Using Common 10-Codes...............................................................10
Maximum Range..............................................................................11
Additional Information............................................................... 12
Troubleshooting................................................................................12
Reducing Noise................................................................................12
Care and Service..............................................................................13
Replacing the Fuse..........................................................................13
6SHFLÀFDWLRQV ...................................................................................14
RF Emissions Information..............................................................15
Limited Warranty.............................................................................16

3
Product Features
Other Features
Full Legal Power – gives you the greatest available range.
Automatic Noise Limiter – reduces impulse-type noises while receiving.
External Speaker Jack – provides a connection for an external speaker.
Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) Frequency Synthesizer – provides highly accurate and
stable tuning.
Two Built-In Ceramic Filters – ensure superior channel selectivity and freedom
from adjacent channel interference.
Automatic Modulation Control – prevents the transmitter signal from over-
modulating and distorting.
Product Features
TX / RX
Shows when the radio
is transmitting (TX), or
receiving (RX).
Channel Display
Shows the current
channel.
VOLUME
Rotate to increase or
decrease the speaker
volume.
SQUELCH
Rotate to adjust the amount of
background noise.
OUT CH9 CH19
Switch to move between standard
frequencies and emergency channels.
CHANNEL
Rotate to select
frequency.
Microphone
Push to Talk (PTT)

4
Setup
Setup
Attaching the Microphone Holder
You can attach the microphone holder to either side of the transceiver or to
another location in your vehicle.
To attach the holder to either side of the transceiver, secure the holder to the
side using the supplied 3mm self-tapping screws, and spring washers.
To attach the holder to another location in the vehicle, such as the dashboard,
follow these steps.
1. Using the holder as a template, mark the positions for the mounting screw
holes at the desired location.
2. At each marked position, drill a hole slightly smaller than the supplied
mounting screws.
3. Attach the holder at the mounting location using the supplied 3mm
machine screws, spring washers, plain washers, and nuts.
Note: If you cannot reach behind the mounting surface to attach the nuts on
the machine screws, use the supplied 3mm plain washers and self-tapping
screws.
Holder
3mm self-tapping
screw
Spring washer

5
Setup
Mounting the Transceiver
Cautions:
• If you use this CB in a vehicle, mount it securely to avoid damage to the CB
or vehicle, or injury to anyone in the vehicle during sudden starts or stops.
• Do not mount the CB where it could damage or interfere with the
operation of any passive restraint safety device (an airbag or seat belt).
• Be careful not to drill into objects behind the mounting surface.
If you are mounting the CB in a vehicle, choose a location where:
• You can easily reach the CB.
• Wires and cables are clear of the vehicle’s pedals or other moving parts.
• The CB is not directly in front of heating vents.
• All wires and cables can reach their connection points.
The most common mounting location for this CB is under the vehicle’s
dashboard. However, if you plan to use the CB as a base station, you can place it
on a desk, shelf, or table (see “Using the Transceiver” on p.8).
To mount the CB under your dashboard:
1. Using the supplied mounting bracket as a template, mark the positions for
the screw holes on the mounting surface.
2. At each marked location, drill a hole slightly smaller than the supplied
mounting screws.
3. Mount the bracket to the mounting surface with the supplied 5mm machine
screws, spring washers, plain washers, and nuts.
4. Attach the CB to the bracket using the supplied rubber washers and
mounting knobs.
Note: If you cannot reach behind the mounting surface to attach the nuts on
the machine screws, use the 5mm self-tapping screws and plain washers to
secure the bracket.
Mounting knob
Mounting bracket

6
Setup
Connecting an Antenna
There are many different types of CB radio antennas for mobile CBs. Each type
has its own benefits, so choose the one that best meets your needs.
Note: If you are using this CB as a base station, see “Using the Transceiver” on p.8.
Once you choose an antenna, follow its mounting instructions. Then route the
cable to the transceiver and connect the cable to the ANTENNA jack on the
back of the transceiver.
For the antenna’s best performance, you should mount the antenna:
• as high as possible on the vehicle
• as far as possible from sources of electrical noise
• vertically
To take advantage of your CB’s maximum range, you can adjust the antenna’s
standing wave ratio (SWR) using an SWR meter (not supplied).
Follow the instructions supplied with the SWR meter and antenna to adjust your
antenna’s SWR to the lowest possible value. SWR values of 2.0:1 are generally
acceptable, with readings of 1.5:1 or lower being more desirable.
Cautions:
• Avoid routing the cable next to sharp edges or moving parts, which might
damage the cable.
• Do not run the cable next to power cables or other CB antenna cables.
• Do not run the cable through the engine compartment or other areas that
produce extreme heat.
ANTENNA jack
EXT SPEAKER jack

7
Setup
Connecting the Microphone
1. Press the tab on the side of the supplied microphone’s plug and insert the
plug into the MIC jack on the front of the transceiver. Be sure the tab is
aligned with the jack’s notch.
2. Slide the microphone onto the microphone holder.
To disconnect the microphone from the transceiver, press the tab on the side of
the plug. Then pull out the plug.
Caution: To avoid damaging the microphone, never pull on the microphonemicrophone, never pull on the microphone, never pull on the microphone
cable.
Connecting an External Speaker
Your transceiver also can be connected to an external CB speaker (not supplied).
Note: When you connect an external speaker, the CB’s internal speaker
disconnects.
The external speaker you use with the transceiver should have an impedance of
8 ohms and be able to handle 3 to 10 watts of power. The speaker cable must
have a 1/8-inch (3.5mm) plug. Your local RadioShack store carries a variety of
speakers and cables to meet your needs.
To connect the external speaker to the transceiver, insert the speaker cable’s
plug into the EXT SPEAKER jack on the back of the CB.
Tab
Notch

8
Setup
Using Vehicle Battery Power
To connect the transceiver to the vehicle battery power:
1. Connect the red wire (with the inline fuse holder) on the back of the
transceiver to a point in your vehicle’s fuse
block that has power only when the ignition is
in the ACC (accessory) or ON position.
2. Connect the black wire to a metal part of the
vehicle’s frame (chassis ground).
Caution: Do not connect the black wire to a
non-metallic (plastic) part, or to any part
insulated from the vehicle’s chassis by a non-
metallic part.
Using the Transceiver
Although this transceiver is designed mainly for mobile use, you can also use
it as a base station with an AC power source. For base station installation, you
need these items (not supplied):
• a 13.8V DC power supply that can supply at least 1.5 amps
• base station antenna
• coaxial antenna cable and connector
Warning: Use extreme caution when you install or remove a base station CB
antenna. If the antenna starts to fall, let it go! It could contact overhead power
lines. If the antenna touches a power line, contact with the antenna, mast, cable,
or guy wires can cause electrocution and death. Call the power company to
remove the antenna. Do not attempt to do so yourself!
Follow these steps to install the CB as a base station.
1. Mount the base station antenna as described in its owner’s manual.
2. Connect the antenna to the ANTENNA jack on the back of the CB.
3. Connect the transceiver’s black power wire to the negative (–) terminal on
the DC power supply.
4. Connect the transceiver’s red wire to the positive (+) terminal on the DC
power supply.
5. Connect the DC power supply to a standard AC outlet.
Caution: Most 13.8V DC power supplies plug into a standard AC outlet to
produce DC power. Before connecting your CB to a 13.8V DC power supply,
read and follow the instructions included with the power supply.
Negative (–)
black wire
Positive (+)
red wire

9
Operation
Operation
Receiving Transmissions and Adjusting SQUELCH
1. Rotate SQUELCH fully counterclockwise.
2. Rotate VOLUME clockwise until it clicks to turn on the transceiver. Theturn on the transceiver. The
channel display lights and the channel appears, and the RX indicator lights.
3. Set OUT CH9 CH19 to OUT if you want to select a channel other than an
emergency channel.
4. Rotate the channel selector until the display shows the desired channel.
5. Adjust VOLUME to a comfortable listening level.
6. To cut out background noise between transmissions, wait until there is no
signal, then slowly rotate SQUELCH clockwise until the background noise
stops.
7. To turn off the CB, rotateotate VOLUME counterclockwise until it clicks. The
display and indicators turn off.
Note: To receive very weak signals, turn SQUELCH counterclockwise. You will
hear noise between transmissions, but you will also hear weak transmissions
(those not strong enough to break through a higher squelch setting).
Transmitting
Follow steps 1 – 5 in “Receiving Transmissions and Adjusting SQUELCH”.
To transmit, hold down PUSH TO TALK (PTT) on the microphone and speak. The
TX indicator lights. Release PUSH TO TALK when you finish transmitting. The TX
indicator turns off.
To turn off the CB, rotate VOLUME counterclockwise until it clicks. The display
and RX indicator turn off.
Selecting the Emergency Channel
Important: Channel 9 is reserved for motorist assistance and for reporting
emergency information about accidents, hazardous road conditions, and so
on. Always give emergency messages priority on Channel 9. To select the
emergency Channel 9, set OUT CH9 CH19 to CH9. The selected channel
number flashes on the display.
Channel 19 is used by truck drivers for general communication purposes. To
select this channel, set OUT CH9 CH19 to CH19.
To select another channel, set OUT CH9 CH19 to OUT. The previously selected
channel number appears on the display.

10
Operation
Operational Hints
Common Uses for CB Radios
• Warn of traffic tie-ups ahead.
• Help truck drivers and delivery personnel learn road and traffic conditions
and get assistance in locating destinations.
• Provide fast help in the event of emergency or breakdown.
• Help construction crews coordinate the activities of different work crews.
• Assist communication between security officers.
• Provide weather and road information.
• Contact friends or other CB users on road trips.
• Keep in touch with your office or home.
• Bring more fun for camping, fishing, and other sports; help locate a friend
or find out what’s cooking back at camp.
Transmission Courtesy
• Wait for a pause in someone else’s transmission before you ask for a break.
• If you do not receive an answer to your call after a second attempt, sign off
and wait several minutes before trying again.
• Do not hold down PTT when you are not talking. (This is called dead
keying.)
• Assist callers with directions, information about road conditions, and any
other reasonable request.
Using Common 10-Codes
Citizen’s band operators and users have largely adopted the 10 codes for
standard questions and answers. These codes permit faster communication and
better intelligibility in noisy areas.