Radio Shack BTX-128 User manual

Cat. No. 19-1217
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
BTX-128
CTCSS•VHF
Business Band Transceiver
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2
Features
Your RadioShack BTX-128 CTC-
SS•VHF Business Band Trans-
ceiver is a portable, two-way
business radio service transceiver
that you can carry almost any-
where. The transceiver is com-
pact and light, making it an ideal
choice for your business needs.
Your transceiver has these fea-
tures:
38-Tone CTCSS (Continuous
Tone Control Squelch System) —
helps reduce interference from
other transceivers which are oper-
ating on the same frequency and
in the same area.
Built-in VOX — allows hands-free
operation of your transceiver us-
ing an optional headset and mi-
crophone.
Programmable Frequencies —
you can program the transceiver
to any VHF business band fre-
quency you have a license to use
— no crystals to buy!
Rechargeable Battery Pack and
Battery Charger — the supplied
battery charger lets you conve-
niently recharge your transceiv-
er’s battery pack while it is on the
transceiver.
Earphone/Speaker and External
Microphone Jacks — let you con-
nect an external earphone or
speaker and an external micro-
phone for clearer communica-
tions in noisy areas.
Battery Low Indication — the
transceiver beeps when the bat-
tery pack is low.
Flexible Antenna — provides ex-
cellent reception.
Belt Clip — lets you attach the
transceiver to your belt or waist-
band.
© 1998 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
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The transceiver’s preset frequen-
cies are:
• 151.625 MHz (red dot)
• 151.700 MHz
• 151.760 MHz
• 151.820 MHz
• 151.880 MHz
• 151.940 MHz
• 151.955 MHz (purple dot)
• 154.570 MHz (blue dot)
• 154.600 MHz (green dot)
Note: Some manufacturers identi-
fy some business band frequen-
cies by color. These “dot”
frequencies are shown above.
We recommend you record your
transceiver’s serial number here.
The number is on the back of the
transceiver.
Serial Number ____________
This symbol is intend-
ed to alert you to the
presence of uninsulat-
ed dangerous voltage
within the product’s
enclosure that might
be of sufficient magni-
tude to constitute a
risk of electric shock.
Do not open the prod-
uct’s case.
This symbol is intend-
ed to inform you that
important operating
and maintenance in-
structions are included
in the literature accom-
panying this product.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELEC-
TRIC SHOCK.
DO NOT OPEN.
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT REMOVE COVER
OR BACK. NO USER-SER-
VICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO
QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
WARNING: To reduce the risk
of fire or shock hazard, do not
expose this product to rain or
moisture.
!
!
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CONTENTS
FCC Regulations ................................................................................. 5
FCC License Required .................................................................. 5
FCC Part 90 Rules ........................................................................ 5
Additional FCC Regulations .......................................................... 7
Exposure to Radio Frequency Energy .......................................... 7
Electromagnetic Interference/Compatibility ................................... 8
Potentially Explosive Atmospheres ............................................... 9
Blasting Caps and Areas ............................................................... 9
For Vehicles With an Air Bag ........................................................ 9
Antennas ..................................................................................... 10
Batteries ...................................................................................... 10
Chargers and Power Cord .......................................................... 10
Preparation ........................................................................................ 12
Installing the Battery Pack ........................................................... 12
Charging the Battery Pack .......................................................... 13
Connecting the Antenna .............................................................. 14
Using the Belt Clip ....................................................................... 15
Using an External Speaker/Microphone ...................................... 15
Listening Safely ................................................................... 16
Traffic Safety ....................................................................... 16
Setting Frequency Options ................................................................ 17
About CTCSS ............................................................................. 17
Selecting a Business Band Frequency ...................................... 18
Using a CTCSS Frequency ........................................................ 18
Operation ........................................................................................... 20
Operational Hints ....................................................................... 20
Care and Maintenance ...................................................................... 21
Specifications .................................................................................... 22
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5
FCC Regulations
FCC License Required
This transceiver is intended for
use in the operation of commer-
cial activities, educational, philan-
thropic, or ecclesiastical
institutions, and hospitals, clinics,
or medical associations.
The Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) requires you
to have a license before you oper-
ate this transceiver. Unless you
are already licensed to operate on
one of the preset frequencies, you
must apply for a frequency
through the PCIA (Personal Com-
munication Industry Association),
a non-profit organization that as-
signs frequencies nationwide to
help prevent conflicts between dif-
ferent businesses using transceiv-
ers in the same area. For more
information about getting a li-
cense, contact the PCIA at 800-
759-0300, extension 3068 (in Vir-
ginia 703-739-0300, extension
3068).
For other questions concerning
the license application, contact
the FCC at 717-337-1212, or
write:
FCC
P.O. Box 1040
Gettysburg, PA 17325
For the latest FCC application
form and instructions, call the
FCC’s fax-on-demand service at
1-202-418-0177 from a fax ma-
chine and request one or more of
the following documents:
• To receive all forms and
instructions, enter 000600
• To receive Form 600 instruc-
tions only, enter 006001
• To receive Main Form 600
only, enter 006002
• To receive Form 600 sched-
ules only, enter 006003
If you do not have a fax machine,
you can call the Government
Forms Distribution Center at 1-
800-418-FORM and request that
the form and instructions be
mailed to you.
FCC Part 90 Rules
You must be familiar with Part 90
of FCC Rules before you operate
your transceiver. The operation
instructions in this manual con-
form to Part 90, but do not cover
all items in Part 90.
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6
Overall, Part 90 states that:
• You must have a valid license
before you use the trans-
ceiver.
• As licensee, you are respon-
sible for proper operation of
all transceivers operating
under your license authority.
• You can let unlicensed per-
sons operate this transmitter,
as long as you take precau-
tions to prevent unauthorized
transmissions.
• You must use this transceiver
only for the commercial use
of your business, and only
when other commercial chan-
nels (such as the telephone)
are either not available or not
practical.
• You must always yield the
operating frequency to com-
munications that involve the
safety of life or property.
• You must take reasonable
precautions to prevent harm-
ful interference to other ser-
vices operating on the same
frequency.
• You must not transmit pro-
gram material of any kind
used in connection with com-
mercial broadcasting.
• You must not provide a ser-
vice that is normally handled
by telephone or telegraph
unless such broadcasts
involve the safety of life or
property or in emergencies
such as an earthquake, hur-
ricane, flood or a similar
disaster where normal com-
munication channels are dis-
rupted.
• During each transmission or
exchange of transmissions,
you must identify your sta-
tion with the call sign issued
to you by the FCC, or once
each 15 minutes during peri-
ods of continuous operation.
• You must keep a written
record of any maintenance
or modification made to the
transceiver, and you must
make this record available
for inspection upon demand
by the FCC.
Violating any of the provisions of
Part 90 can result in fines and/or
confiscation of equipment.
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7
Your transceiver might cause TV
or radio interference even when it
is operating properly. To deter-
mine whether your transceiver is
causing the interference, turn off
your transceiver. If the interfer-
ence goes away, your transceiver
is causing it. Try to eliminate the
interference by:
• moving your transceiver
away from the receiver
• contacting your local
RadioShack store for help
If you cannot eliminate the inter-
ference, the FCC requires that
you stop using your transceiver.
Additional FCC Regulations
The Business Radio Service is
under the jurisdiction of the
(FCC). Any adjustments or alter-
ations that would alter the perfor-
mance of the transceiver so it no
longer meets the original FCC
type acceptance or would change
the frequency-determining meth-
od are strictly prohibited.
Replacement or substitution of
crystals, transistors, ICs, regulator
diodes, or any other component
that is of a unique nature with
components other than those rec-
ommended can violate the techni-
cal regulations of the FCC rules or
violate type acceptance require-
ments of the rules.
Before you operate the transceiv-
er, you must obtain your license. It
is illegal to transmit without the
appropriate license, which you
can get by submitting a complet-
ed FCC Form 600 to the FCC (or
through the PCIA). Furthermore,
you are required to understand
Part 90 of the FCC Rules and
Regulations prior to operating
your transceiver. It is the user’s
responsibility to see that this unit
is operating at all times in accor-
dance with the FCC Rules and
Regulations.
Exposure to Radio Frequency
Energy
The design of your radio, which
generates radio frequency (RF)
electromagnetic energy, complies
with the following national and in-
ternational standards and guide-
lines:
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8
• FCC Report and Order FCC
96-326 (August 1996)
• American National Stan-
dards Institute (C95-1-1992)
• National Council on Radia-
tion Protection and Measure-
ments (NCRP-1986)
• International Commission on
Non-Ionizing Radiation Pro-
tection (ICNRP-1866)
• CENELEC
— Env. 50166-1 1995E - Hu-
man Exposure to Electromag-
netic Fields Low Frequency
(0 Hz to 10 KHz)
— Env. 50166-2 1995E - Hu-
man Exposure to Electromag-
netic Fields High Frequency
(10 KHz to 300 GHz)
— Proceedings of SC211/8
1996 - Safety Considerations
for Human Exposure to EMEs
from Mobile Telecommunica-
tions Equipment (MTE) in the
Frequency Range 30 MHz–6
GHz (EME - Electromagnetic
Fields)
To assure optimal radio perfor-
mance and to ensure that expo-
sure to RF energy is within the
guidelines in these standards, the
following operating procedures
should be observed:
For hand-held operation: The ra-
dio should be held in a vertical
position with the microphone one
to two inches away from the
mouth, and the antenna should
be kept one to two inches from
the head or body when transmit-
ting.
For body-worn operation: The an-
tenna should be kept at least one
inch from the body when trans-
mitting.
ElectromagneticInterference/
Compatibility
Nearly every electronic device is
susceptible to electromagnetic in-
terference (EMI) if inadequately
shielded, de-signed, or other-
wise configured for electromag-
netic compatibility.
Turn your radio off in any facilities
where posted notices instruct you
to do so. Hospitals or health care
facilities
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9
may be using equipment that is
sensitive to external RF energy.
Turn your radio off when on board
aircraft when instructed to do so.
Any use of the radio must be in
accordance with airline regula-
tions or crew instructions.
WARNING
Potentially Explosive
Atmospheres
Turn your radio off when in any
area with a potentially explosive
atmosphere, unless it is a type es-
pecially qualified for such use (for
example, FMRC Approved).
Sparks in such areas could cause
an explosion or fire resulting in
bodily injury or even death.
Do not replace or charge batteries
in a hazardous atmosphere. Con-
tact sparking may occur while in-
stalling or removing batteries and
cause an explosion.
Areas with potentially explosive
atmospheres are often, but not al-
ways, clearly marked. They in-
clude fueling areas such as below
deck on boats, fuel or chemical
transfer or storage facilities, areas
where the air contains chemicals
or particles such as grain, dust, or
metal powders, and any other
area where you would normally
be advised to turn off your vehi-
cle’s engine.
!
Blasting Caps and Areas
To avoid possible interference
with blasting operations, turn
your radio off near electrical
blasting caps or in a ‘blasting ar-
ea’ or in areas posted “Turn Off
Two-Way Radio.” Obey all signs
and instructions.
For Vehicles With an Air Bag
An air bag inflates with great
force. Do not place objects, in-
cluding portable or mobile two-
way radios, in the area over the
air bag or in the air bag deploy-
ment area. If improperly installed
or placed wireless equipment is
in the air bag deployment area
and the air bag inflates, serious
injury could result.
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10
Antennas
Do not use a radio with a dam-
aged antenna. If a damaged an-
tenna comes into contact with the
skin, a minor burn might result.
Batteries
All batteries can cause property
damage, injury, or burns if a con-
ductive material such as jewelry,
keys, or a beaded chain touches
exposed terminals. The material
may complete an electrical circuit
(short circuit) and become quite
hot. Exercise care in handling any
charged battery, particularly when
placing it inside a pocket, purse,
or other container with metal ob-
jects.
CAUTION
Chargers and Power Cord
To reduce risk of damage to the
supplied battery charger when
disconnecting it from AC power,
pull by the plug rather than the
power cord.
Make sure the power cord is lo-
cated so that it will not be stepped
on, tripped over, or otherwise sub-
jected to damage or stress.
Do not operate the charger with a
damaged cord or plug; replace
them immediately. Do not operate
the charger if it has received a
sharp blow, been dropped, or oth-
erwise damaged in any way; con-
tact your local RadioShack store.
!
Do not expose chargers to rain or
snow.
An extension cord should not be
used unless absolutely neces-
sary. Use of an improper exten-
sion cord may result in a fire or
electric shock. However, if an ex-
tension cord is used, make sure
that:
• The pins and plug of the
extension cord are the same
number, size, and shape as
those on the plug of the
charger.
• The extension cord is prop-
erly wired and in good condi-
tion.
• The cord size is 18 AWG for
lengths of up to 100 feet,
and 15 AWG for lengths up
to 150 feet.
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11
Do not disassemble your charg-
er. If it does not work; contact
your local RadioShack store. In-
correct reassembly can result in
electric shock or fire.
To reduce risk of injury, use the
charger to charge only the type of
battery recommended in this
Owner’s Manual. Other types of
batteries might burst, resulting in
personal injury or damage.
Use of an attachment not sold or
recommended by RadioShack
can result in a risk of fire, electric
shock, or injury to personnel.
To reduce risk of electric shock,
unplug the charger from the out-
let before cleaning. Turning off
controls does not reduce this risk.
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12
Preparation
Installing the Battery Pack
The supplied battery pack, when
fully charged, provides power to
your transceiver for up to 10
hours. You must install the battery
pack in your transceiver, then
charge it.
Caution: Do not remove the plas-
tic wrap from the battery pack.
Doing so can permanently dam-
age the battery.
Follow these steps to install the
battery pack.
1. Turn the volume control on
top of the transceiver fully
counterclockwise until it
clicks to make sure power is
turned off.
2. Unlock the battery compart-
ment cover by sliding both of
the cover’s latches toward
the back of the transceiver
until you see the orange tabs
underneath the latches.
Then slide the cover in the
direction of the arrow and lift
it off.
3. With the battery label facing
up, align the contacts on the
battery pack with the con-
tacts inside the battery com-
partment. Then press the
battery pack into the com-
partment while applying
slight pressure to the bottom
of the battery pack.
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4. Slide the battery cover back
onto the transceiver, then
slide both of the latches
toward the front of the trans-
ceiver to lock it.
To remove the battery pack, un-
lock the compartment and remove
the cover, then turn the transceiv-
er face down and gently tap it into
your palm so the battery pack
slides out.
Charging the Battery Pack
Before you use the battery pack
for the first time, you must use the
supplied battery charger to charge
it for about 16 hours to bring it to a
full charge.
You cannot use the transceiver
while you charge the battery pack.
Caution: The supplied battery
charger was designed specifically
for your transceiver. Use only the
supplied battery charger.
Follow these steps to charge the
battery pack.
1. Turn the volume control on
top of the transceiver fully
counterclockwise until it
clicks to make sure power is
turned off.
2. Pull out the rubber cover
from the charging jack on the
side of the transceiver, then
insert the charger’s 3/32-
inch plug into the jack. Plug
the other end of the charger
into a standard AC outlet.
3. When charging is complete,
disconnect the charger from
the AC outlet and the trans-
ceiver.
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14
When the transceiver beeps
about 3 to 4 seconds after you
turn it on or each time you release
PUSH TO TALK, recharge the
battery pack.
Notes:
• A nickel-cadmium battery
pack lasts longer and delivers
more power if you occasion-
ally let it fully discharge. To
do this, use the transceiver
until it beeps when you
release PUSH TO TALK.
• To prevent damaging a
nickel-cadmium battery pack,
never charge it in an area
where the temperature is
above 113°F (45°C) or below
32°F (0°C).
Important: At the end of a re-
chargeable battery pack’s useful
life, it must be recycled or dis-
posed of properly. Contact your
local, county, or state hazardous
waste management authorities for
information on recycling or dis-
posal programs in your area.
Some options that might be avail-
able are: municipal curb-side col-
lection, drop-off boxes at retailers
such as your local RadioShack
store, recycling collection cen-
ters, and mail-back programs.
Connecting the Antenna
Caution: Always connect the sup-
plied antenna to the transceiver
before you use it.
Thread the supplied flexible an-
tenna clockwise into the top of
the transceiver to attach it, or
counterclockwise to remove it.
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15
Using the Belt Clip
Align the belt clip to the mounting
rails on the back of the transceiv-
er, then push the clip down until it
clicks to lock it.
To remove the belt clip, slide it up
while pulling the tab toward the
clip.
Tab
Using an External Speaker/
Microphone
An external speaker/microphone
(not supplied) can make it easier
to use the transceiver when you
clip it to your belt, so you do not
have to lift the transceiver to your
mouth each time you transmit.
Plug the speaker/microphone’s
plug into the earphone and mi-
crophone jacks on the side of the
transceiver. This automatically
disconnects the transceiver’s
built-in speaker and microphone.
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16
Listening Safely
To protect your hearing, follow
these guidelines when you use an
earphone.
• Set the volume to the lowest
setting before you begin lis-
tening. After you begin listen-
ing, adjust the volume to a
comfortable level.
• Do not listen at extremely
high volume levels. Extended
high-volume listening can
lead to permanent hearing
loss.
• Once you set the volume, do
not increase it. Over time,
your ears adapt to the vol-
ume level, so a volume level
that does not cause discom-
fort might still damage your
hearing.
Traffic Safety
Do not use an earphone with
your transceiver when operating
a motor vehicle or riding a bicycle
in or near traffic. Doing so can
create a traffic hazard and could
be illegal in some areas.
If you use an earphone with your
transceiver while riding a bicycle,
be very careful. Do not listen to a
continuous broadcast. Even
though some earphones let you
hear some outside sounds when
listening at normal volume levels,
they still can present a traffic haz-
ard.
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17
Setting Frequency Options
Before you can use your trans-
ceiver, you must set your trans-
ceiver to a VHF business band
frequency you have a license to
use. Then you can select a preset
CTCSS (Continuous Tone Control
Squelch System) frequency and
set your transceiver to use it.
Here is what you need to do to set
your transceiver to use a business
band frequency and CTCSS:
þSelect a business band frequen-
cy you have a license to use then
set your transceiver to that fre-
quency (see “Selecting a Busi-
ness Band Frequency” on
Page 18).
À
Select a CTCSS frequency then
set your transceiver to the code
that uses that frequency (see “Us-
ing a CTCSS Frequency” on
Page 18).
Your transceiver’s default CTCSS
frequency is 100 Hz. You can se-
lect one CTCSS frequency at a
time. If you do not want to use a
CTCSS frequency, simply do not
set your transceiver to use one.
About CTCSS
CTCSS helps eliminate interfer-
ence between different users of
the same frequency, letting you
talk and listen to people who are
using other transceivers set to
the same frequency and CTCSS
code. This is like having a sub-
channel within a channel, giving
you greater communication flexi-
bility. When you set a CTCSS
code — there are 38 to choose
from — and turn on your trans-
ceiver’s CTCSS, the transceiver
transmits a tone with your trans-
mission, letting you communicate
with anyone who has a transceiv-
er set to the same frequency and
code. This tone is too low for you
to hear, but other transceivers
can detect it.
If CTCSS is turned on and set to
the same tone on the receiving
transceiver, it only receives those
transmissions that include the
tone. If two different groups oper-
ate transceivers in the same area
on the same frequency, they do
not hear each other’s broadcasts
if they both use CTCSS and each
select a different CTCSS fre-
quency.
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18
Selecting a Business Band
Frequency
1. While holding PUSH TO
TALK, turn on the transceiver.
You hear “frequen-cy” and
the current frequency setting
(“frequency nine,” for exam-
ple).
2. Choose a business band fre-
quency from the following
table.
3. Repeatedly press PUSH TO
TALK to scroll through the
transceiver’s business band
frequencies. When you hear
the business band frequency
you have a license to use,
release PUSH TO TALK.
4. Press MONITOR twice to
store the frequency.
Frequency
Freq (MHz) You Hear
151.625 one
151.955 two
154.570 three
154.600 four
151.700 five
151.760 six
151.820 seven
151.880 eight
151.940 nine
Using a CTCSS Frequency
Follow these steps to select a
CTCSS frequency and activate or
deactivate CTCSS.
1. While holding PUSH TO
TALK, turn on the trans-
ceiver. You hear “frequency”
and the current frequency
setting (“frequency nine,” for
example).
2. Press MONITOR on the side
of the transceiver. You hear
“code off” or “code” and the
transceiver’s current CTCSS
code setting (“code seven,”
for example).
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19
3. Choose a CTCSS code from
the table on Page 19, then
repeatedly press PUSH TO
TALK to scroll through the
transceiver’s CTCSS codes.
When you hear the CTCSS
code you want, release
PUSH TO TALK.
CTCSS
Freq (Hz) You Hear
none off
67.0 one
71.9 two
74.4 three
77.0 four
79.7 five
82.5 six
85.4 seven
88.5 eight
91.5 nine
94.8 one zero
97.4 one one
100.0 one two
103.5 one three
107.2 one four
110.9 one five
114.8 one six
118.8 one seven
123.0 one eight
127.3 one nine
131.8 two zero
4. Press MONITOR to activate
the selected CTCSS code.
The transceiver beeps once.
136.5 two one
141.3 two two
146.2 two three
151.4 two four
156.7 two five
162.2 two six
167.9 two seven
173.8 two eight
179.9 two nine
186.2 three zero
192.8 three one
203.5 three two
210.7 three three
218.1 three four
225.7 three five
233.6 three six
241.8 three seven
250.3 three eight
CTCSS
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20
Operation
Note: You can only communicate
with another transceiver that is set
to the same CTCSS code as your
transceiver.
1. Turn the volume control
clockwise until it clicks to turn
on the transceiver. The trans-
ceiver beeps and the transmit
light on top of the transceiver
flashes.
2. While pressing MONITOR,
rotate the volume control to a
comfortable listening level.
3. To transmit, hold down PUSH
TO TALK. Then hold the
transceiver about 3 inches
from your mouth and speak
slowly in a normal voice. The
transmit light on top of the
transceiver turns on.
Release PUSH TO TALK
when you finish your trans-
mission.
Note: If you connected an
external speaker/micro-
phone to the transceiver, you
do not have to lift the trans-
ceiver to your mouth or press
PUSH TO TALK each time
you transmit. To transmit,
simply speak into the micro-
phone.
4. To turn off the transceiver,
turn the volume control
counterclockwise until it
clicks.
Operational Hints
Your transceiver’s range varies
depending on factors such as po-
sition, terrain, and battery condi-
tion. Buildings absorb transmitted
signals and, if they contain metal,
might completely block the sig-
nals. Trees and heavy cloud for-
mations have a similar effect,
though not as severe. If you are
near a lake or the ocean, you
might get excellent range.
To ensure maximum range, oper-
ate the transceiver with the bat-
tery pack fully charged. As the
voltage decreases, the range de-
creases.
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