Radio Shack 21-1620 User manual

OWNER’S MANUAL Cat. No. 21-1620
TRC-235
2 Watt 3-Channel
CB Walkie-Talkie
Please read before using thisequipment.
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FEATURES
Your RadioShack TRC-235 2 Watt 3-
Channel CB Walkie-Talkie is a portable,
two-way radio you can carry almost any-
where. You can use your TRC-235
around the house, in your office, or in your
car or boat. You can also use it on fishing
and camping trips, or at your business for
supervisory, security, or warehouse per-
sonnel.
Your TRC-235 has the following features:
Factory-Installed Crystals — let you im-
mediately begin using your TRC-235 on
Channel 14.
Three-Channel Operation — comes with
Channel 14 crystals installed, but lets you
install optional crystals so you can oper-
ate the TRC-235 on any two of the other
39 available CB channels. (See “Adding
Crystals” on Page 24).
Built-In Modulation Limiter Circuit —
automatically adjusts to a variety of voice
levels to ensure a clear transmission.
Crystal-Controlled Circuitry — provides
accurate and stable channel selection.
Adjustable Squelch — helps to eliminate
noise between transmissions.
Telescoping Antenna — provides excel-
lent reception and transmission.
External Antenna Jack — lets you con-
nect an external antenna (not supplied) to
your TRC-235 for mobile or base-station
use, or to extend the TRC-235’s range.
Battery Test Button and Battery Indica-
tor — lets you check the batteries’ condi-
tion.
©1997 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
RadioShack is a registered trademark
used by Tandy Corporation.
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Power/Charging Jack — lets you power
your TRC-235 from an AC or DC power
source,so you can use theTRC-235 with-
out draining the batteries. And, lets you
charge nickel-cadmium batteries without
removing them from the TRC-235.
Note: You need eight AA alkaline batter-
ies or ten nickel-cadmium rechargeable
batteries (not supplied) to power your
TRC-235.
FCC INFORMATION
The Federal Communications Commis-
sion (FCC) does not require you to have
a license to operate this walkie-talkie.
However, the FCC does require that you
read and know Part 95 of
FCC Rules .
These rules apply to the operation of a
Class D CB. We have provided a copy of
these regulations with your TRC-235.
Internal adjustments and/or modifications
can lead to illegal operation as defined by
Part95of
FCC Rules . Suchillegaloperation
can lead to very serious consequences.
To be safe and sure:
• Never open your TRC-235’s case
except to install or change crystals.
• Never modify your TRC-235.
We recommend you record the TRC-
235’s serial number here. The serial
number is located on the radio’s back
panel:
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Your TRC-235 might cause TV or radio
interference even when it is operating
properly. To determine whether your
TRC-235 is causing the interference, turn
off your TRC-235. If the interference goes
away, your TRC-235 is causing it. Try to
eliminate the interference by:
• Moving your TRC-235 away from the
TV or radio
• Contacting your local RadioShack
store for help
Warning: Do not open your TRC-235 to
make any internal adjustments other than
installing or changing crystals. Any inter-
nal adjustments should be made only by
authorized service personnel.
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CONTENTS
Powering the CB ................................ 6
Using the POWER Jack and
ALKALINE/NI-CD Switch................... 6
Using Batteries ................................. 7
Testing the Battery Power .......... 10
Recharging Nickel-Cadmium
Batteries ..................................... 10
Using Vehicle Battery Power........... 12
Using AC Power ............................. 13
External Antenna .............................. 15
Operation .......................................... 17
Receiving Transmissions and
Adjusting Squelch .......................... 17
Transmitting .................................... 19
CB Operation Tips ........................... 20
Common Uses for a CB Radio ....... 20
Business Uses ........................... 20
Personal Uses ........................... 20
Using Common 10-Codes .............. 21
CB Courtesy ................................... 23
Maximum Range ............................ 23
Adding Crystals ............................... 24
Troubleshooting ............................... 28
Maintenance ..................................... 29
Specifications .................................. 30
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POWERING THE CB
You can power yourTRC-235 from any of
these sources:
• Eight AA alkaline batteries (not sup-
plied) with two dummy batteries
(supplied)
• Ten rechargeable AA nickel-
cadmium batteries (not supplied)
• 12-volt vehicle battery power using a
fused power cord (not supplied)
• Standard AC power using a power
supply (not supplied)
USING THE POWER JACK
AND ALKALINE/NI-CD
SWITCH
The POWER jack lets you connect an ex-
ternal power source (such as your vehi-
cle’s battery power or AC power) to power
the TRC-235, or connect a battery charg-
er to charge nickel-cadmium batteries
while they are in the TRC-235.
The TRC-235 also has a slide switch (AL-
KALINE/NI–CD) inside the battery com-
partment which you must set correctly,
depending on what power source you are
using and whether or not you want to
charge rechargeable batteries while they
are in the TRC-235.
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•SetittoALKALINE before you con-
nect an external power source (vehi-
cle battery power or AC adapter) to
the POWER jack or while you are us-
ing internal batteries (alkaline or re-
chargeable).
•SetittoNI–CD
only when you are
connecting a battery charger in order
to charge the installed rechargeable
batteries. Be sure you set it to NI–CD
before you connect a battery charger
to the POWER jack.
Warning: To avoid injuring yourself or
damaging the TRC-235, connect a bat-
tery charger to the POWER jack
only
when nickel-cadmium batteries are in-
stalled (see “Recharging Nickel-Cadmium
Batteries” on Page 10). Never try to re-
charge non-rechargeable batteries. They
could get very hot and explode.
Note: You can connect an external pow-
er source regardless of the type of batter-
ies you installed.
USING BATTERIES
You can power the TRC-235 from eight
AA alkaline batteries (such as Ra-
dioShack Cat. No. 23-552) with the two
supplied dummy batteries, or ten re-
chargeable AA nickel-cadmium batteries
(such as Cat. No. 23-125).
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Cautions:
• Always use fresh, or freshly charged,
batteries of the required size and
type.
• Do not mix old and new batteries,
different types of batteries (stan-
dard, alkaline, or rechargeable
nickel-cadmium), or rechargeable
batteries of different capacities.
Follow these steps to install the batteries.
1. If the TRC-235 is on, turn OFF/VOLUME
fully counterclockwise until it clicks to
turn it off.
2. Slide the strap on the back of the
TRC-235 through the buckle and the
battery compartment cover to re-
move it.
3. Slide the battery compartment cover
in the direction of the arrow to
remove it.
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4. Be sure ALKALINE/NI–CD inside the
battery compartment is set to ALKA-
LINE.
5. Put eight AA alkaline batteries and
the two supplied dummy batteries, or
ten AA nickel-cadmium batteries into
the battery compartment, as indi-
cated by the polarity symbols (+ and
–) marked inside.
Note: Before you use the TRC-235
with nickel-cadmium batteries, you
need to charge the batteries (see
“Recharging Nickel-Cadmium Batter-
ies” on Page 10).
6. Replace the battery compartment
cover and the strap on the back of
the TRC-235.
Cautions:
• If you will not be using the TRC-235
from battery power for several
months, remove the batteries.
• Dispose of old batteries promptly
and properly.
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Testing the Battery Power
1. Turn on the TRC-235 by rotating
OFF/VOLUME clockwise until it clicks.
2. Hold down BATT TEST. If the indica-
tor lights, there is enough battery
power to operate the CB. If the indi-
cator is dim or does not light, replace
or recharge the batteries.
Recharging Nickel-Cadmium
Batteries
You can use a battery charger, such as
Cat. No. 23-249 (not supplied), to charge
or recharge nickel-cadmium batteries
while they are inside the TRC-235’s bat-
tery compartment.
Do not use the TRC-235 while you are
charging the nickel-cadmium batteries.
Cautions:
• Use only the recommended battery
charger to recharge the batteries in
the TRC-235. Other chargers could
damage your TRC-235 or the batter-
ies.
• Be careful not to overcharge nickel-
cadmium batteries.
• To prevent damage to rechargeable
nickel-cadmium batteries, never
charge them in an area where the
temperature is above 90°F (32°C) or
below 40°F (4.5°C).
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