Zartek TX-8 User manual

TWO-WAY RADIO
UHF HANDHELD FM TRANSCEIVER
TX-8
USERS MANUAL
Extra Long Range
Ultra Thin & Compact
Li-ion Battery
Desktop USB Charger
Loud Clear Audio
16 Channels
Thank you for purchasing the Zartek TX-8 Portable Two Way Radio. This radio is easy to use and
gives you reliable and clear communication. The TX-8 UHF transceiver operates at 0.5W on both
license-free bands namely 464 MHz consisting of 5 frequencies and 446MHz consisting of 8
frequencies. This transceiver is also approved by ICASAto operate on licensed bands from 400 –
470MHz on 3W of transmitting power.
Please read this manual carefully before using the radio. The information presented here will ensure
that you get maximum performance and functionality from the radio. There are also important battery
and charging maintenance procedures.
High strength materials and quality components have been used in the manufacture of this two-way
radio to give many years of product use. It is designed for every day general use both indoors and
outdoors. The TX-8 radio is slim and compact for easy handling yet still durable and easy to operate.
Warranty
There is a 12 month factory warranty on the unit. Warranty does not cover speakers, battery or
accessories. The product must be used for the intended purpose and not subject to willful or
accidental damage. If the product has been tampered with in any way, the warranty shall be
considered null and void.

Safety Information
Study this manual carefully to understand your transceiver well.
For safety reasons, it is important that the user is aware of and understands the potential hazards
common to using any transceiver.
To clean the radio, wipe with a soft cloth dampened with water. Never use solvents or cleaners
on the radio, they can harm the body and leak inside, causing permanent damage.
Your radio is not splash proof or waterproof. If the radio gets wet, turn it OFF and remove battery
immediately. Dry the battery compartment to minimize potential water damage. Leave cover off
battery compartment and do not use until completely dry.
Handle the radio with care and never hold the radio by the antenna. Do not drop or impact the
radio as it contains sensitive electronics.
Do not operate the transceiver or replace/charge the battery in an explosive environment (dust,
gas, fumes etc).
Switch the transceiver off whilst filling gas or when parked at a petrol station.
Do not open or modify the transceiver in any way.
Refer to a qualified technician for any service or repairs.
Do not expose the transceiver to long periods of direct sunlight, extreme hot environments or
surfaces.
Do not place the transceiver in excessively dusty, humid, wet and/or unstable areas.
Please turn off the radio when you are close to a blast area or detonator zone.
Do not use any radio which has a damaged antenna. It may cause a minor burn when the
damaged antenna touches your skin.
To avoid the problems caused by EMI and EMC, turn off your radio where notices “Please turn off
your radios” are posted, such as hospitals.
Turn off your radio before boarding an aircraft.Any use of the radio must be in accordance with
airline regulations or flight crew’s instructions.
If a vehicle is fitted with an air bag, do not place the antenna of the radio within the air bag
expand area.
When the portable radio is transmitting, hold the radio in a vertical position and speak into the
Microphone.
If you carry a radio on your body, please keep the antenna away from your body by at least
2.5cm when transmitting.
PROGRAMMING NOTICE!
This transceiver has been factory programmed and can be used immediately once purchased. All 16
channels have been activated with channels in the license free bands as per the table below and on
the back of the box. There are 2 bands, PMR 446MHz band with 8 frequencies (1-8) and the
464MHz band with 5 frequencies (1a-5a). Select the same channel on any TX-8 radio to
communicate.
Compatibility:
The TX-8 is factory programmed to be directly compatible with channels 1 to 12 on the ZA-748,
ZA-725 and ZA-758 and the first 8 channels on the ZA-708 if they are set to factory programming.
You will need to reprogram your TX-8 radio when there are other channels to be set. Both the
frequency (1-8 or 1a-5a) and CTCSS sub tones (1-38) / DCS tone must be the same on all radios for
full intercommunication. Should there be interference on a specific channel, select a different
channel. Note that Channel 9, 10 & 11 are set on the open frequency without a sub tone and
channels 13 to 16 have been set with a tone 20 for more privacy. Asub tone is used to privatise
conversations when using the same frequency.

An optional programming cable is available to program different PMR 446MHz and 464MHz
channels and sub tones on the TX-8. Software is available for free download from www.zartek.co.za .
The programming cable is connected to the radio to the USB port on a PC. Other settings such as
Squelch level, VOX or reassigning the side key for different functions can also be programmed.
Licence free use of this transceiver limits the frequencies to the 446MHz and 464MHz bands and the
power is restricted to 500mW. If an ICASAlicense is granted for use of other frequencies (400-470
MHz) and power (3W), special software is available from a registered two-way radio dealer. The
supplier and manufacturer take no responsibility if a user operates the transceiver not in accordance
with ICASA regulation.
Please refer to the sections in this manual for instructions on programming and the functions
available.
Battery Information
Initial Use
New batteries are not charged fully in the factory. Please charge the battery for 3 hours at least
before first use. This initial charge pre-conditions the battery for full capacity. Failure to charge fully
may shorten the life span of the battery. Recharge the battery immediately once it goes flat as it could
get damaged if left very flat for long periods. The maximum battery capacity and performance is
achieved after three full charge-discharge cycles.
Battery Pack
Please only use a battery which is approved by the manufacturer. Unauthorized batteries may cause
failure of protection circuitry and result in bodily injury and property damage.
Safety Information
1) Do not throw the battery into fire!
2) The battery should be recycled and disposed of correctly.
3) Never attempt to disassemble the battery pack.
4) Only charge the battery, when the ambient temperature is between 5℃- 40℃.
5) Please turn off the radio when the battery is charging. Using the radio during charging will affect
the normal charging of the battery pack and will lengthen the charge time.
6) During charging, do not plug in/pull out the power supply or the battery frequently, it would affect
battery charging.
7) Do not charge when the battery or radio is wet. Please dry it with a soft cloth before charging.
8) Do not use the charger, cable or battery if it is damaged, cracked or frayed in any way.
9) The battery life is over when the operating time is obviously shorter than normal even if it’s fully
and correctly charged. Please then replace with a new battery.
To Prolong Battery Life
1) Battery performance will degrade when the current temperature is below 0℃. A spare battery
may be necessary in cold weather. Please keep the cold batteries, as these batteries will work
under room temperature.
2) If the battery contact is dusty, it may influence its normal use or normal charge.
Battery Storage
1) Fully charge a battery before storing for a long time, to avoid battery damage caused by
over-discharge.

2) Recharge the Li-Ion battery after 6 months as the battery will lose small amounts of charge even
when not in use. This regular maintenance will avoid the battery capacity reducing which is
caused by over-discharging.
3) When storing your battery, keep it in a cool and dry place under room temperature.
STANDARD ACCESSORIES
Carefully unpack the transceiver. We recommend that you identify the items listed below before
discarding the packing material. If any items are missing or have been damaged during shipment,
contact the supplier immediately. For optional accessories, please visit our website www.zartek.co.za
Note: Pictures are only for your references; please take the real objects as standard!
Radio Overview

Getting Started
Install & Remove the Battery
Installing Battery Pack
Clip off the back cover from the top groove.
Insert the battery pack with the contact on the battery aligned
to those in the radio.
Replace the cover until all sides clip in.
Install & Remove the headset / programming cable
Open the SP / MIC cover and then plug in the accessory firmly
into the side jack.
If you want to remove the accessory, unplug it gently and
close the SP/MIC cover.
Charging the Battery
When the battery capacity runs low, the radio will announce “Please change the battery”
There are 2 ways to recharge the radio:
Using desktop cradle: Plug the cable from mains adaptor into the back of the desktop cradle
and then insert the radio in the cradle. Light on the cradle will show RED when charging and
GREEN when full.
Direct plug in: Plug in the cable for the mains adaptor into the side mini USB charge socket.
Light on the radio will show RED when charging and GREEN when full.
Only use the supplied charging adaptors to recharge the radio and battery.
Note that the desktop cradle has a slot to recharge a battery separately. Insert the battery at a slight
angle and match the contacts.
CHARGE TIME is approximately 3 hours from flat to full.
OPERATING TIME is approximately 25 hours with a fully charged battery if used typically on a 5:5:90
duty cycle on 0.5W power.
Note:
1. Make sure the radio is switched off during charging or the charging time will be longer and number
of possible battery charge cycles reduced.
2. Li-ion batteries do not have memory so they can be recharged at any time. There are a limited
number of charge cycles that the battery can handle, typically 500-700 times. To get the maximum
use of the battery, only recharge when getting flat. If an almost full battery is recharged, the charging
cycles are not optimized.

Basic Operation
Power On/Off
Turn the Power Knob clockwise to switch on the radio; you will hear a “di” sound and a voice
message will indicate the current channel number. Turn counter-clockwise to switch off the radio.
Adjust the Volume
Hold in the side + button for the “Monitor” or “Squelch Off” function to listen the background noise,
then turn the knob to increase or decrease the volume.
Select a Channel
Press the side buttons to change the channel from 1 to 16. Top button + will increase and lower
button –will reduce the channel. Your radio will report the channel number.
Refer to the factory channel settings when linking your radio to other radios as it may be necessary
to reprogram or adjust the frequency / sub tone to match.
Transmit
Keep pressing down the PTT key and speak directly into the microphone (MIC). Hold the radio about
2.5cm to 5cm from your mouth. The radio should be held so that the antenna is vertical. Speak slowly
loud and clear into the radio for a good signal to be received.
Receive
Release the PTT key to receive a call and adjust the volume if needed.
Monitor
The squelch circuit in the transceiver mutes the speaker automatically, when no signals are present
so you will not hear background noise. Hold in the + side button to Monitor a frequency by
deactivating the squelch. This is useful when you want to adjust the volume level, or when you need
to hear a weak signal.
Communication Range
Range will depend on the type of terrain that you are communicating across.
The TX-8 uses the UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band and will be subject to similar obstacle
interference as cellular phones. The radio works indoors as well as outdoors. Typical rough estimate
ranges for different terrains are:
Indoors or Shopping centre 300m-1200m
Building 5-30 stories,
City centre & dense bush 500m-2km,
Residential & over water 2-6km,
Farmland 3-7km,
Top of mountain or building (line-of-sight) 10-30km.
When you press the PTT talk button a signal is transmitted and the signal floods the area in all
sideway directions. The signal travels in 3 different ways:
1) Penetration: The signal can go through materials such as wood, plastic, cement and fabric. The
denser the material or more built up the environment the weaker the signal will become. The signal
cannot go through solid metal or very large solid land structures such as a hill or mountain. Metal
acts like a shield and that is why the performance from the inside of a vehicle will be less than from
outside.

2) Reflection: The signal cannot go through metal or very large structures such as a hill or mountain,
but it can bounce off (like a mirror), go around and reflect in other directions as well. This happens at
the speed of light.
3)Line-of-sight: Line-of-sight is when there are no obstructions in the path between the
communicating parties. The higher up you go the further you can see, so the larger the line-of-sight
distances will be. Generally you can talk to wherever you can see, which is why the coverage in a
valley is much less than the coverage from on top of a hill.
Ensure that there is nothing blocking the antenna. The less metal in close proximity (0-2m) the better
the range. There may be external interference from electrical equipment (power lines or factories) or
natural causes (moisture in the air or storms) that may vary depending on the location and the
weather.
PROGRAMMING (OPTIONAL)
A programming cable is needed to program different channels or functions on the TX-8. The
programming cable links the radio to USB port on a PC or laptop.
USB installation:
USB cable driver software for your computer operating system is available for free downloading from
www.zartek.co.za or from the cable manufacturer website Prolific (driver for PL2303 USB-Serial
cable). Install the correct software and plug-in the cable to the PC. The computer should locate the
cable and configure it automatically. You can check that the cable is working by locating it in DEVICE
MANGER > PORTS > PROLIFIC USB –SERIAL COMM PORT
Software installation:
Programming software for the TX-8 is available for free download from www.zartek.co.za . Install the
software on to a PC by following the installation steps. Once installation is finished, an icon called
“TX-8 User PC Software” will appear on the screen.
Connect the USB cable to the PC and plug-in the twin connector into the speaker/microphone jack
on the side of the radio. Ensure that there is a charged battery connected to the radio and switch the
radio on. Start the program and a window will appear. The software automatically finds the correct
port of the programming cable. Check the Settings > Communication Port to select the correct COM
port.
Reading data:
Click on the “READ” left icon and press “OK” to begin reading the data from the radio. Once loaded,
the data can be edited to the appropriate channels and settings and then saved or printed for future
reference. See below for instructions on each function.
Writing data:
After channel and optional feature data is entered, click the “WRITE” right icon to program the radio.
Press “OK” to begin writing the data to the radio. Once finished, switch the radio off and unplug the
cable from the radio. Additional radios can be programmed by plugging in the cable to the radio,
switching it on and following the “WRITE” procedure.
To change settings select Edit > Channel Info or > Optional Features

Licence-free bands:
The Frequency column refers to the frequencies that can be selected on the radio. The 8
frequencies in the 446MHz band are represented by the 8 channel numbers, 1-8, in the table. These
channels correspond to the channels on other 446MHz license free radios. The 5 frequencies in the
464MHz band are represented by the 5 channel numbers, 1a - 5a, in the second table. These
channels correspond to the channels on other 464MHz license free radios.
Sub-tones:
The Tone column shows the sub tone assigned for each frequency. There are 50 QT (CTCSS quiet
tones) and 210 DQT (digital quiet tones that can be selected. These tones are used to privatize
conversations and reduce interference from other users on the same frequency. A CTCSS/QT/DQT
tone is a sub-audible tone which allows you to ignore (not hear) calls from other parties who are
using the same channel. When you receive a signal that has a tone different from the one set up in
your transceiver, you will not hear the signal but only the LED will show frequency activity. Likewise,
signals that you transmit will only be heard by parties whose CTCSS/QT/DQT tone matches the tone
set up in your transceiver.
There are 38 CTCSS standard tones (1-38) plus 12 extra QT tones. The 38 tones are common on
other 446 & 464MHz radios such as the Zartek Pro8 or Pro5. If the tone is left “OFF”, the frequency is
left “open” to receive communication from any tone, but your transmitter will not be decoded by a
radio with a tone.
Optional Features:
Battery Save Function
The Battery Save function decreases the amount of power used when a signal is not being received
and no operations are being performed (no keys are being pressed, and no switches are being
turned). While the channel is not busy and no operation is performed for 12 seconds, Battery Save
turns ON. When a signal is received or an operation is performed, Battery Save turns OFF.
Factory programmed on Save On

Squelch
The squelch level is used to adjust the threshold at which signals will open the audio channel. A low
level will allow weaker signals to be audible, although with more background noise. However, if weak
signals are annoying, the level can be adjusted higher to open the channel only when stronger
signals are received.
You can set up the squelch level from 0 to 9. The higher the squelch level, the less noisy is the signal
as only stronger signal are accepted. The lower the squelch level the noisier the signal is, as weak
signals are also allowed.As the communication range or obstructions between radios increase, the
weaker the signal becomes. It is advised to use a lower squelch level to get further communication
range. Factory programmed on Squelch level 5
Time-out Timer
The purpose of the Time-out Timer is to prevent any person jamming up a channel for a long time
whilst transmitting. If the time that you continuously transmit exceeds the set Time-out time, the
transceiver will stop transmitting and a tone “beep” will sound. To stop the tone, release the PTT
switch. You can press the PTT switch again to resume transmitting.
Note: you can set up the time level: 15s, 30s, 60s, 90s …… 600s
Factory programmed on TOT 60s
Password Protecting Programming
The programming of the radio can be protected using a password. Once a password is programmed
and written to a radio, the user must enter the password in the software before being able to read or
write the radio. If the password is forgotten, you must contact your dealer to reset it as they will
require special software.
NOTE: It is not possible to overwrite or factory reset the programming so it is essential to be
careful when changing passwords.
VOX (Voice-operated Transmission)
The TX-8 has a multi-level sensitivity built-in VOX function. You can enjoy talking and listening
without pressing PTT key as transmit is automatically activated by sound. This turns your radio into
hands-free “walk & talk” when used with a headset. Voice activation is used to operate the radio in
hands-free mode or as a noise / baby monitor. The radio will begin transmitting when a noise or voice
is heard. There are many headset options (see optional accessories below) which can be used in
VOX mode allowing for full hands-free communication.
Note that VOX can only be activated in software and not manually.
VOX level
The sensitivity level of the microphone can be adjusted to allow different volumes of sounds to make
the radio begin and remain transmitting. There are 1-9 levels with 9 being the highest and most
sensitive to lower volumes of sound. If the radio is used in a very noisy environment it is
recommended to use a low sensitivity level to avoid the radio transmitting unnecessarily. At low
sensitivity level it will be required to speak loudly into the microphone to activate the radio. At high
sensitivity, a soft voice is all that is required which enable the radio to be placed at a further distance
from the noise source (typically 30cm max).
VOX Delay time
Once the radio senses a voice and begins transmitting it is possible that the volume of the voice is
lowered or there are pauses in the message which may cause the radio to stop sending. A VOX
Delay time, 0.5 to 3 seconds, will keep the microphone active for the set time before returning to
receiving mode. This delay time can be chosen to suit your style of speaking and avoid the message
breaking up.

Low Battery Alert
When the battery capacity is getting low, the radio will alert you with a message “please charge the
battery” every 5 seconds unless the radio is recharged.
Announce Voice Channel
As the channels are changed, a voice announces the specific channel. This is useful when using the
radio at night.
Power Selection (only in dealer license version)
Maximum communication range is achieved when the transceiver is set to high power mode, whilst
lower power settings will save battery life. The power can be set on low (500mW) or High (3W).
Factory programmed on low 500mW
Programmable Side Key
You can program specific functions for the bottom - side key via software.
Hold in the button for 3 seconds to activate.
Local: A very loud continuous emergency siren is sounded.
Scan: The radio will begin scanning all the selected channels (upto 16) and lock on to any activity.
LED flashes when scanning. A single beep sound “di” will indicate that the function is active and a
double beep sound “di di “ will indicate that the function is deactivated.
The scan function is useful when you want to find other people on similar frequencies or to monitor
communication within your group. If an active channel is found the scan will stop and lock on to that
channel. You can now transmit and receive on this frequency. When the signal is gone for 5 seconds,
scanning will resume.
Scan Add/Delete
In the Channel Info You can add a channel to the scan group or delete it from group.
Add choose Yes in the channel row under the Scan Add column to add the channel.
Del choose No in the channel row under the Scan Add column to remove the channel.
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
HEADSETS (use with PTT or VOX)
GE-252 Earphone speaker with in-line PTT microphone
GE-259 Lapel speaker microphone for vehicle & security use
GE-266 Acoustic eartube speaker with microphone for discrete communication
GE-273 Heavy Duty D-Cup high volume speaker with mic. & in-line PTT
GE-274 Heavy Duty D-cup high volume speaker with boom mic. & in-line PTT
GE-276 Throat Microphone with lapel & finger PTT for motorbike & high wind/noise
GE-202 Spare Battery (3.7V 1500mAH)
GE-254 PC Programming cable USB
GE-201 Desktop Cradle Charger

Troubleshooting
Specification
Problem
Solution
No power.
The battery pack may be dead.
Recharge or replace the battery pack
The battery pack may not be installed correctly. Remove
the battery pack and install it again.
Battery power dies
shortly after charging.
The battery pack life is finished. Replace the battery
pack with a new one.
Cannot talk to or hear
other members in
your group.
Make sure you are using the same frequency and
QT/DQT as the other members in your group.
Other group members may be too far away.
Make sure you are within range of the other
transceivers.
Other voices (besides
group members) are
present on the
channels.
Change the QT/DQT.
Be sure to change the tone on all transceivers in your
group.
The transceiver
continuously rings
Channel programming is empty.