Zartek COM8 User manual

Zartek
COM8
USERS MANUAL

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INTRODUCTION
Congratulations! You have just purchased a new remarkable
product in communications. The Zartek COM8 is one of the
smallest and lightest two-way radios in the world. With this radio
you can talk instantly to as large a group as required and as often
as you like without airtime charges, giving you, family, friends,
commercial and industrial colleagues many years of free quality
communications. The Zartek COM8 uses a Lithium Polymer
battery (Li-Po), the most advanced and ecologically friendly
rechargeable battery available.
Legislation allows you now to own and use this relatively
powerful equipment without an operator’s annual license from
ICASA. This applies in most European countries as well as in all
SADC (Southern African Development Community) countries.
To obtain maximum performance from your personal
two-way radio, please take a few minutes to carefully read this
user’s manual. The Zartek COM8 is a lightweight, palm-sized
wonder communication device, so small you can carry anywhere
and talk to any person who is set on the same channel, as long as
they are within range. The range of the Zartek COM8 is
anything from 500m indoors to 15kms outdoors, depending on
terrain and environment. The signal will bounce around and
penetrate materials at the speed of light, bearing in mind the
greater the barriers the more attenuation i.e. weakening of the
signal.
The Zartek COM8 is our exciting new generation series
and uses the 446MHz band of frequencies often called the PMR
(Public Mobile Radio) band. It is pre-programmed with 8
frequencies and is therefore channel compatible to the Zartek
Pro8, ZA748 and ZA725.
For further information contact us via email: [e-mail]
or visit our website www.zartek.co.za/

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WARNING & PRECAUTIONS
Read this manual before using the radio.
Avoid prolonged direct exposure to sunlight and heat.
Do not use adaptors and/or batteries different from those
specified in the instructions manual. Only use approved
adaptors and batteries.
Do not operate the radio in hazardous environments,
explosion or fire may result.
Do not operate the radio near unshielded electrical blasting
caps. Under certain conditions, radio can interfere with
blasting operations and may cause an explosion. Turn your
radio OFF to prevent accidental transmission when in a
“blasting area” or in areas posted “Turn your radio off”.
Construction crews often use remote controlled RF devices to
set off explosives
Do not operate the radio in high humidity, dusty or very wet
environment. If the device gets wet, immediately remove the
battery and leave to dry fully for a few days. Water damage is
usually irreparable.
Do not attempt to modify the radio. The radio is designed to
comply with CE and R&TTE.
The LCD display is made of glass and maybe damaged if
dropped or impacted.
Before storing, fully recharge the batteries and remove from
units.
WARRANTY
This product is warranted by Zartek against manufacturing defects
in materials and workmanship under normal use for a 12 month
period from date of purchase via our authorized appointed dealers.

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CARE & SAFETY
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.
MAIN FEATURES
PLL (Phase Lock Loop) Controlled Circuitry
Ultra Slim size (22mm)
Ultra light weight
Li-Po rechargeable battery
8 UHF (Ultra High Frequencies) Frequencies
38 Quiet (CTCSS-Continuous Tone Coded Sub-audible
Squelch) Codes
83 Quiet (DCS - Digital Code Squelch) Codes
968 channels (COM 8)
Digital Volume Control (5 levels)
Channel Scanning
VOX (Voice Operated Transmit) Function (3 levels of
sensitivity)
Dual Watch (Monitor 2 Channels)
Roger Beep On/Off
Call Function (10 different tones)
Auto Squelch Control
Back lighted LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
Keypad Lock
Memory Retention Function
Auto Power Off (APO)
Power Saving Circuitry
Battery Charge/Drain Indication
External Mic/Headset (PTT or VOX) socket
Transmit indicator icon and light

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INSTALLING BATTERIES
Use the Li-Po rechargeable battery provided.

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WARNING
Make sure the polarity of battery is correct.
When the battery is damaged or not working, dispose of it
safely. Never discard them or place them close to heat,
otherwise, they may explode.
This radio is designed to use a 3.7v Li-Po rechargeable battery.
The battery included is well designed to function with this
equipment and has built-in protection circuitry for internal short
circuit and overcharge.
Check the included items list on the outer packaging to see what
chargers are included as charger types may differ per pack.
RECHARGING BATTERIES
A fully charged battery will give 24 hours of average use on duty
cycle 5% transmit, 5% receive, 90% standby. Operating time is
reduced with more activity. When the “Battery Level” icon is low,
you need to charge the battery with the enclosed AC/DC, Vehicle
(optional) or USB adaptor (optional) or Desktop Charger
(optional). The battery has a built-in charging current limiting
circuit and when the battery is fully charged, the circuit will
automatically cut the charge current to protect the battery.
The charging cycle rate is about 750 times. Li-Po batteries do
have a shelf life and should be stored with charge and in a
cool environment to extend their life. Storing a flat battery
for more than a few months will damage the battery and will
need to be replaced.
Charging direct with AC/DC Adaptor, vehicle cigarette lighter
Adaptor or USB cable:
Plug the adaptor into the wall or vehicle cigarette lighter
socket and the other end into the earphone jack on the top of
the radio.

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Connect the USB cable into a USB port on a computer, laptop or
AC/DC charger and the other end into the radio. (Charging time
with the USB cable is longer)
The unit will automatically turn off and the LCD will display
the battery level being filled to indicate charging. To charge
fully from empty requires about 4 hours.
When fully charged the LCD will display a full battery .
Unplug the adapter fromthe socket and turn the radio on.
Charging using Dual Desk Top Charger withAC/DC, vehicle
adaptor (not with the USB charging cable) (only included in
Superpack)
Connect the pin into the backofthe desk-top charger cradle.
Place the radio into the desk-top charger. One or two radios
can be charged at the same time.
While charging, the RED LED on the charger will be ON.
Unlike the direct adaptor, the radio remains ON and does
not turn automatically OFF. Messages can be received but
not transmitted if the radio is sitting in the charger. To
transmit, the radio will have to be removed from charger.
A full charge requires about 4 hours. The RED LED of the
charger will turn to GREEN indicating fully charged.
Make sure that the two charging contacts under the radio are
clean. Scratch with a small sharp tool if better contact is
needed.
WARNING:
Do not insert the wrong way into the cradle. Front of radio
must face LED indicator lights.
To avoid damage to the radio use only original accessories.
Only use vehicle cigarette lighter adaptor with standard
13.6vDC socket.
The unit will warm up slightly during charging.
If the battery is totally flat, the charging icon may take a few
minutes to show.

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OVERVIEW
1. Earphone & Charger Jack
2. LCD display
3. PTT key
4. Up key
5. Down key
6. Power On/Off key
7. Scan key
8. Menu / Key lock key
9. Call Tone key
10. Speaker
11. Microphone
12. Desktop Charger Contacts
LCD DISPLAY ICONS
1. VOX
2. Dual Watch
3. RX
4. TX
5. Main Channel
Number
6. Speaker Volume
7. Key Lock
8. APO (Auto Power
Off)
9. Battery Level
10. DCS
11. Code for CTCSS/DCS
12. CTCSS
13. Scan
14. Call tone

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GENERAL OPERATION
Power unit On/Off
1
Making communication
2
Speak to other radios
3
Listen to other radios
4
Adjusting speaker volume
5
Talk Time-Out Function
6
Talk Range
7
Menu Flow chart
8
Select channel
9
CTCSS/DCS code function
10
Dual Watch
11
VOX (Handsfree Walk & Talk)
12
Sending Call Tones
13
Select Call Tones
14
Key Tone (ON/OFF)
15
Roger Beep (ON/OFF)
16
Auto Power Off (APO)
17
Scanning Channels
18
Keypad Lock
19
Using a PTT/VOX Earphone
20
Specifications
21
Accessories
22

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(1) POWER ON/OFF
To power ON the radio, press Power On/Off key " " for 2
seconds until a beep is heard and the LCD screen displays the
channel and battery level icon
To power OFF the radio, press Power On/Off key " " for 2
seconds until LCD display turns off.
(2) MAKING COMMUNICATIONS
The radio has 8 main frequencies (large numbers) & 38 CTCSS
codes & 83 DCS (small numbers) effectively giving you 968
channels respectively. You can communicate with any other user
who is using the same combination, providing they are within
range.
(3) SPEAK TO ANOTHER RADIO
Press & hold the PTT key, the RED LCD backlight turns on
and shows the icon indicating the radio is transmitting.
Hold the radio in a vertical position with the microphone
(hole near the bottom of radio) 3-5 cm from your mouth
and then speak.
When you finish speaking, release the PTT key.
(4) LISTEN TO ANOTHER RADIO
The radio will automatically sound received transmissions
from the same channel .
When you press the PTT key, you can’t listen to other radios.
Make sure you do not press the PTT key for listening.
Adjust volume control if necessary.
(5) ADJUSTING SPEAKER VOLUME (5 LEVELS)
Press the " " key to increase the volume.
Press the " " key to decrease the volume.
(6) TALK TIME-OUT FUNCTION
Time-out function can avoid transmitting by chance and
prolong the battery life.

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The radio will stop transmitting and sound a warning tone
when PTT is held over 60 seconds. You then need to release
PTT and press again for further transmission.
In VOX mode, the unit will stop transmitting and sound a
warning tone after continuous talk for 60 seconds. You can
re-activate VOX after the time-out. (Please refer to VOX
function for detailed VOX operation)
(7) TALK RANGE
The range will depend on the type of terrain that you are
communicating across.
The Zartek COM8 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:
Shopping centre 300m-1000m
Building 5-30 stories,
City centre & dense bush 500m-2km,
Residential & over water 2-4km,
Farmland 3-5km,
Top of mountain or building (elevated 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 (car or 4x4) will be
less than 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.

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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.
(8) MENU FLOW CHART
Press Menu key once to enter main channel selection, press
again for next function selection etc.
Main Screen →Main Channel →CTCSS → DCS → Dual Watch
→VOX →Call Tone →Beep Tone →Roger Beep →Auto Power
Off →Main Screen
(9) SELECT CHANNEL
To select the main channel
Press the key once, Main channel number displayed will
flash.
Press or key to select your desired main channel number.
Press the PTT key to confirm and quit or press to continue
next function setting.
You have 12 seconds to decide before auto-reverting back to the
main screen.
(10) CTCSS / DCS CODE FUNCTION (see table below)
This function increases privacy and allows you to select your
group (38 CTCSS codes / or 83 DCS codes) of users on the same
channel. Only the users with the same CTCSS/DCS code can
listen and talk to each other.
Please note that selecting a CTCSS/DCS code does not assure
total privacy. CTCSS codes are more common than DCS codes. In
radio communication, any PMR 446 radio can listen to all
communications on the same channel when using the default

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standard setting with CTCSS/DCS = 0 (OFF).
To select a CTCSS code
Press the " " key twice, the CTCSS code display will
flash.
Press " " or " " key to select your required CTCSS code
(1~38, " 0 " is off).
Press the "PTT" key to confirm or press " " to continue.
You have 12 seconds to decide before auto-reverting back to
the main screen.
To select a DCS Code
Each channel also has 83 digital codes to let you set up group of
users for more secured private communication.
Press the key 3 times, DCS code display will flash.
Press or key to select your desired DCS code from
1 to 83, 0 is OFF.
Press the PTT key to confirm and quit.
IMPORTANT
The unit will use the last codes either CTCSS or DCS being
selected and confirmed.
(11)DUAL WATCH
The unit has dual watch function. You can monitor two channels,
the current (as set using menu buttons above) and another (dual
watch) channel. If the unit detects a signal on either channel, it
will stop and receive the signal. After the signal stops, it will
continue to monitor both channels again.
Press the key 4 times, LCD display icon.
Press or key to select the dual watch channel (1-8,
except the current channel), LCD display OF is OFF.
After turning on the function, LCD will display icon
Press the PTT key to confirm and quit or press to continue
next function setting.
(12)VOX “HANDS FREE WALK & TALK”
The Zartek COM8 has innovative state-of-the-art technology
not seen in other two-way radios with its multi-level sensitivity
built-in VOX function. You can enjoy talking and listening

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without pressing PTT key as transmit is automatically activated by
sound. This turns your radio into hands free “walk & talk” with
your included earphone. Setting 3 is the most sensitive to noise.
To turn on VOX function press " " key 5 times, the LCD
displays the VOX icon and the sensitivity digit display will
flash.
Press" " or " " key to select OF, 1, 2 or 3(OFF, low,
medium & high sensitivity).
After turning on VOX the LCD will display VOX icon.
Press PTT to confirm and quit or press " " key once to
confirm and continue to the next menu feature.
You can plug in the earphone for hands-free talking &
listening.
The VOX feature works best when speaking directly into (or
close to) the microphone on the radio or on the external
headset.
(13)SENDING CALL-TONES
You can use 1 of 10 different “Call Tones” to get attention of other
user on the same channel.
Press the key and the tone will sound, LCD will display
thee transmit icon and icon and your call tone will be
sent.
(14) SELECTING A CALL-TONE (10 AVAILABLE)
Press the key 6 times, LCD display icon and call
tone number will flash.
Press or key to select your desired call tone.
Press the PTT key to confirm and quit or press to
continue next function setting.
(15) KEY TONE (ON/OFF)
Setting the key tone ON will sound a beep when a setting button is
pressed (not PTT).
Press key 7 times, LCD display “ to ”.
Press or key to turn on (LCD display ON icon) or
turn off (LCD display OF icon).
Press PTT to confirm

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(16) ROGER BEEP (ON/OFF)
The Roger beep notifies the receiving radio that the conversation
has ended by sounding a beep when the transmitter has finished.
To activate the roger beep press the " " key 8 times and
the LCD will display "ro".
Press the " " or " " key to turn on ("ON" icon) or turn off
("OF" icon) the Roger beep.
Press PTT to confirm and exit to the main screen or press
the " " key once to confirm the selection and continue to
the next menu feature.
(17) AUTO POWER OFF (APO)
Press the " " key 9 times the LCD displays the “APO”
icon.
Press " " or " " key to select auto power off time from 0
to 6 hours.
Press PTT button to confirm and return to the main screen or
press the" " key once to confirm the selection.
After turning on this function the LCD will display the
“APO” icon and automatically turn off at designated time.
(18) SCANNING CHANNELS
Press " " key once and the " " icon will appear and
radio will start scanning through the 8 channels
automatically. Only the codes set on each channel will be
scanned.
Note: Pressing the button for over 2 seconds, will break the
squelch noise and open (un-squelch) the frequency.
The radio scans all the channels one by one and will lock on
any activity. After locking-on to a conversation, press the
"" or " " key to continue scanning or press the PTT key
to store the channel and communicate back.
If there is no activity, it will continue to scan.
By pressing the PTT key, it will stay on the current selected
channel and quit the scanning function.

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(19) KEYPAD LOCK
Press and hold the" " key for 1.5 seconds, the keypad
lock " " icon will appear.
This will lock all keys except the PTT key.
To unlock, press " " key again for 1.5 seconds.
(20) USING PTT/VOX EARPHONE (only included in Superpack)
A single headset can be used with both PTT and VOX capabilities.
Plug the PTT/VOX Earphone into the earphone jack at the
top of radio.
Press & hold the PTT key on the in-line microphone to
speak and talk directly (close) into the microphone (hole).
Release the PTT key to listen.
Adjust volume control if necessary.
Set up VOX on the radio using the menu " " key (see
section 12 above).
Speak into the in-line microphone to activate the transmitter
and listen though the earpiece.
(21) SPECIFICATIONS
Operating Frequency
Range
446.00625 ~ 446.09375 MHz
Number of Frequencies
8 (12.5KHz channel spacing)
Modulation
FM
Frequency Control
PLL
RF Output Power
500mW e.r.p
Power Supply
3.7v 720mAh Li-Po rechargeable
battery
Antenna Impedance
50 Ohm
Operating Temperature
-10 to +55C

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(22) ACCESSORIES
GE-244-F…….Ear-bone mic. With finger PTT(high noise/wind)
GE-219 ………Boom mic. with in-line PTT
GE-246 ………PTT (and VOX) Earphone with in-line microphone
GE-247……….Li-Po Rechargeable Battery 3.7V
GE-248……….Dual Desktop Charging Cradle
LM-503……….Mains adaptor (1 Lead)
LM-505……….Vehicle adaptor
LM-507……….Mains adaptor (2 Leads)

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AUTHORISED DEALER