Zartek PT8 User manual

PT8
User’s Manual

2
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations! You have just purchased a new remarkable
product in communications. The Zartek PT8 is a basic yet very
effective two-way radio. 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.
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 PT8 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 PT8 is anything from 500m
indoors to 5kms 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 PT8 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 COM8, Pro8, ZA-748
and ZA7-25.
For further information contact us via email: [e-mail] or
visit our website www.zartek.co.za/

3
WARNING & PRECAUTIONS
Read this manual before using the radio.
Avoid prolonged direct exposure to sunlight and heat.
Do not use batteries different from those specified in the
instructions manual.
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.
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.

4
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.
When storing for longer than 1 month, remove batteries from radios.
Disposal: All electrical and electronic products including batteries
should be disposed of separately from the municipal waste stream
via designated collection facilities appointed by the government or
the local authorities.
MAIN FEATURES
PMR 446MHz license-free band
Small & Compact
8 Channels / 38 CTCSS Codes
LCD display with Backlight
Range up to 5km, terrain dependent
VOX Voice Activation, 3 levels
APO, Auto Power Off
Roger Beep
10 Call Tones
Scan, Main Channel
Volume, 8 levels
Battery Level Indicator
Transmit & Receive Indicator Icon

5
INSTALLING BATTERIES
This radio is designed to use 3 xAAA batteries
Insert a coin to the battery door gap.
Turn the coin with some force to open the battery door as
shown on below photo A.
Follow the polar directions and insert 3 xAAA size batteries.
Close the battery door as show on photo B.
1. Insert the battery door.
2. Then, press down the battery door to close it tight.
Battery Low:
When you hear a "Beep Beep" sound, it indicates that the battery
level is low. Please replace with new batteries.
WARNING
Make sure the polarity of each battery is correct.
When a battery is damaged or not working, dispose of it safely
according to its instructions.
Never discard a battery or place them close to fire or heat,
otherwise, they may explode.
Do not recharge or disassemble batteries.
Do mix battery types or use old and new batteries together.
Keep away from children. Seek immediate medical attention if
swallowed.
OPERATING TIME
A new set of batteries will give approximately 50 hours of average
use on duty cycle 5% transmit, 5% receive, 90% standby. Operating
time is reduced with more activity.
Photo A
Photo B

6
1. Receive Signal
2. Transmit Signal
3. Main Channel
4. CTCSS Code
5. Volume Level
6. Key Tone
7. Auto Power Off Enable
8. VOX Enable
9. Battery Level
OVERVIEW
LCD DISPLAY ICONS

7
GENERAL OPERATION
Power unit On/Off
1
Making communication
2
Speak to other radios
3
Listen to other radios
4
Adjusting speaker volume
5
Lamp
6
Talk Time-Out Function
7
Talk Range
8
Menu Flow chart
9
Select channel
10
CTCSS code function
11
VOX “Hands-Free Walk & Talk”
12
Sending Call Tones
13
Select Call Tones
14
Auto Power Off (APO)
15
Key Tone (ON/OFF)
16
Roger Beep (ON/OFF)
17
Scanning Channels
18
Specifications
19

8
(1) POWER ON/OFF
To power ON the radio, press MENU key for 2 seconds until a
beep is heard and the LCD screen displays the channel and
screen icons
To power OFF the radio, press MENU for 2 seconds until LCD
display turns off.
(2) MAKING COMMUNICATIONS
The radio has 8 main frequencies (large numbers) & 38 CTCSS
codes (small numbers) effectively giving you 304 channels
respectively. You can communicate with any other user who is using
the same combination, providing they are within range.
(3) SPEAK TOANOTHER RADIO
Press & hold in the side PTT key, the LCD will show the
transmit icon indicating the radio is transmitting.
Hold the radio in a vertical position with the microphone
(situated on front middle of radio) 3-5 cm from your mouth and
then speak.
When you finish speaking, release the PTT key and a beep
tone will be heard.
(4) LISTEN TOANOTHER RADIO
The radio will automatically receive audio transmissions from
other radios sending on the same channel. A signal receive
icon will be displayed on the screen.
Only one radio can transmit at a time so avoid pressing the
PTT key until the received signal has ended. 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.

9
(5) ADJUSTING SPEAKER VOLUME (8 LEVELS)
Press the "+" key to increase the volume.
Press the "-" key to decrease the volume.
(6) LAMP
Press the side LAMP key to turn on the LCD backlight when
necessary.
Press the LAMP key again to turn off LCD backlight.
NOTE: Always turn off the LCD backlight after use, as keeping it on
will drain the battery.
(7) TALK TIME-OUT FUNCTION
Time-out function can avoid transmitting by chance and
prolong the battery life.
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)
(8) TALK RANGE
The range will depend on the type of terrain that you are
communicating across.
The Zartek PT8 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-500m
Building 3-15 stories,
City centre & dense bush 300m-1.5km,
Residential & over water 1-3km,
Farmland 1-4km,
Top of mountain or building (elevated line-of-sight) 5-10km.

10
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.
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.
(9) MENU FLOW CHART
Press the MENU key once to enter main channel selection, press
MENU again for next function selection etc.
Main Screen →Main Channel →CTCSS → VOX → Call Tone →
APO → Key tone → Roger Beep → Main Screen

11
(10) SELECT CHANNEL
To select the main channel
Press the MENU 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 MENU to
continue next function setting.
You have 13 seconds to decide before auto-reverting back to
the main screen.
(11) CTCSS CODE FUNCTION
This function can help you select your group (38 CTCSS codes) of
users on the shared frequency. Only the users with the same
CTCSS code can listen and talk to each other. Using this function
will improve the privacy of your communication. In radio
communication, any PMR 446 radio can listen to all communications
on the same channel when using the default standard setting with
CTCSS = 00 (OFF).
To select a CTCSS code
Press the MENU key twice, the CTCSS code display will flash.
Press +or - key to select your required CTCSS code (01 - 38,
00 is off).
Press the PTT key to confirm or press MENU to continue.
You have 13 seconds to decide before auto-reverting back to
the main screen.
(12) VOX “HANDS FREE FUNCTION”
The Zartek PT8 has a built-in multi-level sensitivity VOX function.
You can enjoy talking and listening without pressing PTT key as
transmit is automatically activated by sound. Setting 3 is the most
sensitive to noise.
To turn on VOX function press MENU key 3 times, the LCD
displays the VOX icon and the VOX sensitivity digit display will
flash.
Press +or -key to select OF, 1, 2 or 3(OFF, low, medium &
high sensitivity).

12
After turning on VOX the LCD will display VOX icon. Press
PTT to confirm and quit or press MENU key once to confirm
and continue to the next menu feature.
The VOX feature works best when speaking directly into (or
close to) the microphone on the radio.
(13) SENDING CALL-TONES
You can use 1 of 10 different “Call Tones” to get attention of other
users on the same channel.
Press the ♪key and the tone will sound, LCD will display
the transmit icon and your call tone will be sent.
(14) SELECTING A CALL-TONE (10 AVAILABLE)
Press the MENU key 4 times, LCD will display icon and
a call tone number will flash.
Press +or -key to select your desired call tone.
Press the PTT key to confirm and quit or press MENU to
continue next function setting.
(15) AUTO POWER OFF (APO)
Press the MENU key 5 times the LCD displays the APO icon.
Press +or -key to select auto power off time from 0 to 4
hours.
Press PTT to confirm and quit or press MENU key once to
confirm and continue to the next menu feature.
After turning on this function the LCD will display the APO icon
and automatically turn off at designated time.
(16) KEY TONE ON/OFF
Press the MENU key 6 times, LCD display (= Key tone
On) or (= Key tone Off)
Press + or −key to toggle Key Tone On or Off
LCD display icon will be on when Key Tone is On. The
icon will be off when Key Tone is Off
Press PTT to confirm and quit or press MENU to continue next
function setting.

13
(17) 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 MENU key 7 times and
the LCD will display icon (=Roger Beep On) or
(=Roger Beep Off).
Press + or −key to toggle Roger Beep On or Off.
Press PTT to confirm and quit or press MENU to continue next
function setting.
(18) SCANNING CHANELLS
Only the main channels (1-8) can be scanned and not the individual
sub tones (1 -38 CTCSS). If a sub tone is selected then only
transmissions on frequencies with that tone will be detected.
Before you start scanning, set the CTCSS code to "00" so the
open frequency can be scanned.
Press and hold + or − key for at least 3 seconds to start
scanning function.
LCD will display the Main channel scanning one by one and
will stop when a signal is detected. If the signal has ended
scanning will continue automatically after 3 seconds.
If you want to use this detected channel, press PTT to confirm
when locked onto the signal and your radio will change to this
channel.
Note that you can listen to other radios on this main channel
but should you want to speak back you will need to make sure
your radio has the same CTCSS code as theirs.
(19) 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 x AAA batteries
Antenna Impedance
50 Ohm
Operating Temperature
-10 to +50°C