Cobra Electronics V PR550WX User Manual

PR550WX

2-WAY RADIOMODEL

Nothing Comes Close To A Cobra

™

English

Owner’s Manual

Printed in Philippines

Part No. 480-055-P

English

Making Life Easier & Safer

Introduction

Staying in touch with your family and friends is convenient and easy when using your microTALK

radio. Some of the many uses you will discover include:

Communicating with others while hiking, biking, and working; keeping

track of family and friends at a crowded public event; checking with travel companions in another car; talking with neighbors; arranging meeting spots with others while shopping at the mall.

Secure your microTALK

radio while on the go.

Carrying your microTALK®radio with you is

easy when using the belt clip or wrist strap. The belt clip easily attaches to your belt, purse,

or backpack. Simply squeeze the clip and place it where you prefer.

For Assistance In the U.S.A.

In this user’s manual, you should find all the information you need

to operate your microTALK

radio. If you require further assistance

after reading this manual, Cobra

Electronics offers the following

customer assistance services:

Automated Help Desk

English only. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 773-889-3087 (phone).

Customer Assistance Operators

English and Spanish. 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CT,

Monday through Friday (except holidays) 773-889-3087 (phone).

Questions

English and Spanish. Faxes can be received at 773-622-2269 (fax).

Technical Assistance

English only. www.cobra.com (on-line: Frequently Asked Questions).

English and Spanish. productinfo

@cobra.com (e-mail).

For Assistance Outside the U.S.A.

Contact Your Local Dealer

Belt Clip

Wrist Strap

Customer Assistance

6500 West Cortland Street

Chicago, Illinois 60707 USA

www.cobra.com

Battery

Compartment

Battery Door

Latch

BeltClip

Wrist Strap

Connector

English

Product Features

Introduction

Lock

Button

Backlit LCD Display

Channel

Up/Down

Buttons

Speaker/ Microphone

Call

Button

Mode

Button

Antenna

Volume Up/

Down

Button(s)

External Speaker/ Microphone Jack

Light/Max

Range

Button

Talk

Button

On/Off

Power

Button

Operation

Customer Assistance

Warranty

Nothing comes close to a Cobra

™

Introduction

Caring for Your microTALK®Radio

•

Your microTALK®radio will give you years of trouble-free service if

cared for properly. Handle the radio gently. Keep the radio away from dust. Never put the radio in water or in a damp place. Avoid exposure to extreme temperatures.

Batteries

•

To Install or Replace Batteries:

1. Remove belt clip by releasing belt clip

latch and sliding clip up.

2. Pull down on the

Battery Door Latch to

remove the battery compartment cover.

3. Insert four AAA batteries. (Always use high quality alkaline batteries.) Position batteries according to polarity markings.

4. Replace Battery Compartment cover and belt clip.

See information on page 20 for optional battery pack and desktop charger accessories ordering instructions.

Insert Batteries

Pull DownLock Latch

Remove Belt Clip

The Basics to Get You Started

Your microTALK®radio is easy to use. To get started, simply:

1. Press the

Power button to turn On your radio.

2. Press the

Channel Up or Channel Down

button to select a channel.

Both radios must be tuned to the same channel to communicate.

3. Press and hold the

Talk button while

speaking into the microphone.

4. When finished talking, release the

Talk

button and listen for a response.

English

Product Features

Introduction

Backlit LCD Display

Important FCC Licensing Information

This radio operates on General Mobile Radio

Service (GMRS) frequencies which require a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license. See page 18 for licensing and other related information.

Receive/ Transmit

Tower Icon

Low

Power Icon

Lock

Icon

NOAAAll

Hazards Alert Icon

Roger Beep Icon

Battery Low

Main

Channel

Numbers

Power

Saver Icon

CTCSS Privacy Code Numbers

Scan Icon

NOAAAll Hazards Radio Icon

Features

• Two-Way Radio

With a range up

to five (5) miles (8 km).

• 22 Channels

Seven shared

with FRS/GMRS, seven FRS only eight GMRS only.

• 38 Privacy Codes

• 10 Channel NOAA All Hazards Radio

• NOAA All Hazards Alert

• Backlit LCD Display

• Scan

(channel,

privacy code)

• Water Resistant

• Speaker/ Microphone Jack

• Call Alert

(10 selectable

tones)

• Lock

• “Roger Beep”

(selectable On/Off)

• Battery/

Power Saver

• Auto Squelch

• Maximum Range Extender

• Belt Clip

• Wrist Strap

Customer Assistance WarrantyIntroduction

Nothing comes close to a Cobra

™

Operation

Scrolling Through

the Mode Function

•

By scrolling through the Mode function, you will

be able to select or turn On preferred features of your microTALK

radio. When scrolling through the Mode function, your radio features will be displayed in the same predetermined order:

Set Privacy Code Set NOAA All Hazard Radio Channels Set NOAA All Hazard Alert Set Channel Scan Set Privacy Code Scan Set Call Tones Set “Roger Beep” On/Off

Channels

•

To Select a Channel:

1. With the radio On, select any of the

22 channels by pressing the

Channel Up

or Channel Down button.

Both radios must be tuned to the same channel to communicate.

Channels 1 through 7 are shared with FRS/ GMRS. Channels 8 through 14 are FRS only. Channels 15 through 22 are GMRS only.

See page 17 for FRS/GMRS frequency allocations and compatibility charts.

Turning On Your microTALK®Radio

•

To Turn On Your Radio:

1. Press and hold the Power button until you

hear a series of audible tones indicating the radio is On.

Your microTALK

radio is now in Standby Mode, ready to receive transmissions. The radio is always in

Standby Mode except when the Talk,

Call or Mode buttons are pressed.

Battery Low

•

When battery power is low, the Battery Low icon

will blink. Your batteries should be replaced or recharged, if using rechargeable batteries.

Auto Battery Save

•

Your microTALK®radio has a unique circuit

designed to extend battery life. If there are no transmissions within ten (10) seconds, the radio will automatically switch to

Battery Save Mode

and Power Saver icon will flash in the display.

This will not affect the radio’s ability to receive incoming transmissions.

Communicating with Another Person

•

To Talk To Another Person:

1. Press and hold the Talk button.

2. With the microphone about two (2) inches (5 cm)

from your mouth, speak in a normal voice.

3. Release the

Talk button when you are finished

talking and listen for a response.

You cannot receive incoming calls while pressing the

Talk button.

Both radios must be tuned to the same channel to communicate.

English

Using Your Radio

Operation

Mode Button

Channel Button

Channel Number

On/Off Power

Battery Low

Battery Save Mode

Talk Button

2 inches (5 cm) From Mouth

Customer Assistance WarrantyIntroduction

Nothing comes close to a Cobra

™

Operation

Volume

•

To Adjust the Volume:

1. Press the Volume Up or Volume Down button.

A double beep sound is used to indicate the minimum and maximum volume levels (L1 through L7).

Call Button

•

To Alert Another Person That You Are Calling:

1. Press and release the Call button.

The other person will hear a two (2) second call tone. You cannot send or receive transmissions during the two (2) second call tone.

See page 13 on how to select between ten (10) call tone settings.

NOAA* All Hazards

Radio Channels and Alert

•

You can use your microTALK®radio to listen to

NOAA All Hazards Radio channels transmitting in your area.

You can also program your microTALK

radio to sound a tone alert when a local NOAA channel activates an Emergency All Hazards Alert. This will warn you of weather, chemical, and other civilian emergencies.

*National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

Hazards Radio Icon

English

Using Your Radio

Operation

CTCSS Privacy Codes

•

CTCSS (Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System)

is an advanced tone coding system allowing you to select one of 38 privacy codes to reduce interference from other users on the channel.

If you are using a privacy code, both radios must be tuned to the same channel and privacy code to communicate. Each channel will remember the last privacy code you selected.

To Select a Privacy Code:

1. After selecting a channel, press the Mode

button until the small numbers next to the

channel number flash on the LCD.

2. Press the

Channel Up or Channel Down button

to select a privacy code. You can hold the

or Down button for fast advance.

3. When your desired privacy code is displayed:

a. Press the

Mode button to enter the new

setting and proceed to other functions.

b. Press the

Lock button to enter the new

setting and return to

Standby Mode.

c. Do not press any buttons for 15 seconds

to enter the new setting and return to

Standby Mode.

Listening for a Response

•

When You are Finished Talking:

1. Release the Talk button to receive incoming

transmissions. Your microTALK

radio is

always in

Standby Mode while the Talk or

Call buttons are not pressed.

Listening

Call Button

Volume Button

Volume Level

Privacy Code

Mode Button

Channel Button

Hazards Alert Icon

38 Privacy Codes

English

Using Your Radio

Customer Assistance WarrantyIntroduction

Nothing comes close to a Cobra

™

OperationOperation

To Listen to All Hazards Radio Channels :

1. Press the Mode button until the Weather

(All Hazards Radio) icon and the currently selected All Hazards Radio channel are displayed.

2. Use the

Channel Up or Channel Down

button to change All Hazards Radio channels.

3. Weather (All Hazards Radio) icon will continue

to be displayed when All Hazards Radio is On. a. Press the

Mode button to proceed

to other functions.

b. Press the

Lock button to exit All Hazards

Radio channel mode and return to

Standby Mode.

To Turn On All Hazards Alert:

1. Press the Mode button until the Alert icon

flashes and the current On or Off setting is displayed.

2. Press the

Channel Up or Channel Down button

to turn All Hazards Alert On or Off.

3. Alert icon will continue to be displayed when

All Hazards Alert is On. a. Press the

Mode button to enter the new

setting and proceed to other functions.

b. Press the

Lock button or do not press any

buttons for 15 seconds to enter the new setting and return to

Standby Mode.

c. Press the

Talk button to keep original

settings and return to

Standby Mode.

Scan

•

Your microTALK®radio can automatically scan

main channels (1 through 22) or the privacy codes (00 through 38) within one (1) main channel.

To Scan Main Channels:

1. Press the Mode button until the Scan icon and

the main channel number flashes on the display.

2. Press the

Channel Up or Channel Down button

to begin scanning the main channels.

The radio ignores privacy codes while scanning main channels.

3. The Scan icon will continue to be displayed when Scan is On. Your radio will continue to scan all main channels and stop if an incoming transmission is detected.Your radio will remain on that channel for ten (10) seconds. During this time, you can:

a. Press and hold the

Talk button and communicate

with others. Your radio will remain on that channel and return to

Standby Mode.

b. Press the

Channel Up or Channel Down

button to resume scanning channels.

c. Press the

Mode button to proceed to

privacy code scanning (see page 12 for further details).

If you press the

Talk button while scanning,

and not within ten (10) seconds of receiving a transmission, you will transmit on the last channel you transmitted or received on.

If you do not press any button within ten (10) seconds, your radio will automatically resume scanning main channels.

Hazards Alert Icon

Mode Button

Channel Button

Mode Button

Channel Button

Hazards Radio Icon

Mode Button

Channel Button

Scan Channels

Customer Assistance WarrantyIntroduction

Nothing comes close to a Cobra

™

OperationOperation

English

Product Features

To Scan Privacy Codes:

1. While in Standby Mode, press the Channel Up or Channel Down button to choose the main

channel you wish to scan.

2. Press the

Mode button until the Scan icon and

the privacy code number flashes on the display.

3. Press the

Channel Up or Channel Down button

and your radio will begin scanning privacy codes within the main channel you selected.

4. The Scan icon will continue to be displayed when Scan is On. Your radio will continue to scan privacy codes and stop an incoming transmission is detected. Your radio will remain on that channel and privacy code for ten (10) seconds. During this time, you can:

a. Press and hold the

Talk button to

communicate with others. Your radio will remain on that channel and privacy code and return to

Standby Mode.

b. Press the

Channel Up or Channel Down

button to resume scanning privacy codes.

c. Press the

Mode button to proceed to

other functions.

If you press the

Talk button while scanning,

and not within ten (10) seconds of receiving a transmission, you will transmit on the last channel you transmitted or received on.

If you do not press any button within ten (10) seconds, your radio will automatically resume scanning privacy codes.

10 Call Tone Settings

•

You can choose between ten (10) different call

tone settings to transmit a unique call alert.

To Change a Call Tone Setting:

1. Press the Mode button until the letter “C”

and the current call tone number (1 through

10) is displayed. The current call tone will sound for one (1) second.

2. Press the

Channel Up or Channel Down

button to hear the other call tone settings.

3. a. Press the

Mode button to enter the new

setting and proceed to other functions.

b. Press the

Lock button to enter the new

setting and return to

Standby Mode.

“Roger Beep” Confirmation Tone

•

Your listener will hear an audible tone when you

release the

Talk button. This alerts the other party

that you are finished talking and it is

OK for them

to speak. This feature can be turned On or Off.

To Turn “Roger Beep” On or Off:

When turning On your microTALK®radio

for the first time, “Roger Beep” will be On.

1. Press the

Mode button until the Roger

Beep icon flashes. The current On or Off setting is displayed.

2. Press the

Channel Up or Channel Down button to select “Roger Beep” On or Off.

3. a. Press the

Mode button to enter the new

setting and proceed to other functions.

b. Press the

Lock button to enter the new

setting and return to

Standby Mode.

The setting you select will be saved when you turn your radio Off and On again. When the “Roger Beep” is On, the “Roger Beep” icon will be displayed.

Channel Button

Mode Button

Select Channel

Scan Privacy Codes

Call Tone Setting

Mode Button

Channel Button

Roger Beep Off

Mode Button

Channel Button

+ 16 hidden pages