GME TX6500S User Manual
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
5 watt UHF CB handheld radio
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CONTENTS
ACCESSORIES SUPPLIED..................3
INTRODUCTION ........................3
IMPORTANT ADVICE.....................3
SAFETY INFORMATION...................3
IMPORTANT INFORMATION - UHF CB RADIO . . 3
FEATURES ............................4
LCD Icons.............................6
CONTROLS............................7
GETTING STARTED ......................8
GENERAL OPERATION ..................10
Power On/Off ......................10
Adjusting the Volume ................10
Display Lighting.....................10
Receiving Signals....................10
Signal Strength Meter ................11
Transmitting .......................11
Squelch ...........................12
Selecting Channels ..................12
Priority Channel.....................12
Time-out Timer .....................13
Silent Squelch Tail ...................13
Key Beeps .........................13
Voice Scrambler.....................13
Minimum Volume ...................14
Display Contrast ....................14
Dynamic Volume Control (DVC) .........14
Function Key .......................15
Keypad Lock .......................15
OS/GS Key .........................15
HI/LO Power .......................15
Duplex ...........................15
SCANNING ..........................16
Overview..........................16
Scan Groups .......................16
Open Scan.........................17
Group Scan ........................18
Auto Skip .........................19
Additional Open/Group Scan Options.....19
Network Scan (Net-Scan)..............20
Using the Priority Channel while Scanning . 22
SelCall ..............................22
SelCall Identification Number (IDENT) ....22
The Quiet Mode (Q)..................22
SelCall Memories....................22
Ident or Alpha Name .................23
Sending a SelCall....................23
Adding Alpha names to SelCall Idents ....24
Receiving SelCalls ...................25
Quiet Mode........................26
Scanning in the Quiet Mode............27
Group Calling ......................28
CTCSS & DCS.........................29
CTCSS Tone Set Compatibility ..........29
Monitor Function....................
Busy Lockout.......................30
CTCSS TONE FREQUENCIES ..............31
DCS TONE CHART......................31
RECEIVE (RX) ONLY CHANNELS ...........32
Channel Editor .....................33
Signal Meter Display .................36
MENU FUNCTIONS.....................37
CONSERVING YOUR BATTERY POWER ......38
UHF CB OPERATING FREQUENCIES ........39
SPECIFICATIONS ......................40
STANDARD COMMUNICATIONS CONTRACT
WARRANTY AGAINST DEFECTS ...........42
30
2 INSTRUCTION MANUAL TX6500S
INTRODUCTION
Your TX6500S 80 channel radio is Australian designed and built and is the most advanced UHF Citizen
Band radio available. Combining the very latest in electronic hardware with the most up-to-date
computer aided design and manufacturing techniques has resulted in a mobile radio with outstanding
specifications and performance.
SUPPLIED WITH
• TX6500S radio
• 2000 mAh Li-Ion battery pack
• PS001 power supply
• BCD013 rapid desktop charger
• Belt clip
• Instruction manual
IMPORTANT ADVICE
READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS carefully and
completely before operating your radio and
retain this manual for future reference.
• NEVER connect the radio to a power source
other than the supplied battery. This may
damage your radio.
• DO NOT place your radio in front of a
vehicle airbag.
• DO NOT use your radio with a damaged
antenna.
• DO NOT attempt to modify your radio
in any way.
• ALWAYS charge your radio at normal room
temperature.
• ALWAYS switch off your radio where notices
restrict the use of two-way radio or mobile
telephones.
• ONLY use GME approved rechargeable
battery packs with the supplied charger.
• AVOID storing or charging your radio in
direct sunlight.
• AVOID storing or using your radio where
temperatures are below -20°C or above
+60°C.
SAFETY INFORMATION
The TX6500S is a radio transmitting device.
• When transmitting, keep the antenna more than 25 mm from any part of the head or body.
• People wearing pacemakers are recommended to maintain at least 15cm separation between any
handheld radio and their pacemaker. If any type of interference is suspected, turn the radio off
immediately.
• Do not transmit near electrical blasting equipment or in explosive atmospheres.
• Do not allow children to operate a radio transmitter unsupervised
IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING UHF CB RADIO
The use of the Citizen Band radio service is licensed in Australia by the ACMA Radiocommunications
(Citizens Band radio Stations) Class Licence and in New Zealand by the Ministry of Economic
Development New Zealand (MED). A General User Radio Licence for Citizens Band radio and
operation is subject to conditions contained in those licences.
The class licence for users and equipment operating in the CB/PRS 477 MHz band has been
amended. This radio meets the new 80 channel standard.
In simple terms the same amount of spectrum is available; however, radio transceivers can now
operate in a narrower bandwidth and hence use less spectrum. These radios are generally referred
to as narrowband or 12.5 kHz radios. By using 12.5 kHz channel spacing instead of 25 kHz, the 40
channels originally allocated can now be expanded to 80 channels thereby doubling the channel
capacity and relieving congestion in the UHF CB/PRS band.
TX6500S INSTRUCTION MANUAL 3
Original 40 channel wideband radios will continue to operate on the original 40 channels, however
they will not be able to converse on the newer channels 41 – 80. The newer narrowband radios will
be able to converse with all older 40 channel wideband radios on all channels 1 to 40 as well as the
newer channels allocated from 41 to 80.
The mixing of narrowband and wideband radios in the same spectrum can cause some possible
operating issues of interference and varying levels of received volume.
POSSIBLE ISSUES
When a new narrowband radio receives a transmission from an older wideband radio the
speech may sound loud and distorted – simply adjust your radio volume for best performance.
When an older wideband radio receives a signal from a new narrowband radio, the speech
may sound quiet – simply adjust your radio volume for best performance.
Depending on how close your receiving radio is to another transmitting radio, there can be
interference from the transmitting radio if it is using a channel adjacent to the channel you are
listening to. Simply try going up or down a few channels from the currently selected channel.
The above situations are not a fault of the radio but a symptom of operating wideband and
narrowband radios in the same bandwidth. This possible interference will decrease over time
as the population of wideband radios ages and decreases.
Further information and updates are available from the Australian Communications and Media
Authority (ACMA) at www.acma.gov.au and the Ministry of Economic Development (MED),
Radio Spectrum Management at: www.rsm.govt.nz
EMERGENCY CHANNELS
The ACMA has allocated channels 5/35 for emergency use only. Channel 5 is the primary
Simplex Emergency Channel. Where a channel 5 repeater is available, you should select
Duplex on CH 5.
NOTE: Channel 35 is the input channel for the channel 5 repeater therefore channel 35
should also not be used for anything other than emergency transmissions.
TELEMETRY CHANNELS
ACMA regulations have allocated channels 22 and 23 for telemetry-only applications and
have prohibited the transmission of speech on these channels. Consequently the radio has a
transmit-inhibit applied to channels 22 and 23.
In the event that additional telemetry/telecommand channels are approved by the ACMA,
these channels shall be added to those currently listed where voice transmission is inhibited.
Currently, transmissions on channels 61, 62 and 63 are also inhibited and these channels are
reserved for future allocation.
FEATURES
TRANSMIT (TX)
Individually Programmable Duplex Function: User selectable only for those individual
channels in your area that have repeaters, leaving the others free for use as extra simplex channels.
RECEIVE (RX)
Silent Squelch Tail: Eliminates the Squelch noise burst in a receiving radio.
User Programmable Receive Channels: 95
Signal Receive Indicator
4 INSTRUCTION MANUAL TX6500S
SCANNING AND MEMORY FUNCTIONS
Microprocessor Controlled Frequency Synthesiser: Allows user programmable control of
scanning, SelCall, CTCSS, channel memories, user selectable frequencies and selected feature options.
Programmable Scan Function: Scans the selected UHF channels with Group, Open and Network
Scan functions available.
Priority Channel: A user programmable priority channel feature allows any channel of your choice
to be instantly recalled at the press of a key.
Advanced Power Saving Feature: Allows the TX6500S to ‘sleep’ during periods of inactivity to
conserve battery power.
PRIVACY FUNCTIONS
Voice Inversion Scrambler: When activated, scrambles your voice so that communications are
only intelligible to others using the same scrambler technology.
In-Built CTCSS & DCS: User selectable Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System and Digital Coded
Squelch system provides silent operation on individual channels.
In-Built SelCall with Quiet Mode: Provides selective calling of individuals or groups with fully
user-adjustable 5-tone transmitted SelCall Ident. Also allows alphanumeric naming of up to 10
Idents for easier caller identification.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Water & Dust Proof IP67: Provides protection against dust and temporary immersion in water
Rugged Construction: With Die-cast Chassis
Battery Pack: Heavy Duty 7.4v 2000 mAh Li-ion
USER CONTROLS AND INTER FACE
High Contrast Liquid Crystal Display: Fully detailed LCD provides a visual indication of the
channel and all selected functions at a glance.
LED Backlight: For night viewing with automatic timeout
Keypad Lock: Prevents accidental key presses from disrupting the normal operation of your radio
Digital Signal Strength Meter: Provides a numeric signal strength indication in numbers from
0 to 9+.
SIGNAL PROCESSING
Digital Signal Processing (DSP): Measures, lters and compresses standard analogue audio
signals and converts them into digital format. Allows advanced RF and audio processing techniques
to be applied to maximise the radio’s performance.
Advanced Signal Management (ASM): Identifies interference caused by strong local signals
on adjacent channels and prevents it from opening your Squelch. ASM also minimises distortion on
reception by fine tuning the receiver frequency to match that of the incoming signal. This prevents
your Squelch from opening to unwanted interference and ensures that incoming signals remain clear
and undistorted even when they are slightly off-frequency.
Dynamic Volume Control (DVC): Automatically compensates for variations in received audio
level resulting in a constant audio output level to the speaker.
TX6500S INSTRUCTION MANUAL 5
LCD ICONS
1 2 3 4 5
14
13
12
1. Battery icon
2. Scan icon
3. Channel display
4. Quiet-Tag icon
5. Transmit icon
6. Busy icon
7. Duplex (repeater) icon
6
7
8
91011
8. DCS icon
9. CTCSS icon
10. Quiet icon
11. Information display
12. SelCall-Received icon
13. SelCall-Sent icon
14. Low transmit power
6 INSTRUCTION MANUAL TX6500S
CONTROLS
FRONT REAR
12
11
1
16
15
14
22
17
2
13
21
3
4
5
6
1810987
19 20
1. Antenna
2. PTT button
3. Microphone
4. Squelch/Monitor/
Silent Key
5. Scan/OS-GS key
6. Call/Key Lock Key
7. Down Key
8. Menu/Function Key
TX6500S INSTRUCTION MANUAL 7
9. Up Key
10. Priority/Duplex Key
11. Quiet/Hi-Lo Key
12. LCD
13. Accessory Connector
14. Speaker
15. Indicator LED
16. Volume Control
17. Lanyard Point
18. Belt Clip
19. Charge Contacts
20. Battery Charger
Locating Tabs
21. Battery
22. Battery Release
GETTING STARTED
Your TX6500S is supplied with a 7.4 Volt 2000 mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery pack. When the battery
is new, it must be fully charged before being used for the rst time.
If left unused your TX6500S’s battery pack will discharge itself within a few months. If you have not
used your TX6500S for some time, you will need to recharge the battery pack before use.
The battery pack is a sealed unit. There are no user serviceable parts inside.
WARNING: Use only GME approved battery packs and chargers. Use of other types may be dangerous
and will void the warranty.
To fit the battery pack
The base of the battery pack is retained in two slots at the base of the radio.
1. Carefully position the two tongues at the base of the battery pack into the slots in the
base of the radio.
2. Swing the top half of the battery pack into place against the radio.
3. Press the top half of the battery firmly onto the radio until the locking tab clicks upwards
locking the battery pack into place
.
Press
Tongues
To remove the battery pack
1.
Hold the radio face down in one hand.
2. With your thumb, push the locking tab downwards until it clicks.
3. The top of the battery will be released just below the locking tab.
4
. Swing the top half of the battery pack away from the radio with the other hand.
5. Once clear of the locking tab, lift the battery upwards away from the radio.
Battery Release
Push
Swing Battery away from Radio
8 INSTRUCTION MANUAL TX6500S
Charging the battery pack
Your TX6500S includes a BCD013 rapid desktop charger and a PS001 AC adaptor. The rapid charger
will recharge the battery pack in around 3 hours.
To charge the battery:
1. Plug the PS001 AC adaptor into a standard 240 volt outlet.
2. Plug the lead from the PS001 into the charging socket on the rear of the BCD013 radio charger.
3. Place the TX6500S with battery attached into the charging slot. The Red charging LED will light up.
4. Once the battery is charged, the LED will change to Green.
NOTE: If the charger detects a fault condition and is unable to charge the battery, the Red charge LED
will flash.
Battery life
The time taken to discharge the battery pack will depend on how you use your TX6500S. The 2000
mAh battery pack is powerful enough for a full days use under average conditions.
The following is a rough guide based on an average usage of 5% transmit, 5% receive and 90% standby.
TRANSMIT POWER BATTERY LIFE (APPROX)
High (5 watt) 14 hours
Low (1 watt) 24 hours
Battery low alert
As the battery voltage is depleted the internal segments of the battery icon will extinguish one
by one. When the last segment is extinguished the remaining battery outline will flash to indicate
the battery level is low. You should recharge the battery pack as soon as possible.
Full Medium Low Recharge
If you need to continue using your radio when the battery indicator is ashing, you can extend the
life by selecting Low Transmit power.
Cycling your battery pack
Cycling of the Li-ion battery is not necessary.
Conserving battery power
For further information on conserving battery power,
see ‘Conserving Battery Power’ on page 38.
To attach the belt clip
Slide backwards
Belt clip
1. Position the clip on radio.
2. Press down on the clip and slide backwards.
To remove the belt clip
1. Lift the small catch.
Small catch
Slide
forewards
2. Press down on the clip and slide forewards.
TX6500S INSTRUCTION MANUAL 9
GENERAL OPERATION
POWER ON/OFF
Rotate the volume control clockwise past the ‘click’ to turn the TX6500S on. Rotate the control fully
counter clockwise past the click to turn the radio off.
ADJUSTING THE VOLUME
While receiving a signal, rotate the volume control to achieve a comfortable listening level. If there are
no signals present, brie y press the Squelch key to open the Squelch then adjust the volume while
listening to the receiver’s background noise. When nished, brie y press the Squelch key again to
return the receiver to the quiet state.
NOTE: The minimum setting of the volume control has been factory preset, so even with the volume
turned right down, you can still safely listen to an incoming signal with your ear against the speaker
(telephone style). The minimum level can be adjusted through the Menu.
DISPLAY LIGHTING
The LCD backlighting activates automatically whenever a key is pressed and turns off automatically
after about 5 seconds.
RECEIVING SIGNALS
NOTE: Your radio may be programmed with options that affect
the way it behaves when it receives a call from another radio.
Receiving signal
While the radio is not receiving signals, it will remain in standby
mode to conserve battery power. When a signal is received
under normal conditions, the LED indicator on the upper edge
of the radio will light Green and the
display. Adjust the volume control for a comfortable listening
level. Once no further signals are received, the unit will return to
standby mod
e.
icon will appear on the
Green LED
‘Busy’ Icon
Signal Meter
10 INSTRUCTION MANUAL TX6500S
Busy indicator
Whenever the channel is busy the icon will appear on the display and the LED on the top of the
radio will light. However, depending on the muting options set in your radio you may not always hear
any sound from the speaker. This can happen when others are sharing the channel but their calls
are not meant for you. For this reason it is important to check whether the channel is busy BEFORE
transmitting to ensure you do not accidentally talk over someone else.
SIGNAL STRENGTH METER
The TX6500S has a digital signal strength meter that is displayed on the LCD. When in the normal
receive mode the received signal strength is displayed as numbers from 0 to 9+ (with 9+ being the
strongest) immediately below the channel display.
TRANSMITTING
Before transmitting, check to see if the channel is already in use (the
icon will be displayed and the
LED on the top of the radio will be Green). If the channel is busy, you should wait until it is clear before
transmitting.
To transmit, press the Push-To-Talk (PTT) on the left side of the radio. Hold the radio about
5 – 8 cm from your face with the antenna vertical and speak into the built-in microphone located to the
left of the speaker. When talking, speak at a normal voice level. The microphone is quite sensitive so it
is not necessary to raise your voice or shout.
When you have nished speaking, release the PTT to receive
incoming signals (it is not possible to transmit and receive at the
same time). If no further signals are received, the unit will revert
to standby mode.
Red LED
PTT
Microphone
‘TX’ Icon
TX6500S INSTRUCTION MANUAL 11
SQUELCH
The Squelch is used to eliminate any annoying background noise when there are no signals present.
The TX6500S features a preset Squelch system. The Squelch level has been preset to provide optimum
performance in most situations but can be adjusted through the Menu.
The Squelch can be opened or closed with the Squelch key. When the Squelch is open the receiver’s
background noise can be heard, the
Icon is displayed and the Indicator LED glows GREEN.
When the Squelch is closed, the radio remains quiet when there are no signals present but any
incoming signals will override the Squelch and be heard in the speaker.
To Open the Squelch
Briefly press the Squelch key. A low beep will be heard. If there are no signals present you will hear
the receiver’s background noise.
To Close the Squelch:
Briefly press the Squelch key again. A high beep will be heard and the receiver will become quiet.
NOTE: If an incoming signal is very weak and is close to the minimum Squelch level, it may become
broken or ‘chopped’ by the Squelch action. In this case, simply open the Squelch using the Squelch
key to allow the signal to be heard clearly.
Squelch settings
The Squelch setting adjusts the sensitivity of the Squelch to incoming signals. The level can be preset
to suit your operating environment. The TX6500S has nine preset Squelch sensitivity settings (SQL-1 to
SQL-9).
To adjust the Squelch settings:
1. Press and hold the
key until the radio beeps. SQL-X will be displayed where ‘X’ is a value
from 1 to 9.
2. Press the
or keys to select a suitable Squelch value.
SQL-1: minimum squelch
Allows the Squelch to open on very weak signals. Most suitable for quiet country or rural locations
where there are few weak unwanted signals and little locally generated interference.
SQL-9: maximum squelch
The Squelch will open only on very strong signals and weak signals will not be heard. Most suitable
for inner city applications where there is severe interference and strong local signals.
For normal operation, select SQL-3 as a starting point and increase or decrease as necessary to
minimise the effects of interference.
3. Press the PTT to exit the Menu.
SELECTING CHANNELS
To change channels, briey press the
down one channel. Holding either
key to step up one channel or the key to step
or will cause the radio to step through the channels
automatically at a faster rate.
PRIORITY CHANNEL
The Priority channel feature allows you to store any channel as a priority channel that can be instantly
recalled at the press of a key. This can be used to provide instant access to your working channel, your
local repeater channel or any other favourite channel.
12 INSTRUCTION MANUAL TX6500S
To store the Priority channel
1. Select the required channel using the or keys.
2. Press and hold the
key. The channel number will flash for a moment then a high beep will be
heard as the selected channel is stored.
To recall the priority channel:
1. Briefly press the
key. The TX6500S will immediately switch to the Priority channel accompanied
by a high beep.
TIME-OUT TIMER
The radio has a built-in time-out timer that automatically limits transmissions to a maximum of 3
minutes of continuous operation. This feature is required by the ACMA to prevent accidental blocking
of the frequency should your PTT become jammed or be otherwise pressed accidentally.
When the time-out timer activates, the transmission will stop, the radio will emit a long beep and the
symbol will flash continuously. Normal operation will be restored once the PTT is released.
SILENT SQUELCH TAIL
The Squelch tail is the short burst of noise that is heard in the speaker at the end of a transmission
before the Squelch closes.
To some it is a reassuring confirmation that it is their turn to transmit but in some applications it may
be an annoyance especially when listening through an earpiece or headphones.
The Silent Squelch Tail function removes this Squelch tail, reducing it to a faint click as the Squelch
closes.
To enable or disable the Silent Squelch Tail:
1. Press and hold the
2. Press the
3. Press the
key to enable the Silent Squelch Tail. SSTON will be displayed and the Squelch tail
key to enter the Menu.
key repeatedly until ‘SSTxx’ is displayed (where xx = ON or OF).
will now be silent.
4. Press the
key to disable the Silent Squelch Tail. SSTOF will be displayed and the Squelch tail
will be restored.
5. Press the PTT to exit the Menu.
KEY BEEPS
The Key Beeps provide audible feedback whenever the keys are pressed.
To set the key beep volume level.
1. Press and hold the
2. Press the
3. Press the
key to increase the beep level or the key to decrease the beep level. The mini-
key until the radio beeps.
key repeatedly until ‘BEEPx’ appears (where x is a value from 0-9).
mum audible level is ‘BEEP1’ and the maximum level is ‘BEEP9’.
4. To disable the keypad beeps select ‘BEEP0’.
5. Press the PTT to exit.
VOICE SCRAMBLER
Your radio incorporates a simple voice scrambler using band inversion. The scrambler is compatible with
other GME radios and with the majority of scramblers used by other manufacturers, allowing you to
enjoy scrambled communications with owners of both GME and non-GME radios.
TX6500S INSTRUCTION MANUAL 13
Once the scrambler has been activated your transmission and reception will only be intelligible to others
using the same scrambler technology.
To enable or disable the voice scrambler:
1. Press and hold the
2. Press the
3. Press the
4. Press the
5. Press the PTT to exit the Menu.
MINIMUM VOLUME
key to enable the scrambler encoder. ENCON will be displayed.
key to disable the scrambler encoder. ENCOF will be displayed.
key to enter the Menu.
key repeatedly until ‘ENCxx’ is displayed (where xx = ON or OF).
When the volume control is adjusted to minimum there is still sufficient volume to be heard in a
quiet environment. This minimum volume level can be adjusted.
To adjust the Minimum Volume
1. Press and hold the key until the radio beeps.
2. Press the
3. Press the
key repeatedly until ‘VMINx’ appears (where ‘x’ is a value from 1 – 9).
key to increase the value or press the key decrease the value. A higher
value results in a higher level of minimum volume.
TIP: If there are no signals present to help with the minimum volume adjustment, briey press the
Squelch key to open the Squelch. You can then adjust the minimum volume while listening to the
receiver noise.
NOTE: There will always be some audible output at the minimum volume setting even when VMIN is
set to the lowest value. It is not possible to set the minimum volume to 0.
DISPLAY CONTRAST
To adjust the Display Contrast
1. Press and hold the
2. Press the
3. Press the
DYNAMIC VOLUME CONTROL (DVC)
The modulation levels of signals heard on the UHF CB band may vary considerably resulting in
noticeable differences in received audio volume between stations. Generally users have compensated
for this by adjusting the Volume control for each incoming signal. With the introduction of 80 channel
narrowband transmissions, the variation in received audio volume caused by the mixture of wide and
narrow band signals has increased further.
Your radio has a unique GME feature called Dynamic Volume Control that is able to automatically
compensate for these variations in received audio level. When activated, this feature automatically
adjusts the received audio level resulting in a constant audio output level to the speaker.
key to increase the contrast or press the key decrease the contrast.
key until the radio beeps.
key repeatedly until ‘CONTx’ appears (where ‘x’ is a value from 1 – 9).
To enable Dynamic Volume Control
1. Press and hold the key to enter the Menu.
2. Press the
3. Press the
key repeatedly until ‘DVCxx’ is displayed (where xx = ON or OF).
key to enable the Dynamic Volume Control. DVCON will be displayed.
14 INSTRUCTION MANUAL TX6500S
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