Midland MB400 User Manual

Model MB400

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 3

FEATURES ...................................................................................................... 3

FCC NOTICE ................................................................................................... 3

EXPOSURE TO RADIO FREQUENCY ENERGY ........................................... 4

BODY WORN OPERATION .............................................................................4

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR RADIO, QUICK START CONTROLS ................ 5

INSTALLING THE ANTENNA .......................................................................... 6

INSTALLING THE BATTERY ........................................................................... 6

INSTALLING THE BELT CLIP .......................................................................... 6

INSTALLING EXTERNAL ACCESSORIES ...................................................... 7

CHARGING THE BATTERY PACK .................................................................. 7

USE AND CARE............................................................................................... 8

ABOUT RANGE ............................................................................................... 9

OPERATING YOUR RADIO ............................................................................ 9

POWER ON/OFF AND VOLUME .................................................................... 9

TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING A CALL .................................................... 9

CHANNEL SELECTION ................................................................................... 9

EMERGENCY CALL ...................................................................................... 10

PROGRAMMABLE SIDE KEYS..................................................................... 10

PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE .......................................................................11

CLONING ....................................................................................................... 12

PRIVACY CODES ..........................................................................................12

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE ...................................................................... 13

SPECIFICATIONS .......................................................................................... 13

DEFAULT FREQUENCIES CHART ............................................................... 13

AVAILABLE FREQUENCIES CHART ............................................................ 14

CTCSS PRIVACY CODES CHART ...............................................................15

DCS PRIVACY CODE CHART ......................................................................16

LIMITED WARRANTY ................................................................................... 17

ACCESSORIES ............................................................................................. 18

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Model MB400

INTRODUCTION

For over half a century, Midland Radio has been providing radio communication
with superior Quality, Reliability, and Strong Value. With these Core Values in
mind, the Midland MB400 provides a communication solution for Manufacturing,
Retail, Hospitality, Construction, Warehousing, Maintenance, and other Business
uses.

FEATURES

• IP67 Waterproof

• 4 Watts Transmit Power

• Emergency Call

• 16 Channels

• 142 Privacy Codes

• Repeater Compatible

• VOX

• Monitor

• Scan

• Priority Scan

• Battery Save Mode

• Voice Announcements

• Adjustable Squelch

• Roger Beep

• Hi/Low Power Setting

• Busy Channel Lockout

• Time Out Timer

• Low Battery Alert

• Rapid Charger

• Accessory (Headset) Jack

• PC Programming

• Radio Cloning

• Desktop Charger

FCC NOTICE

The radio operates on UHF frequencies which require an FCC (Federal
Communications Commission) license. You must be licensed prior to operating
on these frequencies. Serious penalties could result from unlicensed use of
these frequencies, in violation of FCC rules, as stipulated in the Communications
Act’s Sections 501 and 502 (amended).

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Model MB400

You will be issued a call sign by the FCC which should be used for station identication when

operating the radio on these channels. You should also cooperate by engaging in permissible
transmissions only, avoiding channel interference with other users, and being prudent with the
length of your transmission time.
To obtain a license or ask questions about the license application, contact the FCC at
1-888-CALL FCC or go to the FCC’s website: http://www.fcc.gov and request form 601.

EXPOSURE TO RADIO FREQUENCY ENERGY

Your Midland radio is designed to comply with the following national and international standards
and guidelines regarding exposure of human beings to radio frequency electromagnetic energy:

• United States Federal Communications Commission, Code of Federal Regulations:
47 CFR part 2 sub-part J

• American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Institute of Electrical & Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) C95.1-1992

• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) C95.1-1999 Edition

• National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) of the
United States, Report 86, 1986

• International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) 1998
To control your exposure and ensure compliance with the general population or
uncontrolled environment exposure limits, transmit no more than 50% of the
time. The radio generates measurable RF energy exposure only when transmitting.

BODY WORN OPERATION

If you wear the radio on your body when transmitting always use Midland supplied or approved
belt clip, holster, case, or body harness for this product. Use of any accessories not supplied or
approved by Midland may exceed FCC/ Health Canada RF exposure guidelines. If you do not
use accessories supplied or approved by Midland, ensure the radio and its antenna are at

least 1 inch (2.5cm) from your body when transmitting.

IMPORTANT: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by MIDLAND
RADIO CORP. could void your right to operate this unit. Your radio is set up to transmit a
regulated signal on an assigned frequency. It is against the law to alter or adjust the settings
inside the COMMUNICATOR to exceed those limitations. Any adjustment to your radio must
be made by qualified technicians.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) this device does not cause harmful interference, and (2) this radio must accept
any interference that may cause undesired operation.

To maintain compliance with FCC’s RF exposure guidelines, for body-worn operation, this
radio has been tested and meets the FCC RF exposure guidelines when used with Midland
Radio Corp. accessories supplied or designated for this product. Use of other accessories
may not ensure compliance with FCC RF exposure guidelines.

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Model MB400

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR RADIO, QUICK START
CONTROLS

A. Antenna

Install the antenna per instructions below
before operating the radio.

B. LED Indicator
The LED is Green when receiving signals.
Red when transmitting.
Flashing red when the battery is low.

C. Speaker

D. Channel Selection
Rotate to the desired channel setting.

E. Emergency Call
Press to send an Emergency alert to
other MB400’s on the same channel
frequency.

F. Power/Volume
Turn clockwise to turn the power on
and increase the volume level.
Turn counter-clockwise to decrease the
volume level and turn the power off.

G. Microphone

H. PTT (Push To Talk)
Press and hold to transmit voice
communication.

I. Programmable Side Keys
Set function using the Programming
Software.

J. Accessory Speaker/Mic Jack

K. Rechargeable Battery Pack

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A

B

C

H

I

D

F

E

G

J

K

Model MB400

INSTALLING THE ANTENNA

Align the antenna with the threaded connector located on the top of the radio.

Holding the antenna at the base, rotate the antenna clockwise until secure.

• Be careful not to over tighten to avoid
damaging the antenna mount.

• Do not operate the radio without the antenna
installed as it may cause damage to the radio.

INSTALLING THE BATTERY

Your radio operates with a Lithium-Ion battery. Care should be
taken when installing or removing the battery as not to short circuit
the battery contacts causing damage to the battery pack.

To install the battery:

With the back of the radio facing you, match the top of the battery
pack to the corresponding groves on the radio. Push the battery into
the bottom of the radio and lock into place using the battery latch.

To remove the battery:

Release the battery latch and slide the battery down and away from the radio.

INSTALLING THE BELT CLIP

With the back of the radio facing you, align the BELT CLIP with the screw holes
on the radio. Attach the BELT CLIP with the Phillips-Head screws that came
with the belt clip.

• Be careful not to over tighten screws to avoid
damaging radio chassis.

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Model MB400

INSTALLING EXTERNAL ACCESSORIES

Remove the accessory jack cover using a flat blade screwdriver or a coin. Save
the cover and screw for re-assembly.

•The MB400 will no longer be IP67 waterproof
when the accessory jack cover is removed.

• Insert the accessory plug into the speaker/
mic jack, making sure it is securely in place.

Speaker/Microphone

Jack Cover

Speaker/Microphone

Jack

CHARGING THE BATTERY PACK

Your radio is equipped with a Lithium-Ion battery pack which can be recharged
by inserting the radio or battery into the desktop charger (as described below).
You should charge the battery pack when the Charge Battery Alert comes on,
and remove the radio from the charger when the charging is finished.

To charge using the Desktop Charger:

1. Plug the DC barrel plug on the adaptor cord into the connector on the back of
the charging base.

2. Plug the AC adaptor into a 120V AC wall outlet, making sure the AC outlet has
power.

•The charger’s LED’s turns green when power is present.

3. Make sure the battery contacts and charge terminals are clean and in good
condition.

4. Slide the radio with installed battery, or a spare battery without radio, into the
charger being careful to align the slots on the battery with the tabs inside the
charger base.

5. The charger LED’s will turn red and begin charging the battery.

6. Charging time depends on the charge level of the battery.

7. After charging is complete the LED will turn Green.

8. Remove the radio from the charger.

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Model MB400

NOTE: The charger stand can charge the radio with a battery, or a separate
battery. You may charge one at a time, but not at the same time.

To charge using the MGC400 Multi Unit Charger accessory:
The (optional) Multi-Unit Charger (MUC) allows the drop-in charging of 6 radios
or 6 batteries from a single AC outlet.

1. Plug the barrel plug on the adaptor cord into the connector on the back

of the charging base.

2. Plug the AC adaptor into a 120V AC wall outlet. Make sure the AC outlet
has power.

3. The charger’s LED’s turns green when power is present.

4. Make sure the battery contacts and charge terminals are clean and in
good condition.

5. Slide the radio with installed battery, or a spare battery without radio,
into the charger being careful to align the slots on the battery with the
tabs inside the charger opening.

6. The charger LED’s will turn red and begin charging the unit.

7. Charging time depends on the charge level of the battery.

8. After charging is complete the LED will turn Green.

It is recommended that the battery pack be charged with the radio turned off to
insure it fully charges.

• Only use the Midland Lithium-Ion battery pack.

• Do not attempt to charge any battery packs other than the one
indicated in the manual.

• This may cause leakage and damage to the radio or charger and
void your warranty.

• For long term storage of the radio, turn the radio OFF and remove
the batteries from the radio.

USE AND CARE

• Use only a soft, damp, cloth to clean the radio.

• Do not use alcohol or cleaning solutions to clean the radio.

• Do not immerse the radio in water with the accessory cover removed.

• Dry the radio with a dry lint-free cloth should it get wet.

• Turn off the radio and remove the batteries during long-term Storage

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Model MB400

ABOUT RANGE

Your MB400 radio is designed to give you maximum range under optimum

.

conditions

Industrial

Inside Steel-Concrete Building

Up to 350,000 sq. ft. Up to 30 floors

Optimum Conditions are:

• Open warehouse floor plan or area.

• Open rural areas without obstructions.

• Flat areas where you can see the other person to ensure you get
maximum range.

• You are using fully charged batteries - a low battery will cause low power
conditions.

• Your radio is set to use its highest transmit power level.

Multi-Level

Inside a Multi-level Building

OPERATING YOUR RADIO

POWER ON/OFF AND VOLUME

1. Rotate the POWER/VOLUME knob clockwise to turn the radio on and

increase the volume level.

2. Rotate the control counter-clockwise to reduce the volume level
and to turn the radio off.

3. During Power On, the radio will announce the channel it is set to.

TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING A CALL

For maximum clarity, hold the radio at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) from your mouth.

1. Press and hold the PTT button and speak in a normal voice into the
Microphone. The RX/TX LED will glow RED while transmitting.

2. To receive a call, release the PTT button. The RX/TX LED will glow
GREEN when your radio is receiving a transmission.

CHANNEL SELECTION

1. Rotate the channel section knob to the desired setting.

2. The radio will announce the channel numbers as you rotate the knob.

• Make sure you are using the same channel/frequencies as
others in your communications group or you will not be able to
hear or talk to them.

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Model MB400

EMERGENCY CALL

You can send an Emergency Call alert tone to other MB400 radios that are on
the same channel/frequency and privacy code.

1. Press the Orange Emergency Call alert button on the top of the radio to
activate the alert.

2. A loud siren will be heard on your radio and all other MB400 radios on
the same channel/frequency and privacy code.

3. Press the Emergency Call button again to turn off the alert.

• The alert tone will only be received by MB400 radio’s that are on the
exact same channel/frequency and privacy code at time of activation.

• MB400’s not on the same channel/frequency and privacy code, or
other radios without the Emergency Call feature will not receive the
Emergency Call alert tone.

PROGRAMMABLE SIDE KEYS

The two Programmable Side Keys can be customized by using the programming
software to select which of the following functions you would like to have quick
access to. The keys are dual function, pressing once for the priority function, and
press and hold for 3+ seconds to select the secondary function.

1. None

2. Monitor on/off
Monitor is used to check for channel traffic before you transmit.

3. Scan on/off
The radio will rapidly scan through all available channels stopping briefly
on a channel in use to hear the conversation. You may join the
conversation by pressing your PTT button and using the radio normally.
The radio will return to scan mode after 5 seconds of inactivity.

4. Priority Scan on/off
The radio will only scan the channels you have set as a Priority using the
programming software.

5. Power Hi/Low selection
Select High power when range is important, or Low power to conserve
battery life.

6. Talk Around on/off
Used when on a Repeater. Allows you to communicate directly with
other radios without going through the repeater.

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Model MB400

• Be sure to turn the VOX feature off on the radio if you are using
a headset accessory with a separate VOX switch as it may
cause improper operation.

PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE

Your MB400 radio is pre programmed with 16 commonly assigned frequencies,
and you can program your authorized frequency or frequencies into any of the
available 16 channels with the free software available on the Support page at the
www.midlandusa.com website.

The MPC400 programing cable is required to program your radio. It is listed in
the back of this manual and available on the www.midlandusa.com website.

The software will allow you to program the following functions of the radio.

1. Frequency by Channel

2. Privacy Code by Channel

3. Bandwidth by Channel

4. TX Power by Channel

5. VOX Sensitivity Level

6. Squelch Sensitivity Level

7. Button Beeps on/off

8. Voice Announcement on/off

9. Time out Timer Duration

10. Busy Channel Lockout

11. Emergency Call on/off

12. Battery Save Mode on/off

13. Low Battery Warning on/off

14. Set the Channel Scan list

15. Set the Priority Scan list

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Model MB400

CLONING

The programed settings from a MB400 radio can be directly transferred to
another MB400 radio bypassing the need to individually program radios. The
MCC400 cloning cable is required and is listed in the back of this manual and
available on the www.midlandusa.com website.

1. Connect the programmed (Host) radio to the radio to be programmed
(Clone) using the MCC400 Cloning cable.

2. Turn on the radio to be cloned.

3. Press and hold Side Key 2 to turn on the Host radio.

4. The LED will flash orange twice to confirm the Host radio is in clone mode
and ready to transfer the data.

5. Press the PTT of the Host radio to send the data to the clone radio.

6. The LED on the Host radio will blink red, and the LED on the radio to be
cloned will blink green during the data transfer.

7. When the data transfer is complete, the cloned radio will automatically
restart.

8. You may clone another radio by disconnecting the cloned radio and
connecting another radio to the Host and following the steps above.

9. Or you may disconnect both radios and turn them off, and back on to
return to the normal operation.

PRIVACY CODES

CTCSS (Continuous Tone Coded Squelch) and DCS (Digitally Coded Squelch)
allow several users to share the same channel frequency without disturbing each
other. With CTCSS or DCS enabled, the channel is muted to all incoming signals
unless they carry the same CTCSS or DCS tone. When a transmission with the
same tone is received, the channel un-mutes and the voice audio can be heard.
When the transmission ends the channel becomes muted again. Transmissions
that do not have the same tone will not be heard.

Your MB400 radio has 142 Privacy Codes, which can be used on any channel.
The selected Privacy Code may be different for each channel, but must be the
same for a channel on all radios you wish to talk to. Programming a new Privacy
Code overwrites any previous code programmed.

Privacy Codes can be set using the FREE programming software that can be
downloaded from the www.midlandusa.com website.

• You will not be able to hear or talk to other radios that do not match
your frequency and Privacy Code by channel and frequency.

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Model MB400

CH No.

Freq. (MHz)

Code

CH No.

Freq. (MHz)

Code

1

464 .5500

1 9 464 .5500

29

2

467 .9250

1

10

467 .9250

29

3

467 .8500

1

11

467 .8500

29

4

467 .8750

1

12

467 .8750

29

5

464 .5500

6

13

464 .5500

-

6

467 .9250

6

14

467 .9250

-

7

467 .8500

6

15

467 .8500

-

8

467 .8750

6

16

467 .8750

-

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

Problem Solution

No Power

Can’t
Receive
Messages

Charger Not
Functioning

For further assistance, contact the Midland Customer Service Team at (816)
241-8500. Most problems can be remedied over the phone without returning
the radio for service.

SPECIFICATIONS

Channels: 16
Privacy Codes:142
Operating Frequency: UHF Band, 450~470MHz
Power Source: 7.4VDC Li-ion Battery Pack

1. Make sure the battery is fully charged and correctly installed.

2. Check the On/Off Volume control to make sure the radio is
turned on.

1. Confirm the radios are set to the same channel frequency
and privacy code setting.

2. Make sure you are within range of the other radio
(see About Range).

3. Make sure there are not any major obstructions between
you and the other radio (see About Range).

1. Make sure the contacts on the bottom of the radio are clean,
nothing in the way of making connection with the charger
contacts.

2. Make sure the charger is plugged in and the outlet has power.

3. Make sure the battery pack is installed properly.

DEFAULT FREQUENCIES CHART

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Model MB400

Code

Freq. (MHz)

Code

Freq. (MHz)

Code

Freq.

Code

Freq. (MHz)

1

464 .5000

26

462 .8375

51

467 .8875

76

452 .7625

2

464 .5500

27

462 .8625

52

467 .9125

77

452 .8625

3

467 .7625

28

462 .8875

53

469 .4875

78

456 .1875

4

467 .8125

29

462 .9125

54

469 .5125

79

456 .2375

5

467 .8500

30

464 .4875

55

469 .5375

80

456 .2875

6

467 .8750

31

464 .5125

56

469 .5625

81

468 .2125

7

467 .9000

32

464 .5375

57

462 .1875

82

468 .2625

8

467 .9250

33

464 .5625

58

462 .4625

83

468 .3125

9

461 .0375

34

466 .0375

59

462 .4875

84

468 .3625

10

461 .0625

35

466 .0625

60

462 .5125

85

468 .4125

11

461 .0875

36

466 .0875

61

467 .1875

86

468 .4625

12

461 .1125

37

466 .1125

62

467 .4625

87

468 .5125

13

461 .1375

38

466 .1375

63

467 .4875

88

468 .5625

14

461 .1625

39

466 .1625

64

467 .5125

89

468 .6125

15

461 .1875

40

466 .1875

65

451 .1875

90

468 .6625

16

461 .2125

41

466 .2125

66

451 .2375

91

456 .3375

17

461 .2375

42

466 .2375

67

451 .2875

92

456 .4375

20

461 .3125

45

466 .3125

70

451 .5375

95

457 .3125

21

461 .3375

46

466 .3375

71

451 .6375

96

457 .4125

22

461 .3625

47

466 .3625

72

452 .3125

97

457 .5125

23

462 .7625

48

467 .7875

73

452 .5375

98

457 .7625

24

462 .7875

49

467 .8375

74

452 .4125

99

457 .8625

25

462 .8125

50

467 .8625

75

452 .5125

AVAILABLE FREQUENCIES CHART

18 461 .2625 43 466 .2625 68 451 .3375 93 456 .5375

19 461 .2875 44 466 .2875 69 451 .4375 94 456 .6375

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Code No.

Freq. (Hz)

Code No.

Freq. (Hz)

1

67 .0 20

131 .8

2

71 .9 21

136 .5

3

74 .4 22

141 .3

4

77 .0 23

146 .2

5

79 .7 24

151 .4

6

82 .5 25

156 .7

7

85 .4 26

162 .2

8

88 .5 27

167 .9

9

91 .5 28

173 .8

10

94 .8 29

179 .9

11

97 .4 30

186 .2

12

100 .0 31

192 .4

13

103 .5 32

203 .5

14

107 .2 33

210 .7

15

110 .9 34

218 .1

16

114 .8 35

225 .7

17

118 .8 36

233 .6

18

123 .0 37

241 .8

19

127 .3 38

250 .3

CTCSS PRIVACY CODES CHART

Model MB400

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Model MB400

No. CODE

No. CODE

No. CODE

No. CODE

1

23

27

165

53

413

79

731 2 25

28

172

54

423

80

732

5

32

31

223

57

445

83

754 6 43

32

226

58

464

84

36

8

51

34

244

60

466

86

122

9

54

35

245

61

503

87

145

10

65

36

251

62

506

88

212

12

72

38

263

64

532

90

246

13

73

39

265

65

546

91

252

14

74

40

271

66

565

92

255

16

115

42

311

68

612

94

274

17

116

43

315

69

624

95

325

18

125

44

331

70

627

96

332

21

134

47

351

73

654

99

452

22

143

48

364

74

662

100

454

23

152

49

365

75

664

101

455

25

156

51

411

77

712

103

523

26

162

52

412

78

723

104

526

DCS PRIVACY CODE CHART

3 26 29 174 55 431 81 734

4 31 30 205 56 432 82 743

7 47 33 243 59 465 85 53

11 71 37 261 63 516 89 225

15 114 41 306 67 606 93 266

19 131 45 343 71 631 97 356

20 132 46 346 72 632 98 446

24 155 50 371 76 703 102 462

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Model MB400

LIMITED WARRANTY

Midland Radio Corporation will repair or replace, at its option without charge, any
Midland UHF transceiver which fails due to a defect in material or workmanship
within One Year following the initial consumer purchase.

This warranty does not apply to water damage, battery leak or abuse. Acces­sories have a 90 day warranty from date of purchase, including any antennas,
batteries, chargers, or headsets/earphones.
This warranty does not include the cost of labor for removal or re-installation of
the product in a vehicle or other mounting.

For Product Purchased in the USA:
Performance of any obligation under this warranty may be obtained by returning
the warranted product, prepaid freight, along with proof of purchase to:

Midland Radio Corporation
Warranty Service Department
5900 Parretta Drive
Kansas City, MO 64120

This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights,
which vary from state to state.
Note: The above warranty applies only to merchandise purchased in the United
States of America or any of the territories or possessions thereof, or from a U.S.
Military exchange.

For Product Purchased in Canada:
Performance of any obligation under this warranty may be obtained by returning
the warranted product, along with proof of purchase, to your dealer in Canada.
This warranty gives you specified legal rights. Additional warranty rights may be
provided by law in some areas.

Note: Features & Specifications are subject to change without notice,
MIDLAND is not responsible for unintentional errors or omissions on its
packaging or owner’s manual.

midlandusa.comPage 17

ACCESSORIES

Accessories can be purchased from your local dealer or at

www.midlandusa.com

MGC400

Multi-Unit
Charger

MA1

Model MB400

Over the Ear
Headset

MA2

MA4

MPC400 MCC400

Concealed
Headset

D-Ring Headset

Programming
Cable for MB400

MA3

MRB400

Speaker
Microphone

Li-Ion Spare Battery

Cloning Cable for
MB400

midlandusa.com Page 18

5900 Parretta Drive

Kansas City, MO 64120

Call 816.241.8500

We’d love to hear from you! Let us know what you

think of your new Midland product at

or by visiting us at

midlandusa.com

Note: Features & Specifications are subject to change without
notice. MIDLAND is not responsible for unintentional errors or
omissions on its packaging.