Optimus 14-1098, SCP-80 User Manual

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Please read before using this equipment.

AM•FM Stereo Cassette

Player with Auto-Reverse

Cat. No. 14-1098

OWNER’S MANUAL

SCP-80

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FEATURES

²

Your Optimus SCP-80 Sp orts AM
Player with Auto-Reverse is portable and easy to oper­ate. It delivers excellent sound through your speakers or
stereo headphones and includes these features:

•

FM Stereo Cassette

All Weather Desi

protects your tape from wind, dust, and rain.

Auto-Reverse

cassette tape when one si de ends, for continuous tape
play.

E-Bass

Fast-Forw ard and Rewi nd

sired portion of a cassette tape.

Removable Belt Clip

Note:

You also need a pair of stereo headphones or amplified
speakers (neither supplied), with a
to the SCP-80. Your local RadioShack store carries a
wide selection of batteries, headphones, and speakers.

2

— provides richer, fuller bass.

You need two AA batteries to power t he SCP-80.

Optimus and RadioShack are registered trademarks

— the sealed cassette compartment

n

— automatically plays the ot her side of a

— let you quickly find a de-

— allows hands-free carrying.

1

/8-inch plug, to listen

©

1997 Tand y Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

used by Tandy Corporation.

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CONTENTS

Preparation .................................................................. 4

Installing Batteries .................................................. 4

Using Headphones or Speakers ............................ 6

Listening Safely ............................................... 7

Traffic Safety .................................................... 7

Using the Belt Clip .................................................. 8

Usin

the Radio .......................................................... 9

Usin

the Cassette Player ........................................ 12

Playing a Cassette Tape ....................................... 12

Using Fast-Forward and Rewi nd ...................... .... 16

Care and Maintenance .............................................. 17

The FCC Wants You to Know ............................... 18

Tape Tips and Techniques .................................... 18

Cleaning the Ta pe-Handl ing Parts ................. 18

Restoring Tape Tension

and Sound Quality .... ................ ..................... 20

Specificat io ns ..... ................. ................ ..................... 21

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PREPARATION

INSTALLING BATTERIES

Your SCP-80 is powered by two AA batteries (not sup­plied). We recommend alkaline batteries (such as Ra­dioShack Cat. No. 23-557). You can also use
rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries (Cat. No. 23-

125). If you use rechargeable batteries, you al so need a
battery charger (Cat. No. 23-133).

Follow these steps to install batteries.

1. Pull up the cassette compartment cover. The cas­sette compartment door opens easily.

Illustration

2. Press the battery compartment cover’s tab in the
direction of the arrow and the battery cover pops
open.

Illustration

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3. Put the batteries into the compartment as indicated
by the polarity sym bols (+ and –) marked inside the
battery cover.

Cautions:

• Use only fresh batteries of the required size and

type.

• Do not mix old and new batteries, different types of

batteries (standard, alkaline, or rechargeable), or
rechargeable batteries of different capacities.

4. Close the battery compartment cover, then close the
cassette compartment door and cover.

Cautions:

• Never leave dead or weak batteries in the SCP-80.

• If you do not plan to use the SCP-80 for a month or
more, remove the batteries.

• Always dispose of old batteries promptly and prop­erly . Do not bury or burn them.

When the sound becomes weak or distorted, replace (al­kaline) or recharge (Ni-Cd) the batteries.

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Important:

Your SCP-80 can use rechargeable nickel­cadmium batteries. At the end of the bat teries’ useful life,
they must be recycled or disposed of properly. Contact
your local, county, or state hazardous waste manage­ment authorities for information on recycling or disposal
programs in your area. Some options that might be av ail­able are: municipal curbside collection, drop -off boxes at
retailers such as your local RadioShack store, recycling
collection centers, and mail-back programs.

USING HEADPHONES OR SPEAKERS

To listen to the SCP-80, you ne ed to connect a pair of
headphones or amplified speakers with a

Pull out the attached rubber plug from the SCP-80’s

PHONES

1

/8-inch plug.

jack, then plug in the headph ones’ or speakers’

Illustra tion

1

/8-inch plug.

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When you are not using your SCP-80 and headphones or
speakers are disconnecte d, insert the rubber plug back
into the

PHONES

jack to protect against moisture and

dust.

Listening Safely

To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when
you use headphones.

• Set the volume to the lowest setting before you begin
listening. After you begin listening, adjust t he vo lume
to a comfortable level.

• Do not listen at extremely high volume levels.
Extended high-volume listening can lead to perma­nent hearing loss.

• Once you set the volume, do not increase it. Over
time, your ears adapt to t he volume level, so a vol­ume level that does not cause discom fort might still
damage your hearing.

Traffic Safety

Do not wear headphones while operating a motor vehicle
or riding a bicycle. This can cause a traffic hazard and
can be illegal in some areas.

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Even though some headphones are designed to let you
hear outside sounds when listening at normal volume lev­els, they still can present a traffic hazard.

USING THE BELT CLIP

For hands-free carrying, slide the belt clip over your belt.

Illustra tion

LOCK

To remove the clip, turn the screw’s
wise. Then lift off the clip.

counterclock-

Illustra tion

To replace the clip, posit ion the c lip as shown, put the t ip
of the screw back into the screw hole, and turn the

LOCK

screw’s

8

clockwise until it is tight.

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USING THE RADIO

Important:

Make sure you have con nected headphones

or speakers to the SCP-80.

Illustra tion

1. Set

AM/FM/TAPE/RADIO OFF

2. Adjust

3. Rotate

VOLUME

TUNING

as desired.

to select a radio station.

to FM or AM.

Notes:

• The SCP-80 has a built-in AM antenna, and the

headphones’ or speakers’ cord serves as an FM
antenna. For the best AM reception, rotate the
SCP-80. For the best FM reception, fully uncoil the
headphones’ or speakers’ cord.

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• For FM stereo reception, pull up the cassette com-

partment cover, open the cassette compartment
door, and set

FM

to

Close the cassette com-

ST.

partment door and cover.

Illustration

The FM STEREO indicator lights during stereo
reception.

Illustration

If FM stereo reception is poor or noisy, set

.

MONO

10

FM

to

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4. To enh ance the bass, pull up the cassette compart­ment cover, open the cassette compartment door,
and set

Close the cassette compartment door and

OFF.

to ON. For normal bass sound, set it to

BASS

cover.

Illustration

5. To turn o ff the radio, set

TAPE/RADIO OFF

.

AM/FM/TAPE/RADIO OFF

to

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USING THE CASSETTE PLAYER

PLAYING A CASSETTE TAPE

Important:

or speakers to the SCP-80.

Note:

thin and can easily becom e tangled in th e tape-handling
parts.

1. Set

2. Pull up the cassette compartment cover. The cas­sette compartment door opens easily.

Make sure you have connected hea dphones

Avoid using C-120 cassette tapes . They are very

AM/FM/TAPE/RADIO OFF

Illustration

to

T APE/RADIO OFF

.

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3. Take up any slack in the cass ette tape by turning its
hub with your finger or a pe ncil. If you do not remove
excess slack, the tape might become tangled in the
play mechanism. Avoid touching the tape.

Illustration

4. With its open edge facing up, insert the tape as
shown.

Illustration

5. Close the cassette compartment door and cover.

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6. Press

to play the cassette.

PLAY

Illustration

Notes:

• After playing to the end of each side, the tape
automatically changes direction and plays the
other side.

• To manually change the tape’s direction to play the
other side, move

to the other position.

DIR

Illustration

7. Adjust

VOLUME

to a comfortable listening level.

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8. To enh ance the bass, pull up the cassette compart­ment cover, open the cassette compartment door,
and set

Close the cassette compartment door and

OFF.

to ON. For normal bass sound, set it to

BASS

cover.

Illustration

9. Press

to stop playback.

STOP

Illustration

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USING FAST-FORWARD
AND REWIND

To fast-forward or rewind the tape, press or .

Illustration

The following table shows which button to press, based
on the current setting of

DIR

.

DIR

Switch Setting

Left

Right

To

Fast-Forward

To

Rewind

When the SCP-80 reaches the desired portion of the
tape , p r e s s

16

STOP

. Then press

PLAY

to resume playback.

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CARE AND MAINTENANCE

²

Your Optimus SCP-80 Sport s AM
Player with Auto-Reverse is an example of superior de­sign and craftsmanship. The following suggestions will
help you care for the SCP-80 so you can enjoy it for
years.

• Keep the SCP-80 dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry imme­diately. Liquids can contain minerals that corrode the
electronic circuits.

• Use and store the SCP-80 only in normal tem pera­ture environments. Temperature extremes can
shorten the life of e lectron ic devices, damage batter­ies, and distort or melt plastic parts.

• Handle the SC P-80 gently and carefully. Dropping it
can damage the circuit board and case, and can
cause it to work improperly.

• Keep the SCP-80 away from dust and dirt, which can
cause premature wear of parts.

•

FM Stereo Cassette

• Wipe the SCP-80 with a damp cloth occasio nally to
keep it looking new. Do not use harsh chemicals,
cleaning solvents, or strong detergents to clean it.

Modifying or tampering with the SCP-80’s internal com­ponents can cause a malfunction and might invalidate its
warranty and void your FCC au thorization to operat e it. If
your SCP-80 is not performing as it should, take it to your
local RadioShack store for assistance.

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THE FCC WANTS YOU TO KNOW

Your SCP-80 might cause TV or radio in terference even
when it is operating properly. To determine whether your
SCP-80 is causing the interference, turn it off. If the inter­ference goes away, your SCP-80 is causing it. Try to
eliminate the interference by:

• Reorienting or relocating the receiving antenna

• Moving your SCP-80 away from the receiver

• Contacting your local RadioShack store for help

TAPE TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

Cleaning the Tape-Handling Parts

Dirt, dust, or particles of the tape’s coating can build up
on the tape heads and other part s that the tape touc hes.
This can greatly reduce the S CP-80’s performance. Us e
the following cleaning procedure after every 20 hours of
operation. Your local RadioShack store carries a full line
of cassette deck cleaning supplies.

1. Pull up the cassette compartment cover and open
the cassette compartment door.

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2. Press the battery compartment cover’s tab in the
direction of the arrow and the cover pops open. Then
remove the batteries.

3. Press

to expose the tape-handling parts.

PLAY

4. Use a cotton swab dipped in tape head-cleaning
solution or denatured alcohol to gently c lean the play
head, pinch roller, capstans, and tape guides.

Illustration

5. When you finish cleaning, press

. Then rei nstall

STOP

the batteries and close the cassette compartment
door and cover.

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Restoring Tape Tension and Sound Quality

After you play a cassette tape several times, the tape
might become tightly wound on the reels. This can caus e
playback sound quality to deteriorate. To restore the
sound quality, fast-forward the tape from the beginning to
the end of one side, then completely rewind it. Then loos­en the tape reels by gently tappin g each s ide of the ca s­sette’s outer shell on a flat surface.

Caution:

Be careful not to damage the cassette when
tapping it. Do not touch the exposed tape or allow any
sharp objects near the cassette.

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SPECIFIC ATIONS

RADIO

AM FM

Frequency Range 530–1710 kHz 88–108 MHz
IF Rejection 46 dB 60 dB
Image Rejection 38 dB 26 dB
Selectivity 21 dB 15 dB
Signal-to-Noise

(S/N) Ratio 30 dB 55 dB
Stereo Separation ——— 26 dB
Usable Sensitivity 1500 µV/m 10 µV

CASSETTE PLAYER

Cassette Mechanism ................................ Auto-Reverse

Wow and Flutter ....................................... 0.25% or Less

Signal-to-Noise Ratio ............................................. 46 dB

Separation ............................................................. 36 dB

Frequency Response (at –2 dB) .............. 125 Hz–6 kHz

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GENERAL

Power Requirements ................ DC 3 V (2 AA Batteries)

Continuous Playing Time (with Alkaline Batteries):

Tape ................................................. About 18 Hours

Radio ............................................... About 40 Hours

Dimensions (HWD) ........................ 4

1

(105

/8

× 127 × 44.5

Weight (Without Batteries) .................................. 10.2 oz

Specifications are typical; individual units might vary.
Specifications are subject to change and improvement
without notice.

× 5 × 1

3

Inches

/4

(289 g)

mm)

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NOTES

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Limited Ninety-Day Warranty

This product is warranted by RadioShack against manufacturing defects in material
and workmanship under normal us e for ninety (90) days from the dat e of purchase
from RadioShack company-owned stores and authorized RadioShack franchisees and
dealers. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, RadioShack MAKES NO EXPRESS WAR­RANTIES AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING THOSE OF MERCHANT­ABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED IN
DURATION TO THE DURATION OF THE WRITT EN LIMITED WARRANTIES CON­TAINED HEREIN. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, RadioShack SHALL HAVE NO
LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY TO CUSTOMER OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR
ENTITY WITH RESPECT TO ANY LIABILITY, LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED DI­RECTLY OR INDIRECTLY BY USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE PRODUCT OR
ARISING OUT OF ANY BREACH OF THIS WARRANTY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIM­ITED TO, ANY DAMAGES RESULTING FROM INCONVENIENCE, LOSS OF TIME,
DATA , PROPERTY, REVENUE, OR PROFIT OR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCI­DENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF RadioShack HAS BEEN AD­VISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Some states do not allow the limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts or the
exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations or exclu­sions may not apply to you.
In the event of a product defect during the warranty period, take the product and the
RadioShack sales receipt as proof of purchase date to any R adioShack store. Ra­dioShack will, at its option, unless otherwise provided by law: (a) correct the defect by
product repair without charge for parts and labor; (b) replace the product with one of
the same or similar design; or (c) refund the purchase price. All replaced parts and
products, and products on which a refund is made, become the property of Ra­dioShack. New or reconditioned parts and products may be used in the performance of
warranty service. Repaired or replaced parts and products are warranted for the re­mainder of the original warranty period. You will be charged for repair or replacement of
the product made after the expiration of the warranty period.
This warranty does not cover: (a) damage or failure caused by or attributable to acts of
God, abuse, accident, misuse, improper or abnormal usage, failure to follow instruc­tions, improper installation or maintenance, alteration, lightning or other incidence of
excess voltage or current; (b) any repairs other than those provided by a RadioShack
Authorized Service Facility; (c) consumables such as fuses or batteries; (d) cosmetic
damage; (e) transportation, shipping or insurance costs; or (f) costs of product removal,
installation, set-up service adjustment or reinstallation.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which
vary from state to state.

RadioShack Customer Relations, Dept. W,

100 Throckmorton St., Suite 600, Fort Worth, TX 76102

We Service What We Sell

3/97

RadioShack

A Division of Tan dy Corpo ration

Fort Worth, Texas 76102

7A7 Printed in Hong Kong