Optimus 27 User Manual

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OWNER’S MANUAL

AC-DC Video Cassette Player

Please read befor e using this equipment.

Model 27

Cat. No. 16-419

R

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FEATURES

Your Optimus Model 27 AC-DC Video
Cassette Player (VCP) is lightweight,
easy to use, and has many convenient
features. Its dual p ower options let you
enjoy it almost anywhere — at home or
the office, or even in your vehicle. T he
VCP’s compact size and front-loading
design are especially ideal for vans, RVs
or campers, and the supplied remote
control lets you control it from a distance.

Its other features include:

Automatic Power-On

— automatically
turns on the VCP’s power when you load
a video cassette.

Quick Start Mechanism

— automa tica l­ly starts playback when you load a video
cassette.

Automatic Pla

Speed Selection

—
senses the tape’s recording s peed and
automatically adjusts the VCP for proper
playback.

Automatic Rewind

— rewinds the tape

when it reaches the end.

Visual Search/Double-Speed Pla

— lets you play a tape at a faster

back

speed to quickly locate a specific portion
of the tape.

Freeze-Frame

— lets you pause the
tape during playback so you can v iew a
single frame.

Automatic Repeat

— lets you set the
VCP to automatically rewind and replay
the video tape when it reaches the end.

Soft-Touch Controls

— let you easily

control the VCP’s functions.
We recommend that you carefully read

this owner’s manual. It was prepared to
assist you with the initial setup proce­dures and to guide you in the everyday
operation of the VCP.

For your records, we urge y ou to record
your VCP’s serial numb er in the space
below. The serial number is located on
the back of the VCP.

Serial Number:

-

© 1996 Tandy Corporation.

Radio Shack and Optimus are registered trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

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Warning: To prevent fire or shock haz­ard, do not expose this product to rain or
moisture.

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK.

DO NOT OPEN.

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF
ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE
COVER OR BACK. NO USER-SERVICE­ABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVIC­ING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.

This symbol is intended to alert you to
the presence of uninsulated danger­ous voltage within the p roduct’s enclo­sure that might be of sufficient
magnitude to constitute a risk of elec­tric sh ock. Do not open th e produ ct’s
case.

!

This symbol is intended to inform you
that important operating and mainte-

!

nance instructions are included in the
literature accompanying this product.

Warning: Do not use controls or adjust ­ments not specified in this manual. If you
remove the cover or attempt to service
this unit, you might expose yourself to
dangerous voltage.

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CONTENTS

PREPARATION ........................................................................................................ 5

Accessories ........................................................................................................ 5

Choosing a Location ........................................................................................... 5

Making Connections ........................................................................................... 6

Connecting a Standard TV ........................................................................... 7

Connecting a TV/Monitor ............................................................................. 8

Connecting a VCR . ...................................................................................... 9

Connecting a Video Processor ................................................................... 10

Setting the Channel Switch .............................................................................. 11

Connecting Power ............................................................................................ 11

Using AC Power ......................................................................................... 11

Using Vehicle Battery Power ...................................................................... 12

Dew Protection System .................................................................................... 12

Installing the Remote Control’s Batteries ......................................................... 13

OPERATION ........................................................................................................... 14

Using the Remote Control ................................................................................ 14

Playing a Video Tape .. ...................................................................................... 14

Fast-Forward/Rewind ....................................................................................... 15

Visual Search/Double-Speed Playback ..................................................... 15

Automatic Features .......................................................................................... 16

Auto Power-On .......................................................................................... 16

Auto Playback ............................................................................................ 16

Auto Repeat Playback ............................................................................... 17

Freeze-Frame ................................................................................................... 17

Tracking Control ............................................................................................... 17

Watching Broadcast TV .................................................................................... 18

Copying a Video Tape ...................................................................................... 18

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE ............................................................................... 19

CARE AND MAINTENANCE ........................... ................ ................. ................ ..... 20

Cleaning the Video Heads .................................................................... ....... ..... 21

Video Tape Tips ................................................................................................ 21

Replacing the Fuse ........................................................................................... 21

The FCC Wants You to Know ........................................................................... 22

SPECIFICATIONS .................................................................................................. 23

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PREPARATION

ACCESSORIES

Your VCP includes the following connec­tion accessories. Be sure to unpack all of
them before you throw away the packing
material.

300-to-75-ohm Adapter

300-ohm antenna wire to the VCP’s

ANT.IN

terminal.

75-ohm C oaxial Ca ble

VCP’s
ohm antenna terminal.

RF.OUT

terminal to your TV’s 7 5-

— connects a

— co n nec ts the

AC Adapter

from a standard AC outlet.

— lets you power the VCP

CHOOSING A LOCATION

For safe and effective operation of your
VCP, consider the following when you
choose an installation location.

• Place the VCP away from direct
sunlight and heat sources, such as
radiators and heat vents.

• Do not place the VCP in a dusty or
humid area.

• Do not block the VCP’s top and bot­tom ventilation holes. For exam ple,
do not set the VCP on carpet.

VCP/TV DC Power Cord

power the VCP and a portable TV (not
supplied) from your vehicle’s cigarette
lighter socket.

— lets you

• Place the VCP on a flat surface,
away from strong vibrations or m ag­netic fields.

• Do not set anything on top of the
VCP.

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MAKING CONNECTIONS

You can connect your VCP to a TV/mon­itor, a VCR (video cassette recorder), or
both. To help you make the right connec­tions:

• If your TV/monitor does not have
separate audio and video input
jacks, use the connections de­scribed in “Connecting a Standard
TV.”

• If your TV/monitor has separate
audio and video i nput j ac ks, u se t he
connections described in “Connect­ing a TV/Monitor.”

• If you want to connect a V CR to the
VCP for copying tapes, use the con­nections described in “Connec ting a
VCR.”

Notes

:

• A “standard TV” can receive broad­cast TV signals from an antenna or
cable system, and can be tuned to
different channels to view the broad­casts. Some standard TVs are
equipped with only a 75-ohm cable/
antenna jack, while others might
have separate audio and video input
jacks.

• A “TV/monitor” can receive signals
from other video equipment (such
as your VCP), but unlike a standard
TV, it cannot receive (tune in) TV
broadcast signals. A TV/monitor typ­ically has separate audio and video
input jacks.

Note to the CATV System Installer

This reminder is provided to call the
CATV system installer’s attention to arti­cle 820-40 of the NEC that provides
guidelines for proper grounding and, in
particular, specifies that the cable
ground shall be connected to the ground­ing system of the building, as close to the
point of cable entry as practical.

:

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Connecting a Standard TV

Follow these steps to connect the VCP to a standard TV that has a 75-ohm cable jack,
but does not have separate audio and video input jacks.

1. Disconnect the antenna or cable wi re from y our TV’s VHF ant enna termin al and
connect it to the VCP’s

:

Notes

ANT.IN

terminal.

• If your antenna has a 300-ohm wire, connect the wire to the 300-ohm terminals

on the supplied 3 00-to-75-ohm adapter. Then connect the adapter ’s 75-ohm
plug to the VCP’s

ANT. IN

terminal.

• If you have a VHF/UHF spl itter connected to your TV, disconnect the antenna

wire from the splitter’s input terminal and leave the splitter connected to the TV.

• If you have a separate UHF antenna, leave the UHF antenna wire connected

to the TV.

2. Using the supplied 75-ohm coaxial cable, connect the VCP’s

RF.OUT

terminal to

the TV’s VHF antenna terminal (or the splitter’s input terminal).

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Connecting a TV/Monitor

Follow these instructions to connect your VCP to either a TV monitor or a standard TV
that has separate audio and video input jacks.

Connect the VCP’s

AUDIO

and

VIDEO OUT

jacks to the TV/monitor’s audio an d v ideo

input jacks using video-quality shielded cables (not supplied).

Caution

: You must use v ideo-quality cable for this type of conne ction. Do not use

standard audio cable. Your local Radio Shack store sells the proper type of cable.

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