Optimus 14-1169, Micro-41, 05A99 User Manual

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Cat. No. 14-1169

OWNER’S MANUAL

Please read before using this equipment.

Micro-41

Micro Recorder

with Voice Zoom

and VOX

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FEATURES

Your Optimus Micro-41 Micro Recorder
with Voice Zoom and VOX is ideal for qu ick
note-taking. Its ultra-small size makes it
easy to slip into a pocket or briefcase. You
can use it at school, at busin ess confe ren c­es, for dictation in the office, or anywhere
on the go! You can record manually or set
the recorder so sound activates recording.

Your recorder includes these features:

Voice-Activated Recording (VOX)

records when it picks up s ound and stops a
few seconds after the sound stops.

—

Voice Zoom

— a special circuit separates
voice recordings from a noisy background
adding clarity to the voices.

Index Marker

— lets you mark the begin-

ning of a recorded section.

Tape Speed Switch

— lets you record and
play back tape at a slower speed which
provides t wice t he re cordin g/pl aybac k time

©

1999 Tandy Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.
Optimus and RadioShac k are regist ere d
trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.

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or at normal speed for maximum sound
quality.

Auto Stop

— stops the tape movement
when the recorder reaches the end of the
tape during recording or playback.

Tape Counter with Reset Button

— lets
you note specific points in a tape for later
reference.

Quick Record

— lets you instantly change

from playback to recording.

Built-In Microphone and Speaker

— let

you record and play back notes anyw he re.

External Microphone Jack

— lets you

use an external, wide range microphone.

Earphone Jack

— lets you use an optional

earphone for private listening.

Fast Play

— lets you play a tape back
about 30% faster than normal speed, to
save time.

Automatic Level Control (ALC) Circuit

— automatically sets the recordi ng lev el .

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Three Power Options

— you can power
the recorder from sta ndard AC po wer u sing
an optional AC adapter, two AA batteries
(not supplied) or a vehicle’s battery using
an optional DC adapter.

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CONTENTS

Preparation ............................................ 7

Connecting Power ........................... 7

Using Batteries ......................... 7

Using AC Power ....................... 9

Using Vehicle Battery Power... 10

Connecting an Earphone ....... 12

Listening Safel y ...................... 13

Traffic Safety ........................... 14

Connecting an

External Microphone ..................... 15

Operation ............................................. 16

Loading a Microcassette Tape ....... 16

Recording ...................................... 17

Voice Activated (VOX)

Recording ............................... 17

Manual Recording .................. 20

Quick Record .......................... 21

Using Voice Zoom .................. 21

Playing a Tape ............................... 21

Rewinding/Fast-Forwarding .... 23

Quick Review ................................. 24

Using the Tape Counter ................. 24

Using Index Marker ....................... 25

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Tape Tips ............................................. 26

Storing Cassette Tapes ................. 26

Preventing Accidental Erasure ...... 26

Erasing Tapes ............................... 27

Care ..................................................... 28

Cleaning the

Tape-Handling Parts ...................... 29

Specifications ..................................... 31

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PREPARATION

CONNECTING POWER

Using Batteries

You can power your recorder with two AA
batteries (not supplied). For the best per­formance and longest life, we recommend
RadioShack alkaline batteries.

Warning:

ly; do not bury or burn them.

Cautions

Dispose of old batter ies prompt-

:

• Use only fresh batteries of the
required size and recommended type.

• Never leave dead or weak batteries in
the Micro-41. Batteries ca n leak c hem­icals that can destroy electronic cir­cuits.

• Do not mix old and new batteries, dif­ferent types of batteries (standard,
alkaline, or rechargeable), or re­chargeable batteries of different
capacities.

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1. Slide the battery compartment cover i n
the direction of the arrow.

2. Insert the batteries into the compart­ment and on top of the attached rib­bon, as indicated by the polarity
symbols (+ and –) marked inside.

3. Replace the cover.

Notes:

• If the RECORD/BATTERY indicator
lights dimly or does not light at all dur­ing use, replace the batteries.

• If you do not plan to use the Micro-41
for several days, or if you plan to use

8

!

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only AC or vehicle battery power,
remove the batteries.

Using AC Power

You can power the Micro-41 from an AC
outlet, using an AC adapter (not supplied),
available at your local RadioShack store.

Cautions:

You must use a Class 2
power source that supplies

3V volts DC and delivers at
least 300 mA. Its center tip must be
set to positive and its plug must fit the
Micro-41's
mended adapter meets these specifi­cations. Using an adapter that does
not meet these specifications could
damage the Micro-41 or the adapter.

• Always plug the AC adapter in to the
Micro-41 before you plug it into the AC
outlet, and unplug the adapter from
the AC outlet before you unplug it from
the Micro-41.

DC 3V

jack. The recom-

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Follow these steps to power the Micro-41
from standard AC power.

M
IC

D
C
3
V

RadioSnack

1. Set the AC adapter's voltage switch to
3V.

2. Inser t the 3.4 mm outer diameter/1.3
mm inner diameter barrel plug into the
AC adapter's cord to read TIP+.

Inserting the barrel plug into the

Note:

Micro-41's

jack disconnects the

DC 3V

internal batteries.

3. Plug the adapter’s other end into a
standard AC outlet.

Using Vehicle Battery Power

You can powe r the Micro-41 fr om a vehi­cle's batter y using a DC adapter ( not sup­plied), avai lable at your local Ra dioShack
store.

10

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Cautions

:

You must use a power source
that supplies 3 volts DC and

delivers at least 300 mA. Its
center tip must be set to positive and
its plug must fit the Micro-41's

DC 3V

jack. The recommended adapter
meets these specifications. Using an
adapter that does not meet these
specifications could damage the
Micro-41 or the adapter.

• Always plug the DC adapter into the
Micro-41 before you plug it into the
cigarette-lighter socket, and unplug
the adapter from the cigarette-lighter
socket before you unplug it from the
Micro-41.

Follow these steps to power the Micro-41
from your vehicle's battery.

M
I

C

D
C
3
V

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1. Set the DC adapter's voltage switch to
3V.

2. Attach the 3.4 mm outer diameter/1.3
mm inner diameter barrel plu g with the
tip set to positive (+).

3. Insert the barrel plug into the Micro­41's
internal batteries.

4. Plug the other end of the DC adapter
into the vehicle's cigarette-lighter
socket.

jack. This disconnects any

DC 3V

CONNECTING AN
EARPHONE

You can use an optional mono earphone

1

with a
tape privately.

/8-inch (3.5mm) plug to listen to a

Notes:

• You can also use a n e arphone to mo n­itor what the recorder picks up through
the internal or an external micr ophone .

• Your local RadioShack store carries a
wide selection of earphones.

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Insert the earphone's plug into the record­er's

jack. The internal speaker auto-

EAR

matically disconnects.

Earphone Jack

Listening Safely

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

• Set the volume to the lowest setting

before you begin listening. After you
begin listening, adjust the volume to a
comfortable listening level.

• Do not listen at extremely high volume

levels. Extended high-volume listen­ing can lead to permanent hearing
loss.

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

Traffic Safety

• Do not wear an earphone while oper­ating a motor vehicle or riding a bicy­cle. This can create a traffic hazard
and could be illegal in some areas.

• Even though some earphones let you
hear outside sounds when listening at
normal volume levels, they still can
present a traffic hazard.

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CONNECTING AN
EXTERNAL MICROPHONE

You can use an optional microphone with a

1

/8-inch (3.5mm) plug to extend the record­ing range. Your local RadioShack store
carries a wide selection of microphones.

Insert the microphone’s plug into the re­corder’s
automatically disconnects.

jack. The built-in microphone

MIC

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OPERATION

LOADING A
MICROCASSETTE TAPE

We recommend MC-60 microcas-

Note:

sette tapes for up to 2 hours of recording/
playback time, or MC-90 microcassette
tapes for up to 3 hours of recording/play­back time. We do not recommend long­playing microcassette tapes such as MC­120s because they are extremely thin and
can easily tangle in the playback mecha­nism.

Follow these steps to load a microcassette
tape.

1. Use a pencil to turn the microcas­sette's hub and remove any tape
slack. Avoid touching the tape.

2. Press

16

STOP/EJECT.

partment door opens.

The cassette com-

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3. Insert the microcassette into the
door's guides with the tape’s open
edge facing out and the full reel posi­tioned toward the top of the recorder.

4. Close the door.

RECORDING

Cautions:

• Do not change the tape speed while
recording.

• Do not force down
sette erase-protection tab is not in
place (see “Preventing Accidental Era­sure” on Page26).

when a cas-

REC

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Voice Activated (VOX) Recording

Follow these steps to have the recorder
start and stop recording automatically
based on sound it detects.

1. Set

2. Load a tape.

3. Set
recorder as foll o w s:

to ON.

VOX

TAPE SPEED

on the side of the

• To double the tape’s recording/play-

back time, set

TA PE SPEED

This setting allows 120 minutes of
total recording/playback time on an
MC-60 tape, or 180 minutes on an
MC-90 tape.

18

to

1.2

.

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• For better sound quality, set
to

SPEED

. This setting allows 60

2.4

minutes of total recording/playback
time on an MC-60 tape, or 90 min­utes on an MC-90 tape.

4. Press

REC
RECORD/BATTERY

right of the tape counter

Notes

•The

to begin recording. Both

REC

and

lock down, and the

PLAY

indicator (to the

:

VOL/MIC SENS

lights.

)

setting deter­mines the sound level that activates
the VOX circuit and starts record­ing. At higher settings, a softer
sound starts VOX recording. At
lower settings, a louder sound
starts VOX recording.

• The built-in automatic level control
(ALC) automatically sets the
recording level once recording
starts.

• When you use the VOX feature,
recording begins when the recorder
picks up sound and stops a few
seconds after the sound stops.

TA P E

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5. Recording stops when the tape
reaches the end of the cassette. To
stop it sooner, press

STOP/EJECT

.

Manual Recording

1. Set

VOX

to

OFF

.

2. Load a tape.

to

3. Set

TAPE SPEED

recording time, or to

to double the

1.2

for better

2.4

sound quality.

4. Press

REC (PLAY

also locks down).
Recording starts, the built in automatic
level control sets the recording level,
and

RECORD/BATTERY

lights.

5. For maximum clarity, place the
recorder as close to the sound source
as possible, with no thing between t he
source and the recorder that might
block the sound.

6. To temporarily stop recording, slide

to ON. To resume recording,

PAU SE

slide

PAU S E

back.

7. Recording automatically stops when
the tape reaches its end. To stop
recording sooner, press

STOP/EJECT.

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Quick Record

During playback, you can press
gin recording without pressing

to be-

REC

STOP/EJECT

first.

Using Voice Zoom

To record a speake r’s vo ice in a nois y env i­ronment, set

VOICE ZOOM

to ON. Voice
Zoom uses specia l f ilt er c irc ui ts to enhance
and separate voices from background
sounds resulting in greater voice clarity
during playback.

: The setting of

Note

the sound

VOI CE ZOOM

during recording. The

only

affects

switch’s setting during playback has no ef­fect.

PLAYING A TAPE

1. Load the microcassette tape.

2. Set

TAPE SPEED

when the tape was recorded.

3. To listen to the tape at normal speed,
press

PLAY

to the speed used

. To listen to the tape at

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about 30% faster than normal speed,
set

TAPE SPEED

to

FAST PLAY

.

4. Adjust
listening level.

5. Press

22

VOL/ MI C S EN S

STOP/EJECT

to a comfortable

to stop playback.

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Rewinding/Fast-Forwarding

Slide

REW/REVIEW FAST-F/CUE

to rapidly rewind a tape, or to

VIEW

to fast-forward a tape.

CUE

Caution:

parts, pres s

VIEW FAST-F/CUE

To protect the tape-handling

STOP/EJECT

to the center when the

to

or slide

REW/RE-

FAST-F/

REW/RE-

tape reaches the end.
To hear the tape play as it fast-forwards or

rewinds, slide

REW/REVIEW

REW/REVIEW FAST-F/CUE

or

FAST-F/CUE

during play-

to

back, When you release the switch, normal
playback resumes.

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QUICK REVIEW

During recording, slide

to

F/CUE

REW/REVIEW

REW/REVIEW FAST-

to hear a portion of
what you have just recorded without first
pressing

REC

STOP/EJECT

to resume recording.

then

PLAY

. Press

USING THE TAPE
COUNTER

You can use the tape c ounter to note differ­ent locations on your tape during recording
or playback.

RECORDRECORD

Before playi ng or recordi ng a tape, rew ind
the tape completely and press the counter
reset button to set the counter to
the tape moves, the counter advances.

000

. As

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USING INDEX MARKER

Follow these steps to use

INDEX MARKER

to add a special tone to a tape so you can
quickly find that point using the review con­trols.

1. To mark the beginning of a recorded
section, press and hold down

MARKER,

on the back of the recorder,

INDEX

for at least 3 seconds during record­ing.

RECORD/BATTERY

turns off
while the Micro-41 records an index
marker tone on the tape starting at the
moment you press

INDEX MARKER

Repeat this step for each desired ref­erence point.

2. Once you have completed recording,
press

3. Slide

REW/REVIEW

or to

to begin play.

PLAY

REW/REVIEW FAST-F/CUE

to rapidly rewind a tape,

FAST-F/CUE

to fast-forward a

to

tape. As the tape moves while rewind­ing, you hear the tone index markers
you have previously recorded, letting
you stop at sta rting points or se parator
points in your tape.

.

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TAPE TIPS

STORING CASSETTE
TAPES

Do not expose microcassette tapes to high
temperatures, high hu mi dit y, du st or di rt, or
motors, transformers, or other sources of
strong magnetic fields.

PREVENTING
ACCIDENTAL ERASURE

Microcassette tapes have two erase­protection tabs — one for each side.
When a tab is in place, you can record
on that side.

To prevent accidental erasure of a tape
recording, use a screwdriver to remove
one or both of the cassette tape’s erase
protection tabs. This prevents
being pressed.

Side A Tab

REC

from

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If you later decide to record on a tape side
after you have re moved the er ase-protec­tion tab, place a piece of strong plastic
tape over that side’s erase-protection
hole. Be sure you cover only the hole orig­inally covered by the er ase - prot ect io n tab.

Caution:

tabs does not prevent a bulk eraser from
erasing a microcassette tape.

Removing the erase-protection

ERASING TAPES

To record over a microcassette tape, sim­ply record as usual. The cassette deck
records over the previous recording.

You can quickly erase both sides of a cas­sette tape using a RadioShack bulk tape
eraser.

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CARE

To enjoy your Your Optimus Micro-41 Mi­cro Recorder for a long time:

• Keep the recorder dry. If it gets wet,
wipe it dry immediately.

• Handle the recorder gently and care­fully. Don’t drop it.

• Use and store the re co rder only in nor­mal temperature environments.

• Keep the recorder away from dust and
dirt .

• Wipe the recorder with a damp cloth
occasionally to keep it looking new.

Modifying or tampering with the recorder's
internal components can cause a malfunc­tion and might invalidate the recorder's
warranty. I f your recorder is n ot operating
as it should, take it to your local Ra­dioShack store for assistance.

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CLEANING THE TAPE­HANDLING PARTS

Dirt, dust or particles of the tape's coating
can accumulate on the tape heads and
other parts that the tape touches. This can
greatly red uce the perf ormance of the Mi­cro-41. After every 20 hours of tape player
operation, follow these steps to clean the
tape-handling parts or use a RadioShack
microcassette deck cleaning kit.

1. Remove the batteries and disconnect
any other power source.

2. Open the cassette compartment door
and press
handling parts.

to expose the tape-

PLAY

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3. Use a cotton swab dipped in tape
head cleaning solution or denatured
alcohol to gently cl ean the record/play­back head, pinch roller, capstan and
tape guides.

Tape Guides

Record/Playback Head

Pinch Roller

4. Press

STOP/EJ ECT

Capstan

to release the
tape-handling parts. Then close the
cassette compartment cover and
reconnect power.

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SPECIFICATIONS

Tape Type ........................... Microcassette

Tracks ........ 2 Tracks, 1 Channel Monaural

Drive System ..................... Capstan Drive

Tape Speed ...... 2.4 cm/sec. (

1.2 cm/sec. (

Recording Time
(with MC-60 Microcassette):

2.4 cm/sec. .................. 30 min. per side

1.2 cm/sec. .................. 60 min. per side

Max. Output ................................ 270 mW

Frequency Response ......... 400–4,000 Hz

Power Sources:

Internal Batteries ................. 3 Volts DC,

15

/16 ips) and

15

/32 ips)

at 2.4 cm/sec.

Two AA Batteries

AC Power .......... 120V with AC Adapter

V ehicle Battery ...... 12V with DC Adapter

Dimensions (HWD) ....... 5.0 × 2.5 × 1.0 in.

(126 × 62 × 26 mm)

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Typical Cassette Recording Time

(with Alkaline Batteries) .............. 18 Hours

Weight (with batteries) ... 7.0 oz (198.45 g)
Specifications are typical; individual units

might vary. Specifications are subject to
change and improvement without notice.

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NOTES

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Limited Ninety-Day W a rranty

This product is warrant ed by Ra dioSha ck again st man­ufacturing defects in mate rial and workm anship under
normal use for ninety (90) days from the date 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 WRITTEN LIMITED WARRAN­TIES CONTAINED HEREIN. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED
HEREIN, RadioShack SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY OR
RESPONSIBILITY TO CUSTOMER OR ANY OT HER
PERSON OR ENTITY WITH RESPECT TO ANY LIA­BILITY, LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY BY USE OR PERFORMANCE OF T HE
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 damag es, 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 pur c ha s e d ate to any RadioShack stor e . Ra ­dioShack will, at its option, unless otherwise provided
by law: (a) correct the defect by product repair withou t
charge for parts and labo r ; (b) replace the pr oduct wi th
one of the same or similar design; or (c) refund the pur­chase price. All r epla ced pa rts and produ cts, and pr od­ucts on which a refund is made, become the property of
RadioShack.

(Continued)

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(Continued)

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, set­up 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,

200 Taylor St., 6th Floor, Fort Worth, TX 76102

We Service What We Sell

04/99

RadioShack

A Division of Tandy Corporation

Fort Worth, Texas 76102

05A99 Printed in Hong Kong