Optimus SCP-97 User Manual

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Cat. No. 14-1244

OWNER’S MANUAL

Please read before using this equipment.

A

SCP-97

Auto Reverse AM/FM Stereo

Cassette Player

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FEATURES

Your Optimus SCP-97 Auto Reverse AM/FM Stereo
Cassette Player is a lightweight, portable AM/FM ra­dio with a cassette player and built-in speaker. You
can enjoy cassette tapes or the radio with others
through the mono speaker or you can connect stereo
headphones (not supplied) for private stereo listen­ing.

Its features include:
Extended Bass — lets you increase your music’s

bass sound.
Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) — keeps the

radio’s receiver tuned to the selected broadcast fre­quency.

Auto-Rev erse Pla y — automatically plays the other
side of the tape when the side currently playing ends,
for continuous playback.

1999 Tandy Corporation.

©

Adaptaplug, Optimus, and RadioShack are registered trademarks

All Rights Reserved.

used by Tandy Corporation.

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Direction Switch — lets you ch ange the tape’ s di­rection to play the other side without removing the
tape from the cassette player.

Three Power Sources — let you power the SCP-97
from two AA batteries (not supplied), standard AC
power (using an optional AC ad apter), or a vehicle’s
DC power (using an optional DC adapter).

Removable Belt Clip — allows hands-free carrying
so you can take the SCP-97 anywhere you go.

Note: To listen to your SCP-97 privately or in stereo,
you need a pai r o f h ead pho nes or amplified s pea ke rs

1

(not supplied) with a

/8-inch mini plug. Your local Ra­dioShack store sells a wide variety of headphones
and speakers.

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CONTENTS

Preparation ............................................................ 5

Power Sources ..................................................... 5

Using Internal Battery Power ............................... 5

Using AC Power ................................................... 7

Using Vehicle Battery Power ................................ 9

Connecting Headphones/Speakers ................... 11

Listening Safely ............................................... 12

Traffic Safety ................................................... 12

Connecting the Antenna .................................... 13

Using the Belt Clip ............................................. 14

Radio Operation .................................................. 15

Cassette Operation ............................................. 19

Playing a Cassette Tape .................................... 19

Using Fast-Forward and Rewind ........................ 22

Tape Tips ........................................................... 23

Tape Quality .................................................... 23

Restoring Tape Tension and Sound Quality .... 23

Care ...................................................................... 25

Cleaning the Tape-Handling Parts ..................... 26

FCC Information ................................................ 28

Specifications ..................................................... 29

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PREPARATION

POWER SOURCES

You can power your SC P-97 from an y of th ese po wer
sources:

• Internal battery power

• Standard AC po wer

• Vehicle battery power

Note: Connecting an adapter automatically discon­nects internal battery power.

USING INTERNAL BATTERY
POWER

You can power the SCP-97 from two AA batteries
(not supplied). For the best performance, we recom­mend RadioShack alkaline batteries.

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Cautions:

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

• Do not mix old and new batteries, different types
of batteries (standard, alk al ine, or rechargeab l e),
or rechargeable batteries of different capacities.

Follow these steps to install batteries.

illus

1. Press down on the battery compartment cover
and slide it off in the direction of the arrow.

2. Install the batteries as indicated by the polarity
symbols (+ and –) marked next to the compart­ment, with the back battery over the ribbon.

3. Replace the cover .

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When the sound distorts or weakens, replace the
batteries.

Warning: Dispose of old batteries promptly and
properly. Do not burn or bury them.

Caution: If you do not plan to use the SCP-97 for a
week or more, or if you plan to power it using only an
AC or DC adapter, remove the batteries. Batteries
can leak chemicals that destroy electronic parts.

USING AC POWER

You can power the SCP-97 using an 3V, 300-mA AC
adapter and a size H Adaptaplug
Both are available at your local RadioShack store.

Cautions:

You must use a Clas s 2 power sour ce
that supplies 3V DC and delivers at

!

least 300 mA. Its ce nter tip must b e set

to negative and its plug must fit the SCP-97's

®

(neither supplied).

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DC3V

jack. Using an adapter that does not meet
these specifications could damage the SCP-97
or the adapter.

• Always connect the AC adapter to the SCP-97
before you connect it to AC power. When you
finish, disconnect the adapter from AC power
before you disconnect it from the SCP-97.

Follow these steps to pow er th e SCP-97 from a sta n­dard AC outlet.

1. Set the adapter’s voltage switch to 3V.

2. Insert the size H Adaptaplug into the adapter’s
cord with the tip set to negative (–).

3. Insert the adapter’s ba rrel plug into th e SCP-97’s

DC3V jack.

4. Plug the adapter into a standard AC outlet.

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USING VEHICLE BATTERY
POWER

You can power the SCP-97 from a vehicle’s 12V
power source (such as cigarette-lighter socket) using
a 3V, 300-mA DC adapter and a size H Adaptaplug
(neither supplied). Both are available at your local
RadioShack store.

Cautions:

You must use a power source that
supplies 3V DC and delivers at least

!

300 mA. Its center tip must be set to
negative and its plug must fit the SCP-97's
jack. Using an adapter that does not meet these
specifications could damage the SCP-97 or the
adapter.

• Always connect the DC adapter to the SCP-97
before you connect it to the power source. When
you finish , di sc o nnec t t h e adap t e r fr om t he po w ­er source before you dis conn ect it fro m the SCP-

97.

DC3V

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Follow these steps to power the SCP-97 fr om a vehi­cle’s battery.

illus

1. Set the adapter’s voltage switch to 3V.

2. Insert the size H Adaptaplug into the adapter’s
cord with the tip set to negative (–).

3. Insert the adapter’s barrel plug into the SCP-97’s

DC3V jack.

4. Plug th e adap ter in to a vehic le’s cigarette -lig hter
socket.

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CONNECTING HEADPHONES/
SPEAKERS

You can enjoy the SCP-97’s sound through its built­in monaural speaker. Or, you can connect stereo
headphones or amplified speakers that have a 1/8­inch stereo plug to the SCP-97 for stereo sound.
Your local RadioShack store sells a wide variety of
stereo headphones and amplified speakers.

Connect stereo headphones or amplified speakers

1

with a

/8-inch stereo plug to the

illus

/ANT.

jack.

Connecting headphones or external speakers

Note:

automatically disconnects the internal speaker.

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Listening Safely

To protect your hea ring , follow these gu ide lin es w he n
you use headphones.

• Set the volume to the lowest setting before you
begin listening. After you begin listening, adjust
the volume 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 the volume level,
so a volume level that does not cause discomfort
might still damage your hearing.

Traffic Safety

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

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

CONNECTING THE ANTENNA

When you connect headphones or amplified speak­ers, the headphones’ or speakers’ cord acts as the
FM antenna, so be sure to fully extend the cord.
When not using headphones or amplified speakers,
you can connect the supplied antenna for better re­ception of FM stations.

1

To connect the supplied antenna, insert its
plug into the

/ANT.

jack.

illus

/8-inch

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USING THE BELT CLIP

The supplied belt clip lets you keep your hands free
while you listen to the SCP-97. To atta ch the bel t clip,
slide it into the slots on the back of the SCP-97 and
push up until it latches in place.

illus

To remove the belt clip, push down on the tab and
slide it off in the direction of the arrow marked on the
tab.

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RADIO OPERATION

1. Set

TAPE• •RADIO

2. Adjust

VOLUME

to

illus

to its lowest level.

illus

RADIO

.

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3. Set FM • • • AM to select the desired band.

illus

Position Band

Left FM STEREO
Center FM MONO
Right AM

4. Turn TUNING to select the desired station.

illus

5. Adjust VOLUME to a comfortable listening level.

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Notes:

• The AM antenna is built-in. Rotate the cas­sette player to improve AM reception.

• For the bes t FM re ce pti on, fully ex te nd the FM
antenna wire or the headphones’ or speakers’
cord (whichever is connected).

• The FM STEREO indicator lights when the
SCP-97 receives an FM broadcast in stereo.

• To improve reception of weak FM radio sta­tions, set

• • • AM to the ce nter p ositi on to

FM

select the FM monaural band. The sound is
no longer in stereo, but reception should
improve.

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6. Set EXTENDED BASS to ON for an enhanced
bass effect. Set it to

OFF for normal bass sound.

illus

TAPE• •RADIO to TAPE to turn off the radio.

7. Set

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CASSETTE OPERATION

PLAYING A CASSETTE TAPE

1. Take up any slack in the tape
by turning the cassette’s hub
with a pencil. Do not touch
the exposed tape.

2. Pull open the cassette com­partment door.

3. With its open edge facing up, insert the cassette
tape into the cassette guides on the door.

illus

illus

illus

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4. Close t he door.

TAPE• •RADIO to TAPE .

5. Set

illus

6. Press PLAY. The button locks down and play
begins.

illus

Note:

The SCP-97 automatically plays the tape’s
other side when the current side ends. To play
the other side sooner, set

DIRECTION to its other

position.

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7. Adjust VOLUME to the desired listening level.

illus

8. Set

EXTENDED BASS to ON for an enhanced

bass effect. Set it to

OFF for normal bass sound.

illus

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9. To stop playback, press ■ STOP.

illus

USING FAST-FORWARD
AND REWIND

To fast-forward the tape, press or (whichever
is the same direction as tape play). To rewind the
tape, press or (which ever is the oppos ite di­rection of tape play.)

illus

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The tape automatic ally s tops w hen i t reache s the en d
(but you must press ■
stop the tape before it reaches the end, press ■

STOP sooner.

STOP to release or ). To

TAPE TIPS

Tape Quality

For the best performance, use only regular length
(60- or 90-min ute ) ca ssett e tape s. W e do not rec om­mend long-playing cassette tapes, such as C-120s,
because they are extremely thin and can easily tan­gle in the playback mechanis m.

Restoring Tape Tension and Sound
Quality

After you play a cassette tape several times, the tape
might becom e tightly wound on th e reels. This can
cause playback sound quality to deteriorate.

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To restore the sound quality, fast-forward the tape
from the beginning to the end of one side, then com­pletely rewind it. Then loos en th e tape reels by gently
tapping each side of the cassette’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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CARE

Your Optimus SCP-97 Auto-Reverse AM/FM Stereo
Cassette Player is an example of superior design
and craftsmanship. The following suggestions will
help you care for the SCP-97 so you can enjoy it for
years.

• Keep the SCP-97 dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry

immediately.

• Use and store the SCP-97 only in normal tem-

perature environments.

• Handle the SCP-97 gently and carefully. Don’t

drop it.

• Keep the SCP-97 away from dust and dirt.

• Occasionally wipe the SCP-97 with a damp cloth

to keep it looking new.

Modifying or tampering with the SCP-97’s internal
components ca n cause a malfuncti on and might in­validate its warranty and vo id yo ur FC C autho r ization
to operate it. If your SCP-97 is not performing as it
should, take it to your local RadioShack store for as­sistance.

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CLEANING THE TAPE-HANDLING
PARTS

Dirt, dust, or particles of the tape’s coating can accu­mulate on the tape head and other parts tha t the tape
touches. This can reduce the SCP-97’s performance.

Follow these steps to clean the tape-handling parts
after about every 20 hours of tape player operation.

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

2. Open the cassette compartment door.

3. Press

4. Use a cotton swab dipped in denatured alcohol
or tape head cleaning solution to clean the play­back head, pinch rollers, capstans and tape
guides.

to expose the tape-handling parts.

PLAY

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illus

5. When you finish cleaning, press ■ STOP and
close the compartment, then reconnect power.

Note:

Your local RadioShack store has a complete

line of cassette deck cleaning accessories.

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FCC INFORMATION

This equipment complies with the limits for a Class B
digital device as specified in Part 15 of
These limits provide reasonable protection against
radio and TV interference in a residential area. How­ever, your equipment might cause TV or radio inter­ference even when it is operating properly. To
eliminate interference, you can try one or more of the
following corrective measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

• Increase the distance between the equipment
and the radio or TV

• Use outlets on different electrical circuits for the
equipment and the radio or TV

Consult you r local Radio S hack store if t he problem
still exists.

FCC Rules

.

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SPECIFICATIONS

GENERAL

Power Requirements ........ 3 Volts DC, 300 Milliamps

Two AA Batteries, 3-Volt AC Adapter,

or 3-Volt DC Adapter

Battery Life (Alkaline) ...................... About 14 Hours

Dimensions ......................... 3

Weight (Without Batteries) .............................. 9.7 oz

RADIO

AM

Frequency Range ............ 530–1710 kHz Sensitivity

S/N .................. 800 µV/m Selectivity ±10 kHz 18 dB

Headphone Output Power @ 10% THD ....... 18 mW

1

/2 × 51/8 × 19/16 Inches
(88 × 129.5 × 40 mm)

(274 g)

@ 20dB

Speaker Output Power @ 10% THD ............. 30 mW

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FM

Frequency Range ................................ 88–108 MHz

Usable Sensitivity ..........................................15 mW

Output Power @ 10% THD ............................ 10 mW

Selectivity ± 400 kHz ....................................... 15 dB

CASSETTE PLAYER

Tape System ..................................... 4-Track, Stereo

Tape Speed ...........................1

7

/8 Inches per Second

Frequency Response ...........125 Hz to 6.3 kHz ±3dB

Signal-to-Noise Ratio ...................................... 40 dB

Wow and Flutter ................................................ 0.4%

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

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Limited Ninety-Day Warranty

This product is warranted by RadioShack against manufacturing defects
in material and workmanship 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 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
RadioShack 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.

(Continued)

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(Continued)

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.

This warranty does not cover: (a) damage or failure caused by

RadioShack Customer Relations,

200 Taylor Street, 6th Floor, Fort Worth, TX 76102

We Service What We Sell

04/99

RadioShack

A Division of Tandy Corporation

Fort Worth, Texas 76102

08A99 Printed in Hong Kong