Optimus SYSTEM 746 User Manual

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Micro Stereo Component System

Cat. No. 13-1294

OWNER’S MANUAL

Please read before using this equipment.

System 746

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FEATURES

Your Optimus System 746 Micro
Stereo Component System of fers all
the versatile features you need for
excellent audio entertainment, all in
one compact package.

The system includes a top-loading
CD player with a 32-track program­mable memory, an AM/FM stereo
tuner, a cassette deck with auto­stop, two 2-wa y speakers with 4- inch
woofers and piezo tweeters, a re­mote control, and a variety of special
features.

System Featur es

Memory Tunin

and easily select up t o 30 of your f a­vorite AM and FM radio stations.

Remote C ontrol

most of the system’s function s from
a distance.

Di

ital C lock

time display even when the system
is turned off.

— lets you store

—

lets you control

—

gives you a digital

CD Player

—

Automatic Search

quickly locate and play any track on
the loaded CD.

—

Intro Scan

10 seconds of each track on a CD.

Audible Search

locate a particular section of a track
while it is pla y ing.

Repeat Pla

track or a programmed sequence of
tracks.

Random Pla

in random order.

Pro

rammable Pla

program up to 32 tracks to play in
any order you choose.

5- or 3-Inch CD Compatible

you play either type of CD

lets you play the first

æ

— repeats a single

— plays all the tracks

lets you

lets you quickly

— lets you

æ lets

.

Cassette Player

—

Wake-Up Timer

system to automat ically turn itsel f on
at a set time and play a radio station,
CD, or cassette tape you select.

Sleep Timer

tem to automatically turn itself off.

Optimus and RadioShack are registered trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.

2

—

lets you se t the

lets you set the sys-

© 1997 Tandy Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

Multiple Source Recordin

you record onto a cassette tape from
either the CD player or the radio.

Automatic Level Control

matically adjusts the recording level.

— lets

—

auto-

CAUTION

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Auto-Stop —

protects the tape and
tape-handling parts by automatically
stopping the tape when it finishes
playing, rewinding, or fast-forwarding.

Note: The System 746 requires two
AAA batteries (not supplied) for the re­mote control and two AA batteries (not
supplied) for memory backup.

Important: Most material on compact
discs and prerecorded tapes is copy­righted. Unauthorized duplication of
copyrighted material is a violation of
the copyright laws of most countries
and such duplication may result in
fines and/or imprisonment. Note, how­ever, that in the United States, it is not
a violation of U.S. copyright laws for a
consumer to use an audio recording
device to duplicate musical recordings
for noncommercial (personal) use.

Compact discs that you
can play on your sys­tem’s CD player have
this mark on them:

We recommend you record your sys­tem’s serial number here. The number
is on the back panel.

Warning: To prevent f ire or shoc k
hazard, do not expose this prod­uct to rain or moisture.

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 inten ded to alert yo u
to the p r es en c e o f un in su lated d an ­gerous voltage within the product’s
enclosure that mi ght be of suff icient
magnitude to constitute a risk of
electric shock. Do not open the
product’s case.

This symbol is intended to inform
you that important operating and

!

maintenance instructions are in­cluded in the literature accompany­ing this product.

!

Warnings:

• This system uses a laser light
beam. Only a qualified service
person should remove the cover
or attempt to service this device,
due to possible eye injury.

Serial Number: ________________

• The use of controls, adjustm ents,
or procedures other than those
specified herein may result in haz­ardous radiation exposure.

The graphical symbols with supple­mental markings are located on the
back of the system.

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FCC INFORMATION

This system complies with the limits
for a Class B digital device as speci­fied in Part 15 of
limits provide reasonable protection
against TV or radio interference in a
residential area. However, your sys­tem might cause TV or radio interf er­ence even when it is operating
properly.

To eliminate interference, you can try
one or more of the following corrective
measures.

• Reorient or relocate the TV or ra­dio’s receiving antenna.

FCC Rules

. These

• Increase the distance between the
system and the TV or radio.

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

Consult your local RadioShack store if
the problem still exists.

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CONTENTS

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

Connecting the Speakers . ............................................................................... 7

Connecting the AM Loop Antenna .................................................................. 7

Connecting the FM Antenna ........................................................................... 7

Connecting to Power ....................................................................................... 8

Installing Batteries ........................................................................................... 8

In the System ............................................................................................ 8

In the Remote Control .............................................................................. 8

Using Headphones ......................................................................................... 9

Listening Safely ........................................................................................ 9

Basic Operation ................................................................................................. 10

Using the Remote Control ............................................................................. 11

Timer Operation ................................................................................................. 12

Setting the Clock ........................................................................................... 12

Setting a Wake-Up Time ............................................................................... 12

Setting the Sleep Timer ................................................................................. 13

Tuner Operation ................................................................................................. 15

Automatic Tuning .......................................................................................... 16

Memory Tuning ............................................................................................. 16

Storing Stations in Memory Manually ..................................................... 16

Storing Stations in Memory Automatically .............................................. 16

Selecting Stations Stored in Memory ..................................................... 16

CD Pla

er Operation .......................................................................................... 17

Loading a CD ................................................................................................ 17

Playing a CD ................................................................................................. 17

Automatic Skip .............................................................................................. 18

Audible Search .............................................................................................. 18

Random Play ................................................................................................ 18

Repeat Play .................................................................................................. 19

Intro Play ....................................................................................................... 20

Programmed Play ......................................................................................... 20

Programming and Playing a Sequence of Tracks .................................. 20

Reviewing the Programmed Sequence .................................................. 21

Erasing the Programmed Sequence ...................................................... 21

CD Care Tips ................................................................................................ 21

Cassette Deck Operation .................................................................................. 22

Loading a Cassette Tape .............................................................................. 22

Playing a Cassette Tape ............................................................................... 22

Recording on a Cassette Ta pe ...................................................................... 23

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Recording from the Tuner ....................................................................... 23

Recording from a CD .............................................................................. 24

Timer Recording ...................................................................................... 25

Tape Care Tips . ............................................................................................. 25

Erasing a Cassette Tape ......................................................................... 25

Preventing Accidental Erasure ................................................................ 25

Restoring Tape Tension and Sound Quality .................................................. 26

Care and Maintenance ....................................................................................... 27

Cleaning the Tape-Handling Parts ................................................. .. .......... .... 28

Resetting the System .................................................................................... 28

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

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PREPARATION

Complete all other connections

Note:

before connecting the system to AC
power and turning it on.

CONNECTING THE
SPEAKERS

CONNECTING THE AM
LOOP ANTENNA

Attach the supplied AM loop antenna

AM ANT.

to the
the system.

terminal on the back of

-

+

(R)

and left

(L

L

1. Lift open the red and black
tabs for the right
speaker terminals on the b ack of
the system.

illustration

2. Put the stripped end of the right
speaker’s striped wire into the

+

red terminal, then press the tab
until it clicks back into place.

3. Put the other right speaker’s wire

R

into the
press the tab until it clicks back
into place.

4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 to connect
the left speaker ’s wi res to the
and

black terminal, then

terminals.

-

-

)

Attach the antenna stand and set the
antenna on a flat surface.

R

illustration

illustration

CONNECTING THE FM
ANTENNA

Press the
put the stripped end of the supplied
FM antenna wires into the antenna

+

terminals on the back of the system,
then release the tabs.

FM ANTENNA

terminal tabs,

illustration

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CONNECTING TO
POWER

After you complete all connections,
plug the system’s power cord into a
standard AC outlet. STANDBY
lights and
display.

Warning:

the power cord plug’s blades are po­larized and fit a polarized AC outlet
only one way. If you have difficulty in­serting the plug, do not force it. Turn it
over and reinsert it.

AM 12:00

To prevent electric shock,

appears on the

INSTALLING BATTERIES

In the System

Cautions:

• Always use fresh batteries of the
required size and recommended
type.

• Never leave dead or we ak batter­ies in the system or remote con­trol. Batteries can leak chemicals
that can corrode the control.

1. Press in on the battery compart­ment cover and push in the direc­tion of the arrow, and lift off the
cover.

illustration

2. Put two AA batteries in the com­partment as indicated by the po­larity symbols (+ and –) marked
inside.

3. Replace the cover.

In the Remote Control

The remote control requires two AA A
batteries (not supplied) for power. We
recommend alkaline batteries, such
as RadioShack Cat. No. 23-555 for
the best performance and longest life.

1. Press the tab in the direction of
the arrow and lift off the battery
compartment cover.

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

To retain any preset radio stations
during an AC power loss, install two
alkaline AA batteries (such as Cat.
No. 23-557) into the system’s battery
compartment.

8

illustration

13-129 4.fm Page 9 Wednesday, Ju ly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

2. Install the batteries as indicated
by the polarity symbols (

and -)

+

marked inside the compartment.

illustration

3. Replace the cover.

Caution: If you are n ot going t o use
the remote control for a month or
more, remove its batteries. Batteries
can leak damaging chemicals.

You can use the remote control up to
a distance of a bout 20 feet from the
System 746. If the remote control
operates erratically or does not
work, replace both batteries.

USING HEADPHONES

You can use headpho nes (not sup­plied) to listen in privacy. Insert the
headphones’

ack.

j

1

/8-inch plug into the

• Connecting headphones auto­matically disconnects the speak­ers.

• Your local RadioShack store
sells a wide selection of head­phones.

Listening Safely

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

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

• Set the vol ume to the lowest set­ting before you begin listening.
After you begin listening, adjust
the volume to a comfortable
level.

• 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.

Notes:

illustration

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BASIC OPERATION

Warning:

adjust

To protect your hearing,

VOLUME

to the lowest level

before you turn on the system.
Follow these steps to operate your

system.

POWER

POWER / STANDBY

on the remote control).

1. Press
(

STANDBY turns off, the dis­play lights, and the last selected
system settings appear.

2. Slide

ER

, or CD.

FUNCTION

illustration

TA PE, TUN-

to

4. Adjust

VOLUME DOWN/UP

to a comfortable listening level.

illustration

5. Slide

E-BASS

to

ON

to empha­size bass sounds. To return to
normal bass sounds, slide it to

OFF

.

3. If you selected

TAPE

or
the selected audio source (see
“Cassette Deck Operation” on
Page 22 or “CD Player Opera­tion” on Page 17).

If you selected

TUNER

the desired station (see “Tuner
Operation” on Page 15).

10

CD

, start

, select

illustration

6. To turn off the system, press

POWER/ STANDBY (POWER

on

the remote control) again.

STANDBY lights.

13-129 4.fm Page 11 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

USING THE REMOTE
CONTROL

illustration

The remote control’s buttons have
the same functions as the corre­sponding buttons on the main sys­tem.

Notes:

• Make su re yo u have a cle ar path
between the remote control a nd
the sensor.

• Weak batteries or direct sunlight
on the remote sensor might re­duce the remote control’s oper­ating range.

To use the remote control, point it to­ward the remote sensor on the right
of the system’s display and press
the desired buttons.

illustration

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TIMER OPERA TI O N

SETTING THE CLOCK

1. With power turned on, press

CLOCK

digits appear.

2. Press
minute digits flash.

3. Within 10 seconds, press

HOUR

mote control) to set the desired
hour.

until the hour and minute

illustration

MEMORY

(or

The hour and

.

illustration

TUNING

on the re-

setting the time, start again
from Step 1.

• To rapidly increase or de­crease the hour or minute set­ting, hold down

HOUR

(or

MIN

and

TUNING

and

on the remote control).

5. Press

MEMORY

again or wait un-

til the display stops flashing.

The system always displays the ti me
while power is turned off. To display
the time at any time while power is
turned on, press

CLOCK

.

SETTING A WAKE-UP
TIME

You can set your system to automat­ically turn itself on (like an alarm
clock) and play the last selected ra­dio station, a CD, or a cassette tape.

illustration

4. Press

MIN

TUNING

(or
the remote control) to set the de­sired minute.

illustration

Notes:

• If the hour and minute digits

stop flashing before y ou finish

12

on

To quickly set the wake-up

Note:

timer using the last selected system
setting s (radio statio n, volume le vel,
and so on; except if the cassette
deck is selected), you can leave the
power turned off and skip Steps 5–7
and 9.

1. Press

CLOCK

until

TIMER ON

and the last set wake-up time
appear. Then press

2. Press

TUNING

(or

MIN

MEMORY.

and

HOUR

and on the re­mote control) to set the wake-up
time.

13-129 4.fm Page 13 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

Note: If

TIME ON

disappears
before you finish setting the hour
and minute, start again from
Step 1.

3. Press

CLOCK

until

TIMER OFF

and the last set end time appear.

4. Press

TUNING

(or

MIN

and

and on the re-

HOUR

mote control) to set the end
time.

Note: If

TIMER OFF

disappears
before you finish setting the hour
and minute, start again from
Step 3.

5. Slide

TAPE

or

FUNCTION

to CD,

to select the desired au-

TUNER

dio source.

6. Select the desired radio station,
or load the C D or cassette tape
you want the System 746 to play
when it turns itself on.

Note: If you selected a cassette

PLAY

tape, be sure to press

PAUSE

on the deck.

7. Adjust the volume and set

BASS

for the desired sound.

TIMER

8. Press

TIMER

to turn on the timer.

appears.

and

E-

Notes:

• If you selected a cassette
tape, be sure to release

PAUSE

on the deck after you

turn off the system.

• To cancel the wake-up timer,
press

TIMER

again so

TIMER

disappears.

SETTING THE SLEEP
TIMER

You can set the system to pl ay up t o

,

90 minutes, then automatically turn
off.

Note: You cannot use the wake-up
timer while using the sleep timer.

1. With power turned on slide

FUNCTION
TAPE

to CD,

to select the desired audio

TUNER

, or

source.

2. Tune to the desired AM or FM
radio station, or start the CD or
tape.

3. To turn on the sleep timer, press

SLEEP

and release

on the re-

mote control. You see:

illustration

9. Press

POWER/ STANDBY

turn off the system. The current
time appears dimly.

illustration

to

13

13-129 4.fm Page 14 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

4. To set the sleep timer, repeat­edly press

SLEEP

until the
desired sleep time appears.
Each time you press

SLEEP

, the
displayed sleep time decreases
in 10-minute steps.

The system turns off after the
amount of time you set. To turn off
the sleep timer sooner, repeatedly
press

SLEEP

until

SLEEP

disap-

pears.

14

13-129 4.fm Page 15 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

TUNER OPERATION

1. Slide

FUNCTION

to

TUNER

system automatically tunes to
the station that was playing
when the system was turned off
or when it was last set to

2. Repeatedly press

TUNER

BAND

lect the AM or FM band. The last
selected station in that band ap­pears.

illustration

Notes:

• For the best AM reception, ro­tate the loop antenna.

• For the best FM reception,
fully extend the FM antenna.

. The

to se-

You can also use autom atic tun­ing (see “Automatic Tuning” on
Page 16) or mem ory t uning (see
“Storing Stations in Memory

.

Manually” on Page 16).

Notes:

STEREO

•

appears when the
tuner receives a broadcast in
stereo.

• To improve reception for weak
FM stereo stations, set

MONO

on the back of the sys-

tem to

MONO

so

STEREO

ST./

dis­appears. The sound is no
longer in stereo, but rece ption
should improve.

illustration

3. Press

TUNING

TUNING

or (or

and on the remote
control) to tune to the next high­est or lowest station. The fre­quency changes on the display.

illustration

4. Adjust the volume and set

BASS

for the desired sound.

E-

15

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AUTOMATIC TUNING

You can use automatic tuning to
quickly move up or down to t he next
available station in your area.

Hold down

TUNING

trol) for about 1 second. The tuner
automatically moves up or down the
band and stops when it finds the
next active station.

TUNING

and on the remote con-

or (or

MEMORY TUNING

You can store up to 30 radio stations
in memory .

Note:

You can assign one frequency
to each memory location. When you
assign another frequency to the
same memory location, the new f re­quency replaces the old one.

Storing Stations in Memory
Manually

1. After tuning to the station you
want to store, press

MEMORY
GRAM

appears and

flashes.

MEMORY

PRO-

3. Press
the station in the memory loca­tion.

Note:

fore you store the station, start
again from Step 1.

MEMORY

MEMORY

If

disappears be-

Storing Stations in Memory
Automatically

To have the system automatically
store the first 30 active FM and AM
frequencies it finds, hold down

ORY

for about 3 seconds.
and each memory location number
flash. The system tunes FM frequen­cies first, then AM. When storing is
comple te, all display indica tors stop
flashing and the system automatical­ly tunes to the frequency stored in
memory l ocation 01.

Selecting Stations Stored in
Memory

To recall a preset station, press

PRESET DOWN

desired frequency appears.

.

or

again to store

MEM-

MEMORY

UP

until the

2. While

16

PROGRAM

PRESET DOWN

lect a memory location number.

flashes, press

or

illustration

UP

to se-

illustr a ti on

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13-129 4.fm Page 17 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

CD PLAYER OPERATION

LOADING A CD

1. Slide

2. Press

3. Carefully place a CD over the cen-

FUNCTION

pears.

OPEN

partment.

ter hub, label side up.

OPEN

to CD. CD ap-

to open the C D com-

appears.

illustration

illust ra ti o n

PLAYING A CD

To play a CD, simply press

PAUSE

begins to play from Track 1.
then the elapsed play time appears.

Notes:

• To temporarily stop play, press

PLAY/PAUSE

the elapsed timer stops counting.
To resume play, press

PAUSE

• During playback, if the changer is
subjected to a sudden shock or
jolt, the speed of rotation might
change, or some noise might be
produced. This is not a malfunc­tion.

after you load it. The CD

. app ears and

again.

PLAY/

PLAY/

01

4. After you load the CD, press the
right corner of the door do wn until
it clicks shut. The system displays
the number of tracks and the CD’s
total playing time.

The system automatically stops play
at the end of the CD’s last track.

To stop the CD player at any time dur­ing play, press
number of tracks and playin g time ap­pear.

STOP

. The CD’s total

illust ra ti o n

17

13-129 4.fm Page 18 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

AUTOMATIC SKIP

The automatic skip feature lets you
quickly locate the beginning of any
track on a CD, including the track
currently playing. You can use auto­matic skip when a CD is playing or
stopped.

illustration

If a CD is playing:

•Press

SKIP

back to the beginning of the cur­rent track.

• Repeatedly press
skip backward to the beginning
of the desired track.

• Repeatedly press
skip forward to the beginning of
the desired track.

If the CD is stopped or paused, re­peatedly press

SKIP

the system displays the number of
the track you want to play, then
press

PLAY/PAUSE

player starts playing the selected
track.

once to skip

SKIP

SKIP

to

to

or until

. The CD

AUDIBLE SEARCH

Hold down

SKIP

CD player to search forward or back­ward during play. The CD plays rap­idly, and you hear i t at a h igh speed
and low volume.

or

on the

RANDOM PLAY

This feature randomly selects and
plays all the tracks from the loaded
CD.

STOP

1. Press
function.

2. Press
pears.

The first randomly selected track
number appears, then the track
begins to play and its elapsed
play time appears.

The system plays all tracks in
random order, then stops auto­matically.

Notes:

to cancel any CD

RANDOM

illustration

RANDOM

.

ap-

18

To replay the curr ent track

•

SKIP

press

.

• To play the next random track,

SKIP

press

.

,

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13-129 4.fm Page 19 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

• To repeat the current track,

REPEAT

press
desired track is playing.

PEAT

appears, and the CD

once while the

RE-

player continuously replays the
track.

• To repea t ra nd om pl a y, before

RE-

ap-

the last track ends, press

PEAT

until

REPEAT ALL

pears.

• To briefly stop random play,
press

PLAY/PAUSE

. ap­pears. To resume play, press it
again.

3. To stop the CD player at any time
during random play, press

RANDOM

disappears and the CD’s

STOP

total number of tracks and playing
time appear.

To cancel random play and re­sume normal play without stop­ping play, simply press

RANDOM

disappears and the CD

RANDOM

player resumes normal play.

REPEAT PLAY

You can repeat a single track, all
tracks on a CD, or an entire pro­grammed sequence (see “Pro­grammed Play” on Page 20).

illustration

To repeat a single track, press

PEAT

once while the desired track is

playing.

REPEAT

appears, and the
CD player continuously replays the
track.

.

To repeat all tracks on the CD, press

REPEA T

until

REPEAT ALL

steadily on the display.

To continuously repeat a pro­grammed sequence, first program

.

the tracks you want to play, then press

REPEA T

along with

until

PROGRAM

REPEAT ALL

.

RE-

appears

appears

To cancel repeat play duri ng or af­ter play, press

REPEAT

until

REPEAT

disappears. If repeat is cancelled dur­ing play, the CD player resum es nor­mal play.

19

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13-129 4.fm Page 20 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

INTRO PLAY

The INTRO function lets you play
the first 10 seconds of eac h track so
you can quickly find the one you
want.

To use INTRO, press

INTRO

on the
remote control. The CD player be­gins playing.

illustration

You can use random play, repeat
play, and skip during intro play.

To cancel intro play during or after
play, press

INTRO

. If intro is can­celled during play, the CD player be­gins normal play.

PROGRAMMED PLAY

You can program up to 32 tracks in
any order you choose.

Progra mming and Playing a
Sequence of Tracks

1. Press
displays the total number of
tracks and the total playing time.

STOP

until the system

2. Press

PROG

3. Press

PROGRAM/MEMORY

on the remote control).

illustration

SKIP

or to select

(or

the desired track.

4. Press

PROG

store the selected track.
appears

PROGRAM/MEMORY

(or

on the remote con trol) to

P-02

.

5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 to pro­gram additional tracks.

Note:

You cannot store more
than 32 tracks. If you try to store
any track after the 32nd t rack, it
replaces the first track and

FULL

appears.

6. Press

PLAY/PAUSE

to play

the programmed tracks.

Notes:

• You cannot use random play

while a programmed se­quence is stored.

• You can repeat (all), skip over,

or search through pro­grammed tracks.

• To briefly stop programmed

play, press

PLAY/PAUSE

appears. To resume play,

press it again.

7. Adjust the volume

BASS

for the desired sound.

and set

E-

.

20

13-129 4.fm Page 21 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

8. Programmed play automatically
stops at the end of the last pro­grammed track. To stop the CD
player at any time during pro­grammed play, press
CD’s total number of tracks and
playing time appear.

To replace a programmed track,

Note:

press
on the remote control) until the posi­tion number of the track you want to
replace appears. Then repeat Steps 3
and 4 to select and store the new
track.

PROGRAM/MEMORY

STOP

(or

. The

PROG

Reviewing the Programmed
Sequence

While play is stopped, repeatedly

PROGRAM/MEMORY

press
on the remote control) to review the
programmed sequence.

(or

PROG

Erasing the Programmed
Sequence

You can do either of the following to
erase a programmed sequence:

•Press

PROG
STOP

grammed play.

PROGRAM/MEMORY

on the remote control) then

before or after pro-

(or

CD CARE TIPS

Even though a compact disc is very
durable, treat the CD surface with
care. We recommend the following
precautions:

• Do not place anything but a CD in
the disc tray. This can damage the
drive mechanism.

• Do not write on either side of the
CD, particularly the non-label side
(signals are read from the non-la­bel side).

• Do not store CDs in high­temperature, high-humidity loca­tions. The CDs might warp.

• Keep CDs dry. A water drop can
act as a lens and affect the laser
beam’s focus.

• Always handle a CD by the edges
to avoid fingerprints and always
keep it in its protective case or
sleeve when not in use. Finger­prints and scratches on the CD’s
surface can prevent the laser
beam from correctly reading the
digital information. To clean the
CD surface, use a CD cleaner kit
(such as Cat. No. 42-225). If the
CD gets scratched, use Scratch ’n
Fix (RadioShack Cat. No. 42-

127).

•Press
grammed play.

OPEN

before or after pro-

21

13-129 4.fm Page 22 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

CASSETTE DECK OPERATION

The system has one cassette deck
for cassette tape playback and re­cording. The deck has a full-release
auto-stop system to protect tapes
and prevent pinch roller damage.
When a tape reaches the end of a
side, the tape m echanism automati­cally stops and releases the tape.

LOADING A CASSETTE
TAPE

1. Take up any slack in the tape by
turning the cassette’s hub with a
pencil. If you do not remove ex­cess slack, the tape might be­come tangled in the record/
playback mechanism. Avoid
touching the tape.

illustration

3. Insert the cassette tape into t he
tape guides in the compartment
door, with its exposed tape edge
facing down, the side you want
play facing you, and its full reel
to the left.

4. Close the compartment door.

PLAYING A CASSETTE
TAPE

After loading a cassette tape, follow
these steps to play it.

1. Slide

2. Press (Play). The tape plays

FUNCTION

appears.

until it reaches the end of the
side, then it automatically stops.

illustration

to

TA PE

TAPE

.

2. Press (Stop/Eject) to open
the cassette compartment door.

illustration

22

Notes:

• To temporarily stop playback,
press (Pause). Press
again to continue playback.

illustration

13-129 4.fm Page 23 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

• To rewind or fast-forward the
tape, press then press

(Rewind) or (Fast For-

ward).

illustration

• To stop fast-forward or re­wind, press .

illustration

3. Adjust the volume

BASS

for the desired sound.

and set

E-

4. To stop play before the tape side
reaches the end, press .
Press while the cassette
player is stopped to open the
cassette compartment and re­move the tape.

RECORDING ON A
CASSETTE TAPE

You can record from the CD player
or radio to a cassette tape.

Notes:

• Be sure the cassette’s erase­protection tabs are in place (see
“Preventing Accidental Erasure”
on Page 25).

• Before you load a cassette tape
for recording, turn the cassette’s
hub with your finger or a pencil
to move the tape past its leader.

• The recording level is preset.

and

VOLUME

have no ef-

BASS

fect on the recording level or
quality.

• Tape quality greatly affects the
quality of the recording. We rec­ommend regular length (60- or
90-minute) cassette tapes. For
low-noise, wide-range record­ings, use normal-bias tape.

Recording from the Tuner

1. Load a blank cassette tape, or
one you want to record over, into
the cassette deck with the full
reel to the left and the side you
want to record on facing you.

2. Press then (Rec ord). , ,
and lock down.

E-

Caution:

If you use a cassette tape
with the erase-protection tabs re­moved, do not force down . This
can damage the recording mecha­nism. See “Preventing Accidental
Erasure” on Page 25.

3. Slide

illustration

FUNCTION

to

TUNER

.

23

13-129 4.fm Page 24 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

4. Select the desired band and sta­tion, then press to release it and
start recording. The cassette
records until it reaches the end of
the side, then the cassette deck
automatically stops.

Notes:

• To temporarily stop recording,

press . Press again to re­sume recording.

• If you record broadcasts from

AM radio, you might hear a low­volume hum when you play
back the recording. If this oc­curs, set

BEAT

on the back of
the system to the other position
and try again.

illustration

Beat switch
location

Recording from a CD

1. Load a blank cassette tape, or
one you want to record over.

2. Press then (Record). , ,
and lock down.

3. Slide

FUNCTION

4. Load the desired CD in the CD
player.

5. Select the desired CD track or
program a sequence (if you do not
want to record the entire CD in or­der).

Note: To copy a CD’s tracks in
random sequence, press

DOM

so

RANDOM

6. Press both on the deck and

PLAY/PAUSE

player.

Notes:

• To briefly stop the tape while re-

cording, press . To resume re­cording, press

to CD.

appears.

y

on the CD

again.

RAN-

5. To stop recording before it auto­matically stops, press on the
deck.

24

• To listen to the CD during re­cording, adjust the volume and

E-BASS

for the desired sound

.

7. Recording stops automatically
when the tape reaches its end. To
stop the tape at any time during
recording, press .

Note: To stop the CD at any time
during recording, press

STOP

. The
CD’s number of tracks and total
play time appear.

g

13-129 4.fm Page 25 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

Timer Recording

You can set the system to automati­cally turn on, record from a selected
audio source onto a cassette tape,
then turn off at the time you set.

1. Follow Steps 1–5 in “Setting a
Wake-Up Time” on Page 12 to s et
the start and end times and select
the source you want to record
from.

2. Load a blank cassette tape, or
one you want to record over.

3. Press then (Record).

TIMER

4. Press

5. Release . At the preset start
time, the system turns on and
records onto the cassette until the
end time.

to turn on the timer.

illustration

TAPE CARE TIPS

Erasing a Cassette Tape

To erase a previously recorded sec­tion of a tape, simply record over it. To
erase the entire cassette tape, let t he
tape record to the end with no source
playing.

You can quickly erase both sides of a
cassette tape using a bulk tape eraser
(such as Cat. No. 44-232, not sup­plied).

Preventing Accidental
Erasure

Cassette tapes have two erase-pro­tection tabs — one for each side. To
protect a recording from being acci­dentally recorded over or erased, use
a screwdriver to remove one or both of
the cassette tape’s erase-protection
tabs.

Caution:

length is longer than the timer re­cording period, and stay
locked down when the timer turns
off. To prevent accidental tape
tangling, press as soon as
possible after the timer turns off.

To turn off the timer before it au tomat­ically turns off, press

TIMER

disappears.

If the cassette tape’s

TIMER

until

(Needs an illus - show
an erase protection tab
bein

removed with a

screwdriver.

25

13-129 4.fm Page 26 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

If you want to record on a tape side af­ter you have removed the erase­protection tab, place a piece of strong
plastic tape over that side’s erase­protection hole. Be sure you cover
only the hole originally covered by the
erase-protection tab.

illustration

Note: Removing the erase-protection

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

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 cause
playback sound quality to deteriorate.

To restore the sound quality, fast­forward the tape from the beginning to
the end of one side, then completely
rewind it. Then loosen the t ape 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.

26

13-129 4.fm Page 27 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Your Optimus System 746 M icro Stereo Component System is an example of su­perior design and craftsmanship. The follow ing suggestions will help you care for
the system so you can enjoy it for years.

Keep the system dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry imm ediately. Liquids
might contain minerals that can corrode the electronic circuits.

Handle the system gently and carefully. Dropping it can dam age cir­cuit boards and cases and can cause the system t o work i mproperly.

Use only fresh batteries of the required size and type. Batteries can
leak chemicals tha t damage yo ur system’s electronic part s.

Use and store the system only in normal temperature environments.
Temperature extremes can shorten the life of electronic devices,
damage batteries, and distort or melt plastic parts.

Keep the system away from dust and dirt, which can cause prema­ture wear of parts.

Wipe the system with a damp cloth occasionally to keep it looking
new. Do not use harsh chemicals, cleaning solvents, or strong deter­gents to clean the system.

Modifying or tampering with the system’s internal component s can cause a mal­function and might invalidate your system’s warranty and void your FCC authoriza­tion to operate it. If your s ystem is not performing as it should, ta ke it to your lo cal
RadioShack store for assistance.

27

13-129 4.fm Page 28 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

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 reduce the
cassette player’s performance. To
prevent noise and poor high­frequency response, clean the cas­sette player’s tape-handling parts after
every 20 hours of use. Your local Ra­dioShack store sells a wide sele ction
of cassette deck cleaning supplies.

1. Turn off the system, then unplug
its power cord.

2. Press . The cassette com­partment door opens.

3. Press on the deck to expose
the tape-handling parts.

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

5. When you finish cleaning, press
to release the play mecha-

nism, then close the cassette
compartment door and reconnect
power.

RESETTING THE
SYSTEM

If the System 746 is not working prop­erly, res et it to d elete a ll prog ramm ed
play sequences, memory tuning set­tings, timer sequences, and the time.

To reset the system, insert a pointed
object (such as a straightened paper
clip) into the
of the system.

RESET

hole on the back

illustration

Record/Playback
Head

Erase Head

Tape
Guides

28

Pinch Roller

Capstan

y

13-129 4.fm Page 29 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

SPECIFICATIONS

Cassette

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

Wow and Flutter ................................................................................ 0.35% WRMS

Frequency Response ......................................................... 125 Hz–6.3 kHz ± 6 dB

Recording System ...................................................................................... AC Bias

Erase System ............................................................................................ Magnetic

7

/8 ips

CD Pla

er

Number of Tracks to be Programmed ..................................................... 32 Tracks

Frequency Response (at –3 dB) ...................................................... 100 Hz–20 kHz

Dynamic Range .............................................................................................. 80 dB

Signal-to-Noise ................................................................................... (JIS-A) 60 dB

Harmonic Distortion (at 1 kHz)......................................................................... 0.5%

Separation (at 1 kHz) ...................................................................................... 40 dB

Sampling Frequency .................................................................................. 44.1 kHz

Quantiza tion Number .......... ........................ ................ ........................ .............. 8-Bit

Oversampling ........................................................................................... 16 Times

Pick-Up System ........................................................................................... 3 Beam

Optical Source ....................................................................... Semiconductor Laser

Wavelength .................................................................................................. 790 nm

General

Power Output .......................................................................... 5 Watts per Channel

Power Supply ............................................................................................ 120V AC

Tuning Range ............................................................................ AM: 530–1710 kHz

FM: 88–108 MHz

Speaker Dimensions (HWD) ............................................ 9

7

×

/

51/8 × 613/16 Inches

16

×

(240

130 × 173 mm)

Speaker Size ................................................................ ................... ........... 4 Inches

Speaker Impedance .................................................................................... 4 Ohms

System Dimensions (HWD) ............................................ 9

7

/16 × 511/16 × 91/16 Inches

×

(240

145 × 230 mm)

Weight ............................................................................................................. 13 lb

(5.9 kg)

Specifications are typical; individual units m ight vary. Specifications are subj ect to
change and improvement without notice.

29

13-129 4.fm Page 30 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

NOTES

30

13-129 4.fm Page 31 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

31

13-129 4.fm Page 32 Wednesday, J uly 14, 1999 7: 01 PM

Limited Ninety-Day Warranty

This product is warrant ed by RadioShac k against man ufacturing d efects in materia l and workman­ship under normal use for ninety (90) day s from the date of purc hase from Rad ioShack comp any­owned stores and authorized RadioShack franchisees and dealers. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED
HEREIN, RadioShack MAKES NO EXPRE SS 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 H AVE 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 warran ty period, take the product and the RadioShack
sales receipt as proof of pur cha se date to any RadioS hack s tore. Radi oSha ck wil l, at its option, un­less otherwise provided by l aw: (a) correct the defect by product repai r without c harge for parts and
labor; (b) replace the produc t with one of the same or similar design; or (c) refund the purchase
price. All replaced parts and pr oducts, and pro ducts on which a refund is made, become the prop­erty of RadioShack. New or rec onditioned parts and products may be used in the performance of
warranty service. Repa ired or replaced parts and produ cts 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, impr oper or abnormal usa ge, failure to fol low i nstruct ions, improper instal lation or
maintenance, alterati on, lightning or other incidence of exc ess voltage or current; (b) any repairs
other than those provi ded by a RadioShack Autho rized Service Facility; ( c) consumables such as
fuses or batteries; (d ) cosmeti c dam age; (e) transp ortatio n, sh ipping or insuranc e c osts; or (f) cos ts
of product removal, installation, set-up service adjustment or reinstallation.
This warranty gives you specifi c legal rights, and you may also have oth er 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 Tandy Corporation

Fort Worth, Texas 76102

7A7 Printed in Hong Kong