Radio Shack 1901104 Users manual
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OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
Mini Handheld 70cm FM
Amateur Transceiver
Cat. No. 19-1104
HTX-400
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FEATURES
Your RadioShack HTX-400 Mini Handheld 70cm FM Amateur Transceiver is compact and lightweight, making it easy to
carry almost anywhere. The crystal controlled circuitry provides
accurate and stable channel selection, making it an ideal choice
for your amateur communications needs.
Note
: You must have a Technician Class or higher Amateur Radio Operator’s License, and a call sign issued by the FCC, to legally transmit using this transceiver. Transmitting without a
license carries heavy penalties. Getting a license is easier than
ever. See “Introduction to Amateur Radio” on Page 7 for more information.
Here are some of your transceiver’s features.
200 mW/2 Watt Output
— the transceiver automatically transmits at 200 mW output when powered by internal batteries, or at
2 Watt output when powered by an external 9-volt power source.
CTCSS
(Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System subaudible
tone) — helps reduce interference from other nearby systems operating on the same frequency. Encoding and decoding tone unlocks squelch when received.
Repeater Offset
— lets you select an appropriate offset value to
match a local repeater.
Scan
— the transceiver scans frequency range and memory
channels for transmissions.
Power Save
— conserves battery power when the transc eiv er is
not transmitting or receiving.
Programmable Frequency Steps
— let you set the frequency
increment for tuning or scanning to 5, 10, 12.5, 15, 20, 25, 50 kHz,
or 1 MHz steps.
©1999 Tandy Corporation.
RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
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Alert Melody
— you can set the radio to play a short, selectable
melody when it transmits, and play the same melody when it receives a tone encoded signal.
Signal Strength Indicator
— a graduated bar show s the relat ive
strength of the received signal.
Time-Out Timer
— lets you set a maximum tr ansmissi on time interval from 0 to 990 seconds to make the best use of repeater
transmission time.
Busy Channel Lock Out
— prevents tran smitt ing wh ile the s e-
lected channel is receiving a signal.
TX Delay
— continues transmitting to prevent noise at the end of
a transmission as you release the push-to-talk (PTT) button.
Scan Delay
— delays restart of scanning when the radio locks
onto a channel.
Earphone Jack and External Mic r ophon e J ack
— let you connect an optional earphone, external microphone, or combination
headset for more flexible operation.
External Power Jack
— lets you use an external power source
for maximum output.
30 Memory Locations
— let you store up to 30 frequencies and
other settings.
Back Light
— makes your transceiver easy to operate in low-
light situations.
Key Lock
— lets you lock the transceiver’s keys to prevent acci-
dentally changing settings.
We recommend you record your transceiver’s serial number
here. The number is on the transceiver’s back panel.
Serial Number ____________________________
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MANUAL CONVENTIONS
Your transceiver’s buttons perform multiple functions. The abbreviation or symbol for a function is printed on, below, or above
each button.
To activate certain transceiver features, you must press
(function) and another button at the same time. Those key combination instructions are printed as first button name, +, then the
second button name. For example,
FUNC
down
Button names are printed in small, bold, capital letters such as
BEEP
display are printed using a distinctive typeface such as
BUSY
or
while you press
or SC. Words, symbols, and numbers that appear on the
.
LOCK
FUNC+LOCK
.
FUNC
means hold
446.000
FCC INFORMATION
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not
cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
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CONTENTS
Introduction to Amateur Radio .................................. 7
Preparation .................................................................. 9
Power Sources ....................................................... 9
Using Internal Batteries .................................. 9
Testing Internal Batteries .............................. 10
Using Vehicle Battery Power ......................... 11
Connecting the Antenna ...................................... 12
Attaching the Belt Clip ......................................... 13
Attaching the Wrist Strap ..................................... 13
Connecting a Microphone/Speaker ...................... 14
A Quick Look at the Controls .................................. 15
Operation ................................................................... 17
Understanding Repeaters .................................... 17
Receiving, Transmitting and Setting Squelch ....... 17
Scanning for Active Frequencies ......................... 19
Monitoring a Frequency ....................................... 19
Changing the Frequency Range .......................... 19
Locking the Keypad .............................................. 20
Lighting the Display .............................................. 20
Turning the Key tone On and Off ......................... 20
Using Memory Locations ..................................... 20
Using the Calling-Frequency
Memory Location .......................................... 20
Using Standard Memories ................................... 21
Storing a Transmit/Receive Frequency ......... 21
Storing a Repeater Offset Frequency ........... 22
Storing a Scanning Skip Setting ................... 22
Scanning Standard Memory Locations ......... 23
Locking Out (Skipping) Locations During
Memory Location Scanning .......................... 23
Using Subaudible Tone Squelch .......................... 24
Subaudible Tone Frequencies ...................... 25
Reversing the Offset ............................................ 26
Reversing the Transmit and receive Frequencies 26
Melody Options .................................................... 26
Using the Transmit Melody Alert ................... 27
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Using the Receive Melody Alert ................... 27
Special Features ....................................................... 28
Using the Special Features ................................. 28
Frequency Step ............................................ 29
Repeater Offset ............................................ 29
Po wer Save ......................... ...... ................... 29
Time-Out Timer ............................................ 30
Scan Delay Time .......................................... 30
Transmit Delay Time ..................................... 30
Busy Channel Lockout ................................. 31
Troubleshooting ........................................................ 32
Care and Maintenance ............................................. 33
Resetting the Transceiver .................................... 34
Specifications ........................................................... 35
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INTRODUCTION TO AMATEUR RADIO
Your transceiver is the perfect first radio for anyone entering the
exciting world of a mateur radio as well as a great additio nal transceiver for the experienced amateur radio operator. Your transceiver opens a door for you to the world from almost anywhere!
All you need is an Amateur Radio Operator’ s License (Technician
Class or higher) issued by the Fede ral Communications Co mmission (FCC). If you do not have a license, it is easier than ever to
get one and help from licens ed opera tors is av ailab le. Here are a
few tips to help you get started.
You can turn on your transceiver and sca n the entire band to hear
what is going on.
you get your license
violation of federal law that can l ead to severe p enalties. Note that
ham operators take the FCC rules very seriously and want nothing to do with “bootleggers” — their term for people who operate
without a license.
Find out if there is a ham rad io club in your area. Mos t cl ubs w el come newcomers and are glad to help you get your license.
There are thousands of clubs across th e country, so there is probably one in or near your own community. Often, the staff at your
local RadioShack store can help you locate a club.
However, do not attempt to transmit until
. If you transmit without a licens e you are in
If you do not hear anyone talking about a local club in your area
as you listen to local transmissions, write to the American Radio
Relay League (ARRL), at the following address, to find out how
to contact a local affiliate. The ARRL is the national organization
representing amateur radio in the United States. The league has
more than 150,000 members. Most are ham operators, or members in the process of obtaining their license.
The American Radio Relay League
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111
http://www.arrl.org
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Start studying for the license exams. Do not be intimidated by the
word “study,” for most people can go from knowing absolutely
nothing about amateur radio to passing the Novice and Technician written exams in less than a month.
The exams test your knowledge of basic radio regulations and elementary radio theory. Many clubs hold license classes which
can be a fun and easy way to learn about amateur radio. There
are good books, cassette tapes, computer programs, and many
other study aids available. Your local RadioShack store sells
License Preparation
study guides for amateur radio operator li-
FCC
censes. While you are no longer required to learn Morse code for
a Technician Class license, we encourage you to learn it anyway
so you can advance to higher levels of operating privileges.
The examiners for a Novice license test can be any two ham operators who hold a general or higher class license and who are at
least 18 years old and are not related to you. There is no fee to
take the Novice exam. As soon as you pass the Novice exam,
you can immediately take the Technician exam. There is a small
fee required for taking the Technician exam, and the test must be
administered by a three-member Volunteer Examiner Team.
Contact the ARRL for a schedule of exam opportunities in your
area.
The Technician Class license lets you use the HTX-400 to communicate directly with other operators, and use repeaters for distant communication.
The ARRL staff helped us prepare this section of the Owner’s
Manual. Amateur radio is a great hobby that has enriched the
lives of millions of people all over the world. The ARRL would be
glad to hear from you if you need more information or would like
to join!
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PREPARATION
POWER SOURCES
You can operate your transceiver from either of two power
sources:
• internal batteries
• vehicle battery power (using an optional DC adapter)
Using Internal Batteries
Your transceiver can use tw o AA batte ries (not supp lied) for p ower. For the best performance and longest life, we recommend RadioShack alkaline batteries.
Cautions:
• Use only fresh batteries of the required size and recommended type.
• Do not mix old and new batteries, d ifferent types of batteries
(standard, alkaline, or rechargeable), or rechargeable batteries of different capacities.
Follow these steps to install batteries.
LOCK Tab (on bottom)
1. Move the
arrow on the bottom of the transceiver.
tab in the opposite direction of the marked
LOCK
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2. Press down and slide the battery compartment cover in the
direction of the arrow marked on the cover.
3. Put the batteries into the compartment and on top of the
attached ribbon according to the polarity symbols (+ and –)
marked inside the compartment.
4. Replace the cover and slide the
tab on the bottom to
LOCK
secure the cover.
Testing Internal Batteries
To test the battery strength, rotate
of the radio until it clicks, then press
VOL/OFF
clockwise on the top
C
. C appears in the lower
right corner of the display. Then hold dow n the push-to-talk button
MO
and
next to
at the same time.
BAT
indicates the battery strength. If the batteries are
BAT
appears and the graduated bar
weak, the battery symbol shows less than 4 bars. Replace both
batteries as soon as possible.
Cautions:
• Dispose of old batteries promptly and properly. Do not burn
or bury them.
• If you do not plan to use the transceiver with batteries for a
two week period, remove the batteries. Batteries can leak
chemicals that can destroy electronic parts.
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Using Vehicle Battery Power
You can operate the HTX-400 from your vehicle’s battery using a
DC adapter such as RadioShack Cat. No. 273-1815.
Cautions:
You must use a power source that supplies 9 volts
DC and delivers at least 800 mA. Its center tip
!!
must be set to positive, and its plug must fit the
transceiver’s
these specifications. Using an adapter that does not meet
these specifications could damage the transceiver or the
adapter.
•Always plug the adapter into the transceiver before you plug
it into the cigarette-lighter socket, and unplug the adapter
from the cigarette-lighter socket before you unplug it from
the transceiver.
1.Set the adapter’s voltage switch to 9V.
2.Insert the 3.8 mm outer diameter/1.1 mm inner diameter
plug (Cat. No. 273-1712, not supplied) into the adapter’s
cord, so it reads +TIP.
3.Insert the plug into the HTX-400’s
4.Plug the other end of the adapter into the cigarette-lighter
socket in the vehicle.
DC 9V
jack. The recommended adapter meets
jack.
DC 9V
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