Radio Shack 63-968 User Manual

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Please read before using this equipment.

Radio-Controlled Clock

Cat. No. 63-968

OWNER’S MANUAL

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FEATURES

Your RadioShack Radio-Controlled Clock combines a simple
design with advanced technology. You can set the clock so It
automatically sets the time and date using a radio signal it re­ceives. The clock checks this radio signal several times each
day and automatically updates the time and date, providing the
most accurate time possible.

Your clock receives a 60 kHz longwave radio signal from radio
station WWV to set and update the time and date, which broad­casts the time according to the U.S. government’s hyper­accurate atomic clock in Boulder, Colorado.

Your clock’s features include:

Large Liquid Crystal Disp lay

The current time and alarm time, the time zone you are in, and
the day of the week appear on the display.

— makes the clock easy to read.

Signal Strength Meter —

shows you the strength of the radio

signal your clock is receiving to set the time.

Three Languages

— you can view the month, date, and day of

the week in English, French, or Spanish.

Time Zone Map

— let you set the displayed time for Pacific,

Mountain, Central, or Eastern time zones.

Crescendo Alarm

— sounds a series of beeps that gradually

increase in volume.

©

1999 Tandy Corporation.

RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

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Snooze Control

— lets you temporarily silence the alarm for

about 8 minutes so you can sleep a little longer.

Low Battery Indicator

— appears when the batteries are

weak.

Display Backlight

— lets you see all information on the display

in low-light situations.

Manual Clock Setting

— let you manually set the clock if your

radio cannot receive the necessary radio signal.

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CONTENTS

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

Installing the Batteries ........................................................ 5

Replacing the Batteries ............................................... 8

Placing the Antenna ........................................................... 8

Mounting the Clock ............................................................ 9

Selecting a Location .................................................... 9

Mounting the Antenna ............................................... 11

Daylight Saving Time ....................................................... 11

Operation ............................................................................. 12

Changing the Time Zone .................................................. 12

Using the Alarm ............................................................... 12

Setting the Alarm Time .............................................. 12

Turning the Alarm On/Off ........................................... 13

Using Snooze ................................................................... 14

Using the Display Light .................................................... 14

Special Features .................................................................. 15

Manually Setting the Time, Date, and Language ............. 15

Turning Automatic Time Setting Off/On ............................ 16

Care and Maintenance ........................................................ 17

Resetting the Clock .......................................................... 18

Specifications ...................................................................... 19

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PREPARATION

INSTALLING THE BATTERIES

Your clock requires two AAA batteries (not supplied) for power.
For the best performance and longest life, we recommend Ra­dioShack alkaline batteries.

Cautions

Follow these steps to install batteries.

1. Pull the tab on the battery compartment cover in the direc-

2. Place the batteries in the compartment as indicated by the

3. Replace the cover.

:

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

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

tion of the arrow to remove it.

polarity symbols (+ and –) marked inside.

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Notes:

• If the clock does not operate after you install the batteries,
remove them and wait about 5 seconds until the display
clears. Then reinstall them.

• The clock displays the day of the week in English. To set
the clock so it displays in another language, see “Manually
Setting the Time, Date, and Language” on Page15.

• The clock is set to automatically search for a radio signal to
set the time and date when you install the batteries. To set
the clock man ual ly ins tead, see “M anua lly Se ttin g the Ti me ,
Date, and Language” on Page 15.

Immediately after you install the batteries, all of the clock’s dis­play elements briefly appear, then and

: flash. Then the

clock scans for the radio signal and the map of the United
States flashes for about 2 minutes. While the clock scans for
the radio signal, you might see any of the following:

What You See What it Means

The clock received a radio signal strong
enough to set the date and time within the
last 96 hours.

The time and date were set manually.

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What You See What it Means

The clock has not received a radio signal
strong enough to set the date and time
within the last 96 hours. Reposition or ro­tate the antenna before 2, 3, 4, or 9 AM, or
3 or 9 PM, o r se t t h e da t e a n d t im e m a nu ­ally (see “Manually Settin g the Tim e, Date,
and Language” on Page 15).

No indicator You have turned off the automatic time

setting feature. See “Turning Automatic
Time Setting Off/On” on Page 16 to turn
that feature back on.

The clock is receiving the radio signal and
the time/date will be set shortly.

The clock is receiving a radio signal, but
the reception is not strong enough to set
the clock. Reposition o r ro tate the an ten na
until you see before the antenna icon
stops flashing.

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:

Notes

• On very cloudy and stormy days, the radio signal might not
be strong enough to set the clock.

• If the clock does not receive a strong signal within about 2
minutes, it stops scanning and looks for a signal again at
the next preprogrammed time (see “Turning Automatic
Time Setting Off/On” on Page 16).

Replacing the Batteries

When flashes, the display dims or disappears, or the
clock stops working properly, replace the batteries.

Cautions

:

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

• If you do not plan to use the clock for several weeks,
remov e the batt eries . Batteri es can leak chemicals that can
destroy electronic parts.

PLACING THE ANTENNA

While the clock is s ca nni ng for t he radi o s ig nal , place the anten­na at least 4 inches (10 cm) away from the clock, on a window
or a wall near a window. If does not appear while the clock
is checking the tim e s ig nal , re pos it ion or rotate the antenna unti l
the icon flashes.

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MOUNTING THE CLOCK

You can place the clock on any flat surface such as a desk,
shelf, or table, or mount it on a wall using hook-and-loop tape
(not supplied).

Selecting a Location

Choose a location indo ors near a win dow to m ount the cloc k, so
you can mount the a ntenna ne ar the win dow. The c lock’s a nte n­na cord extends up to about 3 feet.

Cautions:

• Do not place the clock or antenna where it will be in direct

sunlight.

• Keep the clock and antenna away from heat or cold

sources such as stoves, heating and air conditioning vents,
and radiators.

• Do not mount the clock near a TV, high power cable, or

metal table because these could interfere with radio signal
reception.

• The antenna is permanently attached to the clock. Do not

cut or try to change the length of the antenna cord.

• Avoid placing the antenna’s cord where it could be pinched

or cut.

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To place the clock o n a fla t su rfac e, turn the base on the bottom
of the clock clockwise until it stops, then place the clock on the
surface.

To mount the clock on a wall using hook-and-loop tape (not
supplied), follow these steps.

1. Use a damp cloth to clean the back of the clock. Let the
surface dry.

2. Remove the backing from one side of the tape and stick
that side to the back of the clock.

Do not place the hook-and-loop tape over the clock’s

Note:

battery compartment cover.

3. Remove the backing from the other side of the tape and
press the clock firmly onto the mounting surface.

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Mounting the Antenna

After you have found the best location for reception (see “Plac­ing the Antenna” on Page8), attach the antenna to the mount­ing surface using the supplied double-sided tape or hook-and­loop tape (not supplied).

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

The radio signal automatically adjusts for daylight saving time
so the time displayed on the clock is accurate, regardless of the
time of year.

If you are in an area that does not use daylight saving

Hint:

time, press
one zone west of wh ere you are to c ompen sate fo r dayli ght sa v­ing time. Then, simply select your own time zone when it is not
daylight saving time.

ZONE/AUTO OFF

three times to set the time zone to

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OPERATION

To switch between viewing the seconds display and the day of
the week, press
month/date and the alarm time, press

.

SET

After the clock successfully receives a good signal,

Note:

appears for about 96 hours. It might change during the radio
signal reception times but will return to at the end of the re­ception tim e.

To test the rece ption at a specifi c location and upd ate the set
time at any time (instead of waiting for the preprogrammed
times), turn off automatic time setting, then turn it back on (see
“Turning Automatic Time Setting Off/On” on Page 16).

MODE/SET

CHANGING THE TIME ZONE

The clock automatically shows a time zone (P for Pacific, M for
Mountain,
essary to show your time zone. To change the time zone, re­peatedly press
highlighted.

C for Central, or E for Eastern). You can set it if nec-

ZONE/AUTO OFF

. To switch between viewing the

ALARM STOP/ALARM

until your time zone is

USING THE ALARM

Setting the Alarm Time

1. Hold down
digits flash.

12

ALARM STOP/ALARM SET

until the alarm hour

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2. Repeatedly press or hold down

+/AUTO ON

to advance the

hour digits.

3. Press

ALARM STOP/ALARM SET

4. Repeatedly press or hold down

. The minute digits flash.

+/AUTO ON

to advance the

minute digits.

5. Press

ALARM STOP/ALARM SET

to store the setting. The

alarm time appears.

Notes:

• To switch between viewing the alarm time and the month/

date, repeatedly press

ALARM STOP/ALARM SET

.

• The alarm time does not need to be displayed for the alarm

to sound.

Turning the Alarm On/Off

Press

ALARM ON/OFF

at the set alarm time, the display lights for about 14 seconds.

flashes and the alarm sounds a soft beep about every 2

seconds.
After 20 seconds, 2 quick beeps sound every 2 seconds and

the volume increases slightly. After 20 more seconds, 3 quick
beeps sound every 2 seconds and the volume increases again
to its maximum level. After another 20 seconds, the beeping be­comes continuous (about 4 beeps per second) and sounds for
about 1 minute.

to turn on the alarm. appears. Then,

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After 2 minutes, the alarm turns off automatically. The first time
this happens, the snooze feature activates and continues to
flash. In about 8 minutes, the alarm sounds again. If the alarm
turns off automatically a second time, remains on the dis­play and the alarm will not sound again until the set alarm time
the next day.

To silence the alarm, press
mains on the display and the al arm so unds at the s et alarm tim e
the next day.

To turn off the alarm, press

ALARM STOP/ALARM SET

ALARM ON/OFF

. disappears.

. re-

USING SNOOZE

When the alarm sounds, you can press
lence the alarm for about 8 minutes. flashes. After about 8
minutes, th e alarm sounds again. You ca n repeatedly use the
snooze feature for up to 24 hours.

SNOOZE/LIGHT

to si-

USING THE DISPLAY LIGHT

Press

SNOOZE/LIGHT

14

to light the display for about 5 seconds.

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SPECIAL FEATURES

MANUALLY SETTING THE TIME,
DATE, AND LANGUAGE

When you turn off autom ati c time s etti ng or if the cl ock do es n ot
receive a good radio signal, you can manually set the time and
date.

Important:

whenever you program it to automatically set the time and date
(see “Turning Automatic Time Setting Off/On” on Page 16) and
it receives a good radio signal. If you do not want this to hap­pen, turn off automatic time setting.

1. Repeatedly press

2. Hold down

3. Repeatedly press or hold down

4. Press

5. Repeatedly press or hold down

6. Press

The clock automatically updates the time and date

to select the desired

ZONE/AUTO OFF

time zone . As y ou pr ess
select is highlighted on the display and a letter (
Pacific,
appears above the time zone.

Note:

hours.

minute.

M

for Mountain, C for Central, or E for Eastern)

MODE/SET

AM

appears for AM hours and PM appears for PM

MODE/SET

MODE/SET

. The minute digits flash.

. The year digits flash.

ZONE/AUTO OFF

until the hour digit flashes.

, the time zone y ou

+/AUTO ON

+/AUTO ON

to set the hour.

to set the

P

for

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7. Repeatedly press

8. Press

MODE/SET

+/AUTO ON

. The current hour, minute, and day of the

to set the year.

week appear, and the month digit flashes.

9. Repeatedly press

10. Press

MODE/SET

11. Repeatedly press

12. Press

MODE/SET

+/AUTO ON

. The date digit flashes.

+/AUTO ON

. A letter representing the language used

to set the month.

to set the date.

for the day of the week flashes.

13. Repeatedly press
guage (

14. Press

E for English, F for French, or S for Spanish).

MODE/SET

. The selected time, month, date, and time

+/AUTO ON

to select the desired lan-

zone settings appear.

TURNING AUTOMATIC TIME SETTING
OFF/ON

You can turn off automatic time setting. You might want to do
this if you move to a different area and you are unsure if the
time-setting signal is available there.

To turn off automatic time setting, hold down
for about 3 seconds. and the map of the United States dis­appear. The selected time zone indicator and the time and date
for that zone appear.

ZONE/AUTO OFF

To turn on automatic time setting, hold down
about 3 seconds.

16

+/AUTO ON

for

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CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Your RadioShack Radio-Controlled Clock is an example of su­perior design and craftsmanship. The following suggestions will
help you care for your clock so you can enjoy it for years.

Keep the clock dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry imme­diately. Liquids might contain minerals that can cor­rode the electronic circuits.

Use and store the clock only in normal temp erature
environments. Temperature extremes can shorten
the life of electro nic devi ce s, damag e b atteries, and
distort or melt plastic parts.

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

Handle the clock gently and carefully. Dropping it
can damage circuit boards and cases and can
cause the clock to work improperly.

Use only fresh batteries of the required size and
recommended type. Batteries can leak chemicals
that damage your clock’s electronic parts.

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

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Modifying or tampering with the clock’s internal components
can cause a malfunction and might invalidate its warranty. If
your clock i s not performing as it should, take it to your local
RadioShack store for assistance.

RESETTING THE CLOCK

If the clock stops operating properly or locks up, you can reset
it. To reset the clock, use a pointed object such as a straight­ened paper clip to press

All display segments briefly appear, then the clock starts to
scan for a radio signal.

on the back of the clock.

RESET

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SPECIFICATIONS

Po wer .................................... ...... .... 3V with Two AAA Batteries

Snooze ............................................................ About 8 Minutes

Dimensions (HWD) .................................. 3

Weight (without Batteries) ................................................ 7.2 oz

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

9

/

× 23/4 × 7/8 Inches

16

(91 × 70 × 22 mm)

(204 g)

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Limited One-Year Warranty

This product is wa rranted by RadioShack against manufacturing defects in
material and workmanship under normal use for one (1) year from the date of
purchase from RadioShack company-owned stores and authorized Ra­dioShack franchisees and dealers. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HER EIN, 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 L IMITED 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 BEE N ADVISED O F THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Some states do not allow the limitations on how long an implie d warranty
lasts or the exclusion of incide ntal or consequentia l damages, so the above
limitations or exclusions may not apply to you.
In the event of a p roduct de fect duri ng the warranty p eriod, tak e the pro duct
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 prod uct repair without cha rge for parts and la­bor; (b) replace the product with one of the same or simi lar design; or (c) re­fund the purchase price. All replaced parts and products, and prod ucts on
which a refund is made, become the property of RadioShack. New or recondi­tioned parts and produ cts may be used in the performance of wa rranty 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 no t co ver : (a ) d am age or fa i lure cau sed by or attributable
to acts of God, abuse , a cci de nt, misu se, i mp roper or abnormal usage, fa ilure
to follow instructions, impr oper installation or maintenanc e, 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) tran sportati on, shipping
or insurance costs; or (f) costs of product rem ova l, insta llation , set- up s ervice
adjustment or reinstallati on.
This warranty gives yo u specific legal righ ts, and you may also h ave other
rights which vary from state to state.

RadioShack Customer Relations, 200 Taylor Street, 6th Floor,

Fort Worth, TX 76102

We Service Wh at We Sell

04/99

07A99 Printed in China