19-1205.fm Page 1 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 10:30 AM
VHF FM Business Band Transceiver
Cat. No. 19-1205
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
BTX-124
with CTCSS
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FEATURES
Your RadioShack BTX-124 VHF FM
Business Band Transceiver with CTCSS
is a portable, two-way business radio
service transceiver that you can carry almost anywhere. The transceiver is compact and light, making it an ideal choice
for your business needs.
Your transceiver has these features:
Pro
rammable Channels A and B
—
let you operate the transceiver on two
different frequencies.
Preset Frequencies
— let you quickly
begin operation on either 154.600 MHz
(Channel A, green dot) or 154.570 MHz
(Channel B, blue dot).
PLL-Controlled Circuitr
— provides
accurate and stable channel selection.
Ad
ustable Squelch
— helps eliminate
noise between transmissions.
CTCSS (Continuous Tone Control
Squelch S
— helps reduce inter-
stem)
ference from other systems in the area
operating on the same frequency.
Built-In Modu lation Limiter Ci rcuit
—
automatically adjusts for a wide variety
of voice levels to ensure an understand able transmission.
Hi
h/Low Power
— lets you save power by selecting a suitable transmitting
power for long or short distances.
Batter
Low and Transmit Indicator
— shows the battery pack’s condition
and lights when you transmit or receive.
Removable and Rechar
ter
— lets you use one battery
Pack
eable Bat-
pack while you charge another (additional packs available).
Supplied Batter
Charger
— conveniently recharges your transceiver’s ba ttery pack.
Earphone Jack and External Microphone Jack
— let you use an earphone
or external microphone to help ensure
understandable communications in
noisy areas.
Belt Pouch
— protects your transceiver
and lets you easily carry it on your belt.
We recommend you rec ord your transceiver’s serial number here. The number is on the back of the transceiver.
Serial Number___________________
© 1997 Tandy Corporation.
RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tan dy Corporatio n.
All Rights Reserv ed .
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CONTENTS
FCC Regulations .......... ..................... ...................... ............................ .................. 4
FCC License Required ..................................................................................... 4
FCC Part 90 Rules ........................................................................................... 4
Preparation .......... ............................ ..................... ...................... ........................... 6
Charging the Battery Pack ............................................................................... 6
Checking the Battery Power ...................................................................... 7
Using the Belt Clip ........................................................................................... 7
Using an Earphone .......................................................................................... 7
Connecting an Antenna ................................................................................... 8
Using an External Microphone ......................................................................... 8
Operation .................................... ...................... ............................ ..................... .... 9
Why Use CTCSS? ......................................................................................... 10
Operational Hints ........................................................................................... 10
Addition al FC C Re
Maintenance ........................................................................................................ 12
Specifications ..................................................................................................... 13
ulations ...................... ..................... ............................. ...... 11
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FCC REGULATIONS
FCC LICENSE REQUIRED
The Federal Communications Com mission (FCC) requires you to have a license before you operate this
transceiver. Unless you qualify to operate on the supplied frequencies, you
must apply for a frequency through the
PCIA (Personal Communication Industry Association), a non-profit organization that assigns frequencies na tionwide
to help prevent conflicts between different businesses using transceivers in the
same area. For more inform ation about
getting a license, contact the PCIA at
800-759-0300, extension 3068 (in Virginia 703-739-0300, extension 3068).
For other questions concerning the license application, contact the FCC at
717-337-1212, or write:
FCC
P.O. Box 1040
Gettysburg, PA 17325
If you do not have a fax machine, you
can call the Government Forms Distribution Center at 1-800-418-FORM and
request that the form and instructions be
mailed to you.
This transceiver is intended for use in
the operation of commercial activities,
educational, philan thropic, or ecclesiastical institutions, and hospitals, clinics,
or medical associations.
FCC PART 90 RULES
You must be familiar with Part 90 of
FCC Rules
transceiver. The operation instructions
in this manual conform to Part 90, but
do not cover all items in Part 90.
Overall, Part 90 states that:
• You must have a valid license
before you use the transceiver.
before you operate your
For the latest FCC application form and
instructions, call the FCC’s fax-on-demand service from a f ax machine at 1202-418-0177 and reque st one or more
of the following documents:
All forms and instructions 000600
Form 600 instructions only 006001
Main Form 600 only 006002
Form 600 schedules only 006003
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• As licensee, you are responsible for
proper operation of all transceivers
operating under your license authority.
• You can let unlicensed persons
operate this transmi tter, as long as
you take precautions to prevent
unauthorized transmissions.
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• You must use this transceiver only
for the commercial use of you r business, and only when other commercial channels (such as the
telephone) are either not available
or not practical.
• You must always yield the op erating
frequency to communications that
involve the safety of life or property.
• You must take reasonable precautions to prevent harmful interference
to other services operating on the
same frequency.
• You must not transmit program
material of any kind used in connection with commercial broadcasting.
• You must not provide a s ervice that
is normally handled by telephone or
telegraph unless such broadcasts
involve the safety of life or property
or in emergencies such as an earthquake, hurricane, flood or a similar
disaster where normal c ommunication channels are disrupted.
• You must keep a written record of
any maintenance or modification
made to the transceiver, and you
must make this re cord available for
inspection upon demand by the
FCC.
Violating any of the provisions of Part 90
can result in fines and/or conf iscation of
equipment.
Your transceiver might cause TV or radio interference even when it is operating properly. To determine whether your
transceiver is causing the interference,
turn off your transceiver. If the interference goes away, your transceiver is
causing it. Try to eliminate the interference by:
• Moving your transceiver away from
the receiver
• Contacting your local RadioShack
store for help
• During each transmission or
exchange of transmissions, you
must identify your station with the
call sign issued to you by the FCC,
or once each 15 minutes during
periods of continuous operation.
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PREPARATION
Before you use the transceiver, you
must be properly licensed by the FCC. If
you are licensed to use one o r both of
the supplied frequencies, you can immediately use the transceiver.
If you are licensed on different frequencies, your local RadioShack store m ust
send the transceiver to an authorized
service facility to have the frequencies
programmed into the transceiver. You
must tell the store the frequency you are
licensed for and any desired CTCSS
tone (the factory preset is 100.0 Hz).
See “Why Use CTCSS?” on Page 11 for
more information about CTCSS.
ILLUSTRATION
Follow these steps to charge the battery
pack.
1. If the transceiver is on, turn
counterclockwise until it clicks to
turn it off.
VOL
CHARGING THE BATTERY
PACK
You must charge the battery pack with
the supplied battery charger before you
use it the first time, and whenever the
battery becomes low.
You can charge the battery pack with it
attached to the transceiver or removed.
To attach the battery pack , slide it onto
the transceiver. To remove the battery
pack, press down an d s lide
the direction of the arrow, then slide off
the pack.
6
RELEASE
in
ILLUSTRATION
2. Plug the charger’s barrel plug into
CHRG
the
jack on the side of the
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battery pack, then connect the charger to a standard AC outlet.
ILLUSTRATION
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Note: Charging time is 14 to 16
hours.
Cautions:
• To prevent permanent battery power
loss, never charge the batteries in
an area where the temperature is
above about 80°F. The charger
does not operate at all at temperatures below 32°F or above 113°F.
• Never use any other charger to
recharge the transceiver’s battery
pack. This could permanently dam age your transceiver or the battery
pack.
Important: This transceiver uses a rechargeable nickel-cadmium battery
pack. At the end of the battery pack’s
useful life, it must be recycled or disposed of properly. Contact your local,
county, or state hazardous was te management authorities for information on
recycling or disposal programs in your
area. Some options that might be available are: municipal curbside collection,
drop-off boxes at retailers such as your
local RadioShack store, recycl i ng co l lection centers, and mail-back programs.
Checking the Battery Power
1. Rotate
to turn on the transceiver.
VOL
clockwise until it clicks
2. Press the push-to-talk button on the
left side of the transceiver. If
BUSY•TX/LO BATT lights red, there
is s ufficie nt batt ery p ower for tra nsmission. If the indicator lights yellow,
you need to recharge the battery
pack.
ILLUSTRATION
Using the Belt Clip
The supplied belt clip lets you ea sily clip
the transceiver to your belt. Use a small
Phillips s crew drive r to s ecu re the c lip to
the transceiver’s back with the supplied
screws and washers, then attach it to
your belt.
Using an Earphone
To listen privately or to hear better in a
noisy area, you can plug a monaural
earphone into the
the transceiver. This automatically disconnects the speaker.
EAR
jack on the top of
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CONNECTING AN
ANTENNA
Attach the flexible antenna to the antenna jack on top of the transceiver. Place
the antenna connector’s slots over the
antenna jack’s tabs, squeeze the base
of the antenna, and push down and turn
the connector until the antenna locks
into place.
ILLUSTRATION
Instead of the supplied antenna, you
can connect an optional antenna. The
BNC antenna jack on your transceiver
makes it easy to use with a variety of
antennas, such as an external mobile
antenna or an outdoor base antenna.
Warning:
base station antenna, use extreme caution. If it starts to fall, let it go! It c ould
contact overhead power lines. If the antenna touches the power line, contact
with the antenna, mast, cable, or guy
wires can cause electrocution and
death! Call the power company to remove the antenna. Do not attempt to do
so yourself.
When installing or removing a
USING AN EXTERNAL
MICROPHONE
An external microphone can make it
easier to use the transceiver when you
clip it to your belt. Plug the microphone’s
cable connector into the
of the transceiver. This automatically
disconnects the transceiver’s microphone.
Note:
The transceiver’s push-to-talk
button still works with an external microphone attached.
MIC
jack on top
Caution:
that is not specifically tuned for the
transceiver’s frequency range.
Never connect an antenna
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OPERATION
1. Turn
VOL
clockwise to turn on the
transceiver.
ILLUSTRATION
2. Select Channel A or B using the
CHANNEL
switch on the top of the
transceiver.
ILLU STR ATI ON
3. To conserve battery power, set
POWER
to LO. If the person you
transmit to has trouble receiving
your signal, set
POWER
to HI.
4. To transmit, hold down push-to-talk,
then hold your transceiver about 3
inches from your mouth and s peak
slowly in a normal tone of voice. The
BUSY•TX/LO BATT indicator lights
red.
5. When you finish your message,
release push-to-talk. The BUSY•TX/
LO BATT indicator lights green
when you receive a transmission.
6. Adjust
VOL
to a comfortable listen-
ing level.
7. If you are not using CTCSS, wait
until there is no signal on the channel, then slowly turn
SQL/CTCSS
clockwise until the background
noise stops.
Do not turn
Note:
SQL/CTCSS
too
far clockwise because you might cut
out weak signals.
If you are using CTCSS (see “Why
Use CTCSS?” on Page 11), turn
SQL/CTCSS
counterclockwise until it
clicks.
8. To turn off the transceiver, turn
VOL
counterclockwise.
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ILLUSTRATION
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WHY USE CTCSS?
CTCSS (Continuous Tone-Coded
Squelch System) helps eliminate interference between different users of the
same frequency. When CTCSS is
turned on, the transceiver transmits a
selected tone with your transmission.
This tone is too low for you t o hear, but
other transceivers can det ect it. If CTCSS is turned on and set to the same
tone on the receiving transceiver, it only
receives those transmissions that include the tone.
If two different groups operate transceivers in the same area on the same frequency, they do not hear each other’s
broadcasts if they both use CT CSS and
each select a different CTCSS tone.
There are 38 different CTCSS tones
available. The CTCSS tone default for
this unit is 100 Hz. See “Available CTCSS Tones” on Page 15 for a complete
list. Only authorized RadioShack Service Centers can change the CTCSS
tone.
OPERATIONAL HINTS
Your transceiver’s range varies depen ding on factors such as position, terrain,
and battery condition. B uildings absorb
transmitted signals and, if they contain
metal, might completely block the signals. Trees and heav y cloud formations
have a similar effect, though n ot as severe. If you are near a lake or the ocean,
you might get excellent range.
To ensure maximum range, operate the
transceiver with the battery pack fully
charged. As the voltage decreases, the
range decreases.
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ADDITIONAL FCC REGULATIONS
The Business Radio Service is under t he jurisdiction of the Federal Comm unications Commission (FCC). Any adjustments or alterations that would alter the performance of the transceiver so it no long er me ets the ori ginal FCC ty pe acc eptanc e or
would change the frequency-determining method are strictly prohibited.
Replacement or substitution of crystals, transistors, ICS, regulator diodes , or any
other component that is o f a unique nature w ith components ot her than those recommended can violate the technical regulations of the FCC rules or violate type acceptance requirement of the rules.
Before you operate the transceiver, you must obtain your license. It is illegal to
transmit without the appropriate license, which you can get by submitting a completed FCC Form 600 to the FCC (or through the PCIA if you do not qual ify for either of
the supplied frequencies). Furthermore, you are required to understand Part 90 of
FCC Rules and Regu lations
the
responsibility to see that this unit is operating at all times in accordance with the
FCC Rules and Regulations
prior to operating your transceiver. It is the us er’s
.
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MAINTENANCE
Your RadioShack BTX-124 VHF FM Business Band Transc eiver with CTCSS is an
example of superior design and craf tsmanship. The following sugges tions will help
you care for your transceiver so you can enjoy it for years.
Keep the transceiver dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. Liquids
might contain minerals that can corrode the electronic circuits.
Use and store the transceiver only in normal temperature environments. Temperature extremes can shorten the life of electronic devices, damage batteries, and distort or melt plastic parts.
Keep the transceiver away from dust and dirt, which can cause premature wear of parts.
Handle the transceiver gen tly and carefully. Dropp ing it can damage
circuit boards and cases and can cause the transceiver to work improperly.
Use only fresh batteries of the required size and type. Batteries can
leak chemicals that damage your transceiver’s electronic parts.
Wipe the transceiver with a damp cloth occasionally to keep it looking
new. Do not use harsh chemicals, cleaning solvents, or strong detergents to clean the transceiver.
Modifying or tampering with the transceiver’s internal components can cause a malfunction and might invalidate your transceiver’s warranty and void your FCC authorization to operate it. If your transceive r is not performing as it should, take it to your
local RadioShack store for assistance.
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SPECIFICATIONS
Transmitter
Frequency Coverage ........................................................ 150.775 to 155.985 MHz
Frequency Tolerance .................................................................................. ±1.5 kHz
Modulation Type ................................................................................................... FM
Modulation Distortion ........................................................................................... 9%
CTCSS Tone Deviation ............................................................................... ±0.8 kHz
Maximum Deviation ....................................................................................... ±5 kHz
Minimum Operating Voltage ........................................................................... 7 Volts
RF High Power Output (8.4 V) ..................................................... 2 Watts ±0.2 Watt
RF Low Power Output ............................................................... 0.6 Watts ±0.2 Watt
Current Drain at High Power ........................................................................ 700 mA
Current Drain at Low Power ......................................................................... 450 mA
Receiver
Frequency Range ............................................................. 150.775 to 155.985 MHz
Auto Output Power at 10% THD ................................................................ 0.25 Watt
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (20 dB) ...................................................................... 0.75 µV
Working Voltage .. ........................................................................................ 8.4 Volts
Adjacent Channel Rejection ........................................................................ .... 45 dB
Audio Distortion .................................................................................................... 5%
Squelch Sensitivity (Start) . ............................................................................. 0.5 µV
Distortion (1 mV Input 4.3 kHz) ............................................................................ 5%
Current Drain at Maximum Power ................................................................ 200 mA
Current Drain at Standby ............................................................................... 60 mA
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Factory Defaults
Channel A 154.600 MHz
Channel B 154.570 MHz
67.0 97.4 136.5 192.8
71.9 100.0 141.3 203.5
74.4 103.5 146.2 210.7
77.0 107.2 151.4 218.1
79.7 1 10.9 156.7 225.7
82.5 1 14.8 162.2 233.6
85.4 1 18.8 167.9 241.8
88.5 123.0 173.8 250.3
91.5 127.3 179.9
94.8 131.8 186.2
General
CTCSS Tone 100 Hz
Available CTCSS Tones
Frequency (Hz)
Power Supply 8.4 Vol ts DC
Antenna Length 163 mm
1
Dimensions (HWD) 2
/2 × 11/2 × 6
Inches (65 × 35 × 160 mm)
Weight 14.66 oz (416 g)
Specifications are typical; individual
units might vary. Specifications are subject to change and improvement without
notice.
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NOTES
Limited One-Year Warranty
This product is warr anted by RadioSh ack agains t manufacturi ng defects in mater ial and workm anship 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 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 RESPONS IBI L IT Y TO CUS TOMER OR ANY OTH ER PE R SO N OR EN T I TY WI TH RES PE C T T O ANY
LIABILITY, LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUS ED 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 INDIRE CT, 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 Radi oShack
sales receipt as pr oof of purc hase date to an y Radi oSh ack sto re. RadioS hac k will, at its optio n, unless otherwise provided by law: (a) correct the defec t by produ ct repair with out 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 par ts and product s, and products on which a re fund is made, becom e the property of RadioShack . New or reconditioned parts and pr oducts may be used in the perform ance of
warranty service. R epaired or replaced parts and pr oducts are warranted for the remain der of the
original warranty period. You will be charged for repair or replacement of the product made after the
expiration of the warranty period.
This warranty does not cover: (a) damage or failure caused by or attributable to acts of God, abuse,
accident, misuse, improper or abnormal usage, failure to follow instructions, improper installation or
maintenance, al teration, lightning or other incidence of ex cess voltage or current; (b) any repairs
other than those prov ided by a RadioShac k Authorized Service Fac ility; (c) consumables such as
fuses or batteries; (d) cosme tic damag e; ( e) transpor tation, s hi pping or insuranc e costs ; or (f) co sts
of product removal, installation, set-up service adjustment or reinstallation.
This warranty gives y ou specific legal right s, and you may also have other 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
5A7 Printed in Hong Kong
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