Radio Shack DX-398 User Manual

OWNER’S MANUAL

Please read before using this equipment.

Cat. No. 20-228

DX-398

All-Band Shortwave Receiver

with Radio Data System

FEATURES

Your RadioShack DX-398 All-Band
Shortwave Receiver with Radio Data
System brings you the voices of the
world. In the 14 international short­wave (SW) bands, you can hear news
broadcasts and other programs from
sources around the world, such as the
British Broadcasting Corporation, Ra­dio Cairo, and Radio Beijing. You can
set your receiver so it displays Radio
Data System (RDS) call letters of
those stations that transmit an RDS
signal.

You can get emergency information
firsthand by listening to amateur radio
broadcasts, including single sideband
(SSB) voice transmissions.

In the longwave (LW) band, you can
hear ship-to-shore calls, other marine
and aeronautical services, and some­times even hurricane reports. You can
also tune to local broadcasts in the FM
and medium-wave (MW) bands. (In the
United States, we commonly call the
MW band the AM band.)

In addition, you can connect a cassette
recorder to the receiver’s record line
out and standby jacks so you can di­rectly record your favorite programs
live or at a preset time.

Your receiver’s features include:

Large, Fast-Response Display

—
shows the time, band and frequency,
signal strength, and other indicators.

212 Preprogrammed Shortwave
Stations —

let you rapidly tune to the
most popular U.S. and international
shortwave stations.

Three Timer Alarms

— let you set the
buzzer to sound or the radio to turn on
daily at up to three specified times.

Record Line Out and Standby Jacks

— let you connect a tape recorder so
you can record broadcasts live or at a
preset time.

Dual Time

— includes a primary and a
secondary clock, so you can set one to
your local time and the other to UTC
(Coordinated Universal Time — for­merly known as Greenwich Mean
Time) or to the local time of a city in an­other time zone.

World Time Zone

— provides the cor­rect time for 42 cities worldwide, once
you set your local time.

Search Tuning

— scans up or down

the band for the next station.

Memory Tuning

— stores up to 306
frequencies so you can quickly select
your favorite stations.

Digital Synthesized Radio

sures accurate, stable tuning.

© 1997, 1999 Tandy Corporation.

RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.

2

— en-

All Rights Reserved.

Priority Button

— lets you quickly

store and recall your favorite station.

Auto Tuning System (ATS)

ceiver finds the stations with strong
signals and stores them in memory in
order by signal strength.

— the re-

and select up to nine MW/FM frequ en­cies in two pages, nine LW frequencies
in one page, and 261 SW frequencies
in 29 pages.

Rotary Tuning Dial

ally tune desired frequencies. You can
select a higher tuning increment for
faster tuning or a lower one for fine tun­ing, or lock the dial to prevent acciden­tally changing the tuned frequency.

Memory Lock

frequency changes.

Control Lock

setting changes.

Sleep Timer

er so it turns itself off after a length of
time you set, so you can fall asleep as
you listen to it.

MW Step Setting

change the frequency step setting to
match the MW (AM) broadcast fre­quency step used by many other coun­tries.

RF Gain Control

receiver’s sensitivity when you listen to
SW/LW/MW broadcasts, to provide
the best possible reception.

— lets you set the receiv-

— lets you manu-

— prevents accidental

— prevents accidental

— lets you easily

— lets you adjust the

Edit

— lets you create and edit station
names for FM/MW/LW bands, page
names for SW bands, and home/world
city names for easy identification.

Tone Control

tone setting for different types of
broadcasts such as news, music, and
so on.

Battery Power/Signal Strength Indi­cator

— displays the battery’s power

and the strength of the received signal.

Memo Label

information such as the memory loca­tion numbers of your favorite stations.

Three Power Options

er the receiver from internal batteries,
standard AC power (with an optional
AC adapter), or your vehicle’s battery
(with an optional DC cigarette lighter
adapter).

— lets you adjust the

— lets you record helpful

— let you pow-

Narrow/Wide Control

duce interference from adjacent sta­tions when you listen to SW, MW (AM),
and LW broadcasts.

Page Memory Location

store and select frequencies in storage
locations called

pages

— lets you re-

— lets you

. You can store

3

Your receiver is preset to cover the
following bands:

THE FCC WANTS YOU
TO KNOW

Band (Meters) Frequency Range

(MHz)

120 ................................ 2.300–2.495

90 .................................. 3.200–3.400

75 .................................. 3.900–4.000

60 .................................. 4.750–5.060

49 .................................. 5.900–6.200

41 .................................. 7.100–7.350

31 .................................. 9.400–9.990

25 .............................. 11.600–12.100

21 .............................. 13.500–13.870

19 .............................. 15.100–15.800

16 .............................. 17.480–17.900

15 .............................. 18.900–19.020

13 .............................. 21.450–21.750

11 .............................. 25.600–26.100

This equipment 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.

Your receiver might cause TV or radio
interference even when it is op erating
properly. To determine whether your
receiver is causing the interference,
turn it off. If the interference goes
away, your receiver is causing it.

Try to eliminate the interference by:

• moving your receiver away from
the TV or radio

• connecting your receiver to an
outlet that is on a different electri­cal circuit from the TV or radio

• contacting your local RadioShack
store for help

If you cannot eliminate the interfer­ence, the FCC requires that you stop
using your receiver. Changes or modi­fications not expressly approved by
RadioShack could void the user’s
FCC authorization to operate this
equipment.

4

CONTENTS

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

Connecting to Power ....................................................................................... 7

Installing Internal Batteries ....................................................................... 7

Using Standard AC Po wer ........................................................................ 7

Using Vehicle Battery Power ..................................................................... 8

Adjusting the Telescoping Antenna ................................................................. 9

Connecting an External Antenna .................................................................... 9

Connecting Headphones ....................................... ....................................... 10

Listening Safely .. ... ... ... ... ....................................... ... .... ... ....................... 10

Traffic Safety ................................ .... ... ....................................... ... ... ....... 10

Connecting a Tape Rec or der ....................................... ... .... ... ... .................... 10

Using the Stand ........... ... ....................................... ... ... ................................. 11

Using the Memo Label .................................................................................. 12

Setting the MW (AM) Tuning Increment ........................................................ 12

Understanding Your Receiver .......................................................................... 13

Basic Operation ................................... ... .... ...................................... .... ... .......... 15

Turning the Receiver On and Off ................................................................... 15

Lighting the Display ....................................................................................... 15

Locking the Controls ..................................................................................... 15

Setting and Viewing the Local Time .............................................................. 16

Viewing a World Time ................................................................................... 17

Changing a World City Name ........................................................................ 17

Tuning Stations .............................................................................................. 18

Selecting a Band .................................................................................... 18

Manual Tuning ........................................................................................ 18

Direct Access Tuning .............................................................................. 19

Scan Tuning ................................. .... ... ... ....................................... ... ... .... 19

Tuning Preprogrammed Shortwave Stations ................................................. 20

DX-398 Shortwave Pages Chart ................................................................... 21

Adjusting the Tone ......................................................................................... 24

Special Tuning Controls ............................................ .................................... 24

STEREO/MONO-FM .............................................................................. 24

WIDE/NARR.-AM ................................................................................... 24

AM RF GAIN ........................................................................................... 24

Tuning SSB Stations ..................................................................................... 25

Using RDS .................................................................................................... 25

5

Memory Functions ......................................................................... .................... 27

Storing FM, MW, or LW Frequencies in Memory ........................................... 27

Automatic Storage ................................................................................... 27

Manual Storage ....................................................................................... 27

Storing SW Frequencies in Memory ...... ... .... ... ... ... .... .................................... 28

Assigning a Name to an FM/MW/LW Station or SW Page ............................ 29

Deleting a Station You Stored ........................................................................ 30

Locking/Unlocking a Stored Station ............................................................... 30

Moving a Frequency to Another Memory Location ........................................ 30

Using Priority ................................................................................................. 31

Timer Functions ...................................................................... ... .... ... ... ... .... ....... 32

Using the Timer Alarms ................................ ... ... ... .... .................................... 32

Setting an Alarm .......... ... ... ... ....................................... ... .... ... ... .............. 32

Silencing the Alarm ......................................................... .... ... ... ... ........... 32

Using the Snooze Feature ...................................................................... 32

Turning a Timer Alarm On or Off ............................................................. 33

Timer Recording ....... ... ....................................... ... ... ... ... ........................ 33

Using the Sleep Timer ................................................................................... 33

Listening Hints .............................. ... .... ...................................... .... ... ... .............. 34

Reference Sources ................ ... ... .... ... ....................................... ... ... .............. 34

Frequency Conversion ................................................................................... 34

Band Allocation .............................................................................................. 34

Amateur Radio Frequencies ........................ ....................................... ... . 34

International Frequencies ............. ... ... .... ...................................... .... ... .... 35

Aircraft Frequencies ........................................ .... ... ... ... ........................... 36

Ships and Coastal Station Frequencies ....................... ... .... ... ................. 36

Time Standard Frequencies ......................... ... ....................................... . 36

Longwave Band ....................................................................................... 36

Listening Guide ................ .... ... ... ... ... ....................................... ... .... ... ... ... .... ....... 37

Birdies .............................. ......... .......... .......... ......... .......... .......... ......... .......... . 41

Amateur Shortwave Bands in the US ............................................................ 41

Amateur Shor twave Bands (in MHz) ...................... ... .............................. 42

Troubleshooting ................................................................................................. 43

Care and Maintenance ....................................................................................... 44

Resetting the Display ................ ....................................... ... ... .... ... ................. 45

Specifications .......................... .......................... ...................... ....................... .... 46

6

PREPARATION

!

CONNECTING TO
POWER

You can power the receiver from inter­nal batteries, standard AC power, or
your vehicle’s battery.

Installing Internal Batteries

You can use four AA batteries (not
supplied) to power the receiver. For
the best performance and longest life,
we recommend alkaline batteries,
available at your local RadioShack
store.

Cautions

• Always use fresh batteries of the

• Do not mix old and new batteries

:

required size and type.

or different types of batteries
(standard or alkaline).

2. Slide four AA batteries into the
compartment on top of the lift-out
ribbon, according to the polarity
symbols (+ and –) marked next to
the compar tm e nt.

3. Replace the cover.

Cautions

• If you will not be using the receiver

• Dispose of old batteries promptly

:

with battery power for several
months, remove the batteries.

and properly.

Using Standard AC Power

To power the receiver from standard
AC power, you need an optional AC
adapter, such as Cat. No. 273-1662.

Note

: Connecting an AC adapter dis-

connects internal batteries.

Follow these steps to install the batter­ies.

1. Remove the battery compart­ment’s cover by sliding the cover
in the direction of the arrow on the
cover’s tab.

Caution:

Class 2 power source that

supplies 6 volts DC and deliv­ers at least 300 mA. Its center tip mu st
be set to negative and its plug must fit
the receiver's
ommended adapter meets these
specifications. Using an adapter that
does not meet these specifications
could damage the receiver or the
adapter.

You must use a

DC IN 6V

jack. The rec-

7

• When you finish using the AC

!

adapter , unplu g it f rom t he AC out­let first, then disconnect it f rom the
receiver.

Follow these steps to use AC power.

Caution:

cigarette lighter adapter that

supplies 6 volts DC and deliv­ers at least 300 mA. Its center tip mu st
be set to negative and its plug must fit
the receiver's
ommended DC cigarette lighter adapt­er meets these specifications. Using
an adapter that does not meet these
specifications could damage the re­ceiver or the adapter.

You must use a DC

DC IN 6V

jack. The rec-

1. Set the adapter’s voltage switch to
6V.

2. Line up the 5.5 mm outer diam­eter/2.1 mm inner diameter
barrel plug with the adapter’s
socket so it reads
the plug into the socket.

3. Insert the barrel plug into the
receiver’s

4. Plug the adapter into a standard
AC o utle t.

DC IN 6V

–TIP

, and insert

jack.

Using Vehicle Battery Power

To power the receiver from your vehi­cle’s battery, you need an optional DC
cigarette lighter adapter, such as Cat.
No. 273-1802.

Caution:

rette lighter adapter into the receiver
before you plug it into your vehicle's
cigarette-lighter socket. Always un­plug the adapter from the vehicle's
cigarette-lighter socket before you un­plug it from the receiver.

Follow these steps to power the re­ceiver from your vehicle’s battery.

1. Set the DC cigarette lighter

Always plug the DC ciga-

adapter’s voltage switch to 6V.

8

2. Insert the adapter’s barrel plug
into the receiver’s

3. Push the adapter’s plug into the
vehicle’ s cigarette-lighter socket.

DC IN 6V

jack.

ADJUSTING THE
TELESCOPING
ANTENNA

SW

— Pull up the antenna base then
fully extend the antenna and point it
straight up.

For the best reception, adjus t the te le­scoping antenna for the desired band.

FM

— Pull up the antenna base about
halfway then fully extend the antenna
and rotate it for the best reception.

LW and MW (AM)

ceiver. The receiver uses a built-in an­tenna for these bands.

— Rotate the re-

CONNECTING AN
EXTERNAL ANTENNA

To improve SW/MW/LW reception,
you can connect an optional external
antenna (such as Cat. No. 20-181) di­rectly to the
left side of the receiver. This automati­cally disconnects the receiver’s built-in
antenna.

Follow the antenna’s supplied instruc­tions to connect it to the receiver.

AM EXT ANT

jack on the

9

CONNECTING
HEADPHONES

For private listening and for stereo
sound during FM stereo broadcasts,
you can plug optional stereo head­phones with a
(available at your local RadioShack
store) into the jack on the left side of
the receiver. This automatically dis­connects the internal speaker.

When you connect stereo headphones
and tune to a stereo broadcast,
appears on the display.

1

/8-inch (3.5 mm) plug

ST

• Once you set the volume, do not
increase it. Over time, your ears
adapt to the volume le vel, so a vol­ume level that does not cause dis­comfort might still damage your
hearing.

Traffic Safety

Do not use headphones with your re­ceiver when operating a motor vehicle
or riding a bicycle in or near traffic.
Doing so can create a traffic hazard
and could be illegal in some areas.

If you use headphones with your re­ceiver, be very careful. Do not listen to
a continuous broadcast. Even though
some headphones let you hear some
outside sounds when listening at nor­mal volume levels, they still can
present a traffic hazard.

Listening Safely

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

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

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

10

CONNECTING A TAPE
RECORDER

You can connect an optional tape re­corder to your receiver’s

jack to record transmissions.

OUT

The recorder must have a line level in­put jack.

Note:

If you use a recorder’s MIC IN
jack to connect to the receiver, the
sound will be distorted.

REC LINE

To connect a tape recorder, you need
a mono patch cord (not supplied) with

1

a

/8-inch (3.5 mm) plug on both ends.
Your local RadioShack store ca rries a
wide selection of mono patch cords.

Insert the cord’s plug into the

LINE OUT

jack on the left side of the

REC

receiver, then connect the other end
of the cord to your tape recorder’s
LINE IN jack.

Follow the instructions provided with
your tape recorder to record transmis­sions from the receiver.

Note

: When you connect a tape re­corder, the receiver’s built-in speaker
continues to work.

Connect one end of the cord to the

REC STANDBY

jack, then connect the
other end to your recorder’s STAND­BY IN or REMOTE IN jack. Then see
“Timer Recording” on Page 33 for
more information about using the re­ceiver’s timers to record.

USING THE STAND

You can position the receiver more se­curely and possibly improve the sound
by resting the receiver on its stand.

Lift the latch on the back of the receiver
to open the stand.

REC ST ANDBY

The

jack on the left side
of the receiver lets you record a broad­cast at a preset time.

To connect a tape recorder to the re­ceiver’s

REC STANDBY

jack, you need

a mono patch cord (not supplied) with

3

a

/32-inch (2.3 mm) plug. And, your
tape recorder must have a STANDBY
IN or REMOTE IN jack rated at no
more than 20V, 150mA.

11

USING THE MEMO
LABEL

You can use the memo label under the
receiver’s stand to record helpful infor­mation, such as the memory location
numbers of your favorite stations.

SETTING THE MW (AM)
TUNING INCREMENT

In the United States, the Federal Com­munications Commission (FCC) as­signs frequencies for stations in the
MW band in 10-kHz increments. (In the
United States, we commonly call the
MW band the AM band.) In Europe and
some other parts of the world, MW fre­quencies are assigned in 9-kHz incre­ments.

If you are in a country where the AM
frequency increments are 9 kHz, set

MW-STEP

to 9k.

MW-STEP

ceiver is preset to
United States, Canada, and many
South American countries. Depending
on the country you are in, you might
have to change the frequency step.

12

on the right side of the re-

for use in the

10k

UNDERSTANDING YOUR RECEIVER

Once you understand a few simple terms we use in this manual and familiarize
yourself with your receiver’s features, you can start using your receiver to listen to
the world!

POWER

— turns the receiver on and off.

— turns on the display light for about 12 seconds (if y ou installe d batteries) or

until you press again.

— displays the time in your area using Daylight Saving Time.

— lets you set the time.

SET

— sets the tuning range for manual tuning (see “Direct Access Tuning” on

STEP

Page 19).

ATS/FM

— selects the FM band and lets you select FM stations using your receiv-

er’s automatic tuning system (ATS).

ATS/LW

— selects the LW (longwave) band and lets you select LW stations using

your receiver’s automatic tuning system.

13

ATS/MW

— selects the MW (medium wave) band and lets you select MW stations

using your receiver’s automatic tuning system.

METER/SW

— selects the SW (shortwave) band, and lets you scan for a shortwave

frequency in one of the receiver’s 14 meter bands.
Number Keys — each key has a single-digit label and a band range. The single

digits are used to enter a channel, frequency, or ID number. The band range
(120m, for example) indicates the shortwave band you can tune by pressing that
key.

— enters a decimal point or clears an incorrect entry.

•

C

(cancel) — cancels an entry.

F/FREQ

M/MEM

ENTER

TIMER 1, TIMER 2, TIMER 3

WORLD/HOME

(frequency) — lets you tune a frequency directly.

— stores frequencies into memory.

— enters a frequency.

— let you select any of the receiver’s three timers.

— lets you select the time you want to display (world time or your

home time).

AM MODE

— lets you set up the alarm timer.

M

EDIT

—

lets you lock out selected frequencies.

— lets you assign a name for each FM, MW, or LW station or for each page

where you stored an SW station.

PAGE

— lets you select either of the receiver’s memory pages (see “Memory Func-

tions” on Page 27).

PRIORITY

TUNING /

— tunes to the priority station you set.

— tunes up or down the band you selected.

14

BASIC OPERATION

T URNING THE RECEIVER
ON AND OFF

Press

POWER

then adjust
listening level.

The display shows the band, frequen­cy, time, and signal strength (with 10
as the strongest signal).

to turn on the receiver,

VOL UM E

to a comfortable

Fresh batteries show a power level of

10. If the indicator shows a power lev­el of 3 or below or
replace all of the batteries.

Press

POWER

ceiver.

BATT LOW

again to turn off the re -

flashes,

LIGHTING THE DISPLAY

Press to light the display in low­light situations.

Notes

:

• If you use battery power, the light
automatically turns off after 12
seconds to save battery power.

When you press
receiver, the battery power indicator
appears on the display for several
seconds.

POWER

to turn off the

• If you use AC or DC power, the
light stays on while the receiver is
on. You must turn off the receiver
to turn off the light.

LOCKING THE
CONTROLS

The lock feature prevents you from ac­cidentally turning the receiver on or off,
changing the band or frequency, or us­ing the front panel buttons.

15

Press

M

buttons and
pears.

to lock all the front panel

ROT ARY TUNING

. ap-

The clock display shows a random
time when you install batteries. Follow
these steps to set the local time in the
24-hour format (0:00 – 23:59).

You can still adjust

VOL UME, TONE

and other controls.
To unlock the buttons, press

M

again. disappears.

SETTING AND VIEWING
THE LOCAL TIME

Your receiver has two clocks. One dis­plays your local time and the ot her le ts
you display the time in any of 42 preset
world cities or a world city you specify.
Once you set your local time, the re­ceiver automatically calculates the cor­rect time in each of the preset world
cities or a world city that you specify
and lets you select and display that
time.

The time zone map on the back of the
receiver shows the difference in hours
between UTC (Universal Time Coordi­nate — formerly called Greenwich
Mean Time) and each time zone. To
determine your local time from UTC,
add or subtract the specified number
from UTC time. During Daylight Saving
Time, add one more hour.

1. Repeatedly press

HOME

until flashes.

2. Rotate

MANUAL TUNING

WORLD/HOME

until the
name of your city (or a city in the
same time zone) appears, then

,

press
beeps and the city’s name ap-

ENTER

. The receiver

pears for 2 seconds then disap­pears. and the time ap-

HOME

pear on the display.

HOME

3. Press

4. While flashes, use the

SET

HOME

.

flashes.

number buttons to enter the cor­rect time.

Notes:

HOME

• If stops flashing before

you press a number button,
start again at Step 3.

•Do

not

precede single-digit

hours with a 0. For example,

930

enter

• If you make a mistake, press

for 9:30 AM.

C

to erase the last digit, then
enter the correct digit.

16

• If you enter an invalid time, the
clock beeps twice and

E

(error)
appears for about 1 second.
Repeat Steps 3–4 to enter the
correct time.

5. Press

ENTER

. The time you
set appears, and the seconds
start counting from 0.

Note:

The receiver does not dis-

play the seconds.

VIEWING A WORLD TIME

Important:

time before following these steps. See
“Setting and Viewing the Local Time”
on Page 16.

1. Repeatedly press
until flashes.

2. Rotate
name of the world city (or a city in
the same time zone) appe ar s. The
current time in that city appears
on the display.

3. To save the displayed city as your
world city, press

WORLD

world city’s name disappears from
the display within 2 seconds.

You need to set your local

WORLD/HOME

WORLD

MANUAL TUNING

until the

ENTER

.

stops flashing. Then, the

CHANGING A WORLD
CITY NAME

You can change the name of any of
the preprogrammed world cities to a
name you choose, then save the new
name in the receiver’s memory.

1. Repeatedly press

HOME

until flashes.

2. Turn

MANUAL TUNING

city in the same time zone as the
city you want to change.

3. Press

EDIT

. The first character of

the city’s name flashes.

4. Turn

MANUAL TUNING

the desired character.

5. When the character you want
appears, press
move to the next position, then

MANUAL TUNING

turn
next character (up to 8 charac­ters).

Note:

If you want to correct a

character you entered, press

ING

6. Press

to move back to it.

ENTER

stores the name of the wor ld city
you entered.

WORLD/HOME

to select a

to select

TUNING

to

to enter the

TUN-

. The receiver

4. To return to your home time,
repeatedly press

HOME

until flashes. Your home

WORLD/HOME

city’s name and the time in that
city appear.

5. Press

ENTER

. stops

HOME

flashing.

17

TUNING STATIONS

Manual Tuning

Note:

“Special Tuning Controls” on
Page 24 contains more information
about using your receiver’s controls.

Selecting a Band

Press

METER/SW
ATS/MW

ATS/FM, ATS/LW, ATS/MW

to select the band. (Press

for AM.)

To select a smaller band within the SW
band, press

METER/SW

again. When
flashes on the right side of the display,
enter the desired band by pressing its
labeled key on the keypad. For exam­ple, to select the 75 meter shortwave
band, press

.

3

, or

You can select a lower or higher fre­quency by pressing

TUNING

or

. The frequency changes in the fol-

lowing increments.

Band Tuning Increment

FM 0.1 MHz
LW 9 kHz

MW 9 or 10 kHz

SW 0.005 MHz

You can also select a higher or lower
frequency by turning

.

ING

MANUAL TUN-

m

As you turn

MANUAL TUNING

might find that you need the frequen­cies to change more slowly. To
change how quickly the frequencies
change as you rotate the knob, re­peatedly press

on the front of

STEP

the receiver so the arrow o n the right
side of the display points to

.

SLOW

, you

FA S T

or

18

If you set

STEP

to

FAST

, the tuning in-

crements are the same as when you

TUNING or

press

SLOW

, the tuning increments are

. If you select

smaller so you can fine tune the fre­quency.

1. Press

F/FREQ

. The frequency dis­play disappears and
flashes for about 30 seconds.

2. Use the number keys and
enter the frequency, then press

ENTER

.

FREQ

to

•

Band Fast Slow

FM 0.1 MHz 0.05 MHz
LW 9 kHz 1 kHz

MW 9/10 kHz 1 kHz

SW 5 kHz 1 kHz

AM Mode

USB

set to

LSB

or

Note:

You can tune standard AM, up-

1 kHz 40 Hz

per sideband (USB), and lower side­band (LSB) frequencies. For more
information, see “Tuning SSB Sta­tions” on Page 25.

If you set

UAL

TUNING

STEP

to

STOP

, turning

MAN-

has no effect at all, so
you cannot accidentally change the
frequency.

Note:

Setting

MANUAL TUNING

STEP

to

STOP

. For information

locks only

about locking the front panel buttons,
see “Locking the Controls” on
Page 15.

Notes:

• If you wait more than 30 sec­onds to press a button, the pre­vious frequency returns to the
display. Begin again at Step 1.

• If you make a mistake, press
(cancel) to erase the last digit,
then enter the correct digit.

Scan Tuning

To automatically tune up or down to
the next active frequency in the select­ed band, hold down

for about 1 second. The re ceiver

TUNING

scans up or down the selected band
and tunes to the first frequency it finds
with a strong signal.

or

C

Direct Access Tuning

Follow these steps if you know a sta­tion’s frequency and want to directly
tune to that station.

To scan for an SW (shortwave) fre­quency in one of the 14 meter bands,

SW

press

, press the number button
with the meter range you want to scan,
then press

TUNING

or to scan

the band.

19

Notes:

• When scanning, the receiver only
searches for frequencies with
strong signals. To search for sta­tions with weaker signals, use one
of the manual tuning methods.

• When scanning in a lower band,
the receiver searches only within
the selected band and stops at the
upper and lower limits of th e band.

• Your receiver shows the short­wave bands you can receive on
the bottom of the display.

memory locations. See “Storing
SW Frequencies in Memory” on
Page 28 for more information.

• International commercial broad­cast programs (often in English)
usually contain news, commentar­ies, music, and special features
reflecting the culture of the broad­casting country. Reception for this
range is best between 6:00 PM
and midnight (your time).

Follow these steps to tune prepro­grammed shortwave stations.

1. Find the country and frequency for
the shortwave station you want to
tune in the “DX-398 Shortwave
Pages Chart” on Page 21. Then
write down the page number and
memory location number shown
on the chart for that station.

TUNING
PREPROGRAMMED
SHORTWAVE STATIONS

Your receiver is preprogrammed with
212 of the most popular worldwide
and U.S. shortwave stations. You can
quickly tune these popular stations.

Notes:

• You cannot change the preset
shortwave stations stored in your
receiver’s memory.

• You can store shortwave frequen­cies into the receiver’s empty

20

2. Press

3. While
edly press

the page number you wrote down
in Step 1 appears next to
The name of the broadcaster’s
country also appears next to

PAGE

Then, when you reach the desired
page number, press

4. Press a number key to enter the
memory location number you
wrote down in Step 1. The re­ceiver tunes the station.

then press

SW,

PAGE

or turn

.

.

PAGE

is flashing, repeat-

TUNING

MANUAL TUNING

or

TUNING

PAGE

ENTER

until

.

.

Note:

If you press a number key for a memory location number where there is no

station stored,

MEMOFREE

flashes for a few seconds. Then the receiver tunes the

station you previously tuned.

DX-398 SHORTWAVE PAGES CHART

Note:

All frequencies are in MHz.

Page

Country

(Stations)

AUSTRLIA

1

(Radio
Australia)

AUSTRIA

2

(Radio
Austria)

CANADA

3

Radio
Canada
Intl.)

CHINA

4

(China
Radio Intl.)

CST RICA

5

(Adventist
World
Radio,
Radio for
Peace Intl.)

CUBA

6

(Radio
Habana)

ECUADOR

7

(HCJB
Voice
of Andes)

ENGLAND

8

(BBC World
Service)

Memory Location

123456789

5.995 9.580 9.860 11.800 11.880 13.755 15.365 17.795 17.860

6.015 7.325 9.495 9.655 9.870 13.730

5.960 6.070 6.155 9.625 9.640 9.755 11.855 13.650 13.670

7.405 9.560 9.690 9.710 9.730 11.680 11.695 15.130

5.030 6.150 6.205
USB

6.000 6.180 9.505 9.820 9.380

5.860 9.445 9.745 11.960 12.005 15.115 15.540 21.455

5.965 5.975 6.175 6.195 9.515 9.590 9.600 9.740 9.915

7.385 9.725 13.750 15.050 15.460

13.715 13.725

USB

USB

USB

21

Page

(Stations)

ENGLAND

9

(BBC World
Service)

FRANCE

10

(Radio
France
Intl.)

GERMANY

11

(Deutsche
Welle-Voice
of Ger­many)

HOLLAND

12

(Radio
Netherlands
Wereldom­roep)

ISRAEL

13

(Kol Israel)

JAPAN

14

(Radio
Japan/NHK)

KOREA N

15

(Radio
Pyongyang)

KOREA S

16

(Radio
Korea
Intl.)

N ZEALND

17

(Radio New
Zealand)

NORWAY

18

(Radio
Norway
Intl.)

RUSSIA

19

(Voice of
Russia)

Country

Memory Location

123456789

11.750 11.835 12.095 15.220 15.400 15.575 17.830 17.840 21.660

11.615 13.625 15.325 15.530 17.620

5.960 6.040 6.085 6.145 6.185 9.515 9.535 9.615 9.640

6.020 6.165 9.700 9.720 9.845 9.890 15.315 17.605

7.465 9.435 11.605 12.077 15.615 15.640

5.960 6.110 6.120 9.535 11.705 11.895 12.000 13.630

6.575 9.975 11.335 13.670

9.650 11.715 13.650 15.575

6.100 9.570 9.700 9.810 9.875 11.735 11.900 11.905 15.115

5.905 7.440 7.465 7.520 9.560 11.840 13.800 15.340

7.125 7.240 7.250 9.665 11.630 11.675 11.750 12.050 15.400

22

Page

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29 (Open)

Country

(Station)

S AFRICA

(Channel
Africa)

SWEDEN

(Radio
Sweden)

SWITZLND

(Swiss
Radio
Intl.)

TAIWAN

(Voice of
Free
China)

U.S.A.

(Voice of
America)

U.S.A.

(Voice of
America,
WEWN)

U.S.A.

(WHRI,
WRMI,
WRNO)

U.S.A.

(WSHB)

U.S.A.

(WWCR,
WGTG)

Memory Location

123456789

3.220 5.955 9.530 9.675 11.900 15.240

6.065 6.090 7.115 7.290 11.650 13.740 15.240

6.135 9.885 9.905 13.635

5.950 7.130 7.445 9.680 11.740 15.600 17.750

5.985 6.035 6.130 7.405 9.455 9.760 11.695 11.715 15.205

15.410 15.580 17.895 5.825 6.890 7.425 9.455 11.875 13.615

5.745 5.760 6.040 7.315 9.495 13.760 9.955 7.355 7.395

5.850 6.095 7.510 7.535 9.355 9.430 11.550 13.770 15.665

3.210 3.215 5.070 7.435 9.475 12.160 15.685 5.085 9.400

23

ADJUSTING THE TONE

jack and setting
the right side of the receiver to

.

REO

To improve reception for weak FM ste­reo stations, set

MONO-FM

stereo, but the reception should im­prove.

STEREO/ MONO-FM

STEREO/MONO-FM

. The sound is no longer in

on

STE-

to

Set
cast voices while listening to talk
shows or news programs on SW, MW,
and LW frequencies.

Set
and bass response when listening to a
music program (especially FM pro­grams).

Set
terference.

TONE

TONE

TONE

to

to

to

to enhance broad-

NEWS

to enhance treble

MUSIC

to help reduce in-

NORM

SPECIAL TUNING
CONTROLS

STEREO/MONO-FM

WIDE/NARR.-AM

A strong station that broadcasts close
to a frequency you tuned might inter­fere with that frequency. To re duce in ­terference from adjacent stations in the
SW, MW, or LW bands, set

NARR.-AM

ceiver to
interference, set it to
sound.

on the right side of the re-

NARR.-AM

. Or, if there is no

WIDE

WIDE/

for better

AM RF GAIN

You can receive FM stereo by con­necting stereo headphones to the

24

AM RF GAIN

on the left side of the re­ceiver lets you tune a received signal
for the best SW reception. If the signal
is weak, turn
the sound is distorted, turn

AM RF GAIN

toward +. If

AM RF GAIN

toward –.

TUNING SSB STATIONS

SSB (single sideband) is very popular
among amateur radio and business ra­dio users because of its superior signal
quality. Many amateurs who operate
SSB and transmit below 10 MHz gen­erally use LSB (lower sideband), while
amateur and commercial stations who
transmit above 10 MHz generally use
USB (upper sideband). Your receiver
receives both USB and LSB transmis­sions.

Follow these steps to receive SSB
stations.

Note:

SSB stations sound dis­torted when you tune to them in
the normal SW band. To help you
find SSB stations, watch for
deflections on the signal strength
indicator. Since SSB is transmit­ted with a suppressed carrier, the
signal strength indicator will move
more quickly when there is a
transmission and more slowly dur­ing pauses in the transmission.

3. When you have located an SSB
station, press

AM MODE

to receive

the transmission. Repeatedly

AM MODE

press

to switch between
USB or LSB transmissions (try
LSB for frequencies below 10
MHz or USB for frequencies
above 10 MHz).

4. Set

STEP

MANUAL TUNING

to

SLOW

then readjust

for maximum

intelligibility.

1. Select an SW band (see “Select­ing a Band” on Page18).

2. If you know the frequency of an
SSB station, enter that frequency.

Or, scan the band for SSB stations
by slowly rotating

ING

, tuning through the selected

MANUAL TUN-

band until you hear an SSB sta­tion. Or, scan the band for USB or
LSB stations by holding down

TUNING

or

TUNING

for
about 2 seconds until you hear an
USB or LSB station

USING RDS

The receiver displays information
about FM radio stations that transmit a
Radio Data System (RDS) signal.
When the receiver receives an RDS
station, the station’s call letters appear
on the display. Also, if the station
broadcasts CT (clock time) informa­tion, the receiver automatically cor­rects the displayed time.

25

Follow these steps to use RDS.

1. Turn on the receiver.

2. Tune the receiver to an FM station
that transmits RDS (and CT) infor­mation.

3. Set

TIME SET

the receiver to

on the right side o f

AUTO

.

4. Make sure that your local time (as
described in “Setting and Viewing
the Local Time” on Page 16) has
been set correctly. (The receiver
compares the CT information with
your local time to display the cor­rect time at the broadcaster’ s lo ca­tion).

5. If your time zone is using Daylight
Saving Time, repeatedly press

until appears.

26

MEMORY FUNCTIONS

Besides tuning to the preprogrammed
shortwave stations (see “Tuning Pre­programmed Shortwave Stations” on
Page 20), you can store and then
quickly tune up to 94 frequencies in
your receiver’s
memory locations are grouped into

pages

(nine memory locations per

page).
You can store up to 18 FM frequen-

cies (2 pages), 18 MW frequencies (2
pages), and 9 LW frequencies (1
page) into your receiver’s FM/MW/LW
memory locations. You can store fre­quencies automatically (see “Automat­ic Storage”) or manually (see “Manual
Storage”).

Additionally, you can store frequencies
into any empty memory location in the
receiver’s SW memory pages (see
“Storing SW Frequencies in Memory”
on Page 28). There are 40 empty lo­cations scattered throughout the pag­es, and all 9 locations in Page 29 are
blank. See “DX-398 Shortwave Pages
Chart” on Page 21.

memory locations

. The

stations (from strongest to weakest) in
the FM, LW, and MW memory loca­tions until all the memory locations are
occupied. This feature helps you find
local stations in another city by simply
pressing a memory location button.

Note

: You cannot use this feature to

store SW stations.
To use ATS, hold down

, or

LW

The receiver beeps and the selected
band and
er automatically scans and stores the
strongest frequency into the firs t ava il­able memory location. It cont inues to
scan and store frequencies until it fills
the nine memory locations in that
page.

The first stored station appears. Once
the receiver has stored nine stations
in Page 1, press
next page. Then hold down

ATS/MW

able frequencies. The receiver beeps
when it finishes automatically tuning
stations.

AT S/M W

again to store the other avail-

for about 3 seconds.

ATS

flash. Then the receiv-

ATS/FM, ATS/

to select the

PAGE

ATS/FM

or

STORING FM, MW, OR
LW FREQUENCIES IN
MEMORY

Automatic Storage

You can set your receiver’s automatic
tuning system (ATS) so it automatically
stores all available FM, LW, and MW

Manual St orage

1. Press

2. Tune to the frequency you want to

ATS/FM, ATS/MW

to select the band where you want
to store a frequency.

store.

, or

ATS/LW

27

3. Repeatedly press
the page where you want to store
the frequency.

PAGE

under

Notes

PAGE

•

receiver is set to SW mode.

• If you wait more than 10 sec-

onds to press
stops flashing.

• If you pressed

PAGE

1,
cause there is only one LW
page.

.

:

flashes only when the

does not appear be-

PAGE to

1

or 2 appears

PAGE

,

AT S/LW

in Step

select

PAGE

ING

or
frequency, press
press the number key for the
memory location. After a few sec­onds, the receiver beeps and
stores the new frequency in the
memory location.

5. Press
quency in the flashing memory
location. The receiver beeps and
a bracket appears around the
memory location number where
you stored the frequency, to show
that the frequency was stored
there.

ENTER

to select a new

M/MEM

to store the fre-

, then

4. Press
about 12 seconds. The n umber for
the first available empty memory
location for the selected page
flashes next to

Note:

tion number does not flash, all
memory locations are full in the
band you selected. If this hap­pens, clear a memory location
(see “Deleting a Station You
Stored” on Page 30) then store
the frequency. Or, to replace a
stored frequency with a new fre­quency, repeatedly press

M/MEM

If an empty memory loca-

MEMO

.

MEMO

flashes for

.

TUN-

STORING SW
FREQUENCIES IN
MEMORY

Follow these steps to store shortwave
frequencies into empty memory loca­tions in the shortwave page.

1. Press
shortwave band.

2. Tune to the frequency you want to
store. The currently selected page
number appears under

3. Press
flash for about 10 seconds.

METER/SW

M/MEM

.

to select the

PAGE

PAGE

and

MEMO

.

28

4. While
repeatedly press

want to store the frequency.
The page’s number appears

under
page’s country appears as you
press
each page, the number of the first
available empty memory location
in that page flashes next to

Note

seconds to press
ing. If this happens, start again at

Step 3.

5. Press
frequency to the flashing memory
location. The receiver beeps and
a bracket appears around the
number where you stored the fre­quency.

Notes

• If the receiver’s memory is full,

PAGE

and

to

select the page where you

PAGE

and the name of the

TUNING

: If you wait more than 10

PAGE

,

ENTER

:

and

to assign the

MEMOFULL

press a number key.

MEMO

TUNING

or

TUNING

MEMO

appears when you

or

.

or

stop flash-

flash,

For

MEMO

location for about 2 seconds.
The receiver beeps and stores
the new frequency in the mem­ory location.

ASSIGNING A NAME TO
AN FM/MW/LW STATION
OR SW PAGE

.

To help you easily identify stored fre­quencies, you can assign a name (up
to 8 characters) to an FM, MW, or LW
memory location, or to an SW page.

1. Select a band (see “Selecting a
Band” on Page 18).

2. Repeatedly press
the page number where you
stored the desired frequency.

3. For an FM, MW, or LW station,
use the number keys to enter the
desired memory location number.

4. Press
under the displayed frequency for
about 30 seconds.

5. While the cursor flashes, turn

MANUAL TUNING

first character you want to use.

EDIT

. A cursor flashes

PAGE

to select

until you see the

• To replace a frequency you
stored with a new frequency,
repeatedly press

TUNING

or
frequency, press
hold down the number key cor­responding to that memory

to select a new

TUNING

M/MEM

, then

29

Note

: If you wait more than 20
seconds to turn
the cursor stops flashing. If this
happens, start again at Step 4.

6. When the character you want
appears, press
move to the next position, then
rotate
the next character.

Note:

character you entered, press

ING

7. When you have finished entering
the name, press

MANUAL TUNING

If you want to correct a

to move back to it.

MANUAL TUNING

TUNING

to select

.

ENTER

to

TUN-

LOCKING/UNLOCKING A

,

STORED STATION

After storing your favorite stations, you
can lock any of them in memory. This
helps you avoid overwriting the station
if you accidentally use the receiver’s
ATS automatic store feature.

To lock or unlock a station, recall th e
station, press

M

. appears (locked) or dis-

appears (unlocked).

M/MEM

MOVING A FREQUENCY

then press

DELETING A STATION
YOU STORED

1. Select a band (see “Selecting a
Band” on Page 18).

2. Press

3. Repeatedly press

4. Use the number keys to enter the

5. Press

6. Press C (cancel).

ENTER

page with the desired frequency
appears.

memory location number.

M/MEM.

.

until the

PAG E

TO ANOTHER MEMORY
LOCATION

Note:

These steps show you how to
move a frequency to another memory
location on the same page. To mo ve
the frequency to another memory lo­cation on a different page, follow the
steps in “Storing FM, MW, or LW Fre­quencies in Memory” on Page 27 or
“Storing SW Frequencies in Memory”
on Page 28.

1. Select a band (see “Selecting a
Band” on Page 18).

2. Recall the memory location num­ber of the frequency you want to
move.

3. Press
memory location where the sta­tion is programmed flash.

M/MEM

.

MEMO

and the

30

4. Use the number keys to enter the
new memory location number.
The receiver beeps .

USING PRIORITY

3. Press

PRIORITY

to store the page
with the desired station in the pri­ority location.

Note:

If you previously stored a

priority station, pressing

PRIORITY

replaces it.

You can store one MW/LW/FM station
as the priority station, then quickly re­call it.

1. Tune to your favorite station.

2. Press

3. Press

M/MEM.

PRIORITY

to store the sta-

tion in the priority location.

Note:

If you previously stored a

priority station, pressing

PRIORITY

replaces it.

4. To tune to the priority station,
press

PRIORITY

. The receiver

tunes to the priority station.

The receiver stores a SW priority sta­tion differently than an MW/LW/FM
station. It stores a page containing 9
stations (including the SW station you
want to store as the priority station) in
a memory location.

4. To tune to the priority station,
press

PRIORITY

. The receiver
tunes to the page you selected
then to the strongest frequency
among the 9 preset stations.

Note:

If there is a stronger station
on the page you selected, the
receiver might tune to it instead of
the station you selected.

5. Press the memory location num­ber you selected in Step 1 under
“Tuning Preprogrammed Short­wave Stations” on Page 20 to tune
to the priority station.

1. Use the steps under “Tuning Pre­programmed Shortwave Stations”
on Page 20 to tune to the page
where you stored your favorite
shortwave station.

2. Press

M/MEM

to store the page

containing the desired station.

31

TIMER FUNCTIONS

TIMER

USING THE TIMER
ALARMS

Your receiver has three timer alarms.
You can set these alarms to sound
(buzzer or radio) at a time you set.

Setting an Alarm

1. If you want the radio to turn on at
the alarm time, tune to the desired

, or

MEMO

.

TIMER

, start

AM

station. Then press

M/MEM

and the memory location where
the station is programmed flash
for about 10 seconds.

2. Press

TIMER 1, TIMER 2

twice. , the selected timer

3

TIMER

number, and (buzzer) flash for
about 10 seconds.

Note:

before you press

, or

2

MEMO

If

TIMER 3

stops flashing

TIMER 1, TIMER

, start again from

Step 2.

3. To select the type of alarm (buzzer
or radio), repeatedly press

until for the buzzer or

MODE

for the radio flashes next to

.

TIMER

Note:

If or , stops flashing

before you press

AM MODE

again from Step 2.

4. Use the number keys to enter the
time you want the alarm to sound.

5. Press

ENTER

.

6. Turn the receiver off.

Silencing the Alarm

When the display shows the alarm
time, the radio turns on or the buzzer
sounds and ,

, or 3, and

1, 2

or flash on the display.
If you selected the buzzer, its volume

increases after several seconds. After
a few more seconds, the buzzer’s vol­ume increases again. Then, after 60
seconds, the buzzer turns itself off
and sounds again the next day at the
set time.

If you selected the radio, it au tomati­cally turns off after 60 minutes. To si­lence the radio or the buzzer sooner,
press

TIMER

POWER

to turn off the receiver.

,

, or 3, and or dis-

1, 2

appear and the alarm sounds again
the next day at the set time.

Using the Snooze Feature

To silence the buzzer or radio alarm for
about 5 minutes, press any button ex­cept

POWER

, , or .

M

flashes above . This temporarily
silences the buzzer or radio and then it
sounds again. You can repeat this for
up to 30 minutes using the buzzer
alarm or up to 60 minutes using th e ra­dio alarm.

Note:

The snooze feature does not

work if a plug is connected to the

LINE OUT

jack.

Z

Z

REC

Z

32

Turning a Timer Alarm
On or Off

USING THE SLEEP
TIMER

To turn off the alarm so it does not
sound again, press

TIMER 3

or
flashes.

If you want to turn on a timer alarm
again, press

ER 3

TIMER

. Then press C while

TIMER 1, TIMER 2, or TIM-

. Then press

1, 2

and

TIMER 1, TIMER 2

ENTER

, or 3 flash.

TIMER

while

Timer Recording

You can connect a tape recorder to
the receiver and have it record starting
at a preset time.

Connect your tape recorder as de­scribed in “Connecting a Tape Re­corder” on Page 10 and set your tape
recorder to record. Then follow the
steps in “Using the Timer Alarms” on
Page 32 to have the radio start to play
at the time you want.

When the radio plays at the time you
set, the tape recorder starts and
records the broadcast.

,

The sleep timer lets you set the re­ceiver to turn off in an amount of time
you set.

1. With the receiver off, hold down

POWER

and turns on.

After a few seconds,
pears and stops flashing.

2. Tune to the desired station.

After the preset number of minutes, the
receiver turns off. To turn off the re­ceiver sooner, press

To change the playing time after you
set it, hold down
timer changes from 90 → 80 → 70
60 → 50 → 40 → 30 → 20 → 10 → 90
minutes, repeating the sequence as
you hold down

ER

when the desired amount of time

appears.

until the receiver beeps

90

appears and

flashes.

90

disap-

POWER

POWER

POWER

.

. The sleep

. Release

POW-

→

33

LISTENING HINTS

Shortwave listening is a hobby with
thousands of participants worldwide. It
requires no special knowledge or
skills, but your enjoyment increases as
you gain experience and develop spe­cial listening techniques.

The information in this section can help
you make the most of your DX-398.

REFERENCE SOURCES

Many books and magazines about
shortwave listening are available
through your local library or news­stand. Consult sources such as the

World Radio Handbook, Radio Ama­teur’s Handbook
Band Radio
Popular Communications

lications can help you learn about the
conditions that make long-distance re­ception possible and provide up-to­date listings for shortwave broadcasts
in English and in other languages.

,

Passport to World

,

Monitoring Times

. These pub-

, and

using the frequency’s wavelength. For
example, the 19-meter band refers to
the range of frequencies with waves
about 19 meters long.

Use the following equations to convert
kHz, MHz, and meters.

To convert MHz to kHz, multiply by
1,000. For example:

9.62 MHz × 1000 = 9,620 kHz

To convert kHz to MHz, divide by
1,000. For example:

2780 kHz ÷ 1000 = 2.780 MHz

To convert MHz to meters, divide 300
by the number of MHz. For example:

300 ÷ 7.1 MHz = 42.25 meters

To convert meters to MHz, divide 300
by the number of meters. For exam­ple:

300 ÷ 42.25 meters = 7.1 MHz

FREQUENCY
CONVERSION

A band is a group of frequencies.
Sometimes, bands are grouped ac­cording to their wavelengths, in
meters. The tuning location of a station
can be expressed as a frequency (kHz
or MHz) or a wavelength (meters).

Amateur radio operators generally re­fer to the frequencies they operate on

34

BAND ALLOCATION

Certain bands are set aside for specific
purposes.

Amateur Radio Frequencies

Tuning to the amateur radio frequen­cies can be interesting and helpful, be­cause amateur radio operators often
broadcast emergency information
when other means of communication
break down.

Amateur radio operators use the fol­lowing bands. Portions of these bands
are set aside for continuous wave
(CW) Morse code communication or
for single sideband (SSB) voice com­munication, as shown below.

160 meters:

1,800–2,000 kHz: SSB

80 meters:

International Frequencies

International commercial broadcasts
are found in the following shortwave
bands. Programs (often in English)
usually contain news, commentaries,
music, and special features reflecting
the culture of the broadcasting co untry.
Reception for this range is best be­tween 6:00 PM and midnight (your
time).

3,500–3,800 kHz: CW
3,800–4,000 kHz: SSB

40 meters:

7,000–7,150 kHz: CW
7,150–7,300 kHz: SSB

20 meters:

14,000–14,200 kHz: CW
14,200–14,350 kHz: SSB

15 meters:

21,000–21,250 kHz: CW
21,250–21,450 kHz: SSB

10 meters:

28,000–28,500 kHz: CW
28,500–29,700 kHz: SSB

Note:

These ranges are not precisely

observed everywhere in the world.

Band

(in meters)

120 2.300–2.495

*

90 3.200–3.400

*

75 3.900–4.000

*

60 4.750–5.060

*

49 5.900–6.200
41 7.100–7.350

**

31 9.400–9.990
25 11.600–12.100
21 13.500–13.870
19 15.100–15.800
16 17.480–17.900
13 21.450–21.750
11 25.600–26.100

*

These bands are reserved for sta-

tions in tropical areas.

Frequency

Range

(in MHz)

**

Interference is heavy in the 41m
band (7.100–7.300 MHz) because am­ateur radio operators and international
stations share this range.

35

Aircraft Frequencies

Time Standard Frequencies

Aircraft on international routes some­times use SW. Most transmissions are
in SSB, although you can still hear
some MW transmissions. Here are
some bands where you might hear air­craft communications.

4,650–4,750 kHz
6,545–6,765 kHz
8,815–9,040 kHz
11,175–11,400 kHz
13,200–13,360 kHz
15,010–15,100 kHz
17,900–18,030 kHz

Ships and Coastal Station
Frequencies

Most transmissions from ships and
coastal stations are in SSB and CW.
You can hear these transmissions in
the following bands.

2,000–2,300 kHz
4,063–4,139 kHz
4,361–4,438 kHz
8,195–8,181 kHz
12,330–12,420 kHz
13,107–13,200 kHz
16,460–16,565 kHz

*

The Coast Guard and small boats
use this band, with 2,182 kHz set aside
as the international distress and emer­gency channel.

*

The following frequencies announce
the exact time of day at specified inter­vals.

WWV in Fort Collins, Colorado:

2,500 kHz
5,000 kHz
10,000 kHz
15,000 kHz
20,000 kHz

CHU in Canada: 7,335 kHz
VNG in Australia:

4,500 and 12,000 kHz

Longwave Band

The 150–519 kHz range is known as
the longwave band. Most stations in
this range serve as beacons for aircraft
and marine navigation by continuously
transmitting their call letters. Recep­tion for this range is best between 6:00
PM and midnight (your time).

Some ships also use this range, with
500 kHz set aside as an international
distress and emergency station.

Most stations in this range use CW
(Morse code), although some use AM
voice transmission for weather broad­casts.

36

LISTENING GUIDE

The following list contains some of the more frequently heard stations. All stations
broadcast in English unless otherwise specified. You can hear these stations
throughout North America. However, re cept ion varie s b ased on t h e seaso n, tim e of
day, and a number of other conditions.

This information can change at any time. For sources of yearly, up-to-date listings,
see “Reference Sources” on Page 34.

kHz Station Location Remarks

3,223 Radio SR Swaziland
3,265 Radio Mozambique Maputo, Mozambique
3,300 Radio Cultural Guatemala City,

Guatemala
3,380 Radio Iris Esmeraldas, Ecuador Programs in Spanish
3,385 FR3 Cayenne,

3,396 Radio Kaduna Kaduna, Nigeria
4,750 Radio Bertoua Bertoua, Cameroon
4,755 Imo Regional Radio Imo, Nigeria
4,777 Radio/TV Gabon Libreville, Gabon Programs in French
4,795 Radio Nueva

America
4,820 Radio Paz y Bien Ambala, Ecuador Programs in Spanish
4,832 Radio Reloj San Jose, Costa Rica Programs in Spanish
4,855 Radio Clube do

Para
4,890 National

Broadcasting

Commission
4,915 Voice Kenya Nairobi, Kenya
4,920 Australian

Broadcasting

Commission
4,945 Radio Colosal Neiva, Colombia Programs in Spanish
4,965 Radio Santa Fe Bogota, Colombia Programs in Spanish
4,980 Ecos del Torbes San Cristobal,

5,020 Solomon Islands

Broadcasting

Service
5,057 Radio Gjirokaster Gjirokaster, Albania Programs in Albanian

French Guiana

La Paz, Bolivia Programs in Spanish

Belem, Brazil Programs in

Papua New Guinea

Brisbane, Australia

Venezuela
Honiara, Solomon Islands

Religious Programs

Programs in French

Portugese

Programs in Spanish

37

kHz Station Location Remarks

5,950 Guyana

Broadcasting
Service

5,954 Radio Casino Puerto Limon,

5,960 Radio Canada

International

5,980 Radio RSA Johannesburg, South

6,005 CFCX Montreal, Canada
6,025 Radio Malaysia Kuala Lumpur,

6,045 Radio Australia Lyndhurst, Australia
6,055 Nihon Shortwave

Broadcasting
Company

6,060 Radio Nacional Buenos Aires,

6,075 Radio Sutatenza Bogota, Colombia Programs in Spanish
6,090 Radio

Luxembourg
6,095 Polskie Radio Warsaw, Poland
6,105 Radio New Zealand Wellington, New

7,140 Trans World

Radio
7,170 Radio Noumea Noumea, New

7,300 Radio Tirana Tirana, Albania
9,475 Radio Cairo Cairo, Egypt
9,515 Voice of Greece Athens, Greece
9,525 Radio Korea Seoul, South Korea
9,530 Spanish Foreign

Radio
9,535 Swiss Radio

International
9,540 Radio Prague Prague,

9,570 Radio Bucharest Bucharest, Romania
9,575 Italian Radio and

Television Service

Georgetown, Guyana

Costa Rica
Montreal, Canada

Africa

Programs in Chinese

Malaysia

Tokyo, Japan Programs in Japanese

Programs in Spanish

Argentina

Ville Louvigny,
Luxembourg

Zealand
Monte Carlo, Monaco

Programs in French

Caledonia

Madrid, Spain

Berne, Switzerland

Czech Republic

Rome, Italy

38

kHz Station Location Remarks

9,610 Radio-TV Algeria Algiers, Algeria Programs in Arabic
9,620 Radio Berlin

International
9,645 Radio Norway Oslo, Norway
9,720 Radio Iran Tehran, Iran Programs in Farsi
9,745 HCJB Quito, Ecuador
9,770 Austrian Radio Vienna, Austria
9,800 Radio Kiev Kiev, Ukraine
9,835 Radio Budapest Budapest, Hungary
10,040 Voice of Vietnam Hanoi, Vietnam
11,655 Israel Radio Jerusalem, Israel
11,690 Radio Kuwait Kuwait City, Kuwait
11,705 Radio Sweden Stockholm, Sweden
11,720 Radio Moscow Moscow, Russia
11,735 Radio Sofia Sofia, Bulgaria
11,745 Voice of Free

China
11,815 Radio Japan Tokyo, Japan
11,825 Radio Tahiti Papeete, Tahiti Programs in Tahitian
11,835 4VEH Cap Haitien, Haiti
11,845 Radio Canada

International
11,850 Deutsche Welle Cologne, Germany
11,890 Voice of Chile Santiago, Chile
11,900 Radio RSA Johannesburg, South

11,910 BBC London, England
11,930 Radio Havana

Cuba
11,935 Radio Portugal Lisbon, Portugal
11,945 Radio Beijing Beijing, China
11,955 Voice of Turkey Ankara, Turkey
11,980 Radio Moscow Moscow, Russia
15,038 Saudi Arabian

Broadcasting

Service

Berlin, Germany

Taipei, Taiwan

Montreal, Canada

Africa

Havana, Cuba

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Programs in Arabic

39

kHz Station Location Remarks

15,084 Voice of Iran Tehran, Iran Programs in Farsi
15,135 Radio Moscow Moscow, Russia
15,165 HCJB Quito, Ecuador
15,190 ORU Brussels, Belgium
15,205 All India Radio New Delhi, India
15,260 BBC London, England
15,265 Finnish Radio Helsinki, Finland
15,275 Radio Sweden Stockholm, Sweden
15,305 Swiss Radio

International
15,310 Radio Japan Tokyo, Japan
15,320 Radio Australia Melbourne, Australia
15,400 BBC London, England
15,430 Radio Mexico Mexico City, Mexico Programs in

15,465 Radio Pakistan Islamabad, Pakistan Programs in Urdu
17,720 Radio France

International
17,825 Vatican Radio Vatican City
17,860 Austrian Radio Vienna, Austria
21,495 Israel Radio Jerusalem, Israel
21,525 Radio Australia Melbourne, Australia
21,625 Israel Radio Jerusalem, Israel
21,645 Radio France

International
21,735 Radio-TV Morocco Rabat, Morocco Programs in Arabic
25,790 Radio RSA Johannesburg, South

Berne, Switzerland

Spanish

Paris, France

Paris, France

Africa

40

BIRDIES

Birdies are the products of internally generated signals that make some fre quencies
difficult or impossible to receive. If you program a birdie frequency, you hear only
noise on that frequency. The most common birdies to watch f or on this receiver ar e:

450 kHz 3,844 kHz 9,000 kHz 10,250 kHz

18,000 kHz 20,490 kHz 21,835 kHz 21,868 kHz

Notes:

• See “Storing SW Frequencies in Memory” on Page 28 for more information
about using the shortwave page 29.

• Interference from devices such as dimmer switches and motors and atmo­spheric conditions can disrupt shortwave listening. You can minimize interfer­ence by moving the receiver away from the source of noise, or turning off the
offending device. Shortwave stations sometimes change their operating fre­quency to avoid interfering with other stations, to improve reception during dif­ferent seasons, or to take advantage of signal propagation changes due to sun
spots. For this reason, a given station might not be found on the frequency
listed in memory. Reception of these stations can also be affected by rapid
changes in the ionosphere. Sometimes the station you are listening to migh t
fade out completely. These occurrences are normal shortwave listening condi­tions.

AMATEUR SHORTWAVE BANDS IN THE US

Amateur radio operators in the U.S.A. are found in the bands listed here. They op­erate mostly in LSB (Lower Side Band) mode. Morse code operators are generally
found in the lower areas of each band. The amateur radio operators with the most
advanced classification are found in the upper areas of each band.

41

Amateur Shortwave Bands (in MHz)

3.500 – 4.000 MHZ 80 Meters 7.000 – 7.300 MHz 40 Meters

–

10.100

18.068

24.890

10.150 MHz 30 Meters 14.0 – 14.350 MHz 20 Meters

–

18.168 MHz 17 Meters 21.000 – 21.450 MHz 15 Meters

–

24.990 MHz 12 Meters 28.000 – 29.700 MHz 10 Meters

42

TROUBLESHOOTING

We do not expect you to have any problems with your receiver, but if you have a
problem, the information in th is chart might help. If the pr oblem persists, take the
receiver to your local RadioShack store for assistance.

SYMPTOM POSSIBLE CAUSE SUGGESTION

Weak or intermittent
sound.

Scanning stops on a fre­quency that has an un­clear transmission.

Frequency does not
change when you turn

ROTARY TUNING

.

The internal batteries
are weak.

The antenna must be
adjusted.

The signal is blocked by
metal or concrete.

The frequency is not
tuned properly.

The frequency is not
tuned properly.

The frequency is one of
the receiver’s birdie fre­quencies.

FAST/SLOW/STOP

to

STOP

.

is set

Check the batteries and
replace or recharge
them as necessary.

Adjust the telescoping
antenna or connect an
external antenna.

Move the receiver near a
window when you use it
inside a vehicle or metal­frame building.

Fine-tune the frequen­cy. See “Tuning Sta­tions” on Page 18.

Fine-tune the frequen­cy. See “Tuning Sta­tions” on Page 18.

Tune another frequency.

Set

FAST/SLOW/STOP

or

FAST

SLOW

.

to

ROTARY TUNING

and
front panel buttons do
not respond.

The keypad is locked
( appears on the
display).

Press .

M

43

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Your RadioShack DX-398 All-Band Shortwave Receiver with Radio Data
System is an example of superior design and craftsmanship. The following
suggestions will help you care for your receiver so you can enjoy it for years.

Keep the receiver dry. If it ge ts wet, wipe it dry immediately. L iq­uids might contain minerals that can corrode the electronic cir­cuits.

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

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

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

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

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

Modifying or tampering with the rece iver’s internal components can cause a
malfunction and might invalidate its warranty and void your FCC authoriza­tion to operate it. If your receiver is not performing as it should, take it to your
local RadioShack store for assistance.

44

RESETTING THE
DISPLAY

If the display shows random charac­ters or does not work properly, you
might need to reset it.

Important:

set time and resets the receiver’s mi­croprocessor (the component that
controls how the receiver operates),
but all stations remain stored. Reset
the receiver only when you are s ure it
is not working properly.

To reset the display, insert a pointed
object, such as a straightened paper
clip, into the
tom of the receiver. Then gently press
and release the button inside the hole.

This procedure clears the

RESET

hole on the bot-

45

SPECIFICATIONS

Circuit:

FM ..................................................................................................... Heterodyne

LW/MW/SW ........................................................... Dual-Conversion Heterodyne

Frequency Range:

FM ......... ...................................... ... ....................................... .......... 88 – 10 8 MHz

LW .................................................................................................. 153–519 kHz

MW .............................................................................................. 520–1,710 kHz

SW ......................................................... ... ... .......................... 1.711–29.999 MHz

SW Sub-Bands:

2.300 – 2.495 MHz (120 meters) 11.600 – 12.100 MHz (25 meters)

3.200 – 3.400 MHz (90 meters) 13.500 – 13.870 MHz (21 meters)

3.900 – 4.000 MHz (75 meters) 15.100 – 15.800 MHz (19 meters)

4.750 – 5.060 MHz (60 meters) 17.480 – 17.900 MHz (16 meters)

5.900 – 6.200 MHz (49 meters) 18.900 – 19.020 MHz (15 meters)

7.100 – 7.350 MHz (41 meters) 21.450 – 21.750 MHz (13 meters)

9.400 – 9.990 MHz (31 meters) 25.600 – 26.100 MHz (11 meters)

Antenna:

LW/MW .................................................................................................... Built-In

SW ................................................................... Telescoping or Optional External

FM .................................................................................................... Telescoping

Output ............................................................................... 300 mW @ 10% THD

Jacks:

External Power .................................................................................... DC IN 6V

Stereo Headphones ................................................................................

AM External Antenna .......................................................................... DC IN 6V

Record Standby ...........................................................................

3

Record Line Out ............................................................................

Power Sources:

Primary ......................................................................................... 4 AA Batteries

AC (Requires Optional Adapter) ....................... 6V/300mA, Center Tip Negative

DC (Requires Optional Adapter) ...................... 6V/300mA, Center Tip Negative

Battery Life (with Alkaline Batteries) ........................................ 13 Hours @ 50 mW

1

3

1

Dimensions (HWD) ............................. 5

/

8 ×

×

1

8

/

Inches (130 × 223 × 33 mm)

/

4

4

Weight (without batteries) ............................................................... 24.7 oz (700 g)

Included Accessory ......................................................................... Carrying Pouch

1

/

8

-Inch Mono

/

32

1

-Inch Mono

/

8

-Inch

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

46

NOTES

47

Limited Ninety-Day Warrant

y

y (90)

g

q

g

y

y

(b)

y

y

g

y

y

g

g

y

(d)

j

y g

y

This product is warranted by RadioShack against manufacturing defects in material and workman­ship under normal use for ninet
owned stores and authorized RadioShack franchisees and dealers. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED
HEREIN, RadioShack MAKES NO EXPRESS WARRANTIES AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
INCLUDING THOSE OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE,
ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO THE DURATION OF THE WRITTEN LIMITED WARRANTIES
CONTAINED HEREIN. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, RadioShack SHALL HAVE NO LIABIL­ITY OR RESPONSIBILITY TO CUSTOMER OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY WITH RE­SPECT TO ANY LIABILITY, LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY BY USE
OR PERFORMANCE OF THE PRODUCT OR ARISING OUT OF ANY BREACH OF THIS WAR­RANTY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY DAMAGES RESULTING FROM INCONVE­NIENCE, LOSS OF TIME, DATA, PROPERTY, REVENUE, OR PROFIT OR ANY INDIRECT,
SPECIAL, INCIDENT AL, OR CONSEQ UENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF RadioShac k HAS BEEN AD­VISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Some states do not allow the limitations on how lon
cidental or conse
In the event of a product defect durin
sales receipt as proof of purchase date to an
less otherwise provided b
labor;
price. All replaced parts and products, and products on which a refund is made, become the prop-

of RadioShack. New or reconditioned parts and products may be used in the performance of

ert
warrant

inal warranty period. You will be charged for repair or replacement of the product made after the

ori
expiration of the warrant
This warrant
accident, misuse, improper or abnormal usa
maintenance, alteration, li
other than those provided b
fuses or batteries;
of product removal, installation, set-up service ad
This warrant
state to state.

RadioShack Customer Relations, 200 Ta

uential damages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you.

replace the product with one of the same or similar design; or (c) refund the purchase

service. Repaired or replaced parts and products are warranted for the remainder of the

does not cover: (a) damage or failure caused by or attributable to acts of God, abuse,

ives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from

law: (a)correct the defect by product repair without charge for parts and

period.

htning or other incidence of excess voltage or current; (b) any repairs

cosmetic damage; (e) transportation, shipping or insurance costs; or (f) costs

days from the date of purchase from RadioShack company-

an implied warranty lasts or the exclusion of in-

the warranty period, take the product and the RadioShack

RadioShack store. RadioShack will, at its option, un-

e, failure to follow instructions, improper installation or

a RadioShack Authorized Service Facility; (c) consumables such as

ustment or reinstallation.

lor Street, 6th Floor, Fort W orth, TX 76102

We Service What We S ell

04/99

RadioShack

A Division of Tandy Corporation

Fort Worth, Texas 76102

3818626A

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