RadioShack HTX-242 Owners Manual
Cat. No. 19-1126
OWNER’S MANUAL
HTX-242 TWO-METER MOBILE TRANS-
CEIVER
Please read before using this transceiver.
!
INTRODUCTION
Your HTX-242 Two-Meter Mobile Transceiver is an exciting addition to Radio Shack’s growing line of high-quality amateur radio
equipment. It offers some of the most advanced, and most
requested, features available in a mobile transceiver. Be sure to
read this entire manual to understand how to use all the radio’s
features.
You must have a Technician Class or higher Amateur Radio Operator’s
License and a call sign issued by the FCC to legally transmit using this
transceiver. Transmitting without a license carries heavy penalties. Getting a license is easier than ever. Your local Radio Shack store has training materials for all classes of Amateur Radio Operator.
FEATURES
Auto Memory Store (AMS)
quencies and stores them in memory, including the appropriate
repeater offset.
High (45 W att) and Low (1 0 Watt) Power Settings
the best power setting for effective communications.
True FM Modulation
41 Memory Channels
dard frequencies.
Priority Memory Channel 1
ically check the frequency stored in Memory Channel 1 and alert
you if there is activity on it.
Individually Programmable Repeater Offsets
different repeater offset frequencies for each memory, and a
default repeater offset for manually-tuned frequencies.
Subaudible Tone Transmit and Receive (CTCSS)
subaudible tones required to use some repeaters, and also lets you
set a subaudible tone that your transceiver must receive to open
squelch.
DTMF Page with Group Calling
seven DTMF tones that your transceiver must receive to sound an
alert tone and open squelch.
DTMF Transmit and Memory
tones or send DTMF sequences of up to 15 digits each from one of
10 DTMF memories to quickly access DTMF-access repeaters,
autopatches, or other stations equipped with a DTMF page feature.
1996 Tandy Corporation.
Radio Shack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
—automatically searches for active fre-
—let you select
—provides a clear, natural-sounding signal.
—hold one calling frequency and 40 stan-
—lets you set the HTX-242 to period-
—let you program
—transmits the
—lets you set a sequence of up to
—lets you manually send DTMF
2
Programmable Frequency Step
for tuning or scanning to 5, 10, 12.5, 20, 25, 50, or 100 kHz.
—lets you set the frequency step
Extended Band Coverage
lets you extend transmit coverage to include 2-Meter ham, MARS
(Military Amateur Radio Service), and CAP (Civil Air Patrol).
Dual VFO (Variable-Frequency Oscillator) and Duplex Modes
two independent VFOs let you quickly select between two directlyentered frequencies. You can also use one of the VFOs as a
repeater input frequency and the other as a repeater output frequency for odd-split repeaters.
Using this Manual
To make this manual as easy to use as possible, we give you several ways to find information.
Contents
ual.
Understanding the Display
a brief explaination and notes the sections where the indicator is
fully explained.
Using the Menu
gives the page numbers where the options are discussed.
Quick Reference Card
tions.
Type Conventions
easier to find in the text:
—receives from 136 to 174 MHz and
—
—lists all sections in the order they appear in the man-
—lists all display indicators and gives
—lists the options in the configuration menu and
—gives brief instructions for most func-
—make the references to keys and displays
• Keys are bold. For example,
• When a key has more than one marking (for example,
ALM
and
name appropriate to the task.
• Where you are instructed to press two keys at once, the keys
are separated by a + symbol. For example,
• Text and symbols that appear on the transceiver’s display
appear in a special typeface. For example,
Important notes in this manual have a large exclamation mark (!)
in the margin. W arnings and cautions you should follow to prevent
injury to a person or damage to the transceiver have a large lightning bolt ( ) in the margin.
refer to the same key), we refer to the key by the
VFO
.
DTMF
F+DTMF
144.940
.
.
3
CONTENTS
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Unpacking the Transceiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Connecting the Microphone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Mounting the HTX-242 in a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Connecting an Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Connecting to your Vehicle’s Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Using the HTX-242 as a Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Using the HTX-242 with Packet Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connecting an External Speaker (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Understanding the HTX-242 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Dual VFO Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
DTMF (Touch-Tone) Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Subaudible Tone (CTCSS) Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Repeater Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Memory Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Understanding the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Basic Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Turning On/Off Your HTX-242 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Resetting the HTX-242 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Extending the Transmit Frequency Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Setting Volume and Squelch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Using the Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Setting the Power Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Locking the Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Selecting a Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Directly Entering a Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Tuning to a Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Scanning for a Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Setting the Frequency Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Setting the Scan Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Storing Scan Skip Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Setting the Scan Resume Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Setting the Scan Resume Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Setting the Scanning Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Receiving Transmissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Transmitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Manually Transmitting DTMF Tones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Transmitting DTMF Tones from Memory . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Limiting Transmit Duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Turning the Keytone Beep On and Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4
Advanced Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Frequency Offset Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Turning Auto Duplex On and Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Changing the Default Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Reversing the Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Overriding the Duplex Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Using the Dual VFOs for Duplex Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Using Memory Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Storing a Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Changing Stored Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Using Auto Memory Store (AMS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Tuning to a Standard Memory Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Using the Calling-Frequency Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Checking Priority Channel 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Scanning Memory Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Clearing a Memory Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Enabling/Disabling Scanning for Memory Channels . . . . . 31
Using DTMF and Subaudible Tones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Storing a DTMF Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Transmitting a DTMF Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Using DTMF Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Using Group Calling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Using Auto-Reply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Using DTMF Auto Send . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Using Subaudible Tones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Valid Subaudible Tones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Setting the Subaudible Tones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Activating Subaudible Tone Transmit and Squelch . . . 37
Setting the DTMF Page and Subaudible Tone Alert . . . . . . 37
Using the Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Error Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Common Problems and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Replacing the Fuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Schematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
5
INSTALLATION
Unpacking the Transceiver
As you unpack the transceiver, check to be sure you have all the
items shown in this illustration.
Connecting the Microphone
Plug the microphone’s connector into the microphone jack, secure
the microphone holder to either the left or right side of the transceiver, then clip the microphone to the holder.
6
Mounting the HTX-242 in a Vehicle
When you select a mounting location for the HTX-242, be sure:
• You can easily reach it
• No wires or cables will interfere with the vehicle’s operation
• It is not directly in front of heating vents
• All wires will reach their connection points
Cautions:
To avoid damaging your vehicle’s electronic systems, contact your
•
vehicle’s manufacturer before you install the HTX-242 to find out
about the proper transceiver mounting locations, antenna locations, and power and antenna cable routing guidelines.
Do not apply power to the transceiver until after you properly
•
mount and connect an antenna.
Use the supplied screws, metal washers, bracket, rubber washers,
and mounting knobs, as shown, to mount the transceiver.
7
Connecting an Antenna
You can connect a variety of antennas for both mobile and basestation use (see “Using the HTX-242 as a Base Station” on
Page 10). Each type of antenna has its benefits. Choose one that
best meets your needs.
When deciding on a mobile or base-station antenna and its location, consider the following:
• The antenna should be as high as possible on your vehicle or
house.
• The antenna and antenna cable should be as far away as
possible from sources of electrical noise (ignition systems,
power cables, and so on).
• The antenna should be vertical.
• The antenna should have an SWR of less than 1.5:1. An
SWR of 1.8:1 or greater can prevent the HTX-242 from performing to its specified ratings.
After you select an antenna, follow its mounting instructions. Then
route the antenna cable from the antenna to the HTX-242 and
connect it to the antenna connector.
Connect the antenna to your HTX-242 using 50-ohm coaxial cable.
The cable should end in a PL-239 connector.
Cautions:
To prevent damage to your HTX-242, you must connect an
•
antenna to it before you operate it.
Do not run the cable over sharp edges or moving parts that might
•
damage the cable.
Do not run the cable through the engine compartment or other
•
areas that produce extreme heat.
Check with your vehicle manufacturer for antenna cable routing
•
guidelines.
8
Connecting to your Vehicle’s Power
!
Follow these steps to power the HTX-242 in your vehicle.
1. Connect the black wire to your vehicle battery’s negative (–)
terminal or to a metal part of the vehicle’s frame. Be sure the
metal part is not insulated from the vehicle’s frame by a
plastic part.
2. Connect the red wire to a source of voltage that turns on and
off with the ignition and that can handle the transceiver’s
10-amp maximum power draw.
Or, if you do not want the HTX-242 to turn on and off with
your vehicle’s ignition, connect the red wire directly to the
battery’s positive (+) terminal.
You might need to connect the red wire directly to the battery if you
Note:
experience ignition noise.
9
Using the HTX-242 as a Base Station
Although we designed the HTX-242 primarily for use as a mobile
transceiver, you can also use it as a base station. To do so, you
need these items:
• 13.8-Volt DC regulated power supply that can supply at
least 10 amps continuous power
• Base station antenna
• 50-ohm coaxial antenna cable and connectors
Follow these steps to connect the HTX-242 as a base station.
1. Mount the base station antenna according to its instructions.
10
Warning:
the base station antenna.
For your safety, follow all cautions and warnings included with
2. Connect the antenna cable to the antenna jack on the back
of the HTX-242.
3. Connect the black power wire to the power supply’s negative
(–) terminal.
4. Connect the red power wire to the power supply’s positive (+)
terminal.
5. Connect the power supply to a source of power.
Using the HTX-242 with Packet Radio
You can connect your HTX-242 directly to a packet radio terminal
node controller, as shown below.
Note:
You can purchase an 8-pin plug that matches your HTX-
MIC
242’s
jack at your local Radio Shack store (Cat. No. 279-440).
Connecting an External Speaker (Optional)
You can connect an external speaker to your HTX-242.
Use an 8-ohm communications or PA speaker that can handle 5 or
more watts of power (such as Radio Shack Cat. No. 21-549). The
speaker’s cable must end in a 1/8-inch plug. Simply plug the
speaker cable into the HTX-242’s
EXT. SP
jack.
If your vehicle has a cassette player, you can easily connect your
transceiver to your vehicle’s audio system using a CD-to-cassette
adapter and a mono-to-stereo audio plug.
11
UNDERSTANDING THE HTX-242
!
This section explains some of the HTX-242’s features. See “Basic
Operation” on Page 16 for instructions about how to use these features.
Dual VFO Modes
The VFO (Variable-Frequency Oscillator) modes let you directly
select a frequency anywhere within the HTX-242’s operating range.
Your HTX-242 has two VFOs: VFO-A and VFO-B. You typically use
the VFOs to tune to frequencies you have not stored into one of the
HTX-242’s memory channels (see “Memory Channels” on Page 13).
A related feature of the HTX-242 lets you transmit on the frequency selected with one VFO and receive on the frequency
selected with the other VFO. (See “Using the Dual VFOs for Duplex
Operation” on Page 27.)
DTMF (Touch-Tone) Features
DTMF (Dual-Tone, Multiple Frequency) is another term for
tones
(the tones a telephone produces when you press a digit). This
standard set of tones is used by many different amateur radio systems for accessing programmable features and dialing through
autopatches.
Your HTX-242 produces all 16 standard DTMF tones (0-9, ✱, #, A,
B, C, and D). It has 10 DTMF memories which can each hold up to
15 digits for quick transmission. You can also set the HTX-242 to
listen for a specific set of DTMF tones, and alert you when it
detects them (this feature is called
sequence, the HTX-242 does not pass any transmissions to the
speaker.
Group Calling lets you DTMF page a single person or an entire
group of people. To use group calling, every person in the group
selects the same first three digits as their DTMF page sequence.
They then select up to four additional digits unique to each person.
To page an individual, you transmit their entire DTMF page
sequence. To page the entire group, you transmit at least the first
three digits of the sequence, followed by the DTMF tones for A, B,
and C.
Group Calling only works with the HTX-242 and other transceivers
Note:
that support this feature.
DTMF Paging
). Until it hears the
touch-
12
Subaudible Tone (CTCSS) Features
Subaudible tones, also known as CTCSS (Continuous Tone-Coded
Squelch System) are low-frequency tones that are mixed with a
transmission. They are used by many repeaters to limit interference from other nearby radio transmitters. When a repeater uses a
subaudible tone, it does not react to any transmission that does
not include that tone.
Your HTX-242 includ es all 38 standard subaudible tones. You can
set your HTX-242 to include any of these tones with your transmissions. You can also s et your HT X-242 to limit reception to only
those transmissions that include the selected tone.
Repeater Operation
Operation through a repeater, where you transmit on one frequency and receive on another, is called
tion direct to another station where you transmit and receive on
the same frequency is called
simplex
duplex
operation.
operation. Opera-
A repeater is a station that receives signals on one frequency (the
input
frequency) and then retransmits them on a different frequency (the
the tops of tall buildings or on antenna towers, so a relatively lowpower signal can reach the repeater. The repeater retransmits the
signal at a higher power . This gives users of low-power tran sceivers
the ability to communicate over a much greater range.
To use a repeater, you must know the repeater’s input and output
frequencies. Repeaters are usually identified by their output frequency. Thus, a repeater that has an output frequency of 146.94 is
referred to as the 146.94 repeater. To determine the input frequency you must know the frequency
the 2-meter band) and the
the output, or – if you subtract 600 kHz from the output).
Your HTX-242 is programmed with the default 600 kHz frequency
offset and direction for the 2-meter band. See “Frequency Offset
Defaults” on Page 25. When you tune to a frequency that is normally assigned for repeater use, the HTX-242 automatically selects
the correct input frequency if you turned on the AS option.
Memory Channels
Your HTX-242 has 41 memory channels (40 standard memory
channels and one calling-frequency memory channel). Each memory channel can hold a transmit and receive frequency, subaudible
transmit and receive tones, the transmit power level, and whether
subaudible tone transmit and squelch are on or off. The HTX-242
can even scan a selected range and automatically store active frequencies in unused memory locations.
output
frequency). Repeater antennas are typically at
offset
(600 kHz for most of
offset direction
(+ if you add 600 kHz to
13
Understanding the Display
One or more of the following indicators appear when you turn on
and use your HTX-242.
VFO-A
modes. See “Dual VFO Modes” on Page 12.
or
VFO-B
— appears when you select one of the VFO
VFO-A-T
VFO-B
— appears when you select the DUP-A mode (transmit
on VFO-A and receive on VFO-B). See “Using the Dual VFOs for
Duplex Operation” on Page 27.
VFO-A
VFO-B-T
VFO-A and transmit on VFO-B). See “Using the Dual VFOs for
Duplex Operation” on Page 27.
BUSY
See “Receiving Transmissions” on Page 22.
FUNC
least 1 second.
LOCK
“Locking the Controls” on Page 17.
T
— appears when transmit subaudible tone is turned on. See
“Using Subaudible Tones” on Page 36.
T-SQL
audible tone squelch are turned on. See “Using Subaudible Tones”
on Page 36.
ALT
alert. See “Setting the DTMF Page and Subaudible Tone Alert” on
Page 37.
— appears when you select the DUP-B mode (receive on
— appears when the HTX-242 is receiving a transmission.
— appears after you press F. Flashes after you hold F for at
— appears when you lock the HTX-242’s functions. See
— appears when both transmit subaudible tone and sub-
— appears when you turn on the DTMF page/subaudible tone
14
+ or –
Duplex Offset” on Page 26.
DTMF
DTMF Page” on Page 33.
— indicates the duplex offset direction. See “Overriding the
— appears when you turn on DTMF squelch. See “Using
HIGH
Power Level” on Page 17.
ON-AIR
Page 22.
— appears when you turn on the Channel 1 alarm. Flashes
when there is a transmission on Memory Channel 1 and the alarm
is turned on. See “Checking Priority Channel 1” on Page 30.
M-CH
— appears when you tune to a memory channel. See “Mem-
ory Channels” on Page 13.
LOW
or
— indicates the transmit power level. See “Setting the
— appears when you transmit. See “Transmitting” on
15
Loading...