Radio Shack TRC-300, 43-476 User Manual

Cat. No. 43-476

OWNER’S MANUAL

Please read before using this equipment.

TRC-300

Voice Activated

Microcassette Tele-Recorder

1

WARNING:

!

shock hazard, do not expose this product to
rain or moisture.

To reduce the risk of fire or

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC

SHOCK. DO NOT OPEN.

CAUTION:

ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE
COVER OR BACK. NO USER-SERVICE­ABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVIC­ING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF

© 1999 Tandy Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

RadioShack is a registered trademark

used by Tandy Corporation.

2

This symbol is intended to alert
you to the presence of uninsu­lated dangerous voltage within
the product’s enclosure that
might be of sufficient magnitude
to constitute a risk of electric
shock. Do not open the prod­uct’s case.

This symbol is intended to
inform you that important oper-

!

ating and maintenance instruc­tions are included in the
literature accompanying this
product.

3

FEATURES

Your RadioShack TRC-300 Voice Activat­ed Microcassette Tele-Recorder is perfect
for your home or office. It records tele­phone calls you make or receive from a
telephone. You can also use it as a conve­nient tape recorder to record other events
such as lectures, interviews, and meet­ings.

The recorder includes these features:
Connects Directly to the Telephone —

to let you easily record and play back tele­phone conversations.

Two Tape Speeds — let you record and
play back tape at a slower speed which
provides twice the recording/playback time
or at normal speed for maximum sound
quality.

4

Voice Activated Recording (VOX) —
records only when it receives sound, to
eliminate blank sections on the tape and
save battery power.

Play/Record Auto-Stop — stops the tape
movement when the recorder reaches the
end of the tape during recording or play­back.

Manual Recording — lets you record dic­tation or conversations at the touch of a
button.

Pause Switch — l ets you easily stop and
restart the tape to avoid recording unwant­ed sound.

Tape Counter — lets you note specific
points in a tape for later reference.

5

Built-In Microphone — lets you record
without connecting an external micro­phone.

Cue/Review Function — lets you ad­vance or rewind the tape during play to find
a specific section on the tape.

Three Power Options — you can power
the recorder from standard AC power, two
AA batteries (not supplied), or a vehicle’s
battery using an optional adapter.

Earphone Jack — lets you connect an

1

earphone with a

/8-inch (3.5-mm) plug for

private listening.

6

Automatic Level Control — automatically
adjusts the recording level.

Note: You need at least one 30-minute mi­crocassette tape. If you use a leaderless
incoming message tape, recording starts
immediately. You also need either two AA
batteries or an AC or DC adapter.

7

Important: Every state has different regu­lations governing the recording of conver­sations over the telephone. Be sure to
check your local, state and federal laws be­fore using this product to record any tele­phone conversation in order to determine
that your use is in compliance with such
laws or guidelines.

8

CONTENTS

Control Locations ........................... 10

Preparation .................... .. ............... 12

Installation ...................................... 19

Connecting to A Phone 19
Using an Earphone 21

Operation ........................................ 24

Loading a Cassette Tape 24
Recording 25
Playing a Tape 34

Care ................................................. 38

Tape Tips 39

Specifications.................................. 44

9

CONTROL LOCATIONS

VOLUME

MIC (Micro­phone Jack)

EAR (Ear­phone Jack)

TEL-PLAY/
NOR./TEL­REC

DC 3V IN

HANDSET IN

10

VOX OFF/ON

Microphone

Tape
Compartment

Battery
Strength
Indicator

Tape­Counter &
RESET

Speaker

PAUSE ON

REC

PLAY

STOP/EJ

HANDSET
OUT

Battery
Lifting
Ribbon

REW/REVIEW
FA ST-F/CUE

Recording
Speed

Battery
Compartment

Battery
Compartment
Cover

11

PREPARATION

!

Connecting Power

Using AC Power

You can operate your recorder from AC
power using an optional AC adapter, such
as Cat. No. 273-1654B.

Caution: You must use a Class
2 power source that supplies 3

volts DC and delivers at least
300 mA. Its center tip must be set to posi­tive and its plug must fit the TRC-300’s DC
3V jack. The recommended adapter meets
these specifications. Using an adapter that
does not meet these specifications could
damage the recorder or the adapter.

12

Follow these steps to connect your record­er to AC power.

1. Set the AC adapter’s voltage switch to
3V.

2. Inser t the 3.4 mm outer diameter/1.3
mm inner diameter adapter plug into
the adapter’s socket to read TIP+.

3. Inser t the plug into the recorder’s DC

3V jack.

4. Plug the adapter into a standard AC
outlet.

13

Using Battery Power

You can power your recorder with two AA
batteries (not supplied). For the best per­formance and longest life, we recommend
RadioShack alkaline batteries.

Caution: Do not mix old and new batter­ies, or different types of batteries (standard
or alkaline). Follow these steps to install
the batteries.

14

1. Press the battery compartment
cover’s tab and slide the cover in the
direction of the arrow.

2. Inser t the batteries into the compart­ment, as indicated by the polarity sym­bols (+ and –) marked inside.

3. Replace the cover.

Replace the batteries when the BATTE RY
indicator dims or does not light.

15

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

Caution: If you do not plan to use the
recorder with batteries for a few
weeks, remove the batteries. Batteries
can leak chemicals that can destroy
electronic parts.

Using Vehicle Battery Power

You can power your recorder from a vehi­cle’s battery using a DC adapter (not sup­plied), available at your local RadioShack
store.

16

Cautions:

!

• You must use a power
source that supplies 3 volts

DC and delivers at least 300
mA. Its center tip must be set to posi­tive and its plug must fit the TRC­300's DC 3V jack. The recommended
adapter meets these specifications.
Using an adapter that does not meet
these specifications could damage the
TRC-300 or the adapter.

• Always plug the adapter into the
recorder before plugging it into the
cigarette-lighter socket. Unplug the
adapter from the cigarette-lighter
socket before unplugging it from the
recorder.

17

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

1. Set the adapter’s voltage switch to 3V.

2. Inser t the 3.4 mm outer diameter/1.3
mm inner diameter adapter into the
adapter’s socket to read TIP+.

3. Insert the adapter’s barrel plug into
the recorder’s DC 3V jack. Insert the
adapter’s large plug into the vehicle’s
cigarette-lighter or 12VDC socket

18

INSTALLATION

You can connect the recorder directly to a
single line, a multi-line, or a digital tele­phone system using a telephone that is
connected to that line. To avoid damage to
the recorder, select a location that is out of
the way of normal activity.

CONNECTING TO A
PHONE

Use the supplied handset cord to connect
the recorder to the same phone you plan to
talk on. This lets you record the phone
conversations on that phone.

Follow these steps to connect your record­er to a telephone.

19

1. Disconnect the handset and its coiled
cord from the handset jack on your
phone.

2. Plug the end of the handset cord into
the recorder’s

HANDSET IN

jack.

20

3. Plug one end of the supplied short
coiled cord into the recorder’s

SET OUT

the short coiled cord into the tele­phone’s handset jack

jack. Plug the other end of

HAND-

USING AN EARPHONE

To connect an earphone (not supplied), in­sert the earphone’s 1/8-inch (3.5–mm) plug
into the EAR jack on the back of the re­corder. You can find a wide selection of
earphones at your local RadioShack store.

Note: Connecting an earphone discon­nects the recorder’s internal speaker.

21

Listening Safely

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

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

• Set the volume to its lowest level
before you begin listening. After you
put on the earphone, adjust the vol­ume to a comfortable listening level.

• Do not increase the volume once you
have established a comfortable listen­ing lev el. Over time, y our ears adapt to
the volume level, so a volume level
that does not cause discomfort might
still damage your hearing.

22

Traffic Safety

• Do not wear an earphone or head­phones while operating a motor vehi­cle or riding a bicycle. This can create
a traffic hazard and could be illegal in
some areas.

• Even though some earphones/head­phones let you hear some outside
sounds when listening at normal vol­ume levels, they still can present a
traffic hazard.

23

OPERATION

LOADING A CASSETTE
TAPE

1. Turn the microcassette’s supply hub
with a pencil to take up any tape slack.
Avoid touching the tape.

24

2. Press

STOP/EJ

to open the cassette
compartment door. Insert the micro­cassette into the compartment with
the side you want to use facing up
against the cover and the full reel on
the left.

3. Close the door.

RECORDING

Notes:

• MC-60 (1-hour) and MC-90 (1

hours) microcassettes are available
at your local RadioShack store. We
suggest that you do not use MC­120 tapes as they are very thin and
prone to stretching resulting in poor
audio quality.

1

25

/

2-

• Replace any tape at least once a
year, or more often if it is used
heavily.

• Do not change the tape speed
while recording.

Voice Activated Telephone
Recording (VOX)

1. Load a microcassette tape and set

VOX

to ON.

2. Set

3. Set

26

TEL-PLAY/NOR./TEL-REC

REC

TAPE SPEED

to the desired

recording speed. Set it to

to

1.2cm

double the tape’s recording time, or to

2.4cm

for higher quality sound.

TEL-

to

4. Press

REC.

Both

REC

and

PLAY

down, and recording begins.
Caution: Do not force down the

button when an e rase protection tab is
removed or you will damage the
recorder. (See “Preventing Accidental
Erasure” on Page 41.)

5. Adjust

VOLUME

until the telephone
conversation’s sound level activates
the recorder.

Notes:

•The

VOLUME

setting determines
the sound level that activates the
VOX circuit and starts recording. At
higher settings, a softer sound
starts VOX recording. At lower set­tings, a louder sound starts VOX
recording.

lock

REC

27

• The built-in automatic level control
automatically sets the recording
level once recording starts.

• When you use the VOX feature,
recording begins when the recorder
picks up sound and stops a few
seconds after the sound stops.

6. Recording stops when the tape
reaches the end of the cassette. To
stop it sooner, press

STOP/EJ

.

Voice Activated Recording
Using the Internal Microphone

1. Load a tape and set

TEL-PLAY/NOR/TEL-REC

2. Set

28

VOX

to ON.

to

NOR

.

3. Set

TAPE SPEED

to the desired

recording speed.

REC

4. Press

5. Adjust

to begin recording.

VOLUME

until the sound source

starts the recorder.
Notes:

• The built-in automatic level control
automatically sets the recording
level once recording starts.

• When the recorder detects no
sound for up to 6 seconds, the
recorder stops recording until it
picks up sound again.

6. Recording stops when the tape
reaches the end of the cassette. To
stop it sooner, press

STOP/EJ

.

29

Manual Telephone Recording

VOX

1. Load a tape and set

2. Set

3. Set

TEL-PLAY/NOR./TEL-REC

REC

.

TAPE SPEED

to the desired
recording speed. Set it to
double the tape’s recording time, or to

2.4cm

for higher quality sound.

4. Press

REC

. Both

REC

down. When you press
recording starts and continues until
you press

STOP/EJ

.

Caution: Do not force down the
button when an erase protection tab is
removed or you will damage the
recorder. (See “Preventing Accidental
Erasure” on Page 41.)

30

to

and

OFF

PLAY

REC

.

to

1.2cm

down,

TEL-

to

lock

REC

5. Rotate

VOLUME

to adjust the record-

ing volume.

Note: To temporarily stop recording,

PAU S E

slide
ing, slide

to ON. To resume record-

PAUSE

in the opposite direc-

tion.

6. Recording stops when the tape
reaches the end of the cassette. To
stop it sooner, press

STOP/EJ

.

Manual Recording Using the
Internal Microphone

1. Load a microcassette tape and set

VOX

OFF

to

.

TEL-PLAY/NOR/TEL-REC

2. Set

to

NOR

.

31

3. Set

TAPE SPEED

to the desired

recording speed.

4. Press

5. Adjust

REC

to begin recording.

VOLUME

between the minimum
and mid-range positions for dictation
and between the mid-range and maxi­mum positions for recording confer­ences.

Notes:

• To temporar ily stop recording, slide

PAUSE to ON.

To resume recording,

slide in the opposite direction.

• Place the recorder as close as pos-

sible to the sound source. Avoid a
position so that large objects are
between the sound source and the
recorder mic.

32

6. Press

STOP/EJ

to stop recording.

Recording with an External
Microphone

You can use an external microphone to
make high-quality recordings. Plug an op­tional external microphone, available at
your local RadioShack store, into the MIC
jack. The built-in microphone automatically
disconnects. Then see “Recording” start­ing on Page 25.

33

PLAYING A TAPE

Playing a Phone
Conversation Tape

1. Load the tape and set

TEL-REC

2. Set

TAPE SPEED

TEL-PLAY

to

TEL-PLAY/NOR/

.

to the speed used to

record the microcassette tape.

3. Press

PLAY

. Playback only through the

handset begins.
Notes:

• To playback through the speaker,

TEL-PLAY/NOR/TEL-REC

set

TEL-REC

or

.

• To temporarily stop play, slide

PAUSE

to ON. Move

PAUSE

opposite direction to resume play.

34

NOR

to

in the

• To go directly from playback to
recording, press

TEL-PLAY/NOR./TEL-REC to TEL­REC.

Tape play stops and recording

REC

then move

starts immediately.

4. Adjust

VOLUME

to a comfortable lis-

tening level.

5. To play the other side of the tape,

STOP/EJ

press

, remove and turn over

the tape, and re-insert it. Then press

PLAY

again.

6. Press

STOP/EJ

to stop playback.

35

Playing a Prerecorded Tape

1. Load a prerecorded tape then set

PLAY/NOR/TEL-REC
PLAY

.

NOR or TEL-

to

TEL-

2. Follow steps 2–6 under “Playing a
Phone Conversation Tape” on
Page 34.

Using Fast-Forward and Rewind

With the tape stopped, slide

FAST F/CUE

toward

FAST F/CUE

tape rapidly forward or toward

VIEW

to wind the tape backward.

When the microcassette tape reaches the
end, press

REW/REVIEW

or

STOP/EJ

to release

.

36

REW/REVIEW

to wind the

REW/RE-

FAST F/CUE

To quickly locate desired sections of a
tape during play, slide the switch towards

FAST F/CUE

back as the tape fast-forwards or rewinds.
When you release the switch, normal play
resumes. Note the counter position(s) at
any point(s) you might want to return to lat­er.

REW/REVIEW

or

to hear play-

Using the Tape Counter

You can use the tape counter to note dif­ferent locations on your tape during re­cording or playback. Before playing or
recording a tape, rewind the tape com­pletely and press RESET to set the
counter to
counter advances.

000. As the tape moves, the

37

CARE

To enjoy your RadioShack TRC-300 Voice
Activated Microcassette Tele-Recorder for
a long time:

• Keep the TRC-300 dry. If it gets wet,
wipe it dry immediately.

• Use and store the TRC-300 only in
normal temperature environments.

• Handle the TRC-300 gently and care­fully. Don't drop it.

• Keep the TRC-300 away from dust
and dirt.

• Wipe the TRC-300 with a damp cloth
occasionally to keep it looking new.

38

Modifying or tampering with the TRC-300's
internal components can cause a malfunc­tion and invalidate its warranty. If your
TRC-300 is not performing as it should,
take it to your local RadioShack store for
assistance.

TAPE TIPS

Restoring Tape Tension and
Sound Quality

After you play a cassette tape several
times, the tape might become tightly
wound on the reels. This can cause play­back sound quality to deteriorate.

39

To restore the sound quality, fast-forward
the tape from the beginning to the end of
one side, then completely rewind it. Then
loosen the tape reels by gently tapping
each side of the cassette’s outer shell on a
flat surface.

Caution: Be careful not to damage the
cassette when tapping it. Do not touch the
exposed tape or allow any sharp objects
near the cassette.

Erasing Tapes

To record over a cassette tape, simply
record as usual. The cassette deck
records over the previous recording.

40

You can quickly erase both sides of a cas­sette tape using a bulk tape eraser (Cat.
No. 44-232).

Note: If you use metal or high-bias type
tape, the recorded sound might not be
erased properly.

Preventing Accidental Erasure

Cassette tapes have two erase-protection
tabs — one for each side. When a tab is in
place, you can record on that side.

To prevent accidental erasure of a tape re­cording, use a screwdriver to remove one
or both of the cassette tape’s erase-protec-

REC

tion tabs. This prevents
pressed.

from being

41

If you later decide to record on a tape side
after you have removed the erase-protec­tion tab, place a piece of strong plastic
tape over that side’s erase-protection hole.
Be sure you cover only the hole originally
covered by the erase-protection tab.

Caution: Removing the erase-protection
tabs does not prevent a bulk eraser from
erasing a cassette tape.

Cleaning the Tape-Handling
Parts

Dirt, dust, or particles of the tape’s coating
can accumulate on the tape heads and
other parts that the tape touches. This can
greatly reduce the recorder’s performance.

42

Use the following cleaning procedure after
about every 20 hours of operation.

1. Remove the batteries and disconnect
any other power s ource.

2. Open the cassette compartment door.

3. Use a pointed object to gently push
the erase protection tab sensor to the
left, then press REC to expose the
tape-handling part s.

4. Use a swab dipped in tape head
cleaning solution or denatured alcohol
to gently clean the tape-handling
parts. For easier cleaning, use an
microcassette cleaner kit which
includes a special cleaning cassette.

5. When you finish cleaning, press
STOP/EJ and close the compartment.

43

SPECIFICATIONS

Tape System ................................. 2 Track

Monaural Microcassette

Tape Speed ...... 2.4 cm/sec or 1.2 cm/sec

Recording Time (Total Both Sides)

MC-60 .................. 60 min @ 2.4 cm/sec

120 min @ 1.2 cm/sec

MC-90 ................. 90 min @ 2.4 cm/sec

180 min @ 1.2 cm/sec

Wow & Flutter ........................... Less than

0.3% @ 2.4 cm/sec

Erase System ............ Permanent Magnet

Record System ........................... DC Bias

Power Requirements ... 2 AA Batteries, or

AC 120V, 60Hz

(with optional AC adapter), or

3 VDC (with optional DC adapter)

Battery Life

Alkaline Batteries ..................... 12 Hours

Dimensions (HWD)... 5

1

/

2

× 11/

2

× 2 Inches

(140 × 38 × 51 mm)

44

Weight............................................ 5.8 oz.

(164 g)

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

45

NO TES

46

This product is warranted by RadioShack again s t manufacturing
defects in material and workmanship under normal use for one
(1) year from the date of purchase from RadioShack com pany­owned 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 DURAT ION 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, INCIDENTAL, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF RadioShack HAS
BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Some states do not allow the limitations on how long an implied
warranty lasts or the exclusion of incidental or consequential
damages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply
to you.

(Continued)

period, take the product and th e RadioShack sales receipt as
proof of purchase date to any RadioShack store. RadioShack
will, at its option, unless otherwise provided by law: (a) correct
the defect by product repair without charge for parts and l abor;

Limited One-Year Warranty

(Continued)

In the event of a product defect during the warranty

47

(b) replace the product with one of t he sam e or sim ilar design ; or
(c) refund the purchase price. All replaced parts and products,
and products on which a refund is made, become the property of
RadioShack. New or reconditioned parts and products may be
used in the performance of warranty service. Repaired or re­placed parts and products are warranted f o r the re mainder of the
original warranty period. You will be charged for repair or re­placement of the product made after the expiration of the war­ranty period.
This warranty does not cov er: (a) damage or f ai lure caused by or
attributable to acts of God, abuse, accident, misuse, improper or
abnormal usage, failure to follow instructions, improper installa­tion or maintenance, alteration , lightning or other incidence of
excess voltage or current; (b) any repairs other than those pro­vided by a RadioShack Authorized Service Facility; (c) consum­ables such as fuses or batteries; (d) cosmetic damage; (e)
transportation, shipping or insurance costs; or (f) costs of prod­uct removal, installation, set-up service adjustment or reinstalla­tion.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also
have other rights which vary from state to state.

RadioShack Customer Relations, 200 Taylor St.,

6th Floor, Fort Worth, TX 76102

We Service What We Sell

04/99

08A99 Printed in Hong Kong