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40-CHANNEL 2-WAY CB RADIO
Cat. No. 21-1585A
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
TRC-488
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FEATURES
Your Radio Shack T RC-488 40-Channel 2-Way CB Radio is a high performance citizen’s band radio that also
lets you tune to nationa l weather service broadcasts. This CB is pe rfect for
recreational, business, or emergency
use. It lets you talk to other people with
CBs at home, in their vehicles, or at
camp sites. You can also connect o ptional equipment to your CB, such as a
DC power supply and base station antenna to set up a base station in your
home.
Your CB has the following features:
7-Channel WX Band Receiver
— lets
you tune to seven national weather frequencies so you can hear your local
weather conditions as well as weather
forecasts wherever you travel.
Emer
ency Channel Selector
— lets
you quickly switch to Channel 9 so you
can report or monitor emergency situations.
PLL (Phase-Locked Loo p) F req uenc
nthesizer
— provides reliable
and exact tuning.
Two Ceramic Filters
— provide superior channel selectivity and eliminate
adjacent-channel interference.
Automatic Noise Limitin
(ANL)
—
reduces noise caused by nearby electrical equipment such as motors or automotive ignition systems.
LED Channel Displa
— displays the
selected channel (1-40). When channel 9 is selected with the emergency
channel switch, the 9 f lashes continuously. When a weather channel is selected, the display “blanks-out.”
RF Gain Control
— lets you adjust the
receiver gain to match the strength of
the received signal.
Universal Mountin
Bracket
— lets
you mount your CB securely in your
vehicle or on a table or shelf in your
home.
Important
: To use this CB, you must
connect a mobile or base station antenna (available at your local Radio
Shack store). See “Installing an Antenna” on Page 8.
H
steresis Squelch
— automatically
adjusts receiver sensitivity to compensate for fading signals and to eliminate
signal chopping during reception.
For your records, we recommend you
record your CB’s serial number in the
space below. The serial num ber is located on the CB’s back panel.
Serial No.
© 1996 Tandy Corporation.
Radio Shack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserv ed .
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CONTENTS
Installation ............................................................................................................ 4
Mounting the TRC-488 .................................................................................... 4
Mounting the Microphone Holder .................................................................... 5
Connections ......................................................................................................... 6
Connecting the Microphone ............................................................................ 6
Connecting an Optional External Speaker ...................................................... 6
Connecting Power ........................................................................................... 7
Using Vehicle Battery Power .................................................................... 7
Using Standard AC Power ........................................................................ 7
Installing an Antenna ...................................................................................... 8
Adjusting the Antenna’s SWR .................................................................... ..... 9
Operation ............................................................................................................ 10
Setting Squelch . ............................................................................................ 10
Using Automatic Noise Limiting .................................................................... 10
Listening to Weather Broadcasts .................................................................. 10
Receiving Transmissions on the Channels ................................................... 11
Transmitting .................................................................................................. 12
CB Tips ............................................................................................................... 13
Common Uses for a CB Radio ...................................................................... 13
Business Uses ........................................................................................ 13
Personal Uses ........................................................................................ 13
CB Courtesy .................................................................................................. 13
Using Common 10-Codes ............................................................................. 14
Troubleshootin
Maximum Range . .......................................................................................... 16
Reducing Noise ....................................................................... ....... ....... ..... ... 16
Maintenance ....................................................................................................... 17
Replacing the Fuses ..................................................................................... 18
FCC Information ............................................................................................ 18
Specifications .................................................................................................... 19
................................................................................................ 15
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INSTALLATION
MOUNTING THE TRC-488
If you use the TRC-488 as a base station, you can mount it on a desk, shelf,
or table.
The most common m ounting location
for the CB is under a vehicle’s dashboard. If you use the TRC-488 in a vehicle, mount it securely to avoid
damage to the CB or vehicle o r injury
to anyone in the vehicle during sudden
starts or stops.
When you mount the CB in a vehicle,
make sure:
• You ca n easily reach the CB.
• Its wires and cables do not interfere with any of the vehicle’s moving parts.
• The CB is not directly in front of
heating vents.
Follow these steps to mount the CB
using the supplied bracket, screws,
washers, and knobs.
1. Using the mounting bracket as a
template, mark the positions for
the screw holes.
(illus)
2. In each marked location, drill a
hole slightly smaller than th e supplied screws.
Caution
any objects behind the mounting
surface.
: Be careful not to drill into
• All wires and cables reach their
connection points.
4
3. Using a Phillips screwdriver,
attach the mounting bracket to the
mounting location with the supplied screws and lock washers.
(illus)
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4. Attach the CB to the mounting
bracket using the supplied rubber
washers and mounting knobs.
(illus)
MOUNTING THE
MICROPHONE HOLDER
With a Phillips screwdriver and the
supplied screws and washers, attach
the supplied microph one holder to the
CB’s right side.
(illus)
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CONNECTIONS
CONNECTING THE
MICROPHONE
1. Make sure the p ins on the m icrophone cable’s plug are aligned
with the holes in the CB’s
PHONE
and insert the plug into the jack.
2. Slide the microphone onto the
microphone holder.
jack on the CB’s left side
(illus)
(illus)
MICRO-
Caution
phone cable.
: Never pull on the micro-
CONNECTING AN
OPTIONAL EXTERNAL
SPEAKER
You can connect an ex ternal speaker
to the CB.
:
Notes
• You must use an 8-ohm speaker
capable of handling up to 5 watts
of power (such as Radio Shack
Cat. No. 21-549).
• The speaker ’s cable must have a
1
/8-inch plug.
To connect an external speaker, simply plug the speaker’s cable into the
EXT
CB’s
jack.
To disconnect the microphone cable,
press and hold down the small tab on
the microphone plug, then pull out the
plug.
(illus)
6
(illus)
: When you connect an ex ternal
Note
speaker, the CB’s internal speaker disconnects.