RadioShack TRC-502 Owners Manual

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40-Channel Mini Mobile CB Radio

Cat. No. 21-1702

OWNER’S MANUAL

Please read before using this equipment.

TRC-502

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FEATURES

Your RadioShack TRC-502 40-Channel
Mini Mobile CB Radio is a great way to
communicate with other CB radio opera­tors. Because of its convenient co mpact
size, you can use it just about anywhere.
You can mount it in a vehicle for mobile
use, or in your home or office for use as
a base station.

Your CB has these advanced features.

Up/Down C hannel S e lector

— lets you
easily select a channel with the press of
a button.

TX (Transmit) Indicator

— lights to

show when the CB is transmitting.

Automatic Noise Limiter (ANL) Circ uit

— reduces impulse-type noise during
reception.

5-Pin Din Mic Connector

— uses five
prongs to reinforce a clear connection
between the mic and the receiver.

Full Le

al Power

— gives you the full
range of CB channels with the maximum
allowed transmit power.

Cr

stal-Controlled Digital Tunin

—
provides precise tran smission tuni ng ca­pability when selecting a channel.

Two Ceramic Filters

— provide superi­or channel selectivity and prevent adja­cent channel interference.

Universal Mountin

Bracket

— lets
you mount you r CB se curely in your ve­hicle, or on a table or shelf in your home
or office.

External Antenna Jack

— lets you at­tach an optional antenna to your CB ra­dio for increased range.

We recommend you record your CB’s
serial number here. The number is on
the bottom of the CB.

Serial Number: ___________________

Ad

ustable Squelch

— helps to elimi-

nate noise between transmissions.

Automatic Modulation

— prevents the
transmitter signal from over-modulating
and distorting.

(PLL) Frequenc

nthesizer

— pro-

vides highly accurate and stable tuning.

© 1998 Tandy Corporation.

RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

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FCC INFORMATION

The Federal Communications Commis­sion (FCC) does not require you to have
a license to operate this CB radio. How­ever, you must know Part 95 of

Rules

. These rules apply to the opera­tion of a Class D CB. We have provided
a copy of these regulations with your CB
radio.

Warning

make any internal adjustments. A CB ra­dio is set u p to transmit a regulated si g­nal on an assigned frequency. It is
against the law to alter or adjust t he set ­tings inside the unit to exceed the se lim­itations.

To be safe and sure:

• never open your CB radio’s cases.

• never change or replace anything in

: Do not open your CB radio to

your CB radio.

FCC

This device complies with Part 95 of

FCC Rules

following two conditions: 1) this device
may not cause harmful interference, and

2) this device must accept any i nterfer­ence received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.

. Operation is subject to the

Your CB radio might cause TV or radio
interference even when it is operating
properly. To determine whether your CB
radio is causing the interference, turn off
your CB radio. If the interference goes
away, your CB is causing it. Try to elimi­nate the interference by:

• moving your CB radio away from the
TV or radio

• contacting your local RadioShack
store for help

If you can not eliminate the interf erence,
the FCC requires that you stop using
your CB radio.

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CONTENTS

Install a tion ....... ........................................................................................................ 5

Mounting the Microphone Holder ....................................................................... 5

Mounting the CB ................................................................................................. 5

Connecting an Antenna ...................................................................................... 6

Connecting the Microphone ................................................................................ 7

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

Using the CB as a Base Station ......................................................................... 8

Operation ............................................................................................................... 10

Receiving Transmissions and Adjusting Squelch ............................................. 10

Tran smitting ...................................................................................................... 11

Operational Hints .................................................................................................. 12

Common Uses for a CB .................................................................................... 12

Personal Uses ............................................................................................ 12

Business Uses ........................................................................................... 12

Transmission Courtesy ..................................................................................... 12

Using Common 10-Codes ................................................................................ 13

Maximum Range .............................................................................................. 14

Reducing Noise ........ .......... ....... .. ....... .......... .. ....... ....... .......... .. ....... .......... .. ..... 14

Troubleshootin

Care and Maintenance .......................................................................................... 16

Replacing the Fuse ........................................................................................... 17

Specifications ........................................................................................................ 18

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.................................................................................................... 15

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INSTALLATION

MOUNTING THE
MICROPHONE HOLDER

You can mount the microphone holder
to either side of the CB or to anot her lo­cation near your receiver.

Caution

phone holder where it could dam age or
interfere with the operation of any pas­sive restraint safety device (an airbag or
seat belt).

To mount the hol der to eit her side of the
CB, use the two supplied
machine screws, plain washers, and
spring washers as shown to secure the
holder.

: Do not mount the CB micro-

1

/8-inch (3-mm)

Caution

anything behind the mounting sur­face.

3. Mount the holder using the machine
screws, spring washers, plain wash­ers and nuts.

: If you cannot reach behind the

Note

mounting surface to attach the nuts to
the machine screws, use the two sup­plied
washers.

: Be carefu l not to drill into

Mounting Surface

1

/8-inch (3-mm) screws and plain

MOUNTING THE CB

To mount the holder near the receiver in
another location in your vehicle (such as
a dashboard), or somewhere in your
home or office, such as a nearby wall,
follow these steps.

1. Using the holder as a template,
mark the positions for the screw
holes at t he des i red location .

2. At each marked position, drill a hole
slightly smaller than the mounting
screws.

The most common mounting location for
this CB is under a vehicle’s dashboard.
However, if you use the TRC-502 as a
base station in your home or office, you
can place it on a desk, shelf, or table
(see “Using the CB as a Base Station”
on Page 8).

If you are mounting the CB in a vehicle,
choose a location where:

• you can easily reach the CB.

• wires and cables are clear of the
vehicle’s pedals and other moving
parts.

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• the CB is not directly in front of heat­ing vents.

• all wires and cables can reach their
connection point.

Cautions:

• If you use the CB in a vehicle,
mount it securely to avoid damage
to the CB or vehicle or injury t o pas­sengers.

• Do not mount the CB where it could
damage or interfere with the opera­tion of any passive restraint safety
device (an airbag or seatbelt).

Follow these steps to mount the CB us­ing the supplied hardware.

1. Using the mounting bracket as a
template, mark the positions for the
screw holes on the mounting sur­face.

3. Mount the bracket to the mounting
surface with the

1

/5-inch (5-mm)
mounting screws, spring washers,
plain washers, and nuts.

Mounting
Surface

Note: If you cannot reach behind

the mounting surface to attach the
nuts on the bolts, use the

1

/5-inch (5­mm) mounting screws and plain
washers to secure the bracket.

4. Attach the CB to the mounting
bracket using the two rubber wash­ers and mounting kn obs.

2. In each marked location, drill a hole
slightly smaller than the two

1

/5-inch

(5-mm) mounting screws.
Caution: Be careful no t to drill into

objects behind the mounting sur­face.

6

CONNECTING AN
ANTENNA

There are many different types of anten­nas for mobile CBs, each with its own
benefits. You can choose one that best
fits your needs. Your local Radio Shack
store sells a wide variety of antennas.

Note: If you are using this CB as a base
station, see “Using the CB as a Base
Station” on Page 8.