RCA BR250 Instruction Manual

BR250TM Professional Two-Way Radio Instruction Manual

Congratulations on selecting the BR250TM from

RCA Communications Systems - The most trusted name in radio.

RCA Communications Systems products are designed to perform awlessly under the most demanding commercial conditions. Cutting edge design, professional grade materials and components, simple operation and superior assembly quality: RCA Communications Systems has it all, including our exclusive no-nonsense, THREE-Year “Warranty Protection Program,” one of the most comprehensive warranties in the communications industry.

To ensure maximum performance from your BR250TM radio, please be sure to read this manual carefully.

MODELS COVERED IN THIS MANUAL:

• BR250 VHF Two-Way Radio

• BR250 UHF Two-Way Radio

BR250TM Professional Two-Way Radio Instruction Manual

Safety and General Information.....................4

Product Inspection.........................................5

RCA BR250TM Overview.................................7

Battery Information.....................................10

Initial Use.............................................10

Applicable Battery Packs.......................10

Battery Tips..........................................10

Tips to Prolong Battery Life...................11

Battery Storage.....................................11

Charging the Battery.............................11

Steps for Setting Up Your Charger...............13

Troubleshooting...................................14

No LED Indication............................14

Red LED Flashes Rapidly...................14

Antenna Information...................................15

Assembly and Disassembly...........................15

Attaching the Battery...........................15

Removing the Battery...........................16

Attaching the Antenna........................17

Removing the Antenna........................17

Attaching / Removing the Belt Clip......18

Attaching the Earpiece / Microphone...19 Removing the Earpiece / Microphone...19

General Radio Operations and Functions.....20

Radio Operations.................................20

Turn the Radio On/Off......................20

Adjust the Volume............................20

Select a Channel...............................21

Transmitting......................................21

Receiving..........................................21

Radio Functions....................................21

Time-out Timer (TOT).......................21

Battery Save Mode...........................21

Battery Strength Indicator.................22

Low Battery Alert.............................23

Busy Channel Lockout (BCL).............23

Voice Operated Transmit (VOX)........23

Troubleshooting..........................................25

CONTENTS:

BR250TM Professional Two-Way Radio Instruction Manual

Care and Cleaning......................................26

Optional Accessories...................................27

Glossary......................................................32

Warranty Statement....................................33

CONTENTS continued

BR250TM Professional Two-Way Radio Instruction Manual

SAFETY AND GENERAL INFORMATION

Please observe the following general safety precautions during all phases of operation, service and repair of this equipment.

» Turn radio off prior entering any area with

a potentially explosive atmosphere, such as gas, petroleum, chemicals, blasting caps, etc.

» Do not charge the battery in a potentially

explosive atmosphere.

» Do not use any portable radio that has a

damaged antenna, as it can burn skin.

» This equipment is to be serviced only by

authorized RCA Communications Systems technicians. Any service performed by unauthorized technicians will void the warranty.

» Turn radio off when near electrical blasting

caps to avoid possible interference with blasting operations. Obey posted signs

such as those in hospitals or blasting areas advising people to turn off all two-way radios. Obey pilots and ight attendants instructions to turn off radios on airplanes.

» Do not place a radio over an air bag or in

an air bag’s deployment area, as the force with which an air bag is inated could propel the radio and may cause serious injury.

» Do not place the radio close to a heat

source or expose the radio to direct sunlight for a prolonged time.

» Hold the radio while in use in a vertical

position with the microphone one to two inches away from your lips.

» While wearing a transmitting radio, keep

the radio and its antenna at least one inch away from your body.

BR250TM Professional Two-Way Radio Instruction Manual

PRODUCT INSPECTION

Prior to unpacking the BR250TM portable radio, please inspect the packaging for

signs of damage and report any damage or

missing components immediately to your RCA Communications Systems Sales and Service Outlet. Every BR250TM portable radio comes with the following items:

Item Qty.(PCS)

BR250 - Handheld Radio 1 B2520LI - Li-Ion Battery (2000mAh) 1

BC250 - Belt Clip 1 STR250 - Handy Carry Strap

(Easy way to carry your radio)

ANH250U-6 - UHF Model Antenna ANH250V-6 - VHF Model Antenna

Instruction Manual 1

CH2501* - Desktop Rapid Charger 1 PS2501* - Power Supply 1

B2520LI

Li-Ion Battery (2000mAh)

CH2501

Desktop Rapid Charger

PS2501

Power Supply

BC250

Belt Clip

STR250

Handy Carry Strap

Antenna

ANH250U-6 - UHF models ANH250V-6 - VHF models

BR250

Handheld Radio

* Items sent in separate box if ordered.

BR250TM Professional Two-Way Radio Instruction Manual

Notes:

The frequency band of the BR250TM is marked on the radio label. If it is not visible, identify the frequency band according to the color circle on the antenna: red indicates UHF and green indicates VHF.

BR250TM Professional Two-Way Radio Instruction Manual

RCA BR250 Overview

(1) PTT (Push-to-Talk) key

(2) SK1 (Side Key 1) (programmable)

(3) SK2 (Side Key 2) (programmable)

(4) Speaker

(5) Microphone

(6) Antenna

(7) LED Indicator

(8) Channel Selector Knob

(9) Radio On-Off/ Volume Control Knob

(10) Battery Latch

(11) Accessory Jack

(12) Accessory Cover

(13) Belt Clip

(14) Battery

(15) Screw

(16) Electrode Piece

BR250TM Professional Two-Way Radio Instruction Manual

PTT (Push-to-Talk) Key

Press and hold down the PTT key to transmit, release it to receive.

SK1 (Side Key 1)

Side Key 1 is the programmable key to which your dealer can assign long and short press function. (See Glossary for denitions of long and short press.)

SK2 (Side Key 2)

Side Key 2 is the programmable key to which your dealer can assign long and short press function. (See Glossary for denitions of long and short press.)

LED Indicator

For information on status of LED Indicator and alert tone, see table on pg. 9 (See Functions and Settings for the detailed operations.)

Channel Selector Knob

Turn the knob to select channels 1 to 16.

Radio On-Off/Volume Control Knob

Turn the knob clockwise to turn the radio on, and turn the knob fully counter-clockwise until it clicks to turn the radio off. Turn the knob clockwise to increase the volume, or counter-clockwise to decrease the volume. WARNING!! Make sure the BR250 is at low volume prior to using any earpiece accessory, and then adjust the volume to a comfortable level. Failing to do so may cause hearing damage.

Battery Latch

Use to remove the battery.

Accessory Jack

The jack is used to connect speaker, microphone, external PTT, earpiece, headset, programming cable and cloning cable.

BR250TM Professional Two-Way Radio Instruction Manual

LED Indicator and Alert Tones

Power Up in User Mode

When the radio is turned on, the power up alert tone will sound. When the current channel is an empty channel, the radio continuously beeps.

Low Battery Alert

LED ashes red and a low-pitched tone sounds at ten second intervals.

Transmitting

LED glows red when transmitting. When TOT timer expires, the radio continuously beeps. TOT pre-alert causes radio to beep.

Receiving

LED glows green when carrier is present.

Scanning

Green LED ashes every second while scanning is in progress. Scan Start Alert Tone (programmable by your dealer): radio beeps. Scan Exit Alert Tone (programmable by your dealer): radio beeps. Priority Channel Scan Alert Tone (programmable by your dealer): if the current channel is the priority channel when scanning, the radio beeps.

Power Adjust

A low-pitched tone sounds when transmit power is adjusted from high to low. A high-pitched tone sounds when transmit power is adjusted from low to high.

VOX

A high-pitched tone sounds when the VOX feature is activated. A low-pitched tone sounds when the VOX feature is disabled.

BR250TM Professional Two-Way Radio Instruction Manual

BATTERY INFORMATION

Initial Use

New batteries are shipped from the factory uncharged. Charge a new battery approximately 12 hours prior to initial use (applies to Ni-CD, Ni-MH and Li-Ion batteries charged with slow or rapid rate charger). NOTE: The Indicator Light will turn GREEN approximately one hour after battery is placed in a Rapid Rate Charger; however, it is strongly recommended the battery charge for 12 hours. This initializes it and allows for the best performance. Maximum battery capacity is normally achieved after two or three full charge / discharge cycles. If battery power runs low, recharge the battery. Batteries that are brand new or that have been stored for an extended period of time (several weeks), may require more time to fully charge.

Applicable Battery Packs

To reduce the risk of injury, use only batteries specied by RCA Communications Systems.

Caution:

1. To avoid risk of personal injury, do not dispose of batteries in a re.

2. Dispose of batteries according to local recycling regulations. Do not dispose as household waste.

3. Never attempt to disassemble the battery.

Battery Tips:

1. When charging a battery, keep it at a temperature between 41°F ~ 104°F (5°C ~ 40°C) to ensure a full charge. Temperatures outside this range signicantly reduce battery life.

2. Before charging a battery attached to a radio, turn the radio off to ensure a full charge. Never leave a radio on while it is

BR250TM Professional Two-Way Radio Instruction Manual

in the charger, as it can damage both the battery and the radio; the charger is not a radio stand.

3. Do not cut off the power supply or remove battery while charging.

4. Never charge a battery that is wet. Dry it with soft cloth prior charging.

5. The battery will eventually weaken. When the operating time (talk-time and standby time) is noticeably shorter than normal, replace the battery.

Tips To Prolong Battery Life:

1. Battery performance greatly decreases at temperatures below -4°F (-20°C).Having a spare battery is always necessary in extremely cold environments. A cold battery may work again when it returns to room temperature, so keep it for later use.

2. Dust on the battery contact may cause the battery not to work or charge properly. Use

a clean dry cloth to wipe it before attaching the battery to the radio.

3. Batteries with damaged contacts can be extremely dangerous. Any battery with damage to one or more contacts should be replaced immediately and not used under any circumstances.

Battery Storage

1. Fully charge a battery before storing it for an extended period of time to avoid battery damage due to over-discharge.

2. Recharge a battery after three months storage to avoid reduced battery capacity due to over-discharge.

3. When storing a battery, keep it in a dry place at room temperature.

Charging the Battery

1. When the battery level is very low, recharge it. It is never recommended to completely drain the battery, which may cause your

BR250TM Professional Two-Way Radio Instruction Manual

battery to malfunction and no longer accept a charge.

2. Use only chargers specied by RCA Communications Systems. When the charger’s LED illuminates red, it is an indication that the battery is being correctly charged. When the LED illuminates green, the battery charge is complete.

Status Charged LED

Standby (no-load)

Red LED slowly ashes (0.2s on/3s off )

Battery is charging

Red LED solidly glows

Battery is 90% charged

Orange LED solidly glows

Battery is fully charged

Green LED solidly glows

Error

Red LED rapidly ashes (0.2s on/0.2s off)

+ 25 hidden pages

RCA BR250 Instruction Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual