Tait 5011 Operator's Manual

CANADA

Toll Free: 1-800-890 TAIT (8248)

E-mail: [e-mail]

USA

Toll Free: 1-800-890 TAIT (8248)

E-mail: [e-mail]

LATIN AMERICA

E-mail: [e-mail]

AUSTRALIA

E-mail: [e-mail]

NEW ZEALAND

E-mail: [e-mail]

EUROPE

E-mail: [e-mail]

HONG KONG

E-mail: [e-mail]

BEIJING

E-mail: [e-mail]

SINGAPORE

E-mail: [e-mail]

THAILAND

E-mail: [e-mail]

CORPORATE HEAD OFFICE

NEW ZEALAND

Tait Electronics Ltd

P O Box 1645, Christchurch

E-mail: [e-mail]

Important Charging

Information

■ Turn your radio off before charging.

■ New batteries must be long conditioned

before first use.

■ Replace or recharge your battery as soon as

the radio indicates the battery is low.

For More Information . . .

Complete information on batteries and battery chargers
is provided in the following guides supplied with your
battery and battery charger:

■ “Battery Care Guide” (MBAT2-03-051), supplied

with your battery.

■ “Battery Charger User Guide” (MBAT1-03-052),

supplied with your charger.

Tait Electronics Ltd has made every effort to ensure the accuracy
of the information in this manual. However, Tait Electronics Ltd
reserves the right to update the radio and/or this manual
without notice.

© Copyright Tait Electronics Limited November 2004. All rights
reserved.

All information contained in this manual is the property of Tait
Electronics Ltd. All rights are reserved. This manual may not, in
whole or in part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, trans­lated, stored, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine­readable form, without prior written permission from Tait
Electronics Ltd. All trade names referenced are the service mark,
trademark or registered trademark of the respective manufac­turers.

1

Safety Warnings

■ When transmitting, do not hold the radio

with its antenna close to or touching any
part of your body, especially your face and
eyes.

■ Turn the radio off at petrol filling stations.

■ Turn the radio off in the vicinity of

explosive devices, such as at a quarry that
uses blasting techniques.

■ Do not use a handheld microphone or radio

while driving or operating machinery.

■ Use only Tait Orca battery chargers to

charge your radio battery.

■ Avoid using unnecessarily high volume

levels if using the radio with an earphone or
headset.

■ Do not transmit within the frequency band

406 to 406.1 MHz. This band is reserved for
use by distress beacons.

■ Do not immerse your Tait Orca radio in

water.

2

Contents

Important Charging Information ............................................. 1

Safety Warnings ...................................................................... 2

Getting Started ........................................................................ 5

Installing the Antenna............................................................. 5

First Use of Battery .................................................................. 5

Installing and Removing the Battery Pack............................... 6

Installing a Belt Clip ................................................................ 6

Removing a Belt Clip ............................................................... 6

Radio Controls and Indicators ................................................ 8

On/Off/Volume Control......................................................... 8

16-Way Selector ...................................................................... 8

Short and Long Key Presses..................................................... 8

Double Key Presses.......................................................... 8

PTT (press-to-talk) Key ........................................................... 9

Function Keys.......................................................................... 9

Radio Indicators...................................................................... 9

LED Indicators................................................................. 9

Audible Indicators ......................................................... 10

Programmable Function Key Settings ................................... 11

Basic Operation .................................................................... 13

Turning the Radio On and Off and Adjusting Volume.......... 13

Selecting a Channel ............................................................... 13

Receiving a Call ..................................................................... 13

Making a Call ........................................................................ 14

Transmit Timer ..................................................................... 14

What You Hear On a Channel ............................................... 14

CTCSS and DCS............................................................. 15

5-Tone ........................................................................... 15

2-Tone ........................................................................... 15

Monitor ......................................................................... 15

Squelch Override ........................................................... 16

Scanning and Voting Groups ................................................ 16

Voting............................................................................ 17

Flexiscan ........................................................................ 17

Nuisance Delete............................................................. 17

5-Tone Signaling ................................................................... 18

Receiving a 5-Tone Call ......................................................... 18

Making a Preset 5-Tone Call.................................................. 18

One-Touch Preset Calls.................................................. 18

Emergency Call...................................................................... 19

Sending a 5-Tone Emergency Call ................................. 19

Other 5-Tone Features........................................................... 19

3

Deferred Calling ............................................................ 19

No Acknowledgment Retries ......................................... 20

G-STAR ID Signaling .............................................................. 21

G-STAR Emergency Signaling ............................................... 21

Stealth Emergency Mode....................................................... 21

Emergency Cycling ................................................................ 22

2-Tone Decoding ................................................................... 23

Receiving a 2-Tone Call ......................................................... 23

DTMF Calls ............................................................................ 24

Preset DTMF Calls ................................................................ 24

One-Touch Preset Calls.................................................. 24

Other Features ...................................................................... 25

Economy Mode ..................................................................... 25

Handset Operation................................................................ 25

Turning On and Off....................................................... 26

Volume Override................................................................... 26

Low Power Transmit ............................................................. 26

Turning On and Off....................................................... 26

Repeater Talkaround............................................................. 26

Turning On and Off....................................................... 27

Basic Maintenance ............................................................... 28

General Care.......................................................................... 28

Charging and Caring for Batteries......................................... 28

Warning: Disposing of Used NiCd Batteries ......................... 28

Troubleshooting.................................................................... 29

Options and Accessories ....................................................... 30

Removing the Accessory Cover ............................................. 30

D-Clip and Accessory Connectors ......................................... 31

Specifications ........................................................................ 32

4

Getting Started

Your Tait Orca portable radio is programmed to suit
your communication needs. If you are unsure which
features described in this manual are available on your
radio, consult your system manager or the person who
programmed your radio.

The custom features programmed for your radio can be
listed on the “Custom Settings” page on the inside back
cover of this manual.

When you receive your Tait Orca radio, make sure all
items you ordered are included. Typically, you should
receive the following:

■ Tait Orca radio.

■ Battery pack.

■ Antenna.

■ Operator’s Manual (this document).

■ Compliance Information (separate document).

Your Orca may also be supplied with accessory compo­nents (see “Options and Accessories” on page 30).

If any parts are damaged or missing, report this to your
system manager or local dealer immediately.

Installing the Antenna

Before using the radio, connect the antenna to the
socket at the top of the radio.

First Use of Battery

Caution: The battery must be long condi­tioned, which includes a full-charge before
first use of the radio, to maximize the battery’s

initial capacity.

5

Refer to the documents supplied with your battery and
charger for battery care and charging information.

Installing and Removing the Battery
Pack

To fit the battery to the radio:

1 Insert the bottom edge of the battery into the two

slots at the back of the radio.

2 Push the battery towards the radio. It should snap

into place.

To remove the battery pack, push the battery catch
down, and from the sides, pull the battery away from the
radio.

Installing a Belt Clip

Most Tait Orca batteries are designed to be fitted with
belt clips. Two types of belt clip are available:

■ 38 mm belt clip.

■ 55 mm spring-loaded belt clip.

For both types of belt clip, slide the belt clip into the two
slots on the top of the battery. Push down until the clip
snaps into place.

Battery Clip

Belt Clip

Slot

Slot

Battery

Removing a Belt Clip

Both belt clips have been designed to avoid accidental
removal. However, they can be replaced if required.

6

To remove the 38 mm belt clip:

1 Insert the end of a flat-blade

Release
Tab

screwdriver under the edge of
the release tab (right) without
forcing it.

2 Gently lift the release tab up,

then slide the belt clip away from the battery.

To remove the 55 mm belt clip:

1 Lie the battery on a flat surface.

2 Insert the end of a flat-blade screwdriver under the

release tab (shown below) and lift.

3 Slide the belt clip away from the battery.

Belt Clip

Release Tab

Battery Clip

Battery

Note: Should the small battery clip come loose
while removing either belt clip, it can easily be
refitted by sliding it into the slot at the top of
the battery until it snaps into place.

7

Radio Controls and Indicators

Your Tait Orca radio controls and indicators include the
on/off/volume control, the 16-way selector, function
keys, and various radio indicators.

On/Off/Volume Control

Rotating the on/off/volume control clockwise turns on
the radio and increases volume. Rotating the control
counter-clockwise decreases volume and turns off the
radio. This also controls the volume level of indicators
and confidence tones.

16-Way Selector

Each position on the 16-way selector can be
programmed for a channel or group of channels. See
“Selecting a Channel” on page 13 for more information.

Short and Long Key Presses

Some keys have two functions assigned, which can be
accessed by a short or long key press. A short key press
is defined as less than 1 second. You may need to exper­iment to become familiar with the duration of short and
long key presses.

Double Key Presses

Function keys can be preprogrammed to perform the 5­tone emergency call function (see “Function Keys” on
page 9). The emergency function may be combined
with a Double Key Press Activation option. This feature
helps to avoid accidental use of the emergency function.

If the emergency call is assigned to a short key press, the
two key presses must be made within 3 seconds. If the
emergency call is assigned to a long key press, the two
key presses must come within 5 seconds.

8

PTT (press-to-talk) Key

The PTT (press-to-talk key) is located on the side panel.
Press this key to transmit each time you talk.

Function Keys

The function keys provide access to preprogrammed
functions (see “Programmable Function Key Settings”
on page 11 for more information on the options that can
be assigned to the function keys).

There are four programmable function keys:

■ Function keys 1 and 2, located on the side panel.

■ External keys 1 and 2, located on the external

microphone.

Each function key can have a function assigned to a short
and long press. Use the panel provided in the back of this
manual to record the function that has been assigned to
each key press on your radio.

Radio Indicators

The radio’s LED indicator and audible signals provide
you with information on the state of your radio.

Radio indicators are summarized on the “Radio
Indicators” page on the inside back cover of this manual.

LED Indicators

The radio’s LED is the main indicator for displaying the
state the radio is in. Audible indicators provide
additional information, intended to supplement that
provided by the LED.

In this manual, one flash every 2 seconds is referred to as
“slow flash rate”, one flash every second as “medium
flash rate”, and four flashes every second as “fast flash
rate”.

Color Flash Rate Meaning

Red

Steady

Transmitting.

9

Color Flash Rate Meaning

Red

Red

Red

Red

Green

Green

Green

Slow

Medium

Fast

Two fast flashes

Steady

Slow

Medium

Battery low. Radio will also
emit low-pitched beeps.
Recharge or replace as soon
as possible.

Low power transmit mode
active.

Radio is stunned. Radio will
also emit very high-pitched
beeps. Contact your
despatcher.

The power-up sequence is
complete. Radio will also
emit two medium-pitched
beeps.

Channel busy.

Economy mode active.

Monitor or squelch override
active.

Amber

Amber

Amber

Amber

Red/
Green

Red/
Green

Steady

Slow

Medium

Fast

Slow

Fast

Radio is scanning or voting a
group of channels for
activity or greatest signal
strength.

Repeater talkaround active.

Activity detected on one of a
group of channels being
scanned.

A Selcall call has been
received.

Handset mode active.

Radio programmed incor­rectly or faulty. Contact your
Tait dealer.

Audible Indicators

Your radio may be programmed so that whenever you
press a key, the radio beeps to indicate whether or not
the action you wish to carry out is permitted:

10

■ Permitted: Short, medium-pitched beep.

■ Not permitted: Long, low-pitched beep.

The most common audible indicators are summarized
on the “Radio Indicators” page on the inside back cover
of this manual.

Note: Audible indicators may have been disa­bled when your radio was programmed, and a
function key assigned to turn audible signals
on and off.

Programmable Function Key Settings

Functions marked * are described more fully in “Other
Features” on page 25. Some functions are not permitted
in some countries.

Function Description

Audible Indicators Turns audible indicators on and off.

Channel’s DTMF
Preset

Disable Monitor Turns off the monitor facility, if it is

Economy Mode* Turns economy mode on and off.

Emergency Activates emergency mode.

Handset Mode* Turns handset mode on and off.

Low Power
Trans m it*

Nuisance Delete Temporarily deletes the current channel

One Touch Sends a preset 5-tone call or DTMF call,

Sends the DTMF preset call assigned to
the current channel.

active.

Changes the transmit power from
medium or high to low. Pressing the key
again returns the transmit power to the
programmed level. Channels can also
be programmed for low power.

from the scanning regime.

or selects a channel.

Preset Call Sends the preset 5-tone call assigned to

Repeater Access
Ton e

the current channel.

Sends the repeater access tone to key
up the transmitter.

11

Function Description

Repeater Talkaround Allows you to bypass normal repeater

operation and communicate directly
with another radio. Pressing the key
again or changing to another channel
turns off repeater talkaround.

Squelch Override Turns the squelch override on and off so

the user can hear all activity on a
channel, including noise.

Toggle Flexiscan Turns Flexiscan on and off. Your radio

may be programmed so that Flexiscan is
turned off when the PTT key is released
after making a call when Flexiscan is
active.

Toggle Monitor Turns monitor on and off so the user

can hear all traffic on a channel.

Toggle 2-Tone
Decoder

Volume Control Controls volume in handset mode.

Turns 2-tone decoding on and off.

12

Basic Operation

This section describes the basic operation of your radio,
including turning the radio on and off, adjusting
volume, selecting channels, and making and receiving
calls.

Turning the Radio On and Off and
Adjusting Volume

Rotating the on/off/volume control clockwise turns on
the radio and increases volume. Rotating the control
counter-clockwise decreases volume and turns off the
radio.

To preserve battery life, it is recommended that you turn
off the radio when it is not in use.

Once the power-up sequence is complete, the LED
flashes red twice and the radio gives two short, medium­pitched beeps.

Selecting a Channel

Each position on the 16-way selector denotes a channel
or group of channels. If the radio gives two short, high­pitched beeps when you select a channel, then that
channel was the last one activity was found on during
scanning. See “Scanning and Voting Groups” on
page 16 for more information on groups of channels.

If the channel selected is busy, the LED glows green.
Wait until the channel is free before transmitting.

Note: You cannot change channels while trans­mitting.

Receiving a Call

Your radio remains quiet until there is valid activity on
the channel your radio is currently on (see “What You
Hear On a Channel” on page 14). When you hear your

13

own call sign, respond promptly by pressing the PTT
key and replying.

Making a Call

Select the desired channel as described in “Selecting a
Channel” above.

If the channel is busy, you are not normally able to
transmit. If you try to transmit, the radio sounds a low­pitched warning beep. You may not be able to hear the
activity, but the LED glows green. You can activate the
monitor function to listen to channel activity.

To make a call:
When the channel is clear, hold down the PTT key and
speak clearly into the radio. Identify yourself and the
party you are calling using the call signs you have been
assigned. Release the PTT key when you have finished
talking.

While you are transmitting, the LED glows red. While
the other party is transmitting, the LED glows green.

If selective call mute is programmed for a particular
channel, you are only able to make 5-tone calls on that
channel when the monitor function is activated and the
channel is clear (see “Monitor” on page 15).

Transmit Timer

Your radio is programmed with a transmit timer that
limits the amount of time you can transmit continu­ously. If the radio gives three medium-pitched beeps,
the transmit timer is about to expire. Ten seconds later,
the radio automatically stops transmitting. You have to
release the PTT before you can transmit again. The
radio may be programmed to prevent transmission for a
period after the transmit timer has expired.

What You Hear On a Channel

What traffic you hear on a channel depends on how
your radio was programmed. A channel can be

14

programmed so that you hear all conversations on a
channel (no signaling), or your user group may be segre­gated from others using various types of signaling
(CTCSS, DCS, 5-tone or 2-tone).

When special signaling is active, you are not able to hear
other groups talking on the current channel unless the
monitor function is active (see below). If the channel is
busy, the LED glows green.

CTCSS and DCS

CTCSS (continuous tone controlled subaudible
signaling) and DCS (digitally coded squelch) signaling
use subaudible tones to isolate your calls so you only
hear activity for your group.

5-Tone

5-tone signaling uses audible tones to isolate your calls
and direct calls to specific individuals within a group.
You may hear the 5-tone tones at the beginning of a
transmission.

2-Tone

2-tone decoding means that you will only hear calls from
individual radios or groups of radios programmed with
the same two-tone sequence that is programmed into
your radio.

Monitor

Monitor lets you hear all conversations on a channel,
including those outside your group.

Your radio may be programmed so that monitor is
activated when you:

■ Turn on the radio.

■ Send specific types of calls.

■ Press a function key (if assigned).

While monitor is active, the LED flashes green at
medium flash rate.

15

The monitor may be deactivated by:

■ Your despatcher.

■ Receiving specific types of calls.

■ Pressing a function key (if assigned).

■ Automatically turning off after a preprogrammed

deactivation period.

The monitor function can be programmed to override
all signaling (CTCSS, DCS, 5-tone and 2-tone) or only
5-tone and 2-tone signaling (selective call mute).

Note: If a particular channel is programmed
with selective call mute, you are only able to
hear traffic that matches your 5-tone or 2-tone
identity and you are only able to make 5-tone
calls. Turn on monitor to hear all traffic and
make calls other than 5-tone calls.

Squelch Override

The radio’s squelch allows reception of a signal only
when it is above a factory-set threshold so that only
intelligible signals are made audible. Activating squelch
override can sometimes improve reception of a signal in
marginal signal strength areas.

If programmed, toggle squelch override on and off using
the assigned function key. While squelch override is
active, the LED flashes green at medium flash rate.

Note: Squelch override cannot be activated
when a scan group is selected, and is automat­ically turned off when you change to a scan
group.

Scanning and Voting Groups

A series of channels may be grouped together so that the
radio can scan through them looking for activity.
Groups are selected the same way as channels. When a
scanning or voting group is selected, the LED glows
amber.

16

When a busy channel is detected and the signaling is
valid (see “What You Hear On a Channel” on page 14),
the LED flashes amber and the radio stops on that
channel. Scanning resumes when the channel is no
longer busy or the signaling is no longer valid.

One or two priority channels may also be set. These
channels are scanned more often than other channels and
are scanned periodically when a non-priority channel is
busy.

Voting

Voting works the same way as scanning, except the
group’s member channels carry the same traffic, and the
radio searches for, and stops on, the channel with the
strongest signal.

Flexiscan

Your radio may be programmed with one Flexiscan scan
group, containing up to 16 member channels. When
Flexiscan scanning is turned on, you are able to commu­nicate on an unrelated channel, while a group of
channels in a programmed Flexiscan scan group is
scanned for valid activity.

To activate Flexiscan, press the assigned function key
(see “Toggle Flexiscan” on page 12).

Nuisance Delete

If a channel is busy for a long time and you do not wish
to hear the conversation, you can temporarily delete it
from the scanning regime if one of the function key
settings is programmed for nuisance delete. Pressing the
assigned function key deletes the currently held channel
from the regime. When the scan group is next selected,
the deleted channel is again part of the group.

17

5-Tone Signaling

5-tone signaling segregates a group of users from others
on a channel using a set of audible tones. Because each
radio has a unique identity, you can direct calls to
individuals or groups of individuals within your own
group. An emergency call may also been prepro­grammed.

The Orca 5011 is able to make preset 5-tone calls only.

Receiving a 5-Tone Call

When a call is received that contains your radio’s
identity, the radio gives a ringing tone and the LED
indicator flashes amber. The ringing tone is prepro­grammed, and the radio gives different ringing tones
when different types of calls are received.

To accept the call, press the PTT key and begin
speaking. If the call is a group call, there is usually no
need to respond.

Making a Preset 5-Tone Call

Two preset 5-tone calls can be assigned to each channel
that has 5-tone calling. If programmed, these calls are
assigned to a function key, and each channel that has 5­tone may have different preset calls.

To make this call:

1 Change to the desired channel.

2 Press the assigned function key.

One-Touch Preset Calls

A single one-touch 5-tone call may also be assigned to
one of the function keys. It is not necessary to change
channels to send this call – simply press the assigned
function key.

18

When the called party responds, proceed with your
conversation.

Emergency Call

One of the preset 5-tone calls programmed for your
radio may be an emergency call.

Sending a 5-Tone Emergency Call

Pressing the function key sends an emergency sequence
to a programmed party, usually your dispatcher.

Note: It is not necessary to change channels to
send the emergency call.

When in emergency mode, the radio cycles between
receiving and transmitting so that your dispatcher can
hear activity near the radio and so decide how to
respond. All radio indicators remain unchanged.

The radio can be reset to normal operation, either:

■ By your dispatcher.

OR

■ By turning the radio off, and then on again.

Other 5-Tone Features

Other 5-tone features that may be programmed are:

■ Deferred calling.

■ No acknowledgement retries.

Deferred Calling

If the channel you are making a call on is busy, the radio
may be programmed to store the call and send it again
once the channel is free. The radio gives a low-pitched
beep if the channel is busy, and then gives two long,
medium-pitched beeps at regular intervals until the
channel is free and the call can be sent.

To cancel a call that is being resent, press any key.

19

No Acknowledgment Retries

When you send a call and there is no reply, your radio
may be programmed so that the call is resent up to 15
times.

To cancel a call that is being resent, press any key.

20

G-STAR ID Signaling

G-STAR ID is used with conventional systems to
identify the user of a particular radio by a unique,
programmable ID number assigned to that particular
radio. G-STAR ID is transmitted from the user’s radio
and received by a G-STAR decoder unit which could
be attached externally to a console or mobile radio. A
total of 16,384 individual ID codes are available.

The radio can be programmed to transmit G-STAR
when the PTT button is pressed, when the PTT button
is released, or at both press and release of the PTT
button.

The radio may be programmed to emit a short beep after
a G-STAR message has been sent. The ability to encode
G-STAR is enabled on a per-channel basis during radio
programming.

G-STAR Emergency Signaling

G-STAR emergency signaling is activated by pressing
the programmed emergency function key which sends a
G-STAR data burst that contains both the unit ID
number and an embedded emergency message.

Activation of this key sends an emergency signal on the
selected channel or on a programmed emergency
channel. Once emergency mode is activated, your radio
repeatedly transmits the emergency sequence. During
this time, you may be able to make calls using the PTT
button and hear incoming traffic.

The radio can be reset to normal operation at any time
by turning the radio off, then on.

Stealth Emergency Mode

Stealth emergency mode is a programmable option.
When stealth emergency mode is activated, all radio

21

indicators remain unchanged, you do not hear any
channel traffic and you may not be able to make PTT
transmissions.

To reset the radio to normal operation, turn the radio
off, then on again.

Emergency Cycling

Emergency cycling is a programmable option. This
begins after emergency mode is activated and the
emergency sequence has been transmitted. The radio
cycles between transmitting and receiving so that any
activity near the radio can be heard by the party
receiving the emergency call.

To reset the radio to normal operation, turn the radio
off, then on again.

22

2-Tone Decoding

2-tone is a term for in-band, two-tone sequential
signaling. It is a conventional signaling protocol used to
control the muting and unmuting of a radio. The
signaling is used for selective calling of individual units
or groups of units. Two sets of unique decoding formats
are programmable to allow large system, individual, and
group call capability. Sets are selectable on a mode (bank
of channels) basis.

When the radio detects a matching two-tone sequence,
it gives an audible signal indicating the decode type
being received. The three, 2-tone decode types
supported are: individual, group and super group.

You may be able to activate and deactivate 2-tone
decoding by the press of an assigned function key.

Receiving a 2-Tone Call

When a 2-tone encoded call is received, the radio gives
a medium-pitched beep and the LED indicator flashes
amber.

To accept the call, press the PTT key and begin
speaking.

The character of the beep from your radio indicates
which type of 2-tone call has been decoded:

■ Individual call: The radio gives a long beep.

■ Group call: The radio gives a series of long beeps.

■ Super group call: The radio gives a series of short

beeps.

23

DTMF Calls

DTMF (dual tone multiple frequency) is the tone-based
system used in the world’s telephone networks. If your
system has access to the public switched telephone
network or other networks that make use of DTMF
tones, your radio can make a call to a telephone or send
control codes to a remote device.

Your Or ca 501 1 radi o is abl e to m ak e p reset DTMF ca ll s
only.

Preset DTMF Calls

A preset DTMF call can be assigned to one of the
function keys.

To send the call:

1 Select the channel the DTMF call is assigned to.

2 Press the assigned function key.

Different preset calls may be available on different
channels.

One-Touch Preset Calls

A single one-touch DTMF call may also be assigned to
one of the function keys. It is not necessary to change
channels to send this call – simply press the assigned
function key.

When the called party responds, proceed with your
conversation.

24

Other Features

Note that some features are not permitted in some
countries.

Economy Mode

Economy mode can extend battery life when there is
little or no activity on the radio. When in economy
mode, the radio cycles between the receive state and a
standby state once there has been no activity for a
programmed period. Receiving or sending a call returns
the radio to the fully active state.

Economy mode may be permanently enabled or can be
toggled on and off by the press of an assigned function
key.

While economy mode is active, the LED flashes green at
slow flash rate.

Handset Operation

The radio microphone has two modes of operation:

■ Normal operation: The radio microphone is held

about 6 inches (15 cm) away from the mouth.

■ Handset operation: The radio is operated like a

telephone handset. This is particularly useful in noisy
environments or when privacy is required.

While in handset mode, the radio’s handset microphone
operates.

Note: The radio can be programmed so that the

handset microphone is also the default micro-

phone.

Caution: While using the radio in handset

mode, do not hold the speaker pressed against

your ear, or allow the antenna to touch your

body.

25

Turning On and Off

To toggle handset mode on an off, press the assigned
function key. Your radio may be programmed so that
handset mode automatically turns off after a period of
inactivity.

While handset mode is active, the LED flashes red and
green at slow flash rate.

Volume Override

Your radio may be programmed so that the function
keys are used as volume up and down keys while in
handset mode. What keys act as volume control keys can
be listed on the “Custom Settings” page on the inside
back cover of this manual.

Low Power Transmit

If you are using your radio in conditions where signal
strength is high, you can extend battery life by trans­mitting at low power.

While low power transmit is active, transmissions are
made at low power rather than at the programmed
power level.

Note: Some channels may be programmed to
always transmit at low power.

Turning On and Off

To toggle low power transmit on and off, press the
assigned function key. When you transmit, the LED
flashes red at medium flash rate.

Repeater Talkaround

If the repeater is busy or you are out of range of the
repeater, you can communicate directly with another
radio by using repeater talkaround. To do this, the
transmit frequency is moved to coincide with the
receive frequency. While repeater talkaround is active,
all transmissions are made on the receive frequency of
the channel you are on.

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Turning On and Off

To activate repeater talkaround, press the assigned
function key. While repeater talkaround is active, the
LED flashes amber at slow flash rate.

To deactivate repeater talkaround, press the function
key again or change to another channel.

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Basic Maintenance

Your Tait Orca radio requires no regular maintenance
other than ensuring that the battery has sufficient charge
and that no damage has occurred to the antenna or the
battery pack.

General Care

■ Wipe the battery contacts and accessory connector

contacts with a dry lint-free cloth to remove any
dirt, oil or grease.

■ Use a cloth dampened with clean water to clean the

radio’s case, but do not immerse the radio in fluids.

■ Do not allow the radio to come into contact with

detergents, alcohol, aerosol sprays or petroleum­based products as they may permanently damage the
case.

■ Avoid high temperatures. If the radio overheats, it

ceases to function. You hear two short high-pitched
beeps.

Charging and Caring for Batteries

Refer to the Battery Care Guide (MBAT2-03-051) that
comes with your battery, and the Battery Charger User
Guide (MBAT1-03-052) that comes with your battery
charger.

Warning: Disposing of Used NiCd
Batteries

Warning: NiCd batteries contain a small
amount of the metal cadmium, a potentially
toxic substance that must be disposed of
properly. When no longer in use, contact your

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dealer for recycling details.

Troubleshooting

If you are experiencing difficulty operating your Tait
Orca radio, review “Basic Operation” on page 13 and
check the following items:

■ Is the battery firmly attached to the radio?

■ Is the battery sufficiently charged?

■ Is the battery charger working properly?

■ Is the antenna damaged?

If all appears to be in order, but your radio still fails to
operate properly, consult your local dealer for assistance.

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Options and Accessories

Tait offers a large range of accessories. Contact your
local dealer for more information.

Antennas

6-Way
Multi-Charger

Battery
Charger

D-Clip

Battery

Earphones,Palm and
Lapel Microphones

Accessory
Connector Kits

Belt Loop

Carry Cases

Headset

Speaker
Microphones

Accessory
Adaptors

Vehicle

Servicing and Programming Kits

Kit

Removing the Accessory Cover

To fit some accessories to the radio, you will
need to remove the radio cover by first
removing the battery, then using the end of
a key to prise off the accessory cover.

30

D-Clip and Accessory Connectors

The D-clip connector enables the radio to be installed
on the belt loop. The accessory connector enables
accessories to be installed on the radio.

Installing the Connector

1 Place the two connector pegs into the bottom holes

on the radio.

2 Push the connector into position and hold.

3 Use a coin (D-clip only) or thumb or finger to turn

the lever counter-clockwise.

4 Turn the lever until it clicks into position.

Removing the Connector

1 Press the small metal clip firmly and hold.

2 Use a coin (D-clip only) or thumb to turn the lever

clockwise 90°.

3 Remove the connector.

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Specifications

Size H x W x D
(including 1500 mAh
NiMH battery)

Typical weight
(including 1500 mAh
NiMH battery)

Battery voltage 7.5 V nominal

Transmitter power 136-174 MHz: 5 W

Receive sensitivity better than -117 dBm

Audio power >0.5 W into 16 Ohms

6.06 inch x 2.60 inch x 1.61
inch
(154 mm x 66 mm x 41 mm)

18 oz (510 g)

400-530 MHz: 4 W

Antenna connector SMA

For full details of the technical specifications of
the radio, refer to the Service Manual or to
your local dealer.

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