Tait TPAK5A Users Manual
Chassis engraving will void warranty
Caution: Engraving the chassis can significantly reduce
its mechanical strength and will void any warranty. If the
chassis has been engraved, it must be replaced.
To our European customers
Tait Electronics Limited is an environmentally
responsible company which supports waste
minimization and material recovery. The European
Union’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Directive requires that this product be disposed of
separately from the general waste stream when its
service life is over. Please be environmentally responsible
and dispose through the original supplier, your local
municipal waste “separate collection” service, or
contact Tait Electronics Limited.
Chassis engraving will void warranty i
Chassis engraving will void warranty
For your safety
For your safety
Before using your radio, please read the following
important safety and compliance information.
Radio frequency exposure information
For your own safety and to ensure you comply with the
Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) radio
frequency (RF) exposure guidelines, please read the
following information before using this radio.
Using this radio
You should use this radio only for work-related
purposes (it is not authorized for any other use) and if
you are fully aware of, and can exercise control over,
your exposure to RF energy. To prevent exceeding FCC
RF exposure limits, you must control the amount and
duration of RF that you and other people are
exposed to.
It is also important that you:
Q Do not remove the RF Exposure label from
the radio.
Q Ensure this RF exposure information accompanies
the radio when it is transferred to other users.
ii For your safety
Q Do not use the radio if you do not adhere to the
guidelines on controlling your exposure to RF.
Controlling your exposure to RF energy
This radio emits radio frequency (RF) energy or radio
waves primarily when calls are made. RF is a form of
electromagnetic energy (as is sunlight), and there are
recommended levels of maximum RF exposure.
To control your exposure to RF and comply with the
maximum exposure limits for occupational/controlled
environments, follow these guidelines:
Q Do not talk (transmit) on the radio more than the
rated transmit duty cycle. This is important because
the radio radiates more energy when it is transmitting than when it is receiving.
Q When listening and talking on the radio, hold it
upright in front of your face so that it is at least one
inch (2.5 cm) away from any part of your face.
Keeping the radio at the recommended distance is
important because exposure to RF decreases rapidly
the further away the antenna is from your body.
Q Keep the antenna at least one inch (2.5 cm) from
your face at all times.
Q If you wear your radio, you must always put it in a
carrying accessory that has been specifically
approved by Tait for this radio. Using non-approved
body-worn accessories may mean you expose yourself to higher levels of RF than recommended by the
FCC’s occupational/controlled environment RF
exposure limits.
Q Ensure you only use Tait-approved antennas, batter-
ies, and accessories.
For more information on what RF energy is and how to
control your exposure to it, visit the FCC website at
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety/rf-faqs.html.
Compliance with RF energy exposure standards
This two-way radio complies with these RF energy
exposure standards and guidelines:
For your safety
Q United States Federal Communications Commis-
sion, Code of Federal Regulations; 47 CFR §§
1.1307, 1.1310, and 2.1093.
Q American National Standards Institute (ANSI) / Insti-
tute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
(IEEE) C95.1-1992
Q Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
C95.1-1999 Edition.
For your safety iii
For your safety
This radio complies with the IEEE and ICNIRP exposure
limits for occupational/controlled RF exposure
environments at operating duty factors of up to 50%
transmitting (even though the approved batteries for
this radio are rated for a 5-5-90 duty factor (5% talk5% listen-90% standby)).
Radio frequency emissions limits in
the USA
Part 15 of the FCC Rules imposes RF emission limits
on receivers.
This radio complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the condition that this device
does not cause harmful interference.
Unapproved modifications or changes
to radio
The radio is designed to satisfy the applicable
compliance regulations. Do not make modifications or
changes to the radio that are not expressly approved by
Tait Electronics Ltd. Failure to do so could invalidate
compliance requirements and void the user’s authority
to operate the radio.
USA public safety bands
(764–776MHz and 794–806MHz)
iv For your safety
Part 90R of the FCC Title 47 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) deals with the use of frequencies in
the 764 to 776 MHz and 794 to 806 MHz bands.
Low-power channels
This radio complies with §90.531 (b) (3) and
§90.531 (b) (4) of 47 CFR. These sections state that only
low-power transmission is permitted on the
following channels:
Q Regional Planning channels, as defined in
§90.531 (b) (3).
Q Itinerant channels, as defined in §90.531 (b) (4).
Use of encryption
This radio complies with §90.553 (a) of 47 CFR. This
states that:
Q Encryption is not permitted on the nationwide
Interoperability calling channels. These channels are
defined in § 90.531 (b) (1) (ii).
Q Radios using encryption must have a readily accessi-
ble switch or control to allow the radio user to disable encryption.
Frequency band reserved for
distress beacons
Frequency band 406 to 406.1 MHz is reserved for use by
distress beacons. Transmissions should not be made
within this frequency band.
Safe radio operation
Warning: Switch off the radio:
Q at petrol filling stations or near flammable liquids
or gases
Q in the vicinity of explosive devices and
blasting zones
Q before boarding an aircraft. Using your radio
while in the air is not permitted.
Using a handheld microphone or a radio while driving a
vehicle may violate the laws and legislation that apply in
your country or state. Please check the vehicle
regulations in your area.
For your safety v
For your safety
Interference with electronic devices
Some electronic devices may be prone to malfunction
due to the lack of protection from RF energy that is
present when your radio is transmitting.
Examples of electronic devices that may be affected by
RF energy are:
Q vehicular electronic systems such as fuel injection,
anti-skid brakes, and cruise control
Q medical devices such as hearing aids
and pacemakers
Q medical equipment in hospitals or health
care facilities.
Consult the manufacturer (or its representative) of the
equipment to determine whether these electronic
circuits will perform normally when the radio
is transmitting.
For your safety
vi For your safety
Menu map
Menu map
Menu map vii
Radio controls
For more information about the radio controls, see
“About your radio” on page 7.
.
3-way selector
control
top key
(function key 3)
channel selector
power / volume
control
status LED
side keys
(function
keys 1 & 2)
PTT key
(press-to-talk)
Radio controls
left selection key
speaker /
microphone
display
right selection key
scroll keys
alphanumeric
keys
viii Radio controls
Contents
Chassis engraving will void warranty ............................... i
To our European customers ............................................ i
For your safety ................................................................ii
Radio frequency exposure information ........................ ii
Using this radio ....................................................... ii
Controlling your exposure to RF energy ................... ii
Compliance with RF energy exposure standards ..... iii
Radio frequency emissions limits in the USA ............... iv
Unapproved modifications or changes to radio ........... iv
USA public safety bands ............................................. iv
Frequency band reserved for distress beacons............. iv
Safe radio operation................................................... iv
Interference with electronic devices ............................. v
Menu map .................................................................... vii
Radio controls .............................................................. viii
1 About this guide .......................................... 1
Safety warnings used in this guide ................................. 1
Feedback about this guide ............................................. 1
Changes to this guide .................................................... 1
Related documentation .................................................. 1
Copyright information ................................................... 2
Disclaimer ...................................................................... 2
Contents
2 Before first use of your radio...................... 3
Charging the battery before first use ............................. 4
Attaching a battery ........................................................ 5
Attaching the antenna ................................................... 5
Attaching a belt clip ....................................................... 5
Fitting a speaker microphone ......................................... 6
Removing the protective cover ................................... 6
Attaching the accessory connector ............................. 6
3 About your radio ......................................... 7
About your digital radio ................................................. 8
Lack of static noise ..................................................... 8
Coverage ................................................................... 8
Basic operation .............................................................. 9
Contents ix
Contents
Turning your radio on and off .................................. 10
Adjusting the volume ............................................... 10
About the channel selector ...................................... 10
Using function keys to access frequently used features 11
Three-way selector control ....................................... 11
Emergency key......................................................... 11
Viewing your function key settings ........................... 12
Understanding the radio display .................................. 13
Using the menus to access settings and features .......... 14
Selection keys .......................................................... 14
Scroll keys ................................................................ 14
Accessing the main menu ........................................ 15
Accessing frequently used menus............................. 16
Using the scroll key Quick Access menu ............... 16
Using the left selection key Quick Access menu.... 17
Understanding the radio indicators .............................. 18
Audible tones........................................................... 18
Status indicators....................................................... 20
4 Making and receiving calls ....................... 21
Making calls ................................................................ 22
Selecting a zone....................................................... 22
Selecting a channel .................................................. 23
Using the channel selector ................................... 23
Using the Main menu .......................................... 23
Using a function key ............................................ 23
Using the keypad ................................................. 23
Limiting call time (transmit timer) ............................. 24
Understanding talkgroups ........................................ 24
Making a talkgroup call ....................................... 25
Selecting a talkgroup ........................................... 25
Making an emergency call........................................ 25
Making an individual call.......................................... 25
Using the Main menu .......................................... 25
Using a function key ............................................ 26
Receiving calls ............................................................. 26
Identifying a caller (talking party ID) ......................... 26
Turning talking party ID off and on ...................... 26
Communicating directly with other radios ................... 27
Turning repeater talkaround on and off ................... 27
Using the Main menu .......................................... 27
Using a function key ............................................ 28
x Contents
Call alert paging .......................................................... 29
Sending a call alert page .......................................... 29
Answering a call alert page ...................................... 29
Checking missed calls .................................................. 30
Checking that the channel is clear (monitor) ................ 31
Turning monitor on and off ...................................... 31
Using the Main menu........................................... 31
Using a function key ............................................ 31
5 Listening to channel traffic ....................... 32
Scanning a group of channels ...................................... 33
Understanding the different types of scanning ......... 33
Selecting a scan group ............................................. 33
Using a function key ............................................ 33
Using the Main menu........................................... 34
Making a call while scanning.................................... 34
About nuisance delete.............................................. 35
Removing a channel from a scan group................ 35
Editing a background scan group ............................. 35
Adding a channel to your background scan group 36
Removing a channel from your background
scan group ............................................................. 37
Hearing faint and noisy signals ..................................... 38
Turning squelch override on and off ......................... 38
Using the Main menu........................................... 38
Using a function key ............................................ 38
Contents
6 Sending and receiving messages.............. 39
About messages .......................................................... 40
Sending a message................................................... 40
Checking received messages .................................... 41
Informing other radio users of your status .................... 42
Sending a status update ........................................... 42
Requesting a status update ...................................... 43
7 Safeguarding you and your radio ............ 44
Locking and unlocking the keypad ............................... 45
About emergency calls ................................................. 46
Making a priority call................................................ 46
Using the Main menu........................................... 46
Using a function key ............................................ 46
Contents xi
Contents
Understanding emergency mode.............................. 47
Stealth and non-stealth emergency modes........... 47
What happens during an emergency call? ............ 48
Making an emergency call ................................... 49
8 Charging and caring for batteries ............ 50
Removing the battery .................................................. 51
About your charger ..................................................... 52
About battery charging ............................................... 53
Low battery warning ................................................ 53
Optimal charging temperature ................................. 53
Charging the battery................................................ 54
Receiving and making calls while charging ............... 55
Maintaining battery life and performance .................... 56
Battery safety vent ................................................... 56
Storing batteries .......................................................... 57
Using nickel-based batteries after storage ................ 57
Disposing of batteries .................................................. 57
9 Troubleshooting ........................................ 58
Troubleshooting .......................................................... 59
Error messages......................................................... 59
When your radio won’t turn on................................ 60
Removing a belt clip................................................. 60
Checking the version of your radio ........................... 61
Troubleshooting your charger .................................. 61
General care ................................................................ 62
Cleaning the radio ................................................... 62
10 Customizing your radio............................. 63
xii Contents
About display and keypad backlighting ........................ 64
Turning backlighting on or off.................................. 64
Using the Main menu .......................................... 64
Using a function key ............................................ 65
Adjusting the display contrast ...................................... 65
Extending battery life on a shift ................................... 66
Turning low power transmit on and off.................... 66
Using the Main menu .......................................... 66
Using a function key ............................................ 67
Customizing the audible alert tone settings ................. 68
Changing the volume of all audible tones ................ 68
Using the Main menu........................................... 68
Using a function key ............................................ 69
Changing the keypress volume................................. 69
Using the Main menu........................................... 69
Using a function key ............................................ 69
Turning off radio controls and keypress tones (quiet op-
eration) .................................................................... 70
Using the Main menu........................................... 70
Using a function key ............................................ 70
Hearing only channel traffic (silent operation)........... 71
Using the Main menu........................................... 71
Using a function key ............................................ 71
11 Glossary ...................................................... 72
Licence agreement ..................................... 75
Index ............................................................ 77
Contents
Contents xiii
Contents
xiv Contents
1 About this guide
This user’s guide provides information about the
TP9155 and TP9160 portable radios.
Safety warnings used in this guide
Within this user’s guide, the following warnings are
used to alert you to important safety information:
Warning: There is a potential risk of death or serious
injury.
Caution: There is the risk of minor or moderate injury
to people.
Caution: There is a risk of equipment damage or mal-
function.
Feedback about this guide
Your feedback about this user’s guide is welcomed.
Please send your questions, comments, or suggestions
to Technical Support (support@taitworld.com) or the
Technical Support Manager, Tait Electronics Limited, PO
Box 1645, Christchurch, New Zealand.
About this guide
Changes to this guide
In the interests of improving the performance, reliability,
or servicing of the equipment, Tait Electronics Ltd
reserves the right to update both the equipment or this
user’s guide, without prior notice.
Related documentation
The following documentation is also available for your
Tait radio, which you can access from the Tait Technical
Support website (http://support.taitworld.com/):
Q TP9100 Battery Care and Charging Guide—supplied
with each battery and charger. (The same informa-
About this guide 1
Copyright information
Disclaimer
About this guide
tion is in the section “Charging and caring for batteries” on page 50.)
Q TP9100 Product Safety and Compliance Informa-
tion—supplied with each radio. (The same information is included in this user guide.)
All information contained in this user’s guide is the
property of Tait Electronics Limited. All rights are
reserved. These manuals may not, in whole or in part, be
copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, stored, or
reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable
form, without prior written permission from Tait
Electronics Limited. All trade names referenced are the
service mark, trademark, or registered trademark of the
respective manufacturers.
There are no warranties extended or granted by this
manual. Tait Electronics Limited accepts no
responsibility for damage arising from use of the
information contained in this guide or of the equipment
and software it describes. It is the responsibility of the
user to ensure that use of such information, equipment
and software complies with the laws, rules and
regulations of the applicable jurisdictions.
2 Copyright information
2 Before first use of your
radio
Once you have unpacked your radio, there are a few
tasks you must do before you can use it. The most
important of these is to charge your battery for the first
time—allow 14 hours for this.
This section covers:
Q Charging the battery before first use
Q Attaching a battery
Q Attaching the antenna
Q Attaching a belt clip
Q Fitting a speaker microphone
Before first use of your radio 3
Before first use of your radio
Charging the battery before
first use
Before using your battery for the first time, you must
charge it for 14 hours (subsequent charges should be
complete in 2 hours or less). This first charge is
important because it prepares (‘primes’) the battery for
use. The battery may take 2-3 shifts (charge/discharge
cycles) to reach maximum capacity.
Note: Charging is best performed at temperatures
between 50 °F (10 °C) and 77 °F (25 °C) and will start
only when the temperature of the battery is between
41°F (5°C) and 95 °F (35°C).
1 Ensure that the charger is connected to the correct
Tait power adaptor.
2 Put the battery in the charger.
Before first use of your radio
4 Charging the battery before first use
The red ‘Charging’ LED glows to indicate that the
battery is being charged.
Note: If the amber ‘Fault’ LED lights up, refer to
“Troubleshooting your charger” on page 61.)
3 Leave the battery in the charger for 14 hours. When
the green ‘Ready’ LED on the charger glows, the
battery is ready for use.
You can safely leave the battery in the charger when
charging is complete—the charger will not overcharge
the battery.
For further information on batteries, see “Charging and
caring for batteries” on page 50.
Attaching a battery
To attach a battery to your radio:
1 Insert the bottom edge of the battery into the two
slots at the back of the radio.
2 Press down on the top of the battery to snap it
into place.
Attaching the antenna
Before using the radio, screw the antenna clockwise
into the antenna connector. The antenna should be
screwed sufficiently tight so that it doesn’t unscrew
easily. This is important as it creates a seal.
Attaching a belt clip
To attach a belt clip to your radio:
1 Slide the belt clip into the two grooves at the top of
the battery.
belt clip
battery
2 Push down on the belt clip until it snaps into place.
See also “Removing a belt clip” on page 60.
Attaching a battery 5
Before first use of your radio
Fitting a speaker microphone
The speaker microphone is attached to the radio via a
connector.
Removing the protective cover
Before fitting the speaker microphone, you may need to
remove the radio’s protective cover. This cover is located
above the battery on the rear of the radio.
1 Insert a coin, or other suitably shaped object, into
the slot of the protective cover. Twist the coin
clockwise from the locked to unlocked position.
2 Remove the cover and store in a safe place.
Attaching the accessory connector
Once you have removed the protective cover, you can fit
the speaker accessory connector to the back of
the radio.
1 Push and hold the metal clip to release the lever.
Before first use of your radio
6 Fitting a speaker microphone
lever
metal clip
2 Rotate the lever clockwise to an upright position.
3 Insert the white locking clip into the matching hole
at the rear of the radio.
insert the white locking
clip into this hole
4 Rotate the lever counterclockwise until you hear
it click.
5 Check that the accessory connector is firmly locked
into place.
3 About your radio
This section describes all the various buttons and keys
on your radio.
This section covers:
Q About your digital radio
Q Basic operation
Q Using function keys to access frequently used
features
Q Understanding the radio display
Q Using the menus to access settings and features
Q Understanding the radio indicators
About your radio 7
About your radio
About your digital radio
You may notice some differences between digital and
analog channels, for example, the lack of static noise in
low signal areas and consequently where you notice
that coverage is poor.
Lack of static noise
You may notice the lack of static noise on digital
channels. This lack of static is because your digital radio
removes the ‘noise’ from the transmission so that you
hear only clear voice.
Coverage
With analog channels, a transmission gets progressively
worse when you are in fringe areas or even slightly
outside normal coverage areas. However, with digital
channels, a transmission remains clear and then drops
off quickly at the border of a transmission area. The
reason for this is that a digital transmission is either
received or it isn't.
About your radio
8 About your digital radio
Basic operation
The radio controls are the PTT key, power/volume
control, channel selector, three-way selector control,
scroll keys, selection keys, and function keys. Some keys
have functions assigned to both short and long key
presses:
Q a short key press is less than one second, and
Q a long key press is more than one second
The radio controls and their functions are described in
the following sections.
.
3-way selector
control
top key
(function key 3)
channel selector
power / volume
control
status LED
(function keys 1 & 2)
side keys
PTT key
(press-to-talk)
left selection key
About your radio
speaker /
microphone
display
right selection key
scroll keys
alphanumeric
keys
Basic operation 9
Turning your radio on and off
Rotate the power/volume control switch clockwise to
turn the radio on. Rotate the switch counterclockwise to
turn the radio off.
Note: Your radio may not turn on if your battery is very
low. (See “Low battery warning” on page 53.)
Adjusting the volume
With the radio turned on, rotate the power/volume
control clockwise to increase the speaker volume and
counterclockwise to decrease the volume.
Note: The volume control also changes the volume
level of the radio’s audible indicators.
About the channel selector
The channel selector allows you to select and change
channels. When first turned on, the radio will go to the
channel that was last selected.
See also “Selecting a channel” on page 23.
About your radio
10 Basic operation
Using function keys to access frequently used features
The function keys and three-way selector control
provide quick access to some of the features you will use
most often. The actions that they perform (when
pressed or turned) will depend on how your radio
is programmed.
3-way selector
control
(function key 3)
top key
side key 1
(function key 1)
side key 2
(function key 2)
Three-way selector control
You can change zones using the three-way selector
control, if your radio is programmed in this way.
See “Selecting a zone” on page 22.
Emergency key
You can activate emergency mode by pressing the top
key, if your radio is programmed in this way.
See also “About emergency calls” on page 46.
About your radio
Using function keys to access frequently used features 11
Viewing your function key settings
You can check which functions are assigned to the
function keys.
About your radio
(function key 3)
(function key 1)
(function key 2)
top key
side key 1
side key 2
1 Press Menu and select Radio settings > Radio info
> Key settings.
2 In the menu list, scroll to a function key and press
Select to view the function assigned to it.
The example shown is for
a function key
programmed to turn
Backlighting
Toggle
backlighting on and off:
3 Press a selection key or to return to
the menu.
12 Using function keys to access frequently used features
Understanding the radio display
The messages and symbols you see on your radio display
depend on the mode in which your radio is operating
and the way it is programmed.
These are the various symbols you may see on your
radio display:
Symbol Meaning
Signal strength indicator: the more bars, the
stronger the signal being received by your radio
Transmit: your radio is transmitting
Low-power transmit: indicates that low power
mode is turned on.
Repeater talkaround: your radio is operating in
repeater talkaround mode
Zone: your radio is operating in this zone (the
example shown is zone K)
Scanning: your radio is monitoring a group of
channels for activity
Monitor or squelch override: monitor or squelch
override is active
About your radio
Silent operation: your radio’s audible tones have
been turned off
Recent calls: a call or message is in the recent
calls list
Scrolling: you can use the scroll keys or to
move through a list
Battery indicator: shows how much charge is
available in the battery
Battery in charger: appears when you place a radio
(with a TP9100 battery attached) in the charger
Understanding the radio display 13
Using the menus to access settings and features
You can access settings and features for your radio
using the menu.
The selection and scroll keys enable you to make
selections and move around the menus.
Selection keys
About your radio
selection
There are two selection keys beneath the display screen.
How these keys work depend on the word that appears
above them on the screen.
Scroll keys
scroll keys
The up and down scroll keys allow you to:
Q access the quick access menu
Q scroll up and down through a list, and select items
Q display the previous or next part of a message that
is too long to be displayed on the screen.
left
key
right
selection
key
14 Using the menus to access settings and features
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