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
1About 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
Index ............................................................ 77
Contents
Contents xiii
Contents
xiv Contents
1About 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
2Before 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.
3About 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:
SymbolMeaning
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
Accessing the main menu
1 To access the main menu, press the right selection
key whenever Menu appears above it.
Talkgroup 01
Zone K
TalkgrMenu
2 Use the scroll keys to move through the menu list.
Channels
Zones
Talkgroups
BackSelect
3 When the menu you want is highlighted, press
Select to enter the menu you have chosen.
Tip: To quickly exit the menu system, press and hold the
left selection key when the word Cancel or Back
appears above it.
Using the menus to access settings and features 15
About your radio
About your radio
Accessing frequently used menus
Depending on how your radio is programmed, you may
have two different ‘quick access’ menus. One quick
access menu is displayed when you press a scroll key,
and the other when you press the left selection key.
These give you easy access to the menus you use
most often.
Using the scroll key Quick Access menu
To use this Quick Access menu:
Q Press a scroll key or , and the Quick Access
menu appears.
In the example shown below, the Talkgroups menu
is the Quick Access menu. Press a scroll key or
to go directly to the Talkgroups menu:
Talkgroup 01
ZonesMenu
The Talkgroups menu, with a list of your available
talkgroups, is now displayed:
Talkgroups
Talkgroup 01
Talkgroup 02
SelectCancel
16 Using the menus to access settings and features
Using the left selection key Quick
Access menu
The text above the left selection key corresponds to the
Quick Access menu, for example, Talkgroups.
To use this Quick Access menu:
Q Press your left selection key, and the associated
menu appears.
Talkgroup 01
Zone K
TalkgrMenu
Using the menus to access settings and features 17
About your radio
About your radio
Understanding the radio
indicators
The status LED indicator and the radio’s audible tones—
together with the radio display—all combine to give you
information about the state of your radio.
The most common way the indicators work is described
in the following sections.
Audible tones
The radio uses audible sounds (tones and beeps) to alert
you to its status:
Q Radio controls and keypress tones—the tones and
beeps you hear when you press your radio’s keys or
use the controls. (You can turn these tones off—see
“Turning off radio controls and keypress tones
(quiet operation)” on page 70.)
Q Incoming call tone—when the radio is receiving a
call.
Q Warning tones—when there is an error, or the bat-
tery is low, for example.
Note: If quiet or silent mode is turned on, you will not
hear any alert tones. See “Customizing the audible alert
tone settings” on page 68.
Some of the more common audible beeps are described
below:
ToneMeaning
One short beep
18 Understanding the radio indicators
Q Valid keypress: the action you have
attempted is permitted, or
Q Function activated: a function has been
turned on (using either the Main menu
or a function key)
ToneMeaning
One long, lowpitched beep
Q Invalid keypress: the action you have
attempted is not permitted, or
Q Transmission inhibited: you have
attempted to transmit, but for some reason transmission is not permitted at
this time
One short, lowpitched beep
Function deactivated: a function has been
turned off (using either the Main menu or a
function key)
Two short beepsRadio turned on: the radio is powered on
and ready to use
About your radio
Understanding the radio indicators 19
Status indicators
Note: The way these indicators behave may be affected
by the way your radio is programmed.
ColorMeaning
status LED
About your radio
20 Understanding the radio indicators
Red (transmit)Glowing: your radio is transmitting
Green (receive)Glowing: the current channel is busy
Amber
(scanning)
Flashing: your transmit timer is about
to expire
Flashing: you have received a call
Flashing: your radio has detected activity on a
channel, and has halted on this channel
4Making and receiving
calls
This section describes how to make and receive calls.
This section covers:
Q Making calls
Q Receiving calls
Q Communicating directly with other radios
Q Call alert paging
Q Checking missed calls
Q Checking that the channel is clear (monitor)
Making and receiving calls 21
Making and receiving calls
Making calls
1 Ensure the required zone is selected (see “Selecting
a zone” on page 22).
2 Ensure the required channel is selected (“Selecting a
channel” on page 23).
3 Ensure the required talkgroup is selected (see
“Selecting a talkgroup” on page 25) or individual
radio ID (see “Making an individual call” on
page 25).
4 Hold the radio so that the microphone is about 1
inch (2.5 cm) from your mouth and press the PTT key
to transmit.
Note: If the channel is busy, you may not be able to
transmit. Wait until the green status LED has
stopped glowing, and then try again.
5 Speak clearly into the microphone and release the
PTT key when you have finished talking.
While you are transmitting, the LED glows red and
the transmit icon appears in the display:
Making and receiving calls
22 Making calls
Talkgroup 01
Clear
Selecting a zone
A zone is a collection of channels. Zones are a way of
grouping channels, for example, by public safety agency
type (fire, police, ambulance, etc.) or by geographical
region (Dallas, Houston, etc.).
1 Press Menu and select Zones.
2 Scroll to the zone you want and then press Select.
Calling
Your radio display now shows the zone:
Channel 6
Talkgroup 01
TalkgrMenu
Selecting a channel
It is important to distinguish between channels and
talkgroups: a channel is frequency-related whereas a
talkgroup is a group of radio users.
For an explanation of talkgroups, see “Understanding
talkgroups” on page 24.
Using the channel selector
For channels 1 to 16, rotate the channel selector switch
to the channel you want. For all other channels, use the
Main menu to select a channel.
Using the Main menu
You can select a channel using the Main menu:
zone
1 Press Menu and select Channels.
2 Scroll to the channel you want and press Done.
Using a function key
You can use a function key to select a preset channel, if
your radio is programmed in this way.
Q Press the function key to select a preset channel.
Using the keypad
If your radio model has an alphanumeric keypad, you
can enter a number to select the channel you want.
Making calls 23
Making and receiving calls
Limiting call time (transmit timer)
Your radio may limit the amount of time you can talk
(transmit) continuously, if it is programmed in this way.
This is known as the transmit or time-out timer and
allows other radio users to make calls on that channel.
The radio warns you before the transmit timer expires
by beeping three times. Also, the red status LED flashes
and a message appears in the display:
Transmit timeout
imminent
Finish your conversation as soon as possible and release
the PTT. For a short time, your radio may prevent you
from transmitting to allow other radio users to make
calls on the channel.
Understanding talkgroups
Note: This feature is available for digital channels only.
Talkgroups are a collection of people (radio IDs) with
whom you want to have private conversations as
agroup.
Making and receiving calls
24 Making calls
For example, a state's public safety agencies could have
the following talkgroups:
Q Local talkgroups—used by a specific agency to com-
municate within their own local agency. It may even
be made up of a county of public safety officers.
Q Regional talkgroups—used by large state agencies
that have regional divisions.
Q Statewide talkgroups—used by an agency to com-
municate with a public safety member in another
region. Statewide talkgroups, as their name suggests, enable public safety agencies to communicate with each other from one end of the state to
the other.
Q Special event talkgroups—may be used to manage
emergencies encompassing a large area, or even
events such as visits by heads of state.
Making a talkgroup call
Q To make a call to the currently selected talkgroup,
press the PTT.
Selecting a talkgroup
You can select a new talkgroup (if your radio is
programmed in this way):
1 Press Menu and select Talkgroups.
2 Scroll through the list of talkgroups to the one you
want and press Select.
3 Press the PTT to make a call to the talkgroup.
You can also select a new talkgroup using speed
dialling. The first 10 talkgroups are available using the
alphanumeric keypad—keys 1-9 and 0 correspond to
talkgroups 1-10.
Making an emergency call
For information about making and ending emergency
calls together with a explanation of how your radio
behaves in emergency mode, see “About emergency
calls” on page 46 and “Understanding emergency
mode” on page 47.
Making an individual call
Note: This feature is available for digital channels only.
You can make a call to one person rather than a group
of people.
Using the Main menu
You can also use speed dialling, or the Main menu:
1 Press Menu and select Individual call.
Making and receiving calls
Making calls 25
2 Scroll to the person you want to call and
press Select.
3 Press the PTT to make the call.
4 Press Cancel to end the call.
Using a function key
You can make an individual call by pressing a function
key, if your radio is programmed in this way.
1 Press the function key.
The last person (radio ID) to whom you made an
individual call appears in the display.
2 Press the PTT to call the person or radio shown.
Receiving calls
When a valid signal is received the radio unmutes and
you can hear the call.
Identifying a caller (talking party ID)
Note: This feature is available for digital channels only.
Making and receiving calls
26 Receiving calls
You can identify the radio user who is calling you using
Talking Party ID. (This feature is enabled by default.)
When you are in a call, you can select Talking party ID
from the menu. If you are in a talkgroup call, the name
of the talkgroup is displayed. If you are in an individual
call, the name of the radio ID from your call list together
with the radio ID is displayed (if there is no associated
name, only the radio ID is shown).
Turning talking party ID off and on
1 Press Menu and select Radio settings > Display
settings > Talking party ID.
2 Scroll to Off (or On) and press Select.
The message Talking party ID activated (or
Talking party ID deactivated) appears in
the display:
Talking party
ID activated
Communicating directly with
other radios
You can bypass the radio repeater and communicate
directly with another radio. This feature is known as
repeater talkaround.
You can do this, for example, when you are out of range
of the repeater, or if the repeater is busy or stops
working for whatever reason.
While repeater talkaround is active, all transmissions are
made on the receive frequency of the channel you
are on.
Turning repeater talkaround on and off
Using the Main menu
You can turn repeater talkaround on and off using the
Main menu:
1 Press Menu and select Radio settings >Functions
> Repeater talkaround.
2 Scroll to On (or Off) and press Select.
Repeater talk around
On
Off
SelectCancel
Communicating directly with other radios 27
Making and receiving calls
The message Repeater talkaround activated (or
Repeater talkaround deactivated) appears and
the repeater talkaround symbol appears in
the display.
Repeater
talkaround
activated
3 Change to the required channel and proceed with
your call.
Using a function key
You can turn repeater talkaround on and off using a
function key, if your radio is programmed in this way.
Q Press the function key to turn repeater talkaround
on. It remains on until you press the function
key again.
Making and receiving calls
28 Communicating directly with other radios
Call alert paging
Note: This feature is available for digital channels only
and applies to individual calls only.
You can let another radio user know that you want to
talk to them by sending them a Call Alert Page. When
the other radio user receives the call alert page together
with your radio ID, they can call you back when it
is convenient.
Sending a call alert page
1 Press Menu and select Services > Send call alert.
2 Select the radio unit ID from the call list and press
Send To.
Send call alert
Richard
John
SelectCancel
A message appears in the display:
Sending page
to Richard
Cancel
Answering a call alert page
If you receive a call alert page from another radio user,
the call queue symbol appears in the display.
To access the call queue and return the call:
1 Press Menu and select Recent calls.
The oldest calls are displayed at the top of the
queue; the most recent calls are displayed at
the bottom.
Making and receiving calls
Call alert paging 29
2 Scroll through the list of queued calls until the call
you want appears, and then press Done.
3 Press Options to open the Call Queue
Options menu.
4 Select Call to return the call or Delete to delete it.
Checking missed calls
Note: This feature is available for digital channels only
and applies to individual calls only.
If you have missed an incoming call, it is saved in the call
queue so you can return the call later. The call queue
symbol appears in the display.
See also “Checking received messages” on page 41 and
“Answering a call alert page” on page 29.
1 Press Menu and select Recent calls.
The oldest calls are displayed at the top of the
queue; the most recent calls are displayed at
the bottom.
2 Scroll through the list of queued calls until the call
you want appears, and then press Done.
Making and receiving calls
30 Checking missed calls
3 Press Options to open the Recent Calls
Options menu.
4 Select Call to return the call or Delete to delete it.
Checking that the channel is clear
(monitor)
Monitor allows you to hear if there is any traffic
(including talkgroup and individual calls) on a channel.
For analog channels, this is so that you can check that it
is clear before you make a call.
Turning monitor on and off
Using the Main menu
You can turn monitor on and off using the Main menu:
1 Press Menu and select Radio settings > Functions
> Monitor.
2 Scroll to On (or Off) and press Select.
Using a function key
You can turn monitor on and off using a function key,
if your radio is programmed in this way.
Q Press the function key to turn monitor on. It remains
on until you press the function key again.
Checking that the channel is clear (monitor) 31
Making and receiving calls
5Listening to channel
traffic
This section describes scanning a group of channels for
activity, and using the squelch override function to hear
faint and noisy signals on a channel.
This section covers:
Q Scanning a group of channels
Q Understanding the different types of scanning
Q Selecting a scan group
Q Making a call while scanning
Q About nuisance delete
Q Editing a background scan group
Q Hearing faint and noisy signals
Q Turning squelch override on and off
Listening to channel traffic
32 Listening to channel traffic
Scanning a group of channels
The scanning feature is used to monitor a preprogrammed group of channels for activity. When a
busy channel is detected in a group, the radio stops on
(‘captures’) that channel, and you can now hear the
transmission. Scanning resumes when the channel is no
longer busy.
Note: ‘Priority’ channels may be specified when the
radio is programmed. These are channels that you want
the radio to check for activity more often than other
‘non-priority’ channels. Priority channels are scanned
periodically when a non-priority channel is busy.
Understanding the different types of
scanning
The two types of scanning that may be available on your
radio are standard scanning and background scanning.
Background scan can only be activated using a function
key programmed for background scan. When you
activate background scan, the currently selected
channel automatically becomes a member of the
scan group.
Selecting a scan group
Using a function key
You can use a function key to select a preset scan
group, if your radio is programmed in this way.
Q Press the function key to select a preset scan group
and activate scanning.
The programmed scan group is now shown in the
display (standard scan only), the LED glows amber and
the scanning icon appears in the display.
Listening to channel traffic
Scanning a group of channels 33
Using the Main menu
You can select a scan group using the Main menu, if
your radio is programmed in this way.
Note: This method is only available for standard scan.
1 Press Menu and select Channels.
2 Scroll to the scan group you want and press Done.
The LED glows amber and the scanning icon
appears in the display:
Making a call while scanning
If you want to make a call while your radio is scanning:
Listening to channel traffic
34 Scanning a group of channels
1 Lift the microphone off the microphone clip.
2 Press the PTT key to transmit.
If the LED is flashing amber, or background scan is
active, your radio will now call the currently
selected channel.
If standard scan is active and there has been no
recent activity on the channel (the LED is glowing
amber rather than flashing), then the channel that is
called depends on the way your radio has been
programmed. The possible options are:
Q your radio calls a predetermined channel e.g.
your dispatcher,
Q your radio calls the channel where activity was
last detected, or
Q your radio calls the last free channel.
3 When the called party responds, proceed with
your conversation.
About nuisance delete
If the radio is continuously stopping on an undesired
channel (for example, if there is too much activity or
even interference) while scanning, you may be able to
temporarily remove this channel from the scan group.
Removing a channel from a scan group
When the radio has stopped on the channel that you
want to remove from the scan group, press the function
key programmed for this purpose.
If the channel has successfully been removed from the
scan group, the message Channel deleted from group appears in the display:
Channel deleted
from group
Scanning automatically begins again. The channel
remains removed from the scan group until you either
select another scan group or the radio is turned off and
then on again.
Editing a background scan group
Your radio may be programmed so that you can
permanently change the membership of your
background scan group by using the function key
programmed for nuisance delete.
Scanning a group of channels 35
Listening to channel traffic
When background scan is active, you can scroll through
the channel list to see which channel is a member of
your background scan group. When the channel is a
group member, the scanning icon includes a tick.
Note: The function key programmed to activate your
background scan group may be programmed so that a
short key press activates background scan and a long
key press activates nuisance delete.
Adding a channel to your background
scan group
1 Press the function key that activates
background scan.
The LED glows amber and the scanning icon
appears in the display.
2 Scroll through the list of channels until the channel
that you want to add appears.
Listening to channel traffic
3 Press the nuisance delete key and this channel is
36 Scanning a group of channels
now added to your background scan group.
The message Channel added appears in the display
and the scanning icon now includes a tick.
Removing a channel from your background
scan group
1 Press the function key that activates
background scan.
The LED glows amber and the scanning icon
appears in the display.
2 Scroll through the list of channels until the channel
that you want to delete appears.
3 Press the nuisance delete key and this channel is
now deleted from your background scan group.
The message Channel deleted appears in the
display and the scanning icon no longer includes
atick.
Listening to channel traffic
Scanning a group of channels 37
Hearing faint and noisy signals
Usually, the radio prevents you from hearing faint or
noisy calls on a channel (known as ‘squelch’). Without
squelch, the radio would ‘chatter’ on and off in low
signal strength areas, for example, which can
be annoying.
However, there may be occasions when you want to
hear what is being said on a channel, even if it is hard to
understand. You can do this using the squelch override
feature, which allows you to listen to everything on
the channel.
This feature is more applicable for analog channels. For
digital channels, use the Monitor feature (see page 31).
Turning squelch override on and off
Using the Main menu
You can turn squelch override on and off using the Main
menu:
1 Press Menu and select Radio settings > Functions
> Squelch override.
2 Scroll to On (or Off) and press Select.
Listening to channel traffic
Using a function key
You can use a function key to turn squelch override on
and off, if your radio is programmed in this way.
Q Press the function key to turn squelch override on. It
38 Hearing faint and noisy signals
The message Squelch override activated (or
Squelch override deactivated) appears in
the display:
Squelch override
activated
remains on until you press the function key again.
6Sending and receiving
messages
This section describes sending and receiving messages
as well as responding to requests for status information.
This section covers:
Q About messages
Q Sending a message
Q Checking received messages
Q Informing other radio users of your status
Q Sending a status update
Q Requesting a status update
Sending and receiving messages 39
Sending and receiving messages
About messages
Note: This feature is available for digital channels only.
You can send short messages to another radio user.
These messages are defined at programming time and
are known variously as ‘pre-programmed messages’,
‘short data messages’ (SDMs), or ‘short messages’.
Note: The person to whom you are sending a message
must have the same message programmed into their
radio so that he or she can read your message.
Sending a message
1 Press Menu and select Services > Send message.
2 Select the message you want from the message list
and press Send to.
Send message
At scene
En route
Send ToCancel
Sending and receiving messages
40 About messages
Note: The person or group to whom the message is
sent to depends on how your radio is programmed.
You may be able to send messages to whomever you
choose or your radio may be programmed to
automatically send messages to the current
talkgroup or a specific person (such as the
dispatcher).
3 (Optional, depending on how your radio is
programmed. See note above.) Select the recipient
(radio unit ID) from the call list or enter their radio
unit ID using the alphanumeric keypad.
4 Press the PTT or select Send to.
The red LED glows and the message details appear
in the display:
Sending
message to
Richard
Cancel
A message will be displayed to advise you whether
the message has been sent successfully or not.
Checking received messages
If you have received a message, it is saved in the call
queue so you can view the message later. The call queue
symbol appears in the display.
Note: Up to 10 messages are stored. If more than that
are received, the oldest messages will be deleted to
make room for new messages.
1 Press Menu and select Recent calls.
The oldest calls are displayed at the top of the
queue; the most recent calls are displayed at
the bottom.
2 Scroll through the list of queued calls until the
message you want appears, and then press Select.
3 Press Options to open the Call Queue
Options menu.
4 Select View to read the message or Delete to
delete it.
Tip: To quickly clear the message list, turn the radio off
and then on again.
About messages 41
Sending and receiving messages
Informing other radio users of
your status
Note: This feature is available for digital channels only.
Sending a status update
You can inform other radio users or the dispatcher of
your current status by sending them a status update, for
example, ‘At scene’.
Note: When you send a status message, you are also
setting your status, which the dispatcher can check by
‘interrogating’ your radio. You can change your status
at any time by selecting another status message and
sending it.
To inform another radio user or the dispatcher of your
current status:
1 Press Menu and select Services > Status > Send
update.
2 Select the status message you want from the
message list and press Send to or Select.
Sending status
update to
current group
Sending and receiving messages
Cancel
Note: The person or group to whom the status
message is sent to depends on how your radio is
programmed. You may be able to send status
messages to whomever you choose, or your radio
may be programmed to automatically send status
messages to the current talkgroup or a specific
person (such as the dispatcher).
3 (Optional, depending on how your radio is
programmed. See note above.) Select the recipient
(radio unit ID) from the call list or enter their radio
unit ID using the alphanumeric keypad and press
Send to.
42 Informing other radio users of your status
While the radio sends the message, the red
LED glows.
Requesting a status update
You can find out what another radio user is currently
doing (their ‘status’) by asking them to send you a status
update.
To ask another radio user to inform you of their
current status:
1 Press Menu and select Services > Status > Query.
2 Use the keypad to enter the radio ID of the radio user
to whom you want to send the status query, or
select the radio ID from the call list.
3 Press the PTT to send the status update request.
Informing other radio users of your status 43
Sending and receiving messages
7Safeguarding you and
your radio
This section describes how to prevent unauthorized use
of your radio as well as how to get help when you need
it most.
This section covers:
Q Locking and unlocking the keypad
Q About emergency calls
Safeguarding you and your radio
44 Safeguarding you and your radio
Locking and unlocking the
keypad
You can lock the keypad to prevent accidental calls
caused by the keypad being bumped.
When the keypad is locked, you can still answer calls as
normal by pressing the PTT.
1 To lock the keypad, press and hold the right
selection key for about one second.
These are the keys that
are locked.
Channel 12
Talkgroup 01
The word ‘unlock’ appears above the right
selection key.
2 To unlock the keypad, press and hold the right
selection key for about one second.
Locking and unlocking the keypad 45
Safeguarding you and your radio
About emergency calls
In an emergency you can summon help by sending an
emergency call. There are two types of emergency calls:
Call typeExplanation
Priority call (Digital channels only.) An emergency
alert is automatically sent to the current
talkgroup. Calls made when the priority
call feature is turned on are flagged as
‘emergency’ calls.
Safeguarding you and your radio
Emergency
call
Typically for life and death situations.
When an emergency call is initiated, the
radio enters ‘emergency mode’. For
further information see “Understanding
emergency mode” on page 47.
Making a priority call
Note: This feature is available for digital channels only.
When you turn the priority call feature on, the radio
automatically sends an emergency alert (message) to
the current talkgroup.
Any calls you make while the priority call feature is
turned on are flagged as ‘emergency’ calls.
Using the Main menu
You can turn the priority call feature on and off using
the Main menu:
1 Press Menu and select Emergencies >
Priority mode.
2 Scroll to On (or Off) and press Select.
Using a function key
You can turn priority call on and off using a function
key, if your radio is programmed in this way.
46 About emergency calls
Q Press the function key to turn the priority call fea-
ture on. The priority call feature remains on until
you press the function key again.
Understanding emergency mode
When you press the emergency key your radio enters
‘emergency mode’, if your radio is programmed in this
way.
When the radio enters emergency mode, it will
automatically send alerts together with your radio unit
ID to the dispatcher. These alerts are usually sent on a
designated emergency channel.
Note: The way your radio behaves in emergency mode
depends on how your radio is programmed.
For further information on what your radio may do in
emergency mode, see “What happens during an
emergency call?” on page 48.
Stealth and non-stealth emergency modes
Depending on what your work involves, your radio is
programmed to operate in one of these ways:
Q Stealth: you often work in situations where you do
not want an assailant to know that you have activated emergency mode. For this reason, the radio is
silent and the display remains unchanged—there is
no indication that the radio has entered
emergency mode.
Q Non-stealth: you often work in situations where
you want audible and visual confirmation that you
have activated emergency mode (for example, at an
accident scene).
About emergency calls 47
Safeguarding you and your radio
What happens during an emergency call?
The exact way your radio behaves when it enters
emergency mode depends on how your radio is
programmed. The main phases for both stealth and
non-stealth emergency modes are summarized below.
The length of each phase is determined when the radio
is programmed.
When the emergency button is pressed:
b
The radio continually sends alerts to the
dispatcher until a response is received. Details
of your location may also be sent (if this
feature is available for your radio).
c
The radio alternately transmits and receives so
the dispatcher can hear what is happening in
the vicinity of your radio.
(Non-stealth emergencies end once this phase
is complete or when you end emergency
mode.)
Safeguarding you and your radio
48 About emergency calls
d
Stealth emergencies only: The radio is
inactive, but it can receive special ‘messages’
from the dispatcher so that he or she can hear
what is happening in the vicinity of the radio.
(Stealth emergencies end once this phase is
complete or when you end emergency mode.)
See also “Stealth and non-stealth emergency modes”
on page 47.
Making an emergency call
You can activate emergency mode using either a
function key or the emergency key, if your radio is
programmed in this way.
1 Press the function or emergency key to activate
emergency mode, or press Menu and select
Emergencies > Emergency mode >
Emergency mode.
‘Emergency mode’ appears in the display:
Emergency mode
One or more emergency calls are sent to your
dispatcher or another predetermined radio user.
During emergency mode, the radio will behave as
described in “What happens during an emergency
call?” on page 48.
2 Turn the radio off and on again to end emergency
mode. The radio returns to normal operation.
About emergency calls 49
Safeguarding you and your radio
8Charging and caring for
batteries
This section describes how to charge your Tait radio
battery as well as care for it to ensure maximum
performance and prolonged battery life.
Note: The instructions in this section apply to both the
desktop charger and the multi-charger.
This section covers:
Q Removing the battery
Q About your charger
Q About battery charging
Q Maintaining battery life and performance
Q Storing batteries
Q Disposing of batteries
Charging and caring for batteries
50 Charging and caring for batteries
Removing the battery
See also “Attaching a battery” on page 5.
To remove the battery from the radio so that the battery
can be charged or replaced:
1 Squeeze and quickly release both battery catches to
release the catch mechanism. (Don’t push down on
the battery; allow the catch mechanism to release
the battery from the radio)
2 Remove the battery from the radio.
Charging and caring for batteries
Removing the battery 51
About your charger
There are three types of charger available for your Tait
radio battery:
Q Desktop charger—small enough to
fit on your desk, it charges one
battery at a time.
Q Multi-charger—charges up to six
batteries. It can be mounted on a
desk, on a wall, or in an equipment rack.
Note: The charging instructions in this user guide
apply to both the desktop charger and the multicharger.
Q Vehicle charger—enables you to charge your bat-
tery using the vehicle’s power supply. Charges one
battery at a time. (Installation instructions are supplied with the charger.)
When the charger is first connected to a suitable power
supply, all three LEDs light up briefly.
Charging and caring for batteries
52 About your charger
About battery charging
See also “Charging the battery before first use” on
page 4.
Low battery warning
When the battery is almost empty, your radio warns you
in the following ways:
Q The battery indicator on the radio display
looks empty.
Q The status LED slowly flashes red.
Q A high-pitched beep sounds.
You should recharge or replace the battery as soon
as possible.
When the battery is completely empty, the message
Battery is flat appears on the display. The radio emits
a long, low-pitched beep and then stops operating.
Turn off the radio immediately. You will reduce the
battery’s service life if you allow the battery to fully
discharge each time you use it.
Optimal charging temperature
Charging is best performed between 50°F (10 °C) and
77°F (25°C) and starts only when the battery is between
41°F (5°C) and 95 °F (35°C).
95°F35°C
41°F5°C
Charging and caring for batteries
About battery charging 53
Charging the battery
Important: If you are charging the battery for the first
time, follow the instructions on page 4.
1 Ensure that the charger is connected to the correct
Tait power adaptor.
2 Put the battery in the charger.
Note: If you’re putting the radio in the charger as
well, you can leave it turned on if you're expecting a
call. The battery still receives a full charge.
You can put the battery in the
charger either with or without
the radio
Charging and caring for batteries
54 About battery charging
If a radio is attached, the ‘battery in charger’
symbol appears in the radio display.
The red ‘Charging’ LED glows to indicate that the
battery is charging. For a battery that is almost
completely discharged, allow 2 hours.
Note: If the amber ‘Fault’ LED lights up, refer to
“Troubleshooting your charger” on page 61.
3 When the green ‘Ready’ LED on the charger glows,
the battery is fully charged. Remove it when you are
ready—the charger will not overcharge the battery.
Receiving and making calls while charging
You can receive a call while the radio is in the charger.
To answer the call, remove the radio from the charger—
the call will not be disrupted.
To make a call, remove the radio from the charger. (The
radio will not transmit while it is in the charger.)
Note: Removing the radio from the charger to make or
receive a call ends the charging process. Charging safely
recommences when the radio is reinserted into
the charger.
About battery charging 55
Charging and caring for batteries
Maintaining battery life and
performance
With proper care and maintenance you will maintain
the performance and life of the battery. It is
recommended that you:
Q Use only Tait chargers.
Q Avoid exposing batteries to high temperatures
(above 122°F (50°C)) or extremely cold
temperatures for long periods of time (-4°F
(-20°C) for NiMH, and -22°F (-30 °C) for NiCd).
Q Charge batteries at room temperature (between
50°F (10°C) and 77°F (25°C)).
Q Allow your nickel-based battery to fully discharge
every so often—NiCd batteries once a month and
NiMH batteries once every 3 months. To do this,
leave your radio switched on and ignore the
‘battery low’ warnings. When the radio switches
off, the battery is fully discharged.
Q Store batteries properly when not in use. See
“Storing batteries” on page 57.
Battery safety vent
Warning: Do not cover the battery safety vent
Charging and caring for batteries
56 Maintaining battery life and performance
(shown below).
Storing batteries
When not in use for a month or more, batteries should
be stored correctly to prolong their life:
Q Remove the battery from the radio before storage.
Q Store the battery (in either a charged or discharged
state) in a cool dry place.
Using nickel-based batteries after storage
Batteries that have been stored for any length of time
must be charged before being used. See “Charging the
battery” on page 54.
When first using nickel-based batteries that have been in
storage for three months or more, you may notice that
they do not last an entire shift. This is normal. If stored
properly, the battery’s optimal capacity should be restored
after two or three shifts (charge/discharge cycles).
Disposing of batteries
Batteries should be disposed of properly. NiCd (nickel
cadmium) batteries contain cadmium which, if disposed
of in landfills, is very hazardous to the environment.
Please contact your radio provider for information on
recycling programs in your area.
Storing batteries 57
Charging and caring for batteries
9Troubleshooting
This section describes troubleshooting procedures and
basic maintenance.
This section covers:
Q Troubleshooting
Q Error messages
Q When your radio won’t turn on
Q Removing a belt clip
Q Checking the version of your radio
Q Troubleshooting your charger
Q General care
Q Cleaning the radio
Troubleshooting
58 Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
If you are experiencing difficulty operating your Tait
radio, you may find the following sections helpful.
Consult your radio provider for assistance, if necessary.
Error messages
If an error message appears in the radio display, refer to
the table below.
For any error messages not shown in the table below, it
is recommended that you make a note of the error code
(the letter ‘E’ followed by a four-digit number, for
example, E0001) and consult your radio provider.
Error messageWhat you must do
Error E0001
Unknown
Reboot radio
Error E0009
High Temp
Stop Tx
Error E0017
Discharge
battery
Turn the radio off and back
on again.
The radio is very hot—turn it off and
allow it to cool down.
Troubleshooting
The battery has not been fully
discharged for some time and the
battery capacity information is now
out of date. The battery indicator in
the radio display may not accurately
indicate the remaining charge.
Fully discharge the battery (for
instructions see “Maintaining
battery life and performance” on
page 56) and then charge it.
Troubleshooting 59
When your radio won’t turn on
If the red LED on the radio does not light up when the
radio is turned on, it is probable that power is not
reaching the radio. Check the following:
Q Is the battery firmly attached to the radio?
Q Is the battery sufficiently charged?
Q Is the battery charger working properly?
If all appears to be in order, but your radio still fails to
operate properly, contact your radio provider for
further assistance.
Removing a belt clip
The belt clip has been designed to prevent accidental
removal, but you can take it off, if required.
To remove a belt clip from a battery:
1 Insert a flat screwdriver blade or similar flat object
under the lip of the release lock (that is, between it
and the metal slider).
black plastic clip
Troubleshooting
60 Troubleshooting
release lock
metal slider
2 Lift the release lock up (away from the metal slider)
and hold it in position.
metal slider
release lock
3 Slide the belt clip out.
Checking the version of your radio
Your radio provider may ask you for the hardware /
firmware version of your radio for
troubleshooting purposes.
You can check the version of your radio by using the
Main menu:
1 Press Menu and select Radio info > Version
information.
2 Scroll to the version information you want to view
and press Select.
Troubleshooting your charger
The table below describes what to do if the amber
‘Fault’ light on the battery charger is either flashing
or glowing.
Charger
MeaningPossible reason(s)
Fault LED
FlashingFault
GlowingCharging
suspended
and solution
Q The battery is not compatible
with the charger—use only Tait
chargers and batteries.
Q There is insufficient voltage to
the charger—check you are
using the correct power
adaptor.
Q The battery may be faulty—
consult your radio provider for
advice.
The battery is either too hot or too
cold. Charging will begin when the
temperature of the battery is
between 41°F (5°C) and 95°F
(35°C).
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting 61
General care
Your Tait 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.
To prevent permanent damage to the radio case, do not
allow the radio to come into contact with detergents,
alcohol, aerosol sprays, or petroleum-based products.
For battery care, see “Maintaining battery life and
performance” on page 56.
Cleaning the radio
If you need to clean the radio case, use a cloth
dampened with clean water. Do not immerse the radio
in fluids.
Troubleshooting
62 General care
10Customizing your radio
This section describes the ways in which you can
customize your radio.
This section covers:
Q About display and keypad backlighting
Q Extending battery life on a shift
Q Customizing the audible alert tone settings
Customizing your radio 63
Customizing your radio
About display and keypad
backlighting
Whenever the keypad is pressed, the three-way or
channel selector controls are turned, or a call is received,
the keypad and display light up automatically to make it
easy to read in poor light conditions.
Backlighting usually remains on for a few seconds,
unless further radio activity is detected. The period of
time that the backlighting remains on once no further
radio activity is detected is determined by the
backlighting timer. The duration of this timer is set
when the radio is programmed.
The radio’s display can also be made darker or lighter to
suit your working conditions. See “Adjusting the display
contrast” on page 65.
Turning backlighting on or off
Using the Main menu
You can turn backlighting on and off using the
Main menu:
1 Press Menu and select Radio settings > Display
Customizing your radio
64 About display and keypad backlighting
settings > Backlighting.
2 Scroll to either On or Off and press Select. (The
current setting is highlighted.)
Backlighting
Off
On
The message Backlighting activated (or
deactivated) appears in the display.
SelectCancel
Backlighting
activated
Using a function key
You can turn backlighting on and off using a function
key, if your radio is programmed in this way.
Q Press the function key to turn backlighting on. It
remains on until you press the function key again.
Note: You can turn backlighting on momentarily using
a function key, if your radio is programmed in this way.
Backlighting remains on for a few seconds and then
turns off.
Adjusting the display contrast
You can change the contrast of your radio display to suit
the lighting conditions that you are working in.
1 Press Menu, and select Radio settings > Display
settings > Contrast adjust.
2 Use the scroll keys or to adjust the display
contrast to the level you want.
Use the up and down
keys to increase and
decrease contrast
Cancel
Select
3 Press Select to accept the setting.
Adjusting the display contrast 65
Customizing your radio
Customizing your radio
Extending battery life on a shift
You can reduce the power consumption of your radio
(and thereby extend the life of the battery during a shift)
in three ways:
Q transmit at low power (if your radio is not already
configured to do this)
Q ensure that backlighting automatically turns off
when no radio activity is detected (see “About display and keypad backlighting” on page 64).
Turning low power transmit on and off
If you are using your radio in conditions where signal
strength is high, you can extend the shift life of your
battery by transmitting at low power.
When low power transmit is turned on, transmissions
are made at low power rather than at the
preprogrammed power setting. However, some
channels may be preprogrammed to always transmit at
low power.
Using the Main menu
You can turn low power transmit on and off for the
current channel using the Main menu:
1 Press Menu and select Radio settings > Functions
> Low power transmit.
2 Scroll to On (or Off) and press Select.
Low power transmit
Off
On
66 Extending battery life on a shift
SelectCancel
The message Low power transmit activated (or
deactivated) appears and the low power transmit
icon appears in the display.
Low power
transmit activated
Using a function key
You can turn low power transmit on and off using a
function key, if your radio is programmed in this way.
Q Press the function key to turn low power transmit
on for the current channel. It remains on until you
press the function key again.
Extending battery life on a shift 67
Customizing your radio
Customizing your radio
Customizing the audible alert
tone settings
The radio uses audible sounds (tones and beeps) to alert
you to its status:
Q Incoming call tone—when the radio is receiving
a call.
Q Warning tones—when there is an error, or the bat-
tery is low, for example.
Q Radio controls and keypress tones—the tones and
beeps you hear when you press your radio’s keys or
use the controls. (You can turn these tones off—see
“Turning off radio controls and keypress tones
(quiet operation)” on page 70.)
Changing the volume of all audible tones
You can set the volume of all the audible sounds (‘status
indicators’), which the radio makes to indicate what
is happening.
Using the Main menu
You can change the volume of the audible tones
between high or low using the Main menu:
1 Press Menu and select Radio settings > Alert
settings > Indicator volume.
2 Scroll to High or Low and press Select. (The current
setting is highlighted.)
Indicator volume
High
Low
68 Customizing the audible alert tone settings
SelectCancel
Using a function key
You can change the volume of the audible tones
between high or low using a function key, if your radio
is programmed in this way.
Q Press the function key to set the volume. The vol-
ume setting remains until you press the function
key again.
Changing the keypress volume
Whenever you press a key, you will hear a beep to
indicate whether or not what you are trying to do is
allowed:
Q Allowed: a short, medium-pitched beep.
Q Not allowed: a long, low-pitched beep.
Using the Main menu
You can change the volume of the keypress beeps
between high, low, and off using the Main menu:
1 Press Menu and select Radio settings > Alert
settings > Key beeps.
2 Scroll to High, Low, or Off and press Select. (The
current setting is highlighted.)
Key beeps
High
Low
SelectCancel
Using a function key
You can switch the volume of the keypress beeps
between high, low, and off using a function key, if your
radio is programmed in this way.
Q Press the function key to change the volume. The
volume setting remains until you press the function
key again.
Customizing the audible alert tone settings 69
Customizing your radio
Turning off radio controls and keypress
tones (quiet operation)
You can turn off all the tones and beeps you hear when
you press the keys or use the radio controls. This is
known as quiet operation. You will still hear incoming
call and warning tones.
Using the Main menu
You can turn quiet operation on and off using the
Main menu:
1 Press Menu and select Radio settings > Alert
settings > Quiet operation.
2 Scroll to On or Off and press Select. (The current
setting is highlighted.)
Quiet operation
Off
On
The message Quiet operation activated (or
deactivated) appears.
SelectCancel
Customizing your radio
Quiet operation
activated
Using a function key
You can turn quiet operation on and off using a
function key, if your radio is programmed in this way.
Q Press the function key to turn quiet operation on. It
remains on until you press the function key again.
70 Customizing the audible alert tone settings
Hearing only channel traffic
(silent operation)
You can turn off all the audible tones that the radio
makes so that the only sound you will hear from the
speaker is channel traffic. This is known as silent
operation.
When silent operation is turned on appears in
the display.
Using the Main menu
You can turn silent operation on and off using the
Main menu:
1 Press Menu, and select Radio settings > Alert
settings > Silent operation.
2 Scroll to On or Off and press Select. (The current
setting is highlighted.)
Silent operation
Off
On
SelectCancel
The message Silent operation activated (or
deactivated) appears and the silent operation
symbol
appears in the display.
Silent operation
activated
Using a function key
You can turn silent operation on and off using a
function key, if your radio is programmed in this way.
Q Press the function key to turn silent operation on. It
remains on until you press the function key again.
Customizing the audible alert tone settings 71
Customizing your radio
Glossary
11Glossary
A
APCOThe Association of Public Safety Communications
Officials, International (http://www.apcointl.org/). The
APCO Project 25 standards committee defined a digital
radio standard. The standard is often referred to APCO
or P25.
C
channelA channel is a pair of frequencies used to transmit and
receive radio signals.
F
FCC Federal Communications Commission. The FCC is an
independent United States government agency that
regulates interstate and international radio
communications.
frequ
ency
band
A range of frequencies used for transmitting or
receiving radio waves, for example, 136-174 MHz.
L
LED Light Emitting Diode. A device that emits light when
72 Glossary
charged with electricity.
P
P25 Project 25. The Association of Public Safety
Communications Officials (APCO) established Project 25
(P25). This project was led by United States Federal,
state, and local government representatives to develop
standards for interoperable digital radios and systems to
meet the needs of public safety users. See http://
www.project25.org for further information.
R
repea
ter
repea
ter
talkar
ound
RF Radio Frequency is the signal (radio waves) that the
RSSI RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) is a level that
A repeater is a relaying site, usually situated above a city
or town, for example, on a hill, that receives and retransmits signals received from radios.
In repeater talkaround mode radios transmit and receive
directly with other radios on a single frequency (known
as simplex operation) without the need for a repeater.
radio transmits and receives. The frequency of the signal
is described in terms of the number of cycles per second
or Hertz (Hz). RF is part of the electromagnetic
spectrum, as is sunlight.
indicates the strength of the received signal.
V
valid
signal
A valid signal is a signal that the radio responds to by
unmuting the receiver. A signal is valid, for example,
when it is stronger than a minimum level.
Glossary
Glossary 73
Intellectual property rights
Intellectual property rights
This product may be protected by one or more of Tait
patents NZ335198, NZ335704, NZ338097, NZ507555,
NZ507556, NZ508054, NZ508340, NZ508806,
NZ508807, NZ509242, NZ509640, NZ509959,
NZ510496, NZ511155, NZ511421, NZ516280/519742,
NZ519118, NZ519344, NZ521450, NZ534369,
NZ522236, NZ524378, US5,715,281, US5,745,840
together with their international equivalents, pending
patent applications and registered trade marks.
This product is also made under license under one or
more of the following U.S. Patents: 4,590,473
4,636,791 5,148,482 5,185,796 5,271,017 5,377,229.
The IMBE™ voice coding Technology embodied in this
product is protected by intellectual property rights
including patent rights, copyrights and trade secrets of
Digital Voice Systems, Inc. This voice coding Technology
is licensed solely for use within this Communications
Equipment. The user of this Technology is explicitly
prohibited from attempting to decompile, reverse
engineer, or disassemble the Object Code, or in any
other way convert the Object Code into a humanreadable form. Protected by U.S. Patents 5,870,405
5,826,222 5,754,974 5,701,390 5,715,365 5,649,050
5,630,011 5,581,656 5,517,511 5,491,772 5,247,579
5,226,084 and 5,195,166.
74
Licence agreement
This legal document is an Agreement
between you (the “Licensee”) and Tait
Electronics Limited (“Tait”). By using
any of the Software or Firmware items
prior-installed in the related Tait
product, included on CD or
downloaded from the Tait website,
(hereinafter referred to as “the
Software or Firmware”) you agree to
be bound by the terms of this
Agreement. If you do not agree to the
terms of this Agreement, do not install
and use any of the Software or
Firmware. If you install and use any of
the Software or Firmware that will be
deemed to be acceptance of the terms
of this licence agreement.
The terms of this Agreement shall
apply subject only to any express
written terms of agreement to the
contrary between Tait and
the Licensee.