Radio Shack Marine Radio BTX 124 User Guide

Cat. No. 19-1205  
OWNER’S MANUAL  
Please read before using this equipment.  
BTX-124  
VHF FM Business Band Transceiver  
with CTCSS  
 
CONTENTS  
FCC Regulations ................................................................................................... 4  
FCC License Required ..................................................................................... 4  
FCC Part 90 Rules ........................................................................................... 4  
Preparation ............................................................................................................ 6  
Charging the Battery Pack ............................................................................... 6  
Checking the Battery Power ...................................................................... 7  
Using the Belt Clip ........................................................................................... 7  
Using an Earphone .......................................................................................... 7  
Connecting an Antenna ................................................................................... 8  
Using an External Microphone ......................................................................... 8  
Operation ............................................................................................................... 9  
Why Use CTCSS? ......................................................................................... 10  
Operational Hints ........................................................................................... 10  
Additional FCC Regulations .............................................................................. 11  
Maintenance ........................................................................................................ 12  
Specifications ..................................................................................................... 13  
3
 
FCC REGULATIONS  
If you do not have a fax machine, you  
can call the Government Forms Distri-  
bution Center at 1-800-418-FORM and  
request that the form and instructions be  
mailed to you.  
FCC LICENSE REQUIRED  
The Federal Communications Commis-  
sion (FCC) requires you to have a li-  
cense before you operate this  
transceiver. Unless you qualify to oper-  
ate on the supplied frequencies, you  
must apply for a frequency through the  
PCIA (Personal Communication Indus-  
try Association), a non-profit organiza-  
tion that assigns frequencies nationwide  
to help prevent conflicts between differ-  
ent businesses using transceivers in the  
same area. For more information about  
getting a license, contact the PCIA at  
800-759-0300, extension 3068 (in Vir-  
ginia 703-739-0300, extension 3068).  
This transceiver is intended for use in  
the operation of commercial activities,  
educational, philanthropic, or ecclesias-  
tical institutions, and hospitals, clinics,  
or medical associations.  
FCC PART 90 RULES  
You must be familiar with Part 90 of  
FCC Rules before you operate your  
transceiver. The operation instructions  
in this manual conform to Part 90, but  
do not cover all items in Part 90.  
For other questions concerning the li-  
cense application, contact the FCC at  
717-337-1212, or write:  
Overall, Part 90 states that:  
FCC  
P.O. Box 1040  
Gettysburg, PA 17325  
• You must have a valid license  
before you use the transceiver.  
• As licensee, you are responsible for  
proper operation of all transceivers  
operating under your license author-  
ity.  
For the latest FCC application form and  
instructions, call the FCC’s fax-on-de-  
mand service from a fax machine at 1-  
202-418-0177 and request one or more  
of the following documents:  
• You can let unlicensed persons  
operate this transmitter, as long as  
you take precautions to prevent  
unauthorized transmissions.  
All forms and instructions  
Form 600 instructions only  
Main Form 600 only  
000600  
006001  
006002  
006003  
Form 600 schedules only  
4
 
• You must use this transceiver only  
for the commercial use of your busi-  
ness, and only when other commer-  
cial channels (such as the  
telephone) are either not available  
or not practical.  
• You must keep a written record of  
any maintenance or modification  
made to the transceiver, and you  
must make this record available for  
inspection upon demand by the  
FCC.  
• You must always yield the operating  
frequency to communications that  
involve the safety of life or property.  
Violating any of the provisions of Part 90  
can result in fines and/or confiscation of  
equipment.  
• You must take reasonable precau-  
tions to prevent harmful interference  
to other services operating on the  
same frequency.  
Your transceiver might cause TV or ra-  
dio interference even when it is operat-  
ing properly. To determine whether your  
transceiver is causing the interference,  
turn off your transceiver. If the interfer-  
ence goes away, your transceiver is  
causing it. Try to eliminate the interfer-  
ence by:  
• You must not transmit program  
material of any kind used in connec-  
tion with commercial broadcasting.  
• You must not provide a service that  
is normally handled by telephone or  
telegraph unless such broadcasts  
involve the safety of life or property  
or in emergencies such as an earth-  
quake, hurricane, flood or a similar  
disaster where normal communica-  
tion channels are disrupted.  
• Moving your transceiver away from  
the receiver  
• Contacting your local RadioShack  
store for help  
• During each transmission or  
exchange of transmissions, you  
must identify your station with the  
call sign issued to you by the FCC,  
or once each 15 minutes during  
periods of continuous operation.  
5
 
PREPARATION  
Before you use the transceiver, you  
must be properly licensed by the FCC. If  
you are licensed to use one or both of  
the supplied frequencies, you can im-  
mediately use the transceiver.  
ILLUSTRATION  
If you are licensed on different frequen-  
cies, your local RadioShack store must  
send the transceiver to an authorized  
service facility to have the frequencies  
programmed into the transceiver. You  
must tell the store the frequency you are  
licensed for and any desired CTCSS  
tone (the factory preset is 100.0 Hz).  
See “Why Use CTCSS?” on Page 11 for  
more information about CTCSS.  
Follow these steps to charge the battery  
pack.  
1. If the transceiver is on, turn VOL  
counterclockwise until it clicks to  
turn it off.  
CHARGING THE BATTERY  
PACK  
ILLUSTRATION  
You must charge the battery pack with  
the supplied battery charger before you  
use it the first time, and whenever the  
battery becomes low.  
2. Plug the charger’s barrel plug into  
the CHRG jack on the side of the  
You can charge the battery pack with it  
attached to the transceiver or removed.  
To attach the battery pack, slide it onto  
the transceiver. To remove the battery  
pack, press down and slide RELEASE in  
the direction of the arrow, then slide off  
the pack.  
6
 
battery pack, then connect the charger to a standard AC outlet.  
ILLUSTRATION  
7
 
Note: Charging time is 14 to 16  
hours.  
2. Press the push-to-talk button on the  
left side of the transceiver. If  
BUSY•TX/LO BATT lights red, there  
is sufficient battery power for trans-  
mission. If the indicator lights yellow,  
you need to recharge the battery  
pack.  
Cautions:  
To prevent permanent battery power  
loss, never charge the batteries in  
an area where the temperature is  
above about 80°F. The charger  
does not operate at all at tempera-  
tures below 32°F or above 113°F.  
• Never use any other charger to  
recharge the transceiver’s battery  
pack. This could permanently dam-  
age your transceiver or the battery  
pack.  
ILLUSTRATION  
Important: This transceiver uses a re-  
chargeable nickel-cadmium battery  
pack. At the end of the battery pack’s  
useful life, it must be recycled or dis-  
posed of properly. Contact your local,  
county, or state hazardous waste man-  
agement authorities for information on  
recycling or disposal programs in your  
area. Some options that might be avail-  
able are: municipal curbside collection,  
drop-off boxes at retailers such as your  
local RadioShack store, recycling collec-  
tion centers, and mail-back programs.  
Using the Belt Clip  
The supplied belt clip lets you easily clip  
the transceiver to your belt. Use a small  
Phillips screwdriver to secure the clip to  
the transceiver’s back with the supplied  
screws and washers, then attach it to  
your belt.  
Using an Earphone  
To listen privately or to hear better in a  
noisy area, you can plug a monaural  
Checking the Battery Power  
EAR  
earphone into the  
jack on the top of  
the transceiver. This automatically dis-  
connects the speaker.  
VOL  
1. Rotate  
clockwise until it clicks  
to turn on the transceiver.  
8
 
Warning: When installing or removing a  
base station antenna, use extreme cau-  
tion. If it starts to fall, let it go! It could  
contact overhead power lines. If the an-  
tenna touches the power line, contact  
with the antenna, mast, cable, or guy  
wires can cause electrocution and  
death! Call the power company to re-  
move the antenna. Do not attempt to do  
so yourself.  
CONNECTING AN  
ANTENNA  
Attach the flexible antenna to the anten-  
na jack on top of the transceiver. Place  
the antenna connector’s slots over the  
antenna jack’s tabs, squeeze the base  
of the antenna, and push down and turn  
the connector until the antenna locks  
into place.  
USING AN EXTERNAL  
MICROPHONE  
ILLUSTRATION  
An external microphone can make it  
easier to use the transceiver when you  
clip it to your belt. Plug the microphone’s  
MIC  
cable connector into the  
jack on top  
of the transceiver. This automatically  
disconnects the transceiver’s micro-  
phone.  
Instead of the supplied antenna, you  
can connect an optional antenna. The  
BNC antenna jack on your transceiver  
makes it easy to use with a variety of  
antennas, such as an external mobile  
antenna or an outdoor base antenna.  
Note: The transceiver’s push-to-talk  
button still works with an external micro-  
phone attached.  
Caution: Never connect an antenna  
that is not specifically tuned for the  
transceiver’s frequency range.  
9
 
OPERATION  
1. Turn VOL clockwise to turn on the  
4. To transmit, hold down push-to-talk,  
then hold your transceiver about 3  
inches from your mouth and speak  
slowly in a normal tone of voice. The  
BUSY•TX/LO BATT indicator lights  
red.  
transceiver.  
ILLUSTRATION  
5. When you finish your message,  
release push-to-talk. The BUSY•TX/  
LO BATT indicator lights green  
when you receive a transmission.  
6. Adjust VOL to a comfortable listen-  
2. Select Channel A or B using the  
CHANNEL switch on the top of the  
transceiver.  
ing level.  
7. If you are not using CTCSS, wait  
until there is no signal on the chan-  
nel, then slowly turn SQL/CTCSS  
clockwise until the background  
noise stops.  
ILLUSTRATION  
SQL/CTCSS too  
Note: Do not turn  
far clockwise because you might cut  
out weak signals.  
If you are using CTCSS (see “Why  
Use CTCSS?” on Page 11), turn  
SQL/CTCSS counterclockwise until it  
clicks.  
3. To conserve battery power, set  
POWER to LO. If the person you  
transmit to has trouble receiving  
your signal, set POWER to HI.  
8. To turn off the transceiver, turn VOL  
counterclockwise.  
ILLUSTRATION  
10  
 
WHY USE CTCSS?  
OPERATIONAL HINTS  
CTCSS  
(Continuous  
Tone-Coded  
Your transceiver’s range varies depend-  
ing on factors such as position, terrain,  
and battery condition. Buildings absorb  
transmitted signals and, if they contain  
metal, might completely block the sig-  
nals. Trees and heavy cloud formations  
have a similar effect, though not as se-  
vere. If you are near a lake or the ocean,  
you might get excellent range.  
Squelch System) helps eliminate inter-  
ference between different users of the  
same frequency. When CTCSS is  
turned on, the transceiver transmits a  
selected tone with your transmission.  
This tone is too low for you to hear, but  
other transceivers can detect it. If CTC-  
SS is turned on and set to the same  
tone on the receiving transceiver, it only  
receives those transmissions that in-  
clude the tone.  
To ensure maximum range, operate the  
transceiver with the battery pack fully  
charged. As the voltage decreases, the  
range decreases.  
If two different groups operate transceiv-  
ers in the same area on the same fre-  
quency, they do not hear each other’s  
broadcasts if they both use CTCSS and  
each select a different CTCSS tone.  
There are 38 different CTCSS tones  
available. The CTCSS tone default for  
this unit is 100 Hz. See “Available CTC-  
SS Tones” on Page 15 for a complete  
list. Only authorized RadioShack Ser-  
vice Centers can change the CTCSS  
tone.  
11  
 
ADDITIONAL FCC REGULATIONS  
The Business Radio Service is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Communica-  
tions Commission (FCC). Any adjustments or alterations that would alter the perfor-  
mance of the transceiver so it no longer meets the original FCC type acceptance or  
would change the frequency-determining method are strictly prohibited.  
Replacement or substitution of crystals, transistors, ICS, regulator diodes, or any  
other component that is of a unique nature with components other than those rec-  
ommended can violate the technical regulations of the FCC rules or violate type ac-  
ceptance requirement of the rules.  
Before you operate the transceiver, you must obtain your license. It is illegal to  
transmit without the appropriate license, which you can get by submitting a complet-  
ed FCC Form 600 to the FCC (or through the PCIA if you do not qualify for either of  
the supplied frequencies). Furthermore, you are required to understand Part 90 of  
the FCC Rules and Regulations prior to operating your transceiver. It is the user’s  
responsibility to see that this unit is operating at all times in accordance with the  
FCC Rules and Regulations.  
12  
 
MAINTENANCE  
Your RadioShack BTX-124 VHF FM Business Band Transceiver with CTCSS is an  
example of superior design and craftsmanship. The following suggestions will help  
you care for your transceiver so you can enjoy it for years.  
Keep the transceiver dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. Liquids  
might contain minerals that can corrode the electronic circuits.  
Use and store the transceiver only in normal temperature environ-  
ments. Temperature extremes can shorten the life of electronic devic-  
es, damage batteries, and distort or melt plastic parts.  
Keep the transceiver away from dust and dirt, which can cause pre-  
mature wear of parts.  
Handle the transceiver gently and carefully. Dropping it can damage  
circuit boards and cases and can cause the transceiver to work im-  
properly.  
Use only fresh batteries of the required size and type. Batteries can  
leak chemicals that damage your transceiver’s electronic parts.  
Wipe the transceiver with a damp cloth occasionally to keep it looking  
new. Do not use harsh chemicals, cleaning solvents, or strong deter-  
gents to clean the transceiver.  
Modifying or tampering with the transceiver’s internal components can cause a mal-  
function and might invalidate your transceiver’s warranty and void your FCC authori-  
zation to operate it. If your transceiver is not performing as it should, take it to your  
local RadioShack store for assistance.  
13  
 
SPECIFICATIONS  
Transmitter  
Frequency Coverage ........................................................ 150.775 to 155.985 MHz  
Frequency Tolerance .................................................................................. ±1.5 kHz  
Modulation Type ................................................................................................... FM  
Modulation Distortion ........................................................................................... 9%  
CTCSS Tone Deviation ............................................................................... ±0.8 kHz  
Maximum Deviation ....................................................................................... ±5 kHz  
Minimum Operating Voltage ........................................................................... 7 Volts  
RF High Power Output (8.4 V) ..................................................... 2 Watts ±0.2 Watt  
RF Low Power Output ............................................................... 0.6 Watts ±0.2 Watt  
Current Drain at High Power ........................................................................ 700 mA  
Current Drain at Low Power ......................................................................... 450 mA  
Receiver  
Frequency Range ............................................................. 150.775 to 155.985 MHz  
Auto Output Power at 10% THD ................................................................ 0.25 Watt  
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (20 dB) ...................................................................... 0.75 µV  
Working Voltage .......................................................................................... 8.4 Volts  
Adjacent Channel Rejection ............................................................................ 45 dB  
Audio Distortion .................................................................................................... 5%  
Squelch Sensitivity (Start) .............................................................................. 0.5 µV  
Distortion (1 mV Input 4.3 kHz) ............................................................................ 5%  
Current Drain at Maximum Power ................................................................ 200 mA  
Current Drain at Standby ............................................................................... 60 mA  
14  
 
CTCSS Tone 100 Hz  
Factory Defaults  
Channel A 154.600 MHz  
Channel B 154.570 MHz  
Available CTCSS Tones  
Frequency (Hz)  
97.4  
67.0  
71.9  
74.4  
77.0  
79.7  
82.5  
85.4  
88.5  
91.5  
94.8  
136.5  
141.3  
146.2  
151.4  
156.7  
162.2  
167.9  
173.8  
179.9  
186.2  
192.8  
203.5  
210.7  
218.1  
225.7  
233.6  
241.8  
250.3  
100.0  
103.5  
107.2  
110.9  
114.8  
118.8  
123.0  
127.3  
131.8  
General  
Power Supply 8.4 Volts DC  
Antenna Length 163 mm  
Dimensions (HWD) 21/2 × 11/2 × 6  
Inches (65 × 35 × 160 mm)  
Weight 14.66 oz (416 g)  
Specifications are typical; individual  
units might vary. Specifications are sub-  
ject to change and improvement without  
notice.  
15  
 
NOTES  
Limited One-Year Warranty  
This product is warranted by RadioShack against manufacturing defects in material and workman-  
ship under normal use for one (1) year from the date of purchase from RadioShack company-owned  
stores and authorized RadioShack franchisees and dealers. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, Ra-  
dioShack MAKES NO EXPRESS WARRANTIES AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING  
THOSE OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED  
IN DURATION TO THE DURATION OF THE WRITTEN LIMITED WARRANTIES CONTAINED  
HEREIN. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, RadioShack SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY OR RE-  
SPONSIBILITY TO CUSTOMER OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY WITH RESPECT TO ANY  
LIABILITY, LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY BY USE OR PERFOR-  
MANCE OF THE PRODUCT OR ARISING OUT OF ANY BREACH OF THIS WARRANTY, IN-  
CLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY DAMAGES RESULTING FROM INCONVENIENCE, LOSS  
OF TIME, DATA, PROPERTY, REVENUE, OR PROFIT OR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDEN-  
TAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF RadioShack HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE  
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.  
Some states do not allow the limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts or the exclusion of in-  
cidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you.  
In the event of a product defect during the warranty period, take the product and the RadioShack  
sales receipt as proof of purchase date to any RadioShack store. RadioShack will, at its option, un-  
less otherwise provided by law: (a) correct the defect by product repair without charge for parts and  
labor; (b) replace the product with one of the same or similar design; or (c) refund the purchase  
price. All replaced parts and products, and products on which a refund is made, become the prop-  
erty of RadioShack. New or reconditioned parts and products may be used in the performance of  
warranty service. Repaired or replaced parts and products are warranted for the remainder of the  
original warranty period. You will be charged for repair or replacement of the product made after the  
expiration of the warranty period.  
This warranty does not cover: (a) damage or failure caused by or attributable to acts of God, abuse,  
accident, misuse, improper or abnormal usage, failure to follow instructions, improper installation or  
maintenance, alteration, lightning or other incidence of excess voltage or current; (b) any repairs  
other than those provided by a RadioShack Authorized Service Facility; (c) consumables such as  
fuses or batteries; (d) cosmetic damage; (e) transportation, shipping or insurance costs; or (f) costs  
of product removal, installation, set-up service adjustment or reinstallation.  
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from  
state to state.  
RadioShack Customer Relations, Dept. W, 100 Throckmorton St., Suite 600, Fort Worth, TX 76102  
We Service What We Sell  
3/97  
RadioShack  
A Division of Tandy Corporation  
Fort Worth, Texas 76102  
5A7  
Printed in Hong Kong  
 

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