Owners Guide Model F-10 14 channel FRS 2 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR RADIO PREPARATION BATTERIES To Install Batteries:
Low Battery Indicator:
Instructions for optional charger QUICK USE INSTRUCTIONS:
Operating the Radio TO OPERATE HANDS FREE VOX Setting VOX Functions. TO ENABLE / DISABLE VOX MODE TO TURN THE RADIO ON OR OFF TO CHANGE THE CHANNEL IN USE ACTIVATING SCAN FUNCTIONS Busy Channel Scan:
Open Channel Scan:
Activating Dual Watch TO USE CALL BUTTON TO ENABLE/DISABLE ROGER-BEEP TO ENABLE / DISABLE KEY BOARD LOCK POWER SAVE CIRCUIT RESETTING THE RADIO TROUBLESHOOTING CARE OF RECHARGEABLE NI-CAD AND NI-MH BATTERIES SERVICE:
CHANNEL FREQUENCIES LIMITED WARRANTY OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR RADIO Accessory Name Model Number Standard Ni-Cad Charger ..18-
Ni-Cad batteries ...........................................(Three Required)....18-
Lapel Microphone with Earbud Speaker.22-405 Speaker/Microphone....22-411 Stealth Type Noise Canceling Throat Mic with Earbud..22-430 Boom Microphone Headset .22-540 Call 1 816 241 8500 ext. 200 to order accessories This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. 2 Your Midland model F-10 brings the new FRS (Family Radio Service) to your fingertips. The Family Radio Service is provided for by the FCC and is totally license free. For the first time business and the general public can use the quiet UHF FM band for personal communications at no charge. The F-10 uses maximum allowable power for range up to 2 miles. Use for fishing, hunting, picnics, biking, business, or any other activity where communications are needed for convenience or safety. The model F-10 operates on 14 channels to provide the best in quiet and private communication. Also this radio offers power save, and auto-squelch. WARNING Your wireless hand-held portable transceiver contains a low power transmitter. When the Push-to-Talk (PTT) button is pressed it sends out radio frequency (RF) signals. The device is authorized to operate at a duty the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted RF exposure guidelines with safety levels for hand-held wireless devices. In August 1996, to exceed 50%. factor not To maintain compliance with the FCC's RF exposure guidelines, this transmitter and its antenna must maintain a separation distance of least 2 inches (5 centimeters) from your face. Speak in a normal voice, with the antenna pointed up and away from the face at the required separation distance. The belt clip is for storage purposes only. DO NOT TRANSMIT WHILE USING THE BELT CLIP. To transmit, hold the device away from your body and ensure the antenna is at least 2 inches (5 centimeters) from your body when transmitting. 3 TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR F-10 Due to the band of operation (462/467 MHz) the F-10 provides communications that are virtually free of atmospheric interference (skip) that is common on lower frequency bands. Along with this and an antenna system that is very efficient as compared to other unlicensed radio bands, communications range is surprisingly good. Many times the limits to maximum possible range are environmental factors such as blockage caused by trees, buildings, hills, or other obstructions. If you find communication is not possible, many times this can be overcome by moving only a few feet to a new location. Range may be reduced while operating in a vehicle or from inside to outside a metal building. Battery condition also affects range. The F-10 operates best on alkaline batteries. This unit is a precision piece of electronic equipment that should not be exposed to water or handled carelessly. Normal care should result in years of trouble free operation. Do not leave batteries installed over a long period of time as leakage may occur that can destroy the radio. Always save your receipt, as it is required for warranty consideration. PREPARATION BATTERIES F-10 radios operate with 3 AAA Alkaline, Ni-Cad (nickel cadmium) or Ni-MH
(nickel metal hydride) batteries (optional). Ni-Cad batteries provide about 6 hours of use. Alkaline batteries will provide about 18 hours of use and Ni-MH batteries will provide about 13 hours of use. If the F-10 is supplied with Ni-Cad batteries and a wall charger, Ni-Cad batteries must be charged prior to use. Charge at least 10 hours with the standard charger. If you are using Ni-MH batteries charge at least 24 hours. DO NOT attempt to charge any type of Alkaline batteries in this radio. Insert 3 AAA batteries observing the proper polarity. To Install Batteries:
Hold the radio face down. Press the latch so it swings away from the cover. 1. Lift the battery cover slightly. Gently slide the cover off the unit. 2. 3. Replace the battery cover over the batteries and fasten with the latch. Low Battery Indicator:
The battery icon in the lower left of the display will flash when the batteries are in need of charging. Instructions for optional charger Install NI-Cad (nickel cadmium) batteries observing their polarity. Plug the 18-???
charger into any 110/115 V wall socket. Plug the cord into the jack on the SIDE of the radio under the rubber plug marked MIC/CHG. Charge the batteries for at least 10 hours. DO NOT attempt to charge any type of Alkaline batteries in this radio. 4 QUICK USE INSTRUCTIONS:
1. 2. Install fresh alkaline or fully charged Ni-Cad or Ni-MH batteries. Turn the unit on by turning the ON/OFF/VOLUME clockwise until a click is heard. 4. 3. Use the ON/OFF/VOLUME control to adjust the volume. To test the volume setting, press and hold the MON button so static noise can be heard. The noise can be used as a reference level for volume setting. To talk press the PTT (push to talk) button on the left side of the radio and talk in a normal voice into the front of the radio about three inches away from your mouth. To use VOX press and hold the F/VOX button for 2 seconds and talk into the front of the radio or the headset microphone. (head set is recommended) To listen release the PTT button. If in VOX stop talking. 5. 6. Operating the Radio TO OPERATE HANDS FREE VOX
(VOICE OPERATED TRANSMIT) To get the most use from the VOX feature you must first determine what sensitivity level is needed to activate the VOX control. Sensitivity is how loud you have to talk to activate the VOX circuit. The VOX has three levels of sensitivity that can be adjusted. The 1 option you can talk in a normal voice with no background noise to activate the VOX circuit. The option 2 will require more voice level to activate the VOX circuit. This is useful in slightly noisier areas that might activate the VOX without talking. The option 3 will require the most voice level to activate the VOX circuit. This will be useful in very noisy areas. The next adjustment is the delay. This is a function of the VOX that keeps the radio in transmit mode after you stop talking. A delay that is set to short will cause the VOX circuit to stop between some words. The delay is adjustable to three levels. Level 1 will give about one half second of delay, level three will give you about one and one half seconds of delay. By activating the VOX you only have to talk into the front of the radio or use a headset to make the radio transmit. The PTT (push to talk) button is not functional in VOX mode. It is recommended to use a headset when using the VOX feature. NOTE: It is recommended to disable the Roger Beep when VOX is in use. See page 8 for instructions. Setting VOX Functions. Setting VOX Levels 1. With the radio in the off position, press and hold the CALL button and turn the radio on. When the radio powers up release the button The display will show L followed by a 1, 2 or 3 depending on previous settings. 2. Press the channel UP or DOWN buttons to select the level desired. 5
! As described earlier L 1 will be the most sensitive and L 3 will be the least sensitive. 3. Press the F button to switch to the Delay setting. A d followed by a 1, 2 or a 3 will show on the display depending on previous settings. 4. Press the channel UP or DOWN buttons to select the level desired.
! As described earlier d 1 will be the shortest and d 3 will be the longest delay. 5. Press the ENTER button to store your settings and return to normal operation mode. TO ENABLE / DISABLE VOX MODE Press and hold the F/VOX button on the front of the radio for 2 seconds. Warning: When using the 22-405 or the 22-540 you must switch the VOX/PTT switch to PTT to allow you to change channels or exit the vox mode. DISPLAY SYMBOLS CAUTION: DONT EXPOSE THE DISPLAY TO EXTREME HOT OR COLD TEMPERATURE 1. Channel number: Displays channel number 1-14. 2. B.SCAN indicates the scan mode B is in use. SCAN indicates the normal scan mode is in use 3. DW Symbol: Indicates Dual Watch channel selection is active.. 4. VOX Symbol: Indicates VOX is activated 5. SAVE Symbol: Flashes indicating battery save is active. 6. BUSY/TX Symbol:
When the radio is transmitting the icon will look like this:
When the radio is receiving the icon will look like this:
When the radio is in stand-by the icon will look like this:
7. Musical note indicates ROGER BEEP is on. 8. Battery symbol shows the battery condition. When this icon is displayed replace or recharge the batteries. 9. BEEP indicates the button press tone and power up tones are active. 6 10. Key Symbol indicates when the keypad has been locked. Only the PTT and CALL buttons are active when this indicator is on. FEATURES AND LOCATION OF CONTOLS TO TURN THE RADIO ON OR OFF The ON/OFF/VOLUME control at the top of the radio controls power and volume. A series of tones will be heard confirming that radio is working. TO CHANGE THE CHANNEL IN USE Press and release the channel button /\ or \/ to select the desired channel. To change channel rapidly, press and hold the channel button /\ or \/ until the desired channel appears on the display. Warning: When using the 22-405 or the 22-540 you must switch the VOX/PTT switch to PTT to allow you to change channels or exit the vox mode. ACTIVATING SCAN FUNCTIONS The F-10 has three scan modes. The most popular and most used is the BUSY channel scan. This allows the radio to stop on a channel that someone is talking on. When the radio stops on a Busy channel, the scan will stop and resume after about 5 seconds. The second is the OPEN channel scan. This allows the radio to stop on channels that are NOT in use. This is useful when looking for open channels to use. The third is DUAL WATCH. This allows you to scan only two channels. This is useful when you want to keep track of two other people. Busy Channel Scan:
1. Press and release the F button the SCAN icon (2) will begin flashing. 2. Press and release the UP or DOWN channel button to activate scan. The unit will now begin scanning through the channels.
! Pressing the UP or DOWN channel button during scan will determine if the channels are scanned up or down.
! Pressing the PTT (push to talk) button will cause the radio to stop scanning and return to normal operate mode. Open Channel Scan:
1. Press and release the F button repeatedly (usually twice) until the B.SCAN icon (2) flashes. 2. Press and release the UP or DOWN channel button to activate scan. The radio will begin to scan for OPEN channels.(channels not in use)
! Scanning will stop on the first available open channel for about 5 seconds then move to the next open channel. 3. Press the PTT button to stop scanning and talk on that channel. 4. To reactivate scan repeat steps above. Activating Dual Watch Dual watch is a function that allows you to scan only two channels. 7 1. Select channel one. 2. Press the F button repeatedly (usually 3 times) until DW (3) is flashing. 3. Select the second channel to be scanned.
! About 1 second after your selection of the second channel is complete the radio will begin switching between the two channels.
! When the radio hears activity on either channel, scanning will stop on that channel for about 5 seconds and then resume scanning.
! If communication is desired on the channel scanning stopped on, press the PTT button. This will deactivate Dual Watch and allow you to communicate normally. 4. To reactivate Dual Watch repeat steps above. TO USE CALL BUTTON Press and release the CALL button. A call signal will be sent for about 2 seconds. Both radios must be on the same channel and the radios must be turned on.
"""" Warning: The call feature should be avoided when using the 22-405 or 22-540. TO ENABLE/DISABLE ROGER-BEEP The radio transmits a rapid tone sequence when the PTT button is released if this feature is active. The default condition is for the roger beep to be off. 1. Press the F button (usually 4 times) until you see on the display oF or oN
(depending on previous programming) with a flashing music note (7) in the display. 2. Press the channel /\ or \/ buttons to select off or on.
! oF is roger beep off. oN is roger beep on. 3. Press ENTER to store your selection.
! If no buttons are pressed for 10 seconds the display will revert back to channel mode.
! The Roger beep should be deactivated when using the radio in vox mode. TO ENABLE / DISABLE KEY BOARD LOCK To enable the KEY BOARD LOCK press and hold the ENTER button for 2 seconds. The display will contain a key symbol (10). PTT, MON and CALL buttons will still be active. The ENTER button will also activate the back-light for 5 seconds. When radio is in lock mode and any other keys are pressed a tone will be heard. To disable the KEY BOARD LOCK, press and hold the ENTER button for 2 seconds. POWER SAVE CIRCUIT This part of the operation of the radio is completely automatic and not adjustable. When the radio has not transmitted or received a signal for about 8 seconds it will begin to cycle from a sleep mode to fully on. This occurs several times a second. If a signal is received or you cause the unit to transmit the radio will become fully awake. This cycling from sleep to fully on increases the standby battery life more than 50%. 8 RESETTING THE RADIO If the radio stops responding to button presses or otherwise does not function properly in some cases the radio can be reset to restore normal operation. To reset the radio: With the radio off, press and hold the F button and turn the radio on. Release the F button when the radio powers up. (see turning the radio on) 9 TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEM No Power Cannot receive messages Range is short Radio squeals when receivnng messages Messages not transmitted. Interference/Static Cannot change channels Battery icon flashes Display is dim SOLUTION 1. Check battery installation and/or replace batteries 1. Make sure the volume is set high enough. 2. Change your location, you may be out of range. 4. Install batteries properly or replace. 1. Operating the radio in a vehicle or metal building will decrease the range. If possible operate outside of vehicles or buildings. 2. Carrying the radio so that the antenna is very near the body will decrease the range. Hold the radio in the open for the best range. 3. Battery condition can affect range. Replace or recharge batteries. 1. Check battery condition. Usually lowering the volume stops the squealing. This indicates weak batteries. 1. If PTT button is not responding, check to see if VOX is active. 2. If VOX is in use, check for correct VOX level setting. 1. Change your location. The interference may be caused by nearby electronic or electrical equipment. 1. Make sure keyboard is not locked. 2. Make sure the radio is not transmitting. 1. Replace alkaline batteries or recharge rechargeable batteries. Reposition or replace batteries. CARE OF RECHARGEABLE NI-CAD AND NI-MH BATTERIES ALWAYS DISPOSE OF BATTERIES PROPERLY Always follow the battery manufacturers recommendations for charging and disposing of Ni-Cad and Ni-MH batteries. The following is meant as general information regarding Ni-Cad/Ni-MH batteries. 1. Occasionally allow the batteries to fully discharge before recharging. Full discharge will be indicated by the low battery indicator coming on during receive operation. 10 2. Always allow the battery to fully charge before using. This requires 10 hours with the approved charger. (Ni-MH batteries require 16 hours for full charge.) 3. The above will prevent the batteries from developing memory which effectively reduces their capacity. 4. It is better to store Ni-Cad batteries that are discharged rather than charged. Ni-MH batteries are best stored charged. SERVICE:
If you have a problem which you believe requires service, please call first and speak with a service technician. Many problems can be remedied over the phone without returning the unit for service. If it ever becomes necessary to return your unit for service:
Pack the unit in its original box and packing. Improper packing may result in damage during shipment. Include a full description of any problems. Include a daytime telephone number. Include a money order for $7.50 to cover shipping and handling (this may not be required in some states).
! You do not need to return accessory items (charger, batteries, wrist strap, owners guide) unless they maybe directly related to the problem. Include a photocopy of the bill of sale or other proof of purchase showing the date of sale. This information must be included before warranty service can be considered. A flat rate of $35.00 will apply to repairs not covered by the 1 year warranty. These items include but not limited to Abuse, Internally modified circuits, damage caused by water , battery leakage or liquid spilled into the radio. Payment is accepted by Cashiers Check, Money Order, Master Card or Visa only. Personal checks will not be accepted.
! Items not covered by the warranty include abuse, water damage, battery leak damage, broken antennas, broken battery latch 11 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS*
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS GENERAL Frequency range..................................................................................462/467 MHz Channels...............................................................................................................14 Modulation type................................................................................................. FM Antenna impedance ....................................................................................50 Ohm Loudspeaker.........................................................................................8 Ohm 0.5W Microphone......................................................................................electret type Power supply..........................................3 AAA Ni-cads or Alkaline (3.6/4.5VDC) RECEIVER Sensitivity at 12dB Sinad..............................................................................0.25V Selectivity........................................................................................................50 dB Squelch range.......................................................................................automatic Audio output power...........................................0.25W @ 8 Ohm (10% distortion) Distortion at 1000 mV.........................................................................................7%
Audio frequency response.....................................................................400-2400 Hz TRANSMITTER RF Output Power.............................................nominal 500 mW @ 4.5VDC Frequency Tolerance.................................................................................0.00025%
Harmonic Suppression...................................................................more than 50 dB Modulation......................................................................................FM +/- 2.5 kHz
*Specifications are nominal and subject to change CHANNEL FREQUENCIES 01=462.5625 02=462.5875 03=462.6125 04=462.6375 05=462..6625 06=462.6875 07=462.7125 08=467.5625 09=467.5875 10=467.6125 11=467.6375 12=467.6625 13=467.6875 14=467.7125 12 LIMITED WARRANTY Midland Consumer Radio Inc. will repair or replace, at its option without charge, any Midland FRS transceiver which fails due to a defect in material or workmanship within One Year following the initial consumer purchase. This warranty does not apply to water damage, battery leak damage or abuse. This warranty does not include any carrying cases, earphones, or antennas which may be a part of or included with the warranted product, or the cost of labor for removal or re-installation of the product in a vehicle or other mounting. Performance of any obligation under this warranty may be obtained by returning the warranted product, freight prepaid, along with proof of purchase date, to Midland Consumer Radio Inc., Warranty Service Department, 1670 North Topping Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64120. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights, which vary, from state to state. Note: The above warranty applies only to merchandise purchased in the United States of America or any of the territories or possessions thereof, or from a U.S. Military exchange. Midland Consumer Radio 1670 N. Topping Kansas City, Mo. 64120-1224 Tel: (816) 241-8500) E-mail: mail@midlandradio.com URL: www.midlandradio.com Printed in Korea 13