Midland X-TRA TALK LXT490 Series Owner's Manual

LXT490 Series
GMRS/FRS Radio
OWNER'S MANUAL
www.midlandradio.com
MIDLAND RADIO CORPORATION
5900 Parretta Drive
Kansas City, MO 64120
Call 816.241.8500
visit us at http://www.midlandradio.com
Note: Features & Specifications are subject to change without
notice. MIDLAND is not responsible for unintentional errors or
omissions on its packaging.
Welcome to the world of Midland electronics
Congratulations on your purchase of a high quality MIDLAND
product. Your 2-way radio represents the state-of-the-art in high-tech
engineering. Designed for GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service)
operation, this compact package is big in performance. It is a quality
piece of electronic equipment, skillfully constructed with the finest
components. The circuitry is all solid-state and mounted on a rugged
printed circuit board. Your two-way radio is designed for reliable and
trouble-free performance for years to come.
Features
- 36 GMRS/FRS Channel
- 121 Privacy Codes (38 CTCSS / 83 DCS)
- VOX
- Selectable CALL Alert
- NOAA Weather Scan
- NOAA Weather Radio
- NOAA Weather Alert
- SCAN Function
- MONITOR Function
- Roger Beep Tone
- Silent Operation
- Key Pad Lock
- Power High / Low Settings
- Speaker / Microphone Jacks
- Battery Meter / Battery Low Indicator
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions : (1) this device does not cause
harmful interference, and (2) this radio must accept any interference
that may cause undesired operation.
To maintain compliance with FCC's RF exposure guidelines, for
body-worn operation, this radio has been tested and meets the FCC RF
exposure guidelines when used with Midland Radio Corp. accessories
supplied or designated for this product. Use of other accessories may
not ensure compliance with FCC RF exposure guidelines.
CHARGING THE OPTIONAL BATTERY PACK
Your LXT490 Series is equipped for using an optional rechargeable
NiMH battery pack which can be recharged by inserting the AC
adapter into the radio charge jack, or with optional desktop charger
(as described below). Initial charge time is 24 hours. Charge time is
about 12 hours thereafter. For maximum battery life, we recommend
charging the battery pack when the low battery icon comes on.
Remove the radios from the charger when the charge time expires.
To charge using a Desktop Charger:
1. Place the rechargeable battery packs in the radios.
2. Connect the AC adapter into an AC wall outlet.
3. Insert the AC adapter plug (or DC Cigarette Lighter adapter if
charging in vehicle) into the desktop charger jack.
4. Place the units into the desktop charger slot and note that the LED
indicator with RED color will light up, indicating charging function.
In order to ensure that the battery pack is fully charged, it is
recommended that the battery pack be charged for at least 12
hours with the radio turned OFF.
!
1. Only use our NiMH battery pack.
2. Do not attempt to charge alkaline batteries or any batteries
or battery packs other than the one indicated in the
manual. This may cause leakage and damage to the radio.
3. For long term storage of the radio, turn the radio OFF and
remove the batteries from the radio.
BATTERY LEVEL INDICATOR
Your LXT490 Series has a BATTERY LEVEL METER that
shows the battery power level. The greater the number of bars
visible, the stronger the battery level. When the battery level is low,
the Battery Shell icon will flash in the display indicating
your batteries should be replaced or recharged if using a recharge-
able battery pack.
IMPORTANT NOTICE, FCC LICENSE REQUIRED FOR GMRS OPERATION
(Only Applicable for GMRS Radio Use in the United States)
The LXT490 Series operates on GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service)
frequencies which require an FCC (Federal Communications Commission)
license. You must be licensed prior to operating on channels 1 - 7 or 15 - 22,
which comprise the GMRS channels of the LXT490 Series. Serious penalties
could result for unlicensed use of GMRS channels, in violation of FCC rules, as
stipulated in the Communications Act's Sections 501 and 502 (amended).
You will be issued a call sign by the FCC which should be used for station
identification when operating the radio on GMRS channels. You should also
cooperate by engaging in permissible transmissions only, avoiding channel
interference with other GMRS users, and being prudent with the length of their
transmission time.
To obtain a license or ask questions about the license application, contact the
FCC at 1-888-CALL FCC or go to the FCC's website:
http://www.fcc.gov and request form 605.
Exposure To Radio Frequency Energy
Your Midland radio is designed to comply with the following national and
international standards and guidelines regarding exposure of human being to
radio frequency electromagnetic energy:
- United States Federal Communications Commission, Code of Federal
Regulations: 47 CFR part 2 sub-part J
- American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Institute of Electrical &
Electronic Engineers (IEEE) C95. 1-1992
- Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineer (IEEE) C95. 1-1999 Edition
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) of the
United States, Report 86, 1986
- International Commission on Non-lonizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)
1998
To control your exposure and ensure compliance with the general population or
uncontrolled environment exposure limits, transmit no more than 50% of the
time. The radio generates measurable RF energy exposure only when
transmitting.
IMPORTANT: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly
approved by MIDLAND RADIO CORP. could void your right to operate
this unit. Your radio is set up to transmit a regulated signal on an
assigned frequency. It is against the law to alter or adjust the settings
inside the COMMUNICATOR to exceed those limitations. Any adjustment
to your radio must be made by qualified technicians.
OPERATING YOUR RADIO
POWER ON/OFF AND VOLUME
Press the POWER/MENU button for at least 3 seconds to turn the
radio on/off. During Power On, the radio will beep 2 times with
different tones, the LCD will display all icons for 1 second and the
LCD display will indicate the last channel selected.
To increase/decrease the volume level, press the button during
s\t
RX or STANDBY mode.
TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING A CALL
To communicate, all radios in your group must be set to the same
channel and/or Privacy Code.
1. For maximum clarity, hold the radio 2 to 3 inches from your
mouth.
2. Press and hold the PTT button and speak in a normal voice
into the microphone. The TX icon will appear continuously
on the LCD Display while transmitting.
3. To receive a call, release the PTT button. The RX icon will
appear on the display when your radio is receiving a transmis-
sion.
ABOUT RANGE
Your LXT Series radios are designed to give you maximum range
under optimum conditions.
Optimum Conditions are:
l Over water
l Open rural areas without obstructions
l Flat areas where you can see the other person
To ensure you get maximum range:
l Be sure to use fresh or fully charged batteries - low batteries will
cause low power conditions
l Be sure you are on a GMRS channel - FRS channels are
restricted by the FCC to low power
l Be sure to set your radio to use Hi power.
1. KEY LOCK ICON – Indicates KEY
LOCK mode is on.
LCD DISPLAY
2. VOX ICON – Indicates when VOX mode
is active.
3. NOAA WEATHER (WX) BAND ICON–
1 6
Indicates when the radio is in Weather
Band mode.
2
4. CHANNEL NUMBER – Changes from
7
1~36 on GMRS/FRS band (1~10 on WX
3 band).
8
5. PRIVACY CODE – Indicates Privacy
4
Code selected by user (oF~38/oF~83). It
9
can only be set in Ch1~22.
10 6. BATTERY METER – Indicates the battery
5
level.
7. RECEIVE (RX) ICON – Indicates radio is
receiving a transmission.
8. TRANSMIT (TX) ICON – Indicates radio
is transmitting a signal.
9. TRANSMIT POWER LEVEL ICON –
Indicates TX Power setting (H/L)
10. PRIVACY CODE ICON – Indicates
Privacy Code setting (CTCSS/DCS).
CONTROLS
11. PTT Button – Press and hold to
transmit voice communication.
12. CALL/LOCK Button – Press to send a
CALL Alert signal. Press and hold to
15
turn KEY LOCK on/off.
13. MIC – Built-in microphone.
14. SPEAKER – Built-in speaker.
15. ANTENNA.
16. EXTERNAL SPEAKER/MIC/CHG.
16
JACK
11 17. POWER / MENU Button – Press and
hold for at least 3 seconds to turn the
17
radio on/off. Press momentarily to
access Menu mode.
12
18
18. MONITOR/SCAN Button – Press to
enter SCAN mode. Press and hold to
13 enter MONITOR mode
19
s t
19. UP/WX SCAN and DOWN
Button – Make adjustments in MENU
14
mode. Press and hold the UP button for
5 seconds to activate the NOAA
Weather Scan function.
LXT490 SERIES QUICK REFERENCE CHART
MENU VOX Roger Beep Call Alert Silent Operation
Channel Privacy Power
oF/1/2/3 On/Off 1~5 On/Off
1~36 H/L
WX Scan WX Alert
CTCSS oF~38 WX Channel
Press and hold UP/WX
button for 5 seconds
oF~83
DCS
1~10 On/Off
1~10
MONITOR
Pressing and holding the MONITOR button for 3 seconds will let
you hear noise so you can adjust the volume level of the radio when
not receiving a signal. This could also be used to check any activity
on your current channel before transmitting.
Press and hold the MONITOR button for 3 seconds again to get out
of MONITOR mode.
SCAN
Your LXT490 Series can scan all 36 channels for activity. To enter,
quickly press the SCAN button. Repeat the same procedure to exit.
Your radio will rapidly scan each of the 36 channels and stop on any
active channel for 4 seconds before resuming scan.
When you press the PTT button to transmit on an active channel, the
scanning function will stop and remain on the active channel. To
resume scanning, quickly press the SCAN button.
CALL ALERT
Your LXT490 Series can transmit a call alert for a fixed length of time.
To send a call alert, press the CALL button. The TX icon will appear
while transmitting a call alert and a tone can be heard on the
speaker for confirmation.
KEYPAD LOCK
To avoid accidentally changing the radio setting, press the LOCK
button for 4 seconds. The KEY LOCK icon will appear on the display.
PTT and CALL will still be active. Repeat the same procedure to
unlock the keypad.
CHANNEL SELECTION (GMRS/FRS BAND)
Press the MENU button once, and then the s\t buttons to select
one of the 36 GMRS/FRS channels. To confirm the selection, press
the PTT button or press the MENU button again to move to the next
feature setting.
BATTERY INSTALLATION
Your LXT490 Series radio operates with either 4 AAA alkaline
batteries or an optional NiMH battery pack. The belt clip should be
removed (see below) to ease installation or removal of the batteries.
To install the batteries:
1. With the back of the radio facing you, remove the belt clip (see
diagram below) for easy access, then remove the Battery Cover by
pressing down on the top center and sliding it down from the radio.
2. Insert 4 AAA batteries observing the polarity as shown. Installing
the batteries incorrectly will prevent the unit from operating or may
damage the unit.
3. Return the Battery Cover by sliding it up on the radio. Replace the
belt clip, making sure it locks into place.
BELT CLIP
LOCK TAB
BATTERY
COMPARTMENT
BATTERY
COMPARTMENT
COVER
Press here and
push down to open
BELT CLIP
LATCH
INSTALLING THE BELT CLIP
To install the BELT CLIP, slide the clip up into the slot on the back of
the radio until the BELT CLIP LATCH clicks. To remove the BELT
CLIP, press the LOCK TAB up, then gently pull the belt clip down
toward the bottom of the radio.
SETTING PRIVACY CODES
Your LXT490 Series has 121 Privacy Codes available to use in
channels 1~22. The selected Privacy Code may be different for each
channel. To select a Privacy Code for the current channel press the
MENU button twice, and then the s\t buttons to select one of the
38 CTCSS Privacy Code. Press again the MENU button and the
s\t button to select one of the 83 DCS Privacy Code. The
Privacy Code icon on the display will indicate whether you set your
Privacy Code in CTCSS or DCS mode. To confirm the selection,
press the PTT button or press MENU button again to move to the
next feature setting.
!
Note : If you select any CTCSS Privacy Code, any pre-selected
DCS Privacy Code will be cancelled and vice-versa.
Selecting a Privacy Code of "oF" will disable the Privacy feature.
To communicate between two LXT490 Series radios, all radios in
your group must be set to the same channel and/or Privacy Code
selections. The Privacy Code can only be set in channels
1~22.
TRANSMIT (TX) POWER LEVEL SELECTION
Your LXT490 has 2 power level settings. To select the power level on
channels 1~7 and 15~36, press the MENU button until a "Pr" icon will
appear blinking on the display. Then press the buttons to select
s\t
TRANSMIT POWER LEVEL icon (H: Hi/L: Lo). To confirm, press the
PTT button or press MENU button again to move to the next feature
setting. When the PTT button is pressed during Low Battery
Level condition, the TX Power will automatically switch from
!
Hi(H) to Lo(L) level.
Note : You cannot adjust the power setting on the FRS
channels (8~14). They are set to Low power per FCC
regulations.
VOX
Your LXT490 Series has 3 VOX level settings: (oF/1/2/3).
To set VOX, press the MENU button until the display shows "VOX"
blinking while on the right of the CHANNEL NUMBER display, an
"oF" icon appears. Select "1","2" or "3" by pressing the buttons
s\t
and push the PTT key, or press MENU button again to move to the
next feature setting.