Motorola TALKABOUT T8500, T8510, T8530, T8550 Series Manual

Control Buttons

Display Screen Guide

Getting Started

Installing the Batteries

Your radio uses three AA Alkaline batteries and beeps when the batteries are low.

1. Turn the radio off.
2. With the back of the radio facing you, lift the battery latch up torelease the battery cover and remove the cover.
3. Insert three AA Alkaline batteries as shown on the inside of thebattery compartment.
4. Reposition the battery cover and press down to secure.

NOTE:The T8500/ T8510/ T8530/ T8550 model radio can use a NiMH rechargeable battery instead of three AA batteries.

Installing the NiMH Battery Pack

1. Follow step 2 above to remove the battery cover.
2. Remove the battery pack from the clear plastic bag.
   Do not disassemble or unwrap the battery pack.
3. Insert the NiMH battery pack so the "This Side Up" is showing.
4. Reposition the battery cover and press down to secure.

Battery Meter

The battery icon shows the battery charge level, from full to empty . When the battery is empty, the radio chirps periodically or after releasing (Low Battery Alert).

Note: Remove the batteries before storing your radio for extended periods of time. Batteries corrode over time and may cause permanent damage to your radio.

Using the Battery Charger (Optional Accessory)

The battery charger provides drop-in charging convenience for NiMH batteries and can be placed on any flat surface, such as a desk or workbench. Charge the NiMH battery overnight (at least 16 hours) before using it for the first time. After the initial charge, an empty battery is fully charged within 14 hours.

1. Follow the steps above to install a NiMH Battery Pack.
2. Plug the AC power supply into the plug on the desk stand.
3. Plug the AC power supply into a standard wall outlet.
4. With a radio facing forward, slide it into one of the charging pockets.

Notes

• The light on the charging base will glow continuously when radio/battery is inserted.
• When moving between hot and cold temperatures, do not charge the battery until the battery temperature acclimates (usually about 20 minutes).
• For optimal battery life, remove the radio or battery from the charger within 16 hours. Do not store the radio in the charger.
• Turn radio off while in charging tray.

Attaching and Removing the belt clip

1. Align the belt clip post with the hole in the back of the radio.
2. Gently push until the clip clicks in place

To Remove

1. Push down on the release tab at the top of the belt clip to releasethe catch.
2. Pull the belt clip away from the back of the radio.

Turning Your Radio On and Off

Turn clockwise to turn the radio on and counterclockwise to turn the radio off.

1. The radio chirps and briefly shows all features icons available onyour radio.
2. The display then shows the current channel, code and features thatare selected.

Setting the Volume

Press and holdwhile rotating until you reach a comfortableMON listening level.

1. Rotateclockwise to increase the volume
2. Rotatecounterclockwise to decrease the volume.

Do not hold the radio close to your ear. If the volume is set to an uncomfortable level, it could hurt your ear.

Talking and Listening

To communicate, all radios in your group must be set to the same channel and Interference Eliminator Code.

1. To talk, press and hold .
2. When you are finished talking, release .

For maximum clarity, hold the radio two to three inches away from your mouth and speak directly into the microphone. Do not cover the microphone while talking.

Talk Range

Your radio is designed to maximize performance and improve transmission range. Do not use the radios closer than five feet apart.

Monitor Button

Pressing and holding for three seconds allows you to listen to the MON volume level of the radio when you are not receiving. This allows you to adjust the volume, if necessary. You can also pressto check MON for activity on the current channel before you talk.

Push to Talk Timeout Timer

To prevent accidental transmissions and save battery life, the radio emits a continuous warning tone and stops transmitting if you press for 60 continuous seconds.

Initial Setup

Selecting the Channel

Your radios has 22 channels. Channels 8-14 are FRS 0.5 Watt only and all other channels are GMRS.

1. With the radio on, press. When the radio is on a 0.5 watt channel,displays. When the radio is on a 1 watt channel, displays. The current channel flashes.
2. Press or to set the channel.
3. Press to save the channel setting or to continue set up.

Channels and Frequencies

Interference Eliminator Code

Interference Eliminator Codes help minimize interference by providing you with a choice of code combinations. Your radio has 121
Interference Eliminator Codes. Codes 1 – 38 are the standard codes that appear on other FRS/GMRS radios. Codes 39 – 121 are additional codes added for superior interference protection.

To set the code for a channel:

1. Short pressuntil the code starts to flash.
2. Press or to select the code.
3. Press to save the code setting orto continue set up.

You can set a different code for each channel using this procedure. An extended press of or allows you to scroll through the Interference Code rapidly so you can quickly reach the code you want.

Note: You must set the Interference Eliminator Code to 0 on a radio that uses Interference Eliminator Codes to communicate with radios that do not have Interference Eliminator Codes. Select 0 for "no tone, no code" and OFF will flash on your radio's display.

Setting and Transmitting Call Tones

Your radio can transmit different call tones to other radios in your group so you can alert them that you want to talk. You have 10 call tones from which to choose.

To set a call tone:

1. With the radio on, short pressuntil the current call tone setting flashes andappears.
2. Press or to change and hear the call tone.
3. Press to set the new call tone or to continue set up.

To transmit your call tone to other radios set to the same channel and Interference Eliminator Code as your radio, press.

Note: Setting the call to 0 disables the call tone feature.

Hands-Free Use Without Accessories (iVOX)

You can use the iVOX feature to transmit, hands-free without the need for any voice activation accessories. Once iVOX is turned on, the radio detects your voice and transmits when you speak.

1. Short pressuntil appears on the display. The current setting On/Off will flash.
2. Press or to select On or Off.
3. Press to set orto continue set up.

Setting the Sensitivity Level When in VOX or iVOX Mode

Adjusting the radio's sensitivity level helps minimize the possibility of unintended noises triggering a transmission and helps the radio pick up soft voices.

1. Short pressafter setting iVOX. VOX will still appear.
2. Press or to select the sensitivity level.
3. Press to set orto continue set up.

3 = High Sensitivity for quiet environments
2 = Medium Sensitivity for most environments
1 = Low Sensitivity for noisy environments

Note: When you connect a VOX accessory, the radio is automatically set to the last chosen sensitivity level.

See Special Features section on Accessories.

VibraCall^TM Alert

VibraCall is a vibrating alert that notifies you that your radio is receiving a message. This is useful in noisy environments. When the alert is on, the radio vibrates once every 30 seconds when you receive a message on the channel and code you set.

1. To turn vibrating alerts on, pressuntilis displayed. The current setting will flash.
2. Press or to change the setting to Off / On.
3. Press to set orto continue set up.

QT Noise Filtering

The QT noise-filtering feature helps to ensure uninterrupted communication with other Motorola radios that have this feature. This feature filters out unwanted transmissions from other radios. This is useful in places where there is heavy radio traffic, such as amusement parks or ski resorts.

Note: QT noise filtering is not available when the radio is scanning.

To turn QT noise filtering on or off:

1. Short pressuntil displays. The current setting On/Off willQT flash.
2. Press or to turn noise filtering On or Off.
3. Press to confirm your selection or to continue set up.

To transmit to a radio that has QT noise filtering turned on:

1. Select the same channel and Interference Eliminator Code as theother radio.
2. Pressto send a call tone. This allows your voice to pass throughthe QT noise filter on the receiving radio.
3. Pressand speak normally.

Note: If you skip step 2, the beginning of your message may not be heard on the receiving radio. For a 30-second period, starting after the last transmission, all transmissions received on the selected channel and code will pass through the QT noise filter.

Keypad Tones

You may enable or disable the speaker key tones. You will hear the key tone each time a button is pushed.

1. Press until appears. The current setting On/Off will flash
2. Press either or to turn On or Off.
3. Press to confirm or to continue set up.

When the Key Tone Feature is off, the following are not disabled:

• Transmit timeout alert tone;
• Power down call tone;
• Low battery alert tone; or
• The transmitted Talk Confirmation Tone.

Transmitting a Talk Confirmation Tone

You can set your radio to transmit a unique tone when you finish transmitting. It is like saying "Roger" or "Over" to let others know you are finished talking.

1. With the radio on, press until the appears. The current setting On/Off flashes.
2. Press or to turn On or Off.
3. Press to set or to continue set up.

Special Features

Keypad Lock

To avoid accidentally changing your radio settings:

1. Press and holduntildisplays.
2. When in lock mode, you can turn the radio on and off, adjust thevolume, receive, transmit, send a call tone, and monitor channels. All other functions are locked.

To unlock the radio, press and holduntil is no longer displayed.

Priority Scan

Use scan to monitor channels and codes for transmissions or to find someone in your group who has accidentally changed channels.
With priority scan, your home channel is scanned more frequently than any other channel. The home channel is the channel where your radio was set when you started to scan. If you activate scan while your radio's Interference Eliminator Code is set to a number between 1 and 121, the radio checks for activity on each programmed channel and code combination.

Notes:

• All transmissions using code 0 or any other code are ignored.
• The default code for each channel is 1.
• If scanning on code 0, all channels and code combinations arescanned.

1. To start scanning, briefly press and release . The scan indicator displays , and the radio begins to scroll through the channel and Interference Eliminator Code combinations.
2. When the radio detects channel activity, it stops scanning and youcan hear the transmission.
3. To respond and talk to the person transmitting, press within five seconds.
4. To stop scanning, briefly press and release .

Note: If you press while the radio is scanning, the radio will transmit on the channel you selected before you activated scan. If no transmission occurs within five seconds, scanning will resume.

Removing Channels from the Scan List (Nuisance Delete Feature)

1. To prevent the radio from scanning a channel, press and hold or for at least three seconds, then release, when the scan first stops on that channel. This temporarily removes the channel from the scan list.
2. Press to exit scan mode.
3. Press a second time to activate scan again.
4. To restore a previously deleted channel, turn the radio off and thenback on. Or just repeat Step 2 and Step 3

Note: You cannot remove your home channel from the scan list. The home channel is the channel your radio was set to when you started the scanning.

Using Audio Accessories

Many accessories (sold separately) are available for your radio. For more information, visit our Web site at www.motorola.com.

Hands-Free Use With Accessories (VOX)

You can transmit hands-free with the use of optional accessories. Once VOX is turned on, the radio detects your voice and transmits when you speak.

1. Turn the radio off and plug the VOX accessory into the accessoryport.
2. Turn the radio on. VOX shows on the display.
3. Adjust the volume appropriately by rotating . Lower the volumebefore placing the accessory on your head or in your ear.
4. To turn off, simply remove accessory.

Note: There is a short delay between the time you start talking and when the radio transmits. There is a short delay before the transmission is completed.

Weather

Your radio can tune in to broadcasts by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio and Environment Canada Weatheradio.
You can listen to a weather channel or set your radio to alert you to emergency weather broadcasts that interrupt routine broadcasts. When you listen to a weather channel, you cannot use your radio in scan mode or for two-way communications.
Both NOAA and Environment Canada have transmitters located throughout the United States and Canada, respectively. These transmitters broadcast watches, forecasts, and other information 24 hours a day.

Weather Channels and Frequencies

Note: NOAA weather radio stations are assigned to cover specific areas and service may be limited. Please check with your local weather office for frequency and details, or visit www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr in the US or www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/cd/factsheets/wxradio in Canada to view the appropriate transmitter for your area.

The use of the NOAA logo does not provide an endorsement or implied endorsement by NOAA's National Weather Service, nor does the use of the Weatheradio logo provide an endorsement or implied endorsement by Environment Canada.

Turning Weather Channel Reception On and Off

1. To turn weather reception on, press and holdfor three seconds.
2. To turn off, press or turn the radio off and then back on.

Setting the Weather Channel

Your radio receives weather frequencies:

1. After turning weather reception on, press. The current channel flashes.
2. Press or to select the channel.
3. Press to save the weather channel setting. PTT

Setting the Weather Alert

Your radio receives weather frequencies:

1. After turning weather reception on, press twice. On/Off displays.
2. Press or to select On/Off. If you activate Weather Alert and return to two-way mode, will display.
3. Press to save the weather channel setting.

As with two-way radio reception, weather channel reception depends on how close you are to a transmitter and whether you are indoors or outdoors. Because weather channels are transmitted without codes, they may contain static or noise.

Documents / Resources

References

• http://www.motorola.com

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