Midland ER300 - Weather Radio Manual

Welcome to the World of Midland Electronics

The Midland ER300 is skillfully constructed from the finest components. Built with emergency situations in mind, the hand crank digital weather alert radio and flashlight are perfect for severe weather situations or daily use.

Features

• Charge battery 3 ways: hand crank, USB or solar panel
• 7 NOAA/NWS weather alert channels and 1 hour alert memory
• Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
• Powerful flashlight uses Cree^®* LEDs
• SOS Morse code flashlight beacon
• Ultrasonic dog whistle
• Charge external electronic devices
• AM/FM radio
• AA battery power option
• Digital clock
• Headphone jack
• Rotatable telescopic antenna
• Large, bright, backlit LCD

*Cree^® is a registered trademark of Cree, Inc. or one of its subsidiaries.

Controls and Functions

Powering Your ER300

USB Charge Cable: Before the ER300 is used, the internal rechargeable battery pack should be charged with the USB charge cable until the battery indicator icon indicates a full charge. To charge the ER300 with the USB cable, switch the power source switch to the "Li" position. Then, insert the USB charge cable into a USB power source and plug the mini USB connector into the port labeled "USB In" on the side of the radio. The CHARGE indicator light will be lit when the USB charge cable is plugged in. The battery icon on the LCD will flash as the battery charges. When the Li-ion battery has reached full charge, the battery icon will stop flashing and will have 3 bars. It will take approximately 5.5 hours to recharge a completely depleted battery pack using the USB charge cable.

Rechargeable Battery: The included rechargeable battery is located in the battery compartment and is charged by turning the hand crank, exposing the solar panel to sunlight, or by using the USB cable to attach to a USB power source. The battery is specified as 3.7 VDC, 2000 mAh, lithium ion (Li-ion).

• Only use Midland's Li-ion battery pack.
• Do not attempt to charge alkaline batteries or any battery packs other than the ones indicated in this manual. This could cause leakage and damage to the radio.

Dynamo Power: Turning the hand crank charges the built-in Li-ion battery pack. To charge the radio using the hand crank, make sure the power source switch is in the "Li" position and start turning the crank. The CHARGE indicator light will be lit while the unit is being cranked. Speed of cranking and length of time cranked will determine the charge of the Li-ion battery. The battery icon on the LCD will flash as the battery charges. When the Li-ion battery has reached full charge, the battery icon will stop flashing and will have 3 bars. One minute of cranking gives up to 9 minutes of radio use time.

Solar Panel Charge: Make sure the power source switch is in the "Li" position. Then, place the ER300 where the solar panel is exposed to direct sunlight. One hour of solar charging in optimal sunlight conditions gives up to 45 minutes of radio use time. The battery icon on the LCD will flash as the battery charges. When the Li-ion battery has reached full charge, the battery icon will stop flashing and will have 3 bars. The CHARGE indicator light will be lit while the unit is charging.

AA Battery Operation: The ER300 is designed to operate on six AA batteries (not included). To power the ER300 on its AA batteries, flip the power source switch to the "AA" position.

For long-term storage, it is recommended that the AA batteries be removed to prevent leakage and damage to the ER300.

Charging External Devices

Cell phones and USB-powered devices can be charged using the USB charge cable for that device. Connect the charge cable to the USB Outlet port on the side of the ER300 labeled "USB Out". If the radio is on it will automatically turn off and go into charge mode.

Operating the Radio

Turning the ER300 On/Off & Selecting a Band

• To turn the radio on, press the BAND button. To cycle through AM, FM, or Weather radio bands press the band button again.
• To turn the radio OFF, press and hold the BAND button for 3 seconds.

Adjusting the Volume

• To adjust the volume, press the UP/DOWN VOLUME control buttons to adjust the audio.

Tuning the Radio

• Press the BAND button to cycle through AM, FM, and Weather radio bands.
• Once you are on the desired radio band, you can tune to the desired station with the TUNE up or down buttons. For best FM and Weather reception, fully extend the telescopic antenna and rotate until reception is clear.

Using the Weather Radio

About NOAA/NWS

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service operates a system of weather and hazard alert broadcasts covering most of the United States. Typical broadcasts are within reception distance of 25-50 miles of the weather station. Fully extend the telescopic antenna and rotate until reception is clear. The ER300 can receive broadcasts up to 50 miles from the weather station depending on your location and conditions of weather, terrain, etc. If reception is not good, try a different location to find a spot of improved reception. If indoors, placement near a window usually improves reception. If a weather broadcast cannot be heard on any of the 7 channels, contact your local NOAA/NWS office and verify the closest station is on air. Their web site is http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/.

Selecting a Weather Channel

The ER300 has 7 NOAA/NWS weather channels to choose from.

• Press the BAND button to select the weather band.
• Then use the TUNE buttons to select the strongest weather channel in your area.

Weather Alert Function

• To enable the NOAA Weather Alert function, press the WX ALERT button.
• When enabled, the "WX" icon on the LCD screen will flash.
• When a weather alert is received, the ER300 will sound an audible siren and the flashlight will flash on and off along with the LCD backlight for 1 minute.
• Within the first minute of an alert being received, press any button on the ER300 to stop the siren and flashlight. The radio will switch to your selected weather channel.

Weather Alert Memory Function

• After the first minute of receiving a weather alert, if no button is pressed, the ER300 will go into weather alert memory mode.
• The WEATHER MEMORY INDICATOR will flash every 5 seconds indicating an alert has been received within the last hour.
• When the WX ALERT button is pressed, the radio will switch to your selected weather channel and clear the weather alert memory.
• Any other button pressed will have normal function and will clear the weather alert memory.

ER300 Settings Menu

Accessing and Using the Menu

• To access the ER300's settings menu, press and hold the WX ALERT button for 3 seconds.
• To adjust the settings use the TUNE up and down buttons.
• To go to the next menu option, press the WX ALERT button.
• To exit the menu, toggle through all the menu options or wait 30 seconds and the menu will time-out.

Setting the Clock

• To set the clock, press the WX ALERT button and select the 24 hour or 12 hour clock.
• Press the WX ALERT button to adjust the time and again to adjust the minutes.

Backlight Option

The ER300 has 3 backlight settings:

• OFF: The backlight will always be off.
• ON: The backlight will always be on.
• Default: The backlight will turn on for 5 seconds when a button is pressed then turn off.

Weather Channel Display Option

The ER300 has 2 weather channel display options:

• Default: Displays weather channel frequency.
• Channel: Displays channel numbers.

LED Flashlight

The ER300 has 2 flashlight brightness settings:

• Dim: The first press of the flashlight button will enable the dim setting.
• Bright: The second press of the flashlight button will enable the bright setting.

SOS Morse Code Flashlight Beacon

• To enable the SOS feature, press the flashlight button 3 times. The SOS Morse Code is: 3 short flashes, 3 long flashes, and 3 short flashes.
• To turn off the SOS feature, press the flashlight button.

Ultrasonic Dog Whistle

• The ultrasonic dog whistle may assist search and rescue teams to locate individuals during an emergency situation.
• To enable the ultrasonic dog whistle, press and hold the flashlight/dog whistle button for 3 seconds. The ultrasonic dog whistle icon will be lit in the upper right corner of the LCD screen.
• To turn off the ultrasonic dog whistle, press any button on the radio.

Using the Headphone Jack

Plug in a set of headphones (not included) that have a 1/8 inch mono or stereo plug.

Service

If you have a problem which you believe requires service, please first check the FAQ section of the website, check your Owner's Manual, or call and speak with a service technician. Many problems can be remedied without returning the unit for service. If necessary, return as follows:

• Pack the unit in its original box and packing. Then pack the original box in a suitable shipping carton.
  
  Improper packing may result in damage during shipment.
• Include the following:
  1. Full description of any problems
  2. Daytime telephone number, name & address
  3. For warranty service include a photocopy of the bill of sale from an authorized dealer or other proof of purchase showing the date of sale.

You do not need to return accessory items (Charge Cable, Batteries, and Owners Guide) unless they might be directly related to the problem.
Repairs not covered by warranty or units that are over ONE year old are subject to a repair fee. Please call for a quote on repair service cost at 816-241-8500. Send only cashier's check, money order, Master Card or Visa card number.

Other Products

Check out these and other great products at midlandusa.com

MIDLAND RADIO CORPORATION
5900 Parretta Drive
Kansas City, MO 64120
816.241.8500
Visit us at midlandusa.com
Note: Features & Specifications are subject to change without notice. MIDLAND is not responsible for unintentional errors or omissions on its packaging.

Accessories

Accessories can be purchased at www.midlandusa.com or fill in the form on the following page and mail it to our address.

Midland Radio Corporation
5900 Parretta Drive
Kansas City, Missouri 64120
Phone: (816) 241-8500
Fax: (816) 241-5713
mail@midlandradio.com
midlandusa.com