Midland X-tra Talk GXT860/895 Series - Two-Way Radio Manual

Welcome to the world of Midland electronics

Your 2-way radio represents state-of-the-art high-tech engineering. Designed for GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) operation, this compact package is big on 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

• 42 GMRS/FRS Channels
• 142 Privacy Codes (38 CTCSS / 104 DCS)
• VOX
• 10 Selectable Call Alert (5 additional Animal Sounds on GXT895)
• NOAA Weather Radio
• NOAA Weather Scan
• NOAA Weather Alert
• Vibrate Alert
• Scan Function
• Monitor Function
• Roger Beep Tone
• Silent Operation
• Keypad Lock
• Power HI/MED/LO Settings
• Speaker / Microphone Jacks
• Battery Meter / Battery Low Indicator

LCD DISPLAY

1. KEY LOCK ICON – Indicates KEY LOCK mode is on.
2. VOX ICON – Indicates when VOX mode is active.
3. NOAA WEATHER (WX) BAND ICON– Indicates when the radio is in Weather Band mode.
4. CHANNEL NUMBER – Changes from 1~42 on GMRS/FRS band (1~10 on WX band).
5. PRIVACY CODE – Indicates Privacy Code selected by user (oF~38/oF~ 104). It can only be used on Ch 1~22.
6. BATTERY METER – Indicates the battery level.
7. VIBRATE ALERT ICON – Indicates when the Vibrate Alert feature is on.
8. RECEIVE (RX) ICON – Indicates radio is receiving a transmission.
9. TRANSMIT (TX) ICON – Indicates radio is transmitting a signal.
10. TRANSMIT POWER LEVEL ICON – Indicates TX Power setting (H/M/L).
11. PRIVACY CODE ICON – Indicates Privacy Code setting (CTCSS/DCS).

CONTROLS

12. POWER/VOLUME KNOB – Turn clockwise to turn the power on and increase the volume level. Turn counter-clockwise to decrease the volume level and turn the power off.
13. PTT Button – Press and hold to transmit voice communication.
14. CALL/LOCK Button – Press to send a CALL Alert signal. Press and hold to turn KEY LOCK on/off.
15. MIC – Built-in microphone.
16. SPEAKER – Built-in speaker.
17. ANTENNA
18. EXTERNAL SPEAKER/MIC JACK
19. MENU/WX SCAN Button – Press to access Menu mode. Press and hold for 5 seconds to activate the NOAA Weather Scan function.
20. MONITOR/SCAN Button – Press to enter SCAN mode. Press and hold to enter MONITOR mode.
21. UP and DOWN Buttons – Make adjustments in MENU mode.

BATTERY INSTALLATION

Your GXT860/895 Series radio operates with either a NiMH battery pack or optional 4 AA alkaline batteries. 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 AA 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 thebelt clip, making sure it locks into place.

INSTALLING THE BELT CLIP

To install the BELT CLIP, slide the clip down into the slot on the back of the radio until the BELT CLIP LATCH clicks. To remove the BELT CLIP, press the LOCK TAB down, then gently pull the belt clip up toward the top of the radio.

CHARGING THE BATTERY PACK

Your GXT860/895 Series is equipped for using a rechargeable NiMH battery pack which can be recharged using a desktop charger. Initial charge time is 24 hours with a charge time of 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 LEDindicator withRED 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 GXT860/895 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 and "Lo bt" will flash in the display indicating your batteries should be replaced or recharged if using a rechargeable battery pack.

OPERATING YOUR RADIO

POWER ON/OFF AND VOLUME
Rotate the POWER/VOLUME knob clockwise to turn the radio on and increase the volume level. Rotate the control counter-clockwise to reduce the volume level and to turn the radio 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.

TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING A CALL
To communicate, all radios in your group must be set to the same channel and Privacy Code.

1. For maximum clarity, hold the radio 2 to 3 inches from your mouth.
2. Press and hold thePTT 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 thePTT button. The RX icon will appear on the display when your radio is receiving a transmission.

ABOUT RANGE
Your GXT Series radios are designed to give you maximum range under optimum conditions.

Optimum Conditions are:

• Over water
• Open rural areas without obstructions
• Flat areas where you can see the other person

To ensure you get maximum range:

• Be sure to use fresh or fully charged batteries - low batteries will cause low power conditions.
• Be sure you are on a GMRS channel - FRS channels are restricted by the FCC to low power.
• Be sure to set your radio to use Hi power.

GXT860/895 SERIES QUICK REFERENCE CHART

MONITOR
Pressing and holding the MONITOR button for 1 second will let you hear noise so you can adjust the volume level of the radio when not receiving a signal. This should be used to check activity on your current channel before transmitting.
Press and hold the MONITOR button for 1 second again to get out of MONITOR mode.

SCAN
Your GXT860/895 Series can scan all 42 channels for activity. To enter, quickly press the SCAN button. Repeat the same procedure to exit. Your radio will rapidly scan each of the 42 channels and stop on any active channel. Your radio will resume scanning after 4 seconds when the channel is no longer active.
When you press the PTT button to transmit on an active channel, the scanning function will stop and remain on the active channel for 10 seconds before resuming scan when PTT button is no longer pressed.
To resume scanning, quickly press the button.

CALL ALERT
Your GXT860/895 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.
The GXT860 has 10 call alert selections while the GXT895 has 15 call alerts including 5 "animal sound" call alerts - Cougar, Duck, Crow, Wolf, and Turkey.

KEYPAD LOCK
To avoid accidentally changing the radio settings, press the LOCK button for 2 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.

DISPLAY ILLUMINATION
During Power on, the display illumination will activate for approx. 5 seconds. The display illumination can also be activated when the MENU, MON/SCAN, or buttons are pressed.

CHANNEL SELECTION (GMRS/FRS BAND)
Press the MENU button once, and then the buttons to select one of the 42 GMRS/FRS channels. To confirm the selection, press the PTT button or press the MENU button again to move to the next feature setting.

SETTING PRIVACY CODES
Your GXT860/895 Series has 142 Privacy Codes available. 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 buttons to select between /Off/CTCSS/DCS. Press the MENU button again and the buttons to select one of/ the 38 CTCSS Codes or one of the 104 DCS Codes. 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 the MENU button again to move to the next feature setting.
Note : If you select a 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 GXT860/895 Series radios, all radios in your group must be set to the same channel and Privacy Code. The Privacy Code can only be set in channels 1~22.

TRANSMIT (TX) POWER LEVEL SELECTION
Your GXT860/895 Series has 3 power level settings. To select the power level on channels 1~7, 15~33 and 38~42, press the MENU button until a "Pr" icon will appear blinking on the display. Then press the buttons to select TRANSMIT POWER LEVEL icon (H: Hi/ M: Med/L: Lo). To confirm, press the PTT button or press the MENU button again to move to the next feature setting.
When the Battery Meter drops to 1 bar , the TX Power will automatically switch from Hi(H) or Med(M) to Lo(L) level.
Note: You cannot adjust the power setting on the FRS channels (8~14 and 34~37). They are set to Low power per FCC regulations.

VOX (Hands-Free Transmission)
Your radio has 5 VOX level settings: (oF/1~5).
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 "1~5" by pressing the buttons and/ push the PTT key, or press the MENU button again to move to the next feature setting.
VOX will be more sensitive on the "1" setting than on the "5" setting.
To turn VOX off, press the MENU button until the display shows "VOX" blinking while on the right of the CHANNEL NUMBER display, a "1~5" icon appears. Select "oF" by pressing the buttons and/ push the PTT key, or press the MENU button again to move to the next feature setting.

SILENT OPERATION
Your GXT860/895 Series has a SILENT OPERATION mode. In this mode, all "beeps" and "tones" are disabled.
To turn the SILENT OPERATION mode on, press the MENU button until the display shows a "bP" icon while on the right of the "bP" display, an "on" icon appears. Select "of" by pressing the buttons/ and push the PTT key or MENU button.
To turn the SILENT OPERATION mode off, press the MENU button until the display shows a "bP" icon while on the right of the "bP" display, an "oF" icon appears. Select "on" by pressing the buttons/ and push the PTT key or MENU button.

ROGER BEEP (end of transmission) TONE
When the PTT button is released, the radio will beep to confirm to other users that your transmission has finished.
To turn the ROGER BEEP tone on, press the MENU button until the display shows an "rb" icon while on the right of the "rb" display, an "oF" icon appears. Select "on" by pressing the buttons and push/ the PTT key, or press the MENU button to move to the next feature setting.
To turn the ROGER BEEP tone off, press the MENU button until the display shows an "rb" icon while on the right of the "rb" display, an "on" icon appears. Select "oF" by pressing the buttons and push/ the PTT key, or press the MENU button to move to the next feature setting.

CALL ALERT SELECTION
Your GXT860 Series has 10 selectable CALL ALERTS (15 for GXT895). To select, press the MENU button until a "CA" icon appears and to the right of the "CA" icon the current CALL ALERT setting is displayed. Then press the buttons to make the CALL ALERT/ selections, and the radio will emit a corresponding tone for each selection. To confirm, press the PTT button or press the MENU button to move to the next feature setting.

VIBRATE ALERT
To turn the VIBRATE ALERT on, press the MENU button until the display shows the VIBRATE ALERT icon blinking, while on the right of the CHANNEL NUMBER, an "oF" icon appears. Select "on" by pressing the buttons and push the PTT button, or press the MENU button. The VIBRATE ALERT icon will remain on the display.
To turn the VIBRATE ALERT off, press the MENU button until the display shows the VIBRATE ALERT icon blinking, while on the right of the CHANNEL NUMBER, an "on" icon appears. Select "oF" by pressing the buttons and push the PTT button, or press the MENU button. The VIBRATE ALERT icon will go off.

NOAA WEATHER RADIO/SCAN
Your GXT860/895 Series has a NOAA WEATHER RADIO function to enable the user to receive weather reports from designated NOAA stations.
Your radio also has a NOAA WEATHER SCAN function, to enable the user to scan all 10 channels of the NOAA WEATHER RADIO.
To turn the NOAA WEATHER SCAN on, press and hold the MENU button for 5 seconds while in GMRS mode. The radio will go to WX Band mode and start scanning all 10 channels and stop on any active channel. When the channel becomes inactive for 10 seconds the radio will resume scanning.
To stop the NOAA WEATHER (WX) SCAN and set the channel manually on the WX Band, press the MENU button during NOAA WEATHER (WX) SCAN.
The radio will stop scanning and the display will show the current WX Band channel setting and the WX Band icon. While in WX Band mode press the buttons to select one of the 10 / NOAA WEATHER (WX) BAND channels. To confirm, press the PTT button or press the MENU button to move to the next feature setting.
To turn the NOAA WEATHER RADIO off, press the PTT button. The current GMRS/FRS radio setting will be displayed and the WX BAND icon will go off.

NOAA WEATHER ALERT
Your radio has a NOAA WEATHER ALERT function, to enable you to automatically receive weather alerts from designated NOAA stations.
The NOAA WEATHER (WX) ALERT is automatically on during NOAA WEATHER SCAN mode.
To turn the NOAA WEATHER (WX) ALERT on during normal NOAA WEATHER RADIO mode, press the MENU button twice while in NOAA WEATHER SCAN mode. The display shows "AL," while on the right an "oF" icon appears blinking. Select "on" by pressing the buttons. To confirm, press the PTT button or press MENU. The radio will return to WX BAND and the WX BAND icon will continue blinking. If the radio receives a WX ALERT signal from a designated NOAA station while in GMRS/FRS Radio mode, the radio will beep for 10 seconds while an "AL" and "In" icon appear on the display, after which it will automatically go to WX BAND.
If any button is pressed while beeping in GMRS/FRS Radio mode, the radio will automatically go to WX BAND.
To turn the NOAA WEATHER (WX) ALERT off, press the MENU button twice while in WX Band. The display shows "AL," while on the right an "on" icon appears blinking. Select "oF" by pressing the buttons. To confirm, press the PTT button or press MENU.

EXTERNAL SPEAKER/MICROPHONE JACK
Your GXT860/895 Series can be used with an optional external speaker / microphone or headset, freeing your hands for other tasks. To use an optional speaker / microphone or headset:

• Insert the plug(s) into the SPK/MIC jacks.
• Place the earbud into your ear, and adjust the mic into your desired position.

Note: You can charge a rechargeable NiMH battery pack thru the CHG Jack.

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

USE AND CARE

1. Use a soft damp cloth to clean the radio.
2. Do not use alcohol or cleaning solutions to clean the radio.
3. Do not immerse the radio in water.
4. Dry the radio with a dry lint-free cloth should it get wet.
5. Turn off the radio and remove the batteries during long-term storage.

If you have a problem which you believe requires service, please call first and speak with a service technician at 816-241-8500. Many problems can be remedied over the phone without returning the unit for service.

SPECIFICATIONS

Channels
42 GMRS/FRS Channels +142 Privacy Codes
10 NOAA Weather (WX) Band Channels
Operating Frequency
UHF 462.5500 ~ 467.7125 MHz
Power Source
4 AA Alkaline or 6.0V Rechargeable NiMH battery pack

GMRS/FRS FREQUENCY CHART (MHz)

* Channels 8~14 are low-power FRS license free channels

NOAA WEATHER (WX) RADIO FREQUENCY CHART (MHz)

* Channel 8, 9 and 10 are designated Canadian Marine Frequencies

PRIVACY CODES FREQUENCY CHART (Hz)

Note: Privacy codes can be programmed for use on Channels 1~22 only

DCS PRIVACY CODE CHART

Note: Privacy codes can be programmed for use on Channels 1~22 only

ACCESSORIES

Accessories can be purchased at www.midlandusa.com or by filling in the form on the following page and mailing it to the address on the form.

TACTICAL HEADSETS

ACCESSORIES ORDER FORM

Please send Money Order or fill in Visa/MasterCard information and mail to the address below. Please DO NOT send cash or checks. Make Money Order payable to Midland Radio Corporation.
Name: Address:
City: State: Zip Code:
Tel: Email:
CC#: Type: Exp.:

Mail To:
Midland Radio Corporation Consumer Dept.
5900 Parretta Drive
Kansas City, MO 64120
Or Call 816.241.8500.
To order online go to
www.midlandusa.com

Sub-Total
Tax (MO, FL, WA only)
S & H $14.95
(Applies to Domestic U.S. only. For Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico S&H will be $36.25 for 1lb and $64.25 for 2lbs or more).
Total $

MIDLAND RADIO CORPORATION
5900 Parretta Drive
Kansas City, MO 64120 Call 816.241.8500
We'd love to hear from you! Let us know what you think of your new Midland product at

or by visiting us at www.midlandusa.com
Note: Features & Specifications are subject to change without notice. MIDLAND is not responsible for unintentional errors or omissions on its packaging.