4-1120.fm Page 1 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM Cat. No. 14-1120 OWNER’S MANUAL Please read before using this equipment.
14-1120.fm Page 2 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM FEATURES Your Optimus CTR-114 Auto-Reverse Voice-Activated Cassette Recorder offers the greatest convenience in recording technology. You can have recording begin and end according to the sound level in a room, which gives you hands-free operation while recording. The CTR-114’s microphone is sensitive enough for the boardroom, a seminar, or a lecture hall. And it’s small enough to fit in your briefcase or purse, so it can go wherever you go.
14-1120.fm Page 3 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM Playback Speed Control — lets you adjust the playback speed of your tape. Built-in Microphone — lets you make quality recordings without having to use an external microphone. External Microphone Jack — lets you connect an optional external microphone for unidirectional recording, reducing background noise. One-Touch Recording — lets you start recording with the press of a button.
14-1120.fm Page 4 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM Tape Counter — helps you quickly find a specific section on the cassette. It resets with the touch of a button. Automatic Level Control — automatically sets the correct recording level. Three Power Sources — let you power your cassette recorder from internal batteries (not supplied), standard AC power (with an optional AC adapter), or your vehicle’s battery (with an optional DC adapter).
14-1120.fm Page 5 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM CONTENTS Preparation ........................................................... 6 Connecting Power .......................................... 6 Using Battery Power ................................ 6 Using AC Power ...................................... 9 Using Vehicle Battery Power ................. 11 Connecting an Earphone .............................. 13 Listening Safely ..................................... 14 Traffic Safety ......................
14-1120.fm Page 6 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM PREPARATION CONNECTING POWER You can power your CTR-114 from: • internal batteries • AC power (with an optional AC adapter) • vehicle battery power (with an optional DC adapter) Note: Connecting an adapter automatically disconnects internal batteries. Using Battery Power You can power the CTR-114 with two AA batteries (not supplied). For the best performance and longest life, we recommend alkaline batteries, such as RadioShack Cat. No. 23-557.
14-1120.fm Page 7 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM Cautions: • Use only fresh batteries of the required size and recommended type. • Do not mix old and new batteries, different types of batteries (standard, alkaline, or rechargeable), or rechargeable batteries of different capacities. Follow these steps to install batteries. 1. Press down and slide the battery compartment cover in the direction of the arrow, then lift open the cover. 2.
14-1120.fm Page 8 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM The CTR-114 has three colored battery indicators which show how much power is left in the batteries. The battery indicators light when you press STOP, or . PLAY, RECORD, BATTERY Indicators Green ➜ F (full) Orange ➜ M (medium) Red L (low) When the red (L) battery indicator lights, replace both batteries. Caution: Always dispose of old batteries promptly and properly. Do not burn or bury them.
14-1120.fm Page 9 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM Important: This product is capable of using rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries. At the end of a nickel cadmium battery’s useful life, it must be recycled or disposed of properly. Contact your local, county, or state hazardous waste management authorities for information on recycling or disposal programs in your area.
14-1120.fm Page 10 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM • Be sure you connect the adapter to the cassette recorder before you plug it into the AC outlet, and unplug the adapter from the AC outlet before you unplug it from the cassette recorder. Follow these steps to connect the cassette recorder to AC power. 1. Set the adapter’s voltage switch to 3V. 2. Insert the adapter’s 3.4 mm outer diameter/1.3 mm inner diameter barrel plug into the adapter’s cord, with the tip set to negative. 3.
14-1120.fm Page 11 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM Using Vehicle Battery Power To power the recorder from your vehicle’s battery, you need a DC adapter, such as Cat. No. 270-1562. Cautions: • You must use a DC adapter that supplies at least 3 volts DC power and delivers at least 400 mA. Its center tip must be set to negative, and its barrel plug must properly fit the recorder’s DC 3V jack. The recommended adapter meets these specifications.
14-1120.fm Page 12 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM Follow these steps to power the cassette recorder from your vehicle’s battery. 1. Set the adapter’s voltage switch to 3V. 2. Insert the adapter’s 3.4 mm outer diameter/1.3 mm inner diameter barrel plug into the adapter’s cord, with the tip set to negative. 3. Insert the plug into the cassette recorder’s DC 3V jack. 4. Plug the other end of the adapter into the vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket.
14-1120.fm Page 13 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM CONNECTING AN EARPHONE 1 You can use an optional earphone with a /8-inch (3.5-mm) plug to listen to a tape in privacy. Insert the earphone’s plug into the cassette recorder’s EAR jack. Notes: • You can also use an earphone during recording to listen to what the recorder is picking up through the internal or an external microphone. (See “Recording” on Page 18.) • Your local RadioShack store carries a wide selection of earphones.
-1120.fm Page 14 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM Listening Safely To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when you use an earphone. • Rotate the volume to the lowest setting before you begin listening. After you begin listening, adjust the volume to a comfortable level. • Do not listen at extremely high volume levels. Extended high-volume listening can lead to permanent hearing loss. • Once you set the volume, do not increase it.
14-1120.fm Page 15 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM CONNECTING AN EXTERNAL MICROPHONE You can connect an external microphone (not sup1 plied) with a /8-inch (3.5-mm) plug to the recorder’s MIC jack. Connecting an external microphone automatically disconnects the built-in microphone. Note: Your local RadioShack store sells a variety of microphones.
14-1120.fm Page 16 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM ATTACHING THE WRIST STRAP Attach the supplied wrist strap to the CTR-114 to make it easier to carry and to reduce the risk of accidentally dropping it. Thread the strap’s small loop around the metal pin on the corner of the CTR-114. Then insert the opposite end of the strap through the slim loop and pull it until the slim loop tightens around the metal pin.
14-1120.fm Page 17 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM OPERATION You can use the recorder to play normal bias, highbias, and metal tapes. However, you should only use normal bias (Type I) tapes for recording. If you record on metal or high-bias tapes, the recorded sound will not erase properly. LOADING A CASSETTE TAPE 1. Take up any slack in the tape by turning the cassette’s hub with a pencil. Do not touch the exposed tape. 2. Lift open the cassette compartment door.
14-1120.fm Page 18 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM 3. Insert a cassette into the door’s tape guides with the cassette’s open edge facing up. 4. Close the door. RECORDING You can record using the built-in microphone or an optional external microphone. For the best performance, use any normal bias (Type I) tape up to 90 minutes long. We do not recommend 120-minute tapes because they are thin and can easily tangle.
14-1120.fm Page 19 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM • If you want to record on only one side of a tape, load the tape so the side you want to record on faces inside the cassette compartment, set DIRECTION to REV, then start the recording. Caution: If you load a cassette with the erase-protection tabs broken off, do not try to force down RECORD. This can damage the recording mechanism. (See “Preventing Accidental Erasure” on Page 29.) Follow these steps to record. 1.
14-1120.fm Page 20 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM 3. To record specific voices without background interference, slide VOICE ZOOM to ON. The CTR114 cuts off higher and lower frequency signals (background noise) and enhances the midrange. 4. Slide REC SPEED to NORM for normal recording, or to EXT for extended recording (twice the normal recording time). At the EXT setting, the recorder puts the recording in half the space used during normal speed.
14-1120.fm Page 21 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM 5. Set VOX to OUT if you want to manually start and stop recording. Or, set VOX to IN to use voiceactivated recording. At the VOX setting, recording begins when the recorder picks up sound and stops a few seconds after the sound stops. Hint: The voice-activated feature saves power and tape if there are long or frequent pauses in the material you are recording. 6. Press RECORD when you want to begin recording. RECORD and PLAY automatically lock down.
14-1120.fm Page 22 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM If VOX is set to OUT, recording begins immediately. If VOX is set to IN, recording begins when the recorder picks up sound. Note: To pause recording, slide PAUSE in the direction of the arrow. To resume recording, slide PAUSE to the other position. 7. If you set VOX to IN, adjust VOX SENS to set the sound level at which recording begins. When you adjust VOX SENS higher, softer sounds start VOX recording.
14-1120.fm Page 23 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM Notes: • The CTR-114 records on one side of the tape, automatically reverses the tape’s direction, records on the reverse side of the tape, then automatically stops. • You can use an earphone (not supplied) to monitor a recording in progress. 8. To stop recording before it automatically stops, press STOP. PLAYING A CASSETTE TAPE 1. Switch DIRECTION to FWD to play the side of the cassette facing out, or to REV to play the side facing in.
14-1120.fm Page 24 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM 2. Set the auto reverse switch in the cassette compartment to either one-time or continuous playback. One-Time Playback: plays one side of the tape to its end, then automatically reverses the tape’s playback direction, plays the reverse side of the tape, then automatically stops. Notes: • If you set DIRECTION to REV, the cassette recorder plays only the reverse side and stops at the end of that side.
14-1120.fm Page 25 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM 3. Press PLAY tape plays. . The button locks down and the Note: Slide REC SPEED to NORM for tapes that have been prerecorded on other recorders or recorded with the normal record setting on this recorder. Or slide REC SPEED to EXT for tapes that have been recorded with the extended record setting on this recorder. 4. Turn PLAY BACK SPEED toward FAST to play the tape more quickly or toward SLOW to play it more slowly.
14-1120.fm Page 26 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM 5. Adjust VOLUME to the desired listening level. 6. To stop the tape, press STOP. Note: To stop play momentarily, slide PAUSE in the direction of the arrow. Slide PAUSE to the other position to resume play.
14-1120.fm Page 27 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM Using Fast Forward and Rewind When the tape is stopped, press wind or fast-forward it. DIRECTION setting To rewind, press or to re- To fastforward, press FWD REV To stop the tape, press STOP. Note: The CTR-114 does not automatically stop when it reaches the end of the tape. To protect the tape after the tape has fully wound to either end, press STOP to release fast-forward or rewind.
14-1120.fm Page 28 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM You can also hold down or during playback to help you locate a specific portion of the tape (for example, if you are listening for a particular speech, statement or other audio cue). While holding it down, you hear the tape at a faster speed. To return to normal playback, release the button. USING THE TAPE COUNTER You can use the tape counter to note different positions or locations on your tape during recording or playback.
14-1120.fm Page 29 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM TAPE TIPS Erasing Tapes If you record on a previously recorded tape, you replace the old recording with the new one. If you need to quickly erase an entire tape, you might prefer to use a bulk eraser (available at your local RadioShack store). Note: If you use metal or high-bias type tape, the recorded sound may not be erased properly. Preventing Accidental Erasure Cassettes have two erase-protection tabs — one for each side.
14-1120.fm Page 30 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM If you later decide to record on a tape side after you have removed its erase-protection tab, place a piece of strong plastic tape over that side’s erase-protection hole. Be sure you cover only the hole originally covered by the erase-protection tab. Caution: Removing the erase-protection tabs does not prevent a bulk tape eraser from erasing a cassette tape.
14-1120.fm Page 31 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM CARE AND MAINTENANCE Your Optimus CTR-114 Auto-Reverse Voice-Activated Cassette Recorder is an example of superior design and craftsmanship. The following suggestions will help you care for the cassette recorder so you can enjoy it for years. • Keep the recorder dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. Liquids might contain minerals that can corrode the electronic circuits. • Use and store the recorder only in normal temperature environments.
14-1120.fm Page 32 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM Modifying or tampering with the recorder’s internal components can cause a malfunction and might invalidate the recorder’s warranty. If your recorder is not performing as it should, take it to your local RadioShack store for assistance. CLEANING THE TAPE-HANDLING PARTS Dirt, dust, or particles of the tape’s coating can accumulate on the tape heads and other parts the tape touches. This can greatly reduce the performance of the cassette recorder.
14-1120.fm Page 33 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM 4. Use a cotton swab dipped in denatured alcohol or tape head cleaning solution to clean the record/playback head, pinch rollers, tape guides, and capstans. Tape Guides Erase Heads Capstans Record/Playback Head Pinch Rollers 5. When you finish cleaning, press STOP and close the cassette compartment door. Then reconnect power. Your local RadioShack store sells a complete line of cassette recorder cleaning supplies.
14-1120.fm Page 34 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM SPECIFICATIONS CASSETTE DECK Tape System .............. 2-track, monophonic cassette 7 Tape Speed ...................................1 /8 ips (4.8 cm/s) Wow and Flutter (WRMS) ................................. 0.2% Frequency Response (at –3 dB) ..... 250 Hz to 8 kHZ S/N Ratio ........................................................ 30 dB Erasing System ................................................... DC Recording System ............................
14-1120.fm Page 35 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM GENERAL Power Output ............... 15 mW/Channel at 32 ohms 1 5 1 Dimensions (HWD) .............. 4 /2 × 3 /8 × 1 /2 Inches (112.4 × 89.8 × 37.6 mm) Weight (without battery) .................................. 7.2 oz (206 g) Specifications are typical; individual units might vary. Specifications are subject to change and improvement without notice.
14-1120.fm Page 36 Wednesday, January 19, 2000 4:27 PM Limited Ninety-Day Warranty This product is warranted by RadioShack against manufacturing defects in material and workmanship under normal use for ninety (90) days from the date of purchase from RadioShack company-owned stores and authorized RadioShack franchisees and dealers.