43-785.fm Page 1 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM Cat. No. 43-785 OWNER’S MANUAL Please read before using this equipment.
43-785.fm Page 2 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM FEATURES Your RadioShack TAD-285 Microcassette Telephone Answering System with Big Button Phone, Memory, and Remote Operation is ideal for your home or office. With its extra loud ringer and big buttons, the system is perfect for anyone who has a hard time hearing or seeing. This telephone answering system is also easy to use and has many special features.
43-785.fm Page 3 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM Touch-Tone or Pulse (Rotary) Dialing — you can use this telephone with either type of service. This answering system has been tested and found to comply with all applicable UL and FCC standards. We recommend you record your answering system’s serial number here. The number is on the bottom of the answering system. Serial Number: Warning: To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose this product to rain or moisture. CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK.
3-785.fm Page 4 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM CONTENTS Installation ............................................................................................................ 5 Selecting a Location ........................................................................................ 5 Loading the Cassette ....................................................................................... 5 Connecting Power .........................................................................................
43-785.fm Page 5 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM INSTALLATION SELECTING A LOCATION You can set the TAD-285 on a flat surface (such as a desktop or countertop), or mount it on a wall plate or directly on the wall. 1. Turn the supplied cassette’s hub with the tip of a pencil to take up any tape slack. Illust. Select a location that is: • Near an AC outlet 2. Lift open the cassette compartment door.
43-785.fm Page 6 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM CONNECTING POWER Use the supplied AC adapter to power your answering system. Cautions: • You must use an AC adapter that supplies 9 volts of power, delivers at least 500 milliamps, and has a plug that properly fits the TAD285’s POWER SOURCE jack. The supplied adapter meets these requirements. Using an adapter that does not meet these specifications could damage the answering system.
43-785.fm Page 7 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM Follow these steps to record the outgoing message. 1. Rotate VOLUME toward HI until it clicks. The red light turns on. Illust. 2. Lift open the cassette compartment door. 3. Press and hold OGM REC/PLAY until the red light turns off, then release the button. The answering system beeps once. Illust. 4. When the red light turns on again, speak clearly in a normal volume from about 12 inches away from the microphone.
43-785.fm Page 8 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM PLACING THE PHONE ON A DESKTOP To use your answering system on a desk, table, or shelf, plug one end of the supplied telephone cord into PHONE JACK and plug the other end into a modular phone jack, then proceed to “Connecting the Handset” on Page 10. Illust. 2. Align the adapter’s power cord with the left slot on the top and bottom of the mounting bracket. Align the modular cord with the right slot on the top of the mounting bracket.
43-785.fm Page 9 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM 5. Plug the exposed end of the cord into a modular phone jack wall plate. Illust. Directly on the Wall Using a drill and screws (not supplied) and the supplied mounting bracket, you can easily mount your TAD-285 directly on the wall. 1. At the desired mounting location, drill two holes 31/4 inches apart, one above the other. Illust. 6.
43-785.fm Page 10 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM 4. Align the adapter’s power cord with the left slot on the top and bottom of the mounting bracket. Align the modular cord with the right slot on the top and bottom of the mounting bracket. 8. Pull the handset holder toward you as far as it will go. Hold it out as you rotate the holder 180°, then let it snap back in place. 5. Insert the mounting bracket’s tabs into the slots on the bottom of the answering system.
43-785.fm Page 11 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM SETTING THE RINGER SWITCH To set the volume of the telephone’s ringer, set the ringer switch on the back of the answering system to LO or HI. To turn off the telephone’s ringer, set the ringer switch to OFF. You can still make out-going calls. If you hear an extension phone ring, you can still answer calls. 1. Set P/T to T. Illust. 2. Pick up the handset and listen for a dial tone. 3. Press any number other than 0.
43-785.fm Page 12 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM ANSWERING SYSTEM OPERATION SETTING THE ANSWERING SYSTEM TO ANSWER CALLS To have the answering system not answer calls, rotate VOLUME to STOP. The red light turns off. Rotate VOLUME toward HI until it clicks. When the red light on the PLAY button stays on without the answering system sounding a tone, the system is ready to answer calls. SETTING THE NUMBER OF RINGS Illust.
43-785.fm Page 13 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM SETTING THE SYSTEM’S VOLUME Adjust the answering system’s VOLUME to a comfortable level. (This does not affect the volume of the message the caller hears.) Illust. SCREENING CALLS To screen calls, let the answering system answer them. Listen to the caller’s message through the answering system’s speaker. If you decide to answer the call, pick up any phone on the same phone line as the answering system.
43-785.fm Page 14 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM The answering system beeps once and the red light turns off. The tape fast-forwards to the end of all the messages and resets to answer calls. The system beeps twice and the red light blinks again. To replay the messages, simply press PLAY again.
43-785.fm Page 15 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM TELEPHONE OPERATION You can make and answer calls with this telephone as you would with any other phone. Read this section to learn about special features. Note: When you receive a call, the telephone rings and the lighted ringer bar flashes. For example, if you subscribe to Call Waiting, you can put your current call on hold and answer another call on the same line by pressing FLASH. Press FLASH again to alternate between the two calls.
43-785.fm Page 16 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM MEMORY DIALING Dialing a Stored Number Your answering system has two types of memory — priority and standard — that let you store and easily dial up to 13 numbers. To dial a number stored in standard memory, press MEMORY, then press the memory location number. The telephone automatically dials the number stored in that location. You can store up to 3 numbers in priority memory and dial them with the press of a single button.
43-785.fm Page 17 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM REMOTE CONTROL OPERATION While you are away from your home or office, you can use a touch-tone phone or a pulse phone with a pocket tone dialer to: • Set the answering system to answer calls • Play your messages • Erase your messages REMOTE ANSWER-ON You can use any remote phone to set the answering system to answer calls if: • The answering system has power. • The cassette is loaded. • The answering system is off.
43-785.fm Page 18 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM ERASING THE MESSAGES If you want to erase the messages after playback, enter the remote operation security code within 8 seconds after the four short beeps at the end of all the messages. After the answering system beeps, hang up the phone. Note: After you erase messages by remote, you cannot recover them (even if you press SAVE as soon as you get back to your answering system).
43-785.fm Page 19 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM TROUBLESHOOTING We do not expect you to have any problems with your answering system, but if you do, be sure you installed the tape correctly and turned on the system. If you still have a problem, this chart might help. If not, take the answering system to your local RadioShack store for assistance. Problem Cause Solution The answering system does not answer and record callers’ messages. The system is turned off.
43-785.fm Page 20 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM Problem Recordings sound distorted. Remote control functions do not work. 20 Cause Solution You were too close to the microphone or you spoke too loudly when you recorded the outgoing message. Rerecord the message. Speak clearly into the microphone at a normal volume from about 12 inches away. The tape head is dirty. Clean the head using a tape head-cleaning kit (see “Cleaning the TapeHandling Parts” on Page 23). The tape is worn out.
43-785.fm Page 21 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM Problem Continuous tone sounds. Cause Solution No outgoing message recorded. Record an outgoing message (see “Recording the Outgoing Message” on Page 6). The cassette tape is jammed or broken. Unplug the adapter from the AC outlet, replace the tape, then plug the adapter back into the AC outlet. Slack in the cassette tape.
43-785.fm Page 22 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM CARE AND MAINTENANCE Your RadioShack TAD-285 Microcassette Telephone Answering System with Big Button Phone, Memory, and Remote Operation is an example of superior design and craftsmanship. The following suggestions will help you care for your answering system so you can enjoy it for years. Keep the answering system dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. Liquids might contain minerals that can corrode the electronic circuits.
43-785.fm Page 23 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM CLEANING THE TAPEHANDLING PARTS Inspect and clean the tape head about every 3 months. Dirt, dust, or particles of the tape's coating can accumulate on the tape heads and other parts that the tape touches. This can greatly reduce the performance of the cassette player. Rotate VOLUME to STOP and remove the cassette. Then gently clean the tape-handling parts with a swab dipped in tape head-cleaning solution, available at your local RadioShack store. Illust.
43-785.fm Page 24 Monday, August 16, 1999 7:54 AM RadioShack Limited Warranty This telephone product is warranted against manufacturing defects in material and workmanship for one (1) year from the date of purchase from RadioShack company owned stores and authorized RadioShack franchisees and dealers. Within this period, RadioShack will repair it without charge for parts and labor. Simply bring your RadioShack sales slip as proof-of-purchase date to any RadioShack store.
