20-219.fm Page 1 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM OWNER’S MANUAL DX-392 PLL ALL-BAND PORTABLE RECEIVER WITH CASSETTE RECORDER Please read before using this equipment. Cat. No.
0-219.fm Page 2 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM FEATURES Your Radio Shack DX-392 PLL AllBand Portable Receiver with Cassette Recorder brings the voices of the world to you. In the 13 international shortwave (SW) bands, you can hear news broadcasts and other programs from sources such as the British Broadcasting Company, Radio Cairo, and Radio Moscow.
20-219.fm Page 3 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM MW Step Setting — lets you choose the correct setting for whatever part of the world you are in. Battery Power Indicator — lets you know when the batteries need to be replaced. AM RF Gain Control — lets you adjust the receiver’s sensitivity when you listen to SW to provide the best possible reception.
20-219.fm Page 4 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM CONTENTS Preparation ............................................................................................................ Setting the MW (AM) Tuning Increment ........................................................... Installing Back-Up Batteries ............................................................................. Connecting to Primary Power ...........................................................................
20-219.fm Page 5 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM Recording....................................................................................................... Recording from the Radio ....................................................................... Recording from the Radio Using the Standby Feature ........................... Recording AM Broadcasts ...................................................................... Recording Using the Built-In Microphone ....................................
20-219.fm Page 6 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM PREPARATION SETTING THE MW (AM) TUNING INCREMENT INSTALLING BACK-UP BATTERIES In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) assigns frequencies for stations in the MW band in 10-kilohertz increments. (In the United States, we commonly call the MW band the AM band.) In Europe and some other parts of the world, MW frequencies are assigned in 9-kilohertz increments.
20-219.fm Page 7 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM 3. Replace the cover, or install additional batteries for primary power as described in “Internal Battery Power.” To check the back-up batteries’ power level, disconnect the receiver from the primary-power source. Then look at the receiver’s display. If it is dim, replace the back-up batteries. CONNECTING TO PRIMARY POWER 3. Replace the cover. To check the primary-power batteries, turn off the receiver.
20-219.fm Page 8 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM receiver or the adapter. Follow these steps to use AC power. least 400 milliamps, and its plug must properly fit the receiver’s DC IN 6V jack. Using an adapter that does not meet these specifications could damage the receiver or the adapter. • To protect your vehicle’s electrical system, be sure the adapter is connected to the cigarette-lighter socket only when it is also connected to the receiver. 1. Set the adapter’s voltage switch to 6V. 2.
20-219.fm Page 9 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM USING THE FOLDING STAND AND MEMO PAD The display shows the band, frequency, and signal strength. (A reading of 7 indicates the strongest signal.) You can position the receiver more securely and possibly improve the sound by resting the receiver on its stand. Lift the latch on the back of the receiver to open the stand.
20-219.fm Page 10 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM 2. Press the number buttons (and decimal button where appropriate) to enter the frequency. If you make a mistake, press C (cancel) to erase the last digit. If you wait more than 15 seconds to press a button, the previous frequency returns to the display and you must begin again at Step 1. 3. Press ENTER. The selected frequency appears. Using the Rotary Dial You can select a higher or lower frequency by turning the ROTARY TUNING knob up or down.
20-219.fm Page 11 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM Tuning with the Arrow Keys To scan for a frequency in one of 13 shortwave bands, press METER. Then press the correct button on the numeric keypad to select the shortwave band. You can select a lower or higher frequency by pressing MANUAL/AUTO or . The frequency changes in the following increments. Band Tuning Increment FM 0.1 MHz LW 9 kHz MW (AM) 9 or 10 kHz (see “Setting the MW (AM) Tuning Increment” on Page 6) SW 0.
20-219.fm Page 12 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM Memory Tuning For easy selection, you can store the frequencies of your favorite stations in memory. You can store up to 18 SW and 18 FM frequencies, and up to 9 frequencies in each of the other bands. Follow these steps to store a frequency into memory. ADJUSTING THE ANTENNA For the best reception, adjust the telescoping antenna for the band you want to listen to. FM — Fully extend the antenna and rotate it for the best reception. 1.
20-219.fm Page 13 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM SW — Fully extend the antenna and point it straight up. ADJUSTING SPECIAL TUNING CONTROLS Several controls affect the receiver’s sound. This section explains how to adjust these controls. CONNECTING AN EXTERNAL ANTENNA To improve SW reception, you can connect a portable external antenna (such as Radio Shack Cat. No. 2781374) directly to the telescoping antenna or you can make an antenna using a shortwave antenna kit (such as Radio Shack Cat. No.
20-219.fm Page 14 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM AM RF Gain The AM RF GAIN control affects signal strength for SW reception. If the signal is weak, turn AM RF GAIN toward MAX . If the sound is distorted, turn AM RF GAIN toward MIN . BFO Switch and BFO Dial Some SW and LW stations transmit in Morse Code using a form of transmission called continuous wave (CW). Some SW stations use a special type of voice transmission called single sideband (SSB).
20-219.fm Page 15 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM If you then want to set the alarm again, press STANDBY. While STANDBY flashes, press ENTER. MAKING A RECORDING LOADING A CASSETTE TAPE 1. Press STOP/EJECT to open the cassette compartment’s door. USING THE SLEEP TIMER 2. Use your finger or a pencil to turn the cassette’s hub and take up any slack. The sleep timer sets the receiver to turn off after a length of time you set, so you can fall asleep as you listen to the receiver. 1.
20-219.fm Page 16 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM USING THE CLOCK RADIO Your receiver has two clocks. We recommend you set the primary clock for local time and the secondary clock for UTC (Coordinated Universal Time — formerly called Greenwich Mean Time), because most shortwave stations announce broadcast times in UTC. 2. Press TIME SET. TIME flashes on the display. The time zone map on the back of the receiver shows the difference in hours between UTC and each time zone.
20-219.fm Page 17 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM Changing the Clock Display set the alarm for the UTC broadcast time, and be sure the display shows the secondary clock. Setting the Alarm 1. Press STANDBY. STANDBY flashes on the display and the current alarm time appears. To change from one clock display to the other, press the right DUAL TIME button. appears or disappears to show you which clock you are viewing. To briefly change the clock display, hold down the left DUAL TIME button.
20-219.fm Page 18 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM PLAYING A CASSETTE TAPE 1. Set STANDBY REC to OFF. 2. Set TAPE SELECT to either NORMAL or CrO 2 according to the type of tape you are going to play. • To temporarily stop playback, press PAUSE . To resume playback, press PAUSE again. • At the end of a tape, the tape motor automatically stops and the selected button (PLAY , RECORD , CUE/FAST-F , or REVIEW/REWIND ) pops up. • To play the other side, turn the cassette tape over. Fast-Forward and Rewind 3.
20-219.fm Page 19 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM RECORDING Recording from the Radio 1. Set STANDBY REC to OFF. 2. Load the cassette tape you want to record on. 3. Set TAPE SELECT to either CrO2 or NORMAL according to the tape you loaded. 4. Tune to the desired station. 5. Adjust VOLUME to a comfortable listening level. Note: The Automatic Level Control automatically adjusts the volume recorded on the tape. to begin 6. Press RECORD recording. PLAY automatically goes down and the RECORD indicator lights.
-219.fm Page 20 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM 6. While STANDBY flashes, enter the starting time of the program you want to ENTER. record. Then press Recording AM Broadcasts STANDBY stops flashing. Note: Be sure the clock display is set to show the desired clock when the alarm time arrives. 7. Load a tape with adequate length for the period you are going to record. For instance, load a C-60 tape for recording a 30-minute program.
20-219.fm Page 21 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM ADDITIONAL FEATURES CONNECTING HEADPHONES Listening Safely To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when you use headphones. • Set the volume to the lowest setting before you begin listening. After you begin listening, adjust the volume to a comfortable level. • Do not volume volume manent For private listening and for stereo sound during FM stereo broadcasts, you can connect optional stereo headphones with a 1/8-inch plug.
20-219.fm Page 22 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM LOCKING THE CONTROLS The lock feature prevents you from accidentally turning the receiver on or off, changing the band or frequency, or selecting front-panel buttons. Set the lock switch to to lock all the front-panel buttons and the ROTARY TUNING dial. You can still adjust VOLUME , TONE, and other controls. Set the switch to the other position to unlock the buttons.
20-219.fm Page 23 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM To convert kHz to MHz, divide by 1,000. For example: 2780 kHz ³ 1000 = 2.780 MHz To convert MHz to meters, divide 300 by the number of MHz. For example: 300 ³ 7.1 MHz = 42.25 meters To convert meters to MHz, divide 300 by the number of meters. For example: 3,800–4,000 kHz: SSB 40 meters: 7,000–7,150 kHz: CW 7,150–7,300 kHz: SSB 20 meters: 14,000–14,200 kHz: CW 14,200–14,350 kHz: SSB 300 ³ 42.25 meters = 7.
20-219.fm Page 24 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM 4,650–4,750 kHz time). 6,545–6,765 kHz Band (in meters) Frequency Range (in MHz) 8,815–9,040 kHz 11,175–11,400 kHz 120 * 2.300–2.495 90 * 3.200–3.400 15,010–15,100 kHz 75 * 3.900–4.000 17,900–18,030 kHz 60 * 4.750–5.060 49 5.900–6.200 41** 7.100–7.350 31 9.400–9.990 25 11.600–12.100 21 13.600–13.800 19 15.100–15.800 16 17.480–17.900 13 21.450–21.750 11 25.600–26.
20-219.fm Page 25 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM 2,500 kHz 5,000 kHz Most stations in this range use CW (Morse code), although some use AM voice transmission for weather broadcasts. 10,000 kHz 15,000 kHz 20,000 kHz CHU in Canada: 7,335 kHz V N G in A u s tr a lia : 4 , 5 0 0 a n d 12,000 kHz Longwave Band The 150–519 kHz range is known as the longwave band. Most stations in this range serve as beacons for aircraft and marine navigation by continuously transmitting their call letters.
20-219.fm Page 26 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM kHz Station Location Remarks 4,755 Imo, Nigeria kHz Imo Regional Radio Station Location Remarks 4,777 Radio/TV Gabon Libreville, Gabon Programs in French 4,795 Radio Nueva America La Paz, Bolivia Programs in Spanish 4,820 Radio Paz y Bien Ambala, Ecuador Programs in Spanish 4,832 Radio Reloj San Jose, Costa Rica Programs in Spanish 4,855 Radio Clube do Para Belem, Brazil Programs in Portugese Page 22.
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20-219.fm Page 32 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM TAPE TIPS AND TECHNIQUES The following suggestions will help you get the best performance from your cassettes and cassette deck. STORING YOUR CASSETTES • Keep them away from excessive dust and dirt. • Do not expose them to moisture or high humidity. • Keep them away from strong magnetic fields that can be generated by other electronic devices (transformers, motors, and so on). • Store them in protective plastic containers.
20-219.fm Page 33 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM driver. If you wish to protect Side B (or 2), remove the Side B (or 2) tab. To record on the tape again, place a piece of strong plastic tape over the erase-protection tab holes. Note: Removal of the erase-protection tab does not prevent a bulk eraser from erasing the tape. Caution: When using a cassette that has had the erase-protection tabs broken off, do not try to force down RECORD . Doing so might damage the recording mechanism.
20-219.fm Page 34 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM CLEANING THE TAPE MECHANISM After repeated use, dust, lint and tape oxides accumulate on the tape-handling mechanisms. For the best performance and sound quality, clean the record/play heads, pinch rollers, capstans, and erase head after approximately every 20 hours of use. You can use recorder cleaner and cleaning swabs or a convenient head-cleaner cassette. All these cleaning products are available at your local Radio Shack store.
20-219.fm Page 35 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM TROUBLESHOOTING Your receiver should give you years of trouble-free service if you follow the instructions given in this manual. If you have problems, the chart below might help. Problem Weak or intermittent sound. If you still have problems after following the suggestions below, take the receiver to your local Radio Shack storefor assistance. Cause • The primary-power batteries are weak. • Antenna needs adjusting. • Metal is blocking the signal.
20-219.fm Page 36 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM RESETTING THE RADIO If the radio displays random characters or the display does not work properly, you might need to reset it. Important: This procedure clears all information you stored in the radio’s memory. Reset the radio only when you are sure it is not working properly. 1. Remove the battery compartment’s cover by pushing the cover in the direction of the arrow. 2.
20-219.fm Page 37 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM MAINTENANCE CARING FOR THE RECEIVER Your Radio Shack DX-392 PLL AllBand Portable Receiver with Cassette Recorder is an example of superior design and craftsmanship. The following suggestions will help you care for your receiver so you can enjoy it for years. Use only fresh batteries of the recommended size and type. Never leave dead or weak batteries in the receiver. They might leak chemicals that can damage the receiver. Keep the receiver dry.
20-219.fm Page 38 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM SPECIFICATIONS Circuit: FMHeterodyne LW/MW/SWDual-Conversion erodyne Het- Frequency Range: FM87.5–108 MHz LW150–519 kHz MW520–1,710 kHz SW1.711–29.999 MHz SW Sub-Bands: 2.300 – 2.495 MHz (120 meters) 11.600 – 12.100 MHz (25 meters) 3.200 – 3.400 MHz (90 meters) 13.570 – 13.870 MHz (21 meters) 3.900 – 4.000 MHz (75 meters) 15.100 – 15.800 MHz (19 meters) 4.750 – 5.060 MHz (60 meters) 17.480 – 17.900 MHz (16 meters) 5.900 – 6.200 MHz (49 meters) 21.
20-219.fm Page 39 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM Battery Life (Alkaline Batteries): Back-Up (Radio Off).................................................................... Up to 375 Days Primary............................................. 75 Hours Continuous Operation @ 50 mW Dimensions (HWD) ............................71/2 ¥ 117/8 ¥ 27/8 Inches (192 ¥ 300 ¥ 75 mm) Weight.................................................................... 3.2 lbs (1.
20-219.fm Page 40 Wednesday, August 4, 1999 9:23 AM Limited Ninety-Day Warranty This product is warranted by Radio Shack against manufacturing defects in material and workmanship under normal use for ninety (90) days from the date of purchase from Radio Shack company-owned stores and authorized Radio Shack franchisees and dealers.
