9-1125.fm Page 1 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM Cat. No. 19-1125 OWNER’S MANUAL HTX-212 Two-Meter Mobile Transceiver Please read before using this transceiver.
19-1125.fm Page 2 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM INTRODUCTION Your HTX-212 Two-Meter Mobile Transceiver is an exciting addition to Radio Shack’s growing line of high-quality amateur radio equipment. It offers some of the most advanced, and most requested, features available in a mobile transceiver. Be sure to read this entire manual to understand how to use all the radio’s features.
19-1125.fm Page 3 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM Extended Band Coverage — receives from 136 to 174 MHz and lets you extend transmit coverage to include 2-Meter ham, MARS (Military Amateur Radio Service), and CAP (Civil Air Patrol). Dual VFO (Variable-Frequency Oscillator) and Duplex Modes— two independent VFOs let you quickly select between two directly-entered frequencies. You can also use one of the VFOs as a repeater input frequency and the other as a repeater output frequency for odd-split repeaters.
19-1125.fm Page 4 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM CONTENTS INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Unpacking the Transceiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Connecting the Microphone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Mounting the HTX-212 in a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Connecting an Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19-1125.fm Page 5 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM ADVANCED OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Frequency Offset Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Changing the Default Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Reversing the Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Overriding the Duplex Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19-1125.fm Page 6 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM INSTALLATION UNPACKING THE TRANSCEIVER As you unpack the transceiver, check to be sure you have all the items shown in this illustration. CONNECTING THE MICROPHONE Plug the microphone’s connector into the microphone jack and clip the microphone to the holder.
19-1125.fm Page 7 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM MOUNTING THE HTX-212 IN A VEHICLE When you select a mounting location for the HTX-212, be sure: • You can easily reach it • No wires or cables will interfere with the vehicle’s operation • It is not directly in front of heating vents • All wires will reach their connection points Cautions: • Install the transceiver only in a vehicle that has a 12-volt, negative-ground electrical system.
19-1125.fm Page 8 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM CONNECTING AN ANTENNA You can connect a variety of antennas for both mobile and base-station use (see “Using the HTX-212 as a Base Station” on Page 10). Each type of antenna has its benefits. Choose the one that best meets your needs. When deciding on a mobile or base-station antenna and its location, consider the following: • The antenna should be as high as possible on your vehicle or house.
19-1125.fm Page 9 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM CONNECTING TO YOUR VEHICLE’S POWER Follow these steps to power the HTX-212 in your vehicle. 1. Connect the black wire to your vehicle battery’s negative (–) terminal or to a metal part of the vehicle’s frame. Be sure the metal part is not insulated from the vehicle’s frame by a plastic part. 2. Connect the red wire to a source of voltage that turns on and off with the ignition and that can handle the transceiver’s 10-amp maximum power draw.
19-1125.fm Page 10 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM USING THE HTX-212 AS A BASE STATION Although we designed the HTX-212 primarily for use as a mobile transceiver, you can also use it as a base station. To do so, you need these items: • 13.8-Volt DC regulated power supply that can supply at least 10 amps continuous power • Base station antenna • 50-ohm coaxial antenna cable and connectors Follow these steps to connect the HTX-212 as a base station. 1.
19-1125.fm Page 11 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM USING THE HTX-212 WITH PACKET RADIO You can connect your HTX-212 directly to a packet radio terminal node controller, as shown below.
19-1125.fm Page 12 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM CONNECTING AN EXTERNAL SPEAKER (OPTIONAL) You can connect an external speaker to your HTX-212. Use an 8-Ohm communications or PA speaker that can handle 5 or more watts of power (such as Radio Shack Cat. No. 21-549). The speaker’s 1 cable must end in a /8-inch plug. Simply plug the speaker cable into the HTX-212’s EXT. SP jack.
19-1125.fm Page 13 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM UNDERSTANDING THE HTX-212 This section explains some of the HTX-212’s features. See “Basic Operation” which starts on Page 17 for instructions about how to use these features. DUAL VFO MODES The VFO (Variable-Frequency Oscillator) modes let you directly select a frequency anywhere within the HTX-212’s operating range. Your HTX-212 has two VFOs: VFO-A and VFO-B.
19-1125.fm Page 14 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM SUBAUDIBLE TONE (CTCSS) FEATURES Subaudible tones, also known as CTCSS (Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System) are low-frequency tones that are mixed with a transmission. They are used by many repeaters to limit interference from other nearby radio transmitters. When a repeater uses a subaudible tone, it does not react to any transmission that does not include that tone. Your HTX-212 includes all 38 standard subaudible tones.
19-1125.fm Page 15 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM UNDERSTANDING THE DISPLAY One or more of the following indicators appear when you turn on and use your HTX-212. VFO-A or VFO-B — appears when you select one of the VFO modes. See “Dual VFO Modes” on Page 13. VFO-A-T VFO-B — appears when you select the DUP-A mode (transmit on VFO-A and receive on VFO-B). See “Using the Dual VFOs for Duplex Operation” on Page 27. VFO-A VFO-B-T — appears when you select the DUP-B mode (receive on VFOA and transmit on VFO-B).
19-1125.fm Page 16 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM + or – — indicates the duplex offset direction. See “Overriding the Duplex Offset” on Page 27. DTMF — appears when you turn on DTMF squelch. See “Using DTMF Page” on Page 32. BUSY — appears when the HTX-212 is receiving a transmission. See “Receiving Transmissions” on Page 23. ON-AIR — appears when you transmit. See “Transmitting” on Page 24. — appears when you turn on the Channel 1 alarm.
19-1125.fm Page 17 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM BASIC OPERATION TURNING ON/OFF YOUR HTX-212 To turn your HTX-212 on or off, press POWER. When you turn it on, all display elements briefly turn on and the HTX-212 sounds three tones. Then it returns to the last-used settings. RESETTING THE HTX-212 When you first use your HTX-212, if it displays PLL Err or EEP Err, or if you ever want to reset the HTX-212 to the factory defaults and clear all memory, follow these steps.
19-1125.fm Page 18 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM To expand the transmit frequency coverage, hold down F+DTMF while you turn on the HTX-212. The new frequency ranges are: VFO* Mode: Memory Channels: Transmit: Receive: Transmit: Receive: 143.000 – 149.000 MHz 136.000 – 174.000 MHz 143.000 – 149.000 MHz 143.000 – 149.000 MHz * VFO (Variable-Frequency Oscillator) modes let you scan or select any frequency within the range. Note: To return to the default frequency ranges, you must reset the transceiver.
-1125.fm Page 19 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM LOCKING THE CONTROLS To lock the controls on the microphone (except the push-to-talk button), slide LOCK ON to the right. This does not lock the HTX-212’s front panel controls. To lock all controls except POWER, VOLUME, SQUELCH, and the pushto-talk button, press F then LOCK. LOCK appears on the display. To unlock the controls, press F then LOCK again. SELECTING A FREQUENCY You can use any of three methods to select a frequency.
19-1125.fm Page 20 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM Tuning to a Frequency 1. Press VFO to select either VFO-A or VFO-B. 2. Rotate TUNE, or press UP or DOWN on the microphone, to step through the frequencies. Notes: • You can set the HTX-212 to step in 5, 10, 12.5, 20, 25, 50, or 100 kHz increments. The default is 20 kHz. See “Setting the Frequency Step” on Page 21. • To step in 1 MHz increments, press MHz. Press MHz again to return to the previous frequency step.
19-1125.fm Page 21 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM SETTING THE FREQUENCY STEP The factory default frequency step is 20 kHz. Each time you rotate TUNE one click, or press UP or DOWN on the microphone, the frequency changes by 20 kHz. When scanning, the HTX-212 scans up or down 20 kHz per step. Follow these steps to change the frequency step. 1. Press VFO. 2. Press F then STEP. The HTX-212 displays St and the current frequency step. 3.
19-1125.fm Page 22 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM Setting the Scan Resume Condition When you scan VFO frequencies or frequencies you stored in memory, the HTX-212 stops at any signal strong enough to break squelch. The HTX-212 is preset to ti, meaning it resumes scanning in 10 seconds, even if the signal continues. Follow these steps to change the scan resume condition. 1. Press VFO. 2. Hold F for at least 1 second. FUNC flashes. 3. Press MR. The HTX-212 displays SC and the current option.
19-1125.fm Page 23 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM Setting the Scanning Range When you scan in a VFO mode, the HTX-212 only scans those frequencies within a selected range. The factory default scanning range is 144.0 to 148.0 MHz. Follow these steps to change the scanning range. 1. Press VFO. 2. Hold F for at least 1 second. FUNC flashes. 3. Press MR. 4. Repeatedly press s until the HTX-212 displays SL and the current lower scan limit. 5.
19-1125.fm Page 24 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM TRANSMITTING ! Caution: It is illegal to transmit if you do not have a Technician Class (or higher) license issued by the FCC. 1. Select the desired frequency. Note: If you select a repeater frequency, the HTX-212 displays + or – to show the offset direction. To operate with no offset (simplex) on that frequency, press SHIFT until neither + nor – appears. 2. Press LOW so LOW appears on the display. This selects the low power (10 watt) setting. 3.
19-1125.fm Page 25 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM Limiting Transmit Duration When you communicate on the 2-meter band, you should keep your transmissions as brief as possible. Most repeaters have built-in timers that limit single transmissions to 3 minutes or less. You can set the transceiver to stop transmitting and sound a beep if a single transmission exceeds 3 minutes. Follow these steps to turn the transmission time-out option on or off. 1. Press VFO. 2. Hold F for at least 1 second. FUNC flashes.
19-1125.fm Page 26 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM ADVANCED OPERATION FREQUENCY OFFSET DEFAULTS When you select a frequency, the HTX-212 defaults to the following frequency offsets: Receive Frequency 144.600 to 144.910 MHz 144.910 to 145.210 MHz 145.210 to 145.510 MHz 145.510 to 146.010 MHz 146.010 to 146.380 MHz 146.380 to 146.610 MHz 146.610 to 147.000 MHz 147.000 to 147.400 MHz 147.400 to 147.600 MHz 147.600 to 148.
19-1125.fm Page 27 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM Overriding the Duplex Offset When you tune to a frequency, the HTX-212 automatically selects either simplex operation, or duplex operation with the correct offset direction. To override this setting, press SHIFT. Each time you press SHIFT, the offset switches between +, –, and no offset. The setting returns to the default if you change frequencies or turn off the HTX-212.
19-1125.fm Page 28 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM USING MEMORY CHANNELS Your HTX-212 has 31 memory channels (one calling-frequency memory and 30 standard memory channels). See “Using DTMF and Subaudible Tones” on Page 31 for explanations of the subaudible tone features. USING THE CALLING-FREQUENCY MEMORY With the press of a button, you can immediately select the settings stored in the calling-frequency memory.
19-1125.fm Page 29 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM USING THE STANDARD MEMORY CHANNELS The HTX-212 has 30 standard memory channels where you can store frequently-used frequencies, along with duplex and subaudible tone settings, for quick access. Storing a Frequency 1. Press VFO and tune to a frequency you want to store. Set all duplex and subaudible tone settings, (see “Using Subaudible Tones” on Page 33), and the transmit power setting. 2. Press F.
19-1125.fm Page 30 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM Tuning to a Memory Channel 1. Press MR. 2. Rotate M-CH, or press UP or DOWN on the microphone, to select the desired memory channel. Checking Priority Channel 1 To have the HTX-212 periodically “look back” at Memory Channel 1 to check for a transmission, press F then ALM. appears on the display. The HTX-212 looks back at Memory Channel 1 every 4, 8, 12, or 16 seconds.
19-1125.fm Page 31 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM USING DTMF AND SUBAUDIBLE TONES Your HTX-212 has seven DTMF (Dual-Tone, Multiple Frequency— another name for touch tones) memories where you can store DTMF sequences. DTMF Memory 0 can hold a seven-digit DTMF paging sequence your HTX-212 must receive for DTMF paging. DTMF Memories 1-6 each hold 15 digits you can quickly transmit. STORING A DTMF SEQUENCE 1. Hold down F for at least 1 second. FUNC flashes. 2. Press DTMF.
19-1125.fm Page 32 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM USING DTMF PAGE DTMF page lets other operators page you through your HTX-212. To turn on DTMF page, press DTMF so DTMF appears on the display. The HTX212 does not pass any transmission to the speaker until it receives the DTMF sequence you stored in DTMF Memory 0. If DTMF Memory 0 is empty, DTMF page does not operate. When you receive a DTMF page, the HTX-212 turns on the speaker and turns off DTMF page.
19-1125.fm Page 33 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM Using Auto-Reply If you turn on the auto-reply feature, the HTX-212 automatically sends the sequence stored in the currently-selected DTMF memory when it receives a DTMF page. Follow these steps to turn on auto-reply. 1. Press VFO. 2. Hold F for at least 1 second. FUNC flashes. 3. Press MR. The HTX-212 displays the first configuration menu item. 4. Repeatedly press s to select the Ar option.
19-1125.fm Page 34 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM Setting the Subaudible Tones Some repeaters require you to transmit a subaudible tone with your transmission. You can also set a tone that must accompany transmissions for your HTX-212 to open squelch. Follow these steps to set the subaudible tones for the VFO mode. After you set the tones, you must activate the function to turn it on. Changing this setting does not change the tones stored in any memory channel. 1. Hold F for at least 1 second.
19-1125.fm Page 35 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM USING THE MENU Your HTX-212 has a menu that lets you select the way some of its functions work. The previous sections have included procedures that access this menu—this section provides an overview. Follow these steps to use the menu: 1. Press VFO. 2. Hold F for at least 1 second. FUNC flashes. 3. Press MR. The first menu item appears. 4. Press s or t to select the desired menu option. 5.
19-1125.fm Page 36 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM TROUBLESHOOTING ERROR CODES Your HTX-212 has the following three built-in error codes. tF Err— appears if you try to transmit outside the allowed range (see “Extending the Transmit Frequency Range” on Page 17). PLL Err —appears if the HTX-212’s PLL (phase-locked loop) section malfunctions. If turning the HTX-212 off then back on does not correct this error, take it to your local Radio Shack store to arrange for service.
19-1125.fm Page 37 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM REPLACING THE FUSE Your HTX-212 (and vehicle) are protected by a 15-amp fuse in the HTX212’s positive (red) power wire. If the HTX-212 does not turn on, even when you are sure the power wire is properly connected to a 12V DC power source, check the fuse and replace it, if necessary. 1. Snap open the in-line fuse holder. 2. Remove the fuse from the holder, and slide the fuse out of the end connectors. 3.
19-1125.fm Page 38 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM SPECIFICATIONS GENERAL Frequency Range (Factory) Transmit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144.600 – 148 MHz Receive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136.000 – 174.000 MHz Frequency Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5/10/12.5/20/25/50/100 kHz Frequency Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ±10 ppm Antenna Impedance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19-1125.fm Page 39 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM TRANSMITTER RF Power Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 W(high)/10 W(Low) Maximum Deviation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 kHz Hum and Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Better than 35 dB Audio Distortion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3% (TX) Audio Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19-1125.
19-1125.
19-1125.
19-1125.
19-1125.fm Page 44 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 9:47 AM RADIO SHACK LIMITED WARRANTY This product is warranted against defects for 1 year from date of purchase from Radio Shack company-owned stores and authorized Radio Shack franchisees and dealers. Within this period, we will repair it without charge for parts and labor. Simply bring your Radio Shack sales slip as proof of purchase date to any Radio Shack store. Warranty does not cover transportation costs.
