4-1239a.fm Page 1 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM Cat. No. 14-1239 A OWNER’S MANUAL Please read before using this equipment.
14-1239a.fm Page 2 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM FEATURES Your Optimus Stereo Mate SCR-96 AM • FM Stereo Cassette Recorder includes a stereo microphone for recording lectures or live music. Other features include: Automatic Reverse — automatically changes the tape direction at the end of a tape side so you can continuously play both sides of a cassette tape. Tape Direction Control — lets you change the tape’s direction at any time without having to eject the tape and turn it over.
14-1239a.fm Page 3 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM Belt Clip — lets you attach the cassette recorder to your belt for hands-free carrying when you are on the go. Automatic Level Control — automatically sets the correct recording level. Battery Check Indicators — show you the amount of power remaining in the batteries. Note: To listen to your cassette recorder in stereo, you need a pair of headphones or amplified speakers (not supplied) with a 1/8-inch mini-plug.
14-1239a.fm Page 4 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM CONTENTS Preparation ........................................................... 5 Connecting to Power ....................................... 5 Using Battery Power ................................ 5 Using AC Power ....................................... 8 Using Vehicle Battery Power .................... 9 Connecting Headphones or Speakers .......... 11 Listening Safely ...................................... 11 Traffic Safety ...........................
14-1239a.fm Page 5 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM PREPARATION CONNECTING TO POWER You can power your cassette recorder from: • Internal batteries • AC power (using an AC adapter) • Your vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket (using a DC adapter) Using Battery Power To power the cassette recorder from internal batteries, you need two AA batteries. For the best performance and longest life, we recommend RadioShack alkaline batteries. You can also use rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries.
14-1239a.fm Page 6 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM Follow these steps to install batteries. 1. Open the battery compartment cover by pressing down and sliding it in the direction of the arrow on the cover, then lifting open the cover. Caution: The cover is hinged. Do not try to remove it. 2. Put the batteries in the compartment as indicated by the polarity symbols (+ and –) marked outside the compartment. 3. Close the cover.
14-1239a.fm Page 7 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM When the red BATTERY indicator lights during operation, replace both batteries. Warning: Dispose of old batteries promptly and properly. Never burn or bury them. Important: This product is capable of using rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries. At the end of the batteries’ useful life, they must be recycled or disposed of properly.
14-1239a.fm Page 8 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM Using AC Power You can power the cassette recorder using a 3V, 200 mA AC adapter and a size H Adaptaplug® (neither supplied). Both are available at your local RadioShack store. Cautions: You must use a Class 2 power source that supplies 3V DC and delivers at least 200 mA. Its center tip must be set to negative and its plug must fit the cassette recorder's DC3V jack.
14-1239a.fm Page 9 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM Follow these steps to connect the cassette recorder to AC power. 1. Set the adapter’s voltage switch to 3V. 2. Insert the size H Adaptaplug into the adapter’s cord, with the tip set to negative. 3. Insert the plug into the cassette recorder’s DC3V jack. 4. Plug the adapter into a standard AC outlet. Note: Connecting the AC adapter automatically disconnects internal batteries.
14-1239a.fm Page 10 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM not meet these specifications could damage the cassette recorder or the adapter. • Always connect the DC adapter to the cassette recorder before you connect it to the power source. When you finish, disconnect the adapter from the power source before you disconnect it from the cassette recorder. Follow these steps to power the cassette recorder from your vehicle’s battery. 1. Set the adapter’s voltage switch to 3V. 2.
14-1239a.fm Page 11 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM CONNECTING HEADPHONES OR SPEAKERS To listen in stereo, you need a pair of headphones or amplified speakers with a 1/8-inch plug. Your local RadioShack store carries a full line of headphones and speakers. Insert the headphones’ or speakers’ plug into the cassette recorder’s jack. Listening Safely To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when you use headphones. • Set the volume to the lowest setting before you begin listening.
14-1239a.fm Page 12 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM Traffic Safety Do not wear headphones while operating a motor vehicle or riding a bicycle. This can create a traffic hazard and can be illegal in some areas. Even though some headphones are designed to let you hear some outside sounds when listening at normal volume levels, they still can present a traffic hazard. USING THE BELT CLIP The belt clip gives you hands-free carrying convenience.
14-1239a.fm Page 13 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM OPERATION PLAYING THE RADIO 1. To hear monaural sound through the built-in speaker, set E-BASS to SP ON. Note: When you use the built-in speaker, you cannot emphasize low frequencies with E-BASS. To hear stereo sound through headphones or amplified speakers, set E-BASS to OFF. 2. Slide TAPE/RADIO to RADIO. One of the BATTERY indicators lights.
-1239a.fm Page 14 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM 3. Slide BAND to the desired band. Slide it to FM STEREO for stereo sound on FM stations. Notes: • The AM antenna is built-in. Move the cassette recorder to improve AM reception. • If you connect a pair of headphones or amplified speakers, fully uncoil the headphones’ or speakers’ cord for the best FM reception. • To improve reception for weak FM stereo stations, set BAND to FM MONO. The sound will be monaural, but reception should improve. 4.
14-1239a.fm Page 15 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM 5. Adjust VOLUME to the desired listening level. 6. To increase the bass, slide E-BASS to ON. 7. To turn off the radio, slide TAPE/RADIO to TAPE. LOADING A CASSETTE TAPE You can use the recorder to play normal bias, highbias, and metal tapes. However, you can only use normal bias (Type I) tapes for recording. Note: Your recorder comes with a block of foam to protect the cassette recorder’s mechanism during shipment.
14-1239a.fm Page 16 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM 1. Take up any slack in the tape by turning the cassette’s hub with a pencil. Do not touch the exposed tape. 2. Slide OPEN in the direction of the arrow and pull up on the compartment door to open it.
14-1239a.fm Page 17 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM 3. Insert a cassette into the door’s tape guides with the cassette’s open edge facing up and the full reel to the right. 4. Close the cassette compartment door. PLAYING A CASSETTE TAPE 1. Slide TAPE/RADIO to TAPE.
14-1239a.fm Page 18 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM 2. Slide TAPE/OSC (oscillator) to NORMAL for normal bias cassette tapes or to METAL/HIGH (PB) for chrome or metal cassette tapes. TAPE/OSC METAL NORMAL HIGH(PB) 3. Slide DIRECTION to FWD to play the side facing out, or to REV to play the reverse side.
14-1239a.fm Page 19 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM 4. Set the reverse mode switch to choose the automatic reverse option: One-Time Playback ( ): The cassette recorder plays one side of the tape, automatically reverses the tape’s playback direction, plays the reverse side of the tape, then automatically stops. Note: If you set DIRECTION to REV, the cassette recorder plays only the reverse side and stops at the end of that side.
14-1239a.fm Page 20 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM 5. Press PLAY. One of the BATTERY indicators lights, and the tape begins to play. 6. Adjust VOLUME to the desired listening level. 7. To increase the bass, slide E-BASS to ON. 8. To stop the tape, press STOP.
14-1239a.fm Page 21 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM USING FAST FORWARD AND REWIND When the tape is stopped, press wind or fast-forward it. DIRECTION set to To rewind, press or to re- To fastforward, press FWD REV To stop the tape before it reaches the end, press STOP. Note: To protect the tape after the tape has fully wound to either end, press STOP to release fast-forward and rewind. You can press or during playback. The button locks down and you can hear the tape at a faster speed.
14-1239a.fm Page 22 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM RECORDING You can record from the cassette recorder’s radio, or you can use the supplied microphone to make live recordings. 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. Important: To prevent accidental erasure, before using your SCR-96 to record, be sure DIRECTION is set to FWD.
14-1239a.fm Page 23 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM 2. Slide TAPE/RADIO to RADIO. 3. Slide BAND to the desired band. 4. Adjust VOLUME. 5. Rotate TUNING to select a radio station. 6. Be sure DIRECTION is set to FWD, then hold down RECORD and press PLAY so recording starts. Recording continues until the tape reaches the end. To stop recording sooner, press STOP.
14-1239a.fm Page 24 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM Notes: • Set PAUSE to ON to temporarily stop recording. Set PAUSE to OFF to continue recording. • To cue the tape, you can set PAUSE to ON before you press RECORD and PLAY, and set PAUSE to OFF when you are ready to record. 7. After you stop recording, set TAPE/RADIO to TAPE to turn off the radio. Note: During playback of a recorded AM program, you might hear a high-pitched tone or a whistling sound called a “beat.
14-1239a.fm Page 25 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM 1. Load a blank cassette tape (or one you want to record over) into the tape compartment. 2. Connect the microphone to the cassette recorder’s MIC jack. Point the L/R (left/right) elements of the microphone toward the sound source as shown, or clip it to the speaker’s tie. Avoid pointing only one end (L or R) toward the sound source. 3. Set TAPE/RADIO to TAPE. 4.
14-1239a.fm Page 26 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM You can use stereo headphones (not supplied) to monitor the sound while you record. Note: If feedback (noise) occurs during recording, increase the distance between the microphone and the headphones, or turn down the volume. TAPE TIPS Preventing Accidental Erasure Cassettes have two erase-protection tabs — one for each side. When a tab is in place, you can record on that side.
14-1239a.fm Page 27 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 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 the 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.
14-1239a.fm Page 28 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM Restoring Tape Tension and Sound Quality After you play a cassette tape several times, the tape might become tightly wound on the reels. This can cause playback sound quality to deteriorate. To restore the sound quality, fast-forward the tape from the beginning to the end of one side, then completely rewind it. Then loosen the tape reels by gently tapping each side of the cassette’s outer shell on a flat surface.
14-1239a.fm Page 29 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM CARE Your Optimus Stereo Mate SCR-96 AM • FM Stereo 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. • Use only fresh batteries of the recommended size and type. • Handle the recorder gently and carefully.
14-1239a.fm Page 30 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM 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. You should clean the tapehandling parts after about every 20 hours of tape player operation. Your local RadioShack store sells a complete line of cassette deck cleaning supplies. 1. Remove the batteries and disconnect any other power source.
14-1239a.fm Page 31 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM 5. When you finish cleaning, press STOP and close the cassette compartment cover. Then reconnect power. FCC INFORMATION This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
14-1239a.fm Page 32 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM SPECIFICATIONS CASSETTE DECK Tape Speed .................................. 17/8 ips (4.8 cm/s) Wow and Flutter (WRMS) ................................. 0.5% Frequency Response (at –3 dB) ..... 63 Hz to 15 kHz S/N Ratio ........................................................ 47 dB RADIO AM .................................................. 530 to 1710 kHz FM ....................................................
14-1239a.fm Page 33 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 PM GENERAL Power Output ............... 15 mW/Channel at 32 ohms Dimensions (HWD) ............. 35/8 × 43/4 × 15/16 Inches (92 × 119 × 33 mm) Weight (Without Battery) ................................. 6.2 oz (175 g) Specifications are typical; individual units might vary. Specifications are subject to change and improvement without notice.
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14-1239a.fm Page 36 Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:00 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.
