STA-825 DIGITAL SYNTHESIZED AM/FM STEREO RECEIVER (310-2105) Preparation Faxback Doc. # 32769 CAUTION: Do not plug in or turn on the receiver until after you complete all connections for the speakers, audio sources, and antennas. CONNECTING SPEAKERS You can connect two pairs of speakers to the receiver. You can set up both pairs of speakers in a single listening area or you can set up one pair of speakers in your main listening area and another pair in a second listening area. See "Speakers" under "Choosing Other System Components" for information about selecting speakers. Use the information in this section to connect speakers to the receiver. Guidelines for Connecting Speakers. Follow these guidelines when connecting speakers. Be sure your speakers can handle the receiver's maximum power output of 50 watts. Use only speakers with an impedance of 8 to 16 Ohms Connect no more than two pairs of speakers to the receiver. Use 18-gauge speaker wire if your speakers are within 50 feet of the receiver. Use 16-gauge speaker wire for distances greater than 50 feet. Use only the length of wire necessary to connect the speakers. Be sure that stray wire strands from one speaker terminal do not touch another speaker terminal. Speaker Placement The following information will help you determine the best location for your speakers. You might want to experiment with various speaker placements. Maximizing Stereo Effect: For the best stereo effect, place each pair of speakers so the distance between the left and right speaker is the same as the distance between the listening area and the point halfway between the speakers. If the distance between the speakers is greater, you can improve the sound by angling the speakers toward you. Adjusting the Bass: To increase the bass, place the speakers in the corner of the room, against the wall, and/or directly on the floor. To decrease the bass, move the speakers slightly away from the corner, increase the distance between the speakers and the wall, and/or raise the speaker 6 to 8 inches off the floor. You can purchase speaker stands at your local Radio Shack store. Speaker Connections Follow these steps to connect the speakers. 1. Select the location for each speaker, (See "Speaker Placement." Cut the length of speaker wire needed to connect each speaker to the receiver. 2. Prepare the ends of the speaker wire by doing the following: a. Separate the two wire segments for a length of about 4 inches. b. Use a wire stripper to remove about 1/4 inch of insulation from the end of each conductor. c. Twist the ends of each conductor. Be sure that the wire strands of one conductor do not touch any other conductor's wire strands. 3. Connect the correct speaker wire to the terminals on the back of each speaker. Connect one conductor to each speaker terminal. If your speakers have spring-loaded terminals, press the terminal's tab, insert the conductor, and release the tab. If your speakers have another type of connector, see your speakers' owner's manual for instructions for connecting the speaker wire. 4. Connect the speaker wires to the SPEAKERS terminals on the back of the receiver. To connect a conductor to a speaker terminal, press the terminal's tab, insert the conductor, and release the tab. If you are connecting two pairs of speakers, connect one pair to the A SPEAKERS terminals and one pair to the B SPEAKERS terminals. If you are connecting only one pair of speakers, you can use either set of terminals. When connecting a speaker wire, use the wire's color-coding or marking to help you correctly connect the conductors. For example, be sure the conductor that is connected to the speaker's negative (-) terminal is connected to the receiver's negative (-) terminal. This greatly affects the bass. NOTE: Some speakers are marked with + and - signs. Others have a mark or dot next to the positive terminal and no mark for the negative terminal. CONNECTING AUDIO SOURCES You can connect a turntable and a tape deck to the receiver. You can also connect two other audio sources such as a TV, a VCR, or a CD player. See "Choosing Other System Components" for information about selecting components. Use the information in this section to connect components to the receiver. Guidelines for Connecting Audio Sources Use the following guidelines for all connections: Use only shielded audio cable with RCA-type connectors (not supplied). Your local Radio Shack store sells the required cable. Connect each source's left channel output to the receiver's corresponding L input jack. Connect each source's right channel output to the receiver's corresponding R input jack. Connecting a Turntable Connect the turntable to the receiver's PHONO jacks. Connect the turntable's ground wire to the receiver's PHONO GND terminal. NOTE: The turntable must be a type that uses a magnetic cartridge. Connecting a Tape Deck Connect the receiver's TAPE OUT jacks to the tape deck's input jacks. Connect the tape deck's output jacks to the receiver's TAPE IN jacks. Connecting Other Audio Sources Connect the audio outputs of other audio sources, such as a TV, VCR, or CD player, to the TV/VCR or CD/AUX jacks. These two sets of jacks are identical in function, so you can use each of them with any audio source that has standard line outputs. The jack's names help you associate the connections on the back of the receiver with the selector buttons on the front panel. CONNECTING ANTENNAS In many cities, the supplied AM loop antenna and FM linecord antenna provide adequate reception. However, for the best radio reception in any area, use an outdoor antenna. Your local Radio Shack store sells a wide selection of outdoor antennas. AM Antennas - Assemble the antenna's base by swinging the base in the direction of the arrow in the following diagram, then attach the antenna wires to the AM ANT terminal (top two terminals). If the receiver is in a rack or on a shelf and there is no room for the AM loop antenna, hang the antenna as close to the receiver as possible. Or, you can use an outdoor antenna. If the wire between the AM loop antenna and receiver is too short, you can add extra wire. Extra antenna wire is available at your local Radio Shack store. You can also use Radio Shack's shortwave antenna kit, which makes an excellent outdoor AM antenna. Connect the AM antenna wire to the receiver's AM ANT terminal. Use a separate piece of wire to connect the AM ANT GND terminal to an earth ground such as a metal cold-water pipe. FM Antennas - We connected the FM line-cord antenna to the receiver at the factory. It uses the AC power lines to receive FM signals. You can also use a rabbit-ear TV antenna (indoor use only) or a VHF TV antenna for FM reception. To connect the TV antenna to the receiver, you need a VHF/UHF/FM splitter (not included). Radio Shack stores carry a full line of quality outdoor antennas and antenna connection accessories. NOTE: It is best to use 75 Ohm coaxial cable to connect an outdoor antenna to the receiver. To connect an outdoor antenna to the receiver, follow these steps: 1. Disconnect the FM line-cord antenna from the receiver's FM ANT 300 Ohm terminal. 2. If the antenna wire is 75 Ohm coaxial cable, follow this procedure to connect the cable to the receiver: a. With a stripping tool, remove about 1 inch of cable's outer insulation to expose the cable's shielding. Fold back the shielding from the inner insulation. b. Strip off about 1/2 inch of the inner insulation around the center wire. c. Pull the shielding back over the inner insulation and insert both the shielding and wire through the metal clamp connected to the FM ANT GND terminal. Then, connect the center wire to the receiver's FM ANT 75 Ohm terminal and secure the shielding with the GND terminal's metal clamp. CAUTION: The cable's shielding should only touch the GND terminal. 3. If the antenna wire is 300 Ohm twin-lead cable, connect it to the receiver's FM ANT 300 Ohm terminals (bottom two terminals). (BR/EB 4/29/96)