DX-394 Communications Receiver (200-0224) Preparation Faxback Doc. # 31583 When you are deciding where to set up the receiver, you should consider: LOCATION. You will spend many hours listening to your receiver; be sure it is placed where you can enjoy it at any time. This receiver is primarily designed for use in the home as a base station. You can place it on a desk, shelf, or table. ANTENNA. For maximum performance, you need an optional, external long wire antenna, such as a short wave antenna that will be mounted outside. GROUNDING. For safety, you should connect a ground wire to the receiver. This requires running a ground wire from the ground screw connection on the back of the receiver to a ground connection, such as a metal cold water pipe or metal pipe driven into the earth. Your receiver's front feet fold up or down. Adjust them to give you the best view of the display. THE ANTENNA To attach the supplied telescoping antenna, simply screw it clockwise into the hole on the receiver's top. For the best reception, fully extend the antenna. The telescoping antenna is adequate for strong local signals. However, if you use an external antenna, you can receive more signals. No single antenna covers the entire frequency range of the DX-394 efficiently, but there are many different types of antennas you can use. Your local Radio Shack store sells a wide variety of antennas. Choose the one that best suits your needs. For a simple, all-purpose antenna, use the long-wire type. The horizontal section of the antenna should be more than 30 feet (10 meters). Mount the antenna as high as possible (more than 15 feet [5 meters]) from the ground and away from power lines, buildings, and metal structures. Connect the antenna's phono plug to the ANT HI-Z jack on the back of the receiver. A dipole antenna is made up of two pieces of wire, each half of the total length. Connect the antenna's PL-259 plug to the ANT LO-Z jack on the back of the receiver. CAUTION: Do not run the cable over sharp edges or moving objects. WARNING: Use extreme caution when you install or remove an outdoor antenna. If the antenna starts to fall, let it go! It could contact overhead power lines. If the antenna touches a power line, contact with the antenna, mast, cable, or guy wires can cause electrocution and death. Call the power company to remove the antenna. DO NOT attempt to do so yourself. GROUNDING To insure the best reception, you must always connect a heavy gauge ground wire (not supplied) to the GND screw on the back of the receiver. Connect the other end either to a metal cold water pipe (not hot water and not natural gas pipe) or to a metal ground rod (such as Cat. No. 15-530) driven into the ground. Or, you can bury a copper plate or copper net in the ground and connect to it. For more information about antennas and grounding, obtain a copy of "The ARRL Amateur Radio Handbook," available at your local Radio Shack store. CONNECTING POWER Connecting AC Power Plug the receiver's AC power cord into a standard AC outlet. CAUTION: To prevent electric shock, the plug's blades are polarized and fit only one way. If the plug does not fit easily, turn it over and try again. Do not force the plug into the AC outlet. Using Your Vehicle's Battery You can also power your receiver from your vehicle's cigarette lighter socket with an optional DC cigarette lighter power cable (such as Radio Shack Cat. No. 270-1533). CAUTION: You must use a DC cigarette lighter power cable that supplies 12 volts and delivers at least 500 mA. Its center tip must be set to positive and its plug must correctly fit the DC 13.8V jack on the back of the receiver. The recommended power cable meets these specifications. Using a power cable that does not meet these specifications could damage the receiver or the power cable. Insert the DC power cable's barrel plug into the DC 13.8V jack on the back of the receiver, then plug the power cable into your vehicle's cigarette lighter socket. RESETTING THE RECEIVER If the receiver's display locks up or the receiver does not work properly after you connect power, you might need to reset the receiver. CAUTION: This procedure clears all the information you have programmed into the receiver. Use this procedure only when you are sure your receiver is not working properly. Insert a pointed object, such as a straightened paper clip, into the RESET hole on the back of the receiver, then remove it. The Clock 1 time display flashes (see "Setting the Clocks", on Faxback Doc. # 31584). CONNECTING HEADPHONES For private listening, you can connect an optional pair of headphones with a 1/8-inch plug to the receiver. Use monaural headphones, such as Cat. No. 20-210. Insert the headphones' plug into the HEADPHONE jack on the front of the receiver. NOTE: Plugging in headphones automatically disconnects the internal speaker. Listening Safely To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when you use headphones. Set the volume to its lowest setting before you begin listening. After you put on the headphones, adjust the volume to a comfortable listening level. Do not listen at extremely high-volume levels. Extended high-volume listening can lead to permanent hearing loss. Once you establish a comfortable listening level, do not increase the volume. Over time, your ears adapt to the volume level, so a volume level that does not cause discomfort might still damage your hearing. CONNECTING AN EXTERNAL SPEAKER You can connect an optional external speaker with a 1/8-inch plug to the receiver. Use an 8-ohm external speaker capable of handling over 5 watts of power, such as Cat. No. 21-549. Insert the speaker cable's plug into the EXT SPKR jack on the back of the receiver. NOTE: Plugging in an external speaker automatically disconnects the receiver's internal speaker. CONNECTING A TAPE RECORDER You can connect an optional tape recorder with a microphone jack to your receiver to record transmissions. To connect it, you need a connecting cable (not supplied) with a phono plug at one end. 1. Insert the connecting cable's phono plug into the TAPE OUT jack on the back of the receiver. 2. Connect the other end of the connecting cable to your tape recorder's microphone jack. Follow the instructions provided with your tape recorder to record transmissions from the receiver. (EB 3/29/96)