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14-1121.fm Page 1 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM
Cat. No. 14-1121
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
CTR-115
Voice-Activated
Cassette Tape Recorder
with Pop-Up Microphone
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14-1121.fm Page 2 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM FEATURES Your Optimus CTR-115 Voice-Activated Cassette Tape Re- corder uses the latest in recording technology to make record- ing easy and convenient. Recording begins when the CTR-115 detects sound and ends when sound subsides, for hands-free operation. The CTR-115’s microphone is sensitive enough for the board room, a seminar, or a lecture hall. And it’s small enough to fit in your briefcase or purse, so it can go wherever you go. The CTR-1
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14-1121.fm Page 3 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM Mic Sensitivity Switch — lets you select low, medium, or high microphone sensitivity for recording. Record/Battery Indicator — lights when you are recording. When you are not, it indicates the battery’s condition. Built-In Speaker — lets you listen to your recordings. Automatic Level Control — automatically sets the right re- cording level; no need to adjust the volume while recording. Three Power Sources — let you power your recorder from in-
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14-1121.fm Page 4 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM CONTENTS Preparation ............................................................................ 5 Before You Begin ............................................................... 5 Powering the CTR-115 ...................................................... 5 Installing Batteries ....................................................... 6 Using AC Power .......................................................... 7 Using Vehicle Battery Power ....
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14-1121.fm Page 5 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM PREPARATION BEFORE YOU BEGIN To protect the record/playback head during shipment, a protec- tive sleeve is positioned around the head. Gently pull open the cassette compartment door and remove the sleeve before you use the cassette recorder. POWERING THE CTR-115 You can operate your CTR-115 from any of these power sourc- es: • two AA batteries (not supplied) • standard household AC power (using an optional AC adapter) • a 12-volt vehicle batte
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14-1121.fm Page 6 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM Installing Batteries You can power the CTR-115 with two AA batteries. We recom- mend alkaline batteries, such as RadioShack Cat. No. 23-552. Cautions: • Use only fresh batteries of the required size and recom- mended type. • Do not mix old and new batteries or different types of bat- teries. 1. Press down on the battery com- partment cover and slide it off in the direction of the arrow. 2. Put the batteries into the com- partment as indicated
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14-1121.fm Page 7 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM Cautions: • Always remove old or weak batteries. Batteries can leak chemicals that can destroy electronic parts. • Dispose of old batteries promptly and properly. Do not burn or bury them. Using AC Power To power the CTR-115 from an AC outlet, you need an AC adapter, such as RadioShack Cat. No. 273-1654. Cautions: • The recommended adapter supplies 3 volts DC power and delivers at least 300 milliamps. The adapter’s center tip must be set to pos
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14-1121.fm Page 8 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM Follow these steps to power the CTR-115 with an AC adapter. 1. Set the adapter’s voltage switch to 3V. 2. Insert the adapter’s 2.35 mm outer diameter/0.7 mm inner diameter barrel plug into the adapter’s cord, with the tip set to positive. 3. Insert the barrel plug into the CTR-115’s DC IN 3V jack. 4. Plug the adapter into a standard AC outlet. Using Vehicle Battery Power You can operate the CTR-115 from your vehicle’s battery with a DC adapter
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14-1121.fm Page 9 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM • Be sure you plug the adapter into the CTR-115 before you plug it into the cigarette-lighter socket, and that you unplug the adapter from the cigarette-lighter socket before you unplug it from the CTR-115. Follow these steps to power the CTR-115 from your vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket. 1. Set the adapter’s voltage switch to 3 volts. 2. Insert the adapter’s 2.35 mm outer diameter/0.7 mm inner diameter barrel plug into the adapter’s cord, w
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14-1121.fm Page 10 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM CONNECTING THE EARPHONE You can use the supplied earphone to listen privately to record- ed sound or to monitor recording. You can also connect an ex- ternal or pillow-type speaker (not supplied) to this jack. Note: Your local RadioShack store sells a wide variety of speakers. 1 Insert the earphone or speaker’s /8-inch (3.5-mm) plug into the EAR jack. This automatically disconnects the internal speaker. EAR Listening Safely To protect your hea
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14-1121.fm Page 11 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM • Do not increase the volume once you have established a comfortable listening level. Over time, your ears adapt to the volume level, so a volume level that does not cause discomfort might still damage your hearing. Traffic Safety Do not wear the earphone while operating a motor vehicle or riding a bicycle. This can create a traffic hazard and could be il- legal in some areas. Even though some earphones let you hear some outside sounds when li
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14-1121.fm Page 12 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM PLAYING A CASSETTE TAPE 1. Gently pull open the cassette compartment door. 2. Use your finger or a pencil to turn the cassette’s hub and take up any slack in the tape. Do not touch the tape. 3. Load a cassette into the door’s guides so the cassette’s open edge is out and the side you want to play faces the compart- ment’s window, then close the door. 4. Set TAPE SPEED to SLOW, NORMAL, or FAST to suit your listening preference. NORMAL SLOW FAST
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14-1121.fm Page 13 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM Note: This switch’s setting has no effect when recording (see “Recording” on Page 17). 5. Rotate VOLUME/VOX SENS counterclockwise to its lowest setting. 6. Press PLAY . The tape begins to play. PLAY 7. Adjust VOLUME/VOX SENS to a comfortable listening level. 13
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14-1121.fm Page 14 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM 8. Set VOX/TONE to HIGH to emphasize treble sounds, or to LOW to reduce them. With metal/High-Bias tape, use LOW for a more natural sound. LOW HIGH OUT IN VOX/ TONE 9. The CTR-115 automatically stops at the end of the tape. Or, press STOP to stop the tape. STOP Notes: • To momentarily stop play, slide PAUSE to ON. Slide PAUSE to OFF to resume playing. 14
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14-1121.fm Page 15 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM OFF ON PAUSE • To rapidly advance or rewind the tape, press FAST-F/ CUE or REWIND/REV . The button locks down and the tape continues moving until you press STOP. The TAPE SPEED setting affects the fast-forward or rewind speed. FAST-F/CUE REWIND/REV • The CTR-115 does not automatically stop when it reaches the end of the tape during fast-forward or rewind. To pre- vent damage to the tape after it has fully wound to either end, press STOP to rel
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14-1121.fm Page 16 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM USING THE TAPE COUNTER You can use the tape counter to TAPE COUNTER RESET give you an indication of the tape’s 000 position. Before playing a tape, press the tape counter reset button to set the counter to 000. When the recorder plays, the numbers advance to show the amount of tape that has moved past the tape heads since the tape began moving. When the tape rewinds, the numbers de- crease. 16
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14-1121.fm Page 17 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM RECORDING Note: For the best performance, use only regular length (60- or 90-minute) cassette tapes. We do not recommend long-playing cassette tapes, such as C-120s, because they are extremely thin and can tangle easily. USING THE BUILT-IN MICROPHONE You can pop up the built-in microphone to direct it to the sound source, or you can connect an external microphone (see “Using an External Microphone” on Page 21). Follow these steps to use the bu
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14-1121.fm Page 18 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM VOX RECORDING When you select VOX recording, the CTR-115 automatically begins recording when it receives a sound signal from a voice or other sound, and automatically stops when the sound stops. For the best recording quality, place the recorder about 1 foot from the sound source. Because the microphone is so sensi- tive, it will also pick up a voice or group of voices (such as an audience) from several feet away. 1. Gently pull open the casse
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14-1121.fm Page 19 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM 4. Set VOX/TONE to IN. LOW HIGH OUT IN VOX/TONE 5. Set VOLUME/VOX SENS to the desired setting (0–10) to con- trol how loud a sound is required to turn on the recording function. At 10, a soft sound turns on the recorder. At settings closer to 0, it takes a louder sound to start recording. Experiment to find the best setting for VOLUME/VOX SENS in your recording environment. Note: Use the supplied earphone when you want to moni- tor a recording
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14-1121.fm Page 20 Thursday, July 1, 1999 2:42 PM Note: If the audio input is too strong, the indicator lights steadily. 7. To momentarily stop recording even while the sound con- tinues, slide PAUSE to ON. Slide PAUSE to OFF to resume recording. OFF ON PAUSE Caution: Never try to force down RECORD if you have removed the erase protection tab (see “Preventing Acci- dental Erasure” on Page 23). This can damage the record/ play mechanism. 8. Recording stops when the sound stops. Or, press STOP
