RCI-2950DX and RCI-2970DX User Manual

INTRODUCTION
This section explains the basic operating procedures for the RCI-2950 DX / RCI-2970 DX Amateur 10 and 12 meter dual band mobile transceiver.
CONTROL AND CONNECTIONS FRONT PANEL
Refer to the above for the location of the following controls.
1. FREQUENCY SELECTOR
This control is used to select a desired transmit and receive frequency.
2. RF POWER CONTROL
This control allows the user to adjust RF power output.
3. MIC GAIN CONTROL
Adjusts the microphone gain in the transmit and PA modes. This controls the gain to the extent that full talk power is available several inches away from the microphone. In the Public Address (PA) mode, the control functions as the volume control.
4. ON/OFF VOLUME CONTROL
This knob controls the volume and the power to the radio. To turn the radio on, rotate knob clockwise. Turning the knob further will increase the volume of the receiver.
5. SQUELCH CONTROL
This switch is used to eliminate background noise being heard through the receiver which can be disturbing when no transmissions are being received. To use this feature, turn the switch fully counterclockwise and then turn clockwise slowly until the background noise is just eliminate. Further clockwise rotation will increase the threshold level, which a signal must overcome in order to be heard. Only strong signals will be heard at a maximum clockwise setting.
6. RF GAIN CONTROL
This control is used to reduce the gain of the RF amplifier under strong signal conditions.
7. CLARIFIER CONTROL
Allows tuning of the receive frequency above or below the assigned frequency by up to 500 Hz. Although this control is intended primarily to tune in SSB/CW signals, it may be used to optimize AM/FM signals.
8. MODE (FM/AM/USB/LSB/CW/PA) SWITCH
This switch allows you to select one of the following operating modes: FM/AM/USB/LSB/CW/PA.
9. NB/ANL BUTTON (NB/ANL)
In the NB/ANL position, the RF Noise Blanker and Aotumatic Noise Limiter in the audio circuits are also activated. The Noise Blanker is very effective in eliminating repetitive impulse noise such as ignition interference.
10. ROGER BEEP BUTTON (R.BEEP)
In the Roger Beep position, the radio transmits an audio tone at the end of your transmission to indicate that transmission has ended. As a courtesy to others, use the Roger Beep only when necessary.
11. SPLIT BUTTON (SPLIT)
This control activates the offset frequency function. It causes the transmit frequency to be offset either above or below the receive frequency by a user programmable amount to allow operation of an FM Repeater.
12. PROGRAM BUTTON (PRG)
This button is used to program operating or scanning frequencies into memory. See the OPERATION section of the manual for further details.
13. MANUAL BUTTON (MAN)
This is used to return the unit to manual mode.
14. SHIFT BUTTON (SHF)
This is used to select 100 Hz, 1 KHz, 10 KHz, 100 KHz or 1 MHz frequency steps.
15. DIM BUTTON (DIM)
This button adjusts the display backlighting in four different steps to best match the ambient light.
16. SWR BUTTON (SWR)
This control is used to check SWR.
17. SCAN BUTTON (SCAN)
This is used to scan frequencies in each band segment. The OPERATION segment of this manual provides detailed information on using the SCAN control.
18. MEMORY BUTTON (MEM)
This button is used to program memory channels. Detailed information on how to use this control is provided in the OPERATION section of this manual.
19. ENTER BUTTON (ENT)
This is used to program frequencies in memory. See the OPERATION section of this manual for more information on using this control.
20. LOCK BUTTON (LOCK)
This button is used to lock a selected frequency. Press it to activate the switch. In this position, it disables the Frequency Selector Control, up/down buttons on the front control panel and remote up/down buttons on the microphone. Repressing the switch will unlock the frequency.
21. UP/DOWN SELECTOR (st)
These buttons are used in conjunction with the shift key to move the frequency upward or downward to select a desired frequency.
22. METER
This meter indicates received signal strength, transmitter RF output power and SWR level.
23. LCD DISPLAY
The LCD displays the frequency selected, functions and memory channel.
24. MIC JACK
Accepts 6 pin female connector with a type Philmore T616C or Calrad 30445 style connector.

REAR PANEL
Figure 3-2 represents the location of the following connections:
1. ANTENNA
This jack accepts 50 ohms coaxial cable with a PL-259 type plug.
2. CW KEY
This jack is for Morse code operation, To operate, connect a CW key to this jack and place the MODE switch in the CW position.
3. EXT. SP.
This jack accepts 4 to 8 ohms, 5 watts external speaker. When the external speaker is connected to this jack, the built-in speaker will be disabled.
4. PA. SP.
This jack is for PA operation. Before operating, you must first connect a PA speaker (8 ohms, 5 W) to this jack.
5. POWER
This connector accepts 13.8V DC power cable with built-in fuse. The power cord provided with the radio has a black and red wire. The black goes to negative and the red goes to positive.

MICROPHONE
1. PTT SWITCH
The receiver and transmitter are controlled by the push-to-talk switch on the microphone. Press the switch and the transmitter is activated, release switch to receive. When transmitting, hold the microphone two inches from the mouth and speak clearly in a normal voice.
2. REMOTE UP/DOWN SWITCH
An operating frequency can be incremented or decremented simply by pushing either of these buttons.
3.3 OPERATION
3.3.1 CHANNEL SELECTION
Frequency selection for the RCI-2950 DX / RCI-2970 DX is simple. Select a desired operating frequency by rotating the Frequency Selector, or using the (s) Up and (t) Down buttons on the front panel or the microphone. Press the LOCK button to lock into the selected frequency. This will disable the Frequency Selector and the up/down buttons on the front panel and the microphone. Repressing the LOCK button unlocks the frequency. Use the SHF button to step frequency in either 100 Hz, 1 KHz, 10 KHz, 100 KHz or 1 MHz increment when you select a band segment. The frequency step is indicated by a small triangle directly under the corresponding digit on the frequency display.
3.3.2 MODE SELECTION
To select an operating mode on your RCI-2950 DX / RCI-2970 DX, simply rotate the MODE selector and place it in the desired operating mode position.
FM/AM/USB or LSB modes are for your voice communications. In the CW position, you can transmit CW if you have connected an external key to the accessory jack provided on the back of the radio. In the PA position, the transceiver can be used as a Public Address system. Before operating in PA mode, you must first connect a PA speaker (8 ohms, 5 Watts) to the jack located on the rear panel.
3.3.3 RF POWER CONTROL
This feature allows the adjustment of the RF output power continuously for the RCI-2950 DX (AM 1W to 10W; SSB: 10W to 25W), and (AM: 8W to 50W; SSB: 18W to 100W) for the RCI-2970 DX.
3.3.4 RECEIVE SCANNING
Receive scanning allows you to find active frequencies in the entire band segment. To begin scanning, slowly turn the Squelch control clockwise until the receiver noise disappears. Press the Scan button. The unit should start scanning from the lower to the higher frequencies. Pressing the Scan button again will change the direction of scanning. Each time you press the Scan button, “SCAN+” or “SCAN-” will displayed on the LCD display. The radio will stop on any active frequency for the entire duration of the transmission. When the transmission stops, the RCI-2950 DX / RCI-2970 DX will wait approximately 2 seconds before it resumes scanning. If you want to deactivate Scan mode while it is scanning, press the MAN (manual) button or turn the Squelch control counterclockwise until you hear the receiver noise. The Manual button will disable Scan function.
3.3.5 SPLIT FUNCTION
This function enables you to offset the transmit and receive frequencies for FM repeater operation. The transmitter frequency can offset either higher or lower than the receive frequency. To split frequencies, press the MAN button and the Split button to select either +/- split frequency. If the + split is selected, the transmit frequency will be higher than the receive frequency. If - split is selected, the transmit frequency will be lower than the receive frequency.
3.3.6 MEMORY FUNCTION
The RCI-2950 DX / RCI-2970 DX can store up to 10 most frequently used frequencies (from 0 to 9). To program a frequency into memory, follow the procedure described below:
(1) Press the MAN button.
(2) Press the PRG button.
(3) Press the MEM button (“MEMORY” and “0” should appear on the left-hand side of the LCD display). Pressing the MEM button will advance the channel number from “0” to “9”.
(4) Select the desired frequency you wish to store in memory.
(5) Press the ENT button.
(6) Repeat the same procedure to program other memory channels.
3.3.7 MEMORY CHANNEL SCANNING
You can scan and select any of these 10 preset frequencies by following the procedure described below:
(1) Press the MAN button.
(2) Press the MEM button.
(3) Slowly turn the Squelch knob clockwise until the receiver noise disappears.
(4) Press the Scan button. The unit will scan from lower to higher frequencies. When you press the button again, it will scan from higher to lower frequencies.
(5) To stop scanning a certain channel, press the MAN button, or turn the Squelch knob counterclockwise until you hear the receiver noise.
3.3.8 METER
The meter built into your RCI-2950 DX / RCI-2970 DX on the left hand side of the LCD display provides the following information:
1. S/RF METER
In transmit mode, it provides a visual indication of transmit output power and received signal strength on the receive mode.
2. SWR METER
In order to achieve maximum radiated power, it is important that your antenna be in good condition, properly adjusted and matched to your transceiver. The built-in SWR (Standing Wave Ratio) meter allows you to measure your antenna condition. To operate this function, connect your antenna to the transceiver antenna connector, set the mode switch to AM and adjust the MIC GAIN to minimum. Select a frequency near the middle of the band you plan to use most. Activate the SWR function and press the PTT button on the microphone. A bar on the meter is an indication of the antenna matching. If there is no bar, it indicates that your antenna system is perfectly matched. The fewer bars, the better matched. If several bars appear, your antenna needs adjusting.
3.3.9 CTCSS - OPTIONAL
The RCI-2950 DX / RCI-2970 DX can operate with CTCSS frequencies for accessing repeaters, with an optional CTCSS (Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System) encoding device installed.
3.3.10 PROCEDURE TO RECEIVE
(1) Be sure that power source, microphone and antenna are connected to the proper connectors before going to the next step.
(2) Turn unit on by running VOL knob clockwise on transceiver.
(3) Set the VOL to a comfortable listening level.
(4) Set the MODE switch to the desired mode.
(5) Listen to the background noise from the speaker. Turn the SQ knob slowly clockwise until the noise just disappears. The SQ is now properly adjusted. The receiver will remain quiet until a signal is actually received. Do not advance the control too far or some of weaker signals will not be heard.
(6) Set the CHANNEL selector switch to the desired channel.
(7) Set the RF GAIN control fully clockwise for maximum receive gain.
(8) Adjust the CLARIFIER control to clarify the SSB signals or to optimize AM/FM signals.
3.3.11 PROCEDURE TO TRANSMIT
(1) Select the desired channel of transmission
(2) Set the MIC GAIN control fully clockwise.
(3) If the channel is clear, depress the push-to-talk switch on the microphone and speak in a normal voice.

4.0 INTRODUCTION
This section explains the basic programming procedures for the RCI-2950 DX / RCI-2970 DX Amateur 10 and 12 meter dual band mobile transceiver.
4.1 FREQUENCY SELECTION
Frequency selection in the RCI-2950 DX / RCI-2970 DX can be accomplished using anyone of the three following methods:
(1) The first method of frequency selection is through the use of the SHF (Shift) key and the (s) Up and (t) Down arrows. To accomplish this, press the SHF button until the cursor arrow is positioned under the digit of the frequency that is to be changed, then use the (s) Up arrow to increase the number. If a decrease in frequency is desired, press the (t) Down arrow. Perform the steps described above for each digit of the frequency until the desired frequency is displayed in the LCD display window.
(2) The second method of frequency selection is accomplished using the SHF button and the frequency select knob located above the microphone jack. Use the SHF button in the manner described above to select the digit to be changed. Proceed to rotate the frequency select knob clockwise to increase the frequency. Rotate the frequency select knob counterclockwise to decrease the frequency.
(3) The third method of selecting the operating frequency of the radio is through the use of the SHF button and the Channel (s) Up and (t) Down buttons located on the microphone. Frequency selection by this method is accomplished in the same manner as with the (s) Up and (t) Down arrows on the keypad. The only difference is that the Channel Up and Down buttons on the microphone are used.
4.2 FREQUENCY SCANNING
Frequency scanning can be achieved using one of two methods: the first method involves the scanning of pre-programmed memory channels. The second method permits the user to scan all frequencies between a pre-set upper and lower scan limit.
4.2.1 ALL FREQUENCY SCANNING
To allow all Frequency Scanning, one must first program the upper and lower scanning limits. The scan limits are simply the highest and lowest frequencies that will be scanned. To program these limits, perform the following steps:
(1) Press the PRG (Program) key.
(2) Press the SCAN key (“PRG SCAN+” should appear in the lower right corner of the display window).
(3) Using the SHF key and the (s) Up and (t) Down arrows, select the upper scan limit, then press ENT.
(4) Press the SCAN key again (“SCAN-” should appear in the display window).
(5) Using the SHF key and (s) Up and (t) Down arrows, select the lower scan limit, then press ENT. The upper and lower scan limits have now been programmed. To activate the scan feature, return the radio to manual operation and press the SCAN button. If the display shows “SCAN+”, the radio will scan from the lower limit to the upper limit. If “SCAN-” is displayed, the unit will scan from the upper limit to the lower limit. To change from SCAN+ to SCAN- or vice versa, press SCAN.

NOTE
When programmed, the upper and lower scan limits will also act as the upper and lower operating limits of the radio. The radio now cannot be programmed to operate above or below the scan limits.

4.2.2 MEMORY SCANNING
The RCI-2950 DX / RCI-2970 DX has 10 non-volatile (i.e. memory resident) memory locations which can be programmed with any available frequency within the operating band of the radio. The scan function of the unit can be programmed to scan these memory channels. The radio will then scan only those memory channels which have been programmed. The first step in utilizing the memory scan function is to program the desired frequencies into the radio memory. This can be accomplished by performing the following steps:
(1) With the radio operating in the manual mode, press the PRG (Program) key.
(2) Press the MEM (Memory) key. “PRG” should be displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the LCD display window. In the upper left portion of the display, “MEMORY” should be displayed. Directly below MEMORY, a number between 0 and 9 will be displayed. This number represents the memory location currently being displayed. Pressing the MEM key will increase the memory counter to the next memory location and the contents of that memory location will be displayed.
(3) Using the SHF key and the (s) Up and (t) Down arrows, enter the frequency to be stored in the memory location displayed. After the desired frequency has been entered, press ENT.
(4) Repeat steps (2) and (3) for all the memory locations to be programmed.
(5) After all desired memory locations have been programmed with frequencies, return the unit to the manual mode of operation by pressing the MAN key.
(6) To initiate memory scanning, press MEM and then press SCAN. As previously discussed, the display will show “SCAN+” or “SCAN-” to indicate whether the radio is scanning from the lowest or the highest memory location or vice versa.
(7) To return the radio to normal (non-scanning) operation, press the MAN key.
4.3 OFFSET FREQUENCY OPERATION
The RCI-2950 DX / RCI-2970 DX has an offset or split frequency feature that will permit the radio to be operated in a half-duplex mode. This will allow the user to talk on FM repeaters operating in the 10 and 12 Meter bands.

NOTE
The FM repeaters may require a subaudible (CTCSS) tone be transmitted to gain access to the repeater. The RCI-2950/ 2970 DX is not factory equipped with a CTCSS encoder/decoder.

The split frequency function offsets the transmitter frequency either above or below the receive frequency by a user programmable amount. In the following example, programming of a 100 KHz offset will be described. Before attempting to program the offset frequency, ensure that the radio is operating in the manual mode by pressing the MAN key.
(1) Press the PRG (Program) key.
(2) Press the SPLIT key. The LCD display window will display “00000” with “PRG” and “SPLIT” being displayed in the lower left-hand corner.
(3) Using the SHF key and the (s) Up and (t) Down arrows as described earlier, program the display to read “010000”.
(4) Press ENT. A 100 KHz offset has now been programmed into the radio.
(5) Return the radio to manual operation by pressing the MAN key.
(6) Using the SHF key and the (s) Up and (t) Down arrows as described previously, set the radio for the desired receive frequency.
(7) Press SPLIT. In the lower right corner of the display, either “SPLIT+” or “SPLIT-” will be displayed. If SPLIT+ is displayed, the transmitter will be offset 100 KHz above the receive frequency when keyed. If SPLIT- is displayed, the transmitter will be offset 100 KHz below the receive frequency.

NOTE
When the transmitter is keyed, the frequency display will change to show the frequency being transmitted.

(8) To return the radio to simplex operation (i.e., same transmit and receive frequency), press the MAN key.