Zarte k Eco

Us e r’ s Man u al
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations! You have just purchased a new remarkable breakthrough
product in communications using the Public Mobile Radio (PMR) frequency band.
The Zart e k E c o is the smallest and lightest PMR two-way radio in the world. This
is due to the use of Li-ION battery technology and micro-circuitry. With the Zart e k
E c o you can talk instantly to as large a group as required and as often as you like
without airtime charges, giving you, family, friends, commercial and industrial
colleagues many years of free quality communications. We have called this model
the Ec o as it uses a Lithium Ion battery(Li-ION), the most advanced and
ecologically friendly rechargeable battery available(most advanced mobile phones
also use a Li-ION battery).
New legislation allows you now to own and use this relatively powerful
equipment without an operator’s annual license from ICASA. This applies in all
SADC(Southern African Development Community) region(14 countries) as well.
To obtain maximum performance from your personal two-way radio, please
take a few minutes to carefully read this user’s manual. The Zarte k Ec o is a
lightweight, palm-sized wonder communication device with 304 two-way radio
channels, so small you can carry anywhere and talk to any person who is set on the
same channel, as long as they are within range.
The range of the Zarte k Ec o is anything from 1km indoors to 15kms
outdoors, depending on terrain and environment. The signal will bounce around and
penetrate materials at the speed of light, bearing in mind the greater the barriers the
more attenuation i.e. weakening of the signal.
The Zart e k E c o is our exciting third-generation product, but now sits in the
PMR band of frequencies(446MHz). It is therefore not channel compatible to the
original Zarte k model no. 21-1860-AF(463MHz).
MAIN FEATURES
• PLL (Phase Lock Loop) Controlled Circuitry
• Ultra Slim size (18mm)
• Ultra light weight (67g with battery)
• 8 UHF (Ultra High Frequencies) Frequencies
• 38 Quiet (CTCSS-Continuous Tone Coded Sub-audible Squelch) Codes
• Digital Volume Control
• Frequency Scan
• VOX (Voice Operated Transmit) Function (3 levels of sensitivity)
• VOX Overtime Delay (5 levels of time)
• Call Function (10 Group Call Selection)
• Auto Squelch Control
• Back lighted LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
• Keypad Lock
• Memory Retention Function
• Power Saving Circuitry
• Battery Charge/Drain Indication
• External Mic/Headset (PTT or VOX)
• Dual Watch
• Transmit Red LED

INSTALLING BATTERIES
Use the Li-ION rechargeable battery provided.

Press battery cover release button slightly down and then slide the battery door off.
 Follow "This Side Face Up" and +/- polarity to install the Li-ION battery pack into
the compartment.

Slide the battery door on to close.

Warning:
 Make sure the polarity of battery is correct.
 When the battery is damaged or not working, dispose of it safely. Never discard
them or put them close to heat, otherwise, it may explode.

This radio is designed to use a 3.7v Li-ION rechargeable battery. The battery
included is well designed to function with this equipment and has built-in protection
circuitry for internal short circuit and overcharge. The charging cycle rate is about
750 times.

RECHARGING BATTERIES
When the “Battery Level” icon is low, you need to charge the battery with the
enclosed AC/DC Adaptor (or Optional Desktop Charger). The battery has a built-in
charging current limiting circuit and when the battery is fully charged, the circuit
will automatically cut the charge current to protect the battery.

With AC/DC Adaptor & vehicle cigarette lighter Adaptor:

 Plug the adapter into the wall or vehicle cigarette lighter socket and the other
end plug into the earphone jack on the radio.
 On the LCD display “Battery Level” icon flashes when charging.
 To charge fully from empty requires about 4 hours.
 When fully charged the “Battery Level” displays full bar and a Red LED
will go ON.
 During charging, the radio unit will turn auto OFF. After charging, please turn
your radio back ON again.
 WARNING: Only use vehicle cigarette lighter adaptor with standard 13.6vDC
socket.
With Desk Top Charger
 Plug the AC/DC adaptor into wall and other end plug into the desk-top charger.
 Place the radio into the desk-top charger.
 While charging, the Red LED on the charger will remain ON
 Unlike the direct adaptor, the radio remains ON and does not turn auto OFF.
 A full charge requires about 5 hours. The Red LED of the charger will then turn
OFF and the radio’s Red LED will turn ON, indicating full charge.

Warning: To avoid damage to the radio use only original accessories.

OVERVIEW
1. Transmit LED indicator
2. Microphone
3. Earphone and Wall Charger jack
4. Call Key
5. PTT (Push To Talk) Key
6. Scan / Monitor Key
7. Up Key
8. Menu / Lock Key
9. Down Key
10.Power On/Off Key
11.Speaker
12.Desk top Charger Pins

Zarte k
PERSONAL TWO-WAY
RADIO
General Operation

Power On/Off the unit ------------------------------------- 1

Making communication ----------------------------------- 2
Speak to other radios -------------------------------------- 3
Listen to other radios --------------------------------------- 4
Adjusting speaker volume --------------------------------- 5
Talk Time-Out Function ----------------------------------- 6
Talk Range -------------------------------------------------- 7
Menu Flow chart ------------------------------------------- 8
Select channel ---------------------------------------------- 9
 CTCSS code function ------------------------------------- 10
Scanning Channels ----------------------------------------- 11
Sending Call Tones ---------------------------------------- 12
Select Call Tones ------------------------------------------- 13
VOX “Hands-Free Walk & Talk” ----------------------- 14
Earphone with “PTT” ------------------------------------- 15
Key Lock ---------------------------------------------------- 16
Dual Watch -------------------------------------------------- 17

(1) POWER ON/OFF

 To power ON the radio, press Power On/Off Key for 3 seconds until a beep is
heard and the LCD screen displays the Channel and battery level icon
 To power OFF the radio, press Power On/Off Key for 3 seconds until LCD
display turns off.

(2)MAKING COMMUNICATIONS
The Radio has 8 main frequencies (large numbers) & 38 CTCSS codes (small
numbers) effectively giving you 304 channels. You can communicate with any
other user who is using the same combination, providing they are within range.

(3)SPEAK TO ANOTHER RADIO

 Press & hold the PTT key, transmit Red LED turns on.
 Hold the radio in a vertical position with the microphone 5-8cm from your
mouth and then speak.
 When you finish speaking, release the PTT key and a beep tone will be heard.

(4)LISTEN TO ANOTHER RADIO

 When you press the PTT key, you can’t listen to other radio. Make sure you
do not press the PTT key for listening.
 Adjust volume control if necessary.

(5)ADJUSTING SPEAKER VOLUME(8 LEVELS)

 Press the key to increase the volume.
 Press the key to decrease the volume.

(6)TALK TIME-OUT FUNCTION

 Time-out function can avoid transmitting by chance and prolong the battery life.
 The radio will stop transmitting and sound a warning tone when PTT is held
over 60 seconds. You then need to release PTT and press again for further
transmission.
 In VOX mode, the unit will stop transmitting and sound a warning tone after
continuous talk for 60 seconds. You can re-activate VOX after the time-out.
(Please refer to VOX function for detailed VOX operation)

(7)TALK RANGE
The range will depend on the type of terrain that you are communicating across.
The Zartek uses the UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band and will be subject to
similar obstacle interference as cellular phones. The radio works indoors as well as
outdoors. Typical rough estimate ranges for different terrains are:
Shopping centre 300m-1000m
Building 5-30 stories,
City centre & dense bush 500m-2km,
Residential & over water 2-4km,
Farmland 3-5km,
Top of mountain or building (line-of-sight) 10-30km.

When you press the PTT talk button a signal is transmitted and the signal floods the
area in all sideway directions. The signal travels in 3 different ways:

1) Penetration: The signal can go through materials such as wood, plastic, cement
and fabric. The denser the material or more built up the environment the weaker the
signal will become. The signal cannot go through solid metal or very large solid
land structures such as a hill or mountain. Metal acts like a shield and that is why
the performance from the inside of a vehicle (car or 4x4) will be less than outside.
2) Reflection: The signal cannot go through metal or very large structures such as a
hill or mountain, but it can bounce off (like a mirror), go around and reflect in other
directions as well. This happens at the speed of light.
3)Line-of-sight: Line-of-sight is when there are no obstructions in the path between
the communicating parties. The higher up you go the further you can see, so the
larger the line-of-sight distances will be. Generally you can talk to wherever you
can see, which is why the coverage in a valley is much less than the coverage from
on top of a hill.
Ensure that there is nothing blocking the antenna .The less metal in close proximity
(0-2m) the better the range. There may be external interference from electrical
equipment (power lines or factories) or natural causes (moisture in the air or storms)
that may vary depending on the location and the weather.

(8)MENU FLOW CHART

Press " " once to enter main channel selection, press " " again for next function
selection etc.
Main screen Main Frequency CTCSS Call tone
VOX sensitivity VOX overtime Dual Watch
(9)SELECT CHANNEL
To set the Main Frequency
 Press the " " key once, 1 of the 8 “frequency numbers” displayed will flash,
 Press" " or " " key to select your required main frequency.
 Press the "PTT" key to confirm or press " " to continue.
 You have 5 seconds to decide before auto-reverting back to the main screen

(10)CTCSS CODE FUNCTION

This function can help you select your group (38 CTCSS codes) of users on the
shared frequency. Only the users with the same CTCSS code can listen and talk to
each other.
To select a CTCSS code
 Press the " " key twice, the CTCSS code display will flash,
 Press " " or " " key to select your required CTCSS code (1~38, " 0 " is off)
 Press the "PTT" key to confirm or press " " to continue.
 You have 5 seconds to decide before auto-reverting back to the main screen.

(11)SCANNING FREQUENCIES
 Press "Scan / Monitor" Key, icon will appear and radio will start scanning
frequencies automatically.
Note: Pressing the button for over 2 seconds, will break the squelch noise and
open (un-squelch) the frequency.
 The radio scans all the frequencies one by one and will lock on any activity.
After lock-on and conversation, press " " key to continue scanning.
 If there is no activity, it will continue to scan. By pressing the PTT key, it will
stay on the current selected channel and continue to scan after 5 seconds after
release of PTT.
 Press "Scan/Mon" key to stop scanning and return to main screen.

(12)SENDING CALL-TONES
You can use 1 of 10 different “Call Tones” to call to attention another user on the
same channel.
 Press "CALL" key, icon will appear and your selected call tone will be sent.
 The “Call Tones” have 10 kinds of sounds for personal selection.

(13)SELECTING A CALL-TONE(10 AVAILABLE)

 Press " " key three times, icon will appear and call tone number will flash.
 Press" " or " " key to select your desired call tone.
 Press the "PTT" key to confirm or press " " to continue.
 You have 5 seconds to decide before auto-reverting back to the main screen.

(14)VOX “HANDS FREE WALK & TALK”

The ZA R T E K Ec o has innovative state-of-the-art technology not seen in other
two-way radios with it’s multi-level sensitivity built-in VOX function. Operation
can only function with an external VOX headset/mic(no PTT). The VOX feature
replaces your PTT key as transmit is automatically activated by sound. This turns
your radio into hands free “walk & talk” with your accessory earphone.

To turn on VOX function

 Press " " key four times, icon will appear and VOX sensitivity number will
flash.
 Press " " or " " key to select 1, 2 or 3 for low, medium & high sensitivity. (0 is
off)
 Then press " ” key again, the digit for the VOX overtime will flash.
 Press " " or " " key to choose overtime from 1 to 5 seconds(VOX drop-out).
 After turning the VOX on, you need to connect the earphone to use the hands-
free function. See steps below.

Use VOX with earphone

 Press " " key to power the radio OFF.
 Plug the earphone into the earphone jack.
 Press " " key to power the radio back ON, VOX icon appears.
 Set the earphone microphone close to your mouth (1~3 cm) and talk, the radio
will transmit automatically.
 When you stop talking, transmission time will drop-out depending on VOX
overtime setting. The radio will then automatically revert into receive mode.
 Adjust the volume to a comfortable level if necessary.
NOTE: You must power OFF the radio before plugging in the earphone, otherwise
the radio will permanently transmit.

(15)EARPHONE WITH “PTT”

For this operation you will require an earphone with a PTT button.
 Press " " key four times, icon will appear and VOX sensitivity number will
flash.
 Press" " or " " key to select 0 to turn VOX off.
 Overtime(drop-out) settings only functions with VOX.
 Plug in your PTT earphone accessory (you do not need to turn the radio OFF).
(16)KEY LOCK
 Press and hold " " key for 1.5 seconds, icon will appear
 This will lock all keys except PTT and CALL.
 To unlock, press " " key again for 1.5 seconds.

(17)DUAL WATCH
This feature will allow the user to monitor TWO channels at the same time, locking
onto any of the channel activity(very much like scan).
 Set main channel first (example channel 618)
 Press ' ' key six times,' ' icon will appear and the “Watch channel” number
will flash.
 Press ' ' or ' ' key to select your required “Watch channel” (example channel 3).
 Press the 'PTT' key to confirm or press " " to continue to the main screen
again.
 The radio will watch channel 618 and 315(15 happens to be 3’s CTCSS code).
 To de-activate press ' ' key six times,' ' icon will appear once again, select '0'
to turn this function OFF.

CHANNEL FREQUENCY TABLES

Channel Frequency Channel Frequency
no. (MHz) no. (MHz)
1 446.00625 5 446.05625
2 446.01875 6 446.06875
3 446.03125 7 446.08125
4 446.04375 8 446.09375

CTCSS Code (Hz)

1 67.0 11 97.4 21 136.5 31 192.8
2 71.9 12 100.0 22 141.3 32 203.5
3 74.4 13 103.5 23 146.2 33 210.7
4 77.0 14 107.2 24 151.4 33 218.1
5 79.7 15 110.9 25 156.7 35 225.7
6 82.5 16 114.8 26 162.2 36 233.6
7 85.4 17 118.8 27 167.9 37 241.8
8 88.5 18 123.0 28 173.8 38 250.3
9 91.5 19 127.3 27 179.9
10 94.8 20 131.8 30 186.2
.
 CARE & SAFTY
To clean the radio, wipe with a soft cloth dampened with water. Never use solvents
or cleaners on the radio, they can harm the body and leak inside, causing permanent
damage. Your radio is not splash proof or waterproof. If the radio gets wet, turn it
OFF and remove battery immediately. Dry battery compartment to minimize
potential water damage. Leave cover off battery compartment and do not use until
completely dry.

WARNING
Do not operate radio in hazard environments. Explosion or fire may result. Do not
operate radio near unshielded electrical blasting caps. Under certain conditions,
radio can interfere with blasting operations and may cause an explosion. Turn your
radio OFF to prevent accidental transmission when in a “blasting area” or in areas
posted “Turn your radio off”. Construction crews often use remote controled RF
devices to set off explosives.

SPECIFICATIONS
Operating Frequency Range --------- 446.00625 ~ 446.09375MHz
Channels ---------------------------------- 8 (12.5KHz spacing)
Modulation ------------------------------- FM
Frequency Control --------------------- PLL
RF Output Power ----------------------- PMR 500mW e.r.p
Power Supply ---------------------------- 3.7v 720mAh Li-Ion rechargeable
battery
Antenna Impedance ------------------- 50 Ohm
Operating Temperature -------------- -20 to +60C
Dimensions ------------------------------ 41(w) x 86(h) x 18(thick) mm
Weight (with batteries) --------------- 67g
Casing ------------------------------------ High Impact materials
Receiver Unit Limit
Frequency range (simplex) MHz 446.00625 ~ 446.09375MHz
Intermediate Frequency 1st MHz 21.7
2nd KHz 450
Sensitivity At 12dB Sinad uV ≤0.5
CTCSS Sensitivity uV 1
Squelch Sensitivity Threshold uV ≤0.5
Spurious Response Atten dB ≥65
Adjacent Channel Rejection dB ≥55
Image Rejection dB ≥65
Hum And Noise At 1.5KHz Dev. dB 30
Max. Audio Output Power mW ≥250
Audio Distortion % ≤5
Working Voltage V 3.7
Min. Working Voltage V ≤
Low Battery Indicator V 3.2±0.2
Current Drain At Max. Power mA ≤150
Current Drain at Standby Mode
Saving Off mA ≤60
Saving On (Average) mA ≤25

Transceiver
RF Power Output mW 500
Max. Dev. (With CTCSS) KHz ≤2.5
CTCSS Deviation KHz ≤0.8
Hum And Noise At 1.5KHz Dev. dB ≥28
Modulation Distortion (1.0KHz Dev.) % ≤5
Spurious/Harmonic Emissions dB ≥63
Frequency Tolerance KHz ±1.5
Mic Sensitivity mV <10
Current Drain mA 300
Acoustic Mic Sensitivity
VOX Hi at 1KHz Signal dBA 80±4
VOX Lo at 1KHz Signal dBA 89±4

(24) ACCESSORIES
GE-301 ………VOX Earphone with in-line microphone
GE-302 ………PTT Earphone with in-line microphone
GE-303 ………Desk-top dual battery charger
GE-304 ………Carry bag with belt clip

(25) WARRANTY
This product is warranted by Zartek against manufacturing defects in materials and
workmanship under normal use for a 12 month period from date of purchase via our
authorized appointed dealers.

Manufactured for Zartek in South Africa to meet ICASA technical requirements.

For further information contact zartek@global.co.za
 Zartek
PERSONAL TWO-WAY RADIO

AUTHORISED DEALER

DATE PURCHASED