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43-1245.fm Page 1 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM
Cat. No. 43-1245
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
AFX-300
Deluxe Automatic
Fax/Data Switch
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43-1245.fm Page 2 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM INTRODUCTION Your Radio Shack AFX-300 Deluxe Automatic Fax/Data Switch lets you use your telephone, an answering machine, a fax machine/fax modem, and a data modem all on the same telephone line, eliminating the need and extra expense of two phone lines. When a call comes in, you can either answer it yourself, let your answering machine answer it, or let the AFX- 300 answer it. If the AFX-300 hears tones from a fax machine/ fax modem, it di
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43-1245.fm Page 3 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM This fax/data switch has been tested and found to comply with applicable UL and FCC standards. Warning: To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose this product to rain or moisture. CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK. ! DO NOT OPEN. : TO REDUCE THE RISK OF CAUTION ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER OR BACK. NO USER-SERVICE- ABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVIC- ING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. This symbol is intended to alert you to the presence of u
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43-1245.fm Page 4 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM READ THIS BEFORE INSTALLING Each device that you connect to the phone line draws power from the phone line. We refer to this power draw as the de- vice’s ringer equivalence number, or REN. The REN is shown on the bottom of your AFX-300. If you are using more than one device on the line, add up all the RENs. If the total is more than five, your phone might not ring and your answering machine might not answer. In rural areas, a total REN of
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43-1245.fm Page 5 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM CONTENTS Installation ......................................................................... 7 Installing Back-Up Batteries .......................................... 7 Making the Connections ................................................ 9 Initializing the AFX-300/Connecting to Power ............. 13 Preparing a TAD for Use with the AFX-300 ................. 15 Setting the TAD’s Ring Number ............................. 15 Changing th
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43-1245.fm Page 6 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM Program Command Descriptions ................................ 33 Changing the Access Code ................................... 34 Changing the Ring Number Setting ....................... 35 First Number Distinctive Ring ................................ 35 Second Number Distinctive Ring ........................... 36 Turn On/Off the FAX and MODEM Jacks .............. 36 Turn On/Off the TAD Jack ...................................... 37 Turn O
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43-1245.fm Page 7 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM INSTALLATION Caution: Be sure to perform the procedures in this section in this order, otherwise the AFX-300 might not operate as ex- pected: 1. Install batteries 2. Connect to the phone line 3. Connect your TAD, fax machine/fax modem, and/or data modem 4. Initialize the AFX-300 and connect it to AC power Note: If the AFX-300’s operation becomes erratic, disconnect it from AC power, unplug all modular connections, remove the backup batterie
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43-1245.fm Page 8 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM Follow these steps to install the batteries. 1. Remove the battery compartment screw with a small Phillips screwdriver, then remove the cover by sliding it in the direction of the arrow. 2. Insert the batteries into the compartment with the posi- tive (+) sides facing up. The POWER/IN USE indicator turns on. 3. Replace the cover, then reinsert and tighten the screw. Notes: • The AFX-300’s POWER/IN USE indicator flashes slowly during normal
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43-1245.fm Page 9 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM MAKING THE CONNECTIONS Follow these steps to connect the AFX-300 to the phone line and your answering machine (TAD), fax machine, fax modem, and/or data modem. 1. Plug one end of the AFX-300’s modular cord into its LINE jack, and plug the other end into your modular telephone line jack. MODEM FAX LINE TAD DC 12V Notes: • If your telephone line does not have a modular jack, you must update the wiring. You can convert the wir- ing yourself, u
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OPEN 43-1245.fm Page 10 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM • If you have two phone lines and you want to connect the AFX-300 to the second line, you must install a tri- plex modular adapter, such as Radio Shack Cat. No. 279-469, and connect the AFX-300 to L2. Follow the installation instructions provided with the adapter. • You can mount the AFX-300 on a standard modular wall plate or directly on a wall using two screws (not supplied), then connect the AFX-300 to the telephone line using a sh
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43-1245.fm Page 11 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM MODEM FAX LINE TAD DC 12V Notes: • If you connected a fax/data modem (one that receives both fax and data calls), be sure to set the AFX-300 to route data modem calls to the FAX jack (see “Special Features” on Page 26). • To ensure optimum compatibility with the AFX-300 and avoid disconnected fax calls due to lengthy con- nection time: — Set the connected fax machine/fax modem’s ring number feature to its minimum setting (typically 1 ring)
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43-1245.fm Page 12 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM MODEM FAX LINE TAD DC 12V Notes: • If you connect a TAD to the AFX-300, you can connect your telephone to the phone jack on the TAD. • If you do not connect a TAD to the AFX-300’s TAD jack, you can connect your telephone’s modular plug directly to this jack. • If you installed a triplex adapter, plug your TAD’s or telephone’s modular cord into the adapter’s L1/L2 jack. 4. To connect a data modem to the AFX-300, plug the modem’s modular plu
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43-1245.fm Page 13 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM INITIALIZING THE AFX-300/ CONNECTING TO POWER Follow these steps to initialize the AFX-300 and connect it to AC power. Cautions: • Be sure you install the batteries then connect all of the modular jacks before you connect the AFX-300 to power. • You must follow all of these steps, in order, to initialize your AFX-300; otherwise, it might not detect when the batteries are low. 1 AC MODEM FAX LINE TAD ADAPTER DC 12V 2 1. Plug the supplied ad
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43-1245.fm Page 14 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM 2. Plug the adapter’s other end into a standard 120-volt AC power outlet. Caution: You must use a Class II, 120V AC/12V DC adapter that delivers at least 400 milliamps. Its center tip must be set to negative and its plug must correctly fit the AFX-300’s DC 12V jack. The supplied adapter meets these requirements. Using an adapter that does not meet these requirements could damage the AFX-300 or the adapter. 3. Wait about 10 seconds, then u
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43-1245.fm Page 15 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM PREPARING A TAD FOR USE WITH THE AFX-300 Setting the TAD’s Ring Number The AFX-300 is preset to direct a call to either the FAX or MO- DEM jack after five rings. When you use a TAD with the AFX- 300, be sure the TAD is set to answer within four rings. If it is not, either change the ring number on the TAD to 4, or change the ring number on the AFX-300 to at least one number higher than the TAD’s ring number (see “Special Features” on Page
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43-1245.fm Page 16 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM For example: “Hello. You have reached 555-4567. Please leave your name and phone number at the tone, and we will return your call. If you want to send us a fax and you have a touch-tone phone, press one, the pound sign, then one on your telephone to ac- tivate our fax machine, then press START on your fax machine. Thanks for calling.” If you also connected a data modem to the AFX-300, the mes- sage might say: “Hello. You have reached 555-
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43-1245.fm Page 17 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM OPTIONAL VOICE DATA GUARD If an extension telephone on the same line as the AFX-300 is in use, the AFX-300 does not let your fax machine/fax modem or data modem access the telephone line or interrupt the call in progress. However, to prevent an extension telephone (one not plugged into the AFX-300) from interrupting a fax or data transmission that is in progress on the same line as the AFX-300, you must plug that extension phone into an o
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43-1245.fm Page 18 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM OPERATION An incoming call on the phone line connected to the AFX-300 can be answered in any of the following ways: • If you connected an answering machine (TAD) to the AFX-300, you can let the TAD answer the call (see “Using a TAD with the AFX-300” on Page 19). • You can answer the call in person by picking up any phone on the same line as the AFX-300 (see “Answering Calls in Person” on Page 22). • You can let the AFX-300 automatically a
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43-1245.fm Page 19 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM • If you subscribe to first number distinctive ring service from your telephone company, the AFX-300 is preset to automatically transfer calls to your fax machine/fax modem, whether the call is a voice call or a call from a fax machine/fax modem or data modem (see “First Num- ber Distinctive Ring” on Page 35). • If you have two phone lines and subscribe to a call roll- over feature from your telephone company, a fax call might roll over to
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43-1245.fm Page 20 Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:51 AM TAD Operation with a Fax Machine/Fax Modem When the TAD answers a call, the AFX-300 listens during the outgoing message for either fax alert tones or touch-tone com- mands. If the AFX-300 detects fax alert tones, it automatically dis- connects the TAD and directs the call to your fax machine/fax modem. If the AFX-300 detects a preset sequence of touch-tone commands, it either switches the call directly to your fax ma- chine/fax modem or da
