User guide for the portable radio station TYT MD-UV390 in English

TYT MD-UV390 Portable Radio Station User Manual

Thank you for purchasing the portable dual-band radio station TYT MD-UV390. The radio is easy to use and will provide you with safe, efficient, and reliable communication. Please read this manual carefully before starting operation. The information presented here will help you achieve maximum performance from your radio.

Technical Specifications

Frequency range: 136 - 174 MHz (VHF – Very High Frequency) and 400 - 480 MHz (UHF – Ultra High Frequency)
1000 memory channels
Remote radio station control
Silent mode
Color LCD display
Text messaging
Encryption functions
CTCSS (Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System) and DCS (Digital Coded Squelch) encoding
Analog and digital communication
VOX (voice activation)
Channel scanning
Digital protocol ETSI TS102 361-1,-2,-3
Support for Tier I and Tier II
DTMF – Dual Tone Multi-Frequency encoding and decoding
Private and group calls
IP67 protection level (Ingress Protection rating)
GPS – optional

Before Starting Operation

Please read the following brief instructions. Failure to observe these rules may result in danger to life or violation of the law.

Comply with local government regulations before using the device; improper use may lead to violations.

• Do not use the radio in flammable or explosive environments.
• Do not use the radio station without an antenna or with a damaged antenna.
• Do not attempt to disassemble the radio station. Servicing must only be performed by qualified technicians.
• Do not use the radio in hospitals or medical facilities without prior approval from medical staff.
• In vehicles, do not place the radio station in the area of airbag deployment.
• Do not store the radio station under direct sunlight.
• The recommended distance from the radio station to the face is 5 cm.
• If a sharp odor or smoke appears from the radio, immediately turn it off and contact a service center.
• Do not transmit continuously for too long, as the radio station may overheat.

Package Contents

Radio station (1)
Antenna (1)
Battery (1)
Belt clip (1)
Charging cradle (1)
User manual (1)

(!) Note:
The frequency range of the antenna is indicated on the label with a ring at the bottom of the antenna.

Rechargeable Battery

Please do not short-circuit the battery contacts! This may cause fire hazards!

Charge the battery at a temperature of 0°C ... 40°C. Violation of this condition will result in incomplete charging of the battery.

Please switch off the radio station before charging the battery.

Do not turn on the radio station while charging, and do not charge the battery while the radio station is switched on.

Do not disconnect the battery from the charger until it is fully charged.

Do not charge the battery when it is wet. Wipe and dry it before charging.

Store the battery separately from the radio station in a dry, cool place, charged at 75% ... 50%.

Be careful when transporting the battery in a pocket. If coins, keys, jewelry, or other metallic objects are near the battery, they may short-circuit the terminals, causing strong heating or self-ignition of the battery.

Charging Sequence:

1) Turn off the radio station
2) Insert the charging cradle plug into the power adapter
3) Insert the power adapter into a 220-volt socket. The charging cradle indicator will light up green.
4) Insert the battery or the radio station with the battery into the charging cradle
5) Check the reliable contact of the battery with the terminals of the charging cradle. The indicator will light red. Battery charging has begun.
6) Charging continues from 2 to 5.5 hours (depending on the level of discharge, battery wear, or battery version).
7) When the battery is fully charged, the charging indicator changes to green.

(!) Note:
If the indicator flashes orange, this indicates self-testing.

ANTENNA

For short-distance communication, use a short antenna. This is more practical and convenient. Try to use lower output power – this will save battery life, allowing you to communicate longer.

If communication range is insufficient, use a long antenna and increase the transmitter power of the radio station.

Installing and Removing Accessories

Installing the Battery:

Align the two grooves of the battery with the guides on the back of the aluminum chassis. While ensuring tight contact, slide the battery upwards towards the antenna along the guides on the aluminum chassis. Press the lower part of the battery, inserting it into the housing. Secure it with the latch.

Removing the Battery:

Turn off the radio station. Pull the latch tab marked [ OPEN ] downward until the latch releases. Make sure the battery is free. Remove the battery.

Installing and Removing the Antenna:

To install – align the antenna connector and the radio station antenna socket. Screw the antenna clockwise into the radio station until tight with slight pressure. To remove – turn off the radio station. Unscrew the antenna counterclockwise.

Installing the Belt Clip:

Align the clip holes with the holes on the back of the radio station.

Secure the clip with M2 5x5 screws (included in the package).

To remove the clip, simply unscrew the screws and remove the clip. Keep the screws for future use.

Using the Accessory Port

On the right side of the radio station, under the waterproof cover, there is an accessory port. It can be used for programming the radio with a PC, as well as for connecting a headset or speaker microphone.

To access the port, unscrew the screw securing the cover and carefully remove it.

(!) Note:
Do not lose the cover and its securing screw, as this is part of the water protection system. When using a speaker microphone or headset, or simply when the port is open, water resistance is not guaranteed.

TYT MD-UV390 Radio Station Controls

1. Screw-mounted antenna for transmission and reception
2. LED indicator. The light glows red during transmission and green during reception. It flashes red when the battery capacity is low and flashes green during scanning.
3. Speaker
4. Microphone
5. Channel selector knob. Select the working channel; voice prompt announces the channel number if voice prompts are enabled.
6. Power/volume control. Used to switch the unit on/off and adjust the volume. Turn clockwise; a “click” sound will be heard, followed by a “Du” tone confirming that the receiver is powered on. Continue turning to adjust the volume. Turn counterclockwise until a click is heard, which powers it off.

1. PTT “push-to-talk” button
2. Monitor button
3. Belt clip – allows the radio to be secured to a belt for convenient carrying.
4. Microphone/speaker/programming port – used for connecting a headset or external programming cable. Programmed with PC software.
5. Lithium-ion battery – used for charging the radio.

(!) Note: Long or short press of side keys 1/2/P1/P2 can be programmed via software for the following functions:
1. Not assigned
2. Alert tones on/off
3. Emergency on
4. Emergency off
5. High/low power
6. Monitor
7. One-touch access 1
8. One-touch access 2
9. One-touch access 3
10. One-touch access 4
11. One-touch access 5
12. One-touch access 6
13. Repeater/talkaround
14. Scan on/off
15. Tight/normal squelch
16. Privacy on/off
17. VOX on/off
18. Zone selection
19. Battery indicator
20. Lone worker on/off
21. Recording on/off (firmware dependent)
22. Playback recording (firmware dependent)
23. Delete all recordings (firmware dependent)
24. 1750 Hz
25. Screen switch up/down
26. Right key
27. Left key

TYT MD-UV390 Radio Station Overview

Power On

Turn the volume knob clockwise to power on the radio. A voice prompt “KADA” will sound. The LED will light green if the battery is charged.

(!) Note: If the programming of the radio has disabled the power-on LED indication, there will be no green light. The power-on tone will still sound.

(!) Note: If the programming of the radio has disabled the power-on tone, the “KADA” sound will not be heard.

Adjusting Speaker Volume

Adjust the volume by rotating the knob. Clockwise increases the volume, counterclockwise decreases it. A volume bar will appear on the screen.

Reception and Transmission

Selecting Zone and Channel for Communication:

A zone is a group of channels. The radio station can be programmed with up to 250 zones. Each zone can contain a maximum of 16 channels.

1. Press to enter the menu.
2. Press or to select [ ZONE ]. Press to confirm.
3. A list of zones will appear on the screen.
4. Press or to select the desired zone, and press to confirm.
5. The screen will display the selected zone name for 2 seconds.
6. After selecting the zone, use the channel selector knob to choose the required channel for operation.

(!) If the channel is not programmed, you will hear a monotone sound. Communication on such a channel is not possible.

When Receiving an Analog or Group Digital Radio Signal

The LED indicator lights green.

If the channel is digital, the display will show the group name in which communication is occurring, as well as the ID or name of the transmitting subscriber. If the channel is analog, no changes appear on the display.

To Transmit

Hold the radio 3–5 cm from your mouth, press and hold the [ PTT ] button, and the indicator will light red. Begin speaking. At the end of your message, release the [ PTT ] button.

When Receiving an Individual Call

The display will show the name or ID of the caller. An individual call can be of two types:

1 – You hear a call alert tone. In this case, immediately press the [ PTT ] button and respond by voice.
2 – You hear the voice of the calling party. Wait until the end of their transmission, then immediately press the [ PTT ] button and respond by voice.

During individual calls, the pause between transmissions of both parties must not exceed 3 seconds. In this case, the communication remains private and will not be heard by other group members.

(!) Note: If the pause exceeds 3 seconds, the individual call becomes a group call.

To Make an Individual Call

1. Press to enter the menu.
2. Select [ Contacts ]
3. Press or to select the contact. Hold the radio 3–5 cm from your mouth, press [ PTT ], and begin speaking.

The called subscriber will hear your voice. Other group members will not hear anything.

Emergency Function

It is used solely to report an emergency, hazardous, or abnormal situation that poses a threat to health and life.

Activation of this function interrupts all conversations and constitutes a top-priority call. All radios within the group receive the emergency call and see the [ EMERGENCY ] message and the caller’s ID or name on their displays.

Emergency function operation algorithm:

1. Press the emergency function key
2. The radio emits a two-tone signal
3. Press [ PTT ] and speak into the radio as usual
4. All ongoing conversations in the group cease; all radios in the group receive the emergency call and see the [ EMERGENCY ] message together with your name or ID on their displays.

The emergency function key is programmed by service center specialists.

Menu Operation:

Key Assignments

You can use the keypad to select numbered functions in the radio’s menu, to enter numeric data when programming channels, as well as to compose short text messages (SMS).

Three input modes are available:
1) – English uppercase characters
2) – Chinese characters
3) – Numerals

For easier input, you may use the following table as a reference:

Menu Navigation Algorithm:

1. Press the "Menu" key to enter the menu.

2. Use the "Up" or "Down" keys or to move between menu items.

3. Pressing "Menu" again selects an item for modification or enters a submenu.

4. Pressing "Exit" returns to the previous menu item (without saving changes).

(!) If the user is inactive in the menu, after approximately 10 seconds the radio automatically returns to the main screen. Changes are not saved in this case.

Menu Item "Contacts"

Contains a submenu with 3 items:

Submenu 1. "Contacts"
Use the "Up" and "Down" keys to select a contact. If the contact is a group contact, the following functions are available to you

1) "View number" – to view the contact’s ID and name
2) "Program key" – assign a hotkey to the contact for quick selection via the keypad.

If the contact is a private one, you may:
1) "Call alert" – send a call alert for a private conversation.
2) "View number" – view the contact’s ID and name
3) "Edit name" – edit the name
4) "Edit number" – edit the contact’s ID
5) "Program key" – assign a hotkey to the contact for quick access via the keypad
6) "Radio Check" – check whether the subscriber is on the air
7) "Remote Mon." – remotely activate the radio for monitoring.

Submenu 2. "New Contact"
You can create a new contact by following the on-screen prompts:

"Enter Number" – enter the new ID (press the green "Confirm" key to confirm)
"Enter Name" – enter the ID owner’s name (press the green "Confirm" key to confirm)
"Select tone" – select an individual alert tone (press the green "Confirm" key to confirm)

If an error occurs, press the red key. It can delete the last character or step back the required number of steps.

Submenu 3. "Manual Dial"
Allows manual entry of a correspondent’s ID (for example, if it is not present in your contacts). After entering and pressing the green key, the following functions are available:

1) "View number" – view the contact’s ID and name.
2) "Radio Check" – check whether the subscriber is on the air.
3) "Remote Mon." – remotely activate the radio for monitoring.

Menu Item "Scan"

Starts radio scanning.

The scan list of channels is programmed on a PC using dedicated software.

Menu Item "Zone"

Zone selection. Use the arrow keys to choose a zone and confirm the selection with the green key.

Menu Item "Messages"

In digital mode, text messaging is available.

Submenu 1 "Inbox"
Incoming messages. If there are received messages, two submenus open:

1) "Inbox" – list of received messages.
2) "Delete All" – delete all received messages

Submenu 2 "Write"
Message composition form. After entering the text, press the green key.

1) "Send" – select a recipient from your contacts. The recipient may be a group contact, in which case all members in that group will receive the message; or the recipient may be an individual contact, in which case only that person will receive it.
2) "Save" – the message will be saved to Drafts. "Clear" – if you choose "Yes," the message will be saved to Drafts. If you choose "No," the message will not be saved and you will return to Submenu 2.

Submenu 3 "Quick Text"
Allows selection of a message from ready-made templates. After selecting a message, it can be edited. Further steps for sending the message are described in Submenu 2.

Submenu 4 "Send Item"
Sent messages are stored here.

1) "Send Item" – list of sent messages. A green check mark indicates delivered messages; a red exclamation mark indicates messages not received by your recipients.
2) "Delete All" – deletes all messages in the "sent" category.

Submenu 5 "Drafts"
Message drafts.

1) "Drafts" – list of saved drafts that can be edited and sent.
2) "Delete All" – delete all messages in the "drafts" category.

It is recommended to periodically delete accumulated messages, as they may fill up the memory and make sending/receiving messages impossible. A flashing envelope icon on the radio’s main screen indicates memory overflow.

Menu Item "Call Log"

Here, lists of incoming and outgoing IDs or names of correspondents received by the radio station are stored.

Submenu "Missed"
1) "Missed List" – a list of correspondents received by your radio station.
2) "Delete All" – clear the list of correspondents received by the radio station.

Submenu "Answered"
1) "Answered List" – a list of correspondents to whom you responded to a call.
2) "Delete All" – clear the list of correspondents to whom you responded.

Submenu "Outgoing"
1) "Outgoing List" – a list of IDs or names to which you made a call
2) "Delete All" – clear the list of correspondents to whom you made a call

Menu Item "Utilities":

This is a large section related to configuring the radio station. It is recommended to make changes here together with a specialist. It consists of three submenus: "Radio Setting", "Radio Info", "Program Radio". They contain the maximum number of control elements.

The navigation algorithm is the same as in the regular Menu:

1. Press to access the Menu.
2. Use the keys or to select the "Utilities" item, confirm your choice by pressing the key .
3. To navigate through the submenus, use the arrow keys [up] or [down] to select a submenu item – the green key .

Submenu Item "Radio Setting"

Submenu "Talkaround":
The function is possible only in digital mode when operating through a repeater. In the case when there is no response from the repeater, the radio station emits a short monotone sound and refuses to switch to "transmit". The active "Talkaround" function allows, in the absence of a repeater response, the radio station to transmit on the receiving frequency. Thus, communication with nearby correspondents will take place.

Submenu "Tones/Alerts":
1) "All Tones" – in the "Turn Off" position, the "silent" mode is activated, in which the radio station does not emit service sounds (key presses, incoming personal calls, etc.). The "Turn On" position disables the "silent" mode.
2) "Talk Permit" – this is a two-tone signal that sounds after pressing the [PTT] key. "Turn On" – signal enabled. "Turn Off" – signal disabled.
3) "Keypad Tones" – keypress sound. "Turn On" – sound enabled, "Turn Off" – sound disabled.

Submenu "Power":
Selection of transmitter power. "High" – maximum power (up to 6 Watts), "Low" – minimum power (up to 1 Watt).

Submenu "Backlight":
Here you set the time for which the display backlight is turned on. Available options are 5, 10, 15 seconds, or "Always" – continuously, meaning the backlight does not turn off.

Submenu "Squelch".
Here you can adjust the "rigidity" of the squelch activation. "Normal" – standard setting. "Tight" – more precise activation.

Submenu "Intro Screen":
Selection of the welcome screen when the radio station is turned on.

1) "Picture" – a factory-installed image will be displayed.
2) "Char String" – text information programmed from a PC will be displayed.

Submenu "Keypad Lock"
Selection of the time for automatic keypad lock. Options available are 5, 10, and 15 seconds after the last action with the keyboard. When selecting "Manual" – the keys are locked only manually.

Submenu "Language".
Selection of the menu language. Options available are English and Chinese languages.

Submenu "Led Indicator"
Enables or disables the LED indicator signaling transmission/reception

Submenu "Passwd Lock"
Changing the password for accessing the Menu. By default, there is no password.

Submenu "Clock":
Designed for setting the time and date.

Submenu "Mode":
Selection of information display about the channel on the main screen:
1) "CH Mode" – channel name.
2) "MR Mode" – frequency.

Submenu Item "Radio Info":

This is an informational item:
1) "My Number" – you can view your ID and name.
2) "Versions" – firmware version.

Submenu Item "Program Radio".

In this submenu item, you can modify an already programmed channel.

1) "Rx Frequency" – changing the channel receive frequency. Press – this is the green key, the screen will show the existing frequency for editing. Press several times to delete the existing frequency. Enter the required frequency using digits and press the green key to save the entered frequency.

2) "Tx Frequency" – changing the channel transmit frequency. Press – this is the green key, the screen will show the existing frequency for editing. Press several times to delete the existing frequency. Enter the required frequency using digits and press the green key to save the entered frequency.

3) "Channel Name" – changing the channel name. Press – this is the green key, the screen will show the existing channel name for editing. Deleting characters is done with the red key . Enter the new name using the numeric keys. After entering, confirm with the green key .

4) "Time out Timer" – selection of transmission time limitation.

5) "CTC/DCS" – selection of a sub-tone for an analog channel.

R CTC – CTCSS (Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System) sub-tone for reception
R DCS – DCS (Digital Coded Squelch) sub-tone for reception
T CTC – CTCSS sub-tone for transmission
T DCS – DCS sub-tone for transmission

7) "Repeater Slot" – selection of repeater time slot.

8) "TX Contact" – selection of the contact for digital mode operation.

9) "Group List" – selection of the RX list, which contains IDs for monitoring by the radio station.

(!) Note: Depending on the type of channel (digital or analog), menu items may differ. Only those items relevant to the selected channel type remain active.
Also, the presence or absence of certain items is possible depending on the programming of the radio station by specialists.

Technical Specifications of the TYT MD-UV390 Radio Station

General

Frequency range: VHF 136–174 MHz UHF 400–480 MHz
Number of memory channels: 1000 channels
Bandwidth: 12.5 KHz
Battery voltage: 7.4 V
Battery chemistry: Li-ion
Operating temperature: -30 °C...+60 °C
Storage temperature: -40 °C...+85 °C
Antenna impedance: 50 Ohms
Audio channel output power: 1000 mW at 16 Ohms
Battery capacity: 2270mAh standard Li-ion battery
Dimensions (L*H*W): 131*61*36 mm (without antenna)
Weight: 310 g

Transmitter

Transmitter power: High: < 5W (HI) Low: < 1W (Low)
Frequency stability: ± 1.0 PPM
Adjacent channel power: < -60 dB
Noise: -40 dB @ 12.5 KHz
Spurious emissions: Antenna: 9 KHz – 1 GHz < -36 dBm, 1 GHz – 12.75 GHz < -30 dBm
FM Modulation: 12.5 KHz: 11KOF3E
4FSK Digital Modulation: 12.5 KHz (data only): 7K60FXD, 12.5 KHz (data + voice): 7K60FXE
Maximum deviation: 2.5 KHz @ 12.5 KHz
Digital protocol: ETSI TS 102 361-1.2.3
Vocoder type: AMBE+2TM
Audio signal distortion Digital errors BER – Bit Error Rate: +1 ldlB ~ -3dB -3dB

Receiver

Receiver sensitivity: 0.35 µV / -116 dBm (20 dB SIND), 0.22 µV / -120 dBm (Type D)
Digital stabilization: 0.3 µV / -117.4 dBm (BER 5/4), 0.7 µV / -110 dBm (IBEIR 1/4)
Selectivity: TIA603C: 65 dB ETSI: 60 dB TIA603C: 75 dB ETSI: 70 dB
Audio output power: 1W
Audio distortion level: 3%

Note: The manufacturer reserves the right to change the technical specifications of the product, not impairing its performance, without notifying the end user.