Operating Instructions for the TYT TH-UV99 portable radio station in English

TYT TH-UV99 Portable Radio Station User Guide

Thank you for purchasing the TYT TH-UV99 portable dual-band radio station. The radio is easy to use and will provide you with safe, reliable, and efficient communication. Please read this manual carefully before starting to use the device. The information presented here will help you achieve maximum performance from the radio.

Main Functions

• ANI
• PTT ID
• VOX
• Power saving mode
• Dot-matrix LCD display
• Multiple power modes
• Quick assignment of DTMF calling channels
• Wide and narrow bandwidth
• 200 memory channels
• Dual-band mode
• Busy channel lockout
• Frequency and CTCSS code scanning
• FM radio with 24 memory channels
• Several types of keypad lock
• Transmission time-out timer
• Remote lock and activation of the device
• Scrambler
• Multi-display
• DTMF tone dialing
• Backlight brightness adjustment
• COMP
• 1750 Hz tone
• 2 Tone/5 Tone
• CTCSS/DCS

Safety Precautions

Use only license-free frequencies or those frequencies for which you have authorization. You bear full responsibility for illegal use of frequencies and interference. Do not use maximum power unless necessary.

Turn off the radio near flammable substances and explosives.

Do not charge the battery near explosives or flammable materials.

Do not use the radio without an antenna or if the antenna is damaged.

Do not switch the radio to transmit in places where mobile phone use is prohibited, such as hospitals or ambulances.

When inside a vehicle, do not place the radio with an active transmitter close to airbags.

Do not leave the radio under direct sunlight or in very hot places.

During transmission, the antenna must be vertical and located at least 3–5 cm away from the user, as far from the body as possible, and preferably above the head.

Do not transmit at maximum power for too long, as overheating may occur.

Before Starting Use

Antenna, Battery, and Clip Installation

To install the antenna, carefully screw it on clockwise until fully tightened. Hold the antenna by the base, not by the tip.

(!) Important!
If you are using an external antenna, make sure its SWR (Standing Wave Ratio) is approximately equal to or less than 1.5:1; otherwise, the transmitter output stage may burn out. The external antenna must support operation in the ranges 136–174 MHz and 400–520 MHz and have an input impedance of 50 Ohms.

For good reception in the 200–260 MHz range, a special additional antenna for this band is required.

(!) Important!
Do not hold the antenna with your hand during transmission, as this reduces the quality and strength of the signal and may damage the transmitter.

(!) Important!
Never switch to transmit without an antenna, otherwise the transmitter output stage may burn out.

Installing the TH-UV99 Battery

1. Place the battery on top of the radio as shown in the picture above.

2. Press and snap the battery into place as shown in the picture.

Before removing the battery, first turn off the radio.

1. Slide the latch at the bottom of the radio to release the battery.

2. Move the battery in the indicated direction.

Charging the Battery

Any power source with a USB port and a current output of at least 2 Amps can be used for charging.

1. Connect the cable to the USB ports of the adapter and the charging cradle. A USB-C cable can be connected directly to the battery; in this case, charging time will be longer.

2. Plug the power adapter into a 220 Volt AC outlet.

3. Place the radio with the battery or the battery alone into the charging cradle.

4. The indicator light will display the charging status.

For optimal performance, please charge the battery for 5 hours before first use.

Radio Controls

1. Antenna
2. Indicator
3. Speaker
4. Menu/Enter
5. Numeric keypad
6. Power / Volume control
7. Microphone
8. LCD display
9. A/B channel switch, Exit/Cancel, Frequency counter (hold for 2 s.)

10. Flashlight, 1750 Hz tone, DTMF signaling
11. PTT (Push-to-Talk)
12. Squelch off (SQL), FM radio scan (hold for 3 s.)
13. Headset/PC connection
14. USB-C charging connection

(!) The interface connector for headsets or programmer is Kenwood standard – compatible accessories are supported.

LCD DISPLAY

When powering on, you will see various symbols displayed on the screen.

The following hints will help you determine the meaning of the symbols displayed on the LCD screen.

Segment	Description
125	The memory cell number currently selected on the receiver
DW	Dual Watch enabled – simultaneous reception of two frequencies (Receiver A + Receiver B)
CTC	CTCSS (Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System) sub-tone enabled
DCS	DCS (Digital Coded Squelch) sub-tone enabled
+	Frequency shift direction of transmission relative to reception (when working with repeaters). Either + or - is displayed.
S	Power saving mode
Z	Scanning
R	Reverse function enabled
W	Wide bandwidth enabled
	Battery charge indicator
	Keypad lock enabled
H	High transmit power enabled
	Signal strength indicator (only available in the full version)
430.00000	Main display – shows frequency, menu item name, or menu setting value
5T/2T/DT	Service signal transmission enabled

Reception Level Indication

	-120 dB
	-115 dB
	-110 dB
	-105 dB
	-100 dB
	-95 dB

The received signal level indicator is required for tuning to a repeater signal. Many repeater signals already contain noise from receiving distant subscribers, so the noise level cannot be used to find the best reception point. Instead, reception level indication is used. It also helps determine the distance of subscribers and the stability of the connection, as well as prevent loss of reception coverage.

*Available only in the full version. Not dependent on updates.

Main Operations

Turning the Radio On/Off

Turn the volume knob clockwise until a click – the radio will power on. Turn the knob counterclockwise until a click – the radio will power off.

Adjusting the Volume

After powering on the radio, continue turning the volume knob clockwise to increase the sound level.

Switching Frequency/Channel Modes (VFO/CH)

The [#] button switches the radio operating modes sequentially:

1. Frequency mode (VFO). Frequency and settings are entered using the keypad.

2. Channel mode (CH). Frequency and channel number are displayed. This mode is available only if at least one channel has been set and saved.

(!) License-free LPD and PMR channels are preprogrammed only in the full version.

Channel Switching

In channel mode (CH): Press buttons [] and [] to select the desired channel (up to 200 channels). Channels must be preset in advance.

In frequency mode (VFO), change the frequency with the set step size or enter the desired frequency using the keypad.

FM Radio On/Off

Press and hold the [#] button for 2 seconds.

Alarm Signal

Activate the siren transmission with [F] [#].

20 seconds siren / 10 seconds reception. To exit, press the PTT button.

Key Lock / Unlock

Press and hold the [*] button for 2 seconds.

1750 Hz Call Tone

Press and hold the upper side button.

Frequency Counter

Quick alignment with other radios.

Press and hold the [A/B] button for 2 seconds. The display will show: Seek… and the green mode indicator will flash. Press transmit (PTT) on the other radio that needs alignment. Within 1–5 seconds, the display will show the frequency and CTCSS/DCS sub-tone if used. After detection, the frequency and sub-tone will be saved to the current receiver line. Now these radios will be able to communicate with each other.

*The frequency counter detects the actual frequency with some error. For precise tuning, frequencies must be rounded to the operational frequency grid: LPD – 25 kHz, PMR – 6.25 kHz. For example, in the LPD band: 433.10012 should be rounded to 433.10000.

(!) Warning! After saving a CTCSS/DCS sub-tone, the radio will stop receiving signals without a matching sub-tone. To disable the sub-tone: [F] [23] [F] [**] OFF [F] [A/B].

Radio Menu Settings and Functions

1. In standby mode, press [F] to enter the settings menu.

2. Use [] [] to select the desired setting.

3. Press [F] to enter, then use [] [] [*] to set the desired parameter.

4. Press [F] to save.

5. Press [A/B] twice to return and exit.

[OFF] – Disabled. [ON] – Enabled.

№	Name	Description
1	SCAN	Scanning
2	TX-SEL	Main CH / Last CH – Select transmit channel: active or the one where the last reception occurred
3	VOX LEV	1–8 Sound level threshold for VOX transmission activation
4	POWER	LOW/MID/HIGH – three power levels, HIGH is maximum.
5	SQL	0–9 Noise threshold for muting the receiver.
6	D.WAIT	ON/OFF Enable/Disable Dual Watch mode.
7	LED	OFF/ON/5S/10S/15S/20S/25S/30S Backlight duration
8	LIGHT	1–7 Backlight brightness
9	BEEP	ON/OFF Keypress tone
10	DT CH	1–16 Selection of service signaling codes. Note! Some service codes (Kill and Stun) are intended for remote blocking of radios in case of loss. Such blocking is not a malfunction and is not covered by warranty. Be careful. PTT + Flashlight sends the code.
11	TOT	OFF/30/60/.../270 Transmitter time-out timer
12	BCLO	OFF/WAVE/CALL Busy channel lockout
13	VOX.SW	ON/OFF Enable/Disable VOX (voice-operated transmission)
14	ROGER	ON/OFF Roger beep (end of transmission signal)
16	RX.SAV	1:1/1:2/1:4/OFF Power saving modes
17	SCAN.S	TO/CO/SE Scanning modes: TO (time operation) – stops on a frequency with a signal for several seconds, then continues scanning. CO (carrier operation) – continues scanning as soon as the signal disappears. SE (search operation) – stops scanning once a frequency with a signal is found.
18	AUTOLK	ON/OFF Automatic keypad lock
19	VOICE	ON/OFF Voice prompts in English
20	OPENSET	OFF/DC/Char/MEG – Information displayed on screen when powering on. DC – battery voltage. Char – text message (2 lines), programmable from PC. MEG – factory animated splash screen.
21	DC VOLT	Current supply voltage. Radios available at mag77.ru
22	OFFSET DIS.NM	VFO mode: Repeater frequency offset. CH mode: ON/OFF Display channel name (per channel, see item 33).
23	C-CDC	OFF/67.0/D023N Selection of sub-tone for transmit and receive [*] [] []
24	R-CDC	OFF/67.0/D023N Selection of sub-tone for reception
25	T-CDC	OFF/67.0/D023N Selection of sub-tone for transmission
26	S-D	+/-/OFF Repeater frequency shift direction
27	STEP	5K/6.25K/.../25K Frequency step
28	N/W	WIDE/NARROW Bandwidth selection
29	SEEK 67.0	CTCSS sub-tone scanning
30	SEEK D023N	DCS sub-tone scanning
31	SCR.NO	OFF/ON Scrambler (voice encryption)
32	LOCK MD	ALL/PTT/KEY/KEY+S Key lock options
33	DIS MD	FRE/CH/MR Display mode in channel mode: Frequency/Channel/Name (see item 22)
34	DW	ON/OFF Interrupt FM radio with incoming signal
35	Reset	ALL/VFO/FULL Reset options. ALL and FULL erase all memory channels and their settings.
36	Radio Ver	Firmware version
37	DIS.NM	Edit channel name. Available only in channel mode.
38	RX ENC	OFF/ON Digital noise suppression

Official Update from 2023/12/19 B91.36

(!) Damage to the radio as a result of unqualified actions related to firmware installation is not covered by warranty and can only be repaired at the factory. Such actions include: interrupting the update process, software and hardware failures of the used equipment, and power surges. We do not recommend installing updates yourself if you do not have experience and there is no necessity. Updates do not affect the range and quality of communication.

Channel Setup

In VFO mode, enter the desired channel frequency on the keypad and configure the required settings.

Hold [F] for two seconds, a channel number selection will appear on the right side of the screen. Use buttons [] [], then press [#] to confirm or [F] to delete the channel.

Battery Information

New batteries are delivered from the manufacturer charged to 30–60%. Before first use, charge the battery for 5 hours. Maximum battery capacity will be reached after three full “charge/discharge” cycles. If you notice that the battery capacity has decreased, recharge it.

Battery Usage Recommendations

1. Charge and store the battery at temperatures from 5°C to 40°C. Violation of temperature conditions may cause leakage or damage.
2. Switch off the radio during charging to ensure full charging of the battery.
3. Do not disconnect the AC adapter and do not remove the battery from the charging cradle during the charging process.
4. Never charge the battery if it has traces of moisture. Wipe it with a dry soft cloth before charging.
5. Eventually, the battery will wear out. When the operating time of the radio becomes significantly shorter than normal, it is time to replace the battery.

Extending Battery Service Life

1. Battery performance decreases at temperatures below 0°C. In cold weather, a spare battery may be required. If the battery does not work in cold conditions, it may still work at room temperature, so do not rush to recharge it.
2. Dirt on the battery contacts may cause malfunction or charging failure. Before attaching the battery, clean the contacts with a dry soft cloth.

Battery Storage

Charge the battery to 60% before long-term storage to avoid damage due to deep discharge.

Recharge the battery every 6 months to prevent deep discharge.

Store the battery in a dry place at room temperature to reduce self-discharge.

Radio Maintenance

To ensure optimal performance and long service life of your radio, please follow the guidelines below.

Careful Handling

Do not scratch the radio with sharp objects, and do not carry it near sharp tools or hard objects. Keep the radio away from substances that may corrode electronic circuits. Do not leave the radio in direct sunlight. Close the accessory port cover when not in use.

Cleaning

Regularly clean dust and dirt from the surface of the radio and charger with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth or brush. Use a neutral detergent and nonwoven cloth to clean the buttons, control knob, and front panel after extended use. Do not use chemicals such as stain removers, alcohol, aerosols, or petroleum derivatives to avoid damaging the case surface. Make sure the radio is completely dry before use.

(!) Attention: Turn off the radio and remove the battery before cleaning.

Possible Problems and Troubleshooting