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The Radio Shack BTX-127 is a VHF business-band handheld two-way radio that is suitable for use in MURS, the new license-free VHF radio service. Please send any comments or suggestions about this page to webmaster @ wild-ideas.org. You may also be interested in the companion 19-1210 Mobile Information Page.
David Wild.

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Setting a standard frequency


Open up the battery pack, and set dip switches 3,4,5 and 6 (the rightmost 4 switches) according to the following table, where 1 = on (up), and 0 = off (down). The five MURS frequencies can be used license-free.

Setting Frequency Name Setting Frequency Name
0000 151.625 RED DOT 1000 151.940 MURS 3
0100 151.700 - 0001 151.955 PURPLE DOT
0101 151.760 - 0010 154.570 MURS 4
0110 151.820 MURS 1 0011 154.600 MURS 5
0111 151.880 MURS 2



Shown above, set for 154.600 (MURS 5) with CTCSS enabled (switch 1 set)

Setting the CTCSS code


Turn off the radio. Open up the battery cover, and write down the dip switch setting. Set dip switches according to desired CTCSS setting from the table below. Hold down the Push-To-Talk button whilst switching on the radio. The radio should beep when you switch on, then once when you release the PTT. Turn off the radio and reset the dip switches to their original position.

Code Frequency Setting Code Frequency Setting Code Frequency Setting
- none 000000 14 107.2 001110 28 173.8 011100
1 67.0 000001 15 110.9 001111 29 179.9 011101
2 71.9 000010 16 114.8 010000 30 186.2 011110
3 74.4 000011 17 118.8 010001 31 192.8 011111
4 77.0 000100 18 123.0 010010 32 203.5 100000
5 79.7 000101 19 127.3 010011 33 210.7 100001
6 82.5 000110 20 131.8 010100 34 218.1 100010
7 85.4 000111 21 136.5 010101 35 225.7 100011
8 88.5 001000 22 141.3 010110 36 233.6 100100
9 91.5 001001 23 146.2 010111 37 241.8 100101
10 94.8 001010 24 151.4 011000 38 250.3 100110
11 97.4 001011 25 156.7 011001
12 100.0 001100 26 162.2 011010
13 103.5 001101 27 167.9 011011

Using the extra frequency memory


The BTX-127 can actually be set to use pretty much any frequency between 150.775 MHz and 157.740 MHz. This frequency is programmed into an extra memory using the method outlined below. Note that all of the non-MURS frequences require a license for transmission. To perform this operation, you will need to locate the special "set" switch. Look just above the dip switches, you will see a gap in the battery case and a button on the circuit board with "SET" written next to it:


Don't press it yet, but when you do need to press it you can use a screwdriver to depress the top of the square button. Here are the instructions:
  1. Open the table below (it will open in a new window) and find the frequency you wish to use
    BTX-127 Special Frequency Table
  2. Write down the six digits for Bank 1 and the six digits for Bank 2
  3. Turn the radio on
  4. Write down the current setting of the dip switches so they can be restored later
  5. Set the dip switches to the code you wrote down for Bank 1 (0=off, 1=on)
  6. Press the set button. You should hear one long beep
  7. Set the dip switches to the code you wrote down for Bank 2
  8. Press the set button. You should hear two long beeps. (If you hear three, something has gone wrong, so try again)
  9. Turn off the radio and reset the dip switches to their previous setting
The frequency is now programmed in the extra memory. To switch from the standard frequency (set by the dip switches in the usual fashion) to the extra memory, flick dip switch 2 (second from left) on. One nice use of this is to program a backup MURS frequency into the extra memory. You can then flick between the primary and backup channel by flicking switch two, without having to worry about remembering the right code.

More information