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Scout UHF 433/434 MHz User Guide

Learning CenterScout UHF 433/434 MHz User Guide

Learning Center

Owner's manual. Transmitters

How to use the Scout ultra high frequency transmitter

This Scout uses the same case and the same CR2032 cell as the standard Scout. It works on 433 and 434 megahertz. Range is about twice the standard Scout. A new battery runs about 10 days.

80 miles, line of sightAbout 10 days6.5 inch antennaCR2032 battery
Marshall Scout ultra high frequency transmitter

Getting started

Specifications

Temperature Minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, with a new battery.
Standard pulses 40 milliseconds, 58 pulses per minute.
Apollo 13 pulses 20 milliseconds, 2200 pulses per minute. Shorter, and more frequent.
Range 80 miles, line of sight.
Battery life 10 days, continuous.
Antenna Short and Safe, 6.5 inches, ultra high frequency.
Housing Machined aircraft aluminum, hard-coat anodized.
Marshall Scout ultra high frequency transmitter
The Scout ultra high frequency transmitter. Screw lid on the face, mounting clips above, 6.5 inch antenna below.

Install the battery

  1. Use a CR2032 lithium 3-volt cell. Marshall recommends the Renata CR2032.

  2. Put the negative side down. After it is in, you should be able to read CR2032 and the plus sign on the top of the cell.

  3. Insert it at an angle, toward the tab spring. Do not push it straight down. That can damage the springs. The transmitter starts as soon as the cell is in.

  4. Screw the lid on as tight as you can with your fingers. A little more torque with pliers is fine. A loose lid can come off.

  5. To take a cell out, turn the transmitter upside down and tap it gently.

tab spring insert at an angle, negative side down reading the cell type faces up after installation
Slide the CR2032 in at an angle, toward the tab spring. The printing faces up.

If your Scout has a magnet, leave the old cell out for 1 to 2 minutes before you install the new one. The Scout remembers the last state, and the pause clears it. A Scout without a magnet does not need the wait.

How long the battery lasts

About 10 days of continuous transmission on a new battery. A double beep every 10 pulses warns you before it runs out. The transmitter tracks total transmission time and also checks voltage, so it warns you if you install an old battery.

Turn it on and off

If your Scout has a magnet, touch it to the battery lid. You will hear 5 fast beeps for off and 3 fast beeps for on. If you lose the magnet, unscrew the lid. Listen for the signal before you fly and after you switch it off.

Marshall magnetic wand on its keyring
The magnetic wand ships with the transmitter. Hold it on the battery lid and count the beeps on the receiver.

Apollo 13 Mode

After 24 hours of continuous running, the pulses become shorter and more frequent: 20 milliseconds at 2200 pulses per minute. This is different from the very high frequency Scout, which slows its pulses. The faster beeps make a lost bird easier to hear in the following days.

Wash and inspect

  1. The case is waterproof. Wash it with hot water. Dry the inside of the case and the lid before you install a battery.

  2. Replace the antenna at the first crack or bare wire.

  3. On a tail mount, inspect the tail spring.

  4. On a leg mount, inspect the bewit slot for wear.

Replace the antenna

Use the Short and Safe ultra high frequency antenna, 6.5 inches. The replacement comes with instructions. Use only a genuine Marshall antenna with Power Line Static Protection.

  1. Unscrew the antenna protector.

  2. Unscrew the old antenna with your fingers.

  3. Screw the new antenna on hand tight. A small bead of quick-drying epoxy at the base is fine.

  4. Put the protector back on.

1. unscrew the protector clean, shiny threads 2. unscrew the old antenna 3. new antenna hand tight, then refit the protector
Unscrew the protector, unscrew the old antenna, fit the new one by hand, then put the protector back.

Do not use liquid super glue or a thread locker. Super glue runs up the threads and bonds to the antenna stud. Unscrew the old antenna with your fingers only. Pliers can damage the transmitter.

How it mounts on the bird

Match the photo to the hardware you ordered. The bird photos show the leg and tail methods. They use a GPS transmitter so you can see where the hardware sits.

Scout ultra high frequency transmitter, leg mount
Leg mount. The bewit slot is in the case. The antenna is the short whip.
Scout ultra high frequency transmitter, tail mount
Tail mount. Two wire hooks hold the tail spring.
Tail spring for the Scout
Inspect the tail spring before a tail-mount flight.
Close view of a leg mount on a bird.
Leg mount on a bird. The transmitter in this photo is a GPS unit. The bewit sits beside the foot and the antenna points back.
A peregrine with a tail-mounted transmitter under the tail.
Tail mount on a bird. The transmitter in this photo is a GPS unit. It hangs under the tail and the antenna points down.

Point the receiver

  1. The signal from the Scout is strongest when the receiver antenna lines up with the transmitter antenna.

  2. A bird on a perch holds its tail nearly straight up. Hold the receiver elements straight up.

  3. A bird on the ground can leave the antenna nearly flat. Turn the elements flat and listen again.

  4. If you can hear the signal both ways, use the flat position to pinpoint the bird.

Receiver with a three-element antenna, elements held flat
The receiver with its three-element antenna. The elements in this photo are flat, the position for a bird on the ground. Turn them straight up for a bird on a perch.

Warranty

Marshall Radio Telemetry warrants that the Scout ultra high frequency transmitter will be free from defects of workmanship and materials for one (1) year from the date of purchase by the end user. Return a defective transmitter directly to Marshall Radio Telemetry and we will repair or replace it and return it free of charge. Damage from misuse or normal wear and tear is not covered, and the warranty is void if a non-Marshall antenna has been used. Marshall Radio is not responsible for damages or loss beyond the value of the transmitter itself, including but not limited to the loss of a bird or lost time.

This device does not interfere with television reception or Federal Government radar.

Troubleshooting

Work down this list before you change anything else.

  1. The new cell does nothing, or the old state comes back. On a Scout with a magnet, leave the cell out for 1 to 2 minutes. Negative side down. The printing faces you.

  2. The lid comes loose. Tighten it with your fingers, then a little more with pliers if you need it.

  3. You hear a double beep every 10 pulses. The cell is near the end of its life, or it is an old cell. Change it before a long flight. A new cell lasts about 10 days.

  4. The beeps suddenly get much faster. Apollo 13 Mode has started after 24 hours. The pulses are now 20 milliseconds at 2200 pulses per minute. The bird can still be found.

  5. You lost the magnet. Unscrew the lid to turn it off. Listen on the receiver before you fly and after you think it is off.

  6. The range is short. Hold the receiver elements straight up for a bird on a perch, and flat if the bird is on the ground. If you hear both, use the flat position to pinpoint. Check the 6.5 inch antenna for cracks.

FAQs

How is this Scout different?

It uses the same case and the same CR2032 cell as the standard Scout. It works on 433 and 434 megahertz. A new battery runs about 10 days. The antenna is 6.5 inches.

How long does a battery last?

About 10 days of continuous transmission on a new battery. A double beep every 10 pulses warns you before it runs out.

How do I turn it on and off?

If your Scout has a magnet, touch it to the battery lid. Five fast beeps means off. Three fast beeps means on. If you lose the magnet, unscrew the lid.

What is Apollo 13 Mode on this model?

After 24 hours the pulses become shorter and more frequent: 20 milliseconds at 2200 pulses per minute. The standard Scout slows its pulses instead.

What range should I expect?

80 miles, line of sight.

What is the warranty?

One year from the date of purchase, for defects of workmanship and materials.

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