Vertex Standard VX-537 User manual

VX-537
Hand-Held Portable
Land Mobile Transceiver
Operating
Manual
Vertex Standard LMR, Inc.
4-8-8 Nakameguro, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo 153-8644, Japan

Congratulations!
You now have at your fingertips a valuable communications tool - a
Vertex Standard two-way radio! Rugged, reliable and easy to use, your
Vertex Standard radio will keep you in constant touch with your col-
leagues for years to come, with negligible maintenance down time.
Please take a few minutes to read this manual carefully. The information
presented here will allow you to derive maximum performance from
your radio. After reading it, keep the manual handy for quick reference,
in case questions arise later on.
We’re glad you joined the Vertex Standard team. Call on us any time,
because our business is communications. Let us help you get your mes-
sage across.
Intrinsic Safety (IS) Information

The VX-537, equipped with any of the following optional units,
meets the requirements of ANSI/UL 913 6th Edition for Class I,
Division 1, Groups A-D; Class II, Groups E-G; and Class III for haz-
ardous locations.
Battery Packs: FNB-29AIS, FNB-29ANIS, FNB-29ALNIS
Speaker Microphone: MH-50C7A
Encryption Unit: FVP-25
2-Tone Sequential Decoder Unit: F2D-8
VX-Trunking Portable Logic Board: VTP-50

When attach the FNB-29BNIS Battery Pack, the VX-537 comes to
meet the requirements of ANSI/UL 913 5th Edition for “Class I, II,
III, Division 1, Groups C, D, E, F, G, T2C” for hazardous locations.
 Substitution of components may impair intrinsic safety.
NOTICE
There are no user-serviceable points inside this transceiver. All
service jobs must be referred to your Authorized Service Center or
Network Administrator.

Page 1VX-537 Operating Manual
Important notIce!
FCC RF Exposure Compliance Requirements for Occupational Use Only:
This Radio has been tested and complies with the Federal Communica-
tions Commission (FCC) RF exposure limits for Occupational Use/Con-
trolled exposure environment. In addition, it complies with the following
Standards and Guidelines:
 FCC 96-326, Guidelines for Evaluating the Environmental Effects of
Radio-Frequency Radiation.
 FCC OET Bulletin 65 Edition 97-01 (1997) Supplement C, Evaluat-
ing Compliance with FCC Guidelines for Human Exposure to Radio
Frequency Electromagnetic Fields.
 ANSI/IEEE C95.1-1992, IEEE Standard for Safety Levels with
Respect to Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic
Fields, 3kHz to 300 GHz.
 ANSI/IEEE C95.3-1992, IEEE Recommended Practice for the Mea-
surement of Potentially Hazardous Electromagnetic Fields-RF and
Microwave.
 This radio is NOT approved for use by the general population in
an uncontrolled environment. This radio is restricted to occupa-
tional use, work related operations only where the radio operator
must have the knowledge to control its RF exposure conditions.
 When transmitting, hold the radio in a vertical position with its mi-
crophone 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) away from your mouth and keep
the antenna at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) away from your head and body.
 The radio must be used with a maximum operating duty cycle
not exceeding 50%, in typical Push-to-Talk (PTT) congurations.
DO NOT transmit for more than 50% of total radio use time (50%
duty cycle). Transmitting more than 50% of the time can cause
FCC RF exposure compliance requirements to be exceeded.
The radio is transmitting when the red LED on the top of the ra-
dio is illuminated. You can cause the radio to transmit by press-
ing the PTT button.
 DO NOT transmit when the radio is used in a “Body Worn” cong-
uration. It must be used ONLY for (1) when there is a 1” - 2” (2.5 to
5 cm) distance from the body during transmitting, or (2) for moni-
toring purposes, using the speaker only, or (3) for carrying purposes.
 Always use Vertex Standard authorized accessories.

Page 2 VX-537 Operating Manual
controls & connectors
This Channel on “SCAN” List
Talk-Around Mode
Low Transmit Power Mode On
Channel Group Number
(“01” ~ “19” and “0”)
Receive Monitor
Steady On: Signaling off
Blinking: Busy Channel (or SQL off)
Group Scan Enabled
(this group)
8 Character Alpha-numeric Invertible Display
This Channel on
“DUAL WATCH” List
Top Panel
LCD
TOP SEL1 Key
(Gray)
TOP SEL2 Key
(Orange)
Antenna Jack CH (Channel) Selector VOL/PWR Knob
LED Indicator
Steady Green: Signaling off
Blinking Green: Busy Channel (or SQL off)
Steady Red: Transmission in Progress
Blinking Red: Battery voltage is low
Toggle Switch
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

Page 3VX-537 Operating Manual
controls & connectors
Side Panels
SIDE SEL1 Key
SIDE SEL2 Key
PTT Switch
Battery Release Button
MIC/SP Jack
(External MIC/SP)
Battery Terminals
Maximum Input Voltage: 9 V DC
Maximum Input Current: 2.5 A
Maximum Internal Capacitance: 30.33 µF
Maximum Internal Inductance: 1 µH

Page 4 VX-537 Operating Manual
Before You BegIn
Preliminaries
If the transceiver has not been used since leaving the factory, fully charge
the battery using VAC-520 Rapid Desktop Charger before using it.
Mount the battery on the transceiver as described and shown in the il-
lustration below. Also, install the antenna on the jack on top of the trans-
ceiver by screwing the connector into the jack until it is nger-tight.
Battery Removal & Replacement
 Make sure that the VOL control is set into the “off” click-stop (fully
counter-clockwise, and remove the protective soft or hard case, if used.
 Grasp the transceiver with your left hand, so your palm is over the
speaker and your thumb is on the Battery Release Button.
 Move the Battery Release Button in the
direction indicated by the arrowhead,
while using your right hand to slide the
battery pack toward the side with the
button. The battery pack should slide
smoothly out of its track.
 To replace the Battery Pack, repeat the
second and third steps above, simply
sliding the battery case in the other direction after aligning the short-
er side of the Battery Pack with the track below the Battery Release
Button.
WARNING
 The FBA-19 was designed as a backup battery pack, and it
can be used to power the transceiver if you are in an area that
does not require the use of an intrinsically safe radio.
The VX-537IS is only intrinsically safe with the use of the
FNB-29AIS, FNB-29ANIS, FNB-29ALNIS, or FNB-
29BNIS battery pack.
 Do not reverse-connect the battery terminals.
 Do not parallel-connect the battery terminals.
 Do not change batteries in hazardous locations.
 To reduce the risk of explosion, recharge the batteries outside
of hazardous locations.
ò ò ò
ç

Page 5VX-537 Operating Manual
Battery Charging
 Insert the DC plug from the AC Adapter into the DC jack on the
Charger Stand’s rear panel, then plug the AC Adapter into the AC
line outlet.
 Insert the battery pack into the Charger
Stand. If charging with the transceiver
attached, the antenna jack should be at
the left side when viewing the Charger
Stand from the front.
 If the battery pack is inserted correctly,
the LED indicator on the Charger Stand
will glow red (Charging).
 When charging is completed, the red
LED indicator will change to green (Fully
Charged).
Important Notes!
 Do not connect an improper AC Adapter
into the DC jack of the Charger Stand.
 Do not charge an improper battery (one
not specifically designed for use in the
VAC-520).
 The AC Adapter and/or Charger Stand
will generate a moderate amount of heat
during the charging process. This is a
normal condition.
 The AC Adapter is not designed to pow-
er the transceiver for transmission.
Caution!!
 When charging a battery pack alone (not attached to the transceiver),
do not allow any metal object to short the terminals on the battery
pack.
 Do not allow any metal objects to short the terminals in the nest of
the Charger Stand, as a short-circuit could cause overheating of the
charger circuitry.
Before You BegIn
ò

Page 6 VX-537 Operating Manual
Low Battery Indication
 As the battery discharges during use, the voltage gradually becomes
lower. When the battery voltage falls below the operating voltage
range of the radio, it is time to substitute a freshly charged battery
and recharge the depleted pack. The LED indicator on the top of the
radio will blink red when the battery voltage is low.
 Avoid recharging Ni-Cd or Ni-MH batteries often with little use
between charges, as this can degrade the charge capacity. We recom-
mend that you carry an extra, fully-charged pack with you so the
operational battery may be used until depletion (this “deep cycling”
technique promotes better long-term battery capacity).
Before You BegIn
Caution
Danger of explosion if battery is replaced with an incorrect bat-
tery. Replace only with the same or equivalent type.

Page 7VX-537 Operating Manual
BasIc operatIon
Note

Page 8 VX-537 Operating Manual
BasIc operatIon
Preliminary Steps
 Install a charged battery pack onto the
transceiver, as described previously.
 Screw the supplied antenna onto the An-
tenna jack. Never attempt to operate this
transceiver without an antenna connected.
 If you have a Speaker/Microphone, we rec-
ommend that it not be connected until you
are familiar with the basic operation of the
VX-537.
Operation Quick Start
 Turn the top panel’s VOL/PWR knob
clockwise to turn on the radio.
 Turn the top panel’s CH selector knob to
choose the desired operating channel. A
channel name will appear on the LCD. If
you want to select the operating channel
from a different Memory Channel Group,
press the Soft key assigned to the “Memory
Group Up” or “Memory Group Down” function to select the Memo-
ry Channel Group containing the desired operating channel. A group
name will appear on the LCD whenever the Soft key is pressed.
Note: Some models are programmed so that the operating chan-
nels are selected by the Soft key and the memory channel group is
selected by the CH selector knob. For further details, contact your
Vertex Standard dealer.

Page 9VX-537 Operating Manual
BasIc operatIon
 Rotate the VOL/PWR knob to set the volume level. If no signal is
present, press and hold in the Soft key as-
signed to the Monitor function for more
than 2 seconds; background noise will
now be heard, and you may use this to set
the VOL/PWR knob for the desired audio
level.
Press and hold in the Soft (Monitor) key for more than 2 seconds (or
press the Soft (Monitor) key twice) to quiet the noise and resume
normal (quiet) monitoring.
 To transmit, press and hold in the PTT
switch. Speak into the microphone area of
the lower left-hand corner of the front grill
in a normal voice level. To return to the
Receive mode, release the PTT switch.
 Press the Soft key assigned to the “Scan” function or switch the
Toggle Switch to the assigned “Scan” position (when so pro-
grammed by your dealer) to start the scanner. The scanner rapidly
steps through each of the dealer-programmed channels, looking for
incoming calls.
 Press the TOP SEL1/TOP SEL2 key on
the top panel or SIDE SEL1/SIDE SEL2
key on the side panel to activate one of
the pre-programmed functions which may
have been enabled at the time of program-
ming by the dealer. Similarly, when using
the 16-key version, the [A], [B], [C], and
[D] function keys may be used to activate
one of these functions, if programmed by
the dealer. See the next section for details
regarding the available features.
TOP SEL1
TOP SEL2
SIDE SEL1
SIDE SEL2

Page 10 VX-537 Operating Manual
 Switch the top panel’s Toggle switch to the [A], [B], or [Center “”]
position to activate one of the pre-pro-
grammed functions which may have been
enabled at the time of programming by the
dealer. When this switch is in the [A], [B],
or [Center “”] position, the feature pro-
grammed (by your dealer) to that switch
position will be engaged. See the next section for details regarding
the available features.
 Press the DTMF keys on the telephone keypad, while pressing the
PTT switch, to send DTMF tones (16-key version only).
 If a MH-50C7A Speaker/Micro-
phone is available, remove the
plastic cap and its two mount-
ing screws from the right side
of the transceiver, then align
the connector of the Speaker/
Microphone on the transceiver
body; secure the connector pin
using the screws supplied with
the Speaker/Microphone. Hold
the speaker grille up next to
your ear while receiving. To
transmit, press the PTT switch
on the Speaker/Microphone,
just as you would on the main
transceiver’s body, and speak
into the microphone on a nor-
mal voice level.
Do not remove/install the MH-50C7A Speaker/Microphone in a haz-
ardous location.
Note: Save the original plastic cap and its mounting screws. They
should be reinstalled when not using the Speaker/Micro-
phone.
BasIc operatIon

Page 11VX-537 Operating Manual
advanced operatIon
Soft Key and Toggle Switch Functions
The VX-537 includes the [TOP SEL1], [TOP SEL2], [SIDE SEL1],
and [SIDE SEL2] Keys, and the Toggle Switch, while the 16-key ver-
sion additionally provides [A], [B], [C], [D] function Keys. The Soft
key and Toggle switch functions can be customized, via programming
by your Vertex Standard dealer, to meet your communications/network
requirements. Some features may require the purchase and installation of
optional internal accessories. The possible Soft key and Toggle switch
programming features are illustrated at the bottom and next page, and
their functions are explained on page 13. For further details, contact your
Vertex Standard dealer. For future reference, check the box next to each
function that has been assigned to the Soft key and Toggle switch on
your particular radio, and keep it handy.
Function Toggle Switch (Position)
A(Center “”)B
None
Channel Scan
Dual Watch
High / Low Power
Talk Around
TX Saver Off
LCD Invert
Encryption Offø
Lock
Follow-Me Scan
Group Recall Shortcut
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
ø: Requires Encryption Unit

Page 12 VX-537 Operating Manual
advanced operatIon
Function
Soft Key
TOP
SEL1
TOP
SEL2
SIDE
SEL1
SIDE
SEL2 [A] [B] [C] [D]
None
Channel Scan
Dual Watch
High / Low Power
Talk Around
TX Saver Off
LCD Invert
Encryption Offø1
Follow-Me Scan
Group Up
Group Down
Channel Up
Channel Down
Call / Resetø2
Speed Dial
Emergency --- --- --- --- --- ---
Monitor
Lamp
ACC1 --- ---
ACC2
ø1: Requires Encryption Unit
ø2: 16-Key version only

Page 13VX-537 Operating Manual
advanced operatIon
Description of Operating Functions
Channel Scan
The Scanning feature is used to monitor multiple signals programmed
into the transceiver. While scanning, the transceiver will check each
channel for the presence of a signal, and will stop on a channel if a sig-
nal is present.
One key or switch may be assigned to the Scan function, as follows:
 One of the Soft keys may be assigned for Scan operation; or
 The Toggle switch may have one position assigned to the Scan
function.
To activate scanning:
 Press the assigned Soft key, or set the Toggle switch to the as-
signed position.
 The scanner will search the channels, looking for active ones;
it will pause each time it nds a channel on which someone is
speaking.
To stop scanning:
 Press the assigned Soft key, or set the Toggle switch to a differ-
ent position.
 Operation will revert to the channel to which the CH knob is set.
Note: Your dealer may have programmed your radio to stay on one of
the following channels if you press the PTT switch during scan-
ning pause:
 Current channel (“Talk Back”)
 “Last Busy” channel
 “Priority” channel
 “Home” channel
 “Scan Start” channel

Page 14 VX-537 Operating Manual
Dual Watch
The Dual Watch feature is similar to the Scan feature, except that only
two channels are monitored:
 The current operating channel; and
 The “Priority” channel.
To activate Dual Watch:
 Press the assigned Soft key, or set the Toggle switch to the as-
signed position.
 The scanner will search the two channels; it will pause each time
it nds a channel on which someone is speaking.
To stop scanning:
 Press the assigned Soft key, or set the Toggle switch to a differ-
ent position.
 Operation will revert to the channel to which the CH knob is set.
High/Low Power
Press the assigned Soft key or switch the Toggle Switch to the assigned
position to set the radio’s transmitter to the “Low Power” mode, thus
extending battery life. Press the assigned Soft key again or switch the
Toggle switch to the other Position to return to “High Power” operation
when in difcult terrain.
Talk Around
Press the assigned Soft key or switch the Toggle switch to the assigned
position to activate the Talk Around feature when you are operating on
duplex channel systems (separate receive and transmit frequencies, uti-
lizing a “repeater” station). The Talk Around feature allows you to by-
pass the repeater station and talk directly to a station that is nearby. This
feature has no effect when you are operating on “simplex” channels,
where the receive and transmit frequencies are already the same.
Note that your dealer may have made provision for “Talk Around” chan-
nels by programming “repeater” and “Talk Around” frequencies on two
adjacent channels. If so, the key may be used for one of the other Pre-
Programmed Functions.
advanced operatIon

Page 15VX-537 Operating Manual
advanced operatIon
TX Save Off
Press the assigned Soft key or switch the Toggle switch to the assigned
position to disable the Transmit Battery Saver, if you are operating in a
location where high power is almost always needed.
The Transmit Battery Saver helps extend battery life by reducing trans-
mit power when a very strong signal from an apparently nearby station
is being received. Under some circumstances, though, your hand-held
radio may not be heard well at the other end of the communication path,
and high power may be necessary at all times.
LCD Invert
Pressing the assigned Soft key or switch the Toggle switch to the as-
signed position inverts the LCD display to backward-facing readout (the
backward display is convenient for viewing when wearing the transceiv-
er on your belt). Press the assigned Soft key again or switch the Toggle
switch to the other Position-return the LCD display to frontward-facing
readout.
Encryption Off
Press the assigned Soft key or switch the Toggle switch to the assigned
position to turn off the optional voice encryption unit temporarily, for
use when an incorrect setting of (or failure in) the encryption system at
one end of the communication path has made it impossible to talk to the
other station.
Remember that disabling the encryption will mean that your transmis-
sions are no longer secure. Return to the encrypted mode as soon as pos-
sible, and do not discuss any critical or condential information while in
the non-encrypted mode of operation.
Lock
Switch the Toggle switch to lock the top-panel keys; this can be en-
abled to prevent radio settings from being disturbed.

Page 16 VX-537 Operating Manual
Follow-Me Scan
“Follow-Me” Scan feature checks a User-assigned Priority Channel reg-
ularly as you scan the other channels. Thus, if only Channels 1, 3, and 5
(of the 8 available channels) are designated for “Scanning,” the user may
nonetheless assign Channel 2 as the “User-assigned” Priority Channel
via the “Follow-Me” feature.
To activate “Follow-Me” scanning, first select the channel you want
to designate as the “User-Assigned Priority Channel” and Switch the
Toggle switch to the assigned position. Then turn the CH selector
knob to the “Scanning Start” channel which has been programmed by
your dealer to activate the scanner. When the scanner stops on an “Ac-
tive” channel, the User-assigned Priority Channel will automatically be
checked every few seconds; if activity is found on the User-assigned Pri-
ority Channel, the radio will switch between it and the Dealer-Assigned
Priority Channel, if any.
Follow-Me DW
To set up a “Dual Watch” frequency pair using the “Follow-Me” feature,
select a channel using the CH selector knob. Now press the assigned
Soft key; pressing the assigned Soft key locks the current channel as
the User-assigned Priority Channel. Now rotate the CH selector knob to
another channel (not the “Scanning Start” channel). Your radio will now
switch back-and-forth between the currently-selected channel (shown on
the CH selector knob) and the User-assigned Priority Channel.
During “Follow-Me” scanning (after you have pressed the key), you
can set up the “Dual Watch” feature by rotating the CH selector knob
to another channel. The radio will then scan back and forth between the
original User-assigned Priority Channel and the newly-selected channel.
The Priority Channel you have assigned (before pressing the key) will be
retained in memory until you change it.
advanced operatIon

Page 17VX-537 Operating Manual
advanced operatIon
Channel Group Selection
The VX-530 is capable of separating its 512 memory channels into any
of 16 Groups. There is no limit as to the number of channels which may
be assigned to each Group. The Dealer will have made the Group assign-
ment at the time of channel programming. At the same time, one of the
Soft Keys will be assigned as the Channel Group Selection key.
To change Channel Groups, press the assigned Soft key to step
through the available Groups. Once the desired Group is reached, rotate
the CH selector knob to select the desired channel within the selected
Group.
You may wish to have the Scanner (described previously) pass through
more than one Group during the scanning process (normally, scanning is
performed within the current group only). To include the current Group
in the scanning loop, press and hold in the assigned Soft key for one
second.
To remove a Group from Group Scan, press and hold in the assigned
Soft key again for one second.
Multi-Group Scanning is only possible if you are using the “User Scan”
list.
The VX-530 has two scanning “lists:” the “Dealer Scan” list and the “User
Scan” list. The “Dealer Scan” list is a xed group of stations which will
be included when scanning is activated. The “User Scan” list is a differ-
ent list, initially arranged by the Dealer, which may be modied by the
User (if, for example, you want to delete one or more of these channels
from the scanning list).
To edit the User Scan list, press and hold in the Soft key (assigned to the
Group Up/Down function) to delete the current Memory Group from the
Scanning. Alternatively, press and hold in the “Scan” Soft key for one
second to delete the Current Memory channel from the Scanning loop.
When you delete a Group or channel, “-SKIP-” will appear on the LCD
for one second after pressing the Soft key. To restore a particular channel
to your scanning list, press and hold in the Soft key again for one second;
“-STOP-” will appear on the LCD for one second after pressing the Soft
key.

Page 18 VX-537 Operating Manual
Call/Reset
This feature, if enabled, allows the user to change the 3-digit Page Call
code, used to call other similarly-equipped stations. Press the Dealer-
assigned Soft key, followed by the three digits representing the Page
Call code of the station you wish to call. Three tones will be heard after
the last key is pressed (the new code will now be transmitted).
The receiver squelch of the other station will be opened, and you can be-
gin communication.
Speed Dial
Your Dealer may have pre-programmed Auto-Dial telephone number
memories into your radio.
To dial a number, press the Dealer-assigned Soft key for Speed Dialing,
then press the numbered key corresponding to the Auto-Dial memory
number list provided by your Dealer. The DTMF tones sent during the
dialing sequence will be heard in the speaker.
Emergency
The VX-530 includes an “Emergency” feature which may be useful if
you have someone monitoring on the same frequency as your transceiv-
er’s channel. For further details contact your Vertex Standard dealer.
Monitor
Press the assigned Soft key to override both Tone and DCS Squelch.
Press and hold in the assigned Soft key for more than 2 seconds to over-
ride both Noise and Tone/DCS Squelch. Press and hold in the assigned
Soft key for more than 2 seconds to quiet the noise and resume normal
(quiet) monitoring.
Lamp
Press the assigned Soft key to illuminate the Keypad/LCD for ve sec-
onds.
ACC 1
Press the assigned Soft key to toggle the accessory output port “on” and
“off” to enabling/disabling the optional device.
advanced operatIon