Vertex Standard VX-600 User manual

Operating Manual
VX-600 U
VERTEX STANDARD CO., LTD.
4-8-8 Nakameguro, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo 153-8644, Japan
VERTEX STANDARD
US Headquarters
17210 Edwards Rd., Cerritos, CA 90703, U.S.A.
International Division
8350 N.W. 52nd Terrace, Suite 201, Miami, FL 33166, U.S.A.
YAESU EUROPE B.V.
P.O. Box 75525, 1118 ZN Schiphol, The Netherlands
YAESU UK LTD.
Unit 12, Sun Valley Business Park, Winnall Close
Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 0LB, U.K.
YAESU GERMANY GmbH
Am Kronberger Hang 2, D-65824 Schwalbach, Germany
VERTEX STANDARD HK LTD.
Unit 5, 20/F., Seaview Centre, 139-141 Hoi Bun Road,
Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Contents
Warning! FCC RF Exposure Compliance.................................................................................................... 1
Controls & Connectors................................................................................................................................... 2
Before You Begin ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Battery Pack Installation and Removal........................................................................................................ 3
Low Battery Indication ................................................................................................................................ 3
Operation......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Preliminary Steps......................................................................................................................................... 4
Operation Quick Start.................................................................................................................................. 4
Advanced Operation....................................................................................................................................... 7
Soft key and TOGGLE switch Functions .................................................................................................... 7
ARTS (Auto Range Transpond System).................................................................................................... 13
DTMF Paging System ............................................................................................................................... 13
Understanding Radio Waves ....................................................................................................................... 14
Accessories & Options .................................................................................................................................. 15
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 colleagues 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, in case questions arise later on.
We're glad you joined the VERTEX STANDARD team. Call on us anytime, because communications is
our business. Let us help you get your message across.
Notice!: There are no owner-serviceable parts inside the transceiver. All service jobs must be referred to an
authorized VERTEX STANDARD Service Representative. Consult your Authorized VERTEX STAN-
DARD Dealer for installation of optional accessories.

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL 1
WARNING! FCC RF EXPOSURE COMPLIANCE
FCC RF Exposure Compliance Requirements for Occupational Use Only:
This Radio has been tested and complies with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) RF exposure
limits for Occupational Use/Controlled exposure environment. In addition, it complies with the following Stan-
dards and Guidelines:
rFCC 96-326, Guidelines for Evaluating the Environmental Effects of Radio-Frequency Radiation.
rFCC OET Bulletin 65 Edition 97-01 (1997) Supplement C, Evaluating Compliance with FCC Guidelines
for Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields.
rANSI/IEEE C95.1-1992, IEEE Standard for Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to Radio Fre-
quency Electromagnetic Fields, 3 kHz to 300 GHz.
rANSI/IEEE C95.3-1992, IEEE Recommended Practice for the Measurement of Potentially Hazardous Elec-
tromagnetic Fields - RF and Microwave.
¦This radio is NOT approved for use by the general population in an uncontrolled exposure environ-
ment. This radio is restricted to occupational use, work related operations only where the radio op-
erator must have the knowledge to control his or her RF exposure conditions.
¦The radio is transmitting when the red LED on the top of the radio is illuminated. You can cause the
radio to transmit by pressing the P-T-T button.
¦When transmitting, hold the radio in a vertical position with its microphone 2 inches (5 cm) away
from your mouth and keep the antenna at least 2 inches (5 cm) away from your head and body.
¦Always use Vertex Standard authorized accessories.

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL
2
CONTROLS & CONNECTORS
VOL/PWR (Volume/Power) Knob
TOGGLE Switch
LED Indicator
Steady Green: Signaling off
Blinking Green: Busy Channel (or Squelch off)
Steady Red: Transmission in Progress
Blinking Red: Battery voltage is low
Blinking Yellow: Receiving a Selective Call
Antenna Jack
TOP SEL (Selector) Key
CH (Channel)Selector
SIDE SEL
(Selector) Key
PTT ( Push To Talk )
Switch
MONITOR Button
LAMPButton
MIC/SP Jack
(External Microphone/
Speaker)
Battery Pack Latch
Sub Microphone
(Noise Canceling Microphone)
Main Microphone
Speaker
16-Button DTMF Keypad
(16-key version only)

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL 3
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Battery Pack Installation and Removal
rTo install the battery, hold the transceiver with
your left hand, so your palm is over the speaker
and your thumb is on the top of the belt clip. Care-
fully mate the battery’s four insertion slots with
their corresponding alignment tabs on the trans-
ceiver case, while tilting the Belt Clip outward.
Proper alignment occurs with the battery pack
offset about 1/2 inch from the top edge of the
battery compartment.
rGuide the pack on to the tabs with a slight inward
pressure, then slide the battery pack upward, un-
til it locks in place with a “Click.”
rTo remove the battery, turn the radio off and re-
move any protective case. Slide the Battery
Pack Latch on the bottom of the radio toward
the front panel while sliding the battery down
about 1/2 inch. Then lift the battery out from the
radio while unfolding the Belt Clip.
Donotattempttoopenanyoftherecharge-
able Lithium-Ion packs, as they could ex-
plode if accidentally short-circuited.
Low Battery Indication
As the battery discharges during use, the voltage
gradually becomes lower. When the battery voltage
reaches 6.0 volts, 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 (6 Volts or lower).
Caution
Danger of explosion if battery is replaced with
an incorrect battery. Replace only with the same
or equivalent type.
Tilt the Belt Clip
Insert the Battery Pack

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL
4
OPERATION
Preliminary Steps
rInstall a charged battery
pack onto the transceiver,
as described previously.
rScrew the supplied an-
tenna onto the Antenna
jack. Never attempt to
operate this transceiver
without an antenna con-
nected.
rIf you have a Speaker/
Microphone, we recommend that it not be con-
nected until you are familiar with the basic op-
eration of the VX-600.
Quick Start
rTurn the top panel’s
VOL/PWR knob
clockwise to turn on
the radio on.
rTurn the top panel’s
CH selector knob to
choose the desired op-
erating channel. If you
want to select an oper-
ating channel from a
different Memory
Channel Group, press the Soft key (assigned to
the Memory Group Up or Down function) to se-
lect the Memory Channel Group you want before
selecting the operating channel.
Note: Some models are programmed so that the
operating channels 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.

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL 5
rRotate the VOL/PWR
knob to set the volume
level. If no signal is
present, press and hold
in the MONITOR but-
ton (under the PTT
switch) 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
MONITOR button more than 2 seconds (or press
the MONITOR button twice) to quiet the noise
and resume normal (quiet) monitoring.
rTo transmit, press and
hold in the PTT
switch. Speak into the
microphone area of the
front panel grille
(above the [D]key) in
a normal voice level.
To return to the Receive mode, release the PTT
switch.
OPERATION
rPress the Soft key (if assigned to the Scan func-
tion) or switch the TOGGLE Switch to the as-
signed “Scan” position (when so programmed by
your dealer) to start the scanner. The scanner rap-
idly steps through each of the dealer-programmed
channels, looking for incoming calls.
rPress the TOP SEL
key (on the top panel)
or SIDE SEL key (the
top button on the left
side) to activate one of
the preprogrammed
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 ac-
tivate one of these features, if programmed by
the dealer. See the next section for details regard-
ing the available features.

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL
6
OPERATION
rSwitch the top panel’s
TOGGLE switch to
the [A], [B], or [Cen-
ter] 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(left)], [B(right)],
or [Center] position, the feature programmed (by
your dealer) to that switch position will be acti-
vated. See the next section for details regarding
the available features.
rPress the DTMF keys on the telephone keypad
while pressing the PTT switch to send DTMF
tones (16-key version only).
rIf a Speaker/Microphone is available, remove the
plastic cap and its two mounting screws from the
right side of the transceiver, then align the con-
nector of the Speaker/Microphone on the trans-
ceiver 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 normal voice level.
Note: Save the original plastic cap and its
mounting screws. They should be reinstalled
when not using the Speaker/Microphone.

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL 7
ADVANCED OPERATION
Soft Key and TOGGLE Switch Functions
The VX-600 includes the [TOP SEL], [SIDE SEL],
[MONITOR], and [LAMP]keys, and the TOGGLE
switch, while the 16-key version additionally pro-
vides [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 re-
quirements. Some features may require the purchase
and installation of optional internal accessories. The
possible Soft key and TOGGLE switch program-
ming features are illustrated at the right, and their
functions are explained on page 9. For further de-
tails, contact your VERTEX STANDARD dealer.
For future reference, check the box next to each func-
tion that has been assigned to the Soft key and
TOGGLE switch on your particular radio, and keep
it handy.
ø:Requires FVP-25 DTMF/Encryption Unit
TOGGLE switch (Position)
A B
None
Channel Scan
Dual Watch
High/Low Power
Talk Around
TX Save Disable
Encryption Disableø
Lock
Follow-Me Scan
Group Recall Shortcut
Functions center
£Group 1
£Group 2
£Group 3
£Group 1
£Group 2
£Group 3
£Group 1
£Group 2
£Group 3

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL
8
ADVANCED OPERATION
ø:Requires FVP-25 DTMF/Encryption Unit
None
Channel Scan
Dual Watch
High/Low Power
Talk Around
TX Save Disable
Encryption Disableø
Follow-Me DW
Call/Resetø
Speed Dial
Emergency
Group Up
Group Down
Channel Up
Channel Down
Monitor
Lamp
Functions
TOP SEL
Soft key
SIDE SEL MONITOR LAMP
[A] [B] [C] [D]

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL 9
ADVANCED OPERATION
Description of Operating Functions
Channel Scan
The Scanning feature is used to monitor multiple
channels programmed into the transceiver. While
scanning, the transceiver will check each chan-
nel for the presence of a signal, and will stop on a
channel if a signal is present.
One key or switch may be assigned to the Scan
function, as follows:
rOne of the Soft keys may be assigned for
Scan operation; or
rThe 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 assigned position.
¦The scanner will search the channels, looking
for active ones; it will pause each time it finds
a channel on which someone is speaking.
To stop scanning:
¦Press the assigned Soft key, or set the
TOGGLE switch to a different 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 scanning pause:
£Current channel (“Talk Back”)
£“Last Busy” channel
£“Priority” channel
£“Home” channel
£“Scan Start” channel
Dual Watch
The Dual Watchfeature is similar to the Scanfea-
ture, except that only two channels are monitored:
rThe current operating channel; and
rThe “Priority” channel.
To activate Dual Watch:
¦Press the assigned Soft key, or set the
TOGGLE switch to the assigned position.
¦The scanner will search the two channels; it
will pause each time it finds a channel on
which someone is speaking.
To stop Dual Watch:
¦Press the assigned Soft key, or set the
TOGGLE switch to a different position.
¦Operation will revert to the channel to which
the CH knob is set.

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL
10
TX Save Disable
Press the assigned Soft key or switch the
TOGGLE switch to the assigned position to dis-
able the Transmit Battery Saver, if you are operat-
ing in a location where high power is almost al-
ways needed.
The Transmit Battery Saver helps extend battery
life by reducing transmit 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.
Encryption Disable
Press the assigned Soft key or switch the TOGGLE
switch to the assigned position to turn off the op-
tionalvoice 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 transmissions are no longer secure. Re-
turn to the encrypted mode as soon as possible, and
do not discuss any critical or confidential informa-
tion while in the non-encrypted mode of operation.
ADVANCED OPERATION
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 difficult terrain.
Talk Around
Press the assigned Soft key or switch the
TOGGLE switch to the assigned position to ac-
tivate the Talk Around feature when you are op-
erating on duplex channel systems (separate re-
ceive and transmit frequencies, utilizing a “re-
peater” station). The Talk Around feature allows
you to bypass the repeater station and talk directly
to a station that is nearby. This feature has no ef-
fect when you are operating on “simplex” chan-
nels, where the receive and transmit frequencies
are already the same.
Note that your dealer may have made provision
for “Talk Around” channels by programming “re-
peater” and “Talk Around” frequencies on two
adjacent channels. If so, the key may be used for
one of the other Pre-Programmed Functions.

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL 11
ADVANCED OPERATION
Lock
Switch the TOGGLE switch to lock the top-panel
keys; this can be enabled to prevent radio settings
from being disturbed.
Follow-Me Scan
“Follow-Me” Scan feature checks a User-assigned
Priority Channel regularly as you scan the other
channels. Thus, if only Channels 1, 3, and 5 (of
the 8 available channels) are designated for “Scan-
ning,” 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-As-
signed 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 “Active” channel, the User-assigned
Priority Channel will automatically be checked
every few seconds; if activity is found on the User-
assigned Priority 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-se-
lected 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 an-
other 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 un-
til you change it.
Channel Group Selection
The VX-600 is capable of separating its 48
memory channels into any of 3 Groups. There is
no limit as to the number of channels which may
be assigned to each Group. The Dealer will have

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL
12
call. Three tones will be heard after the last key
is pressed (the new code will now be transmit-
ted).
The receiver squelch of the other station will be
opened, and you can begin communication.
Speed Dial (16-key version only)
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 num-
ber list provided by your Dealer. The DTMF tones
sent during the dialing sequence will be heard in
the speaker.
Emergency
The VX-600 includes an “Emergency” feature
which may be useful if you have someone moni-
toring on the same frequency as your transceiver’s
channel. For further details contact your VER-
TEX STANDARD dealer.
ADVANCED OPERATION
made the Group assignment at the time of chan-
nel 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 as-
signed Soft key to step through the available
Groups. Once the desired Group is reached, ro-
tate 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.
Call/Reset (16-key version only)
This feature, if enabled, allows the user to change
the 3-digit Page Call code, used to call other simi-
larly-equipped stations. Press the Dealer-assigned
Soft key, followed by the three digits represent-
ing the Page Call code of the station you wish to

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL 13
ARTS (Auto Range Transponder System)
This system is designed to inform you when you and
another ARTS-equipped station are within commu-
nication range.
During ARTS operation, your radio automatically
transmits for about 1 second every 25 seconds (the
interval is programmed by the Dealer) in an attempt
to shake hands with the other station.
If you move out of range for more than two minutes,
your radio senses that no signal has been received,
three beeps from the beeper will sound. If you sub-
sequently move back into range, a single beep will
be heard whenever your radio shakes hands with the
other station.
DTMF Paging System
This system allows paging and selective calling, us-
ing DTMF tone sequences.
When your radio is paged by a station bearing a tone
sequence which matches yours, your radio’s squelch
will open and the alert ringer will sound.
ADVANCED OPERATION

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL
14
On final note regarding propagation is useful in im-
proving coverage. Because radio waves at UHF are
similar to light waves, they do reflect, to varying de-
grees, off of hills, buildings, and the like. In a crowded
urban area, with many close buildings close together,
many reflections may occur, and interfere with one
another, causing variations in signal strength at dif-
ferent locations.
Therefore, if a signal is weak and you walk a few
feet in any direction, reception may suddenly become
clear, because a particular reflection path may be-
come dominant. Reflections are frequently useful,
as they can allow for communications between two
stations over a highly obstructed path.
UNDERSTANDING RADIO WAVES
Radio waves travel from one point to another by sev-
eral different means. The general term for these meth-
ods of wave travel is “propagation.” You may know
that “shortwave” signals can be propagated over dis-
tances of several thousand miles by reflection off of
the upper regions of the atmosphere.
Your hand-held transceiver, on the other hand, oper-
ates on the so-called UHF (Ultra-High Frequency) band.
On this band, radio waves usually do not reflect off of
the atmosphere. Instead, the radio waves behave almost
as light: they travel in a straight line, and when they
meet a building or obstruction, they go no further in
that direction.
Therefore, it is important that you be as high and free
from obstructions as possible to cover the greatest dis-
tance when using your radio. If you operate from in-
side a car or building, any metal around you can absorb
much of the signal, both transmitted and received. Cov-
erage may therefore be very poor under those condi-
tions. However, if you must operate from indoors, mov-
ing next to a window will improve communications.
In view of the factors just discussed, you can easily
see the potential benefit of holding the radio up high
near your mouth while transmitting. In this way the
antenna is high and clear, and coverage is best.

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL 15
ACCESSORIES & OPTIONS
Availability of accessories may vary; some ac-
cessoriesaresuppliedstandardperlocalrequire-
ments, others may be unavailable in some re-
gions. Check with your VERTEX STANDARD
Dealer for changes to this list.
FVP-25 Encryption/DTMF Pager Unit
F2D-8 2-Tone Decode Unit
F5D-14 5-Tone ENC/DEC Unit
FNB-V68LI 7.4 V 1800 mAh Lithium-Ion Battery
FNB-V69LI 7.4 V 2400 mAh Lithium-Ion Battery
FBA-27 Alkaline Battery Case (6 x AA)
VAC-900 Rapid Desktop Charger
VAC-6900 6-Unit Multi Charger
VCM-1 Mobile Mounting Bracket
VTP-50 VX-Trunk Unit
MH-50A7A Speaker/Microphone
(Noise Canceling)
VH-110 Over the Head, Heavy Duty Headset
VH-120 3-Wire Earpiece, Mic, Palm PTT Switch
VH-130 2-Wire Earpiece, Palm Mic/PTT Combo
VH-140 DSP VOX Earpiece Microphone
VH-150 DSP VOX Bone-vibration Headset
VH-160 Earpiece, Mic, Body PTT System
VH-170 Bone-vibration Headset
CE39 Programming Software
CT-70 Radio Programming Cable
(Requires VPL-1)
CT-71 PC Programming Cable
CT-72 Radio to Radio Programming Cable
ATU-6A UHF Antenna, 400 ~ 430 MHz
ATU-6C UHF Antenna, 440 ~ 470 MHz
ATU-6D UHF Antenna, 450 ~485 MHz

VX-600UOPERATING MANUAL
16
NOTE

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules.
Operation is subject to the condition that this device
does not cause harmful interference.

Copyright 2001
VERTEX STANDARD CO., LTD.
All rights reserved.
No portion of this manual
may be reproduced
without the permission of
VERTEX STANDARD CO., LTD.
Printed in Japan 0104X-0E EC0 1 4 U1 5 0