Yaesu VX-5R User manual

Triple

YAE LS v
Band
50/144/430
R VX . 5R
50/144/430MHz TRIPLE-BAND
HEAVY DUTY FM
TRANSCEIVER
OPERATING MANUAL
YAESU
MUSEN CO ., LTD .
4-8-8 Nakameguro,
Meguro-Ku,
Tokyo
153-8644, Japan
'

YAESUU .S .A .
17210 Edwards Rd ., Cerritos, CA 90703,
U .S .A
.
YAESU EUROPE B .V .
P
.O .
Box
75525 1118 ZN, Schiphol . The Netherlands
®
Mn
®® III

YAESU UK LTD .
L
(O

®® ®®®

Unit 12, Sun Valley
Business
Park, Winnall
Close
®®®®
®®®®®

I

Winchester,
Hampshire, S023 OLB, U .K .
.Q

YAE6U

YAESU GERMANY GmbH
Am Kronberger Hang
2,
D-65824
Schwalbach, Germany
YAESU HK
LTD
.
\
°0 t5 (b
®g°

,~

11th Floor Tsim Sha Tsui Centre, 66 Mody Rd .
Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Introduction . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I
Controls & Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Display
Icons & Indicators
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Keypad Function
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Accessories & Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
Installation of Accessories
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. .
7
Antenna Installation ...... . ......... ... ......... . ............
... .... 7
Belt Clip Installation ..... . ......... . . .......... . ..................
.7
Installation of FNB-58L1
Battery Pack ................... 8
Installation of FBA-23 Alkaline Battery Case .......
9
Battery Life Information ...... ... ......... . ............ . ......
.10
AC Operation Using
NC-72 ......... .... ......... ... ....... .10
Interface of Packet TNCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Switching
Power On and Off ...... . . ......... ... .......... .12
Adjusting the Volume Level ..... .... ......... ... ......... .
.12
Squelch Adjustment
................... . ........................ . . 12
Selecting the Operating Band .... . ......... ... ............ . .13
Frequency Navigation ... . ........... . ......... ... ......... ....
.14
Transmission ..... . ...................... ... ..................... .... .15
AM Broadcast Reception ....... . . ......... . .
............ . ... .15
AM Aircraft
Reception . . ......... . ......... ... ......... .... ... .16
FM Broadcast/TV Audio Reception .. .... ..
16
Weather Broadcast Reception . ........ . ............ . ......
.17
Keypad/LCD Illumination ... ... ....... ... ......... .... ...... .18
Advanced Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20
Setting
the Frequency Display Image Size . . . . ....... 20
VFO Split Mode .... . .......... ....
....... . . ......... .... ......... .21
VFO Linking
......... ... ......... . ......... ... ......... .... ......... .22
Changing the Channel Steps ...... . ........... . ............
.22
Changing the Operating
Mode ............ .... ............ .23
Repeater Operation ........ .... .................. .... ......... ...
.24
CTCSS Operation . ......... . .........
... ......... .... ......... ... .26
DCS
Operation .............. . ......... ... ......... . ............ ... .27
Tone Search Scanning .... ......... . . ....... . . . . ...............
.28
CTCSS/DCS
Bell Operation ............ .... ......... ... ... .29
Tone Calling (1750 Hz) . . .................. .... ......... ... ...
.29
Changing the
Transmitter Power Level ........ ... ... .30
Changing the TX Deviation Level .... ............. . ....
.30
Transmitter Time-Out
Timer (TOT) . ......... ... ...... .31
Busy Channel Lock-Out (BCLO) . . .... ......... ... ...... .31
Receive Battery Saver Setup ......... . . . .......... ... ......
.32
TX Battery Saver .....
. ......... ... ......... . ......... . . . . . . ...... .32
Disabling the BUSY/TX LED .... .... ......... ... ......... . 33
Contents
Battery Utilization Monitor ............. . ............. . ......
33
Automatic Power-Off (APO) Feature .......... . .......
33
Automatic Power-On
Feature
................ . .............. 34
Keyboard Locking ...... . .................. . .....................
.34
Disabling the Keypad Beeper
........ . ............ . ......... 35
Checking the Battery
Voltage .......
. ............ . ....... . .35
Temperature Display ..................... . ............ . .......
. .35
DTMF Operation . . . . . .
........ . ......... . . ..............
. ...... . . . 36
Emergency Channel Operation . . . ............... . .........
37
ARTS (Automatic Range Transponder System) .......... 38
Memory Mode .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 42
Memory
Storage . ..................... .... ...... . ............. . . . . .42
Storing Independent Transmit Frequencies ........ .42
Memory Recall ... .........
... ......... . ...................... . ....
.43
HOME
Channel Memory ..... .... ............... . ........... .43
Labeling Memories ............... . . . . ........
. ...... . .......... .
.44
Memory
Offset Tuning ......... . ......... ... ...... . ........... .44
Masking Memories ... ... ....... ... ................. .
. .......... .
.45
Memory Group Operation
. .... ................ . . ............ .45
Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
VFO Scanning ....... ... ........ . . .........
... ...... . ....... . ...... .47
Memon
Scanning . . ......... .... .................. . ...... . ........ 47
How to Skip a Channel During
Memory Scan ... .48
Preferential Memory Scan ........
... ...... .... .............. .48
Programmable Memon Scan (PMS) ... ...... . ...... . . .49
"Priority Channel" Scanning
(Dual Watch) ..... . . .50
Automatic Lamp Illumination on Scan Stop ..... . . .50
Band Edge Beeper ....... . .........
... ....... ... ...... . . ....... ... 51
Smart Search Operation . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 52
Spectrum Analyzer
(Spectra-Scope"') Operation . . .53
Barometric Pressure/
Altitude Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Display Customization
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Icon Mode . . ... ......... . .
. . ...... ... ......... . . . .............. . ....... 56
Meter
Symbols .... .... ......... ... ......... . ............... . ........
56
Po~Ner-Off Display Mode ... ...... . . . . ....... . .
...... . ....... .57
Display
Contrast . .... .................. .... ...... ... ...... . ......
. .57
Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Cloning . . . . . . . . . .. .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 59
Set Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 60
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 70
Installation of the
SU-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  , 72
Introduction
receive
The
VX-5R
is
a
miniature
triband
FM
transceiver
with
extensive
age,
providing
leading-edge
features
for
VHF and
UHF two-way
amateur
communications
with
unmatched
mon

g
itorin
capability
.
alongalong
The
VX
.5R's small
size
allows
you
to take
it
anywhere
-
hiking,
skiing,
or
while
walking
around t o wn, and its
operating
flexibility
brings
the
user many
avenues of
operating
enjoy-
ment .
Besides
50,
144,
and430
MHz
transceive operation,
the
VX-5R
provides
receive
e of
the
AM
(MF)
and
FM
broadcast
bands,
HF
Shortwave
Bands up
to 16
MHz,
coverag
VHF
and
UHF
TV
bands,
the
VHF
AM
aircraft
band,
and awide
range
of commercial
and
frequencies!
And
the
optional
Barometer
pressure
Sensor
Unit
provides
readout
public
safety
f
barometric pressure
and
altitude
while
mountain
climbing
or
hiking .
0
The
transmitter
section
provides
5
Watts of
clean
power
output on
the 50
MHz
and
144
MHzbands
with
the
supplied
FNB-58LI
Battery
Pack,
and 4
.5
Watts
output on
430
MHz .
When
13
.8V DC
power is
supplied
from
an
external
source,
power
output
is
five watts
on
all
bands .
A
wide
variety
of tone
signaling
formats
are
built
into the
VX-5R,
in
addition to
Yaesu's
exclusive
ARTST"'
(Auto-Range
Transponder
System),
which
"beeps"
the
user
when
you
move
out
of
communications
range
with
another
ARTST"'-equipped
station .
our
purchase
of
the VX-5R,
and
encourage
you to
read this
manual t
We
appreciate
y

hor-
oughly,
so
as to
learn
about
the
many
exciting
features
of your
exciting
new
Yaesu
hand-
held
transceiver!
VX- 5R
OPERATING
MANUAL

Controls
& Connections
\

F1f
TMl+ISCEKER
VX3~~
MIC
®®~D ®®
®®®®
®®
®®®~~
®®®®®
YAESU
w®
CC

® s
Rc
.® ED .®®
LOCK
T% PO
(D
0 CD A
PTT
Press this
key to
transmit,
and release
it to receive after
your
transmission
is com-
pleted .
MONI
Pressing
this key dis-
ables the
noise
squelching
action, al-
lowing you to
hear
very
weak signals
near the background
noise level .
PWR
Press and
hold this
switch
for onesecond
to toggle the trans-
ceiver's
power on and
off .
KEYPA
These 17
keys select many
of the most important oper-
ating features
on the VX-5R .
The
function of the keys are
described in detail on
pages
4 and 5 .
MIC/SP
This
four-conductor
miniature
jack pro-
vides
connection
points for microphone
audio,
earphone au-
dio, PTT, andground .
EXT DC
This
coaxial DC jack
allows
connection to
an external
DC power
source (10-16V
DC) .
The
center pin of this
jack is the Positive
(+) line .
MIC
The internal
micro-
phone
is located at
the
bottom right-hand
corner of the
display .
SPEAKER
The internal
speaker
is located
directly be-
low
the display .
VX-SR
OPERATING
MANUAL
Va
145 .000
N
FM
Iow000mocsOLil1*
®
4 0
"'
VX-SR
OPERATING
MANUAL
Display
Icons
&
Ind
ic
ators
1111111
Double
size
display
(default)
G p5P
Press
and hold
the ®a

key
for
one
second
Small
Charactor
display
I

Frequency/Data
Field
sub

433 111 000

I

S-
and TX
Power
Meter
Operating
Mode
~Lw
boom
ocso
~~~~ f
®,©
.
.J
F
- Alternate
Key
Functions
Active
- LOCK
Feature
Active (page
34)
- Set
Mode
Active
(page
60)
-
Memory
Write
Feature
Active
(page
42)
ICON
Low
Battery!
Battery
Saver
Active
(page
32)
DTMF
Autodialer
Active
(page
36)
Bell
Alarm
Active
(page
29)
Low
TX
Power
Selected (page
30)
AutomaticPower-Off
Active
(page
33)
Digital
Coded
Squelch
Active (page
27)
CTCSS
Decoder
Active (page
26)
CTCSS
Encoder
Active (page
26)
-
Repeater
Shift
Direction
(page
24)
-
Dual
Watch
Active
(page
50)
kU air
AI
I
T
. .1
;
to 51
iv
MT
r N
0
C, : .
III

.4y A 7
TX/BUSY -
This
indicator
glows Red during
DIAL
The
main tuning
ANTENNA
VOLUME
transmission, and
Dial is used
for
Connect the sup-
This
control ad-
Green when a sig-
setting
the operat-
plied rebber flex justs
the audio vol-
nal
is being re-
ing frequency,
and
antenna (or an-
ume level
. Clock-
ceived (of suffi-
also
is used for
other antenna pre-
wise rotation in-
cient
strength to
Menu selections
senting a 5052
im- creases
the vol-
open the noise
and
other adjust-
pedance) here . ume
level .
squelch) .
ments .

Keypad
Functions
Press
and
hold
I
Activate
the
ARTSTM
Key
Feature
.
Press
Key
Press
[F/W1 +
Press
and
hold
Key
[HMIRV(EMG)]
[TX
PO(LOCK)]
Select
the
desired
transmitter
power
output
level .
Activate
the
Key
Lockout
Feature .
None
Frequency
Entry
Digit
°1"
Activate
CTCSS
or
DCS
Operation
Enables
display
of the
Sub-band
Frequency
.
[4(MG)DSP]
[7(ST)TMP]
Frequency
Entry
Digit
"7"
Select the
synthesizer
steps to
be used
during
VFO
operation .
Display
the
current
temprature
inside the
transceiver's
case .
[2(CD)TAG]
Frequency Entry
Digit
"2"
Select the
CTCSS
tone
frequency or
DCS
code
number
Select
the
display type
(Frequency
or
Frequency+Alpha-
numeric
Tag)
during
Memory
operation
[5(AP)ICO]
3
[8(BRO)j
Frequency
Entry
Digit
"8"
None
Display
the
current
Barometric
Pressure
VX-SR
OPERATING
MANUAL
Frequency
Entry
Digit
"6"
Select
the
direction of
the uplink
frequency
shift
(either "-,"
'*' or
simplex)
during
repeater
oper
ation
.
Display
the
operating
time and
total
transmit
time
since
you
most
recently
turned
the
transceiver
on .
[9(BP)ALT]
Frequency
Entry
Digit
" 9 
Display
the
current
Altitude
Frequency
Entry
Digit "0"
Adjust
the
Squelch
threshold
level .
VX-SR
OPERATING
MANUAL
Recall
the
"Weather"
broadcast
channel
.
[VFO(DW)SC]
Select
the VFO
mode .
Activate the
Dual
Watch
feature
.
Activate
VFO
scanning .
Press
and
hold
Key
USA
version
:
Disable
the
Noise
and
Tone
Squelch
.
European
version
:
Activate
the T .
CALL
Reverse
the
transmit
and receive
frequen-
cies
while
working
through
a repeater
.
None
[LAMP]
I
Illuminate
the LCD
and
Press
Key

keypad
for 5
seconds
.
Press
[F1V11] +
Activate
the
Spectrum
Analyzer
(Spectra-Scope
T " ^ )
feature .
Press
and
hold
I
Illuminate
the
LCD
and
keypad
until you
press
Key

the key
again .
Reverse
the
transmit
Press
Key
and
receive
cies
frequen-
while
through working
a
repeater
.
Frequency
Entry
Digit
°4"
Frequency
Entry
Digit
"5"
Press
[FIW]
Switch to
the
+
"Home"
(favorite
frequency)
Activate
the
Memory
Activate
the
Automatic
Channel Group
mode .
Power-Off
Feature .
Press
and
hold
Activate
the
EMERGENCY
Switches
between
display
Large
Switch
the
display
Key
Feature
.
Character
and
Small
lavels
between
the
"Alpha -
numeric"
Character
mode .
and
"/con"
formats
.

Accessori
es
&
Options
ACCESSORIES
SUPPLIED
WITH
THE
VX-5R
FNB-58LI

Battery
Pack
(7
.2V/1100mAh)
NC-72B/C/F/U
Battery
Chareger
Belt Clip
Hand
Strap
Antenna
Operating
Manual
WarrantyCard
AVAILABLE
OPTIONS
FOR
YOUR
VX-SR
1 0
CSC-73

Soft
Case
CD-15

Rapid
Charger
(requires
NC-72B/C/F/U)
03

FBA-23

2 x
"AA"
Cell Battery
Case
(batteries
not
supplied)
40
FNB-58LI

Battery
Pack
E-DC-5B

DC
Cable
w/Nois`e
Filter
NC-72B/C/F/U
Battery
Ch
O
E-DC-6
® CT-44
OO
MH-37A4B
1 o
MH-34B4B
11
VC-25
12
CN-3
13
SU-1
14
CT-27
ger
DC
Cable ;
plug
and
wire
only
Microphone
Adapter
Earpiece/Microphon
e
Speaker/Microphone
VOX
Headset
BNC-to-SMA
Adapter
Barometric
Pressure
Sensor
Unit
CloningCable
Availability
of
accessories
may
vary .
Some
accessories are supplied
as
standard
per
local
requirements,
while
others
may be
unavailable
in
some
regions
.
Consult
your
Yaesu
Dealer
for
details
regarding
these
and
any
newly-available
options
.
Connection
of
any
non-Yaesu-ap-
proved
accessory,
should
it
cause
damage,
may void
the
Limited
Warranty
on
this
apparatus
.f
6
VX-SR
OPERATING
MANUAL
The
supplied
antenna
provides good
results
over the entire
frequency
range of
the trans-
ceiver .
However,
for
enhanced base
station
medium-wave
and shortwave
reception,
you
may
wish
to
connect
an
external
(outside)
antenna .
The
supplied
antenna
includes a
"Base"
and an
"Extender
Element
." The
Extender
Ele-
ment
should
be used
below 54
MHz,
and its
installation
will still
allow
satisfactory
144 ;
430
MHz
operation
.
To
install
the
supplied
antenna
Hold
the
bottom end
ofthe antenna,
then screw
it onto
the mat-
ing
connector
on
the transceiver
until it is
snug . Do
not over-
tighten
by
use of
extreme
force .
When
operating
the
VX-5R on
frequencies
lower
than the
50
MHz
band, disconnect
the
antenna cap
from the
base antenna
then
screw the
Extender
Element
onto
the Base
Antenna .
Notes :
O

Never transmit
without
having
an antenna
connected .
O

When installing
the suppliedantenna,
never hold
the upper
part
of the
antenna
while screwing
it
onto the
mating con-
nector on
the transceiver
.
O

If
using an
external
antenna
for
transmission,
ensure
that
the SWR
presented
to the
transceiver
is 1 .5 :1
or lower .
O

Take care
not lose
the antenna
cap
when
removing it
from
the Base
Antenna
.
To install
the Belt
Clip, first
place the
loop of
the Hand
Strap into
the groove
at the
top of
the Belt
Clip, and
run the loop
of the
strap
around
the roundmounting
ridge for
the Belt
Clip .
Now insert
the mounting
screw
through
the belt
clip, and
affix it snugly
to the
mount-
ing hole on
the back
ofthe
transceiver,
being
careful not
to allow
the Hand
Strap to
become
mis-aligned .
Do not install
the supplied
Belt Clip
Mounting Screw
if you
are not install-
ing
theBelt Clip! The screw
will
cause
a "short circuit"
to the
internal
cir-
cuitry, causing
serious
damage!
Installation
of
Accessories
ANTENNA
INSTAL
LATION
BELT
CLIP
INST
ALLATION

8
Installation
of
Accessories
INSTALLATION
OF
FNB-58LI BATTERY PACK
The F

I is a
high

INSTALLATION
OF
FBA-23
(OPTION)
ALKALINE
BATTERY
CASE
allows
receive
monitoring
using
two
"AA"
size
Alka-
ver
compact

-performance
Lithium-Ion battery providing
high capacity
inThe
optional
FBA
23 Battery
Case
very c

package
. Under normal
use, the FNB-58L1 may be
used for
approximatelline batteries
.
Alkaline
batteries
can
also
be used
for
transmission
in
an emergency,
but
300 charge cycles, after
which operating
time may be expected
to decrease . If you
haveapower
output
will
only
be
300
mW,
and
battery
life
will
be
shortened
dramatically .
old battery pack which
is displaying
capacity which has become
diminished, you
shout
replace the pack with
a new one .

To
Install
Alkaline
Batteries
into
the
FBA-23
Q

Slide
the batteries
into the
FBA-23
as
shown
in the
illustration,
O Push
the bottom latch slightly
to the
"OPEN" position .

with
the
Negative
[-]
side of the
batteries
touching
the
spring
O
O

Install
the FNB-58L1
as shown in the
illustration .

connections
inside
the
FBA-23
.
Unlock
the
bottom
plate
by
pushing
the
latch in
the
"OPEN
"
direction
.
O

Install
the
FBA-23
as
shown
in
the
illustration,
with the
[+]
side
facing the
bottom
of
the
transceiver
.
0

Re-lock
the
bottom
plate
by
carefully
p
y
ressinQ
the
latch
cover
_f _1 21V

\

back
into
its
normal
operating
position
.
Re-lock
the bottom plate by
carefully pressing
the
normal operating position .
hinged latch cover
back into
its
0
If the battery
has never been used, or its
charge is
depleted, it may be charged
by connecting
the NC-
72B/C/F/U Battery
Charger, as shown in the
illus-
tration, to the EXT DC
jack . If only 12 -
16 Volt
DC
power is available, the
optional E-DC-5B
or
E-DC-6
DC Adapter (with
its cigarette lighter
plug)
may
also be used for charging the
battery, as shown
in the
illustration .
The display will
indicate "now charging"
while the battery
charging is finished, the
display will
change to indicate
"complete ."
is being
charged . When
VX-SR
OPERATING
MANUAL
Installation
of
Acc
essories
The
FBA-23
does
not
provide
connections
for
charging,
since
Alkaline
cells
cannot
be
re-
charged .
Therefore,
the
NC-72BICIFIU,
E-DC-5B,
or
E-DC-6
may
safely
be
connected
to
the EXT
DC
jack
when
the
FBA-23
is
installed
.
Notes :
O

The
FBA-23
is
designed
for use
only
with
AA-type
Alkaline
cells .
O

If you
do
not use the
VX-5R
for a
long
time,
remove
the
Alkaline
batteries
from
the
FBA-23,
as battery
leakage
couldcause
damage
to
the
FBA-23
and/or
the
trans-
ceiver
.

Installation
of Accessories
BATTERY LIFE INFORMATION
When the battery charge is almost depleted,
a "Low Voltage" indicator
will appear on the
display . When this icon appears, it is
recommended that you charge
the battery soon
.
(1) TX 6 sec
., RX 6 sec . and Squelched 48 sec .
(2) Continuous signal
reception
The
current battery voltage can be displayed
manually on the LCD, by following the in-
structions
on page 35 .
Battery capacity
may be reduced during extremely cold weather
operation
.
Keeping the
radio inside your parka may help
preserve the full charge capacity .
AC OPERATION
US ING NC-72B/CIFIU (RECEIVING
ONLY
The VX-5R
may be operated from your house current
by use of the supplied NC-72B/C/F/
U Battery
Charger .
To use the NC-72B/C/F/U, turn the
transceiver off, then plug the miniature
connector of
the Battery Charger into the EXT
DC
jack on
the side of the radio . Now plug
the Battery
Charger into the wall outlet . You maynow turn
on the transceiver .
Important
Notice
When using an external DC
power source supplied via the E-DC-5B or
E-DC-6, if
power is momentarily interrupted a safety feature will
be activated inside the VX-
5R, so as to minimize the possibility
of damage to the microprocessor .
Such a
power
interruption might occur when a vehicle's ignition
is turned on or off, or if the
DC power cable is unplugged, or if the
DC power supply is turned off .
In
the event of such a momentary power
interruption, the VX-5R will return
to the
original VFO or Memory Channel to
which the VX-5R was tuned when it
was first
turned on during this operating session . For
example, if you
started
operation
on
Memory Channel 2, at 145 .400 MHz,
but DC power input is interrupted
later while
you are on Memory Channel 25, The VX-5R
will revert
to Memory
Channel
2
(145 .400 MHz) when the power
situation stabilizes .
This is a (normal) protection feature, and
you may quickly return to Menory
Chan-
nel 25 by pressing a)-i s®--ra MR .
VX-SR
OPERATING
MANUAL
Interface
of
Packet
TNCs
The
VX-5R
may be
used for
Packet
operation,
using
the optional
CT-44
microphone
adapter
(available
from your
Yaesu
dealer) for
easy
interconnection
to
commonly-avail-
able
connectors
wired to your
TNC .
Youmay
also
build your
own cable
using a
four-
conductor
miniature
phone
plug, per
the diagram
below
.
The
audio
level
from the
receiver
to the
TNC maybe
adjusted
by
using the
VOLUME
knob,
as
with
voice operation
. The
input
level to
the VX-5R
from
the TNC
should be
adjusted
at
the
TNC side ;
the optimum
input
voltage
is
approximately 5
mV at
2 kQ .
Be
sure
to turn
the
transceiver
and TNC
off before
connecting
the
cables, so as
to
prevent
voltage
spikes
from
possibly
damaging
your
transceiver .
VX-SR
OPERATING
M-1AV
1L

»
Band
Battery Life (Approx .}
Operating
FNB-58LI FBA-23'
Low Voltage
Indicator
50 MHz
(1)
6 .5 hours 7 .5 hours
C'AJ : Battery is nearing depletion .
144 MHz ( 1 )
6 hours 7 hours
Prepare to replace the battery .
Prepare to charge the battery .
430 MHz ( 1 )
5 .5 hours 6 hours
C _ J Battery voltage is critically low .
Prepare
to replace the battery .
Other
Bands
(2)
15 hours 9 hours Prepare to charge the battery .

Operation
Hi! I'm
R . F .
Radio, and I'll
be helping
you along
as you
learn the many
features
of the VX-5R
I know
you're anxious
to get
on the
air, but Iencour-
ageyou
to read the
"Operation "section
of this
manual
as thoroughly as
possible,
so you'll
get the
most out of
this fantastic
new
transceiver . Now
. . . let's get
operating!
SWITCHIN
G
POWER
ON AND
OFF
Be sure the
battery pack is
installed, and
that the
battery is
fully charged .
Connect the
antenna to the
top panel
ANTENNA jack .
Press
and hold
in the orange
PWR switch
(on the
left side of the
front panel)
for one
second . Two
beeps will
be heard when the switch has
been held long
enough,
and the
frequency display
will soon
appear . After
another two
seconds, the
receive-mode
Bat-
tery
Saver function
will become
active,
unless you have
disabled it
(see page
32) .
To turn
the VX-5R
off, press
and hold in the
PWR
switch again for
one second .
If
you don't hear
the two "Beep"
tones
when the radio
comes
on, the Beeper
may
have been
disabled via
the Menu
system .
Seepage 35, which
tells you
how
to reactivate
the Beeper .
ADJUST
ING THE
VOLUME
LEVE L
Rotate the
VOLUME
control
(immediately to the
right of the
Antenna)
to set the
desired
audio level .
Clockwise
rotation increases
the volume
level .
SQUELCH
ADJUSTMENT
The
VX-5R's Squelch
system
allows you to
mute the
background
noise when
no signal
is
being
received . Not
only does the
Squelch system
make
"standby"
operation
more pleas-
ant, it
also significantly
reduces battery current
consumption .
The Squelch system
may be
adjusted
independently for
the FM and
Wide-FM
(FM
Broad-
cast) modes .
1~ Press
the [FlW] key
momentarily,
then immediately
press
[0(SQ)WX] .
This
provides
a "short-cut"
to Menu Item #01
(SQUELCH) .
02

Now
rotate the
DIAL knob clockwise ;
you will notice
that the
noise
will
disappear
after
a few "clicks"
of the DIAL . When you
find the point
where the
background
noise
is just silenced, (typically
at a setting of
about "3" or "4" on
the
scale),
leave
the DIAL
at
that setting ; this
is point of maximum
sensitivity to
weak signals .
When you are satisfied
with the Squelch threshold
setting,
press the
PTT
key
momen-
tarily to
save the new
setting and exit to
normal operation .
You may also
adjust the Squelch setting by using
the "Set" (Menu)
mode .
See page
61
for
details .
1 2
VX-5R
OPERATING
MANUAL
Ifyou're
operating in an area
of
high RF
pollution,
you
may need
to con-
sider
"Tone
Squelch"
operation
using the
built-in
CTCSS
Decoder .
This fea-
tune
will keep
your
radio quiet
until a call
is received
from a
station
sending
a
carrier
which
contains a
matching
(subaudible)
CTCSS tone
. Or if your
friends
have
radios
equipped
with DCS
(Digital
Coded
Squelch)
like your
VX-5R
has, try
using that
mode
for
silent
monitoring
of busy channels
.
SELECTING
THE
OPERATING
BAND
The
VX-5R
covers an
incredibly
wide
frequency
range,
over which a
number
of different
operating
modes
are used
.
Therefore, the
VX-5R's
frequency
coverage
has
been divided
into
different
operating bands,
each of
which has
its own
pre-set
channel steps
and operat-
ing
modes
. You
can change
the
channel
steps and
operating
modes
later, if
you like
(see
pages 22
and
23) .
To
Change
Operating
Bands
10 Press
the
[BAND(SET)AR]
key
repetitively .
You
will see the
LCD
indication
change
as
you
press
the
[BAND(SET)AR]
key .
The VX-5R
uses a
dual VFO
system
(ex-
plained in detail
on
page 20) .
To switch
from
the "Main"
VFO
(VFO-A)
to the
"Sub"
(VFO-B)
VFO
instantly,
press the
[VFO(DW)SC]
key
momentarily .
Pressing
the
[VFO(DW)SC]
key
once
more will
re-
turn
the VX-5R
to V FO-A
.
Once
you have
selected
the desired band,
you
may
initiate
manual
tuning (or
scanning) per
the
discussions
below
.
Operation
BA
ND
equency
Range
BC Band
0 .5 - 1 .8
MHz
sw
Band
1 .8 -
16 MHz
FMBC
59 -
108
MHz
TV Band
174 - -222
& 470
729 MHz
50
MHzHam
48 - 59 MHz
144 MHz
Ham
137 - 174
MHz
430
MHzHam
420 -
470 MHz
AIR Band
108 - 137
MHz
Action Band
1
222 -
420 MHz
Action
Band 2
Boo
-
999 MHz

Operation
FREQUENCY
NAVIGATION
The VX-5R will initially
be operating in the "VFO"
mode, as just described . This
is
a
channelized system which
allows free tuning throughout the
currently-selected operating
band . You can confirm that
you are in the VFO mode
by looking in the upper-left-hand
corner of the display ; if you
see "Va" (which stands for
"VFO-A") and/or "Vb"
(VFO-B)
along the left edge of the LCD,
then you are in the VFO
mode .
Three basic frequency navigation
methods are available on
the VX-5R :
1 . Tuning Dial
Rotation of the DIAL allows tuning in
the pre-programmed
steps established for the
cur-
rent
operating band . Clockwise rotation
of the DIAL causes the VX-5R
to be tuned toward
a
higher
frequency, while counter-clockwise
rotation will lower the operating
frequency .
If you press
the [F[W] key momentarily,
then rotate the DIAL, frequency
steps of 1 MHz
will be selected
. This feature is extremely
useful for making rapid
frequency excursions
over the
wide tuning range of the VX-5R .
2 . Direct Keypad
Frequency Entry
The desired operating frequency
may be entered directly
from the keypad .
The operating mode will
automatically be set once the new
frequency is entered via the
keypad .
To enter a frequency from the keypad,
just press the numbered digits
on the keypad in the
proper sequence
. There is no "decimal
point" key on the VX-5R,
so if the frequency is
below 100
MHz (e .g . 15 .150 MHz), any
required leading zeroes must
be entered .
Examples
:
TN
FRO

MO DBP

RP ONT

AP ICO

CO TAG
To enter
146 .520 MHz , press 0 -* a® -0 .
go-

TN RO

AP-CO

CD TAG

AP ICO

AP ICO
3 . Scanning
1
4
To enter 15 .255 MHz ,

press
To enter 1 .25 0 MHz (1250 kHz) ,

press
To enter 0
.950 MHz (950 kHz) ,

press
SG W%
so M

so M
0-* a)-*
50WX

50 WX

50 WY

BP ALT

AP ICO
CD TAG

AP ICO
-)-
®2
-1a)-*
BO wz
From
the
VFO mode, press and hold in the
[VFO(DW)SCI key for one
second .
The VX-5R
will begin scanning toward a
higher frequency, and will stop
when it receives
a signal
strong enough to break through the
Squelch threshold . The VX-5R
will then hold
on that
frequency according to the setting
of the "RESUME" mode (Menu
#12) . See page
63
for details .
If
you wish to reverse the direction of the
scan (i .e . toward a lower frequency,
instead of a
higher
frequency), just rotate the DIAL one click
in the counter-clockwise
direction while
the VX-5R
is scanning . The scanning direction
will be reversed . To
revert to scanning
toward
a higher frequency once more, rotate the
DIAL one click clockwise
.
VX-5R
OPERATING
MANUAL
VX-5R
OPERATING
MANUAL
TRANSMISSION
AM
BROADCAST
RECEPTION
Operation
Once
you
have
set up an
appropriate
frequency
inside
one of
the
three
Amateur
bands
on
which
the
VX-5R
can
transmit
(50
MHz,
144
MHz or
430
MHz),
you're
ready to transmit
.
These
are
the
most
basic
steps ;
more
advanced
aspects
of
transmitter
operation
will be
discussed
later
.
(1) To
transmit,
press the
PTT
switch,
and
speak
into the
front
panel
microphone
(located
in
the
upper
right-hand
corner of
the
speaker
grille)
in anormal
voice
level
. The
"TX"
LED
on top of
the
radio
will
glow
Red
during
transmission
.
© To
return
to
the
receive
mode,
release
the
PTT
switch
.
During
transmission,
the
relative
power
level
will be
indicated
on the
LCD .
Full
power
(5 Watts)
is
indicated
by
eight
arrows
below
the
frequency
display .
The
three
"Low
Power"
levels
(L1,
L2, and L3)
are
indicated
by
two, four, or
six
arrows,
respectively
.
Additionally,
the
"L" icon
will appear
at
the
bottom
of
the
display,
followed
by
one,
two,
or
three
bars .
If
you're
just
talking
to
friends
in
the
immediate
area,
you'll
get
much
longer
a

buttery life
by
switching
to
Low
Power
operation .
To_

do
this, just
press
the
[TX
PO(LOCK)]
key so
that
the
"L"
icon
appears
at
the
bottom
of the
dis-
play .
And
don't
forget,
always
have
an
antenna
connected
when
you
transmit
.
Transmission
is
not
possible
on any
operating
bands
outer
than the 50
MHz,
144
MHz,
and
430
MHz
bands
.
The
VX-5R
includes
provision
for
reception
of AM
broadcasts,
either
on the
standard
medium-wave
(MW)
broadcast
band,
or on
the
(1)

shortwave
bands
up
to 16
MHz
.
1~ Press
the
[VFO(DW)SC]
key
repetitively
until you
see a
frequency
in
the
frequency
range
desired .
The
MW
coverage
is
0 .5
MHz
to 1 .8
MHz,
while the
shortwave
broad-
cast
coverage
is 1 .8
MHz
to
16
MHz . In
either
case,
the
operating
mode
(displayed
on
the right
edge
of the
LCD)
should
be
shown
as
being
"AM ."
~2

Be sure
that
the VX-5R
is set
to the
VFO
mode
(either
"Va" or"
Vb"
will be
visible
at
the left
side
of the
display)
.
(3

Rotate
the
DIAL
to tune
across
the
broadcast
band
.
® You
may also
use
the
keypad
to
enter
frequencies
directly
.
This
method
will
be
quicker
for
changing
from
the
49-meter
broadcast
band
to the
31-meter
band,
for
example
.
If the
operating
mode
is not
correct,
you
may
need to
adjust
the
setting
of
Menu
#36
(RX
MODE) .
Seepage
67 for
details .
15

To
Activate
VHF
or
UHF
TV
Audio
Reception
11)
Press the
[BAND(SET)AR]
key
repetitively
until a
frequency
in
the
VHF or
UHF
TV
bands
appears
on the
LCD .
Be
sure
you are
in the
VFO
mode
(press
the
[VFO(DW)SC]
key if
not) .
Rotate the
DIAL
to
select the
desired
station .
16
T
Press
the
[BAND(SET)AR]
key
repetitively
until
you see
a
frequency in
the
aeronau- tical
band .
Be sure that
the
VX-5R is
set
to the
VFOd
moe
(either
Na"
or "Vb"
will
be visible
at
the
left si
AM
AIRCRAFT
RECEPTION
Reception of
AM
signals
in the
aeronautical
band
(108-137
MHz) is
similar to
that
de-
scribed
in the
previous
section .
FM
BROADCAST/TV
AUDIO
RECEPTION
The
VX-5R
also
includes
provision
for
reception
in
the
FM
broadcast
band,
utilizing
a wide-bandwidth
filter
which
provides
excellent
fidelity
.
To
Activate
FM
Broadcast
Reception
Press
the
[BAND(SET)AR]
key
repetitively
until
a frequency
in the
FM
broadcast band
appears
on the
display .
The
total
frequency
range
included
in the
"FM"
band
is
59-108
MHz .
0
Be sure
you
are in
the
VFO
mode
(press
the
[VFO(DW)SC]
key
if not),
and
that
W_
FM
(Wide-bandwidth
FM) is
indicated
as
the operating
mode .
(3

Rotate the
DIAL
to select
the
desired
station
. The
default
synthesizer
steps
for the
W- FM
mode are
100
kHz/step
.

-
Operation
de
of the
display),
and
that
"AM" is
shown
as the
operating
mode .
Rotate
the
DIAL to
tune across
the
aeronautical
band .
You may
also
use the
keypad
to
enter
frequencies
directly
.
Remember
that
frequencies
quoted by
aircraft
operators
may
be
abbreviated,
and
that the
"5"
at the end of
a
fre- quency
may
be dropped
.
Since
aeronautical
channels
are
assigned
in
25-kHz
steps, therefore,
a
frequency
announced
as
"thirty-two,
forty-two"
corresponds
to
an
operat-
ing
frequency
of 132
.425
MHz .
Remember
that the
Wide-FMSquelch
setting
maybe
made
independently
from
the
Narrow-FM
setting,
using
Menu
#02 .
Seepage
61 .
VX-SR
OPERATING
MANUAL
WEATHER
BROADCAST
RECEPTION
The
VX-5R
includes a
unique feature which
allows reception ofweather
broadcasts in the
160-MHz
frequency
range . Ten standard
Weather Broadcast channels are
pre-loaded into
a
special
memory
bank .
To listen
to
a Weather
Broadcast
Channel :
Operation
Press
and hold
in the [0(SQL)WX]
key for one second
to recall the Weather
Broadcast
channels .
Turn
the
DIAL knob to select
the desired Weather
Broadcast channel .
if
you wish
to check
the other channels for activity
by scanning, just press
and hold the
[MR(SKP)SC]
key for
one second .
To exit to
normal
operation, again press and
hold in the [0(SQL)WX]
key for one
second .
Operation
will return to the VFO or
Memory channel you
were operating on
before
you began
Weather Broadcast operation
.
You can
also append an
alpha-numeric "Tag"
(label) to a Weather Broadcast
channel . Seepage 44 .
VX-SR OPERATING
MANUAL
17
Channel
Frequency Channel
Frequency Channel
Frequency Channel
Frequency
WX 1 162 .550
MHz WX 4 162 .425 MHz WX
7 162 .525 MHz WX
10 163 .275 MHz
WX 2 162 .400 MHz
WX 5 162 .450 MHz
WX 8 161 .650 MHz
WX 3 162 .475 MHz WX
6 162 .500 MHz WX
9 161 .775 MHz