Yaesu VXA-100 User manual

VXA-100
Operating Manual

Congratulations!
You now have at your fingertips a valuable communications tool-a YAESU two-
way radio ! Rugged, reliable and easy to use, your YAESU radio will keep you in
constant touch with your colleagues for years to come, with negligible mainte-
nance down-time.
Please take a few minutes to read this manual carefully. The information pre-
sented here will allow you to derive maximum performance from your radio, in
case questions arise later on.
We're glad you joined the YAESU team. Call on us anytime, because commu-
nications is our business. Let us help you get your message across.
NOTICE
Therearenouser-serviceablepointsinsidethis
transceiver. All service jobs must be referred
to your Authorized Service Center.

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL 1
INTRODUCTION
The Yaesu VXA-100 Aviator Pilot is compact, rugged hand-held transceiver providing communication capa-
bility on the international Aircraft Communication Band (118 ~ 136.975 MHz); offers transmit and receive
capability on the aircraft “COM” band, additionally provides VOR and CDI navigation features on the “NAV”
band (108 ~ 117.975 MHz).
The VXA-100 includes our exclusive Omni-Glow™ display back-lighting, for minimal degradation of your
night vision, NOAA weather band monitoring capability, 8 character Alpha/Numeric Display, 50 Memory
Channels and 250 Book Memory Channels.
We recommend that you read this manual in its entirety, so as to understand the many features of the VXA-100
completely. Keep this manual handy, so you may use it for reference.
Note: The VXA-100’s VOR and CDI Navigation features
are supplemental aids to navigation only, and are not in-
tended to be a substitute for accurate (primary) VOR/CDI
or landing service equipment.

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL
2
CONTROLS & CONNECTORS
PWR Switch
This is the main On/Off switch for the transceiver.
Press and hold in this switch for ½ second to turn
the radio on. When the radio is on, press and hold
in this switch for 2 seconds to turn the radio off.
LAMP Switch
Press this switch momentarily, to activate the
back-lighting lamp for the display and keypad
keys. Press and hold this switch for 2 seconds, to
activate the back-lighting lamp continuously. To
turn the lamp off, press this switch again. The
LAMP switch may be configured in several ways
via the Menu; see page 34 for details.
MONITOR Switch
This button may be pressed to “open” the squelch
manually, allowing you to listen for very weak
signals. Press and hold this button for 2 seconds,
to “open” the squelch continuously. Press this
button again to resume normal (quiet) monitor-
ing. See page 10.
PTT (PUSH TOTALK)Switch
Press this button to transmit when you are oper-
ating in the COM band. Release this button to
return to the “RECEIVE” mode. See page 13.

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL 3
VOLUME/CHANNEL Selector
This is a dual (concentric) control set.
The (inner) VOLUME knob allows you to set
the volume level from the speaker or headphones.
See page 10.
The outer CHANNEL Selector knob is used for
selecting channels manually. See page 10.
BUSY/TX Indicator Lamp
This lamp glows green when a signal is being
received and red when transmitting.
Antenna Jack
This SMA jack accepts thee supplied flexible
antenna, or another antenna designed to provide
50 Ωimpedance on the Aircraft Communication
Band.
MIC/EARJack
You may connect the CT-60 Headset Cable or
the (optional) MH-44A4B Speaker/Microphone
to this jack.
Never connect the any Speaker/Micro-
phone that is not recommended by the
manufacturer.Becausethesejackconnectionsare
unique using a Speaker/Microphone that is not
specified by Yaesu will damage the
VXA-100 .
EXT DC Jack
When an external 12-Volt DC power source is
available, you may connect the E-DC-5B Exter-
nal DC Cable here. Do not connect any wire to
this jack if that wire is connected directly to a
28-Volt DC source. Connecting theVXA-100di-
rectly to a source which exceeds 15.0 Volts DC
will result in damage to the unit.
Keypad
Several keys have dual functions. The color of
the label determines the way in which you acti-
vate the function:
The white labels represent the primary functions
of the keys (activated by simply pressing the key
momentarily).
The yellow labels represent the secondary func-
tions of the keys (activated by pressing the [F]
key first, then the indicated key).
On the keypad, primary functions (white) are la-
beled to the left, while the secondary functions
(yellow) are labeled to the right. These functions
are described in detail on the next page.
CONTROLS & CONNECTORS

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL
4
KEYPAD
Primary Function
(Press Key)
Secondary Function
(Press +)
Primary Function
(Press Key)
Secondary Function
(Press +)
Primary Function
(Press Key)
Secondary Function
(Press +)
Primary Function
(Press Key)
Secondary Function
(Press +)
Frequency Entry
Digit 1 Frequency Entry Digit 2 Frequency Entry Digit 3
Frequency Entry
Digit 4 Frequency Entry Digit 5 Frequency Entry Digit 6
Frequency Entry
Digit 7 Frequency Entry Digit 8 Frequency Entry Digit 9
Frequency Entry
Digit 0
Activates DVOR mode
(page 25) Selects “TO” VOR mode Selects “FROM” VOR mode
Selects Memory Display
Type (page 19)
Locks the Keypad
Activates Course
Direction Indicator mode
Selects Emergency
Channel (121.5 MHz)
None None None
None
NoneNone
Activates Automatic
Noise Limiter
Activates Split (Duplex)
mode on VOR On/Off Switch for Keypad Beeper Allows Skipping of Channel during Scan
Activates Scanning Activates “Secondary”
Key mode
Activates Dual Watch
Memory “Write”
Command
Split-Memory “Write”
Command

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL 5
LCD DISPLAY
This field displays the course
heading in degrees. See page 25. This is the Course Deviation Indicator, used during VOR Navigation. See page 24.
This icon indicates that
the “Book” Memory Bank
is in use. See page 12.
This icon is the “Low Bat-
tery” indicator, which
blinks when the battery
voltage becomes too low
for proper operation. These digits provide frequency or alphanumeric
information about the channel you are using.
This indicator confirms
that
Secondary Key Func-
tion is active. See page 4.
This icon is used
during VOR naviga-
tion, to indicate that
the displayed infor-
mation is based on
a course
from the
VOR station. See
page 25.
This icon is used
during VOR naviga-
tion, to indicate that
the displayed infor-
mation is based on
a course
to the VOR
station. See page
25.
This indicator con-
firms that the AUTO-
MATIC NOISE LIMITER is
activated. See page
15.
This indicator con-
firms that the “Split”
(Duplex) mode is
activated during
VOR operation. See
page 30.
This indicator con-
firms that DUAL
WATCH is active. See
page 22.
This indicator confirms
that this channel will be
skipped during scan. See
page 21.

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL
6
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Precautions
rThis apparatus is capable of two-way communi-
cation on channels used for critical aviationsafety
communications. Therefore, it is important that
this radio be kept away from children or other
unauthorized users at all times.
rWhen making DC connections via the E-DC-5B
DC cable, be absolutely certain to observe the
proper voltage level and polarity guidelines. Do
not connect this radio directly to any 24 ~ 28
Volt DC source, nor to AC power of any kind.
Connecting the VXA-100 directly to a source
which exceeds 15.0 Volts DC will result in dam-
age to the unit.
rDo not dispose of the Ni-Cd Battery Pack in a
fire. Do not carry a Ni-Cd Battery Pack in your
pocket, where keys or coins could short the ter-
minals. This could create a serious fire/burn dan-
ger, and possibly cause damage to the Ni-Cd
pack.
rAlthough the VXA-100 is designed to be water
resistant, the enclosure is not “waterproof.” Do
not allow the radio to become submersed in wa-
ter, and do not expose it and/or its Ni-Cd Battery
Pack to water spray under pressure.
Battery Installation and Removal
Refer to the illustration below showing the rear panel
of the VXA-100 and its battery pack.
¦Lay the battery pack loosely onto the rear panel
of the transceiver, and carefully mate the four
small alignment tabs on the battery with their cor-
responding insertion slots on the transceiver case.
Proper alignment occurs with the battery pack
offset about ½” from the top of the case.

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL 7
¦Guide the pack into the slots with a slight in-
ward pressure, then slide the battery pack up-
ward, until it locks in place with a “Click.”
¦To remove the battery, turn the radio off and re-
move any protective cases. Press in the Battery
Release button (behind the Antenna jack) while
sliding the battery down ½”. Then lift the bat-
tery away.
Do not attempt to open any of the recharge-
able Ni-Cd packs, as personal injury or dam-
age to the Ni-Cd pack could occur if a cell or cells
become accidentally short-circuited.
Battery Charging
It is necessary to fully charge the Ni-Cd battery be-
fore it’s first use. Follow these procedures:
¦Install the supplied FNB-41Ni-Cd battery pack
onto the transceiver. Ensure that the transceiver
is switched off.
¦Lift up the rubber cover
to expose the EXT DC
jack. Plug the cable plug
from theNC-60charger
into this jack.
¦Plug the NC-60 into the
AC mains outlet.
¦Allow a minimum of 10 hours for the FNB-41
to reach full charge. Leave the transceiver
switched off this entire period.
¦Unplug the cable from the EXT DC jack. Re-
place the rubber cover to protect the jack. Switch
on the transceiver and begin operation.
Important Notes:
rDo not leave the charger connected to the trans-
ceiver for continuous periods in excess of 24
hours. Long term overcharging can degrade the
Ni-Cd battery pack and significantly shorten its
useful life.
rIf using a charger other than the NC-60, or if
using a battery pack other than the FNB-41, fol-
low the appropriate instructions provided with
the charger/battery. Contact your Dealer if you
have any doubts about the appropriateness of the
particular charger or battery pack you intend to
use.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL
8
Low Battery Indication
¦As your battery discharges during use, the volt-
age will gradually become lower. When the bat-
tery voltage reaches 5.0 Volts, the “x” icon
will blink on the LCD display, indicating that
the battery pack must be recharged before fur-
ther use.
¦Avoid recharging Ni-Cd batteries before the
“Low Battery” indicator is observed, as this can
degrade the charge capacity of your Ni-Cd bat-
tery pack. Yaesu recommends that you carry an
extra, fully-charged pack with you so you will
not lose communications capability due to a de-
pleted Ni-Cd battery.
This “deep
cycling”
practice will
help to main-
tain longer
overall bat-
tery life after
many re-
charging
cycles.
Installing the FBA-21 (option) Alkaline
Battery Case
The optional FBA-21 Battery Case allows opera-
tion of the VXA-100 using six “AA” size Alkaline
batteries.
To open the FBA-21 Battery Case, hold it in your
left hand, and slide the release catch downward with
your right index finger.
When installing batteries, insert the (–) end first, then
press in the (++
++
+) end so the battery snaps into place.
Always replace all six batteries at the same time, pay-
ing attention to the polarity indicated inside the case.
The batteries can be ejected by pulling upward on
the strip.
The FBA-21 must not be used with re-
chargeable cells. The FBA-21 does not con-
tain the thermal and over-current protection cir-
cuits (provided in the “FNB” series of Ni-Cd Bat-
tery Packs) required when utilizing Ni-Cd cells.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Belt Clip Installation

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL 9
OPERATION
Preliminary Steps
¦Install a charged battery pack onto the transceiver,
as described previously.
¦Screw the supplied antenna onto the Antenna
jack. Never operate this transceiver without an
antenna connected.
¦If you have an optional Speaker/Microphone or
headset, we recommend that it not be connected
until you are familiar with the basic operation of
the VXA-100.
Operation Quick Start
rTo turn the radio on,
press and hold the
PWR switch for ½
second.
rAfter three “initial-
ization” beeps are
heard, a channel fre-
quency should ap-
pear on the display. If
not, press downward
(momentarily) on the
(inner)VOLUME knob (repeatedly, if necessary)
so that “"VFO "” appears on the display, fol-
lowed by a channel frequency.
rDirectly entering frequencies from the Keypad
is the easiest method if you know the frequency
on which you wish to operate. Just enter the five
digits of the frequency to move to that frequency.
For example, to set 134.35 MHz,
press [1]à[3]à[4]à[3]à[5].

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL
10
To set 118.275 MHz, you do not need to press
the final “5” in the frequency:
[1]à[1]à[8]à[2]à[7].
rYou may also turn
the top panel’s (outer
ring)CHANNEL se-
lector knob to choose
the desired operating
frequency. The chan-
nel frequency will
appear on the LCD.
rTo change frequency
in 1 MHz steps, press
the [F]key momen-
tarily, then rotate the
CHANNEL selector
knob to select the
MHz digit desired.
Press [F]once more to resume normal channel
selection in 25-kHz steps.
rIf you enter a frequency in the “NAV” band (108-
117.975 MHz), the “VOR” operating mode will
be selected.
OPERATION
rRotate the VOL-
UMEknob to set the
volume level. If no
signal is present,
press and hold the
MONITOR button
for 2 seconds; back-
ground noise will now be heard, and you may
use this noise to set the VOLUME knob for the
desired audio level. Press the MONITOR button
momentarily, to silence the noise and resume nor-
mal (quiet) monitoring.
rPress and hold the
LAMP button for 2
seconds, to illumi-
nate the display and
keypad continuously.
To disable the illumi-
nation, press the
LAMP button momentarily.
rTo turn the radio off, press and hold in the PWR
switch for 2 seconds.

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL 11
Accessing the 121.5 MHz Emergency Frequency
The VXA-100 can quickly access the 121.500 MHz
Emergency Frequency. This function can be activated
even when the keypad lock function is in use.
rTo access the Emer-
gency Frequency,
press the[121.5]key
momentarily.
rTo exit the Emer-
gency Frequency,
press the (inner)
VOLUME knob.
OPERATION

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL
12
Tuning Methods
Throughout this manual, you will see references to
several different frequency setting methods. Each will
be particularly useful in a particular operating situa-
tion, and they are described below:
¦VFO (Variable Frequency Oscillator)
The VFO is a “tuning dial” system which allows
you to tune through the NAV or COM bands in
25-kHz steps using the
CHANNEL selector,
the Keypad, or the scan-
ner.
¦MR (Memory Recall)
The MR (Memory Recall) mode of the VXA-
100 provides the user with the ability to store
and recall as many as 50 channels in the radio’s
main memory bank. These memorychannels may
also be labeled by you with an alpha/numeric
name of up to 8 characters in length, to aid in
quick identification of
the channel. See page 18
for details on creating
alpha/numeric labels.
¦BOOK (Pre-Programmed) Memories
The BOOK memories are pre-programmed, ei-
ther at the factory or by your Dealer (depending
on your country’s requirements), typically includ-
ing the major COM and NAV band station fre-
quencies used in your area. The BOOK memo-
ries may not be changed by the user, but they
can be transferred to the
Main Memory (MR)
bank by the user. See
page 18.
¦WX (Weather Channel) Memories
Ten Weather Channels are pre-programmed at
the factory as appropriate for your country, and
theVXA-100will auto-
matically scan this spe-
cial bank when it is se-
lected by the user.
OPERATION

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL 13
Transmission
To transmit, press and hold the PTT switch. Speak
into the microphone area
of the front panel grille
in a normal voice level.
To return to the receive
mode, release the PTT
switch.
Important Note- The PTT switch should be pressed
inward and in a slightly downward direction for
proper operation. Do not press the PTT switch in an
upward direction, as this will cause unreliable clo-
sure of the PTT switch, and it may damage the rub-
ber boot. This angle of PTT switch actuation is de-
signed to be ergonomically optimum when the radio
is being held in the palm of your hand.
Reception of Weather Channel Broadcasts
The VXA-100 can receive VHF Weather Channel
broadcasts, which may assist your flight planning.
The VXA-100 includes a ten-channel auto-search
feature, which simplifies access to Weather Chan-
nels when you are in an unfamiliar location.
rTo receive Weather Channels, press the VOL-
UME knob (repeat-
edly, if necessary) to
select the Weather
Channel mode. In the
Weather Channel
mode,“"WX "” will
appear on the dis-
play.
rTheVXA-100 will now scan quickly through the
ten standard Weather Channels, and will stop on
the first active station found.
rIf there are two or
more weather chan-
nels audible in your
area, you may select
the alternate chan-
nel(s) by pressing the
PTTswitch. Pressing
OPERATION

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL
14
OPERATION
the PTT switch re-initiates the scanning process.
rIf there are no
Weather Channels in
your area, the scan-
ner will not stop.
Press theMONITOR
button to stop the
scanner.
rYou can also select
Weather Channels
manually by rotating
the CHANNEL se-
lector knob.
rTo comfirm the current Weather Channel fre-
quency, press the[
()] key momen-
tarily. The display
changesto frequency
indication. Press the
[()] key again
to return to normal
display.
rTo exit the Weather
Channel mode, press
the VOLUME knob
momentarily to re-
turn to the VFO
mode.
Note: The Weather Channel mode memorizes the last
Weather Channel you have used, and will retain this
information until the radio is turned off.

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL 15
Monitor Key
When listening to a very weak signal from an air-
craft or ground station, you may observe the signal
disappearing periodically as the incoming signal
strength becomes too weak to override the squelch
threshold setting.
To disable the squelch
temporarily, press and
hold the MONITOR key
for 2 seconds on the left
side of the radio, just be-
low the PTT button. The
squelch will remain open
and you should have a better chance of hearing weak
signals.
To return to normal operation, press the MONITOR
key momentarily.
OPERATION
ANL (Automatic Noise Limiter) Feature
For reduction of impulse noise, such as that produced
by an engine’s ignition system, the ANL feature may
prove helpful.
rTo activate the ANL
feature, press the
[ANL] key momen-
tarily. The “
ANL ”
icon will appear on
the display, and you
should observe a re-
duction in the ignition noise.
rTo turn the ANL feature off, repeat the above
step; the “
ANL ” icon will disappear from the dis-
play.

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL
16
LOCK Function
The lock function prevents accidental changes to the
frequency setting and the keypad controls.
rTo activate the lock
feature, press [F]à
[()] key.
rIn the LOCK mode,
the display will show
“"LOCK"” when
you rotate the
CHANNEL selector knob, press the (inner)
VOLUME knob, or touch a key on the keypad.
rTo turn the lock feature off,
press [F]à[()] again.
rYou can still access the 121.500 MHz Emergency
Frequency when the LOCK function is on.
Simply press the [121.5]key momentarily (this
key never locks). Pressing this key also unlocks
the radio.
OPERATION
Beep On/Off
The VXA-100’s key/button beeper provides conve-
nient audible feedback whenever a button is pressed.
Each key and button has a different beep pitch, and
each function has a unique beep combination.
When you are scanning, the beeper will be heard each
time the scanner halts on a busy channel. This may
be distracting in some environments; if you want to
turn the beeper off (or back on again):
rPress [F]à[8 (BEEP)] key; “BEEP ON” will
appear on the LCD.
rRotate the CHAN-
NEL selector knob
one click to change
the display to
“BEEP OFF.”
rPress the[8(BEEP)]
key again to save your new setting and exit to
normal operation.

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL 17
NOTE

VXA-100 AVIATOR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL
18
MEMORY OPERATION
The VXA-100 provides 50 user-programmable
“Main” memories, labeled “ CH"))! ” through
“CH" )%),” and up to 250 pre-programmed memo-
ries, designated “Book” Memories. The “ ” icon
appears when “Book” Memory Mode is activated.
The Main memories can store frequency as well as
various status indicators such as those used with
VOR. The Main memories also can be assigned al-
pha-numeric names of up to eight characters.
Memory System Operation
The VXA-100’s Main Memory system allows the
user to store, label, and recall channel frequencies
which you may want to use frequently. You may store
VFO frequencies, Book Memory frequencies, and/
or Weather Channel frequencies into the Main
Memory system.
MEMORY STORAGE
rSelect the desired frequency in the VFO mode,
or recall the Book Memory channel or Weather
channel to be stored in the Main Memory.
rPress and hold the [MW (SPL.W)] key for 2
seconds. The display will indicate “ CH" ” and a
channel number will blink on the LCD.
rWithin five seconds of pressing the [MW
(SPL.W)] key, rotate the CHANNEL selector
knob to select the desired memory channel num-
ber for storage.
In order to prevent writing over memory chan-
nels, a bar will appear under the hyphen (located
between “ CH” and the channel number) to indi-
cate a vacant memory channel.
rNow press and hold in the [MW (SPL.W)] key
for 2 seconds; you will now see “;""""""" ”
on the LCD. To attach an alpha/numeric name
(label) to the memory, proceed to the next step;
otherwise press and hold [MW (SPL.W)] for 2
seconds to save the entry and exit.
rTo label a memory with an alpha/numeric name,
the next step is to use the CHANNEL selector
knob to select any of the 48 available characters
(including letters, numbers, and special symbols).