If you still are having trouble, you may want to try tuning in the Los 
Angeles National Weather service broadcast.    This won't help you make 
your first QSO, but can at least let you know if the  radio and antenna 
are set up right.

Turn on the radio, and turn the volume all the way down on the main 
receiver.    This is the left knob of the 2 knobs at the bottom right 
corner of the front panel.

if the sub receiver.  isn't already on, turn it on by pushing in the 
knob at the lower right corner of the radio.  Turn up the volume with 
this knob till you hear some noise.

Just to the right of the main tuning knob, are 4 buttons in a diamond 
pattern.  Press the one  that is the right side of the diamond.   This 
puts control on the sub.

In the keypad, enter the frequency 162.550 and press enter.  Hopefully 
you will hear the weather broadcast.  If it is all garbled,  try 
changing the mode to FM by pressing the am/fm mode button.  This is a 
vertical row of buttons just to the left of the tuning knob, third 
button down.

If you still can't hear anything, something  is going on, maybe with the 
antenna..

You've said you are in LA, so I figure you can hear this broadcast, if 
not tune in the 162 mhz range and see if you can hear another weather 
station.

73, Steve KW3A