One more comment about my FT-950 and I'll drop the subject. I only use
computer control part of the time; the 950 has a serial port, so it must be
controlled through a USB-to-serial adapter.
The rig has a built-in keypad, so you can press Enter, followed by a
frequency, followed by Enter to key in a frequency, down to the Hz. If you
press a keypad button without pressing Enter first, each button acts as any
of 3 "band-stack registers" for a particular band, which have memorized
mode, bandwidth, frequency and other settings for the last time that
register was accessed on that band. I generally have one register set up
for CW (you can hear that the bandwidth is a lot narrower than SSB) and the
others for SSB or AM. If I don't remember what frequency was last used for
CW on this band, I can just key a new one in and go from there. By
default, the main VFO knob tunes in 10 KHz per revolution.
If you press and hold the Split button, your transmit frequency will go up 5
KHz from your receive frequency, with transmit mode set like receive mode.
Additional press and holds will increase the split in increments of 5 KHz.
There is a Transmit Watch button beneath the Split button which allows you
to listen to the frequency where you intend to transmit; it is a momentary
button, and transmit is locked out while this button is pressed. So when I
worked EP6T (Iran DXpedition) on 10 meter SSB this morning, I was using this
TXW feature to scan the 20 KHz range where he said he was listening. N1MM+
was running, ready to log the QSO in its DX logging mode. Without the
computer interface active, I wouldn't know his exact transmit frequency, nor
the transmit frequency I ended up with. This is where a computer interface
becomes useful, but it is not necessary all the time.
I know whether the rig is in split mode or not, because the transmit watch
button does nothing if the rig is not in split mode.
Some people object to this rig's interface because transmit power is only
adjustable on one of the 118 menu items. But there is a Custom Settings
button which can be set to item 111. Push this button once and the VFO B
knob adjusts your power output. Hold the Menu button in for a second and
the new power level is remembered until changed. Like other buttons that
have two modes, a button push is confirmed by a single beep, while you know
you have held it down long enough when you get a double beep. An illegal
operation is a beep at a higher pitch. This includes the case where the
internal tuner cannot match the SWR of the antenna you are trying to tune
into.
With 9 knobs and more than 60 buttons, this rig has enough features for most
of us, and most of them are accessible with practice, study of the manual
and on-the-air reports of your audio quality or lack thereof.
73,
Lloyd Rasmussen, W3IUU, Kensington, MD
http://lras.home.sprynet.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Gillen
Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2015 8:04 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Yaesu?
Can anyone recommend any Yaesu HFHK rigs. Can't get Kenwood in ZL. looking
for a good display or speech.
Scott
ZL1CHM
Sent from my iPhone=
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