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UHF FM TRANSCEIVER
VX-177
OPERATING MANUAL
VERTEX STANDARD CO., LTD.
4-8-8 Nakameguro, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo 153-8644, Japan
VERTEX STANDARD
US Headquarters
10900 Walker Street, Cypress, CA 90630, 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.
VERTEX STANDARD HK LTD.
Unit 5, 20/F., Seaview Centre, 139-141 Hoi Bun Road,
Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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Contents General Description ......................................... 1 Scanning .......................................................... 36 Accessories & Options ..................................... 2 VFO Scanning .............................................. 37 Controls & Connections .................................. 3 Manual VFO Scan ................................... 37 Top & Front Panel .......................................... 3 Programmed VFO Scan ........................... 37 LC
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION The VX-177 is a compact, high-performance submersible FM hand-held providing up to five watts of RF power and wealth of convenient features for the 430 MHz amateur band. New and exciting features of the VX-177 are the Emergency Automatic ID (EAI) function, that will automatically cause your VX-177 to transmit your callsign and engage your rig’s microphone, even if you are disabled and unable to press the PTT switch; Enhanced Pag- ing and Code Squelch (EPCS), that allows you
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ACCESSORIES & OPTIONS SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES FNB-83 7.2 V, 1,400 mAh Rechargeable Nickel-Metal Hydride Battery Pack NC-88B/C Overnight Battery Charger (10-Hour) YHA-69 Antenna Quick Draw Belt Clip Operating Manual Warranty Card AVAILABLE OPTIONS FNB-83 7.2 V, 1,400 mAh Rechargeable Nickel-Metal Hydride Battery Pack NC-88B/C/U Overnight Battery Charger (10-Hour) VAC-370 Desktop Rapid Charger CD-26 Charger Cradle FBA-25A Dry Cell Battery Case for 6 “AA” Alkaline Cells (not su
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( ) CONTROLS & CONNECTORS TOP & FRONT PANELS Antenna Jack Connect the supplied rubber flex antenna (or an- other antenna presenting a 50-Ohm impedance) here. MIC/SP Jack This four-conductor miniature jack provides con- nection points for microphone audio, earphone audio, PTT, and ground. Do not allow the VX-177 to become submerged in water while the plastic cover over the MIC/SP jack is removed. VOL/PWR Knob Turn this control clockwise to turn the radio on and to increase the volu
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( ) CONTROLS & CONNECTORS LCD Memory Channel Number Skip Memory Channel or Repeater Shift Direction Preferential Memory Channel CTCSS/DSC Operation Internet Connection Priority Channel Feature Active Memory Bank Active Bell Alarm Active Operating Frequency Secondary Keypad Battery Indicator Active Low TX Power Selected DTMF Autodial Active Emergency Automatic ID (EAI) Feature Active Dual Watch Active Battery Saver Active Key Lock Active S- & PO Meter Automatic Power-Off Active 4 VX-177 OPERATING
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( ) CONTROLS & CONNECTORS SIDE PANEL PTT (Push To Talk) Switch Press this switch to transmit, and release it (to receive) after your transmission is com- pleted. MONI Switch Pressing this switch disables the noise squelching action, allowing you to hear very weak signals near the background noise level temporarily. [ ] Press the F key on the keypad first, then press this switch to enable to adjustment of the squelch threshold level. EXT DC Jack This coaxial DC jack allows connection to
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( ) CONTROLS & CONNECTORS KEYPAD FUNCTIONS Primary Function Frequency entry digit “1.” Frequency entry digit “2.” ( ) PRESS KEY Secondary Function Activates the CTCSS or Selects the CTCSS tone or ( [ ] ) PRESS F + KEY DCS Operation. DCS code number. Third Function None Activates the ARTS feature. ( ) PRESS & HOLD KEY Primary Function Frequency entry digit “4.” Frequency entry digit “5.” (PRESS KEY) Selects the direction of the uplink Secondary Function Selects the CTCSS/DCS Bell ringer frequency
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( ) CONTROLS & CONNECTORS KEYPAD FUNCTIONS Increases the VFO frequency by Primary Function Frequency entry digit “3.” one step or moves the memory ( ) PRESS KEY channel to the next-highest channel. Secondary Function Selects the desired transmit power Tunes the VFO frequency ( [ ] ) PRESS F + KEY output level. upward in 1 MHz steps. Starts the scanner upward Third Function Activates the Smart Search feature. (toward a higher frequency or ( ) PRESS & HOLD KEY a higher channel number). Decreases t
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INSTALLATION OF ACCESSORIES ANTENNA INSTALLATION The supplied antenna provides good results over the entire frequency range of the transceiver. However, for enhanced reception on certain non-Amateur frequencies, you may wish to connect an antenna designed specifically for that frequency range, as the supplied antenna is necessarily a compromise outside the Amateur band, and cannot be expected to provide high performance at all frequencies. To install the supplied antenna, hold the bottom end of
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INSTALLATION OF ACCESSORIES BATTERY CHARGING If the battery has never been used, or its charge is depleted, it may be charged by connect- ing the NC-88 Overnight Battery Charger, as shown in the illustration, to the EXT DC jack. If only 12 ~ 16 Volt DC power is available, the optional E-DC-5B DC Cable (with its cigarette lighter plug) or E-DC-6 DC Cable (plug and wire only) may also be used for charging the battery. A fully-discharged pack will be charged completely in 10 hours. Disconnect the N
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INSTALLATION OF ACCESSORIES BELT CLIP INSTALLATION Connect the hanger to the rear of the VX-177, with the notch pointing directly up, using the supplied screw (Figure 1). Use only the screw included with the clip to mount the clip to the back of the VX-177. Clip the Quick-Draw Belt Clip onto your belt (Figure 2). To install the VX-177 into the Quick-Draw Belt Clip, align the hanger with the Quick- Draw Belt Clip, and slide the VX-177 into its slot until a click is heard (Figure 3). To re
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INTERFACE OF PACKET TNCS The VX-177 may be used for Packet operation, using the optional CT-91 Microphone Adapter (available from your Yaesu dealer) for easy interconnection to commonly-avail- able connectors wired to your TNC. You may 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 may be adjusted by using the VOL knob, as with voice operation. The input level to the VX-177 from the TNC should be adjust
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OPERATION Hi! I’m R. F. Radio, and I’ll be helping you along as you learn the many features of the VX-177. I know you’re anxious to get on the air, but I encour- age you 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! SWITCHING 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. Rotat
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OPERATION SQUELCH ADJUSTMENT [ ] To set the squelch, press the F key, followed by the MONI switch just below the PTT switch on the left side of the transceiver. Now rotate the DIAL (outer knob) to find the lowest setting (“LVL 1” through “LVL 15”) that will just si- lence the background noise. Do not use a higher setting than necessary, or sensitivity to weak incoming signals will be degraded. Press the PTT switch momentarily when you’ve made the new setting; this will return you to normal
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OPERATION FREQUENCY NAVIGATION ) 2 Direct Keypad Frequency Entry The desired operating frequency may be entered directly from the keypad. The first “1” in the frequency does not need to be entered, as it is “assumed” by the microprocessor. To enter a frequency directly, just key in the 10 MHz, 1 MHz, and the kHz digits. [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Examples: To enter 436.560 MHz, press 3 6 5 6 0 [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] To enter 436.5625 MHz (12.5 kHz steps), 3 6 5 6 2 ) 3 Scanning [ ( )] [ (
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OPERATION TRANSMISSION Once you have set up an appropriate frequency inside the 430 MHz Amateur band on which the VX-177 can transmit, you’re ready to go on the air! These are the most basic steps; more advanced aspects of transmitter operation will be discussed later. To transmit, press the PTT switch, and speak into the front panel microphone (located in the lower left-hand corner of the speaker grille) in a normal voice level. The TX/BUSY indicator will glow red during trans- mission. To
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ADVANCED OPERATION Now that you’re mastered the basics of VX-177 operation, let’s learn more about some of the really neat features. KEYBOARD LOCKING In order to prevent accidental frequency change or inadvertent transmission, various as- pects of the VX-177’s DIAL and keypad may be locked out. The possible lockout combi- nations are: LK KEY: Just the front panel keypad is locked out LKDIAL: Just the top panel DIAL is locked out LK K+D:Both the keypad and DIAL are locked out (factory default) LK
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ADVANCED OPERATION KEYPAD/LCD ILLUMINATION Your VX-177 includes a reddish illumination lamp which aids in nighttime operation. The reddish illumination yields clear viewing of the display in a dark environment, with mini- mal degradation of your night vision. Three options for activating the lamp are provided: KEY Mode: Illuminates the Keypad/LCD lamp for five seconds when you rotate the DIAL knob or press the keypad or any switch (except PTT switch). This is the factory-programmed default setti
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ADVANCED OPERATION RF SQUELCH A special RF Squelch feature is provided on this radio. This feature allows you to set the squelch so that only signals exceeding a certain S-meter level will open the squelch. To set up the RF squelch circuit for operation, use the following procedure: [ ] [ ( )] 1. Press the F key, then press the 0 SET key to enter the Set mode. 2. Rotate the DIAL knob to select Set Mode Item 34: RF SQL. [ ] 3. Press the F key momentarily to enable adjustment of this Item. 4. Rota
