Transmitter Operation; Ssb/Am Transmission; Basic Setup/Operation; Vox Operation - Yaesu FT-897 Operating Manual

T
RANSMITTER

Basic Setup/Operation

1. Press the MODE ( ) or MODE ( ) key so as to select
either SSB (LSB/USB) or the AM mode. In the SSB
mode, if you are operating on the 7 MHz or lower bands,
select the LSB mode. If you are operating on the 14 MHz
or higher bands, select the USB mode.
2. Press the [ F ] key momentarily,
then rotate the MEM/VFO CH
knob, as needed, until Multi
Function Row "i" [ MTR, PWR,
DISP ] appears on the display.
3. Now press the [ A ](MTR) or [ B ] key to select the "ALC"
meter function ("ALC" will appear above the [ B ] key).
You may need to press the [ A ] or [ B ] key multiple times,
as you will be toggling through several selections.
4. Press the microphone's PTT switch, and speak into the
microphone in a normal voice level while watching the
meter. The ideal audio input level to the transmitter from
the microphone will cause a few "segments" of indica-
tion on the ALC meter. Release the PTT switch to return
to receive mode.
5. If the ALC meter is too high, or too low, you may need
to reset the Microphone Gain:
• Press and hold in the [ F ] key for one second to enter
the Menu mode.
• Rotate the MEM/VFO CH knob to recall Menu Mode
No-081 [ SSB MIC GAIN ] (on SSB) or No-005 [ AM
MIC GAIN ] (on AM).
• Close the PTT switch, and while speaking into the
microphone rotate the DIAL until the proper ALC
indication is achieved on voice peaks.
• When done, press and hold in the [ F ] key for one
second to save the new setting for the Microphone
Gain.
1) The AM carrier level is preset to 25 Watts
during alignment at the factory, and should not
require further adjustment. It is important to
remember that AM transmission requires that power must
be distributed among the carrier and voice sidebands;
therefore, if excessive carrier power is used, there will be
insufficient power available for the information-carrying
voice sidebands.
2) The [TONE] switch on the back of the MH-31
phone provides adjustment of the microphone's frequency
response. Setting this switch to the "2" position will roll
off some of the bass response, resulting in improved "talk
power" in many instances. The "1" position is primarily
used in countries like Japan, where vowel sounds are of
critical importance in conveying information; in Western
languages, consonant sounds (which are rich in high-fre-
quency components) are frequently more important.
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O
PERATION
SSB/AM T
micro-
A8J
RANSMISSION

VOX Operation

The VOX system provides automatic transmit/receive
switching based on voice input to the microphone. With the
VOX system enabled, you do not need to press the PTT
switch in order to transmit.
1. Press the [ F ] key momentarily,
then rotate the MEM/VFO CH
knob, as needed, until Multi
Function Row "d" [ RPT, REV,
VOX ] appears on the display.
2. Press the [ C ]( VOX ) key to activate the VOX circuitry.
"Parentheses" will appear on the both sides of the "VOX"
indication, and the " " icon will appear on the display.
3. Without pressing the PTT switch, speak into the micro-
phone in a normal voice level. When you start speaking,
the transmitter should be activated automatically. When
you finish speaking, the transceiver should return to the
receive mode (after a short delay).
4. To cancel VOX and return to PTT operation, again press
the [ C ]( VOX ) key. The parentheses and " " icon will
disappear, signifying that the VOX system has been
turned off.
5. The VOX Gain may be adjusted, so as to prevent acci-
dental transmitter activation in a noisy environment. To
adjust the VOX Gain:
• While still in Multi Function Row "d" [ RPT, REV,
VOX ] , press and hold in the [ C ]( VOX ) key for one
second. This is a "hot key" feature which will in-
stantly recall Menu Mode No-088 [ VOX GAIN ] .
• While speaking into the microphone, rotate the DIAL
to the point where the transmitter is quickly activated
by your voice, without causing background noise to
activate the transmitter.
• When you have selected the optimum setting, press
and hold the [ F ] key for one second to save the new
settings and return to normal operation.
6. The "Hang-Time" of the VOX system (the transmit-re-
ceive delay after the cessation of speech) may also be
adjusted via the Menu. The default delay is one second.
To set a different delay time:
• Press and hold in the [ F ] key for one second to acti-
vate the Menu mode.
• Rotate the MEM/VFO CH knob to select Menu Mode
No-087 [ VOX DELAY ] .
• Rotate the DIAL while saying a brief syllable like
"Ah" and listening to the hang time, so as to set the
desired delay.
• hen your adjustments are complete, press and hold
in the [ F ] key for one second to save the new setting
and return to normal operation.
The delay time for return to the receive mode is
set independently on CW and voice modes; for
CW, use Menu Mode No-024 [CW DELAY] (see
next chapter).
FT-897 O M
PERATING ANUAL