General Notes on Use
The FA -VA4 can be used as a measuring
device immediately after assembly, it then
operates in an uncalibrated mode and the
results displayed may be more prone to er-
ror than would be the case after correct
calibration. This mode can also be selected
later from the
Setup
menu, for example if
doubts arise about the validity of stored
calibration data.
The FA -VA4 is a sensitive measuring de-
vice.
No RF energy must be allowed to
reach the measuring socket so as not to
destroy the input components.
This could
happen if for example an antenna in the im-
mediate vicinity transmits. Likewise, static
charges should be kept as far away as pos-
sible from the measuring socket. Insulated
antenna structures must therefor be earthed
before connecting to the device for example
by shorting to earth.
Rechargeable batteries should not be
used in the FA -VA4
as no deep discharge
nor charging circuitry is available. Deep
discharge can render the rechargeable bat-
teries unuseable or even destroy them. Leak-
ing batteries can likewise severely damage
the equipment.
The FA- VA4 is optimally designed to use
1.5 V AA cells. Used cells must be re-
moved from the device.
For the longest battery life it is recom-
mended to only use the backlight when the
display cannot be read. With daylight or
outside the display doesn't usually needs
backlight illumination.
The number of measurement display cy-
cles should only be as many as are needed
to ensure a sufficient repetition rate for
the measurement in question. Both param-
eters have a considerable influence on cur-
rent consumption and therefore on battery
life expectancy, they can be changed in the
Setup
menu.
BNC plugs should be carefully twisted af-
ter connecting to ensure no ‘unexpected’
incorrect measurements.
6 • BX-240
© Box 73 Amateurfunkservice GmbH 2017
Fig. 9: Completed FA- VA4 board
