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Chapter 3. - Basic Use
Making a call
Press and hold the PTT button on the side of the radio body to transmit. While transmitting, speak
approximately 3-5cm from the microphone. When you release the PTT your transceiver will go back
to receive mode.
Channel selection
There are two modes of operation: Frequency (VFO) mode, and Channel or Memory (MR) mode.
For daily use, Channel (MR) mode is going to be a whole lot more practical than Frequency (VFO) mode.
However, Frequency (VFO) mode is very handy for experimentation out in the field. Frequency (VFO)
mode is also used for programming channels into memory. For details on how to program your
transceiver see Chapter 9, Programming.
Ultimately which mode you end up using will depend entirely on your use case.
Frequency (VFO) mode
In Frequency (VFO) mode you can navigate up and down the band by using the [ ] and [ ] keys.
Each press will increment or decrement your frequency according to the frequency step you've set your
transceiver to. For details on how to set the frequency step on your transceiver see Chapter 4, Working
the menu system and the section called "1 STEP" in Appendix B, Menu definitions.
Power and volume
Before we turn the power on, make sure you have attached the battery and antenna as described in
Chapter 1,
Initial setup.
Turning the unit on
To turn the unit on, simply rotate the volume/power knob clockwise until you hear a “click”. If your radio
powers on correctly there should be an audible double beep after about one second and the display
will show a message or flash the LCD depending on settings for about one second (see "35 PON
MSG - Power On Message" in Appendix B' Menu definitions). Then it will display a frequency or
channel. If the voice prompt is enabled, the voice will announce "frequency mode" or "channel mode”.
Turning the unit off
Turn the volume/power knob counter-clock wise all the way until you hear a "click". The radio is now off.
Adjusting the volume
To turn up the volume, turn the volume/power knob clock-wise.
To turn the volume down, turn the volume/power knob counter-clock-wise. Be careful not to turn it too
far, as you may inadvertently turn your radio off.
Just because you can program in a channel does not mean you're automatically authorized to
use that frequency.
Transmitting on frequencies you're not authorized to operate on is illegal, and in most
jurisdictions a serious offence. If you get caught transmitting without a license you can and will
get fined, and in worst case sent to jail.
However, it is legal in most jurisdictions to listen. Contact your local regulatory body for further
information on what laws, rules and regulations apply to your area.
