18
Operation
Menu Quick Start
Many aspects of this transceiver’s configuration may be customized using the convenient
“Menu” system, which allow you to configure many “set and forget” settings just the way
you want to. A full discussion of the Menu system beings on page 52; for now, here is a
brief discussion on how to change Menu settings:
1. Press and hold in the key for one second to enter the Menu mode.
2. Rotate the
knob to recall the Menu item to be changed (for example, Menu #01,
which Enables or Disables the Automatic Repeater Shift on the 144 MHz band).
3. Rotate the
knob to set this feature (in this example, the default setting is “ENABLE,”
so rotate the
knob to set this feature to “DISABLE”.
4. Press and hold in the key for one second to save the new setting and exit to normal
operation.
If you have momentarily pressed the
key to change an operating function, press
the
key momentarily again (to clear the function indications for the
,
,
keys) before engaging the Menu.
Adjusting the RF Gain and Squelch
The
control is configured differently, depending on the country to which the
FT-
818
has been exported. In the U.S. version, the
default function of this control is “
RF Gain
”. The
configuration of the
control is set via
Menu #45; see page 61 for details.
If your transceiver is configured for “RF Gain” use,
rotating this control fully clockwise in the SSB/CW/Digital modes will provide best sensi-
tivity. To reduce the receiver’s RF Gain somewhat, rotate this control counter-clockwise
slightly. You will observe an increasing number of bars on the S-meter as you rotate the
control counter-clockwise; this indicates increasing AGC voltage, which is caus-
ing the front-end gain to be reduced. In the FM and Packet modes, this control will auto-
matically be set to an “
Auto-Squelch
” mode, wherein the FM/Packet squelch threshold is
preset at the factory; the
control still acts as an “
RF Gain
” control, however, and
it normally should be set fully clockwise.
If this control is configured for “
SQL
” operation, the
FT-818
’s RF Gain will be set for max-
imum sensitivity in all modes, and the
control will function solely as a Squelch
control. In this case, rotate the
control to the point where the background noise
is just silenced; this will provide the best sensitivity to weak signals, while keeping the re-
ceiver quiet when no signal is received. The LED just above the Main Dial will glow Green
when the squelch is opened by an incoming signal or noise.
Note: Squelch operation does not function in the FM Broadcast frequencies.
Battery consumption is significantly reduced if the receiver is squelched, as the au
-
dio amplifier stage is shut off when the receiver is muted.
CLAR
EL
S
A
B
C
F
V
LOCK
PWR
SQL/RF
AF
HOME
M
SQL/RF