36
FT-857 Operating Manual
A
DJUSTING
THE
RF G
AIN
AND
S
QUELCH
The
SQL/RF
Gain control is configured differently,
depending on the country to which the
FT-857
has been
exported. In the U.S. version, the default function of
this control is “RF Gain.” The configuration of the
SQL/RF
Gain control is set via Menu Mode
No-080
[
SQL
/
RF GAIN
]
; see page 110 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 sensitivity. 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 RF Gain control counter-clockwise; this
indicates increasing AGC voltage, which is causing the front-end gain to be reduced. In the
FM and Packet modes, this control will automatically be set to “Squelch,” even though the
setting of Menu Mode
No-080
[
SQL
/
RF GAIN
]
is “RF Gain.”
If this control is configured for “SQL” operation, the
FT-857
’s RF Gain will be set for
maximum sensitivity in all modes, and the
SQL/RF
Gain control will function solely as a
Squelch control. In this case, rotate the
SQL/RF
Gain control to the point where the back-
ground noise is just silenced; this will provide the best sensitivity to weak signals, while
keeping the receiver 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.
S
ETTING
THE
O
PERATING
F
REQUENCY
1. In the “
SSB
/
CW
/
DIG
” modes, rotate the
DIAL
knob to set the frequency. Clockwise
rotation of the
DIAL
increases the operating fre-
quency.
2. In the “
AM
/
FM
/
PKT
” modes, rotate the
SELECT
knob to set the frequency. Clockwise rotation of
the
SELECT
knob increases the operating fre-
quency.
3. You may also use the
SELECT
knob to adjust the operating frequency in the “
SSB
/
CW
/
DIG
” modes. The
SELECT
knob provides faster tuning, ideal for making quick changes
in frequency when you want to move across the band in a hurry. You can then use the
DIAL
knob to make fine frequency adjustments.
The synthesizer steps for the
SELECT
knob may be adjusted independently by mode. Use
Menu Mode
No-006
[
AM STEP
]
for
AM
,
No-052
[
FM STEP
]
for
FM
, and
No-082
[
SSB
STEP
]
for
SSB
/
CW
/
DIG
. See pages 97, 105, and 110 for details.
If you press the
SELECT
knob momentarily, then rotate the
SELECT
knob, you can now
O
PERATION
SQL/RF
DIAL
SELECT
