Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Almost Complete Guide to Yaesu's VX-6R
    The Almost Complete Guide to Yaesu's VX-6R
    The Almost Complete Guide to Yaesu's VX-6R
    Ebook199 pages1 hour

    The Almost Complete Guide to Yaesu's VX-6R

    By Phillip J. Boucher

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    The Almost Complete Guide to Yaesu's VX-6R is a reference work that helps readers like you program and use your VX-6R handheld Amateur radio to get the most fun and productivity from your unit. This book expands and explains the material in the user's manual in an easier to understand format. With material not included in the manual, The Almost Complete Guide to Yaesu's VX-6R will make operating the radio fun and stress free.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPhillip J. Boucher
    Release dateJan 16, 2016
    ISBN9798201606985
    The Almost Complete Guide to Yaesu's VX-6R
    Author

    Phillip J. Boucher

    Phillip J. Boucher is a freelance writer and author who is now writing fantasy fiction. He is the author of the trade books “Slot Machines: Fun Machines or Tax Machines” and “The Complete Guide to Canada’s General Mobile Radio Service”. He is also a long-time columnist for The Canadian Amateur magazine. His column, Fresh On The Air, helps new Amateur Radio operators get the most fun out of the hobby. He is currently working on several non-fiction works such as a book on slot machine addiction, a book on radical customer service, and books on two-way radio. Previous publications include an article on tea for Chatelaine, a newsletter for Bell Canada, local retail and entertainment reviews for Casino News and Entertainment Niagara, and has recently completed the website copy for AvionLighting.com. Phillip has had three of his fantasy short stories published by Necrology Shorts: Dragonstoen: An Amulet for a Prince, The Tower of Eletal, and Disturbance Call at the Fairy Bar. His fourth short story, a horror entitled Essence of Gargoyle, is pending publication with Necrology Shorts. His Native supernatural novel Tattonville, has been published by Dark Moon Press. His fantasy enovel Dragonstoen, has been self-published. Phillip lives in Ontario, Canada with his wife, three dogs, and all the dragons, knights, fairies, gargoyles, and other magickal creatures that live in his head and keep the voices at bay.

    Related to The Almost Complete Guide to Yaesu's VX-6R

    Related ebooks

    Crafts & Hobbies For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Gordo’s Short Circuits

      Mar 1, 2023

      Gordo’s Short Circuits
      6 min read

    • Article

      Ham Radio News

      Aug 1, 2022

      If you’ve been licensed for more than six years, you will probably want to update your FCC CORES (COmmission REgistration System) file to move it to the commission’s updated system. The ARRL Letter reports that use of the new system is now mandatory

      3 min read

    • Article

      A Boy and His Radio: A 21st Century War Story

      Aug 1, 2022

      Renowned Ukrainian DXpeditioner Alex Yakovlev, UT5UY, was in the U.S. traveling for work, when worrying news reached him. He was alerted to the imminent threat of war in his homeland. He cut short his business trip to promptly return to Kiev to be wi

      5 min read

    • Article

      QRP FT8 To The Field

      Feb 1, 2022

      QRP FT8 To The Field
      10 min read

    • Article

      Raspberry Pi 400

      Nov 17, 2020

      Raspberry Pi 400
      4 min read

    • Article

      Emergency Communications

      Apr 1, 2022

      Emergency Communications
      4 min read

    • Article

      Scanner Frequency Organization

      Feb 1, 2023

      When we first get a new scanner, our enthusiasm dictates we throw in a bunch of frequencies right away so we can start playing with our new toy as soon as possible. When the initial excitement wears off, we realize a bit of organization is called for

      4 min read

    • Article

      MFJ At 50

      Oct 1, 2022

      MFJ At 50
      2 min read

    • Article

      What’s New

      Apr 1, 2023

      What’s New
      1 min read

    • Article

      Paul Heiney

      Aug 25, 2023

      Paul Heiney
      3 min read

    • Article

      Zero Bias: A Cq Editorial

      Dec 1, 2022

      Zero Bias: A Cq Editorial
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Opposite of DX

      Jun 1, 2021

      The Opposite of DX
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Ham Notebook

      Jul 1, 2023

      The Ham Notebook
      6 min read

    • Article

      Compute This

      Oct 12, 2021

      Compute This
      16 min read

    • Article

      Gordo’s Short Circuits

      Oct 1, 2022

      Gordo’s Short Circuits
      4 min read

    • Article

      QRP: Low-Power Communications

      Apr 1, 2020

      QRP: Low-Power Communications
      7 min read

    • Article

      Speaking Their Languages

      May 10, 2022

      Speaking Their Languages
      6 min read

    • Article

      Eelex 8000

      Nov 9, 2021

      Eelex 8000
      3 min read

    • Article

      QRP: Low-Power Communications

      Jun 1, 2020

      QRP: Low-Power Communications
      9 min read

    • Article

      Loops Anyone?

      Jun 1, 2021

      Loops Anyone?
      6 min read

    • Article

      Emergency Communications

      Aug 1, 2022

      Being committed to emergency communications is not a pursuit for every ham, but every ham should know something about it. There will be those who will take to the training, and the stress of a response, like a duck to water. Others, given their indiv

      8 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Almost Complete Guide to Yaesu's VX-6R

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      The Almost Complete Guide to Yaesu's VX-6R - Phillip J. Boucher

      THE

      COMPLETE GUIDE TO

      YAESU'S VX-6R

      By Phillip J. Boucher

      CESsr, CTT, CSS, GMR, VE3BOC

      COPYRIGHT 2014 PHILLIP J. BOUCHER

      REPRODUCTION OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK IN ANY MANNER IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PUBLISHER/AUTHOR AND A FEE MAY BE PAYABLE FOR SUCH USE. SHORT QUOTES OF FIFTY WORDS OR LESS MAY BE USED WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION FOR REVIEW PURPOSES PROVIDED PROPER SOURCING IS INCLUDED.

      ALTHOUGH EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ENSURE THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN, THE PUBLISHER/AUTHOR AND ANY OF HIS REPRESENTATIVES, LEGAL OR OTHERWISE, ASSUME NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS,  NOR FOR ANY INJURY HOWSOEVER CAUSED, BE IT PHYSICAL,  FINANCIAL, LEGAL, OR OTHERWISE, INCURRED IN THE USE OF THIS BOOK. READER AGREES TO ASSUME ALL RISKS AND UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS BOOK COMES WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS WARRANTY AND FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.

      THIS BOOK IS WRITTEN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF USERS IN NORTH AMERICA AND MAY NOT REFLECT ALL MODELS, SOFTWARE VERSIONS, SETTINGS, PROGRAMMING, OR OTHER OPERATING PARAMETERS OF VX-6R’S EVEN OF THE SAME HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE VERSION. THEREFORE, PROGRAMMING, SETTING, AND OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS PRESENTED IN THIS BOOK MAY NOT NECESSARILY APPLY TO YOUR INDIVIDUAL RADIO.

      PHILLIP J. BOUCHER IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING QUALITY WRITTEN EBOOKS AT A PRICE REFLECTIVE OF EFFORT, TIME, AND DIGITAL MEDIA.

      eBook ISBN 978-1-895391-22-0

      Contents

      INTRODUCTION

      ACCESSORIES: INCLUDED AND OPTIONAL

      Antenna

      Battery

      Battery Charger

      Belt Clip

      User Manual

      Warranty Card

      Optional Accessories

      PHYSICAL LAYOUT

      KEYPAD KEYS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED FUNCTIONS

      BASIC OPERATION

      Battery Low

      Power On/Off

      Volume Control

      Squelch

      Operating Bands

      Transmit

      Receive

      Frequency Navigation

      Transmission

      ADVANCED OPERATION

      Locking the Radio via the Keyboard

      Keypad Beep

      Display and Keypad Lamp

      Channel Steps

      Receive Modulation Modes

      Battery Voltage

      REPEATER OPERATION

      Automatic Repeater Shift (ARS)

      Manual Repeater Shift

      Checking the Repeater Input Frequency

      CTCSS/DCS

      Bell Operation

      Tone Scanning

      Split Tone

      Tone Calling

      MEMORY OPERATION

      Storing Memories

      Recalling Memories

      Labeling Memories

      Memory Offset Tuning

      Masking Memories

      Memory Only Mode

      HOME Channel

      Memory Banks

      Direct Memory Recall (DMR)

      Shortwave Broadcast Channels

      Weather Channels

      VHF Marine Channels

      SCANNING

      Scan Resume Setting

      VFO Scanning

      Memory Scanning

      Preferential Memory Scan

      Memory Bank Scan

      Programmable Memory Scan (PMS)

      Dual Watch Priority Channel

      Automatic Display Lamp

      Band Edge Beep

      Weather Alert

      SMART SEARCH

      CHANNEL COUNTER

      ENHANCED PAGING AND CODE SQUELCH (EPCS)

      EMERGENCY FEATURE

      Emergency Channel

      Emergency Automatic ID (EAI)

      AUTOMATIC RANGE TRANSPONDER SYSTEM (ARTS)

      Setup and Operation

      Polling Time

      Alert Beep

      INTERNAL TEMPERATURE AND BAROMETRIC PRESSURE SENSOR OPTION

      Internal Temperature

      Barometer/Altimeter

      INTERNET FEATURE

      Friend’s Radio Group

      Sister Radio Group

      DTMF

      Manual

      Automatic

      CW TRAINING

      OTHER SETTINGS AND FEATURES

      Password Protection

      Alternate P Key Setting

      Alternate Internet Key Setting

      Receive Battery Saver

      Transmit Battery Saver

      Wakeup

      Front End Attenuator (ATT)

      Busy LED

      Automatic Power Off (APO)

      Automatic Power On

      Busy Channel Lockout (BCLO)

      Transmit Time-Out (TOT)

      Transmit Deviation Level

      AUTO MODE PRESETS

      FACTORY DEFAULT RESET

      FEATURE SETTINGS

      CLONING

      COMPUTER PROGRAMMING

      PACKET OPERATIONS

      SPECIFICATIONS

      DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS

      Expandability

      Survivalist Operations

      Public Service Operations

      COMMON OPERATOR ISSUES

      Extremely Low Receive Signal Strength

      Very Weak Transmission Signal

      Not Being Able to Open a Repeater Station or Contact Another Station

      TIPS AND TRICKS

      REPLACEMENT ANTENNAS

      BASE STATION SETUP

      MOBILE SETUP

      RESOURCES

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      INTRODUCTION

      One of the most popular Amateur Radio handhelds to come out in the last few years has been Yaesu's VX-6R. This ruggedly built and feature-packed unit has attained a following that makes it a rig perfect for any type of Amateur Radio activity, from casual QSO’s to intense and dangerous disaster communications.

      The VX-6R boasts a wide receiver capability of 500 kHz to 998.990 MHz, so those Hams who enjoy listening to aircraft, public service, AM/FM and shortwave radio broadcasts, marine, and other frequencies have the opportunity to enjoy listening to these types of communications alongside Amateur Radio. Due to regulations in the United States that prohibit the reception of any cellular telephone calls, the cellular bands have been disabled in this radio and are unable to be reactivated using any hardware or software modification. Unfortunately, this restriction affects Canadian operators due to Canada’s liberal radio communications laws allowing anyone to listen to any unencrypted radio transmission, including cellular phone transmissions. But even without the cellular bands, the VX-6R is one hot little powerhouse.

      Although promoted as a dual band unit, most North American versions also operate on the 222 MHz Ham band. The radio’s full transmitting range is from 144 to 148 MHz, 222 to 225 MHz, and 430 to 450 MHz. One thing about the transmit power is that the high power setting on 2 meters and 70 centimeters are both 5 watts, but on 222 MHz is only 1.5 watts. There does not seem to be any reasonable explanation accounting for the lower transmit power on 222 MHz. It may be due to the radio’s processor design, or may just be a bonus feature thrown in at the last minute. Regardless, the addition of the 222 MHz band, even at 1.5 watts, makes this radio a tri-bander for sure.

      The VX-6R also boasts a number of unique features not normally found on Amateur Radio handhelds. It has a nice metallic case and waterproof design making it an excellent choice for extremely rugged outdoor use. You can use it in the rain or drop it in a puddle and it will still work. The radio is rated for underwater operation up to a depth of three feet for thirty minutes, and many demonstrations at Hamfests and on YouTube have shown Hams using the radio with a speakermic while the radio has been submerged in a bucket of water. The front LED lights up to show transmit/receive operations, but also functions as an emergency flashlight. The VX-6R even works as a rudimentary frequency counter to find unknown close-by transmissions. This feature is great for those using the VX-6R as a scanner. And you can even change the power-on message to anything you like, such as your call sign.

      This eBook in intended as a supplement to, and not a replacement for, the owner’s manual, to make programming and using the VX-6R easier and more enjoyable. I say it is almost complete in that I am not including photos, drawings, nor information in regards to programming the radio via computer, and it has been discovered that some versions of VX-6R radios may have different programming sequences or operating parameters due to various firmware versions.

      The information provided here is to allow you to easily program and operate your radio to the get most fun and productivity from it. Material from the manual has been expanded for easier understanding, and there is information here not in the manual that may increase your use and enjoyment of the radio.

      To get the maximum enjoyment out of this book, I will try to follow the layout of the user manual as much as possible with a few variants. Since most purchasers of this rig will read the manual thoroughly (you did, didn’t you?) this will be the best way for you to follow along. However, there will be some areas where I have changed the order of information in the manual to increase clarity in understanding the material presented. I have not included any diagrams in this book, as the diagrams in the owner’s manual are quite sufficient.

      You will find that some features may get a very extensive discussion while others may be brief. The length of discussion is related to the amount of confusion, questions, and sheer how the heck do I comments that I’ve seen over time all over the Internet from users of the VX-6R.  

      ACCESSORIES: INCLUDED AND OPTIONAL

      There are many accessories that are available to enhance or improve your operating enjoyment with this radio. Accessories included with the VX-6R are an FNB-80LI rechargeable lithium ion battery pack, belt clip, a YHA-67 tri-band wide receive antenna, and user manual.

      Antenna

      The YHA-67 antenna is a tri-band transmit/wide frequency receive antenna with an SMA male connector that screws into the SMA female jack on the upper left-hand side of the radio. It is tuned for optimal operation on the Amateur frequencies and receives quite well on most of the other bands. However, since it is specifically tuned to the Amateur bands, you may find, especially on HF and shortwave frequencies, that you will need an external antenna for proper reception of these signals.

      There have always been problems with the stock antennas that come with most Amateur Radio handhelds regardless of manufacturer. It seems that the stock antenna is the one item that is always ignored in regards to quality and performance, and most users replace the stock antenna with an after-market higher gain model to improve transmission and reception performance. Now, I have in my arsenal of HT antennas a plethora of different types of single and dual band configurations, from small stubbies to long five-eighths wave rubber ducks. Of course, like every other HT owner, I wanted to improve the performance of my own VX-6R and proceeded to experiment to find the best performing antenna.

      To my utter surprise and astonishment, only the longer and more cumbersome five eighth wave models performed better than the stock antenna on the Amateur bands for both transmitting and receiving, and then only marginally. The stock YHA-67 antenna seems to be of equal gain (or of equal loss) to the rest of my high-gain antennas, both single and dual band. Even the two meter helically wound five eighths, which is only about an inch longer than the stock antenna but with at least a 0.5 dBi gain, didn’t seem to outperform the stock antenna as it should have.

      Either Yaesu is getting better at putting as much thought and design into their HT antennas as into their radios, or I just happened to get a fluke unit. Many reviews of the VX-6R do cite the antenna as being typically performance-low and replaced by after-market ones. However, in my testing, the stock antenna performed quite well on the Amateur bands, and very good on all other frequencies, so I am using the stock antenna as the regular antenna for my VX-6R. You may find your results to be different, but I am happy with my radio’s stock antenna

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1