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FT-8900R Operating Manual

1. Right band freq 47 25 MHz x n2 Lef band IF freq or Right band IF freq O Left band 28 MHz freq 45 05 MHZ x n Right band freq n is an integer 1 2 3 FT 8900R Operating Manual 21 Basic OPERATION FREQUENCY NAVIGATION 1 Tuning Dial Rotating the DIAL knob allows tuning in the pre programmed steps established for the current operating band Clockwise rotation of the DIAL knob causes the FT 8900R to be tuned to ward a higher frequency while counter clockwise rotation will lower the operating frequency On the Main band frequency press the DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the DIAL knob to change the Main band frequency steps to 1 MHz per step This feature is ex tremely useful for making rapid frequency excursions over the wide tuning range of the FT 8900R 2 Direct Keypad Frequency Entry MH 48a6s Microphone The keypad of the MH 48a6 DTMF Microphone may be used for direct entry of the Main band operating frequency To enter a frequency from the MH 48aeu keypad just press the numbered digits in the proper sequence There is no decimal point key on the MH 48aey keypad so if the fre quency is below 100 MHz e g 29 480 MHz any required leading zeroes must be entered Examples To enter 29 480 MHz press 0 gt 2 gt 9 gt 4 gt 8 gt 0 To enter 433 000 MHz press 4 gt 3 gt 3 gt 0 gt 0 gt 0 3 Scanning
2. 11 Press the SET key momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob one click counter clockwise to select the Menu 7 CWID 12 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select TX ON to enable the CW identifier 13 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily to save the setting and exit to normal operation FT 8900R Operating Manual 45 DTMF AUTODIALER OPERATION 16 DTMF Autodialer memories are available on the FT 8900R These DTMF Autodialer memories can store up to 16 digits of a telephone number for repeater autopatch or other uses To load DTMF Autodialer memories use following procedure 1 2 3 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 15 DTMF W Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the DTMF Autodialer memory channel number d 1 through d 16 into which you wish store a telephone number Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the first digit of the telephone number you wish to store When you have selected the correct digit press the Main band DIAL knob momen tarily Now rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the second of the 16 available numbers in this current DTMF Audodialer memory register Repeat this pro
3. FT 8900R Operating Manual 53 Cross BAND REPEATER OPERATION The FT 8900R can be set up to operate as a full featured cross band repeater via a simple Menu procedure This feature is useful for emergency portable work in a remote area and for cross band linking However remember these points before using the cross band repeater function O Check the amateur radio rules and regulations for your country to ensure that this type of operation is permitted O Pick your frequency pair carefully so as not to cause harmful interference to other users The use of cross band repeaters has the potential to cause serious disruption of commu nications circuits and the creation of harmful interference to coordinated repeaters is inconsiderate and may be illegal If you are not sure of active repeater frequencies in your area a safe rule is to stay off of the repeater sub bands and use the FM simplex portion of each band Contact your area s frequency coordinator for guidance O Remember that the transmit duty cycle will be much higher during repeater service so we recommend that the transmit power level be set to a Low setting to ensure cooler operation Transceiver CTCSS settings Encode Decode may of course be selected for each band allowing selective calling for your repeater However keep in mind that if the channels you use are so busy as to motivate you toward CTCSS Decoding you may not have chosen a good frequency pair on which to op
4. 700 985 MHz Cellular Blocked TX 28 000 29 700 MHz 50 000 54 000 MHz 144 000 146 000 MHz or 144 000 148 000 MHz 430 000 440 000 MHz or 430 00 450 000 MHz 5 10 12 5 15 20 25 50 kHz F3 F2 Fl 50 Ohms unbalanced Antenna Duplexer built in 5 ppm 14 F 140 F 10 C 60 C 4 F 140 F 20 C 60 C 13 8 VDC 415 negative ground RX 0 5 A Squelched TX 8 0 A 50 430 MHz 8 5 A 29 144 MHz 5 5 x 1 6 x 6 6 140 x 41 5 x 168 mm w o knobs amp connectors 2 2 lb 1 kg 50 20 10 5 W 29 50 144 MHz 35 20 10 5 W 430 MHz Variable Reactance 5 kHz Better than 60 dB 29 MHz Better than 50 dB Less than 3 2 kQ 10 kQ Double conversion superheterodyne 45 05 MHz 450 kHz Left band 47 25 MHz 450 kHz Right band Better than 0 2 nV Better than 0 16 uV 12 kHz 30 kHz 2 W 8 Q for 5 THD 4 16 Q Specifications are subject to change without notice and are guaranteed within the 29 50 144 and 430 MHz amateur bands only Frequency ranges will vary according to trans ceiver version check with your dealer FT 8900R Operating Manual ACCESSORIES amp OPTIONS SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES Microphone MH 48aey or MH 42Beus depending on transceiver version eeeeeee 1 Mobile Mounting Bracket MMB 36 0 0 cccccccccescesescessceseeesecseeseeseeseeseeseeeeessnesesaeeaees 1 DC Power Cord w Fuse T9021715 cecceescescessces
5. Available Values ON OFF Default OFF Menu 22 LOCKT Function Enables disables the PTT Lock feature Available Values OFF BAND R BAND L BOTH Default OFF OFF Enables the PTT switch BAND R Disables the PTT switch on the right band BAND L Disables the PTT switch on the Jeff band BOTH Disables the PTT switch on the both band Menu 23 MIC Function Selects the microphone type to be used Available Values MH 48 MH 42 Default Depends on transceiver version Menu 24 MUTE Function Selects the Audio Mute mode Available Values OFF TX RX and TX RX Default OFF OFF Disables the Audio Mute feature TX Reduces the audio level of the Sub band whenever you transmit on the Main band RX Reduces the audio level of the Sub band whenever you receive a signal on the Main band TX RX Reduces the audio level of the Sub band whenever you receive a signal on the Main band or you transmit on the Main band Menu 25 NAME Function Stores an Alpha Numeric Tag for a memory channel See page 33 for details Menu 26 PCKT S Function Sets the transceiver s circuitry for the Packet baud rate to be used Available Values 1200bps 9600bps Default 1200bps FT 8900R Operating Manual 63 Menu SET MODE Menu 27 PCKT B Function Sets the receivng band for Packet operation Available Values MAIN R FIX L FIX Default MAIN MAIN Packet
6. 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob until DCS appears on the display this activates the DCS Encoder Decoder 4 Now press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 10 DCS COD 5 Press the Main band DIAL knob momen tarily to enable the adjustment of the DCS code 6 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to se lect the desired DCS Code a three digit number 7 When you have made your selection press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation a wz SN 1 Remember that the DCS is an Encode Decode system so your receiver will 5 remain muted until a matching DCS code is received on an incoming transmis sion Switch the DCS off when you re just tuning around the band 2 You may select the DCS mode on the Main band by the microphone s P3 key 30 FT 8900R Operating Manual CTCSS DCS OPERATION TONE SEARCH SCANNING In operating situations where you don t know the CTCSS or DCS tone being used by an other station or stations you can command the radio to listen to the incoming signal and scan in search of the tone being used Two things must be remembered in this regard O You must be sure that your repeater uses the same tone type CTCSS vs DCS O Some repe
7. gt 8 __ DTMF MICROPHONE MH 48 MH 42B63s MICROPHONE The MH 42Beus is similar to the MH 48a6eu but the MH 42Beus does not include a DTMF keypad and its illumination switch PTT Switch Press this switch to transmit and release it to receive ACC P P1 P2 Buttons ACC button Press this button to switch the Main band between the Leff and Right displays on the LCD screen This is the best and easiest way to set the Main band to the side you prefer Pressing and holding in this button for 1 2 second moves operation to the next highest frequency band on the Main band P button Press this button momentarily to switch the fre quency control for the Main band between the VFO and Memory Systems When the Main band is set to the VFO mode press and hold in this button for 1 2 second to activate the Smart Search Feature When the Main band is set to the Memory mode press and hold in this button for 1 2 second to shift to the Memory offset Tuning feature P2 button Pressing this button repeatedly allows selection of the CTCSS or DCS mode on the Main band The selections available are ENC gt ENC DEC Tone Squelch gt DCS gt OFF gt ENC gt P3 button Press this button momentarily to select the transmitter power output level on the Main band LOW MID2 MID1 or HIGH When the Main ban
8. might cause inversion to occur are O Connection of an external receiver preamplifier O Operating through a repeater O Connection of an external linear amplifier Note that code inversion does not mean that any of the above listed equipment is detective In certain amplifier configurations the output signal phase is inverted from the input Small signal or power amplifiers having an odd number 1 3 5 etc of amplification stages may result in inversion of a transmitted or received DCS code While under most circumstances this should not occur amplifier designs and industry stan dards take this into account if you find that your receiver squelch does not open when both you and the other station are using a common DCS code you or the other station but not both can try the following 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 11 DCS N R 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the following mode TRX N Encoder Normal Decoder Normal RX R Encoder Normal Decoder Reverse Inverted TXR Encoder Reverse Inverted Decoder Normal TRX R Encoder Reverse Inverted Decoder Reverse Inverted 4 Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to exit to normal operation Remember to restore the default setting to TRX N Encoder Normal Decoder Normal when done
9. 8900R Operating Manual Menu SET MODE Menu 7 CWID Function Enables disables the CW identifier during ARTS operation Available Values TX ON TX OFF Default TX OFF Menu 8 CWID W Function Stores your callsign into the CW identifier Up to six characters may be stored See page 45 for details Menu 9 DIMMER Function Setting of the Display brightness level Available Values DIM 1 DIM 2 DIM 3 OFF Default DIM 1 Menn 0 DEs COD Function Setting the DCS code Available Values 104 Standard DCS codes Default 023 Menu 11 DCS N R Function Selects Normal or inverted DCS coding Available Values TRX N RX R TX R TRX R Default TRX N Menu 12 DSP SUB Function Selects the Sub Band display format Available Values FREQ CWID DC IN OFF Default FREQ FREQ Displays the Sub band frequency Dual band operation CWID Displays the CW ID DC IN Displays the DC supply voltage OFF No Display Note When this Menu Item is set to any selection other than the FREQ the Sub band receiver will be disabled Menu 13 DTMF D Function Setting of the DTMF Autodialer Delay Time Available Values 50MS 250MS 450MS 750MS 1000MS Default 450MS FT 8900R Operating Manual 61 Menu SET MODE Menu 14 DTMF S Function Setting of the DTMF Autodialer Sending Speed Available Values 50MS high speed 75MS mid spe
10. DCS DCS operation 14 FT 8900R Operating Manual FRONT PANEL CONTROLS amp SWITCHES SCN Key SUB Key Key Mode 1 SCN Key Default Press this key momentarily to activate the Scanner on the Right band When the Right band is set to the Memory mode press and hold in this key for 1 2 second to set up the Scan Skip List or Preferential Scan List Key Mode 2 SCN Key Press this key momentarily to make the next key you press act on the Sub band the ID icon will blink on the Sub band D VOL SQL Knob Right The inner VOL Volume control adjusts the speaker audio level from the right re ceiver Clockwise rotation increases the audio level Press and hond in this knob for 2 seconds to turn the radio on and off The outer SQL Squelch control is used to silence background noise on the righ receiver It should be advanced clockwise just to the point where the noise is silenced and the A7 indicator on the display turns off so as to provide the best sensitivity to weak signals DIAL knob Right This 20 position detented rotary switch is the tuning dial for the righ band Press this knob momentarily to switch the Main band to be the righ band When the right band is set to be the Main band in the VFO mode press this knob to enable rapid tuning in 1 MHz steps using this knob Press and hold in this knob for 1 2 sec
11. Systems When the left band is set to the VFO mode press and hold in this for 1 2 second to activate the Smart Search Feature When the Jeff band is set to the Memory mode press and hold in this key for 1 2 second to shift to the Memory Tuning feature HM Key Press this key momentarily to recall a favorite Home frequency memory Press and hold in this key for 1 2 second to activate Priority Channel Scanning SCN Key Press this key momentarily to activate the Scanner on the left band When the Jeff band is set to the Memory mode press and hold in this key for 1 2 second to set up the Scan Skip List or Preferential Scan List SET Key Press this key momentarily to enter the Set Menu mode Press and hold in this for 1 2 second to transfer the contents of the Main band VFO into a Memory register FT 8900R Operating Manual 13 FRONT PANEL CONTROLS amp SWITCHES Right Side Keys The right side LOW V M HM and SCN keys may be set to either of two function sets via Menu 20 KEY MOD See page 63 for the setup proce dure LOW Key MHz Key Key Mode 1 LOW Key Default Press this key momentarily to select the transmitter power output level of the right band LOW MID2 MID1 or HIGH When the right band is set to the Memory mode or Home Channel press and hold in this key for 1 2 second to swit
12. and hold in the V M key for 1 2 second the MT icon will appear on the display 3 Rotate the DIAL knob as desired to tune to a new frequency The synthesizer steps selected for VFO operation on the current band will be the steps used during Memory Tuning 4 Press and hold in the V M key for 1 2 second during Memory Tuning the data will now have been copied to VFO although the original memory contents will remain intact on the previously stored channel 5 Ifyou wish to return to the original memory frequency press and hold in the V M key for 1 2 second The MT icon will disappear Deleting Memories With 808 total memories available there frequently are situations where you may desire to delete certain memorized frequencies The procedure for deleting a channel is quite simple 1 Press the V M key if needed to enter the Memory mode 2 Press and hold in the SET key for 1 2 second then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the memory channel to be deleted Note that memory channel 1 may not be deleted 3 Press the Main band SCN key momentarily The display will revert to memory chan nel 1 If you rotate the Main band DIAL knob to the location you just Masked you will observe that it is now invisible Note One deleted the channel data cannot be recovered 34 FT 8900R Operating Manual MEMORY OPERATION REGULAR Memory CHANNEL OPERATION HOME Channel Memory A special
13. and the display will change back to the IN RNG indication During ARTS operation it is not possible to change the operating frequency or other set tings on the Main band you must terminate ARTS in order to resume normal operation This is a safety feature designed to prevent accidental loss of contact due to channel change etc Here is how to activate ARTS Basic ARTS Setup and Operation 1 Set your radio and the other radio s to the same DCS code number per the discussion on page 30 2 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 3 ARTS 4 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the desired ARTS beep option The available options are IN RNG The beeps are issued only when the radio first confirms that you are within range but does not re confirm with beeps thereafter OUT RNG Every time a polling transmission is received from the other station the alert beeps will be heard 5 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily You will observe the OUT RNG dis play on the LCD ARTS operation has now commenced 6 Every 25 seconds your radio will transmit a polling call to the other station When that 05 44 FT 8900R Operating Manual AR T S H AUTO RANGE TRANSPONDER SYSTEM station responds with its own ARTS polling signal the display will change to IN RNG to confirm
14. band is set to the VFO mode press and hold in this button for 1 2 second to activate the Smart Search Feature When the Main band is set to the Memory mode press and hold in this button for 1 2 second to shift to the Memory offset Tuning feature P3 button Pressing this button repeatedly allows selection of the CTCSS or DCS mode on the Main band The selections available are ENC gt ENC DEC Tone Squelch gt DCS gt OFF gt ENC P4 button Press this button momentarily to select the transmitter power output level on the Main band LOW MID2 MID1 or HIGH When the Main band is set to the Memory mode or Home Channel press and hold in this key for 1 2 second to switch the memory channel display between the Frequency format and Alpha numeric Tag format You can reprogram the P1 P2 P3 and P4 buttons for other functions if desired See page 51 for details LAMP Switch This switch illuminates the Microphone keypad LOCK Switch This switch locks out the Microphone buttons except for the keypad and PTT switch UP DWN Button Press or hold in either of these buttons to tune or scan up or down the operating frequency or through the memory channels on the Main band In many ways these buttons emulate the function of the rotary Main band DIAL knob 18 FT 8900R Operating Manual LAMPA OOOO
15. even if the stations are still active BUSY The scanner will halt on a signal it encounters Two seconds after the carrier has dropped because the other station s ceased transmission the scanner will resume Note This Menu Item can be set independently for each band Menu 35 SCAN M Function Selects the Memory Scan mode Available Values MEM MSM Default MEM MEM Enables Memory Scanning on all memory channels except the memory channel skip memory MSM Enables Memory Scanning on Preferential Memory Channels only Menu 36 SHIFT Function Sets the magnitude of the Repeater Shift Available Values 0 00 99 95 MHz 50 kHz step Default Depends on the band of operation Note This Menu Item can be set independently for each band Menu 37 STEP Function Sets the Synthesizer steps Available Values 5 0 k 10 0 k 12 5 k 15 0 k 20 0 k 25 0 k 50 0 k Default Depends on the band of operation Note This Menu Item can be set independently for each band Menu 38 SPCONT Function Defines the audio path to the external speaker when used Available Values EXT OFF INT EXT INT Default EXT EXT The audio is routed to external speaker internal speaker is off OFF The audio is not routed internal and external speakers are both off INT EXT The audio is routed to both the internal and external speakers INT The audio is routed to the internal speaker only external speaker is off FT 8900R Operating Man
16. example make it a practice to switch to Low power if there are people walking nearby A Never wear dual earmuff headphones while driving a vehicle A Do not attempt to drive your vehicle while making a telephone call on an autopatch using the DTMF microphone Pull over to the side of the road whether dialing manu ally or using the auto dial feature FT 8900R Operating Manual 5 INSTALLATION ANTENNA CONSIDERATIONS The FT 8900R is designed for use with antennas presenting an impedance of near 50 Ohms at all operating frequencies The antenna or a 50 Ohm dummy load should be connected whenever the transceiver is turned on to avoid damage that could otherwise result if trans mission occurs accidentally without an antenna Ensure that your antenna is designed to handle 50 Watts of transmitter power Some mag netic mount mobile antennas designed for use with hand held transceivers may not be capable of withstanding this power level Consult the antenna manufacturer s specification sheet for details Most all FM work is performed using vertical polarization When installing a directional antenna such as a Yagi or Cubical Quad be certain to orient it so as to produce vertical polarization unless you are engaged in a special operating situation where horizontal polar ization is used In the case of a Yagi antenna orient the elements vertically for vertical polarization for a Cubical Quad the feedpoint should be at the center of
17. gt 850 MHz gt 29 MHz gt 50 MHz gt 144 MHz Left VOL SQL Knob The inner VOL Volume control adjusts the speaker audio level form the Jeff re ceiver Clockwise rotation increases the audio level Press this knob momentarily to switch the Internet Connection feature on and off The outer SQL Squelch control is used to silence background noise on the left receiver It should be advanced clockwise just to the point where the noise is silenced and the 7 indicator on the display turns off so as to provide the best sensitivity to weak signals Hyper Memory Buttons 1 6 Press and hold in one of these buttons for 2 seconds to store the current total configura tion of the radio into a special Hyper memory bank Press the appropriate button momentarily to recall the desired Hyper memory 12 FT 8900R Operating Manual FRONT PANEL CONTROLS amp SWITCHES Left Side Keys LOW Key Press this key momentarily to select the transmitter power output level of the left band LOW MID2 MID1 or HIGH When the left band is set to the Memory mode or Home Channel press and hold in this key for 1 2 second to switch the memory channel display between the Frequency format and Alpha numeric Tag format V M Key Press this key momentarily to switch the frequency control for the Jeff band between the VFO and Memory
18. lead to the NEGATIVE terminal If you need to extend the power cable use 12 AWG or larger insulated stranded copper wire Solder the splice connections carefully and wrap the connections thoroughly with insulating electrical tape O Before connecting the cable to the transceiver verify the voltage and polarity of the voltage at the transceiver end of the DC cable using a DC voltmeter Now connect the transceiver to the DC cable FT 8900R Cabin if gt Engine Room Battery RED Positive BLACK Negative Mobile Speakers The optional MSL 100 External Speaker includes its own swivel type mounting bracket and is available from your Yaesu dealer Other external speakers may be used with the FT 8900R if they present the specified 8 Ohm impedance and are capable of handling the 2 Watts of audio output supplied by the FT 8900R FT 8900R Operating Manual 9 INSTALLATION Base STATION INSTALLATION The FT 8900R is ideal for base station use as well as in mobile installations The FT 8900R is specifically designed to integrate into your station easily using the information to follow as a reference AC Power Supplies Operation of the FT 8900R from an AC line requires a power source capable of providing at least 15 Amps continuously at 13 8 Volts DC The FP 1023 and FP 1030A AC Power Supplies are available from your Yaesu dealer to satisfy these requirements Other
19. one touch HOME channel is available one for each of the 6 operating bands see page 21 to allow quick recall of a favorite operating frequency on each band Memory storage is simple to accomplish 1 Select the desired frequency while operating in the VFO mode on the Main band Be sure to set up any desired CTCSS or DCS tones as well as any desired repeater offset The power level may also be set at this time if you wish to store it Press and hold in the SET key for 1 2 second A memory number will appear blink ing on the display While the memory channel number is blinking just press the Main H M key The frequency and other data if any will now be stored in the special HOME channel regis ter You may repeat this process on the other operating bands To recall the HOME channel just press the H M key while operating either in the VFO or MR mode Memory Only Mode Once memory channel programming has been completed you may place the radio in a Memory Only mode whereby VFO operation is impossible This may be particularly useful during public service events where a number of operators may be using the radio for first time and ultimate simplicity of channel selection is desired To place the radio into the Memory Only mode 1 2 3 Turn the radio off Press and hold in the lef VIM key while turning the radio on Rotate the right DIAL knob to select the F 5 M ONLY MODE t
20. ten seconds of pressing the SET key use the Main band DIAL knob or microphone s UP DWN buttons to select the same memory channel number as used in step above Press and hold in the PTT switch then press the SET key momentarily while holding the PTT switch to save the entry and exit to normal operation This will not cause trans mission instead it signals the microprocessor that a separate transmit frequency is be ing programmed into that memory register s Whenever you recall a memory which contains independently stored transmit and 4 om ie receive frequencies the indication will appear in the display q pp splay FT 8900R Operating Manual 33 MEMORY OPERATION REGULAR Memory CHANNEL OPERATION Memory Recall 1 While operating in the VFO mode press the V M key momentarily to enter the Memory mode 2 Rotate the DIAL knob to select the desired channel 3 To return to the VFO mode press the V M key momentarily again ample to recall memory channel 4 press 0 gt 0 gt 4 2 Memory channels on which you may have stored frequencies on the 29 MHz and 50 MHz amateur bands cannot be recalled on the right band Memory Offset Tuning Once you have recalled a particular memory channel you may easily tune off that channel as though you were in the VFO mode 1 With the FT 8900R in the MR Memory Recall mode select the desired memory channel 2 Now press
21. to normal operation 5 Now press the SCN key momentarily to initiate Preferential Memory Scanning Only the channels which have the lt q icon appended to the channel number will be scanned 6 To cancel the Preferential Memory Scanning select MEM in step 3 above 40 FT 8900R Operating Manual SCANNING PROGRAMMABLE Memory Scan PMS This feature allows you to set sub band limits for either scanning or manual VFO operation For example you might with to set up a limit in North America of 144 300 MHz to 148 000 MHz so as to prevent encroachment into the SSB CW Weak Signal portion of the band below 144 300 MHz Here s how to do this 1 2 Set the radio to the VFO mode by pressing the V M key if necessary Using the techniques learned earlier store 144 300 MHz into Memory Channel L1 the L designates the Lower sub band limit Likewise store 148 000 MHz into Memory Channel U1 the U designates the Upper sub band limit Switch to the Memory mode by pressing the V M key once then rotate the DIAL knob to select Memory Channel L1 Press and hold in the V M key for 1 2 second to start PMS operation the MT label will be appears on the display Tuning and canning will now be limited within the just programmed range Five pairs of Band Limit memories labeled L1 U1 through L5 U5 are available You therefore can set upper and lower operation limits on a number of bands if you lik
22. to the next step otherwise press the SET key momen tarily to save the entry and exit to normal operation 32 FT 8900R Operating Manual MEMORY OPERATION REGULAR Memory CHANNEL OPERATION To Append an Alpha numeric Tag to a Memory 1 After press and holding in the SET key in step 4 above rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the first character in the name you wish to store the press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily to move on to the next character Letters numbers and sym bols are available for storage Again rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the desired letter number or symbol then press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily to move on to the next character s slot If you make a mistake press the microphone s DWN button to move back to the previ ous character s slot then re select the correct letter number or symbol Repeat the above step to program the remaining letters numbers or symbols of the desired label A total of six characters may be used in the creation of a label When you have completed the creation of the label press the SET key momentarily to save the label and exit to normal operation Storing Independent Transmit Frequencies Odd Splits l 2 Store the receiving frequency using the method already described Turn to the desired transmit frequency on the Main band then press and hold in the SET key for 1 2 second Within
23. well regulated power supplies may be used as well if they meet the above voltage and current specifications Use the DC power cable supplied with your transceiver for making power connections to the power supply Connect the RED power cable lead to the POSITIVE power supply terminal and connect the BLACK power cable lead to the NEGATIVE power supply terminal Packet Radio Terminal Node Controller TNC The FT 8900R provides a convenient rear panel DATA jack for easy connections to your TNC This connector is a standard mini DIN connector A pre wired connector and cable assembly option model CT 39A is available from your local Yaesu dealer The FT 8900R s DATA jack connections are optimized for the data transmission and recep tion speed in use In accordance with industry standards the signal levels impedances and bandwidths are significantly different on 9600 bps as opposed to 1200 bps If your TNC does not provide multiple lines to accommodate such optimization you may still be able to utilize your TNC if it is designed for multiple radio use by connecting the TNC Radio 1 port to the 1200 bps lines on the FT 8900R and the Radio 2 port to the 9600 bps lines The pin connections of the Data connector are shown below DATA Jack Pin Out Label_ Note CT 39A Wire Color Packet Data Input PKD Impedance 10 kQ Brown DATA IN Maximum Input Level 40 mV p p for 1200 bps 2 0 Vp p f
24. whenever you tune into the designated repeater sub bands in your country These sub bands are shown below If the ARS feature does not appear to be working you may have accidentally disabled it To re enable ARS 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 2 ARS 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to change the setting to ON to enable Automatic Repeater Shift 4 Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation ARS Repeater Subbands Version A 145 1 145 5 146 0 1464 147 0 1476 148 0 oy 146 6 147 4 145 6 145 8 European Version 438 20 439 45 Euro Version 1 Euro Version 2 433 00 433 40 FT 8900R Operating Manual 27 REPEATER OPERATION MANUAL REPEATER SHIFT ACTIVATION If the ARS feature has been disabled or if you need to set a repeater shift direction other than that established by the ARS you may set the direction of the repeater shift manually To do this 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 33 RPT MOD 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the desired shift among and OFF 4 Press and hold in the Main band D
25. x n1 Left band IF freq or Left band 2nd IF freq Image 144 MHz TX freq x n1 430 MHz RX freq 45 05 MHz x n2 Left band IF freq or Leff band 2nd IF freq Image 144 MHz TX freq x n1 430 MHz RX freq 45 05 MHz x n2 11 15 MHz Left band IF freq or Left band 2nd IF freq Image Right band 430 MHz TX freq x n1 Left band 50 MHz RX freq 45 05 MHz x n2 Left band IF freq or Left band 2nd IF freq Image 430 MHz TX freq x n1 144 MHz RX freq 45 05 MHz x n2 Left band IF freq or Left band 2nd IF freq Image n is an integer 1 2 3 FT 8900R Operating Manual 23 ADVANCED OPERATION Lock FEATURE In order to prevent accidental frequency change the panel switches and DIAL knobs may be locked out To activate the Lock feature 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 21 LOCK 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to change the setting to ON 4 Press the SET key momentarily to save the new setting and exit to normal operation 5 To unlock the panel switches and DIAL knobs select OFF in step 3 above KEYBOARD BEEPER A key button beeper provides useful audible feedback whenever a key button is pressed If you want to turn the beep off 1 Press the SET key momentarily to ent
26. 0R will check the Priority Channel memory channel 1 for activity 4 Press the V M key to disable the Memory Priority mode and exit to regular memory operation HOME Priority 1 Recall the memory channel you wish to use as the priority frequency 2 Now set the FT 8900R for operation on a HOME channel 3 Press and hold in the HM key for 1 2 second to activate the HOME Priority mode The display will remain on the HOME channel frequency but every five seconds the FT 8900R will check the Priority Channel memory channel for activity 4 Press the V M key to disable the HOME Priority mode and exit to regular VFO opera tion yp You may operate individual Priority Channel Dual Watch features on both bands Her at the same time such as having the VFO Priority mode engaged on the right band and the Memory Priority mode engaged on the left band 42 FT 8900R Operating Manual SMART SEARCH The Smart Search feature may be used to load automatically with no operator intervention a special bank of up to 25 memory channels per band on activity The Smart Search function will sweep the entire band and will load the special memory bank with the frequency and repeater shift data pertaining to those channels on which activ ity is found if Automatic Repeater Shift is activated The channels are loaded in order in which they are encountered not according to signal strength or by ascending frequency
27. 6 FT 8900R Operating Manual DTMF AUTODIALER OPERATION To speed at which the DTMF digits are sent can be changed Three speed levels are avail able 50 ms High 20 digits per second 75 ms Mid 13 digits per second and 100 ms Low 10 digits per second To select the speed use the following procedure 1 x 3 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 14 DTMF S Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the desired speed Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation You can also set a longer delay between the time you press the SCN key with PTT switch pressed and the first DTMF digit is sent To set a delay time use the following procedure 1 2 3 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 13 DTMF D Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the desired time 50 250 450 750 1000 ms Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation FT 8900R Operating Manual 47 INTERNET CONNECTION FEATURE The FT 8900R can be used to access the repeater which is configured to provide access to the Vertex Standard WIRES Wide Cov
28. AD YAESU QUAD BAND FM TRANSCEIVER FT 8900R OPERATING MANUAL VERTEX STANDARD CO LTD 4 8 8 Nakameguro Meguro Ku Tokyo 153 8644 Japan VERTEX STANDARD US Headquarters 10900 Walker Street Cypress CA 90630 U S A YAESU EUROPE B V P O Box 75525 1118 ZN Schiphol The Netherlands YAESU UK LTD Unit 12 Sun Valley Business Park Winnall Close Winchester Hampshire SO23 OLB U K VERTEX STANDARD HK LTD Unit 5 20 F Seaview Centre 139 141 Hoi Bun Road Kwun Tong Kowloon Hong Kong Contents Introduction ccssssssssssesessssesesessssesecssseesers 1 Specifications essesi ni nesses iss 2 Accessories amp Options esessesessesesesseseeseseoreseseee 3 Supplied Accessories 0 3 Optional Accessories eee eeseeeeeeeee 3 Installation sessist srenti eisin 4 Preliminary Inspection s s s 4 Installation Tips ceeeseeceseeseeeceeeteeseeeeeeenes 4 Safety Information oes 5 Antenna Considerations sceseceeeseeeeeeee 6 Mobile Installation 00 0 eeeseeeeeeseeeeeeeeeee 8 Transceiver Installation cceeeseeeeeees 8 Mobile Power Connections 9 Mobile Speakers 00 eee eects 9 Base Station Installation 10 0 cesses 10 AC Power Supplies cee 10 Packet Radio Terminal Node Controller 10 Front Panel Controls amp Switches Rear Panel Connections MH 48a6s Microphone MH 42 6ss Microphone 19 Basic Operation sesessesesseseseosesseseseee 20 Turning the
29. AR T S M AUTO RANGE TRANSPONDER SYSTEM The ARTS feature uses DCS signaling to inform both parties when you and another ARTS equipped station are within communications range This may be particularly useful during Search and Rescue situations where is important to stay in contact with other members of your group Both stations must set up their DCS codes to the same code number then activate their ARTS feature using the command appropriate for their radio Alert ringers may be activated if desired Whenever you push the PTT switch or every 25 seconds after ARTS is activated your radio will transmit a signal which includes a subaudible DCS signal for about one second If the other radio is in range the beeper will sound if enabled and the display will show IN RNG as opposed to the out of range display OUT RNG in which ARTS operation begins Whether you talk or not the polling every 25 seconds will continue until you de activate ARTS Every 10 minutes moreover you can have your radio transmit your callsign via CW so as to comply with identification requirements When ARTS is de activated DCS will also be deactivated if you were not using it previously in non ARTS operation If you move out of range for more than one minute four pollings your radio will sense that no signal has been received three beeps will sound and the display will revert to OUT RNG If you move back into range your radio will again beep
30. CWID Enables disables the CW identifier during ARTS operation TX ON TX OFF CWID W Stores your callsign into the CW identifier Up to six char acters may be stored DIMMER Setting of the Display brightness level DIM 1 DIM 2 DIM 3 OFF DCS COD Setting the DCS code 104 standard DCS Code DCS N R Selects Normal or inverted DCS coding Selects the Sub Band display format Setting of the DTMF Autodialer Delay Time 50MS 250MS 450MS 750MS 1000MS Setting of the DTMF Autodialer Sending Speed 50MS 75MS 100MS Loading of the DTMF Autodialer Memories Enables disables the Automatic Writing feature for the Hyper Memory Selects the Internet Connection mode INET M Selects the Access Number DTMF digit for WIRES op eration Selects the Access Number DTMF code for non WIRES d 1 d 16 Internet Link System access KEY MOD Selects the key functions for the right band function KEY1 KEY2 switches LOCK Enables disables the Key Button Lock feature ON OFF LOCKT Enables disables the PTT Lock feature OFF BAND R BAND L BOTH MIC Selects the microphone type to be used MH 48 MH 42 MUTE Selects the Audio Mute mode OFF TX RX TX RX NAME Stores an Alpha Numeric Tag for a memory channel Sets the transceiver s circuitry for the Packet baud rate to 1200BPS 9600BPS be used Sets the receiving band for
31. From the VFO mode press the SCN key momentarily to initiate scanning toward a higher frequency The FT 8900R will stop when it receives a signal strong enough to break through the squelch threshold The FT 8900R will then hold on that frequency according to the setting of the resume mode Menu 34 SCAN see page 65 If you wish to reverse the direction of the scan i e toward a lower frequency instead of a higher frequency just rotate the DIAL knob one click in the counter clockwise direction while the FT 8900R is scanning The scanning direction will be reversed To revert to scan ning toward a higher frequency once more rotate the DIAL knob one click clockwise Press the SCN key again to cancel scanning 22 FT 8900R Operating Manual Basic OPERATION TRANSMISSION To transmit simply close the PTT Push To Talk switch on the microphone The FT 8900R will transmit only on the Main band During transmission the eo icon will appear at the upper right of the Main frequency field on the display Changing the Transmitter Power Level You can select from among a total of four transmit power levels on your FT 8900R To change the power level press the LOW key to select one of four power settings These power levels will be stored in memory registers at PLOW MID 2 MDI HIGH the time of memory storage see page 32 for details ea a ou nie on Memory operation During transmission the Bar Gr
32. IAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation Changing the Default Repeater Shifts If you travel to a different region you may need to change the default repeater shift so as to ensure compatibility with local operating requirements To do this follow the procedure below 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 36 SHIFT 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the new repeater shift magnitude 4 Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation P If you just have one odd split that you need to program don t change the de SO fault repeated shifts using this Menu Item Enter the transmit and receive fre quencies separately as shown on page 33 28 FT 8900R Operating Manual CTCSS DCS OPERATION CTCSS OPERATION Many repeater systems require that a very low frequency audio tone be superimposed on your FM carrier in order to activate the repeater This helps prevent false activation of the repeater by radar or spurious signals from other transmitters This tone system called CTCSS Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System is included in your FT 8900R and is very easy to activate and 39 TONE F 1 Press the SET key mo
33. Packet operation MAIN R FIX L FIX Programming the microphone s P1 ACC button assign ment SCAN SQL OFF Programming the microphone s P2 P button assignment TCALL RPTR PRI Programming the microphone s P3 P1 button assign LOW TONE ment MHz REV HOME Programming the microphone s P4 P2 button assign BAND VFO MR ment Adjustd the RF SQL threshold level OFF S 2 S 5 S 9 S FULL Sets the Repeater Shift Direction RPT OFF RPT RPT Selects the Scan Resume mode TIME BUSY Selects the Memory Scan mode MEM MSM Sets the magnitude of the Repeater Shift 0 00 99 50 MHz SPCONT Sets the Synthesizer steps 5 0k 10 0k 12 5k 20 0k 25 0k 50 0k Defines the audio path to the external speaker when used EXT OFF INT EXT INT TONE F Sets the CTCSS Tone Frequency 50 Standard CTCSS Tones TONE M Selects the Tone Encoder and or Decoder mode Sets the Time Out Timer Enables disables the VFO Tracking feature Reducing the MIC Gain and Deviation WIDE NARROW Switches the Cross Band Repeater feature on and off AUT AM Enables disables the AM mode ON OFF Selects the receiving mode AUTO OFF AUTO FT 8900R Operating Manual 59 Menu SET MODE Menu 1 APO Function Selects the Automatic Power Off time time before power goes off Available Values OFF 0 5 H 12 0 H in 0 5 hour multiples Default OFF Disables t
34. R Operating Manual 39 SCANNING Memory SCANNING Preferential Memory Scan The FT 8900R also allows you to set up a Preferential Scan List of channels which you can flag within the memory system These channels are designated by a lt icon when you have selected them one by one for the Preferential Scan List When you initiate memory scanning beginning on a channel with the lt q icon appended only those channels bearing the lt icon will be scanned If you initiate scanning on a channel which does not have the lt lt icon appended you will scan all channels including those with the lt q icon appended Here is the procedure for setting up and using the Preferential Scan List 1 Press the V M key momentarily to enter the Memory Recall mode if you are not using memories already 2 Rotate the DIAL knob to select the channel which you wish to add to the Preferential Scan List 3 Press and hold the SCN key for 1 2 second several times if necessary so as to make the lt q icon appear by the channel designator To initiate Preferential Memory Scan 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 35 SCAN M 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to MSM 4 Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit
35. The FT 8900R allows you to scan just the memory channels the entire operating band or a portion of that band It will halt on signals encountered so you can talk to the station s on that frequency if you like Scanning operation is basically the same in each of the above modes Before you begin take a moment to select the way in which you would like the scanner to resume scanning after it halts on a signal Setting the Scan Resume Technique Two options for the Scan Resume mode are available TIME In this mode the scanner will halt on a signal it encounters and will hold there for five seconds If you do not take action to disable the scanner within five seconds the scanner will resume even if the stations are still active BUSY In this mode the scanner will halt on a signal it encounters Two seconds after the carrier has dropped because the other station s ceased transmission the scanner will resume To set the Scan Resume mode 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 34 SCAN 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the desired scan resume mode 4 Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation Note The default condition for this Menu Item is TIME FT 8900R Operating Manual 37 SCANNING VEO SCANNING T
36. The Smart Search feature is especially useful when visiting a city for the first time where you may be unfamiliar with the repeater frequencies Smart Search discovers where the local activity is to be found and automatically loads those frequencies for you Smart Search operation is simple to activate 1 Set the radio to the VFO mode by pressing the V M key if necessary 2 Press and hold in the V M key this will cause the radio to scan upward on the current band loading channels on which it encounters a signal strong enough to open the squelch 3 When 25 channels are loaded or when the scanner reaches the band edge the scanner will stop and the transceiver will revert to the starting frequency 4 To recall the Smart Search memories just stored rotate the DIAL knob or press the microphone s UP DWN keys for the Main band Smart Search memories only 5 If you found particular channels which you wish to store into the regular memory channel follow the memory storage procedures described on page 32 vi 1 The Smart Search memories are so called soft memories they will lost if you 76 exit the Smart Search mode or initiate a new Smart Search sweep 2 You may activate the Smart Search operation on the Main band by press and hold the microphone s P2 key 3 You may activate the Smart Search operation on the left and right bands at the same time FT 8900R Operating Manual 43
37. Transceiver On and Off 20 Adjusting the Squelch Setting 20 Selecting the Operating Band uw 20 Selecting the Frequency Band 0 21 Frequency Navigation s es 22 Tuning Dial 0 eee eeeeeseeceeeereeeeneeeeeeeees 22 Direct Keypad Frequency Entry 22 SCAMMIG aroue takai ie aa ETE 22 TRANSMISSION amesaini 23 Changing the Transmitter Power Level 23 Advanced Operation sssssssessessssessesees 24 Lock Featutescanntinescsnuwnasn wie Keyboard Beeper Channel Step Selection 00 eee 24 Display Brightness ccececeseeceeeeeeeeeeeeee 25 Band Linking scccccciessereencsssnaeeveonccsenieeys 25 Audio MUting ee eeeeeeeseeeeecteeseeeeneeeeeneees 26 RE Squelch 32 c secccsdssesesaevelarersenstarsceveeseass 26 Repeater Operation cscsssssssesessssssesesees 27 Repeater Shifts 00 eee ceeeeeeees 27 Automatic Repeater Shift ARS 27 Manual Repeater Shift Activation 28 Changing the Default Repeater Shift 28 CTCSS DCS Operation cccssescseesssseeees 29 CTCSS Operation oo eee 29 DES Operation esiasio o 30 Tone Search Scanning eee 31 Memory Operation Regular Memory Channel Operation 32 Memory Storage ccceccseseeeteeseeeeeeeees 32 Memory Recall cececeseseeceteeteeeeneeees 34 Memory Offset Tuning 0 ee 34 Deleting Memories ceseeceeeseereeeeeee 34 HOME Channel Memory ee 35 Memory Only M
38. UHF installations Loss in dB per 30 m 100 feet for Selected 50 Ohm Coaxial Cables Assumes 50 ohm Input Output Terminations Loss 144 MHz Loss 430 MHz RG 58A 6 5 10 RG 58 Foam RG 213 RG 8 Foam Belden 9913 Times Microwave LMR 400 7 8 Hardline Loss figures are approximate consult cable manufacturers catalogs for complete specifications In outdoor installations be certain to weatherproof all connectors thoroughly as water en tering a coaxial cable will cause losses to escalate rapidly thus diminishing your communi cations effectiveness The use of the shortest possible length of the highest quality coaxial cable that fits within your budget will ensure the best performance from your FT 8900R FT 8900R Operating Manual 7 INSTALLATION MOBILE INSTALLATION The FT 8900R must only be installed in vehicles having a 13 8 Volt negative ground elec trical system Mount the transceiver where the display controls and microphone are easily accessible using the supplied MMB 36 mounting bracket The transceiver may be installed in almost any location but should not be positioned near a heating vent nor anywhere where it might interfere with driving either visually or mechani cally Make sure to provide plenty of space on all sides of the transceiver so that air can flow freely around the radio s case Refer to the diagrams showing proper installation proce dures Transceiver In
39. Values AUTO OFF Default AUTO AM in Aeronautical Band FM elsewhere FT 8900R Operating Manual 67 NOTE 68 FT 8900R Operating Manual 1 Changes or modifications to this device not expressly approved by VERTEX STANDARD could void the user s authorization to operate this device 2 This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 this device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference including interference that may cause undesired operation 3 The scanning receiver in this equipment is incapable of tuning or readily being altered by the User to operate within the frequency bands allocated to the Domestic public Cellular Telecommunications Service in Part 22 Part 15 21 Changes or modifications to this device not expressly approved by Vertex Standard could void the user s authorization to operate this device DECLARATION BY MANUFACTURER The Scanner receiver is not a digital scanner and is incapable of being converted or modified to a digital scanner receiver by any user WARNING MODIFICATION OF THIS DEVICE TO RECEIVE CELLULAR RADIOTELEPHONE SERVICE SIGNALS IS PROHIBITED UNDER FCC RULES AND FEDERAL LAW V YAESU Copyright 2003 VERTEX STANDARD CO LTD All rights reserved No portion of this manual may be reproduced without O O 8M 1O 1 ee wn VERTEX STANDARD CO LTD ee Printe
40. aph will deflect in the display according to the power out put selected Notice The FT 8900R may receive very strong signals on the Image frequency and or the receiver sensitivity may be somewhat reduced by the combination of the Left and Right band frequencies while Full Duplex operation is engaged If you experience interference that you suspect may be coming in via a frequency Mix you may calculate the possible frequencies using the formulas below This information may be used in the design of effective countermeasures such as traps etc Right band 144 MHz TX freq 100 35 MHz Left band IF freq or Left band 2nd IF freq Image Left band 28 MHz TX freq 11 7 MHz Right band IF freq or Right band 2nd IF freq Image Left band 50 MHz TX freq 58 5 MHz Right band IF freq or Right band 2nd IF freq Image Right band 144 MHz RX freq 47 25 MHz x n1 Left band 28 MHz TX freq x n2 Right band IF freq or Right band 2nd IF freq Image Right band 430 MHz RX freq 47 25 MHz x n1 Left band 50 MHz TX freq x n2 Right band IF freq or Right band 2nd IF freq Image Left band 50 MHz RX freq 45 05 MHz x n1 Right band 144 MHz TX freq x n2 Left band IF freq or Left band 2nd IF freq Image Right band 144 MHz TX freq Left band 50 MHz RX freq 45 05 MHz
41. as been specially engineered to provide high visibility with minimal disruption of your night vision while you are driving The brightness of the display is manually adjustable using following procedure 1 2 3 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 9 DIMMER Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select a comfortable brightness level DIM 1 DIM 2 DIM 8 or DIM OFF no illumi nation Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation BAND LINKING For operation on Amateur satellites which use a normal not inverted FM transponder the Band Link feature may be useful 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 42 VFO TR Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to change the setting to ON Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation As you rotate the Main band DIAL you will observe that both bands frequencies are changing together When you are done with this operating mode select OFF in step 3 above FT 8900R Operating Manual 25 ADVANCED OPERATION Aupio MutTinc The Audio Mute feature is usefu
42. aters do not pass the CTCSS tone you may have to listen to the station s transmitting on the repeater uplink input frequency in order to allow Tone Search Scan ning to work To scan for the tone in use 1 Set the radio up for either CTCSS or DCS Decoder operation see the previous discus sion In the case of CTCSS ENC DEC will appear on the display in the case of DCS DCS will appear on the display Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 39 TONE F when CTCSS is se lected or Menu 10 DCS COD during DCS operation 4 Press the Main band DIAL knob to enable adjustment of the selected Menu Item Press the Main band SCN key momentarily to start scanning for the incoming CTCSS or DCS tone code When the radio detects the correct tone or code it will halt on that tone code and audio will be allowed to pass Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily to lock in that tone code then press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation tone You can press the SCN key to halt the scan at any time Tone Scanning works either in the VFO or Memory modes FT 8900R Operating Manual 31 MEMORY OPERATION The FT 8900R provides a wide variety of memory system resources These include O Regular Memory Channels which made up of O 799 Standard memory c
43. can be received on the Main band R FIX Packet can be received on the righ band only L FIX Packet can be received on the Jeff band only Note The Packet transmitting band is fixed on the Main band Menu 28 PG P1 Function Programming the microphone s P1 ACC button assignment See page 51 for details Menu 29 PG P2 Function Programming the microphone s P2 P button assignment See page 51 for details Menu 30 PG P3 Function Programming the microphone s P3 P1 button assignment See page 51 for details Menu 31 PG P4 Function Programming the microphone s P4 P2 button assignment See page 51 for details Menu 32 RF SQL Function Adjustd the RF SQL threshold level Available Values OFF S 2 S 5 S 9 S FULL Default OFF Note This Menu Item can be set independently on both the Jeff and righ bands Menu 33 RPT MOD Function Sets the Repeater Shift Direction Available Values RPT OFF RPT RPT Default RPT OFF SIMP Note This Menu Item can be set independently on both the Jeff and righ bands 64 FT 8900R Operating Manual Menu SET Move Menu 34 SCAN Function Selects the Scan Resume mode Available Values TIME BUSY Default BUSY TIME The scanner will halt on a signal it encounters and will hold five seconds If you do not take action to disable the scanner within five seconds the scanner will resume
44. cedure for each digit in the telephone number Press the Main band SET key momentarily to delete any previously stored data after the cursor If you make a mistake press the microphone s DWN key to move back to the first digit then re enter the correct number When entry of all digits is complete press the SET key momentarily to save the new setting Ifyou wish to store another DTMF string rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select another DTMF memory register then repeat steps 4 through 7 above When all required DTMF memories are filled to your satisfaction press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to exit to normal operation To transmit the memorized telephone number use the following procedure 1 2 3 nn Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 15 DTMF W Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the DTMF Autodialer memory channel to be transmitted Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to exit to normal operation Press the PTT switch While still holding the PTT switch in press the Main band HM key momentarily to transmit the tone string Once you have pressed the HM key in the above step you can release the PTT switch as the Autodialer will transmit the whole DTMF string automatically 4
45. ch the memory channel display between the Frequency format and the Alpha numeric Tag format Key Mode 2 MHz Key Press this key momentarily to allow tuning in 1 MHz steps on the Main band VFO Press and hold in this key for 1 2 second to allow tuning in 10 MHz steps on the Main band VFO V M Key REV Key Key Mode 1 V M Key Default Press this key momentarily to switch the frequency control for the right band between the VFO and Memory Systems When the righ band is set to the VFO mode press and hold in this for 1 2 second to activate the Smart Search Feature When the right band is set to the Memory mode press and hold in this key for 1 2 second to shift to the Memory Tuning feature Key Mode 2 REV Key Press this key momentarily to reverse the transmit and receive frequencies on the Main band during split frequency i e Repeater operation Press and hold in this key for 1 2 second to change the frequency shift direction RPT minus shift RPT plus shift or RPT OFF simplex HM Key TONE Key Key Mode 1 HM Key Default Press this key momentarily to recall a favorite Home frequency memory Press and hold in this for 1 2 second to activate Priority Channel Scanning Key Mode 2 TONE Key Press this key momentarily to change the Tone Squelch mode ENC CTCSS Encoder ENC DEC CTCSS Tone Squelch or
46. d by the user if you wish to utilize another function on one of these keys To program the function assigned to a key 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the Menu Item to be configured 28 PG P1 29 PG Pe 30 PG P3 or 31 PG P4 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the function you wish to assign to the button you selected in the previous step 4 Press the SET key to save the new setting then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select another programmable button to modify if desired and repeat the above steps 5 Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to exit to normal operation Function Press the button Press and hold the button When the Main band is set to the Memory mode press and hold in this button for 1 2 sec ond to set up the Scan Skip List or Preferential Scan List SCAN Activate the Scanner on the Main band SQL OFF Opens the Squelch on the Main band to allow un muted reception Opens the Squelch on the Main band to al low un muted reception Activates 1750 Hz Tone Burst TCALL Activates 1750 Hz Tone Burst RPTR Selects Repeater Shift direction on the Main band When the Main band is set to the Memory mode or Home Channel press and hold in this button for 1 2 second
47. d in Japan 0311F GY
48. d is set to the Memory mode or Home Channel press and hold in this key for 1 2 second to switch the memory channel display between the Frequency format and Alpha numeric Tag format You can reprogram the ACC P P1 and P2 buttons for other functions if desired See page 51 for details LOCK Switch This switch locks out the Microphone buttons except for the keypad and PTT switch UP DWN Button Press or hold in either of these buttons to tune or scan up or down the operating frequency or through the memory channels on the Main band In many ways these buttons emulate the function of the rotary Main band DIAL knob Notice If you replace the microphone from the MH 48a6J to MH 42seus or vice versa perform Menu 23 MIC See page 63 for details FT 8900R Operating Manual 19 Basic OPERATION Hi Pm R F Radio and Ill be helping you along as you learn the many features So of the FT 8900R I know you re anxious to get on the air but I encourage you to read the Operation section of this manual as thoroughly as possible so you ll get the most out of this fantastic new transceiver Now let s get operating 2 Dr TURNING THE TRANSCEIVER ON AND OFF 1 To turn the transceiver on press and hold in the righ VOL knob for 2 seconds When you turn on the FT 8900R the current DC sup ply voltage is indicated on the LCD for 2 seconds After this interval
49. e FT 8900R Operating Manual 41 SCANNING PRIORITY CHANNEL SCANNING Duar WatcH The FT 8900R s scanning features include a two channel scanning capability which allows you to operate on a VFO Memory channel or Home channel while periodically checking a user defined Priority Memory Channel for activity If a station is received on the Prior ity Channel which is strong enough to open the Squelch the scanner will pause on that station in accordance with the Scan Resume mode set via Set mode Menu 34 SCAN See page 37 Here is the procedure for activating Priority Channel Dual Watch operation VFO Priority 1 Recall the memory channel you wish to use as the priority frequency 2 Now set the FT 8900R for operation on a VFO frequency 3 Press and hold in the HM key for 1 2 second to activate the VFO Priority mode The display will remain on the VFO frequency but every five seconds the FT 8900R will check the Priority Channel memory channel for activity 4 Press the V M key to disable the VFO Priority mode and exit to regular VFO operation Memory Priority 1 Store the frequency you wish to be the Priority Channel into memory channel 1 2 Now set the FT 8900R for operation on another memory channel 3 Press and hold in the HM key for 1 2 second to activate the Memory Priority mode The display will remain on the current memory channel frequency but every five sec onds the FT 890
50. e same level as A the DTMF tones or B the 1750 Hz Burst tone produced using the microphone Finally note that the Menu Set mode allows you to set the Packet data rate 1200 or 9600 bps independently for each band and set the Packet Receiving Band Main band Right band or Left band The Paket Transmitting Band is fixed on the Main band If you have trouble getting your FT 8900R to respond correctly during packet operation check to be certain that you do not have Menu 26 PCKT S set to the wrong data rate and or Menu 27 PCKT B set to the wrong receiving band CSS s3 av0e Q a a AY NM j DATA IN hD AMA 4 is DATA OUT 9600bps PKS 9600bps Packet Setup g DATA OUT 1200bps 1200bps Packet Setup FT 8900R Operating Manual Il FRONT PANEL CONTROLS amp SWITCHES z CEB MHz REV TONE SUB 7 S00 0 Gee _ O Left DIAL knob This 20 position detented rotary switch is the tuning dial for the left band Press this knob momentarily to switch the Main band to be the left band When the Je band is set to be the Main band in the VFO mode press this knob to enable rapid tuning in 1 MHz steps using this knob Press and hold in this knob for 1 2 second to toggle the operating band on the left side as follows 144 MHz gt 350 MHz gt 430 MHz
51. e take some extra time to make certain that the important safety and technical requirements detailed in this chapter are followed closely PRELIMINARY INSPECTION Inspect the transceiver visually immediately upon opening the packing carton Confirm that all controls and switches work freely and inspect the cabinet for any damage Gently shake the transceiver to verify that no internal components have been shaken loose due to rough handling during shipping If any evidence of damage is discovered document it thoroughly and contact the shipping company or your local dealer if the unit was purchased over the counter so as to get instructions regarding the prompt resolution of the damage situation Be certain to save the shipping carton especially if there are any punctures or other evidence of damage incurred during shipping if it is necessary to return the unit for service or replacement use the origi nal packing materials but put the entire package inside another packing carton so as to preserve the evidence of shipping damage for insurance purposes INSTALLATION TIPS To ensure long life of the components be certain to provide adequate ventilation around the cabinet of the FT 8900R Do not install the transceiver on top of another heat generating device such as a power supply or amplifier and do not place equipment books or papers on top of the FT 8900R Avoid heating vents and window locations that could expose the transceiver to exc
52. ed 100MS low speed ms Default SOMS Menu 15 DTMF W Function Loading of the DTMF Autodialer Memories See page 46 for details Menu 16 HYPER Function Enables disables the Automatic Writing feature for the Hyper Memory Available Values MANUL AUTO Default MANUAL MANUL Disables the Automatic Writing feature AUTO Enables the Automatic Writing feature The Hyper memory data changes auto matically when the radio s configuration is changed such as Mode change Band Change etc Menu 17 INET Function Selects the Internet Connection mode Available Values INT COD INT MEM Default INT COD INT COD Sets up the Internet Connection mode for WIRES access INT MEM Sets up the Internet Connection mode for other DTMF string Internet Link System access Menu 18 INET C Function Selects the Access Number DTMF digit for WIRES operation Available Values CODE 0 CODE 9 CODE A CODE B CODE C CODE D CODE E CODE F Default CODE 1 Menu 19 INET M Function Selects the Access Number DTMF code for non WIRES Internet Link Sys tem access See page 48 for more details Available Values d 1 d 16 Default d 1 Menu 20 KEY MOD Function Selects the key functions for the right band function switches Available Values KEY 1 KEY2 Default KEY 1 62 FT 8900R Operating Manual Menu SET MODE Menu 21 LOCK Function Enables disables the Key Button Lock feature
53. er the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 5 BEEP 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to change the setting to OFF 4 Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation 5 To back on again the beep select ON in step 3 above CHANNEL STEP SELECTION The FT 8900R s synthesizer provides the option of utilizing channel steps of 5 10 12 5 15 20 25 50 kHz per step any number of which may be important to your operating require ments The FT 8900R is set up at the factory with different default steps on each operating band which probably are satisfactory for most operation However if you need to change the channel step increments the procedure to do so is very easy remember to get set up on the desired band before making any changes as different steps may be programmed for each operating band 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 37 STEP 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the new channel step size 4 Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation 24 FT 8900R Operating Manual ADVANCED OPERATION DisPLAY BRIGHTNESS The FT 8900R display illumination h
54. erage Internet Repeater Enhancement System 1 4 Press the Jeff VOL knob momentarily to activate the WIRES access capability The INT ON will appear for 2 seconds at the Main band frequency display The int icon will appear in the memory channel field on the Sub band while WIRES access is enabled Rotate the Main band DIAL knob while pressing and holding in the left VOL knob to select the access number ICODE 0 9 A B C D E K or F corresponding to the WIRES repeater to which you wish to establish an Internet link ask your repeater owner operator if you don t know the access numbers in the network With the WIRES capability activated as in step 1 above the FT 8900R will gener ate a brief 0 1 second DTMF tone according to your selection in step 2 This DTMF tone is sent at the beginning of every transmission to establish or maintain the link to the remote WIRES repeater To disable the WIRES access capability press the Jeff VOL knob again You may access other Internet Link Systems that use a DTMF string for access 1 2 3 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 15 DTMF W Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then load the DTMF tones which you wish to use to establish an Internet link ask your repeater owner
55. erate as the potential for interference to other users is high Here is the procedure for setting up cross band repeat operation 1 Before enabling cross band repeater operation configure both band settings as desired and set the squelch such that background noise is silenced Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 44 X RPT Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily XSTART will appear on the display Press the Main band DIAL knob again to activate the cross band repeater mode To exit the cross band repeater mode Press the SET key again Nm BBW WN 54 FT 8900R Operating Manual RESET PROCEDURE 1 Turn the radio off 2 Press and hold in the Jef VIM key while turning the radio on 3 Rotate the right DIAL knob to select the resetting menu SETMOD RESET Resets the Set Menu mode settings to their factory defaults HYPER RESET Clears the Hyper Memory settings to factory defaults MEMORY RESET Clears the Regular Memory settings to factory defaults ALL RESET Clears all memories and other settings to factory defaults 4 Press the SET key momentarily to complete the reset procedure once you have made your selection in step 3 FT 8900R Operating Manual 55 CLONING You can transfer all data stored in one FT 8900R to another FT 8900R by utilizing the handy Cloning feature This requires a user cons
56. esponding to the Internet link repeater to which you wish to establish an Internet link 9 With the Internet link feature activated as in step 7 above press the ef VOL knob or microphone s P2 key to send out the DTMF tones according to your selection in step 9 to establish the link to the Internet link repeater 10 To disable the Internet link feature press the left VOL knob again To return to WIRES recall Menu 17 INET then set it to INT COD FT 8900R Operating Manual 49 MISCELLANEOUS SETTINGS TimeE Out TIMER The Time Out Timer TOT feature is designed to force the transceiver into the receive mode after a preset time period of continuous transmission the default is 6 minutes This feature prevents your transceiver from transmitting a dead carrier for a long period of time in the event that the microphone PTT switch is accidentally locked in the TX condition The Time Out Timer s switch to receive time may be adjusted in one minute increments for any period between 1 and 30 minutes To change the default 6 minute time setting use the following procedure 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 41 TOT 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the desired interval between and 30 minutes or OFF 4 Press and hold in
57. essive direct sunlight especially in hot climates The FT 8900R should not be used in an environ ment where the ambient temperature exceeds 140 F 60 C 4 FT 8900R Operating Manual INSTALLATION SAFETY INFORMATION The FT 8900R is an electrical apparatus as well as a generator of RF Radio Frequency energy and you should exercise all safety precautions as are appropriate for this type of device These safety tips apply to any device installed in a well designed amateur radio station Never allow unsupervised children to play in the vicinity of your transceiver or an tenna installation Be certain to wrap any wire or cable splices thoroughly with insulating electrical tape to prevent short circuits Do not route cables or wires through door jambs or other locations where through wear and tear they may become frayed and shorted to ground or to each other Do not stand in front of a directional antenna while you are transmitting into that antenna Do not install a directional antenna in any location where humans or pets may be walking in the main directional lobe of the antenna s radiation pattern gt e pD In mobile installations it is preferable to mount your antenna on top of the roof of the vehicle if feasible so as to utilize the car body as a counterpoise for the antenna and raise the radiation pattern as far away from passengers as possible A During vehicular operation when stopped in a parking lot for
58. hannels numbered 001 through 799 O Six Home channels providing storage and quick recall of one prime frequency on each operating band O Five sets of band edge memories also known as Programmable Memory Scan chan nels labeled L1 U1 through LS5 US O Six Hyper Memory Channels Standard Memory Channels PMS Memory Channels 799 channels 5 Sets c Q D N D N RAE HOME Channels 6 channels Hyper Memory Channels 6 channels 850 MHz Band 350 MHz Band 29 MHz Band REGULAR Memory CHANNEL OPERATION Memory Storage 1 Select the desired frequency while operating in the VFO mode on the Main band Be sure set up any desired CTCSS or DCS tones as well as any desired repeater offset The power level may be also be set at this time if you wish to store it Press and hold in the SET key for 1 2 second A memory number will appear blink ing on the display Within ten seconds of pressing the SET key use the Main band DIAL knob or the microphone s UP DWN buttons to select the desired memory channel for storage if the channel is already occupied by data stored previously the channel frequency nota tion will appear on the display To attach an alpha numeric name Tag to the memory press and hold in the SET key for 1 2 second then proceed
59. he APO feature Menu 2 ARS Function Activates deactivates the Automatic Repeater Shift feature Available Values ON OFF Default Depends on the band of operation Menu 3 ARTS Function Selects the ARTS beep mode Available Values IN RNG OUTRNG IN RNG Activates the ARTS feature a high tone beep will sound when the transceiver first detects that you are within range and a low beep will sound when the other station goes out of range OUTRNG Activates the ARTS feature a high tone beep will sound every time a polling transmission is received from the other station and a low beep will sound once when the other station goes out of range Menu 4 BAND Function Enables disables the VFO Band edge for the current band Available Values BND ON BND OFF Default BND ON BND ON When the VFO frequency reaches the high band edge of the current band the VFO frequency will jump to the low band edge of the current band or vice versa BND OFF When the VFO frequency reaches the high edge of the current band the VFO frequency will jump to the low band edge of the next band or vice versa Menu 5 BEEP Function Enables disables the beeper Available Values BEP ON BEP OFF Default BEP ON Menu 6 CLK SFT Function Shifting of CPU clock frequency Available Values SFT ON SFT OFF Default SFT OFF This function is only used to move a spurious response birdie should it fall on a desired frequency 60 FT
60. hen press the SET key momentarily To return to normal operation repeat the above steps FT 8900R Operating Manual 35 MEMORY OPERATION Hyper Memory MopE The FT 8900R usually stores into memory the operating frequency and some aspects of operating status such as CTCSS DCS data repeater shift power level etc However the Hyper Memory Mode allows you to store the total current configuration of the radio into a special Hyper memory bank For example a Hyper Memory location may store the frequencies of both the Left and right bands plus Scanning features etc Hyper Memory Storage 1 Set up the transceiver according to the desired configuration 2 Press and hold in the Hyper Memory key 1 through 6 corresponding to the Hyper Memory channel into which you wish to store this configuration for 2 seconds Hyper Memory Recall Press the appropriate Hyper Memory key 1 through 6 to recall the desired Hyper Memory channel Vy a The current original configuration will lost when you recall the Hyper Memory So Channel To prevent this from happening press and hold in the Hyper Memory key generally the 1 key to store the current configuration into that Hyper Memory Channel before recalling the Hyper Memory Channel or set Menu 16 to enable the Automatic Writing feature for the Hyper Memory See page 62 for details I Q 36 FT 8900R Operating Manual SCANNING
61. his mode allows you to scan the entire current operating band 1 Select the VFO mode by pressing the V M key if necessary 2 Press the SCN key momentarily to start scanning 3 If and when the scanner encounters a signal strong enough to open the squelch the scanner will halt temporarily the decimal point of the frequency display will blink dur ing this Pause condition 4 The scanner will then resume according to the Scan Resume mode selected in the previ ous section 5 To cancel scanning press the SCN key momentarily again or press the microphone s PTT key 4 When you start scanning the FT 8900R will be changing frequency in the up nee ward direction If you want to change direction of the scan while it is underway rotate the DIAL knob one click in the opposite direction in this case one click counter clockwise You ll see the scanner turn around and change frequency downward You may change the scanning function so that the VFO frequency will jump to the low band edge of the next band when the VFO frequency reaches the high edge of the current band or vice versa See page 60 regarding Menu 4 BAND 38 FT 8900R Operating Manual SCANNING Memory SCANNING Memory scanning is similarly easy to initiate 1 Set the radio to the Memory mode by pressing the V M key if necessary 2 Press the SCN key to initiate scanning 3 As with VFO scanning the scanner will halt on any signal encoun
62. ini phone jack provides audio output for an optional speaker The optimum load impedance is 8 Ohms Inserting a plug into this jack disables the audio path to the transceiver s internal speaker 13 8V DC Cable Pigtails w Fuse This is the DC power supply connection for the transceiver Use the supplied DC cable to connect this pigtail to the car battery or base station DC power supply capable of at least 9 Amperes continuous duty Make certain that the Red lead connects to the Posi tive side of the power source and that the Black lead connects to the Negative side of the power source FT 8900R Operating Manual 17 M H 48 463 MICROPHONE PTT Switch Press this switch to transmit and release it to receive Keypad These 16 keys generate DTMF tones during transmission In the receive mode these 16 keys can be used for direct frequency entry and or direct numeric recall of the Memory channels Q P1 P2 P3 P4 Buttons P1 button Press this button to switch the Main band between the Leff and Right displays on the LCD screen This is the best and easiest way to set the Main band to the side you prefer Pressing and holding in this button for 1 2 second moves op eration to the next highest frequency band on the Main band P2 button Press this button momentarily to switch the frequency control for the Main band between the VFO and Memory Systems When the Main
63. izing interference to other users and improving recep tion as well To configure for the narrower bandwidth use the following procedure 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 43 WID NAR 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to change the display to NARROW 4 Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and to normal operation To restore the normal higher microphone input level and normal 15 kHz receiver band width select WIDE in step 3 above Ve 4 d This feature is ignored on the right band and 29 MHz band on the Left band 52 FT 8900R Operating Manual MISCELLANEOUS SETTINGS DCS Cope INVERSION The DCS system was first introduced in the commercial LMR Land Mobile Radio service where it is now in widespread use DCS is sometime referred to by its different proprietary names such as DPL Digital Private Line a registered trademark of Motorola Inc DCS uses a codeword consisting of a 23 bit frame transmitted subaudible at a data rate of 134 4 bps bit sec Occasionally signal inversion can result in the complement of a code to be sent or received This prevent receiver squelch from opening with DCS enabled as the decoded bit sequence would not match that selected for operation Typical situations that
64. l in situation where it would be helpful to reduce the audio level of the Receive Only band whenever you receive a signal on the Main band or you transmit on the Main band during Dual Receive operation To 1 2 3 activate the Audio Mute feature Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 24 MUTE Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to choose the desired selection T Reduces the audio level of the Receive Only band whenever you transmit on the Main band RX Reduces the audio level of the Receive Only band whenever you receive a signal on the Main band TX RX Reduces the audio level of the Receive Only band whenever you receive a signal on the Main band or you transmit on the Main band OFF Disables the Audio Mute feature Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation RF SQuUELCH A special RF Squelch feature is provided on this radio This feature allows you to set the squelch so that only signals exceeding a certain S meter level will open the squelch When setting up the RF Squelch circuit for operation note that you may set the RF Squelch independently for the left and righ sides using the following procedure 1 Press the SET key momentarily
65. lready described in parts of many previous chapters is easy to activate and set It may be used for configuration of a wide variety of transceiver parameters some of which have not been detailed previously Use the following procedure to activate the Set Menu mode 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Turn the Main band DIAL knob to select the Menu Item to be adjusted 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily to enable adjustment of the selected Menu item then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to perform the actual adjustment 4 After completing your selection and adjustment press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to exit the Set mode and exit to normal operation 2 The b character which is in front of the menu number denotes Enable to provide the individual values for each Operating Band and Mode VFO Memory Channel and Home Channel 58 FT 8900R Operating Manual Menu Item APO Menu SET MODE Function Available Values E Selects the Automatic Power Off time time before power OFF 0 5H 12H goes off ARS Activates deactivates the Automatic Repeater Shift feature ON OFF ARTS Selects the ARTS beep mode IN RNG OUTRNG BAND Enables disables the VFO Band edge for the current band BND ON BNDOFF BEEP Enables disables the beeper BEP ON BEP OFF CLK SFT Shifting of CPU clock frequency SFT ON SFT OFF
66. mentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 40 TONE M 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob so that ENC appears on the display this activates the CTCSS Encoder which allows repeater access lt ys You may notice an additional DCS icon appearing while you rotate the f gt Main band DIAL knob in this step We ll discuss the Digital Code Squelch system shortly 4 Rotating the Main band DIAL knob one more click clockwise in step 3 above will cause ENC DEC to appear When ENC DEC appears this means that the Tone Squelch system is active which mutes your FT 8900R s receiver until it receives a call from another radio sending out a matching CTCSS tone This can help keep your radio quiet until a specific call is received which may be helpful while operating in congested areas 5 When you have made your selection of the CTCSS tone mode press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob one click counter clockwise to select Menu 39 TONE F This Menu selection allows setting of the CTCSS tone frequency to be used 6 Press Main band DIAL knob momentarily to enable adjustment of the CTCSS fre quency 7 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob until the display indicates the Tone Frequency you need to be using 8 When you have made your selection
67. ode oe eee 35 Hyper Memory Mode ccsceseeceeeeseeeeeenee 36 Hyper Memory Storage eee 36 Hyper Memory Recall 36 Scanning Setting the Scan Resume Technique 37 VFO Scanning Memory Scanning How to Skip Omit a Channel During Memory Scan Operation 39 Preferential Memory Scan ou 40 Programmable Band Limit Memory Scan 41 Priority Channel Scanning Dual Watch 42 Smart Search ccscssscssesssssscessssssesessevees 43 ARTS Auto Range Transponder System 44 Basic ARTS Setup and Operation 44 CW Identifier Setup oe eee 45 DTMF Autodialer Operation 00000 46 Internet Connection Feature cccseeee 48 Miscellaneous Settings ccsssssssesssesssees 50 Time Out Timer ses es sesscsciscstvtenceanessvietes cies 50 Automatic Power Off oseese 50 Programming the Key Assignment 51 FM Bandwith amp MIC Gain Control 52 DCS Code Inversion cccseeeseeseeeeeeeees 53 Cross Band Repeater Operation 00 54 Reset Procedure sssccscssssssrssssessesesseeeeeers 55 GCUOMIIN Gs oisdssescscssssissccsssericccsst ecssnsotectacsetsicecvease 56 Menu Set Mode scsssssessssssssssesessersorees 58 INTRODUCTION A TATA RPR AVADA 1S1 m m m M m m a The FT 8900R is a ruggedly built high quality Quad Band FM transceiver providing 50 Watts of power output on
68. ond to switch the operating band on the right band between 144 MHz and 430 MHz FT 8900R Operating Manual 15 LCD Left Band Memory Channel Left Band Frequency Lef Band Memory Channel Right Band Frequency CS m m m Gam Dp MT ETa DCS AM 9600 LM Left Band S amp PO Meter lt Preferential Memory Channel SKIP Skip Memory Channel Minus Shift Plus Shift Odd Splits ENC Tone Encoder DEc Tone Decoder o Transmission in Progress iD Main Band 8 84 enc ject GED H A F Enc sect eoD LIL AHA me leila Ct UILLI DR AVAATA ni CIEI m m me Gee DD e MUTE DCS 9600 LM Right Band S amp PO Meter Icons a7 Busy Channel or Squelch Off MT Memory Tune Mode MUTE Audio Mute Active Dcs Digital Code Squelch DCS Am AM Reception 9600 9600 bps Packet Mode L Low TX Power Selected m Middle TX Power Selected Automatic Power Off Active m Keypad DIAL Lock Active Menu Set Mode CZB Key Function Mode is selected to KEY 2 16 FT 8900R Operating Manual REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS Antenna Jack Connect your antenna here using a type M PL 259 plug and coaxial cable DATA Jack This 6 pin mini DIN connector provides simple interfacing to a packet Terminal Node Controller TNC for 1200 bps or 9600 bps operation The pin connections are shown on page 10 EXT SP Jack This 2 conductor 3 5 mm m
69. one of the vertical sides of the driven element or at a side corner in the case of a diamond shaped Cubical Quad Note that this transceiver is designed with wide frequency coverage in the VHF UHF spec trum For general listening you may wish to have a broadband antenna such as a discone available as a directional antenna such as a Yagi will have degraded performance outside the Amateur band for which it is designed Excellent reference texts and computer software are available for the design and optimiza tion of VHF and UHF antennas Your dealer should be able to assist you with all aspects of your antenna installation requirements Use high quality 50 Ohm coaxial cable for the lead in to your FT 8900R transceiver All efforts at providing an efficient antenna system will be wasted if poor quality lossy coaxial cable is used Losses in coaxial lines increase as the frequency increases so an 8 meter long 25 coaxial line with 1 2 dB of loss at 29 MHz may have a loss of 6 dB or more at 446 MHz choose your coaxial cable carefully based on the installation location mobile vs base and the overall length of the cable required for very short runs of cable in a mobile installation the smaller more flexible cable types may be acceptable 6 FT 8900R Operating Manual INSTALLATION ANTENNA CONSIDERATIONS For reference the chart below shows approximate loss figures for typically available co axial cables frequently used in VHF
70. operator if you don t know the access numbers in the network into the desired DTMF Memory channel 1 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the DTMF Autodialer memory channel number d 1 through d 16 2 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily 3 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the DTMF code then press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily to move the digit 4 Repeat step 3 above 5 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily to save the new setting Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 17 INET Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to set this Item to INT MEM to enable the alternative Internet Link and disable the WIRES access option Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation Press the lef VOL knob momentarily to activate the Internet Link System The INT ON display will appear for 2 seconds in the Main band frequency field The int icon will then appear in the memory channel field on the Sub band while the Internet Link System access feature is engaged 48 FT 8900R Operating Manual INTERNET CONNECTION FEATURE 8 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob while pressing and holding in the lef VOL knob to select the DTMF access number IMEM 1 IMEM 16 corr
71. or 9600 bps GND Signal Ground Red PTT Gound to Transmit Orange 9600 bps Packet Data Output RX9600 Impedance 10 kQ Maximum Output 500 mV p p Yalow 1200 bps Packet Data Output RX1200 Impedance 10 kQ Maximum Output 300 mV p p Green PKS Squelch Control Blue SQL Squelch Open 5 V Squelch Close 0 V 10 FT 8900R Operating Manual INSTALLATION Base STATION INSTALLATION Note that 9600 bps packet transmit deviation adjustment is very critical to successful opera tion and can only be accomplished using a calibrated deviation meter such as that found on an FM Service Monitor used in a communications service center In most cases the Packet Data Input level set via a potentiometer inside the TNC must be adjusted to provide a deviation of 2 75 kHz 0 25 kHz Check with your packet node s sysop if you have any questions about the appropriate deviation level for your network Note also that high through put on 9600 bps frequently requires strong signals so you may wish to consider the use of a directional antenna such as a Yagi for communication with high speed packet nodes The setting of the 1200 bps Packet Data Input level is much less critical than it is at 9600 bps and satisfactory adjustment to the optimum 2 5 3 5 kHz deviation can usually be done by ear by adjusting the TNC s 1200 bps TX Audio Level potentiometer so that the outgoing packets as monitored on a separate VHF or UHF receiver are approximately th
72. press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation FT 8900R Operating Manual 29 CTCSS DCS OPERATION CTCSS OPERATION 2 D Your repeater may or may not re transmit a CTCSS tone some systems just use wee CTCSS to control access to the repeater but don t pass it along when transmitting If the S Meter deflects but the FT 8900R is not passing audio repeat steps 1 through 4 above but rotate the Main DIAL knob so that ENC appears this will allow you to hear all traffic on the channel being received 2 You may select the Tone Squelch mode ENC ENC DEC or DCS on the Main band by the microphone s P3 key DCS OPERATION Another form of tone access control is Digital Code Squelch or DCS It is a newer more advanced tone system which generally provides more immunity from false paging than does CTCSS The DCS Encoder Decoder is built into your FT 8900R and operation is very similar to that just described for CTCSS Your repeater system may be configured for DCS if not it is frequently quite useful in Simplex operation if your friend s use transceivers equipped with this advanced feature xe Just as in CTCSS operation DCS requires that you set the Tone Mode to DCS and 76 that you select a tone code 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 40 TONE M
73. propriate You will observe the A icon lighting up alternate sides of the display as you switch Main bands from the left side to the right side and vice versa 20 FT 8900R Operating Manual Basic OPERATION SELECTING THE FREQUENCY BAND Press and hold in the lef DIAL knob to move the operating band on the lef band 144 MHz gt 350 MHz gt 430 MHz gt 850 MHz gt 29 MHz gt 50 MHz gt 144 MHz Press and hold in the right DIAL knob to switch the operating band on the righ band between the 144 MHz and 430 MHz D You may select the operating band on the Main band by pressing and holding gt in the microphone s sb key for 1 2 second aD aD ILI ATAT Lit CL ara Ltt cl y LIT TAITAA UR PR TATAIA l l UA pa t A ATATA BuSYE TTT TT tT CIS m m m PPT Tt m s a a a a VHF VHF V V Operation UHF UHF U U Operation Notice The FT 8900R may receive very strong signals on the Image frequency and or the receiver sensitivity may be somewhat reduced by the combination of the Left and Right band frequencies while Dual Receive operation is engaged If you experience interference that you suspect may be coming in via an Image path you may calculate the possible frequencies using the formulas below This information may be used in the design of effective countermeasures such as traps etc O Leff band freq 45 05 MHz x n1
74. seeceeeeeseeseeesecseceaeeeeeseceeeeaeceeeeaeeneeeaeenaes 1 Spare Fuse 15 A Q0Q0008 1 een n ene Di a eee ean cae 2 Operating Manual a cxiceatieithiteacctncia e a a E A Se 1 Warranty Card sina ae ee A i ee GR aL ee ee eee 1 OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES MH 48a6 DTMF Microphone MH 42Bess Hand Microphone YSK 8900 Separation Kit MEK 2 Microphone Extension Kit 2 MLS 100 High Power External Speaker FP 1023 AC Power Supply 25A USA only FP 1030A AC Power Supply 30A CT 39A Packet Interface Cable Availability of accessories may vary Some accessories are supplied as standard per local requirements while others may be unavailable in some regions Consult your Yaesu dealer for details regarding these and any newly available options Connection of any non Yaesu approved accessory should it cause damage may void the Limited Warranty on this appa ratus X1 If you replace the microphone from the MH 48a6 to MH 42seus or vice versa per form Menu 23 MIC See page 63 for details X2 When using the MH 48a6s or MH 42BeJs microphone in conjunction with the MEK 2 in some cases the P1 through P4 functions may operate erratically FT 8900R Operating Manual 3 INSTALLATION This chapter describes the installation procedure for integrating the FT 8900R into a typi cal amateur radio station It is presumed that you possess technical knowledge and concep tual understanding consistent with your status as a licensed radio amateur Pleas
75. stallation O Choose a mounting location with sufficient clearance for the transceiver Using the mount ing bracket as a template for the mounting holes use a 4 8 mm 3 16 bit to drill the mounting holes and secure the mounting bracket with the supplied screws washers and nuts see diagram Position the transceiver in the bracket so that the holes in the side are aligned with those in the bracket and bolt the transceiver into place using the supplied short screws and flat washers A 8 FT 8900R Operating Manual INSTALLATION MOBILE INSTALLATION Mobile Power Connections To minimize voltage drop and avoid blowing the vehicle s fuses connect the supplied DC power cable directly to the battery terminals Do not attempt to defeat or bypass the DC cable s fuse it is there to protect you your transceiver and your vehicle s electrical system Warning Never apply AC power to the power cable of the FT 8900R nor DC voltage greater than 15 8 Volts When replacing the fuse only use a 15 A fast blow type Failure to observe these safety precautions will void the Limited Warranty on this product O Before connecting the transceiver check the voltage at the battery terminals while rev ving the engine If the voltage exceeds 15 Volts adjust the vehicle s voltage regulator before proceeding with installation O Connect the RED power cable lead to the POSITIVE battery terminal and the BLACK power cable
76. tered that is strong enough to open the squelch it will then resume scanning according to the Scan Resume mode set previously 4 To cancel scanning press the SCN key again or press the microphone s PTT key How to Skip Omit a Channel During Memory Scan Operation Some continuous carrier stations like a Weather Broadcast station will seriously impede scanner operation if you are using the Carrier Drop Scan Resume mode as the incoming signal will not pause long enough for the transceiver to resume scanning Such channels may be Skipped during scanning if you like 1 Set the radio to the Memory Mode by pressing the V M key if necessary 2 Rotate the DIAL knob to select the Memory Channel to be skipped during scanning 3 Press and hold the SCN key for 1 2 second so as to make the small SKIP icon appear on the display The current Memory Channel will now be ignored during scanning The small SKIP icon will also appear when you recall the skipped memory channel manu ally The 4 selection is used for Preferential Memory Scan described in the 6 next column 4 To re institute a channel into the scanning loop press and hold in the SCN key for 1 2 second twice to select OFF the Skipped channel will of course still be acces sible via manual channel selection methods using the DIAL knob in the MR mode whether or not it is locked out of the scanning loop FT 8900
77. that the other station s polling code was received in response to yours 7 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily to exit ARTS operation and resume normal functioning of the transceiver CW Identifier Setup The ARTS feature includes a CW identifier as discussed previously Every ten minutes during ARTS operation the radio can be instructed to send DE your callsign K if this feature is enabled The callsign field may contain up to 6 characters Here s how to program the CW Identifier 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 8 CWID W 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily 4 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily again to enable entry of your callsign 5 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob one click clockwise to begin entry of the letters and numbers in your callsign 6 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily to set the first letter or number in your callsign 7 When the correct character has been selected Press the Main band DIAL knob mo mentarily to move on to the next character 8 Repeat steps 6 and 7 as many times as necessary to complete your callsign 9 Press the Main SCN key to delete all data after the cursor that may have been previ ously stored erroneously 10 When you have entered your entire callsign press the Main band DIAL knob momen tarily to confirm the callsign
78. the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation Automatic Power OFrr The Automatic Power Off APO feature will turn the radio completely off after a user defined period of PTT switch or key button inactivity If you do not press any front panel keys or buttons rotate the DIAL knobs or use the microphone s keys and buttons or trans mit and so long as the transceiver is not scanning or engaged in priority monitoring the radio will shut itself off after the specified time period This feature is useful in minimizing battery drain in a mobile installation if you forget to turn the transceiver off when you leave your vehicle To activate the APO feature use the following procedure 1 Press the SET key momentarily to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 1 APO 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to set the desired switch off time between 1 and 12 hours in 0 5 hours increments or OFF 4 Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation 50 FT 8900R Operating Manual MISCELLANEOUS SETTINGS PROGRAMMING THE KEY ASSIGNMENTS Default FT 8900R key functions have been assigned to Microphone s P1 P2 P3 P4 buttons MH 48a6 ACC P P1 P2 buttons MH 42seus at the factory These may be change
79. the 29 50 144 MHz Amateur bands and 35 Watts on the 430 MHz band The high power output of the FT 8900R is produced by its RD70OHVF1 Power MOS FET amplifier with a direct flow heat sink and thermostatically controlled cooling fan maintain ing a safe temperature for the transceiver s circuitry Featuring 809 memory channels full duplex operation with independent Volume and Squelch controls and built in CTCSS and DCS encoder decoder circuits the FT 8900R includes provision for remote head mounting utilizing the optional YSK 8900 Separation Kit which allows installation evening the most compact of cars We recommend that you read this manual in its entirety so as to understand fully the many features of your new FT 8900R transceiver FT 8900R Operating Manual 1 SPECIFICATIONS GENERAL Frequency Range Channel Steps Modes of Emission Antenna Impedance Frequency Stability Operating Temperature Range Supply Voltage Current Consumption Approx Case Size W x H x D Weight Approx TRANSMITTER Output Power Modulation Type Maximum Deviation Spurious Radiation Modulation Distortion Microphone Impedance DATA Jack Impedance RECEIVER Circuit Type Intermediate Frequencies Sensitivity for 12dB SINAD Squelch Sensitivity Selectivity 6dB 60dB Maximum AF Output AF Output Impedance RX 28 000 29 700 MHz 50 000 54 000 MHz 108 000 180 000 MHz 320 000 480 000 MHz
80. the display will switch its normal indication of the operating frequency 2 To turn the transceiver off again press and hold in the right VOL knob for 2 seconds ADJUSTING THE Aupio VoLUME LEVEL The audio volume level is set independently for the Jeff and right sides of the trans ceiver The Jeff VOL knob provides adjustment for the lef side of the FT 8900R while the right VOL knob provides adjustment for the righ side of the FT 8900R ADJUSTING THE SQUELCH SETTING The squelch is also set independently for the Jeff and right sides of the transceiver The left SQL knob provides adjustment for the eff side of the FT 8900R while the righ SQL knob provides adjustment for the right side of the FT 8900R A special RF Squelch feature is provided on this radio This feature allows you to set the squelch so that only signals exceeding a certain S meter level will open the squelch See page 26 for details SELECTING THE OPERATING BAND In the factory default configuration The FT 8900R operates in the Dual Receive mode During Dual Receive operation the Main band frequency on which transmission is pos sible will be indicated by the AD icon To establish the Main band simply press the microphone s P1 key MH 48a6y ACC key MH 42BeuJs or press the DIAL knob for the Jeff or righ side momentarily as ap
81. to enter the Set mode 2 Rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select Menu 32 RF SQL 3 Press the Main band DIAL knob momentarily then rotate the Main band DIAL knob to select the desired signal strength level for the squelch threshold OFF S 2 S 5 S 9 or S FULL 4 Press and hold in the Main band DIAL knob for 1 2 second to save the new setting and exit to normal operation 5 Finally rotate the SQL knob fully clockwise 26 FT 8900R Operating Manual REPEATER OPERATION Repeater stations usually located on mountaintops or other high locations provide a dra matic extension of the communication range for low powered hand held or mobile trans ceivers The FT 8900R includes a number of features which make repeater operation simple and enjoyable REPEATER SHIFTS Your FT 8900R has been configured at the factory for the repeater shifts customary in your country For the 50 MHz band this usually will be 1 MHz while the 144 MHz shift will be 600 kHz on 70 cm the shift may be 1 6 MHz 7 6 MHz or 5 MHz USA version Depending on the part of the band in which you are operating the repeater shift may be either downward or upward and one of these icons will appear at the bottom of the LCD when repeater shifts have been enabled Automatic REPEATER Shirt ARS The FT 8900R provides a convenient Automatic Repeater Shift feature which causes the appropriate repeater shift to be automatically applied
82. to switch the memory channel display between the Frequency for mat and Alpha numeric Tag format PRI Activates the Priority feature on the Main band LOW Selects the transmit power output level on the Main band TONE Activates the CTCSS or DCS operation on the Main band Allows tuning in 10 MHz step on the Main band VFO Press this button momentarily to selects Re peater Shift direction on the Main band MHz Allows tuning in 1 MHz step on the Main band VFO REV Reverses the transmit and receive frequencies during split frequency operation HOME Switches operation to the Home channel on the Main band Activate the Priority Scanning Switches operating band on the Main band BAND Toggles the Main band of operation between the Leff band and right band VFO MR_ Switches frequency control between the VFO and Memory modes on the Main band FT 8900R Operating Manual Activate the Smart Search Feature when the Main band is set to the VFO mode Shift to the Memory Tuning feature when the Main band is set to the Memory mode 51 MISCELLANEOUS SETTINGS FM BanowiptH amp MIC Gain CONTROL You can reduce the microphone input level and receiver bandwidth when operating on tightly clustered frequencies channel spacing of 12 5 or 15 kHz This will reduce the transmitter and receiver deviation thus minim
83. tructed Cloning cable which connects the DATA jacks on the two transceivers as shown below To clone from one transceiver to another use the following procedure 1 Insert the Cloning Cable into the DATA jack of each transceiver 2 Turn both transceivers off then press and hold in the left VIM key on each radio while turning the power on again 3 Rotate the right DIAL knob on each radio to select CLONE START then press the SET key The display will disappear for a moment then the CLONE notation will appear on the display 4 On the destination radio press the left LOW key The CLONE RX indicator will appear on the display 5 Now on the source radio press the left VIM key The CLONE TX indicator will appear on the display and the cloning data transfer will immediately begin 6 If there is a problem during the cloning process CLONE ERROR will be displayed Check your cable connections and try again 7 If cloning was successful the CLONE RX and CLONE TX indicators will disap pear 8 Turn both transceivers off then remove the Cloning Cable Channel and operating data for both radios are now identical They both may be turned on now for normal operation 56 FT 8900R Operating Manual FT 8900R Operating Manual NOTE 57 Menu SET Move The FT 8900R Set Menu mode a
84. ual 65 Menu SET MODE Menu 39 TONE F CTCSS TONE FREQUENCY Hz Function Sets the CTCSS Tone Frequency 67 0 693 719 744 77 0 Available Values 50 Standard CTCSS Tones 97 4 Default 100 Hz 119 9 146 2 Note This Menu Item can be set independently for each band and independently in each memory Menu 40 TONE M Function Selects the Tone Encoder and or Decoder mode Available Values OFF ENC ENC DEC DCS Default OFF ENC CTCSS Encoder ENC DEC CTCSS Encoder Decoder DCS Digital Code Squelch Encoder Decoder Menu 41 TOT Function Sets the Time Out Timer Available Values 1 30 minutes or OFF Default 6 minutes Menu 42 VFO TR Function Enables disables the VFO Tracking feature Available Values ON OFF Default OFF Menu 43 WID NAR Function Reducing the MIC Gain and Deviation Available Values WIDE NARROW Default Depends on the band of operation Note This Menu Item can be set independently for each band The 29 MHz band is fixed NARROW Menu 44 X RPT Function Switches the Cross Band Repeater feature on and off Perform this Menu function to switch the Cross Band Repeater feature on and off See page 54 for details Menu 45 AM Function Enables disables the AM mode Available Values ON OFF Default OFF 66 FT 8900R Operating Manual Menu SET Move Menu 46 AUT AM Function Selects the receiving mode Available

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