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(1) AR8600 Index Section 1

1. DELAY OFF HOLD 0 1s to 9 9s default OFF LEVEL OFF 1 to 255 default OFF VOICE OFF 1 to 255 default OFF FREE OFF 1s to 60s default OFF MODE SCAN ALL WFM NFM SFM WAM AM NAM USB LSB CW default ALL 7 ISHS IRES S to set the ratio of bank size between memory channels sharing a common letter in upper and lower case 10 SECTION 1 5 2 PUSH this key to place the AR8600 into 2VFO mode where you may receive spot frequencies and generally monitor activity The LCD displays two lines of frequency readout the upper larger being the current receive frequency The LCD legend 2VFO confirms selection with each VFO being identified as V A and V B 2 ISHS again to toggle between VFO A V A and VFO B V B TRESS to initiate VFO search between the two displayed frequency limits set by VFO A and VFO B the legend V SR confirms selection of VFO SEARCH 7 ISHS TRESS gt to access the VFO MODE select menu where the following parameters may be configured VFO SCAN ON OFF default OFF DELAY OFF HOLD 0 1s to 9 9s default OFF LEVEL OFF 1 to 255 default OFF VOICE OFF 1 to 255 default OFF FREE OFF 1s to 60s default OFF AUTOSTORE ON OFF default OFF DELETE J deletes the current data from bank J QUICK MEMORY OFF 10s to 990s default OFF STAY PRESS th
2. 14 SECTION 1 5 3 1 5 3 Important controls The bottom row of seven keys are fundamental in the operation of the AR8600 The SCAN SEARCH and VFO functions are actioned via this set of keys along with the FUNC and CLEAR operations MFMO P HIC S SET OFTION FUNCTION KEY The function shift key located on the left hand side is used to select the second function of keypad facilities 2 ISHS FUNC to toggle the function status on off A solid reverse legend LCD FUNC indicates when function shift is in operation The function status is terminated automatically in the normal course of entry TRESS FUNC to initiate double shift which is used in certain menus as a short cut The reverse FUNC legend flashes when double shift is engaged Note When the FUNC legend is displayed in VFO mode the tuning speed will be increased to assist rapid frequency change using the arrow keys and main dial eX L The KEY LOCK is intentionally small to reduce the chances of accidental operation Key STRY lock is useful when you do not wish an important frequency to be lost or the AR8600 to be incorrectly set to a different frequency The key lock status is not deactivated by switch off E K on the and keys are not affected by key lock ONT ANI IRESI S L to toggle the key lock on off an LCD key symbol y indicates status The MONITOR key is used to force the squelch open so tha
3. 34 SECTION 3 9 3 However the STEP ADJUST facility is used to address this situation Example Apply a 5 kHz step adjust for a frequency tuned in 15 kHz steps Fundamental 58 440 58 455 58 470 58 485 58 500 5851S 58530 gt fegueny lt Step frequency 5k 5k Sk 5k 5k tSk 15k Adjust frequency 58 45 5840 ARTS 5R490 58 505 58 520 58535 gt Receive frequency With the above in mind 58 445 MHz with 15 kHz steps in mind while in VFO mode key in the start frequency of 58 445 MHz 3 SHG GEO HE BHR SHS WAR SHS CON HS OR SHE GEO SHS ENT Access the STEP menu using the key sequence 2 ISHS 2 ISHS 2 BL 15 kHz is nota standard size provided by rotating the main dial so key in the required 15 kHz step size 2 ISHS 2 ISHS do NOT press enter 2 ISHS to access the STEP ADJUST menu Accessing this menu will activate the step adjust facility the ADJ legend will be displayed on the LCD to confirm selection You will note that a calculated step adjust value is displayed on the bottom of the LCD as ADJ 7 50 representing a positive offset of 7 5 kHz with a step size of 15 kHz the AR8600 often assumes that you require a half step However when looking at the requirement the required offset is actually 5 kHz 2 ISHS amp to move the cursor to the step adjust bottom line Use the main dial to select 5 00 kHz or key in 5 kHz 2 ISHS SEO 2 ISHS to accept the displayed data
4. 46 SECTION 4 4 2 4 4 3 VFO search DELAY is configured via the VFO environment menu use the key sequence 2 ISHS TRESS gt to access the VFO environment menu 7 JSHG the amp key once to move to the DELAY parameter 2 ISHS to toggle the status between 2 0s HOLD OFF the default is 2 0s Use the main dial to increment in 0 1s or the amp gt keys to increment in 1 0s 2 0s The AR8600 will wait the specified time after the squelch closes before resuming VFO search HOLD Once a busy frequency has been detected the search process will be paused indefinitely OFF The AR8600 will resume VFO search instantaneously when the squelch closes 2 ISHS to accept the changes and return to the display prior to accessing the VFO environment menu Alternatively you may move to the next option VFO search LEVEL squelch by pressing the amp key 4 4 3 VFO search LEVEL squelch The VFO LEVEL squelch parameter causes the AR8600 to check the signal strength and to only open the squelch when the signal strength is above the stated level which is programmable in 256 steps The limits are OFF and 1 to 255 default off Note VFO LEVEL squelch affects both VFOs and VFO search VFO LEVEL squelch is configured via the VFO environment menu use the key sequence 2 ISHS TRESS to access the VFO environment menu 7 ISHGP the amp key twice to move to the LEVEL parameter 2 ISHS as a short cut to off which is the default Use th
5. MCI key to defeat the squelch control saves turning the squelch control fully anti clockwise then back to threshold position When the DUP legend is displayed during frequency offset or VFO SCAN DUPLEX operation the Wisk J key forces the AR8600 to switch to the alternative frequency In SCOPE mode the MCh key enables the reception of the marker frequency 2 4 6 K L KEY LOCK The KEY LOCK is intentionally small to reduce the chances of accidental operation Key lock is useful when you do not wish an important frequency to be lost or the AR8600 to be incorrectly set to a different frequency The key lock status is not deactivated by switch off on the and MiCsKl keys are not affected by key lock IRES S L to toggle the key lock on off an LCD key symbol Cy indicates status 2 4 7 Standby key The STANDBY key is used for every day switching on and off the AR8600 It is recommended that the PWR VOL on off switch be used only to isolate power from the receiver prior to connection and disconnection of the power lead if the AR8600 is switched off using the PWR VOL switch the current VFO data may be lost IRESI S to switch the AR8600 on and off 23 SECTION 3 3 1 3 2 3 Basic manual operation of the receiver The following information explains how to tune to a specific frequency change receive mode etc Note When the AR8600 is switched OFF USING THE ST STANDBY KEY all VFO d
6. 00 if the frequency offset is currently off there will be no DUP legend displayed when the frequency offset is OFF Use the main dial or gt keys to select an unused frequency offset location between the numbers of 01 and 19 inclusive 00 being interpreted as off and 20 47 reserved for pre programmed data 37 SECTION 3 10 2 3 11 3 12 For example use the main dial until the LCD displays OFFSET 01 the bottom line of LCD will display indicating that no offset has been previously stored If data is stored the offset value will be displayed on the bottom line of the LCD and may be overridden Key in the desired offset in MHz format the gt key may be used as a backspace should an error be made i e for an offset of 1 600 MHz 7 ISHS TAK 14K SHG e Aa SHS BFP don t push enter 2 ISHE the key to toggle the frequency offset direction between and until the LCD shown for positive offset You may use the key to accep the frequency but stay in the menu in case you haven t yet decided on the direction of offset 7 SHS ENT ENT to accept the data input The LCD will revert to its operation prior to the frequency offset menu being called The LCD legend DUP will be displayed to indicate that frequency offset has been activated To use the frequency offset 9RESS gt Mant the LCD frequency of 433 000 MHz will alter to take account of the offs
7. 24 SECTION 3 2 In 2VFO mode both VFO frequencies are displayed in parallel format on the LCD one above the other The active VFO the one which is currently receiving is displayed using a large font centrally on the LCD the standby VFO is shown on a lower line using a smaller font size when using VFO SCAN it is possible for the lower line frequency to be active in this case a larger text size is employed for clarity Example of 2VFO UT YUPO LSE 6 05s I A T 8HS08 Frequency in LARGE fant 2V F OQ in operation is active receive frequency d VFO A LI B 433 4006 VFOB ISHS the key to first select VFO mode should the receiver be scanning or searching etc Each time the key is pushed VFO V A and VFO V B alternate between active and standby Receive 2WFO mode operation AFG Step VFO A frequency VFO B Receive frequency COVFS PUSH to change between VFO A and VFO B 7 The first time you enter a frequency via the numeric keypad it is best to 2 ISHS the key to place the receiver in a known state of operation TISHE the key so the V A becomes the active VFO upper and largest of the two frequency readouts This condition is referred to as 2VFO mode with VFO A active and VFO B as standby If you find the twin frequency display confusing PUHE 2 ISHE 2 ISHS or use the key sequence 2 ISHS 2 ISHS while no signal is present so that on
8. The display will return to VFO mode with 58 445 MHz displayed The main dial will now correctly follow the required bandplan Manual intervention is not always required Note The AR8600 is not dumb in the above example as soon as you pressed the key the CPU realised that a half step was not appropriate so would have selected an offset of 5 kHz automatically Try it and see just 2 ISHS while it displays 7 50 kHz yes it works Access the step menu to review the figures they will show a step size of 15 kHz and step adjust of 5 kHz clever Example 3 This example shows just how bizarre the bandplan can be Assume that you wish to tune from 145 210 MHz in 14 kHz steps i e 145 210 145 224 145 238 145 252 145 266 etc When manually tuning the AR8600 would normally correct the frequency display to read 145 236 then step upward in 14 kHz steps Tuning back downward will skip 145 210 MHz the starting point as the original frequency was not divisible by step size 35 SECTION 3 9 3 3 10 3 10 1 With this example of 145 210 MHz with 14 kHz steps in mind while in VFO mode key in the start frequency of 145 210 MHz ISHS TAR SHS OK SHO GEO SHS WAS SHS AL 2 ISHS aK HF ENT Access the STEP menu using the key sequence 2 ISH 2 ISHS 2 BL 14 kHz is nota standard size provided by rotating the main dial so key in the required 15 kHz step size 2 ISHS 2 ISHS do NOT press enter 2 ISHS to acce
9. When the ST3 key is used the opening message is bypassed BQ In normal use the squelch control should be rotated clockwise until the background noise is just cancelled this is known as threshold and is the most sensitive setting for the A d squelch control Do not rotate the control too far clockwise or only the stronger local Ro signals will be heard If you find setting the squelch control difficult try removing the aerial PINES from the receiver F Should you encounter problems in setting the volume level 2RESS the key to i momentarily defeat open the squelch so that a comfortable volume level may be set It is best to 2 ISHS the key at this time to place the AR8600 in a known state of operation The condition of VFO 1VFO or 2VFO is generally referred to as manual mode The 2VFO legend will be displayed in the upper left of the LCD to confirm selection Note If the AR8600 has no data input via the keypad or other controls for 90 seconds some menus will time out and the AR8600 will return to its previous task just as if the GI FAR key had been operated 3 2 2VFO twin VFO selection The AR8600 receiver has a twin VFO system being identified as V A and V B on the LCD to the left of the frequency readout The term VFO historically means Variable Frequency Oscillator and today refers to a tuneable data store which contains frequency mode step step adjust attenuator etc
10. 1 1 1 2 1 1 Introduction Thank you for purchasing the AR8600 transportable wide band all mode receiver The AR8600 is designed using the very latest technology to ensure the highest levels of performance and reliability To get the best possible results from your AR8600 we recommend that you read this manual and familiarise yourself with the receiver Although carefully designed this receiver like all receivers suffers from a degree of internal noises known as spurii They are a product of the receiver s circuitry and do not represent a fault Apparent faults may be due to accidental misoperation of the receiver if you think there is a problem carefully read all of the manual before deciding to contact your equipment supplier for advice It is acknowledged that sections of this manual are repetitive this is to enable the manual to be used as a reference book you don t have to read it all from cover to cover in one go Due to the international nature of the product some graphics contain Japanese characters Every effort has been made to make this manual correct and up to date Due to continuous development of the receiver and by error or omission anomalies may be found and this is acknowledged This manual is protected by copyright AOR Ltd 2000 No information contained in this manual may be copied or transferred by any means without the prior written consent of AOR Ltd AOR and the AOR logo are trade marks of AOR Ltd All othe
11. 7 SHG IRES S to access the VFO environment menu The following options are available 1 VFO SCAN ON OFF default off 2 DELAY OFF HOLD 0 1 9 9 seconds default 2 0s 3 LEVEL OFF 1 255 default OFF 4 VOICE OFF 1 255 default OFF 5 FREE OFF 1 60 seconds default OFF 6 AUTO STORE OFF ON default OFF 7 DELETE J Delete bank J 8 QUICK MEMORY OFF 1 990 seconds default OFF You may abort the menu at any time by pushing CI FAR 4 4 1 VFO SCAN This facility is used while monitoring in 2VFO mode the secondary VFO will be checked for activity at specified intervals VFO scan is toggled on off via the VFO environment menu use the key sequence 7 ISHS IRES S to access the VFO environment menu Use the key to toggle the status on off the default is off Please refer to section 4 2 of this manual for further details of VFO scan 4 4 2 VFO search DELAY The VFO search DELAY parameter affects the time the AR8600 will remain on an active frequency in VFO search mode once the received signal has disappeared and the squelch has closed This is particularly useful for customising how long the receiver will wait for a reply before resuming VFO search For example when communications are passed back and forth between a control tower aircraft which may take a few seconds The limits are OFF HOLD and 0 1 to 9 9 seconds in 0 1s increments default 2 0 seconds
12. 8 CONFIG Opening message 15 Band scope esses 15 1 Starting the band scope 15 2 Exit from band scope oo eee eee eeeeeeeeaee ue 15 3 Setting frequency span width waveform enlargement eceecceeesereeeeeeteeeeeeeneees T5 4 Moving the marker sci 2ecseetea eeecaceeescstures Aclivdezsl diet tah ENNET E D iaaii 15 5 Marker to strongest signal peak search 15 6 Entering a new centre frequency 15 7 Transfer of marker frequency to VFO 15 8 Peak hold assisia 15 9 Saving active trace to Memory 15 10 Loading stored band scope traces from MEMOLY ceeeeeeeeseeeeeteretereeereeneeeneeeaeees 16 SIGS EE SEEE AEE ETTE TETTE TT AT TTET 17 Computer control RS232 he 17 1 How to send an RS232 command eceeceeeceeeceeeeeeeeeteneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeneeeaeeeaeetaeeereneeeee 17 2 Brief command index RS232 wuss eeeeeceeeesesenseesesseeseeseeseeseaseassaneeneennaee 17 3 Detailed RS232 command listing 17 4 Clone of data via the RS232 socket we 17 4 How to clone data isisi ce ekiestessteeiceepateesets antec amieeenn i aa eai kki 18 Slot card socket 18 1 Optional slot cards Jy 18t Fitting the Slot card serci einaekanheni a na iii ineas arga 18 1 2 Removing the slot card esssssseeesesssesessesesesrssesesrscusencucesescesesenriseneuricerinrisenenresenes 18 2 Slot card option menu registering cards 18 3 TE8200 optional tone eliminator slot card 18 4 CT8200 optional CTCSS slot card 18 4 1
13. MHz cw Continuous Wave Often referred to a Carrier Wave or Morse code dots and dashes Commonly used on the short wave bands by radio amateurs toward the lower end of each band allocation Some commercial use is still made by shipping etc although its use is being phased out due to the introduction of automated stations 3 8 Changing tuning STEP size The specification for channel occupancy step separation and mode are decided by and allocated by departments of Governments following International discussions Not surprisingly the allocation of frequency bands are not the same all over the world and channel separation step varies from band to band As an example the channel separation step for the medium wave band in Europe is 9 kHz while in the U S A it is 10 kHz For the above reasons it is necessary to alter the STEP size according to local bandplan conventions The AR8600 has been pre programmed at the factory with all the bandplan data specific to each market area so that the AR8600 will automatically select the appropriate step size and mode for the frequency chosen This greatly simplifies operation of the receiver while you are familiarising yourself with all the facilities The pre programming of step size may be manually over ridden so you may choose alternative settings at will or when band plans are updated 31 SECTION 3 8 Should you wish to change the default tuning step size 2 ISHS 2 ISHS 2 BL
14. The third main text line of the LCD will display the current default size perhaps 25 00 kHz If the reverse LCD legend AUT displayed in the upper right corner of the LCD this indicates that AUTO MODE STEP is currently selected ZUFO AM The bottom line of the LCD displays the legend STEP SET to U 23 indicate that the AR8600 is inviting you to change the step size aha STEF amp Use the main dial or and gt keys to select the required step size STE ES i z ET The list is as follows 0 05 kHz 50 Hz 0 1 kHz 100 Hz 0 2 kHz 200 Hz 0 5 kHz 500 Hz 1 00 kHz 2 00 kHz 5 00 kHz 6 25 kHz 8 33 kHz 9 00 kHz 10 00 kHz 12 50 kHz 20 kHz 25 00 kHz 30 KHz 50 kHz 100 00 kHz To accept the displayed tuning step size 2 ISHS CENT the LCD will revert to its previous display Note The frequency step of 8 33 kHz has been included for compliance with the new VHF airband allocation it has been correctly implemented as eight and one third kHz so that no compound error arises i e the last digits display 33 66 00 The tuning step size may also be programmed in multiples of 50 Hz via the keypad so that unusual step sizes other than stated are possible The acceptable step size range is 0 05 kHz 50 Hz to 999 95 kHz in 50 Hz steps When the desired step size has been entered 2 ISHS to accept the new step size If you attempt to input an invalid step size the error beep will sound presum
15. been tagged the legend PASS 00 will be displayed The frequency pass contents may be reviewed using the gt keys or main dial To delete the current VFO pass frequency key in a nul value zero 2 ISHS CENT The frequency pass channel will be deleted and the list will reshuffle The frequency is once again available in search mode To delete the entire contents of the VFO pass list ISHS Pass the legend PASS 00 confirms deletion The VFO search pass list may also be deleted using the DELETE menu refer to section 10 2 of this manual Adding new pass frequencies ilei 2 ISHS the gt i While in the VFO PASS menu the key to wrap around to the end of the frequency pass list the legend PASS xx will be displayed where xx is the next available frequency pass channel The dashes indicate that the channel is currently unused Key in a frequency which you wish to skip during VFO search using MHz format and ending with CENT if you wish to add further frequencies to be skipped 2 ISHS and repeat the process To accept the data entry and exit the menu 2 ISHS CENT This facility is particularly useful if you know what frequencies are unwanted prior to searching such as constant carriers etc Note You may add frequencies in the range of 100 kHz to 2040 MHz via this menu but only those within the current search limits will be acted upon 4 3 5 Saving active f
16. five seconds after the last key press It is possible to configure the lamp to OFF and CONTINUOUS in addition to AUTO An RS232 lead is required for computer control various optional SLOT CARDS are available which further extend the AR8600 facilities and menus PUSH this key to place the AR8600 into SEARCH mode the LCD SRCH legend confirms operation 2 ISHS 2 ISHS to access the bank link menu where up to ten different selections of linked search banks may be grouped this is useful where a large frequency band has been split up into smaller more manageable sizes for close scrutiny Additional search related parameters may be set up to optimise each search group independently using this menu DELAY OFF HOLD 0 1s to 9 9s default OFF LEVEL OFF 1 to 255 default OFF VOICE OFF 1 to 255 default OFF FREE OFF 1s to 60s default OFF AUTOSTORE ON OFF default OFF DELETE J deletes the current data from bank J SCAN PUSH this key to place the AR8600 into MEMORY READ mode the LCD legend M RD confirms selection 2 ISHS SCAN again to initiate SCAN the LCD legend SCAN confirms selection 2 ISHS 2 ISHS to access the bank link menu where up to ten groups of memories may be selected to be scanned in succession effectively forming one large scan bank Additional scan related parameters may be set up to optimise each scan group independently using this menu
17. from the LCD Once AFC has been activated say when you are monitoring NFM it will temporarily be deactivated should you select WFM USB LSB CW but will automatically be reactivated when NFM or other supported modes are again selected VALID NFM SFM WAM AM NAM INVALID WFM USB LSB CW AFC has two settings on and off When AFC is ON the legend AFC appears on LCD during reception using a supported receive AFG mode ZUPFO Note Attempted operation while using an unsupported receive mode will result in the input being ignored however the on off toggle status will be incremented and implemented once a supported receive mode is selected i e you can always toggle the AFC status on off regardless of displayed mode To toggle AFC on off 2 ISHS 2 ISHS OUT the legend AFC confirms selection when a supported receive mode is in use To toggle on off again just repeat the sequence 2 ISHS FUNG 2 ISHE OJT the legend AFC is extinguished when AFC is OFF and using a supported receive mode Tags The selection of AFC is held separately in each VFO each memory channel and may also be toggled during search in scan mode the scanning process must be stopped in order to see which memory channel you are applying the AFC to AFC characteristics When the AFC is active while monitoring a transmission using a supported receive mode AFC will attempt to automatically pull the AR8600 onto centre fre
18. go s 7 7 Scan bank link SCAN group wersirsin iraniene cavecceapen cans aevnatcevensceasnentencshieseyneecinecctenes 7 8 Additional Scan faCilitiS nen erinus araon aea iaa AEE a A REAN A Sa AKA 7 8 1 Scan DELAY 7 8 2 Scan LEVEL 7 8 3 Scan VOICE 7 8 4 Scan FREE 7 8 5 Scan receive MODE ee amp 7 8 6 Write protect of memory channels amp banks ou eee cece cents teste teteeeeeeee FO Select SCAN seirene ia iaren EA ELEA ENE ENY EE TENENTE EEEREN 7 9 1 Adding select scan channels in memory read 5 7 9 2 Starting stopping select scan sesseesseseseesessssesssersisesoesesesresesreesenrerisinrasisrnternree 2 SECTION 1 729 3 Select Scan envirONnMent rriat nerede rinrin eia duns eetnd te avecdntee 7 9 4 Editing the contents of the select scan list a 7 9 5 Deleting all select scan channels c ccc cece eee eeeeeeeaeeaeeeseesseneeseeaseeeaneas 8 Search MOG r sence aaa a a a aa E a a eaa aaa acactsveudeccuvecesvsstuces 8 1 Search types z 8 1 1 Program search overview ou eeeeeeeeeeeeeneeeeeceeeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeneeeaeseereaeseneeeaeeeeteeaeenae 8 2 Starting program search sse sessessreeresresesesereenisrssestertseutucesestsceseneucesestusesiutusinenrasinenrus 8 2 1 Reversing the direction of search 8 2 2 Forcing the search to resume 8 2 3 Stopping the search 8 2 4 Copying an active frequency to the VFO or memory location 8 3 Selection of s
19. located on the front with most connection sockets on the rear of the AR8600 a brief identification is given here Riata F Nisin ku ual T Acres e 2LL5 ber amet leys Srede4 certral 1 Pheres Ban FR a isar aah 12 Hzn raal kay sey kyy Preyer els See over for a further description SECTION 1 5 Front cabinet Rotary volume control plus isolate power On Off Rotary squelch control Phones socket 3 5mm mono or stereo may be used Standby key for daily use as On Off Key Lock key Monitor key Function key Clear option key 9 LCD Liquid Crystal Display 10 Main keyboard ten keys plus decimal and enter 11 Arrow keys frequency change and menu manipulation 12 Main rotary dial frequency change and menu manipulation CONDOR WP aanry als 17 REWCTE a Le a She RS232 connection requirements Rear cabinet 13 IF output 10 7MHz for connection to the SDU5500 Spectrum Display Unit requires internal activation in a workshop 14 Serial number plate 15 BC ANT medium wave bar aerial connection 16 ANT BNC aerial socket all frequencies 17 REMOTE RS232 socket 9 pin D type 18 ACC socket 8 pin mini DIN tape record etc 19 EXT SP speaker socket 3 5mm mono 8 OHMS 20 DC 12V d c input nominal 12V 1A centre positive 21 RU8200 socket for record playback slot card 22 EM8200 socket for external memory slot card 23 VI8200 socket for analogue voice inver
20. of memory channel read Example of SCAN pau Moren shar wad M ED LFA qi Memory bank Hii 51 9004 amp chancel v grnger AUT Scanin adica REA SE Hr ATI 21 4588 zatian HEE FH 3307 Menar channel name Memory Rank name S unnng EHHE 2 2 Connect the aerial antenna Two aerials are supplied with the AR8600 BNC mounted whip aerial with swivel BC ANT MW bar aerial For general reception on the VHF UHF bands connect the supplied whip aerial to the BNC socket on the rear panel of AR8600 This is a bayonet connector line up the slots press down firmly and twist clockwise the guides will position then let go Position the right angle and swivel for the most convenient position with the whip generally pointing upward A different external aerial can easily be fitted once you have established that the AR8600 is operating correctly and you are familiar with operation If you wish to monitor MW Medium Wave bands plug in the BC ANT MW bar aerial The BC ANT slot is located centrally on the rear panel With the AOR logo of the BC ANT facing upward insert the aerial into the slot no force is required if you feel resistance you are probably trying to insert it upside down The BC ANT is asymmetrical With the longer arm of the bar facing to the right grooves to the bottom If you really press very hard it is possible to force the connector in backwards the BC
21. other times during data input Example of frequency entry 954 kHz 0 954 MHz ISH eA gt F GIS SHS GEO SKF GH ENT The frequency of 954 kHz is equivalent to 0 954 MHz When entering frequencies below 1 MHz there is no need to proceed the decimal point with a zero as this is added by the microprocessor during frequency entry then removed when the key is pushed to ensure the display appears neat and tidy You will note that frequencies below 3 0 MHz 3000 kHz will be automatically displayed in kiloHertz format the letter k will be displayed to the right of the frequency readout and the decimal point 26 SECTION 3 3 3 4 3 5 displayed to the right of the kHz position This is to ensure easy recognition of short wave frequencies which are often listed as kHz in frequency guides If an attempt is made to enter an out of range or invalid frequency such as 2345 MHz or 0 09 MHz the error beep will sound if beep is enabled and the LCD returns to the previous frequency prior to frequency input Acceptable input range is 0 1 MHz to 2040 MHz Note If you pause during frequency input for more than 90 seconds the menu will time out and the AR8600 will return to its previous task just as if the CI FAR key had been operated Aborting frequency input If for some reason you do not wish to complete the frequency data input 2 ISHS Cl FAR before completing the input sequence with 3 4 Correcting frequ
22. returned to AUTO using the MODE SET menu or by using the key sequence 2 ISHS IRES S 3CM 3 9 STEP adjust ADJ The AR8600 provides a powerful feature to enable accurate following of unusual band plans When active the ADJ legend is displayed top centre of the LCD Z UPO HEM 14 0k UV A 145 2108 Step adjust is used when the receiving frequency is not divisible II B by the step size in use It is possible that step adjust has been i 7 programmed into the auto mode bandplan data for some world market areas Therefore step adjust is useful for certain band plans such as cellular which in some areas starts as 917 0125 MHz then increments in 25 kHz steps Another example is the CB allocation in certain areas which starts at 27 60125 MHz then increments in 10 kHz steps Often just a HALF STEP is required but more exotic band plans can be tracked Step adjust may be factory pre programmed into the bandplan data you may override this It is also possible to store the step adjust data into memory channels and search banks 3 9 1 Automatic calculation of step adjust The AR8600 can calculate the required step adjust simplifying its use Example 1 Assume that you wish to tune from 148 010 MHz in 20 kHz steps i e 148 010 148 030 148 050 148 070 148 090 etc When manually tuning the AR8600 would normally correct the frequency display to read 148 020 then step upward in 20 kHz steps Tuning back downward will skip 14
23. the restriction of available size not all facilities can be shown on the keypad printing To ease access to the many facilities two formats are employed 2 SHG Push and release the key quickly to access the required facility This applies to primary facilities of keys such as numeric 1 2 3 etc Also for example quickly gt ISHGS the key while in 2VFO mode to toggle between the two VFOs VFO A and VFO B JRESS 3 Press and HOLD the key for more than one second to access the second function sometimes this is in conjunction with the FUNC key FUNC Function key manipulation The FUNG key also may be used by PUSH and PRESS depending upon the specific requirement in most cases however the FUNG key will require a simple PUSH Se ARES FUNC LCD legend solid FUNC LCD legend flashing SECTION 1 5 2 1 5 2 Summary of keys The keypad is split into four areas of the front cabinet of the AR8600 the ten keys for frequency access the bottom row for VFO SCAN SEARCH operations three on the left for standby key lock monitor and a group of four arrow keys on the right for frequency control and manipulation of menus When initially powered the lamp is configured to AUTO the lamp will be permanently illuminated when connected to external power and when running from the optional BP8600 internal battery pack the lamp will automatically illuminate when keys are pressed and will stay illuminated for
24. the second function of keypad facilities 2 ISHS to toggle the FUNCTION shift on off An solid reverse legend LCD FUNC indicates when function shift is in operation The function status is terminated automatically in the normal course of entry JRESS FUNC to initiate double shift which is used in certain menus as a short cut The reverse FUNC legend flashes when double shift is engaged 2 4 3 PASS key This key needs special attention as it acts as select ON OFF DEFAULT toggle in various menus 2 ISHS key to PASS lockout memory channels during memory read amp scan mode and to PASS lockout skip unwanted frequencies in search mode IRESI S in 2VFO mode to access the VFO PASS menu which extends to include the SEARCH bank pass edit menu 7 ISHS FUNC PRESS in 2VFO SEARCH or SCAN mode to access the SELECT SCAN edit menu 22 SECTION 2 4 4 2 4 5 2 4 6 2 4 7 2 4 4 CLEAR key 2 ISHS to abort entry via the keypad if in doubt 7 ISHS to return to the previous display menu or operating mode TRESS to select an option when an optional SLOT CARD is used ARES and hold the I FAR key while powering on the AR8600 to soft reset the microprocessor should the AR8600 appear to behave strangely no memory contents will be lost 2 4 5 MONITOR key The MONITOR key is used to force the squelch open to manually intervene ensuring that no weak signals are missed JRESS gt and hold the
25. 148 010 foie MHz displayed The main dial will now correctly follow the required bandplan 3 9 2 Cancelling step adjust There are two ways to cancel step adjust 1 Access the STEP menu 7 ISHS 7 ISHS 2 BL the step adjust data will be immediately displayed along with step size 7 ISHS to remove the step adjust data from the display the ADJ legend will be removed from the LCD 7 ISHS to accept the changes Step adjust will be cancelled 2 Presuming that you have manually selected step adjust step adjust has not been set by the auto mode bandplan reselect AUTO MODE which will reinstate the auto mode step size step adjust frequency offset and receive mode 7 ISHS FUNC TRESS 3 CM The ADI legend will be removed from the LCD and the auto mode AUT legend will be displayed 3 9 3 Manual setting of step adjust The AR8600 usually correctly guesses what step adjust you require often this is a half step but manual intervention is possible Example 2 Assume that you wish to tune from 58 445 MHZ in 15 kHz steps i e 58 445 58 460 58 475 58 490 58 505 etc When manually tuning the AR8600 would normally correct the frequency display to read 58 455 then step upward in 15 kHz steps Tuning back downward will skip 58 445 MHz the starting point as the original frequency was not divisible by step size it was offset by 5 kHz Usually the frequency must be divisible by the tuning step size
26. 8 010 MHz the starting point as the original frequency was not divisible by step size it was offset by 10 kHz Usually the frequency must be divisible by the tuning step size However the STEP ADJUST facility is used to address this situation Example Apply a 10 kHz step adjust for a frequency tuned in 20 kHz steps 148 00 148 02 148 04 148 06 14808 148 10 148 12 Se requency Step frequency 1 k 10k 10k Adjust frequency 10k 10k t10k 10k 148 01 148 1 148 05 148 07 148 09 148 11 148 13 Receive frequency With the above example of 148 010 MHz with 20 kHz steps in mind while in VFO mode key in the start frequency of 148 010 MHz 33 SECTION 3 9 1 3 9 2 3 9 3 ISH A SHS TOR SHS THR AE Aa SHS OT ISHS TAHE Access the STEP menu using the key sequence 7 ISHS FUNC gt ISHS 2 BL Use the main dial to SIF O HEM 20 0k select a step size of 20 kHz do NOT press enter H A AUT 2 ISHS to access the STEP ADJUST menu Accessing this menu will activate the step adjust facility the ADJ legend will be displayed on the LCD to confirm selection You will note that the calculated step adjust value is displayed on the bottom of the LCD as ADJ 10 00 representing a positive offset of 10 kHz with a step size of 20 kHz 2 ISHS to accept the SLO W 7 displayed data Adjust frequency calculated fram The display will return to VFO mode with
27. ANT will not operate if connected backwards 2 3 Connect power Connect the power to the AR8600 d c socket as detailed in section 1 6 of this manual Either a regulated d c power supply 12 14V with capacity of 1A may be used or a suitable connection to a vehicle cigar lighter plug do not connect to a 24V system such as a HGV If the optional BP8600 battery is fitted refer to section 1 6 1 of this manual 21 SECTION 2 4 2 4 1 2 4 2 2 4 3 2 4 Keypad and knobs what you need to know most Several of the keys have special characteristics a summary was given in section 1 5 1 of this manual where it was explained that several keys have two of three functions associated with them LJIMPORTANT Note Make sure you understand the PASS LOCKOUT SKIP operation before using the PASS facility this applies to the PROTECT facility too make sure both facilities are understood before you attempt to use them The list presented here represents what you need to remember most Refer to section 1 5 1 of this manual for the definition of PUSH and PRESS S should you not understand the syntax shown here 2 4 1 ENTER key Used as an ENTER key to accept data entry PRESS to enter the current frequency in to memory a quick memory facility is also available explained section 4 1 of this manual PUSH ISHS to access the text search menu 2 4 2 FUNCTION key The function shift key is used to select
28. CTCSS tone squelch ou 18 4 2 CTCSS search sessies x 18 5 VI8200 optional voice invertor Slot card essssesessssssssssrsissnrrsisrnrrsrnrnrrsrnrnnrsrnrnnes 18 6 RU8200 optional record amp playback slot card oo eee eects ee ee teen eeeeeeee 18 6 1 Recording oo cece cece eeeeesseneneeeneaee 18 6 2 PlayDaCk eeart eeur i aN 18 7 EM8200 optional external extended memory slot card 18 7 1 Initialising formatting the EM8200 before use 18 7 2 EM8200 ALL DATA save and load a 18 7 3 EM8200 ALL MEM Save and load ou eeeecceeseeseeeeeeeneeeeeeeereeeeeeeeaeesaeesaeeteneseneeanes 18 7 4 EM8200 MEMORY BANK save and load ou eeeceeeceeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseeerenereee 18 7 5 EM8200 ALL SRCH save and load ys 18 7 6 EM8200 SEARCH BANK save and load oo eeeeeceseceeereeereeeeeeeeeteneteneteneeeeeenneeeaees 18 7 7 EM8200 internally stored band scope save and load ou eee eee eee ee tee 19 Trouble shooting ceeceseceeeeeseeseeseeeeseeeseeeneneneneneeee 19 1 Soft reset of microprocessor 19 2 Other trouble shooting suggestions 19 3 Trouble shooting Take note of the following 20 Optional accessories ssseeeeeeseeeeees P 21 Aerial antenna earths amp propagation sssssussussusnusnuneusnunnunnunnunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 22 Specification eserse seepe uraren kapers cease snecuseteeetnceceetuccucteresteevecee akes E PEEKE TE SECTION
29. D to indicate that quick memory recall is in operation Note You will note that a maximum of 9 channels can be saved this is because the VFO frequency displayed when quick memory recall is executed is automatically stored into one of the 10 locations this allows you to return to the previous VFO display at a later date without the data being lost and saves having to remember what the frequency data settings were To revert to the VFO frequency displayed prior to the execution of quick memory recall 2 ISHS 2VFO the legend will be removed from the LCD to confirm exit from quick memory recall Alternatively you may tune away from any displayed quick memory frequency using the main dial and t 2 keys the X legend will be removed from the LCD to confirm exit from quick memory recall The effect with careful use is similar to adding a further 10 VFOs to the AR8600 4 2 VFO scan You will be aware that the AR8600 displays two VFOs with the top VFO being the active VFO which monitors activity At present you have to manually intervene by a 2 ISHS of the key to change between VFOs when monitoring duplex and semi duplex channels split frequency working when a base station transmits on one frequency and a mobile on another such as VHF marine and public service PMR as opposed to simplex which is single frequency operation this swaps the active VFO between V A and V B VFO SCAN causes the AR8600 to monit
30. Ensure that the squelch is closed in the absence of a signal or VFO search will not work the search process will start from the lowest frequency and will advance in the mode and tuning step as defined in the active top VFO Data other than frequency stored in the secondary VFO will be ignored the data being taken from the active VFO 2 ISHS to cancel VFO search and return to 2VFO mode 43 SECTION 4 3 2 4 3 3 4 3 4 Example of VFO SEARCH Receive mode VFO SEARCH Step size Il E i44 008 I A 145 6286 ee A Searching between 144 800 145 620 MHz Note While in VFO mode if the keypad or FUNC key is used the current status of the audio with respect to the squelch control will be maintained If the squelch is closed before you PUSH a key the audio will remain muted until the key sequence is completed even if the frequency becomes active and vice versa if the squelch is open audio remains even when the squelch closes 4 3 3 Forcing VFO search to resume amp changing search direction Should VFO search stop on a busy frequency you can force the search process to resume by rotating the main dial or by pushing any of the arrow keys gt ft amp The direction of rotation of main dial or arrow keys used dictates the direction of search this is useful to backtrack over an interesting frequency 4 3 4 Locking out unwanted frequencies PASS It is possible to lock out PASS u
31. FREE search by pressing the 4 key While in VFO or VFO search the LCD legend VSQ is displayed to indicate that VFO voice squelch is in operation 4 4 5 VFO FREE search The VFO FREE search parameter determines how long the AR8600 will remain on an active frequency before resuming VFO search even though the frequency is still active This is useful if you wish to gain a picture of what is happening on a band without the AR8600 being tied to a busy frequency for long periods of time such as when monitoring active amateur band repeaters etc VFO FREE search saves you having to manually intervene to force the VFO search process to resume and saves the need to lockout frequencies using the FREQUENCY PASS facility The limits are OFF and 01 to 60 seconds default is off VFO FREE search is configured via the VFO environment menu use the key sequence 48 SECTION 4 4 5 4 4 6 4 4 7 gt ISHS TRESS to access the VFO environment menu ISHE the amp key four times to move to the FREE parameter 2 ISHS to toggle between OFF and 5 seconds the default is off Use the main dial to increment value by 1s or use the gt keys to increment by 5s 2 ISHS to accept the changes and return to the display prior to accessing the VFO environment menu Alternatively you may move to the next option VFO AUTO STORE by pressing the amp key While in VFO search the LCD legend FRE is displayed to indicate that VFO free searc
32. SANE EATON SIEA VEETASE 10 4 DELETE select scan channels s snot risien iu araara aai r erea 10 5 DELETE memory channel protect 10 6 DELETE memory channel pass 11 Write protect 0 cesses 11 1 Memory CHANNEL write protect 11 2 Write protect during memory input oo a 11 3 Channel protect status for existing memory channels c eee eee ee eee cette 11 4 Channel protect delte snis beetle wel ida Oca a Ent 11 5 Memory BANK write protect vd 11 6 Search bank write protect oo eee eee nee nee se cece sneeseeseseeseessaeeeaseseeaeeseeaeenaee 11 7 Global write protect iiaa a arteve rinier enio aine aAa AEEA ia EAAS KAANAA iaia 12 TEXT search and input 12 1 Text input menus 12 2 Text search 13 SHORT CUT keys 13 1 Short cut menu access fs 1322 Short CUE Text enty siia A a AOE E A AOA A ERN 13 3 Short cut text entry keypad with E gt keys oc cceccccceceeeeeeeeeeseeeeeeeseeeeeeseeeesees SECTION 1 14 Configuration MENU c csicccetecctweseiescawetccetecwce sad ecscue cece usec ceeeccer econ edesadeveusvecunveteeeteeeese 14 1 CONFIG BEEP oe 14 2 CONFIG LAMP tahiti caine wel aaa nein seeds 14 3 CONFIG CONTRAST iiccesceinscenpencerseraenccenpeleieasu cans EEE RNENSE KIA Seea AAAA AETS RA KEEA 14 4 CONFIG Auto power off 14 5 CONFIG Remote RS232 14 6 CONFIG FREQ DISP aean aere ae iene EE Eea AEEA NEA aE EES 14 7 CONFIG GLOBAL write protect 14
33. SECTION 1 1 AR8600 Index 1 AN O ENANA EEE E EE EETAS EEATT AEEA 1 1 1 Introduction wy D 1 2 Take care of your radio avvccacc suse nebo chs ciel cians cece encase ena recede ahs 5 1 3 Attention while operating ii cect cssiteecenes crcctceclsisdetadidiaddeccs ial sks ieeteiseanbteceateaets 6 1 4 Accessories supplied 7 1 5 Controls amp functions 7 145 1 Keypad arii arun eina aaa Ara Aae K epea aa a EaI EAN aa LENES a ERA KAAN 9 1 5 2 Summary of keys 10 1 5 3 Important controls 15 1 6 Power supply 16 1 6 1 Optional internal battery BP8600 16 1 6 2 Charging the optional BP8600 battery i 17 1 6 3 Battery Considerations sossun i aa eh See a ia n 18 1 6 4 lt Ciga r lighter lead erne iyanrin versed aniankeaniseniveninaweradavecavecittenerea queens 18 1 7 if output and spectrum display 19 2 Making the AR8600 ready for operation 20 2 1 LCD Liquid Crystal Display 20 2 2 Connect the aerial antenna 6 21 2 3 Connect POWEF esssssssessssessscesesseserenrisenresirenrisrereses 5 21 2 4 Keypad and knobs what you need to Know MOS ou eee eect teeter eee 22 2 4 1 ENTER Key ceisia aner aatan a rra EEA AAA Aa Ea ENAA aA 22 2 4 2 FUNCTION key 22 2A 8s PASS OW aae KEE NEES E E centile AEE E E ES 22 224 4 CLEAR C TA E E TE AET 23 2 4 5 MONITOR key 23 2 4 6 KEY lock aia as 23 2 4 7 STANDBY key 23 3 Basic manual operation of the receiver 24 3 1 Swi
34. already stored in quick memory or the new frequency will be ignored this prevents all 10 quick memory channels needlessly containing the same frequency Saving quick memories while in VFO search The quick memory facility is available in VFO SEARCH mode in addition to 2VFO mode The procedure is just the same 7 ISHS the key while the receiver is monitoring a transmission to save the receive frequency and accompanying data to quick memory This quick memory data may later be recalled for monitoring or as the starting point to tune from Refer to section 4 3 of this manual for further information relating to VFO search During VFO search quick memories may also be written to automatically when the receiver has stopped on an active channel for more than a specified period of time between 10s and 990s this facility is default off Refer to section 4 4 8 of this manual for further information relating to VFO search quick memory 41 SECTION 4 1 2 4 2 4 1 2 Recalling quick memories Once a few quick memory channels have been stored key a different frequency into the VFO to assist identification of recalled data until you fully understand the process While in 2VFO mode 7 ISHS FUNC 2 ISHS gt The LCD will display one of the quick memory channels which have been stored use the gt keys to scroll through the list which contains up to ten frequencies The star legend is displayed toward the upper right of the LC
35. ameter causes the AR8600 to check the current frequency for valid audio and to only open the squelch when audio above a specified level which is programmable in 256 steps is detected The limits are OFF and 1 to 255 default off Note VFO VOICE squelch affects both VFOs and VFO search VFO VOICE squelch is configured via the VFO environment menu use the key sequence 7 ISHS IRES S to access the VFO environment menu JSH the amp key three times to move to the VOICE parameter 7 ISHS as a short cut to off which is the default Use the main dial to increment value in by 1 or use the gt keys to increment by 10 While adjusting voice squelch the legend will be displayed to the left of the value VOICE 12 indicating that the current value will not cause the squelch to close Increase the value until the legend is just extinguished this may typically be typically around a value of 1 to 100 the current transmission and signals with audio below this level will be skipped There will be no audio produced when a transmission is encountered with audio below the level configured even though the S squelch legend is displayed Note When voice squelch is in operation the rotary squelch control is usually best rotated to the fully anti clockwise position 2 ISHS to accept the changes and return to the display prior to accessing the VFO environment menu Alternatively you may move to the next option VFO
36. ank I or i and search bank I or i or S or s 2 ISHS 2 ISHS will delete the currently displayed memory channel during memory read or scan gt ISHS IRESI S accesses the delete menu where search banks VFO pass frequencies memory banks select channel tags channel protect status amp memory pass tags may be deleted Numeric figure zero during frequency input Selection of memory scan bank J or j and search bank J or j or T or P 2 ISHE 2 ISHE to toggle the AFC Automatic Frequency Control facility on off the LCD legend AFC confirms selection 2 ISHS IRES S to access the clone copy between radio menu A special RS232 male male pin pin lead will be required Numeric decimal during MHz format frequency input Used in memory and search as a CASE SHIFT key to toggle between UPPER and LOWER case banks 2 ISHE 2 ISHE to access the frequency offset menu gt SHS IRES S to access the sleep timer menu Used as an ENTER key to accept data entry TISHE during VFO operation to write the current frequency to QUICK MEMORY where the key sequence 2 ISHS FUNC 2 ISHS gt recalls quick memory The gt keys may be used to cycle through the quick memories the LCD legend indicates when a quick memory has been recalled TRESS to enter the current frequency in to one of the 1 000 memory channels 2 ISHS 2 ISHS to access the text search menu
37. annel review hunt oo eeeceeeceeeceeeeeeeeeteneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaeeeaeeeaeesaeeeeeteneeeneees 5 5 Deleting memory channels 5 5 1 Memory channel editing A 5 5 2 Adding text names to memory banks ssssssesssssisrsisrisrsrnrisistnrnsrnrnnsinrnrrsrnrnnrnre 5 6 Transfer of memory channel to VFO s ssssssessssssssernsrsrsrssrsrnrnsrnrnrisrnrnrrnrernrrninrnnrnrntnnnt 5 7 Dynamic memory bank resizing oa 6 Priority Operation sssacicc ceccccecccce cee sretsccreccecnceessenscucsaevcccteetaeevedeiwesatesuanecseuesecaneeteceeccte 6 1 Engaging PRIORITY channel ceeceeeceeeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseeseneereeeeeeesneeseneseneeeneeees 6 2 Changing PRIORITY channel data wo 6 2 1 Changing the priority channel data pickup channel 6 2 2 Changing priority interval time 7 SCAN scanning memory channels amp banks 7 1 SCAN outline introduction oo a 722 OGAN Considerations wiv Hressir aeaaaee E EEEIEE TONENE ANANN TEENE 7 9 Staring to SCAN 2 fsie threes aE TE EENAA N 7 3 1 Transfer of active memory to VFO 7 4 Selecting a scan bank n e e 7 5 Channel PASS ou ee 7 5 1 Toggling memory channel PASS 00 7 5 2 Removing ALL memory PASS tags in one go zx 7 6 Deleting memory channels n ssessesssesresrsesrssrserrereresresesiorusesenrnsesensuresenrirnsinrrsrsenrese 7 6 1 Deleting single memory channels ss s sssssesssnesesssnsssrssrsrnrnsrsrnrnsrnrnrisrernrrnrnrnnrnenea 7 6 2 Deleting whole memory banks in one
38. ata will be automatically stored into flash ROM memory storage No battery or capacitor is required for memory backup If the AR8600 is switched off using the PWR VOL control prior to use of the STY key the VFO data may be lost If the optional BP8600 battery is fitted and becomes completely exhausted the last stored memory channel or last VFO data may be lost CURSOR The CURSOR may apparently go to sleep at times when menus are called This is because of the many tasks called by the microprocessor it is simply doing something else at the time you call it This is particularly noticeable when recalling memory banks when only a few channels have been stored 3 1 Switching On for the first time Set the squelch control to the mid point and rotate the PWR VOL control to the mid kd point as you start to rotate the PWR VOL control a click will be heard as the power isolation switch contact switches on For future switching on and off ARESS the ST3 key It is never a good idea to switch on any receiver with an earphone connected there may be an audible click when the unit is switched on or the volume may be accidentally set uncomfortably high ATAAIL In the default state the LCD will show the opening message WELCOME TO THE NEW D a WORLD OF AR8600 across the first four lines at the same time the microprocessor A t Rp Sead generates the boot up data required to control the receiver
39. ccess the priority menu where the data from a memory channel may be assigned for priority use The interval sampling time may also be specified Numeric figure five during frequency input Selection of memory scan bank E or e and search bank E or e or O or o 2 ISHE 2 ISHE to initiate select scan assuming that more than one memory channel has already been tagged for select scan The LCD legend SEL indicates when select scan is active ISHE SRCH Jor SCAN Jor 2VFO J to exit select scan Numeric figure six during frequency input Selection of memory scan bank F or f and search bank F or f or P or p 2 ISHS 2 ISHS to access the program search menu where upper lower fre quency limits etc for search mode may be entered Numeric figure seven during frequency input Selection of memory scan bank G or g and search bank G or g or Q or q 2 ISHS 2 ISHS to access the configuration menu where the beep lamp LCD contrast RS232 etc may be configured Numeric figure eight during frequency input Selection of memory scan bank H or h and search bank H or h or R or r 2 ISHE 2 ISHE to access the edit menu when memory channels and search banks may be amended and copy protection configured 13 SECTION 1 5 2 Numeric figure nine during frequency input Selection of memory scan b
40. chieve a wide bandwidth irrespective of receive mode employed however the usable bandwidth remains smaller than the total 10MHz provided by the SDU5500 The i f output varies depending upon receive frequency and receive mode The SDU5500 provides an excellent tool for locating elusive transmission with a PEAK capability to freeze the briefest of transmissions for later measurement of frequency and level after the event A free supporting PC software package provides a virtual on screen display of the SDU5500 with AVI video recording to disk so that events may be replaced at varying speeds for historic analysis The firmware of the SDU5500 is FLASH upgradable It may be necessary to upgrade the SDU5500 firmware to support for the AR8600 other models and new features may be added to the SDU5500 in the same manner Details are published on the AOR web site including the HEX data and full instructions plus computer control no workshop equipment is required for firmware update and you do not need to remove the case of the SDU5500 all data is sent via the RS232 connection via a terminal program 19 SECTION 2 2 1 2 Making the AR8600 ready for operation 2 1 LCD Liquid Crystal Display All relevant operational information is provided via the central LCD To see all the available LCD legends and to test the LCD an LCD test routine has been provided IRES S and hold the key then switch the AR8600 on then turn th
41. ck recall at a later date Frequency offset is primarily designed for memory channel use it may appear rather long winded to toggle on off in VFO mode However even when programmed frequency offset is in no way detrimental to normal operation The acceptable range of frequency offset is 0 MHz to 999 99 MHz of course if the offset is set to 0 MHz the frequency will not change Before the FREQUENCY OFFSET facility can be used it first needs to be configured unless factory programmed for certain bands 3 10 1 Using pre programmed frequency offset data To access the frequency offset set up menu 2 ISH 2 ISHS 36 SECTION 3 10 1 3 10 2 The third line will display OFFSET 00 with 00 indicating that frequency offset is currently off there will be no DUP legend displayed when the frequency offset is OFF The bottom line of LCD will display indicating that no offset PUD HEA 4 z is stored Use the main dial or gt keys to i DS review the offset locations particularly numbers 7 te A 43 20 to 47 where useful factory programmed offsets may be stored As soon as you shift from location 00 the DUP duplex legend is displayed on the LCD to indicate that frequency offset is in use Offset or Presuming that data is already programmed into an offset location 2 ISHS the key to toggle offset between positive and negative offset this is a global toggle and affe
42. cts ALL frequency offset channels but not those already stored into memory or search banks To accept the offset setting ISHE ENT The LCD will revert to its operation prior to the frequency offset menu being called The LCD legend DUP will be displayed to indicate that frequency offset has been activated 20 k Lm Offset number Tf bP m m Olfset frequency To use the frequency offset 7RESS gt Mont the LCD frequency VFO HEM 26 6k will alter to take account of the offset value amp direction and the lI A squelch will be defeated When you release the MICK key the AR8600 will revert to the original frequency and squelch will close if no signal is present Note Each VFO memory channel and search bank can be programmed with a different frequency offset If different channels and offsets have been programmed to VFOs etc the key sequence ISHE 2 ISHGS will recall the specific offset location originally used during programming this is particularly useful when you simply wish to toggle the offset To cancel the frequency offset access the frequency offset menu and select location 00 the DUP legend will be removed from the LCD 3 10 2 Entering new frequency offset data Assume that you are in VFO mode with a frequency of 433 000 MHz To access the frequency offset set up menu 2 ISHS 2 ISHS The third line will display OFFSET 00 with
43. e it is possible to delete the contents of memory bank J using this menu this allows you to quickly dump the unwanted contents of the auto store memory bank J before starting a new VFO search with the auto store feature enabled DELETE BANK J may be executed via the VFO environment menu this is best carried out immediately after the auto store facility has been activated Alternatively you can dump the contents of the auto store bank J at any time Use the key sequence JSHG IRES S to access the VFO environment menu 2 ISHE the key six times to move to the DELETE J parameter 49 SECTION 4 4 7 4 4 8 If bank J contains data the legend J00 will be displayed the number indicating the presence of data alae i PEE 2 ISHCS Pass if no data is held in bank J the legend J will be displayed u to delete the contents of bank J this will take a few seconds to action by the CPU The legend J will be displayed to confirm deletion 7 ISHS to return to the display prior to accessing the VFO environment menu Alternatively you may move to the next option QUICK MEMORY by pressing the amp key 4 4 8 VFO QUICK MEMORY It is possible to automatically save the current VFO frequency or frequencies found during VFO search as an alternative to VFO search auto store to the 10 quick memories for rapid recall To automatically distinguish between
44. e main dial to increment value in by 1 or use the gt keys to increment by 10 While adjusting level squelch the legend will be displayed to the left of the value LEVEL 3 indicating that the current value will not cause the squelch to close Increase the value until the legend is just extinguished this may typically be around a value of 5 60 the current transmission and signals below this level will be skipped There will be no audio produced when a transmission is encountered below the level configured even though the S squelch legend is displayed This is a useful alternative to regular squelch on noisy bands such as short wave The approximate relationship between signal meter segments and level value is as follows 1 2 3 4 5 6 l 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8 13 18 24 29 35 39 44 50 55 58 62 71 77 Note When level squelch is in operation the rotary squelch control is usually best rotated to the fully anti clockwise position 47 SECTION 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 2 ISHS to accept the changes and return to the display prior to accessing the VFO environment menu Alternatively you may move to the next option VFO VOICE squelch by pressing the amp key While in VFO or VFO search the LCD legend LSQ is displayed to indicate that VFO level squelch is in operation 4 4 4 VFO search VOICE squelch The VFO VOICE squelch par
45. e PWR VOL control clockwise to provide power or if already switched on ARES ST3 When the sign on message has been displayed all LCD graphics will be displayed To exit the LCD test ARESS 5 STY The LCD contrast is adjustable using the configuration menu as is the rear LCD amp keypad illumination no 2 0 ei AS ATT AFC ADJ DUP ky ot Ae PAS SEL NL x A DH 18 RS232 remote 19 Band scope peak search quick memory 20 Auto mode 21 Operating mode 2VFO SRCH SCAN etc 22 Receive mode 23 Tuning step size 24 Active receive frequency 25 Squelch open legend 26 Signal meter Typical examples of LCD Example of SEARCH SECH HFM fal al F 145 7208 144MHZ ham Se RE Search in action Search park nur ge at 72 Search bank rer Priority Search hold band scope peak hold Voice squelch Free search scan Level squelch Low battery if optional BP8600 is fitted Auto store Attenuator Automatic Frequency Control 10 Step adjust 11 Duplex 12 Sleep 13 Key lock 14 Function 15 Pass lockout 16 Select scan 17 Noise limiter OANDAARWND PRI HLD VSQ FRE LSQ O AS ATT AFC ADJ DUP o ie PAS SEL NL x Example of 2VFO TH Frequency in LARGE font PVT On anerahon SWE OQ LSE ease 2 ettwe receive tequency U 7 BORE tee veo W E 455 dues VFQ B 20 SECTION 2 1 2 2 2 3 Example
46. e been removed This allows the full transmitter power to be employed in conveying useful information within the wanted sideband As a result greater distances are possible on SSB with a smaller frequency bandwidth being required than most other receive modes The AR8600 uses true carrier re insertion and a dedicated SSB i f filter so that voice becomes intelligible However due to the complexities of SSB audio never sounds 100 natural like all SSB equipped receivers the AR8600 may sound a little robotic but you soon get used to SSB receivers Small tuning steps of 50 Hz or 100 Hz should be used for tuning in USB and the other similar modes LSB amp CW The AR8600 is a wide band receiver and as such cannot offer the receive performance of a dedicated short wave receiver such as the AOR AR7030 this is mainly due to the limitation of size The AR8600 will however provide adequate results for oceanic ship to shore amateur band and general broadcast listening etc The SSB frequency display is not offset like some other units this is good for referencing to frequency booklets and data bases However being such a compact wide band receiver it will not be unusual for the SSB display to be a few hundred Hz off frequency when listening to known frequencies such as VOLMET airband weather forecast service this is considered normal LSB Lower Side Band The same comments apply as for USB By convention radio amateurs use LSB below 10
47. e inside the AR8600 while connected to an external 12V d c power supply Switch the AR8600 to STANDBY by pressing the ST key for more than one second or switching off the AR8600 using the PWR VOL control It will take 48 hours for the BP8600 to fully charge the BP8600 will not successfully charge when the AR8600 is in operation The AR8600 will provide around 2 hours of continuous operation with one third volume and constant reception with the backlight switched off The operational time between charges will be dependant upon volume level and operating parameters the power save facility will also extend operating time If connected to an external power supply the AR8600 many be used for continuous operation regardless of the charge status of the NiCad battery the charge current being at a very low level When the NiCads near discharge three states will be encountered 1 A battery symbol will appear in the extreme top right of the LCD a couple of minutes before the NiCads completely discharge The operational cut off point is difficult to determine making advance warning brief The legend will have one diagonal bar representing minimal charge left 2 The LCD battery legend will become an empty outline operation will cease almost immediately 3 The NiCads will expire and the set will power off the VFO frequencies and last stored memory may be lost Connect a 12V d c power supply to continue operation or
48. e noise limiter can help to reduce the effects of noise spikes and pulses while listening in AM and SSB modes WAM AM NAM USB LSB CW The noise limiter may be toggled on off in all receive modes but will only be operational in the AM and SSB modes it will have no effect on WFM NFM or SFM 38 SECTION 3 12 3 13 The noise limiter has two settings on and off When the noise limiter is ON the legend NL appears on LCD To toggle the noise limiter on off gt ISHS RESS 5 Ha RE The legend NL confirms selection and the noise limiter Bea will be active in AM and SSB modes To toggle on off again just Toro Thi repeat the sequence ISHE TRESS gt C1 AK the legend NL is extinguished when the noise limiter is OFF The selection of noise limiter is held separately in each VFO each memory channel and may also be toggled during search in scan mode the scanning process must be stopped in order to see which memory channel you are applying the noise limiter to 3 13 AFC Automatic Frequency Control The AR8600 is equipped with AFC this is useful when tracking unusual band plans or when the exact frequency is unknown it ensures that the AR8600 is tuned to centre frequency for best reception AFC is operational only in NFM SFM WAM AM NAM AFC is not operational in WFM USB LSB CW If AFC has been activated and you select a mode not supported by AFC the AFC legend will be extinguished
49. earch Dank ou eee cece eee te tere teeee z 8 4 Programming a search bank sisisi esinin eieaa 8 5 Locking out unwanted active frequencies PASS s ssseesssnersisineisisinersrnrnsrsrnrnnrse 8 5 1 Search pass Menu ssssssssessersisisersisinnisinnersnene 8 6 Search bank link 8 7 Additional search facilities 8 7 1 Search DELAY 8 7 2 Search LEVEL z 82723 Search VOICES ye aia ananpi danas ced clisent cede yeqeneGuanecees cere TEE a 8 7 4 Search FREE 8 7 5 AUTO STORE a 827 62 DELETE DANK Y 28 carn echt a eR ade DORON EE OA E A aM 8 7 7 Deleting Search DAMKS vis ccssccpiscsecsecatecsatateavecesapatcunencvsansevsva duvsetoapvedsnaeesgevccnacasats 8 7 8 Write protect and copying search banks 9 EDIT menu on cseecsseeseeeeeeeesteeeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeee ss 9 1 EDIT COPY memory channel sisal een ilk Seek neat ane eee 9 2 EDIT COPY memory Dank lt cccscenatecesteccvnccennen cane cgeentucenpeecsaacesstancentagsnvedccanadeaceinnes 9 3 EDIT COPY search bank in 9 4 EDIT MOVE memory channel sciscieavesitnd ees ciczstacsctnattia sasciissisnmetiveientahdanees 9 5 EDIT SWAP memory channel ou cece eee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseesseesseeseeneseeneeneeseeeeaees 9 6 EDIT memory channel 9 7 EDIT Search protect 10 DELETE menu facilities 10 1 DELETE search banks and search PASS frequencies 10 2 DELETE VFO PASS oreinen e aata anai ie eae T 10 3 DELETE memory Danks mas amaenn nams E sneer NEAN
50. egend is replaced with Hex t the legend V SC representing VFO SCAN To toggle VFO scan off use the same key sequence and menu Note While the primary VFO remains active VFO scan will not check the secondary VFO VFO scan will not start While VFO SCAN is active the priority facility is disabled 4 2 1 VFO SCAN sampling time The time elapsed between samples and for remaining on the secondary VFO is set by PRIORITY INTERVAL time Please refer to the section 6 2 2 detailing priority operation The default is time is 5 seconds 4 3 VFO Search It is possible to quickly assign two frequency limits to VFO A and VFO B then instruct the AR8600 to automatically tune the receiver from one frequency limit to the other in the specified receive mode and tuning step looking for active frequencies This process is called VFO SEARCH 4 3 1 Defining VFO search 1 Place the AR8600 into VFO mode JSH 2VFO 2 Enter a frequency into VFO A i e 7 ISHS to display V A as the active top VFO Enter a frequency such as 145 200 MHz 3 2 ISHS to display V B as the active top VFO Enter a different frequency such as 145 775 MHz Note When the receive mode is set to AUTO the AR8600 will take the receive mode tuning step size and other data variables from the pre programmed auto mode bandplan 4 3 2 Starting VFO search IRES S to start VFO search the legend V SR indicates when VFO search is in operation
51. ency input Should an error be made while entering frequency data by pressing the wrong numeric key it may be corrected using the gt BACKSPACE facility This facility enables rapid correction of errors prior to the completion of entry by the enter key Example of frequency data correction while keying 433 250 MHz ISHS LOR HE TOD HE ToD HE Ra HE then 7 ISHS Faa as if you have made a mistake 2 ISHS gt the number 7 clears from the LCD 2 ISHS 2 ISHS to finalise the correct entry 3 5 Changing frequency using the and amp keys The tt and amp keys provide a convenient method of frequency change The speed at which the receiver steps up or down depends upon the STEP SIZE which is default to AUTO In AUTO the step size receiver mode etc is taken from the factory pre programmed band plan but may be overridden at any time Examples of tuning step include 0 05 kHz 50 Hz 0 1 KHz 100 Hz 0 2 kHz 200 Hz 0 5 kHz 500 Hz 1 00 kHz 2 00 kHz 5 00 kHz 6 25 kHz 8 33 kHz 9 00 kHz 10 00 kHz 12 50 kHz 20 kHz 25 00 kHz 30 kHz 50 kHz 100 00 kHz The tuning step size may also be programmed in multiples of 50 Hz via the keypad so that unusual step sizes other than stated are possible 2 ISHS the key to tune the receiver upward in whichever step size is selected use the to tune the receiver downward in frequency You may 2RESS and hold either key to continuously tune the receiver in whichever di
52. equency will be lost and the frequency used prior to this will be displayed when next powered up Terminology Search amp Scan If you have not used a wide range monitor before or are not familiar with the terminology used it is very important to understand the difference between SEARCH and SCAN modes SEARCH The AR8600 provides several operations where transmissions active frequencies may be automatically located by sweeping the receiver over a wide frequency range either from the currently displayed frequency travelling upwards or downwards in a specified tuning increment step or by sweeping over and over between two specified frequency limits This process is known as SEARCHING as the title implies it can take a long time to find transmissions due to their often intermittent and brief nature For this reason it is best to slice large frequency ranges into smaller more manageable pieces where they may be intensively studied When examining large frequency bands it is common to find that 90 of frequencies are inactive and only a small number of the remaining constitute what you really want Searching still remains the best way to initially locate active and interesting transmissions in conjunction with a good frequency listing and band plan SCAN Once active transmissions have been identified either by searching or by using a good frequency guide it is more efficient to store the data into memories which can be rapidly a
53. er and changes values in menus a The left arrow key selects bank in memory read mode moves the cursor position especially during text input tunes the receiver and changes values in menus tT The up arrow key increments to next memory channel in memory read mode tunes the receiver in VFO mode selects menu items changes values in on screen menus and forces scan amp search to resume when stopped on a busy channel The down arrow key increments memory channel in memory read mode tunes the receiver in VFO mode selects menu items changes values in on screen menus and forces scan amp search to resume when stopped on a busy channel Note Ensure that the arrow keys are operated cleanly and one at a time 1 6 Power supply The AR8600 is designed for operation using a good quality regulated d c supply of 12 to 14V which should be capable of supplying 1A Never connect the AR8600 directly i to the a c supply The d c input socket uses a mini 2 1mm power connector This connector is configured CENTRE POSITIVE the chassis of the receiver is at negative ground If a power supply has been provided with the AR8600 depending upon world market area it is pre wired and provides a nominal 12V d c output with suitable connectors being fitted as standard for the a c power input and connection to the AR8600 LISAFETY NOTICE Always disconnect the power supply from the a c socket when not in use 1 6 1 Optional inter
54. et value and direction and the squelch will be defeated the duplex frequency of 434 600 MHz which is 1 600 MHz above the original frequency will be displayed When you release the key the AR8600 will revert to the original frequency of 433 000 MHz and squelch will close if no signal is present You can access the frequency offset menu simply to change the direction of we a offset from to or vice versa 3 11 Attenuator The attenuator adds 10dB of signal reduction to the RF input stages of the AR8600 to reduce the possible effects of strong signal overloading due to connection to an external aerial or when the receiver is used in close proximity to strong transmissions The AR8600 has two settings for ATT attenuator on and off When the attenuator is ON the legend ATT appears on upper left UT of the LCD SRCH WFAA iagk To toggle the attenuator on off 2 ISHS ISHS E oH Gee i ee 1 5 The legend ATT confirms selection and incoming Fitaug TUI S signals will be reduced in strength To toggle on off again just ere ee repeat the sequence gt ISHS 2 ISHS C1 AK the legend ATT is extinguished when the attenuator is OFF The selection of attenuator is held separately in each VFO each memory channel and may also be toggled during search in scan mode the scanning process must be stopped in order to see which memory channel you are applying the attenuator to 3 12 Noise limiter Th
55. h is in operation and the search process will only pause on active frequencies for the specified time 4 4 6 VFO AUTO STORE The VFO auto store causes the first 50 active frequencies located during VFO search to be automatically written into memory bank J channels JOO to J49 If bank J is full VFO auto store will not function Note Memory banks are dynamically configurable so that bank J has 50 channels at default but may be configured to provide 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 or 90 channels Refer to section 5 7 of this manual regarding dynamic memory bank resizing VFO auto store is configured via the VFO environment menu use the key sequence 2 ISHE FUNG IRES S to access the VFO environment menu SHG the J key five times to move to the AUTO STORE parameter 2 ISHS or use the gt keys to toggle VFO auto store on off default is off 2 ISHS to accept the changes and return to the display prior to accessing the VFO environment menu Alternatively you may move to the next option DELETE J by pressing the amp key which is useful before exiting the environment menu While in VFO search the LCD legend AS is displayed to indicate that VFO auto store is in operation Frequencies closer than 10 kHz to a frequency already stored in bank J will be ignored this prevents the same frequency being stored over and over again 4 4 7 DELETE bank J To simplify the results of VFO auto stor
56. he power supply or cigar lead remove the optional BP8600 internal NiCad battery pack if fitted and count to thirty Reconnect power or refit the battery and switch on again Normal operation should be restored but the last used frequency will be lost the AR8600 will restore the last but one frequency to display 2 Symptom The AR8600 fails to power up Action Try the suggestion given in 1 then hold the I FAR key while powering up the AR8600 to Soft reset the microprocessor 1 3 Attention while operating 1 Certain key operations are acted upon when the key is RELEASED not while it is pressed Allow time for the AR8600 to register such actions before pressing another key 2 The keylock ght is intentionally made to be difficult to operate to prevent accidental operation To release keylock the gh key has to be held for more than one second the key legend on the LCD confirms operation The ruas key is disabled during keying sequences such as when entering frequencies 3 If a key sequence is not completed the microprocessor will automatically abort most operations after about 90 seconds of keypad inactivity 4 Currently displayed VFO data is saved at power down to increase speed of operation and to reduce write cycles For this reason if the AR8600 is powered down using the PWR VOL control or external power is removed without the optional internal BP8600 battery fitted or becomes exhausted the last displayed fr
57. ing in 2VFO mode 10 quick memories are provided for easy saving of current VFO data and simple recall at a later time When all 10 quick memories have been used and further data is stored the oldest quick memory will be overwritten Quick memory channels are not numbered they simply form a chronological list which you may recall and scroll through Quick memories may also be written to automatically when using VFO SEARCH MODE To activate AUTO QUICK MEMORY the VFO environment parameters need to be first set up The AR8600 provides 1 000 memory channels in addition to the 10 quick memory channels and a priority channel Each quick memory channel may hold all the data for the current VFO frequency mode step step adjust frequency offset attenuator setting noise limiter status amp AFC status 4 1 1 Saving quick memory data If you are not already in 2VFO mode 2 ISHS so that the 2VFO legend is displayed toward the upper left of the LCD While in 2VFO mode 2 ISHS the key to save the current active VFO upper of the two frequency displays with larger characters into quick memory If the beep facility is active a BEEP will be heard if the beep facility is not active there will be no indication that quick memory storage has taken place until you recall the data Change the displayed frequency and save two or three further quick memory channels Note Frequencies must be more than 10 kHz from of a frequency
58. ing that the beep facility is enabled and the incorrect input will be ignored Tuning step Active frequency must be divisible by step size There is just one small point to bare in mind the active frequency must be divisible by the step size in 99 of cases they will be However should you start experimenting with different step sizes you may notice the active frequency change automatically to the nearest multiple of step size as the AR8600 calculates automatically for you there is no need to carry a calculator For example select 118 000 MHz then select a 9 kHz step size ISHS TAC SHS AK SHS BHR SG 7 ISHS 2 ISHS choose 9 00 using the main dial then 2 ISHS The receive frequency will currently be displayed as 118 000 MHz but once the main dial has been used the displayed frequency will be corrected to 117 9990 or 118 0080 MHz depending upon the direction of tuning both of which are the closest multiple of 9 KHz to 118 MHz 32 SECTION 3 8 3 9 3 9 1 The display doesn t correct immediately upon frequency entry to allow you to enter the STEP ADJUST menu to change the step size and step adjust in order to help track unusual band plans Note AUTO STEP STEP ADJUST and AUTO MODE are linked to the pre programmed bandplan data When one of the parameters is changed from the default AUTO the bandplan will be ignored To reinstate AUTO step size the receive MODE must be
59. input The LCD will revert to VFO mode with the AUT legend confirming selection Note Auto mode is cancelled as soon as the receive mode tuning step or other related data is changed Remember that auto STEP and auto MODE are linked reselect AUTO MODE if either have been adjusted and you require the auto bandplan selection 3 7 2 Receive mode selection menu Any receive mode may be selected at any frequency within the receiver s frequency coverage To access the receive mode menu 2 ISHS 2 ISH SCM the following modes are available AUTO WFM NFM SFM WAM AM SAM USB LSB CW Use the main dial or gt 4 keys to make selection the key acts as a short cut to AUTO To accept the selection SHE As a further short cut to AUTO MODE 7 SHG JRESS 3 CM The reverse LCD legend AUT confirms selection 29 SECTION 3 7 2 With regard to receive mode generally speaking the following modes will apply AUTO Receive mode and tuning step will be selected automatically using the pre programmed auto bandplan data WFM Wide band Frequency Modulation used by VHF and UHF broadcast stations as excellent audio quality is available due to the relatively wide frequency bandwidth employed Used only for local services such as VHF Band Il stereo received as mono on the AR8600 and UHF TV sound channels When listening in VERY strong signal locations especially when using an external aerial adjacent chan
60. interesting and uninteresting frequencies you may set the length of time you need to monitor the frequency before the automatic save takes place The available range is OFF 10s 990s in 10 second increments default is off VFO quick memory is configured via the VFO environment menu use the key sequence 7 ISHS IRES S to access the VFO environment menu JSH the J key seven times to move to the QUICK MEMORY parameter 7 ISHS to toggle between off and 60s or use the main dial to increment in 10s and the gt keys to increment in 100s 2 ISHS to accept the changes and return to the display prior to accessing the VFO environment menu Alternatively you may move to the top of the VFO environment option list by pressing the key While in VFO or VFO search mode frequencies monitored for longer than the specified quick memory period will be automatically saved to the 10 quick memories To prevent duplication frequencies closer than 10 kHz to a frequency already held in quick memory will be ignored While in VFO mode you may still manually write to quick memories by pushing CENT Once all 10 quick memories have been used the oldest will be overwritten in sequence To recall quick memories while in VFO mode 2 ISHS IRES S to cycle through the quick memories use the gt keys For further information regarding quick memories refer to section 4 1 of this manual 50
61. is key to switch the AR8600 on and off as a toggle The main PWR VOL control must be on in order for the STANDBY switch to operate Hold the ST3 key for more than one second for the press to be registered PUSH this key to activate the band scope 2 ISHS the SRCH SCAN Jor 2VFO J key to return to normal operation Note Priority operation is disabled when the band scope facility is in use Traces will be overwritten as the band scope is written from left to right on the LCD To build up a long term activity display 7 ISHS FUNC 7 ISHS Genre to toggle the PEAK HOLD facility on off the LCD legend HLD confirms operation The key sequence JSH TRESS gt recalls a previously saved band scope trace PUSH this key to PASS lockout memory channels during memory read amp scan mode and to PASS skip unwanted frequencies in search mode Also acts as select ON OFF DEFAULT toggle in various menus 11 SECTION 1 5 2 IRES S in 2VFO mode to access the VFO PASS menu which extends to include the SEARCH bank pass edit menu 7 ISHS FUNC ARES in 2VFO SEARCH or SCAN mode to access the SELECT SCAN edit menu PUSH to abort entry via the keypad IRES S to select the optional SLOT CARD when fitted IRES and HOLD the CI FAR key while powering On the AR8600 to soft reset the microprocessor should the AR8600 appear to behave strangely no memory contents will be lost Numeric fig
62. ly a single frequency readout is displayed this is referred to as 1VFO mode Both 1VFO and 2VFO modes may be referred to simply as VFO mode or manual mode Example of 1VFO operation VFO Tuning step Receve frequency CB4 Fan Receive mode Z o mmut EE 25 SECTION 3 2 3 3 Transfer to active VFO When the AR8600 has stopped on an active frequency in memory read scan or search mode use the key sequence 2 ISHS 7 ISHS to transfer the frequency to the active upper VFO The AR8600 will revert to 2VFO mode where the frequency may be monitored 3 3 Entering a frequency using the numeric keypad While in VFO mode enter the required frequency using MHz format followed by CENT Example of frequency entry 80 8 MHz 2 SHS BHR HE OTHE waa SHS GAR HE ENT There is no need to key in the trailing zeros to the right of the decimal point as they are automatically added by the microprocessor Zupa WPA oS Frequency FREE SET B O part entered If keying in a whole MHz such as 118 000 MHz there is no need to key in either the decimal point or trailing zeros they are all added by the AR8600 microprocessor Example of MHz round number frequency entry for 808 000 MHz SHS BHR SHS GIT SHS BAR SHS ENT While keying in frequency data the bottom line of the LCD displays FREQ SET to indicate what sort of data input the AR8600 is expecting Similar helpful messages are displayed at
63. me as AM but uses a wider IF filter particularly useful for monitoring parasitic airband transmissions when repeater transmissions are employed Provides good broadcast quality for MW medium wave band listening to strong local signals when adjacent channel transmissions are not encountered AM Amplitude Modulation Used by broadcast services throughout the world on medium wave and short wave AM is also used by VHF civil airband UHF military airband and some PMR Private Mobile Radio and utility services NAM Narrow Amplitude Modulation this mode is specific to the AR8600 It is essentially the same as AM but uses a narrower IF filter for added selectivity when monitoring crowded bands such as short wave Due to the narrower bandwidth employed the audio quality will be compromised USB Upper Side Band is a form of Single Side Band SSB USB is used commercially and by radio amateurs on frequencies above 10 MHz below 10 MHz radio amateurs tend to use LSB to assist the separation of commercial and amateur users on traditionally shared bands this prevents them from attempting to communicate with each other which is prohibited 30 SECTION 3 7 2 3 8 All long range shipping and oceanic air traffic as well as long range military aircraft use USB DATA modes such as RTTY SITOR PACKET FAX etc may be resolved using USB SSB is a very efficient method of transmission as the unwanted second sideband and carrier hav
64. nal battery BP8600 The AR8600 has the provision for fitting a dedicated internal NiCad rechargeable battery pack BP8600 This pack comprises of 8 x AA NiCad high capacity 700mAhr sealed in a shroud with suitable connecting cable and plug The BP8600 is primarily intended for emergency use or for applications away from an alternative power supply Fitting and removal of the optional BP8600 is recommended to be carried out in a workshop once fitted the batteries must be used 16 SECTION 1 6 1 1 6 2 on a regular basis if you are not going to use the AR8600 with the BP8600 for extended periods several months it may be worth considering removing the batteries from the radio to prevent the cells deteriorating It is most important that they are charged before placing them into storage and reusing them within at least three months ideally NiCads should be fully cycled not less than once every month after they have been placed into use always charge NiCads before placing them into storage These BP8600 is not charged at the factory before shipping so you will need to charge it for 48 hours before use Dry cells such as Alkaline or Zinc Manganese cannot be used the AR8600 charging circuit is not designed to recharge dry cells or NiMHi batteries Fitting batteries The optional BP8600 battery pack must be fitted in a workshop 1 6 2 Charging the optional BP8600 battery The optional BP8600 is intended to be charged whil
65. nd automatically monitored in succession stopping when activity is encountered This forms a much more efficient means of monitoring the most wanted frequencies as you have targeted 100 what you most want to hear by contrast searching is very inefficient for day to day monitoring SECTION 1 3 1 4 1 5 Note It is very important that the squelch is advanced to cancel background noise for the search amp scan facilities to operate This is because the AR8600 believes that it has found an active frequency when the squelch opens and S squelch open legend is displayed to the left of the signal meter Advance the squelch control clockwise until the background noise is just cancelled this is known as the threshold position If the squelch control is advanced too far weaker signals may be missed No noise and no S legend displayed with squelch advanced clockwise passed threshold squelch closed Signal received or noise emanating from speaker squelch fully anti clockwise below threshold with S legend displayed squelch open 1 4 Accessories supplied The following items are provided in the carton box 1x AR8600 receiver 1x Whip aerial on a right angle BNC connector RA8600 1x Medium Wave MW bar aerial 1x Power supply may be supplied in some world market areas and in a separate carton 1x Operating manual this booklet 1 5 Controls amp functions Controls are
66. nel interference may be observed due to the wide nature of the IF filters Should interference be encountered use the attenuator to reduce signal strength or swap to the standard telescopic whip aerial NFM Narrow band Frequency Modulation this provides high quality communication for relatively short distance operation NFM uses a greater frequency bandwidth than other point to point modes such as SSB so is less efficient NFM is the most common mode used above 30 MHz with the exception of the airbands which use AM NFM is widely used on the VHF bands VHF Marine band 2m amateur Band 145MHz 70cm amateur band 433 MHz PMR Private Mobile Radio and utilities In the absence of a signal the background white noise may appear quite loud For ease of listening the squelch control should be rotated clockwise until the background noise just disappears this should be carried out when no signal is present The point where the background noise is cancelled is known as threshold point Do not advance the squelch control more than necessary or the receiver will appear to be desensitised and weaker signals will be missed SFM Super Narrow band Frequency Modulation this mode is specific to the AR8600 Essentially this is the same mode as NFM but uses a narrower IF filter for added selectivity when monitoring crowded bands such as PMR utilities WAM Wide Amplitude Modulation this mode is specific to the AR8600 It is essentially the sa
67. nwanted frequencies while in VFO search mode this is useful to eliminate unwanted permanent transmissions It is important to understand the PASS facility before amp SET OFTIOn using the key or transmissions may be missed MFMO PHIG FUNG SRCH coP gt i 2 ISH PASS i While stopped on an unwanted frequency u Pass the search process will resume It will appear that all frequencies are still searched however locked out frequencies will be passed over the search will not stop on locked out frequencies but the squelch may momentarily open causing a short burst of audio before the frequency is passed if several consecutive active frequencies are locked out an audio chuff chuff chuff may be encountered Locked out PASS frequencies are assigned PASS CHANNEL NUMBERS there are a total of 50 PASS channels for VFO search Frequencies 10 kHz from the assigned pass frequency will be skipped carefully consider the consequences of skipping 10 kHz when monitoring in USB LSB and CW VFO pass menu It is possible to review delete and add pass channels using the VFO PASS menu If you are currently using VFO mode or VFO SEARCH ARESS 5 PASS the VFO PASS menu will be displayed 44 SECTION 4 3 4 4 3 5 If PASS channels have already been tagged for VFO SEARCH the legend PASS xx will be displayed where xx indicates that data is present If no pass frequencies have
68. or the top VFO as PRIMARY and intermittently flicks over to check for activity on the SECONDARY frequency when the primary frequency becomes inactive If the active frequency remains busy then the secondary remains unchecked if however the primary becomes inactive squelch closes then the secondary is checked every few seconds for activity If the secondary frequency becomes active during the time it is checked the AR8600 will remain on the active second frequency for a few seconds the active secondary VFO lower font size increases to indicate that the secondary VFO is being actively monitored The AR8600 will then return to the primary frequency to check for activity where it remains for a few seconds so the process continues over and over To toggle the VFO SCAN facility on use the VFO environment menu which is accessed with the key 3 yeas SE Receiving this sequence 7 SH amp S FLING ARESS gt 2VF9 frequency in The LCD will display VFO MODE with VFO LARGE font SCAN on the next line 42 SECTION 4 2 4 2 1 4 3 4 3 1 4 3 2 The third line displays ON and OFF with the OFF legend displayed in reverse contrast to show that it is currently selected default To toggle the VFO SCAN on off JSH the BFO MOGE key or use the main dial or amp gt keys WW 4 B WFO SCRH To accept the changes ISHE CENT I gt BH iis While VFO SCAN is active the 2VFO l
69. quency for best reception 39 SECTION 3 13 The distance in kHz which the AR8600 can pull depends upon receive mode IF bandwidth and signal strength the wider the filter and stronger the signal then the further AFC can pull Typically AFC will pull in the region of 5 kHz to 15 kHz the maximum value for AFC is set to 25 kHz so that the receiver does not continually tune across the frequency spectrum looking for anything to centre tune The AFC process usually takes a few seconds to settle down after which time it is normal for the frequency display last couple of digits to flicker up and down in frequency this looks like frequency drift but fear not the frequency tracking is under strict control Typical accuracy of centre tuning is around 1 5 kHz If no signal is present and the squelch is open the last two digits will randomly flicker around When the squelch closes in the absence of a signal the last two digits will stop flickering but may display a frequency which does not strictly adhere to the bandplan If you toggle AFC off the frequency display will jump to the nearest increment for the frequency band appropriate to the tuning step selected 40 SECTION 4 4 1 4 1 1 4 VFO enhanced facilities As well as providing a tuning data storage the two VFOs offer additional features including quick memory VFO scan VFO search and VFO environment 4 1 Quick memories While monitor
70. r trade marks and names are acknowledged E amp OE 1 2 Take care of your radio There are no internal operator adjustments In the unlikely event of servicing being required please contact your dealer for technical assistance Do not use or leave the receiver in direct sunlight especially the LCD It is best to avoid locations where excessive heat humidity dust and vibration are expected Always keep the AR8600 free from dust and moisture Use a soft dry cloth to gently wipe the set clean never use abrasive cleaners or organic solvents which may damage certain parts Treat the AR8600 with care avoid spillage or leakage of liquids into the receiver and associated power supply Special care should be taken to avoid liquid entering around the controls through the speaker grille or via the connection jacks The AR8600 is designed for operation from a good quality regulated d c supply of 12 to 14V which should be capable of supplying 1Ampre Never connect the AR8600 directly to the a c supply The AR8600 also has the provision of the optional BP8600 NiCad battery pack see section 1 6 1 The d c input socket uses a 2 1mm power connector This connector is configured CENTRE POSITIVE the chassis of the receiver is at negative ground Where provided depending upon world market location the power supply is pre wired and provides a nominal 12V d c output with suitable connectors being fitted as standard for the a c power input and connection
71. recharge the battery 17 SECTION 1 6 3 1 6 4 1 6 3 Battery considerations The optional BP8600 battery is not factory charged When the BP8600 has been fitted charge the battery for 48 hours After this time the NiCads should never be left in a flat condition or internal filaments will form inside the NiCads shorting its terminals rendering it useless If you are not going to use the NiCads for a few months charge them before placing them into storage NiCads have a memory effect for longevity once a month flatten them completely then fully charge them again Avoid excessive topping up when possible it is best to charge NiCads when they are totally flat If you have not used the cells for a long time it may be difficult the battery to accept a charge to help pring them back to life first ensure they are COMPLETELY discharged then charge for a longer period of time perhaps 72 hours It is common practice to force complete exhaustion by leaving the squelch open and volume set to half until the AR8600 stops working carry this out once a month to ensure best battery longevity Do not continuously charge forever without some use of the radio this may shorten the life span of the NiCads Although the charge current is of a very low level where batteries are concerned permanent charging leads to a small chance of explosion due to the build up of heat If you intend permanently using the AR8600 from an external power s
72. rection is desired tuning will stop when the key is released 27 SECTION 3 5 3 6 Note When tuning reception may occasionally be momentarily J k interrupted while tuning and the S squelch legend will flash as tuning a tel progresses some noise may accompany tuning this is normal a Fast tuning The and gt keys may be used to tune the receiver at a rate TEN TIMES FASTER than the selected step size This means that when a step size of 25 kHz is selected tuning will be in 250 kHz steps this provides a convenient method to quickly tune up and down frequency bands Note Be aware that when auto mode is selected and a tuning step change has automatically taken place one PUSH up or down may take several pushes to arrive back to the starting place again 1 MHz tuning While the FUNC legend is displayed achieved by a JSH of the key JSH again to deactivate as a toggle the tuning rate for the tt and 2 keys is 1 MHz per increment 3 6 Changing frequency using the main dial While in VFO mode the active VFO frequency may be tuned in a similar way to a domestic receiver or other specialist receivers using the rotary tuning main dial which is mounted on the right hand side of the front panel You may rotate the control between your fingers or place your thumb near the edge and rotate using a circular motion use whatever is most comfortable This method of frequency selec
73. requencies to memory When you encounter interesting busy frequencies you may save them to the quick memories or memory banks where they may be monitored at a later date and scanned 1 Quick memory While paused on a busy frequency 2 ISHS CENT if the keypad beep is active a confirmation tone will be audible Quick memories may be recalled for later monitoring or to tune from in VFO mode Please refer to section 4 1 of this manual regarding use of the quick memories 2 Main memory storage While paused on a busy frequency RFSS CENT the memory input menu will be displayed with the first available blank memory channel offered Enter the desired memory location optionally use the amp key to select additional menu items of text comment and write protect ISHS to save the data Please refer to section 5 2 of this manual regarding memory channel writing 45 SECTION 4 3 6 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 2 4 3 6 Exiting VFO search To exit VFO search 2 ISHS to return to the VFO mode the frequencies in use before VFO search was initiated will be displayed Alternatively use the SRCH J or SCAN keys to exit VFO search 4 4 VFO environment menu The VFO has a special menu to enable VFO scan to be toggled VFO search to be customised VFO auto store to be toggled on off memory bank J which is used as the target for auto store to be deleted and quick memory auto write to be configured Use the key sequence
74. sities of signal bandwidth channel occupancy and transmission efficiency different receive modes are used by various services In addition to this the specification for tuning step and receive mode are allocated by departments of Governments following International discussions so are not consistent throughout the world For this reason it is necessary to change receive mode in order to monitor various transmissions For your convenience receive mode and tuning step size have been pre programmed into the AR8600 auto mode bandplan data at the factory to simplify operation of the receiver especially while you familiarise yourself with all the facilities Should you wish the defaults may be manually overridden at any time so that you may select an alternative receive mode and tuning step on any frequency 3 7 1 Auto mode selection When auto mode is in operation so that receive mode and tuning step size are automatically selected for you by the AR8600 microprocessor the reverse legend AUT is displayed toward the top right of the LCD To activate auto mode or reconfirm its selection while in VFO mode JSH PRESS 30M Alternatively AUTO may be selected from the MODE SET menu accessed with the key sequence 7 ISHS PUP O gt SHE GoM oer 1 A The key acts as a short cut to AUTO alternatively use the main dial or amp gt keys When the reverse AUTO legend has been selected 7 ISHS to accept the data
75. ss the STEP ADJUST menu Ignore the step adjust value displayed 10 kHz 2 ISHS to let the AR8600 automatically calculate the requirement you will need to 2 ISHS a second time to exit the menu and return to frequency display The frequency of 145 210 MHz will be displayed and the main dial will now correctly follow the required bandplan 14 kHz steps 145 224 145 238 MHz etc For your information the required step adjust was 2 kHz If you wish access the step menu to review the figures they will show a step size of 14 kHz and step adjust of 2 kHz right again 3 10 FREQUENCY OFFSET This facility enables receive frequency to be quickly SHIFTED two key presses by a predetermined value this makes it easy to track duplex transmissions or check repeater inputs outputs Offset frequencies may be factory pre programmed into the auto mode bandplan data for some world market areas Frequency offset may also be programmed manually The locations for frequency offset storage are numbered 00 to 47 with 00 acting as OFF this makes 47 locations available Locations 01 to 19 may be programmed by the operator while locations 20 to 47 are reserved for factory programming used by the auto bandplan data Look at locations 20 to 47 for common offsets they may already be stored Frequency offset may be programmed into VFO memory channel and search banks It is most convenient to set up in VFO mode then save the data to specific memory channels for qui
76. t you may manually intervene to ensure that no weak signals are missed 2RESS gt and hold the MCI key to defeat the squelch control saves turning the squelch control fully anti clockwise then back to threshold position When the DUP legend is displayed during frequency offset or VFO SCAN DUPLEX operation the Wisk key forces the AR8600 to switch to the alternative frequency In SCOPE mode the MiC h key enables the reception of the marker frequency MAIN DIAL This large rotary control is intended to be rotated using your fingers and thumb or by placing your thumb on the edge and rotating using a circular movement Primarily this is the tuning control clockwise rotation tunes the AR8600 upward in frequency and anti clockwise rotation tunes downward in frequency using the selected tuning step size When the FUNC legend is displayed the tuning speed will be increased The main dial is also used to move between menus and manipulate input through menus generally mimicking the arrow keys SECTION 1 5 3 1 6 1 6 1 ARROW KEYS The arrow keys J are laid out as a group of four keys up down left and right This format is particularly convenient being placed directly above the main dial The right arrow key is used as a backspace when entering frequency via the keypad Also selects bank in memory read mode moves the cursor position especially during text input tunes the receiv
77. tching on for the first time 4 24 3 2 2VFO twin VFO selection oo eee eeeceeeeeeneeeneeseesececeeeseneeeeeeeesaeesaeseneseaeseneeeaeeneeenaeeeae 24 3 3 Entering a frequency using the numeric keypad sess sssssersrseseisrsisrnsrsrsrnrisrsrnrnsrsree 26 3 4 Correcting frequency input uu ee ts 27 3 5 Changing frequency using the ft and amp keys 27 3 6 Changing frequency using the main dial 28 3 7 Changing receive mode es si gt 229 3 7 1 Auto mode selection n e e vw 29 3 7 2 Receive mode selection Menu ou cece cece ceeeieceeceseescessessesseesaeesesasansenseneeaseasea 29 3 8 Changing tuning STEP Size itne epaien aeina s aeaa N AAE Aaaa AA EKSENE EA 31 3 9 STEP adjust wp 383 3 9 1 Automatic calculation of step adjust oo eee cece seer eee seeetae teeta eaeeee 33 3 9 2 Cancelling step adjust ssiri rae en a ds kas edi ERN TECEN 34 3 9 3 Manual setting of step adjust a 34 3 10 FREQUENCY OFFSET sesser 36 3 10 1 Using pre programmed frequency offset data oo eeeeseeseeeeeeereeeereeeeeeeeeeneeeeeeaes 36 3 10 2 Entering new frequency offset data oo eee ee eee tees eeeeeeeeeeeeeeneeee 37 3 11 Attenuator wid 38 3212 Noise limiter lt sca iecteed puedes ects et ect p ara cciatgevntecis benaet og he needhaayiaevucatanenmuteiiseeapeiantense 38 3 13 AFC Automatic Frequency Control oo cece eee cece cece eres see seesneeteeeaetaeeaa 39 4 VFO enhanced facilities 05 w 4 4 1 Q
78. ter slot card 24 CT8200 socket for CTCSS slot card 25 TE8200 socket for audio tone eliminator slot card SI able wast a vk 2 CTs af TEA N The REMOTE RS232 socket 17 above is designed for connection directly to an RS232 serial port of a computer such as a PC No interface is required just a standard RS232 lead avoid nul modem leads as they are not suitable Connections for a PC are as follows AR8600 PC 9 way RS232 2 2 3 3 5 5 GROUND 7 7 8 8 AR8600 PC 25 way RS232 2 3 3 2 5 7 GROUND 7 4 8 5 ACC connections 1 12V d c output max current 30mA 2 Detector output without audio filtering 180mV RMS 100k OHMS or greater 3 N C 4 amp 5 Tape motor switching contact for low voltage 12V d c max current 350mA with insulating voltage of 40V Switch on impedance is 1 2 OHMS 6 High level audio output 15mV RMS 10k OHMS 7 Low level audio output 0 7mV 10k OHMS 8 Ground SECTION 1 5 1 1 5 1 Keypad ATT ML STEP Li Tunc ae DD f Vax yp C2BL 36 Keys with dua function i i 2 a 0 iregnire the use ef the i 6F k gt PRIU 3 8CAN oS PROG iunelon key ADN SE0 6FP GONE EDIT DFL S g 7G Calin CBls 9 KONI OFF SET ALS T SRCH saa CJT SENT SLEEP CY E irn Decimal CASE SHIFT key MFMO P HIC amp SET OFTION Keypad conventions Most keys have multiple functions their functions are printed on the cabinet However due
79. tion is the most traditional approach to locating signals particularly on the short wave and medium wave bands It provides an easy method to locate new or previously unknown frequencies or to check activity within certain frequency bands such as amateur or short wave broadcast The rotary tuning main dial provides the very best user interface with the AR8600 especially for USB LSB and CW listening Rotating the main dial clockwise increases frequency while rotation anti clockwise decreases receive frequency The speed at which the main dial tunes the receiver depends upon the STEP SIZE which is default to AUTO Examples of tuning step include 0 05 kHz 50 Hz 0 1 KHz 100 Hz 0 2 kHz 200 Hz 0 5 kHz 500 Hz 1 00 KHz 2 00 kHz 5 00 kHz 6 25 kHz 8 33 kHz 9 00 kHz 10 00 kHz 12 50 kHz 20 kHz 25 00 kHz 30 kHz 50 kHz 100 00 kHz The tuning step size may also be programmed in multiples of 50 Hz via the keypad so that unusual step sizes other than stated are possible While the FUNC legend is displayed achieved by a JSH of the key JSH again to deactivate as a toggle the tuning rate for the main dial is TEN TIMES FASTER than the selected step size This means that when a step size of 10 kHz is selected tuning will be in 100 kHz steps this provides a convenient method to quickly tune up and down frequency bands 28 SECTION 3 7 3 7 1 3 7 2 3 7 Changing receive mode Due to the neces
80. to the AR8600 SAFETY NOTICE Always disconnect the power supply from the a c socket when not in use If used mobile it should be noted that the AR8600 has not been manufactured or tested to meet any specific mobile safely requirements The AR8600 has no internally user adjustable parts refer any technical work such as the fitting of the optional BP8600 internal NiCad battery pack to an authorised service engineer If using the AR8600 in a base station situation the best short wave reception is usually achieved by the fitting of a separate external earth rod however consider the implications carefully if your a c building supply uses a Protective Multiple Earth PME system If in doubt consult an expert electrician Never earth to a gas pipe The AR8600 has a single BNC aerial socket for all frequencies This is intended for connection to its supplied whip aerial or preferably a 50 OHM unbalanced coaxial fed aerial such as a discone dipole unipole yagi etc When sighting the aerial avoid power cables Ensure that you do not confuse the aerial and i f output sockets as they both employ BNC sockets SECTION 1 2 1 3 Operating anomalies Should the AR8600 appear to behave strangely normal operation may be easily achieved by resetting the microprocessor Two scenarios may be encountered due to power transients etc 1 Symptom LCD remains on no control of the keypad Action Remove any connection to external power such as t
81. uick memories 41 4 1 1 Saving quick memory data 41 4 1 2 Recalling quick memories 42 4 2 VFO scan nesses 42 4 2 1 VFO SCAN sampling time 43 SECTION 1 423 WF OVSCatCh sentir irias canta iiieai divs E deiner lactate daiaiaiiats 4 3 1 Defining VFO search 4 3 2 Starting VFO search 4 3 3 Forcing VFO search to resume amp changing search direction 0 cee 4 3 4 Locking out unwanted frequencies PASS is 4 3 5 Saving active frequencies tO MEMOLY essssssessrsseississsinrrsininrisinrnrisrnririsinrnsrsrnenn 4 3 6 Exiting VFO SeatGhi 2 ceo fccctasteentasesteresbvecenbencsuaedcversccnnaucshshcatvanceeecevnracoitecsnencataces 4 4 VFO environment menu 4 4 1 VFO SCAN oe 4 4 2 VFO search DELAY 4 4 3 VFO search LEVEL squelch 4 4 4 VFO search VOICE squelch ai 424 5 VFO FREE Search arn N Ges aah are hectare ONE AEAN AE 4 4 6 VFO AUTO STORE 0 csccscvisidesssseccsscvascessayscvasscvazduessysaetsosnsatesseysnetsssvatteastysavzssenaaeeas 4 4 7 VFO DELETE bank J 4 4 8 VFO QUICK MEMORY 5 Memory channels amp banks 5 1 Memory channel overview sesse 5 2 Storing VFO frequencies amp data into memory H 5 2 1 Another example of memory write s s sssssssssissssnsinrnsrensrnsnernrnrnnnrnsrerarnsrnrnnrnrnene 5 2 2 Automatic memory allocation oeeseoseseseoeeseseoeesesnseesesnnseesenrasesenrarenenracinenrrerrenrese 5 3 Memory write protect 5 4 Memory read M RD 5 4 1 Memory ch
82. upply remove the BP8600 battery Do not short NiCads as they can provide high current levels The BP8600 will typically provide around 300 charge discharge cycles 1 6 4 Cigar lighter lead It is possible to power the AR8600 from a vehicle using the optional DC8600 cigar lead this will power the AR8600 in es exactly the same manner as the a c power supply except that it is connected to a vehicle 12V d c supply Ensure that the vehicle has a 12V d c battery do not connect to a truck H G V 24V battery The tip on the cigar plug must be positive the vehicle must be negative ground A 1A fuse should be fitted inside the cigar lead should this fuse blow for some reason ensure it is replaced with the correct type Avoid short circuits Switch off the AR8600 connect the cigar lead to the AR8600 12V d c input socket THEN connect the cigar plug to the vehicle and switch the AR8600 on Itis advisable to switch the AR8600 off when starting the vehicle as the starter motor often causes power surges Some vehicles require their ignition to be ON for the cigar socket to operate 18 SECTION 1 7 1 7 IF output and Spectrum Display Unit SDU5500 The rear panel has a 10 7MHz i f output designed to drive the SDU5500 optional Spectrum Display Unit The AR8600 must be enabled in order to provide the i f output this operation should be carried out in a workshop The WFM circuit of the AR8600 becomes permanently active to a
83. ure one during frequency input Selection of memory scan bank A or a and search bank A or a or K or K 2 ISHS 7 ISHS TAK to toggle the attenuator on off the LCD legend ATT confirms operation 2 ISHS TRESS gt to toggle the noise limiter on off the LCD legend NL confirms operation Numeric figure two during frequency input Selection of memory scan bank B or b and search bank B or b or L or P ISHE 2 ISHS to access the tuning STEP size increment menu 3CM Numeric figure three during frequency input Selection of memory scan bank C or c and search bank C or c or M or m 2 SHG 2 SHG SCM to access the receive mode selection menu 2 ISHS RES 3 CM J to select AUTO MODE where the receiver mode and tuning step are automatically selected by the AR8600 microprocessor from the pre programmed band plan data this is a short cut to save using the receive mode menu The LCD legend AUT confirms that auto mode is in operation 12 SECTION 1 5 2 Numeric figure four during frequency input Selection of memory scan bank D or d and search bank D or d or N or n 2 SHG 2 ISHE toggles the priority facility on off assuming that one has already been assigned using the priority menu The LCD legend PRI confirms when priority has been selected 2 ISHS TRESS to a

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