This FAQs are the result of my research from different sources deep inside the www and some newsgroups...

Has any one found the discriminator tap yet?

Record output is usefull to that use... =)

Has the CTCSS function mentioned in the PDF manual I downloaded been left out OR hidden in the VR5k?

Dont know.

What is the scan / search rate?

15.7 steps/sec. (measured)

Dopey me, I forgot my password. How do I get my VR5k unlocked?

Not really, but still a good question....just in case ;-))

Dont know... :(

What are the bandwidths of the stock filters.

These are just aprox. values what are based to my notice's when i have played with 5K.

SSB/NAM 2.4KHz; AM 5KHz; NFM/WAM 7KHz; WFM 130KHz

(I dont remember measured values right now but those are somewhere in my papers)

Can the stock filters be upgraded with Collins or Inrad filters?

Yes they can.

When pressing the V/M (MW) key and powering up my 5k, the screen reads:

>Ver1s.12

>JP:0011   EXT    No    Reg.

>What does all this mean? Version number, and firmware version.

Software 1.12/ Full coverage version. (EU model ;-)

According to the Yaesu site, the RF Tune is a tunable bandpass filter 1.8 - 1000 MHz.

Yes...

 Is this a misprint? Should it read 1.8 - 1000 KHz?

No, its 1.8MHz to 1GHz

When I press the F then 8 (RF Tune) my options are 0 - 255. How do I translate the numbers 0 - 255 into a bandwidth, example: 2.2 KHz for SSB voice, 4 KHz for AM short wave broadcasts?

0-255 is just only limits to it... all depend location and band...

Nominal values are around 100-120 but you find best possible value with testing cause it depend enviroment.

Or, does Yaesu's RF Tune = the RF Gain as in my JRC NRD-525?

No!  RF tune is front end band pass filter tuning!

The DSP Bandpass filter has a low cut-off frequency range of 100 -1600 Hz and a high cut-off frequency >range of 1500 - 3000. How do I translate and combine the lower and upper cut-off frequencies into a bandwidth, example: 2.2 KHz for SSB voice, 4 KHz for AM short wave broadcasts?

It depend your taste. you can freely adjust those.

also it depend if you have inference's in your location.

My VR5k seems to be off a couple hundred Hz in SSB. Dose any one have the alignment procedure?

Yes i do have, but first check, is it base base freq error or just SSB tuning? (cause tuning with factory manual let it be inside 100-800Hz so it could be bit hard to get 0 offset)

Actually how does it inference? cause base frequency dift anyway when unit is warming up. Base frequency is temperature stabilated but it still variable 10-300Hz...

Only good solution is crystal owen but its really expensive.

Does the VR5k have an AGC? Wouldn't it be nice to disable it with a switch on the back panel for >monitoring satellites?

All radios have!... unfortunately you _cant_ disable it.

Wie können Speicherbänke miteinander verlinkt werden? Hintergrund ist folgender: z.B. die BOS Kanäle 347 bis 442 in der ersten Speicherbank und 443 bis 508 in der zweiten Bank. In der Bank 7 sind z.B. AIR Band Frequenzen und in 9 das ganze Lokale. Mit der Einstellung MEM-ALL können zwar alle 2000 Speicher gescannt werden, aber wie werden z.B. nur die beiden Bänke mit den BOS Kanälen gescannt?

Hallo Hanno!

So, ich habe mein Problem mit den 164 BOS-Kanälen gelöst. Wie Beschrieben habe ich zwei Speicherbänke mit dem Namen BOS 4M eingerichtet. In der ersten Bank stehen die Kanäle 347 bis 442, in der zweiten dann die restlichen von 443 bis 508.

Im Speicherbetrieb wird nun die erste Bank eingestellt. Mit F+BANK geht man ins Untermenü und setzt mit der "."-Taste den Befehl LINK von OFF auf ON.

Das gleiche macht man mit der zweiten Bank. Nun sind die 164 Kanäle miteinander verlinkt und werden bei Aktivierung des Speicherkanalsuchlaufs von Kanal 347 bis 508 durchgescannt. Der Vorteil des LINK-Befehls gegenüber dem ALL-Befehl ist, dass nicht alle Speicherplätze (Ham, Wetter, Aero usw.) abgescannt werden, sondern nur die ausgewählten Bänke.

Vielleicht ist diese Info für Dich nützlich.

Gruss M.

YAESU USA Press Release

Yaesu VR-5000 Scan Fix

Yaesu  has supplied the following replacement page to the VR-5000 manual correcting the  procedure to be followed for doing a programmable memory scan.

Programmable (Band Limit) Memory Scan (PMS)

This feature, a more refined and useful form of VFO scanning, allows you to establish sub-band limits for  scanning. This allows you to monitor only a portion of the wide frequency range  of the VR-5000, instead of sweeping the entire spectrum from 100 kHz to 2.6 GHz.

Programmable Memory Scan utilizes a pair of frequencies to establish the upper and lower scanning limits  within special memories. Here is the procedure for setting up limited band scanning:

Programming

1.  Press the [F] key momentarily, then  press the [PMS(PMS SET)] key to enable the storage of the frequency pair into a PMS memory.

2. The cursor will be pointing at the “PMS CH†menu option; press the [ENT (SET)] key.

3.  If you want to program the frequency pair into the currently-selected PMS register (shown on the right edge of the  display), proceed to the next step; if you wish to choose a different PMS register, press [ENT(SET)], then use the [q(t)/p(u)] keys to select a different memory register number. Then press [ENT(SET)] to move on to the next step.

4.  Rotate the DIAL knob to set the cursor to the “PMS TAG†menu option.

5.  Press the [ENT(SET)] key to enable the programming of the name tag to the PMS memory. To attach an alpha/numeric name  tag to the PMS memory, program the alpha-numeric “label†using the DIAL knob and keypad, as described previously; if you don’t want to label this frequency pair  register, press the [ENT(SET)] key again.

6. When you have complete the creation of  the label, press the [ENT(SET)] key.

7.  Now it’s time to set up the band limits. Rotate the DIAL knob to set the cursor to the “START F†menu option, then press the [ENT(SET)] key.

8. Set the VFO frequency to the Lower  sub-band limit, then press the [ENT(SET)] key.If you programmed the frequency using the keypad, press the [ENT(SET)] key again.

9. Confirm that the cursor is on the “END  F†menu, then press the [ENT(SET)] key.

10. Set the VFO frequency to the Upper sub-band limit, then press the [ENT(SET)] key .If you programmed the frequency using the keypad, press the [ENT(SET)] key again.

11 Rotate the DIAL knob to set the cursor to the “END†menu option, then press the [ENT(SET)] key.

12.  Confirm that the cursor is on the “WRITE†menu option, press the [ENT (SET)] key.

13. The PMS memory programming process for this register is now completed.

 

Note: 50 PMS memories are  available. You therefore can set upper and lower operation limits on a number of  bands, if you like. Each PMS memory register, remember, stores both the lower  and upper frequency limits.

Operation (Current PMS Register)

1  Press the [PMS(PMS SET)] key to initiate  PMS scanning in an upward direction.

2.  If the scanner encounters a signal strong enough to open the squelch, the scanner will halt and pause on that  frequency. Scanning will resume according to the protocol you selected in the  previous discussion.

3.  To change to a different PMS frequency pair, press the numerical keys on the keypad corresponding to the PMS register you wish to use. For example, if you are on PMS register and wish to use PMS register “03,†press [0] + [3] while PMS scanning is engaged. Scanning will begin on the new register without further action.

4.  To reverse the direction of the scan (i.e. toward a lower frequency, instead of a higher frequency), turn the DIAL knob one click in the counter-clock direction or press the [q(t)] key momentarily while the VR-5000 is scanning. To revert to scanning toward a higher frequency once more, rotate the DIAL knob one click clockwise or press the [p(u)] key momentarily.

5.  Press the [V/M(MW)] key to disable the PMS scanner, and return to VFO mode.

 

Monitoring Times®

Deutsche Anleitung S.22

Es sind keine 74 stelligen Bezeichnungen möglich. Es kann aus einem Pool von 74 Zeichen ausgewählt werden!

Hi all

 

Probably everyone knows the "hidden menu" appearing when, at power-on, you press "F" plus "Scan".This brings a message about squelch treshold adjusment. What nobody seemed to notice is that if you press again this Scan key, you obtain more adjustment items !

The adjustment itself is entered by turning the Squelch knob (it is  checked by an Analog to Digital converter of the microcontroller of  the receiver) - then by pressing the "Ent" key to validate the parameter.

Warning: the time you press "Ent", this will modify existing squelch parameters, S -meter ranges, etc..

You can "scroll" through the parameters just by pressing "Scan" again and again, until you find the "End" option. Then you press "Ent" to quit without modifications. Some parameters require a signal generator to be correctly performed.

This VR5k is definitively full of easter eggs..like a PC-game where you can enter cheat codes !! I found the schematics at the beginning of the year (see corresponding  messages), but I hope someone could get the components layout, and more instructive, the Service Manual ! ... this could bring more interesting items !

Michel

I have played with couple different VR-5000, and i'm overall quite happy with  those. But avoid early versions of that VR-5000, 02 series specially.
It does suffer SSB distorsion, poor agliment in factory and CPU bug's. CPU  software 1.12 working quite well, most problems with that version software are cause by short voltage droppings what are caused by main line voltage  dropping. So _allways_ use good regulated powersupply with VR-5000. Later  firmware versions like 04 and later are not so sensitive to that voltage  dropping but they still suffer that little bit, but ist quite easy to avoid  with regulated supply (original supply is not regulated)

My first unit  was 02 series and it did get familiar with it problems.  ;-) SSB distorsion, jep, i did find a way fix it without Vertex Standart help but they did send  me e-mail where they did tell how to... Frequency agliment was first what i  did do after i get nime radio year ago. That unit did suffer overload in harsh RF-enviroment with high gain antenna. Also it was first time when i did  notice that 13MHz problem, what is caused by odd peak in first VCO output. That mentined "extra" frequency is allways available 13MHz below main VCO freq. and also 26MHz below too but that 26MHz birdie is too far and too  low level to cause problems normally. That 13MHz birdie is about 60-70db  lower level than main VCO frequency.

But 04 series units are better,  that 13MHz peak are still there but much lower level so you need to be really hars enviroment to get that problem.

Yes, VR-5000 does suffer WFM broadcast band splatters in VHF-AIR band and its caused by that 13MHz  problem. In my QHT it can be avoided mostly by using RF-tune function.  (actually most problmes in my QTH are avoidable with rf-tune)

Also VR-5000 suffer CPU noise in HF and VHF bands if you use telescope
antenna, when using outside antenna, situation is better and you probably
dont notice  that problem.

Over all, VHF band is quite nice, not too much inference and birdies.
Also if i take near city police repeater output freq. 169.875MHz and try
monitor it couple different radios like UBC-9000, MVT-9000,  AR-3000,
AR-5000+3, AR-8600 and comparare results.
Also remembers, i have pager transmitter about 700m from me and its
frequency is 169.675MHz

Best result in above test is:
1. AR-5000+3 (surprice ;-)
2. VR-5000  (04 series)
3. AR-3000
4. AR-8600
5. UBC-9000
6. MVT-9000

Yes, VR-5000 does give second best signal strenght and voice quality. AR-3000 and others suffer little bit that pager  transmission. Other suffer that pager much more.

Also with RF-tune, that inference can be hear by miss-tuning that rf-tune quite much, and proberly adjusted rf-tune give quite nice results when i attenuate that police-repeater with trap and leave that pager transmission allmoust original level.

Best results are if you use WFM band trap to avoid overload.

In UHF-freq's VR-5000 suffer various tv-inference's mainly caused by that 13MHz problem and resiprocal mixing. but not too much.

In HF, VR-5000 hand its job quite nice. that 13MHz problem is not  any more there (cause HF band bandpass filters are too narrow to get inferering signals thru execpt in above 24MHz but rf-tune can do quite much  in HF band if you remember to keep signal level in reasonable level.
Ofcourse delicated HF-receiver is better selection.

Mainly all problems are caused by VR-5000's "poor" strong signals handling. Yes, VR-5000  is not best possible radio what comes to strong signals handling but it is  quite nice radio in its price range.

Front end filters band widths are:

T  marked filter sections mean "Tuneable"  (RF-tune function)
B  labeled filter sections are fixed ones.

Bands below 622MHz are in own  part of front end switching relay network and 622MHz - 1240MHz is own  separate section  As well 1240MHz - 1850MHz and 1850MHz - 2600MHz.

100KHz -  1.8MHz (B)
100KHz - 622MHz (B) ???? dont know why this is there
1.8MHz -  4MHz (T)
4MHz - 12MHz (T)
12MHz - 30MHz (T)
30MHz - 90MHz (T)
90MHz - 313MHz (T)
313MHz - 622MHz (T)
622MHz - 1000MHz (T)
622MHz - 1240MHz (B)  ??? dont know why this is there
1240MHz - 1850MHz (B)
1850MHz - 2600MHz (B)  high pass filter


If i comparare side by side AR-8600 with VR-5000, i take VR-5000 to  mu selection. In HF band VR-5000 is winner without question (even AR-8600 collins filters changed) In VHF those are similar, some place's AOR is  better and others Yaesu. UHF is quite similar as VHF. If you just want to  just advanced scanner, and you have played with AR-8200 earlier but never played with yaesu, take AR -8600 and you're familiar with it quite soon. If you seen receiver what have scanning capablities, and have usefull VFO and other bells and whistles. if you  want "one in all" receiver, what  give reasonable performance in overall. take VR-5000

Remember, VR-5000  is _not_ scanner, its more like receiver with scanning functions.

Also remember, VR-5000 is quite sensitive so dont try use antenna
amplifiers or  you're seeking trouples. If you suffer big intermod or so? try 3-6db  attenuator. it can do "miracles" cause its usually enoug to attenuate that inferering signal to
radios handling level but that 3-6 db doesnt effect much weaker signals unless those are just little bit above noise  level.

Here is sensitivity values, measured by Janne and  Simo

Also, notice! values are measured by 20db sinad level when those normally are measured with 10/12db sinad values. (as you can see, vr-5000 is  very sensitive radio, probably too much ;-)

Freqency           mod.                      20dB S/N          
10 MHz                     AM 70%                     -106,5 dBm           1,12uV
10 MHz                     FM 3kHz           -114,5 dBm           0,42uV
28 MHz                       FM 3kHz           -116 dBm           0,35uV
51 MHz                     FM 3kHz           -119 dBm           0,25uV
68 MHz                     FM 3kHz           -118 dBm           0,28uV
145  MHz           FM 3kHz           -118 dBm           0,28uV
170 MHz           FM 3kHz           -115 dBm           0,4uV
433 MHz           FM 3kHz           -118 dBm           0,28uV
450 MHz            FM 3kHz           -117 dBm           0,31uV
1296 MHz           FM 3kHz           -111 dBm            0,5uV
1500 MHz           FM 3kHz           -113,5 dBm           0,47uV
2000 MHz           FM  3kHz           -108,5 dBm           0,84uV
2400 MHz           FM 3kHz           -105 dBm            1,26uV


I've seen better radio and i've seen much poorer radios.
Over all, i'm quite happy with mine VR-5000 (original 02 series  what's
upgraded to 04 series ;-)

And if you get 05 series radio, it have much improved internal shielding
and bit better performance in all areas  than earlier.

I strongly recomment to avoid 02 series radios!!

I  have also collect my own experience's to
www.bander.com/tech/english/vr5000.htm

I give VR-5000 over all grade  number 8, (scale 4-10)

IMHO, i did get what i pay for!  8-D and i'm happy  with yaesu and its
limitations
I have spent many hours with my VR-5000 and  will do that in future...
let's see wha happen when AOR get that DSP receiver  into field! 8-D


73'de
Mika
OH5HST


<Disclaimer>

These  are just my personal opinions and experience's,
based experience's what i  have.
Some one else may have different experience's and opinions.

This is _not_ official opinion of Bandercom neither Mikan Tech
 

I heard from one of my sources that YAESU is able to supply a new set of CPU

units which must be replaced both to solve the problems because they

communicate each other. So you need to repace both with new CPU main and

sub. Spare part numbers for new CPU are:

Main CPU: G1093497 (R0503)

Sub  CPU: G1093444 (R0460)

Did any user change the CPUs during last time? How are the results?

vy 73

 

I was in contact with the tech services people at Vertex recently and
found there is another addendum to the manual.  I have copied the
text of  these latest changes below, and posted a Word document in the
files section  with the text formatted in bold & itallics.


Yeasu VR-5000 Maunal Addendum

Page 3

(6) Function Keys

[BS(BS SET)] Key
Press  this key momentarily to toggle the Band Scope feature on and
off.  Press this key twice, after the [F] key is pressed (when the
Band Scope is  activated) to activate the SUB VFO cursor, which
enables
the SUB VFO  tuning.

(Commentary)
After you've activated the Band Scope, press the M/S key, then press
the [F] key, then press the [BS(BS SET)] key twice.  You  will now be
able to move the channel marker within the sweep range as  programmed.

Set the Channel Marker to the desired position (frequency);  now press
the [COPY] key.  The SUB VFO frequency will move to the new position
you set (the current location of the Channel Marker), and you'll hear
the new channel's activity if yo have the SUB VFO volume turned up. 
If you now press the [BS(BS SET)] key, you will see that the SUB VFO
has  moved to the Channel Marker's frequency, as both VFO frequencies
will be  displayed.

Pressing the [BS(BS SET)] key once more will restore the Band  Scope
display.




Page 37

Under "To Activate the Band  Scope …"

3.  When the Band Scope is activated, press the [M/S] key; you  can
now
move the Channel Marker.  This allows the Channel Marker to be  moved
anywhere within the programmed sweep range.  When the Channel Marker
is set to a frequency that may be of interest, press the [COPY] key;
the  frequency will change to that set by the Channel Marker. 

larry.w.mason@lmco.com

Hi all !

Another long-post-yet-worth-the-reading, for the real HAMs out there.

 

Some posts ago, i asked if anybody had the procedure that uses the Hidden Alignment Menu that pops-up when "Pwr-up + SCAN". In fact, the procedure is described in the Yahoo-posted files. But the PDF requires the Japan fonts to be installed (6Mb, adobe.com), altough this small document was fully written in plain english.

Forget the fonts, here is the summary of the procedures. I tested them, they work fine.

The "Hidden Menu":

- The alignment mode menu is accessed by pressing "SCAN" then "PWR",

  when the radio is off.

- The various menu options are then selected by pressing "SCAN"

  repeatedly.

- The last option is "END", then the menu cycles again.

- If you press ENT while on the "END" item, you'll come out from the

  alignment procedure.

- You will "enter" a menu item by pressing ENT once, and you leave

  by pressing ENT again.

- This explains the "press twice" term used below.

- Note also that there is no indication you're "in" or "out" the

  selected menu items.

- You can enter the hidden alignment menu, and cycle through the

  visible items, but if you do not want to get the parameters get

  messed up, never press ENT until you're on the last option "END".

 

I warned you.

 

Equipment:

a RF Signal Generator (101 MHz min.) with 1KHz mod. / 3.5 KHz dev.

(further named SG),

a frequency counter (600 MHz min.),

a DC Voltmeter,

possibly a SINAD Meter. (pers. note: if you don't have it,

use your ear: it is very sensitive to sound distortion :)

- Signal levels in dB are based on 0 dBu=0.5uV (closed circuit).

 

S-Meter Calibration (uses a SG)

- Tune receiver & SG to 51 MHz; enter alignment mode.

- Set SG to ±3.5 kHz dev, 1kHz mod, output level -5dBu.

- Select "MAIN S-METER 1" menu, then press ENT twice.

- Set SG level to +28dBu, keep other settings.

- Select "MAIN S-METER 5" menu; press ENT twice.

 

Squelch (uses a SG)

- Tune receiver & SG to 51 MHz; enter alignment mode.

- Set SG to ±3.5 kHz dev, 1kHz mod, output level -5dBu.

- Select "MAIN THRESH" menu; press ENT twice.

- Set SG level to +5dBu, keep same setting as above.

- Select "MAIN TIGHT" menu; press ENT twice.

 

Hardware adjustments:

 

Main VCO (uses a DC voltmeter)

- Voltmeter to test point TP2011(VCV) and ground.

- Tune to 312.9 MHz, adjust coil L2076 for 7 V.

- Tune to 1 MHz: you should have 1.0 V.

- Tune to 621.9 MHz, adjust coil L2098 for 7 V.

- Tune to 313 MHz: you should have 1.0 V.

 

Sub VCO (uses a DC voltmeter)

- Voltmeter to test point TP2010(VCV)

- Tune to 2599.9 MHz, adjust coil L2053 for 6.5 V.

- Tune to 4.9 MHz: you should have 2.0 V.

 

PLL Reference Frequency (uses a frequ. counter)

- Frequ. counter to J2010, tune receiver to 1 MHz.

- Adjust TC2001 so the freq. counter shows 568.245 +/- 100 Hz.

 

Receiver Interstage Transformers (uses a SG and a Sinad meter)

- Tune receiver & SG to 101 MHz.

- Set SG for ±3.5 kHz dev, 1kHz tone mod, 10 dBuV output level.

- Adjust CV3001 & CV3002 for optimum SINAD.

- Reduce SG level as necessary for proper meter deflection.

- Final level should be <3dBu, 12 dB SINAD.

 

et voilà.

I hope this will help improving the sensitivity and accuracy of your

VR5k.

Michel