Operation Manual

25
Transmitter Operation
SSB Transmission
Basic Setup/Operation
1. Press the / key so as to select either SSB (LSB/USB) mode. If
you are operating on the 7 MHz or lower bands, select the LSB mode. If you are oper-
ating on the 14 MHz or higher bands, select the USB mode.
2. Press the
key momentarily, then rotate the knob, as needed, until Operating
Function Row 9
[
PWR, MTR
]
appears on the display, then press the
(
MTR
)
key to
select the “ALC” meter function (“alc” will appear at the right side of the “MTR” icon).
3. Press the microphone’s PTT switch, and speak into the microphone in a normal voice
while watching the meter. The ideal audio input level to the transmitter from the micro-
phone will cause a few “segments” of indication on the ALC meter. Release the PTT
switch to return to receive mode.
4. If the ALC meter is too high, or too low, you may need to reset the Microphone Gain:

Press and hold in the key for one second to enter the Menu mode.

Rotate the knob to recall Menu #46 (SSB MIC).

Close the PTT switch, and while speaking into the microphone rotate the
knob until the proper ALC indication is achieved on voice peaks.

When done, press and hold in the key to save the new setting for the Micro-
phone Gain.
The
[
TONE
]
switch on the back of the MH-31
A8J
microphone provides adjustment
of the microphone’s frequency response. Setting this switch to the “2” position
will roll off some of the bass response, resulting in improved “talk power” in many
instances. The “1” position is primarily used in countries like Japan, where vowel
sounds are of critical importance in conveying information; in Western languages,
consonant sounds (which are rich in high-frequency components) are frequently
more important.
Adjusting the Transmitter Power Output
Four power levels are available on the FT-818: 6 Watts, 5 Watts, 2.5 Watt, and
1.0 Watt. When using Alkaline batteries or the supplied SBR-32MH Ni-MH Battery
Pack, the microprocessor, detecting internal battery use, automatically sets the
power level to 2.5 Watts, which appears on the display as “
”. If you set the pow-
er to 6 watts, the power level icon is the same as for 2.5 Watt operation, but at 6
Watts the icon is blinking. For 1 Watt, there is one “bar” to the right of the “L” in the
power icon, and for 5.0 Watts there are three “bars” displayed.
The power level is easy to change:
1. Press the
key momentarily, then rotate the knob to select Operating
Function Row 9 [PWR, MTR].
2. Press the
(PWR) key, as needed, to set the desired power level. The icon
will change, based on the power level you have set.
High Low 3 Low 2 Low 1
-
6 W (AM: 2 W) 5 W (AM: 1.7 W) 2.5 W (AM: 1 W) 1 W (AM: 0.7 W)