Kenwood TM-255E - Manual (Page 23)

4 COMMUNICATION
GEHING STARTED
This section provides general information you need to
know regardless which mode you plan to use when
operating.
SWITCHING POWER ON/OFF
Switch ON the DC power supply, then press
[POWER] to switch ON the transceiver.
• If operating mobile, simply press [POWER] on the
transceiver.
• After the "HELLO" message, the frequency and
other indicators appear on the Display.
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POWER ___ ______ _
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To switch OFF the transceiver, press [POWER]
again.
• In a fixed installation, after the transceiver has
been switched ON, it can then be switched OFF or
ON by using only the power switch on the DC
power supply.
VOLUME ADJUST
Turn the VOL control clockwise to increase the audio
level, and counterclockwise to decrease the level.
Low
Volume control
Menu A, No. 08 {page 13} also allows you to change
the received audio level. Toggle between a High or a
Low level setting. The default is High (H).
SQUELCH ADJUST
The purpose of squelch is to silence audio output from
the speaker when no signals are present. When
squelch is set correctly, you will hear sound only when
a station is actually transmitting. The point at which
ambient noise on a frequency just disappears, called
the squelch threshold, depends on the modulation
mode and frequency. Setting the squelch threshold
too high causes squelch to remain closed while a
weak signal is present. The station will not be heard.
You may mistakenly think that receiver sensitivity is
low or you have an audio problem.
Setting the threshold too low allows noise to be heard
between transmissions from other stations. However,
while receiving weak signals, turn the control fully
counterclockwise for most reliable operation. Many
operators prefer leaving the squelch control fully
counterclockwise unless operating full-carrier modes
such as FM.
Noise Squelch
Turn the SQL control to just eliminate the
background noise when no signal is present, or set
and forget at full counterclockwise rotation.
Threshold Squelch control
S-Meter Squelch
By using S-meter Squelch, you can set the squelch
threshold so the squelch does not open until a
signal with the same or greater strength than the
S-meter setting is received. Use Menu B, No. 66
(page 14} to select either Noise Squelch or S-
meter Squelch. The default is Noise Squelch
(OFF).
After switching S-meter Squelch ON, adjust the
SQL control to set the S-meter for the minimum
signal strength that you want to open the squelch.
If the SQL control is turned fully counterclockwise
while S-meter Squelch is ON, the transceiver will
function as though Noise Squelch is being used
since virtually any signal will open the squelch. As
the SQL control is turned further clockwise, the S-
meter starts to rise indicating the larger signal that
is required to open the squelch. If the SQL control
is turned fully clockwise, a receive signal that is
S9 40 dB must be received before the squelch
will open. If the "BUSY" indicator remains off after
adjusting the SQL control, this means that the level
of noise or signal on the current frequency is lower
than the S-meter setting.
If you want to change the amount of time the
squelch remains open after the received carrier
from the other station drops, choose a new value
for Hang Time Select via Menu B, No. 67
(page 14}. The default is 500 ms.
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For example, when receiving a weak signal, select
a high value such as 500 ms to prevent the
squelch from closing prematurely. When signals
are strong, use a lower value such as 125 ms or
OFF for quick turnarounds in your conversation.
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