changing the BAND on the VX-5R

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LostSignal

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Hi people,
For the life of me, I CAN NOT CHANGE the "BAND" (i.e. 6M, 2M, 70cm). It is "stuck" in 2M and I want to change it to say, 6M???!!! I have the book/manual and I am following EXACTLY what it tells me and I will get "OUT RANGE". I do NOT know how to better explain it. The radio works just fine, but it is me that does not work and/or the "manual"???!!! Very frustrating to say the least. I'm pretty darn sure I am following the keystrokes in the manual correctly, but it simply won't "show/change" or let me change to the other different bands??? PLEASE help!!! Any one.

Thank you for reading and I HIGHLY apologize if this is a stupid question or if it has been brought up before, but I was not able to find it in the search and/or even "goo gling" it other than the manual.
 

LostSignal

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UPDATE... I had to do a reset

I was trying to avoid having to do the 4-finger solute (i.e. RESET), because I had a repeater I am usually on already programmed into the unit (i.e. the 2M that I was on). I was TRYING to change to the 6M and it just wasn't happening??? So to further assist you guys/gals out there on how the radio was currently programmed. So now, if I wanted to go "back-to" the 2M, I have to "reprogram" the unit for the repeater that I was on... God forbid if I had multiple programmed channels in it and I had to go through this step every time just to change BAND(s)???

I want to learn how to do this because I'm NOT always going to have the computer around to do programming. I want to be able to "change" bands "out in the field on the fly when the occasion presents itself". This is what I am trying to ultimately accomplish, again, being able to just simply change BAND(s) without having to "RESET" the unit???

PLEASE help me.

I'm on a MD'ing forum and I "help out others" once I know/learn what I am doing. Or let me put it another way, I pass along the help that I received and things that I've learned to others. So I'm NOT just seeking help without helping another. I'm new to the VX-5R radio (i.e. I LOVE this radio), but man is it frustrating to program, to say the least. I have the FT-60R and that thing is SOOOO EEEEEE ZZZZZZZZZZ to program, save settings, etc etc etc. No wonder why it gets good reviews and is easy for a newbie HAM... just like me :)

Thank you people for reading and hopefully taking the time to help me.
 

majoco

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The instructions say "Press the "band(set)ar" key repetitively" to step through the bands. I take it that this is not working for you.
 

SCPD

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The instructions say "Press the "band(set)ar" key repetitively" to step through the bands. I take it that this is not working for you.

You also have to be in VFO mode when doing this. It doesn't work in MR mode.
 

robertmac

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Plus, how long are you pressing the BAND SET AR button? Momentarily and 1 sec do different things.
 

LostSignal

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Plus, how long are you pressing the BAND SET AR button? Momentarily and 1 sec do different things.

I tried "momentary" and longer than "1 sec"... it simply was NOT doing anything to even come close to indicating that I had "BAND" selection? When I did the "RESET"... NOW I have BAND selection capability? The keypad was NOT "locked" either? It was very odd and very frustrating at the same time. If I held it down long enough (i.e. the BAND button), it would say "OUT RANGE", if I remember correctly. All I know is that it was clearly NOT doing what it was supposed to do. Again, there's basically nothing really to it and/or all that complicated of instructions on how to... simply... change BAND(s)?!

To majoco, I have the manual and was following it to the "T"?! I mean, there's basically nothing really to it.

I really DO APPRECIATE you guys trying to help me figure this thing out. It was coming close for the thing to better "grow wings" and fast, if you get my meaning.

There's one thing that I was thinking about today, is there a "feature" where you can "lockout" certain things "to do" on the VX-5R??? Sortof like locking out the keypad, although I definitely do NOT remember enabling anything like that??? I don't even use that feature on the FT-60R that I have!!! So I highly doubt, I would choose the VX-5R to do that if I don't even do it to the other HT's that I have? Either way, it is too late to see if this was the problem though, since I did the RESET.

Finally, I'm just afraid that this will simply happen again, and would like to know how, if at all possible, on WHAT/WHY it happened so that I learn from this experience. Or simply put another way, when I am "out in the middle of nowhere" and I needed to change the BAND for WHAT EVER reason. This is why I want to learn and hope all of you understand this aspect of this thread. Other than that, for now, I can change the BAND, but this was only because I had to RESET the unit to do so. Again, before doing the RESET... pressing on the BAND key did nothing.
 

robertmac

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I wouldn't say the BAND key did nothing if you got OUT OF RANGE as this is what the band key is supposed to give you if pressed for at least a second. As EdAzela stated that the radio must be in VFO for the BAND key to change BANDS. You have not commented on that aspect. No one else has responded with this problem so for it to happen again should be very remote. However, we are dealing with electronics, where a little static can upset things.
 

majoco

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...and you mustn't forget that Yaesu don't write the clearest of manuals at the best of times! :)

Happy that you got it working.
 
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