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When you're on a roll you just go with the flow. With the ever growing
popularity of their amateur radio transceivers, Yaesu appears to be expanding
their product line with a little help from Standard.
Back in the middle of '98 we heard news that these two companies had joined forces to develop radios which came as quite a surprise. Does this represent how competitive the receiver market is becoming when two companies have to collaborate in such a manner? Perhaps it's related to cost savings or maybe less risky for two companies to share the investment capital? Whatever the reason, this first union has resulted in the introduction of the VR-500 which appears to be marketed and manufactured by Yaesu but is shipped in a box labeled Standard along with the radio itself bearing this same name (except for North American units which remove all traces of its Standard origin). Being a micro-receiver, there will be some hefty competition from the recent offerings by AOR (AR16), Commtel (COM510), iCOM (IC-R2), Trident (TRX-100XLT), and Welz (WS2000). Will the VR-500 live up to the high standards set by the popular FT-50R and VX-5R? Let's find out... What follows are my personal impressions regarding the features and performance of this receiver. This, in no way, should be viewed as an endorsement to purchase this radio nor is it intended to discourage anyone from buying it. I have no personal nor business relations with Yaesu or Standard. These are simply thoughts offered to my fellow hobbyists who may be interested in purchasing this particular radio or simply knowing more about it. A lot of hard work and effort has gone into the testing and writing of this review. I would appreciate it if every effort is made to keep this document whole with me as the original author. Of course, it doesn't hurt that this document is copyrighted and therefore protected by US law and international treaties governing intellectual property. Except for personal use, and for the sake of brief passages quoted in reviews and given appropriate credit, no part of this work may be reproduced in any forms or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the author. And if you want to share your thoughts about this review with me or have further questions, feel free to send e-mail. Thank you and enjoy!
Rich Wells |
| Channels | 1000 |
|---|---|
| Banks | 10 |
| Coverage | 100 kHz - 1300 MHz |
| Scan | 12 chan/sec |
| Search | 24 steps/sec |
| Steps | 50/100 Hz 1/5/6.25/9/10/12.5/15/20/25/30/50/100 kHz |
| Modes | AM/FM/WFM/LSB/USB/CW |
| Sensitivity | As listed in the manual: 100kHz - 5MHz:
5MHz - 160MHz:
160MHz - 370MHz:
370MHz - 520MHz:
520MHz - 1300MHz:
AM/SSB/CW = 10dB S/N |
| Conversion | Triple? |
| IFs | 1=? 2=? 3=? |
| Priority | 1 channels |
| Search limits | 10 |
| Search skip | 100 frequencies |
| Auto-store | Yes |
| S-meter | Yes |
| Delay | Yes |
| Lockout | Yes |
| Attenuator | Yes |
| Lock | Yes |
| Tone codes | No |
| Computer intf | Yes |
| Rotary control | Yes |
| Channel count | No |
| Data skip | No |
| Clock | No |
| Timers | Yes |
| Weather | Yes (US models?) |
| Weather Alert | No |
| Light | Display & Keypad |
| Power | Internal: 2.2 - 3.5 volts External: 9.0 - 13.8 volts |
| Audio | 90 mw (battery) 125 mW (external DC) |
| Size | 58(W) x 95(H) x 24(D) mm 2.3(W) x 3.7(H) x 0.9(D) inches |
| Weight | 220 g/7.8 ounces |
| Memory | non-volatile? |
The manual starts with a nice introduction to the exterior controls which is followed by a detailed listing of the LCD indicators. Up next is a handy chart which details each of the key functions related to whether they are pressed, used in conjunction with the FUNC key, or held in for 2 seconds while pressing FUNC.
The next major section covers power on, volume, squelch and RF squelch settings. This is followed by receive mode selection and basic frequency value entry via the keypad.
The real "meat" of operation begins with the discussion of the VFO search and its parameters. This leads to the limit search function which can be used right out of the box with the 10 pre-programmed limit pairs. Just after this is a small blurb on changing the step size.
The last section under the Basic Operation section covers the Preset Mode function which is programmed with a number of "starting" frequencies to help beginners navigate to popular frequency bands.
Natural operational progression leads to the chapter on memory operations now that the basics of tuning have been covered. Memory write and recall operations are discussed as well as labeling channels with alpha-tags for easier identification.
The next memory section deals with the scanning mode operations. There is the basic bank scan along with a link menu that allows multiple banks to be scanned simultaneously. The Preferential Memory Scan (PMS) is a scan which only operates on memory channels which have been specially tagged. And, of course, there's the ever popular mode scan which only scans those memory channels which match the selected receive mode!
Memory management functions are numerous on the VR-500 which are always nice and, in this day and age of powerful microprocessors, being expected on any current model.
Memory channel management functions consist of channel delete, find (using alpha-tags), copy and swap. Memory bank management functions consist of copy, swap, clear, and check (number of empty channels).
The next few sections cover operation of the band scope, dual watch, priority, Smart Search, and reset features.
A very handy reference is the Set Mode section which details each of the 32 Set menu options. Each option is listed numerically along with an English description and the possible settings for each (along with the default setting from the factory).
The last section is for the specifications which is useful but omits important figures like selectivity, conversion, IFs, etc.
Before we move one, let's cover a manual error and clarification, both of which are courtesy of Curt Chambers and his VR-500 web pages.
On page 19, step 14, disregard the text which says to hold down the FUNC key. Simply key in the 3 digit memory channel number and the write will complete.
On page 32, step 1 says to select the frequency to be used as the priority frequency. This frequency can actually be the VFO frequency or a memory channel frequency. Step 2 simply copies the numeric frequency value into the priority memory location, regardless of whether it comes from the VFO or a memory channel.
Thanks Curt!
There also seems to be a mistake in the specification of the OFF timer as the listed times for power off are specified as 30, 60 and 90 seconds! I do believe they meant those to be minutes.
Going through this review, I've noticed that the manual does appear to be a bit skimpy in some places. For instance, some of the Set menu options are not described within the manual itself. They are simply listed in the Set Mode section mentioned above with no description of what they are used for or how they should be used. Nothing major but I do consider it an oversight as it relies on the user having to fiddle with things to understand them properly.
Construction and Physical
As you've probably noted from the Yaesu ads and specs, this is a small receiver
molded entirely in dark gray, polycarbonate plastic. One ad I saw stated that
this radio was "ideal for outdoor use", "designed to withstand the rigors of
backpacking, camping, or other outdoor activities." After playing with the
radio just a short time, its solidity is top notch although I'm still not
inclined to take it, nor any other handheld, out for some rough and tumble
action.
Like the R2, this radio is dwarfed by its antenna which appears very similar to a longer, drawn out version of the units Standard supplied on their AX400 and rebadged Welz models. What makes this antenna even more imposing is that it is a BNC form factor making it much thicker than the slimmer SMA model supplied with the R2.
Unlike the R2 though, the VR-500 comes with a "full" keypad consisting of 3 rows of 4 keys each. They are a good size and well spaced which should be pleasing for those of us with poor aim. While a bit "spongy", they have an overall feel which is pleasant and makes for comfortable operation. Each key press is accompanied by the expected confirmation beep which can be disabled via the Set menu if desired. And the beep volume is slaved to the volume control.
While this numeric keypad occupies the bottom third of the front panel, the middle third is the home of three other keys and the decently sized speaker grill. While two of these keys provide normal functionality, the third is colored in bright orange and serves as the power on/off switch.
As mentioned in one VR-500 ad, the speaker is listed as 32mm in diameter. That's a good size for such a diminutive receiver. Audio output is not lacking either. Rated at 90 milliwatts using the internal AA cells, it has a good punch to it. At least on FM signals. I found it to be just a notch below the R2 in terms of output power. However, the VR-500 was sadly lacking when comparing WFM and AM signals. Should you decide to power this radio via the external DC jack, the specs rate the output power at 125 milliwatts which will give an even greater kick!
Moving on up the front panel we come to the large LCD which consists of 4 rows of information. The top row houses the custom indicators for such things as the attenuator, battery savers, keypad lock, etc. The next two lines are used to display frequency and/or alpha-tag information. The last line is used to indicate the current operational mode as well as S-meter or band scope.
The display contrast is pretty good. Even better, the Set menu has a selection which allows you to adjust the contrast to any of 14 levels! Due to the large LCD the three dot-matrix display lines allow large alpha-numeric characters. This, along with the adjustable contrast, makes it easy on the eyes.
Moving on to the top panel we can see the typical BNC antenna connector and the volume, squelch and rotary controls. Interestingly, the squelch is located beneath the rotary control instead of below the volume control. It reminds me of the AX/Welz models and most likely Standard's influence with this part of the design.
The right side of the VR-500 houses two rubber caps which are attached to the body to prevent their loss. One covers the speaker/computer jack while the other protects the DC voltage jack.
Looking at the left side reveals a large, rubber "key" located near the top. The upper two thirds of it act as the FUNC key while the lower third acts as the squelch monitor and the keypad lock (when used in conjunction with the FUNC key).
That leaves us with the back panel (since the bottom panel is barren). There is an anchor point for a single screw used to attach the supplied plastic belt clip. Through this clip is a channel for attaching the provided hand strap should that strike your fancy. The belt clip is of a decent size and strength but a metal version would sure be welcome!
The clip covers most of the radio identification sticker which supplies such important information as the country of manufacturer, serial number, model number, and so on.
At the bottom of this panel is the battery compartment cover which holds the two AA cells needed for operation. I found that the insertion of regular alkaline cells a bit of a tight squeeze. Reminded me of the minimal tolerances in the Yupiteru models and AOR's latest AR8200. Unfortunately, getting the cells out of the VR-500 can be a chore! Would have been nice to have a removal strap like the one Yupiteru supplies to make this job MUCH easier.
Although the manual does not make reference to recharging the internal AA cells via external DC power, I do not think it is possible. If it were, I think there would have been a large warning to let users know that hooking up the radio to external DC power while using alkaline cells would be dangerous.
Also, an optional accessory is the FNB-59 rechargeable battery pack. Looking at the inside of the battery compartment reveals a small metal contact along the bottom edge. I'll have to assume that this contact can be used to recharge this pack via external DC power.
AntennaTo see how it performed, I put it up against the average performing model supplied on most Radio Shack and Uniden model handhelds. I then tested them back to back on a number of frequencies between 42 and 938 MHz. Using my Handheld Antenna review results as a basis to judge the Radio Shack/Uniden model, how well the VR-500 model will perform in various bands can be approximated.
My results indicate that the VR-500 antenna is poor on VHF-lo, simply awful on most of VHF-hi, very good on 800/900, and average everywhere else.
Features
When the VR-500 is powered on by holding down the orange power button for a
second, the message "YAESU VR-500" scrolls onto the screen and the radio emits
a single beep.
Not only can this opening beep be removed or changed to one of two double beep settings, the opening message can be changed to any 8 character alpha-tag of your choosing!
Another item which can be reconfigured to suit your preferences are the symbols used to depict the S-meter. By default the VR-500 uses a ramped staircase consisting of 10 blocks. If you desire, this can be changed to be a series of identical square blocks or 10 '>' characters.
For dim lighting or nighttime use, there is a backlight which can illuminate both the keypad and LCD. By default, both are lit when the LAMP key is used. If you wish to conserve power, the keypad illumination can be turned off using the Set menu.
Another Set menu option selects whether the use of the LAMP key turns on the light for 5 second intervals or toggles it on and off! When using the 5 second option, the timer is reset each time a key is pressed or the rotary control is used. Unfortunately when in this mode (called AUTO), the LAMP comes on automatically whenever a key or the rotary control is used (not just when LAMP is used)!
To keep from excessively draining the batteries, I'm sure most of us will be using the TOGGLE setting. But this means you have to press FUNC + LAMP to turn on the light and then again to turn it off. What a pain! What we need here is a MANUAL setting that says that the only way to turn on the light is via the LAMP key.
The backlight itself is well done and provides an evenly illuminated LCD when used due to two amber LEDs mounted along the left hand side. Keypad illumination is a bit on the weak side but adequate.
Speaking of the keypad, like most handheld models, there must be a way to lock the keypad to prevent accidental activations. The keypad can be easily locked using the side panel key. By default, this locking also disable the rotary control as well. Using a Set menu option, the rotary can be left enabled while the keypad is locked if you choose.
To help conserve battery power, the VR-500 comes with an adjustable battery saver which allows you to select how long the radio "sleeps" between checking for active frquencies. Available options include 1:4, 1:12, 1:20, 1:28 and 1:36. These ratios represent the time spent receiving to the time spent asleep. Since the receive time is specified as 250 milliseconds (ms) when the battery saver is on, a setting of 1:4 means it will receive for 250 ms and then sleep for 4 x 250 ms = 1 second. For 1:12, it receives for 250 ms then sleeps for 12 x 250 ms = 3 seconds.
Another option which can be used to conserve power is the audio amplifier setting. By default the audio amplifier is left off when no signal is being received. As a result, power is saved but squelch "popping" is more pronounced at the start and end of transmissions. Keeping the amp on draws more put reduces this audio transients. With the amp left on, I noticed a high pitched squeal when held near the ear.
When the batteries do become low, the low battery indicator appears on the top row of the LCD and the display will show "Low Battery". Shortly thereafter the radio will turn itself off automatically.
When listening to narrow FM transmissions common on VHF and UHF, an important consideration can be the length of the squelch tail "noise burst" heard at the end of each broadcast. Especially if you make use of an earphone or headphones. I would characterize the VR-500's squelch tail as average in length. At times, it is a bit on the long side and therefor bothersome.
Speaking of the squelch, the VR-500 also includes an RF squelch function designed to override the setting of the analog squelch control on the top panel. In short, it allows you to set a programmed strength level which signals must achieve before the squelch will be opened to receive the signal.
This level can be set between 1 and 9 and corresponds to the strength of signals as they are registered on the S-meter. Unfortunately it is a global setting and can not be programmed on a per memory channel basis where it would be most useful.
To aid in the reduction of interference or desensing problems due to locally strong signals, there is a handy 20 dB attenuator. When activated, it weakens all incoming signals by 100 times to help reduce the chances of overload which usually rears its ugly head as intermodulation interference. This feature is also a globally activated function.
For those who might forget to turn off their radio in the hectic pace of everyday life and come back to find their batteries drained, the VR-500 comes with an automatic power off timer. It can be set to turn itself off after 30, 60 or 90 minutes of operation. Once activated, the clock icon displays in the LCD to let you know it's active. Problem is that this feature turns itself off if you power the radio off. So if you like to use this feature, you'll have to enable each and every time you turn the radio on. Painful...
Another timer is available which can be used to turn the radio on automatically. The timer can be set up to 24 hours in 30 minute increments. Once enabled, the radio is turned off and the clock icon is displayed on the LCD. Now the timer simply acts as a countdown clock and when it reaches zero, it turns the radio on.
This radio does have power-on resume meaning that if you were performing a search or scan when the radio was powered off, it will continue its task right where it left on when the radio is powered back on.
The last item to cover here are the provided reset functions. The first of these is simply used to return all the Set Mode options back to their factory default values. The other reset is called a system reset and although the manual doesn't come out and say it, I believe this is used to clear the contents of all memory channels and programmed search limits.
Set Menu
The Set menu is how you get to most of the adjustable parameters such as step
size, receive mode, power saver, etc. You get into the menu by first going into
VFO mode and then holding down FUNC while pressing SET/NAME.
Movement among the selections is accomplished by using the rotary control. To change most settings, FUNC is held down while the rotary control is twisted to view the available choices. When done, simply release FUNC. Leaving the Set mode is as easy as pressing CLR.
Each setting is represented by a number between 1 and 32 as well as an identifying title. Here's a table which lists the available settings as they appear on the LCD:
| No. | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Receive Mode | Auto or manual |
| 2 | Lock Mode | Keypad and/or rotary |
| 3 | Key Lamp | Illumination on/off |
| 4 | Lamp Mode | Auto or toggle |
| 5 | Save | Battery saver |
| 6 | OFF Timer | Power off timer |
| 7 | ON Timer | Power on timer |
| 8 | Scan Resume | Resume condition |
| 9 | Contrast | Contrast adjust |
| 10 | Key Beep | Key beep on/off |
| 11 | LANGUAGE | Display language |
| 12 | Search Mode | VFO or limit search |
| 13 | SRCH Memory | Search limits |
| 14 | Monitor | Squelch tail adjust |
| 15 | Find Name | Find memory channel |
| 16 | Mode Scan | Mode scan selection |
| 17 | Bank Scan | Single bank scanning |
| 18 | Bank Link | Scan bank linking |
| 19 | RF Squelch | RF squelch level |
| 20 | Smart Search | # of Smart Search memories |
| 21 | SSRCH Mode | Smart Search mode |
| 22 | Flex Step | Ties step to recv mode |
| 23 | Opening Bell | Turn opening beep on/off |
| 24 | Opening Msg | Select opening message |
| 25 | Msg Edit | Edit opening message |
| 26 | Clear Bank | Erase bank contents |
| 27 | Copy Bank | Copy bank contents |
| 28 | Swap Banks | Swap bank contents |
| 29 | Vacant Memory | Display # of empty channels |
| 20 | Copy Channel | Copy memory channel |
| 31 | Swap Channels | Swap memory channels |
| 32 | Meter Symbol | Select S-meter symbols |
VFO
Your first experience with the VR-500 will probably be the VFO mode. This is
where you have access to the radio's tuner and can punch in any frequency in
its receive range to have a listen. And it's always easy to see when you're in
this mode by the VFO label in the bottom left hand corner of the LCD
Entering frequency values is quite simple with the VR-500s full keypad but since the keys are arranged in only three rows, that means it is not laid out the same as most full sized radios. If this is your only radio, it shouldn't be a big deal to train yourself to use the '.' and '0' keys which are along the right hand edge. For those of us use to the "normal" keypad layout where the '.' and '0' are found on the fourth row of keys, it can be a bit frustrating at first.
Once the frequency has been entered, the radio will automatically select a receive mode and step size for you. In most cases this will have the desired effect as long as Yaesu has programmed the bandplan for your country properly. In those cases where you'd like to override the radio's decision, it is easy enough to adjust either the step size or receive mode.
For the step size, pressing FUNC + STEP brings up the step selection menu. It is here that you are able to select any of the available step sizes which includes the AUTO setting to put the radio back in control.
Along with changing the step size in this manner, there is a Set menu option titled Flex Step. This option is off by default which means that when the receive mode changes, the current step size is kept. If this option is turned on, the step size will change according to the receive mode selected.
For receive mode selection, successive presses of FUNC + MODE are needed to cycle through all of the options until you arrive at the desired mode. An interesting difference compared to the method used to access the step sizes. As this mode is changed, you'll notice the LCD indication change accordingly.
Right out of the box, the VR-500 is designed to automatically select the receive mode for you. Should this prove a hindrance, the Receive Mode Set menu option can be set to MANUAL. This means that you are now in charge of manually selecting the mode.
With all the tuning attributes properly set it's time to tune around the spectrum to see what's out there! To do so requires the use of the rotary control on the top panel. Twisting this control will change the current frequency according to the direction in which it is turned. Pretty simple enough.
To move about a little quicker when small step sizes are selected, the FUNC key can be held down while using the rotary control. If the current receive mode is AM, FM or WFM, each click of the rotary will change the frequency by 1 MHz. While in LSB, USB or CW modes, a 1 kHz change will be seen.
If you desire, these 1 MHz and 1 kHz values can be changed use the step size selection menu. When you press FUNC + STEP to select a new step size, you'll notice a flashing block over one of the frequency digits. This represents the magnitude of the step size taken when using the FUNC key with the rotary control. To change this magnitude position, simply hold FUNC and use the rotary to move the block cursor to a new position.
To help newcomers move about the frequency spectrum more easily, Yaesu has provided a Preset Mode function which consists of 9 preprogrammed frequencies spread across the frequency spectrum. To access these "starting point" frequencies, FUNC + P.SET is pressed followed by 1 - 9 (see the manual for the table which equates these numbers to their preprogrammed frequency values). If you'd like to cycle through the values, the 0 key can be pressed successively to do just that.
An alternative function can be accessed by pressing the '.' which my manual says accesses weather channel frequencies. On my Japanese model, using this function brings up a menu which allows the selection of 62 (Japanese) TV channel frequencies. Most likely this will bring up a menu of the standard 7 NOAA weather frequencies on US models. Canadian users might see a similar function. What about you European users?
As mentioned earlier, should strong signal interference be a problem, a quick press of FUNC + ATT turns on the 20 dB attenuator which is noted by the ATT icon at the top of the LCD. Keep in mind that turning it on in VFO mode will effect all other modes as well since this is a global feature.
When traveling about with your new radio, keep in mind that the keypad lock feature can be used to prevent accidental activation of keys or changes to the currently tuned frequency. Remember that the Set menu option allows either the keypad, or the keypad plus rotary control (default) to be disabled.
Memory
With the VFO operations mastered, the natural progression is to write desired
frequencies into the memory channels so that they can be easily recalled and
even scanned for activity.
With the frequency and receive mode properly entered into the VFO, the stage is set to begin the memory write operation. With the FUNC key held in, MW is pressed to which the radio responds by presenting the memory write menu. By default, the radio selects the first empty channel and displays it on the LCD. If this channel is acceptable, FUNC + MW is pressed again to finish the writing process. The radio confirms this by briefly displaying "Write!"
If you wish to store the frequency data into a different memory channel, simply key in the three digit memory channel. As soon as the third digit is keyed in, the radio responds by completing the write process.
Along with the frequency and receive mode values, each memory channel is capable of storing an 8 character alpha-tag which can be used to easily identify the contents of this channel. This alpha-tag can be entered while performing the write process mentioned above, or you can add/edit this tag at any later time.
When entering alpha-tag characters, available selections include the entire alphabet in both upper and lower case, the 10 numerals, and the following symbols/punctuation: " .,!#$%&'()*+-/". Entry of characters is also simple since the keypad provides access to all selections. There is no arduously long string of characters to scroll through using the rotary control.
Once you have all your channels programmed to your liking, pressing FUNC + MEMO puts the radio into memory recall mode as indicated by the MR label in the lower left corner of the LCD.
To view memory channel contents, use the rotary control to scroll about or simply key in the three digit memory channel to go to. As you move about in memory you'll notice that empty channels are not displayed. I find this helpful since these are unwieldy 100 channel banks which will be largely empty for most of us.
Yaesu has also provided a method to find memory channel contents by specifying any part of an alpha-tag to search and match on.
I didn't see it mentioned in the manual but if you press FUNC while turning the rotary control the memory recall jumps to the first channel in each bank.
Also available are a handy set of memory management features designed to make housekeeping chores as simple as possible. For memory channel management, you have the option to delete a channel, copy a channel, and swap the contents of two channels. For memory bank management, you have the ability to clear an entire bank, copy a bank, or swap the contents of two banks!
Another management function is the memory check feature found in the Set menu system. Bringing up this selection allows you to see how many empty channels there are in each bank as well as the total number of empties.
Scanning
The VR-500 comes with three scanning selections: normal, preferential and mode.
In normal scanning, all the channels of any number of memory banks can be
scanned. By default, starting a normal scan will scan all memory banks which
have programmed data in them. But pressing any number key will result in just
that specified bank being scanned (if if contains data).
To scan a specified combination of banks, you'll need to turn the BANK SCAN setting on and then use the BANK LINK Set menu option to specify which banks are to be linked for scanning. Scanning will now only operate on the linked banks. Fortunately you still have the option of pressing a number key to scan just a single bank.
Preferential scanning is the ability to scan only those channels which have been specially tagged for this mode. The desired memory channels are displayed in memory mode and then FUNC + PMS is pressed to tag this channel which is indicated by the P displayed at the top of the LCD. Once done, a normal scan is started and then FUNC + PMS is pressed to perform preferential scanning indicated by the PMS indicator at the top of the LCD.
Good thing there is a preferential scan mode since Yaesu provided no means of locking out memory channels like most receivers these days! Me thinks this is a result of Standard influences since the AX/Welz models used the same methodology; one has to tag the desired channels to be scanned instead of locking out the undesirables.
The last type, mode scanning, allows you to scanning only those channels which have a receive mode which matches the mode you select with the Mode Scan Set menu option.
For all scanning types, there are three types of resume mode which determine how scanning resumes once an active signal is detected. By default, pause mode is selected which will stop on an active signal for at most 5 seconds at which point it forces the scan to resume, even if the signal is still active. The Set menu option Scan Resume can change the 5 second interval anywhere between 1 and 12 seconds.
If busy mode is selected, the radio will monitor the entire signal while it is active, and once it disappears it will wait up to 2 seconds until it resumes scanning.
If hold mode is selected, the radio will stop scanning on the first channel it finds with activity.
My empirical measurements of "real world" scanning places the rate at 17 chan/sec.
Searching
Searching options on the VR-500 come in three flavors: VFO search, limit
search, and Smart Search.
For a VFO search, the currently tuned frequency is used as the starting point to begin searching from using the current step size and receive mode. Like scanning, the pause, busy and hold modes apply here as well. Using the rotary control it is possible to switch the search direction at any time.
The VR-500 comes with ten pairs of limits which are used to define up to ten frequency ranges to search in. Since the VFO is used to perform a limit search, the Set menu option Search Mode must be changed from VFO to LIMIT. Hopefully you'll spend most of your time in one of these type searches and not have to go through the pain of switching between the two very often.
Another drawback to the limit search mode is that while each limit pair stores the lower and upper frequency limits, there is no storage of the receive mode or step size. So each time you go to start a search, you might have to worry about setting these two parameters accordingly.
When performing either of these searches there is the ability to lock out undesired frequencies. Up to 100 such frequencies may be stored in this special frequency skip memory bank. Once frequencies have been stored into this memory, it is simple to view its contents and remove individual frequencies. The manual did not mention a method which would remove all frequencies in one fell swoop.
The last type of search option is Smart Search. This is similar to the automatic storage feature found on many other radios whereby a limit range is searched and each frequency which is found active is automatically stored into memory.
But unlike other receivers on the market, Yaesu's version has some interesting twists. For starters, there is a special menu in which you must not only define the lower and upper frequency limits, but a starting frequency value as well.
The idea here is that the radio sweeps downward from the starting frequency until it hits the lower limit, then it returns to the starting frequency to sweep upward until the upper limit is reached. Once these two sweeps are done, this mode ends and the radio puts you into Smart Search memory mode to examine the contents and see what activity may have been stored. Using a Set menu option, this single sweep mode can be changed to continuous sweeping which does not end until all the Smart Search memories are filled.
By default, the Smart Search memory is configured to hold 31 frequencies. 15 for the lower range sweeping, 15 for the upper range sweeping, and 1 just in case the starting frequency is active and needs to be logged. For some weird reason the Set menu option Smart Search can be changed to allow the Smart Search memory to hold 11, 21, 31 or 41 frequencies.
My empirical measurements of "real world" searching places the rate at 20 steps/sec.
Priority
Priority operation comes in two flavors which Yaesu likes to call Dual Watch
and Priority.
Dual Watch mode allows you to basically scan two specified frequencies for activity. Once the Dual Watch is started, the radio displays the two frequencies and then rapidly switches back and forth (every 0.2 sec) between them, stopping on one when there is detected activity. How long the radio stops on this signal depends on how you have the resume condition programmed (pause/busy/hold) per scanning/searching.
The Dual Watch mode is interesting in that it allows up to 10 frequency pairs to be programmed to your liking. Once you start Dual Watch, you simply press the numeric key corresponding to the pair of frequencies you want to "scan".
The Priority mode is similar in that it allows you to use the VFO mode as you like but every 5 seconds the radio goes off to check for activity on the frequency programmed into the Priority memory channel. This memory channel is programmed with a frequency simply by tuning to it in the VFO or displaying it in memory mode and then pressing FUNC + PW for 2 seconds.
You can then go into VFO mode and turn on Priority sampling by pressing FUNC + PW which displays a PW in the lower left corner of the LCD. The priority frequency is also displayed on the LCD just below the VFO frequency.
Band Scope
Like more and more high performance radios these days, the VR-500 comes with
a band scope feature designed to graphically display frequency activity
occurring on both sides of the VFO frequency over a limited range.
The band scope can be operated in one of two modes which Yaesu calls A and B. Mode A allows a selection of two sweep widths (300 or 600 kHz) and a limited number of step sizes to sweep with (9/10/12.5/20/25/50/100 kHz). This mode obviously allows as few as 3 sweep steps (300 kHz width with 100 kHz steps) or as many as 60 sweep steps (600 kHz width with 10 kHz steps).
In B mode, the number of sweep steps is fixed at 60 but the selection of any step size allows the total sweep range to vary from as little as 3 kHz to as much as 6 MHz!
Once the band scope is activated by pressing B.S, the display changes to show the center VFO frequency at the top and on the next line, the mode (A/B), sweep width and step size. The bottom line of the LCD is used to display the activity on tested frequencies via vertical bars whose height indicates the strength of the signals they represent.
As the band scope operates, the mode can be changed between A and B by pressing FUNC + MODE. The sweep width can be changed in Mode A between 300 & 600 by pressing FUNC + B.W. And the step size can be changed by holding FUNC and turning the rotary control.
By simply turning the rotary control, a channel marker is moved across the display at the very bottom of the LCD. Where this becomes useful is tuning the frequency of a displayed vertical bar. Simply place the channel marker under the desired vertical bar and pressing the B.S key will disengage the band scope and return to VFO mode with the channel marked frequency appropriately tuned!
Unfortunately, when you engage the band scope the audio is muted for the duration of its operation.
VHF/UHF Performance
As usual, the first test was to tune the range from 25 - 1300 MHz to look for
signs of birdie frequencies. I detected 17 such frequencies is great! What's
even better is that 13 of them are above 930 MHz!
Next, I strapped the 19" ANT-19 whip on the VR-500 and swept the range from 25 to 1300 MHz looking for signs of imaging and intermod while at home. The overall results were very good. A few FM broadcast images were found in the 50s, a few TV images were heard on VHF-hi, and there was a bit of cell images above 1 GHz.
We then traveled to a nasty part of town to see how the VR-500 would hold up under the pressure of very strong signals in the area coming from TV, cell, and pager towers. Things were simply superb on VHF-lo as almost no problems were detected. The first signs of trouble began in the 390s with some cell images.
The next real problem came from a decent amount of pager/cell intermod in the 470 - 500 MHz range. But overall, things were looking great for this little radio. Little did I know we were about to walk off a cliff...
Once above 800 MHz, things turned horrendously nasty. The entire range from 800 - 1000 MHz was simply filled with STRONG cell images along with similar cell/cell and cell/pager intermod. Reception in the 800 MHz public safety band was nearly impossible. Truly disappointing. These problems began to thin out above 1 GHz but I still had plenty of such signals right up to 1299.625 MHz.
It was almost as if I had test two different radios. Below 800 MHz, it appeared to function as a triple conversion model with very good dynamic range. Above 800 MHz it was like testing a poorly filtered double conversion design.
Now it was time to put it back-to-back with the R2 to see how it would perform against Icom's hottest micro-reciver. I tested both using the same antenna on many frequencies between 42 and 938 MHz. The results appear in the table that follows:
| Freq | VR-500 | IC-R2 |
|---|---|---|
| 43 | 2 | 1 |
| 60 | 2 | 1 |
| 71 | 1 | 1 |
| 73 | 1 | - |
| 89 | 1 | 2 |
| 97 | 1 | 2 |
| 102 | 1 | 2 |
| 107 | 2 | 1 |
| 117 | 2 | 1 |
| 124 | - | 1 |
| 127 | 2 | 1 |
| 132 | 2 | 1 |
| 147 | 2 | 1 |
| 150 | 1 | 1 |
| 155 | 1 | 1 |
| 162 | 1 | 1 |
| 220 | 1 | 1 |
| 258 | 2 | 1 |
| 349 | 2 | 1 |
| 450 | 2 | 1 |
| 451 | 2 | 1 |
| 453 | 1 | 1 |
| 460 | - | 1 |
| 851 | 1 | 1 |
| 856 | 1 | 1 |
| 862 | 1 | 1 |
| 870 | 1 | 1 |
| 880 | 1 | - |
| 891 | 1 | 1 |
| 936 | 2 | 1 |
| 938 | 2 | 1 |
As can be seen, the R2 didn't lose too many of the battles while handily winning the war. But for the most part, the VR-500 wasn't far behind the R2 when it did come in second. The R2 was superior was on most of VHF-lo and above 900 MHz. The VR-500 pulled even in the 150s, 160s and 800s while taking a bit of a back seat on military aero and 400 MHz.
Overall it was a good showing for the VR-500 in terms of what I would call above average sensitivity. Sadly it has poor dynamic range above 800 MHz.
HF Performance
Moving to below 25 MHz and the HF world, I did a quick sweep of this range to
find only 7 birdies!
Testing the VR-500 against the R2 using various antennas, I was apparent that the Yaesu was a better HF performer on all frequencies below 20 MHz that I tested. It was also a superior performer on AM broadcast as well. Above 20 MHz the R2 was the clear winner.
Unlike all the other micro receivers in its class, the Yaesu has LSB, USB and CW receive modes as well as 50 and 100 Hz tuning steps! SSB tuning was very nice having listened to a number of signals from aircraft over the North Atlantic as well as from some of the amateur radio bands.
At one point I had the VR-500 hooked up to my 6 foot 20-014 ground plane and compared it to the same USB signal being received on my ATS-909 using its 4 foot telescoping whip. The difference was like night and day as the VR-500 was easily receiving the signal while the ATS-909 was just barely readable above the noise!
As you can guess, selectivity and dynamic range were well below average but that's to be expected when sacrifices are made to package all this functionality into such a small footprint.
| Category | Score | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Sensitivity | 15 | 25 |
| Selectivity | 5 | 15 |
| Interference rejection | 0 | 20 |
| Coverage | 90 | 90 |
| Channels | 15 | 15 |
| Channels per bank | 5 | 15 |
| Ease of use | 20 | 20 |
| Scan/Search speed | 0 | 10 |
| Receive modes | 15 | 15 |
| Step sizes | 20 | 25 |
| Conversion | 10 | 10 |
| Audio | 15 | 20 |
| Antenna | 5 | 20 |
| Construction | 20 | 20 |
| Size | 15 | 15 |
| Search | 20 | 35 |
| Attenuator | 5 | 20 |
| Auto-store | 5 | 20 |
| Search frequency lockout | 10 | 15 |
| Backlight | 25 | 30 |
| Alpha-tagging | 10 | 20 |
| VFO | 10 | 10 |
| Squelch tail | 5 | 10 |
| Priority | 5 | 20 |
| Delay | 5 | 15 |
| Hold | 10 | 10 |
| Rotary Control | 10 | 10 |
| S-meter | 10 | 10 |
| Power-on resume | 10 | 10 |
| Computer Interface | 10 | 20 |
| Tone Decode | 0 | 15 |
| Battery indicator | 0 | 10 |
| Channel count | 0 | 5 |
| Tape record control | 0 | 5 |
| Clock | 0 | 5 |
| Timers | 10 | 5 |
| Weather programmed | 5 | 5 |
| Weather alert | 0 | 5 |
| Data skip | 0 | 5 |
| Bank delete | 5 | 5 |
| Bank sort | 0 | 5 |
| Total | 420 | 670 |
| Total | 63 | 100 |
This radio does have a few quirks but they are largely dwarfed by all that this radio has to offer. 100 channel banks aren't the greatest but it does have 10 banks and they can be scanned as the user sees fit. The inability to lock out individual memory channels does force you into extra work to program and initiate the preferential memory scan.
The biggest sore spot with this offering is its 800+ filtering which is sadly lacking. Consider yourself warned if you live in or around a decent sized urban area where strong cell signals will swamp this radio and cause you great frustration for 800 MHz monitoring. Some of it may be solved with the use of the global attenuator but some of it will not and you'll sacrifice reception of of VHF signals in the process.
If Yaesu/Standard could beef up UHF, add CTCSS/DCS, memory channel lockout, and a bit faster scan/search, this radio would have the competition running scared. As it stands now, it is definitely a formidable competitor and I hope we get to see more projects come out of this company collaboration!
Recommendations
With the addition of SSB & CW receive modes, 50/100 Hz tuning, band scope, and
8 character alpha-tags, the VR-500 has established itself as a force to be
reckoned with as no other competitor in this class can compete. But that in a
small package which is nicely built, easy to use, and easy to listen to, and
you have one heck of a radio!
I consider the IC-R2 to be the biggest competitor to the VR-500. It is a better receiver in terms of VHF/UHF sensitivity and interference rejection. But it isn't so hot on HF. Not to mention that its smallest step size is 5 kHz and it can "only" tune AM, FM and WFM. To its advantage, it does have CTCSS squelch as well as tone search. One of its biggest drawbacks is its one or all memory bank scanning. Someday Icom will get the hint...
The next most likely competitor is probably the WS2000 and its rebadged sibling, the Commtel COM510. A nice little receiver based on the Standard AX400B, it has many of the same features as the VR-500 (imagine that!) But I don't remember it being as easy to use as the VR-500. Like the R2, it does not do so hot on HF and has not SSB/CW reception nor a sub-1 kHz step size. It also has no belt clip...bummer.
Next up would probably be the new Trident TRX-100XLT which isn't quite a micro receiver but it's pretty close and many will consider it I'm sure. While it is not the most sensitive radio, it has a lot of features and is easy to use. It has a large keypad, is built nicely and offers a nice LCD with great backlighting for both the display and keypad. Again, it has no real HF reception, SSB/CW nor step sizes below 1 kHz. It, too, has no belt clip (what is it with these designs?)
The last option would likely be AOR's AR16 which I don't consider to be a real contender given it's poor squelch, no real VFO tuning, and poor search limit support. It's good qualities are decent VHF/UHF and very good HF performance.
With all of these considerations, the final decision will probably come down to one based on cost. For the money the VR-500 is, I feel, a better choice than the WS2000/COM510 or TRX-100XLT. The tough decision will be between the $200 R2 or the $360 VR-500. Not an easy decision, is it? It never is...
Update - 10/04/99
I've just received word from Alex Lentini of Lentini Communications about the
labeling of the VR-500 box and radio. The model I reviewed was from the
Japanese market and had the Standard label on the box and radio itself. Alex
says that the units they are selling in the US have no such Standard labels;
only Yaesu.
Update - 10/06/99
Word comes from Curt Chambers about another error in the manual. In the keypad
function chart in the front, listed under FUNC + 6/PW indicates that if it is
held down for two seconds, it will display the operating time and total
transmit time! As Cust points out, this appears to come from Yaesu's VX-5R
manual!
One of Curt's web site visitors mentioned that his manual says that the above keypress will display the batter voltage!
This key combination is used to store the Priority frequency and is documented in the section on Priority as it should be.
Thanks for the update Curt!
If you are interested in purchasing one of these radios or simply want more information, please stop by their web site, or write Jonathan at info@javiation.co.uk.
| Copyright © 2010 by Richard J. Wells |
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